Vol 112 Issue 13 Nov. 16 - Nov. 29 NEWS » PAGE 3 » Provost leaving
NEWS » PAGE 4 » Marketing Team OPINION » PAGE 6 » ‘Tartuffe’ Review SPORTS » PAGE 12 & 13 » Anna Dilkes
CENTERFOLD » PAGE 8 & 9 »
STAFF RESPONDS TO TIGHTENING BUDGET CUTS
2 CENTRAL SCOOP
THIS WEEK Nov 16 - Nov. 22 19 - SUNDAY
16 - THURSDAY »» Mental Fitness, 3 p.m., SRWC 182A
Nov. 16 - Nov. 29 | The Muleskinner
17 - FRIDAY »» ‘Tartuffe’, 7:30, Highlander Theatre
18 - SATURDAY »» ‘Tartuffe’, 7:30, Highlander Theatre
»» Immersion/Central BSU, 7 p.m., Lovinger 1290 »» ‘Tartuffe’, 7:30, Highlander Theatre »» MAD: Turkey Bowl, 9 p.m., Union Bowling Center
20 - MONDAY
21 - TUESDAY
22 - WEDNESDAY
THANKSGIVING BREAK NEED TO KNOW President Ambrose to host open house The annual Holiday Open House is scheduled to take place Dec. 2 at the Archauer House on 314 S. Holden Street. UCM president Chuck Ambrose and his wife, Kris, will be available to visit with guests from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but the public is welcome to attend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Refreshments will be served and those in attendance may also participate in a soup tasting as part of Tiny Tim’s Soup Competition and receive a ticket for a ride through campus in a mule-drawn carriage. Warrensburg Main Street will host Dickens Christmas in downtown Warrensburg the same day, featuring window artists, sleigh rides, carolers and musicians in period costumes. For more information about the open house, contact Jamie Jennings at Jennings@ucmo.edu. For more information about Warrensburg Main Street’s Dickens Christmas, visit warrensburgmainstreet.com
The Spotlight to host Turkey Bowl
Bowl a turkey and win a turkey at The
Spotlight’s Turkey Bowl at 9 p.m. Nov. 16 in the Union Bowling Center. Refreshments will be served. Bowling is free to all participants. Those who win a turkey will have the option of donating it to the Warrensburg Food Pantry. For more information about the event, contact Jeina Stoumbaugh at stoumbaugh@ucmo.edu
not easy. Kevin did a lot of research, and learned there aren’t a lot of schools that have done that,” Mackey said in a news release. “Next year, we’re going for the Grand Award. That’s our goal.”
UCM grounds maintenance crew wins again
The Warrensburg Convention and Visitors Bureau Community Grant program is accepting applications. The program was established to support nonprofits projects, programs and events aimed at tourism development or marketing that promote tourist attractions that then may create overnight stays in Warrensburg’s lodging establishments. The WCVB has awarded almost 20 thousand dollars through the grant program since 2015, according to a news release. Grant funds are generated from the lodging tax collected from overnight lodging facilities in Warrensburg, according to the Visit Warrensburg’s website. The WCVB Community Grant Committee will review requests for funding. For more information, go to visitwarrensburg.com
UCM received the University and College Grounds Green Star Awards Honor Award during the Professional Grounds Management Society’s annual exposition Oct. 20 in Louisville, Kentucky. The award program provides national recognition for grounds maintained with a high degree of excellence, according to a news release. This is the second consecutive year that the work of UCM’s grounds crew received national recognition. Brad Mackey, grounds manager, accepted the award on behalf of UCM during the 45th Annual Green Star Banquet, which was part of the PGMS School of Grounds Management & GIE+EXPO. “We’ve got a bunch of employees who care, and to get this award back-to-back (years) is
Warrensburg grant now accepting applications
CAMPUS CRIME It was reported at 11:35 p.m. Nov. 7 that an officer responded to the third floor of East Ellis in reference to a possible drug law violation. The reporting officer detected the odor of marijuana and contacted an individual in the room who advised they were at a party with two friends who are also UCM students where marijuana was being smoked. The three students will be referred for university discipline. It was reported at 9:16 p.m. Nov. 8 that a vehicle struck a light pole in UCM Lot 12. There were no injuries and no apparent damage to the light pole. It was reported at 8:32 a.m. Oct. 30 that a vehicle in UCM Lot 45 had marks and food on it. It was determined that from 12 to 8:32 a.m., someone damaged the vehicle. It was later determined that an ongoing dispute had been occurring between the owner of the vehicle and another resident. Both residents were warned to not contact each other. The incident is being referred for discipline.
