Muleskinner Vol. 117 Issue 4

Department of Education delays FAFSA rollout

Federal changes cause delays in financial aid awards

LINDA ALVIAR

News Editor

Due to recent delays in rolling out the 2024-2025 Federal Application for Federal Student Aid, students across the country are expected to experience delays in receiving financial aid awards for the upcoming academic year. Students express their uneasiness with the delays and worry about their ability to afford tuition for the upcoming semester at the University of Central Missouri.

Tonny Lubbers, Director of Student Financial Aid, explains the reason for the delay in FAFSA rollout. He explains delays are due to recent legislation passed in Congress with the aim of simplifying the FAFSA for students. The legislation failed to increase funding for the Department of Education to facilitate an updated rollout.

“The reason for this delay, of course, was the passage of several laws by Congress calling for a simplified FAFSA, and an overhaul to the formula that calculates a student’s need,” Lubbers said. Many students rely on this aid to attend the university.

Chris Lang, Assistant Vice Provost for Admissions, Analytics, and Financial Aid oversees the office of Student Financial Services and is responsible for campus communication regarding the FAFSA. “Last year, out of our incoming freshman class, over 40% of them were Pell [Grant] eligible. So a lot of our students rely on the aid that comes from the FAFSA to be able to afford to come to the university,” Lang said. Due to the recent changes to the form, there are opportunities for more students to qualify for federal aid for the upcoming year.

“There’s going to be more Pell Grant recipients this year than there have been in the past. So we’ve been telling students that even if you file the FAFSA in the past, and you didn’t get anything from the FAFSA, go ahead and file again this year because the way that they’re calculating everything is completely different,” Lang said. He explains that Federal Student Aid is implementing an updated data retrieval tool that automatically transfers tax information from the IRS to FSA. This method is intended for further simplification of the process for students.

“So most students are seeing that they can file their FAFSA in less than 10 minutes now, as opposed to some students that could take half hour to an hour to file their FAFSA,” Lang said. Despite the aims to simplify the process, there have been many issues with the rollout from the Department of Education.

Traditionally, the form is available for students to complete on Oct. 1 for the following academic year. However, this year, because of the need to update the form, the FAFSA was not available until Dec. 31. “This will cause a three to four-month delay in getting awards out to students,” Lubbers said. According to the Department of Education’s FSA website, the FAFSA form was soft-launched in December. The form was available for several days, and it was closely monitored by FSA to ensure site performance. During this period, FSA responded in real time to issues that impacted students’ ability to fill out the form. However, for some students, this delay is causing financial concerns for the upcoming school year.

“I’m honestly frustrated because in an attempt to make the FAFSA more accessible and easier to navigate, the Department of Ed’s rough handling of the rollout will probably lead

to less students from low economic background like myself from being able to attend,” Jonathan Crispin, freshman, said.

The Office of Student Financial Aid recognizes the uncertainty experienced by students.

“I would just implore students to please be patient. We’re doing everything we can to try to let them know as soon as possible.” Lubbers said.

The Office of Student Finnancial Aid encourages students to fill out the form but highlights the delay expected in delivering students their finalized financial aid awards for the upcoming year. “Right now our target date is to let everybody know their financial aid award by April 17,” Lubbers said. Additional communications regarding the updates on FAFSA timelines can be found at the Student Finacial Services webpage located at ucmo.com/sfs.

UCM targeted in attempted cyber breach

BRAEDEN SHOLES Staff Reporter

On Feb. 6, the University of Central Missouri’s Warrensburg and Lee’s Summit Missouri Innovation Campuses experienced interruptions in university information systems due to an attempted cyber breach. This breach was confirmed to be a part of a larger attempted cyber breach affecting entities in Missouri, Kansas and Illinois. The university partnered with the FBI, local law enforcement and state agencies to restore service to university information systems. Access to internet, UCM email, Blackboard, and MyCentral was restored to the Warrensburg Campus on Feb. 8. During the outage, students adapted to the evolving circumstances.

