The Index Vol 114 Issue 10

Free workshop on happiness, page 8

Ellie Weltha to play third collegiate sport, page 12

Truman freshmen tennis players adjust, page 11

NEW CDI DIRECTOR BEGINS POSITION

Alexander

StuGov, clubs host Women’s History Month events

GRACE POTTER Staff Writer

Truman State University’s Student Government has coordinated several events to educate and celebrate Women’s History Month for March.

Truman’s Student Government has planned events for the month including “Women’s Empowerment Slam Poetry,” a celebration of femininity which occurred March 3. All involved were free to either read poetry of their own, present poems by other poets or partake in an audience discussion analyzing the poetry.

“The night took on a therapeutic theme, and everyone seemed to relate to what others were saying,” slam poetry attendee Cecilia Stokes said. “It just seemed like it was an outlet for other people. Ev-

eryone recognized it and encouraged it. It was nice.”

Student Government Secretary Alexis Cook said during Women’s History Month and Black History Month, Student Government works very closely with other clubs and organizations to create events that are not only fun and interactive, but respectful and effective.

“We are hosting an inclusion and diversity workshop that we planned with the Center for Diversity and Inclusion,” said Cook. “The CDI has student workers that are trained to effectively teach diverse and inclusive practices.”

Cook said the workshop is designated for organizations to learn and practice implementing these actions.

Truman admissions office for about a year. She said she initially planned on using the time as a gap year between undergraduate and social work school, but while working in the office, she fell in love with higher education and wanted to continue working with students as they decided on their undergraduate careers.

Alexander said after working at Truman, she worked at A.T. Still admissions. While there, she worked as a diversity liaison and helped people along the application journey. Following this, she worked at Drexel University in Philadelphia, continuing to work in admissions and diversity and inclusion. Then she worked at the University of Pennsylvania on various diversity committees, event planning and financial aid support work.

Alexander said while she was at Truman, she was very involved, which greatly impacted her experience at the University as an underrepresented student when compared to her peers.

“There were so many struggles and things that underrepresented students, or just students in general, depending on what was going on in their lives, that they struggled with based on the lack of connection some faculty and staff had with students or just understanding different cultures and backgrounds,” Alexander said. “That made it a little difficult for me and my peers to feel at home, included and valued here on campus.”

See DIRECTOR page 3

Free testing once a week on the corner of First Street and Randolph Street for COVID-19, Influenza A and B and RSV has been extended past its original end date of March 31, and will occur Wednesdays instead of Fridays starting April 1.

The testing is open to all community members and occurs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

The current end date of the free testing is unknown but will likely continue into the month of June, said Nanda Nunnelly, the owner and lab director for NextGen Diagnostic Services. NextGen is a mobile COVID collection company that conducts the testing using funding from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

NextGen has been conducting the testing since April 2021, Nunnelly said. They work with local health departments at their seven locations across the state, including Kirksville. A team of NextGen nurses will travel to different locations throughout the week.

According to NextGen, from November 11 to March 17, there have been 131 people tested. Of those, 13 were COVID-positive, one was inconclusive and two were Influenza A positive.

The Adair County Health Department assisted in finding a location and advertising to reach Truman State University students, said Jim LeBaron, Adair County Health Department administrator.

“I would just say with anybody, if you’re ill, I think it’s important to get tested because you don’t want to spread it to others, especially to people that do have underlying health issues,” said Lori Guffey, assistant administration of the health department. “It’s better to know – that way you can take the necessary precautions.”

Nunnelly said there was a pretty mild COVID season this year compared to last year. They haven’t had large numbers of people get tested but know the testing is valuable to people who otherwise wouldn’t have free testing in their area.

Nursing students complete 72-hour simulation

GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Editor-in-Chief

Truman State University nursing seniors completed a 72-hour simulation of a hospital setting which began Thursday, March 23, the first 72-hour simulation completed by Truman students since the pilot program during 2020. Students worked the equivalent of three 12hour shifts, from either 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 6 p.m.

to 6 a.m, with one day shift being split between Thursday and Sunday. Each student worked a total of 36 hours.

The simulation occurred in the two nursing labs – the nursing simulation center in the Health Sciences building was a medical-surgical unit and the nursing skills lab in the Pershing building served as an emergency department, said Brenda Wheeler, nursing department chair.

GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Editor-in-Chief

Vanessa Alexander Center for Diversity and Inclusion director.

Photo from Truman State University

Nursing students oversee a patient. The nursing seniors completed a 72-hour simulation.

Photo by Rahul Chaudhari

Annual Juried Student Exhibition open

Visiting judge and artist Madeleine Le Mieux selected the student art pieces for the exhibition

Above: Senior Rianna Carrabus Rice’s Exorcism is in the art gallery at Truman State University. The artist was inspired in part by Hannah Wilke, who uses her face as clay to question femininity and gender.

Right: Students visit the student exhibition. The exhibition opened March 21. Photos by Alexander Walcott

Above: Robin Kincaid’s Swarm is at the exhibition. The piece was made of ink, marker, paper, acrylic gemstones, fishing line, tape and glue. Left: An attendee views the art on display. Two awards were given at the exhibit opening.

Aaron Fine, chair of art, design and history speaks at the opening. The exhibit will be open until April 27.

DIRECTOR | Alexander aims to increase CDI presence on campus

Continued from page 1

Alexander said these experiences led her to become a diversity fellow on campus and work on the minority diversity ambassadors’ program to increase visible diversity on campus. She also worked with different fraternities and sororities on how to deal with forms of discrimination such as microaggressions and provided them with inclusivity training.

