February 2022 Vol. 115 Issue 6

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• Vol. 115 • Issue 6 • Feb. 25, 2022

Missouri Officials Discuss the Future of Education ANNA FURNEY & EMMA FISCHER Reporter & News Editor

On Feb. 17, Missouri Governor Mike Parson visited the University of Central Missouri campus to engage in a roundtable discussion with various state and school officials across Missouri to examine the current state of affairs and ways to improve. In addition to speaking about education, the roundtable members discussed employment, infrastructure and COVID-19 issues that are currently affecting Missouri.

A large part of the discussion included funding allocation, as Missouri’s proposed operating budget, which was between $33-34 billion this year, has increased to approximately $47 billion for fiscal year 2023.

The governor’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes increasing higher education’s core funding by 5.4 percent for all public institutions, $31.5 million for MoExcels projects and $470 million to fund capital projects at state community colleges and four-year institutions. Parson also noted that about $20 million will go toward developing the 57 career centers in the state to help prepare high school students for the jobs of tomorrow.

In addition, he proposed adding $7 million toward dual credit scholarships and $6 million in additional funds for A+ scholarships.

The roundtable included UCM and State Fair Community College leaders, as well as representatives of the Warrensburg and Knob Noster school districts. It also included participation from the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce, Johnson County and Sedalia governance, economic development and industry representatives. The group discussed many internal problems and potential solutions, such as clean water,

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (right) conducts a roundtable discussion at the University of Central Missouri that also includes Zora Mulligan, the commissioner of higher education in Missouri, (left) and UCM president Roger Best (center). Submitted photo.

telemedicine and unemployment. An additional issue discussed was the low base pay for Missouri teachers.

“Currently, in the state of Missouri, the base pay for a teacher, K-12, is $25,000,” Parson said. “That is dead last in the United States. That’s $12 an hour … Half of them, within five years, leave.”

According to the UCM registrar’s office, about 1,750 UCM students are pursuing a degree in education, so many current students will be affected by the base pay for teachers after graduation. Parson’s new plan is set to ensure Missouri students have access to quality education taught by dedicated and talented teachers.

The roundtable group also discussed the lack of accessible childcare in Missouri, specifically how this affects the workforce, as many employees choose to stay home and watch their children. Parson’s policy director Kayla Hahn said the new budget will allot $700 million for improving childcare services.

“Those childcare investments can be in partnership such as innovation grants for businesses that might want to bring childcare on site, as we know that is definitely a need, or childcare facilities in partnership with our K-12 institutions, or even with our higher education institutions,” Hahn said.

Another member at the

roundtable, Zora Mulligan, the commissioner of Missouri’s Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, said that this new plan for improvements will rely on partnerships between community organizations and schools.

“The importance of collaboration with local community members to make sure that we can get these projects funded and make them be successful — that’s really been a part of the workforce development agenda from the beginning,” Mulligan said.

Mulligan also said that Missouri has seen better results in securing additional funding when JUMP TO PAGE 2

Sodexo Resident District Manager Justin Dreslinski explained some of the decisions Sodexo has made in order to continue with seemingly normal operations.

“The easiest way to explain is an overall labor shortage,” Dreslinski said.

“What we have tried to do is minimize fluctuations. We don’t want to open and close operations on a day-to-day basis.”

Every day, some employees change which location they’re working at on campus. Sodexo looks at where the largest gaps in service are and finds the workers to fill those gaps, which means those who were at the library Einstein Bros location are working in other areas on campus, such as Ellis Dining Center.

Dreslinski explained that because of the labor shortage, something had to be cut.

“We saw that we had two Einsteins that were fairly close to each other,” Dreslinski said. “We could take the employees that were working there

and spread them through the rest of the operations.”

Dreslinski assured that the closure of the JCKL location is not forever. While that location is closed, students have other options on campus. However, having a location in the library is convenient for many students, especially those who work in the library.

“It’s a little unfortunate … we don’t have many [food] options, and the ones we do, they’re all in one building,” Timmy Long, an employee at the Learning Commons and sophomore public relations major, said. “Not having any options in the library is kind of upsetting.”

