China is phasing out its one-child policy for the wrong reasons
By Kim Rooney | Contributing Editor
June 20, 2018
The small oval scar on the top of my left arm goes unnoticed by most. They have no reason to look, since the United States stopped administering the smallpox vaccination in 1972. Even I forget it’s there, until news from across the ocean reminds me that it’s the physical marker of China, a country that...
Editorial: Separating families is unethical no matter how it’s handled
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
June 20, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Reporters were recently permitted to visit to a shelter in Texas housing 1,500 migrant boys who crossed the southern U.S. border illegally. The children staying in the shelter have been deemed “unaccompanied minors.” Not all of them arrived that way. Nearly 2,500 children have been separated from ...
The Pittsburgh pride of today ignores its roots
By Anaïs Foss | For The Pitt News
June 12, 2018
Filed under Columns, Opinions, Top Stories
As a member of a community under constant attack, attending pride celebrations used to feel like a breath of fresh air for me. Pride was always a space to be out safely and celebrate myself with other queer people. But things have changed. Pittsburgh Pride has been sponsored by natural gas compa...
Editorial: North Korea-United States summit wasn’t worth it
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
June 12, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
President of the United States Donald Trump and Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un met in the first summit meeting between the two countries on Tuesday. It was a historic meeting for that reason — and not much else. The summit was held with the intention of striking a deal for peace and co...
Pittsburgh Zoo should not expand breeding program
By Gabriela Cadahia | For The Pitt News
June 6, 2018
Last summer, the Pittsburgh Zoo euthanized its only elephant calf — Little Bit, a premature three-month-old rejected by her mother who had stopped eating due to painful teething. PETA criticized the zoo for the way it handled Little Bit’s health and death — and this wasn’t the first time. The animal rights organization has criticized the zoo befor...
Editorial: Supreme Court’s decision hurts LGBTQ+ community
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
June 6, 2018
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission showed “hostility” toward a local baker when it decided he had discriminated against gay couple by refusing to bake a cake for their wedding in 2012. The ruling avoided a larger question the case presented, which is whether Jack Phil...
Poem: stained glass sky
By Anaïs Foss | For The Pitt News
May 30, 2018
Filed under Opinions
i. A lonely hill in Ohiopyle a low lying brick wall in Schenley Park a grass front yard in Batavia Illinois no matter where I am this land provides a platform to view the sky above it so I do not waste my time worshipping under steeples only as tall as donations can build when I could stand in a l...
Poem: things fall apart
By Anaïs Foss | For The Pitt News
May 30, 2018
Filed under Opinions
irregularly but never at a slow burn when the storm hits it is not the anticipation that kills but the novice treatment of destruction which makes it unexpected in the same way a tsunami is always shocking even though we both stood at the shore and watched the water recede at...
Staying single is the best choice when it comes to Pitt dorms
By Neena Hagen, Senior Columnist
May 30, 2018
As a first-year moving into Tower B, my first day of college mirrored everyone else’s — I scampered gleefully into Towers garage to retrieve my housing cart and impatiently waited for the elevator that would take me to meet my roommate. But unlike everyone else, my roommate left campus a couple w...
Respect Las Palmas: Stop purchasing ‘trendy’ ethnic food
By Jeremy Wang | Senior Columnist
May 30, 2018
Nestled away on Atwood Street is an Oakland gem that’s the stuff of legends — Las Palmas. As a big fan of Tex-Mex and home cooking, I do most of my grocery shopping at this small Mexican grocery store, where I can find ingredients such as jicama or prickly pears that conventional stores don’t carry...
Schenley Quad’s parking lot should have stayed
By Joshua Jordan | For The Pitt News
May 30, 2018
Filed under Columns, Opinions, Uncategorized
Not many students actually relied on the parking lot in Schenley Quadrangle for parking — but it served other purposes for carless Quad residents. It was instrumental as a pick-up and drop-off point for Ubers and allowed families to park right by dorms on moving days. But this useful transportat...
