Into the shallow green pool

Joud Bayeh | reporter rong will to help best describes the Polar Plunge 2013, organized by the Special Olympics of Kansas. The event was held Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Crimson Villas swimming pool, with more than 100 contestants willing to jump into the frigid water. One of these plungers was Joseph Strong, senior in nursing, who has an autistic son who is an athlete in the Special Olympics. “I just came to have fun, not freeze too much and help the cause,” he said right before jumping wearing only a hospital gown. The nursing department raised over $ 1,200, says Strong. “I would like to thank the nursing department for the support,” he 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,”…

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…

McGraw’s latest a ‘fun, brassy,’ country ride

Carl J. Bachus | culture editor OK, bold statement time: Tim McGraw’s “Two Lanes of Freedom” is possibly the best country crossover album to pop up within the last few years (Looking at you, Swift). In the country staple’s first album since giving up alcohol five years ago, McGraw has put forth possibly the most sonically dense set of country hits of his career. The songs each have a signature sound and evoke a wide range of emotions, which all result in a country ride that’s brassy, hook-heavy and fun as hell. The title track serves up a more familiar sound to ease the core fan base into McGraw’s newer, pop-rock-oriented sound. Arena-ready guitar riffs…

Women of war (continued)

Kelley Macek | guest writer PSU vets weigh in on lifting ban on women in combat; To deny a unit the force multiplying effect of a soldier who may have a unique skill only because the soldier is female is an antiquated notion Fully integrating women into all military occupational specialties is absolutely the right thing to do. Women have been serving alongside their combat arms counterparts for quite some time. They bring additional talents and points of view that provide a full 360-degree range of skills and capabilities. This enables leaders the flexibility to leverage a diverse team in today’s contemporary operational environment. In other words, there are no front lines and if you…

Poet ‘X’PLICIT’ kicks off Black History Month

Joud Bayeh | reporter Black History Month at Pittsburg State opened in explicitly poetic fashion with the talents of spoken word artist Brandon Thorton. The Black Students Association (BSA) and the Office of Student Diversity invited Thorton, also known as X’PLICIT, to the University Club on Feb. 4. This is Thorton’s second performance at the university. He opened the schedule of Black History Month events last year. His act began with a rendition of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” the theme song from the namesake Will Smith sitcom. Thorton moved to a deeper topic by reciting his own poems about social problems like poverty and racism. “Black people are the No. 1 consumer but the…

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…

Can you dig it?

Donors and administrators break ground on Center of the Arts Jay Benedict | editor in chief If all goes according to plan, the incoming class of 2014 will be the first students in nearly 40 years to use a large performance hall at Pittsburg State. Construction began weeks ago on Pitt State’s Center for the Arts, but ground was officially broken Friday, Feb. 1. Weather permitting and complication-free, the complex should be completed by Aug. 1, 2014. Lance Garrett, project manager with Crossland Construction, which is the general contractor for the center, says everything is on schedule and it hopes to have the structure fully enclosed by Thanksgiving 2013. Garrett has experience with large projects….

Tragedies hit home

104 missed calls – mom Val Vita | Guest Writer RIO GRANDE DO SUL, Brazil – Brazil cried at the loss of 233 lives on the morning of Jan. 27. A fire in a crowded night club called Kiss, in the southern city of Santa Maria, was the biggest tragedy in the history of the state of Rio Grande do Sul and the second-worst fire tragedy in Brazilian history. There was only one way out of the club – and 90 percent of the bodies, police say, were found in the restrooms. Because of the lack of exit signals, and the thick smoke caused by the fire, people thought the restrooms were the way out….