3 NEWS
Nov. 16 - Nov. 29 | The Muleskinner
UCM signs health care agreement by LEAH KEMPLE News Editor
The university signed an agreement Friday with St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, Western Missouri Medical Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City designed to keep costs down by keeping people healthy. UCM President Chuck Ambrose said one of the biggest changes in health care is that it’s moving to a more outcome-based model. “One of the only ways for us to control the rising cost is to help provide the highest quality of care at the lowest cost with a culture that tries to keep us well rather than knowing when we get sick,” Ambrose said. He said the partnership consists of three parts: the health insurance provider, Blue Cross Blue Shield; the health care providers, WMMC and St. Luke’s; and the faculty and staff at UCM. “Over the last two years, Western Mis-
souri Medical Center and St. Luke’s has been working to provide, under the patient-centered medical home model, a network model that is a patient outcome basis model by which we can have the best care at the lowest cost,” he said. Chelsea Mudd, the marketing manager at WMMC, said the hospital has taken steps toward the innovative communication care model. “The agreement is another step toward partnering with employers,” she said. Ambrose said Blue Cross Blue Shield has provided a benefit structure that helps reduce the cost of the institution’s health care that contributes to keeping tuition low and keeping people employed. “This is only the first year of the model, so we’re bringing these elements together,” he said. The goal of the agreement is to stabilize overall health care costs and create a medical home serving UCM faculty, staff, students and their dependents, according to a news release. Ambrose said the premium cost of a
family plan has been expensive, so the new plan will accommodate for individuals and their dependents. “Our individual employees probably pay two-thirds less than most people pay for individual plans in most work places, so incrementally, it’s a bigger percentage increase, but it’s different than paying $600 a month for families where you just can't even insure them,” he said.
Ambrose said the new agreement impacts people, but costs should come down if faculty and staff stay within their customized plan. “If you stay within your customized EPO or PPO plan and utilize primary care as your primary point of provider, your actual copay and coshare of cost will come down,” he said. “If we can mitigate AGREEMENT, see page 5
PROVOST TOP CANIDATE FOR PRESIDENCY AT INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY by LEAH KEMPLE News Editor
UCM provost-chief learning officer, Deborah Curtis, is being recommended to be appointed as the president of Indiana State University. A final decision will be made next week at a meeting of the ISU Board of Trustees. Curtis was recommended for the presidency after a search that consisted of more than 70 candidates according to a news release sent out by Jeff Murphy, assistant director of media relations. Curtis’ job at UCM includes overseeing academic programs and support services – the university’s academic colleges, the
library extended studies, as well as enrollment management, information technology and student affairs. ISU is Curtis’ alma mater, where she received her Ph.D in curriculum and instruction from the university. She said she’s excited to start her work there. “My husband and I are just delighted with this opportunity to become part of the Indiana State University community,” Curtis said. UCM President Chuck Ambrose said he is grateful for the work Curtis has done for the university. “While I will miss Dr. Curtis on a personal and professional level, as I know you will for all she has brought to UCM, we celebrate her well-deserved appoint-
ment, knowing that ISU has made an excellent decision with regard to its top leader,” he said in an email to UCM employees. Ambrose also said Curtis is a strong leader and played a big part in the growth of the university. “We thank Dr. Curtis for her contributions to UCM’s faculty, staff and students, and wish her well on her new position, and know ISU will now have the benefit of her commitment and leadership in a way that will ensure her alma mater’s continued success,” Ambrose said. ISU Board of Trustees President David Campbell said the trustees will vote to confirm Curtis’ position at 1 p.m. Nov. 15 in the State Room of Tirey Hall.
“I am very pleased to announce my intention to recommend the appointment of Deborah Curtis as our next president. Dr. Curtis brings a breadth of experience from her roles at Central Missouri and Illinois State, and I am confident she will build upon the tremendous success that has been achieved in the past 10 years and advance Indiana State to even greater heights,” Campbell said. The Board of Governor’s is scheduled to vote on an interim provost during closed session Friday. More information will be released after Thanksgiving break, for questions contact Jeff Murphy at jmurphy@ucmo.edu.
