Meet the candidates

Marcus Clem | copy editor Taylor Gravett views running for SGA president as an opportunity and a duty, to try to fill the shoes of President Lara Ismert and Vice President Sydney Ward. “I’ve seen two previous administrations,” he said. “I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work. As (Ismert and Ward are) leaving, my duty is to step up and continue to lead.” Gravett, junior in political science, focuses his student activities on government and politics: He has been in SGA since his arrival at PSU, and is Campus Democrats club president. He works as a legal aide in the Overman Student Center basement, right next to SGA’s office. He has always been involved…

London calling

Students bridge UK, US law Joud Bayeh | reporter One group of students had the opportunity to enjoy their Spring Break learning the due process of one of the cultural and political capitals of the world. Organized by Roy Janisch, professor of justice studies, the trip to London involved students in the Comparative Criminal Justice Systems class and few others from different classes and majors. Janisch says the objective of the trip was to let students explore the origins of the American criminal justice system. The students were able to experience the court system of England through criminal justice-specific activities, such as a session with a retired police chief. At the Old Bailey and other…

Making degrees matter

Jay Benedict | editor-in-chief Pittsburg State University has maintained its accreditation since 1915. Accreditation means that the courses students complete and the degrees they receive mean something, and are recognized by those outside the university. Earlier this month, PSU was reassessed to maintain that status. “For us to operate as an institution of higher education, accreditation is a basic requirement,” said Steve Scott, university president. “In other words, this accreditation is a very, very big deal. So, the stakes of the visit were very high.” The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC) is responsible for reviewing PSU, and determining if the university meets all the requirements to remain an accredited institution. A…

Tough crowd

Parking appeals board rejects nearly all requests for ticket waivers Marcus Clem | copy editor It happens to the best of us, or perhaps just those who forgot to make sure that their rear bumper isn’t sticking into a no-parking zone by a few inches. While individual violations of Pittsburg State campus parking policy sometimes go unnoticed, campus police are very thorough, and the “inches” scenario is real. There is a system in place to waive campus parking-tickets. An appeals board composed of Tyler Edwards, SGA campus affairs director, Sens. Bryce Schuetz, Austin Bailey and T.J. Graber, and Trish Peak, public service administrator for the provost, meets periodically to consider appeals. By paying a $2…

Questioning the president

Students challenge hot topics J. Fred Fox | reporter More than 100 students filled a lecture room in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom to listen to Steve Scott, univeristy president, answer questions. Questions taken on Wednesday night, March 27, ranged from budget, tuition and fee questions, to the introduction of the Baby Gus mascot, to Scott’s favorite thing that he has don e as university president. Shawn Naccarato, director of government and community relations, spoke on his work in Topeka with legislators on higher-education funding as they prepare a state budget for the year. “Our line from the very start has been no cuts to higher education,” Naccarato said. “Cuts to higher education damage the…

Kan. reps may cut PSU funding

Marcus Clem | copy editor The new Kansas state budget, set to take effect in July, if approved, would remove millions of dollars from support for state higher education. The Kansas State Assembly’s House Appropriations Committee voted Tuesday, March 12, to cut the budget’s funding for higher education by 4 percent. In dollar terms, money for higher education would be cut by $29 million for all Regents universities and Washburn University. The budget proposal will now go to the floor of the House for debate. ChangeKansas.org, a website supported by the firm Kansas Grassroots to allow for the creation of online petitions for reform in the state, featured a petition that calls for the cuts…

Habemus papam

Catholics welcome first pontiff from the Americans Gretchen Burns | managing editor Wednesday saw several firsts in the history of the Catholic Church. As the College of Cardinals elected the 266th Pope, an Argentinian Cardinal by the name of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Pope Francis, 76, is the first Catholic supreme leader from the Jesuit Order, the first non-European in modern times and the first Pope from the American continents. The new Pope has chosen to take the papal name of Francis, after Francis of Assisi, a saint who renounced his family to serve the poor. He is the first Pope to take on the name of Francis. The name of Francis symbolizes “poverty, humility, simplicity…

Race around campus

Eight teams compete in PSU’s Amazing Race Audrey Dighans | reporter On your mark, get set … wait, what? As the air horn blew, eight teams set off on a race in the wrong direction. After reading the first clue, the teams jetted off for the Kelce Planetarium eager for their first challenge, only to bypass the actual station located in the Oval. “I didn’t read the whole clue,” said Nathan Laskowski, sophomore in chemistry. “I led the way, and we quickly realized we were in the wrong spot.” His partner Megan Pavlu, sophomore in graphic design, also commented on the mistake: “It was tricky,” Pavlu said. “We had to rethink what the clue meant…

Grants, Loans Cut

Students face reduced Pell Grants, higher costs Marcus Clem | copy editor The sequester has arrived, and, coupled with an overall increasingly dry fiscal climate, it is likely to cost Pittsburg State students. The announcement on Friday, March 1, that no compromise had been reached between President Barack Obama and the leaders of the U.S. Congress alarmed many throughout the nation. Without a compromise, cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011 take effect this year. “It really makes me wonder about the viability of our system,” said Bert Patrick, professor of Spanish. The act, which was commonly known as the “Fiscal Cliff” before a delaying action was passed in January that cushioned the…

Trashy situation

City may require residents to hire trash pick up service Carl J. Bachus | culture editor In November 2012, Pittsburg organized a Solid Waste Task Force to combat what the city considers a major garbage issue. The task force is to discuss ways to improve the way trash services operate in the city and how to get the community to comply. The task force came to an agreement to work with the city’s regular trash hauling firms to make a list of residents without trash service and require them to get one. “This is an issue because it touches many aspects of building a quality community,” said Daron Hall, city manager. “In this case, having…