Pitt grad eyes congressional seat in 12th district
By Grant Burgman / Staff Writer
April 21, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Tom Prigg is an unmistakable Pittsburgh native, who speaks with rounded vowel sounds and local colloquialisms to prove it. But come November 2018, the Carnegie Mellon University research associate is banking on his hometown roots to help him secure a seat in the United States House of Representatives...
New vegan options pop up in Market Central
By Janine Faust and Caroline Bourque | Staff Writers
April 21, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Nestled next to the salad bar in Market Central, a new eatery is serving plant-based options out of a cart borrowed from the basketball court of the Petersen Events Center — and it’s attracting vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike. Pitt’s Student Office of Sustainability recently partnered wit...
Pitt researchers identify new cancer risks in chromosomes
By Rose Luder / Staff Writer
April 20, 2017
Filed under Health, News, Top Stories
Scientists have identified a new cancer risk associated with chromosomes, according to a 22-year-long study from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Jian-Min Yuan — a professor in Pitt’s School of Public Health, a physician and researcher — conducted research indicating that the length of telomeres ...
Democratic mayoral debate roundup
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
April 20, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
For the first time Wednesday night, all three of Pittsburgh’s Democratic mayoral candidates took to the same stage. Live on WTAE, City Councilperson Darlene Harris, Rev. John Welch and current Mayor Bill Peduto traded opinions, arguments and occasional barbs in a fight for Pittsburghers’ votes i...
Suspects arrested in connection with Meyran vandalism
By John Hamilton / Assistant News Editor
April 20, 2017
Filed under Crime, News, Top Stories
Pitt police arrested two women Tuesday in connection with graffiti painted on sidewalks, vehicles and houses on Meyran Avenue. Pitt police noticed freshly painted graffiti at 4:05 a.m. Tuesday while on foot patrol, according to Pitt spokesperson Joe Miksch. They chased and eventually apprehended t...
Rooney rule: Peduto calls for more increased diversity in city hiring
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy
April 20, 2017
Mayor Bill Peduto implemented new measures Wednesday to amp up diversity efforts in city hiring procedures. According to a press release from the mayor’s office, Peduto issued an executive order April 19 to create the position of a diversity and inclusion officer — who will work to produce policy focused on recru...
AEPi holds Holocaust remembrance for 24 hours
By Abhigyna Mallepalli | Staff Writer
April 19, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
A middle-aged man halted his bike on the corner of O’Hara Street and University Place and asked, “What are we never forgetting?” to a huddle of students escorted by Pitt Police cars. About 20 marchers, all dressed in black and clutching small white signs instructing onlookers to “Never Forg...
SGB seniors bid farewell to Pitt
By Nolan Roosa | Staff Writer
April 19, 2017
Filed under News, Student Government, Top Stories
It didn’t take long for Natalie Dall, president of SGB, to shed tears during her report Tuesday night. “Thank you again to everyone for making this place my home,” she said. “And for one of my last times as a student and as SGB President: Hail to Pitt!” In the final SGB meeting of the...
Person robbed at gunpoint on Semple
By Janine Faust / Senior Staff Writer
April 19, 2017
Filed under Crime, News, Top Stories
Two assailants, armed with a black handgun, robbed a person Monday night on the 200 block of Semple Street. The victim was an adult unaffiliated with the University who said two men robbed him of his wallet, phone and electronic equipment before fleeing down Semple Street — possibly going south ...
Gallery: Politicians, NFL players join family to remember Dan Rooney
By John Hamilton / Assistant News Editor
April 18, 2017
Filed under City, News, Visual
Friends, family, politicians, NFL owners and players remembered the life of Dan Rooney, the former Steelers chairman and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland who passed away Thursday at 84. The funeral was held Tuesday morning at Saint Paul Cathedral in Oakland. ...
Last step: Pitt students hold inaugural film festival
By John Hamilton / Assistant News Editor
April 18, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Nick Freeman had until 5 p.m. Saturday to submit his film for the first Pitt Film Festival, a showcase of short Pitt student films. He submitted it two minutes before deadline to Jake Savitz, the festival’s organizer, who would hand Freeman the festival’s most popular picture award two days later. ...
Remembering Rooney: Obama to join Pittsburghers for funeral in Oakland
By Janine Faust / Senior Staff Writer
April 18, 2017
Filed under Campus, City, News, Top Stories
In honor of former Steelers’ President and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney, Pittsburgh residents took over Heinz Field Monday and will commemorate his death in Oakland Tuesday. Rooney died last Thursday, April 13, at the age of 84. On the day following his death, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the Pen...
