‘Cats’ to perfrom in Pittsburg

Gretchen Burns | managing editor The Midwest Regional Ballet and American Opera Studio will present the opera “Cats” at 8 p.m. Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 21, at Memorial Auditorium. The ballet, under the direction of Kaye Lewis, has been practicing for this event since January. “Cats” is based on T.S. Eliot’s book of poems “Old Possum’s book of Practical Cats,” and tells the stories of alley cats and all their personalities and how they relate to humans. The musical, which does not include any spoken dialogue, only singing, opened on stage in 1981. The score is composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and has become one of…

’42′ much moe than a baseball movie

Logan Qualls | writer On April 15, 1947, the game of baseball was forever changed when Jackie Robinson started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers. By breaking through the color barrier in the major leagues, Robinson spurred monumental changes in both baseball and civil rights. The film “42” provides audiences a glimpse into the past of this American hero. Focusing mainly on Robinson’s 1946 and 1947 seasons, the film begins with Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) discussing with his advisers his plan to bring up an African American to the major leagues. After narrowing down a list of candidates, he decides on Jackie Robinson. Robinson at the time is playing ball in the Negro Leagues,…

These are our confessions

Carl J. Bachus | culture editor If the Harlem Shake and Gangnam Style are any indication, Pittsburg State is no stranger to the occasional Internet phenomenon. However, one has been raising eyebrows of late: the Pitt State Confessions page on Facebook. Founded in March, Pitt State Confessions is just one of the various “confession pages” popping up on the Internet that are associated with universities and high schools around the country. The account is full of anonymous, candid posts that range from sad or empowering, to graphic and offensive. “It’s funny,” said Emily Flores, freshman in communication, “I do know that a lot of people are taking it seriously.” Flores said that she believes the…

A near perfect pop album

Carl J. Bachus | culture editor 2013 seems to be the year of the comeback. From Justin Timberlake to Tim McGraw to Destiny’s Child, once loved acts are coming out of the woodwork to deliver new material to legions of fans who have been waiting for years. It’s safe to say that of all of the comeback efforts this year, Fall Out Boy’s new album, “Save Rock and Roll,” has to be the least disappointing. “Roll,” the follow-up to 2008’s less than impressive “Folie à Deux,” is much more fun than any Fall Out Boy’s previous efforts. It’s all over the place without feeling forced. The LP finds the band catching up with current music…

Evil Dead full of bloody goodness

Logan Qualls Trading laughs for overwhelming amounts of blood and gore, “Evil Dead” proves to be a terrifying addition to “The Evil Dead” franchise. This reboot of the 1981 cult classic, “The Evil Dead,” is not directly a sequel, but more of a loose continuation of the series. Much like its predecessor, “Evil Dead” begins with five friends who find their way to an old cabin, deep in the woods. Mia (Jane Levy, TV series “Suburgatory”) is in the process of battling an opiate addiction with the help of her friends, Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) and Olivia (Jessica Lucas). Also there to lend support are Mia’s brother, David (Shiloh Fernandez) and his girlfriend, Natalie (Elizabeth…

It’s All Greek To Me

Audrey Dighans | reporter Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu… it’s Greek Week at PSU. Greek Week kicked off the festivities at Carnie Smith stadium in the evening of Sunday, April 7. An all-Greek audience was treated to a showing of Space Jam on the jJungletron. The Order of Omega awards ceremony in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom in the evening of Monday, April 8, highlighted the university’s nine fraternities and sororities work in seven categories with the Chapter Excellence awards. Individuals from several houses were also honored with Emerging Leader, Outstanding Executive Board Member (Fraternity & Sorority) Outstanding Officer/Chair (Fraternity & Sorority) and Outstanding Greek Man and Woman…

‘Host’ leaves bitter taste in your mouth

Logan Qualls | writer Imagine you’re at the top of a roller coaster, adrenaline coursing through your veins, anticipation forming a pit in your stomach. All thoughts are forgotten as the car drops suddenly, only to stop jarringly a few feet later. The car stops again and again and keeps doing so until the end of the ride. What could have been a thrilling, enjoyable ride now only leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. This is the ride audiences can expect from “The Host.” The story begins with Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan, “Hanna,” “The Lovely Bones”) attempting to escape from mysterious pursuers, who audiences later discover to be a species of extraterrestrial psychic parasites…

Spoiler alert: it was bad

Nevin Jones | writer The season finale of “The Walking Dead” was about as pleasing as the day after Thanksgiving: After sitting down and eating a bunch of garbage, things just don’t exactly sit well. The past three episodes leading up to “Welcome to the Tombs” built palpable tension. Rick’s group was scared, Woodbury and the Governor were ready for blood, and someone had to die, as is the norm with any episode of TWD. The battle looked to be huge, but the way things played out was wholly unsatisfying. The prison assault started out with a literal bang, as The Governor’s group tore into the prison. They reached the zombie death quota for the…

Spring Fever

April showers campus with array of events Carl J. Bachus | culture editor Though the weather may not agree, spring is finally upon Pittsburg State. With midterms done, PSU’s campus will be buzzing with exciting events for the month of April. Kicking off the month is the Student Activities Council’s (SAC) Burg Film Festival at the Colonial Fox Theatre on Friday, April 5. The festival, which offers a $100 first prize, will feature student-created short films in the newly renovated theater in downtown Pittsburg. “[PSU] used to do the festival a long time ago,” said Ashley Cross, sophomore in justice studies and SAC visual arts chair. “I want to bring back something to get the…

‘Bioshock’ sets bar high

Nevin Jones | writer Creating a sequel to one of the highest rated first person shooters of all time would be a daunting task for most studios, but Irrational Games is not most studios. They have once again created something phenomenal. “Bioshock Infinite” is a game that, like the fictional setting of Columbia, raises itself above the rest in order to achieve newfound greatness. You are Booker DeWitt, a former member of the Pinkerton Detective Agency with a haunted past. After partaking in horrible events at The Battle of Wounded Knee, he picks up a life of drinking and gambling to wash away the guilt of his past. Now indebted to the worst kind of…