Don’t trivialize recreational clubs in college
By Grace McGinness | For The Pitt News
May 30, 2018
Before students even set foot on campus, they’re hit with the same phrase a thousand times — “college will be the best four years of of your life.” While cliche and outdated, that saying accomplishes its intended, albeit dangerous, goal — to cajole us into embracing college with open arms. Yet ...
Summer classes serve several purposes
By Justin Fekete | For The Pitt News
May 30, 2018
After final exams week for the spring term ends, most students feel they will get along fine without looking at a syllabus or opening another textbook until August. Many start preparing for internships, jobs or, for the lucky ones, endless hours of sleep. Taking more classes isn’t always the first...
Not just a sports city: Pittsburgh culture is hidden but vibrant
By Sarah Connor, Contributing Editor
May 30, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Columns, Opinions
I grew up in a small town about 25 miles outside of the City — near the Pittsburgh International Airport — called Moon Township. It was common for people from my town to attend schools in and around the City, and I come from a long line of Pitt alumni. But I was independent as a kid and wanted to have new...
Student restaurant deals should go beyond Oakland
By Delilah Bourque | Columnist
May 30, 2018
The best part of being a Pitt student is the endless dining options available around campus — and the deals that come with them. Whether it’s late-night, half-price pizzas at The Porch or Stack’d’s half-off appetizers during weeknight happy hours, you’re sure to satisfy your hungry stomach ...
Editorial: ABC prioritized views over values with ‘Roseanne’ revival
By The Pitt News Editorial Staff
May 30, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The revival of working-class sitcom “Roseanne” was cut short Tuesday after two months on ABC — and unlike “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” it probably won’t be picked up by another network after the creator and star of the sitcom, Roseanne Barr, compared black former White House aide Valerie Jarret...
U.S., like Ireland, needs to move forward on abortion laws
By Anne-Marie Yurik | Columnist
May 30, 2018
Ireland overturned the Eighth Amendment of its constitution May 25, effectively ending one of the world’s most restrictive bans on abortion and allowing room for more progressive laws to emerge in Ireland. Meanwhile, the United States seems to be moving backwards. The Supreme Court this week refus...
Pitt should expand artificial intelligence program
By Janine Faust | Opinions Editor
May 23, 2018
Pitt announced Monday morning a new institute that will bring researchers together to utilize computational skills — including artificial intelligence — to take a closer look at and possibly offer solutions to issues like the opioid epidemic and climate change. The announcement came less than two weeks af...
Editorial: A royal wedding does not solve racism
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
May 23, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
American actress Meghan Markle’s marriage to the British Prince Harry featured celebrity guests, beautiful decor and a well-dressed, smitten couple — staples of any royal wedding. But when Markle walked herself down the aisle May 19, viewers around the world knew something was different this time. Pe...
Editorial: US made mistake in moving embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
May 16, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
For the past seven weeks, protesters in and around Palestine have taken to the streets to demand their right to return to areas they were forcibly expelled from when the state of Israel was created. And on Monday, at least 60 protesters were killed by Israeli forces — the same day the United States ...
Pitt needs to pass on dining passes
By Grace McGinness | For The Pitt News
May 16, 2018
When I packed up my bags and headed off to college, I knew it was the end of home-cooked dinners and my all-access pass to the kitchen. No longer would I be able to grab a slice of peanut butter toast on the go — I’d need to spend a whole meal swipe just to use a toaster. But there was one issue I was completely unp...
Don’t let responsibilities ruin your summer
By Brian Gentry | Senior Columnist
April 22, 2018
When I was a kid and it got above 90 degrees, my parents would put out a sprinkler in the lawn and my brother and I would spend hours running back and forth through the water. My parents would work in the garden on weekends, watching us tire ourselves out. When we felt especially daring, my brother a...
Everyone has a right to self-care
By Erica Brandbergh | Columnist
April 22, 2018
Filed under Columns, Opinions, Top Stories
It’s all over the media — images of white women pampering themselves in spas or going shopping in the name of self-care. If you were to trust the advertising of places like these, you’d think the only people who ever even need de-stressing were from places like Beverly Hills or the Hamptons. It...
