Muleskinner Vol. 113, Issue 8

Vol. 113, Issue 8 • November 29, 2018

UCM team takes gold in State Farm Marketing and Sales Competition Madison Preston

See Inside PAGE 5

For thE MulEskinnEr

The team from UCM excelled in a recent marketing and sales competition with universities across the country, earning them a gold award.

A team of two marketing students, Shelby Briscoe and Marissa Johnson, coached

by Tyler Hirlinger, assistant professor of marketing, earned the gold award in the marketing presentation category at the 2018 State Farm Marketing and Sales Competition hosted by UCM Nov. 2.

The competition has three categories: marketing presentation, sales role play and customer service role play.

Platinum winners from each category were: Tyler Nabonzny of Western Michigan University for sales role play, Tina Kennerup of Arizona State University for customer service role play and Jordan Adeboye and Dasia Redmond of Georgia State University for market presentation.

The State Farm Marketing and Sales Competition allows students to put the skills they learn in the classroom to the test in real-world situations.

“It was good for the marketing and sales portion of our degree,” Johnson said. “We definitely gained knowledge over State Farm and how to digitally innovate ideas and how to pull ideas together to then present them to others.”

Competitors also learned how to prepare successful presentations and how to work with clients.

GOLD, continued on Page 3

Library to purge unused materials to revive itself PAGE 9

Remembering Stan Lee: The creative mind behind the Marvel Universe.

PAGE 12

Photo submitted by Shelby Briscoe / For the Muleskinner Marissa Johnson, left, and Shelby Briscoe pose at the State Farm Marketing and Sales Competition at UCM Nov. 2.

Former Mules pitcher enjoys minor league success.

2 NEWS

Nov. 29–Jan. 16

UCM professor opposes transgender issue Kaitlin Brothers News editor

A women, gender and sexuality program professor at UCM has some ideas for how people can become better allies in the face of potential Trump administration changes that would narrow the definition of gender.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is considering changing the Title IX law to define sex as either male or female, unchangeable and determined by the genitals with which person is born.

Title IX is the federal law banning sex discrimination in schools.

Sarah Ray Rondot, director of the women, gender and sexuality studies program, said the agency’s proposed definition would cause many problems for the transgender community.

“From the sense that I have, the issue is that the Trump administration is interested in saying there are only two genders — nothing outside of that and that gender needs to be defined by sex as assigned at birth,” Rondot said. “The bill was essentially designed to take (us) a hundred years back in terms of science.”

Rondot said various scientists have concluded in research that there are more than two genders.

“Scientifically, it’s a spectrum,” she said.

“And that even at birth, it’s not always clear which category to put people in... And this bill is trying to say there are only two sexes and what you are assigned at birth is what counts.”

Rondot said the specific reason for the agency to introduce this proposed definitioin is a bit unclear, but she said it might be based on some of the administration’s past policies to dial back rights for transgender people.

“For instance, just in the last week, the website for workplace discrimination that the government puts out completely deleted the section on trans rights in the workplace,” she said. “I think those two things are linked.”

Ahafia Jurkiewicz-Miles, senior piano

performance major and former education representative for Prism, said this news came as a surprise.

“Honestly I was really shocked when I heard that was even a question anymore because of how many steps forward there have been in terms of trans rights, especially with the Obama administration... it’s really scary and very irritating, to put it mildly,” Jurkiewicz-Miles said. “That would basically take away all the work we’ve done to recognize that trans people exist, and that their identities are valid and that they need rights as well as other people do.”

Rondot said this issue is complicated because the problem is not just this one effort, but various other moves the administration has tried to make recently.

“What it comes down to is that our current administration does not essentially believe that trans people should exist,” she said.

Rondot said Obama administration decisions help protect trans people in schools.

She said he put out a directive in the form of a letter, “Dear Colleague,” but the current administration didn’t take it on. The directive means the law didn’t go through Congress, but it came straight from the president as a suggestion.

The letter suggested for schools to use preferred pronouns and names, protect transgender kids from bullying and have the freedom to choose the restroom that meets their gender identity. “(It was) definitely a step in a really good direction...Trump basically took that down again from the government website of educational protections. He kind of took it away as if it didn’t exist,” Rondot said.

Rondot said there are ways allies can help when it comes to transgender rights, especially if this change is implemented.

She said doing research is an important step.

“I think if people learned more about it, they would be more likely to oppose this bill,” she said. “I would also hope that it wouldn’t affect the rights of trans people.

Individual workplaces and schools can

take their own stances. I would hope that people would sort of stand up and say, ‘Even though this is what the government is saying, we’re going to still protect trans people.’”

Rondot said she does not believe the change will actually pass through Congress.

“I think it’s kind of one of those things where it’s just an idea of where he’d like to move forward...but it won’t actually happen,” she said.

Rondot said one way for students on campus to learn more about trans rights and be a more educated ally is to take a women, gender and sexuality course.

“That’s one of our main focuses, is how do we become better allies? How do we learn what the real reality facts are, rather than what’s coming from the media and government policy?” Rondot said.

She said another way for allies to help is to listen to transgender students on campus.

“One of the things we could do is make sure that trans students are able to use their preferred name,” she said. “I think mostly, the biggest thing for allies is just learn. And...being vocal about not supporting these sorts of laws is good, too. Coming forward, even if you aren’t trans, and

saying, ‘I acknowledge that gender is a spectrum, that trans students exist and that we need to protect their rights.’”

Jurkiewicz-Miles said something allies could do is to listen to transgender people and stand up against this proposal.

“The best thing that people can do right now is to make sure that as whether they are part of the queer community or are an ally, they need to make sure that people hear them, that is wrong,” Jurkiewicz-Miles said. “I would just like to underline the fact that we need to work with people to make sure that everyone knows that this is not a question of belief or not. This is a question of actual prejudice and transphobia...That’s really the biggest thing right now is making sure that people know that you have to expect resistance if they’re not going to accept that trans people exist.”

Rondot said PRISM and Students Advocating Gender Equality are student groups transgender students can go to for support or for allies to learn about the transgender community.

To contact PRISM, email prism@ucmo. edu and to contact SAGE, email SAGE President Cayla Thurman at CIT49050@ ucmo.edu.

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NEWS 3

The Muleskinner

Monument honoring Divine Nine installed in Selmo Park AnAiyeh Smith

Social Media coordinator UCM recently created a monument of plots to recognize the National Pan-Hellenic Council chapters of historically black Greek sororities and fraternities that have been a part of UCM for over 50 years.

The plots consist of nine platforms arranged in a semicircle in front of stone benches in the southwest corner of Selmo Park. Each plot has the Greek crest of the individual fraternity and sorority and the year it was chartered at the University of Central Missouri campus and the university at which that fraternity or sorority was founded.

“This type of monument, or ‘plots’ as many campuses call them, is very common,” said Alan Nordyke, director of Residence and Greek Life. “Our National Panhellenic Council students have seen them and they asked about having something like that here. We have had NPHC chapters on this campus for over 50 years, so it seemed like a good way to celebrate that history.”