UCM confirmed through the UCM News Bureau on Feb. 7 that this situation is contained and that students could expect the shutdown of all information technology systems for most of the afternoon while they worked to resolve the issue. Students and staff were instructed to prepare for information systems to remain inoperational for up to 48 hours following the initial shutdown.

is working with local and federal law enforcement to determine those responsible for the breach.

“For anybody who’s affected, we only hope that through the justice system we are able to find out who did [it] and make them accountable for what they’ve done,” Director of Communication and Media Relations, Jeff Murphey, said. Students and faculty were all affected by the attempted breach in different ways.

The [Office of Technology] has done a fantastic job responding to this issue and [we are] very grateful for all the work they’ve done. Putting in lots and lots of extra hours.

- JEFF MURPHEY, Director of Communication and Media Relations

UCM continuously updated students through official social media channels the following week. The university said in a Facebook update at 2:13 p.m. on Feb. 7, “there continues to be no indication that student and employee personal information has been compromised. Students, faculty and staff are reminded to continue to monitor their personal information.” While there is no indication that personal information was compromised, the university

“My professors were unable to lecture in class without access to their presentations and my online class was shut down from being able to do anything the entire week,” Senior Tommy Dreiling said. Dreiling was not the only student who was affected in this way. Other students were left unable to submit assignments and thus due dates were moved. “The cyber attack affected me a lot. It pushed assignments back, but it’s crazy how UCM can just shut down like that,” Senior Joseph Pereira said. Despite the hardships imposed, the Office of Technology worked to resolve the situation.

“[The Office of Technology] has done a fantastic job responding to this issue and [we are] very grateful for all the work they’ve done. Putting in lots and lots of extra hours,” Murphy said.

UCM email, Blackboard, and MyCentral was restored to the Warrensburg Campus on Feb. 8.

Graphic by Linda Alviar

Updates to the Music Technology program keep it as one of the nation’s best

BRAD HADANK Staff Reporter

The University of Central Missouri Music Technology program has begun another round of renovations. These renovations are more about architecture to keep the facilities up to date and of the best quality.

“We have a ton of insulation and a bunch of wood lying around [that] we’ve been making into sound baffles where [we] make a little frame, put the insulation in and then wrap it with Canvas, [or] some type of material. So we have a ton of those that are made from last semester, and I think the summer so we’re gonna start putting them up to absorb the sound as people are recording in the live rooms,” Keith Wecker, music technology graduate assistant, said.

Another person who is instrumental in these updates is Eric Honour, Chair of the School of Visual and Performing Arts. Honour has helped draw up renovations before that have seen success in the Music Technology program, and is looking for similar results again

The renovation’s funds are based upon contributions by the university. The reason is to help students succeed. One of the metrics of success is first the destination success rate. This measures what percentage of students find a job, go to graduate school, or start their own business within six months of graduation.

“The last time I looked at the numbers, every program in music, including the Music Technology program has either been at 100%, or in the high 90s [for first destination success rate],” Honour said. “Our graduates are finding jobs and I think that that says a lot about the quality and the relevance of the training that they’re getting here.

One successful person who has used the UCM Music Technology space in the past is Shawn Pelton. Pelton is a long-time drummer on Saturday Night Live since 1992, and has been able to play and record with many distinguished artists, winning Grammy’s along the way. Though Pelton did not attend UCM, he was a 1981 graduate of Warrensburg High School, and as such, used the space.

“I do have fond memories of growing up there in Warrensburg and taking advantage of the music school. I studied there privately when I was in junior high and high school, and was able to go to all the different music camps that were offered by the university as a high school student,” Pelton said. “I do think being exposed to CMSU at the time, and growing up in Warrensburg was really influential in my background as a musician.” As aspects of this program helped Pelton when he used them, the goal of these updates is to also help more students in the future. Whether it is students learning how to construct studios themselves, or just reaping the benefits of updated spaces to learn.

These top-of-the-line studios have helped UCM Music Technology gain recognition from around the globe.

