The Northwest Missourian

A3 Wrestling legacy

A7 Home away from home

A12 In the hunt

Leland Race’s championship gold win honors his father Harley “The King” Race.

International student shares his culture with Northwest through music and food.

Down the last leg of its season, Northwest soccer is fighting for a playoff spot.

NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MARYVILLE, MISSOURI

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Thursday

October 24, 2019 @TheMissourian

VOL. 108, NO. 10

Northwest Foundation launches public phase of $45 million campaign SAMANTHA COLLISON Campus News Editor | @SammieCollison

The Northwest Foundation is holding its official public launch of the Forever Green campaign 3:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Memorial Bell Tower.

The Forever Green campaign is the second Northwest Foundation campaign, one aimed at raising $45 million dollars.

Funds from the campaign have supported several construction projects on campus, according to Northwest news releases, including donors contributing $14 million of the $20 million Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse.

Foundation funds have also contributed to the new R.T. Wright farmhouse, which was completed this fall, and the Teaching and Learning Center that is under construction.

The campaign started five years ago, according to President John Jasinksi’s newsletter “All That Jazz,” and the Northwest Foundation board voted to make the campaign public because it was confident it could reach the $45 million goal during the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

As of August, the campaign raised $42 million.

Jasinski said the four pillars of

the campaign are academic excellence, student life, scholarships and investments in Northwest.

Jasinski said a story that exemplifies these themes is the story of Northwest alumna Adrienne Bateman. At convocation her freshman year, Bateman chose not to walk under the bell tower because she said she didn’t feel worthy.

“I had to overcome the fear of not being good enough or not succeeding,” Bateman said to Jasinski. “There were times when I cried myself to sleep, but I pushed through. … I searched for that woman I wanted to be,

MADI NOLTE | NW MISSOURIAN

The Hughes Fieldhouse, with $14 million funded from the Forever Green campaign, opened to the Northwest community Oct. 12, 2018.

College Republicans raffling off 80% of an AR-15 rifle RACHEL ADAMSON Editor-in-Chief | @rachadamsonn

Northwest’s College Republicans are raffling off 80% of an AR15 Lower Receiver in an effort to heighten publicity and fundraising.

The 80% AR-15 Lower Receiver is not legally considered a firearm in its current state. Raffle tickets for the item, donated to College Republicans by Missouri Liberty Activist Robby Theremin, began selling Sept. 30. Tickets are $10 apiece or can be purchased at a discounted $5 if bought at a College Republicans meeting. The drawing is Nov. 4.

Following Beto O’Rourke’s statement, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” in the third Democratic debate Sept.

12, College Republicans decided it was time to take a stand.

“We have a good opportunity for that kind of thing right now that will get a lot of attention and raise a lot of money,” junior College Republicans President Jasper Logan said. “Everybody else thought that was a good idea, so we went with it.”

SEE RAFFLE | A4

NEWS BRIEF Sexual assault reported in Union bathroom A sexual assault was reported to the University Police Department around 2:45 p.m. Oct. 22.

The sexual assault was reported to have occurred between 11:30 a.m. and noon Oct. 14 in the second floor women’s restroom at the J.W. Jones Student Union.

The suspect was described as a tall, white male with blue eyes and blonde hair.

University Police Chief Clarence Green said the victim is evaluating options and has not decided whether or not to press charges or pursue the issue through the Title IX process.

Green said since the incident is still under investigation, he could not say whether the victim knew the suspect or not.

The campus-wide email alerting the community of the incident urged students to call UPD if they have any information about the incident. It also said to call if students feel unsafe in any situation.

GABI BROOKS | NW MISSOURIAN

Blue Willow Boutique owner Stephanie Campbell welcomes shoppers into the grand opening of her second store location Oct. 19 in St. Joseph, Missouri.

REACHING FURTHER

Blue Willow Boutique celebrates new St. Joseph location grand opening RACHEL ADAMSON Editor-in-Chief | @rachadamsonn

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Stephanie Campbell held the front door to her new boutique open for a line of women gathered outside, ‘support local’ reusable shopping bags lining her arm.

Nineteen days earlier, Campbell signed a lease agreement to expand Blue Willow Boutique, founded in Maryville, to St. Joseph, Missouri. On Oct. 19, she hosted Blue Willow Boutique’s grand opening.

Campbell decided at the end of August to put the expansion of Blue Willow Boutique up to fate. She received a green light on every avenue. The white-interior building in the heart of downtown St. Joseph had another business owner with first dibs, but they declined, and Campbell got the space. Her first-choice store manager accepted the position a week after offering.

Store Manager Libby Bolin graduated from Northwest in May with a marketing degree. Bolin, coming from a family of small business owners, said she couldn’t resist the job offer, having small business values and St. Joseph loyalty in her blood.

“This was an opportunity I was

never going to find again,” Bolin said. “I knew that I would be doing good things, and I would love to see downtown prosper.”

Blue Willow Boutique’s grand opening drew in a steady trickle of customers and window shoppers.

Among them were loyal supporters from Kansas City, Missouri, and Maryville.

“

she came to know Blue Willow.

Instead of traditionally shopping online when she’s not visiting her mom, Rebecca Schmidt now has a Blue Willow closer to home.

“They have some different things that I haven’t seen in the store in Maryville. The style is a little different. It’s more rustic in Maryville,” Rebecca Schmidt said.

I’m not here to sell sweaters. The relationship we create with women and the difference we make in a community is what we’re after.”

-STEPHANIE CAMPBELL

Mother-daughter duo Shirley Schmidt, from Maryville, and Rebecca Schmidt, from Kansas City, waited in line for 20 minutes for Blue Willow Boutique’s debut in St. Joseph. They each left the store carrying stuffed brown shopping bags.

Rebecca Schmidt often visits her mom in Maryville, where

Blue Willow Boutique in St. Joseph has nearly all the same products as the homey-feeling Maryville location, Campbell said, but the mood of the up-scale building gives the clothing a different feel.

“The stuff is the same, but it doesn’t look the same in the spaces. It’s fascinating to me,” Camp-

bell said. “The colors are the same; the clothing is 90% the same.”

Campbell will primarily be at Blue Willow in Maryville, as the store approaches its third anniversary this November.

Bolin will learn the ins-andouts of everyday floor work at Blue Willow Boutique in St. Joseph, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday-Saturday, with Campbell mentoring her on the business side.

“I have always wanted to work in a small business and maybe someday own my own,” Bolin said. “If I want to be in small business, then I need to stay in small business.”

Campbell, a big believer in downtowns being the heart of the city, said she chose to open another store in St. Joseph because she saw a need to be filled.

The mission behind Blue Willow Boutique’s brand and clothing isn’t about the clothing at all, Campbell said. It’s the idea to uplift women through hardships that come with life; a place that people leave feeling better than they did when they first walked through the front door.

“I’m not here to sell sweaters,” Campbell said. “The relationship we create with women and the difference we make in a community is what we’re after.”

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Oct. 24, 2019 @TheMissourian

DIVIDED WE FALL

NEWS

Public perception of Trump’s impeachment inquiry parallels Clinton-era political polarization

1998

SAMANTHA COLLISON Campus News Editor | @SammieCollison

Before this year, three presidents in U.S. history underwent impeachment inquiries, with two having impeachment trials in the Senate, neither resulting in a removal from office. While this is the third in 40 years, this is the first inquiry in most students’ memories.

However, during 1998 and 1999, the years many of today’s college students were born, President Bill Clinton was in office undergoing an impeachment inquiry.

Both Clinton’s impeachment and President Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry have been divisive along party lines, but this is the first impeachment inquiry with a divided Congress.

An impeachment inquiry, according to the House of Representatives archive, is an investigation by the House Judiciary Committee into whether there is enough evidence against a federal official for an impeachment case.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi announced Sept. 24 the beginning of a formal impeachment inquiry into a whistleblower report regarding a phone call between Trump and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to a rough transcript of the call released by the White House, the presidents discussed $400 million in military aid intended to help Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, which was approved by Congress but withheld

by Trump.

Trump also asked Zelensky to investigate former vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden regarding corruption in a Ukrainian company of which he was a board member at the time Joe Biden was vice president.

The whistleblower report about the call indicated there was a correlation between these two top-

2019

Overall Approval Ratings

69%

40.7%

Approval Ratings of Impeachment

45%

51%

Percent Favoring Removal of Office SOURCE: GALLUP, CNN

32%

52%

With Clinton, the accusations that started the impeachment inquiry did not develop into articles of impeachment, rather his conduct during hearings was found to be unlawful.

Clinton’s impeachment case was formed out of an inquiry into a sexual harassment allegation, according to the Bill of Rights In-

ics, suggesting Trump withheld the military aid money to pressure Zelensky into investigating the Biden family.

The House of Representatives’ inquiry aims to determine whether Trump used his powers as president to pressure Zelensky into investigating his political rival Joe Biden and his family.

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stitute. During hearings, former White House intern Monica Lewinsky was called to testify about her then-alleged relationship with Clinton.

Although both Lewinsky and Clinton denied having a relationship, after being promised immunity in exchange for her testimony, Lewinsky admitted to the affair, and the House filed articles of impeachment against Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice because he lied about the affair under oath.

According to the Bill of Rights Institute, the Republican-controlled House voted to impeach Clinton in 1998 along party lines, but the Republican-controlled Senate did not vote to remove him from office.

A U.S. News & World Report published in December 1998 said some citizens felt Clinton’s impeachment process was more political than constitutional, and that “the House that voted to impeach President Clinton is more deeply divided than at any time since Reconstruction.”

In the Sept. 17, 1998, issue of the Northwest Missourian, the editorial staff asked for student and community member opinions on whether Clinton should be impeached. This divide was reflected in the responses, but a theme that emerged from that issue and articles from before and after the impeachment was the community wanting to stop hearing about it and for the process to be over.

“I think he should be im-

peached,” then-physics major Chad Brown said. “He should be punished for breaking a federal law.”

While most interviewed agreed what Clinton did was distasteful if not illegal, some were tired of hearing about it and just wanted it to be over.

“They ought to just leave him alone,” community member Eva Law said in 1999. “It’s between him and his wife.”

Retired Maryville resident Bud Russel said Clinton should resign.

“I think he has received punishment,” then-recreation major Adam Miller said. “He has been embarrassed and humiliated enough. Let him finish his term then we get someone else.”

The Missourian also interviewed senators from Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas in the Jan. 14, 1999, issue. The senators interviewed all hoped the trial process would be expedient.

“The nation’s agenda shouldn’t be sacrificed to a protracted, carnival-like atmosphere,” then Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.) said. “The President and the country deserve a prompt resolution of the charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.”

A similar feeling has spread throughout Northwest’s campus 21 years later. While politically engaged students have strong feelings about whether or not Trump should be impeached, many students want to stop hearing about it every day on the news.

Political science associate professor Kimberly Casey, who studies past presidents, said when she made her first attempt to talk with her students about Trump’s impeachment inquiry, they were closed off.

“My general sense is they are probably not interested because they find that overwhelming,” Casey said. “And that’s been the general path that politics have taken in the past several years. The students who are engaged are very interested in it … but when it comes to general education, there’s more trepidation about it.”