4 NEWS
Nov. 16 - Nov. 29 | The Muleskinner
Students earn cash, education and experience at sales competition by DENISE ELAM Lifestyle Editor
UCM Sales Team members Tara Hansen and Ashlee Eastman took home a combined total of $11,500 at the 2017 State Farm Marketing and Sales Competition Oct. 20 at UCM. Tyler Hirlinger, an assistant professor of marketing at UCM, coaches the sales teams. He said the team competed in a customer service role play, a sales role play and a marketing presentation. “They (State Farm) did an incredible job actually sponsoring the events, and each competitor, if chosen, gets $1,000 for competing,” Hirlinger said. “So you get a thousand bucks just for competing – it doesn’t matter if you win or you get last place, you’re leaving there with a thousand bucks.” Hirlinger said the team, which consisted of Hansen and Eastman, trains for the role plays as though they are preparing to be employees at State Farm. He said State Farm gave competitors a selling situation for the role play two days before the competition. “So they have the situation and they have to adapt the sales presentation to whatever the situation is,” Hirlinger said. “Essentially, you have this client. They have a problem. How do you fix that problem? How do you go about that?” For the marketing presentation portion, the team received a prompt from State Farm about a month before the competition. ‘It’s always just some sort of prompt that is geared towards millennials, typically,” Hirlinger said. “In the past, it’s ‘How do you retain millennial customers? How do you keep them with State Farm?’” He said this year the prompt was to rethink the State Farm office using disruptive innovation. “So they want us to think about how we can get away from the traditional State Farm office,” Hirlinger said. “On top of
UCM Annual Project Connect by ANAIYEH SMITH Reporter
the role plays, we’re also training and building an entire marketing campaign built around that one idea, which given in a month is not always easy to do. It was a lot of hard work that the competitors put in.” Hansen, a junior marketing major, received the platinum first place award in customer service role play, earning her $3,000. She also received $1,500 for winning the gold second place award in the sales role play competition and another $1,000 for competing, according to a news release. “The competition as a whole was really rewarding,” Hansen said. “I really enjoyed it.” Hansen said it was stressful because she had to learn about an industry she knew nothing about. “I hadn’t taken a sales class until this point, so I all of a sudden am in a sales competition about content that I don’t know,” Hansen said. “But my teammate and my coach are just really good about growing that knowledge base and so it really helped me not only grow in interest and in sales but really as a person.” Eastman, a senior marketing major, finished fourth in the customer service role play and the sales role play. Hansen and
Eastman also won the team marketing competition, racking up $5,000 for the two to split. Eastman said the competition was a challenging but excellent way to gain real world experience. “I certainly learned a lot about sales, planning proposals, researching and insurance,” Eastman said. “My largest take away would be the relationships I was able to form between my partner, the professors, and the lovely people from State Farm.” Hansen said the competition made her realize it’s possible for her to go into the insurance field, even though her goal is to be a community relations director for a professional sports team. “It made me really realize that you are going to sell in everything you do… and I’m going to have to market myself anyway. Just having that experience on my resume – it definitely stands out,” Hansen said. Hirlinger said another sales team is in the process of being created for the 2018 National Collegiate Sales Competition taking place in April of 2018. He said the NCSC is like the Superbowl of sales competitions and the two competitors will be selected by the end of the semester.
UCM hosted its annual Project Community Connect Friday in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The charity event was held to help those in need and provide local families with essential items to keep them warm during the winter. Donations were taken for socks, hats, gloves, scarves, coats and mittens. Those items and more were distributed and collected at this annual event. Families were eligible to receive canned goods, toilet paper, paper towels and talk with community members and volunteers from all over who were there to help out. There were several booths and tables set up throughout the Student Recreation Center where families could stop by and learn about services offered by individual groups. Families were then instructed to go to each table, and donations were given at the end. Participants were also asked to complete an exit survey about their experience at Community Connect. Hundreds of families and volunteers came out and supported each other. This event was planned as an opportunity to connect with the community and support those in need. UCM hosts several other events like this throughout the semester, but this was the biggest. For more information about the project or to donate visit projectcommunityconnect.org and look for upcoming events at ucmo.edu/events.
FACES OF UCM: MATHEW MARTINEZ by KAITLIN BROTHERS
Multimedia Editor
Mathew Martinez is the student governor at the University of Central Missouri. In this Faces of UCM, Mathew talks about why he chose to be the student body representative and discusses the importance of having a strong voice for students on campus.
Below, Mathew Martinez with Governor Nixon and his wife, Georgette, at a dinner party.
Martinez takes a photo of the skyline while on vacation in Mykonos, Greece. Mathew with Senator David Pearce and his parents, Cindy and Richard Martinez, at the Capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri, where he was appointed student governor.
6 OPINION
Nov. 16 - Nov. 29 | The Muleskinner
RED RISING; GOLD ISN’T SO RICH by MERRIN GUTHRIE Reporter
I read the first book of the “Red Rising” series by Peirce Brown. “Red Rising” is a thrilling science fiction book. The story takes place in the future where mankind is now living on different planets in the solar system. The story begins with a boy named Darrow who works in the mines of Mars. On Mars, society is separated into color-coded minority groups. The main groups are the Reds and the Golds. The Reds are the poor people and the peasants on Mars. The Golds are the upper class and rich people. The Golds are the dominant group of Mars, and control most of the other colors’ lives. Darrow is a Red whose wife, Eo, is sentenced to death because she sang a forbidden song by the Golds. Driven into rage by Eo’s death, Darrow joins a legion the Reds formed to lead a revolution against the Golds. The Reds send Darrow undercover as a Gold to spy on them, so they can start an uprising. Darrow learns a lot about the Golds’ way of life. The Golds are very conceited and snooty. They are power hungry and lust for dominance and control. Darrow is placed in a Gold group in an academy where they are being trained to be Gold soldiers. He starts getting into rivalries with the other Golds. Throughout the book, Darrow slowly starts to become like a Gold himself and has to
ILLUSTRATION BY EJ HENDERSON / DESIGN EDITOR
break the effect the Golds have on him and remember his mission to help revolt against them. There are many intense parts in the book. One of my favorite parts is when some boys in Darrow’s Gold group whip and jump one of their soldiers. Darrow gets angry and tells them since they whipped him, they have to whip him now. He says, “whatever you do to each other, you do to me, too.” Another part of the book I like is the chapter, “The Battle of Apollo.” In the Gold academy, they are separated into houses; House Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Apollo. The goal in the academy is for one House to gain dominance over the other houses. Darrow is in House Mars and they lead a battle against House Apollo. It gets very suspenseful and bloody as they are fighting each other. I really enjoyed this book. It is very thrilling and suspenseful because you don’t know when or if Darrow will get caught and found out that he is a Red. You also don’t know how much the Golds are going to corrupt Darrow and if he will turn against the Reds to become one. It kind of reminds me of a futuristic version of the CIA. If you like a good story about spies or the future, I think you will enjoy this book.