Interactive crime map April 7-April 14
By The Pitt News Staff
April 17, 2017
April 8 1:44 a.m. Semple Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Pitt police arrested a non-affiliated person on a warrant. 2:59 a.m. 1400 Inverness Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Pitt police assisted city police with a burglary involving a student. Police arrested and referred one student for judicial action. 5:29 p.m. Fifth and Meyran avenues, ...
Henry Hillman dies at 98
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy / Assistant News Editor
April 17, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Henry L. Hillman, a Pittsburgh-based philanthropist and member of the Hillman family, who donated millions to the construction of Pitt’s Hillman Library, died Friday evening. Hillman passed away at 98 years old, on April 14. The Hillman Family Foundations — a parent office for each of the 18 Hil...
SGB 2016-17 year in review
By Ashwini Sivaganesh / News Editor
April 17, 2017
Filed under News, Student Government, Top Stories
After initiation this Friday, the current Student Government Board will step down to make way for its successors. Since the fall semester, the organization kept up with efforts to engage with the student body through events, such as Panthers in Politics and Women’s Empowerment Week, and outreach, but passed only...
Pitt hosts Super Smash Bros. tournament
By Grant Burgman and Rose Luder / The Pitt News Staff
April 17, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Fox, the main character of the classic Nintendo game “Star Fox,” was about to fall to his death Saturday at the hands of Princess Peach. Miraculously, Fox recovered and won the battle, much to the amusement of the crowd gathered around a small television at the O’Hara Student Center. Plenty of...
Oakland bar traditions
By Abhignya Mallepalli / Staff Writer
April 14, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Ever seen a viking marching through Oakland at 2 a.m.? Ever wonder how you get a mug at Hem’s? With so many bars to choose from and South Side a short Uber trip away, the Oakland classics maintain a loyal following through tried-and-true traditions that keep people coming back for more. He...
Economics of thirst: Pittsburgh transplants brew up romance
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
April 14, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
The dry river bed in Andrea La Nauze’s backyard inspired her to study economics. Fellow Australian Marcus Cox just wanted to quench thirsts with his self-crafted brews. Together, the two make the perfect duo. La Nauze, now a Pitt economics professor, and Cox moved from their native continent to...
Pitt announces actress, CVS head to speak at commencement
By John Hamilton / Assistant News Editor
April 13, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Pitt announced two speakers Wednesday for the separate graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies: CEO of CVS Health Larry J. Merlo and actress S. Epatha Merkerson, respectively. Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health, will speak at the graduate student commencement convocation April 29, at 4 p.m. in...
Students display artwork from studio arts classes
By Andrew O'Brien / Staff Writer
April 13, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
In the Frick Fine Arts building hangs an oil painting self-portrait of an artist staring into a mirror, shock and anguish playing across her face as she holds up a single silver hair. Stephanie Taylor’s “Gray” — one of six pieces the senior studio arts and art history double major has in ...
Pitt researchers link immune system to cancer treatment
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy / Assistant News Editor
April 13, 2017
Filed under Health, News, Top Stories
Doctors already fight cancer by stimulating patients’ immune systems, but after a recent Pitt-led study, researchers may have a better idea of how to target specific immune cells to improve their treatment. According to recent findings by Pitt researcher Robert Ferris, doctors will now be able to...
SGB promises online NYT subscriptions, forms committees
By Nolan Roosa / Staff Writer
April 12, 2017
Filed under News, Student Government, Top Stories
After promising changes to the Student Government Board governing code all year, SGB introduced four bills last night that would create new committees and provide students with online New York Times memberships. Two of the new bills will add a communications committee and the First Year Council i...
Pitt Progressives aims to fill gap in the left
By Amanda Reed / Contributing Editor
April 12, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Becca Tasker, a junior majoring in anthropology, first started researching civil rights in middle school. She had learned about the murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American boy who was lynched in 1955 after being falsely accused of flirting with a white woman. “I was always into histor...
Sexual assault survivors heal through storytelling
By Dan Day and John Hamilton / The Pitt News Staff
April 12, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Uncategorized
At the Sexual Violence Open Mic Tuesday night, no one actually used a microphone. Instead, 13 students pushed two tables together inside the William Pitt Union for an intimate discussion on the effects of rape culture and sexual violence. Pitt’s chapter of the American Association of University Women...
Making memories: Pitt students paint portraits for underprivileged children
By Anandhini Narayanan / For The Pitt News
April 11, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Jill McDonnell surveyed a set of portrait pictures laid out on a Hillman Library table and picked her next art subject based on their name and favorite color — the only information provided with the picture. Using watercolor and acrylic paints, McDonnell and 27 other artists at Pitt painted per...
