An Office of International Services Publication, April 2016

The Global Perspective

IN THIS ISSUE:

Letter from the Director

Art Events in Pittsburgh

Baseball Season

Pittsburgh Marathon

Sustainability Events

Mural on the South Side of Pittsburgh

Table of Contents

3 Letter from the Director

The Pennsylvania primary elections will be held in April.

Here is more information about the American election

process and some of the issues being raised.

4 Student Sustainability Symposium

5 Gallery Crawl Presented by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

6

Baseball Season

The Pittsburgh Pirates begin the season on April 3rd and

are named one of the best teams to watch this year.

7 Vice President Biden Visits Pitt

8 Farmer’s Market

9 Pittsburgh Marathon The Pittsburgh Marathon is a city-wide event that is an in-credible activity to experience as a volunteer, observer, or runner. The races include the marathon, relay, half-marathon, 5K, pet walk, and special kid marathon races.

10 Art All Night

Art All Night is a free event where anyone can submit a

piece of their artwork for exhibition.

12 Featured Events

2 THE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Letter from the Director Being in the US during a presidential election year can present an interesting opportunity for the

international community to learn more about our election process, the political issues that appear to be

most important to candidates and voters, and how those issues are discussed by the candidates and

their supporters. Although some Americans may be shy about sharing their personal political views or

who they plan to vote for, many will be happy to discuss the election process itself.

The primary elections, which began in February and will continue through June, offer each political

party the opportunity to select their candidates for the general elections to be held in November.

Pennsylvania’s primary will be on Tuesday, April 26 this year. While the electoral process happens each

year, it generates the most interest every four years when presidential elections occur. As you may have

noticed, there has already been a great deal of national media coverage given to the candidates, debates,

and elections in other states, and you will likely see an increase in ads, editorials, and discussions on

political issues locally as the date for the Pennsylvania primary draws nearer. This year in particular the

debates and conversations around some of these issues have been divisive, and have generated strong,

emotional reactions from voters on all sides.

We recognize that the rhetoric being used, especially regarding topics like immigration and national

security, is often negative and may make some members of our international community feel

unwelcome, upset, or frustrated. Our international students and scholars are an important part of the

Pitt and the Pittsburgh community, and there are many Americans who recognize and appreciate the

contributions of immigrants and international students, workers, and other visitors, including those of

us in OIS, of course!

We hope that this election season gives you more insight into American politics and culture, and we

encourage you to follow the issues and ask questions. For those interested, the sites below provide

information on the candidates, the election process, and primary results to date:

BBC News’ Coverage of the 2016 US elections USA.gov overview of the presidential election process New York Times’ up to date 2016 delegate count and primary results

As the November elections draw near, OIS will continue to help our international community learn more about this democratic process, but we are always happy to answer questions at any time of year.

Genevieve Cook Director, Office of International Services

APRIL 2016 3

4 THE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

APRIL 2016 5

Gallery Crawl The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents the Gallery Crawl as a free,

quarterly event celebrating the arts community in the Pittsburgh

area. During the Gallery Crawl, more than a dozen art galleries in

the downtown Cultural District open their doors for people to

come and enjoy their art collection.

Many galleries will have artists on hand who are actively working

on their art projects during the event. These live demonstrations

allow people to see firsthand how the art is created and speak

with some of the artists.

In addition to the art galleries, there are additional events held on

the night of the Gallery Crawls for people who want to stay in the

Cultural District for more entertainment. These events are

referred to as “CrawlAfterDark,” While all of the official Gallery

Crawl events are free, there may be costs associated with

CrawlAfterDark. CrawlAfterDark events could include a variety of

activities, from movies to comedy shows to musical performances.

Typically the Cultural Trust presents the Gallery Crawl in January,

April, July, and October. This year, a special Bicentennial Gallery

Crawl was held on March 18th as a part of the Incorporation Day

activities. The next Gallery Crawl will be held April 22 and the

hours of the Crawl are 5:30pm—10pm and their will be a large

representation of Pitt’s international community attending.

The Cultural District in downtown Pittsburgh is home to not only

dozens of art galleries, but also many of the theaters and best

restaurants downtown. In the past few years, Pittsburgh

restaurants have been creating more outdoor seating, so there are

many options to sit outside and enjoy the weather in between

gallery visits.