The Learning Commons is next to the library Einstein Bros location, so many workers who usually visit the restaurant for a meal are now left to find alternatives.

While the closing of the library location has affected students, those who have been affected the most have been the employees. Sodexo

is currently having difficulty finding employees to fill supervisor positions throughout dining operations, which means the opening of the library Einstein Bros station could take longer than anticipated.

Junior student worker Grace Fugate has worked for Einsteins for one year, but she didn’t work at the JCKL. She said it started off as a temporary closure, and then it shut down.

Fugate commented on the lack of people in management positions, and said if there were more workers who had seniority over her, then the store would most likely run better and do better financially.

“I love the workers and managers but the communication is not [great] between the managers and those in leadership positions,” Fugate said.

Although the closure of the library Einstein Bros has been a disruption to some students, Sodexo has been working to fill labor gaps in the most efficient way possible to keep other services available.

Einstein Bros Temporarily Closed Due to Staff Shortage

The Einstein Bros Bagels location in the James C Kirkpatrick Library is closed until further notice. Photo by Lauryn Morrow

LILLIAN TATE Reporter

Students at the University of Central Missouri returned from winter break to find that the James C Kirkpatrick Library Einstein Bagel Bros location has shut down until further notice because of a labor shortage, which affects many areas on campus.

2 Muleskinner New Club Open to All Students • Vol. 115 • Issue 6 • Feb. 25, 2022

News

ROWENA RAMBEAU Reporter

The Student Finance Association at the University of Central Missouri has created a new club for finance enthusiasts to enrich students’ futures in finance and serve budding interest in cryptocurrency. The Crypto and Alternative Investment Club used to mainly be for finance students; however, the club has recently been opened to the student body for anyone interested in gaining financial literacy and investment strategies for stocks or cryptocurrencies.

The growing popularity of cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, or trending topics like NFTs is difficult to ignore, and student interest is increasing. However, there is still confusion amongst many about what crypto is. Simply, cryptocurrencies are a form of digital currency that exists independent of federal government regulation.

The club is advised by James Cicon from the Harmon School of Business at UCM, who commented on the popularity of alternative investing.

“Crypto became popular nearly 10 years ago, and a lot of people thought it would wane in interest, but it hasn’t been doing that,” Cicon said. “It has only been getting more and more popular.”

Joshua Terrell is a master’s student working on his MBA at UCM and holds a bachelor’s in finance and economics.

He currently acts as president of the SFA and said that the new Crypto Club will include some activities of the SFA while also focusing on teaching investment strategies to students.

“Investments in general are always risky — nothing’s guaranteed — but we’re going to try and teach people the best strategies,” Terrell said.

The club will collaborate on potential investments while using resources like the Forbes Trading Room and the Bloomberg Terminals. The terminals are a rare, costly resource to have.

They are computers which house the software needed to understand the PARSON FROM PAGE 1: collaborations occur, so they encourage even more of these partnerships.

Even though the state is facing many issues right now, Parson said he feels this is an exciting time for the future of Missouri because of the state’s positive financial position.

“Financially, our state has been in the best shape it has been in a long time,”

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Staff

Bethany Spitzmiller, Managing Editor Emma Fischer, News Editor Libby East, Features Editor Meah Copeland, Sports Editor Dillon Seckington, Opinions Editor Angela Evatt, DEIA Editor Gabriella Ellis, Promotions Manager Anna Furney, Copy Editor Blair Miller, THRIVE Intern Dr. Julie Lewis, Faculty Adviser

The club is currently deciding on their meeting schedule, but SFA Vice President Julia Krause is available when the Forbes Trading Room is open to answer any questions students may have about the club or their future in investing. Photo by Rowena Rambeau

market and potential finance decisions, which are not typically available to students and cost close to $100,000 a year to maintain according to Mr. Cicon.

“Bloomberg is a very important tool for large investment companies,” Cicon said. “Some people call it the supercomputer of financial analysis tools.”

Additionally, the club will provide students with the knowledge to earn their own certification in operating Bloomberg Terminals, which provides an edge on any resume.

