Muleskinner Vol. 116 Issue 6

University of Central Missouri

Since 1878

UCM Counseling Services Increase Free Care Options

ABRAM TABOR

News Editor

Students at the University of Central Missouri have access to many new opportunities to attend counseling. The UCM Counseling Center has updated walk-in hours for same-day sessions and the UCM Counseling Master’s Program Clinic is now open to student appointments.

“Really, it’s a good opportunity for students to take advantage of services that are not going to cost them anything,” Nancy Forth, department Chair of Counseling and Educational Leadership, said. “If students don’t know where to go, they could really find themselves in a place of having a lot of mental health issues.”

The clinic first opened in 2000 for students in the master’s program to get needed internship hours. This is the first semester it will be open to all students.

“When people get to the end of the program, they have an internship they have to take, they have to see clients,” Forth said. “So, rather than them finding something externally, we find that there’s a need for students on campus.”

Appointments for the free program can be scheduled by emailing Forth at nforth@ucmo.edu or contacting her office. Sessions at the Warrensburg and Lee’s Summit campuses are open for individuals and groups of no more than eight.

“We all have stuff, because we’re human, we’re not perfect,” Forth said. “We all struggle with something now and again. Sometimes people think ‘oh, I must be weak, that’s why I need counseling.’ Well, to reach out and say ‘something’s not right,’ that’s a strength.”

The Counseling Center continues to offer students a service to care for their mental health. The center recently updated walk-in hours for same-day initial appointments.

“Those are times where students who have not been here before can come in and be seen. We have been adjusting our model, just trying to make this more accessible for students,” Jeanne Woon, Director of the Counseling Center, said.

The center is open to walk-ins from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. According to Woon, these initial appointments are focused on making recommendations for care based on essential needs and information.

“We are here to provide a space for students to talk about the concerns they may have, like when they have stress or anxiety,” Woon said. “There are some key exceptions, since we work under professional guidelines, but we offer them confidentiality. And it’s free.”

According to Woon, the new walk-in model is to encourage students who are in need to come in, without the additional stress of finding time to make an appointment.

The Counseling Center is located in Humphreys 131. Students can call 660-543-4060 to schedule a session or check on wait time for walk-ins.

“I think students will use it more if they don’t have an appointment, because I don’t think students are great at scheduling things like that,” Senior Lindi Moulin said. “I think it’s very important, but it’s hard to find time. Sometimes I prioritize work over mental health, and I feel like that’s pretty common to do.”

Surveillance Balloon Spotted over

ABRAM TABOR

News Editor

On Feb. 3, a high-altitude surveillance balloon floated within the airspace above Warrensburg. At 60,000 feet approximately, the balloon went unnoticed by many University of Central Missouri students. The balloon posed no threat to UCM’s campus safety and security, according to Chief Bill Brinkley, UCM Director of Public Safety.

“We didn’t have any official notifications and didn’t have any concerns that day, we just monitored the media,” Brinkley said. “We monitor more low-level traffic with Skyhaven here.”

According to a Pentagon spokesman, a Chinese government surveillance balloon drifted for seven days across the United States, which included northwest Missouri. As the balloon floated over the center of the U.S., many people came out to squint at the sky, but it did not cause any threats or danger.

U.S. Pentagon officials said the balloon began its travel from China to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and then through northwest Canada before arriving in Montana on Feb. 1. Then, the balloon’s flight line was on a southeasterly track. After soaring across the U.S., the balloon was brought down on Feb. 4 off the coast of South Carolina.

According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command the balloon did not pose a physical or military threat to people on the ground.

“When it [the balloon] entered U.S. airspace and came over the continental United States, we began to develop options on how to take it down and address this threat, with the idea being that we wanted to wait until it was over water so that we could mitigate any potential civilian harm or property damage,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said.

Coping with Winter Weather Low Temperatures

MURITALA AYINLA Distribution Coordinator

For many students, the arrival of winter weather means so many things depending on the coping strategies adopted. To some, the icy weather means feelings of depression, stress, anxiety, or even hopelessness. Others see it as a season of fun and time to lace up their running shoes and engage in more physical exercise.

Missouri winters may be common for those born and raised in the state, but for students from around the world winter can be a new challenge. International students at the University of Central Missouri are developing coping strategies against “the winter blues.”

Krishna Mahathi Dara, graduate assistant in the School of Industrial Science and Technology, said that many international students have never experienced extremely cold weather before coming to Missouri.