Alexander said her wide range of experiences on campus and many of the challenges she faced helped make her who she is today. She said she believes Truman was ultimately a great place to grow.

Alexander said one of her primary goals is to increase the Center for Diversity and Inclusion’s presence on campus. She said she wants students to understand it is a resource that everyone can use. The office has a community room and computers for students to use as needed, along with a classroom organizations can use. They also always have snacks available for students.

“We also want to focus on a lot of collaborative efforts across campus,” Alexander said. “Here at the CDI, we are looking to collaborate with everyone. I have been trying to put my hand in everything since I’ve been here, working with faculty, working with different offices on campus. I’ve also been doing my best to help out with student organizations and things they’ve been doing,” Alexander said.

Amanda Langendoerfer, associate dean of interdisciplinary studies and creative inquiry and director of special collection and museums, said she recently had a discussion with Alexander regarding the role of the University’s items in special collections and Alexander’s educational goals. Langendoerfer said she and Alexander discussed ways to incorporate the items within special collections and use those to help further CDI educational goals. Langendoerfer said there is a wide range of items located in special collections and that she often works with professors and other campus groups to use these items to connect with history. In special collections, there are items that are up to 4,000 years old.

Kerrion Dean, program coordinator at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, was part of the recruitment process. He said work to hire a new CDI Director began about a year ago after the previous director, Saint Rice, left. The search was initially difficult because of the way the job was posted, and after changing the description of the position, the posting began to receive more traction.

Dean said Alexander wants to continue the current mission of the CDI. He said Alexander’s experience as an alumna of the University grants her additional perspectives on the struggles certain students face and the wider environment they are engaged in. He said the two of them having a younger age allows them to better connect with students and work with them and administration.

EVENTS| Student Government works with Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Trusisters, on events

Continued from page 1

“We are hosting an inclusion and diversity workshop that we planned with the Center for Diversity and Inclusion,” said Cook. “The CDI has student workers that are trained to effectively teach diverse and inclusive practices.”

Cook said the workshop is designated for organizations to learn and practice implementing these actions.

Another club Student Government works closely with is Trusisters, a club that empowers black and women of color on campus and provides a safe space to speak out and interact with other women of color on campus.

April 11, Trusisters and Student Government are hosting a women’s history month dinner. Cook said Student Government is providing support to them. One way they do that is by giving the club leftover money from the Student Government budget.

“I view Women’s History Month as a celebration of where women are at now compared to where we were at then. It’s a celebration of where we are. However, I also view it as an opportunity for education,” Cook said. “It’s close to how I viewed Black History Month. A time where we can talk about these issues and not be labeled as obsessed with our inequality.”

Cook said she acknowledges that there are a plethora of men’s issues that should be addressed, however the stigma behind women’s struggles seems to be criticized disproportionately. These events are important in giving women a space to talk, and other people can use the space to listen and learn.

“It’s a moment for women to share their stories, [for] women to share their experiences.” Cook said.

of Center for Diversity and Inclusion

Crime Reports DPS

“Here at the CDI, we are looking to collaborate with everyone. I have been trying to put my hand in everything since I’ve been here, working with faculty, working with different offices on campus. I’ve also been doing my best to help out with student organizations and things they’ve been doing.”

-Vanessa Alexander, director

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The Sharpshooters Club at Truman State University is an apolitical shooting club focused on providing a safe and welcoming environment to introduce newcomers to firearms and provide a community for experienced shooters.

The club hosts a wide range of shoots themed around shotguns, handguns, rifles and even occasional archery and knife-throwing events.

Sharpshooters alternate weekly between Monday meetings at 6 p.m. in Magruder Hall 1094 and Monday shoots from 3-6 p.m. at the Sugar Creek Public Firing Range.

Our classroom meetings usually pertain to the next week’s shoot. We watch videos demonstrating proper techniques, discuss the safe handling of firearms and familiarize our clubgoers with the firearms they will use at the range.

Each semester’s shoots start off with smaller firearms and work up to guns with a little more kick. In the past, Sharpshooters has hosted themed shoots. Every fall, we travel to Sparta, Illinois, for a regional shotgun championship featuring trap, skeet and sporting clay events. The club has historically attracted a sizable

number of international students and our executives are experienced enough and eager to teach members who may not have held a firearm before. Many of our more seasoned members bring firearms from their own collections and allow others to shoot guns they might not have access to otherwise.

To become a Sharpshooter, you must sign a liability waiver and pay $25 for the semester’s worth of ammunition. Additionally, club membership demands a high level of respect towards firearm safety. Safety is our number one priority and our range safety officers closely monitor range behavior to minimize the risk of injury to you or others. We are a safe place for everyone from all walks of life to come and learn more about firearms. To maintain our inviting environment, we limit all political discussions within the club to general information around laws and regulations.

If you’re interested, check out our Instagram @sharpshooters-tsu, email us at sharpshooters@truman.edu or show up to a meeting in Magruder Hall 1094, alternating Mondays at 6:00 p.m.

TY. M BUSHNELL social chair

Sick? Get tested for COVID-19

In the story about free community testing, the Adair County Health Department administrator and assistant administrators Jim LeBaron and Lori Guffey, respectively, spoke about how not many Truman State University students are utilizing the free community testing. We, the Index Editorial Board, believe more students should be getting tested for COVID-19.

Many students know how it goes. You wake up, feel sick and either have to decide to go about business as usual and wait for it to go away, or stay home and wait for it to go away.

This is less dangerous, though still not a great idea, when it comes to having colds or the flu. When it comes to COVID, however, this kind of mindset can be deadly.