Sophomore Benjamin Hayen, a Republican, said Democrats have fallen into a political trap with the inquiry, and he said it will be a traumatic process for the country in a time when it is in need of stability.

Hayen said pursuing impeachment is pointless because the Senate will not vote to convict. He said if people want Trump out of office, an election is a little more than a year away.

“Most of the Republicans I am friends with are unified in their opposition to the inquiry,” Hayen said.

“Most of the public seem to be supremely irritated by the fact that just as we got done with this Russia hoax, the Democrats are coming after him with secondhand whistleblower information to conjure up what I call a ‘nontroversy.’”

College Democrats Vice President Tyler Bears said although many of his friends support impeachment, he thinks impeachment will be bad for the country and

FULL STORY ONLINE:

NWMISSOURINEWS.COM

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NEWS

Oct. 24, 2019 @TheMissourian

A3

An event fit for a king Pro wrestler honored near hometown

KENDRICK CALFEE Community News Editor | @KoalaCalfee

Two months after the death of a Nodaway County wrestling legend, the northwest Missouri community gathered for a memorial event featuring a combination of athletics and performance art entertainment, where wrestlers competed in fist-throwing, body-slamming matches that left spectators on the edge of their seats.

Harley Race, known as “The King” of the ring in professional wrestling, died at age 76 from lung cancer Aug. 1.

With a heavy, motivated heart, Harley Race’s son Leland Race, a World League Wrestling wrestler, worked with staff at West Nodaway High School to organize a WLW event Oct. 19 in Burlington Junction, Missouri.

The event, which 190 Nodaway County citizens attended, took place 5 miles away from Harley Race’s hometown of Quitman, Missouri, and raised close to $3,000 for WLW and about $300 for the West Nodaway Band Boosters.

The memorial event began with Leland Race saying a few words about his father, whose name stands alongside other greats in the record books of professional wrestling.

“Tonight is not about me,” Leland Race said. “It’s only meant for one person and one person only.”

Harley Race wrestled worldwide, making appearances in the National Wrestling Alliance, the American Wrestling Association, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. He grasped championships in both singles competitions and tag-team divisions, earning the title of NWA World Heavyweight Champion eight times.

Harley Race became a World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer in 2004, inducted alongside Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, Don Muraco and seven other wrestling legends that year.

WWE wrestler Trevor Murdoch attended the event in support of his late friend Harley Race. He said they knew each other from the small world of professional wrestling.

“Race wasn’t just a wrestler,” Murdoch said. “He was a guy, a man first, with a son who is becoming his legacy.”

Leland Race took on wrestling

JUSANI JACKSON | NW MISSOURIAN

Leland Race, son of Harley Race, holds the World League Wresting heavyweight championship belt after competing at a WLW event Oct. 19 in Burlington Junction, Missouri in honor of his wrestling-legend father who died in August.

at the age of 17, at first to his father’s dismay, because Harley Race wanted his son to live a different life than he had. With the persistence of his son, Harley Race eventually accepted that Leland Race wished to follow in his footsteps.

Leland Race notes his most memorable match in his career as March 9 when he challenged the NWA World Heavyweight Cham-

pion Nick Aldis for the title.

“To have my dad there, ringside for that event, and me challenging for a title that he had won eight separate times … that’s single-handedly the coolest thing for me,” Leland Race said.

Five matches led up to the main event in Burlington Junction, where Leland Race wrestled against Derick Stone for the WLW heavyweight championship in his

father’s memory.

Rock and heavy metal boomed from the loudspeakers in the high school gymnasium as Leland “The Legacy” Race entered the ring sporting tights and a white, green and black leather jacket made just for the main event on the breezy October night.

The champion, Derick Stone, entered the ring in a tight red leotard that the crowd found humor-

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ous due to his old age.

After introductions, noting Leland Race as a St. Louis, Missouri, native weighing 224 pounds and Stone an Egypt native weighing 291 pounds, the bell sounded and the two began a match wrestling fans would not soon forget.

Neither competitor had an obvious advantage throughout the first 20 minutes in the 25-minute match. The anxious crowd began to chant “Leland” over and over, the match drawing near its time limit in hopes of a serene grasp of victory for The Legacy. Soon after the chant, the match came to a quick end when Leland Race defeated Stone by pinfall.

A memorable ending to a hard-hitting night, Leland Race’s name shot through spectator’s ears as the announcer congratulated the new WLW heavyweight champion.

Sophomore Christian Dixon attended the event and ended up winning a raffle the WLW held for an authentic WWE title belt. He said it was the first time he attended a live wrestling event.

“Everyone is usually so quick to point out that this type of wrestling is fake or scripted,” Dixon said. “It still takes an extreme amount of talent and skill to do this. It’s an art form really, like theater, which shows it can be about so much more than what people see at face value.”

Junior Daniel Linden, a Northwest student from Scotland, has been a professional wrestling fan for as long as he can remember.

“I grew up watching Leland’s dad, Harley,” Linden said. “I didn’t know what to expect when I came tonight but what I got was a really entertaining show that meant something.”

WLW came to Burlington Junction for a similar event 18 years ago for a less somber cause than the death of a beloved wrestler. The announcer, Ben Simon, said the organization hopes to come back.

“WLW hopes to come back to Burlington Junction a little sooner than 18 years from now,” Simon said.

Leland Race said the night was an indescribable memory and one of his greatest nights in the ring.

“I may be from St. Louis, but tonight, everyone is from Burlington Junction,” Leland Race said.

“I’ve said it from the inception of this idea. To be able to do this in the area he grew up is special.”

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A4

POLICE BLOTTERS for the week of Oct. 24 Maryville Department of Public Safety Oct. 12 There is an ongoing investigation for larceny on the 600 block of North Main Street.

Oct. 15 A summons was issued to Ozzie E. Rodriguez, 25, of Chandler, Arizona, for failure to yield and failure to maintain financial responsibility on the 500 block of North Main Street.

Oct. 17 A summons was issued to George H. Giggar, 59, of Fillmore, Missouri, for displaying the plates of another, failure to register a motor vehicle and failure to maintain financial responsibility on the 1700 block of South Main Street.

A summons was issued to Tyler M. Redford, 18, for minor in possession and failure to maintain right half of the roadway.

Oct. 24, 2019 @TheMissourian

NEWS JUMPS

New group aims to diversify industry KENDRICK CALFEE Community News Editor | @KoalaCalfee

An organization focused on education and appreciation of agriculture across campus and in the U.S. was officially recognized at Northwest.

Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences is a new organization on campus that aims to expand diversity in the industry of agriculture and other related fields. Northwest Student Senate recognized MANRRS when freshman Isaiah Massey spoke on behalf of the organization in a meeting Oct. 15.

According to the organization’s mission statement, it strives to define “diversity” as an opportunity to provide different levels of thinking.

Massey said the organization should represent a diversity of thought, as well as diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, in order for the organization to serve the purpose it intends to.

“Agriculture as a whole is a minority right now,” Massey said.

“Yes, we have the strongest agriculture industry in the world, but we have less than 2% of Americans that are in production agriculture.”

Massey recorded more than 31 people interested following the Student Senate meeting Oct. 15, and said he is hopeful for what the orga-

nization will become when regular meetings incur in early November.

MANRRS is a national organization built to recognize minority groups that work in day-to-day positions in the fields of agriculture, biotechnology, engineering and similar fields. The organization is not limited to just minority membership, as others are encouraged to join to spread knowledge about those industries.

The organization provides students with networking and leadership opportunities in agricultural-science-related fields of work and study through holding national conventions and meetings that regional members travel to.

There are six regions in the U.S. today, with a grand total of 64 national members. Massey hopes to get Northwest MANRRS nationally recognized within the next two years.

A Missouri State FFA officer, Massey said his interest in bringing MANRRS to Northwest piqued when he met a fellow FFA student who was involved with the organization at another school.

While doing a college search his senior year of high school, Massey noticed Northwest did not have MANRRS and decided in that moment he would do what he could to bring it to campus.

“My vision with MANRRS is to make it to be a community driven organization on campus that allows for students helping students,” Massey said. “I really want to do a lot of different projects, … teach and educate college kids how food is grown and where it comes from.”

To get the organization approved, Massey sought out help from Justin Mallett, the newly hired associate provost of diversity and inclusion on campus, who Massey said helped provide a clear and focused plan that made the process easier.

MANRRS’ main adviser is associate professor Nigel Hoilett, who teaches soils classes at the CIE for agriculture students. The organization has received verbal support from assistant professor Marcus McGee and instructor Rod Barr.

Massey said he has big plans for the organization and is already beginning to plan projects, hoping it will give students good techniques and skills to equip members for future professions in agricultural science fields.

“I want to help people build skills and be informed,” Massey said. “The thing about agriculture and science and all those different avenues is everything you learn, you can directly apply it to your everyday life.”

Oct. 18 A summons was issued to Stephani K. Nollet Wolbert, 20, for minor in possession on the 300 block of North Market Street.

A summons was issued to Jacob D. Harris, 24, for supplying alcohol to a minor on the 600 block of North Main Street.

A summons was issued to Jacobi R. Tunnell, 19, for minor in possession and an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle on the 200 block of North Main Street.

A summons was issued to Van A. French, 20, for improper display of license plates and possession of a fake I.D. on the 200 block of North Main Street.

A summons was issued to Cameron M. Kean, 19, of Buckner, Missouri, for possession of marijuana on the 400 block of North Buchanan Street.

Oct. 19 There is an ongoing investigation for property damage on the 500 block of North Market Street.

Oct. 20 A summons was issued to Stephen K. Farnan, 31, of Barnard, Missouri, for resisting arrest, failure to comply and disorderly conduct on the 300 block of North Market Street.

Oct. 21 There is an ongoing investigation for fraud on the 300 block of East Second Street.

MADI NOLTE | NW MISSOURIAN

Top: Trick-or-treater Daphne Johnson and her dog, Penelope, dressed as a bubblegum machine and a ladybug, respectively, set off to find candy at the Mozingo Haunted Campground Saturday, Oct. 19.

Bottom: Kathy McPherson, dressed as a circus clown, performs a simpler version of juggling colored balls to entertain trick-or-treaters as they wait in line for candy at the Mozingo Haunted Campground event Oct. 19.

Retention rate nationally recognized KENDRICK CALFEE Community News Editor | @KoalaCalfee

Northwest has been recognized for its Academic Success and Retention Unit with an award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, an organization that shows appreciation to members that exhibit excellence and success in new and innovative ways.

Northwest received the Student Success and College Completion award Oct. 16, which accompanied the celebration of seven other state colleges and universities receiving awards for contributions to student success.

Northwest was honored for several reasons, the first being an increase in retention rates. The University’s retention rate in-

creased from 73% to 78% in 2019, an accomplishment attributed to the student success model drafted by the University.

The Academic Success and Retention Unit recorded a 5% increase in retention, as well as significantly fewer students on academic probation and academic suspension.

Provost Jamie Hooyman, President John Jasinski and Director of Academic Success and Retention Allison Hoffman will travel to a national AASCU conference Oct. 27 to receive the award.