“In the southern part of India, we have seasons and winter days starting from October and remaining till February,” Dara said.

“A pullover jacket would be enough to keep me warm,” Dara said. “My strange experience with winters in Missouri started with pollen allergies. It was totally new to me being an international student as I noticed changes in my breathing process. However, taking antiallergic pills has helped me a lot, and I learned it would be a continuous process.”

Dara said that she stays hydrated by drinking warm beverages.

Chibuike Joseph, a Nigerian Graduate student said that winters in Missouri are colder than what he has witnessed in his West African country.

“This weather is so extremely cold,” Joseph said. “I haven’t experienced this kind of cold weather in my life, but I am gradually adjusting to the weather with thick clothes and a winter jacket depending on the distance I need to go. I now also drink a lot of hot coffee.”

Graduate student Surya Teja Saithana said that he hardly stays outdoors for an hour daily. He said he is currently experiencing colder atmospheric weather conditions in Missouri compared to Italy or other countries he had been to.

“But with proper protection and engagement in activities I’m trying my best to cope,” Saithana said.

Aviation student Rafiat Ogunmeno, who is in her first year at UCM, also described the winter as a weird season but said that, having stayed in the United States for over eight years, she has developed several coping strategies such as dressing warmly, keeping indoors and other safety tips to survive the weather.

Graphic by Rachel Becker

Graphic by Rachel Becker

Muleskinner

ANNELIA NIXON Reporter

Sophomore and Occupational Safety major, Benjamin Shaffer, has benefited from utilizing the University of Central Missouri’s Office of Accessibility Services. Shaffer, who has dealt with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, major depressive disorder, insomnia and some anxietyrelated symptoms, has made vast improvements in his mental health. He says OAS has played a role in his improvements.

Cathy Seeley, director of OAS, says students needing accommodations for any disability have to follow certain steps to be registered with their office. Seely said students must provide documentation of disability. This can be from a private physician or the Counseling or Health Center on campus. Then, students will be given an appointment where they will discuss how their disability is impacting them and their college experience and what accommodations might work best for them.

“For me, they have the time and a half testing if I am in a class where I’m like, I cannot focus on this,” Shaffer said. “I also get homework extensions if I’m having an off week or an off day and feel like I cannot focus.”

Shaffer said he can’t recall much of the incident. He said his father found him and called his doctor and he was an inpatient for a week. Shaffer said he failed a class that semester.

“That was the first ever class I’ve failed and I was like oh my gosh, I thought if I was diagnosed I could explain to my professor like this is what’s going on,” Shafer said. “And that’s whenever my journey started with the OAS office. I didn’t quite understand that we had an office like this. A lot of students think that it’s a get out jail free card for homework assignments and stuff but it’s a lifeline for a lot of students.”

Shaffer said his psychiatrist told him UCM had an office that could help with his situation. Shaffer sent his paperwork to OAS, got an appointment, and not only used their services, but obtained a job in their office as a secretary, certified peer educator, and proctor. Shaffer said he wants those struggling mentally to keep fighting to get help.

Another campus resource students can go to for assistance is the counseling center. Clinician Heather Lawson said, at the Counseling Center they work with students with many different diagnoses and disabilities and if need be they’ll refer students to other on-campus resources.

“We might make a referral to either the university health center and encourage them to see one of the providers there where they can potentially talk about medication,” Lawson said.

Shaffer first began experiencing mental health disabilities at the age of 10, when his brother committed suicide. He began seeing a grief counselor. He said things were going great for a while but they did not stay that way.

“Whenever I started to hit puberty and mature, the prefrontal cortex started developing,” Shaffer said. “Eighth grade I was having thoughts of suicide, having thoughts of harming myself, and that’s whenever my grades were declining, but I was always a really good student and my parents were like, let’s take him to a see a doctor.”

Shaffer began seeing a different doctor who diagnosed him with ADHD. Shaffer said his symptoms improved. He said he became more active in school but by the end of the day, he would feel drained of energy. He said at this time, he had discontinued taking his medication per his doctor’s instructions because of its side effects. Shaffer said this is when the symptoms of depression and thoughts of self-harm returned. He said he also had problems sleeping, so he started taking melatonin, Benadryl and Nyquil. Then, he eventually started taking the medication that he had previously stopped. He said his counselor recommended he see a psychiatrist.

