Muleskinner Vol. 116 Issue 2

ABRAM TABOR Staff Reporter

A drumline entertains a crowd of people, vendors host cornhole games and prize wheels, food trucks sell everything from hot dogs to cheesecake on a stick. From the red t-shirts, red hats and red sunburns after the football game, these are all staples of Get the Red Out at the University of Central Missouri.

The annual street fair before UCM’s first home game of the year has brought thousands of people to campus, from locals to hardcore Mules Football fans to university alumni.

“Get the Red Out is very much a collaboration between the university and the community and our Chamber of Commerce in Warrensburg,” University President Roger Best said. “The notion is to help out our local community and also give our community members a place to come, hang out and have a good time with each other and celebrate our first home football game of the season.”

The street fair started at 4 p.m. and featured 141 different vendors. One booth featured handmade tie-dye t-shirts designed by students in the fashion program at UCM.

“We’re just hoping to get our program more out there,” junior Aubrey Summers said. “We did our tie-dye t-shirts specifically for Get the Red Out. We have our Fashion Business Council and our Fashion Business Association, they work together hand in hand to put together the booth. Fashion merchandising is just a chance for you to get to showcase your creativity.”

Although the first home football game of the season would start at 7 p.m., the community experience of the street fair is what many people came to Get the Red Out 2022 for.

“We’re just taking a stroll now,” School Chair and Safety Professor Leigh Ann Blunt said.

“We just like to see everybody in the community,” Troy Blunt said. “We came down to Get the Red Out through

all the years of raising our kids in the Warrensburg community.”

“It’s pretty fun and interactive,” Madi Gipperich said, “I think there’s a pretty good turnout compared to last year. It was dead.”

Of course, many students joined the local community and school organizations in celebrating the event. Most students said this year was significantly better than Get the Red Out 2021.

“I think it’s fun that we get to see all the different clubs and activities that are around campus that, some of them, we didn’t even know about,” Lainey Blount said. “Last year we went, it wasn’t as many people. It was a lot of students but there wasn’t a lot of community.”

Many enjoy returning to the annual tradition.

“I’m excited to see lots of normalcy again,” Icil Gittings said. “Even though last year was supposed to be normal, it just wasn’t. This year feels a lot more normal.”

Warrensburg’s Holden Street is filled with students, faculty and community members celebrating Get The Red Out. This annual festival stretches from campus to downtown,before the University of Central Missouri’s first home football game. Photo illistration by Eden McCann

Jayci Stowe gets a caricature drawn at Get the Red Out 2022 with her mom on Sept. 22. The annual event featured artists, live performances and food vendors. Photo by Sabhyata Biswa

Tori Happy, a UCM Mule Rider, watches over the sea of red for UCM’s first home football game of the season. Happy works on UCM’s farm, caring for the live mascots to ensure they are ready for campus events. Photo by Lauryn Morrow

Pulitzer Prize Winner Speaks at UCM

EMMA FISCHER News Editor

Annette Gordon-Reed, renowned historian, professor and author, visited the University of Central Missouri on Sept. 22, 2022 as part of Constitution Week.

“This all started with an anonymous donation to history and political science,” Joshua Nygren, professor and History program coordinator, said.

Nygren worked with Michael Makara, associate professor of comparative politics and international relations, to decide who they would invite to the university.

“We compiled a wish list,” Nygren said. “Gordon-Reed was at the top.”

The College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences teamed up with the American Democracy Project and the Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity to gather the funds to host Gordon-Reed.

The American Democracy Project is an organization on campus whose goal is to help college students participate and engage

in politics. Every year, they plan a week of events to celebrate the framers’ signing of the final draft of the Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787.

After making their list, Nygren and Makara contacted Shari Bax, the Vice President of Student Experience and Engagement and the campus coordinator for the American Democracy Project, about inviting GordonReed.

Bax also reached out to the director of the Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity, Lover Chancler, to see if the Center would be interested in also sponsoring Gordon-Reed’s visit.