“There are people all over the world who know about this program,” Honour said. “I’m on calls with that group [The International Computer Music Association] with people who are coming from institutions like Stanford, and the University of Illinois and [other] major institutions all over the world. But they know about our program, [and] sometimes they [ask] like, how did you build that there? Well, that was the mission, so we built it here.”

This mission of building top-of-the-line facilities is just another aspect of the music technology program at UCM that helps gear students towards success in their future careers. With opportunities on the rise from music technology students, Pelton shared what is important to consider when aiming high in the professional world.

“It’s incredibly important to be in love with what it is you’re doing because, as a musician, there’s a lot of time involved in developing your craft,” Pelton said. “You have to follow your passion and your dream.”

While students follow these dreams, the music technology program tries to give them a wide variety of skill sets, so they have many options for their future.

“One of the things that we see as a real positive measure of the program, is because we have so many courses, where we can go both broad and deep into what that stuff means,” Honour said. “That means that as the students graduate from the program they’re actually prepared for a very wide variety of careers.”

As students get set for a wide range of career options, Pelton gave some more advice on what to consider as students try to secure the career of their choosing.

“The music business is a lot of hard work, and it’s really important that you are a good person to work with,” Pelton said.

The wide skill set development in music technology will continue and be shown in an event that is free to the public from Mar. 14-16, 2024. This annual Missouri Experimental Sonic Arts Festival (MOXsonic) features three days of sound and technology coming together through events with various composers, performers, and researchers. UCM faculty and student work will be shown along with works from many visitors both nationally and internationally. The event is held in multiple venues across the campus of UCM including but not limited to Hart Recital Hall, the Gallery of Art and Design, and the newly renovated Music Technology Studios. For more information, visit www. moxsonic.org.

MONDAY – THURSDAY

7:30 A M - 2:00 P M

FRIDAY – SATURDAY 7:30 A M - 2:00 P M

SUNDAY CLOSED 211 N HOLDEN ST WARRENSBURG, MO 64093

(660) 362-0161

FACEBOOK: OLDDRUMCOFEE

WWW OLDDRUMCOFFEEHOUSE COM

Music Technology majors work on renovating the departments’ studios on Feb. 17. They worked on building acoustic panels for the studios in the lower level of the Wood building. Photo by Ellie Whitesell

Association of Black Collegiates holds rich history on campus

February marks the 55th anniversary of student protests that resulted in ABC’s creation

LINDA ALVIAR News Editor

The University of Central Missouri and the surrounding Warrensburg community hold a long history of Black students on the UCM campus. This February marks the 48th celebration of Black History Month across the United States, and the 55th anniversary of the student protests on campus that resulted in the creation of the Association of Black Collegians. ABC is a parent organization responsible for governing all black, non-Greek organizations on campus.

Following the landmark Supreme Court case, Brown v. the Board of Education, the university started accepting African-American students the following fall. In 1954, Allene Torrence was accepted as the first African-American student enrolled at the university Delia Gillis, former Professor of History and Africana Studies at UCM describes the admission of the first Black student at UCM as a “quiet affair,” in her 1992 thesis titled The Desegregation and Integration of Central Missouri State.

It was not until the spring of 1969 that racial tension came to a head on campus. In Gillis’ thesis, she explains the historical account of the protests that ultimately resulted in the recognition of the Association of Black Collegiates as an official student organization.

On Feb. 17, 1969, a group of Black students requested a university space to meet with members of the Black Panther Party, a Black political organization. After receiving rejection for the request, the students met with 11 friends, that were members of the party, at the Student Union Snack Bar.

Tom Edmunds, Dean of Student Personnel Services, ordered students to vacate the Union immediately. Students gathered to protest the administrative action, resulting in a crowd of over 300 students protesting Dean Edmunds action. Students that did not leave had their student identification cards confiscated. 17 students from the protest faced disciplinary and legal action. On the following Monday, local officials began arresting accused students on charges of trespassing, and in one case, felonious assault.