“I think it’s going to open up a lot of opportunities to people who may not necessarily get those chances,” Terrell said. “I think finance is something that anyone can learn and have a lot of fun doing, so I’m really excited about this semester.”

Julia Krause is a senior finance and economics major and the vice president of the SFA. She said that the club is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about cryptocurrency and investment when they don’t have the time for economic courses.

Students will practice their skills

through paperless-trading so that students are protected from risk as they build financial experience. While students do not trade with real money and often cannot afford investing, Krause said that students can use the skills learned in the club for future investing. Krause also said that one student in the SFA used the education they gained about cryptocurrency investment to buy their first home.

Krause said that she notices beginners will invest in popular stocks or into only one economic sector.

“You should diversify everything and that’s the basic stuff that you learn,” Krause said. “That’s a big comparison you can see from people who have and haven’t actually had experience.”

Terrell also said that becoming Bloomberg certified is useful in any industry.

“Being certified is a huge deal, no matter what you’re going on into,” Terrell said. He encourages any student to learn basic financial concepts to benefit their resume and personal enrichment.

Parson said. “We’re going to be able to do things that we’ve talked about before that we’ve never been able to implement.”

UCM President Roger Best said he was glad to have been part of the discussion to hear how these new ideas will benefit students.

“We’re certainly grateful for the funding recommendations,” Best

said. “We know that is critical to enhance access and affordability to our students, but [Parson] characterized it very well. It’s also about partnerships.”

Parson noted the goals of his proposed budget, in combination with Missourians’ collaborative and determined efforts, will continue to strengthen the state’s economy and serve Missouri long after his term.

REPORTERS Abram Tabor Lillian Tate Erin Frazier

Rowena Rambeau Collin Sumler Bryan O’Barr

PHOTOGRAPHERS Lauryn Morrow

ILLUSTRATORS & DESIGN Sarah Sedgwick, Lindsey Moyer

PUBLICITY Cloe Pohlman

DISTRIBUTION Nick Distefano, Andrew Drake, Tretin Raney

Crypto Infographic by Lindsey Moyer

Join our team! Apply online, email muleskinner@ucmo.edu or come by pitch meetings at 4:30 p.m. on Thursdays in Wood Building, Room 312.

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The Muleskinner is a student-led news lab in the communication department at the University of Central Missouri and operates in association with the digital media production program.

All text, photography and other content are property of the Muleskinner and may not be reproduced without permission. The Muleskinner reserves the right to edit any submitted material or refuse to print such material.

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Features

Muleskinner 3 • Vol. 115 • Issue 6 • Feb. 25, 2022

Artist Uses Her Paintings to Make Others Seen EMMA FISCHER News Editor

Bright ochre yellows, rich cerulean blue and dark, complex mixtures of brown made a series of paintings in a University of Central Missouri art classroom particularly eye-catching.

Several three-by-four canvases featured Black people, with paint layered and brushed to create textured hair and facial features enlarged and emphasized to showcase Black beauty and joy.

Ebony Johnson-Wright will graduate this May with a degree in art education. Her work emphasizes Black beauty, and her goal is for Black people to be seen in modern art.

Throughout her time at UCM, Wright has had her artwork hung in multiple galleries and museums and has won several awards. She is cherished by the UCM art and design faculty, who has pushed her to become the artist she is today.

Rahila Weed, the chair of art and design and the program coordinator for art education, has Wright in class this semester for the first time, overseeing her student teaching.

Weed said students like Wright are the reason she went into teaching.

“When you have people like Ebony who have grown so much and succeeded, it’s just really rewarding,” Weed said.

Jasmine Cloud is another art and design professor who taught Wright.

“She made an impact on me from the moment she started taking classes with me,” Cloud said. “She has really worked harder than almost any other student I know in terms of seeking out her own success … not everything in my courses has come incredibly easy to her but instead of letting that hold her back, she finds ways to refocus and be very persistent in order to keep moving forward. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her.”

Wright said that she did not have the greatest home life when growing up. As a kid, she said she did not feel supported by her family, and even though she knew she wanted to be an artist, she said she felt like it wasn’t a real job.

