Dashing through the mud

ROTC hots 70 participants in 2nd annual Gorilla Dash Joud Bayeh | reporter The Gorilla Battalion had many from the community turn out for its second annual muddy mess of a race. The Gorilla Dash, a 5k obstacle-riddled run promoted by the PSU Reserve Officer Training Corps, was held for the second year on Saturday, April 27, at the PSU Baja Course near the Student Recreation Center. About 70 people participated as PSU students, area high school students and people from the community struggled through a harder, muddier course compared to last year. “This year there are some differences because it is actually a 5K,” said Cadet Stephen Cuff, senior in geography. “Last year it…

Surviving Boston Marathon

Former PSU student reflects on racing during the marathon bomb attack Jay Benedict | editor-in-chief Scott Cichon was still on a high from running his fastest marathon ever on the event’s most prominent stage. He was just getting off the phone with KOAM-TV when tragedy struck. He had just walked back into his hotel room where his parents were watching a local Boston channel’s live coverage of the marathon when the explosions hit and chaos began. “My first thought was that it was an act of terror, but we were hoping that it was just some kind of accidental electric or gas explosion,” Cichon said. “Then you wonder about the motive or if it was…

Smokers under fire

Sara Liming | reporter Smoking on campus and the rising issue of secondhand smoke has started to affect Pittsburg State’s faculty, staff, students and the community. The idea for a tobacco-free campus started in 1995, when a student brought a proposal to the Student Government Association for a smoke- and tobacco-free campus. On July 1, 2012, PSU adopted the current tobacco policy from the Kansas Clean Air Act. In November 2010, Gorillas in Your Midst held the first “Great Gorilla Smokeout.” Recently, Steve Scott, university president, created the task force to tackle the issue of changes to the tobacco policy. Jim Triplett, professor and member of the task force, says that the task force was…

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…

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…

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…

Unexpected vacation

Behind the scenes: snow day edition Jay Benedict | editor-in-chief PSU President Steve Scott’s alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. By 5 a.m., he was on campus with a team of officials, poised to make the call that would give students their second snow day in a week. Scott has the final say on whether students get the day off, and according to university policy, that decision must be made by 5:30 a.m. Preparation for the decision began Monday afternoon with a meeting of the Executive Policy Group, which is charged with deciding the university’s response to any kind of crisis. Tom Amershek, director of building trades and landscape maintenance, was present at this…

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…