Jasinski spoke about Northwest being chosen for the award at the Oct. 23 Board of Regents meeting. He said the University doesn’t actively seek national awards, but that Northwest’s model for academic success proves to regularly earn them.

“It’s really not about the award, though,” Jasinski said. “It’s really about our students, our partners and our region.”

Jasinski went on to praise the Provost’s Office, noting a display of national awards.

AASCU recognized Northwest’s ability to increase student satisfaction based on 2018-19 academic year data presented from the University Academic Success and Retention unit.

Key focuses of recognition are the pairing of first year students with a professional adviser and success coach as well as a secondary advisor. The AASCU noted in a press release announcing the excellence and innovation awards that by having professional and secondary advisors, students are in a position of great benefit.

According to Northwest’s website, professional advisors specialize in specific academic areas in order to provide holistic support to first year students, including course selection and registration, connections to campus resources and how to gain profession-based experiences.

Through the Student Success Center, students have access to academic support, advisement, coaching and academic recovery options.

Freshman Abigayle Davis said her professional adviser has been a good resource in the process of transitioning to college life.

“He was able to offer academic advice for my classes,” Davis said.

“He was also able to offer advice on how to better my grades and create better studying habits.”

RAFFLE

CONTINUED FROM A1 Logan is spearheading the raffle efforts. After digging through campus policy, Logan found nothing that would prohibit the raffle.

Flyers advertising for the raffle are pinned around campus and posted on social media reading “Hell no, you Beto not,” and “Tell Beto O’Rourke to come and take it!” The flyer also advertises upcoming College Republican events.

“A lot of our posters have been torn down. That’s pretty negative,” Logan said. “But no one has confronted us. We were selling tickets at a table in the Union and no one had any problems.”

The raffle quickly became controversial on social media. Mass media professor Jody Strauch led a Facebook post expressing opposition to the raffle.

“It bothers me to be promoting guns as fundraising on a college campus,” Strauch said. “I don’t think it reflects well on Northwest.

They are an approved organization on campus. I find it distasteful.”

The raffle stirred concerns from the Northwest community, prompting a response from Northwest President John Jasinski after a concerned alumnus reached out.

Jasinksi’s response was posted to Facebook by the concerned alumnus. Jasinski reiterated that College Republicans are within their rights and followed campus policy.

“Throughout the process, the College Republicans have communicated with the University Police Department and have stated that the lower receiver will not be on campus — the raffle winner will claim it off campus,” Jasinski said to the 2001 alumnus in an email.

University Police Chief Clarence Green said the department has received around 20 calls concerning the legality of the raffle.

UPD agreed to do walk-throughs and have an officer present at the raffle drawing.

“He just wants to make sure no one is harassing any of our members,” Logan said.

This is not the first time a weapon has been raffled off by a campus organization, Green said.

The trapshooting club is raffling off a shotgun and has done so in the past.

Green said a majority of the campus community had probably not heard about the shotgun raffle because of the nature of the type of gun.

“Those 80% lowers —, a lot of times we’ll call them ghosts guns because they are untraceable.

They present some difficulties for us on the police end of identifying a weapon,” Green said. “That’s why it drew some concern as well as it being an AR-15. That heightened the awareness.”

As of Oct. 21, College Republicans had sold 19 raffle tickets.

There is no limit to the number of raffle tickets an individual can purchase. Ten individuals account for the 19 tickets sold.

Nodaway County Sheriff Randy Strong, who spoke at a College Republicans meeting last week, bought four raffle tickets.

College Republicans Treasurer freshman Abigail Shepherd said the raffle is more-so there to gain publicity than to raise money.

“We’re trying to gain members,” Shepherd said. “We’re actually in a debate with College Democrats of who can get the most members first. We thought it was a good first idea.”

College Republicans is sitting at 183 members, with 30 showing up to meetings on a regular basis.

The debate with College Democrats stems back to Sept. 4 at the Organization Fair where the groups challenged each other to compete for increased membership.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the part of an AR-15 requiring a Federal Firearms License is the serialized lower receiver. The winner of the raffle Nov. 4 will not have an operable AR-15. The 80% Lower Receiver can be legally milled, drilled and made operable by the winner, according to 80% Lowers website.

Logan said his goal is not to make people feel unsafe; he’s just trying to get more students interested in College Republicans.

“I really don’t think it should be controversial,” Logan said. “We’re just practicing our Second Amendment rights. We’ll probably do it again if this is successful.”

OPINION

Oct. 24, 2019 @TheMissourian

A5

Facebook complicit in lies Trump’s JESSE REED Opinion Editor @reedjesselee

Every day, 1.5 million pairs of eyes are bombarded with advertisements crammed into any and every available space on the familiar soft blue website, Facebook.

Ranging from knockoff products to whatever eerily relates perfectly to a person’s most recent browsing history, these advertisement spaces are beginning to include increasing amounts of political ads.

If that’s not annoying enough while you’re trying to see what your aunt is mad about this time, the information in the ads could be entirely wrong — lying straight to your face.

“As a principle, in a democracy, I believe people should decide what is credible, not tech companies,” Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO

of Facebook, said Oct. 17.

This is plain ridiculous. The argument that people should decide for themselves instead of the company is silly when considering the company doesn’t even have to make the decision itself; it can do a quick Google search to see if the information in the ads it’s profiting from is accurate and let the facts make the choice.

Unfortunately, that’s the problem. Facebook doesn’t care about whether or not the ads are conveying accurate information as long as it is getting a pretty penny off of them, and it is. According to Investopedia, Facebook made more than $40 billion off of ads in 2017. It would appear Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard before he took a class on ethics and morals.

Facebook released a slew of policy updates Oct. 21 in an attempt to address election lies. However, the new policies address everything except false ads, explained TechCrunch, a popular technolo-

gy news site.

What a surprise: a company turning down ethics to keep a steady cash revenue.

Just the other week, Facebook demonstrated how far it is willing to go to ensure its shareholders are happy.

Elizabeth Warren tweeted Oct. 12 about a campaign advertisement she paid for on Facebook. The ad claimed Facebook supported President Donald Trump before clarifying it was intentionally lying.

Clearly unable to hear over the incoming money, Facebook didn’t make a comment on the ad or stop it from running.

While this shows it’s willing to stand by its stance of letting people decide on the credibility of information themselves, it’s rather pathetic when a company can’t make a decision on if information about itself is accurate.

Even if Facebook is given the benefit of the doubt with being correct about its stance on having peo-

ple filter information on their own, not everyone is capable of doing so.

After all, Facebook only requires someone to be 13 years old to create an account.

Maybe it’s just me, but something feels off about trusting 13-year-olds to be able to make judgement calls on the accuracy of information when they still need to be reminded to do their homework.

It’s about time for Facebook to fix its advertisement system and look past the money.

With the presidential race continuing to ramp up, Facebook should use its platform to ensure people are accurately informed about each candidate, or at least remove political ads as a whole if the social media giant doesn’t feel comfortable checking for accuracy.

Another social media platform, TikTok, decided not to run political ads on its platform, according to NBC. If the mess that is TikTok can make the right choice, Facebook should be able to too.

CHRIS YOUNG | NW MISSOURIAN

OUR VIEW:

Raffling off 80% of AR-15 firearm displays ignorance, recklessness

College Republicans, a student organization on Northwest’s campus whose mission, in its own words, is “to make known and promote the principles of the Republican Party among the students.”

Mission accomplished. The organization announced plans to raffle off 80% of an AR-15 Nov. 4, sending a message to students, whether intended or otherwise, that is indeed loud and clear, and it certainly peddles the principles of the party the organization attaches itself to.

Northwest’s College Republicans group cares more about heightened publicity and increased fundraising than it does the safety of the campus and community.

It is reasonably illegal to give away a full AR-15, which is why the organization isn’t doing so. It is unreasonably reckless to give away 80% of an AR-15, the same weapon used in recent, high-profile mass shootings like the one in a Parkland, Florida, high school that killed 17 people in February 2018.

For just $10, the College Republicans’ poorly-designed flyer touts anyone on campus or in the community can enter the raffle for a chance to win 80% of the semi-automatic weapon, one more suitable for a battlefield than a deer stand, much less a college campus.

The cost is discounted to $5 if you attend an upcoming meeting.

The 80% of the AR-15, which includes the weapon’s lower receiver, is not legally considered a firearm in its current state, according to EDITORIAL STAFF Rachel Adamson Andrew Wegley Abbey Hugo Aaron Stahl Kendrick Calfee Samantha Collison Jon Walker Sarah von Seggern Jesse Reed Gabi Brooks Emily Noyes Chris Young

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the organization’s flyer.

The raffle’s winner would have to purchase the other 20% of the gun to possess an operational AR-15, which leaves this entire stunt only 80% as insane as it would be to raffle off a fully-functioning rifle.

The organization’s flyer promotes an upcoming event while poking fun at Beto O’Rourke, a Democratic presidential candidate who’s polling at or under 2% nationally in nearly every poll, and who made headlines in September when he said, “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” onstage at the third Democratic presidential debate.

“Hell, no, you Beto not!” the College Republicans quipped back in its flyer, one that unknowingly depicts just how misguided the organization really is on the topic.

The reality is that giving away 80% of a weapon of such magnitude does little to impede O’Rourke, who won’t be a serious candidate for the presidency by the time the primary races reach Missouri. It does even less for the advancement of the College Republicans’ undying, flawed support of the Second Amendment.

Instead, all the flyer has done is spark a sense of outrage and alarm across the Northwest community, prompting a response to concerned alumni from University President Dr. John Jasinksi.

Perhaps unintentionally, the College Republicans’ attention-grab has united ev-

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ery common-sense-having individual in the Northwest community through one collective train of thought that collides with the organization’s intended mission. That thought, of course, is, “What the hell were they thinking?”

And the answer is they weren’t, or perhaps more accurately, they aren’t.

Sell a bunch of raffle tickets to anyone who’ll buy one. Pull the winning number out of a bright-red “Make America Great Again” hat.

Give the random winning contestant 80% of an AR-15 with instructions available online on how to purchase and assemble the other 20%. What could go wrong?

It sounds like the setup to a bad joke, or worse, the plot to a violent horror movie that has somehow become our possible reality.

The actualities of this promotion, one meant to emphasize the need for Second Amendment support, have instead emphasized a need for greater control.

The College Republicans are acting within their rights in possessing and giving away the gun in question. It’s entirely legal, which gives way to a more pressing question: should it be? The potential dangers far outweigh any inkling of good that may come with it.

This organization’s gimmick, at best, seems like a savvy publicity ploy and an effective fundraiser. But there’s no chance it’s worth the potential cost.

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gut isn’t working for Syria NATHAN ENGLISH Columnist @ThananEnglish

“If he surrounds himself with good people, he will be a good president,” was the oft-quoted statement from people defending their decision to vote for President Donald Trump.

Whether or not the advisers Trump surrounded himself with are “good,” Trump has another problem with his leadership: he doesn’t listen to them.

Trump has a problem making snap decisions and being wishywashy when it comes to standing by those decisions.

