Northwest Missourian Oct. 21, 2021

MASK OFF?

Northwest employee insurance raised for next year

Staff and faculty health insurance is being raised by 12% starting this December to make up for an unpredicted increase in claims and an overall increase in healthcare cost.

Faculty Senate President Peter Adam said some of the increase was because of misprojection on how much the University budgeted for health insurance claims, and now there is a need to cover the money the University didn’t anticipate to spend.

“Within our group, there were enough claims that there was a $400,000 shortfall in terms of what was predicted,” Adam said. “So what they’ve had to do is essentially look to make up for that $400,000, and so the end result is that the insurance had to go up on the faculty side of things.”

Human Resources Generalist Brooke Hull said that rather than just making up the overall loss by raising the cost of the insurance plan, they start to look at plan design changes to negate some of those increases.

“So instead of just doing a blanket increase of 20 percent for all employees, we decided to make some changes to the plan designs,” Hull said.

S

NATHAN

ENGLISH Managing Editor | @nathan_3nglish

Masks will no longer be required for vaccinated individuals in common areas — like the J.W. Jones Student Union and B.D. Owens Library — when social distancing is possible. The altered mandate officially begins Oct. 25.

The change was decided upon in early October after frequent discussions between the Crisis Response Team 2, local health officials and the Northwest Leadership Team. Lt. Amanda Cullin, a member of CRT2, said the decision was based upon a “holistic approach,” which included University and Nodaway County COVID-19 trends such as vaccination rates, case counts and the local risk category.

IN

NEWS

The Campus Barbershop receives an official license after long delay.

eventy-three days after a full mask mandate was officially reinstated at Northwest due to a local and national rise in COVID-19 cases from the delta variant, it will change — slightly. The University announced via email Oct. 19 it would relax its existing mandate in certain aspects.Perhaps the most notable part of the new mandate is what it doesn’t change. Masks will still be required in classrooms, Horace Mann, the Wellness Center and meeting rooms where social distancing isn’t possible. Prolonged amounts of time and possible exposure in those places were the primary factors in keeping masks required there, Cullin said.

The announcement of the altered mandate came just days after the University of Missouri decided to allow its mask mandate to expire Oct. 15.

“Every town is different, every university is different and we are doing what’s best for our university in our area,” Cullin said.

MANDATE | A6

A5

OUR VIEW

Providing condom despensers is a good step, but Northwest needs to do more. The University should focus more its students’ sexual health.

IN SPORTS

The Bearcats best No. 1 Washburn, move up in rankings, and continue their long win streak.

A10 Northwest Volleyball

The University provides two different insurance plans through Blue Cross Blue Shield. There is a traditional Preferred Provider Organization base plan and then a Qualified High Deductible plan.

Hull said plan prices are based on salary bands, the range of coverage that an employee takes, and a slight difference between plans.

Director of Human Resources Krista Barcus said there will be an increase on the High Deductible plan from $3,500 to $5,000 and then an increase out-of-pocket max on the base plan from $5,000 to $6,000.

Adam said there have been mixed feelings about the increase in insurance plan costs.

“I know that, certainly, there are a lot of people that are displeased about it, but a lot are accepting of it,” Adam said.

SEE

Northwest sophomore wins $10,000 COVID-19 vaccine drawing scholarship

After being fully vaccinated for months and entering in the vaccination drawings at the beginning of the year, sophomore Kate Kilpatrick won the single $10,000 scholarship during the last drawing.

The last of the four drawings took place Oct. 1, where Northwest awarded the largest prizes of all four drawings to vaccinated students that submitted proof of their vaccine card to the Wellness Center.

Kate Kilpatrick, an environmental geology major from Warrenton, Missouri, submitted a copy of her vaccination card to Wellness Services this fall. Kilpatrick won the largest of all prizes, the $10,000 scholarship, and said she couldn’t believe the call when she picked up that afternoon.

“At first, I thought it was a scam. But they kept giving me information that proved I actually won the scholarship, and I was just so surprised,” Kilpatrick said. “Initially, I submitted my card thinking I would maybe get free parking or a coupon to the bookstore. I never thought I would win this large of a scholarship.”

Kilpatrick took the first opportunity to get her shots this summer when she was in her hometown, living in close proximity to a family member who is immunocompromised. Her father was battling cancer, and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine was a small step she took to protect him from getting sick.

“I thought I might as well get the shot to protect my family members and other people I was around. I never thought I would be rewarded this much for getting

a vaccine,” Kilpatrick said. Her parents and she were pleasantly surprised that she won this scholarship, as it would offset some of the expenses to attend school at Northwest this year.

In addition to Kilpatrick, there were multiple other winners of the Oct. 1 drawing. The drawing consisted of one $10,000 scholarship, 10 $2500 scholarships, $2000 to the Greek organization with the highest number of members vaccinated, $1500 to a large organization with the most members vaccinated and $500 to a small organization with the most members vaccinated.

Students submitted a copy of their vaccine card to the University. All of those students were then entered into the drawings, where they had the opportunity to win anything from dining dollars to scholarships.

There were 10 other students who received scholarships in the Sept. 13 drawing. Lilly Cook, Matthias Chaplin, Luundo Fataki, Peyton Kelderman, Cole Lammel, Olivia Malay, Khloe Niesen, Josie Ratliff, Kunal Vohra and Abigail Waits were all awarded $2500 scholarships.