7 OPINION
Nov. 16 - Nov. 29 | The Muleskinner
A review: Moliere’s ‘Tartuffe’ by RYAN SHEEHAN Reporter
In 1664, the iconic playwright Moliere released “Tartuffe” to France. It was widely popular, and a widely known controversy. The play is a comedy about a noble family being manipulated by the supposed “Holy Man,” Tartuffe. The UCM Theater Department did their own rendition of the play, with the opening night being Tuesday. The play has highbrow humor, meaning it has sophisticated jokes about the upper-class and nobility, but the play has some lowbrow humor too. These jokes are self-explanatory, in this case they involve sex in some way or another. I personally enjoyed both kinds of comedy, so natural I found “Tartuffe” to be pretty funny. The choreography is well done. Many of the gags are visual with certain characters in raunchy positions. This wording takes new meaning if you have seen the play with the table scene. If there wasn’t anything funny happening, it was still several nice characters moving around at once. The actors fully commit to their motions, whether they be grand or extreme. I have no doubt that changes were made between the original French version from hundreds of years ago, and this latest up-
date. Maybe the dialogue is the same, but there were a few visual jokes that I have a feeling added on. Examples would be awkward pauses, gestures, and eye movements. I’m guessing Tartuffe stripping down to his underwear was not in the 17th century version. I think the updated comedy added to humor to an already funny play, making it a worthwhile addition. When ‘Tartuffe’ was first released, it caused much controversy. Due to its portrayal of men of God, it was banned in Paris, and re-writes had to be made to please the Church. The King himself had it censored, despite finding it funny, and like many of the mediums found to be obscene long ago, it’s very tame by today’s standards. There is nothing truly offensive about how it portrays religion. The characters point out on several occasions that there are people of faith that are sincere, and not like Tartuffe. Granted, some this dialogue came from the pressured rewrites. Some may find the set pieces and clothing odd. There is a reason for this, being a conscious choice by the director and other staff. I believe it is trying to module the style of time period with a new twist. Having no official knowledge of this area of theatre, I will say no more. The acting was great, I honestly didn’t see a dull performance. Even if the actors
AGREEMENT, continued from page 3 the big increases, the overall cost of our health care under this new plan is less for the university and that never happens.” There is a possibility that some health care providers won’t be included in the network depending on what tier in which they are included. “Customized networks do sometimes narrow the choices, but it narrows the choices where almost 90 percent of our use is already going, and then Blue Cross has been willing, if someone is outside of the network, to work as aggressively as possible to get them in the network,” Ambrose said.
He said this agreement is a step in meeting the objectives of higher care at lower costs. He also said it’s a way for the university to save money that is needed to keep from reducing faculty and staff positions. “If you're not getting any more money from the state, and you can't charge students more for tuition increases, and your mandate costs are increasing at the way they are, the alternative the university has is to have less people,” Ambrose said. He said the university’s goal is to have a primary care service for faculty and staff that is convenient and accessible on campus.
had a small role, or a non-speaking role, they were still excellent. There are only a few critiques about “Tartuffe,” and it has nothing to do with actors or the production team. On occasion, time phases well between jokes. The humor isn’t released with drama, but with exposition. Also, the monologues can go for a little too long, even when addressing true facts of life. Bear in mind, this is a critique on “Tartuffe” the script, and nothing else. Even if you don’t like plays that much, I think you might like “Tartuffe.” It may be a little dull at times, but overall it is a very funny play. The jokes have aged well, and the new updates add to the humor.