Pitt hires Rob A. Rutenbar as first senior vice chancellor for research
By Ashwini Sivaganesh and John Hamilton / The Pitt News Staff
April 11, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
The University of Pittsburgh hired The University of Pittsburgh hired Rob A. Rutenbar Monday as the first senior vice chancellor for research, a new position that will oversee and integrate research at Pitt. The search for the job began in October 2016, when Pitt held four town halls to get input on hiring for...
From NYU Local: Palestinian youth LEAD the way
By Melissa Godin | NYU Local
April 10, 2017
Filed under News, Top Stories
This story was produced as part of Impact News Journalism Day. Read more stories like it at impactjournalismday-universities.com/read-our-stories. “The first time I was offered a cigarette was by a 12-year-old Palestinian refugee named Odayee, in a refugee camp right out of Nablus called New Askar,” said 21-year-old R.J. Khalaf, founder of LEAD...
Interactive crime map: March 31 – April 6
By The Pitt News Staff
April 9, 2017
March 31 2:55 p.m. Posvar Hall 230 S. Bouquet St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Pitt police responded to a report of a stolen coat. An investigation is pending. 3:40 p.m. Public Saftey Building 3412 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Pitt police assisted Port Authority police with an assault that occurred o...
Gone Cold: Pitt students investigate unsolved crimes
By Janine Faust / Staff Writer
April 9, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
On a Wednesday night in February, Rachel Feil stands at a whiteboard in room 232 of David Lawrence Hall, tapping a red Expo marker on her chin as she studies what she’s scribbled on the surface. “I don’t know,” she tells the man standing next to her. “I don’t think that works. We need m...
Pitt Pantry alleviates rising food insecurity
By Janine Faust / Staff Writer
April 9, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
After finishing a shift at Market Central, Alexandria Dsouza usually swings by the Pitt Pantry to pick up her groceries for the week. “I come here primarily for toiletries, like toothpaste and toilet paper, and breakfast foods like bagels and cereal,” Dsouza said, leaning comfortably against the...
Mike Posner, acrobats, other musicians perform at Bigelow Bash
By Zoe Pawliczek / Staff Writer
April 9, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Spectators munched on food truck treats and watched acrobats perform dangerous and perplexing stunts — with the Cathedral of Learning as a backdrop — to the tune of live DJing during Bigelow Bash 2017. Students lined up by the dozens at each of the 10 food trucks present on Bigelow Boulevard ...
Meghan Daum reads, shares stories with students
By Abhignya Mallepalli / Staff Writer
April 7, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
A casual game of charades between A-list celebrities was the perfect opportunity for writer and editor Meghan Daum to transcend the line between being present and invisible. Daum’s experience at a star-studded party as an aspiring screenwriter served as the premise for “Invisible City,” an essay ...
Pittsburghers talk gerrymandering
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
April 7, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
Sue Broughton likes squiggles. And as a speaker for Fair Districts PA, she gets to show concerned voters a lot of them. Fair Districts PA, is a non-partisan activist group against gerrymandering — when a political group moves the boundaries of electoral districts to help their own election odds...
Schenley apartments to open in July
By John Hamilton and James Evan Bowen-Gaddy / Assistant News Editor
April 7, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
The doors of Schenley High School will reopen soon, but to the distaste of some former students, it won’t be for class. Tenants will occupy the former classrooms, which are now converted to luxury apartments. PMC Property Group is now leasing 180 units in the building with move-in dates starting as soon as Ju...
Interfaith stand-up duo unites students through comedy
By Janine Faust / Staff Writer
April 6, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
A Jew and a Muslim got up on stage in the William Pitt Union Ballroom — that’s not the punchline of a joke, those are the comedians. Comedians Scott Blakeman and Dean Obeidallah brought their act Stand Up for Peace to Pitt Wednesday night, at an event hosted by Pitt’s Hillel Jewish Universi...
Pitt Tonight announces Andrew Dow as new host
By Ashwini Sivaganesh and John Hamilton / News Editors
April 6, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
For a show that is only wrapping up its second season, “Pitt Tonight” is already at the end of an era. “Pitt Tonight” announced on Twitter Wednesday that first-year Andrew Dow will be the next host of the show, starting fall 2017. He will be the successor to Jesse Irwin, who is finishing his reign aft...