The calamity that is the U.S. pulling out of Syria illustrates a prime example of Trump going back and forth with important decisions that have led to disastrous results. The conflict in Syria is a web of complications, but a few things are clear.

The U.S. troops were the main allies of Kurdish forces, fighting with them to keep the Islamic State group at bay. At the same time, U.S. presence dissuaded Russia and Turkey from taking action that would be detrimental to the U.S. and the Kurds.

The Kurdish-U.S. alliance also prevented an alliance between the Kurds and the Syrian regime which has used chemical weapons on their people, according to the State Department, and are the clear bad guys.

In late 2018, Trump made the move to pull troops out of Syria while claiming the U.S. had defeated ISIS forces once and for all. The facts suggested otherwise, and Trump relented to slowly withdrawing later. ISIS is still around today, by the way, and is shown to be gaining strength because of more recent developments.

Recently, Trump made and followed through with the decision to leave the fighting in Syria and abandon the Kurdish forces we had been supporting.

This act, which has been widely condemned by many on both sides of the aisle and led to a meltdown from Trump in front of Congress, was because Trump wanted to get troops out of the Middle East. A lofty idea with a much more complicated and dangerous solution, but fear not, Trump has gone back on this decision too.

The U.S. is sending 3,000 troops to Saudi Arabia, a country in the Middle East, according to the Pentagon. The Trump administration is also considering keeping troops in Syria to protect the oil reserves in the country, according to Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

Trump made a snap decision to pull troops out of Syria, which benefited our enemies, Russia and Turkey.

It led to the escape of over 10,000 ISIS prisoners, according to U.S. officials. It led to the death of some of our staunchest allies in the region.

Trump then listened to advisors and attempted to partially correct his own mistake, but the damage had already been done.

Trump stated that he makes gut decisions in an interview with the Washington Post in 2018.

“I have a gut, and my gut tells me more sometimes than anybody’s brain can ever tell me,” Trump said.

Trump’s gut was wrong in this case, and gut decisions are a dangerous way for a world leader to make decisions. The best or even just competent leaders rely on the advice of others and make decisions based on that advice and information.

Trump needs to start listening to his advisers and making more careful judgments. Decisions like the one made with Syria don’t just cost political capital and percentage points in a Gallup poll, they cost human lives.

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Oct. 24, 2019 @TheMissourian

A6

SUDOKU

By MetroCreative

HOROSCOPE

DIVERSIONS

Turn down for us

By MetroCreative

ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, the week ahead is a busy one. You may have a speech to deliver or a private performance to put on and that will focus all eyes on you.

Rest up while you can.

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Resist the temptation to push other people’s buttons, Libra.

You catch more flies with honey, so take a step back and give others a chance to share their opinions.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, don’t schedule any extra activities this week because your schedule is full. Family life also will demand a great deal from you. Make a list of things to do and get started.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 There are some moments when you will feel strongly about big changes on the horizon, Scorpio. This is a week when you will have a clear view of your future goals.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, slow down and invite a friend over for a cup of coffee or a drink after work.

You have to get back to some social occasions, or you can run yourself ragged.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, this week you may feel the need to exert some physical energy. If you have a gym membership, spend several hours working up a sweat.

Capricorn, this week you may be influenced by someone with a strong personality. Unless you stand behind what this person is offering, do not be swayed by the hard sell.

Sagittarius, after a few days of idle coasting, you may get a boost of energy to tackle new things. Others may be amazed at the change.

CHRIS YOUNG | NW MISSOURIAN

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, stop focusing on things that are beyond your control right now and zero in on the ones that you can tend to. You will quickly see how much control you really have.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 You have a tendency to go about your routines with less enthusiasm than in the past, Aquarius. You just may need some new scenery to briefly get you inspired.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, you are in the process of widening your field of possibilities. Right now traveling far distances could be on your mind. Make it happen.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 This week may be fairly eventful, Pisces. You may finally address an issue that has been affecting your domestic life.

Last Week’s Solutions

THE NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN IS *STILL* HIRING NEWS REPORTERS AND DESIGNERS. For more information, email r.adamson.missourian@gmail.com. No, seriously, you’re probably qualified. Please apply.

CROSSWORD CLUES ACROSS 1. Google certification 4. Cloths spread over coffins 9. Disorderly 14. “Star Wars” hero Solo 15. Toward the rear 16. The order of frogs 17. Alternative pain treatment (abbr.)

18. “Wolf of Wall Street” star 20. Evoke 22. Units of metrical time 23. Helps to predict eclipses 24. Some say they attract 28. Pitching statistic 29. Baseball box score (abbr.)

30. Force unit 31. Repaired shoe 33. English theologian 37. Commercial 38. Exchange money for goods or services 39. Give off 41. One from Utah 42. Computer department 43. Begets 44. English navigator 46. C C C 49. Of I 50. Pouch 51. Add notes to 55. A way to fall into ruin 58. Cunning intelligence 59. Blood disorder 60. Disgraced CBS newsman 64. Tax collector 65. Type of grass common to the Orient 66. Cosmic intelligence 67. No (Scottish) 68. People who rely on things 69. Stairs have them 70. Mathematical term (abbr.)

CLUES DOWN 1. Clarified butters 2. Primitive Himalayan people 3. Completely 4. Steep cliffs along the Hudson River

5. Assist 6. Language spoken in Laos 7. Type of screen 8. An attempt to economize 9. Volcanic craters 10. Still outstanding 11. Takes responsibility for another 12. California think tank 13. Former Rocket Ming 19. A pigeon noise 21. Central part of 24. Academy Award statue 25. Distinct unit of sound 26. Relative on the female side of the family 27. Passover feast and ceremony 31. The brightest star in Virgo 32. Made with oats

By MetroCreative

34. Subjects to laser light 35. Beloved Hollywood alien 36. Neatly brief 40. The Great Lakes State (abbr.)

41. Soon to be released 45. Swiss river 47. Become involved in 48. More dour 52. They’re on floors 53. Boxing’s GOAT 54. Swarms with 56. Quantum mechanics pioneer 57. Facilitated 59. As fast as can be done (abbr.)

60. Regional French wine Grand __ 61. Owns 62. Tell on 63. Precedes two

HUMANS OF NORTHWEST

Oct. 24, 2019 @NWM_AE

A7

Far from home Nepalese junior showcases cultural traditions

SARAH VON SEGGERN A&E Editor | @SeggernSarah

T

here’s a 16-hour, $1,000 flight separating Susan Maharjan from his hometown of Kathmandu, Nepal.

With the money and time it takes to fly home, the junior has created a second home at Northwest through involvement and sharing his own culture.

After studying abroad for the past two years, Susan Maharjan has come to realize the U.S. is more than what he first thought.

He now describes it as busy, diverse and fun, even in the small town of Maryville.

As an active student involved in many organizations such as the Nepalese Student Association and the International Student Organization and upperclassman resident assistant at South Complex, Susan Maharjan said it can be difficult managing time.

Even with so much time dedicated to being an RA, Susan Maharjan suggests this position for all international students because it covers residence hall costs and allows them to talk to a variety of students.

South Complex Hall Director Jacob Wood has been in the same building as Susan Maharjan since his freshman year in Millikan Hall.

He said he has seen a lot of growth in Susan Maharjan from being more quiet and reserved to always talking and joking with residents.

“He does enjoy pranking people, like scaring them. He did not use to do that as a freshman,” Wood said. “(He has) grown to be able to communicate with people and really taking on that leadership role as an RA and being able to connect with individuals he didn’t normally connect with.”

Susan Maharjan is usually patrolling South Complex or walking around campus with his untamed black hair pulled into a mini ponytail. With a contagious laugh, constant grin and 6-foot stature, Susan Maharjan is easily identifiable in a crowd, Wood said.

Susan Maharjan is so used to patrolling his TV series-themed hallways that even when he’s not on duty, he finds himself jiggling certain door knobs to make sure they’re properly locked.

Despite his familiarity around the halls of South Complex, there was a time when Susan Maharjan almost wasn’t able to attend Northwest.

As a student going abroad for a year, Susan Maharjan was required to take the SAT, an English proficiency test, and make sure all other documentation was properly acquired. It then took about nine to 18 months to get processed.

After everything was cleared, he was supposed to go in for a

two-to-seven-minute visa interview. He and his childhood friend Bivash Prajapati both wanted to go to the U.S. and applied for visas at the same time. Both were rejected within minutes after their interviews.

The interviewers said they had concerns about his intent to return home if they granted his visa, which is a major consideration in the approval process, according to the U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Susan Maharjan began to worry about getting the visa but applied for a second time. He said to himself if he wasn’t able to obtain a visa this time, he would stay in Nepal and receive his education at a local college.

The day before he went in for his interview, Susan Maharjan heard bad news from his friend. Prajapati was once again rejected.

While this would have discouraged most people, Susan Maharjan said to himself he would try his best, and if he didn’t make it in, then that was OK. “I’ll just go in for the interview, and if I get accepted, that’s fine, or else I already have my friends back here, and I’m just going to stay here,” Susan Maharjan said.

Once he finished answering the questions, the interviewer said he was signing his visa. He couldn’t stop smiling for hours and called his dad and his sister about getting the visa.

His oldest sister Sujina Maharjan, 31, said she’s glad that he went to the U.S. because before, he was a “really lazy, lazy, lazy boy.”

“It’s an opportunity to grow. If he was back in Nepal, he wouldn’t be the same as he is now. I am sure he would be dependent on the parents,” Sujina Maharjan said. “The way he’s doing independently everything over here — studying and working in college and the time management he is doing makes us really proud for his sake.”

Before Susan Maharjan came to the U.S., he didn’t really know what to expect except tall buildings.

“When I was back in Nepal, I think like, ‘Oh, U.S. — there are high buildings everywhere,” Susan Maharjan said. “After I come here, I realized it’s only the cities. …

When I come to college, I was like, ‘This isn’t what I was expecting.’”

The first thing he noticed beyond the short buildings was the lack of traditional Nepalese restaurants. Even though he enjoyed Chinese and Indian food, Susan Maharjan said it was not spicy enough.

So Susan Maharjan used his own cooking skills to create the cultural food he loves most. One of his favorite dishes to make for others is momos or dumplings with a spicy sauce.

Wood has had a variety of Nepalese dishes thanks to Susan Maharjan, and he said his favorite are the momos Susan Maharjan makes.

“He brings to the table living in Nepal all of his life,” Wood said.

“That gives us a side we don’t normally see with a domestic student.

He’s excited to share his culture with you.”

Susan Maharjan loves making food for others, especially spicy food for people who aren’t used to Nepalese spice. He said food helps spread culture in a simple way. It can easily connect two people from different backgrounds to find something similar.

“Food and culture has a deep connection,” Susan Maharjan said.

“In my community, we have lots of festivals that we celebrate. Every festival is incomplete without food. … In my experience in Northwest, I have hung out with lots of friends from different places and have tried different types of food they eat.”

Whenever Susan Maharjan makes momos, other students who eat it often compare it to their own culture’s dumplings. He said his momos remind his Korean friend of a Korean dumpling or mandu, but less spicy. His Turkish friend said it’s like their culture’s manti but slightly larger.

