During the final week of October, the autumn colors began to make an appearance on campus, providing a lovely atmosphere for walkers, garden enthusiasts, and photographers, and they should continue through early November. Make a loop around the scenic and peaceful “Oval” in the heart of campus, then follow the hike-bike path past the stadium and the beautiful University Lake.
Nov. 4: Meet published authors
Join Library Services in honoring PSU authors during the 38th Annual University Authors Reception on the first floor of Leonard H. Axe Library, 1605 S. Joplin St. The reception, with light food and drinks, will be held at 3 p.m., with brief remarks by the dean of Library Services, Randy Roberts, at 3:15 p.m. Attendees may engage with book authors and colleagues while discovering the wide range of published works that PSU employees create each year.
Nov. 4: Listen to a choir
Listen to the University Choir and Chorale in a concert planned for 7 p.m. in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts under the direction of Music Chair Susan Marchant. The program will include music from multiple centuries of significant choral repertoire and will offer a variety of styles, texts, and colors.
Nov. 6: Get your vehicle inspected
Christian Automotive Majors, a student organization affiliated with the Automotive Technology program in the College of Technology, will conduct free vehicle inspections from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. During the inspection, automotive majors will check over vehicles in search of anything of concern. Sign up by emailing emward@gus.pittstate.edu; please include your name, phone number, and a few 30-minute time slots.
Nov. 6: Experience GorillaFest and Military Appreciation Day!
From 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., join Alumni & Constituent Relations in tailgate activities at GorillaFest before the Gorillas take on Washburn in Carnie Smith Stadium. There will be inflatables and bounce houses, balloon animals, splitface tattoos and hair paint, food vendors, live music from Tim Nowell, and a pep rally featuring the Pride of the Plains Marching Band, Cheerleaders, and Dance Team. Military Appreciation Challenge Coins will be passed out to veterans.
Nov. 11: Honor Veterans
Attend a Veterans Day ceremony planned for 1 p.m. at the PSU Veterans Memorial, 1909 S. Rouse Ave., Pittsburg, Kansas. This year’s keynote speaker will be Pittsburg Fire Chief Dennis Reilly, who operated as a rescue squad officer at Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and is a U.S. Army veteran. The ceremony will feature PSU ROTC and the Pittsburg Community Middle School Choir. Rain location: the Student Recreation Center directly south of the memorial.
Nov. 12: Get a taste of other cultures
The International Student Association will host Taste & Sounds of Nations on Nov. 12 in Grubbs Hall, with food served from 6 to 7 p.m. and performances running from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This year there are about 70 new students at Pittsburg State from Australia, Brazil, China, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan.
Nov. 13: Experience “Genesis”
When Pittsburg resident H. John Hartmann died Dec. 1, 2020, he left behind a legacy: a symphonic work called “Genesis: A Symphonic Arche,” that he spent 42 years conceptualizing and writing, section by section, for a full orchestra. Experience that work as it comes to life at 7 p.m. in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, where he and his wife were active volunteers and patrons. The performance will feature some of the most talented musicians from across the Four State Area as well as the Treble Clef Club, the Bells of the Balkans, and members of the Our Lady of Lourdes Choir.
Nov. 14: Hear a wind ensemble
Listen as the PSU Wind Ensemble performs standard and contemporary works for wind band in a free concert at 3 p.m. It will be performed in the Linda & Lee Scott Performance Hall at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts under the direction of Assistant Professor Andrew Chybowski.
Nov. 17: Hear a jazz ensemble
Listen as the PSU Jazz Ensemble, directed by Professor Robert Kehle, and Jazz Combo, directed by Professor Todd Hastings, perform a free concert at 7 p.m. They will play everything from jazz standards to contemporary works in the Linda & Lee Scott Performance Hall in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts.