July 9th, 2009
By: Steve May
We are pleased to announce that two investigators from Pinebox Paranormal are now contributing reporters for the Raven’s Reort. Pinebox Paranormal runs a book and music store downtown and also work as Paranormal investigators and have had their own magazine for the past 15 years. The company was started by Dr. Austin Slade, professor of Investigative Journalism at East Texas University.
“We need to know what’s out there. You can see the truth if you keep your eyes open,” Dr. Slade discussed many issues at the announcement party. “Writing the Pinebox Paranormal Report is easy. Suffice it to say that it practically writes itself these days: never a shortage of material in this small town.”
Besides Dr. Slade, we are also welcoming Paranormal Investigative Reporter Patty Wak. Look for their selected stories in future issues of The Raven’s Report.
Tags: Dr. Slade, Patty Wak, Pinebox Paranormal
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July 7th, 2009
By: Roy Ryder
Wellington Auditorium had a standing-room only crowd on Monday afternoon for ETU’s student organization presentation of Dr. Eric Von Brunt of the World UFO Organization (WUFOO). Attendees were treated to a lecture by Dr. Von Brunt, including a video presentation, and a lively question and answer period. While scheduled to last 90 minutes, many students remained seated after three hours had passed.
As director of WUFOO (pronounced woo-foo) for sixteen years, Dr. Von Brunt has extensive experience with so-called unidentified flying objects. WUFOO and other organizations like it have collected thousands of first-hand accounts from all around the world.
“The truth is that there are a lot of people who believe in UFOs,” Dr. Von Brunt said during the introduction of his presentation. “There are also a lot of people who have had witnessed a UFO or had an even closer encounter with one. In fact, Pinebox is considered a UFO hot spot.”
While speaking of Pinebox and ETU, Dr. Von Brunt used the opportunity to announce that WUFOO would hold its next annual conference at ETU in July of 2010. The conference is open to the public and Von Brunt encouraged those students still at ETU to attend.
One of Dr. Von Brunt’s goals is to make the study of UFOs more respectable. “I know how we are perceived. You know, we’re the crazy guys who keep saying there are little green men out there. But the study of UFOs is serious and what people have had done to them by aliens is no joke. There’s nothing funny about anal probes.”
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July 2nd, 2009
By: Colleen Parker
Among other weekly announcements from the President’s Office yesterday, Dr. Hewlitt Cooper was named as the new department head of the Geology Department. Dr. Cooper has been Acting Department Head since late 2007 when Dr. Layne Johnson took a sabbatical.
“Dr. Cooper has led the Geology department ably over the last year and a half. By making his position permanent, we can bring stability to a department that has faced uncertainty for some time.”
Dr. Johnson asked for, and received, permission to take a one year research sabbatical to Mongolia to research findings that he had discovered on satellite. Dr. Johnson’s return is more than six months overdue, and nobody at ETU has heard from him since early 2008.
“I have great respect for Dr. Johnson, and he will most certainly have a place here in the Geology Department when or if he decides to return to ETU,” said Dr. Cooper.
Tags: administration, Geology Department
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June 29th, 2009
By: Colleen Parker
A prankster disrupted Wednesday’s candle-light vigil for Roy Stillwater, the ETU sophomore who died a year ago after re-entering a burning apartment to rescue a roommate overcome by smoke. Last night’s memorial drew a crowd of more than 50 students outside the Student Union, and Stillwater’s parents were on hand to help light the candles of those in attendance.
The moment of silence and respect was broken when Stillwater’s former girlfriend noticed the prankster. Someone who bore a slight resemblance to Stillwater crashed the memorial dressed in singed clothes and with soot on his face.
“It was terrible. I can’t believe someone would show such bad taste,” said Kerry Wiley, who dated Stillwater. “I had my eyes closed and I was thinking about Roy when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I thought it was my friend Ramona, but when I turned my head and saw him I just freaked out. It looked so much like him.”
Wiley’s scream broke the silence and immediately drew the crowd’s attention. Stillwater’s parents also spotted the imposter, but the prankster somehow managed to slip away in the darkness and chaos before he could be apprehended.
“What a sick thing to do,” said Maria Alverez, Biology freshman. “I mean, it’s bad enough that someone would crash a memorial like that. But it was dark and all we had were those candles. It was almost as bad as shouting “fire” in a crowded theater. When I heard that scream the first thing that came to mind was ’The Needler got someone!’ I doubt I’ll come to another one of these.”
Campus police were on site for the memorial and say that no student was in danger at any time. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the ETU Angels service club, which offers escorts on campus after dark.
Tags: ETU Angels, Needler, Stillwater
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June 29th, 2009
By: Colleen Parker
Campus police announced the successful arrest of five individuals involved in a sophisticated identity theft ring at ETU. Jerome Johnson, a Computer Science grad student working in cryptography, has been named as the ringleader.
According to campus investigators, Johnson recruited student workers in the Registrar’s office to look up student records and copy personal information. Johnson then used this information, such as hometown and birthdate, to guess the passwords of e-mail and social media accounts. Once in control of a student’s internet presence, he or an accomplice would claim an emergency and ask the student’s friends to wire or paypal money.
Investigators claim that Johnson’s ring scammed more than $50,000 in three months.
Tags: Identity Theft
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June 25th, 2009
By: Roy Ryder
The ETU Fine Arts Center will host a showing of the work of Ethan Schrader from July 6th through the 10th in the Keppler Memorial Gallery. Schrader is one of ETU’s most famous alumni, graduating with an MFA in 1979. His conceptual art has appeared in galleries around the world, including the New York Museum of Fine Art and Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, and he has been acclaimed as one of the top 20 artists in America. His paintings and sculpture focus on macabre themes and have been called “daring and chilling” by Art Now magazine.
“It’s a thrill to come back to ETU and be recognized after thirty years,” Schrader said in an interview. “I fell like I’m returning to where it all began. Pinebox was the inspiration for so much of my work. ETU is a special place where creativity and passion can be let loose and nurtured without fear.”
Not all members of the community are pleased with the showing of Schrader’s work. Owen North of the Pinebox Community Protection League has announced plans to protest the gallery on opening night. “I was at ETU in 1979 and saw his foul creations then and I’m glad to be here in 2009 to denounce his ungodly works now. The man is a menace to the town and a lousy painter,” said Owen when asked about the protest.
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