“I think food helps to connect and know more about the culture of people from different places,” Susan Maharjan said.

While he can find certain spices in Maryville, they don’t tend to have as strong of a taste as back home. There are a few specific ones that he hasn’t found like chat masala, fenugreek seed and mustard oil.

He said that he is able to order them on Amazon though. Sometimes, if one of his friends is headed down to Kansas City, Missouri, he’s able to make a special trip south for the specific spices he needs.

Ever since he was young, Susan Maharjan has been able to cook for himself. His sister Sujina Maharjan recalls when her only brother was about five or six years old and made eggs for himself.

“He used to wake up really early like 5 in the morning,” Sujina Maharjan. “He used to get hungry, but he wants someone to cook breakfast for him, but we are like sleeping, right? ... So he wakes up, and the kitchen is like high and he is small. So he used to get the steps, and he used to make an omelet with two eggs.”

Sujina Maharjan couldn’t help chuckling as she recounted her story with her brother. The only part she didn’t like about waking up to her younger brother’s cooking was waking up to the mess.

“I would go up and see all the mess in the kitchen, and I’m like so mad for him,” Sujina Maharjan

said. “And he’s like, ‘You guys don’t cook for me. I’m hungry, so I made my own food and I ate it.’”

Along with cooking Nepalese food, Susan Maharjan enjoys playing the bansuri or bamboo flute.

His favorite songs to play are traditional songs where he can share his culture through the airy sound of the bansuri or through the “thump, thump” of the madal, which is a cylindrical two-headed hand drum.

Susan Maharjan’s father has always encouraged his only son’s interest in music that he even bought him his first madal at 7-years-old.

By the age of 12, Susan Maharjan expanded his repertoire of musical instruments and learned to play the madal. “(My father) has always made me feel that he is always there for me,” Susan Maharjan said. “He has helped me to learn a lot of things, and he is the reason behind why I am able to be me right now.”

Even though his father is half the globe away, Susan Maharjan said his father has always supported him, whether that be through at-

FILE | NW MISSOURIAN

Left: Maharjan holds his home country’s flag as he walks with the Nepalese Student Association in the Homecoming Parade Oct. 26, 2018.

GABI BROOKS | NW MISSOURIAN

Middle: Junior Nepalese student and resident assistant Susan Maharjan holds a picture of his close friends from Nepal that he keeps in his room in South Complex.

Right: In a performance at the Dashain party Oct. 12 hosted by the Nepalese Student Association in the Station, Maharjan plays the bansuri instrument, a bamboo flute.

tending bansuri classes with him after closing the shop down or discussing buying new instruments and planning events to showcase what they had learned.

“My dad, he was like, that’s our culture, our instrument he used to play back in Nepal,” Sujina Maharjan said. “The way he is carrying it and playing it in a college in front of everyone — my dad is really proud watching him play the flute in every occasion. My dad is very proud, same as me.”

GABI BROOKS | NW MISSOURIAN

Maharjan decorates his room with mementos that remind him of home.

Oct. 24, 2019 @NWM_AE

A8

THE STROLLER:

Your Bearcat wants a cuddle buddy

I want a boyfriend.

Correction: I want someone who just lays in my bed with an endless supply of Chinese takeout and Double Stuf Oreos and tells me I’m pretty.

With the weather inching below 75 degrees, it’s what is often referred to as “cuffing season,” meaning people are entering relationships which usually only last until Thanksgiving.

College students are craving to do cheesy couple costumes they found on Pinterest and take bland photos of themselves kissing among the red and gold leaves for Instagram.

There is just something about sharing the fall with a “boo” that so seems appealing. I mean, who wouldn’t want to expose a basic stranger to their family trauma and be asked when the wedding is while the green beans wrapped in bacon make their way around the too-crowded table.

Sure, we all need human affection. I just wish someone wanted to be my bedside Chinese and Oreo deliverer for reasons other than their internal loneliness while their friends get engaged to the Tinder hookup they got pregnant.

The Stroller has been a tradition since 1918 and does not reflect the views of The Northwest Missourian.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Artist leads inclusive dialogue ANGEL TRINH A&E Reporter | @acuteanglewrite

Principal Trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Billy Hunter visited Northwest to work with students on their music and discuss diversity and inclusion in orchestras Oct. 20-22.

Hunter has been principal trumpet, the highest-ranked trumpet player, who’s responsible for assigning parts to his fellow trumpet players, since 2004. He realized he wanted to be a professional musician during his sophomore year of college. He received his masters degree from The Juilliard School.

Professor of Music Bill Richardson knew him from his time studying at the University of Texas at Austin. He had been trying to bring Hunter to campus for three or four years.

“He’s a very sought-after orchestral trumpet player,” Richardson said. “He’s at the top of his game. We’re really excited to have him here. … We have 16 trumpet students that study privately with me. It’s great when they can hear somebody from outside come in so they can see what a professional does.”

Hunter started with a trumpet master class where he introduced himself to around 30 students sitting in a semi-circle on the stage of the Charles Johnson Theater.

MADI NOLTE | NW MISSOURIAN

Professional trumpet player Billy Hunter explains a breathing technique during a one-on-one lesson with Kaila Stigler while leading a small trumpet class Oct. 20 in the Charles Johnson Theater.

He worked closely with four trumpet students — seniors Brandon Sconce, Delaney Lynam, Kaila Stigler and junior Michael Ford — to enhance their musicality on excerpts they performed for him.

Sconce said he had worked with professionals before, but he enjoyed the opportunity because it exposed him to what it’s like to play music for a living.

MADI NOLTE | NW MISSOURIAN

Professional trumpet player Billy Hunter demonstrates a breathing technique to students while leading a trumpet master class Oct. 20 in the Charles Johnson Theater.

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“(Professional musicians) are people like us. They just know more,” Sconce said. “When you start viewing them as other people, it becomes a lot easier to work with them.”

Sconce hadn’t heard of Hunter until one of his professors mentioned he would be coming to Northwest. Because Sconce hadn’t heard of Hunter, he learned it’s possible to be professional without being well-known.

“You can be good at what you do, and you don’t need to be the only one. There’s more than one professional out there,” Sconce said. “We can all do it. It’s very nice to know that.”

Hunter said he auditioned 2530 times before getting his first part in an orchestra. To keep his morale up each time he auditioned, he treated himself well regardless of the outcome.

“I was very open to criticism, not beating myself into oblivion when I make a mistake because we all make mistakes,” Hunter said. “I would go out, have a nice dinner, relax and pat myself on the back saying, ‘You did a good job. You gave it your best.’”

Hunter traveled to Northwest amid the busiest weeks of his professional career. In the two weeks prior, he was asked to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra in addition to performing four to five operas per week with the Metropolitan Opera. He rode the train between New York City and Philadelphia almost daily.

To add to his busy practice schedule, Hunter performed some of the most famous trumpet pieces, Richardson said, in a recital, accompanied by Jiwon Choi, Oct. 21. He had played the music before, but he was worried about how the accompaniment would go. After a single rehearsal with Choi, Hunter was confident about the show going well.

“Jiwon Choi was amazing,” Hunter said. “She knocked it out.”

Hunter had two presentations

Oct. 22. In the morning, he talked about life as a professional musician. He explained his typical schedule for each week and how he adjusts his practice time when certain weeks are busier than others.

In his evening presentation, Hunter talked about the lack of diversity in orchestras across the country. In almost all of the orchestras he played in, he realized he was the only African American musician. He said the main reason orchestras aren’t diverse is the removal of the screen in most audition processes.

Musicians audition behind screens so the judging committee can choose them based on their musical ability. Usually the screen is eliminated for the final rounds, which Hunter said leads to inherent bias.

He said the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra is the most diverse orchestra because the screen is used until the end of the audition process. Hunter promotes inclusion by working with the National Association of Audition Support, a program that helps minority musicians prepare for professional auditions.

Hunter said he wants to be a role model for diversity.

“The talent is out there. We just have to find it and seek it,” Hunter said. “I try to perform at the top of my ability because I see other younger African American trumpet players. It’s my job to open the gateway for them.”

Hunter’s visit was made possible by funds from the Missouri Art Council, the Dennis C. Dau Endowed Professorship in Instrumental Music, the Northwest College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Fine and Performing Arts.

Richardson said the support from the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Michael Steiner, the grant writer Tye Parsons and Choi were vital in bringing Hunter to Northwest.

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SPORTS JUMPS FOOTBALL

CONTINUED FROM A12 The weekly punches thrown at the program, he said, come with the territory of being historically great, a trait that meant nothing in Nebraska, but perhaps meant everything to Kearney.

For sophomore cornerback Trey Washington, who leads the MIAA in interceptions (4) and sits tied for the conference lead in passes defended (12), Kearney’s dynamic

SOCCER

CONTINUED FROM A12 The edge provided with the victory is relatively small, though it could pay off at the conclusion of the regular season gantlet. Gordon, though, doesn’t want to leave Northwest’s season to chance. In the aftermath of Northwest’s triumph over Rogers State, the coach said the Bearcats’ head-to-head edge over the Hillcats was insignificant, that the team had to continue to win matches for it to matter.

“We can’t focus on anybody else but us,” Gordon said. “We have to continue to do our homework and prepare for each match. Just take them, the cliche, one at a time. But that’s the reality — we can’t look past anybody. We have a lot of work to do.”

In Northwest’s Oct. 20 matchup with Northeastern State, two days after the team’s defining win over the Hillcats, the Bearcats suffered a setback in the form of a 2-1 loss.

The same listless Maryville winds that Gordon said were advantageous to the Bearcats in their win over Rogers State doomed them in the final moments of their loss to

Oct. 24, 2019 @NWMSports

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play wasn’t a surprise. Northwest’s inability to respond was.

“I think that was a huge thing for us, especially last week and Emporia week, was we’re going to get everybody’s best shot regardless of who we’re playing,” Washington said. “And we saw that.”

“We didn’t come out prepared, I don’t think, mentally,” Washington said. “We didn’t have the energy for either of those games and it showed — especially in the Kearney game.”

Washington said the defense wasn’t fully prepared for the efforts of Kearney’s redshirt freshman quarterback T.J. Davis, a run-option specialist who Rich Wright said “played out of his mind” against the Bearcats.

Northwest needs to attack this week of practice with renewed passion, Washington said, passion that may have netted Northwest a 7-0 record had it been present in Kearney.

Rich Wright said he expects and has already felt a renewed sense of

the RiverHawks.

After conceding a first-half goal to Northeastern State, the Bearcats found life in the form of a game-tying goal in the match’s 79th minute, one pushed across by senior midfielder Izzy Romano. She was assisted by sophomore midfielder Jessie Brown and junior forward Alex Mausbach.

The goal, celebrated by the Bearcats who sported pink uniforms in support of breast cancer awareness, seemed destined to push Northwest to extra minutes for the third time in four matches.

Instead, the RiverHawks responded as Northwest’s defense lapsed with 1:29 left in the match, allowing Northeastern’s Sarah Rector to net the go-ahead goal.