During his senior year of high school, Shaffer was also a full-time college student juggling extracurricular activities including swim meets. On the day of one particular meet, Shaffer had just enough time to go home, grab his belongings, have a meal, then get to the bus that would take him to the meet. Shaffer said he was so exhausted that he fell asleep and missed the swim meet.

“My parents called and they were like, you missed the bus for the swim meet,” Shaffer said. “My coach called me and some of the other swimmers called me and they were really mad at me. It was a series of events that led up to it. I attempted suicide.”

Rachel Becker, Editor-in-Chief

Abram Tabor, News Editor

Meah Copeland, Sports Editor

Dillon Seckington

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.

Graphic by Rachel Becker

Searching for Support Students Find Community Around Post-Pandemic Mental Health

RACHEL BECKER Editor-in-Chief

A national survey by the American College Health Association reported that almost three quarters of students reported moderate or severe psychological distress. With almost three years of the pandemic under our belts, and a barrage of bad news on social media feeds everyday, no wonder mental health in college students has fallen.

Traditional resources for mental health, like counseling, were sparse during the pandemic and for some students, online counseling was not enough. At the University of Central Missouri, students have started to look to their own student organizations to aid in their mental health journeys.

Liz Riggs, UCM senior and the President of UCM’s National Alliance for Mental Illness, said their group is part of a national grassroots organization that is dedicated to providing resources and outreach all around the country.

The local chapter is here to serve the UCM community including those from the Lee’s Summit campus, holding meetings over Zoom bi-weekly.

Riggs said the group also shares local resources on Discord, Instagram and Twitter, including updates on UCM’s counseling center.

Riggs said that mental health has been a struggle in the past and the pandemic did set them back, but joining NAMI was able to aid in their recovery. They said that having people to go to about mental health issues was what they needed.

Rebekah Syers, a fifth-year senior psychology major, acts as NAMI’s vice president and certified support group facilitator.

Syers said NAMI is meant to help students find mental health resources through outreach.

“We are here to give you answers for the questions where you’re not sure on where to turn to,” Syers said.

“We work in ending the stigma around mental health, especially in college people,” Syers said. “People just don’t notice the burden they take on when you don’t focus on yourself. I have so many issues myself that I ignored, and the support group helped me.”

Syers said that mental health has become easier to talk about in recent years, but the discussions about it are not always positive or in comfortable environments.

NAMI was able to support Syers during her time at UCM, she said.

Syers transferred to UCM during her sophomore year. She said, in her first year she struggled to make connections and secluded herself. Syers said she was depressed when she first came to UCM, and the isolation made it worse.

“Ignoring it is the worst thing you can do, and I did that. I did it for so long,” Syers said. “I pretended I was fine when I wasn’t and I wanted to be perfect, I wanted to be the perfect student. And then I just fell down a hole.”

She then joined NAMI, at first just coming to meetings casually. After needing to medically withdraw from university, and bearing the transition back, Syers said she went to NAMI for support.

“I needed that support and NAMI was there for me during it,” Syers said. “I really connected with the people there. When I talked to people there, they got it. And I realized I’m not really alone.”

“While it was a slow climb, trying to take care of myself, I am now at a place I want to be,” Syers said.

However, NAMI is not always about mental health, Syers said. She said that sometimes just having a community around someone is all the support they need.

NAMI hosted a JackBox game night earlier in the semester, and Syers said while mental health was not the theme of the night there was a sense of community around it.

“You don’t need to talk about your mental health all day everyday. You just need people there that get it. That’s all it really is,” Syers said.

Riggs also serves as the secretary for Prism, an LGBTQ+ group on campus. They joined Prism their freshman year, the fall of 2019, so when students were sent remote the following semester, due to the COVID-19 pandemic Riggs still had a community of Prism members to connect with from home.

“It helped me feel a little less isolated when we were in the pandemic and that was really nice,” Riggs said. “Then coming back to campus it was a little weird, but it was weird for everybody, but we got back into the swing of things pretty quickly though.”

Prism has worked with the Multiculturalism Center for Unity week, and Riggs said they are planning for events in April.

Lillian Schutte, Prism President, said “Our main purpose is to give LGBT folks on campus a place where they can be themselves unapologetically no matter their sexuality, gender, or anything else. It is a lot easier to deal with the stuff that comes with being LGBT when you have that support network,” Schutte said.

She said mental health is a really big problem in the LGBTQ+ community, often due to discrimination and lack of family support.