NPHC is currently composed of nine inGOLD, continued from Page 1 “It’s just about making a marketing presentation and putting together a sales and customer service role play that would best represent how to work with clients as well as be innovative and work with a digital presence to build relationships,” Johnson said.

Briscoe and Johnson said the competition required months of preparation.

“We started preparing over the summer, and then we started having meetings come August,” Briscoe said. “We met every single week and just kind of went over the material, but we didn’t get the prompts for the marketing presentation until a month before. So, we really only had a month to prepare the marketing presentation, and then we

ternational Greek letter sororities and fraternities: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Sigma Photo by Anaiyeh Smith / Social Media Coordinator Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and Omega Psi Phi Fraterni- A new monument celebrates the history of the Divine Nine, the ty Inc., according to the National Pan-Hel- nine historically black fraternities and sororities that have been at lenic Council headquarters website.

UCM for over 50 years.

The NPHC consists of the historically black fraternities and sororities. These or“We have 27 national chapters on our ganizations were founded in the early 20th campus, representing all three national century when their white counterparts in governance groups: IFC, NPHC, NPC,” Greek organizations of the National Pan- Nordyke said. “This for a campus our size Mon - Fri hellenic Council wouldn’t let black college is significant. Each of the groups within 10am - 6pm students within 1,000 yards of their lawn, the national structure are very equal for Sat according to Dustin Seibert, blogger for their governance structure. Because of the 10am - 5pm “The Root.” differences in the national structure, you The Interfraternity Council is the pro- cannot compare all 27 groups to each othConsignm ent Bou tiq ue gramming and governing body of the er. You have to look within the structures.

617 S. Maguire St. (660) 747-8419 national Greek fraternities. The Nation“The fact that at one point we had all Warrensburg, MO 64093 Find us on Facebook! al Panhellenic Council, and the National nine of the Divine Nine NPHC groups, is Panhellenic Conference, all operate on the very unusual for a campus of our size and University of Central Missouri campus. our campus’ demographics.”

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didn’t get the sales role plays until the night before. So, we were at the school until midnight the night before the competition going over the scenarios and preparing for it.”

Johnson said they learned more about a wide variety of topics.

“We learned a lot about AI and data analytics and we gained so many good insights on information about technology as well as working with others and the customer service and sales departments,” she said.

The competition served as a good opportunity for Johnson to network and meet new people.

“Overall, it was a great experience and we got to meet so many amazing

people,” Briscoe said. “Now we have contacts if we want jobs and people we can go to.”

Briscoe said their coach encouraged them to compete and helped them prepare.

“Our coach, Tyler Hirlinger, really encouraged us to do it,” Briscoe said. “The first competition we competed in, I was like ‘no way, I’m not interested in sales at all,’ and then he really pushed me and encouraged me to do it and I ended up really enjoying it so then he came to me about the State Farm one and I was like ‘yeah, you know I enjoyed the last one so I’ll go ahead and do it.’”

Briscoe and Johnson took home an award of $3,000 and $1,000 individual

participation awards.

The platinum award winner in the marketing presentation category received $5,000 plus a $1,000 individual participation award and the platinum winner in the sales role play and customer service role play each received $3,000 plus a $1,000 individual participation award.

Along with UCM, teams from Arizona State Universtiy, Ball State University, Dunquesne University, Georgia State University, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Georgia, University of Houston, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, University of Oregon and Western Michigan University also competed in the competition.

4 NEWS

Nov. 29–Jan. 16

Remembering Andrew Pierson Kaitlin Brothers News editor

The Thursday before he died, Andrew Pierson was sitting in on a private lesson in the electronic composition studio while a student was recording a song.

Pierson put his head back, closed his eyes and listened to his classmate’s music.

When it was over, he looked at the student and said, “That was really beautiful.”

“That was just very typical of his kindness and encouragement and his positive attitude with other students,” said Jeff Kaiser, assistant professor of music.

Pierson was a senior music major with a concentration in music technology and a minor in business management.

He died Nov 4. due to natural causes, according to Johnson County Coroner Clark Holdren.

Colleen Pierson, Andrew’s mom, said he started playing guitar in middle school and

Photo submitted by Colleen Pierson / For the Muleskinner Andrew Pierson poses with his dog at home in Fredericktown, Missouri. was involved in marching band and jazz band. She said at UCM, he was a part of the guitar ensemble and had an internship lined up for the summer with a studio in Nashville, Tennessee, to finish his degree.

“Guitar was definitely his life,” she said.

She said he was a big bookworm.

“He was very intelligent. He read all the time,” she said. “When he was little, he constantly read books after books. He always had two or three books when he was in middle school. He would steal the newspaper every morning from Coach O’Neal and read it.”

Eric Honour, professor of music technology and composition, said he had Pierson in several classes while he was at UCM. “Drew was always a very upbeat guy,” Honour said. “He was very serious about his work. He was a thoroughly gifted guitarist and quite a good audio engineer. But I, and most of his student colleagues, remember him for his personality because he was just always friendly and always upbeat and always willing to help other people and kind of raise people’s spirits when they’re feeling stressed or down. I think that’s one of the legacies that he (left) behind.”

Honour said Pierson brought a lot of his creativity to his projects, even if they didn’t require it.

“When I would assign a project that was...something more nuts and bolts and didn’t necessarily require much of the artistic input, Drew usually found a

way to be creative with that and still do something with it that viewed it with his sense of musical art,” he said. “In that way, he was really kind of special among his classmates and he always managed to find a way to bring his personality into his projects.”

Kaiser said he worked with Andrew on his senior project. He had Pierson in class every semester since fall of 2016.

“He has been absolutely fantastic,” Kaiser said. “Diligent, hard working, creative, hilarious (and) super great sense of humor.

And also... a good friend to people in the program — I’m sure outside as well.”

He said Pierson was leaning toward being a studio engineer.

“I would say his trajectory was awesome,” Kaiser said. “I was able to see him go from a beginner to working with advanced-level stuff.”

Kaiser said Pierson was very kind and helpful toward the other students in the program.

“As well as a great sense of humor, he was very thoughtful and kind and encouraging with his fellow music tech majors,” he said.

Remembering Kathleen Miller Kaitlin Brothers News editor

As a master’s student, teaching assistant and mother of seven children, Kathleen Miller was a busy woman.

Miller, 62, died in a car accident on Nov. 12. She was pursuing a Master of Arts in history while teaching at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri, and taught GED classes.

Jon Taylor, UCM history professor, said he knew Miller for eight years as a student and as his teaching assistant. Taylor said Miller had thought about becoming a history professor herself.

“Katy loved to learn. She loved to teach and she loved to teach what she learned,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he really got to know Miller when she took his classes as a graduate student.

“She (was) an excellent student: always conscientious, always contributing, always went the extra mile,” Taylor said.

Taylor said at the time, Miller also taught GED classes in Clinton, Missouri. He said because of her experience, he knew she would be a great teaching assistant.

“She was always an excellent mentor to the students, trying to help them in any way that she could,” Taylor said. “I knew that she was entirely capable at doing whatever it was she was tasked at doing, and so I never had to check up...we worked together on that particular class and I entrusted her so much that I let her teach the class on a couple occasions when I was gone because I knew that she could do that...I know what I heard from others that she always did an excellent job.”

