Sex Edition 2018: Survivors, sugar babies and safety
By The Pitt News
February 14, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, News
Editor's Note: A few weeks before any special edition comes out, the editors on staff try to come up with a theme for that issue. This year was no different, but it didn’t take us long to figure out what we needed to be talking about. Whether it’s the #MeToo campaign or Time’s Up, it’s evident our...
Pitt, UPMC announce $200 million Immune Transplant and Therapy Center
By Janine Faust / Assistant News Editor
February 14, 2018
Filed under Administration, City, Health, News
Jeffrey Romoff, president of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, walked on stage at a century-old abandoned car factory Tuesday afternoon and wondered where some of its necessary facilities were. “This is not quite what I expected,” he said. “I can’t find the lavatories, and I can’...
SGB debate funding for student event
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
February 14, 2018
Filed under News, Student Government
During Student Government Board’s weekly public meeting Tuesday night, the board had its first divided vote of the 2017-2018 school year. Executive Vice President Zuri Kent-Smith and board member Ami Fall opposed the funding of the Students for Liberty and Engineering Business Administration event, ...
The bittersweet lives of sugar babies
By Remy Samuels | Staff Writer
February 14, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
With college tuition, textbook and living costs soaring higher each year, students face daunting debts that prompt them to get creative with how they support themselves. Some turn to working at Starbucks, others to tutoring — and some even turn to dating. A sugar baby is typically a young woman who ...
Lawyers navigate the intricacies of assault
By Hannah Schneider, Staff Writer
February 14, 2018
Filed under City, Crime, News, Top Stories
Within the first 24 hours of the #MeToo movement going viral in October 2017, there were more than 12 million posts, comments and reactions made by 4.7 million Facebook users worldwide. The movement has since reached more than 85 countries, shedding a new light on advocacy for survivors of sexual harassment...
SGB candidates debate for presidency
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
February 13, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News, Student Government
Maggie Kennedy and Saket Rajprohat met Monday night to debate for one of the most influential student leadership positions on campus — the Student Government Board presidential seat. The duo showcased their knowledge of the Pitt student community along with their qualifications for holding office. Tabitha B...
Four Growers: Farming for the future
By Brian Salvato | Staff Writer
February 13, 2018
Filed under News, Tech Science, Top Stories
Imagine being able to open a door and go from biting winds and snow to a warm, climate-controlled greenhouse that carries the aroma of fresh tomatoes — being harvested by robots roaming through the aisles. For Brandon Contino and Daniel Chi, this fantasy is turning into a reality through their c...
Biden brings book tour to Pittsburgh
By Laura Howe | Staff Writer
February 13, 2018
Filed under City, Top Stories
In sharing some of what he’s learned over the years, former Vice President Joe Biden said no amount of money can protect from pollution, joblessness or grief. “For me, the way through grief is finding purpose,” he said. “Ted Kennedy was one of my mentors. He died of the exact same cancer...
Real Food Challenge seeks to find better food for campus
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
February 12, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, Health, News
Grilled chicken is a popular dish at the Flying Star Diner in Market Central. Lines for it can stretch up to 20 people, and more often than not a freshly served batch runs out minutes after it’s taken off the grill. And while students may be preoccupied with getting a piece or two before the chi...
Students celebrate Lunar New Year
By Sandra Balatkova | For The Pitt News
February 12, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
The Lunar New Year celebration set colors into motion and transformed Alumni Hall’s auditorium stage with the vibrant clothing, fans and flags featured in traditional Chinese and Vietnamese dances Sunday evening. The Chinese American Student Association, in collaboration with the Vietnamese Stu...
Amazon HQ2 community forum reveals concerns
By Anandhini Narayanan | Staff Writer
February 12, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
“Whose city? Our city! Whose city? Our city!” various Pittsburgh residents declared in unison before the community forum on Amazon began Saturday. This chant reverberated through the Liberty Room of the Human Services Building on Smithfield Street where about 50 audience members and six panelists...
Check it out: making stacks at the library
By Zane Crowell and Remy Samuels | The Pitt News Staff
February 9, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Entering the ground floor of the Hillman library, the expanse of desks, chairs and long tables encouraging group studying and collaboration are immediately noticeable. To the right of the entrance is the Donald S. Woods service desk, the main area for students can get help form a library employee. ...
Colin Jost jokes about Pitt, pot and primates
By Briana Canady | For The Pitt News
February 9, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories, Uncategorized
Colin Jost was both surprised and delighted to find an article about an infected lab monkey that allegedly escaped from its cage in a campus research lab as the first result on Google when he searched “University of Pittsburgh.” “That picture of the monkey in the article is definitely not the same mon...