“From the faculty-staff perspective, we are interested in bringing such scholars to campus to put models of scholarship before our students,” Bax said. “And preferably models of diverse scholarship, diverse thought.”

Gordon-Reed studies foundational parts of America’s history with an emphasis on the Black experience, and she related on her own life in her speech. Gordon-Reed discussed how she can be hopeful for a future in which people

of color have equality while also studying and writing on a violently inequitable past.

“She studied a part of history that’s not always often talked about,” Chancler said. “It’s often important to have both of those identities connect to help [students] see how things

came to be as it related to not just history from an outside perspective, but also from an inside perspective, as well.”

Student charged with Possession of Child Pornography

EMMA FISCHER News Editor

A 20-year-old man was charged with three counts of child pornography possession on Sept. 8 in Warrensburg.

Caedon Bergman was arrested on Sept. 8 and held at the Johnson County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bond in cash. On Sept. 9, Bergman appeared in court and entered a not-guilty plea. According to officials, Bergman’s case is under investigation with another arraignment scheduled for October 3.

Bergman was charged under Felony B Statute 537.037 on June 22. According to officials, charged under the statute, a person must possess either more than 20 still images of child pornography or one video, or they must have been found previously guilty of possessing child pornography.

Bergman is being represented by Jeffrey Raymond Nilson, who at the time of publication had no information or statement to release at the time of publication.

Lillian Tate Contributed to this story

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.

Letters to the editor are encouraged from students, faculty and alumni. Typed or legibly written letters can be submitted by email at muleskinner@ucmo.edu or can be mailed or hand-delivered to the Muleskinner newsroom at 203 East Clark Street, Warrensburg, Missouri 64093, which is in Wood building, room 312. Include your legal name and phone number for verification. Letters should be brief, self-edited and must be received by Monday the week before publication. The Muleskinner prints once a month.

Annette Gordon-Reed takes questions from students of history, political science and the Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity in an invite-only breakfast the morning after her speech. Photo by Emma Fischer

FEATURES

“THESE DOGS ARE MAGIC”

UCM gets to “De-Stress with Pets”

STEPHANIE ROGERS Contributing Reporter

The University of Central Missouri’s Mo’s Activities Council held Destress with Pets, an event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 15 outside of the Elliott Student Union where community members could interact with service animals and volunteer pets.

MAC invited Pet Partners, a group that employs service and therapy animals, mainly for children and adults experiencing hospitalization and summer camps for special needs children, but also for anyone needing animal therapy.

Alexis Stryker said she was looking forward to the event and the significance of getting to interact with service dogs.

“This is what got me through my last hour. I’ve been really stressed. I saw this, and I was looking forward to it,” Stryker said. “There are puppies, you can sit there and pet a dog and not have to worry. It’s just the best day.”

One Pet Partners volunteer, Jan Andrews, brought her dog, Bubba, to the event. “These dogs work magic,” Andrews said. “They’ve tried to do some research with them to show what they do, and you can take someone’s blood pressure and see it drop just from petting and having the dog around, but they haven’t been able to pinpoint it, and one of the researchers said it’s magic, so you just can’t measure magic.”

Andrews explained that Bubba showed up at her farm at 3 a.m. when he was an 8-week-old puppy. Ever since then, he has always had an aptitude for calming others. While puppies are often known for their rambunctious attitudes, Andrews said Bubba has been calm since he was a puppy. Service dogs often require this calmness as they meet individuals of all ages. Especially with children, there’s always a concern that they may be too rambunctious.

“He doesn’t care at all. Somehow, he understands that they aren’t always

balanced, and it doesn’t bother him. A child could do anything to him, he loves kids. He doesn’t react,” said Andrews.

One student reiterated this feeling of calmness brought about by Bubba and the other service animals at the event. Kate Shanahan mentioned that the dogs were a stress reliever.

For students like Shannahan and Stryker, the benefits of service dogs are immediately present. However, service dogs often serve more complex roles, whether as PTSD companions or to aid those with disabilities.

