New Student Guide Articles
By Elham Khatami
Financial limitations, a desire to remain close to family, privacy or overbearing parents - no matter what the reason, living off campus and commuting to school is an option that many students have to consider. In many ways, commuting is an advantageous option.
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The goal of our University's founder, expressed when Pittsburgh sat at the edge of the American frontier, was to establish a school that would serve as "a lite in the forested wilderness." Though the Western Pennsylvania wilderness has long been gone, our shared need for "learning's light" remains every bit as intense as it was in 1787, and you are about to join an academic community with a proud 220-year-old tradition grounded in teaching excellence, pioneering research and a deep commitment to advancing the public good.
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By Colleen Counihan
In celebration of the weekend, a group of 30 students set out on a cultural excursion through the city. The Friday night began with free dinner and dessert at Pitt's local Italian restaurant, Joe Mama's, and ended with complimentary seats at one of the New Hazlett Theater's latest modern dance showings.
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By Kelsey Shea
Are you over iTunes and BitTorrent? Want something a bit more retro? Luckily for vinyl traders and aficionados, Oakland and its surrounding neighborhoods offer Pitt students plenty of places to buy and trade records.
Right down the street from the Litchfield Towers on Forbes Avenue, students can find the CD Warehouse.
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By Anton Skerl
Everybody in a relationship has an idea of a perfect date, and be it candlelight, a wine-and-dine affair or just walking through the park, Pittsburgh has some great places for the "Romeo and Juliet"-style lovin' to fully bloom. For a price.
Let's face it: We're college students.
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By Tom VanBuren
Remember how much fun field trips used to be? You and your friends skipping the day's classes, permission slips in hand, and going to a museum for the sake of an activity that could be - believe it or not - both fun and educational. Now that you're here, you'll find that Pittsburgh has a wide variety of destinations for planning your own private field trips - no permission slips required.
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By Tom VanBuren
Get excited, freshmen, because it's time for you to move in to your very own dorm room! No parents, no curfews, by God,?we'll live like kings! Right?
Not exactly. Dorm life isn't always easy, and unfortunately, the secrets to getting along with others and living on your own for the first time are ones you have to discover for yourself.
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By Justin Jacobs
You live in Pittsburgh now. Say goodbye to that little hamlet an hour north or south of the city or that area "outside Philly" where you spent 18 years - this is your new home.
That being the case, it would suit you well to know a bit about our fine city's history.
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By Justin Jacobs
Many students who come to a city college from a rural hometown do so simply because, well, there's just a lot more to do. Similarly, many students from urban homes do so because the thought of a tiny college town with little more to do than attend corn-hole tournaments fails to excite.
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By Andrea Bullard
If you're searching for a logical beginning to Pittsburgh's expansive art scene, the North Side's?The?Andy Warhol Museum is a good place to start.
A fearless innovator, Warhol is widely considered to be the man who made the city a hub of artistic culture.
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By Julia Nauer
Pittsburgh is not generally viewed as a fashion capital - at all, really. It's better known as a working class town that's idea of fashion is somewhat stuck in the glory days of the '70s when the Steel Curtain reigned supreme and the Pirates actually had winning seasons.
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By Jasmine Hawkins
Staff Writer
Who says you have to be on a Division I team to be a competitive athlete?
No one.
Pitt offers a variety of club sports for dedicated athletes who don't want the pressures or demanding commitments required of students in big-time university athletics.
Men's rugby captain Andrew Mlynarski said that is what got him going.
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By Pat Mitsch
I thought Pitt football was going to win the national championship.
It was my freshman year. I sat four rows up the end zone sideline in the Heinz Field student section, my Dan Marino throwback jersey the flag of my pretentious Pitt fanhood. Notre Dame - Dave Wannstedt's first game.
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By Mike Gladysz
By now it's old news. Everyone knows about Pitt football's 13-9 win at West Virginia last season. And most know that the defense spearheaded the charge in that game. Returning is nearly the entire Pitt defense, which was ranked among the best in the country throughout almost all of last season.
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By Tony Ferraiolo
Pitt basketball is headed toward uncharted territory. An improbable run through the Big East tournament brought lofty expectations to Pitt entering last year's NCAA Tournament. Different, however, from the type it will face entering next season.
The Panthers ripped off four wins in four days at Madison Square Garden to become just the second team to accomplish the feat (Syracuse also did it in 2006).