Bigelow Bash preview
By Caoline Bourque / Staff Writer
April 5, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Acrobats will juggle and flip alongside musicians and food truck vendors on Bigelow Boulevard Sunday as crowds take over the street at Bigelow Bash. Bigelow Boulevard will transform into a festival venue Sunday, April 9, beginning at 1 p.m., for Bigelow Bash — an annual concert and festival organiz...
In tune with a b-flat: Artists, physicists collaborate on campus
By Abhignya Mallepalli / Staff Writer
April 5, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Sarah Thornton stands in the basement of the Frick Fine Arts Center, preparing for her work to appear in an exhibit Tuesday night. She dips her fingers in paint and presses them to the canvas, using gray and purple colors to put the finishing touches on her visual representation of the connections between phys...
SGB pushes reading day initiative
By Nolan Roosa / Staff Writer
April 5, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
With only two meetings left in the semester, SGB made strides on Tuesday night to institute changes for the next academic school year, outlining future changes to the governing code and pushing their reading day proposal. Board member Rohit Anand proposed adding an extra reading day to give students...
Deaf activist, model shares experiences, advocates for inclusion
By Janine Faust / Staff Writer
April 4, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News, Top Stories
When Nyle DiMarco was 24-years-old, a friend asked him if he ever wished he could hear. He immediately replied no. “I told him, ‘I have always been deaf. It is part of who I am,’” DiMarco said. “Why would I want to be any different?” This is the message the actor and model relayed ...
Organizers hope to build on inaugural pre-health summit
By Abhignya Mallepalli / Staff Writer
April 4, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
When a large number of students were having difficulty registering for organic chemistry labs in spring 2015, Rohit Anand, senior neuroscience and psychology major, realized just how many students at Pitt wanted to pursue a career in health. “Pitt is a pre-health school, not a pre-med school,” Anand s...
The Pitt News wins awards for advertising, marketing
By John Hamilton / Assistant News Editor
April 4, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
College Media Business and Advertising Managers doled out nine awards to The Pitt News for excellence in business operations, marketing and promotions during the organization’s annual award ceremony Saturday. CMBAM’s annual awards ceremony recognizes excellence in business and advertising oper...
Students sing, dance in Greek Sing for charity
By Janine Faust / Staff Writer
April 3, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Two Pitt Greek organizations were cursed by a mummy Friday night. Four were hypnotized by a voodoo queen and another four were imprisoned for third-degree murder. These events all transpired onstage during the annual Greek Sing competition, where 10 teams of fraternities and sororities took turns ...
IGA in Oakland to close in one week
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy / Assistant News Editor
April 3, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
After serving as the only grocery market on Pitt’s campus for the past nine years, The Market on Forbes IGA will soon close its doors forever. IGA owner Ron Levick said that due to competition with other grocery stores, he will be closing the store either this Friday, April 7, or early next week. ...
Ralliers honor lost trans, black lives
By Rose Luder / Staff Writer
April 3, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Nearly two years after 28-year-old Sandra Bland died in jail, Alex Anderson from the West End held a sign with her image in front of the Pittsburgh City-County Building. He doesn’t want anyone to forget her story. Chicago native Bland died in a Texas jail three days after she was arrested for a min...
Interactive crime map: March 23 – March 30
By The Pitt News Staff
April 2, 2017
Filed under Crime, News, Top Stories
March 23 12:10 p.m. Ruskin Hall 120 Ruskin Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213: Pitt police cited two students for marijuana/disorderly conduct. 11:43 a.m. Music Building 4337 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213: Pitt police responded to a report of a criminal mischief. An investigation is pending. March 24...
Doctors organized march for affordable health care
By Zoe Pawliczek / Staff Writer
April 2, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
A horde of people in white lab coats marched around the Cathedral of Learning Saturday afternoon, but not to provide medical advice. In a national climate dominated by debate about health care policy, the 50-person group was just one faction of the nationwide March for Health — a movement for equitable...
Pitt Pantry simulates hunger, highlights class inequality
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy and Elias Rappaport / The Pitt News Staff
March 31, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, Health, News
A Pitt Pantry representative pointed to an audience member in the William Pitt Union ballroom Thursday night and asked her to imagine that for the rest of night, she was no longer a Pitt student. Instead, the student would assume the fictional role of a part-time nurse with four children. Suddenly, ...
D.C. insider shares advice with students
By Zoe Pawliczek / Staff Writer
March 31, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
As is often the case with college graduates’ introductions to politics, Nick Tabor’s was more of a crash course — short, full of variety and unexpected. At this semester’s Panthers in Politics seminar, the former senior policy advisor for the National Economic Council shared advice for cur...