From the sideline, Gordon muttered to himself as the final 90 seconds of the match played out. The Bearcats outshot the RiverHawks 18-13 in the match and 11-7 in the second period. It didn’t matter. With a chance to tie with or beat Northeastern, the No. 2 team in the conference, Northwest failed to capitalize.

In the aftermath of the loss, one

Gordon described as a “heartbreaker,” the coach said he was proud of the way the Bearcats’ fought back late in the second half, but Gordon admitted to his own dissatisfaction, an effect of the team’s missed opportunity.

“I’m disappointed for the girls because they really did work so hard and played so well,” Gordon said. “No one’s feeling sorry for us. … I just told (the players) I feel like we’re a good team but great teams learn how to finish games off.

There’s the example. There’s a reason (Northeastern) is one of the top teams in the conference right now.

They just never quit.”

Gordon said the final minutes of matches have been the Achilles heel for the program this season and the matchup with Northeastern was no different. The Bearcats settled for poor shots, Gordon said, and wore their youthfulness on their sleeves in the game’s final moments.

Heading into its final four matches, including contests with Central Oklahoma Oct. 25 and Newman Oct. 27, Northwest will have another opportunity to make strides in the race for the confer-

urgency in the early part of the week among his players, an urgency he expects to show up in the box score against the Blue Tigers. On the heels of the upset in Kearney, Northwest’s matchup with Lincoln figures to serve as an opportunity for redemption and an outlet for frustration.

Northwest’s path forward is one that revolves around execution, Rich Wright said. The Bearcats’ renewed sense of urgency won’t help if they don’t play to their capabilities. Their path to a conference is less clear now

than it was a week ago, but Northwest still controls its own fate the road to which begins Oct. 26 against Lincoln, the coach said.

“We can’t control what happened last week in Kearney now,” Rich Wright said. “There’s nothing we can do to change the outcome.

What we can do is change what our outcomes look like moving forward. We still have four games, and everything we want is on the table for us, but we have to play well in order to achieve it.”

ANDREW WEGLEY | NW MISSOURIAN

Northwest soccer midfielder Merel Marting (22) drives up field with the ball in the Bearcats’ 2-1 loss to Northeastern State Oct. 20.

ence tournament’s final three seeds.

Gordon said he expects the Bearcats to compete over their final two weekends of the regular season and said the key to a winning formula will be his players’ trust in one another. He hopes the team plays as it did for the first 88 minutes against the RiverHawks.

“I want the team that was just

here to be available and playing the way they played for each other,” Gordon said after Northwest’s matchup with Northeastern. “The expectation is for us to go and compete as we did today, and I think we have the tools to do it. We just need to find ourselves (and) to continue to work towards winning games like today’s.”

COLUMN

CONTINUED FROM A12

GABI BROOKS | NW MISSOURIAN

Maryville junior outside hitter Morgan Stoecklein digs a ball from St. Pius X Oct. 22 at the Spoofhounds’ two-set win in their pink out cancer awareness game.

Spoofhounds wrap up regular season EAN KEPPNER Sports Reporter | @keppy_21

Maryville volleyball entered its last week of the regular season with some monumental challenges facing the team.

Maryville enjoyed a two-set 2523, 25-11 victory over conference rival Chillicothe Oct. 17 for Senior Night. Then, the Spoofhounds competed in the Lewis Central Invite Oct. 19 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where they faced off against some of the powerhouses in Iowa high school volleyball.

The ’Hounds suffered a 21-15, 21-13 loss to Lewis Central (276) to start the day and fell 21-17, 21-9 to Red Oak (29-5) later in the day. Despite the losses, Maryville coach Miranda Foster and the team remained positive.

“We’re a solid team. The teams we played were solid teams, and that is going to be the preparation we need going into the postseason,” Foster said. “While it can be frustrating, and you never want to lose, I think the girls had a really good attitude after those losses.”

The Spoofhounds were tasked

with their last challenge before the postseason in the final game of the regular season Oct. 22 against conference foe St. Pius X (19-5-4).

The Warriors kept the first set close until junior middle hitter Serena Sundell knocked down two kills to start a four-point rally that push the Spoofhound lead to 15-9. The swing in momentum pressured St. Pius into a timeout.

St. Pius earned 6 of the first 7 points out of the timeout, eventually tying the game at 16. Maryville regathered and put together another four-point rally that pushed the ’Hounds’ lead to 20-16. The Warriors fought back to 22-21, but Sundell scored two of the last three points for the ’Hounds. Senior outside hitter Brooke Katen served an ace to end the first set at 25-22.

St. Pius X took their only lead of the match early in the second set off a kill. Sundell answered with a kill of her own to tie the game at 3-3.

The Hounds eventually took a 17-12 lead off of a three-point rally, but the Warriors made their way back once more and tied the game at 22. Sundell scored a kill and a block to help Maryville to

a 24-23 lead, an errant serve into the net earned the Spoofhounds the victory.

Sundell said the victory was a good finale for the team’s regular season.

“Pius is definitely one of the best teams in our conference,” Sundell said. “So to get that win before going into the district tournament really puts a good win under our belts and gives us a little more confidence.”

Foster shared a similar reaction to the victory and is excited about the direction the team is headed in.

“I think it was an awesome morale win for us, just to come away from the regular season feeling successful because our overall record is very successful,” Foster said. “Just to take that into districts is pretty fun.”

Maryville finished the regular season with a mark of 23-6-1 and earned the No. 1 seed in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 16 tournament. The Spoofhounds will have a bye in the quarterfinals and meet the winner of Lafayette and Benton in the district semifinals.

Maryville split the four matches against Lafayette this season,

losing the first two appearances before sweeping the last four sets Oct. 5 and in the Benton Tournament Oct.12. The ’Hounds have beat Benton in three matches this season and earned a tie in the fourth in the Benton Tournament.

Lafayette and Benton will faceoff in the quarterfinal Oct. 28 and Maryville will be in action in the semifinal Oct. 29.

Overall, the team is excited for the rest of the challenges that await. Sundell expressed her excitement after the victory.

“I am excited for the district tournament,” Sundell said. “We gotta get that first game, then we get a bye to the district championship. That will be fun.”

Foster and the Spoofhounds agree that they have some work to do before entering into postseason play but feel confident they can find success moving forward.

“I think we can improve in our chemistry and fluidity throughout the entire match,” Foster said.

“The girls have learned so much over the season and grown so quickly. They are ready for whatever any team brings at them.”

I’m also not exactly here to go to bat for the team, either. Fans have a right to be upset or annoyed. The team deserves criticism, though so far the criticism thrown at Northwest has been misdirected, at best.

More than a few Twitter users were up in arms after the game, pointing blame upon the coaching staff, which is, of course, absurd. “(Offensive coordinator Joel Osborn) calling runs with three min(utes) left, down 7 and a QB who can’t throw a Hail Mary from mid field, sad,” Josh Mason tweeted. “(Rich) Wright will lose more games in three years than (Adam Dorrel) did in six and AD had three nattys. Awful.”

There are more logical landmines in that post than should be possible given Twitter’s 280-character limit.

Osborn’s play call on Northwest’s second-to-last drive was somewhat suspect, though defensible. More notably, though, the plays had no impact on the outcome. Northwest’s last real possession didn’t end because of a pair of run plays; it ended with a Braden Wright fumble.

And, of course, comparing Rich Wright to Dorrel redefines the term unfair. Dorrel won as many championships in six years as Mel Tjeerdsmda did in 15.

Northwest didn’t lose to Kearney because of play call on either side of the ball. The Bearcats lost because they couldn’t make plays.

That’s really all it came down to.

Rich and Braden Wright both said so themselves after Northwest’s loss. Combined, the pair mentioned the Bearcats’ execution six times in the aftermath of a game defined by a lack of it.

The Bearcats dropped passes.

Andrews dropped two himself, one of which would have set Northwest up in a first-and-goal situation trailing by 7 in the fourth quarter.

They turned the ball over four times. Braden Wright committed two turnovers himself, one of which effectively ended the game for the Bearcats with 1:47 left on the game clock.

The Bearcats had no answer for Kearney’s viscous run game. They missed tackles and opportunities.

They gifted the Lopers with too many opportunities. They knew there’d be a test awaiting them in Kearney, and they still showed up without a pencil.

The point here is not to bash a group of Division II football players, a group that has fought through inconsistencies to a 6-1 record.

More so, the goal here is to poke holes through the logic of over-reactionary fans.

Fans, it’s worth repeating, have the right to be upset. Maybe outraged, even. And it’s the men on the sideline and in the coaches’ box that have to answer for that outrage, but the players on the field dug themselves into a 21-point deficit and failed to dig themselves out.

Oct. 24, 2019 @NWMSports

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SPORTS

’Hounds aiming for MEC crown JON WALKER Sports Editor | @ByJonWalker

By the time that Maryville football plays its last regular-season game when Lafayette comes to town Oct. 25, the Spoofhounds will be a week removed from what was perhaps their most convincing win yet.

A 28-14 win over MEC rival Savannah left the ’Hounds (6-1) with at least a share of the conference championship. A win over the Fighting Irish (5-3) would leave the program with another outright MEC championship, along with coach Matt Webb’s 100th win at the helm of the Spoofhounds.

“This week is about our kids,” Webb said. “I understand that if we win, there’d be a lot of players to thank, a lot of coaches to thank, and I’d be very happy for that. But this game is about our kids and (Lafayette’s) kids trying to win a conference championship.”

A season that has a lone blemish from a Week 1 loss via the MSHSAA Class 3 No. 1 Blair Oaks leaves Maryville with a chance to get out of the regular season with one loss for the second year in a row.

In the Spoofhounds’ way of doing so are the Fighting Irish.

Much like the Maryville defense saw against the Savages, they’ll have the task of facing another dual-threat quarterback. South Dakota State University commit Daeton McGuaghy leads the offense for Lafayette, but not with just his arm.

The athlete’s ability to get out of the pocket and use his legs to make plays will make for an interesting

UP NEXT Maryville vs Lafayette 7 p.m. Oct. 25

JON WALKER | NW MISSOURIAN

Senior running back Aiden Cullin dunks the football into Maryville football’s “juice box.” Cullin scored on a 75-yard touchdown and returned to the sideline to carry out the tradition in Maryville’s 28-14 win over Savannah Oct. 19.

matchup, Webb said.

The game plans that the defense has brought into matchups against threats among the likes of McGuaghy, Webb said, have been the main reason Maryville has been relatively successful. “(Lafayette) is always difficult to defend,” Webb said. “They’re very athletic on offense. They’ve got a Division I talent at quarter-

back, so very much a powerful offense. You look at who they’ve played, and they’ve been able to put up a lot of points.”

In the matchup against Savannah, Maryville’s defense held Savages’ quarterback Chase Spoonemore to 164 total yards. Prior to that game, the senior had accounted for more than 300 yards of offense per game for Savannah.

For junior running back and linebacker Connor Weiss, the approach to trying to minimize McGaughy’s damage is rather simple.

“We just have to have a hat on him at all times,” Weiss said.

“We’ve got to get somebody on him. On defense especially, (McGaughy) plays safety and he makes plays. So we’ve just got to make sure we get to the point of

of film on you and are going to take their best shot at you. I think it was more about us not being there mentally.”