Wright is a nontraditional student who graduated high school in 2013.

She said she didn’t believe she was smart enough to go to college and didn’t have any plans to pursue higher education. However, after a conversation with a woman from her church, Wright decided to apply.

Wright started her education career as a speech-pathology major at age 21.

At the time, Wright was living with the person who would later become her adopted mother, and Wright wanted to make her proud. She chose speech pathology because she said she felt like it was important, but her adopted mother encouraged her to follow her aspirations of being an artist instead.

JUMP TO PAGE 4

Artist Ebony Johnson Wright sits in front of her painting, “Portrait of Jamal.” She primarily paints Black figures to showcase the beauty and joy of Black individuals rather than the pain and discrimination frequently portrayed in art. “I just want them to look like they are important,” Wright said about her portraits. “Like they mean something to the world.” Wright’s work has been featured in many galleries, including at UCM, and she has also won multiple awards for her art and the messages it conveys. Photo by Graycie Rhoades

Features

4 Muleskinner • Vol. 115 • Issue 6 • Feb. 25, 2022

Theatre Students Prepare for Upcoming ‘22 Season LIBBY EAST Featurs Editor

It’s two months into the new year and the UCM Theatre and Dance program is already in full swing. They kicked off their 2022 season with a “Night of Nights,” located in the Nickerson Black-Box theater. The night consisted of four 10-minute one act performances and ran from Feb. 10 to 12. Although the first night of theater was short, fans can be assured that there is much more to come.

Coming up, “Voucher: Or That PTA Play” will be hitting the stage of Highlander Theater Feb. 24 through 27, with their Sunday performance being an afternoon pay-what-you-can matinee. This piece was written by one of UCM’s own theatre professors and national playwrights, Benjamin Gonzales. Gonzales is a temporary ARTIST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3: Wright switched to the studio art program and began taking art classes in 2017. In her junior year, she chose to add art education and become a double major. She said her professors helped her hone her passion and style.

“My paintings are my voice,” Wright said. “When they see me, they’ll see my paintings, or if they see my paintings, they’ll see me.”

A series of Wright’s works were in her senior show last semester, and she had nine portraits in UCM’s Gallery of Art

instructor of lighting, sound and theatre technology, and he holds the title of vice chair for the national playwriting program for the Kennedy Center. His inspiration for Voucher comes from the very real challenges small school PTA parents face with the upstart of new, expensive charter schools.

“It is also a traditional type of story, with a very traditional protagonist, very traditional antagonist,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a dark comedy, but it gets pretty shocking towards the end.”

Skipping ahead a couple months, theater enthusiasts should find their seats in the Highlander Theater for the production of the musical, “Fun Home,” based on the graphic novel of the same name. “Fun Home” will run from April 1 through 3 and then again from April 7 to 9. This musical just

began rehearsals under the direction of theatre professor Mary Trotter.

Trotter has been directing at UCM for four years, however her directing career started nearly 20 years ago. She has tried to pick shows that put the spotlight on those who do not live the same lives as others.

“My favorite stories to tell are the ones that might be different from most people’s,” Trotter said. “I love when I have the opportunities to show stories where characters are exploring and discovering themselves.”

The musical follows Allison Bechdel, played by Alyse Wilson and understudied by Katie Marshall, as she matures through her years. Audiences will see her growth and her story of self discovery relating to issues of identity and sexuality. The cast is relatively small, but incredibly diverse

when it comes to the ages of each actor. Students from local elementary schools were selected to play the parts of the children seen in Allison’s early life. Katie Kaminski, playing Hellen Bechdel, said she is excited to see what such a tiny cast can do.

“This is such a unique musical because it is such a small cast with no ensemble, so I’m really excited to grow a small but mighty team,” Kaminski said.

While there will be many performances to see this semester, there are still COVID-19 precautions in place. Maximum capacity in the Highlander Theater is limited to 75%, and masks will be required within the facility, as this building also serves as a classroom for many students. Tickets to each performance can be purchased online or at the door.

and Design.