“It is heartbreaking how many times I’ve heard the same narrative over and over again of, ‘I need help right now because I came out to my family and they do not support me at all,’” Schutte said.

She said that the members of Prism try to look out for each other, and over time become a new family for one another.

Schutte said the pandemic hit Prism hard, affecting their enrollment and planned in-person events.

“So we do have a big age gap right now of sophomores and juniors that are not represented in our club because of the pandemic,” Schutte said.

Riggs said that after the pandemic Prism has remained relatively unchanged, minus the missed opportunities for meetings and recruitment during lockdown.

“I would say we’re actually probably closer as a group now than we were before the pandemic,” Riggs said. “We were pretty close before the pandemic but I think in the past year or two we’ve all grown to be really close with each other.”

“We’re here for anybody,” Riggs said. “You don’t need to be queer to join Prism and you don’t need to have a mental illness to join NAMI. We’re here for everybody, we’re here for the allies, we’re here for the people who identify those ways.”

Graphic by Annelia Nixon

Creativity of Today and Tomorrow Throughout Campus

DILLON SECKINGTON

Features and Opinions Editor

Since 1971, the University of Central Missouri has had a selection of sculptures for students to draw inspiration upon while on campus. As for the future, Jamie Platt, Gallery and Events Director for the Art Gallery on campus plans to create an all-new virtual art tour for anyone to view the amazing art at UCM from anywhere. Also, a lecture series and curated exhibition from sculptor and performance artist Johanna Winters began on Feb. 9.

Some sculptures have been at UCM for over 50 years, while others were introduced more recently. For example, one of the university’s most recognizable and eye-catching pieces, Elizabeth Ritter’s “Today’s Quest, Tomorrow’s Destiny” arrived at UCM in 1998. The sculpture can be found between W.C. Morris and the football stadium. “Today’s Quest, Tomorrow’s Destiny” shows a young girl sitting on a stone, contemplating her future. Ritter said that her inspiration for this piece was sparked by a sculpting class.

“I had taken a class with a world-class sculptor in Colorado, and I got a small moquette of a studying girl,” said Ritter. “It just seemed to lend itself to that whole idea. I really like to promote more women going to college, getting degrees, that kind of thing.”

While many believe Ritter’s sculpture to be breathtaking, there are many other pieces on campus that others find have the ability to communicate thought and emotion. Such as, “Petra” by Kathleen Caricof which sits in front of the southwest corner of the Administration Building. Deriving from Latin/Greek, the sculpture shows a woman bowing, seemingly petrified in time. While Caricof now has artwork all across the country, “Petra’’ was one of Caricof’s first large marble works, and the sculpture was created using white marble from the Yule Marble Quarry, the same stone that was used to create national monuments such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery. “Petra’’ provides variety to the collection of art on campus, as it takes a more abstract approach.

“It’s a collection of art, and all art isn’t the same,” said Caricof. “The more diverse your university is, the more diverse your art is. I think people see art differently, so it’s nice to have the realistic eagle that everyone understands, compared to an abstract form that people interpret differently.”

Many students believe sculptures at UCM cannot be graced over without touching on the iconic Mule statue just outside the football stadium.

“The mule statue is a huge part of UCM,” said Mule Rider Nathan Frazee. “Seeing all the incoming freshmen take photos with the mule is always a good feeling for the mule riders and we’re definitely glad to have it on campus.”

While the Mule seems like it would be a long-standing part of the university due to it being the university mascot, it was actually only introduced just seven years ago in 2016. Every year, the bronze sculpture bears the weight of UCM students filled with school pride for fun photos.

Below: “Petra,” by Kathleen Caricof features Yule Marble from the Yule Marble Quarry in Colorado. This marble is taken from the same quarry as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Photos by Dillon Seckington

Left: Rita Blitt’s “Fantasy” lies in front of the James C. Kirkpatrick Library. Featuring a modernist design, the piece highlights curves and lines.

Above: The Dale Carnegie statue sits on Speaker’s Corner. The bronze bust honors the life of University of Central Missouri alum and author Dale Carnegie.

Solo Show Rocks Expectations

Rihanna Makes History at 2023 Super Bowl

DILLON SECKINGTON

Features and Opinions Editor

Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl halftime performance was yet another enjoyable show in a historic setting. This year, the Super Bowl was held in Glendale Arizona, at the Arizona Cardinal’s State Farm Stadium. Although she had been previously offered a spot to perform years before and turned the chance down due to her stance on the NFL and Colin Kaepernick, this was Rihanna’s first time appearing in the Super Bowl halftime show.