Prepare, don’t despair: Pitt students need reading days
By Neena Hagen, Senior Columnist
April 22, 2018
If you’re a Pitt student, looking at your school’s academic calendar is never fun. Your eyes scan the page filled with dates, head hung in despair as you realize Pitt has perhaps the skimpiest breaks of any university out there — including finals preparation, offering students one measly reading day...
Friday Fight: After April tears, May’s in the clear
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 19, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
It’s April ― flowers around campus are starting to bloom, the weather is finally warming up and the end of the semester is upon us. Pitt lets out for the summer earlier than most other schools, and while we can’t wait for classes to be over, the early ending can have its downsides. Here’s ...
Friday Fly: Market Central vs. The Perch
By Maggie Koontz | Senior Columnist
April 19, 2018
“Friday Fly” is a recurring column dedicated to a fly on the wall’s perspective on campus spots and daily life here at Pitt. This is the fifth installment. A boy in a Penguins jersey takes a bite out of his cheeseburger, his head tilted as he thoughtfully looks outside. He eats alone, like many of...
Facebook hearing puts double standard on display
By Hayden Timmins | For The Pitt News
April 18, 2018
With more than 2.2 billion users, Facebook is the largest social media platform on the planet. So when news surfaced last month that Facebook was involved in a serious privacy scandal, people were understandably outraged. As many as 87 million people were affected by a significant breach in user pri...
Editorial: Keep the final exams in finals week
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 18, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
As the end of classes rapidly approaches and the promise of summer begins to peek its head over the horizon, Pitt students have one final demon to deal with before they can breathe a collective sigh of relief — finals week. Stretching in the formless expanse of time between the last sessions of the semes...
Editorial: Hip-hop’s presence in Pulitzer Prize long overdue
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 18, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
When perusing a list of past Pulitzer Prize for Music award winners and their compositions, it’s not hard to spot Kendrick Lamar’s presence. His 2017 album, “DAMN.,” dropped onto the list with a thud, breaking up the delicate musical embroidery and lace of symphonies, concertos and operas. For the first time since the aw...
Don’t exploit sex and sexuality for the sake of learning
By Anne Marie Yurik | Columnist
April 17, 2018
When I came to Pitt as a first-year student last fall, I was excited to take a class called Sexuality and Representation. I had never been able to take anything like it in high school, and it seemed like a great opportunity to analyze gender and sexuality through different books, short essays and speeche...
Parran legacy undermines mission of Pitt Public Health
By Delilah Bourque | Columnist
April 16, 2018
Since members of the Pitt Graduate School of Public Health and of the Graduate Student Union announced they were petitioning the University to rename Parran Hall — one of the two main public health buildings on campus — the legacy of Thomas Parran Jr. has been in question. Those opposed to renaming the building argue Parran’s contributions to the field of public health were great, including being a founding...
Editorial: Comey’s media blitz detracts from Trump probe
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 16, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
If James Comey’s recent return to the public eye looks to you like a publicity campaign, you probably aren’t wrong — the former FBI chief’s book comes out today. Comey’s foray into nonfiction writing has all the signs of a dramatic release. Even the book’s title, “A Higher Loyalty,” makes a ...
Love can thrive, no matter the distance
By Erica Brandbergh | Columnist
April 15, 2018
The first thing I do when I wake up every day is send my boyfriend a good-morning text. When he gets my message, his day is winding down — he’ll be going to bed in just a few hours. There are 11,371 miles separating us. He lives in Perth, a city on the coast of Western Australia, while I’m ...
Editorial: Address landslides in local infrastructure plans
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 15, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
More than 70 landslides have hit Pittsburgh this year — but the one on Route 30 last week was possibly the worst. The collapsed roadway severely damaged four residences and raised the City’s landslide cost to an estimated $12 million in 2018 so far. But funding for repair efforts remains slim...
Point: Going out in Oakland gives a feeling of home
By Henry Glitz | Opinions Editor
April 13, 2018
Read Assistant Opinions Editor Sarah Shearer's counterpoint column here. Like most Pitt students of age, I only really have a hazy recollection — at best —of going to Peter’s Pub on my 21st birthday last summer. It was late May, and the usually jammed upper dance floor was a fraction les...