Sigma Kappa was awarded $2000 for being the Greek organization with the most fully vaccinated members. Two other organizations were also awarded money for having the most vaccinated members.

“It’s nice that the school gave this opportunity to be rewarded for getting vaccinated. I’m glad that they are giving back to people that took it upon themselves to do so and to encourage more people to get vaccinated because it is a good thing for everyone to do,” Kilpatrick said.

RIAN CASWELL News Reporter | @rian_caswell

Barbershop obtains official license

The campus barber shop has been in the process of getting its license since it opened in February, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the licensing office fell behind on its application process.

In order to run a barbershop in Missouri, a business must get licensed through Missouri

Grant helps

While walking past a residential hall front desk, students may notice a new addition — a condom dispenser, free for anyone to use.

Northwest’s Green Dot Coordinator Ben Moran and Residential Life partnered with the Buchanan County Health Department to provide students with free condom contraceptives to allow easy access to resources for safer sex.

“They reached out and had some conversations and said, ‘Hey, could we potentially get these into the halls to get tools and knowledge into students’ hands?’ So working with Buchanan County and Res Life, we were able to get this going,” Moran said. This is not a new resource

State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. The cost of the license was a $100 application fee.

On top of the fee, the room was modified to follow rules set in place by the Missouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. Some of the rules required major modifications to the room, including adding a sink and covering all of the carpet.

Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Brittany Morgan-Roberts said that this is a needed service.

“I have been here since 2011, and I don’t have a place here to get my hair done. Not just Black women but Black men have different kinds of hair. So, a lot of people in the community don’t know how to cut ethnic hair,” Morgan-Roberts said. “We can’t force the community to take ac-

tion, so we decided to take action to provide a needed service here on campus.”

Doyle Irvin Jr. will cut hair from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every other Sunday inside of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Haircuts cost $15, and whoever wants to get a haircut must pick a time slot on the sign-up sheet found right outside of the barbershop room on the second

floor of the J.W. Jones Student Union inside the DI office.

Associate Provost of Diversity and Inclusion Justin Mallett said the barbershop has seen a lot of use by both students and the surrounding community.

“The barbershop has become useful for our underrepresented students, international students and our majority students,” Mallett said. “We have alumni who now come on campus and get their haircut, and we even have people who come from Iowa to get their haircut.”

Mallett said the barbershop also provides a convenience to students by eliminating the trip to other communities to get their haircut.

“Within the Maryville community, there were many people who would travel to St. Joe to get their haircut by the same barber, and we have eliminated the travel for them,” Mallett said.

The barbershop has recently added a braiding service. Once a student signs up for the service, they will be contacted by the Noura Salmon. Students must provide a non-refundable deposit for half of the cost of the service on the day they make the appointment. The second half must be paid on the date of their appointment.

Price for the hair styling varies depending on what an individual wants done. The hairstylist provides over a dozen different hairstyles and will work with any hair type.

“This has been a great service, and now that we have added the hair braiding, I feel like the impact is going to be even greater,” Mallett said.

brought to campus, he said, but it is being presented in a different way. Wellness Center offers certain contraceptives every day of the week, but they thought bringing them into the residential halls where students mainly are would be beneficial.

“The reality is that they’re hotspots,” Moran said. “If you live in (Hudson-Perrin Halls) and you need a condom, odds are you’re not walking to the Wellness Center to get it, and if it’s late at night, you can’t. Now, they’re there if you need them.”

Moran said within the first week of the dispensers being placed in the halls, over 1,200 condoms were distributed.

HIV Prevention Navigator for the St. Joseph Health Department LaRay Thompson is in charge of all things dealing with HIV education and preven-

tion and has been working since August to bring these dispensers to campus.

“I, personally, think this is needed on college campuses because young people are going to be sexually active,” Thompson said. “You’re learning about yourself and you’re in a diverse atmosphere, so the settings are going to be a lot different. You’re in the open, and you’re going to be more prone to doing things you’ve never done before or learning things about yourself that you never came across.”

Assistant Director of Residential Life Michael Miller said they wanted them somewhere where students could see them, and the residential assistants could help distribute them to students.

“Even if we can help just one person have a safer experience, it’s worth it to pro-

vide,” Miller said.

Though this is supporting Northwest students, the condoms are being provided by the Buchanan County Health Department through the Ending HIV Epidemic grant.

The money is aimed to be used to reduce HIV infection

to zero percent by 2025, but Thompson also wants to use it to help end the stigma around the virus.

“We wanted to give it to students, and so they have the knowledge to protect themselves because science changes every day,” Thompson said.

Steve Pollard gets his hair cut by Union barber Doyle Irvin Jr., who is now fully licensed. The barbershop is open every

on the first floor

Dickey family drives Señor Burrito

Warm light flickered across the face of Señor Burrito co-owner Eric Dickey as he took a longawaited break in a booth across from the entrance of his business. The restaurant was quiet, only filled with the low hum of music and the chatter of three customers as they ate burritos prepared by Dickey’s wife and fellow co-owner, Monica. Though the business was still in the moment, it was probably the first time Eric was able to sit since the day started at 11 a.m.

This is a normal day at Señor Burrito, and it’s been like this since the business’ establishment in 2014.

Señor Burrito’s lines are similar to those seen in popular amusement parks on a summer day: expansive. Maryville residents file out of the glass double doors with the goal of munching on homemade Colombian cuisine with a Maryville twist.

