College of Business dean search narrows

Whitney Saporito Managing Editor After 19 years teaching in the College of Business and four years as the dean, Richard Dearth has decided to retire. “I guess the best thing to say is ‘it was time,’” Dearth said. “It was also a good time for the College of Business, it’s in a good place.” Dearth says that in his career at Pitt State, his favorite part of his job has been working with students. However, Dearth didn’t always work in education. Before teaching, he practiced law for 35 years, and says that he switched from law to education because of his desire to work with students. Dearth announced his intentions to retire in the opening…

Cross-dressing for a cause

Stephanie Rogers Collegio Reporter Eleven men wearing tangled blond wigs, tight, colorful dresses and high heels that barely fit strutted their stuff Monday night. Alpha Sigma Alpha held its annual Mr. Cinderfella competition at 7 p.m. Monday in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom, calling it “cross-dressing for a cause.” Leah Jolosky, an ASA member who organized the event, says it took only about 40 minutes to prepare, and was overwhelmed by how much campus support the event received. Chris Beasley, Tyler Edwardson, Brock Garrett, Tim Holdsclaw, Derrick Greenlee, Ben Schmidt, Scott Smiros, Jeffrey Tangney, Garrett Watson, Jake Bray and Eric Jones were this year’s 2011 Mr. Cinderfella candidates. Each candidate was nominated by his club…

Running for ‘Her Hope’

Luke Pryor Collegio Reporter The Pittsburg State University Sigma Sigma Sigma chapter plans to sponsor the “Her Hope” 5k run/walk on Saturday, April 2, and all proceeds are slated to the Jan Valencia Foundation for breast-cancer awareness. The foundation was established after its namesake, the stepmother of Sarah Valencia, graduate student in communication. Jan Valencia was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2010. Sarah Valencia says that she thought of the foundation as a way of supporting her stepmom, as well as contributing to breast-cancer awareness. “I love my family, and I love everything they’ve done for me,” Valencia said.  “The foundation is something that I wanted to set up to show them how much…

Potential state budget leaves Pitt State reeling

Madison Dennis Editor-in-chief Gov. Sam Brownback proposed a bare-bones budget early in 2011, and Pittsburg State University braced itself for potential cuts. Then the Senate suggested statewide cuts several million more than Brownback’s proposal. The Kansas House of Representatives is now working on a version of the state budget that cuts $65 million more than Brownback’s original proposal. Marcus Nelson, director of legislative affairs, outlined what these cuts would mean for Pitt State. “It would cause PSU to increase costs,” Nelson said. “Sixty percent of employees would suffer pay cuts.” The bill would put in place a pay cut for all state employees with an annual salary of $40,000 or more. In addition, it suggests…

Stories of destruction

Japanese, American students experience earthquake disaster Madison Dennis Editor-in-Chief As soon as Tetsuya Hatta, a grad student in business administration, saw the news coverage of the disaster in Japan, his home country, he began to check on his family. When he made contact with his father, he learned some terrifying news. His brother, who was in the earthquake zone for a business trip, could not be accounted for. “I was really worried about him,” Hatta said. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake began at 2:46 p.m. Friday local time, and the tsunami rushed the coastal area soon after. Hatta did not know if his brother had made it inland or not. Hatta is from Fukui, a city…

All part of the master plan

PSU to ‘renovate and reclaim’ old buildings Caitlin Taylor Collegio Reporter Dennis Strait, a consultant for Gould Evans Associates, presented the most recent version of Pittsburg State University’s master plan during open forums held on Thursday, March 10. The master plan is an organizational document that President Steve Scott says is more than “just a list of where to stick new buildings.” Scott says the master plan takes into account the university’s existing infrastructure, new technology and student expectations. “Hartman Hall would be the first to be renovated and reclaimed for academic use and offices,” Strait said.  “Other buildings anticipated to expand are the union building and the Kelce building.  It’s different from the previous…

Caution urged when dealing with head injuries

Stephanie Rogers Collegio Reporter Nick Pohlmann remembers the day when a former teammate suffered a severe head injury two years ago, causing practice to immediately stop so that coaches could tend to the injured football player. Pohlmann, senior on the Gorillas football team, says that wasn’t the only recollection he had of a former teammate suffering from a concussion during football season.  He also remembers talking with one specifically after the injury, recalling his teammate’s glassy eyes and inability to focus or concentrate during conversation. “I’ve never experienced a concussion before,” Pohlmann said. “I’ve had my bell rung a few times and remember being dizzy, but definitely never had my brain smashed against my skull.”…

Dean selected for arts, sciences

Stephanie Rogers Collegio Reporter Karl Kunkel, head of Missouri State University’s sociology, anthropology and criminology department, was selected from among four finalists as Pittsburg State University’s new dean of arts and sciences. Howard Smith, dean of the College of Education, led the search committee. The other three finalists were Stephen Arnold, Bobby Winters and Polly Radosh, but Provost Lynette Olson says that Kunkel’s credentials and his ability to stand out during the interviews won him the position. Olson says the selection was difficult because the candidates had “tremendous strengths.” “We asked input from everyone and listened to their comments and reactions,” Olson said. “There was a strong support for all, but at the end of…

PICKETS FOR UNIONS On Wisconsin’s side

Residents protest in support of union rights Bartholomew Klick Copy editor A man with long, gray hair and a coarse brown coat works his way through a crowd of protesters until he is in the small space where speakers had been gathering to denounce Wisconsin’s recent legislation against public employees and union workers.  He waves his fist in the air and screams that he is sick of the government attacking the middle class. About 70 people stood in the bitter cold outside the Miners Memorial off of 2nd and Broadway, holding colorful signs that showed support for Wisconsin workers and chastising supporters of Wisconsin Senate Bill 11, which restricts collective bargaining rights and caused a…

Officials OK with governor’s budget

Luke Pryor Collegio Reporter President Steve Scott and other university officials held a forum on the university and state budget on Wednesday afternoon, outlining issues and concerns of PSU over state budget proposals. Scott and John Patterson, vice president of administration and campus life, traveled to Topeka on Tuesday to give a presentation to the House of Representatives regarding the university and its relation to the budget proposals, and discussed this presentation with those in attendance at Wednesday’s forum. Scott and Patterson both made reference to the governor’s proposed budget that intends to retain the budget numbers from last year. Scott said that he and other university officials support that decision. “The governor has recommended…