Recent Stories
- Online Orientation - What do Pitt Students do Off-Campus?
- Forbes and Fifth - Very Lazy Summer
- What’s Next
- University Approves Campus Expansion Plans
- Happy Birthday, PittBriefly.com!
- Annual “Cinema in the Park” Series Begins Tonight on Flagstaff Hill
- Online Orientation - 5 Numbers Worthy of Your Contact List
- Pittsburgh to Hold G20 Summit
- 15 Minutes of Fame - Extras Needed
- “Remembrance Park”
- Greetings from the Zoo
- Children’s Festival in Oakland
Online Orientation - What do Pitt Students do Off-Campus?
PittBriefly’s Online Orientation is a guide for students new to campus to get a leg up on all things related to life at Pitt.
From Bus Schedules to Dining Options, our briefs will give you a jump at the start of the semester. Check back each week for a new entry!
1. Kennywood
Spend an entire afternoon in Kennywood, Pittsburgh’s Amusement Park. With a Pitt I.D, students are only a free 61C bus trip away from 32 exciting rides and an entire day of fun. Once a ticket is purchased, the person is able to stay as long as they want, giving them the opportunity to go on each thrilling roller coaster and water attraction. Make sure to check if the park is open before setting up plans.
Admission:
FunDay (ride-all-day) - $32.00
Night Rider (after 5 p.m.) - $17.00
Discount Advice: On weekdays, bring along a can of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi or Mountain Dew to the park, and receive a $5 discount off regular full-price admission.
2. Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
From the U.S. to Africa and to the other side of the world, the Pittsburgh Zoo has a wide variety of animals for all ages to enjoy. Take the 71A or 500 for free with a Pitt I.D and enjoy an afternoon with the reptiles, mammals, fish, birds, and more! Watch out for early closing hours, in the Fall the zoo will close at 5:00 p.m.
Admission
Adult: $12:00
3. Carnegie Science Center
Situated in Downtown, the center includes a planetarium, a WWII sub, miniature railroad exhibit, Omnimax Theater, roboworld™, and more! A hot spot for tourists and residents of Pittsburgh, this center is known for its 250+ interactive exhibits and laser shows. It is a great opportunity to leave the stresses of college behind for a few hours and enter a new world of science and the future.
Admission
Adult: $14.00
4. Waterfront & Southside
Two great places for going out to eat and shop. Take a ride on the 59U off Fifth St. to Southside and have a meal at the Cheesecake factory or any of the fine restaurants off Carson street, go shop at Forever 21, AE, or even the Goodwill and finish the day trip with a movie. Off Forbes Ave., also take the 59U to the Waterfront and access its movie theaters, restaurants, and stores, including Target, Home Depot, and other helpful move-in supply shops.
5. The Strip District
Spend a Saturday morning or afternoon at the Strip where a copious amount of food stands and local shops line the street. The sidewalks are always filled with people, which creates an exciting environment to be a part of. The food is fantastic and fairly cheap, but be warned, do not bring too much cash because it will most likely be gone by the end of the trip. There are too many great meals and desserts that it is not surprising many people leave with empty wallets.
Watch for the next edition of this post - FREE Things to do Off-Campus!
Forbes and Fifth - Very Lazy Summer
What’s Next
If you’ve been with us from the beginning you’ll know that our current incarnation is the second one for the site, which debuted last fall. A year and a day since our founding and we are just about ready to release the third, which will make an evolutionary leap in how you view Pitt media. Now we don’t want to raise any expectations here, but PittBriefly 3.0 is what the internet was made for.
University Approves Campus Expansion Plans
This week, Pitt unveiled some new plans for the expansion and improvement of University campuses. Projects include a three-floor addition to the Chevron Science Center and the purchase of the privately owned Concordia Club, located across the street from Thaw Hall. The planned improvements to Chevron will provide a new lab for University research programs. No word yet, as to what the University plans to do if they acquire the Concordia Club property, but perhaps it could provide some much needed reprieve for students in the more cramped classrooms across campus.
The Tribune-Review’s Michael Hasch has more on this story.
Happy Birthday, PittBriefly.com!
On June 10th, 2008, the first PittBriefly article was posted.
That was one year ago today. Since then, our readership has exploded, out staff has expanded, and this publication has become a trusted and reliable source for members of the Pitt community to learn about all sorts of school happenings.