CDPA Director shares employment advice
By Sid Lingala | Staff Writer
February 9, 2018
Filed under Campus, Top Stories
Cheryl Finlay is responsible for developing and overseeing services that help thousands of Pitt students in their quest to get an internship, land a research assistant position and — most frightening of all to future graduates — find a job. As director of the Office of Career Development and Place...
Community questions Amazon’s impact
By Grant Burgman and John Hamilton | The Pitt News Staff
February 8, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, City, News
Chancellor Patrick Gallagher said Amazon coming to Pittsburgh would be “unquestionably a good thing,” in an article published by Geekwire Wednesday. But the crowd of 50 people that filled a room in Parran Hall Wednesday afternoon heard five panelists discuss different views on the potential arrival of Amazon’s second headquarters. “Is this an opportunity for grow...
Taking steps for cystic fibrosis
By Zane Crowell | For The Pitt News
February 8, 2018
Filed under City, Health, News, Top Stories
Members of the Run to Cure Cystic Fibrosis marathon team trek up more than 700 steps of the Cathedral of Learning every Thursday. Then they take the elevator back down and do it two or three more times. The western Pennsylvania chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a donor-funded nonprofit wo...
Me Too founder advocates for community changes
By Briana Canady | For The Pitt News
February 7, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
Tarana Burke remembers the first day she saw “Me Too” used on Twitter — Oct. 15, 2017, when actress Alyssa Milano used the phrase in response to the sexual assault allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein. Burke, who is known as the first person to use the now-popular phrase, is a supporter of the #MeToo movement on social media, but she ...
Bonner discusses Greek life changes
By John Hamilton | Managing Editor
February 7, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner said Tuesday that he will lift the Greek life social probation after what he considers “meaningful progress” is made in improving the safety of fraternities and sororities at Pitt. In an interview with The Pitt News, Bonner discussed the response to a Jan. 18 off-cam...
SGB updates on provost search
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
February 7, 2018
Filed under News, Student Government, Top Stories
At Student Government Board’s weekly meeting Tuesday, Senior Vice Chancellor of Research Rob Rutenbar said the provost search committee involves no smoke or bunkers. “The search committee I am chairing is not decisional. And what that means is that we don’t all go retreat to the Cathedral, go...
Whitaker talks sports, jazz in Pittsburgh
By Alexa Marzina | For The Pitt News
February 6, 2018
Filed under Campus, City, News, Top Stories
Mark Whitaker is a Philadelphian infatuated with Pittsburgh. He is also an esteemed journalist who worked for Newsweek Magazine for three decades and became the first African-American to lead a national newsweekly. But that infatuation with the Steel City is what led him to investigate his father’s Pitt...
Posvar renovations feature updated classrooms
By Thompson Wymard | For The Pitt News
February 6, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Erika Gold Kestenberg is quite familiar with Posvar Hall — she spent time studying there as a student in the ’90s, and now works there. The associate director of educator development and practice Urban Scholars Program coordinator for the School of Education doesn’t miss the building’s old design...
Pitt tests victory lights, new spotlight, prompting theories on Twitter
By Amanda Reed / Online Engagement Editor
February 5, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Although the victory lights usually only come on when Pitt wins, on Monday the lights were lit up — along with a new blue spotlight. The strange spotlight shined straight up from the top of the Cathedral of Learning, prompting some on Twitter to compare the light to the Batman signal. Pitt tur...
Quo Vadis gives visitors taste of tradition
By Thompson Wymard | For The Pitt News
February 5, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Quo Vadis is now known as the student organization that gives tours of Pitt’s 30 Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning — but it wasn’t always this way. According to Yasemin Sonel, a sophomore and the public relations officer for Quo Vadis, the club’s duties used to be a little differe...
Global Wordsmiths help with translation troubles
By Sandra Balatkova | For The Pitt News
February 5, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Justina Moktan was born in Singapore and raised by her Nepalese parents to speak both Nepali and English. Now, as an intern at Global Wordsmiths, she helps bridge the gap between the two languages. Moktan — a sophomore finance and marketing major — is able to do this through her work at Global ...
Photos and videos: Pitt Students celebrate Eagles Super Bowl win
By The Pitt News Staff
February 5, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News, Sports
The last time a Philadelphia sports team won a major championship, the United States was in a recession, former President George W. Bush signed a $700 billion bailout bill and O.J. Simpson was found guilty of charges of kidnapping and armed robbery. Now, more than 10 years later, hundreds of Pitt students took to...