Northwest lost by set scores of 25-20, 25-14 and 25-18. The lack of energy was present when the Bearcats were tied 19-19 in the first set, only to drop 6 of the next 7 points. The Jennies then took the momentum into the second set using a 15-4 run after being tied 3-3 to start. This marks Central Missouri’s 100th win against the Bearcats, making the all-time re-

0.375%. Northwest had trouble getting the Hornets out of their system, which allowed the Hornets to pass efficiently and take an early two-set lead.

Northwest needed to find a way to limit Emporia’s state success at siding out if the Bearcats wanted a chance to make the road trip home with a win. Woerth implemented a game plan of serving it short to create confusion for the Hornet offense. While it tallied 15 serving errors for Northwest, the ’Cats were able to cut Emporia State’s siding percentage to less than 56% throughout what would be the remaining three sets.

After dropping the first two sets, Northwest won three straight to win the match by set scores of 25-27, 19-25, 25-20, 25-17 and 15-10. This was the first time since Sept. 3, 2016, that Northwest rallied from a two-set deficit to win a match. The win improved the team’s record to 4-1 on the year when games head into a fifth set.

The game was a showing for the junior class. Outside hitter Hallie Sidney registered a double-double with 22 kills and 12 digs while middle blocker Morgan Lewis registered 15 kills and six blocks. Setter Maddy Ahrens found herself posting a double-double as well with 54 assists and 13 digs. Woerth praised the juniors for their efforts.

“They produced,” Woerth said.

“Offensively, we needed good de-

cisions when it came to choices for the offense. Morgan has been very consistent at doing what she’s good at. She was there and present, and we were able to get her established and run our offense out of that.”

“They simply did their jobs,” Woerth added.

While energy was lacking in their previous game against Central Missouri, Woerth said they found the right mindset at the right time in this game.

“I had to imply the need for focus when we were down 0-2, but I gave them the belief that they could do it,” Woerth said. “They started turning to each other and believing in themselves. When you have the right energy, regardless of where you are, you can do anything. We knew we had them in the fifth before we walked in because they were completely decimated with their body language and their thought of how they would take this away from us.”

To finish the week, the Bearcats took on then No. 4 Washburn in Topeka, Kansas, Oct. 19. Northwest was looking to upset the Ichabods but fell in five sets by scores of 2520, 30-32, 25-18, 23-25 and 15-7.

Washburn has been known to have a sound defense year after year, and this game proved to be no different. Northwest was limited to hitting .167% on the match.

Woerth complimented Washburn’s defensive ability.

attack and get to him.”

Offensively for the Spoofhounds, junior quarterback Ben Walker is looking to continue his streak of having at least one touchdown in every game to this point in the season. The junior was 8-of16 with 145 yards and a touchdown against Savannah.

The trio in the backfield has served as the main accomplice to the high-powered offense that the Spoofhounds have been able to generate week-in and week-out.

Consisting of senior Aiden Cullin and juniors Trey Houchin and Weiss, the running back committee compiled 170 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 28 attempts in their most recent showing.

“Stats are great but I really just focus on getting the win,” Walker said.

Earlier in the season, Webb explained that the team broke the regular season into three different segments of three weeks. With the stakes as high as they’ve been all year, and if they’re able to follow the recipe they’ve stuck to for the past seven weeks, the Spoofhounds will finish out the third phase hoisting not only a MEC championship, but the No. 1 seed in their district.

“The goal is to get a win, finish off the last phase and then get to those playoffs,” Weiss said. ”Then just doing what we can do from there and go get a state championship.”

MIAA play puts bumps in road for volleyball CALVIN SILVERS Missourian Reporter | @CalvinSilvers

Northwest volleyball had an action-packed schedule Oct. 15-19 as the Bearcats contended with Central Missouri, Emporia State and Washburn.

Northwest finished its fivegame home-stretch Oct. 15 against then-No. 9 ranked Central Missouri. The Bearcats faced the Jennies earlier in the season and won in a 3-1 victory. This time around, however, Central Missouri was more prepared.

The Jennies played a complete game against the ’Cats in Bearcat Arena. They were able to find an offensive rhythm by hitting an average of 0.268% the entire match.

Their serving was causing fits for the Bearcat defense as they were able to side out at or over 55% in each set, compared to Northwest, which never got over 51% the entire match.

Coach Amy Woerth credited Central Missouri for playing a competitive match but believed the Bearcats loss was due in large part to their energy.

“We just didn’t have very good energy. When you take on a top 25 team, you have to have your stuff together,” Woerth said. “We didn’t have functioning relationships or positive energy. Our players have to understand that a second time you play someone, they have a lot

12-2 Volleyball’s record in away and neutral sites

cord 100-12-1.

Northwest traveled three hours Oct. 18 to Emporia, Kansas, to take on Emporia State. Emporia State is not considered an MIAA powerhouse (1-10 MIAA, 5-14 overall) but fought with all of its might to try to secure its second conference win.

Emporia State started the first two sets with a fast-paced offensive attack. The Hornets sided out at 68% in the first set while hitting 0.188%. In the second set, they were nearly perfect, siding out at 85% and hitting

Soccer looks to complete regular season strong, readies for districts MADDISYN GERHARDT Sports Reporter | @maddigerhardt

With two games left during the regular season, Maryville boys soccer is starting to hone in on key aspects with hopes of bringing a district title back to Maryville.

The ’Hounds faced off against the Savannah Savages Oct. 21 in a game that would challenge both mental and physical aspects of the Spoofhounds. With the temperature dropping, and the wind taking the soccer ball with it, the setting for the contest provided less than ideal playing conditions.

Though both teams had to adapt to the weather, the Spoofhounds ultimately came out on top of a close and physical game.

After their win against Savannah, a district and conference foe, coach Dale Reuter and the rest of the team are now practicing with the mindset of “survive and advance.”

“We’ve got two games left in

the regular season, and then we’ve got one game in districts,” Reuter said. “Right now, we’re guaranteed three games. Beyond that, we’ve got to earn it.”

Maryville’s next matchup will be Oct. 29 against Bishop LeBlond, an MEC foe for the Spoofhounds. The season is slowly coming to a close with LeBlond standing in their way.

With this comes the fact that the ’Hounds are starting to focus on capitalizing on the gaps in their opponents game and improve certain aspects of their own.

“I think how physical everybody is is what we’re going to have to adapt to the most,” senior defender Jaxon Pettlon said. “A lot of these freshmen and newcomers aren’t ready for how everybody is going to be pushing them around, so they have to be ready for that.”

Maryville is one of the favorites to win their district title, but the No. 1 seed in the district is shaping up to

UP NEXT NW vs Missouri Southern 6 p.m. Oct. 25

MIAA STANDINGS

1. Nebraska-Kearney... (12-0) 2. Washburn................. (10-2) 3. Central Missouri....... (8-3) 4. NORTHWEST.......... (8-4) 5. Central Oklahoma.... (7-5) 6. Pittsburg State......... (6-6) 7. Missouri Western..... (5-6) 8. Missouri Southern.... (5-7) 9. Fort Hays................. (3-9) 10. Emporia State........ (1-11) 11. Newman................. (0-12)

“They’re good at understanding our patterns and what our hitters are good at,” Woerth said.

“It takes things away from our strengths. Our players need to see what are they giving us and what can I take away from them. Washburn neutralized Hallie from her production and what she did.”

Northwest was able to take the No. 4 team to five sets by trying a new serving strategy. Like the Emporia State game, Northwest attacked Washburn by serving it short. It was able to create confusion and break Washburn’s fastpaced offense up.

FULL STORY ONLINE:

NWMISSOURINEWS.COM

UP NEXT Maryville @ Lafayette 5 p.m. Oct. 24

be Chillicothe.

The Hornets will be the hardest matchup for the Spoofhounds during their district play. Even though the ’Hounds have their eyes set on that possible future game, they still have to get through the last leg of their regular season.

Reuter made it clear that no game, or team, is taken for granted. Those games, Reuter said, can help his team grow and be seen as a difficult opponent.

Reuter has stated that whether a team is considered good or not is not an indicator as to how Maryville’s mindset will be entering the game.

FULL STORY ONLINE:

NWMISSOURINEWS.COM

SYDNEY GARNER | NW MISSOURIAN

Maryville soccer sophomore midfielder Jacob Ferris trips up a Savannah defender Oct. 21 at Donaldson Westside Park in the Spoofhounds’ 2-1 win.

SPORTS

Oct. 24, 2019 @NWMSports

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FILE | NW MISSOURIAN

Northwest women’s basketball senior Kendey Eaton drives to the paint against Central Missouri Feb. 21. Eaton averaged 12.7 points per contest on 39% shooting in her junior season.

Women looking to get back on track in MIAA JON WALKER Sports Editor | @ByJonWalker

FILE | NW MISSOURIAN

Northwest basketball junior Ryan Hawkins fights for a rebound in Evansville, Indiana, against Point Loma in the NCAA DII National Championship Mar. 30. Hawkins ended his sophomore year with his second national title.

Bearcats set for title defense, Duke matchup ANDREW WEGLEY Managing Editor | @andrewwegley

The last time Northwest men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum faced a group of reporters at a Northwest Athletics media luncheon, his team was 34-0 and preparing for the NCAA Central Region Championship March 19.

McCollum did so again Oct. 22, a full seven months removed from the press conference that prefaced Northwest’s regional title and, of course, its NCAA Division II National Championship win in Evansville, Indiana, March 30.

The month is different. The group of reporters he faced is different. His roster makeup is different. His next opponent is different.

McCollum was the same.

McCollum joked about Northwest’s upcoming exhibition matchup with Division I powerhouse Duke Oct. 26. He laughed with women’s coach Austin Meyer and reporters.

He complimented one reporter on his shoe game in the middle of answering a question. And he was overly modest about his team’s capabilities.

“I don’t know (how we’ll do without Joey Witthus) because we haven’t played a game yet,” McCollum said. “I think offensively we’re a work in progress. Defensively, it stays pretty consistent in what we do, so I don’t think there’ll be much change there. But we just need to find an offensive identity, and hopefully, we’ll do that here through this preseason.”

Witthus, of course, was the senior anchor of Northwest’s offense a season ago. He averaged 21.1 points per game last year and grabbed the MIAA Player of the Year award, along with several national honors, while leading the Bearcats to a national title.

Northwest’s lineup will look different without him, though McCollum was coy on who might replace his workload. The Bearcats’ four returning starters from the championship core, a group that includes sophomore guards Trevor Hudgins and Diego Bernard, junior forward Ryan Hawkins and senior forward Ryan Welty, should all assume their places back in the starting five.

The calling card of Northwest’s offense a season ago was its ability to space the floor and the ability of all five starters to shoot the ball from beyond the arc. The Bearcats’ lineup, most times, lacked a true center, something that could change this season.

Northwest Athletics’ media notes listed senior forward Tyler Dougherty, the closest player to a true center left on Northwest’s roster, as the man set to round out the team’s starting five. McCollum, though, wouldn’t budge.