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By Zack Chakan
Although Pitt is known for its men's basketball dominance, a little-known tidbit slipped through the cracks in Oakland's sidewalks this March.
The women's basketball team was better.
After taking quite a while to gain respect on a national scale, the Panthers won their way to prominence in the 2007-08 season.
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By Zack Chakan
Budding stars like LeSean McCoy and Sam Young will showcase their talents in the upcoming year for Pitt's sports teams. In the seasons to come, Panther fans might follow their progress in the professional realm and watch them excel at the highest level possible.
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No matter where you sit at PNC Park, you will find a glorious view of the game and Pittsburgh's backdrop.
By Pete Madia
Since opening in 2001, PNC Park has been dubbed by many baseball experts as one of the best all-around stadiums in the league. The Pirates play from April through September.
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By Adam Littman
As the newest members of the Panther family, it's your job to learn about and follow Pitt's numerous sports teams - if you don't already know about them. Well, it's not really your job at all, but you're here, so might as well. And while Pitt certainly has a lot of sports teams - and even more athletes competing in them - it might be a bit overwhelming to try and know exactly where to start if you're coming to Pitt with little or no knowledge of Panther athletics.
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By Dan Vetanovetz
Make studying adventurous this year by stepping out of the normally packed destinations.
During midterm and finals week especially, the normal haunts for Pitt students are quickly inundated with cramming students. Destinations like Hillman Library and the Cathedral of Learning become packed, and the subsequent increase in noise can be brain deafening.
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By Alison Smyth
Pittsburgh's parks create a unique experience for those who wish to take in all that Mother Nature has to offer. Point State, Schenley and Frick parks have not only your run-of-the-mill park activities but a variety of delightfully unusual ones as well. Going green never felt so good.
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By Emily Steiner
Women's tennis Last season, the women's tennis team beat its bitter rival West Virginia for the first time in team history. Then, when it came down to the wire, the Panthers beat the Mountaineers once again to finish ninth in the Big East Championships. It was Pitt's highest placing ever.
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By Evan Burgos
Joe Jordano isn't used to losing.
In 10 years as Panthers skipper, Jordano and the Pitt baseball team have only had two losing seasons. More frequently, Jordano experiences Big East tournaments, hanging strong amid the top of the conference and leading his teams to some of the most successful seasons in the program's history.
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By Randy Lieberman
Pitt's athletic facilities are a collection of the state-of-the-art and the traditional. To catch all the action, here is a quick peek at all of the facilities that will field action this school year. Petersen Events Center The Petersen Events Center overlooks Pitt's lower campus from its perch on the corner of DeSoto and Terrace streets.
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By Nick LaMantia
Pittsburgh sports teams have seen as many ups and downs in the past 10 years as Danny Bonaduce's acting career. Pittsburgh fans have seen their favorite teams suffer through near relocations, years of failure and periods of inconsistency as well as the building of new stadiums, an influx of young talent and championship seasons.
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By Tony Jovenitti
Everyone has that friend who scores the best tickets to seemingly everything, brags about it frequently and occasionally lets you tag along. Well, I am one of those friends.
I know - your jealousy is building up because you are now thinking about your friend who just scored second row seats to the Penguins-Flyers playoff game.
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By Katie Blemler
The Cathedral of Learning - the epicenter of Pitt's campus - distinguishes the University not only nationally but also internationally. The Cathedral remains the tallest educational building in the United States at 535 feet. It stands only second in height to Moscow State University's main building, which is more than 787 feet tall.
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By Colleen Seidel
It's no secret that college kids are strapped for cash. From necessities like food and laundry to obligations like books and school supplies to the fun stuff for Friday nights, everything costs money. You enter college and you have to face it: Life is expensive when you're a student.
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By Andres Miguel
Like most major cities, the Pittsburgh landscape is dotted with a wide variety of movie theaters. Pittsburgh offers a good balance of huge multiplexes and smaller, more intimate and independent cinemas - and almost all are easily accessible via the Port Authority bus system.
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On behalf of the Student Government Board, I would like to welcome you to the University of Pittsburgh.
During the next four years (five if you're like me) you will be exposed to thousands of different opportunities. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of as many of these as you can, whether it's studying abroad, participating in an incredible co-op or as simple as a road trip to an away football game.
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Congratulations, you've made it to page four of The Pitt News New Student Guide. Only 128 more to go!
It's a lot of reading, I know. But what you're holding in your hands, this meager pile of newsprint and paper, may be one of the most helpful compendiums of knowledge you'll run across this summer.