Panel discusses journalism in the Trump Era
By Abhignya Mallepalli / Staff Writer
March 31, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Five renowned political journalists sat down under Alumni Hall’s dim lights Thursday night to discuss their most recent and controversial challenge: President Donald Trump. More than 150 people were gathered in the seventh-floor auditorium to learn about journalism’s revival — and attacks on it...
Pitt wraps up eighth RecycleMania
By Ashwini Sivaganesh / News Editor
March 30, 2017
Filed under Campus, Top Stories
Some students walking through the parking lot between the William Pitt Union and Towers Patio Wednesday morning said they thought they were witnessing a remake of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” A cobalt blue tarp was set up under the cloudless sky, and students in white puffy Tyvek jumpsuit...
Paid parental leave extended to Pitt staff
By John Hamilton / Assistant News Editor
March 30, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
The University announced the first paid parental leave program for staff on Wednesday, providing four consecutive weeks of paid leave to new mothers and fathers. The new benefit, which is available to benefits-eligible staff members, allows parents to take four weeks of paid leave during the 12 months f...
Ladies of steel: Sorority group address female self-esteem
By Andrew O'Brien / Staff Writer
March 29, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Glance at the cover of “Glamour” or “Cosmo” magazines, and chances are your eyes will meet the baby blues or emerald greens of a smirking model with flawless skin. Her face is smooth and airbrushed, her every imperfection obscured with foundation and Photoshop. But when that model looks in t...
County controller criticizes PWSA’s lead plans
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
March 29, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
At a press conference in her Downtown office on Tuesday, Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner considered the scope of lead in Pittsburgh households’ water and called it like she sees it: a public health crisis. “One in four homes have lead lines, and the [Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Author...
SGB town hall sees low turnout
By Nolan Roosa / Staff Writer
March 29, 2017
Filed under News, Student Government, Top Stories
Student Government Board’s monthly town hall lasted only 15 minutes Tuesday night, a change from the typical hour-long meeting. Nordy’s Place was nearly empty while board members reminded the few attendees to apply for SGB committee positions for the upcoming year. SGB’s town-hall-style meetin...
Alma mater honors Bonner with leadership award
By John Hamilton / Assistant News Editor
March 29, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
Washington & Jefferson College honored 1994 grad Kenyon Bonner Tuesday night for the leadership he’s displayed in his 13 years at Pitt. Bonner, Pitt’s vice provost and dean of students, received the Maurice Cleveland Waltersdorf Award, given to W&J students and alumni who have the demonstrated ...
Interactive crime map: March 17 – 23
By The Pitt News Staff
March 27, 2017
Filed under Crime, News, Top Stories
March 17 7:54 a.m. Clapp Hall, 4249 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Pitt police responded to a report of a stolen laptop. An investigation is pending. 11:42 a.m. Trees Hall, 140 Allequippa St., Pittsburgh, PA 15261. Pitt police responded to a report of a criminal mischief. An investigation is ...
Pride Week 2017 preview
By Ashwini Sivaganesh and James Evan Bowen-Gaddy / The Pitt News Staff
March 27, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
While the streets of downtown Pittsburgh won’t be covered in rainbow flags until June, Pitt’s Rainbow Alliance will host its own pride week March 27 to 31. Many cities celebrate LGBTQ+ pride during June, but in order to engage students earlier, the Rainbow Alliance decided to host a week of progr...
TEDx speakers reach out to students in talks
By Rose Luder and Zoe Pawliczek / The Pitt News Staff
March 27, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Just when Canadian hurdler Sarah Wells came close to realizing her Olympic dreams, she faced an injury that destroyed her chances. At first, she was crushed by the missed opportunity — which she considered “choking” at the time. But she overcame her defeat and ultimately placed as a semi-...
Students get their zen on at mindfulness fair
By Andrew O'Brien / Staff Writer
March 27, 2017
Filed under Campus, Health, News, Top Stories
Following the instructor’s lead Saturday, a group of students on yoga mats on the second floor of the University Club breathed deeply as they assumed happy baby and downward facing dog poses in unison. The assembled yogis transitioned into tree pose, poised with one foot rooted on the ground and the othe...
Peduto discusses hot topics with students
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
March 24, 2017
Filed under News, Student Government, Top Stories
Mayor Bill Peduto spoke to representatives from the Pittsburgh Student Government Council about the issues that impact them Thursday night, addressing immigration, harassment and a changing Pittsburgh. The council’s representatives are from 10 Pittsburgh higher education institutions, including P...
Big Ideas competition awards 2017 winners
By Janine Faust / Staff Writer
March 24, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Looking for a monitor to measure your anaerobic threshold while you exercise? Need UV- resistant ink for your new tattoo? How about a phone case that reminds you when to take your meds and then dispenses them? Pitt students might be able to hook you up. Student entrepreneurs displayed these innov...