COVID symptoms are less severe and can seem more like a cold as the virus has progressed, Guffey said. What might be a coldlike sickness to a young college

student without comorbidities can be a different story for an elderly person who is immunocompromised. By either continuing with “normal life,” or not quarantining or wearing a mask, young people can spread the virus to someone on whom it will have a greater effect.

Obviously, more people getting tested is not necessarily a good thing, since it could mean more people are getting sick. However, we, the Index Editorial Board, are unconvinced people are not getting tested because they think they are not sick. We think it’s possible either students do not know about the testing or choose not to get tested, or the day of the tests comes after symptoms are over.

Regardless, the tests are quick and free and located on campus beginning every Wednesday, April 1. If you’re not sure if you have COVID or not, this is a great way to easily find out.

Doing your best is more than enough

QUIINN SLOAN Copy Editor

As finals week bears down upon us, it is essential to remember that ‘try your hardest’ is not the advice to follow. Perhaps the best advice one can offer is ‘do your best,’ with a heavy emphasis on ‘your.’ Every single one of us has a different threshold of what we can reasonably deal with and what works for us. Some of us can easily juggle leadership positions in organizations, jobs, classes and homework, while others have to pick where their priorities lie a little more attentively.

The spoon theory is something to consider and employ when deciding your level of ‘best.’ Spoon theory is a metaphor often applied to those with chronic conditions or neurodivergent folks. The metaphor turns the energy to get through

a day into ‘spoons,’ and one goes through ‘spoons’ as they do things. For instance, we’ll call Tuesday a 15-spoon day, though usually, it’s a lot more ambiguous than this example. I have 15 spoons and must go to work for eight hours, class for three, a meeting and then do homework. I also have to get dressed, provide myself with something to eat, shower and do other self-care tasks. Work alone will consume eight of my spoons, and basic daily tasks like getting dressed and hygiene are another three. That meeting will be a spoon, dinner is a spoon and homework is a spoon. There are 14 spoons gone, and that’s a problem because class? Class is another three spoons. I can’t not go to work, I need that money for bills. I can’t not get dressed, I have to do my homework and the meeting isn’t one I can skip. If I go to class, I’ll eat into Wednesday’s spoons, meaning I’ll have the same amount or more things to do and fewer spoons to get them done with. Often, this becomes a cycle of eating into tomorrow’s spoons and being exhausted beyond measure until burnout happens.

You might look at the example I’ve provided and say, well, going to class is essential for me — it has to happen, otherwise, I won’t learn, which raises another excellent point — my best is

not your best, and what is essential for you does not have to be essential for me. You might learn best in the classroom, listening to lectures and taking notes, raptly focused on the professor the entire time. I have ADHD, and sitting and focusing on one topic for over five minutes is almost impossible. Not attending class but still doing all the work will often benefit me more than sitting in class thinking about everything else. Every student has different needs in how they access their education.

When balancing your education with the rest of your life, you must prioritize what works for you and deprioritize what ‘should work’ for you. If your needs fall outside the ‘standard,’ it’s like wading through molasses to get what you need to succeed. Forced or graded attendance negatively impacts anyone with chronic illness, pain or other conditions. Long lectures for people with ADHD or ADD are often more akin to torture sessions, and crowded classrooms can quickly become overstimulating for those on the autism spectrum. American education, in general, has structured itself around the idea that every student learns the same way. Instead, it has created a learning environment that causes undue stress for everyone, especially those who need more than the arbitrary standard.

Sometimes, being upfront with professors is enough, but it can be hard to explain and even harder to ask in the first place — a multi-spoon task, one could say. Putting the responsibility solely on the student’s shoulders only makes it harder for the student. If the educational systems and education pivoted from a universal standard to making flexible patterns of learning that can adapt to an individual student’s need without requiring one teacher per student, both educators and students would have an easier time managing individual needs. Doing your best is more important than living up to someone else’s idea of your best. Your best may fluctuate from day to day, and that’s okay! You know, better than anyone else, what you need to succeed. When you find your individual needs not being met in the classroom, try to meet them yourself, then reach out and ask for help if that doesn’t work. There is no shame in needing something different to succeed, but there is shame in putting others down because they learn in different ways than you. If instead of holding everyone to the same exhausting standard, we stepped back and acknowledged the individual and their strengths, perhaps as a society. In that case, we could be a more compassionate and connected community.

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SIMULATION| SCHOLAR company brought in to consult for simulation

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Nursing students who were juniors or below volunteered for extra credit to participate as patients who had scripted injuries or illnesses for the nursing students to address. The 45 seniors spent half the time as nurses in the simulation and half their time as patients.

Additionally, there were a few community members with connections to the nursing department who volunteered for the simulation. Some served as patients and some as family members in order to teach the students how to deal with family members of patients. Any invasive procedures were done on mannequins.

“What this really does is it gives students an idea what it’s like to really be working on their own, to be responsible for more than one patient on their own,” Wheeler said.

Currently, when students are working in a real hospital they have a preceptor or instructor guiding them, so they are not the ones ultimately making decisions about the patients. For the simulation, instructors were present but were not contributing to students’ decisionmaking, Wheeler said.

Senior nursing student Grace James

said this simulation was closer to a hospital setting, different from their usual simulations. James said the students would spend six hours as a patient and six hours as a nurse.

Her shift as a charge nurse went well and she felt prepared, James said. While students have worked 12-hour shifts before at externships, this was multiple longer shifts in a row which built stamina.