ILLUSTRATION BY ANNA MCDONALD / ILLUSTRATOR
“If my
waist was a 38, now it’s a 22.” ILLUSTRATION BY EJ HENDERSON / DESIGN EDITOR
Budget cuts:
From 2008 to now by LEAH KEMPLE News Editor
UCM took a budget hit in 2008, but some faculty and staff members say it was easier to overcome compared to the budget blow that was experienced this year. The university received approximately $59.6 million from the state in 2008 and $55.7 million for 2018. UCM received $5.36 million less in state appropriations this fiscal year, according to a Department of Higher Education financial summary. This marked a 9 percent yearto-year decrease in core funds for the university. A previous cut resulted in UCM receiving $4.1 million less in state funding. Joyce Chang, child and family development professor, said the cuts are
much more noticeable now than they were in 2008. The biggest struggle is the lack of graduate differential. “For our college, we do not have any graduate differential, which is when the faculty teaches graduate courses separately because you need to be more invested in a graduate class,” Chang said. “In a graduate class of 12 students, it’s different than an undergraduate class of 12 students because of the intensity level.” Chang said the university tightened its belt in 2008, but the recent round of cuts required UCM to punch several new holes in the belt. “If my waist was a 38. Now it’s a 22,” she said.
Chang has moved around between different departments since she came to UCM in 1997, but she said the department she is in currently is really seeing the effects of the cuts. “I understand that timing is rough. It’s getting hard especially because I feel like more and more has been getting put on faculty’s plates, but the support is getting less and less,” she said. Chang said the uncertainty is high and people are suffering. “Even in 2008, it wasn’t that tight. I feel a lot of uncertainty now,” Chang said. “I think students are suffering because we’re cutting printing and support for instruction.”
Ryan Peterson, an associate professor in the child and family development program, said he also feels the cuts more now than he did in 2008. “Maybe I was just too new here, but I really didn’t feel it as much in 2008. I feel it particularly with the instruction. I feel it a lot harder, and I know students have to feel it as well,” Peterson said. Peterson said people are frustrated because of the budget cuts. “It feels more like a business rather than what higher-ed should be like, at least for me,” Peterson said. Gregory Turner, communication disorders professor, said his department wasn’t hit too hard
with budget cuts in 2008, but wages have remained stagnant. “My department was not affected largely by the recession. I think the faculty has been influenced largely by the lack of increase in wages over time,” Turner said. Turner said his department stayed afloat and was able to get by with the cuts that were made. “As a program, we fared pretty well even though we had to make cuts,” Turner said. “We had some flexibility.” Terry Butler, the director of the Missouri Safety Center, said his program took the biggest hit after the 2008 recession, so there wasn’t much to cut this time around. “It was tough, it was
a nail-biting time there for a little while,” Butler said. Butler said the budget cuts his department experience in 2008 made the program learn how to adapt and strengthened it in a way. “All of that that started in ‘08 sort of made us refocus what we did, and we’ve changed a lot in the last three or four years because of it,” Butler said. “I don’t know if you could say it had a positive spin, but we are where we are because of it.” Butler said the department had to learn how to survive on a limited budget while also planning out future growth. “You choose to survive,
10 OPINION
Nov. 16 - Nov. 29 | The Muleskinner
Christopher Nolan: Beyond Batman by RYAN SHEEHAN Reporter
Dunkirk marks the 10th movie from Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan. He is considered to be one of the greatest directors’ still working in Hollywood. With the expectation of “Insomnia,” he has also produced, wrote or co-wrote all of his films. His movies are always different, and yet the same. The psychological intensity can be seen in all of his works – basically every one of his movies is a thriller. For starters, Nolan is not American, he’s English. He began his career making independent films with “Following,” and then with “Memento.” After becoming successful, he started working for the big budget studios. Though you could view that as selling out to ‘The Man’. It’s worth noting that his younger brother, Jonathan, has worked on his movies before. He has co-written many of his brother’s films, including “The Dark Knight” and “Interstellar.” In fact, “Memento” is based off a short story called “Memento Mori” that Jonathan had published. Nolan will probably best remembered for redefining the superhero genre. He brought the Batman franchise back with “The Dark Knight Trilogy,” which had been in hiber-
nation since “Batman and Robin.” “Batman Begins” brought a gritty atmosphere for the Caped Crusader, proving that a superhero movie can be more than mere kids’ stuff. With his next film, he proved they can be great movies as well. “The Dark Knight” is considered to be one of the greatest superhero movies of all-time, if not the greatest. Some believe it to be one the best films to be released in the last decade. Even if the film series itself wasn’t an accurate portrayal of the comics, it’s still highly acclaimed by moviegoers and critics. Many of Nolan’s movies are household names. However, others are more underrated: such as “Insomnia” and “The Prestige.” Both are now thought of as overlooked classics. Having watched the two, I agree with that belief – especially for “The Prestige.” It takes talent to create movies with a “twist-ending” that can be re-watchable. Many movies with a “twist-ending” are only worth watching once. If you know the twist, the film’s not fun to watch anymore. Despite this true statement, both “Memento” and “The Prestige” don’t just hold up after the first viewing, they improve after multiple viewings. It’s is satisfying to pick up on little