PGH companies present at robotics event
By Maggie Medoff / Staff Writer
March 24, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
At the Pittsburgh Athletic Association Thursday night, tables lined the room’s perimeter with computer screens flashing color displays, peregrine lander and rover models and panels of sound, light and distance sensors. More than 100 locals attended Pittsburgh Presents Robotics, an event hosted by Cohe...
Pitt’s Senate Council analyzes effects of federal budget cuts
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
March 23, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Pitt’s University Senate Council discussed benefits for adjunct professors and threats to government research funding at its monthly meeting Wednesday afternoon. Chancellor Patrick Gallagher opened the council with a short speech discussing the budget proposed by President Donald Trump last Thursday...
Pitt hires full-time psychiatrist
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy / Assistant News Editor
March 23, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, Health, News
After months of long waits and few available psychiatrists, Pitt announced more on-call counselors to schedule same-day appointments and a new full-time psychiatrist Wednesday. Pelin Duzenli, who will begin in April, currently practices as a licensed psychiatrist and behavior scientist at the Tid...
Locals respond to bus rapid transit, land trust
By Rose Luder / Staff Writer
March 23, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
After introducing new routes for the Bus Rapid Transit, the Pittsburgh Port Authority approached locals at the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation town hall meeting for their opinion. About 30 local Pittsburgh residents attended the OPDC town hall meeting at the Oakland Career Center Wedne...
Leslie Jones brings the laughs
By Zoe Pawliczek / Staff Writer
March 22, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Leaning back on her stool with her legs spread, pretending to take a nude photo of herself, comedian Leslie Jones couldn’t stop cracking herself up. “Make sure that you have the right lighting [and] the right angle — make sure you don’t do it from above,” Jones told the crowd of more tha...
Police arrest 11 protesters at Allegheny County Jail
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy / Assistant News Editor
March 22, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
After three days of protests in solidarity with inmates striking at the Allegheny County Jail, only a dozen supporters remained outside its fortified walls Tuesday night. The tired group trudged into the jail’s bright lobby at roughly 9:30 p.m., and then filed into a small nondescript gray court ...
Pitt forms new institute focused on healthy living
By John Hamilton / Contributing Editor
March 22, 2017
Pitt announced Monday that, in an effort to expand health-related research at the University, it will add a new Healthy Lifestyle Institute to the School of Education. The Healthy Lifestyle Institute will create new centers and programs within various schools at the University to enhance research ...
Peduto declares day of solidarity with immigrant residents
By Ash Sivaganesh / News Editor
March 22, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Joining in national trends, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto declared Tuesday the Cities’ Immigration Day of Action — a declaration of solidarity with immigrant families around the city and nation. The U.S. Conference of Mayors organized the mostly-symbolic event, which included several cities across...
Ta-Nehisi Coates inspires young writers at packed event
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
March 20, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
With a packed crowd spread out in front of him in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room Monday night, award-winning journalist and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates picked a raised hand. The hand belonged to a professor, who said her class had finished his most famous work, “Between the World and Me,” and...
Wavering weather causes climate concerns
By Maggie Medoff / For The Pitt News
March 20, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Linh Le, a first-year finance major from Garden City, Kansas, is used to the high-hitting winds of the Great Plains, not wearing crop tops in the middle of a Pittsburgh winter. “I expected it to be much colder moving up north, but based on what the locals say, the last couple winters have been a ...
Pitt Tonight shines spotlight on Women’s Empowerment Week
By Emily Suruda / Staff Writer
March 20, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News, Top Stories
Student Government Board Vice President Sydney Harper is awestruck when she thinks about the women who have come before her and left behind inspirational legacies. On Sunday’s women empowerment-themed episode of Pitt Tonight, Harper reeled off numerous names — from her ultimate inspiration, Ha...
Doyle hosts healthcare town hall meeting
By Nolan Roosa / Staff Writer
March 20, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
In light of the proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act, Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., turned his attention to the people for input Saturday. More than 500 people — many of them constituents of the 14th Congressional District, encompassing Pittsburgh and some its suburbs — gathered at the Soldi...
Thriftsburgh celebrates second birthday
By Zoe Pawliczek / Staff Writer
March 20, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Though sophomore Vanessa Colihan waited outside the O’Hara Student Center Friday morning for the University of Thriftsburgh’s second birthday celebration to begin, she wasn’t shopping for a new outfit. “I was specifically looking for cotton t-shirts. It’s easy to cut them into yarn and cro...