“Yeah I definitely feel like it’s been a good experience just because even though like we have clinicals all throughout the year in different places it’s not the same when you’re just following a nurse and you’re not actually getting to document everything so I feel like this has been a really good simulation of what it would be like in the real world,” James said.

Junior nursing student Sasha Thomas volunteered for the simulation and said she was still able to learn things even as a patient.

The idea came from Connie Ayers, who was the head of nursing at Truman

until 2000, said Wheeler. Ayers’ husband, Andy, worked for NASA and trained astronaut crews. He worked with Ayers to design the simulation. The simulation was done at Texas Woman’s University, where they brought together other healthcare disciplines to complete the simulation.

They formed a company, SCHOLAR, which provides simulation-based clinical and hospital learning for accelerated readiness. They provide consulting to universities wanting to design their own 72-hour simulations.

Wheeler said this was the first time SCHOLAR had written a script as extensive as the two scripts used for this simulation. This was the hardest simulation written and Ayers was very proud of it, Wheeler said.

Nursing foundation funds were used to pay for the consulting, Wheeler said. This covered the cost of setting up and running the simulation, as well as transportation and lodging for

the SCHOLAR team.

For Truman’s simulation, each student had two patients each of a higher acuity, or higher physical and mental health needs.

The simulation was scripted. Ayers came to the simulation and brought nurse practitioners who were available for students to consult as a care provider, just like in a real medical setting.

“This is going to be a really intense, very good learning experience for the students. I’m sure the first, their first shift, students are going to feel like a fish out of water. I would suspect their next shift, they’re going to begin to say, ‘OK, I think I kind of get this,’” Wheeler said.

Wheeler said one of the reasons they wanted to do the simulation was because new graduates often say they didn’t feel prepared for their jobs. There’s only so much the nursing department can do unless the students are completely on their own. This is as close to a real hospital environment as the department can get.

TESTING | Adair County Health Department working to promote free testing

Continued from page 1

“I think it’s important for Kirksville and just about any of the communities we serve simply because it is free testing,” Nunnelly said. “There is no requirements as far as residency, citizenship, anything like that … ”

LeBaron said he thought the testing was helping the community, and they see about

six or seven people get tested a day.

Out of the people visiting, typically half are positive, which is why they wanted to keep offering the opportunity for people to get tested, LeBaron said.

However, LeBaron and Guffey said they have seen a lot of vaccine fatigue in the area, meaning people aren’t getting the vaccine, are tired of talking and thinking about COV-

ID and just want to get back to “normal life.”

Guffey said she didn’t think many students were getting tested.

“They already have [gotten COVID], and they are a young population,” Guffey said. “They don’t have a lot of co-morbidities. They’re not concerned about their health like the older population … it’s not their priority.”

LeBaron said he thinks students know

Free Community Testing

• Randolph and First St.

• Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

• COVID, In uenza A and B and RSV

about the testing, but that maybe not many students are getting tested because they don’t want to miss class, despite Zoom being a more common option.

Students are driving by the testing but aren’t stopping to get tested, Lebaron said.

“I think, though, as the virus has progressed, its symptoms are less severe … they may think well it’s just a cold or I’ve got seasonal allergies so it’s just not on their radar that they could have COVID,” Guffey said.

Senior Mutiara Schlanker has been in a group project working to promote the service as part of their health science capstone.

The capstone group has done tabling both on and off campus, hung up posters, prepared a Zoom webinar and created an Instagram page.

Schlanker said she thought more people are aware of the testing site now. The goal of their project is not necessarily that testing would increase, but that more people would know about the resource as an option.

Schlanker said it’s possible the testing site being open once a week could also be a reason students don’t get tested. If they get sick early in the week, they might choose to get tested elsewhere/sooner rather than waiting for the testing site to open on Friday.

People can pre-register for the testing online but it’s not required, Nunnelly said.

When the emergency status for COVID is lifted, which is expected to occur during May 2023, NextGen’s testing will remain free because of state funding, Nunnelly said.

Volunteers played the part of patients and had scripts to follow. SCHOLAR provided two scripts for this simulation Photos by Rahul Chaudhari

Nursing simulation coordinator Pam Melvin and senior Sarah Gill speak while junior Melanie Lyons plays the part of a patient. Instructors were present for the simulation but did not contribute to decision-making.

Brittany Broski speaks on being a communication major, the TikTok hearings and Stanley Tucci

GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Editor-in-Chief

It would be difficult to find a celebrity as down-toearth as Brittany Broski.

Most celebrities wouldn’t play “Kiss, Marry, Kill” in front of hundreds of people or post TikToks from their toilet. Most probably wouldn’t take the time to ask the interviewer questions after an interview. Most celebrities wouldn’t come to Kirksville, Missouri. Most celebrities aren’t Brittany Broski.

Broski, a famous internet personality with 7.2 million followers on TikTok, came to Truman State University March 25 for a Q and A. The event was organized by the Student Activities Board. She welcomed The Index to sit down with her as she did her makeup before the performance.

Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Do you know how long you’ll be here?

A: Like 24 hours, yeah. I literally leave at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

G: I was going to ask if there was anything you were going to do here, but there’s not really anything to do anyway.

B: I’ve heard I need to hit up the Walmart. That’s a good time.

Q: I saw on your Instagram you’ve been kind of sick lately. How are you feeling?

A: I currently have strep throat … and you know that makes you feel like you have the flu because I had like full body chills and fever and sweaty — it was terrible. I feel fine now — I’m on those good antibiotics.

Q: What is your performance going to be?

A: It’s a Q & A, so it’s just whatever the girls want to know, I’ll tell the girls.