The Student Government Association at the time outwardly expressed support for the Black students affected by the issue. Students demanded that the charges were dismissed, as well as the official recognition of the Association of Black Collegiates from university administration Following pushback from campus leadership, compromises between students and administration were met. In the spring of 1969, the university recognized the Association of Black Collegiates as an official student organization.

The Association of Black Collegiates is still active today. The organization is hosted in The Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity, located on the third floor of the Elliott Student Union.

President of the Black Health Association, Aleyja Baskerville explains how the association of Black Collegiates is a parent organization to other associations on campus. “[The Association of Black Collegiates is] basically over all the black organizations, like the Black Health Association. We have sisters of Ujima, Black Male Initiative, things of that sort,” Baskerville said. The Black Health Association’s main goal is to advocate for the health and wellness of black students on campus.

“Black Health’s main goal is to be in advocacy of black health because there are not a lot of organizations on campus that really tie into that. Specially, we’re college students, so we’re worried about mental health, physical health, and things of that nature,” Baskerville said.

In contrast with the experiences of african-american students almost 50 Years ago, Baskerville highlights her experiences as an African-American student at UCM. “I don’t feel like I’m an outsider. Everyone has kind of the same goal on campus. We all go to school. We all have things we want to accomplish,” Baskerville said.

Photo of the 1978 Association of Black Collegiates. Submitted photo by UCM McClure Archives

New York Times best selling author visits campus

DARBY MOSTAFFA Features Editor

On Feb. 21, the University of Central Missouri’s Division of Academic Affairs invited sports columnist Sally Jenkins to present about her life and expertise as a female sports journalist.

“Hearing her talk about the lessons she has learned in her field and the role discipline plays in being successful was really inspiring,” Sophomore nursing major Natalie Mcentire said. “I realized I could apply these factors to my work as an ICU nurse.”

Her presentation encompassed the strength and resilience she has not only seen in the athletes and coaches she interviews but that she has also developed herself. Many found during Jenkins visit attendees gained insight that they might not have experienced on their own.

“I am always interested in learning more about Journalism. Once I learned about her [Jenkins] mentality and perspective, it was very interesting to hear. I learned a lot that will help me with my own writing,” Warrensburg Star Journal Reporter Zach Bott said.

Jenkins’ most recent book highlights the lessons she has learned over her time as a sports columnist. More specifically, she said she has learned what it takes to make great athletes, and even everyday people, become successful through their personal beliefs and attributes. Since becoming an author, Jenkins said she has noticed the different attention required when writing for reporting versus writing a book.

“Depending on the length of what you’re writing, you’re a different type of runner,” Jenkins said. “A column is a sprint, a magazine story is middle distance, and a book is a marathon. Each one takes a different mindset, urgency and pressure. The thing about these [books] is that they make the other two feel easier.”

Jenkins provided advice and tips on how to become a journalist during the presentation’s Q & A segment.

“She gave a lot of great advice on how to be a leader. Her experience interviewing athletes gave me more steps to implement into my own life,” Muleskinner News Editor Linda Alviar said.

Jenkins graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelors of Art in English Literature in 1982 where she worked for the Stanford Daily all four years. She was the sports co-editor her junior and senior year. The summer in between those years she was a hard news intern for The Los Angeles Herald Examiner. She continued her career as a sports journalist when she was 24 years old, working for The Washington Post as a features writer.

Jenkins paid respect to her time at the LA Herald Examiner because she said it showed her the grace in sports reporting versus news.

“I was just a city-side reporter,” Jenkins said. “There was a high-profile murder case in Hollywood, and I ended up having to stake out the murder scene all night waiting for forensics to come back. Real hardcore reporting. I decided that summer that sports wasn’t all that depressing; it was more fun.”

In 1990, Jenkins moved to Sports Illustrated as a sports columnist, going on to win the Associated Press’s Sports Columnist of the Year Award in 2001, 2003, 2010, 2011 and 2021. In 2005 Jenkins became the first woman inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. Jenkins has written 12 books, four of them being New York Times bestsellers.