Photo by the History at UCM Facebook page (From left) Jon Taylor, member of the thesis committee, Kathleen Miller and Carol Heming, thesis advisor pose to celebrate Miller defending her Master of Arts thesis Nov. 9 in the Wood Building.

He said Miller loved to learn, research and said she was an excellent writer.

“She always knew that there was more,” Taylor said. “That’s something that’s very difficult to teach: the want to find out more.

That curiosity was very unique.”

Carol Heming, UCM history professor emerita, said she had Miller in her classes as a student before she retired in 2014. She said Miller always had a strong presence in the classroom.

MILLER, continued on Page 9

NEWS 5

The Muleskinner

Library to purge unused materials to revive itself Garrett Fuller

AssistAnt Design eDitor nused boo s may be ying off shelves soon going to new owners or recycling bins.

The collection at the ames . ir patric ibrary is undergoing a revitali ation. ibrarians said the process is intended to purge unused boo s, streamline the ac uisition process and ma e collections more student centric.

The process, nown as deaccessioning, involves removing unused boo s from the shelves to replenish them with new materials. ibrarians said unused boo s will either be donated to etter orld oo s, which donates the boo s to literacy programs worldwide, or recycled. ccording to library officials, the process is necessary to renew the collection to ensure it can be helpful to library users. “ ur collection needs to be a living organism that re ects the content that is going to be utili ed by the students,” said anette lein, collection management coordinator. aura orne opp, assistant university librarian, said the deaccessioning process is also necessary to ensure the collection includes factually accurate resources. he said the department needing the most material review is science due to the uic pace of changes. orne opp said material is often removed because it includes incorrect information.

“That danger of misinformation is significant because as students you re learning, you re discovering new ways of ac uiring nowledge and information,” lein said. “ aving potential misinformation in our collection means you re going to absorb that as a student as being fact e want to ensure what s in our collection is truth and current.” lein said the process is carefully done to ensure that the proper materials stay in the collection and unused materials are removed.

“This is systematic,” lein said. “ t s

not ust a slap dash approach. This is an evidence based process of ac uiring new content and going through and chec ing the collection to see what is being used. s it still current s it still relevant There is a complete approach that the sub ect e perts the library liaisons utili e as they go through and are loo ing at the content on the shelves.”

“This is systematic. It’s not just a slap-dash approach. “

-Janette Klein lein said liaisons will be evaluating material based on its currency, condition and whether there are newer editions and possibly better formats, li e e boo s. s more academic programs go digital, the library is providing more digital resources for its users. “ lot of the programs have gone entirely online and we re still getting paper,” orne opp said. orne opp said there is a science to selecting material. ach academic program has a different collection development policy, which outlines the information behavior of the program. “ e study how people use information and we study what different fields do,” orne opp said. lthough other libraries typically deaccession boo s annually, the last time the collections did this was nearly years ago. The last deaccessioning too place before the library moved to its present location in from ard dwards. “ t seems at some point in the past that there was not much review happening,” orne opp said. n those years, the library collection has grown and so has the popularity of electronic resources such as the internet and e boo s. nli e physical boo s, e boo s don t consume costly space. ccording to a presentation performed to the cademic ouncil on the library update, utili ation of the physical

Photo by Garrett Fuller / Assistant Design Editor The revitalization process of the JCKL consists in part of reviving unused books and other materials from its shelves. collections at has dropped percent in the past three academic years. The drop in collection usage has occurred between undergraduate and graduate students as well as staff and faculty. lein believes the usage drop is associated with the rise in popularity of e boo s and e boo readers. “ thin that drop stems in part from the fact that we live in an internet age,” lein said. “ e want to access content where we can read at home in our slippers or with a cup of coffee in the coffee shop. e re trying to model our collecting approach to re ect what students and faculty actually use.” lthough is removing unused materials from its collections, access to those materials will not be lost. nterlibrary loan programs allows students to receive materials that doesn t have from other libraries. is also revamping its collection management system, which allows students to search for materials in the collection. ccording to a presentation to the cademic ouncil on the library

update, the new system will integrate interlibrary loan re uests and allow users to search orld at, a worldwide library catalog. The new interface is e pected to launch une . lein said that while there has been unclear communication with faculty and staff, there has been minimal criticism. “ e have heard from a small number of faculty and to our nowledge have not heard from any staff a few concerns over the deaccessioning process,” lein said.

“The time constraints we were under were not optimal and as a result there was a perception by some faculty outside the library that communication of the pro ect was not clear.” lein said titles which are candidates for deaccessioning will be listed on the website. “ still thin there s great potential here,” lein said. “ is positioning itself to be part of that conversation between students, faculty and staff , because we will ensure that students and faculty are successful at .”

6 FEATURES

Nov. 29–Jan. 16

UCM Gaming Network launches first esports team Justin Evans

For the Muleskinner After years of unsuccessful attempts, the UCM Gaming Network is getting in the game with the debut of its first esports team.

The Gaming Network hosted a showcase Nov. 3 in Morris 210 to celebrate the launch of the UCM “Overwatch” team.

The showcase gave the team a chance to display their skills to students and simulate a competitive environment. Players took turns competing in one vs. one and three vs. three scenarios before students in attendance got a chance to take on some of the players themselves.

The team will start traveling to tournaments and competing against other schools next spring. Until then, they hope events

like this will help sharpen their skills and get them as prepared as possible for a true competition.

Brett Wampler, UCM Gaming Network president, said the organization has been trying to get an official team together for quite some time, but a mix of interest within the team and funding have kept them from doing so. When they had the opportunity to organize a team, he said they settled on “Overwatch” due to its popularity within the group.

“Up until now, the extent of us being an esports team was us just hosting casual tournaments,” Wampler said. “We decided on ‘Overwatch’ because it was the game most people on the team wanted to play.”

Wampler said he hopes the debut of the “Overwatch” team will lead to an expansion into other games such as “League of

Film student travels to Iowa to make documentary Ryan shEEhan For the Muleskinner

A documentary film about a commune in southern Iowa by a UCM film student provided some insight about his family’s little-discussed past.

As a project for his documentary class, Zach Nowlin, a senior digital media production major, visited this secluded, religious community known as The Brotherhood of Christ Church, also commonly referred to as The Land until they changed it to The Community. Nowlin said he personally still refers to it as The Land.

“It’s mainly a religious group,” Nowlin said. “They try to retract themselves from society to get rid of the distractions. So, they can totally live their life according to the way God intended it. So they can live for God all the time.”

The commune is located in Iowa outside the town of Lamoni near the Missouri border.

Nowlin’s grandmother, Kathy Nowl-

in, was an honorary member. He said she visited the commune regularly and built a house there with his grandfather, Tom; however, they never officially moved there. She still visits The Land on occasion and currently lives in Lamoni. Tom Nowlin died in 2015.

“If my grandma moved out there, it would have probably affected my family quite a bit,” Nowlin said. “There probably would have been a lot of drama with my dad, grandpa and my aunt and uncle.