Interactive crime map: March 9 – March 17
By The Pitt News Staff
March 20, 2017
Filed under Campus, Crime, News
March 9 10:14 a.m. Mervis Hall, 3950 Roberto Clemente Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Pitt police responded to the theft of two office chairs. An investigation is pending. 12:28 p.m. 51 Boundary St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police assisted city police with serving a warrant. Two actors were taken ...
In wake of AHCA, public health professionals discuss bill
By Rose Luder / For The Pitt News
March 17, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Chief legal officer at UPMC Sheryl Kashuba drew laughs from a full audience — including Chancellor Patrick Gallagher in the front row — as soon as she began her part of a discussion on health care Thursday afternoon. “First let me say what weird times we’re living in when you’ve packed the roo...
Conflict Kitchen to close Schenley Plaza location in May
By Ashwini Sivaganesh / News Editor
March 17, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
After seven years, Conflict Kitchen will close up shop at its Schenley Plaza location May 31. The restaurant — which serves international food from countries the United States is in conflict with — is funded by sales, in addition to some local organizations including the Sprout Fund and the Benter F...
Pitt remembers Dr. Thomas E. Starzl
By Grant Burgman / Staff Writer
March 17, 2017
Filed under Campus, Health, News, Top Stories
Although Dr. Thomas E. Starzl is known in the Pitt medical community for his contributions to the organ transplant field, his grandson Ravi Starzl knows him as an ice cream connoisseur. The elder Starzl was such a fan of ice cream that he would frequently eat it for dinner, his grandson said. He was ...
PPA shares parking permit plan at Oakwatch meeting
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy / Assistant News Editor
March 16, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Pittsburgh Parking Authority is implementing a new digitalized parking system, rather than using sticker parking permits, as early as May 1. John Fournier, director of enforcement and residential permit parking from the Pittsburgh Parking Authority, made the announcement at the monthly Oakwatch: the ...
Pitt professor lectures on climate change, refugees
By Zoe Pawliczek and Rose Luder / The Pitt News Staff
March 16, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
When Pitt political science professor Iza Ding developed a cough while researching in China, her students joked her lungs were too “Westernized.” Ding, who researches global and regional environmentalism in Eastern Asia and Central and Eastern Europe, said people in China, who deal with worse ...
Pitt eliminates CGS associate dean position
By Ashwini Sivaganesh and Amanda Reed / The Pitt News Staff
March 15, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
Without a public announcement about upcoming organizational changes to the College of General Studies, former associate dean Cristina Ruggiero left the position in February. Pitt spokesperson Joe Miksch said her departure was the result of “pending organizational changes” that have eliminated th...
SGB surveys students about good Samaritan policy
By Nolan Roosa / Staff Writer
March 15, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News, Student Government
Members of Pitt’s Student Government Board’s judicial committee have spent the last two weeks asking people around campus if they understand the University’s “good Samaritan” policy. They found that many did not. The Pitt Responsible Action Protocol, also known as the good Samaritan policy, prot...
Allegheny jurors to decide Bill Cosby case
By Amanda Reed / Assistant News Editor
March 15, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
The state Supreme Court ruled Monday that jurors from Allegheny County will be making a decision in the sexual assault case against comedian Bill Cosby set to take place in Philadelphia this June. Cosby is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault after being accused of drugging and...
Oakland organizations receive community beautification grants
By Amanda Reed / Assistant News Editor
March 13, 2017
Two Oakland groups will use funding from a city grant program to spruce up the neighborhood. The Love Your [Resilient] Block program, founded in 2011, gives grants to nonprofits in the city that are working on resilience-building projects throughout the city. Resilience, in relation to urban planni...
Peduto reveals $1 million plan for lead filters
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy / Assistant News Editor
March 13, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Mayor Bill Peduto announced Wednesday that the city will invest $1 million to address concerns of high lead levels in Pittsburgh residents’ water. The city, in conjunction with Peoples Natural Gas Company and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, will invest the money to equip PWSA customers with ...
In case you missed it: Spring break
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy and Amanda Reed / The Pitt News Staff
March 13, 2017
Filed under Campus, City, News, Top Stories
March 4 Pitches & Tones, a co-ed a cappella group at Pitt, placed second out of nine groups at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Central Quarterfinal at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall Saturday. The Carnegie Mellon Treblemakers placed first in the competition. Pi...