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By Andrea Bianco
As an incoming freshman, you're almost definitely going to call the neighborhood of Oakland home this year. While Oakland might appear quiet - perhaps even quaint - for a city neighborhood, don't be fooled. There is far more to Oakland than meets the eye.
You are entering an Oakland divided, a neighborhood in the midst of a silent civil war.
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By Lewis Lehe
I grew up in Birmingham, Ala. Ever since, I've preferred the soulful and dilapidated Southern side of anything. South Oakland is no exception. It's nothing to write home about, but after a semester, it will be your home. Today, I'll mince the myths and tell you about the many merits of South Oakland!
Segregation.
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By Estelle Tran
Though there are no longer trains turning into Station Square, the old train station is now the place to turn to for unique tours, diverse restaurants and specialty clothing stores.
Station Square is a historical and commercial attraction for locals and tourists.
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By Giles Howard
Sometimes, the meal plan just doesn't cut it.
Market Central is only open so many hours of the day, and 3 a.m. isn't one of them. But there's more to Oakland cuisine than what's provided by the University. In fact, Oakland is home to food at good prices if you're willing to venture away from your meal plan.
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By Leigh Remizowski
Kathy Humphrey has two sons - twin 16-year-old boys.
She worries about them like any mother would, especially now that they're in the process of getting their drivers' licenses.
But when her phone rings at 3 a.m. alerting her of a mishap or injury, it could be any one of the thousands of kids who depend on her.
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By Randy Lieberman
As you shake hands with your friends, your dad's friends and your aunt's sort-of friend at your graduation party, a lot of advice is tossed your way. There's no doubt the "Freshman 15" has been discussed. And for those accustomed to involvement in high school athletics who won't be playing sports at Pitt, that weight gain is a possibility.
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By Jessel Costa
Pittsburgh's Downtown is packed with 250 years of history and heritage, but it also has a lot to offer the students of the surrounding high schools, colleges and universities.
Downtown-pronounced "Daahn-tawhn" by those who have lived in the city long enough to learn its unique dialect -houses some of Pittsburgh's largest and most important businesses, government offices and even a sports arena.
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By Caitlin Kasunich
Staff Writer
With more than 260 acres of shopping, restaurants, clubs and other entertainment venues, the Waterfront outdoor mall in Homestead remains an exciting hot spot for young people in Pittsburgh.
No matter what Pitt's students need to buy, with more than 70 stores, the Waterfront is equipped to satisfy anyone's shopping cravings.
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By Liz Navratil
The year was 1969. Crowds flocked to Woodstock, the United States started withdrawing troops from Vietnam, and Pitt police chief Tim Delaney took his first steps into the Allegheny County Police Academy.
He would go on to join the Pitt police as a guard in 1972.
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By Liz Navratil
In high school, it was simple. There was always a parent or a teacher hovering over you telling you what to do and what not to do. With college comes the added responsibility of watching out for yourself.
But don't fret. Pitt Police chief Tim Delaney said it's easy to sum up how to stay safe.
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By Drew Singer
Now that you're at Pitt, one of the first safety measures you might want to take is signing up for the University's Emergency Notification Service.
Entering its second year of implementation, ENS provides alerts to students and their families whenever an emergency safety issue occurs on campus.
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By Eli Dile
The eclectic neighborhood of Squirrel Hill is a perfect place for students to eat, shop and explore without having to go far from campus.
Ever since the immigration boom of the early 20th century, Squirrel Hill has been home to a large Jewish community.
Visitors will quickly realize this once they see the many synagogues and authentic delis throughout the neighborhood.
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By Leigh Remizowski
Has life in Oakland left you in retail withdrawal? If the idea of trying your luck at catching a 59U to the Waterfront seems too daunting or time-consuming, Walnut Street can certainly fulfill your craving.
Set amid a combination of college student-ridden apartment complexes and mansions alike, Walnut Street is the main avenue of Shadyside.
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By Nadia Economides
Down Fifth Avenue and across the Birmingham Bridge lies a place of culinary decadence and a shoppers' paradise known as the South Side.
The other side of the river is split into two parts: South Side and South Side Works. Swanky French and Italian bistros and some home-cooking grills line East Carson Street, keeping with the vintage ambiance of the original South Side.