Pitt unveils sustainable engineering master’s program
By Laura Howe | Staff Writer
February 2, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Tech Science, Top Stories
David Sanchez has seen Pittsburgh at the forefront of producing environmentally sound projects ever since his first fellowship at Pitt in the mid-2000s. Now, as an assistant professor in Pitt’s civil and environmental engineering department, he’s helping set up the Swanson School of Engineering’...
Pitt alum campaigns for state senate seat
By Christian Snyder, Multimedia Editor
February 2, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, City, Uncategorized
When James Craig’s father was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2014, his mother, an opioid addict, overdosed on prescription pills and died. Opioids weren’t new for the family — his aunt overdosed and died two years before that, and his father was an addict when diagnosed. His brother also ove...
Pitt finds no evidence of hazing after Sigma Chi incident
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
February 1, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Pitt police found no evidence of hazing and do not plan on filing charges after a student was hospitalized for voluntarily drinking “to excess” at a Sigma Chi event, according to a statement released Thursday. The Jan. 18 incident resulted in Pitt suspending Sigma Chi and placing all other Greek orga...
Fraternity discusses concerns with policing
By Zane Crowell | For The Pitt News
February 1, 2018
Filed under Campus, City, News, Top Stories
Wesley Giles, a sophomore finance major at Pitt, claimed he and a friend were walking up to the friend’s car in September 2017 when two police officers allegedly approached them with guns and told them to get on the ground. “Upon reaching us, they cuffed us, emptied our pockets, searched us and then...
SGB candidates meet the public
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
February 1, 2018
Filed under News, Student Government, Top Stories
The 2018 candidates for Student Government Board gathered Wednesday to discuss their platforms and answer questions presented to them by “Pitt Tonight” host Andrew Dow. UPTV broadcasted the event from William Pitt Union Dining Room A. Dow, a sophomore sociology and communication major, asked the sl...
Life science buildings evacuated after small explosion
By John Hamilton and Janine Faust | The Pitt News Staff
January 31, 2018
Filed under Campus, Health, News, Top Stories
Paramedics evaluated one student for eye irritation after a small explosion in a life science lab Wednesday afternoon led to a precautionary evacuation. According to a statement from the University, the explosion occurred at about 2:45 p.m. in the Life Sciences Annex — a section of the Clapp, Langl...
SGB hosts Master Plan meeting for students
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
January 31, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Student Government, Top Stories
Nico Bernstein took issue with the Campus Master Plan presented by Owen J. Cooks Tuesday night at Student Government Board’s weekly public meeting, saying the plan emphasizes athletics and neglects the arts. “[Cooks] talked a lot about creating new spaces for athletics but not new spaces for s...
Students gather for State of the Union address viewing
By Hannah Schneider, Staff Writer
January 31, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
While Pitt College Republicans and Pitt College Democrats hosted separate State of the Union viewing parties, Pitt’s Political Science Student Association held an event appealing to students of any political association. Around 20 students gathered in Posvar Hall Tuesday evening for a viewing part...
Pitt spotlights safety
By Christian Snyder | Multimedia Editor
January 31, 2018
Filed under Campus, Top Stories
Dogs on campus usually attract dozens of students, nearly all of whom have their iPhones ready to capture brief interactions with the stress-relieving pets. But Sam, a 3-year-old German shorthaired pointer trained to detect explosives, didn’t draw that kind of attention at the annual Safety Fair Tuesday...
Researcher sues Pitt for wrongful termination following alleged monkey escape
By Salina Pressimone and John Hamilton | The Pitt News Staff
January 31, 2018
Filed under Campus, Health, News, Top Stories
A former Pitt researcher is suing the University of Pittsburgh, alleging she was wrongfully terminated after reporting the escapes of an infected lab monkey and rabbit in 2016. In a lawsuit filed Jan. 15, 2018, in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Kelly Stefano Cole — a former immunolo...
Dickman discusses sexual assault
By Rose Luder | Staff Writer
January 30, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Student members of Pitt Athletics and the Pitt community filled the seventh floor auditorium of Alumni Hall Monday night to listen to a talk about sexual assault prevention on campus. The conversation was led by counselor, educator and self-described “sexologist” Kimberly Dickman. Her visit to Pit...
Opioid memorial brings attention to epidemic
By Mackenzie Rodrigues and Salina Pressimone | News Editors
January 30, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Health
Covered in 22,000 small white pills, each engraved with the face of an opioid overdose victim, the opioid memorial stood behind Monday afternoon’s speakers. Their solemn voices drifted out to an audience who sat listening in silence for the many young lives lost. The press event marked the beginning of the ...
