23.2.09

Plouffe in Pittsburgh tonight

If you're one of the few hundred lucky folks seeing Obama campaign genius David Plouffe lecture tonight in the Union, you might want to read up on the him prior to.

Here's a profile of Plouffe that Esquire ran during the post-election, pre-Inauguration glow (h/t JJ Abbott):


The Man who Made Obama


See you at the event tonight, and be sure to read The Pitt News Tuesday for complete PPC/Plouffe coverage!

13.2.09

Sex videos galore!

We asked, Pitt students answered:

What's the worst thing you can say during bedroom relations?


Man On the Street: Sex Edition from Pitt News Multimedia on Vimeo.

Tess Sanders finds Sex and Candy at a Student Health Event:


Sex and Candy from Pitt News Multimedia on Vimeo.

11.2.09

It's coming

Well, loyal readers, after a four-year hiatus, The Pitt News is ready again to write about sex.

This Friday, Feb. 13, in honor of Valentine's Day, we're bringing you The Sex Issue. Thirty-two pages of pure carnal bliss (plus some stuff on health, love, dating and relationships).

For a good time, look for it on news stands everywhere.

Kickin' it back

In "one of the most shocking cases of courtroom graft on record," as the AP article put it, two Pennsylvania judges have been charged with taking more than $2 million in kickbacks from juvenile detention centers for sending minors into their arms.

What's interesting about this is that it could result in the state overturning of hundreds or potentially thousands of cases that these two judges officiated because they can't be sure the verdict was delivered in good faith or simply for the cash.

It also casts doubt on Pa.'s policy of contracting with privately-run juvenile detention centers and paying them to take care of the detainees, usually either a fixed overall fee or funding per child per day. Making the juvenile detention centers into profit-motivated businesses has obvious problems - after all, if you're being paid for taking in more kids, you'd be trying to get your hands on as many of them as you could. I would think that that might be obvious, but then again it could just be me.

Why I love City Council

They're always finding productive uses for their time.

8.2.09

SUI: Snowmobiling Under the Influence

Apparently this is a problem in Allegheny county: People snowmobiling drunk. Favorite quote: "Those DUIs -- five out of 49, more than 10 percent -- are pretty alarming," Sheriff Wolfgang said.

The thing that gets me about it is that they're setting up actual DUI checkpoints out in the middle of the forest. And beyond that, they actually arrested several people. But isn't the point of a snowmobile the fact that you can go pretty much wherever you want? Couldn't they just, I don't know, go around or something?

The thing about snowmobiles is that they're absolutely terrifying. They're large machines that you can barely control and that are capable of hitting obscene speeds. You'd almost have to be drunk to be brave enough to get on one in the first place. But hey, at least our tax dollars are going to good use. I personally can't count the number of times I've been concerned about drunken snowmobilers.

-Richard Brown

4.2.09

More on local stations

KDKA has picked it up too, for their 11 p.m. broadcast. Check it out here.

Local news stations covering Pitt riots and suspensions

Thanks, WTAE/Channel 4, for linking to us here.

It looks like Nordenberg's calls for suspension of students involved in Sunday's riots is the top story today in Pittsburgh news -- WTAE aired footage of the Pitt News video
that's posted on this site and on pittnews.com in their 6 p.m. broadcast.

3.2.09

Super Bowl Riots/Celebration Photo Slideshow

Nordenberg reprimands students

Chancellor Mark Nordenberg issued a statement today reprimanding some of the students involved in Sunday night's Super Bowl riots.

Nordenberg said in the statement that "for large numbers of people to celebrate this very significant win. . .was entirely predictable and might even have become a positive addition to a festive occasion," but that it was inappropriate for students to vandalize property.

He added that the University will "cooperate fully with ongoing efforts to investigate and prosecute those who are charged with crimes, whether or not they are Pitt students. " 

He said that some students have already been punished under the school's Student Code of Conduct, and that the University may punish some students, even if the police chose not to.


2.2.09

Parade route announced

In case your celebratory adrenaline wasn't fully spent last night in Oakland, the city of Pittsburgh is offering Steelers fans one more chance to go crazy over the Super Bowl.

Check out the plans
for the Steelers victory parade tomorrow, to take place downtown.

Point Park is canceling classes, but if you're from Pitt, you'll have to cut.

My First Oakland Riot Video

by Lewis Lehe

Here is a rough cut of footage I took. I'm going to make a longer thing this week.





I hope you like it!

Super Bowl rioters destroy Oakland property

Even before the Steelers had the chance to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy, Pitt students stormed the street of Oakland to celebrate the Steelers' sixth Super Bowl victory. The Steelers, who were favored to win by six and a half points, won the game as expected, beating the Cardinals 27-23. And thousands of students rioted, as expected.

The Pitt, city of Pittsburgh and county police weaved through the crowds arresting people climbing traffic poles, destroying street signs, twisting a traffic light, lighting couches on fire, shooting off fireworks and flipping cars. Celebrators flipped a car on Oakland Avenue that had to be towed away. Some students attempted to burn tall cylinders where students staple fliers. At the Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard intersection, students used newspapers to set newspaper boxes ablaze.

County police brought horses blocking South Bouquet Street. Police around the intersection of Forbes Avenue and South Bouquet Street confiscated damaged or burned property, including a Post Gazette box.

Some individuals uprooted street signs and tried to smash parking meters.

People also lit couches and several dumpsters on fire. Fire fighters put out two dumpster fires around the intersection of Atwood Street and Cable Place. Police kept people away from two large dumpster fires on Forbes Avenue as well.

Later on celebrators kicked in windows on the ground level of Hillman Library.

Here are some pictures from the celebrations.


Celebrators gather outside of Hillman Library after the Steelers victory


Police arrest an individual on Bigelow Boulevard who was kicking down a sign from a traffic pole


People climb a traffic pole at the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard

Police mounted on horses wait to deploy on South Bouquet Street


An overturned car on Oakland Avenue


A broken window at Bruegger's Bagels


Police stand in line at Caribou Coffee on Forbes Avenue, anticipating a long night


Smoking remnants of a burned couch on Atwood Street


Dumpster on Atwood Street

See the original post and more on Estelle's blog: transforumer.net

1.2.09

Oakland up in flames -- TPN is there

Follow The Pitt News on Twitter -- we have complete coverage of the post-Super Bowl riots in Oakland.

Check pittnews.com tomorrow for video, audio and more photos from the night of mayhem.

New editor in chief and business manager named

The Pitt News Advisory Board personnel committee chose the 2009-2010 leadership of The Pitt News this past Friday.

Drew Singer, a junior political science major, was chosen as next year's editor in chief. Justin Matase, a junior finance and marketing major in the College of Business Administration, will serve as business manager. 

The full advisory board will vote to confirm the candidates in two weeks.

Current business manager Stephanie Betts and editor in chief Katelyn Polantz will step down April 20, after the spring finals week edition hits newsracks.