Sally Jenkins, a New York Times best selling author, shares insights on sports journalism and lessons learned from sports in life and work. The Author Talk: Sally Jenkins took place at W.C. Morris at the University of Central Missouri on Feb. 21. Photo by Ellie Whitesell

The Muleskinner staff, featuring News Editor Linda Alviar (left), and Features Editor Darby Mostaffa (right) introduce Sally Jenkins to the audience during the Author Talk presentation. The presentation included an introduction, a speech, and a Q&A session with the audience.

Photo by Mingzhu Zhu

Sally Jenkins discusses her journalism experience with The Muleskinner staff. Jenkins participated in a meet-and-greet with The Muleskinner staff in the newsroom on Feb. 21.

Photo by Braeden Sholes

Adapting to adaptations with “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”

MEGAN WEAVER Staff Reporter

If you were an avid reader as a child in the mid to late 2000s, you likely ran into the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians’’ book series by Rick Riordan. The books are about the young half-human children of the Greek Gods and their adventures in a mystical, danger-filled world. The series was very popular amongst its demographic of juvenile to young adult readers. Riordan continued to write books in his Olympian universe with new series and spin-offs, successfully growing a large fanbase of all ages. And nearly 20 years since the first book’s release, a live-action “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” TV series has been made by Disney+. This will be a spoiler-free review of the series.

With eight 40-minute episodes, season one of the TV series follows the story of the first book. I had read a few of the books as a kid and I was super excited to see the story in live-action. Especially with Riordan as one of the show’s producers and writers. I had a lot of confidence that the show would turn out well.

Overall, I enjoyed the show. I think the story is wellmade and fairly well-written. With a cast of mostly child actors, I was a little wary going into the show but I think all the actors did a great job and are very excellently cast. Some standouts from me are of course the main three, Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri as Percy, Annabeth and Grover respectively. The special effects also were great, you could tell this show had a good budget with all the extensive VFX. My main problem with the show is the pacing. feeling very awkward throughout the whole season. It did a lot more telling than showing. There seemed to be an imbalance between exposition and action scenes with the latter being much shorter, leading to feeling ill-paced.

As a stand-alone show, I thought it was fine, my expectations were met for the most part. I wasn’t blown out of the water but I’m not bitter or disappointed. Any media with a large fan base is hard to please. No matter how the show turns out there will be someone upset that the adaptation didn’t follow the original material to a tee. This brings me to the topic of adaptation, specifically book-to-screen adaptation. When I was an avid reader as a child, I would get so mad when the movie version didn’t follow the book beat for beat. But now as an adult, I understand that movie or TV show adaptations can’t follow a book exactly, it just doesn’t work. Writing for screen vs writing a book are vastly different. If you took a book and made a movie following every line of dialogue and every character movement you would have a movie that is long and boring.

Nowadays, I believe that an adaptation should be just that, an adaptation. Of course, I also highly believe

that an adaptation should follow the original artist’s intended vision, which is why the minor changes in the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” TV series are fine because the series is actually written by the person who wrote the books. As a whole, the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” show follows the events of the first book very closely. And any changes only add to more worldbuilding and developing new character traits. Different doesn’t automatically mean bad, it just means different.

We live in a world of remakes, endless sequels and live-action adaptations. I am frankly tired and bored of this trend. That’s why I don’t understand why people want a 1:1 recreation of other media. While of course, I love seeing my favorite book scenes on the big screen I’m not saying that I don’t like that. And of course, I’m not saying that adaptations that follow the book closely don’t work, just look at the “Hunger Games” movies and

to bring it back to the main topic of this article, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” I am just saying I’m ready for new and original ideas from the film industry. And scene-for-scene adaptations are not very original.

All this to say just keep an open mind about adaptations. It was just announced that “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” will be getting a season two. My main concern for the next season and any that will follow is that the child actors won’t look like child actors for long. TV shows take a long time to get made and children won’t look 12 years old forever.