Counterpoint: Going out in Oakland isn’t worth the time
By Sarah Shearer | Assistant Opinions Editor
April 13, 2018
Read Opinions Editor Henry Glitz's point column here. I was flipping through last year’s journal and found a pie chart I drew on one of the pages. I had divided it into two sections — the smaller third read “I like wine this much,” and the larger two-thirds, “and tea this much.” Be...
Treat being under 21 like the disease it is
By Delilah Bourque | For The Pitt News
April 12, 2018
We’ve all seen them before — the people sitting almost alone at a typical restaurant and bar, interacting with a large group of people seated at a table while sitting at their own, just out of arm’s reach of their friends. They don’t have any kind of disease — not a contagious one, at least ...
Column: Anime’s growth in America encourages diverse viewpoints
By Thomas Wick | Columnist
April 12, 2018
Filed under Columns, Opinions, Uncategorized
As I stepped into the mysterious pod, ready to pilot a giant robot and fight squadrons of other giant robots, my life felt complete. My recent gaming experience at Tekko 2018, the 16th annual Pittsburgh Japanese cultural convention, probably wouldn’t have been possible without anime’s current impact on ...
Letter to the Editor: Keep the Parran name at Pitt
By John C. Parran and Richard L. Kirkpatrick
April 11, 2018
Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinions
We write as relatives of Dr. Thomas Parran, the continuance of whose name on a building at the University’s Graduate School of Public Health is in question and is the subject of an April 6 open letter that appeared in this publication. That letter supported removal of his name. We oppose its removal. We credit and thank the Univer...
Editorial: Zuckerberg testimony tells us nothing new about privacy
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Nearly two-thirds of adults in America use social media today — and for good reason. It provides us with news and information, connects us to our friends and gives us a platform to share tidbits of our lives — but access to such open sites puts our privacy at risk. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg ...
#MeToo in the office: pay attention to women
By Anne Marie Yurik | Columnist
April 10, 2018
My family often sits down together on holidays or birthdays to have dinner — served by the women — at my grandmother's house. After dinner, the table is crowded with leftovers, dirty dishes and empty glasses. The women all stand up from the table to walk around, pick up the dirty dishes and go to t...
Editorial: Pa. abortion law will fail to catch fallout
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 10, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Even though the Supreme Court declared abortion a constitutional right 45 years ago with Roe v. Wade, Pennsylvania House of Representatives Speaker Mike Turzai seemingly pushed against that decision Monday. The Republican lawmaker unveiled a controversial bill in front of the Health Committee that wo...
Remember Rana Plaza by shopping ethically
By Sandra Fairclough | For The Pitt News
April 9, 2018
At a textile factory in Dhaka District, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, workers were beginning to worry. Increasing evidence warned them that the building was unsafe — such as cracks in the walls and structural shaking. Most were nervous to return to their jobs. But their employers told them th...
Editorial: Erie diocese’s list of abusers demonstrates openness to change
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 9, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie has started the month off by releasing a list of 34 priests and 17 laypeople who it believes have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct over the past several decades. The majority of the accused were never criminally ch...
“Blockers” breaks with problematic tropes
By Delilah Bourque | For The Pitt News
April 8, 2018
When I had the opportunity two weeks ago to see “Blockers” on campus before the release date, I dragged my friends out with me, ready to be disgusted. We all shared similar sentiments about how the movie looked generally pretty bad. In the age of #MeToo, the Women’s March and other rising femini...
Editorial: PA GOP has no room to talk on negative ads
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 8, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
If feel-good positivity is your thing, you probably already know not to go looking for it in Pennsylvania state politics. But if you needed a reminder, Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul Mango was ready to help this weekend. Mango, who’s hoping to win the GOP primary May 15 and go on to challenge in...
Letter to the Editor: Parran’s name opposes public health values
April 5, 2018
Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinions
To the entire Pitt and Pittsburgh community: We would like to respond to the Thomas Parran panel. Dr. Susan Reverby argued at the panel that just removing his name from the building allows us to forget what he did and how we might be susceptible to similar ethical violations. However, under the status quo, the forgett...