In the second half of the event, they had three new dogs, who were pets of the Student Activity Council. Many students believe they could immediately tell the difference in demeanor between service dogs and pet dogs. While the pet dogs were wonderful and cute, they were running around play-fighting and being rambunctious, which would be inappropriate for a dog in a hospital environment; however, Bubba stayed calm and sat right next to Andrews, continuing to comfort and aid students.

“Yeah, it’s just something about them [service animals]. They know who needs them the most in the room. So, when we go into a hospital, Bubba goes to the person that needs him the most” said Andrews.

“Magic” was displayed as Bubba, an eight-year-old lab sat and relaxed with students. Bubba’s abilities were palpable, as the busy students that came and interacted with Bubba’s demeanors changed to one of calm and a moment of mindfulness. Photo by Stephanie Rogers

Above: Alexis Stryker sits with volunteer pet Bubba at the Destress with Pets event. Mo’s Activities Council invited Pet Partners to bring dogs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 15. Photo by Stephanie Rogers

Left: Bubba greets Carolyn Shemwell. This is not a typical moment for a service animal as they are trained not to greet people with kisses. However, Shemwell looked exactly like Andrews’ daughter, whom he is allowed to kiss, so he went in and greeted her as a family member. Photo by Stephanie Rogers

- Jan Andrews, Pet Partner Volunteer

“These dogs work magic... They haven’t been able to pinpoint it, and one of the researchers said it’s magic, so you just can’t measure magic.”

Moonlight Market Marks End of Summer Season

LAUREN MOYER Staff Reporter

On Oct.1 Warrensburg will be alive with the Moonlight Market from 4:30 to 7 p. m. Downtown Warrensburg will be full of vendors and food trucks. There will be live music, played by Wyatt & Waters.

Moonlight Market will mark the end of the season for the farmers’ market which is regularly held from 8 a. m. to noon.

“We wanted to hit a demographic in the afternoon to make it fun,” said Warrensburg Farmers’ Market manager Monica Mitcheltree.

This time, it is able to reach a group that is not normally reached by the early Saturday morning farmers’ market.

For the event, the farmers’ market chose up and coming artists from the Kansas City area, booking Wyatt and Waters for live entertainment. This band, being the choice of the year, is a country cover band that sometimes includes their originals while playing.

Ruth Dixon, a farmers’ market vendor for her company, Urban Bloom Company, made her hobby of making homemade jewelry into a business during quarantine. Dixon joined the farmers’ market as a vendor to promote her online business. She is looking forward to meeting new people at the market, as well as the younger families attracted by the event.

In attendance at Moonlight Market will be a rustic bakery based in downtown Warrensburg that specializes in bread and pastries. Green Truck bakery has been a part of the Warrensburg community since 2012.

“I really enjoy meeting people who may or may not know about us,” co-owner of the Green truck bakery Carmen Schick said. “I think it’s always good for the people to get to know the person who is growing or making their food.”

FEATURES

UCM Hosts Kansas City Writers

DILLON SECKINGTON Opinions Editor

Creative writers Hadara Bar-Nadav and Jameelah Lang visited the University of Central Missouri Art Gallery on Sept. 14 for the Pleiades Visiting Writers Series.

The two writers shared some of their work, both recent and from years past, with attendees, many of whom were UCM creative writing majors.

“If you can learn storytelling, which is the oldest art form that humans have been engaged in, and the way that we’ve communicated for centuries and centuries, then you can be successful and find a place in any industry,” said Lang.

“I think we talk about creative writing as something that sets you up for a career as a teacher or that equips you to be a writer, but I know writers who have gone to work in ad agencies, to run political campaigns, to work at accounting firms, so I think storytelling is just really valuable.”

After Lang finished her final piece, Hadara Bar-Nadav gathered the crowd’s attention. Bar-Nadav’s poetry struck the room quickly as she accentuated the meter of her work. Her most recent work is concerned with the process of trauma and healing.

Senior Havilah Barnett, who introduced Bar-Nadav at the reading, shared her thoughts on why events such as these are so important to students and aspiring writers.

“I think it’s beneficial just to be around other people who take writing seriously,” said Barnett. “You can ask questions, so you can learn things and maybe even get some insider tips for applying to MFA programs.”