District 8 candidates debate housing, Amazon
By Grant Burgman | Contributing Editor
January 29, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
The corporate relations manager of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre stood on stage at Chatham University Sunday afternoon and sang: “one of these things is not like the other.” Rennick Remley wasn’t rehearsing for an audition, but instead preparing to participate in a debate against one Democrat ...
Queens only: Pageant showcases African countries
By Remy Samuels | Staff Writer
January 29, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
With sashes draped across their chests, the African queens flaunted their traditional garb and knowledge of the countries announced on their sashes at the Annual African King & Queen Pageant Friday. With contributions from the African Studies Program and Outside the Classroom Curriculum, the ...
Pitt’s LifeX project to support entrepreneurs
By Anish Salvi | Staff Writer
January 29, 2018
Filed under City, News, Tech Science, Top Stories
After moving on from his career as a pediatric endocrinologist to become a professor in Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health, David Finegold never forgot about the patients he treated. He was especially moved by his patients who had suffered from Type 1 diabetes mellitus, a disease that prevent...
Viral video shows cyclist being attacked in Oakland
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
January 28, 2018
Police are investigating a physical altercation between a cyclist and the driver of a red SUV that occured Thursday evening at the intersection of South Bellefield and Fifth avenues. A video filmed at the scene by a man identified as Matt Hajduk, 26, shows the SUV driver, having already exited his ve...
Police investigating attempted robbery
By The Pitt News Staff
January 26, 2018
Pitt police issued a crime alert about an attempted robbery Thursday night on the 100 block of University Place. A victim told both Pitt police and City police that the attempted robbery happened at 9:30 p.m. when he was walking the 4000-4100 block of O’Hara Street. At that time, an unknown man...
Pitt optimizes space for Master Plan
By Sophia Mastroianni | For The Pitt News
January 26, 2018
Filed under Campus, Top Stories
Pitt’s unconventional hills, sidewalks and parks are what separate the University’s aesthetic from others, Ayers Saint Gross architecture and planning principal Kevin Petersen said. “We want to address the quality, quantity and management of space,” Petersen said. Ayers Saint Gross and Pi...
SGB round-up: board reflects on campaign promises
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
January 26, 2018
Filed under News, Student Government, Top Stories
During the spring 2017 Student Government Board election season, candidate and then-Vice President Max Kneis called for transparency and higher outreach on the board. One year later, the 2017-2018 Student Government Board, headed by now-President Kneis, has made that a priority. “I think you se...
Pitt scholars debate future of European Union
By Hannah Schneider, Staff Writer
January 26, 2018
The European Union may seem stable, but according to Rachel Epstein, professor of international relations and European Politics at the University of Denver, this stability could be temporary. “Right now, it doesn’t look like there’s a problem because we’re in a period of economic growth,”...
Conservative-leaning groups deny association after members share racist memes
By John Hamilton and Mackenzie Rodrigues
January 25, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
After members of two conservative-leaning campus groups were exposed for sharing racist memes, both the Pitt College Republicans and Polis Media released separate statements claiming these members’ actions were not associated with their organization. The Twitter account Racists @ Pitt started s...
Student safe after drinking ‘excessive amounts of alcohol’ at Sigma Chi event
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
January 25, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Administration, Campus, News, Top Stories
After a week of sparse details about a Greek life function that left a student hospitalized, Pitt released a statement Thursday with some information about the Sigma Chi alcohol incident. At a Sigma Chi function last Thursday, a student was taken to a hospital by his friends after drinking “excessive amounts of alcohol,” a statement from Pitt spokesperson Joe Miksch said. The student is n...
University Senate avoids union, frat
By Janine Faust and Mackenzie Rodrigues | News Editors
January 25, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Administration, Campus, News
While the Pitt community is buzzing about both the recent suspension of Pitt’s Sigma Chi chapter after a student was hospitalized Jan. 19 and the faculty union organizers’ card-signing campaign kickoff Monday, the University Senate Council did not address either subject during its first meeting o...
District 8 candidates continue campaigning
By Remy Samuels | Staff Writer
January 25, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
A renowned Pittsburgh chef, an LGBTQ+ advocate and the former chief of staff for Dan Gilman are currently in a race to win a spot on City Council. Gilman stepped down from his position as District 8’s councilman Jan. 3 to become Mayor Bill Peduto’s new chief of staff, triggering a special electio...