None of them were really into it, so that’s why my grandma really only visited on the weekends.”

Nowlin said his other family members never talked about the commune until recently. He said when the group was first explained to him, his family used “cult undertones.” Nowlin said his grandmother’s involvement in the group inspired him to choose this topic. He said he also found the group interesting.

DOCUMENTARY, continued on Page 10

Legends,” “Rocket League,” “Fortnite” and “Super Smash Bros.”

“As long as there is interest on the team, we’re open to anything,” Wampler said.

According to ESPN, collegiate esports has grown to include around 50 scholarship-sponsored programs, 11 of which are in Missouri. Wampler said he hopes the launch of its first team will move the organization in a direction where they could be a scholarship-sponsored program as well.

“As far as us becoming a program that can offer scholarships and receive university funding, I don’t see it happening during my time on the team, but it’s definitely the direction we are hoping to head,” Wampler said.

Jeremy Phillips, UCM Gaming Network manager, said the growth of esports around the country could spark interest in the team

as well.

“With esports becoming more mainstream and it being aired on ESPN and TBS and other channels, people are becoming more aware of it,” Phillips said.

“People see the money that can be made and the opportunities it can lead to and it’s a motivator.”

According to Forbes, esports is projected to be a $1 billion industry by the end of 2018, with leagues such as the Overwatch League awarding millions of dollars in prize money and attracting more than 10 million viewers from around the world.

The UCM Gaming Network meets 6-9 p.m. every Thursday in Morris 210. Anyone who is interested in joining the team can contact Brett Wampler at bxw58560@ ucmo.edu.

FEATURES 7

The Muleskinner

Grad student combats homelessness with Salvation Army Erin WidEs Features editor

A graduate student at the University of Central Missouri landed a job that has helped diversify her experience as an individual and a student.

Eliza Ridenhour is pursuing a Master of Science in clinical mental health counseling. She also works with the Salvation Army as their caseworker.

Ridenhour said caseworker is an interesting term because she does more than just casework.

“My office hours are reserved for meeting with clients from the Johnson County area who have encountered hardship and are in need of a helping hand,” Ridenhour said. “The goal of the Salvation Army is to give a ‘hand up,’ which means that rather than simply providing a Band-Aid solution for a long-term problem, I try to work alongside these individuals in order to see if we can find a path that will benefit them in the long run.”

Some of Ridenhour’s tasks include connecting people with a variety of resources, such as emergency financial assistance with utility bills, rent, food and clothing.

She said her role in the community encourages her to actively network with other agencies in the area who may provide useful services to her clients.

Ridenhour began graduate school in the fall of 2017. When looking for a job, she said she wanted one that would help her understand different individuals.

“I had always known the Salvation

Army as an organization that had thrift stores and raised funds through the Red Kettle Campaign, but I had never realized the work that they did in the community through their family services office,” Ridenhour said.

She said in talking with people that many other people are also unaware of the group’s family services program.

After doing some research about the Salvation Army, a unique opportunity came up for her.

“When the job opening for a caseworker came up on my internet search, I was automatically intrigued,” Ridenhour said.

As intriguing and interesting as it’s been, she said the work does come with some difficulties.

“I think the hardest part of almost any helping profession can often be the feeling that the job is never done,” she said. “I know that there are days where it feels like our door never closes, and this is because the need, even in our small community, is so great. It is difficult and humbling to see individuals who work hard to make ends meet only to find that they still need help.”

Ridenhour said that once most of her clients come to the office, it’s their last resort.

“I can’t tell you how many individuals come in and begin their meeting with me by apologizing and continue to apologize until they leave,” Ridenhour said. “I would say that they are feeling guilt or possibly even shame regarding their circumstances.

My heart goes out to them, and I tell them the truth: ‘We all have times in our life that we need help.’ I just get to be the vehicle

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by which that help comes.”

This does lead to the most rewarding part of the job for her — the donations they receive to help fund their services, usually through their Red Kettle Campaign in the winter.

“The truth is that homelessness isn’t a choice and most of these individuals are working diligently toward housing and stability.”

-Eliza Ridenhour

Ridenhour said she is lucky because she gets to see the impact that even a little help can provide to a person in need.

“I would say that working with the volunteers that come into my office is also one of the greatest honors I have,” she said.

Ridenhour said she believes, like many groups, the homeless community is stereotyped.

She said a lot of times there is a concern that helping homeless individuals could continue the “homeless problem.”

“The truth is that homelessness isn’t a choice and most of these individuals are working diligently toward housing and stability,” Ridenhour said. “The trouble is that when basic needs such as food, shelter, safety, etc. are not being met it is hard

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for anyone in such a state to look too far beyond their next meal.”

She said some myths are that these individuals are lazy, which she has found to be untrue.

“Employment, even when obtained, can still have barriers like transportation,” Ridenhour said. “There are many things that we take for granted, but anyone can become homeless,” she said. “This is not something that only happens to a certain portion of people.”

There are always people who want to help, and Ridenhour said there is always something people can do.

She said those who cannot donate money can donate their time, which can be just as helpful.

“Currently we are in the midst of bell ringing season,” Ridenhour said. “The Red Kettle Campaign is responsible for the vast majority of funds that are distributed back to Johnson County residents who are in need during the year. We are always in need of bell ringers during this time of year.”

She said other ways to get involved include helping to sort items in the thrift store at 125 N. Holden St. or even help with the front desk in the family services office at . Holden St. “One of the things that I love about Warrensburg and the Johnson County area in general is the desire and commitment that many of its members have to help those around them,” Ridenhour said. “I consider myself truly blessed to be a part of such a caring community.”

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8 FEATURES

Nov. 29–Jan. 16

Photos by Erica Oliver / Assistant Photo Editor

Junior guard Blake Spellman attempts to make a pass around a Harding defender in the game against Harding State Nov. 9 at the Multipurpose Building.

The Elliott Student Union gets festive for the holidays with a Christmas Tree.

Tyler Mack, a sophomore political science major, gets a package from office assistant Anna Gremminger, a sophomore elementary education major, in Houts-Hosey.

UCM Symphony Orchestra performs their winter concert on Wednesday.

OPINION 9

The Muleskinner

Remembering Stan Lee Ryan Sheehan For the Muleskinner

By Britain Bray / Illustrator MILLER, continued from Page 4 “I noticed that she was a non-traditional student,” Heming said. “She was a bit of a mother hand to some of the other students.

They looked up to her.”

Heming said when Miller did presentations in class, she could tell Miller had former teaching experience. She later found out that Miller had teaching experience in her local church in Clinton.

“She had a very professional manner of presenting and of bringing everyone into the discussion,” she said. “She just was a dream student and any professor would

have been thrilled to have her in class, and I was.” eming said iller had recently finished her thesis for her master’s degree. All there was left to do was fi up some typos and minor revisions.

“That was like a week before she passed away,” she said. “Such a shock. We’re working to have her awarded with her degree posthumously...she has seven daughters and they were all very interested in seeing that happen because they know how dedicated she was to having it finished.”