“The whole goal for that senior show was to make Black people visible,” Wright said. Each portrait was threeby-four feet, and the titles of the pieces included names, such as “Portrait of Darius” and “Portrait of Brionna,” so that potentially, when someone saw the painting, they could see themselves within it.

One of the areas Wright specifically focuses on are the facial features of Black individuals, especially as many individuals face bias because of them.

“We’re beautiful, regardless of what we look like,” Wright said. “It needs to be shared, and it needs to be seen.”

Wright shared the story of a little girl who came to see one of her paintings when it was hung in the George Caleb Bingham Gallery Juried Exhibition in 2021. The painting, titled “I Don’t See Color,” was of two Black women looking in opposite directions, with Black people and children looking up to them. “[The girl] was so excited because of the way that I styled the hair on one

of the kids,” Wright said. “She was so amazed that she got to see herself in a painting like that … This is exactly the kind of impact I am looking for. I want people to see themselves in my paintings, and it’s working.”

Wright is on track to become an art teacher, but her true dream is to become a full time artist. Regardless of where life takes her, she has already made a profound impact on so many people, from professors to other artists, to her students and to strangers.

Opinions

6 Muleskinner • Vol. 115 • Issue 6 • Feb. 25, 2022

Student Voices are Heard Through Free Press BETHANY SPITZMILLER Managing Editor

While every day it seems like there are fewer and fewer trustworthy news sources, student publications are here to remind people that good journalism still exists. Student journalism advocates for the continuation of free speech and democracy in a time during which forms of communication and the accessibility of information are constantly changing.

Student Press Freedom Day, this Feb. 24, is a dedicated day for student journalists to raise awareness for the challenges they face, celebrate their contributions to their universities and communities, and take actions to protect their First Amendment freedoms.

The Muleskinner is a student news source for students, by students. The main goal and responsibility of the publication is to provide a platform for students to use their voices and have their voices heard. Student news plays a vital role in keeping students informed, exposing wrongdoings, holding leadership accountable and informing the larger community about relevant events. There’s a misconception that newspapers focus on the bad; however, they also spread the good. News is a form of appreciation for the achievements of the university and students within it.

Another goal of student news is to provide an opportunity for students of all majors to learn how media works — either from the inside, producing it, or from the outside, consuming it. The university newspaper is one of the few school activities that is an accurate representation of the work environment. There are deadlines to keep, work ethics to follow and multiple team members come together to ensure a quality product is produced. Students learn how to be a team and how to lead under pressure.

Writing for the newspaper is different than writing for an assignment. A reporter doesn’t turn in a piece for grading, but for publishing, after

which hundreds of people can read it. Journalists must think of their responsibility to the reader. For wouldbe journalists, these are special skills they can only gain through experience.

Even those who won’t be journalists after graduation can carry on these skills into their career of choice. It teaches professionalism and the right mindset for dealing with pressure and accountability.

Journalism comes with a code of ethics, which helps student journalists learn to be fair. The first principle of this code of ethics is to “seek truth and report it.” The focus on accuracy, honesty and instills necessary values needed in society. The second principle

— “minimize harm” — values humanity, and ethical journalists treat sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect. The third principle — “act independently” — ensures that journalists serve the public and not their own interests.

Ethical journalists serve the community without being influenced by those in power, bribes or threats.

The final foundational principle — “be accountable and transparent” — allows others to be part of the conversation. Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one’s work and explaining one’s decisions to the public. It means owning up to mistakes and clarifying information as needed.

One of the main responsibilities of the press is to inform the public.

Without being informed, people can’t be informed voters and can’t make changes they may see as necessary.

Being informed is a responsibility students need to learn while at university. College is a place to discover your passions, learn who you want to be and decide your own beliefs. Being informed and engaging with student media can help educate and expose students to new ideas, and that’s what the college experience is all about. The Muleskinner is a student publication for everyone at UCM, whether they choose to read it or create it.

Music on Repeat: Best of February ‘22 DILLON SECKINGTON Opinions Editor

7.4/10

Mitski: “Laurel Hell” (2022)

Many Mitski fans feared that the singer-songwriter would not return to the music industry following her 2018 record, “Be the Cowboy” after she drew back from the public eye and hinted at never returning.