Community calls for financial safety net
By Remy Samuels | Staff Writer
January 25, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Valkyrie Speaker was one of several who shed tears while sharing experiences of financial struggle before and during college Wednesday afternoon. “When I applied to Pitt, I was homeless,” Speaker said. “I’m lucky to be here on academic scholarship, but it still feels like I don’t have a...
SGB prioritizes human rights, Safety Fair
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
January 24, 2018
Filed under Student Government, Top Stories
Executive Vice President of Student Government Board Zuri Kent-Smith wants to educate the Pitt community about what is going on in regards to human rights and immigration around the world by organizing a human rights conference at Pitt. “I hope people get a strong foundation in human rights concern...
Students learn to administer Narcan
By Anish Salvi | Staff Writer
January 24, 2018
Filed under Campus, Health, News, Top Stories
As an Emergency Medical Technician of four years, Anthony Lupinacci is no stranger to administering Narcan — and knows the difference the drug can make. “Especially when I have worked in this area, out in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, we see overdoses fairly often,” Lupinacci said. “I can say that Na...
Sigma Chi suspended after alcohol incident left student hospitalized
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
January 23, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner suspended Pitt’s Sigma Chi chapter after a student was hospitalized Thursday because of a “serious alcohol incident.” Pitt spokesperson Joe Miksch confirmed Tuesday that the fraternity allegedly involved in the alcohol incident had been suspended, pending the resul...
Faculty show support for unionization
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
January 23, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Jennifer Lee, a senior English lecturer at Pitt for the last two decades, said it was luck and allies in the tenure faculty that got her the job she currently holds — and she remembers realizing how privileged she was compared to faculty who don’t have those benefits. “My very good friend and colleague — who...
Pitt Dems and Libertarians debate health care
By Sid Lingala | Staff Writer
January 23, 2018
Filed under Health, News, Top Stories
Char Goldbach recounted leaving school early one semester because she could not get proper health care for her depression. “There are millions of Americans like me who suffer from depression and don’t get the care they deserve,” Goldbach said. “I am not afraid to share my story because I want peo...
Pittsburgh Women’s March focuses on elections
By Madison Hook | Staff Writer
January 22, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, City, News
Chants of “All love, no hate! That’s what makes America great,” projected through the streets of downtown Pittsburgh Sunday as citizens joined together to take part in the second annual Women’s March. For some, the day was about walking for someone else. Gerard H. Weiss, 73, of Washington...
Obituary: Professor Theodore Cohen transformed chemistry department
By Hannah Schneider, Staff Writer
January 22, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
When Bret Cohen was visiting home from his university studies one day, he asked his father, Theodore Cohen, “What do you do when you feel sad or depressed?” “I think about the way brown rice in a double boiler cooks,” Theodore said. At face value, a strange concept — but it makes sense when ...
Republican gubernatorial candidates debate at CMU
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
January 22, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
The crowd erupted into a mix of boos and cheers at the in Kresge Theatre Saturday night when Laura Ellsworth admitted she did not vote for President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, favoring another Republican candidate — John Kasich — instead. “The reason that I didn’t support Presid...
Coil thaws, floods Fifth Ave. Towers lobby entrance
By TPN News Desk
January 21, 2018
When a frozen coil thawed, it momentarily added a new waterfall feature to the Fifth Avenue entrance to the Towers Lobby Friday morning. As a result of the thawed coil, water pooled into the area between the Towers patio and the lobby entrance. The water spread into the lobby and soaked the carpet ...
Photos: Marchers reflect on year since Trump’s election
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
January 21, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories, Visual
Thousands of Pittsburghers congregated at the City-Council Building Downtown Sunday, carrying signs supporting women’s rights, wearing “pussy hats” and gathering support for local candidates. Held one year after the first march, the 2018 Women’s March pushed concrete changes through activi...
Greek life social probation came after student hospitalization
By The Pitt News Staff
January 19, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News, Top Stories
Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner put Greek life on modified social probation after a “serious alcohol incident,” he stated in a letter to both fraternity and sorority presidents Friday. The incident resulted in a student being hospitalized. The student’s family has been notified, University spo...
Faculty union organizers to begin signing cards
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
January 19, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Pitt’s Faculty Union Organizing Committee announced Wednesday on Facebook that it will begin asking faculty members to sign union authorization cards at a kickoff celebration Monday, Jan 22, in the William Pitt Union Ballroom. The event is co-hosted by the Pitt Progressives. Pitt faculty and gradu...
Students rush to take Russian Fairy Tales
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
January 19, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Professors within the department of Slavic languages and literatures faculty at Pitt encountered a shrinking student interest in their courses in the mid-1990s. They weren’t alone — many other Slavic departments across the country were likewise noticing a decline in enrollment. “Not many stu...