“Superstar” showing devalues meaning of Easter
By Alexis Buncich | Columnist
April 5, 2018
Imagine you’re watching an image of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ — one of the most dramatic moments in the Christian faith — on your TV screen. Now add in a crowd of screaming, cheering fans. How do you feel? If you were a Christian watching NBC’s broadcast of “Jesus Christ Superstar Li...
Brookline Las Palmas takes laid-back approach to Mexican food
By Jeremy Wang | Senior Columnist
April 4, 2018
As I crossed the Monongahela River and into the tunnel under Mount Washington, I realized I was entering into a part of Pittsburgh — the South Hills — I’d never seen before. Driving up a steep road into the neighborhood of Brookline, the surroundings were cold, windy and empty — with the ex...
Labels — even hyphenated ones — don’t tell the whole story
By Brian Gentry | Columnist
April 3, 2018
After being introduced as a lover of the Constitution, Satvika Neti tripped onto the stage in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room Saturday afternoon, sporting a white “We the people” undershirt. Neti was one of five speakers at Saturday’s TEDx event, which focused on a single topic — Rethin...
Editorial: Justin Baldoni’s feminism is too male-focused
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 3, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Students passing through the William Pitt Union last week may have noticed a sign announcing a University-sponsored talk with television actor and speaker Justin Baldoni. But unless they looked any closer, it’s unlikely anyone realized what he was invited for — Women’s Empowerment Week. Baldoni, w...
Women in STEM events demolish discrimination
By Ana Altchek | Columnist
April 2, 2018
When it comes to the major revenue-generating sources, it’s no secret that women face disadvantages in the workforce. And when it comes to STEM fields, this gender gap is even wider. With men holding the majority of STEM-related careers, I don’t need to be a STEM major to know the struggle women ...
Editorial: Not enforcing State pension forfeiture laws wastes tax dollars
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 2, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
It’s no secret that Pennsylvania public schools have a deficit that seems to get larger and larger as the gap in federal funding widens between poor and affluent districts. Many lay off or threaten to lay off teachers and cut funding for music and theater arts programs. In an environment like this...
Letter to the Editor: Pitt Dhirana
April 2, 2018
Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinions
To the Editor, Thank you for writing an article about Pitt Dhirana. It was exciting to wake up Monday morning and see the event we’ve worked for all year on the front page. That being said, as members of the Dhirana 2018 board, we find it necessary to respond to the article titled, “Dhirana danc...
Editorial: Don’t let Remington fool you
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 2, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Forcing a gun manufacturer into declaring bankruptcy might sound like an undeniable victory for gun control activists — particularly when that manufacturer is Remington, America’s oldest gun manufacturer, and when that announcement came just one day after the March for Our Lives March 24. But...
Church needs more than the Bible to convince an atheist
By Neena Hagen, Senior Columnist
April 2, 2018
As I nervously opened the large glass doors of North Way Christian Community last Sunday and stepped inside, I looked around and breathed a sigh of relief — jeans were indeed an acceptable clothing choice. People drinking coffee and sitting at tables before the service started upstairs gave an almost...
‘Little House on the Prairie’ offers modern-day reflection
By Mariam Shalaby | Senior Columnist
March 29, 2018
Filed under Columns, Opinions, Uncategorized
Seeking respite from a relentless flu last month, I took my childhood favorite “Little House on the Prairie” from my bookshelf. Curling up on the couch, I wondered what kept drawing me back to the story I’ve loved since I was a young girl. I chuckled. What could I, an Egyptian-Chinese daughter of Muslim...
Scandals trump news that matters
By Ana Altchek | Columnist
March 29, 2018
You may or may not have heard about the school shooting that took place last week at Great Mills High School in Maryland. Two students were shot, and the teenage murderer committed suicide briefly after. The day of the shooting, my friend in the area was shocked and feared for her community. But when s...
Editorial: Citizenship question on 2020 census could cut PA funding
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 28, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
It’s no secret that for undocumented immigrants and other noncitizens, life can be rough under President Donald Trump’s administration. As of Monday, it just got significantly tougher. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a new component of the 2020 census Monday night, requiring that Americ...