Of the food places in Maryville, five of them serve food inspired by or loosely related to Hispanic culture. However, Señor Burrito is the only one of those which finds its inspiration from the nation of Colombia. It’s completely authentic and backed each time Mrs. Dickey speaks.

The Dickey matriarch was born in Colombia and has been in the United States for 14 years. She decided to come to America after meeting Eric. When she came to America, she brought her culinary skills and turned them into her main method of financial support.

“I learned all my life and worked in restaurants,” Mónica said. “All the time, I was looking at the cookbook trying to memorize the recipes and everything. However, everything

we have here, they don’t have in Colombia, so I improvise.”

Both owners emphasized the fact that all food cooked is made in the back of the restaurant; every meat, head of lettuce, tomato slice or chopped onion.

“Everything we have is cooked here,” Eric said. “Nothing comes prepackaged or anything, we get our supplies from Restaurant Depot in Kansas City. I take pride in it. I mean, we buy quality meat, cook everything here and we have, I think, we have good food.”

One of the things Senor Burrito is most known for might not be on the menu, but it’s offered each time a customer enters the building. It isn’t a special burrito or extra dip, but the service provided by Eric and Mónica Dickey.

“I’m proud of ourselves, I’m proud to say that we work very hard,” Eric said. “You don’t see a lot of places where the owners are the ones who are doing all the work. I take pride in the fact that we’re the owners and we’re here most of the time and we work hard for our business.”

“I would like to think that they respect it and admire that,” Eric said about his dedication to their business. “I don’t know if people see that or not. I don’t know if they care or not; I’d like to think they do.”

Normally, you won’t see owners of a restaurant on the front-

lines working and providing directly for their customers. As for the Dickeys, though, it’s common practice and their favorite part of operating Señor Burrito. They know the ins and outs of the food preparation and recipes because they practice it daily. Amidst a decline in workers, both have had to fill in the hours to make sure the business can survive. Neither of them has an idea why workers have been avoiding working at one of the busiest local businesses in Maryville. Despite the workload stress the couple now bears, it alleviates a portion of the financial stress. With only his wife working beside him, Dickey has no worries finding a way to pay his employees. Another strategy the Dickeys apply to savemoney can be seen in the business’ unorthodox schedule.

McDonald’s and Taco Bell are Maryville’s premier late night meal locations. After midnight, lines wrap around both brickand-mortars, especially during the weekend. Although McDonald’s is open 24/7, its cross-street rival Taco Bell only keeps its drive-thru open until 1 a.m. For those who can’t make it in time or don’t want a Big Mac, there’s little to none to choose from. This is when Señor Burrito capitalizes.

Señor Burrito’s daytime hours are rather standard. From Monday to Thursday, the restaurant

is open from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. From Friday to Sunday, a second shift opens, one from midnight to 2 a.m. in order to account for the crowd who would unhappily order a Happy Meal.

“It wouldn’t be cost effective for me to just stay open. I don’t think we would be busy,” Eric said. “I don’t want to be paying anyone — I don’t think I would find anybody to work those shifts either. If we had more business after 7 o’clock, I might consider staying open until 8 or a little later. But, we also have a family, and we need to spend time with them.”

Family is important to the pair, and having two teenage daughters means a work-life balance is a necessity. Mónica and Eric like to do as much as they can to finish work so they can take care of them, and it’s partially reflected in Señor Burrito’s hours of operation. Although the two are constantly busy, Eric said he believes the hard work he puts in is making life better for his daughters.

“If you work hard in life, good things happen, and I think if you work hard, you can give your family a good life,” Eric said. “We do a lot of things with our daughters. The good thing about owning a business is that we can close whenever to go on vacation. We can take them places, and we do that over Thanksgiving, a few days for Christmas and then again for the summer."

Standing in front of Señor Burrito, co-owners Eric and Mónica Dickey proudly display their vibrant restaurant. The business started in 2014 to serve the small town of Maryville authentic Colombian food.

ADDALYNN BRADBURY | NW MISSOURIAN

“If you work hard in life, good things happen, and I think if you work hard, you can give your family a good life,”

-ERIC DICKEY OWNER OF SEÑOR BURRITO

Señor Burrito co-owner Mónica Dickey prepares orders for customers as they come in. When Mónica came to the U.S. from Colombia, she brought her culinary skills and turned them into her main method of financial support.

ADDALYNN BRADBURY | NW MISSOURIAN

CORBIN SMITH Reporter | @curly_corbs

There’s nothing wrong with casual sex. Yet, over time, hookup culture has become a more complex issue than just a few one night stands. This culture has negatively affected my community in numerous ways and enforces inaccurate representations of the gay community.

There’s a romantic aspect to gay relationships that society has collectively disregarded. You might be thinking, “Obviously homosexuality is sexual,” and it is, to the same extent that heterosexuality is sexual. We’ve all heard of conservative parents asking why their kids need to learn about homosexuality because “that stuff should stay in the bedroom.” Where did this discourse come from?

The gay community has been sexualized for as long as I can remember. I remember seeing queer characters on television when I was growing up, but they were only ever gay for a queer plotline. Usually the characters snuck around for secret encounters or ended up dating another same-sex character. It was good to see representation for my community, but it taught me from a young age that being gay was inherently sexual.

This discussion should reach beyond the bedroom because without adequate conversation on gay relationships outside of sexual attraction, the gay community — especially youth — has internalized this sexualization as the most important aspect of its identity. This, in turn, created a damaging hookup culture in my community.