Q: Is that what you typically do for your performances?

A: Yeah, I’ve tried standup, but it’s not my craft. I think that some funny people are built for standup. I’m definitely built for conversational comedy, and that’s what I enjoy more than getting up on stage, and that anxiety of this joke landed, what about the next one? Versus a conversation, there’s less pressure. I did not enjoy standup when I tried it.

day, what am I doing, I’m making people laugh online, right? I’m not this inflammatory figure that’s going around saying really upsetting s***. It’s like I’m just trying to have a silly goober time, so people recognize that, and I do read those comments, but there are some it’s just like, ‘Ok you didn’t have to say all that. That just shifted the mood of my day.’

or like I’ll think it’s funny in the moment, and it’s not funny, or I’ll think it’ll be endearing, and people don’t relate to it, and I’m like, oh right. I also, a lot of my content is like fandom focused, and that’s a very vulnerable thing because I like what I like, not everyone’s going to like what I like, but if you talk s*** about the stuff I like, I’m going to get upset because that was my choice to share that with you.

Q: Are your videos really as stream-of-consciousness as they seem?

A: Yes! I don’t plan anything, and in fact when I do, it’s not good because the beauty is like, I’m just in the moment. Improv is kind of the best thing ever. When I sit down and try to write comedy bits, guess what? They’re bad.

Q: Do you have a favorite trend or topic on TikTok right now?

A: Listen, I love that everyone loves Pedro [Pascal], but like, I’m kind of over it too, like I want to gatekeep him so bad. Like it’s gotten too big, and now they’re memeing him. He’s all the meme formats.

G: Oh yeah, like that one with Nicholas Cage and him in the car?

B: Yeah, that one and then the one of him eating with the music

G: It’s just over everything

B: It is, and I’m like, b****. He used to be mine.

Q: How did you navigate deciding to do something you were passionate about, and what would be your advice to college students figuring that out?

A: Well, I was fired, so I would not say chase your creative dreams because I didn’t. I didn’t until I was forced to. Even though I always loved it and had a passion for making people laugh and being a creative, I never ever took that leap. I went to college, I got a communications degree and I was going to do something creative-adjacent that had job stability. I wanted to make Super Bowl commercials or do something with creative advertising because companies are always going to have to advertise, you know. Comedians won’t always get a gig. They won’t always get a job — singers won’t always get a gig. So it’s like I wanted to find this comfortable, reliable medium because I grew up with very strict parents who were not going to help me, and they were not very encouraging of the, ‘Yeah, move to L.A. and see what happens.’ That was not an option for me. So I don’t really have advice for people who want to do this as a job because it happened by accident to me.

Q: Do you think your communications background informs anything you do now? I’m a comm. major too, by the way.

A: Slay. Do you have, like, a focus?

G: Yeah, it’s journalism.

B: Slay. Naturally. I’m putting two and two together. Mine was strategic comm. It was one of two of either going to do advertising and like that whole side of it or like public relations. Thank Christ, I didn’t do that, ‘cause that’s like when BP has an oil spill, I would be the one typing up the message to be like, ‘At this difficult time, we have spilled 1.2 billion gallons of oil into the ocean, sorry.’ You know, like that is so, I can’t imagine. Yeah, my comm. degree. I mean, they kind of roasted me on TMG for it, like what the f****** is a Comm degree?

G: And Stanley Tucci too.

B: I love Stanley Tucci. He’s the best. I love him in “Burlesque”, “Devil Wears Prada”. He plays the same character in every single movie.

Q: Have you been keeping up with the TikTok stuff happening in Congress, and do you have any thoughts or concerns with that?

A: Of course. I think that, what’s the logical fallacy, or not logical fallacy, is it called a red herring? Where they try to distract us from actual issues that are going on? I think that’s all this is, like these congressmen and women are so f****** stupid, they don’t even know the questions they’re asking. I don’t think that they see TikTok as a real threat, I think it’s just a means of like controlling the American people. It makes me sound like a conspiracy theorist, but we have too much access to each other. And we’re talking and we’re sharing ideas and we’re starting movements and it’s terrifying to them. I think that from a creator’s perspective — it’ll sadden me if TikTok does get banned. Of course, I’ll be really sad, but I’m lucky enough that for my job, I have diversified platforms to where my business won’t really be, it’ll be affected for sure, but everyone will. Brands will be affected more than anything. They’re losing a platform to advertise on. You know, like I’m losing opportunities, but they’re losing a whole f***** strategy, so the whole industry will kind of reel for a second, but I am seeing this movement that I totally back on TikTok, of like if Mark Zuckerberg thinks that we’re going back to Facebook, back to reels, back to Instagram, they’re smoking something cheap.

Q: I listened to your TMG [Tiny Meat Gang] interview about that, it sounded stressful. How was that, just talking to them?

A: A dream. I mean, they’re to me the same tier as like, Emma Chamberlain, Rhett and Link, like they’ve created this empire of what social media talent and money and success can be. It’s also gotten me through some really depressing times when I was working my first job and all that. I don’t know, it’s surreal to not only be considered peers now but also to be able to go toe to toe with them because you know, it’s like, I am just as funny as you and that’s a cool thing. And to read comments that were like, ‘She really held her own,’ it was like, ‘Yes,’ ‘cause they’re the guys, you know?

Q: Do you read what people say about you, and is there ever a boundary you have to draw of like, this is too much?

A: Yes, I am fortunate in that a lot of it, most of it, the majority is positive. Because at the end of the

Q:

What have been some of your biggest challenges over the past few years, and how have you navigated those?

