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INSIDE Nov. 3 jazz festival set.......................2 Health law symposium......................3 PittNewspaper of the University of PittsburghChronicle Volume XIII • Number 19 • October 8, 2012 Alumni, Students, and Friends Observe Pitt’s Patricia Ward Kelly 225th Anniversary During Homecoming, Oct. 9-14 Hosts Pitt’s Gene Kelly Centennial Celebration HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTYHULTON IMAGES A publicity still showing Pitt alumnus Gene Kelly with Debbie Reynolds in the classic 1952 MGM film musical Singin' In the Rain, directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. JOE KAPELEWSKI/CIDDEJOE By Sharon S. Blake By John Fedele One of the University of Pittsburgh’s The University of Pittsburgh’s 2012 a daylong event in conjunction with the All-Alumni Reception in the Cathedral of most-renowned alumni—the special Acad- Homecoming—which will celebrate the University’s 225 acts of caring program, a Learning Commons Room and Midnight emy Award-honored dancer, director, 225th anniversary of the University’s found- 225th anniversary initiative. Pitt Alumni Madness on Friday night. Our event on choreographer, actor, and singer Gene ing in 1787—will feature a national com- clubs throughout the country are coordinat- Saturday outside of Stage AE before the Kelly—will be the focus of Pitt’s Gene Kelly munity service event, a program detailing ing alumni volunteers, who will perform Homecoming football game is also not to Centennial Celebration at 8 p.m. Oct. 25 the 2012 elections, a networking social for service projects in their respective areas be missed.” in the Seventh-Floor Auditorium of Pitt’s young alumni, a fireworks and laser show, coast to coast. On Wednesday, Oct. 10, alumni can Alumni Hall. and an outdoor Midnight Madness basket- “This year’s 225th Anniversary Home- hear analyses of the 2012 elections in Film historian Patricia Ward Kelly, ball event, in addition to celebrations at the coming celebration is bound to be the big- “Decision 2012: Who Will Win and What Gene Kelly’s widow and the leading traditional Homecoming football game. gest and best in the University’s history,” Will it Mean?” a lecture by David Barker, authority on the The festivities held Oct. 9-14 will said Pitt Alumni Association Executive a Pitt professor of political science, in the cinema and stage kick off Tuesday, Oct. 9, with Pitt Acts of Director Jeff Gleim. “A week loaded with legend, will deliver Caring—National Alumni Service Day, events will culminate in our traditional Continued on page 3 Pittsburgh-and Pitt-centered com- mentary on her late husband’s life and career as she shares classic moments Pitt African American Alumni Council Honors Seven from his films and her unique insights with the audience. Patricia Ward Kelly Distinguished Alumni During 2012 Homecoming Weekend Mrs. Kelly recently has given sold-out presentations on Gene Oct. 13 awards banquet and program are highlights of 2012 Sankofa Homecoming Weekend Kelly in Los Angeles and New York City. The event is free to the public, but Pitt Alumni Association will host the annual The AAAC Sankofa weekend will because seating is limited, RSVP accepts Sankofa Homecoming weekend Oct. 12-16 begin at 8 a.m. Oct. 12 with The Apple Seed only are required by e-mailing GK100@ to welcome alumni and to honor seven Community Service Project, an initiative pitt.edu or calling 412-624-4147. distinguished graduates during the Uni- that allows alumni the opportunity to share Gene Kelly earned the Bachelor of Arts versity’s 2012 Homecoming their professional and educa- degree in economics from the University of festivities. tional paths and experiences Pittsburgh in 1933. While at Pitt, he became Recipients of the 2012 with students in Pittsburgh’s involved with the University’s Cap and Distinguished Alumnus Distinguished Public Schools. Gown Club and later served as its direc- Award will be honored Alumnus Award Highlighting the first tor from 1934 to 1938. He taught dance in during the AAAC Distin- day’s events will be a Meet- Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood and guished Alumni Awards recipients were N-Greet Social Networking choreographed musicals at the Pittsburgh Banquet and Reception at Event with Pitt Students and Playhouse and Nixon Theater. Kelly enrolled 6 p.m. Oct. 13 in the Con- selected for their Alumni at 4:30 p.m. on the in Pitt’s School of Law but left soon after to nolly Ballroom of Pitt’s 6th floor of Pitt’s William concentrate on teaching dance. Alumni Hall. professional accom- Pitt Union (WPU). The 12th Kelly is credited with bringing a partic- Distinguished Alum- annual Mr. and Miss Black ularly American style of dance to Hollywood nus Award recipients were plishments as well University of Pittsburgh Pag- musicals and for changing the look of dance selected for their profes- as their community eant will follow at 7 p.m. in the on film through his revolutionary innova- sional accomplishments as O’Hara Student Center. The