Bar-Nadav shared why she thought the Pleiades Visiting Writers Series was important.

“Well, I love going to readings myself,” said Bar-Nadav. “I think it’s an amazing education to hear how people present their work and how that brings poetry to life in a different way, and there’s also invaluable opportunities to talk to the authors—to ask them questions.”

The farmers market in downtown Warrensburg on a Saturday morning has vendors sell handmade goods and produce. On the last Saturday of the season, the event will transform into the Moonlight Market. Photo by Eden McCann

Hadara Bar-Nadav answers questions for attendees of the first Pleiades Visiting Writers Series of the fall semester. Both Lang and Bar-Nadav made their support for creative writing students well known over the course of their visit. Photo by Dillon Seckington

OPINIONS

The Economic Downside of Canceling Student Debt

JAKE KROSEN Staff Reporter

The last several weeks have seen fierce debate over President Joe Biden’s move to cancel $10,000 of student loan debt for borrowers who earn below a $125,000 annual income threshold. As every economics student knows, every decision has consequences.

While many of the advocates for this policy have come out to say that this move will help students and even possibly lower inflation, mounting evidence is proving these points to be deeply misguided.

Larry Summers, a former economic advisor of both the Bill Clinton and Barack Obama administrations, commented on Twitter that the student loan forgiveness plan could lead to runaway inflation. Summers wrote, “Student loan debt relief is spending that raises demand and increases inflation.”

Now while this may not look like the traditional form of spending we are used to hearing about, students who would’ve used that money to pay

off their loans will now be able to use it as extra discretionary income. Following the standard definition of inflation which is what happens when a larger supply of money is chasing the same amount of goods and services, leads us to seeing that money not spent on loans is money that will remain circulating in the economy, thus leading to inflation.

Jason Furman, Obama’s chairman for the Council of Economic Advisors also went to Twitter to summarize his criticisms as well.

“Pouring roughly half trillion dollars of gasoline on the inflationary fire that is already burning is reckless,” Furman wrote.

Another major problem is that forgiving student loans could also make college more expensive in the long run.

Biden also introduced an expanded version of an Income Driven Repayment system. According to the latest proposals from the White House, those who borrowed money for a typical four-year degree would only need to pay 5% of their earned income while those who took out loans for a graduate degree would only need to pay 10% of earned income.

This process would occur up to 10-20 years depending on how much more they were earning.

Robby Soave, a senior editor at Reason Magazine, wrote, “Under the current system, a prospective student needs a certain amount of money to pay for tuition at a university—say, $50,000—and borrows that sum from the government (i.e., the taxpayers). Later, the borrower pays it back, with interest. The university’s incentives are less than ideal; it might feel free to raise the price of tuition to $60,000, satisfied that the student really wants the degree, and will thus borrow more money, and deal with the consequences afterward… it arguably contributes to rising tuition rates.”

However you look at it, canceling student debt, as noble a cause as it may seem, is a bad decision in an already difficult economic climate.

Whether it be increasing inflation, or increasing tuition rates for later generations of students, this drive for student loan forgiveness will only end in raw deals for almost everyone except those that took out loans.

Journalism Takes Students to New Heights

MEAH COPELAND Sports Editor

Sept. 8 seemed like a normal Thursday. As I went into my 9:30 a.m. class, I met Alex Chase, public relations for ROTC, who pitched the idea to the Muleskinner Faculty Adviser, Julie Lewis, and I about a chance to ride in a Blackhawk helicopters.

We decided to take this opportunity as spot news. After the chat, I grabbed equipment for photographers and videographers. We left by 11 a.m. to head to the volleyball courts behind the Multipurpose Building.

When we got to the fields, it was a fast turnaround and everyone had to get started quickly. All of the ROTC cadets were lined up and ready for orders. We waited for the helicopters to come in and we got orders on how to enter the helicopter. We had to put earbuds in to avoid damage to the ears. I got many shots and angles of the day but the best part of the day was the flight. There were many cadets, faculty, staff and students that had the chance to fly in the Blackhawk.

