by Allison Checkeye / Staff Writer

“Budget cuts” is a phrase you hear everyday around Pitt-Greensburg. It is the go-to, suitable-for-all-questions type of answer, which walks hand in hand with “the economy sucks”; if someone asks why an event got canceled, why the roof leaks, or why the flowers are dead, they will tell you “budget cuts.”

by Allison Checkeye / staff writer

Everyone knows about video games and violence; the connection between them has been made by every paranoid mother since Mortal Kombat came out in the ’90s.

There’s always worry that impressionable children will see violence and grow up to be mass-murderers. So how old do you have to get before the boom is removed? Once they turn 19 or 20, aren’t people old enough to realize that they don’t have to monkey-see monkey-do after every gory movie they see, every game they play or every book they read?

Dave Newman will read from his most recent collection of poems in the coffeehouse this Thursday evening.By Kristi Cummins / Editor in Chief

It will be a double homecoming when Dave Newman kicks off the Written/Spoken reading series this Thursday.

Newman, a Pitt-Greensburg graduate who taught writing courses on campus, plans to read new poems from his most recent chapbook, “Allen Ginsberg Comes To Pittsburgh,” along with some other new pieces.

Mr. Belding at Primanti Brothers: Staff writer Kristi Cummins was inches from the icon’s faceBy Kristi Cummins / Staff writer

A week ago I was having a tough relationship dilemma of my own. My boyfriend was on his way to go see a concert with his ex-girlfriend. At that same point in time, I was having dinner with Dennis Haskins, also known as Mr. Belding from “Saved by the Bell.”

He overheard me telling a friend how mad I was, and he asked why. I briefly told him of the situation, and we talked for a few minutes, but I brushed it off, still excited to be in the presence of one of my childhood heroes. But Mr. Belding — I mean, Haskins — had taken an interest in my life and my drama, even if just for a minute. I knew it was going to be a good day.

Laurie Cabot: Salem’s official witch.By Rachel Lipko / Staff writer

I dropped my English muffin at the sight of the 200 pound plus pasty woman sporting nothing but a red velvet bra top lined with white fur. The kind that ladies usually wear during the Christmas season to ensure not nice, but naughty fun ensues. This somehow seemed like a good choice to accompany her silk royal purple drawstring pajamas and red felt slippers.

Did I mention that this lady was at least 60?

By Rachel Lipko / Staff writer

Spring break is over, and while I’m still two semesters away from graduation myself, I’m starting to plan my senior trip. Of course being travel savvy, I’m looking to spend half the price and get twice the experience.

There are a ton of different options for students looking to travel, but travel on a budget is always a different story. One of my favorite best-kept secrets is a travel site called Gate1Travel.com. It literally offers just about any destination and different ways of experiencing them. From anywhere in Europe, Asia and Central or South America, the site offers many different ranges of trip lengths. It mostly specializes in shorter trips lasting no more than ten days.

Rachel Lipko / Staff writer

Ryan broke Rachel’s heart. Or was it the other way around? She had thrown the locket he gave her at him and left him at a downtown club. For weeks after he would show up at her regular hot spot with a different girl, but just stared at her.

He would call, like clockwork, and leave messages, begging her to try and work things out. And then finally, after
weeks of pressing delete on unread text messages she finally sent one back. “Please delete my number… and me out of your life.” Though text messaging a message like that is something she deemed immature, the thought of hearing his
voice would bring her to tears.

By Dave Street / Staff writer

Our generation has the opportunity to limit the corruption in politics. Barrack Obama preaches change, but lies to our face. Hillary Clinton wants everybody to have health insurance, but her motives are questionable. Jon McCain wants us to believe he’s a moderate, but his spiritual advisor hates Muslims.

I can’t find a reason to vote for any of the candidates. Obama’s fiery speeches had me believing he was about change. Until his preacher finally forced him to lie. Obama’s preacher, Jeremiah Wright has accused the United States government of infecting African Americans with AIDS and lying about Pearl Harbor.

By Rachel Lipko / Staff writer

Stuck in PA over spring break and feeling down and out? Believe it or not there is a ton of stuff to do in downtown Pittsburgh over the upcoming week. So make the most of it and make Pittsburgh your spring beak destination.

Rachel Lipko / Staff Writer

I had just put out close to $300 bucks for a flight into Halifax, Nova Scotia—and that was on top of the $10,000 price tag for the 2008 summer Semester at Sea experience coming up in June.

The cost of my trip was getting to be too much.

I’ve been all around Canada but never to Nova Scotia, since it’s very far away and getting there is expensive. Did I mention that $300 dollar plane ticket is only one way. With the circumstances, I thought that now was my chance to actually go and explore the area a few days before my ship set sail.