If you would like more information about the Gallery Crawl, please

feel free to connect with them via their website, Facebook,

Twitter, Instagram, or their blog. You can also use or search for

#CrawlPGH.

6 THE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Spring is here! To me, Spring means the start of the professional baseball season here in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Pirates (www.pirates.com) are one of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball. After years of subpar seasons, the Pirates have been among the League’s top teams during the past three seasons. Many experts believe that the Pirates will fight for a playoff berth for a fourth consecutive year. The Pirates play their first game of the season on Sunday, April 3rd against their division rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals.

One of my favorite things to do in Pittsburgh is attend a Pirates game at PNC Park. Even if you don’t understand the rules of baseball, going to a Pirates game is wonderful: the views of the downtown Pittsburgh are terrific, the staff members at PNC Park are very helpful, and there are plenty of things to eat! Some of the more popular food choices at PNC Park are popcorn, nachos, soft pretzels, and hot dogs; but there are plenty of other options too. Ticket prices at PNC Park are among the League’s cheapest, so many families attend games together. As an extra treat, some Pirates games even feature concerts or fireworks displays afterwards.

Baseball Season

International Players

Like many other professional teams, the Pirates have a number of international players. About 1/3 of the Pirates’ players were born outside of the United States. Here’s who they are and where they’re from:

Pitcher: Ariquimedes Caminero Dominican Republic

Pitcher: Neftali Feliz Dominican Republic

Pitcher: Francisco Liriano Dominican Republic

Pitcher: Juan Nicasio Dominican Republic

Catcher: Francisco Cervelli Venezuela

Catcher: Elias Diaz Venezuela

Infielder: Pedro Florimon Dominican Republic

Infielder: Jung Ho Kang Korea

Outfielder: Starling Marte Dominican Republic

Outfielder: Gregory Polanco Dominican Republic

By Richard Sherman

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

The middle of the 7th inning of a base-ball game, is called the 7th inning stretch. This is a time for everyone who has been sitting for hours to stand up and stretch their limbs. During this time, the attendees will all sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”. Here are the lyrics:

Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd!

Buy me some peanuts & Cracker Jacks,

I don’t care if I never get back,

So it’s root, root, root for the Pirates,

If they don’t win, it’s a shame!

For it’s one, TWO,

THREE strikes, you’re out

At the old, ball game!

APRIL 2016 7

Pitt Welcomes Vice President of the United States

Joe Biden

Tuesday, April 5 Petersen Events Center Lobby

Doors open at 10:15am

This special event will launch the national “It’s On Us Week of Action.”

Together we can challenge our campus community to prevent sexual

assault.

Pittsburgh Marathon

The Dick’s Pittsburgh Marathon and UPMC Health

Plan Half Marathon will take place on Sunday,

May 1, 2016. While the actual races take place on

Sunday, there are a variety of events that take

place throughout the weekend. In 2015, over

40,000 people from Pittsburgh, the U.S. and

around the world participated in the races over

the course of the marathon weekend.

If you are interested in getting involved with the

marathon, there are several opportunities. If you

are a runner, registration is still open for the

marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, and 5K.

There will be a kid’s marathon and pet walk on

Saturday, April 30 which are great events the

whole family can enjoy!

If running isn’t your thing, consider volunteering!

About 4,000 volunteers help runners reach their

goal of crossing the finish line on race weekend.

Positions start on April 29 at the GNC Health and

Fitness Expo and continue until runners reach the

finish line on Sunday, May 1. Volunteering is a

great opportunity to support your community

and be part of one of the largest events in the city

– you’re guaranteed to have a great experience!

Volunteers also receive: Official DICK'S Sporting

Goods Pittsburgh Marathon volunteer t-shirt, $10

DICK'S Sporting Goods gift certificate, Volunteer

of STEEL lapel pin, and an invitation to the annual

volunteer appreciation party. Find the perfect

volunteer position for you!

If you’re not participating in the race, get out to

watch the race in action. The runners will

definitely appreciate you cheering them on! Check

out the race course map. If you plan to travel

around Pittsburgh on race day (Sunday, May 1),

be sure to check for street closures and plan your

trip accordingly.

Several members of the OIS staff participate in the

half marathon and race weekend events – so be

sure to look for us on race weekend!