Even though we had to wait to get on the helicopter, it was worth it.

I had butterflies in my stomach the whole day because I was very excited and nervous about what I was going to do. The flight was interesting because it was close to flying in an airplane. I thought the ride was shakier than an airplane. Taking off was fascinating because you go straight up in the air instead of an airplane takeoff form. The view of the sky was amazing to see. The aerial view of Warrensburg is beautiful. I got to see the houses, stores and the UCM campus.

My favorite part of the flight was when we were around Skyhaven Airport. The helicopter looked like it was going to land, but it didn’t. The pilot moved the control wheel all the way down which made the helicopter incline to the sky. My stomach jumped as that happened, similar to the feeling when you ride on a roller coaster.

This opportunity was special and it helped me move out of my comfort zone. I got to work more on the news side and less on the sports side. I created a video sequence on the experience for our Youtube page. I worked with other colleagues to get the story and photos published quickly.

As Sports Editor, these opportunities do not come to us often. We usually focus on sports stories and sports press releases, not going in a Blackhawk helicopter. I enjoyed my time during this once in a lifetime experience.

Photo Manager, Ellie Whitesell, exiting the Blackhawk alongside ROTC Cadets. Whitesell was sent into the helicopter to capture a bird’s eye view of Warrensburg. Photos by Rachel Becker

Left: Gift Manua and Annelia Nixon interview a UCM faculty member after he rode on the Blackhawk. Manua and Nixon were able to cover the event for a journalism class.

OPINIONS

Wondrous One-Acts

Showcase Captivates Audiences

LIBBY EAST Features Editor

The University of Central Missouri Theatre and Dance kicked off their 2022 fall season with a performance of four short one-act plays in the Nickerson Blackbox on Sept. 15. Each performance had a run time of about 20 minutes and was absolutely star-studded with talent.

The evening began with a comedic noir style detective skit, centering around the death of Julius Caesar. The show, appropriately titled “Don’t Get Blood On My Toga” was directed by senior Riley Given. The show opens and we are introduced to the gaudy Roman Flavious Maximus, played by junior Jared Dosch. Shortly after this, audience members have the delight to meet the eccentric character of Brutus, played by Thomas Clark, as he literally bursts through the door. The rest of this comedy follows the two as they try to discover the truth behind Caesar’s untimely death, with Brutus tying up his loose ends along the way. Honorable mentions within this cast also include junior Shanna Sinow and her portrayal of the distraught and inconsolable Calpurnia as well as senior Luke Habjan as he adds more comedic flair to this already masterpiece of a show.

After a quick scene change, lights open on “The Tale of Two Spectators”, directed by senior Seth Sneary, where junior Makenzie Lewis, is seen sitting on a park bench, awaiting the arrival of her co-star, freshman Max Brennan. The story behind these two’s history quickly becomes revealed as they both stalk their spouses mid-affair. The catch? The two’s spouses are

Senior Mary Gladbach slumps against the fence in her portrayal of an old pig which grew up in captivity as her bubbly sty-mate, played by freshman Paige Showen, flashes a playful smirk at the audience. Photo by Libby East

cheating on them with each other. These actors both possess excellent character work, forming completely separate personas which make for great chemistry on stage. Throughout this show there is an underlying sense of heartbreak as immediately after swapping their spying tools —opera glasses—they both continually give rants about their lives, their happiness and their overall situation. Lewis’s monologue near the end of the story is one that really hits hard as her character discovers that her husband bought this other

woman a beautiful ring, something she was never given. By the end of the show, two entirely different reactions to heartbreaks are revealed with Brennan’s character wanting to confront his wife and Lewis’s character wanting to change herself to better fit her husband’s dream woman. With a somber “see you next week,” it’s clear that neither truly intend to act.

In “500/501,” directed by senior Kierra Kellum. The story follows two pigs, senior Mary Gladbach and freshman Paige Showen, as they live their lives in the sty, contemplating life and what lies beyond the big walls. As the tale progresses, the once bubbly Showen slowly morphs into something more somber, this transformation only being more pronounced after Gladbach’s character is taken to the “green place.”