To conclude, the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” show is good. If you liked the books, I would recommend it. If you didn’t read the books, I would still recommend it. Now let’s hope the next children’s media made into a live-action TV show that will not disappoint me is “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” We can only hope.

Graphic by Elizabeth Reece

Graphic by Kaia Trujillo

UMG has falling out with TikTok due to contract diputes

TikTok goes silent on Feb. 1 after Universal Music Group takes their music off due to not meeting a licensing agreement. UMG is one of the leading music companies, known for investing in major artists, financially or marketing-wise. Now big artists like Taylor Swift, Drake, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and BTS no longer have their music displayed on their TikTok profiles and have been removed from posted videos. UMG posted an open letter on their website to TikTok further explaining their reasons for taking their music off the widely used app, one of them being the little compensation that TikTok gives to the musicians.

“Today, as an indication of how little TikTok compensates artists and songwriters, despite its massive and growing user base, rapidly rising advertising revenue, and increasing reliance on music-based content, TikTok accounts for only about 1% of our total revenue,” UMG said. UMG also mentions the AI-generated recordings that TikTok enabled and promoted through different kinds of filters on the app, which discredited the human musicians.

TikTok responds to UMG in the TikTok community newsroom. In the short and accusing paragraph, TikTok mentions how “sad and disappointing” UMG has put their greed against their artists and songwriters.

“Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent,” TikTok said. Both companies have declined to make any more statements about the situation and TikTok still remains quiet on the app.

Since TikTok has become quieter, I feel like there is not much going on anymore. Sure, there is an unlimited amount of content on the app but due to the sudden halt of music, it doesn’t feel the same anymore. It feels very still, not as many trends are happening and it has become repetitive, more than it already was.

In better news, more underground artists might actually have a chance in being heard. Lots of the music on TikTok was hoarded by radio pop and big names, leaving little room for people to explore and experiment with their audience. With the chance that more indie artists could have a boosted platform, hopefully the industry sees some new faces in music.

Creators on TikTok have started to become more creative when it comes to making edits or any new dance trend, using instrumentals that were once the original music when the app was first starting out in 2016. Artists that are affiliated with Sony or Warner are still available on TikTok, so it’s not completely silent yet. Many artists who were a part of the UMG purge are upset by the end results, since they won’t be able to promote their music on the biggest platform. Many users have already switched over to Instagram reels, which is esentially another form of TikTok.

With UMG being in a tight spot with TikTok now, this doesn’t really stop artists from singing their own songs, but then those songs can be used as sounds, therefore nobody is getting paid. UMG will have to deal with lots of copyright issues due to “unofficial” versions being used by other users. Hopefully the war between the two will come to an end soon and artists can be paid and TikTok can become alive again. For now, at least we have the Glee covers!

OPINION SERIES: PART THREE

Life Without Social Media: Life without social media: Rediscovering the offline world

Hannah Hansen

Contributing Reporter

In today’s world, where social media seems to have a firm grip on our daily lives, it’s quite refreshing to look into the experiences of someone who has deliberately chosen to disconnect from the virtual realm. I recently had the chance to catch up with my older sister, Willow, a 23-year-old who, for nearly a year, decided to step away from the world of social media. Her reasons for doing so were deeply rooted in a desire to regain control over her life. Willow, a talented photographer and dedicated nurse, candidly shared her motivation, saying, “I felt like I was living more through my phone than my own eyes. Social media was taking a toll on my mental health, and I realized I needed a break.”

This sentiment is all too familiar to many of us who have found ourselves entrapped in the constant cycle of likes, comments, and notifications. During her almost year-long hiatus from social media, Willow’s life took an intriguing turn. She reignited her passion for photography, capturing the world around her with renewed enthusiasm. With no digital distractions, she found herself more immersed in the beauty of her surroundings, paying closer attention to the intricate details of nature and the changing seasons. “I rediscovered the magic of the real world,” she shared with a smile. Willow’s decision also had a profound impact on her relationships.