Peduto promotes Pittsburgh community initiatives
By Salina Pressimone | Assistant News Editor
January 19, 2018
Filed under City, News, Student Government, Top Stories
Mayor Bill Peduto prioritizes building up Pittsburgh communities, and thinks Amazon might soon be able to help with this growth at a local level, he said Thursday night. “What will make Pittsburgh competitive is talent produced locally and incredible affordability,” he said. “With those two th...
Social Justice Symposium explores generational gaps
By Remy Samuels and Dominic Campbell | TPN Staff
January 19, 2018
When asked what buzzwords come to mind when talking about millennials, the words “entitled”, “self-centered”, “trophy kids” and “snowflakes” were blurted out from audience members. But Scott Zimmer assured them that, contrary to popular belief, millennials do not purposefully try to come...
Interactive crime map Jan. 9-16
By TPN News Desk
January 19, 2018
Date Time Building Address Summary Jan.9 1:45 a.m. Bruce Hall 3945 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Pitt police issued a student a conduct referral after a campus security authority reported a liquor law violation. Jan. 9 1:39 p.m. William Pitt Union 3959 Fifth Ave, Pit...
Pittsburgh among finalists for Amazon’s second headquarters
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
January 18, 2018
Filed under Administration, City, News, Top Stories
Amazon announced 20 cities Thursday that the company is considering as a location to build its second headquarters — and Pittsburgh is on the list. The online retail giant received more than 200 proposals from cities across the country, narrowing it to 20 cities, which will pose some serious compe...
Pitt Progressives host state House candidate Summer Lee
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
January 18, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
When asked what was distinct about her campaign, Summer Lee said she isn’t running on anything that isn’t “basic human stuff.” “I don’t see that I’m not running on anything that isn’t common sense,” Lee said. Lee is a Democratic candidate for District 34 in the Pennsylvania House of Represen...
Pitt, community push opioid crisis solutions
By Sid Lingala | Staff Writer
January 18, 2018
Filed under City, Health, News, Top Stories
Nearly 3,000 Pennsylvanians died of opioid overdoses in 2015, according to the Pitt Public Health Dynamics Lab. But researchers at Pitt are working to change that statistic. Michael Mallon, the project coordinator for Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health’s Opioid Initiatives, helps arrange ...
Strongr, Fastr and individualized: Pitt alums develop fitness app
By Sid Lingala | Staff Writer
January 18, 2018
Filed under Health, News, Tech Science, Top Stories
As a person without a strong interest in fitness, Eric Lutz had trouble figuring out what constituted a good workout and a healthy meal — and sticking with the exercise and diet plans he came up with. “I would try to go the gym, but would eventually end up not going,” Lutz said. “I really ...
Fetterman responds to tough student questions
By Christian Snyder, Multimedia Editor
January 17, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
On the chalkboard in room 236 of the Cathedral of Learning Tuesday night were some small illustrations of a bird and a dog, followed by “ing.” Put it together and you get bird-dogging, the act of closely scrutinizing a politician’s views — which is what a group of five students decided to do when Br...
Provost to consider SGB textbook plan
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
January 17, 2018
Filed under Student Government, Top Stories
After passing a resolution to help lower textbook costs, Student Government Board President Max Kneis announced Tuesday that Pitt is forming a committee to discuss implementing the ideas. SGB introduced a resolution last week calling on Pitt to expand the use of open education resources like PDF textboo...
Students serve, remember on MLK Jr. day
By Luke Stambaugh and Kenan Meral | The Pitt News Staff
January 16, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
A group of students from Pitt’s Litchfield Tower B offered a warm respite from the bitter cold as they served soups and sandwiches to hungry Homewood residents who visited the Bethesda Presbyterian Church Monday. They weren’t the only group of Pitt students spending the day this way. Approximate...
The Case of the Missing Monday: Extended winter break might mean longer classes
By John Hamilton and Ashwini Sivaganesh / The Pitt News Staff
January 15, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
If you are signed up for a class that meets on Monday this semester, you might be asked to stay a little longer or come in on a Saturday — if your professor is following instructions from the provost’s office. A message from the Academic Calendar Committee informed professors and University departments that they should coordinate arrangements to make up for a “missing” class day. Becau...
Finn wins Democratic nomination for District 8
By Elise Lavallee, Contributing Editor
January 14, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Sonja Finn, 38, was nominated Sunday afternoon to run as the democratic candidate in the District 8 City Council seat special election. With no contest from a republican candidate, Finn is expected to run against Erika Strassburger and Marty Healey in the special election March 6. Though in the past t...