The writer of this piece only adds insult to injury when relating to the weight of this ending as Gladbach returns only to be a younger bubbly pig, excited by the new surroundings and giddy to meet her new sty-mate.

The night ended with a bang with the performance of “Bake Off!” directed by senior Katie Harmon. This story started relatively slowly, leading up to an explosion of emotion on behalf of freshman Reagan Weber as her competitor, played by freshman Ryan Verheek, cowers behind the oven. Weber’s character gives a lengthy and passionate speech about the gender norms throughout history, her voice catching in her throat in one of the most believable freakouts ever seen on stage. These two actors, only freshman, both deliver excellent performances and patrons of UCM theatre should be excited to see just what these actors do next.

Poor, Unfortunate Reactions

Social Media’s Unjustified Negativity Towards Live-Action Ariel

LILLIAN TATE Staff Reporter

In the summer of 2019, Disney revealed actor and Grammy nominee Halle Bailey would be playing Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.” On Sept. 9, 2022, Disney finally released its first trailer for the film. I was so excited for the new release; however, other viewers became beyond unhappy— with the lead actor.

Bailey’s depiction of Ariel provides something more beautiful than the cartoon Ariel ever could: representation.

I could easily declare myself as Ariel’s number one fan as I was growing up. I had the princess dress, the princess shoes, the wig and all. What I loved about Ariel was not her skin tone, her ethnicity or even her red hair. It was her voice, the way she treated others with kindness and her relatable childish naivety. Now, I can’t imagine that in such modern times we are still rioting over the skin tone of a talented young actor, and the fictional mermaid she portrays.

The hashtag “NotMyAriel’’ began trending shortly after the trailer’s release. Scrolling through social media was an absolute nightmare. Many users across multiple platforms send out scathing posts, some ridiculing the lack of fiery red hair on Bailey’s portrayal. Which, let’s just take a second, have you ever seen your hair underwater? Is it ever the same color? If anything, having cherry-red hair underwater is the farthest thing from being physically accurate. I’m going to ask that the redheaded demographic have

some perspective. Other people have decided to shoot petty remarks at Bailey’s physical attractiveness, saying she isnt “pretty enough” to play Ariel. Whereas the majority of negative social media posts are saying the same thing: Ariel is supposed to be white.

sake of the argument that Ariel is Danish. There is a Black population in Denmark. Danish people can be Black. “The Little Mermaid” can be any race, that detail is completely irrelevant. What matters about Ariel is her voice, which Bailey is more than qualified to represent, seeing as she’s been singing alongside her sister Chloe Bailey for over four years. The singing duo has more than two million monthly listeners on Spotify, and just to reiterate: has five Grammy nominations. Bailey isn’t just certified to play Ariel, she’s a cut above.

For the angry mob screaming “blackwashing”, have we forgotten Hollywood’s lucrative history of casting white actors for ethnic roles? Elizabeth Taylor’s role of Cleopatra, Tilda Swinton’s depiction of “The Ancient One” originally a Tibetan male, Johnny Depp and Elvis Presley’s castings as Native Americans, and Willem Defoe as Jesus Christ, just to name very few. Where are the rallying cries for these miscastings? Or does it not matter because these are white actors?

Many of those in support of the 1989 cartoon Ariel are using the same eye-catching argument. The finger-pointing at Disney and cries of blackwashing. The wide eyes and feigned innocence of trying to keep Ariel’s “Danish” roots alive, and of course the predictable hypothetical: what if Tiana was white? What if Mulan or Pocahontas were a different race? Tiana, Mulan, and Pocahontas’ stories are reliant on their ethnicities and cultures; they are major factors of their movies. Simply put, “The Little Mermaid” was never about race. Not once was her ethnicity a major plot point, or even mentioned at all. Let’s say for the

Let us even dial in on the casting for the new liveaction movie. Ursula, a character based on Baltimore drag queen Harris Glenn Milstead is played by nondrag queen Melissa McCarthy, and Sebastian the Caribbean crab is portrayed by non-Caribbean actor Daveed Diggs. There has yet to be backlash for these roles. Face the argument for what it is: this is anger over a white character being played by a black actress. This is not blackwashing. This is a movie for the millions of young black girls who now get to see themselves as a beautiful live-action mermaid on screen.