tions with the camera, choreography, and well as their community stature. evening will conclude with animation. Kelly’s iconic dance sequence stature. The 2012 honorees the African American Young from the classic 1952 film musical Singin’ JIM BURKE/CIDDEJIM are Linda Wharton Boyd, Alumni Mixer & Soiree at in the Rain, in which he dances up and down By Anthony M. Moore Lucile Adams-Campbell, 10 p.m. at the Wine Loft, 2773 a rain-drenched street twirling an umbrella Charles T. Curry, Arnold M. Sowell, Tracey Tunnel St., South Side. and splashing in puddles, is considered by The University of Pittsburgh African T. Travis, Lois Dougan Tretiak, and David many to be the most memorable dance per- American Alumni Council (AAAC) of the B. Washington. Continued on page 4 formance on film. 2 • Pitt Chronicle • October 8, 2012 Lineup Set for Pitt’s 42nd People Who Trust Their Feelings Are More Likely Annual Jazz Seminar and To Correctly Predict Event Outcomes, Study Shows Katz’s Andrew Stephen is part of a “going with your gut feeling” study Concert Oct. 30-Nov. 3 examining emotions and decision making By Audrey M. Marks The more people trust their feelings, Through a series of eight studies, the more accurately they can predict the researchers asked participants to predict the outcomes of things that range from the mun- outcomes of events like the 2008 U.S. Demo- dane, like the weather, to the significant, like cratic Party presidential primary, move- the outcome of elections and future stock ments of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, market levels, according to new research the winner of a college football champion- published in the October 2012 edition of the ship game, and the weather. The results Journal of Consumer Research. across all studies consistently revealed that The study—by a team people with higher trust in comprising Andrew Stephen, their feelings were more likely assistant professor in the Uni- to correctly predict the final versity of Pittsburgh’s Joseph outcome than those with lower M. Katz Graduate School trust in their feelings. of Business and College of In the study where respon- Business Administration, and dents were asked to pick the Columbia University Business winning candidate in the School faculty members Michel 2008 primary contest between Tuan Pham, Kravis Professor of Hillary Clinton and Barack Business and Marketing, and Obama, high-trust-in-feelings Leonard Lee, associate profes- respondents correctly predicted sor of marketing—found that Obama’s winning about 72 people who trusted their emo- Andrew Stephen percent of the time compared tions more accurately predicted with low-trust respondents, future events than individuals who did not who predicted Obama’s winning about 64 place trust in their feelings, a phenomenon percent of the time—a striking result given they call the “emotional oracle effect.” Their that major polls reflected a very tight race research article is titled “Feeling the Future: between Clinton and Obama at the time the The Emotional Oracle Effect.” study was conducted. “The results show that your feelings are For the winner of television’s “American a valid information source, provided you Idol” competition, the difference was 41 have some prior knowledge of the decision percent for high-trust-in-feelings respon- topic,” said Stephen. “The normal line of dents compared to 24 percent for low-trust thought when making predictions or fore- respondents. In another study, participants casts is that people should be more rational, were even asked to predict future levels of that you probably shouldn’t go with your the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Those gut feeling. Our research indicates that in who trusted their feelings were 25 percent some cases relying on your feelings is likely to help you.” Continued on page 5 225 Stories to Celebrate Above: Lew Soloff, trumpet. Below: Winard Harper, drums, and alto saxophonist Bobby Watson. By Sharon S. Blake Advancing Real Science via Simulation The 42nd Annual Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert will run Oct. 30-Nov. 3 and Infectious diseases. Global warming. The world economy. will feature, as in previous years, another lineup of international jazz greats. All are immensely important, and knowledge of all three can be Founded in 1971 by Pitt Director advanced through computer simulation. of Jazz Studies and Professor of Music Advancing knowledge about complex systems like the world Nathan Davis, the event features a stellar economy is the goal of Pitt’s Center for Simulation and Modeling group of jazz musicians who will hold free (SAM). With the help of more and ever-faster microprocessors, on-campus lecture/demonstrations, visit area schools and community venues, and researchers from all over the University are asking essential ques- then perform onstage as an ensemble in tions that would have been impossible to address computationally Pitt’s annual gala jazz concert at 8 p.m.

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