Artists converse about work, creativity
By Nina Kneuer | Staff Writer
January 12, 2018
Filed under City, Top Stories
Jo-Anne Bates originally went to school to be a printmaker, so most of her first works were in black and white. But after visiting South Africa and seeing all of the colors in the landscape, the clothing and the artwork, she knew she wanted to incorporate them into her own work. “To be an artis...
District 8 election: a quick look at the candidates
By The Pitt News Staff
January 12, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Dan Gilman stepped down from his position as city councilman Jan. 3. to work as Mayor Bill Peduto’s chief of staff, triggering a special election to fill the open seat to represent District 8, which includes Oakland, Point Breeze, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. So far, three Democratic candidates have ste...
Student film taps into storytelling
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
January 12, 2018
When 47-year-old Jason Swauger suffered a partial tear of his hamstring from a split gone wrong during the filming of “A Tap Dancer Murders Her Father,” student director Caleb Porto didn’t want to continue. “Even though he was fine, I was so done with the film. I didn’t want [another inj...
Immigration officials make arrest on Craig Street
By John Hamilton, Janine Faust and Salina Pressimone
January 11, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Crime, News
Immigration officers arrested a person on Craig Street Thursday afternoon as part of a targeted raid in the Oakland area, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Thursday night. ICE officials said the Pittsburgh sub-office conducted an operation that lead to the arrest of one person at the Un...
Japanese students come of age
By Prachi Patel | Staff Writer
January 11, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Wrapped in a floral kimono, sophomore Nika Tanimoto hurried up to the podium in the ballroom of the University Club, bowed and accepted a delicate black umbrella. It was a token of celebrating her coming of age. “Today I am celebrating becoming an adult,” Tanimoto, an English major at Yasuda University in Japa...
Pitt alumna runs as Republican gubernatorial candidate
By Sarah Frumkin | Staff Writer
January 11, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Laura Ellsworth grew up loving Nancy Drew, the theatre and teaching — which all came in handy when she decided as an undergraduate at Princeton University to become a lawyer. “You get to be a detective — you get to be a performer because you need to use your presence, use your voice, use e...
SGB calls for textbook cost reduction
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
January 10, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, News, Student Government
At Student Government Board’s first public meeting of the semester Tuesday night, SGB President Max Kneis introduced and read a resolution calling for the University to expand the use of open educational resources, such as PDF textbooks. “[Textbooks are] just another added cost, so anything we can do ...
Surveying the semester with OMETs
By Bailey Frisco | Staff Writer
January 10, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
As each semester winds down and students begin to prepare for finals, they are burdened with one more task to complete — OMETs. OMET — Office of Measurement and Evaluation of Teaching — is a department at Pitt that administers a survey of student opinion for professors. The main objective of the ...
Physicians at play: Pitt professor seeks to improve responsiveness through video game
By Remy Samuels | Staff Writer
January 9, 2018
Filed under Health, News, Tech Science, Top Stories
Imagine you are 80 years old and fall down a flight of stairs, fracturing many ribs. The doctor says your condition isn’t critical and sends you home with medication, but hours later you’re back at the hospital with respiratory failure and a life-threatening case of pneumonia. This scenario is...
Limited access to William Pitt Union following flooding
By John Hamilton and Mackenzie Rodrigues | The Pitt News Staff
January 9, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
The William Pitt Union briefly closed again after issues with a sprinkler Monday morning. The University released a comment via its official Twitter account at 5:53 a.m., saying the lower level and basement level of the building would be closed until further notice. The two floors reopened less than...
Man transported to hospital in stable condition after incident with Port Authority bus
By Mackenzie Rodrigues / News Editor
January 9, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Pittsburgh emergency personnel transported a man to an undisclosed hospital in stable condition after an incident Monday afternoon near Chesterfield Road and Fifth Avenue. According to Pittsburgh police spokesperson Alicia George, fire, EMS and police responded to the scene just after 4 p.m. The firs...
TPN Top 5 of 2017: A year in review
By Amanda Reed | Online Engagement Editor
January 8, 2018
Most-Viewed Stories of 2017 Students tackle gun-toting assailants on Friday (Jan. 31, 2017) Three Pitt students fought off three assailants in January, striking back when one suspect pointed a gun at them. The three students thwarted the men by tackling them to the ground, and left uninjured — although s...