Nevertheless, Mitski returned in 2022 to release the highly anticipated record, “Laurel Hell.” Mitski’s sixth studio record utilizes 80s style synthesizers and melodies to supercharge an incredibly emotional collection of tracks. Over the record’s short 32 minute run time, Mitski battles with herself through the invigorating music. The album effortlessly pairs her vigor with a new lens to view music. A rather large press run, more commercial sounding production and fan interaction led to the record seeming a bit ironic, as Mitski has been known to shy away from the promotional side of the music industry. Regardless, “Laurel Hell” met all expectations.

Highlights: “Working for the Knife,” “Stay Soft,” “Heat Lightning”

8.5/10

6.5/10

8/10

Saba: “Few Good Things” (2022)

alt-J: “The Dream” (2022)

Black Country, New Road: “Ants From Up There” (2022)

Chicago-based rapper Saba’s third record, “Few Good Things” had a lot to live up to. As Saba released one of the most acclaimed rap records in 2018, “CARE FOR ME,” many wondered what he would release next. “Few Good Things” did not disappoint. It is clear that Saba has expanded his range of beats, flows and rhymes to better fit the current state of hip-hop music on songs such as “If I Had A Dollar,” which is relatively aggressive compared to Saba’s earlier work.

Songs like “Come My Way” sound like a track straight off Saba’s debut record, “Bucket List Project,” while songs such as “Survivor’s Guilt” abandon the calm and ambient approach and grabs the listener more aggressively through 808s and a more in-your-face vocal performance. While this might not be what fans expected from Saba, “Few Good Things” does not discredit him. If anything, it is just another solid album from one of rap’s true stars.

Alternative rock band alt-J’s fourth studio album opens with the sound of a soda can cracking open, followed by an ambient guitar lick, chanting and minimal, yet thrilling, drums.

As “The Dream” begins to unravel, listeners can see the record sway and grow, guided by each of the members respectively. Heavily reverberated vocals, interesting beats and punching bass lines allow songs like “Hard Drive Gold” to exist in a space between complexity and cohesion. While “The Dream” is an expansion upon the alt-J sound fans have grown to love, it was received quite well. The fouryear period between the band’s third album, “Reduxer,” and “The Dream” seems to have inspired the band to try out new ideas, while maintaining the sonic diversity featured in all of their music. “The Dream” did not disappoint, proving itself to be the strongest record in the band’s discography since their 2012 debut.

Black Country, New Road’s second full length record expands upon the ideas toyed with in the group’s first effort, “For the first time.” While this album may not be as tense or grinding as the debut, it is just as staggering.

The theme of planes comes up often in this album. They’re on the cover, in the songs and the song titles, such as the third track, “Concorde,” which is a turbojet airplane that did not live up to its potential. Much like the plane, “Ants From Up There” is concerned with the pressure of living up to potential.

This is, without a doubt, something the band explores on their second record, and they do so wonderfully.

“Bread Song” opens with “Okay, well, I just woke up, and you already don’t care,” giving the listener feelings of doubt and loneliness from the first lines of the song. While their record is concerned with their potential, it’s clear they’re taking a step toward living up to it.

Highlights: “Fearmonger,” “Come My Way,” “Make Believe”

Highlights: “U&ME,” “Hard Drive Gold,” “Get Better”

Highlights: “Chaos Space Marine, Concorde,” The Place Where He Inserted the Blade

Opinions

Critical Race Theory is History, Not Hatred EMMA FISCHER News Editor

Institutionalized racism is the “differential treatment of individuals on the basis of their racial group by religious organizations, governments, businesses, the media, educational institutions and other large social entities,” according to the American Psychology Association.

Critical race theory is a methodology for teaching United States history.

According to a Reuters article, “The theory rests on the premise that racial bias — intentional or not — is baked into U.S. laws and institutions.”

In other words, its aim is to teach students that racism is enforced by societal and governmental systems.

A main argument against critical race theory is that racism is not institutionalized — that racism is not enforced by the government or society as a whole — but is rather the product of individual bias.

However, this is simply not true. If racism is just based on people hating other people, then why are millions of Black people all over the country affected by the same things?