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By Hayley Grgurich
Like reserving the perfect venue for a wedding, calling "shotgun" in a friend's car or snagging the last seat in musical chairs, grabbing the prime study spot on campus during finals means you've got to act fast. Should you fail, you run the risk of wreaking serious havoc on your GPA.
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By Pete Madia
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will reduce traffic on Forbes Avenue to one lane for the duration of the summer.
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By Henry Clay Webster
Hung with the same nostalgia deserving of a pair of boxing gloves worn in a championship bout, a pair of old raggedy dress shoes - their soles worn through like those of a hobo - grace the wall above city councilman Patrick Dowd's desk.
Their leather deeply scuffed and creased irreparably, the shoes are material evidence of Dowd's unlikely ascension to his new post where he represents District 7 in the city legislature.
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By Lindsay Carroll
If anyone ever asks you who the big man on campus is, they might tell you it's Student Government Board President Sumter Link - especially if you call Telefact for the answer.
After working for Pitt's Telefact service, giving tours to prospective engineering students, serving as an officer for Engineering Student Council and later as SGB member in 2007, Link decided to run for president.
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By Estelle Tran
At the University of Pittsburgh's Activities Fair Sunday, Aug. 24, students might expect to see hundreds of student organizations ranging from the 4-square club to the Brazil Nuts Portuguese club.
Pitt's approximately 350 student groups bring together students with common academic interests, political views, athletic abilities and pretty much any other similarities you might think of.
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By Drew Singer
Despite the general apathy they receive from many students, the Student Government Board at Pitt has a relatively large amount of power.
Responsible for allocating about $2.5 million - all of which comes from the student activities fee included in your tuition - every year to the hundreds of student groups on campus, SGB members serve one-year terms as the leaders of Pitt's student body.
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By Michael Heater
You cannot fully understand Pittsburgh and its past without knowing the rise, fall and now current revival of the Hill District. Many know the Hill District only as a pass-thru between Oakland and Downtown, but the neighborhood has had a long, cultured history.
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By Molly Green
Perhaps no other neighborhood in Pittsburgh offers more variety in entertainment than the North Side. Located north (surprise, surprise) of the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, this residential and commercial area is a scintillating smorgasbord of science, art, history and birds.
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By Katelyn Polantz
The massive, wooden door swings open to reveal the long, dark room tucked into a corner of the first floor of the Cathedral of Learning.
There are wrought-iron chandeliers, an enormous stone fireplace and bookcases along the walls that stretch to the ceiling.
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By Jordan Fremuth
Staff Writer
It tells you what you're eating. It gets you around the city. It tells you how much money you have. It gets you home. In short, it holds just about everything you need as a college student at Pitt. What's better? It fits in your pocket. What is it? Why, it's the Panther Card, your Pitt ID, of course.
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By Ryan Burger
Nestled between the hills and the river - two of the things that Pittsburgh is best known for - lies a neighborhood that epitomizes Pittsburgh. Located along the banks of the Allegheny River between Downtown and Lawrenceville, the Strip District offers something for everyone.
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By Richard Brown
When searching for opportunities to study abroad, many students look to programs based in cities around the world, such as Rome, Paris or Buenos Aires. There is another option, however, that students should know about as well.
The Semester at Sea program allows students to travel around the world on a cruise ship, visiting different cultures and cities across the globe.
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By Leigh Remizowski
The beauty of attending an urban university is that there is always something to do and somewhere else to go for a change of scenery. Though Pitt boasts the city's name in its title, there are several other universities in the 'Burgh, all worthy of exploration.
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By Caitlin Kasunich
For the Pitt News
Getting involved in University organizations or activities across Pitt's 132-acre campus can be a daunting and overwhelming experience.
Fortunately, Kenyon Bonner, the director of Student Life at Pitt, is here to help new students find their niches within the University and connect to Pitt's community.
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By Hayley Grgurich
Every year it seems that more students move beyond Oakland.
They voluntarily rely on Port Authority buses for their daily commutes, forfeit the assurance that they will live no more than 100 feet from the nearest party and make anything on campus a general inconvenience.
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By Brandon Pfeffer
For many college students, freshman year comes with a host of important realizations. Perhaps the most universal and undeniable of these shared experiences comes from purchasing and selling back textbooks. Allow me to give a brief summation: It sucks. According to an article in The New Yorker, the five largest textbook retailers control 80 percent of new college textbook sales in North America.
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By Richard Brown
Walking around Pitt's campus, you might notice something strange about it: It's really not much of a campus at all. University buildings share walls with bars, retail stores and hospitals, a stark contrast to the open green lawns and winding paths of most traditional college campuses.