-Lillian Tate, Staff Reporter

“This is not blackwashing. This is a movie for the millions of young black girls who now get to see themselves as a beautiful live-action mermaid on screen.”

Ichabods Outrun Mules 40-32

On Sept, UCM Mules football team against Washburn University. The Mules lost 40-32 on a Thursday night. Quarterback Cedric Case scrambles and looks to pass to his teammates. Photo by Addison Hammons

Tight end Malik Clayborn runs around a Washburn defender. Photo by Addison Hammons

Running back Xavier Jackson celebrates after running the ball into the endzone. Photo by Addison Hammons

Mules receiver, Arkell Smith, catches a pass from quarterback Cedric Case. He tries to run around the Washburn Ichabods. Photo by Addison Hammons

NATIONAL BATON WIN EARNS TOP SPOT

UCM Feature Twirler Heading to World Championship

MEAH COPELAND Sports Editor

Sophomore Taylor Herrmann is a majorette on the University of Central Missouri’s Featured Twirlers and has been using her skills in dance, movement and gymnastics in the sport for over 12 years. Her time and energy have helped her qualify for baton twirling at the International Baton Twirling Federation World Baton Twirling Championships on August 2023 in Liverpool, England.

“It’s definitely exciting, my team has been working towards this since we got started,” Herrmann said. “[Going to Worlds] is what you work for and that’s the main goal. I always wanted to go to Worlds.”

Throughout the previous months, Herrmann earned many competition wins to be awarded her spot at Worlds. Each competition advanced her to the next level, which ranged from the State championship in St. Louis, to the Regionals competition in Chicago to the National competition at Notre Dame University. Herrmann placed first at Nationals which qualified for her the collegiate level at the Worlds competition.

Her Nationals performance qualified her for many upcoming events at Worlds. Her first event is modeling with a baton and the second is strutting with a baton, which is movement without the baton leaving her

hands. She will also do a soloist baton and a field competition, which is where the twirler performs a variety of tricks. The final competition is showcasing her work and representing UCM in two minutes. Herrmann said she is excited to travel to England next year, but until then, she practices daily and has been

busy since the semester started with a new duet partner, sophomore Austin Moyer. Herrmann and Moyer will be performing at the UCM home football games on Oct. 1, 15, 29 and Nov. 5. Moyer says he likes twirling and that Herrmann makes him better each day.

“Taylor knows what she wants and she strives for perfection which is a really good quality for a baton because every day you want to get better and better at a certain skill and she really pushes me to work on my technique and my performance ability,” Moyer said.

During the academic year, Herrmann choreographs performances for the UCM football games, UCM’s Homecoming Week and for the annual Twirler for a Day event. Twirler for a Day is an opportunity for twirlers of all ages to learn from experienced twirlers by performing and experiencing what it is like to twirl at UCM. She is also preparing to walk in the UCM Homecoming parade with 15 people for Twirler for a Day.

UCM Baton Coordinator Amanda Sporlenski has been coaching Herrmann for two years. Sporlenski said Herrmann works well at practice and supports her teammates so that they perform well together.

“It’s such a wonderful opportunity for anyone and to be able to go with her team back in St. Louis is super awesome and such an honor to represent the U.S. and UCM,” Sporlenski said.

Taylor Herrmann competed at Nationals hosted at Notre Dame University. Herrmann qualified to go to Worlds Compeition in Aug. 2023. Photo submitted by Angie Herrmann

Taylor Herrmann and Austin Moyer are the two feature twirlers for UCM. On Aug. 13, they practiced to start their fall 2022 season. Photo submitted by Jacqueline Valenzuela

Both will be performing at UCM’s upcoming football games, Homecoming week and Twirler for a Day Event. Herrmann does the choreography for the duo and the events. Photo submitted by Valenzuela