Heming said she and Miller had not

No comic book personality was more well-known than Stan Lee. You didn’t have to know comic books to know his name or his characters.

Some have mixed feelings about him concerning whether or not he took more credit for creating certain superheroes than he should have. Which certainly he did do; he took the lion’s share of the credit for work he did with Jack Kirby, who died in 1994 and Steve Ditko, who died earlier this year.

But no one could deny the impact Lee had. I can’t recall meeting anyone who disliked Lee, even if they were critical. I am critical too, but that’s not because I didn’t like him. On the contrary, the reason I am critical at all is because he meant so much to me.

Born Stanley Martin Lieber in 1922, he grew up poor in New York City during the Great Depression. He started as someone who refilled the in wells for the artists back when Marvel Comics was known as Timely Comics. Then he became a writer, an editor-in-chief, a publisher, a showman and the spokesman for all of Marvel and superheroes as a whole.

Lee once dreamed of writing the next great American novel. In a way, he did the next best thing: He created some of the greatest superhero characters of all time.

In the world of comics, he was a genius.

He helped create characters who weren’t just superheroes. They were relatable. The Incredible Hulk has a Jekyll and Hyde dynamic, Iron Man struggles with his own ego, and Spider-Man is just a regular person with regular problems.

When Lee began his career, adults didn’t take superheroes or comics in general se-

riously, viewing it as childish. Part of this was due to the Comic Code Authority of the time, which required strict censorship.

People like Lee changed the public’s perception. His work challenged the code and helped to pave the way for the mature stories we see today.

His down-to-earth personality and his cameos in seemingly every Marvel production to the point I have heard them called Staneos (although that did get a little annoying after a while), his outlandish use of vocabulary or how he could list out past issues to buy while reading a current one and still do it with so much charm that it would make you smile all became signature personality traits.

Even when he and his colleagues created iconic characters by unabashedly ripping off other iconic characters from DC Comics, we still couldn’t help but secretly love him a little more for it.

The Fantastic Four, Dr. Strange, Black Panther, Ant-Man, The X-Men – the list goes on. Whether he was the creator or co-creator, it doesn’t really matter in the end. His work was legend.

We loved him. We loved his work, what he stood for and what he represented.

Did Lee steal from other great people like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko? Yes. Even as a fan, I have to admit that. History should be remembered for how it really was. And Kirby and Ditko deserve to be remembered as much as he does.

He wasn’t perfect, that’s for sure, but neither were his characters. They were great and human at the same time.

To Stanley Martin Lieber – the one and only Smilin’ Stan Lee – Excelsior!

only a student-professor relationship, but a friendship as well.

“I saw her as a very good friend. Her age and my age weren’t that different,” she said. “I just was always impressed with how thoroughly she did anything. She was a perfectionist and we have a lot of interest in common.”

Heming said she and Miller were going to publish articles together after Miller got her degree based on the research she did for her thesis. Heming said she was going to help Miller get the articles published in some journals.

“I’m pretty sure that would have happened, but it won’t now, unfortunately,” Heming said. “I can’t even begin to imagine how many people are going to miss her.”

Taylor said even during her busy life with seven children, she always found a way to get her assignments in on time.

“I know her family was very, very proud of her,” Taylor said. “She was probably one of the top students that we’ve had to go through our program and she will be greatly missed.”

10 OPINION DOCUMENTARY, continued from Page 6 “Just the fact that she was involved,” Nowlin said, “and the fact that it had been going on for literally my whole life and I had no idea about it until about a year ago.”

He said his grandmother isn’t a secretive person, but she won’t tell you something unless you ask.

Nowlin said he was the first in his family to visit the commune after his grandparents.

He said the group was founded in 1988

by Ronald Livingston. Some of the current members were present during the founding. Others have joined since then or were born there.

People who join are given new names.

For instance, Ronald Livingston is called William by members of the commune.

Nowlin said the group was in uenced by three religions ormonism, hristianity and the Essenes, which is a religion that follows the Dead Sea Scrolls – an-

Writing about death Erin WidEs Features editor

Looking back to August, when I was told that I was responsible for editing the obituaries we receive and making sure they got published online in Associated Press style, I remember thinking, “Wow, what a sad responsibility.”

In particular because I tend to enjoy the “good news.”

I am the features editor, which typically involves the human interest stories, those in the community who stand out in what they’re doing or those more under the radar but still make a positive change.

I’ve only really understood obituaries to be about those who have died and death was far from what I wanted to cover. rom one of the first obituaries received, I quickly found out how unique and special this opportunity was going to be.

If anything, obituaries are less about death and so much more about the qualities

Nov. 29–Jan. 16

cient Jewish manuscripts discovered in the last century.

Nowlin said the group does not use electricity and relies on candles for lights and horses for work and transportation.

“Out there, they live off the land,” Nowlin said. “They grow their own food, make their own clothes, build their own houses.”

Nowlin said the commune is viewed negatively by some people, including locals around Lamoni and relatives of members who have joined.

“I think (the Lamoni community) are very accepting of it now,” Nowlin said, “but there are some who just think, ‘Oh, they’re a cult.’”

Nowlin made four trips to the commune. n the second trip, he brought filming equipment and three friends and fellow students to wor as the crew ody Clemmons, Colin Obrien and Kiley Rex. “They’re nice people,” Clemmons said.

Nowlin’s father, Lincoln, also joined him on his third trip. t was his dad s first

visit to the commune.

“I don’t know really how he feels about it,” Nowlin said, “but indifferent is the best way to put it.”

The commune members had been interviewed before, but this was the first time camera equipment was allowed. Before the trip, Nowlin said the commune’s governing body convened a meeting to decide whether to give Nowlin permission to bring in his equipment. They decided in favor of it.

Nowlin described the commune as a beautiful place and the members as very nice.

“After I interviewed the people there, I was like, ‘Yeah, no way this is a cult,’” Nowlin said. “But then I would interview people who moved off The Land because they were unhappy with it. And, I mean, they said there s definitely an argument for it being a cult.”

Nowlin said that in 2011, some 25 members left the commune. He said the Lamoni community was very supportive

of those who have died — their families, hobbies, awards and leisure activities. I have learned about past teachers, students, parents, siblings and more. The ones taken from us have led such extraordinary and full lives.

People were passionate about cooking and gardening. They enjoyed spending time with their animals, children and family. Some were super involved in their religion. Others had a list of various volunteer activities they had done. They were loved and appreciated by their family, friends and community.

Every time I read an obituary, I wonder if the person who died was ever told these positive things.

It matters what we tell people when they are with us; simple reminders of their everyday actions and how they do make a difference will inspire them to keep living life to the fullest. also find the ages interesting. ost of the time, those who have died are older and it was a natural cause. Occasionally I have gotten some obituaries about middle-aged and younger adults. pecifically this semester, there have been more student deaths than I have ever recalled and we have written many stories about them. These aren’t obituaries, these

are remembrances of them. It is a humbling experience to get to reach out to those who were close with them. It is also sad.

The first student death covered was that of Randy Diltz. He was in the digital media production program, as am I, but I never knew him.

