Panther Post
January 2020 - Volume #3
A Message from Heather Lyke
Dear Panthers,
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and are ready for what is to come in 2020!
Over the holidays and in anticipation of the Oscars, I had the chance to catch up on several movies. As for my amateur reviews, I would give a solid recommendation for Harriet (my prediction for best actress), Ford vs. Ferrari, Little Women (according to my oldest daughter, she said it will make you want to read the classic over), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and of course, a nod to Pittsburgh with A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Tom Hanks is outstanding! Stay tuned for the show on February 9th and escape to the movies when you have a chance!
Although the holidays brought some time to relax, celebrate our football team’s Bowl Game win and reflect on all that we accomplished in 2019, I was ready to get this year started! And what a way to kick it off with the announcement of Victory Heights! We are about to embark on a journey that will transform our University and Athletic Department and set us up for success for many years to come. As I have mentioned, year one at Pitt was focused on building the right team with the right people, year two was dedicated to defining and refining the vision, and now, here we are, in year three, announcing our plans and making them reality. This is just the start of our pursuit of comprehensive excellence, and we are confident that Pitt Athletics will soon reach new Victory Heights.
I wanted everyone to know this announcement was met with excitement and support from our donors, fans and colleagues across campus. Without the Chancellor’s help and understanding of the importance of athletics at Pitt, this would not happen. I appreciate EVERYTHING each of you do to help build those key relationships with donors, fans and colleagues on campus - it makes a difference!
Let’s make it a great year with lots of memorable moments, shovels in the ground and WINS!
Hail to Pitt!
Heather
Welcome to Pitt Athletics!
New Hire | Title | Alma Mater | Office Location |
Danny Bonaventura | Career Consultant for Student-Athletes | Robert Morris (Bachelor's), Tulane (Master's) | Petersen Events Center - Lawn Level - Life Skills |
Justin Pondexter | Assistant Director of Graphic Design | Clemson (Bachelor's, Master's) | Petersen Events Center - Event Level - Media Relations |
Congratulations Corner
20 Years at Pitt!
In December, Beth Schoedel, Amy Anderson, and Jen Parknavy were recognized by Chancellor Patrick Gallagher for 20 years of service to the University of Pittsburgh.
Best Wishes!
Accounts Payable Specialist Erin Halpin (soon to be Erin Mialki) was married December 21, 2019, at New Life Ministries in Saxonburg, Pa.
Best wishes to Erin and her husband, Matt!
Staff Spotlight
Director of Sports Camps Katie Stumpp!
- Did you make any New Year's Resolutions for 2020?
- My word of the year is Grow...without a whole lot of detail: I want to grow to be a better Mom, grow in my leadership abilities, grow in my work products, and grow in my friendships.
- Which awards show would you rather attend: Emmys, Golden Globes, Oscars, Grammys or Tonys?
- This was tough. Probably the Grammys - because I don’t watch enough movies.
- Finish this sentence: In 2020 I want to...
- ...increase our camp attendance by 15%.
- Build your dream concert.
- If I could do what I wanted then lets’ go all out! The bands would include Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Adele, Beyonce, Rod Stewart, Chris Stapleton, Hootie and the Blowfish, Jason Isbell, Lizzo, and Stevie Wonder.
- What's the best book you've read in the last year?
- Know My Name, by Chanel Miller. It was the most moving and thought provoking book I’ve read in a long time. The book is a memoir and Chanel tells the story about being sexually assaulted by Brock Turner – the Stanford swimmer. Chanel tells her story in an emotional, brave and raw way to show what victims of sexual assault go through from finding out they have been sexually assaulted, to the trail, and then living as a victim.
- If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go first?
- I am a homebody to some extent but I would like to go to Greece.
- Is a hot dog a sandwich? (and why)
- No, it's a hot dog.
Announcements
Who You Got? Make Your Pick!
Pitt Is Fit
Recipe of the Month
Exercise of the Month
Reverse Lunge
This is more advanced than the last two months’ exercises, but still enables individuals to perform it equipment-free. This lower-body exercise targets the quads, hamstrings and glutes, and it also challenges balance and stability in the lower body. Below are the steps to perform this exercise:
- Stand upright, with your hands at your hips or behind your head.
- Take a large step backward with your right leg.
- Lower your hips so your front leg becomes parallel to the floor, keeping your front knee directly above your ankle.
- While stepping back, attempt to get your back knee about 1-2 inches from the ground.
- Return to standing by pressing your front heel into the ground and bringing your back leg forward.
- Alternate legs for each repetition.
This exercise can be done for a set number of repetitions (3 sets of 10 each side), or can be performed for time (maximum amount of repetitions in 20 seconds). If this exercise is too easy, try adding a pause at the bottom of each repetition to get an added benefit. This exercise aims to build muscular endurance and strength in the lower body. Give it a try if you are looking for a great lower body exercise!