APRIL 2016 9

Dick’s Pittsburgh Marathon & UPMC Health Plan Half Marathon

By Claire Mokry

Claire Mokry (right), with her husband and a friend Kati Von Lehman and her daughter, Willow Richard Sherman racing downtown

10 THE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

ART ALL NIGHT

Art All Night is an entirely free (FREE!), grassroots community art show put on by a very large group of

volunteers every year during the last weekend of April in Lawrenceville. Anyone can put one (and only

one) piece of art in the show (for free). A joyful celebration of the arts and community, the show grows

in popularity each year, bringing thousands of people from all over the region into Lawrenceville for

one unforgettable weekend.

Art All Night promotes artistic expression in all walks of life. The event particularly encourages children

and adults to be actively involved by contributing artwork and engaging in interactive projects. The

show includes and attracts seniors, long-term residents, novice artists, educators, students, seasoned

professionals, and parents with children of all ages.

Our motto is “No Fee, No Jury, No Censorship”. We’d probably add “No Commercialism” too if it didn’t

make the motto too long and cumbersome. You will see this on all media related to Art All Night and we

mean it!

Art All Night is a catalyst for community development, shining a spotlight on our unique neighborhood.

Lawrenceville has become a magnet for artisans, lovers of beautiful architecture, and people drawn to

the spice and flavor of urban living. Learn more about Art All Night on their website or Facebook page.

This event is 24 hours of art celebration. During

Art All Night, there are live musical performances,

art demonstrations, and activities for the artist in-

side everyone. They accept sketches, paintings,

sculptures—if you think it is art, you are in!

When you submit your artwork, you will be asked

what name you want displayed, the title of your

piece, and how much you are willing to sell it for.

The year that my daughter and I submitted art-

work, she decided that she would not sell her piece

for less than $600. (Needless to say, we took her 6

year old piece home the next day. Happily.)

This is a great activity to do as a family or group of

friends. Our pieces were right next to each other,

but we had a great time running around the thou-

sands of pieces of artwork to find where they had

placed us. We also loved seeing the professional

artists painting new artwork at the event.

Family Reminder: They have specific areas

with kids activities, that my daughter loved, but

they really mean “No Censorship”. While the more

mature-themed artwork has signs up to notify you,

if your kids are running around, they might see

things you aren’t comfortable with.

My Experience with Art All Night

By Kati Von Lehman

MARCH 2016 5

April 2016 FEATURED EVENTS

For more OIS events, please visit the OIS Events page.

2016 Brazilian Festival

7pm, William Pitt Union Assembly Room

There will be free Brazilian food, music and

dancing, as well as raffle prizes!

Art History Class: The Visual

Traditions of Japan

Ends April 27, Carnegie Museum of Art

This engaging class examines indigenous and

imported art as the two sides of Japanese art from

the prehistoric period to the 20th century.

Pittsburgh Pirates First Game

1:05pm, PNC Park Watch the home opener against the St. Louis

Cardinals and cheer the Pirates to victory!

Vice President Joe Biden visits Pitt

for It’s On Us Campaign

10:15am, Petersen Events Center

VP Biden will start a multi-city tour to promote the

It’s On Us campaign at the University of Pittsburgh.

Gamelan Fusion: New and

Traditional Music of West Java 8pm, Frick Fine Arts Auditorium

Each year Gamelan’s annual spring concert is the

culmination of its Artist-in-Residence Program

that offers Pitt students a rare opportunity to

study music, dance, and theater with some of Indo-

nesia’s finest artists.

American Taxes are Due

Get your forms submitted or mailed by

midnight tonight!

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Gallery Crawl

5:30pm - 10pm, Cultural District

More than a dozen galleries open their doors for

live art demonstrations and more.

Pittsburgh’s Superhero Run 9:30am, North Park Swimming Pool

This is a family walk/run where you can do a 1K or

a 5K to help raise money for abused children.

Don’t forget your superhero costume!

End of Spring Term

This is the official end to the semester.

Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend

Events for the Pittsburgh Marathon are

both April 30 and May 1.

April 30: 5K (8am)

Kids Marathon (9:30am)

Toddler Trot (11:30am)

Pet Walk (12pm)

May 1: Marathon (7am)

Marathon Relay (7am)

Half Marathon (7am)

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2 Earth Day is Friday, April 22