details that you missed the first time. Nolan isn’t afraid to leave unanswered questions in his movies, allowing the audience to put the pieces together themselves to come up with their own theory. Was Leonardo DiCaprio in the real world or still in a dream at the end of “Inception”? Nolan’s films can also be disturbing at times. The Joker’s actions in “The Dark Knight” are unnerving. There are moments in “The Prestige” and “Dunkirk” that feel uncomfortable, but less severely. Surprisingly, all three of this movies are rated PG-13. His movies tend to have great performances. Heath Ledger’s Joker might go down in film history for his acting. And Ledger had never played a villain before. In “Insomnia,” Robin Williams stars as a creepy psychopath. The movie made Robin Williams creepy. Of course, Nolan’s ability to direct actors isn’t perfect. After all, he didn’t tell Christian Bale to change his Batman voice... People say that Nolan is one of the greats, but some think he is overrated. I personally think he is an awesome director. Like all filmmakers, he is not loved by everybody. His critics do bring up good points about Christopher, see page 10
11 OPINION
Nov. 16 - Nov. 29 | The Muleskinner
A Review: ‘Dunkirk’ by RYAN SHEEHAN Reporter
Last summer, highly acclaimed director,Christopher Nolan released his 10th film. Nolan is considered to be one of the best directors working in Hollywood. His work includes “Inception,” “Interstellar” and “The Dark Knight” trilogy. His latest film “Dunkirk” is set around the real-life Battle of Dunkirk that occurred during World War II. In 1940, the Nazi invasion had swept through Western Europe. In a matter of weeks, they had overtaken the British forces and conquered France. The defeated armies of both Britain and France were forced to retreat. It is at the port of Dunkirk, France that the armies gather for their evacuation to England, but as they wait for help to arrive, they are tormented by planes, bombers, submarines and the slowly approaching army of the enemy. The first thing about “Dunkirk” you should know is, that it isn’t a war film. At least, not in the traditional sense. The film focuses on tension and survival rather than combat. In truth, “Dunkirk” is a psychological thriller like all other Christopher Nolan films. Every movie Nolan has ever made, has been a thriller in one way or another. Even “The Dark Knight” is a thriller at times. What stands out from this movie are the characters. The film focuses on several people as they try to survive and/or do their duty in the chaos of Dunkirk. In the past, Nolan has made movies with bland characters. Instead, he tends to focus more on interesting plots. In “Dunkirk” the characters feel a lot more human than in his previous works. A few of them act almost cowardly. Yet, the film never portrays them as cowards rather as people just trying to live. The characters are impressive considering how little dialogue is in the movie and that a few of the characters remain nameless. Though, not all of the characters are satisfying, some have little screen time, and due to their lack of names, it can get confusing which person is which. Despite not being a true war-film, “Dunkirk”
is faithful to the real battle. The planes and boats on screen are all based on real machinery, some being replicas. Several battleships used were real British battleships, along with the German fighter-planes. Historical facts are also mentioned in the film, like how the British were evacuated first, the French were forced to wait for their turn. To add further realism, most of the movie’s special effects are practical. This means there was little computer generated images. Like I said, many of the boats and planes are real. In addition, the movie was shot around the real city of Dunkirk. Never let the PG-13 rating fool you when Christopher Nolan is the director. His movies can be more intense and scary than ones with an R rating. “The Dark Knight” can be disturbing at times, and so is “Dunkirk.” When a ship sinks, not everyone makes it out. At first, I hated the idea of a war-film rated PG-13. What war is PG13? But after seeing scenes with drowning men scream as they are hopelessly trapped, I’ll give “Dunkirk” a pass. Unlike other Christopher Nolan movies, it’s not a masterpiece. The film loses its intensity overtime. In the beginning, the peril is non-stop. It becomes less and less by the third act. It ends on a very hopeful and positive note. Granted, the British did win the war – obviously. Still, this is a big contrast to how the movie began, and as mentioned above, there isn’t a lot of talking. Overall, I would say that “Dunkirk” is a really good movie. Of course, it’s not perfect. It’s not the best film Christopher Nolan has ever made. If you enjoy his other movies, you’ll probably enjoy this one. If you are looking for another great movie by Nolan on par with “The Dark Knight,” you might feel a little disappointed. I know I was after my first viewing. I didn’t warm up to it until my second time. If “Dunkirk” sounds like a movie you would like to watch, I do recommend seeing it. It’s not the next “Inception,” but is another good movie from a good director.