Since there are less gay people than straight people, there is already a smaller dating pool for queer folks to choose from. It’s hard to explore your sexuality whenever there’s no one around that you’re interested in dating. Therefore, a lot of young, gay people hook up with whoever they can find.

Apps like Grindr have streamlined the process of finding eligible hookup partners, but it has created a dangerous environment. Grindr requires users to be 17 and older to use the app; however, there’s no age verification to ensure this. I downloaded the app when I was a senior in high school, and I had five 50-year-old men message me in less than an hour. Imagine if I was a 15-year-old.

It can be difficult for many gay people to develop emotional connections to others if hookups were prominent to the formation of their identity. Without the media representation for romantic same-sex relationships, there simply isn’t a blueprint for queer people to follow when they’re growing up. This issue isn’t easy to fix. It will take time for the preconceived notions surrounding homosexuality to fade and for people to fight back against the sexualization of the gay community in the media. Until then, we have to remind ourselves that we’re more than flesh and bones searching for sexual satisfaction.

OUR VIEW:

Northwest should do more for students’ sexual health

Sexual health is an important discussion for individuals of any age to have. Learning what sexually transmitted diseases and infections are, how they’re transmitted and how to prevent transmission can protect a lot of people, especially college students. However, an unnecessary stigma still surrounds sex education in schools, and Northwest shouldn’t include itself in avoiding this topic.

Recently, Northwest installed free condom dispensers in residence halls across campus. The Missourian applauds this effort, but acknowledges the need to do more. While the dispensers are a good push for safe and healthy sexual activity among students, this resource should have been available a while ago. Before the dispensers, the only place on campus to receive condoms was from a glass bowl centered in the Wellness Center’s waiting room — not the most secluded location.

The dispensers offer students the chance to protect themselves, but they don’t teach them how or why they should use them. Giving someone wood and a saw doesn’t make them a carpenter; it makes them a person with tools. Without proper education, that person could end up hurting themself or others. The same is true about giving condoms to students who don’t understand why they need them. Although it shouldn’t be, sex education is somewhat of a taboo topic, and the lack of education to practice good sexual health could be blamed

THE STROLLER:

on the state. In Missouri, schools are not required to teach sex education. In the event a school does, sex ed isn’t required to be taught by a trained instructor, and intructors must teach abstinence as the preferred method of prevention. Not to mention that the already poor curriculum focuses almost solely on heterosexual encounters, too.

Missouri’s laws on sex education allow schools to get away with lackluster sexual health resources. Northwest has tried to bring more awareness to the subject, but one small, annual event isn’t enough.

Each year, the University hosts its “Sex in the Ballroom” event to discuss the effects of diseases spread through sex, how to protect yourself and how to have difficult discussions in the bedroom. This event encourages students to take care of themselves and make sure their partners are also being safe by practicing safe sex and getting tested. Despite this urge for testing, Northwest doesn’t make it the easiest to get tested.

The event could be handled similar to the “Can I Kiss You” lecture, which is required for all freshman Northwest students to attend.

The Wellness Center provides free STD testing for Bearcats, but it costs to get the results. Offering something under the false pretense that it’s free doesn’t bode well for the service. In turn, students are risking their health, or the knowledge of unhealthiness, for the safety of their bank accounts.

Overall, Northwest’s management of sexual health services needs to be better. Saying students are cared for and protected lacks merit without providing the resources to do so.

For example, Northwest faculty and alumni created We Gotchya in order to provide sanitary products in women’s bathrooms at Northwest. The organization also donates products to the Northwest Food Pantry for students to get their monthly supply.

The organization is doing work for a just cause, but it’s existence shouldn’t be necessary. Northwest should be able to provide sanitary products for women in some capacity if it truly believes in the health of students.

Sexual education isn’t a topic to be swept under the rug, especially when it handles more than just intercourse. A comprehensive curriculum would help students make better decisions, prevent the spread of STDs and eliminate stigmas regarding reproductive anatomy, overall health, consent and so much more. The good news is we already make students take a required seminar course their first semester. What a great place to put this kind of curriculum.

Northwest took a step in the right direction with the addition of condom dispensers, but more needs to be done to encourage the safety of student’s sexual health. Regardless, students should also be willing to face their ignorance and seek out information to correct it when it comes to sexual health.

Your Bearcat is ready for soup season

As soon as the calendar turns to the 10th month, people start to get excited. The middle of fall — or if you are pretentious and insufferable, autumn — signifies the beginning of Halloween or, in other words, “spooky szn.”

The end of October allows people to pretend to be someone other than themselves — like most of us don’t do that every day anyway — and enjoy the death of trees and the eradication of our feeble hope of being in a committed relationship by Christmas. I would

argue, though, that people neglect to celebrate the beginning of a more important season — soup season.

Soup season is the only time of year when white people are happy their mothers decided to cook with a crockpot. The oftuniversal signal of “hey, this meal is about to be flavorless” during most of the year transforms into hopes of potato soup or white chicken chili every time its cylindrical beauty graces the countertop. Also, soup season allows you to use bread as a vessel for

food. There is no more perfect way to spend a chilly October evening than eating a nice, warm bread bowl full of your favorite broth-concoction before consuming the whole bowl and passing out on the couch during Sunday Night Football.

This year, we even have an official TikTok audio to celebrate the season, the phrase “good soup.” The iconic quote comes from everyone’s favorite — is that man really attractive or is he just a tall, fit and talented actor? — Adam Driver. I, at least, will be saying

“good soup” religiously when I consume any and every liquidy food for the next four months.