Women in STEM initiatives push flawed focus
By Neena Hagen, Senior Columnist
March 27, 2018
As a female actuarial mathematics student, I don't need anyone to tell me that my gender puts me in the minority in my academic field. That’s why I’m never surprised when feminist activists point out the gender gap in STEM — what really loses me is how they tell me I should feel about it. U...
Editorial: Biden Twitter bout promises more brash leadership
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 27, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
For those who fear a woman would be too emotional to be president, last Thursday’s Twitter scrap between two men — one currently in that position, one potentially the next in line — might change their minds. Behaving characteristically like an upset toddler, President Donald Trump called out f...
What I learned from Chris Dayer
By Henry Glitz | Opinions Editor
March 27, 2018
The smile on my face didn’t wear off for at least half an hour after the last time I saw Chris Dayer, the week before spring break. Chris, his girlfriend Amanda and I had met for a late lunch after our classes had ended for the day. I hadn’t seen either in a few weeks, and despite having known h...
Editorial: Santorum surrenders to chaos on gun control
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 26, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
For most of the participants at anti-gun violence marches in cities across the country Saturday, there was a broad agreement: Gun laws are currently too lax, and we need to tighten them up to avoid future carnage. Some people, however, were busy proposing bizarre alternatives to gun control. ...
‘Salam Neighbor’ affirms that personal relationships are gateway to change
By Julia Kadis | For The Pitt News
March 22, 2018
Think back to your favorite memories of elementary school. Some of them probably have nothing to do with learning at all — recess, snow days, early releases. Many of us loved the breaks from working and would always be thinking about the next time we’d be able to relax. Most of us, however, also had the privilege ...
Editorial: PA GOP’s impeachment efforts threaten democracy
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 22, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Ever since they redistricted in 2013 after winning the state legislature, Pennsylvania Republicans have played ball by their own set of rules — and now that those rules are being threatened, they’re going after the refs. The Commonwealth’s GOP suffered a serious blow to its continued hold on ...
HACP listens to community housing concerns
By Delilah Bourque | For The Pitt News
March 20, 2018
There are about 2,500 households in Pittsburgh right now that’ve been waiting — and waiting and waiting. These families are on a waiting list that closed in 2015 for rent subsidies in the form of a housing voucher. Housing Choice Vouchers are a hot commodity, and the City of Pittsburgh knows ...
Editorial: Union’s attack on Sonja Finn unnecessary, harms restaurant
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 20, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
When Sonja Finn makes her daily trip to open the doors of Dinette — the restaurant she opened in 2008 — she won’t be thinking about the special election race she lost to Erika Strassburger on March 6. She’s more concerned with the union that endorsed Strassburger’s campaign, which may be si...
Republicans: Step up to stop Haspel, Pompeo
By Henry Glitz | Opinions Editor
March 19, 2018
Headlines flashing over cable news networks last week might have given you 2017 deja vu. Last January, it was President Donald Trump’s nomination of then-Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo for the position of CIA director. Eyeing Pompeo’s ambivalence on civil rights issues like the use of torture and dom...
Editorial: “No Irish” pub misses the point on St. Patrick’s Day
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 19, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Pretending to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day is a time-honored American tradition. But at one pub this year, the luck of the Irish wasn’t on the side of drinkers who wanted in because of their Celtic heritage. To honor the holiday, Detroit resident Dan Margulis rented out a space over the weeken...
PA liquor laws leave students, citizens to dry
By Neena Hagen, Columnist
March 19, 2018
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and you’re struggling to maneuver around the sticky, crowded dance floor in a stranger’s cramped basement. Someone bumps into you, causing you to almost spill the beer in your right hand. But you don’t care — these kinds of party scenes in college are common. And desp...
Editorial: Pitt’s union lawsuit wastes time, tuition
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 18, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions, Top Stories
If insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting a different result, then administrators at Pitt must not agree with that definition. Pitt graduate students engaged in unionization efforts said last week that the school’s administration will challenge a petition to hold an election to decide whether or not to unionize. According to a Facebook post from the group, th...
Editorial: Casual Friday — the Shamrock Shake debate
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 15, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
So, Shamrock Shakes — let’s get one thing straight. The Shamrock Shake is not a middle-of-the-road food group. One cannot simply “take it or leave it.” Whether you think the shake is a collision of toothpaste and green highlighter fluid with a milkshake base or a blended miracle sent from...