We here at PittBriefly cant thank our readers enough for their support, and we look forward to serving you in the years to come!
James Lomuscio
Publisher, PittBriefly.com
Annual “Cinema in the Park” Series Begins Tonight on Flagstaff Hill
It’s official, Summer begins tonight as soon as the first frame of Indiana Jones hits the screen tonight to begin the annual “Cinema in the Parks” series.
The free outdoor film series has been a mainstay Parks and Recreation program for over 20 years. As it did last year to offset costs, the department teamed up with corporate sponsor B94, but according to Program Coordinator Dodi Eyrne, who has been involved with Cinema in the Parks for 11 years, other than some promotional giveaways at selected summer screenings, “nothing has changed… except for the movies. “
“It’s a real family attraction,” said Eyrne. The most popular venue at Flagstaff Hill can draw as many as 1500 of all ages. “Seeing how happy all of the children and families are is my favorite part of it. It makes all of the paperwork and planning worth it.”
The 2009 “Cinema in the Parks” Flagstaff Hill Schedule
June 10th - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
June 14th - Star Wars: The Clone Wars
June 17th - Jumper
June 21st - Slumdog Millionaire
June 24th - Iron Man
June 28th - Journey to the Center of the Earth
July 1st - Taken
July 5th - Hotel for Dogs
July 8th - Hancock
July 12th - City of Ember
July 15th - The Dark Knight
July 19th - Igor
July 22th - Shutter
July 26th - The Day the Earth Stood Still
July 29th - Mamma Mia!
August 2nd - Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
August 5th - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
August 9th - Tale of Despereaux
August 12th - Hulk
August 16th - Inkheart
August 19th - Ghost Rider
August 23rd - Wall-E
Online Orientation - 5 Numbers Worthy of Your Contact List
PittBriefly’s Online Orientation is a guide for students new to campus to get a leg up on all things related to life at Pitt.
From Bus Schedules to Dining Options, our briefs will give you a jump at the start of the semester. Check back each week for a new entry!
1. Telefact (4Fact) - (412) 624-FACT (3228)
When you absolutely need to know just about anything, this Pitt perk will save the day. Call and ask anything. Seriously, ANYTHING.
“Where’s this classroom?” Call Telefact.
“I’m stuck in Southside, what bus to I take to Oakland and where and when do I pick it up?” They can call that up for you.
“How many seats are there in the Petersen Events Center?” They’ve got that number somewhere, too.
“Can I plug in my cat?” Yes, they’ve been asked that before. No is the answer.
2. Panther Central - (412) 648-1100
Always open, even if it does take a few minutes to have your call answered, Panther Central is the nerve center of the school as far as undergraduate life is concerned. Need to change a meal plan? It goes through them. Need to report a maintenaince issue in your dorm? They’ll get someone on it. Need to know about academic deadlines and bill payments? If they can’t help you, they’ll direct to the people who can.
This number is also on the back of your Panther Card, lest you forget it.
3. Campus Police - (412) 624-2121 OR 811 (from a campus phone)
Being followed? Witness a crime? Is a friend in danger? Don’t hesitate to call the police, but don’t call 911 too quickly either.
911 directs you to a City of Pittsburgh dispatcher, but what you need is Campus Police, so call them directly, or wait another few moments to have your call rerouted. 811, dialed from any land line on campus, gets the Pitt Police, as will 624-2121 from any other phone.
4. SafeRider - 412-648-CALL (2255)
If there’s something strange in your neighborhood… Who ya gonna call? SafeRider!
This late night (or rather early morning) campus shuttle that runs after the regular buses, like the 10A, have stopped.
Finish studying at 3am and need a ride back to your South Oakland apartment? Call SafeRider.
Stayed a little too late at that party and need to get back to your dorm? Call SafeRider.
Had a few too many and need a ride home from the bar? Forget about it, SafeRider will not pick you up from establishments that serve alcoholic beverages.
SafeRider will be there when you need it, but don’t abuse the system - there’s a 20 ride maximum per semester.
5. Your Roomate - Ask for it!
This one might seem to be a given in your contacts list, but we can’t stress how important it is, after all, your roommate is the only person on campus other than your dorm security guard who can get you into your room when your locked out (and they won’t charge you $25 after the third lockout, as Panther Central does).