Instead of wasting money on an uncomfortable costume that won’t look good at whatever dingy Halloween party you go to, use the money to buy soup. Because unlike the number of likes your “spooky szn” post gets on Instagram, a nice bowl of chicken noodle soup might actually satisfy you.

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

ALEXANDRIA MESZ | NW MISSOURIAN

CRIME LOG

for the week of Oct. 21

Northwest Missouri State University Police Department

Oct. 20

There is a closed investigation for possession of marijuana in Franken Hall.

Oct. 17

There is a closed investigation for a liquor law violation in Perrin Hall.

Oct. 13 There is a closed investigation for an accident in Parking Lot 38.

Oct. 12

There is a closed investigation for an accident in Bedford, Iowa.

Maryville Police Department

Oct. 19

There is an ongoing investigation for larceny on the 700 block of East First Street.

There is an ongoing investigation for larceny on the 1600 block of South Main Street.

Oct. 18

A summons was issued to Maneesh Sake, 22, for permitting a peace disturbance on the 1100 block of North College Drive.

Oct. 17

There is an ongoing investigation for fraud on the 100 block of South Vine Street.

Oct. 16

A summons was issued to Marshall P.W. Pearcy, 24, for failure to appear in court on the 400 block of North Market Street.

A summons was issued to William R. Anderson 22, for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to maintain the right half of the roadway on South Avenue and U.S. Highway 71 Bypass.

There is an ongoing investigation for a dog bite on the 2500 block of Aurora Avenue.

A summons was issued to Kora B. Plaster, 22, for driving while intoxicated, speeding and failure to maintain financial responsibility on the 100 block of North Main Street.

A summons was issued to Joseph D. Potter, 62, for driving while intoxicated, failure to maintain the right half of the roadway, failure to use turn signal and failure to maintain financial responsibility on the 100 block of East South Avenue.

Oct. 15

There was an accident between Anna K. Phipps, 18, and Deandra D. O’Riley, 49, on the 1200 block of South Main Street.

A summons was issued to Marquel D. Pettite-Pilgram 21, for failure to appear in court.

There is an ongoing investigation for property damage on the 1400 block of East Edwards Street.

Oct. 14

A stolen vehicle was recovered on the 100 block of North Main Street.

Transfer students get new club

students like her.

Student Senate approved the Northwest Transfer Club, an organization that welcomes new transfer students to come together to find a community on campus,at the Oct. 19 Student Senate meeting.

The club will hold two to three events per month for transfer and traditional students that will allow them to meet new people and ask questions they need answered.

Club members will also attend Northwest transfer days, SOAR, to make connections with students who are considering transferring to the University and answer any questions they may have.

Northwest Transfer Club President Ali Buesing, a transfer student from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said that when she got to Northwest, she was stuck with questions that couldn’t be answered by anyone other than transfer students. She said that the club can help solve that problem for

Nate Blackford, president of Mosaic - Maryville, and Tom Patterson, administrator for the Nodaway County Health Department, echoed past sentiments and applauded Northwest for its handling of COVID-19 and mitigation efforts. Both said they supported the decision.

“I think we’re all anxious to remove some of those risk-mitigation steps when and where appropriate,” Blackford said. “So, (I’m) excited that we’re at a point where we can take those steps.”

Northwest put itself in a good position in August to be able to adjust its guidelines to current trends, and it allowed it to be successful, Patterson said.

The mitigation alterations come as COVID-19 appears to lose some of its foothold, not

“There is an overall lack of information that is available to transfer students. For example, I had no idea where to get my Bearcat card until the first day of classes until someone finally showed me.” Buesing said. “We’re hoping to consolidate information, so transfer students can get it easily and be able to provide people with answers to questions from someone your age.”

During their presentation for club approval, the executive board said that around 40% of all college students will transfer during their time in school, and this semester alone, Northwest welcomed 225 transfer students to the campus. This club strives to give these students a place where they will be able to become integrated into the campus.

“This club will help with further implementation of transfer programs in the orientation process and to help ease transfer students onto campus and to help settle them into their new environment,” Buesing said.

Vice President Cayenne Somsanith

just locally but nationally as well. Cases are down 18% in Nodaway County this week compared to last and down 12.5% in the entire U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus’s local effect entering the holiday season in 2021 sits in stark contrast to its effect in 2020. Both Northwest and the county saw significant case increases in the middle of October 2020 that carried through November, the opposite of the current downward trend for both jurisdictions.

At the time of publication, Mosaic - Maryville has one patient hospitalized with COVID-19, and there are a total of 12 COVID-19 patients in the Mosaic System, far off from the peak during the winter when Mosaic had triple-digit COVID-19 patients, Blackford said.

Trending in the opposite direction, albeit a slower rate, are vaccinations in Maryville and surrounding areas. MosaicMaryville has been administering a “steady flow” of vaccinations recently, Blackford said.

is a transfer student this year. She transferred from Longview Community College.

“I always knew that I was going to be a transfer student after I found out I was going to be paying for my own college… and a club like this would have helped me settle in a lot easier,” Somsanith said.

The Northwest Transfers Club Executive Board met through an event that was put on for transfer students at the beginning of the semester. They thought that this club would create more events and would create a welcoming environment for students that transfer to Northwest in the future.

Transfer Academic Advisor Jared Larson will serve as the club’s advisor.