Rihanna’s set began with “B—- Better Have My Money”. This was a great way to start the show, as the crowd became noticeably more attentive and attracted to what was happening on field and screen. Rihanna went on to play a number of her multitude of hits from over the years, such as “We Found Love”, “Pour It Up” and “Umbrella”. As is the case every year, the production of the show was tight and ran smoothly. Most of Rihanna’s set was performed from massive floating platforms, with dancers in the air and on the field. This alone made the show very visually pleasing and a fun departure from the stressful game. The songs were arranged nicely, in a

way in which the fans could enjoy the show while also showing off Rihanna’s wide range of abilities.

While Rihanna did all she could, putting on a spectacular performance, the show still felt like there was more left on the table. A large majority of Super Bowl halftime shows feature more than one artist. For example, in the last Super Bowl, the 2022 Super Bowl, the halftime show featured Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige. And in the 2016 Super Bowl, fans saw Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson and more. This year, however, fans were presented with only one act. This is not to say that Rihanna did not put on a great show, but more variety and the aspect of surprise would have been nice.

On the other hand, one of the most interesting aspects of this year’s Super Bowl halftime show was the fact that Rihanna revealed her pregnancy for the first time. Sporting all red, Rihanna had not mentioned anything about being pregnant with her and A$AP Rocky’s second child. From the moment Rihanna appeared to fans and on screen, it was visible that the star was making a statement in Glendale.

One moment that felt rather odd during the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show came during the ninth song of the setlist. For some reason, Rihanna performed her parts from “All of the Lights”, a Kanye West song. While this may not have been an issue when the song was recorded or released, in light of West’s recent behavior, this was not the most tasteful selection.

As anticipated, the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show was a massive spectacle. Rihanna, being one of the biggest stars in the world, put on an amazing show. Although there wasn’t as much variety of styles and genres, Rihanna still blew the roof off of State Farm Stadium.

The City that Keeps on Winning

KC Hosts Three Victory Parades in 8 Years

DILLON SECKINGTON

Features and Opinions Editor

Not many cities can say that they have had a world championship rally or parade in recent years, let alone on three separate occasions. This is not the case in Kansas City, however. With the Royals winning the World Series in 2015, and the Chiefs taking home the Lombardi Trophy in 2019 and again this year in 2023. Having a total of three championships in eight years is a huge accomplishment for a city’s sports teams, especially during a time in which the success of certain city’s sports teams are constantly debated and compared to each other.

eight years, the Chiefs have appeared in three and won two. The Red Sox grabbed a World Series win in 2018, and so did the Royals in 2015.

Although Kansas City has six less Super Bowl wins than New England, and the Royals aren’t on the World Series champs level that they once were and Kansas City doesn’t have a pro basketball team, the recent success of Kansas City teams is worth noting because of the speed in which Kansas City has became a major player in championship games over recent years.

It’s also important to note Sporting KC’s two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup wins in 2015 and 2017. While soccer may not be one of the big

- Dillon Seckington, Features and Opinions Editor

While Kansas City might not be on the level of, say, Boston in terms of sports championships, the Chiefs have one of the most feared stadiums to play in, as well as an extremely passionate fanbase. The Boston Celtics have the most NBA Finals wins with 17, The New England Patriots are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins with six and the Boston Red Sox are tied for third with the Oakland Athletics for World Series wins with three. Although, when you look at the more recent championships both cities have won since 2015, the numbers are nearly identical. The New England Patriots have won three championships in those

three American sports, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is still a massive accomplishment for Sporting KC, as well as the city in general.

The Chiefs’ most recent parade for their victory in the 2023 Super Bowl was a huge success and celebration for the city and Chiefs fans. Although it was cold and cloudy, Chiefs fans showed up and showed out, just as they always do. While fans shouldn’t get ahead of themselves, it does feel like the Kansas City Chiefs are on the cusp of a dynasty led by Patrick Mahomes.

“The Chiefs’ most recent parade for their victory in the 2023 Super Bowl was a huge success and celebration for the city and Chiefs fans. Although it was cold and cloudy, Chiefs fans showed up and showed out, just as they always do.”

Ten Wrestlers Head to NCAA Division II Super Regionals

MEAH COPELAND

Sports Editor

The University of Central Missouri Mules Wrestling team hosted their annual Wrestling Senior Night alongside the team’s final regular season matchup on Feb. 13 at the Multipurpose Building in Warrensburg.

