Best foot forward

How to prepare before meeting prospective employers Joud Bayeh | reporter Students who dream of working in big companies like Cessna Aircraft, Toyota, Subaru, Goodyear or Dillon’s have an opportunity to get their attention: Spring Career Day. Hosted by the Career Services Office, the jobs fair will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, in the Crimson and Gold ballroom at Overman Student Center. Eighty-five organizations and companies will be present, breaking the last semester’s record of 83, says Mindy Cloninger, director of the career services. Students will be able to speak with representatives from these businesses, industries, hospitals, non-profit agencies and military recruiters. Henrique Kremer, junior in mechanical engineering, says he…

Bitter Border Battle

PSU, MSSU 40 year rivalry continues Tyler Smith | reporter Rivalries are what make the college experience an unforgettable one. For many, school pride is in their blood and they will defend it at any cost. For Pitt State that is no different. With MIAA conference foes like Northwest Missouri being such a bitter rival, the teams must meet at a neutral site: Arrowhead Stadium. It is much the same for nearby conference rival Missouri Southern University that the Gorillas played in football against for decades. The two teams competed against each other in football 45 times going all the way back to 1968, which also happened to be the first year MSSU became a…

Gunning for campus security

Marcus Clem | copy editor The first session in a series to inform Pittsburg State about what to do during the unthinkable, and overall help promote a safe campus, was held on Tuesday, Feb. 19. This event, primarily intended to educate PSU students staff and faculty about defense against a shooter on campus, was held in 107 Grubbs Hall. It saw a high turnout of staff and faculty, but a comparatively low response from students. As co-emergency managers for Pittsburg State, Steve Erwin, associate vice president of campus life, and Mike McCracken, university police chief, are responsible for leading a team of about 12 faculty and staff dedicated to campus security. Changing times Erwin said…

Catholics look beyond Benedict

Gretchen Burns | managing editor On Monday, Feb. 11, the Roman Catholic Church confronted a dilemma that it hasn’t faced in over 700 years; the resignation of the Holy Father. Pope Benedict XVI spoke a small amount of Latin, leaving the Church to replace him before Easter, claiming that he no longer had the strength of mind and his body had diminished to the point that he could not carry on his duties. Megan Schenk admires Benedict for his decision. “I think it’s really unfortunate, but necessary. The demands of the position have changed a lot in 2000 years, and the pope needs to be in good enough health to do a lot of traveling,”…

SGA lobbies for students in Topeka

J. Fred Fox | reporter TOPEKA – Members of the Student Government Association traveled to the Capitol on Monday armed with an agenda to lobby. SGA spent the day at the Capitol in Topeka for Higher Education Day advocating for higher education to at least sustain current levels of funding. The most important item on the agenda is the state budget, which is currently running a $700 million deficit. Many legislators are eyeing higher education funding cuts as one of various ways to eliminate that deficit. Pittsburg State received about $35 million in state appropriations last year. Even Gov. Sam Brownback, who presented his budget to the Legislature, wasn’t too optimistic that higher education funding…

No Vancancy

Groups fear lack of practice rooms in Weede expansion Marcus Clem | copy editor Students in the cheer squad and dance team are worried that current plans indicate that the dance studios in the Weede Athletic Complex will be phased out in the future. The conversion of these spaces, which could turn the larger dance studio into a hall of fame and the smaller studio into a kitchen or hallway, sources say, will be timed with the construction of the Weede expansion project. The students are concerned because the preliminary diagrams they’ve seen for the Weede expansion show no space dedicated to dance and cheer team practice. “For them to turn around and not make…

International Shahbag: Students protest Bangladeshi leaders

Marcus Clem | copy editor Five Bangladeshi students gathered outside the Kelce School of Business on Monday, Feb. 11, to protest their government in what they say is an act of solidarity with an international uprising. Abdullah Fahad, graduate student in business, says that Qader Mollah, one of seven leaders of the Islamist political party and paramilitary group Jamaat-e-Islami, was sentenced to life in prison recently in Bangladesh. Fahad and the other Bangladeshis who participated in the protest, Sayeed Hossain, Omiya Kabir, Raiyan Hasin and Fatema Tuz Zohor Akhi say they believe that Mollah should be executed for his crimes. Fahad says that Mollah and his comrades in Jamaat-e-Islami are responsible for the deaths of…

Taking the plunge

Taking the plunge Jessica Sewing | design chief Hundreds of people will plunge into frigid water this Saturday for the 6th Annual Polar Bear Plunge. Last year’s plunge included Frontenac Fire and Rescue, the PSU nursing department and an array of other groups; all together 155 dove feet first into the water to raise money for the Special Olympics. “I’ve volunteered for other Special Olympic charities before; this one beats them all,” said Elle Walker, sophomore in communication. “I think it shows Pitt State students in a good light when they come out and support events like these.” The atmosphere of the event is also what draws a number of people, not to mention the…

Memories oh history professor go back 53 years

Memories of history professor go back 53 years Carl J. Bachus | culture editor Students, faculty, alumni and admirers gathered in McCray Hall on Saturday, Feb. 2, to celebrate the life of Judith G. Shaw, associate professor of history, who died Christmas Day. Shaw, 81, taught various history classes over the course of 53 years at Pitt State. “I was amazed at the depth of her knowledge and her ability to weave that history around us,” said Provost Lynette Olson during her remarks on behalf of the university. “I have only heard fond and positive comments about her teaching. To say that we will miss her is an understatement.” Known for her relaxed lecture style…

SGA: Poll skewed

Senators debate concealed carry on campus Marcus Clem | copy editor The Student Government Association on Wednesday night passed a resolution against conceal-and-carry despite its own online poll showing that 53 percent of polled students supported it. The reason behind the discrepancy between senators’ vote and the poll prompted as heated of a debate as the issue of conceal-and-carry itself. Senators debated the issue and the broader topic of campus safety for about an hour and a-half. “I have never felt unsafe here,” said Christian Cruz, SGA legislative affairs director. “Pitt State is not an unsafe campus.” Cruz listed several low violent crime rates for the campus from recent years. “One argument that you will…