“I think Northwest focuses on our freshman students and that there are some gaps with programs for transfer students,” Larson said. “This organization will do a great job at providing mentorship opportunities, guiding students, offering a network and just being an inclusive unit to help guide the transfer process at Northwest.”

The Food and Drug Administration is rumored to recommend booster shots for those as young as 40 and a mix-andmatch approach for booster shots. The mix-and-match approach would allow people who were vaccinated with Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines to receive a Pfizer booster.

All of these recommendations could come ahead of the mass vaccination clinic, which will be held at the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse Nov. 9. At the time of publication, only individuals over 65, who work in designated high-risk fields, or are immunocompromised will be eligible to receive a booster shot at the clinic. Those wishing to participate in the clinic can sign up at mymlc.com/vaccine.

Cullin, Blackford and Patterson used words like “hope” and “optimism” to describe their current feelings about COVID-19 trends, but all three remain cautious, they said.

“I hope this is a new phase, a permanent direction,” Patterson said.

FACULTY CONTINUED FROM A1

“A lot of people have started looking into options in terms of getting external health care, or potentially I’ve heard of some people thinking about changing jobs.” Adam said.

Adam said this increase is going to impact University employees who insure their families, as they will see a larger increase than people who are only insuring themselves.

“They might be paying a very significant part of their paycheck essentially towards healthcare that they didn’t have to before,” Adam said. “Most of them bowed out about a while ago just because you can just insure the individual on the plan and then go to an external Blue Cross or other health insurance.”

Adam said staff with lower salaries are going to be impacted more by this than the faculty.

“I think it’s probably a sign of the times,” he said. “COVID-19 has affected a lot of different things. The healthcare industry has been really stressed, and I don’t think anyone sort of looked into this year thinking that there wouldn’t be an increase. But I think it’s bigger than what most people thought.”

“They might be paying a very significant part of their paycheck essentially towards healthcare that they didn’t have to before,”

-PETER ADAM FACULTY SENATE PRESIDENT

Transfer students Cayenne Samsanith, Ali Buesing, Lauren Valenzuela and Jessica Henderson explain what it’s like to attend Northwest as a transfer student. There were more than 200 new students enrolled this semester transferring from a community college or university.

SILVIA ALBERTI | NW MISSOURIAN

RIAN CASWELL News Reporter | @rian_caswell

RESPONSE

CONTINUED FROM A10

Bearcats were 2-of-5 in the red zone throughout the entirety of four quarters, including another missed field goal in the third.

Facing a 2-1 deficit after the first three sets, the Bearcats went to work. They used a 10-7 lead before expanding that to 20-10 to eventually take a 25-15 set-four win.

“Down 2-1, our girls showed a lot of poise, from that standpoint to say, ‘No, we’re not gonna lose,’” Woerth said. “I mean, we came out and, basically, just wanted to outscore them and just wanted it more than them.”

That’s exactly what Northwest did, outscoring the Ichabods 40-22 throughout the final two sets en route to the program’s monumental win.

The fifth set was an anomaly, though, as Northwest hit .611 with zero errors to take the fifth set 15-7.

“You don’t see it very often, in the fifth set, a team doing what we just did,” Woerth said. “That’s a team that’s on a mission to get something done. So, collectively, I thought it was a great performance by us.”

The marque win propelled the Bearcats (16-2, 9-1 MIAA) to No. 6 in the latest AVCA Division II Top 25 — the program’s highest ranking ever — making them third behind MIAA foes now-No. 2 Washburn and No. 3 Central Missouri.

With it comes the pressure that Woerth and company have been applying to opposing programs throughout the last few years, and she knows it’s taken a lot to get to this point.

“There’s just not a night that you can take off,” Woerth said. “There isn’t an easy match that you’re going in and thinking that you’re gonna upset that team, because they have a chance to beat you. … I know sometimes records may not show it, but those teams

Sophomore quarterback

Mike Hohensee is expected to make his sixth consecutive start since Braden Wright’s injury, but should history repeat itself, Braden Wright would have the opportunity to step into a lowpressure situation at some point in the matchup.

Braden Wright was injured amid an off week after COVID-19 protocols forced MIAA foe Lincoln to cancel the Week 2 matchup. His expected timeline of recovery was six to eight weeks, with the game against Northeastern State being the earliest point of a return and the Nov. 6 matchup against Missouri Southern being the latest point of return.

The quarterback was the starter for Northwest’s Week 1 matchup against Fort Hays Sept. 2, leading the Bearcats to a 15-7 win over the Tigers behind 96 yards passing and a touchdown

can do some damage.”

The Bearcats followed their win against Washburn with a three-set sweep of MIAA foe Emporia State, but they aren’t worried about that match anymore.

They aren’t worried about anything they’ve done to this point, despite having a season for the program’s record book. They aren’t worried about what’s to come next weekend.

But Wright doesn’t want the 2021 squad to relish the past. Instead, he wants this year’s team to leave its own mark on a program that’s had plenty of them.

“Every team is different; every dynamic is different,” Wright said Tuesday afternoon. “You’re going to find out a lot about us this next week and moving forward with the remainder of our season. ….

I don’t want to be in a program that doesn’t have expectations. That’s part of the allure of being at Northwest Missouri State.”

He wants to see his team respond to the aforementioned lone blemish on the otherwise perfect season, and the No. 10 Bearcats (5-1) will have a chance to do exactly that when they make the six-hour trip for a Week 8 matchup Northeastern State Oct. 23 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

The RiverHawks (2-5) have been a bottomfeeder in the MIAA since joining the league in 2012. This year, they’re seeing more success, and the ’Cats aren’t planning on overlooking a matchup that’s traditionally expected to be a walk in the park.