I’d like to think we are a tight-knit department, but once I began learning more about Randy I felt like I wasn’t doing well enough getting to know students younger than me.

by helping former members adjust after leaving. He said members born there had no driver s licenses, birth certificates, e perience with handling money, insurance and other life skills.

Nowlin said he enjoyed the trip but personally wouldn’t spent more than a weekend there. He said he couldn’t handle their lifestyle and he is not very religious.

“They’re very accepting,” Nowlin said.

“And they’re self-aware about it. They’re like, ‘Yeah, we know what we’re doing out here is unusual, but you know, we’re not trying to impede on anybody,’ doing their own thing. It’s very much like that.

You do you and I’ll do me.”

Nowlin said he plans to finish the documentary by Dec. 6 and is going to call it “The Land.” He said he has enough footage that he’s thought about making it into a feature length film.

“I’m still playing with the idea of making it a feature, but that’d be awhile down the road,” Nowlin said.

I got to talk to Randy’s uncle, a close friend, a mentor he had back in St. Louis and one of his professors at .

Each of them spoke so effortlessly about Randy and his character.

Randy wasn’t the only student we lost.

For each student, other people shared good stories about them. Each of them have been special and had their own story. So I ask you, next time you see a story about a death, read past the headline. Everyone has a story and they deserve to be read.

OPINION 11

The Muleskinner

Green Room: A great thriller Ryan Sheehan For the Muleskinner

Released in 2015, “Green Room” is a horror thriller that was overlooked at first but has since gained high critical acclaim, some calling it a great movie. And it is.

“Green Room” was written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, who earlier in his career directed the well-received revenge thriller “Blue Ruin.”

Set in the backwoods of the Northwest, a desperate punk-rock band agrees to perform at a remote club despite it being a hangout for white supremacists. After their performance, they see a dead body lying on the oor in their green room. The members of the band are now witnesses to a murder and find themselves trapped in the room with a white-supremacist gang trying to break in and kill them.

The vast majority of this movie’s runtime takes place in the club and the green room itself, adding a level of claustropho-

bia to the suspense.

This movie is intense. hen there are breaks between moments of suspense, they are not boring. They come as moments of relief, giving you a chance to breathe.

This movie does contain brutal violence and that should be expected. Yet there are brief moments where the violence is extreme. I consider myself to be a mature moviegoer who is used to brutal violence, but there were times in “Green Room” where I cringed. In a way, it’s necessary for the story because it makes the film even more intense.

The band members are not your typical movie protagonists. No one is a former soldier or an off-duty cop. They are just normal people. They have never been in a situation like this before and they behave like normal people would. They sometimes make rash and dumb decisions. It’s easy to make fun of dumb decisions made in horror movies. But in this movie, where the intensity is so high, you don’t blame them.

After all, what decisions would we make if you were in their shoes?

The death scenes are not typical either. hen a main character dies, especially a protagonist, they are usually given a cinematic death. It’s made to feel important and the character goes out with a sense of dignity. That doesn’t happen in “Green Room.” hen a main character dies, it happens suddenly and without warning.

This is a horror film, but a different kind of horror.

Patrick Stewart plays the main villain and he delivers a fantastic performance as Darcy, the club’s owner and leader of the white-supremacist gang. He chillingly talks about killing the band members in a calculated and cold-blooded way. He’s racist, but he is extremely intelligent, trying to consider every possible detail of his plan.

Darcy is a great horror villain. It’s also nice to see Stewart in a great role that is not connected with “X-Men” or “Star Trek.”

The only aw to this movie would be

the dialogue. It’s not that it’s bad writing in fact the dialogue is well written and the actors deliver it in a natural style. Too natural, actually. Like real people, the characters sometimes will mumble or whisper their lines, making it hard to hear. The best way to watch “Green Room” is to watch it with the subtitles on. Rewatching with the subtitles, I realized there was a lot of good dialogue I missed the first time. For example, I missed the closing line, which was hilarious and the perfect way to end the film.

“Green Room” does have a few moments of comedy just a few. They are similar to the scares they appear suddenly and are very effective.

If you don’t mind the violence or the intensity, give “Green Room” a watch. It’s amazing and is easily one of my favorite thrillers. Even with movies such as “Mad Max Fury Road,” “Spotlight,” or “Inside Out,” “Green Room” was one of the best movies released in 2015.

Overlord: Action horror that’s better than it should be Ryan Sheehan For the Muleskinner

Imagine an action film set during II about a small squad of paratroopers sent behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied France on the eve of the D-Day landings.

Imagine that it’s also part horror film as the squad comes across monsters created by evil azi experiments. The squad now has to battle through these monsters and their creators in order to survive and complete their mission.

Now imagine this movie also has a cast of compelling characters and is a pretty good ick.

“Overlord” is just that, directed by Australian filmmaker Julius Avery and produced by J.J. Abrams, who has had a mixed bag of success working on “Star Trek” and “Star ars” in the past.

hat really makes this action-horror film work is the characters. There is the main lead, Pvt. oyce, who is just a nice guy caught up fighting a war. Cpl. Ford is their commanding officer by default and he’s not really a jerk, but his one and only goal is to complete the mission, no matter what. Their sniper, Tibbets, is just rude.

Even when risking his life to save a little kid from gunfire, he’s kind of annoyed about it.

The fact that the filmmakers chose to spend time to develop these characters and to have the audience get to know these characters is a good move. It’s nice to have a compelling cast of characters to follow through the wild plot. It’s kind of a foundation that holds the film together, especially since this a film that is basically a part of the Nazi-zombie subgenre, despite there not actually being any zombies. It

has been compared to “Call of Duty” because it does resemble the Nazi-zombie survival mode. ith that said, this movie feels to be more of an homage to classic Hollywood films and -movies about monsters, II commando teams and mad scientists – the sorts of films the “Indiana Jones” franchise took heavy inspiration from. Julius Avery even referred to “Overlord” as “Indiana Jones on acid” in an interview with Syfy ire.

The film has other cool stuff, too.

There’s good action sequences and while it’s not necessarily scary, the horror-esque elements are very entertaining. There is a healthy dose of humor and with a movie that does have a B-movie plot, why wouldn’t there be some comedy? And there are some effective serious moments as well.

After watching the first quarter of “Overlord,” you might think it’s an action film. Then later, it becomes almost a horror film. hile that may not be a real sign of quality, I can’t help but to truly respect that. I wish I could have watched “Overlord” without having any previous knowledge of what it was about to see if I was surprised or not.

However, “Overlord” isn’t great. It can feel cliche at times and a bit lackluster.

There are moments when you know someone is going to die, which is a common issue in war films. Although I did actually care when certain characters died. A problem with a lot of horror films is they can often feature people who feel dumb or unlikeable. Here, that’s not the case.

If you want to see a big blockbuster that is a lot better than it has to be, “Overlord” is a good choice.

12 SPORTS

Nov. 29–Jan. 16

Former Mules pitcher climbs through minor leagues Jason Brown SportS Editor

Fall league play for Major League Baseball wrapped up about two weeks ago and former Mules pitcher Grant Gavin completed his second season of professional baseball with the Kansas City Royals organization. Gavin joined the Muleskinner on a phone call to discuss his professional career and what it’s like playing for a team he grew up supporting.