CHRISTOPHER, continued from page 3
his movies. Nolan tends to focus on interesting plots rather than interesting characters. One could argue that great characters could make any story interesting. His main characters are always the same – a man that feels guilt from something, which is usually the death of a loved one. This loss motivates the character’s actions throughout the story. This is true for the protagonists of “Memento,” “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Inception” and so on. Thankfully, “Dunkirk” avoided this repeated trope, for the most part. I love some of Nolan’s movies, but not all. “The Dark Knight Rises” was a disappointing finale for the trilogy. It is the weakest of the three. The only good parts are the stunts and Tom Hardy’s performance as Bane. “Interstellar” could have been better as well. Despite having an amazing plot, the characters were not the best. But even his critics would admit that Christopher Nolan is a good director. Now is he great or overrated? Honestly, I love his movies. I’m not sure if he’s one of all-time great directors, but his movies are classics. “The Dark Knight” is one of my favorites, and I highly recommend watching “The Prestige.” “Dunkirk” was another good film by Nolan, and I look forward to the next one.
PHOTOS BY KRISTINE HAFFORD / PHOTO EDITOR
DILKES BREAKS MIAA FOR CONSECUTIVE S
A RECORD SHUTOUTS
Jennies soccer goalkeeper, Ana Dilkes, is the only goalkeeper in MIAA history to post 12 consecutive shutouts. Dilkes was also a First Team All-MIAA pick along with being the seventh goalkeeper in Division II history to post over 1,000 consecutive shutouts minutes reaching 1,093. She also broke the Division II record for career shutouts earlier this season when she hit 60 in the Jennies shutout win over Emporia State in the MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals. It’s high time Dilkes gets the opportunity to speak on her and her team’s success. On breaking the shutout record: It’s just a number; it’s sweet, but at the end of the day, I’m looking for something bigger than that. We’re looking for a team championship. It just shows how much pride we put into our defense and our hard work. On her team: I think our team is great. Everything is kind of coming together smoothly. Every team is different each year, but we’re a great team, and I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else. We come into practice every day just wanting to get better; we take what Lewis gives us and implement it to the games. Honestly, we just try to work our hardest every single game and do the best we can to get the desired results. This team has put in so much hard work that it’s just exciting to see where it’s going. Obviously with the coaching staff, we are extremely blessed with what they give us. I just want the best for this team, and I am so grateful to be a part of it. On upcoming tournaments: We just have to take each game step-by-step, so right now we’re preparing for our next game; we’ll have a really intense practice. Hopefully we’ll come out with the results we want to see. Putting together a full 90 minutes would be really nice. Each game at this point is win, or go home. We’ve just got to put it all out there if we haven’t put it out there. We just gotta really get after it. On life after graduation: I have no idea. Obviously, I just want to graduate in May. I’d like to stay in the soccer world, but if not, just get a job.
14 13 SPORTS
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Seven volleyball players named to All-MIAA volleyball team Seven Jennies landed on the All-MIAA team with three on the First Team. The Jennies finished the regular season at 24-7 and 14-4 in the MIAA to earn the No. 4 seed in the MIAA tournament. The Jennies are the 18th ranked team in Division II by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The three Jennies that earned a spot on the First Team are senior Kasey Hohlen, junior Kylie Hohlen and freshman Aubree Bell. Kasey Hohlen is a three-time All-MIAA selection as a middle hitter. This is her first time making First Team honors. She leads the MISS hitting .368 for the season and her 3.50 kills per set rank fourth in the league. She will graduate with more than 800 kills and hit .300 or
better in all three seasons at UCM. Kylie Hohlen is also a three-time All-MIAA selection, though this is her first selection as a libero. Hohlen leads the MIAA with 6.12 digs per set. She also dished out 79 assists and landed 29 service aces. Bell is averaging 2.90 kills per set and needs one more kills to reach 300 for the season. Bell has 204 digs, 21 assists and 17 service aces in this first year with the Jennies. Freshmen Audrey Fisher and Ally Offerdahl were named All-MIAA Second Team, senior Katie Carlson and redshirt freshman Hannah VanBuskirk were named All-MIAA Honorable Mention.
Turner headlines Mules All-MIAA selections Kasey Hohlen earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Player of the Week along with the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week award. Ally Offerdahl was also recognized this week as the MIAA Specialist of the Week following the Jennies’ victories over Pittsburg State, Central Oklahoma and Lindenwood. Hohlen totaled 45 kills and averaged a .466 hitting percentage over the course of the three matches. She is just the sixth Jennie in to receive an AVCA weekly award. Hohlen also reached a milestone last weekend. In the
match against Central Oklahoma, the senior middle hitter recorded her 700th career kill. Offerdahl dished out 117 assists over the Jennies three matches. The freshmen setter also totaled 10 kills and 34 digs over that time span. Offerdahl totaled a career-high 57 assist in the match against Central Oklahoma. The Jennies next competition will take place against the Northwest Bearcats at 6 p.m. Oct. 27 in Maryville, Missouri. The road trip continues the following day as the Jennies face the Missouri Western Griffons at 6 p.m. Oct. 28 in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Jennies earn sixth place finish at Warhawk Invite Jennies bowling went 2-1 in bracket play on the final day of the Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawk Invitational and finished just outside of the top five, earning a sixth place finish. The Jennies went 7-2 overall during the three day span and totaled 12,912 pins. The Jennies’ first match required all seven matches as they took on St. Francis. The Jennies took the first two rounds by scores of 192-169 and 232-215 to get out in front at 2-0, but St. Francis didn’t go away easily. UCM dropped the third match 225-177, but came back to win
the fourth match by one pin. The Jennies faltered in the fifth and sixth match losing 226-22 and 229-185. Tied at 3-3, UCM secured the series win in dominant fashion, 214-158, to advance. The Jennies won't be competing after the New Year and will have extended time off competition. The next tournament will be at the Arkansas State Mid-Winter Jan. 12-14.