Sophomore quarterback Mike Hohensee, who was used primarily as the team’s punter and redzone rushing threat before becoming the starter due to injury, hasn’t seen as many playcalls designed for his running capabilities throughout the last few weeks, but that’s not a product of anything he’s doing wrong.

“I don’t know that it’s a hesitancy; it’s got a lot of dynamics to it,” Wright said. “Yeah, we’re a man down at the quarterback position, but we also have a pretty good back in the backfield that can tote the mail, too. Again, we have to convert in those situations. We’ve gotta convert into points, and we want to minimize the 3 points that we get, but we sure as heck have to be more effective in that area as well.”

Despite starting quarterback Braden Wright being cleared by his doctors to return after undergoing emergency surgery in early September, Hohensee is expected to start for the Bearcats against Northeastern.

those two football games, but we have to convert more of those situations for our offense,” Wright said. “We’ve gotta gamble, gotta take chances, you’ve gotta break on balls, you have to be able to strip things out. Those little things add up to big things.”

Wright has preached throughout the entirety of the season how close-knit this year’s group of guys are, often mentioning that the players deeply care about each other.

That, Wright said, is something that could be utilized in a positive way, a way that’s supposed to internally motivate each person on the roster. Hohensee knows that, too.

“We could definitely be getting on each other more,” Hohensee said. “We try to always, you know, help each other out in a positive way, like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s pick it up.’ But we never really call each other out like that, and I feel like that would be beneficial.”

Woerth has her players ready on the tasks at hand, taking care of business this upcoming weekend against Pittsburg State Oct. 22 and Missouri Southern Oct. 23.

The Gorillas (11-8, 5-6 MIAA) enter the game on the heels of back-to-back 3-0 losses. The Lions (3-17, 0-10 MIAA) will face the Bearcats after hosting Missouri Western.

while completing 13 of his 25 passes (52%). During Braden Wright’s absence, Hohensee has led the Bearcats to a 4-1 record, including wins over Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma, Missouri Western and Pitt State. The lone blemish was Northwest’s 17-16 loss to Washburn Oct. 16.

Hohensee has been one of the most efficient passers in the country since making his first collegiate start in Week 3 against Central Missouri, completing 71.6% of his passes and compiling an efficiency rating of 182.2 — a figure that’s third in the country. The sophomore is 83-of-116 passing for 1,176 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions, and his most notable performance was during the Bearcats’ 47-7 win against Central Missouri Sept. 18, when he was 14-of-18 for 260 yards passing and four scores to go along with five carries for 30 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

“They’re a much-improved team,” Wright said of Northeastern. “You hear me say it all the time, and I’ll say it in retrospect of the Washburn game, you better show up every week in this league, or you’re going to get beat.”

One of the areas of emphasis during Northwest’s practices leading up to the contest will be the offense’s capabilities to finish drives with points, particularly in the first half, where they’ve been held scoreless in back-to-back weeks.

During the Bearcats’ 20-19 win against Pitt State Oct. 9, four out of their five first-half drives ended in punts — the other drive ended with an interception — and the ’Cats got no further than the Gorillas 41-yard line. They finished 1-of-1 in the red zone that game en route to the eventual comeback triumph.

Throughout the first half of the Week 7 loss to Washburn, Northwest’s offense punted on two drives, threw an interception to end another and missed a field goal on their first possession of the game. The

He’s made sure he’s prepared, too, not wanting to undermine the MIAA’s second-worst defense, which has given up an average of 42.6 points per contest.

“Just watching them, this year compared to past years, they’re way better than they were in the past,” Hohensee said. “They got a bunch of good, skilled (defensive back) guys, and their defensive line has been making plays for them. Overall, they just hustle around to the ball well, So, we need to be ready on offense.”

Wright knows the recent struggles aren’t all on the offense, though.

The fourth-best scoring defense in the country, allowing a mere 9.5 points per game, has mustered one turnover throughout the last pair of games.

Creating chaos for opposing offenses, Wright said, would help create more low-pressure opportunities for the offense.

“We talked, specifically, about taking some more chances on defense. We’ve had one turnover in two football games. Now, we’ve played very well, defensively, in

“Those guys are used to being coached all the time, success or failure, but these guys see so many more little nuances that happen than a coach does, because they’re around each other all the time,” Wright said. “You don’t learn how to lead, it’s an acquired taste. … We just have to continue to challenge those guys to get better each and every week.”

When the Bearcats hit the road for Oklahoma this weekend, they won’t try their best imitation of the “Road Dawgs.” They won’t try to be any other team aside from the 2021 edition of the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats, Wright said.

They’re hoping to etch their own names into the program’s history, because they haven’t done that just yet.

“We don’t own anything. I think, sometimes, with the recent tradition around this place, guys walk into this situation trying to protect something — you don’t have anything,” Wright said. “Instead of playing not to lose something, you’ve gotta play to win.”

“There isn’t an easy match that you’re going in and thinking that you’re gonna upset that team.”

-AMY WOERTH

NORTHWEST VOLLEYBALL COACH

Spoofhounds eye MEC title against Lafayette, LeBlond

As the 2021-22 Missouri boys soccer regular season approaches an end, the Maryville Spoofhounds continue to elevate their play.