A: I struggle with my sense of self, of am I playing a caricature of myself online, and is there a separation between who I am and what I choose to share online versus what I’ve cultivated online, you know, because that’s the person that people have a parasocial relationship with. Does she exist? Yeah, to a certain extent. But you know, it’s impossible to think that I’m going to share all parts of my life with the Internet. I’m not going to f****** do that. And there’s this pressure almost to do that, right, because I’m not a standup, I’m not an actor, I’m not a musician, I’m a personality. And in order to have people follow you for your personality, you have to give them parts of your personality. And so I really struggle with that because it is dangerous oversharing online, but at the same time, that’s how you form a bond with the audience.

Q: Is it hard to draw boundaries of, is this something I should talk about, is this something I should not talk about?

A: Yeah, and then I’ll, I mean, like you said, I’ll post stuff, and then I’ll be like, ‘why the f*** did I,’

Q: What’s coming up in the future? What’s next for you?

A: I have a show coming out on my YouTube that is celebrity guest-focused, and then I have a podcast coming out, and then I’m looking to break into more hosting opportunities as well, like the Country Music Awards coming up. I’d love to do something there. I’m going to be pretty busy with the show and the podcast.

Brittany Broski waves to the crowd. Photos by Alexander Walcott.

Corinna McFall asks Broski questions on stage.

Broski was SAB’s big comedian.

Free workshop on happiness offered to students

SYDNEY ELLISON Managing Editor

One random act of kindness can make a big difference in your wellbeing.

At least that’s what Adam Campbell, a traveler and educator said. Kindness can make a difference in self view, can impact the world and is one of the many topics discussed in Campbell’s free workshop for students titled “The Science of Happiness.”

The workshop began March 23 and focuses on positive psychology, meditation and working toward accomplishing goals. It is taught via Zoom, Thursdays from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The course will end April 27. The workshop is offered to Truman students and does not count for credit.

“The thing I am most excited to share is when we get towards the end of the course, I transition from here’s what the science is saying really works to alright, let’s look at each one of you individually, what

are the dreams that each one of you have right now?” Campbell said.

Campbell started planning the workshop with Truman State University philosophy professor Derek Daschke before the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020. When COVID began, Campbell felt it was even more of an opportune time to offer an online course. Campbell has continued to offer the course ever since.

Campbell learned more about positive psychology and its effect on life while traveling after college.

“I wanted to take life in a totally different direction, and I found that there were some basic skills and tools and ideas and paradigms, and if we worked with them, we could start going into a different direction,” Campbell said.

He was surprised to find in his studies that positive psychology and other research supported his ideas, he said.

Campbell thinks college students are at the

perfect age to learn about what he is teaching because they are at a crossroads in life.

“When I was in college, I saw a lot of my friends, who were graduating, go out into what we were calling, the real world, and have these dreams that they wanted to do but then lose track of them,” Campbell said.

Campbell said students will go beyond the science of positive psychology and spend time in class working on their goals. The end of the course is designed to work on what the student wants to accomplish and set workable goals to make that happen.

Junior Lauren Frazier took the class her sophomore year. She said the course topic interested her, and she had known of Campbell before the course.

Frazier enjoyed that it was more than

a standard psychology class. According to Frazier, the class covered spiritualism, self-fulfillment, mindfulness and more. She said the class would usually involve meditation, discussion about goals and lectures on various topics.

“[The most important takeaway was] being present every day and knowing that every day matters, but not so much that you have to be overwhelmed and do something great every day,” Frazier said. “It’s just really being in the moment and learning to appreciate what you’ve got in front of you.”

Graphic by Maddie Morris

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ is transformative

JOSEPH DOUGHERTY Staff Writer

Every year, one film usually stuns at the annual Academy Awards, rising above the competition to claim several of the highest awards in the filmmaking industry. This year, directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was that film, raking in seven Oscars total, including Best Picture, Best Directing and three individual awards for Best Acting. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” follows Evelyn Wang and her husband Waymond, two Chinese immigrants who run a failing laundromat alongside their daughter Joy.

During a meeting with an IRS agent to discuss their various debts, an alternate version of Waymond infiltrates the fabric of reality to recruit Evelyn in a multiversal war that will determine the fate of all realities. Called Alpha Waymond, this version of Evelyn’s husband comes from the Alphaverse, the universe where multiversal travel was first discovered by none other than an alternate version of Evelyn herself.

Using a headset to transfer skills between alternate versions of oneself, Evelyn and Alpha Waymond must fight to save all realities from Jobu Tupaki, an ageless tyrant with the unique ability to inhabit alternate versions of herself on a whim and without the headset’s use. Tupaki aims to end all realities and create a void containing everything and nothing.

It is all a lot to take in, and the suggestion of the film’s title begins to hold weight as the plot unfolds. A lot is happening, and the threat of buckling under that weight is ever-present. Were it not for the careful direction and

passionate filmmaking of Kwan and Scheinert collectively called The Daniels perhaps the film would buckle, but their efforts and, of course, the impressive performances throughout allow the film to blossom into a beautifully weird journey of self-discovery, cultural expectation and intergenerational strife.

At the heart of this journey is Evelyn’s relationship with her family the distance she feels growing between herself and Waymond, the residual strife she feels with her elderly father Gong Gong and, most centrally, the expectations she has of her daughter, Joy, as they only grow further and further apart. The regret Evelyn feels for her past decisions permeates this journey and informs the decisions she actively makes in her reality and across the multiverse. In the face of this regret, though, she must come to understand the joys of everyday life even against the temptation of what could have been and, should she fall to the temptations of Tupaki, what can be.