Sustainable farming gets an urban upgrade
By Anish Salvi | Staff Writer
January 8, 2018
Filed under News, Tech Science, Top Stories
Kareem Adam Rabbat formed an appreciation for nature from fishing with his father as a young boy, which eventually led him to join an initiative as an adult to find sustainable ways of getting fresh food to people. “That kind of instilled in me a great value for the outdoors,” Rabbat said. “...
Going through the gap: taking time off before college
By Anna Borgandino | Senior Staff Writer
January 8, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
After realizing she waited too long to apply for a visa that would be ready in time for her first semester at Pitt, Iolanda Neto had a decision to make. She could either apply for entry in the spring 2015 semester — like her mother urged her to do — or take a gap year.a “I didn’t have a pressing urge to take a...
Longtime residents reminisce about old Oakland
By David Solomon | Staff Writer
January 8, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
At the corner of Bates and McKee streets sits Groceria Merante, an Italian grocery that’s been situated in the neighborhood for nearly four decades. Walk inside and Salvatore Merante, age 86, may be there to ring you up or reminisce about the Oakland he used to know — a calm family neighborhood,...
In case you missed it: News from winter break 2017
By News Editors
January 8, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, City, News
December 13 — Former Pitt professor Carol Stabile published an article in Ms. Magazine claiming there was widespread harassment and discrimination within the University's communication department in the early 2000s. University spokesperson Joe Miksch told The Pitt News Dec. 16 that Pitt’s Title IX office ...
Union will re-open tomorrow after water line break
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
January 7, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
A water line broke in the William Pitt Union Sunday morning, flooding some of the bottom two floors. But the building will re-open Monday morning, as scheduled, according to a Tweet from Pitt. https://twitter.com/jham1496/status/950049243254984706 Water seemed to be coming from above the Union...
The year in photos: 2017
By TPN Photo Staff
December 21, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, News, Visual
Swimmers dive in for the 50-yard freestyle in Saturday's meet against Florida State on Jan. 13.(Photo by John Hamilton). Bird droppings cover a bus stop outside the William Pitt Union in January. (Photo by Thomas Yang) A woman yells for fellow protesters to "make a wall" during a protest in Washington, D.C., on the day of Donald Trump's inauguration, J...
Gallagher responds to communication department harassment claims
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
December 20, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Administration, Campus, News
Chancellor Patrick Gallagher responded to allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination in Pitt's Department of Communication Wednesday in an email to the Pitt community. The email is a response to a recent Ms. Magazine blog post, written by a former Pitt professor, alleging sexual harassment and d...
Peduto names Gilman chief of staff, triggering District 8 special election
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
December 19, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Mayor Bill Peduto named City Councilman Dan Gilman his new chief of staff, vacating a seat in Pittsburgh’s eighth district, which includes part of Oakland. Gilman, who has served on city council since 2013, will begin working at his new position on Jan. 3, the first day of Peduto’s second term...
Pitt Title IX to investigate harassment allegations from early 2000s
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
December 16, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Administration, News, Top Stories
Pitt’s Title IX office will open an investigation after a former professor published an article Wednesday alleging harassment and discrimination in the Department of Communication in the early 2000s. Carol Stabile, a professor in Pitt’s Department of Communication from 1994-2005, described her ...
Police issue crime alert after burglary on Meyran
By Mackenzie Rodrigues | News Editor
December 16, 2017
Pitt police issued a crime alert after a burglary Friday evening. Pitt Police and City police responded to a crime that occurred between 3 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday on the 300 block of Meyran Avenue. According to the alert, the victim said someone entered the building through an open door between...
Pitt grad students file for union election
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
December 15, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Administration, Campus, News
Graduate students at Pitt filed for a union election Friday, indicating that at least 30 percent of Pitt grad students have signed union cards. Students delivered union cards to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board in Harrisburg Friday afternoon. An election could take place early next year if Pitt...
Making the grade: Professors set aside time to score student work
By Salina Pressimone, Caroline Bourque and Rachel Glasser | TPN Staff
December 11, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Last weekend you could probably find Leonardo Solano buried in the dissertation room of Hillman, or pocketed away somewhere in Panera Bread, grading 160 pages of undergraduate Spanish papers. While it usually takes graduate students such as Solano a long time to grade papers during the semester, finals...
Seniors secure plans in last semester
By Laura Howe | Staff Writer
December 11, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Speaking from experience, Aikta Rajput has some pretty simple advice for Pitt undergrads — be positive. “Don’t sweat anything. Don’t be upset for more than five minutes, don’t fight with your friends, don’t take anything too seriously because it goes by so fast,” she said. “You’re goi...