Spring Semester
By: Steve May
The 148th annual Gunpowder and Belles Ball is scheduled for Saturday evening at 7 pm and will be held at the O’Brian Manor on the ETU grounds. The ball celebrates the Southern traditions of East Texas as well as the modern South.
Tickets are $100 a couple or $50 for an individual. Many wear period costumes, but evening attire is also acceptable. Music is being provided by the Landis Orchestra and a catered dinner is being provided by Vesty’s Home Cooking.
Spring Semester
By: Dorine Mercy
ETU residents this morning woke up to find multiple flyers with pictures of the Black 13 egg posted throughout most of town. Not a single bulletin board was left untouched, each and every one containing the flyer. The flyer featured color pictures of the egg and red writing along the bottom stating “It is real.”
This year’s Easter egg hunt was very successful, however it being the 13th event, this year’s rumors of the unlucky Black 13 egg were stronger then ever. While it has been almost two weeks since the event, it is apparent that some believers in the Black 13 egg are still thinking about the Easter holiday and trying to get their message out.
Authorities are looking for evidence of those responsible at this time but so far have come up short of answers.
Spring Semester
By: Roy Ryder
The Raven’s Theater 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.”
Spring Semester
By: Steve May
The Guitar Hero phenomenon continues to grow as tournaments and competitions have taken the nation by storm. The 2nd Annual Guitar Hero Tournament of Ravens is set to begin at 9 a.m. this Saturday at the Ravens Student Center.
The tournament is open to everyone from the age of 12 to 99 and the entry fee is $20. The tournament is double elimination and is a head to head seeded competition and is expected to go late into the night before the Champion Hero is crowned. The winner of the contest will receive a $2000 scholarship and $500 in gaming gift certificates from various stores. The winner will also be sent to Austin next October for the Texas State Championship and receive free transportation, motel room, and $200 spending money.
Second and third place prizes include new guitars, game disks, t-shirts, and gift certificates to local restaurants. Last year’s winner, Calvin Griffis, is expected to make another run for the prize, though it is believed that this year there will be more than 200 contestants, compared to 96 last year.
“This is good, wholesome fun with great music and is a true event. Who knows, maybe som many people will want to play that we’ll have to do it in Raven’s Stadium next year,” said ETU President Nelson. “I invite everyone to come out, bring your family, and have fun.”
This article is taken from a story by Shane Lacy Hensley entitled Guitar Zero in the Buried Tales of Pinebox, Texas Anthology. Shane is a writer, designer, and video game developer in the sunny state of Arizona. He’s best known for creating Deadlands: The Weird West and a host of other game systems and worlds. The powers that be blessed him with a wonderful wife, Michell, and two incredible boys, Caden and Ronan.
Spring Semester
By: Thomas Alvarez
This week the Sam Rayburn Library begins an Amnesty Week in the hopes that students will return long forgotten books without fear of heavy late fees. “The fees aren’t nearly as important as getting those books back, which is why we’re waiving all of them this week,” said Library Director Alicia Rhyvies.
The last time the library held an Amnesty Week the turn out was tremendous. It was reported that well over 100 overdue books were returned and re cataloged by the end of the week; one book had gone missing for nearly 85 years! According to Rhyvies, “Some of the books returned weren’t even ours. The ones we received that belonged to the Pinebox public library were returned and they graciously extended amnesty as well. A few of the books weren’t library books at all. Some weren’t written in English, and one wasn’t written in anything anyone could immediately recognize. The guys in the foreign languages department had a blast figuring that one out.”
If you’re currently in possession of a book belonging to the library but are worried about overdue fines, this is a great week to dust it off and bring it right back to the library where other students will be able to use it!
Spring Semester
By: Thomas Alvarez
Whitehall Dormitories
Pinebox Medical Center has seen a recent influx of students enter their halls for treatment, as a rare strain of flu seems to have infected nearly 30% of students living in the Whitehall Dormitory. Students affected by the flu are reported to be exhibiting symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fever as high as 103º, moderate to severe back and muscle pain and migraine headaches. In rare cases, students have noted skin and eye discoloration.
Doctors at the Medical Center were unavailable for comment, though hospital officials released a statement yesterday saying that a combination of hydration therapy and diet modification seems to be the most effective. ETU Director of Student Affairs Dr. Steve Anderson released a statement to ETU parents alerting them of the recent epidemic and noting that a complete investigation is currently underway in and around Whitehall to determine the cause of the illness.
Students currently residing in Whitehall are advised to seek medical attention as soon as any symptoms become apparent. Any students whose roommates are currently being treated should report at once to the ETU Department of Student Affairs.