Without the constant lure of social media, she invested more time in connecting with friends and family face to face. “I had forgotten what it felt like to have a genuine conversation without the urge to check my phone,” she reflected. Her bonds with loved ones grew stronger, and she cherished these moments of connection. Yet, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Willow missed out on social events, and she sometimes felt like she was in the dark about updates from friends and even family. “There were moments when I felt a bit isolated,” she admitted. “But it was a trade-off I was willing to make for the sake of my mental health.” Life without social media allowed Willow to be more present in her own life. Her creativity flourished without the constant comparison to others that social media often fosters. She found solace in solitude, allowing her mind

to wander and her imagination to roam freely. In a world where digital interactions dominate, Willow’s journey serves as a reminder that there’s a fulfilling life waiting beyond the screens. Her story inspires us to consider the impact of social media on our own lives and to take breaks when necessary, nurturing our mental well-being and embracing the beauty of the online world around us. Willow’s brave choice to disconnect is a testament to the power of self-awareness and the importance of prioritizing one’s own happiness and mental health.

Graphic by Nate Sullens

Graphic by Elizabeth Reece

Championship alums honored at halftime

AARON BAX Sports Editor

The 1984 and 2014 Mules Basketball National Champion winning teams returned to the University of Central Missouri’s newly renamed Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center to celebrate the anniversary of their national championships.

Coaches and players from the 1984 and 2014 teams were recognized at halftime of the Feb. 17 UCM vs Fort Hays State game. The members of the two teams walked onto the court at halftime carrying a National Championship trophy during a short ceremony. The game was the second of a Jennies and Mules double header with Fort Hays State.

Alumnus Preston Drunz was one of the players on the 2014 winning team. A redshirt junior at the time, Drunz was a MIAA honor roll member recipient. Drunz said that ten years later, the National Championship remains very important to him.

Former head coach of the 2014 Mules national championship basketball team, Kim Anderson’s career was one of merit. He played in the NBA and was UCM’s coach to four MIAA regular season championships in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2014 and two MIAA tournament championships in 2009 and 2014. In post season play, Anderson had three final four appearances in 2007, 2010 and 2014 and one national championship in 2014. However, for him, his success on the court was never the biggest thing. Instead his greatest joy came in watching his students graduate.

What sits the longest and hardest with you is realizing how much it all meant in that moment. It wasn’t a matter of making sure we went out there and won, but it was about making sure the individuals on the team were out there with you playing and you were doing your best for them.

- Preston Drunz, Member of 2014 Mules Championship Team

“[The National Championship] is very important,” Drunz said. “What sits the longest and hardest with you is realizing how much it all meant in that moment. It wasn’t a matter of making sure we went out there and won, but it was about making sure the individuals on the team were out there with you playing and you were doing your best for them.”

“Some of my greatest memories of having guys come to school and then watching them walk across the stage four years later with their diploma,” Anderson said. “I think that was one of the more exciting things for me. I did this for 37 years as a coach, 40 years really involved in basketball. So that gave me a great opportunity to hopefully affect young people’s lives.”

Rich Jankovich was a student assistant coach on the 1984 national championship winning team. Coaching under Coach Lynn Nance, he helped the Mules to a 29-3 record. The 1984 Mules Basketball team, alongside the 1984 Jennies Basketball team would both go on to make NCAA history as the only basketball teams from the same program to ever win their respective national championships on the same court, on the same day.

“To have us both with very similar records, marching all the way through to go win the national championship is literally epic. It’s epic for the school, epic for the conference, [and] epic for Division two,” Jankovich said.

UCM watch party goers revel in Super Bowl LVIII

AARON BAX Sports Editor

After a night of many ups and downs, cheers erupted in the University of Central Missouri’s Elliott Student Union, as the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman crossed the goal line in overtime of the Super Bowl LVIII.

After a night where there was free pizza and popcorn for those with a UCM ID, students watched the Kansas City Chiefs conquer their second Lombardi trophy in as many years. Watch parties were held in the Elliott Student Union Atrium, cinema and bowling alley. Despite the game going into overtime, almost no one left before the final touchdown was scored.