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By Katelyn Polantz
"We need to talk," I said a few nights ago as I watched the glowing green numbers on my alarm clock flick to 2:59 a.m. As much as I wanted to go to sleep, I knew now, entering into my senior year of college, that it was time to end the relationship. Sleep and I officially broke up after seeing each other every night since the day I was born and after three years of riding a roller coaster of young college love.
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By Joshua Green
Moving into the dorms for the first time carries plenty of stresses. Did I bring everything I need? Will my RA be a tool? Will I get a foot fungus from the communal bathrooms? Is someone going to draw male anatomy on my dry erase board? The answers, respectively, are no, maybe, probably not and yes.
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By Giles Howard
Freshman year was, for me, extremely exciting. It was full of new friends, new experiences and new challenges, all of which made me a stronger person. But at the beginning of my freshman year I wasn't sure that everything was going to turn out so well. I wasn't happy with a number of my classes, and, although I had a great group of friends, it became rather boring hanging out with the same people doing the same things day in and day out.
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By Giles Howard
Oakland offers some great eateries, shops and cultural experiences. It's possible to spend all of freshman year exploring what Oakland has to offer but to do so would be a mistake. As a freshman, I spent my first few weeks almost exclusively in Oakland, and I had a great time.
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By Cassidy Gruber
My friend Max is a Ken doll. He's not literally a Ken doll, just metaphorically - metaphors are something you'll learn about now that you're in college - in the sense that he looks good in pretty much anything. When you go shopping with him, you really just want to dress him up.
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with Pete Madia
By Pete Madia
"Do the best you can with the time that is given to you."
Jon Donelli
senior
"Do all the social stuff because that is when you make your best friends."
Bradd Picone
graduate student
"Concentrate on your work early on. Pledge a frat if that is what you are into.
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with Michael Heater
By Michael Heater
What advice would you give to new students at Pitt? "Experience the city, there's so much to do here. Take advantage of the buses if you don't have a car." Jessica Stewart & Mallory MacDonald seniors "Eat at half-off at Fuel and Fuddle" Juli Cunning senior "Don't walk the steps, take the bus to upper campus.
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By Elham Khatami
If there's only one piece of information new students should remember before starting at Pitt, it's that college is not high school. In many ways, I'm simply stating the obvious. A high school education is something most people in the United States have access to, while college is more of a privilege and an expensive one at that.
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By Brandon Pfeffer
If this is your first time at school, it might also be your first time living away from home. Naturally, you've checked all those online lists telling you what you need to bring with you: storage units, linens, Depends. What they don't tell you on those lists is that everybody is reading it at the same time you are and packing the same stuff you are.
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By Molly Green
There are those who scoff at public transportation. It's crowded. It's loud. It's dirty. Those people make outrageous claims, things like "the buses never seem to get anywhere on time" or "my legs always stick to the seat." These are lies - most likely propaganda spread by the campus bicyclists (watch out for them).
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By Dan Vetanovetz
You know it's bad when sleeping in becomes a moral problem. Many students might find that it's the best way to capitalize on a Saturday morning. Without classes to attend and plenty of time to do work after noon, it seems like it's a logical course of action.
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By Dan Vetanovetz
I could be a national hero. I could introduce a new philosophy that would solve the problems currently plaguing the world. Now if only I could get out of bed the first time my alarm goes off. If only I could write an argument that didn't degenerate into name-calling.
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By Shane Levy
Columnist
Coming into my freshman year at Pitt, I was more concerned with the social aspects of college rather than academics. Unlike my parents, who were constantly asking me questions about what classes I would be taking and other academic-related topics, my mind was on the 2006 Pitt football season, going to parties and getting out of my house, rather than wondering how to succeed in a territory so unfamiliar to me.
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By Dan Camarda
Columnist
To those who know me, it might seem ironic that I'm giving advice on how to wisely use meal plans. There I was in April doing my biannual finals week hurry-up-and-spend-my-Dining Dollars-so-my-mom-won't-kill-me shopping at Market Central's Quick Stop. My last receipt reminded me of the $257 Dining Dollars left in my account.
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The Penguins are Flying
By Michael Heater
Outside the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins' Mellon Arena, fans watch their beloved team defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in game three of the Eastern Conference semifinals May 13. Pens fans can watch every road playoff game on a big screen outside the Igloo.
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