Letter to the Editor | Is Pitt practicing what it preaches?
March 15, 2018
Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinions
Pitt’s investment in immunotherapy cancer treatment is clearly in line with the University’s mission. But a growing number of students and faculty are calling on Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher and the Board of Trustees to address a number of glaring investments and disinvestments that stand i...
Arming teachers takes a step in the wrong direction
By Alexis Buncich | Columnist
March 14, 2018
Teachers have a long list of supplies they absolutely need for their classrooms: poster boards, markers, textbooks, pencils and now — if President Donald Trump has his way — guns. With recent debates over the best way to approach mass shootings, some Americans believe the best way to protect against...
Editorial: Third parties show need for all candidates to step it up
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 14, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
If any aspect of the massively hyped special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District went unnoticed, it was Libertarian Party candidate Drew Miller. After a preliminary count of the ballots cast Tuesday, Miller emerged with a paltry 1,379 votes — slightly more than half a percent of all votes cast in the election, which would usually relegate a ca...
Editorial: DeVos’ poor school choices affect PA public school success
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 13, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Betsy DeVos said it herself — “We should be funding and investing in students.” A student focus is certainly necessary, and the statement would have been fine on its own had she not followed it up with the ear-twinging modifier, “not in schools, school buildings, not in institutions, not in syste...
It’s Pi Day, again. And no one cares, again — except some.
By Neena Hagen, Columnist
March 13, 2018
Filed under Columns, Opinions, Top Stories
Growing up, every child has their favorite holiday. Maybe it’s Halloween — dressing up in frightening costumes, parading around the neighborhood to collect bite-sized goodies from generous neighbors. For many more, it’s Christmas, a day characterized by torn-apart, decorated wrapping paper and exciti...
Editorial: Keep a local focus on special election
By The Pitt News Staff
March 12, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
When President Donald Trump appeared at a Pittsburgh airplane hangar Saturday night, his role, ostensibly, was to pump up the assembled crowds to vote for Rick Saccone, the Republican running in today’s special election to fill the vacant seat in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District. Bu...
Special election signals shifting national politics
By Brian Gentry | Columnist
March 12, 2018
Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District, a slice of pro-President Donald Trump territory located just south of Pittsburgh, is poised to flip from Republican to Democratic in today’s special election. Democrat Conor Lamb, a 33-year-old former Marine, may snag the seat from Republican Rick Sacco...
Editorial: Unplugging from media ignores civic responsibilities
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions, Uncategorized
Whether it’s reports of an adult film performer’s lawsuit against the president or the all-too-consistent drumbeat of mass shootings in the country, following the news is becoming more and more an exercise in mental strength. In an environment like this, it doesn’t seem far-fetched to react in mu...
Buffalo to Belize: Vignettes from spring break
By The Pitt News Staff
March 11, 2018
Hot takes painting college students as overgrown babies aside, it’s hard work studying at a school like Pitt — and we all need a break every now and again. Whether we sought out our reprieves from schoolwork at home or abroad, we here on the Opinions section staff took full advantage of our week off to esc...
Poetry: Rainy days
By Maggie Koontz | Senior Columnist
March 2, 2018
Rain runs down the misted windowpane, slide, slick, slip liquid lengthening, water accumulating from a drop to a drip, bumping together, absorbing one into the other. Pitter-patter against the glass. Dangerous clouds rumble in the distance. Lightning strikes, but only once...
Poetry: A game of snakes
By Maggie Koontz | Senior Columnist
March 2, 2018
I slide my red and yellow headphones onto my head, the cushions covering my ears, and I plug myself in. I push play to begin the game. Music slips into my ears from both sides of my headphones, a literal earworm entering my brain. The notes caress my inner ear before sp...
Poetry: The fourth estate is media
By Maggie Koontz | Senior Columnist
March 2, 2018
A heavy stack sits in my hands but the true burden is elsewhere. The thin paper is curled at the edges, a fresh, virgin-white newspaper not yet yellowed by time's cruel curse. It speaks of the future, of achieving an age of perfection, yet I know we will never reach such a time. It...