If racism isn’t a systemic issue, then why do Black women have a maternal mortality rate 3.55 times higher than white women?

If racism isn’t a systemic issue, then why are Black people more likely to be killed by police than white people?

If racism isn’t a systemic issue, then why are Black people incarcerated 3.5 times more than white people?

Individual bias might contribute to racism, but it does not mean that the sole perpetrator of racism is individual hatred.

Another common argument against critical race theory is that if history is taught truthfully, then there is no need to emphasize institutionalized racism. However, not every student is taught history. Individual differences between history teachers, as well as differences from state-to-state

education guidelines, do not ensure that every student is taught about all aspects of American history, and many students have gaps in their knowledge of racism.

Several news articles over the past few years have featured teachers giving younger students assignments which minimize the brutality of slavery. These range from having students write pro-slavery tweets, as if they were part of the Confederacy, to having them “make a slave.”

These lessons are racist and disrespectful. If public education gives teachers a space to make light of important topics, many of which have direct and hurtful consequences for real people, how will Americans ever learn how to address serious issues and sympathize with those who have different experiences?

Besides that, allowing teachers to blatantly lie to their students and choose which topics are important or not important diminishes a student’s ability to appreciate American history in its full capacity. Many U.S. historical figures made an impact in countries around the world and will be remembered internationally.

Racism as a systemic issue doesn’t inherently encourage people to hate those in power. Society cannot blame current and living generations for things done in the past. However, that does not mean that those in power should not be held accountable for maintaining a racially-biased status quo.

Critical race theory does not mean that teachers have to blame white students in the classroom or tell Black students that they are victims and will always be victims. Critical race theory does not need to be about presenting the United States in a good or bad light. Critical race theory is necessary to teach students about the United States’ history and to eventually achieve a world in which racism is a thing of the past.

Muleskinner 7 • Vol. 115 • Issue 6 • Feb. 25, 2022

Critical Race Theory Further Divides a Nation ANNA FURNEY Reporter

With the push for critical race theory to be incorporated into the curriculum of schools across the United States, it’s important to take a look at what kind of content will be taught to American students. Parents and students in many states, including Missouri, have argued against the teaching of critical race theory, as they believe its message will create more harm than good.

EducationWeek defines critical race theory as the idea that “race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies.” In other words, critical race theory seeks to point out race-related flaws in government and society.

While this doesn’t seem bad at first glance, a further analysis of the curriculum reveals the harmful depiction of white people. The Washington Free Beacon reported on a St. Charles school board meeting in which LaGarrett King told the board that “Educators should teach history through a ‘social justice lens’ regardless of parents’ or community concern.” Through this lens, white people are seen as the problem behind all issues that Black people might face.

Think about how this would make white students feel to be told that they are inherently privileged and their race is to blame for any hurt a Black person might experience. There are many white people who would argue that they have not experienced white privilege, as members of each race in the United States have experienced poverty and discrimination.

Judging people based on race, regardless of Black or white, is simply the definition of racism, which the Oxford Dictionary describes as “prejudice, discrimination or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group.” The United States has progressed significantly since the 20th

century for the equal rights of all. If the country has made such significant progress already, why does it need to institute critical race theory? The nation already has pinpointed its issues and is working to address them without changing curriculum.

Brian Echevarria, a biracial candidate for the North Carolina General Assembly, said that critical race theory is an untruthful depiction of Black Americans and their opportunities.

“I’m biracial, I’m bilingual, I’m multicultural,” Echevarria said. “The fact is, in America, in North Carolina, I can do anything I want, and I teach that to my children.”

Echevarria also said that this new curriculum will only instill more racism in the United States.

“If you believe in CRT ... It means you look at your Black neighbor and say they’re oppressed and you look at your white neighbor and say they’re evil, regardless of the experience you’ve had with them,” Echevarria said.

If someone wants to argue that white people are to blame for slavery, a look at history can disprove that argument.