The team celebrated the three senior wrestlers Darick Lapaglia, Zachary Hazen and Austin Morgan, while finishing the season with a win over Newman Jets 28-19. Junior Trent Strong sealed the win at 285 lbs for the Mules after a 7-1 decision.

“This is for the seniors,” Strong said. “I went out there and did what I had to do. Team score wise did more than what I needed to do. So I’m very blessed to be able to go out there and do that.”

Heading into the postseason, Strong says he will support his teammates in any way he can. Although the Mules have a losing record as a team, some individuals have wrestled well this season. Those include seniors Lapaglia and Hazen and junior Nolan Saale.

Lapaglia is a two-time All-American wrestler and is currently ranked No. 10 in the MIAA Conference at 149 lbs. His record is 20-4 having eight pins throughout the season.

“I think we got a handful of guys that are looking pretty good for qualification to Nationals,” Morgan said. “I think we’re all looking up I think here in the future, especially after some of these red shirts become and some ineligible guys become eligible. I think in the years in the future will be pretty good for UCM.”

Head Coach Cody Garcia wrapped up his first season with the Mules at their new facility and looks forward to postseason. The Mules will have 10 wrestlers heading to NCAA Division II Super Regionals at the time of press.

“Well it’s a tremendous thing for us to be able to have and very grateful to have a home and a place for us to that’s designated for wrestling,” Garcia said. “So we can focus on this craft and give these guys an exceptional experience.”

Assistant Head Coach John Feeny said he is excited for the 10 wrestlers to go to the regional tournament.

“Personally, I am excited,” Feeney said. “I am confident in our guys to qualify more than that this year.”

The wrestlers who qualified for postseason are Charlie Getz, John Nguyen, Tommaso Frezza, Darick Lapaglia, James Culp, Nolan Saale, Austin Morgan, Zach Hazen, Brayden Dillow and Trent Strong.

On his senior night, Feb. 13, Austin Morgan wrestles against his opponent at the UCM Multipurpose Building. Morgan lost against his opponent at a 3-1 decision.

Photo by Meah Copeland

Muleskinner

MEAH COPELAND Sports Editor

The University of Central Missouri Rugby Club traveled to Kansas City for Midnight 7-on-7 Madness Tournament at the Kansas City Soccer Dome. The team was placed third over eight teams from the Feb. 19 matches.

The Rugby team hosted a UCM Round Robin Tournament, and placed first over four teams and went 3-0-1.

The team gets a break until they are on the road again in March. They will be traveling to Arkansas and Rolla-Missouri for S&T Saint Patrick’s tournament and the final matches of the month are the Kansas City Rugby Football Club tournaments in Kansas City, Kansas.

UCM alumnus Bo Varvil has been the head coach for two years. During his time at UCM, he played in all 15 positions. He said the strategy at Midnight Madness is to have energy to keep playing.

Junior Philipp Rojas-Zdjelar, hook for the Rugby team, said he drinks energy drinks to stay awake during Midnight Madness.

“It’s a good way to kind of see where we are as a team,” RojasZdjelar said. “It’s just a time to have a good time, play some rugby, enjoy some drinks with people and just all around have some good fun.”

“A lot of the guys are self motivated. So they really want to win,” Varvil said. “I try to keep a positive attitude.”

Varvil said the team is always looking for the win, even when they are having a tough time on the field. He said the team is capable of turning a game around in a short period of time, and having a positive attitude keeps everyone calm.

“I think rugby is the greatest sport ever made,” Varvil said. “I really like just how fast it is. But also getting to know the group of guys that you’re playing with, you can form some really strong bonds.”

COLE ELLING Staff Reporter

The legacy of former University of Central Missouri Athletic director, Jerry Hughes, 73, continues to be celebrated by the UCM campus and community. Many believe a large part of the success across all of UCM athletics and the winning mentality Hughes developed at UCM, were the relationships he built and the passion he had for every team on campus. Hughes died on Jan. 21, according to UCM’s Integrated Marketing and Communications.

Hughes’ tenure at UCM lasted four decades and he accepted numerous awards for his impact on college athletics. After graduating from UCM in 1971 with a bachelor’s in physical education and a three year letterman as a Mules Golfer; Hughes went on to spend 44 years in UCM athletics helping build one of the top Division II athletic programs in the country. During Hughes’ four decades as Athletic Director, UCM Athletics won 145 Conference Championships and 13 individual and team National Championships.