Watch party goers choose to watch the game for a variety of reasons. Party goer Katie Kim was there for multiple reasons. Wearing a Taylor Swift’s Boyfriend t-shirt, she came to watch the hometown team.

“I’m cheering for the Chiefs, I’m cheering for Taylor Swift if I am being honest,” Kim said, “I have to cheer for the hometown team of course. So since I’ve grown up in Kansas City, I have to cheer for the Chiefs. But it does make it way more fun to watch with Taylor Swift.”

Party goers also had other reasons to come watch the game at the Union. While multiple people said they came to hang out with friends, some had reasons aside from the game. Some like Sophomore Derek Reynolds simply wanted a break from studying.

“Honestly, I kind of needed a break from studying. It was nice to do that. To see people I kinda know,” Reynolds said. Reynolds did however state that his favorite part of the night had been, “just being around, just talking to people I know. Just hanging out.”

Watch party goers expressed many different emotions throughout the game but the entire crowd celebrated after the team won. Freshman Jaden Robbins shared the sentiment with the crowd, after the game. Robbins said he was “excited, happy and glad we [the Chiefs] won. It was a close game so I am glad we [the Chiefs] were able to win in the last eight seconds of overtime.”

Students cheer as the Kansas City Chiefs score to win the game in overtime during the Super Bowl LVIII Feb. 11. Students had gathered in the Union to watch the game with free popcorn and pizza.

Photo by Aaron Bax

The Hughes legacy lives on

ELLA BLAND Staff Reporter

On Feb. 17, the University of Central Missouri inducted the late former Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics into the University of Central Missouri’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The university paid tribute to the former athletic leader by renaming the University of Central Missouri’s Multipurpose building to the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center.

Family, friends, student-athletes and coworkers of Hughes came to celebrate the day. Tanner Hughes, grandson to Hughes and senior at UCM, said he loved hearing about his grandfather from other people’s perspectives.

“It was great to see so many people come together for that event,” Tanner Hughes said.

“Getting to hear all of his achievements and all the things he did was really spectacular.”

The induction ceremony began with a breakfast for those in attendance immediately followed by speakers President Roger Best, and current athletic director Matt Howdeshell. Both spoke on the importance of the day and of how Hughes will have a lasting impact on our school’s athletic program.

Two video tributes were also presented showcasing Hughes’ affect on those around him after his 40 years of service. His many achievements include being awarded the 50th

Anniversary Gold Award in Jan. at the NCAA DII convention in Phoenix, AZ., being inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and named a Missouri Sports Legend.

Afterward, the group was led to the newly renamed Hughes Center to watch the unveiling of the Hughes Memorial Wall inside. Gabe Clark, offensive lineman for the Mules and Redshirt junior, said Hughes’ passion for our sports and his character need to be memorialized.

“His love for every sport, Mules and Jennies, was something amazing to see and I think it needs to be cherished,” Clark said, “Doing this in remembrance of him, it speaks volumes to the person he was and the impact he had on the community.”

Howdeshell said this day has been in preparation for months after a unanimous decision from the Board of Governors that Hughes’ legacy needed to be commemorated.

“It was really exciting to see the day not only be the culmination of a lot of that hard work but also to honor Jerry,” Howdeshell said.

The day was able to showcase how much Hughes meant to the people around him and the impact he left. Throughout the day,Hughes was regarded as irreplaceable, excellent, dedicated and competitive. Now, his infamous drive will be able to encourage all future athletes at our school everytime they walk into the Hughes Center.

The Memorial wall honoring Jerry Hughes at the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center was unveiled on Feb. 17. The wall shows key points in Jerry Hughes time at the University of Central Missouri.

Vici Hughes speaks at the ceremony renaming the Multipurpose building to the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center on Feb. 17. Vici Hughes is the widow of Jerry Hughes, for whom the building was named after. Photos by Ellie Whitesell

The sign displaying the new name for the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center was unveiled on Feb. 17. During the ceremony, held inside the newly named building, it became the start of the new Hughes Center.