The reason most frequently cited as to why white Americans bought Black slaves is not because they were Black, but because African slaves were very accessible to them. African slavers would kidnap their own people and sell them off to white buyers looking for cheap labor. Legal slavery has existed in almost every civilization since the beginning of humanity, and in some countries, it still exists.

Any history class with a proper educational curriculum will show enough to students that Black people have faced discrimination in the United States. Why change the curriculum to a hate-fueled interpretation of the past? Are the current supported and researched facts not enough? Why add more bias to history? Critical race theory will only add more division to an already divided nation.

Sports

8 Muleskinner • Vol. 115 • Issue 6 • Feb. 25, 2022

Track Star Ron Tabb Reminisces CMSU BRYAN O’BARR Reporter

Ron Tabb, most valuable runner and 10,000 meter school record holder, runs by for his 1972-1973 individual team photo. Photo from McClure archives

Former Central Missouri State University runner Ron Tabb has left a lasting impact on the University of Central Missouri and world of running.

One of his most memorable races is the 1981 Paris Marathon, where he and English runner Dave Cannon purposefully ran through the finish line together after a hard-fought 26.2 mile duel.

A better known race is that of the legendary Boston Marathon, where Ron Tabb placed second and ran a time fast enough to qualify for the inaugural Track and Field World Championships in 1983.

Ron Tabb was a CMSU standout who came from Lexington, Missouri.

His resume in high school was not amazing, but Ron was offered a spot by then-head coach of the Mules cross country team, Jim Pilkington. “[Coach Pilkington] came to Lexington to recruit this sprinter, and I was more or less an afterthought,” Tabb said.

Tabb accepted the offer from Pilkington and went to CMSU, only a short drive from his hometown. Tabb’s first year of college was plagued by sidelining shin pain that held him from competition, but once he got to his sophomore year, he was back in the race. Coach Pilkington had many gifted athletes while coaching, but Tabb was one with immense strength, as if made for the marathon.

“Coach Pilkington really ran these

guys … and I think that’s part of the toughness that Ron used later on after college to push himself,” Bruce Uhler, one of Tabb’s old time friends, said.

It wasn’t just the training that coach Pilkington gave, but the mentality and desire to compete that Tabb had.

While at CMSU, Tabb was a fourtime All American and the first CMSU athlete to qualify for the Division I National Cross Country Championship.

For a time, Tabb held every distance record from the full mile to the 10,000 meter run.

After college, Tabb asked his friend Charlie Gray to move to Houston, Texas with him to train for the U.S. marathon trials to qualify for the Moscow Summer Olympics in 1980.

At his peak training, Tabb ran 580 miles during the month of June in the summer of 1979 – that amounts to roughly 140 miles a week or 20 miles a day. A runner putting in this kind of mileage in the 70s was uncommon.

In explaining how many people used to view this kind of training, current UCM head cross country coach, Kirk Pedersen said, “That was the terminology is, ‘that’s not very smart, you’re going to hurt yourself. You shouldn’t run more than 80 miles like that ever.’”

However, it worked for Tabb, and he qualified for the Olympics. Sadly, he was unable to compete because of the United States’ boycott of the Olympics being held in Russia that year, but that

never stopped Tabb.

During his career, he went to run one of the top five all-time American marathon times and a top 15 time in the world. His time was 2:09.31, which is an average of 4:56 per mile for 26.2 miles.

After retiring from running in 1992, Tabb had finished a prestigious running career where he had raced with, trained with and helped train the best. Of those he trained with, 80s marathon world record holder Alberto Salazar was one. Rudy Chapa and Matthew Centrowitz Sr., who both held the American record in the five thousand meter run at different times were also a part of the group. They were all trained by Bill Dellinger, who was a three-time Olympian.

Of those he trained and influenced in their careers was his wife of three years, Mary Decker, and the EritreanAmerican marathoner, Mebrahtom Keflezighi, who became one of the best American marathoners of all time with a silver medal from the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics.

Tabb now resides in Fort Myers, Florida, where he coaches athletes around the country online.

Tabb never thought that he would run professionally, and yet the world of running became his career.

“I [had] the rest of my life to work,” Tabb said, “but there is a window of opportunity and if you don’t seize that opportunity, it closes real soon.”