Interactive crime map Feb. 24 – March 7
By The Pitt News Staff
March 13, 2017
Filed under Crime, News, Top Stories
Feb. 24 12:55 p.m. Victoria Hall, 3500 Victoria St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police responded to a report of a fire panel that was tampered with. An investigation is pending. 5:01 p.m. 3800 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police cited a student for underage drinking and public drunkenne...
The art of the study: how architecture affects students
By James Watkins / For The Pitt News
March 13, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
When he has a big test ahead of him, Andrew Puglionesi walks into the common room of the Cathedral of Learning, finds a cozy spot at a long table near the right end of the high-ceilinged space and settles down for a night of studying. Like most Pitt students, the junior computer science major has spent time deciding ...
The Pitt News wins Student Keystone Press Awards
By The Pitt News Staff
March 12, 2017
Filed under News, Top Stories
The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association awarded The Pitt News top prizes and honorable mentions Tuesday for seven stories and visual pieces published in 2016. The PNA’s 2017 Student Keystone Press Awards recognizes “high school and college journalism that provides relevance, integrity and initiati...
Union Project hosts diversity training for Muslim allies
By Abhignya Mallepalli / For The Pitt News
March 3, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Under cream-white arches adorned with lanterns and silk, about 50 people wearing name tags with their preferred pronouns greeted familiar friends as they prepared to learn about being an ally to their Muslim friends, neighbors or anyone in the Pittsburgh area. The crowd gathered at the Union Project in S...
Pitt Vets provide emotional, academic support for student veterans
By James Watkins / For The Pitt News
March 3, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
When Vietnam veteran Jay Sukits came to Pitt’s campus to study math and economics in the early ‘70s, he didn’t get a warm welcome. “When I returned from Vietnam and got on campus, my fellow veterans and I were simply treated terribly by many students and faculty at the University,” Sukits sai...
Pitt alum offers legal advice for cannabis industry
By Rebecca Peters / Staff Writer
March 3, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Pitt alumna Sarah Carlins is making Pennsylvania a little greener, one court case at a time. As chair of Houston Harbaugh’s Health Care Law Department in Pittsburgh, Carlins provides legal counsel and representation to business owners, patients, employees and shareholders in the medical cannabis i...
Vegan collective brings new dishes to Market menu
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy / Assistant News Editor
March 2, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
A group of six students gathered in Market Central Wednesday night, not for a chicken patty or stir-fry bowl, but for a conversation with the chefs. The students came for the second meeting of the Vegan and Vegetarian Collective, a group of Pitt students as well as Pitt Dining and Sodexo staff dedic...
RJ Mitte speaks on diversity, disability in television
By Zoe Pawliczek / Staff Writer
March 2, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Standing onstage and laughing with the crowd Wednesday night, “Breaking Bad” star RJ Mitte boldly contrasted the image most associated with him — a coming-of-age teen sporting crutches and a speech impediment. “I grew up not looking at disability as a disability. I thought it was very norma...
Film series highlights Latin American culture
By Max Datner / Staff Writer
March 1, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
A Brazilian boy, through tears, told his on-screen caretaker in Portuguese how much he missed his mother. While watching him, a crowd of about 65 students and faculty sipped soda and took notes as English subtitles of his words crop up on a projected screen in Parran Hall Tuesday. The audience gat...
SGB town hall meeting turnout low after recent election
By Nolan Roosa / Staff Writer
March 1, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
All of the candidates for Student Government Board president this year — including President-elect Max Kneis — considered town hall style meetings as part of the solution to engaging students in SGB. The two town halls that have already taken place in Nordy’s Place might give next year’s b...
Pitt gets $5.5 million in first annual Day of Giving
By Amanda Reed / Assistant News Editor
March 1, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Though Pitt raised more than $5 million Wednesday, pulling from donors across all 50 states — one of the day’s biggest individual winners was the Club Tennis team. For the University’s 230th anniversary, Pitt hosted its first annual day of giving, raising $5,543,591.56. More than 5000 dona...
Students speed learn uncommon languages
By Zoe Pawliczek / Staff Writer
February 28, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Junior Desislava Iolova knows seven languages, but wanted to learn more Monday night — at least as many new words as she could in 15 minutes. “I love learning languages, but I’m focusing on my major, so I have to learn them in my free time at events like these,” Iolova, an electrical enginee...
Pitt bike co-op aims to meet needs of cyclists
By Maggie Medoff / For The Pitt News
February 28, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
After two years of racing and repairing bikes and a slew of leisurely Sunday brunch-and-rides, Kimmy Dinh and five of her friends decided to shift gears. After Dinh, a senior biological science major, and her five cohorts — Sinjon Bartel, Hana Swift, Lora Matway, Ang Urban and Naomi Anderson — form...