Jason Brown: What has it been like being in a minor league system for the Royals?

Grant Gavin It’s definitely been different than college. You get shifted all over the country and kind of have to go wherever they put you. All you’re doing is playing baseball, so it’s not like college where you have to go to school and all that. It’s a unique experience, but I’ve really enjoyed it because pretty much all I’ve ever wanted to do was play baseball.

JB: How many teams have you played on this season?

GG: I played on two different teams during the season. I started on High-A in Wilmington, Delaware, then I moved up to AA Northwest Arkansas after about a month. Then in the fall, I played in the Arizona Fall League.

JB: What is the Arizona Fall League?

GG: Every major league team has six or seven spots, then they pick various guys in their system and send them down there.

There are six teams total made of up of different teams. My team was made up of the Royals, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Pirates and the Rangers. Each team sent six or seven guys and we made one team. You just get to go out and play and work on your stuff.

Pretty much it’s a time to develop and play more games. We play at the spring training complexes. We were at the Royals complex in Surprise, Arizona.

JB: What’s it like being in a clubhouse where players are constantly moved around to different teams in the organization?

GG: It’s unique because professional baseball is more individual-minded than college baseball for sure. Like, winning and losing isn’t necessarily the end-all, be-all. Everyone is kind of more focused on how they’re doing. Trying to play to their best so they can move up, it’s kind of the name of the game, you know? Along the way, obviously, you get to make new friendships and hang out with different guys every year because teams change.

I’d say the guys you get to play multiple seasons with end up becoming your better friends in the minor leagues.

JB: When did you realize you were going to be able to play baseball professionally?

GG: I didn’t think it was a realistic possibility to get drafted until a month before it happened. I came on pretty late as a junior at UCM. I had a couple teams contact me and express some interest and I was like ‘Oh, that’s kind of neat.’ Down the stretch of the season, they kept talking to me so I knew there was a slight possibility.

JB: Were the Royals one of those teams talking to you?

GG: Yeah, the Royals and the Astros.

I would have been OK with pretty much anyone drafting me at the time. I just wanted to get the opportunity so bad, but looking back on it I think it worked out.

JB: Did you grow up a Royals fan?

GG: Yeah, I grew up in Parkville, Missouri. It was definitely neat getting drafted by them. I’ve been a fan of the team for 20 years and then I get brought into the organization as a player. It’s pretty neat.

JB: Was it weird seeing players that you watched play in that environment?

GG: It’s funny you mention it because when I was watching the big league guys

Photo by UCM Athletics Former Mules pitcher Grant Gavin has pitched two seasons in the minor leagues with the Kansas City Royals organization. Gavin has thrown 168 innings and posted a 2.25 ERA in his minor league career. on TV, I was like, ‘Those guys must be the sionals in every at bat? real deal.’ Obviously, they’re very good GG: The higher you move up through players but then I get here and I run into the minor leagues, I’d say guy’s approachbig league players all the time that I’ve es change generally so you have to change heard of. Yeah, they’re good players, but with it. The biggest difference is that you you wouldn’t be worth anything in minor play guys with a lot more raw talent and league baseball if you don’t think you can it’s hard to get away with mistakes. You do what they do. I mean, it has definitely really have to live on the edge of the strike changed my perspective on those guys. It zone and the strike zone is also smaller the gives me a little confidence to watch them higher you move up. My command has do what they do and say they’re no differ- definitely improved greatly since I left colent than me and I can do those things too. lege because it has to or you’re going to get eaten up.

JB: How does your approach to pitching change when you’re facing profesGAVIN, continued on Page 13

SPORTS 13

The Muleskinner

Mules grad transfer hitting strides early Jason Brown SportS Editor

Not many college basketball players get to make four different stops in their short careers, but Mules graduate transfer Jafar insey is making the most of his final stop as a college athlete.

Kinsey was one of six additions to a Mules team that needed to fill the holes left by departing seniors Clarence Smith, D.J. Richardson and Spencer Reaves. Prior to this season, Kinsey spent the last two seasons playing with Division I North Dakota University.

At MIAA Media Day, Karleskint said he expected Kinsey to be a strong guard that plays downhill and is able to get to the free-throw line frequently.

Kinsey has taken his share of foul shots in his first seven games with the Mules, making 31 of his 40 attempts. His ability to drive to the basket and create contact was on display in the Mules’ last three contests where he drew 28 of those free-throw attempts. Kinsey is averaging nearly six free-throw attempts per game through the first seven games of the season.

Kinsey said drawing contact is a strength of his game and getting to the line is an expectation.

GAVIN, continued from Page 12 JB: Are you coached differently with the Royals compared to college?

GG: It’s a lot more laid back than in college. Everything is about the team in college, so if someone messes up, everyone’s a little on edge about conditioning or whatever. In professional baseball, it’s your career, you do the work and obviously, there are people here to help do certain things. It’s a lot more on you to be self-motivated.

JB: How was the Fall League?

GG: It ended up well. I started off really well. I think my arm was a little tired because I had been playing baseball since February. I kind of wore down a little bit at the end but overall it was a great experi-

“They definitely count on me to get downhill, get in the gaps and draw fouls for the team,” he said.

Kinsey said nerves were on his mind in the Mules season opening win over Harding. His four points marked his least productive outing of this young season.

“I think the first game was just jitters, just the first game in awhile, senior year,” he said. “I felt like there was a lot of pressure on me to play well. Also, my parents were in town so I was a little bit nervous.”

Since that output, Kinsey has scored in double figures in each game and eclipsed 20 points in two of them. He put together his first double-double with the Mules in their loss to Sioux Falls on Nov. 19. His season-high in points came less than a week later in the Mules loss to the University of Missouri - St. Louis when he scored 23. Kinsey is averaging 14.4 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game.

“After getting the first game under my belt, I just relaxed a little bit and I think that played a role in me playing well the last couple games,” Kinsey said.

Kinsey has transferred three times in his college career and said that changing teams so frequently presents a number of challenges.

“It’s definitely been different,” he said.

“You go from one school to the next, learn different systems and try to interact with different players and coaches.”

Kinsey began his college career spending one season at Division I Robert Morris before transferring to the junior college level and playing a season with Des Moines. Kinsey said his decisions to transfer are rooted in finding opportunities.

“My first year, the coaches and I weren’t on the same page, so that led to me transferring to a junior college to try and find my way there,” he said. “It was the same thing when I went to North Dakota, just trying to find the best opportunities for me and my family.”

The Mules were in on Kinsey quickly after he graduated from North Dakota in May and had expressed interest in using his graduate transfer option.

“I felt like they were very trustworthy with me through the whole process,” Kinsey said. “They’re allowing me to extend my opportunities and have fun so I knew it was a good fit.”

Kinsey’s season with the Mules will be the last of his college eligibility and his expectations of the team are high.

“I think we’ll continue to play hard.