As mentioned, the actors of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” elevate the film. Michelle Yeoh delivers a singular performance as Evelyn, bringing to life the experiences of an immigrant mother looking to make right on many fronts. Ke Huy Quan, who found childhood fame in roles in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies,” brings the film’s best performance as the timid but resolute Waymond, whose selflessness is his ultimate strength. Stephanie Hsu delivers the most varied performance as Joy, whose emotional range is worthy of the Oscar she was denied. Jamie Lee Curtis as Dierdre, the dispassionate but ultimately empathetic IRS agent, is comparably ranged in terms of her comedic delivery.

Yeoh, Quan and Curtis received the Oscars for Best Leading Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.

The best films are those where, despite the complexity of their narrative subject matter, the themes are simple and easily accessible to an audience, regardless of age, background or experience. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” features multiversal wars and reality-jumping tyrants, but what is it really about? Love, enduring and unconditional. Informing every moment of ridiculousness and there are several is the theme of love, making for an end product that is endlessly uplifting and may even be transformative.

Whohurt Gracie Abrams?

MADISON BACKES

Contributing Writer

Independent singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams released her debut album, “Good Riddance,” Feb. 24.

Fans had been waiting for a full album since the release of Abrams’ first EP, “This Is What It Feels Like,” released Nov. 12, 2021. The 12 track album left fans speechless as Abrams displayed her excellent songwriting techniques and musicality.

Abrams’ new album has proved to be a huge success, amassing over 10 million Spotify streams for the track “I know it won’t work.” The album certainly lived up to the hype however the album seems to pigeonhole Abrams’ songwriting into a very specific niche best described as sad-girl indie.

The first track, titled “Best,” name-drops the album title in the first verse with the line, “You fell hard / I thought, ‘Good riddance.’” In this song, Abrams reminisces on an old relationship and reflects on how she treated someone she once loved. Abrams states her ex-partner was too sensitive and that she was neglectful. This song is perfect for those with an avoidant attachment style, however, the bridge of the song leaves some to be desired. The bridge doesn’t stand out as particularly special in comparison to other songs on

the album, so it’s disappointing to hear a lackluster bridge opening the album.

“I know it won’t work” has become an internet sensation since the release of “Good Riddance,” and for a good reason. Abrams uses her gut-wrenching storytelling skills to express her frustration with an ex-lover, stating, “‘Cause part of me wants you back but I know it won’t work like that, huh?”

This song highlights the artist’s vocal range and lyricism, with beautifully painful lyrics such as “What if I’m not worth the time and breath I know you’re savin’?” and “I’d hate to look at your face and know that we’re feeling different.” Sonically, this track is catchy and effectively uses dynamic contrast between the highs and lows of the piece, making it my personal favorite of the twelve tracks.

However, the fourth track, “I should hate you,” comes in at a close second. Abrams’ vocals perfectly compliment the acoustic guitar track and make wonderful use of rhythm and spacing to create a powerful song about the introspection of former relationships. During the bridge, Abrams wails, “I should hate you / I feel stupid like I almost crashed my car,” and “I swear to God, I’d kill you / If I loved you less hard,” which packs quite a punch for any listener haunted by the ghost of lovers past.

Another exceptional track, titled “This is what the drugs are for,” depicts drug use as a form of escapism for Abrams as she tries to forget about someone no longer in her life. However, these attempts prove futile as the chorus rings, “All distractions in the end / Don’t work, I’m left to sit and think about you.” “This is what the drugs are for” is unique to the album, as it is the only track title that references a line in the verse instead of a repeated word or phrase found in the chorus. Abrams takes an unexpected turn in style with this track, veering more into the folk genre than any other song on the album. The instrumentation of this song tricks the listener into thinking that the song will be cheerful and upbeat, while only the latter is true. Overall, “Good Riddance” is a beautiful, raw and expressive album that details the many stages of grief that come after the death of an intense personal relationship. However, there’s not much sonic variety from song to song, making the album feel slightly flat and lifeless. Readers going to the Kansas City leg of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” will be lucky enough to cry along with Abrams as she opens by performing songs from “Good Riddance” live at Arrowhead Stadium July 7 and 8 of this year. For a debut album, this is excellent work from Gracie Abrams, and shows great potential for future projects.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ gets 5/5 googly eyes

‘Good Riddance’ gets 4/5 sad guitars

Graphics by Heather Beard

Photo illustration by A24©.

Truman sports standings: Week of March 30

WELTHA | Weltha adds track and field as sport

Continued from page 12

“I was 100% on board,” Hardesty said. “She was an excellent thrower in high school. The main thing will be dusting off the cobwebs after several years away from the sport.”

Weltha said she is excited to face the challenge of competing in a new sport this spring at the collegiate level. At her first meet at Missouri S&T March 24, she finished first in both the shot put and discus throws.

Hardesty said her transition to track and field is going well, though she needs a bit more time to find her rhythm. Hardesty said she thinks Weltha will be able to compete at a higher level as she gets used to the sport.

Off the court and off the field, Dean and Hardesty describe Weltha as a dedicated player and teammate.

“She does whatever it takes to win,” Dean said. “She does everything she can to be the best version of herself every single year. Even when she may not have 100%, she always gives you everything she has.”

Hardesty said Weltha has had no problem fitting in with the track and field team this season.

Weltha said what she will remember most about her time competing for Truman sports is being a part of a team.

“I’ll remember playing with my friends,” Weltha said. “This year particularly, we had a lot of fun on the basketball team. It was a really fun group.”