UP NEXT NW @ Duke 6 p.m. Oct. 26

“You know me, I don’t have any idea what I’m going to do in five minutes,” McCollum said.

He jokingly listed Northwest’s returning starters as players who would “probably” see playing time this season, along with Dougherty and senior guard Kirk Finley.

“Then we’ve got some — we’re not going to tell you about the other guys,” McCollum said. “Some excitement there, right?”

McCollum knows Northwest’s upcoming trip to Duke will serve more like a workout for the Blue Devils and a wakeup call for the Bearcats more than it will a real competition for either team. The objective, he said, is the Bearcats to play as well as they can for 40 minutes. It’s the one specific game this season he said he’s excited for.

The expectation is for Northwest to lose in North Carolina. The expectation for the season is much different. Internally, McCollum said, there isn’t one. But he’s aware of the immense pressure his program faces from the outside, pressure the program has felt for the last five years or so.

Northwest is 100-5 since the start of the 2016-17 season. The team has won at least 20 games in eight straight seasons. McCollum, who said he’s one of the most competitive people he knows, doesn’t revel in the pressure by any means, but it comes with the territory.

“Even before last season, when we had lost our entire team, I had people (saying), ‘Hey, we already got our reservations in Evansville,’” McCollum said. “‘What? Do we play in Evansville?’ And that was before the season even started. I’ve said it before: if you don’t like it, then don’t play at Northwest. If you don’t like expectations, if you don’t like pressure, don’t come here.”

On the heels of a championship run, McCollum is unsure if his team will show signs of complacency.

The program, from top-to-bottom, works to fight it every day, McCollum said. The team that went 38-0 a season ago is trying to get better.

The core of a national championship is returning to the hardwood still focused on the process, McCollum said. They’re determined to exceed expectations that border on ridiculous and locked in on fighting the notion of complacency.

And they’ll head to North Carolina for Homecoming weekend, where they’ll more-than-likely lose a game for the first time in 19 months.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

McCollum said. “It’s fun.”

Coming into this season, Northwest women’s basketball is a year removed from a 2018 campaign that followed the trend of recent struggles in the program.

As coach Austin Meyer settles in for his second year at the helm, he’s started to build the program to his own liking. A roster that’s made up of 17 women, including six true freshmen, was pegged to finish 10th in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. That mark is three spots ahead of where the women were tabbed prior to the 2018 season and two spots ahead of where they finished in last year’s regular season.

The placement in the poll marks the highest ranking in the preseason for the program in seven years, Meyer said.

“Our message to the team was, ‘I don’t think anybody came here to finish 10th,’” Meyer said. “I hope they didn’t. … I think we have higher expectations.”

Along with the hefty recruiting class, which makes up more than a third of the roster, the women return numerous players who logged

significant playing time last year.

The Bearcats bring back last year’s leading scorer senior guard Kendey Eaton, who averaged 12.7 points per contest. Eaton will be joined by a junior class that’s headlined by Jaelyn Haggard, Zoie Hayward and Mallory McConkey.

The struggle, of course, is trying to find playing time for 17 players during each game.

“We’ve been transparent with it, telling our team that we have 17 kids on the roster and we’re not going to play 17,” Meyer said. “I like our group of returners; they’ve set the bar really high for us going into the preseason and to where we’re at now. … I like our group right now, and I think that we can make some huge improvements this year.”

After taking the program over following the departure of former coach Buck Scheel, Meyer’s recruiting is starting to shape the program into a place that’s starting to find its feet.

“I think as a whole program we’re in a much better spot than we were last year,” Meyer said. “At the same time, there’s kids we didn’t recruit that are in our program, and those are our kids to us. A lot of those kids, our junior class, they’re

UP NEXT NW @ UMKC 6 p.m. Oct. 29

all in the mix right now as far as playing time goes. They’ve worked at it. They’ve had great summers; they’ve improved. I think overall our freshman class is a very solid class. … We’re just excited where we’re going as a whole.”

The ’Cats will get their first test in an exhibition game against the University of Missouri-Kansas City Roos Oct. 29. The game will serve as a measuring stick game that will give Meyer and the rest of his staff a chance to evaluate where the program is before the regular season starts. Excited for the matchup, the team is ready to finally play somebody other than themselves, Meyer said.

“We’ve been doing a lot of scrimmaging,” Meyer said. “Getting to see another team, asking, ‘Did we play well on offense? Did we play well on defense?’ So just getting to play another team to know if you’re executing on both ends of the ball — it’ll be fun, and we’re excited.”

SPORTS

A12

Oct. 24, 2019 @NWMSports

ANDREW WEGLEY | NW MISSOURIAN

Northwest sophomore quarterback Braden Wright (12) was responsible for two of the Bearcats’ four turnovers in their 24-17 loss to Nebraska-Kearney Oct. 19 at Cope Stadium in Kearney, Neb.

Brace for impact Football preps for Lincoln with renewed sense of urgency

ANDREW WEGLEY Managing Editor | @andrewwegley

N

orthwest football found itself down late in the fourth quarter against Nebraska-Kearney Oct. 19 with one last realistic chance at scoring.

The Bearcats started what they hoped would be a last-minute scoring drive with 3:28 left in the fourth quarter. Six plays later, the drive and game came to an effective end via a fumble from sophomore quarterback Braden Wright fumble. Northwest (61) took its first loss of the season, falling to Kearney (5-2) 24-17.

In the aftermath of the 7-point loss, coach Rich Wright said he was frustrated. Three days later, facing a group of reporters at the weekly Northwest Athletics media luncheon Oct. 22, he said he still was.

“As a head coach, it sits with you,” Rich Wright said. “I’ve had a bad taste in my mouth since that final possession at Kearney, and it won’t change until we play another opponent. There’s a sense of, I don’t know, angst, urgency. You want to teach the lessons. You want to make sure they understand just what the implications of all this are.”

After an upset loss to an up-andcoming team in the MIAA, the implications are indeed wide-ranging.

Northwest dropped from the No. 7-ranked team nationally to the No. 14 spot. The team no longer sits tied atop the conference standings with Central Missouri (7-0), its Week 11 opponent. The thought of potential slate of home-field playoff games was essentially wiped away.

Perhaps the biggest side effect of

the loss to Kearney for the Bearcats will be their next step, a step mostly unaffected by their next opponent. With Lincoln (1-6), one of the worst teams in the MIAA, headed to Maryville for Northwest’s Homecoming matchup Oct. 26, the Bearcats are focused on themselves.

“

I’ve had a bad taste in my mouth since that final possession at Kearney.”

-COACH WRIGHT

Rich Wright said he’s more occupied with addressing mistakes and correcting deficiencies than he is game-planning for the Blue Tigers. Minute errors and execution breakdowns, Rich Wright said, were the difference between a win and a loss for Northwest in Nebraska. He’s determined to fix that this week in practice. He’s not considering the long-term ramifications of Northwest’s blunder in Kearney.

The Bearcats, Rich Wright said, have got to find the good in the wake of a bad trip to Kearney.

“I can’t worry about that right now,” Rich Wright said. “What I’ve got to worry about is our football team and getting better. We just —

UP NEXT NW vs Lincoln 1:30 p.m. Oct. 26

we need to focus on today in practice. When we get done with today’s practice, our focus and attention needs to be on Wednesday’s practice.”

“When you have success,” he added, “sometimes you forget the details.”

In Kearney, the details included pass-catching, form-tackling and ball-security -- all issues that plagued the Bearcats for much of the game last weekend. Rich Wright said he didn’t think the team could have played a worse first half, though the Bearcats entered their locker room on the south side of Cope Stadium down 14-0.

Rich Wright reprimanded his own team’s execution while offering acute praise for Kearney.

Borrowing words from former NFL coach Dennis Green, Rich Wright said the Lopers are exactly who Northwest thought they were.

Northwest simply failed to execute.

“I knew it would be a physical game, I knew it would be their Super Bowl,” Rich Wright said. “You can ask anybody in our complex, you know, I tried to preach that all week because I knew that’s what we were going to get.”

Northwest, though, is used to taking every team’s best shot, a theme Rich Wright has discussed repeatedly ahead of matchups and after close games this season.

SEE FOOTBALL | A9

Coaches not to blame for ’Cats’ road loss ANDREW WEGLEY Managing Editor @andrewwegley

Northwest football got the ball back with exactly one second left on the game clock in its Oct. 19 2417 loss to Nebraska-Kearney.

The Bearcats had one last longshot opportunity to win the game.

They trailed the Lopers by 7. They needed a big play — something that eluded the Bearcats for the first 59 minutes and 59 seconds of the contest. They needed a miracle.

Instead, sophomore quarterback Braden Wright threw a pass to senior tight end Marqus Andrews, who lateraled the ball to sophomore wideout LaTroy Harper, who was tackled seconds later while searching for a teammate to toss the ball to.

The game ended. So did Northwest’s six-game win streak. So did its reign atop the MIAA. So did any talks of home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

I’m not here to sound the alarm on a season in peril.

For Northwest fans, this loss probably stings, but Christmas isn’t canceled.

SEE COLUMN | A9

Soccer treads water in postseason race ANDREW WEGLEY Managing Editor | @andrewwegley

After a vital weekend in its push for the postseason, Northwest women’s soccer finds itself in the exact situation it was a week ago: with the fate of its season hanging in the balance.

The Bearcats entered their matchup with Rogers State Oct. 18 tied with the Hillcats for the No. 8 seed in the MIAA. After 180 minutes of soccer over the weekend, the Bearcats status hasn’t changed — they remain tied with Rogers State on the edge of postseason contention, clinging to the prospect of an MIAA tournament berth.

Northwest (4-7-3, 2-3-2 MIAA) escaped the weekend without losing ground in the postseason race,

though the team failed to gain ground, either. The Bearcats rode high winds to a 3-1 win against the Hillcats (5-6-3, 2-3-2 MIAA) but failed to capitalize on similar weather conditions in their 2-1 loss to Northeastern State (5-2) Oct. 20.

The weekend, of course, has left the Bearcats treading water in the MIAA. “Yeah, there’s a logjam, isn’t there?” coach Marc Gordon said.

“I think every game is gonna matter. If we can be fortunate with the remaining top teams that we play — come out and perform and catch some breaks and continue to prepare for our opponents. And maybe sneak one by somebody that folks don’t think we should. Everybody’s battling for each other.”

N o r t h w e s t ’s p e r f o r m a n c e against Rogers State allowed the

UP NEXT NW @ Central Oklahoma 7 p.m. Oct. 25

Bearcats a brief moment of relief in the conference race. The Hillcats and Bearcats, along with Newman (2-2-3 MIAA) and Central Oklahoma (3-4 MIAA), are a collection of sub-.500 teams who are essentially battling for the final three spots in the conference tournaments.

With the win over the Hillcats, Northwest secured the head-tohead series between the two teams, though that win will only directly impact final conference standings as a second tie-breaker.

SEE SOCCER | A9

GABI BROOKS | NW MISSOURIAN

Northeastern State sophomore midfielder Sommer Franks and Northwest freshman midfielder Kaitlyn Case compete to headbutt the ball Oct. 20.