Tim Poe, Mules Head Golf Coach of 32 years, knew Hughes since the mid 1980s, when Hughes first took on the role of Athletic Director and Poe was a student-athlete. After being hired as full-time head coach in 1991, Poe said he saw the immense amount of passion and drive for greatness Hughes had envisioned for UCM Athletics.

When speaking about the multi-million dollar renovations to Mules National and UCM Golf facilities in 2015, Poe said, “None of this would have been possible without Jerry Hughes.”

The renovation of Mules National Golf Course allowed Poe to recruit players like many Division I programs, with a stateof-the-art practice facility, a university-owned and regionallyrenowned golf course.

Being a former Mules Golfer, many found Mules National and Pertle Springs were in a special place in Hughes’ heart. He also had a passion for Mules Basketball as a former coach.

Sophomore basketball player, Connor Arment, was able to hear stories about Hughes and who he was as an athlete, coach and leader following his passing.

Honoring a Long Legacy Rugby Hits the Road

The Mules next game following Hughes’ death was at Lincoln University on Jan. 28.

“Before the game, Coach Doug Karleskint spoke a little about Jerry’s love for the game and what he meant to the University,” Arment said. “Jerry was a big believer in a 2-3 zone defense. To honor his legacy, we played a zone defense for the first few possessions. Something we rarely ever do.”

Though UCM Athletics is still looking for ways to honor Hughes’ legacy, many teams are putting Hughes’ initials on their jerseys and gear or sharing stories with teammates about what Jerry accomplished at UCM.

Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, Cody San Miguel is hoping one day his legacy is something we are reminded of every day as members of the UCM community.

“It can’t be something small,” San Miguel said. “It must honor the 50 years he spent at UCM, building this place into something bigger than it was before.”

Kansas City Celebrates 2023 Super Bowl Win

DILLON SECKINGTON Features and Opinions Editor

The Chiefs 2023 Super Bowl victory came with yet a massive celebration in downtown Kansas City. Held on Feb. 15, the Super Bowl 2023 victory parade saw hundreds of thousands of Chiefs fans along Grand Boulevard and gathered at Union Station according to KCUR News. Many fans showed up in the early hours of the morning and some even camped out overnight to ensure that they got spots to see their favorite Chiefs stars.

“That’s the biggest thing I’ve ever been to, that was the most people I have ever seen,” said University of Central Missouri junior Allison Bright. “It was definitely a wow moment.”

The parade began at the intersection of Grand Boulevard and 6th Street, and ended when the players got off their buses at Union Station. Aside from the parade and the Champions Rally, the event also hosted a variety of food trucks and merchandise vendors for attendees to have an enjoyable and interactive experience. A number of these attendees were also UCM students.

“I’ve been to plenty of parades, but this was different,” said Bright. “It’s not just a parade, it was an experience.”

Due to the fact that the celebration was held in the middle of the week, many students had to make the decision between attending class and supporting their team at a historic event. This caused a number of classes to be canceled.

“Personally, I’m a big Chiefs fan,” said Katelyn Modlin, UCM graduate student and public speaking teacher. “So I can understand the pull for students to want to go to the parade. I can also understand the professor’s side of we still need to learn, we still need to push forward.”

While some students and professors felt that skipping out on class for such an event is, in some cases, justified, others feel that students need to focus on their education first.

“I think it’s complicated,” said Josh Olson, UCM public speaking teacher. “I think this is college, I think the students have an obligation to maintain their responsibilities. The way I would phrase it is, if you want to skip class to go to the parade, that’s your choice. I would encourage them not to do that.”

Former Athletic Director Jerry Hughes stands next to a collection of trophies UCM has earned over his 40 year tenure. Hughes died on Jan. 21, 2023. Submitted photo by UCM Athletic Department

During the Victory Parade on Feb. 15 tight end Travis Kelce enjoys his celebration with the Chiefs fans. Donna Kelce, mother of Travis, takes photos on her phone to remember this day. Photo by Ellie Whitesell

At the Victory parade on Feb. 15 Kansas City Chiefs Saftey Justin Reid is taking photos with fans. Reid is celebrating with the fans after winning the 2023 Superbowl. Photo by Ellie Whitesell

At the Victory parade on Feb. 15 Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes gives a speech to the crowd. Mahomes reminds the Chiefs Kingdom that they will be back for next year. Photo by Mingzhu Zhu