Focus on policy to fight climate change
By Brian Gentry | Columnist
February 28, 2018
Pitt students, alumni and environmental enthusiasts arrived at the William Pitt Union Assembly Room Monday to hear Steven Cohen give a lecture on climate change. Cohen is an unassuming New York City professional dressed in a black suit, black shoes and a striped tie. And behind his appearance are imm...
Editorial: Conservatives show hypocrisy on Delta tax
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 28, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The aftermath of the Parkland, Florida, high school massacre the past two weeks has been fraught with departures from long-standing political norms. Republican President Donald Trump called for comprehensive gun control measures at a televised White House meeting yesterday, suggesting the governmen...
Don’t pin blame on violent games
By Thomas Wick | Columnist
February 28, 2018
Imagine being able to punch a ninja through the chest, rip out their heart and then squeeze it to drink the remaining blood left for nourishment. All it takes is two fatal words — “finish him” — to violently kill an opponent this way while playing “Mortal Kombat.” In fact, the violence in t...
Editorial: 60 Minutes’ sexist interview with New Zealand PM
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 28, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
President Donald Trump is known for his off-the-cuff remarks in speeches and interviews, but it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see the day when laundry or his baby’s birth is the topic up for discussion. When you sit down to watch an interview with a world leader, you expect to hear question...
How Trump uses language to divide
By Maggie Durwald | Columnist
February 26, 2018
We are no longer a nation of immigrants. In fact, it seems we’d rather not entertain the tired, poor and huddled masses — or their better-off, more educated peers — at all. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said as much in an email sent out to staff Feb. 22, announcing that it would be ...
Editorial: CNN can step up its coverage
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 26, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Whether it’s TMZ, Buzzfeed or the National Inquirer, we Americans love celebrity gossip. And in the age of President Donald Trump’s tabloid presidency, it seems only natural that more mainstream news outlets — like CNN — would want in on the game. That’s why it came as little surprise yest...
Progressives: stick to debating issues, not insults
By Neena Hagen, Columnist
February 26, 2018
Across the country, from college campuses to TV stations to Washington, D.C., political tension has reached a fever pitch. Wednesday’s “Redistribution of Wealth” debate at the William Pitt Union aptly reflected the growing ideological divide in the United States today — in this case, economi...
Editorial: Trudeau demonstrates skin-deep commitment to diversity
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 26, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Travelers in a foreign country have two options — they can learn the culture and blend in, or they can fake it until they make it. And while it’s impossible to know which strategy Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took on his official visit to India, it’s clear he didn’t make it. Trudeau...
Friday Fly: The Pitt News
By Maggie Koontz | Senior Columnist
February 22, 2018
“Friday Fly” is a recurring column dedicated to a fly on the wall’s perspective on campus spots and daily life here at Pitt. This is the fourth installment. The Pitt News is not a typical workplace. For most of the students who churn out the daily paper, there is no such thing as a short shi...
Cartoon: February 23, 2018
By Daniel Spack | Staff Illustrator
February 22, 2018
Filed under Cartoons, Opinions, Uncategorized
Lamb misses the mark on gun issues
By Jeremy Wang | Senior Columnist
February 21, 2018
Southwestern Pennsylvania loves its guns. And for many Democrats outside Pittsburgh’s City limits, that part of the region’s culture has become a stumbling block to winning public office. Throughout his campaign, Conor Lamb — the Democratic candidate for March’s special election in Pennsyl...
Editorial: After shooting, student walkouts lead the way
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 21, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Florida’s state legislature disappointed gun control advocates Monday when it declined to consider a ban on the assault weapon used in last week’s high school massacre in Parkland, Florida. But for students, both in the state and around the country, that wasn’t the end of the story. From Minnes...
#YouToo: Bosses, Take Action for Your Employees
By Alexis Buncich | Columnist
February 21, 2018
You’re a young person, freshly starting your career and beginning to make a name for yourself. You are entrusted with big tasks, like handling confidential material, managing the business’ account and leading the new public relations campaign. Now, imagine that, like an unfortunate mirror of your own accomp...