15 CENTRAL SCOOP
Nov. 16 - Nov. 29 | The Muleskinner
SUDOKU
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Puzzle by Hang Chen and Curtis Cooper
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2017-2018 Muleskinner Staff Jacque Flanagan..Managing Editor Leah Kemple....................News Editor Denise Elam................Lifestyle Editor Kaitlin Brothers.......Multimedia Editor EJ Henderson................Design Editor Kristine Hafford................Photo Editor Anna McDonald...Graphic Designer Nicole Mense.......Business Manager Matt Bird-Meyer..........Faculty Adviser
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Police responded to a call at 4:47 p.m. Oct. 29 in the 400 block of East North Street about a disturbance. Officers responded to a call at 4:55 p.m. Oct. 29 east of North Maguire Street about an altercation that ended with two vehicles colliding and one person being assaulted. No arrests have been made at this time. Valerie A. Johnson, 52, was arrested at 8:46 p.m. Oct. 29 in the 600 block of West Clark Street on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Kieffer L. Williams, 22, was arrested at 11:01 p.m. Oct. 29 in the 100 block of East Culton Street on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Officers responded to a call at 7:50 a.m. Oct. 27 at Warrensburg High School about a juvenile hitting another juvenile. Officers responded to a call at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 27 at Warrensburg High School about a juvenile that was assaulted before class.
Jelani K. Warren, 24, was arrested at 12:44 p.m. Oct. 31 in the 1000 block of Park Avenue on suspicion of burglary, stealing and resisting arrest. Officers responded to a call at 9:56 p.m. Nov. 1 in the 500 block of South Main Street about the damage of 5 vehicles. Ernest J. Stewart, 27, was arrested at 3:09 a.m. Nov. 2 in the 100 block of West Culton Street on suspicion of driving with a suspended license and driving while intoxicated. Samuel D. Smith, 39, was arrested at 8:37 a.m. Nov. 2 at the intersection of Main and Clark streets on suspicion of driving with a suspended license. Officers responded to a call at 11:25 a.m. Nov. 2 in the 600 block of North Enterprise Drive about property damage. Officers responded to a call at 1:47 p.m. Nov. 2 in the 1000 block of East Hale Lake Road about damage done to property.
A 2009 Nissan Versa was reported stolen at 11:16 a.m. Oct. 30. The car was later found in Sugar Creek, Mo.
Officers responded to a call at 3:33 p.m. Nov. 2 in the 600 block of West Clark Street about a package being stolen from a doorstep.
Judson A. Bullock, 41, was arrested at 11:46 a.m. Oct. 30 in the 300 block of West Market Street on suspicion of burglary.
Officers responded to a call at 9:05 p.m. Nov. 3 in the 500 block of South Main Street about a call for domestic assault. Both parties were OK.
Officers responded to a call at 4:45 p.m. Oct. 30 in the 600 block of West Clark Street in reference to a narcotics inverstigation.
Sterling D. Hangrove-Shroder, 19, was arrested at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 3 at the intersection of Washington and King streets on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Clayton A. Lang, 20, was arrested at 1:37 a.m. Oct. 31 at the intersection of Washington Street and the railroad track on suspicion of possession of alcohol by consumption and possession of fake identification. Officers responded to a call at 8:28 a.m. Oct. 31 in the 700 block of Ironhorse Drive about money being stolen out of a truck.
Officers seized marijuana at 11:43 a.m. Nov. 3 from Warrensburg High School. Officers responded to a call at 12:20 p.m. Nov. 3 in the 700 block of Broad Street about a burglary. A vehicle was reported stolen Nov. 4 in the 500 block of South Main Street. Reports compiled from the Warrensburg Police Department.
AN EARLY BREAK COMIC BY ANNA MCDONALD / ILLUSTRATOR
Nourishing Community
What Campus Cupboard Food Pantry.
Why No member of the UCM community should go hungry.
How Start-up funding from the UCM Alumni Foundation.
S E E T H E I M P A C T. B E T H E I M P A C T. The UCM Alumni Foundation connects alumni, students, faculty, and friends of the university with engagement opportunities that strengthen and transform the UCM educational experience. Because empowering dreams is the greatest gift of all. Learn more at ucmfoundation.org