Weltha finished her basketball career as the all-time leader in field goal percentage for Truman and ranks fourth on the all-time leaderboard in rebounds. She also earned All-GLVC first-team honors twice.

Dean said Weltha has shown consistency throughout her career, propelling her to achieve those records.

“For someone to be talented enough to play three different collegiate sports and excel and be elite in all three, I think that’s really amazing,” Dean said.

Senior utility Ellie Weltha hits the ball. Weltha played softball for three years at Truman.

Photo by Oliver Malone

Truman freshmen tennis players adjust to college level

LILLIE MORISAKI Sports Editor

The Truman State University tennis team is 9-5 and opened their spring season against University of Missouri-St. Louis, Feb. 3.

The team plays more matches during the spring and must travel for most of them because Truman does not have an indoor tennis facility to host matches during the winter months, sophomore player Abbi Worster said.

Having a less busy fall allows the team to prepare for a busier spring season, making it smaller of an adjustment, freshman player Calli Hepfinger said.

The fall season can still be hard to manage as a freshman, but having less time in the classroom compared to high school makes it easier to manage time, freshman player Sydney Dial said. Having a full schedule as a senior in high school made her more prepared for a busy freshman year.

Rather than time management being the hardest adjustment, it was getting over the mental block, Dial said. After her match, a third-set tiebreaker against Quincy University during the fall, Dial remembered feeling like she played much better than she thought she would.

“After doing that, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is college tennis. I’m at this level now,’” Dial said. “I still think about that cause it’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I did do that. I deserve to be on a college tennis team.”

Dial hasn’t been the only one getting over a mental hump this season.

Worster said her biggest accomplishment this season has been improving her mentality around the game.

“I know a lot of people get burnt out in their college years because their main focus is athletics, and then they don’t want to play the sport anymore,” Worster said. “So I think we just focus on playing our best, the best we can. We are going to have losses and that’s ok, and we are going to improve those during practice.”

Another factor of mental blocks is that a lot of the matches are unpredictable, Dial said.

Dial said when she was in high school, it was easier to know what the competition would be like, but in college, it is harder to predict. “Every opportunity that I have is an experience that I haven’t had before, so I might as well use it to fortify my future experiences down the road,” Dial said.

-Sydney Dial, freshman tennis player

Hepfinger said she agrees, and her biggest goal this season is to continue to improve.

The Bulldogs have had a successful spring, with a record of 5-3, and will face Southwest Baptist University, Mar. 31.

“Honestly, I think we all just want to play good tennis,” Worster said. “We want to have fun with it. I mean winning is great, but at the end of the day, it comes down to your attitude and how you feel about the sport in general.”

Freshman tennis player Sydney Dial serves the ball. The Bulldogs fell 3-4 to Missouri Valley, Sep. 9. Sophomore tennis player Abbi Worster and Dial fell 3-6 in their doubles match against the Vikings.

Photo by Oliver Malone

“Every opportunity that I have is an experience that I haven’t had before, so I might as well use it to fortify my future experiences down the road.”

Sophomore tennis player Abbi Worster hits the ball. The Bulldogs fell 1-6 to Quincy University, April 1, 2022. Worster earned the Bulldog’s singular point in her singles match. Submitted Photo

ELLIE WELTHA TO PLAY THIRD COLLEGIATE SPORT

MICHAEL LAKEY Staff Writer

Truman State University senior Ellie Weltha has competed in at least two sports each year she has been at the University. She played basketball all four years, softball for three years and now competes as a thrower on the track and field team.

Weltha, a power forward on the basketball court, transferred from Illinois State University after her freshman season.

“I didn’t like being a single-sport athlete at Illinois State,” Weltha said. “I kind of like the craziness of being a two-sport athlete. It allows you to do a whole bunch of things and meet a lot of people.”

Weltha said basketball is her favorite sport to play at Truman.

Theo Dean, women’s basketball head coach, said Weltha’s dedication to multiple sports has been remarkable over her time at Truman. He said it takes a unique individual to split their time between multiple collegiate sports.

For her first three years at Truman, Weltha played softball and basketball, which she was able to do because the softball season begins at the end of basketball season.

Dean said she would split time between basketball and softball during the fall during preseason practices. Weltha, listed as a “utility player” for softball – meaning she could play many different positions – played two full seasons for the softball team. During both seasons, she had stellar statistics, batting .289 for her career. This year, Weltha felt it was time for a change.

“I wasn’t really loving [softball] anymore,” Weltha said. “With the coaches switching, it just felt like a good time to step away.”

The Truman softball team hired Ron Ferrill as its permanent head coach last summer.

During the fall, Weltha approached track and field head coach Leslie Hardesty about competing as a thrower on the track and field team. Weltha said she had competed in multiple throwing events in high school. Hardesty said yes almost immediately.

Senior athlete Ellie Weltha has played three collegiate sports. Weltha said she enjoys being able to meet more people. Photos by Oliver Malone

ATHLETE of the week

Senior guard Hannah Belanger was named an All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and the Div. II College Commissioner’s Association. Belanger is the first Bulldog to earn the WBCA All-America award twice – she had previously been named an All-American after the 2021 season. Belanger has also set the school record for number of three-pointer shots scored, tied the Truman State University single-season points record, led the GLVC in scoring, was named GLVC player of the year and earned three first team all-GLVC honors.

See WELTHA page 10

HANNAH BELANGER

“I kind of like the craziness of being a two-sport athlete. It allows you to do a whole bunch of things and meet a lot of people.”

-Ellie Weltha, senior athlete