Come to practice, learn every day, get better and hopefully win some more games,”

ence. I think I definitely showed why I got picked to play in the Fall League against all of these top prospects because I think I’ve more than held my own.

JB: Do the Royals oversee your offseason training?

GG: The Royals do have a program and you can do it if you want. Every offseason I’ve used my own guys and they’ll write a program for me. I just think it’s easier because they’re watching me every day of the offseason. With the Royals, they don’t have someone here to watch me and coach me on it so I’d rather use people that can critique what I’m doing.

JB: How do you plan to spend your offseason?

GG: Training. I mean, next week is Thanksgiving so I’ll see my family and the same with Christmas, but the main thing is to get ready for next season. Going to the fall league was a great thing, but if you think about, most minor leaguers were done in September and they’ve been training since then. So, I kind of lost out on some preparation for next year in terms of strength and conditioning. I’m a little behind the eight ball so I need to hit the ground running and get after it.

JB: What are your 2019 expectations?

GG: The hope is that I start in AAA, but it’s very realistic I go back to AA. From there you just have to pitch well. If you pitch well, you’re going to move up.

You’re pretty close to the top in AA and AAA so from there you just have to be the

Photo by Jason Brown / Sports Editor Mules graduate transfer Jafar Kinsey is with his fourth team in college basketball and in his nal year of athletic eligibility he said.

Kinsey said regardless of the challenges of playing for a fourth team in five seasons, he wants to enjoy his final season of playing college basketball.

“I always try to embrace it,” he said.

“Since this is my last year, I’m just trying to have fun.” best guy and hope you’re pitching well at the time a spot opens up in the big leagues.

That’s the hope, to make it to Kansas City at some point, but if I just go out and pitch to the best of my ability, I’ll be happy with whatever happens.

Gavin was selected in the 29th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Royals.

He has pitched 168 innings in his minor league career, posting a 2.25 ERA. Gavin was named the Royals Rookie Pitcher of the Year just four months after being drafted in 2016. He tossed 49.1 innings for 47 strikeouts and a 2.01 ERA in his 2016 Arizona Fall League stint to earn All-Star honors.

14 CENTRAL SCOOP

Student Sudoku Activities

Nov. 29–Jan. 16

Sudoku 5

3

8

4 6 9 1

11-29-2018

Free Dinner @ BSU 6 p.m. | 302 S. College Street O Come All Ye Queer Folk 6 p.m. | Union 307 Fun Before Finals 7–11 p.m. | SRWC Nav Night sponsored by the Navigators Campus Ministry 8 p.m. | Alumni Memorial Chapel

29Difficulty Level:

THURS.

Puzzle by Hang Chen and Curtis Cooper Feast of Carols 6 p.m. | Hart Recital Hall Holiday Bash & Movie 6–10 p.m. | Elliott Student Union

30 Sudoku is a number-placement puzzle that FRI.

BY HANG CHEN AND CURTIS COOPER

7 9

6 2

3 1 7

8 4 7

1 2 4

8

2

nsists of 9x9 squares. The objective is to fill Community Music Program Winter Recital 2 9 10:30 a.m. | Hart ch blank square soRecital thatHalleach row, each 1 Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas SAT. umn, and4:30 each of the nine 3x3 blocks contain the numbers from 1 to 9 one p.m., 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. | Union Cinema 2018-19 Muleskinner staff Worship: Christian Campus House e each.

5 DIG7:30 p.m. | 211 S. Maguire Street TUE.

6 WED.

Free Dinner @ BSU 6 p.m. | 302 S. College Street Nav Night sponsored by the Navigators Campus Ministry 8 p.m. | Alumni Memorial Chapel

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doku solution:

5 4 7 1 3 2 8 9

Chris Holmberg Kaitlin Brothers

Managing Editor News Editor

Erin Wides

Features Editor

Jacob Peck

Multimedia Editor

Kyer Lasswell

Design Editor

Garrett Fuller

Assistant Design Editor

Jason Brown

Sports Editor

Molly Burnam

Photo Editor

Erica Oliver

Assistant Photo Editor

Britain Bray

Illustrator

Anaiyeh Smith Chris Moore Cody Clemmons Matt Bird-Meyer

Social Media Coordinator Business Manager Advertising Manager Faculty Adviser

The Muleskinner is a biweekly laboratory newspaper in the Department of Communication 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 and/or refuse to print such material.

Letters to the editor must be signed and include class rank for students or title for faculty/staff, as well as hometown for community members.

The advertisement of goods, products or services in the Muleskinner does not in any way constitute an endorsement by the Muleskinner, UCM or the Student Publications Board of the advertiser, the goods, the products or the services offered.

The Muleskinner is a member of the Missouri College Media Association and the National Newspaper Association.

CENTRAL SCOOP 15

The Muleskinner

If your class is...

Monday, Wednesday & Friday or Monday & Wednesday or Monday & friday or just Monday

Tuesday & Thursday Or just Tuesday

at...

Then Your Final is...

8 a.m.

9 a.m.

10 a.m.

11 a.m. noon 1 p.m.

2 p.m.

3 p.m.

8–10 a.m. Monday 8–10 a.m. Wednesday 1–3 p.m. Monday 1–3 p.m. Wednesday 8–10 a.m. Friday 3:30–5:30 p.m. Wednesday 3:30–5:30 p.m. Monday 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Friday

8 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

11 a.m.

12:30 P.m.

2 p.m.

3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m.

8–10 a.m. Tuesday 8–10 a.m. Thursday 1–3 p.m. Tuesday 1–3 p.m. thursday 3:30–5:30 P.m. Thursday 3:30–5:30 p.m. Tuesday

Off-Schedule or Rescheduled classes meeting on... friday, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Mon. Monday or tuesday, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. TUE. wednesday, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. WED. Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Thur.

Finals for night (5:00 p.m. or later) and off-campus classes are given during the week of finals at the regularly scheduled time.

Clinical Research Of The Ozarks, Inc.

is looking for children and adults who have asthma to participate in a clinical trial with an investigational drug.

YOU MAY QUALIFY IF:

• you are having persistent asthma • you are 12 years or older

QUALIFIED PARTICIPANTS MAY RECEIVE:

• Up to $725 travel expenses • Study-related medical care at no cost • Study medication

SEE IF YOU QUALIFY: Call Rachel at

660-747-2397 Lawrence P. Landwehr, M.D.

502 Burkarth Road, Lower Level Warrensburg, MO 64093

16 NEWS

Nov. 29–Jan. 16

View the fully-interactive Crime Map online at:

digitalBURG.com CRIME MAP LEGEND CAMPUS CRIME

CLICK/SCAN QR CODE TO VISIT

Report Made Walk-in Report Made at Public Safety office Arrest Made WARRENSBURG CRIME Campus Crime reports compiled by the UCM Department of Public Safety.

Report Made Walk-in Report Made at police station Arrest Made

Warrensburg Crime reports compiled by the Warrensburg Police Department.

Be sure to watch for next semester’s special print issues of the Muleskinner JAN.

MAR.

MAY

17 07 02

From all of us here at the Muleskinner, thank you for your support this semester.