After a tough outing in the Kansas City Showcase Oct. 7-9, the ‘Hounds (11-4-1) came home with some frustration to unleash on conference opponents Savannah (3-13) Oct. 18 and Benton (4-11) Oct. 19.

Maryville started with a 4-0 victory over Savannah, led by senior forward Jacob Ferris, who recorded a hat trick. Sophomore midfielder Kason Teale had Maryville’s other goal.

The Spoofhounds’ next match was a rematch against Benton, a team they had beaten 4-0 Oct. 5 on the road.

When the game clock struck zero, it was the Spoofhounds who came away with the victory, this time 6-0.

For the second time in as many games, Ferris recorded a hat trick, and Teale scored a goal. They weren’t the only two ’Hounds to get in on the scoring action, though, as sophomore defender Boyd Gallaher and junior forward Maven Vette each scored a goal of their own.

But these two shutout wins weren’t the games the ‘Hounds were eyeing this week. They have bigger fish to catch in the desiderated MEC title, something the program hasn’t outright won since 2006.

“It’s really nice,” Teale said following the blowout win over Benton. “We have a great defense and a great keeper, and we’ve had a lot of people out to support us later in the year. And we’ve got a big game coming up for conference on Thursday.”

That big game is against Maryville’s final conference match of the year,

which presents itself in the form of a matchup against MEC foe Lafayette (1-15), an opponent the ’Hounds beat 8-0 Sept. 27 and will face Oct. 21 in St. Joseph. “I believe it’s very important for us to win this upcoming game.” said freshmen defender Dayne Henderson, who has filled in for injured senior defender Teagan Haer. “It would mean a lot to our team and school as a whole. We’re going to practice hard and play hard, 100% effort every day.”

“It’s really important to the entire team,” Teale said. “We already know that if we lose, we are going to share conference, but to win that game and just win conference by ourselves would be really nice.”

Following two shutout wins and playing a one-win team with a chance to clinch conference, the Spoofhounds’ confidence is at an all-time

Northwest wraps up fall season with fourth at Midwest Classic

The Northwest golf team finished it’s season with a strong performance, as the Bearcats placed fourth in the Midwest Classic Oct. 18-19 at the Mules National Golf Club in Warrensburg, Missouri.

The ‘Cats placed fourth out of 18 teams after finishing the two day, 36-hole tournament with a total team score of 629 (+69), tying their second-lowest team score, which was set at the Central Region Fall Preview Sept. 7-8.

Northwest Athletic Director and golf coach Andy Peterson liked the way the ‘Cats competed on the course, but said he felt they could have given just a little more.

“Overall, we played well. I think day one was really good; day one is what we wanted,” Peterson said. “So, we felt good about that and about playing good golf, and we beat a lot of teams we hadn’t beaten this season. But I still think we left some out there.”

The first day was a great outing for the ‘Cats. They finished their first round with a team score of 309 (+29) and were placed fifth in the team standings.

Along with the team effort, the ‘Cats had two individual competitors sitting in the top 15 — seniors Anna Zech and Morgan Thiele.

Peterson said the ‘Cats jumped out to a great start in round one, but he could see the struggles starting to form before the round ended.

“We played absolutely fantastic on Monday through the

first twelve holes, and then we kind of let it slip on those last six holes on Monday and ended up shooting a 309,” Peterson said.

Although the ‘Cats struggled to lower their scores from the first day to the second, they managed to take home fourth place honors as they finished out with a round-two score of 320 (+40).

second-round score of 79 (+9) to combine for a team-best total of 154 (+14).

Peterson was more than happy with Zech’s performance and was thrilled that she was able to be the team’s anchor in this tournament.

“She is just really solid; she did what she needed to do and was great around the greens again, as always, and was able to just stay steady through both days,” Peterson said.

Sophomore Elly Speece was also able to tie for 22nd place with Thiele, as they both shot a total score of 158 (+18).

For the Midwest Classic, the ‘Cats were able to bring more than just their top five golfers, so they brought sophomores Alyssa Ginther (178) and Taylor Sedivec (173). Peterson was pleased with the way they performed.

high, but being big favorites doesn’t always guarantee victory. It’s the story of David and Goliath, meaning wins are never guaranteed, and Maryville coach Chase Tolson knows that.

“We feel good about it, especially given that we are getting healthier and our guys are playing well, but you never know,” Tolson said. “We went down to Lafayette last year, and we had a close first half with them. So it’s hard to say how things are going to go for sure. Soccer is weird.”

Volleyball falls to St. Pius X in regular-season finale, readies for Class 3 District 16 tourney

KESTON OLTMAN Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports

“Tuesday the conditions were a little tougher. The course was set up a little tougher, so scores were inflated a little bit. But we hung in there and battled and did our best,” Peterson said.

Out of all the Northwest golf competitors, Zech was able to lead the team and place tied for ninth with a firstround score of 75 (+5) and a

“They kind of flip-flopped in play,” Peterson said. “Monday, Sedivec didn’t play particularly well, and Ginther played pretty well. And Tuesday they kind of flipped their rounds a little bit, but they did string some good holes in a row. … They did some good stuff; the main thing, for me, was to get them some competitive rounds where they are keeping score.”

Although Peterson felt that they could have performed just a little bit better, he said this was the right momentum to close off the fall season.

“This gives us some momentum heading into the winter time to work, to get stronger, to get healthy and to be ready to go come spring,” Peterson said.

On an emotional night, Maryville volleyball wrapped up the regular season with a 3-0 loss to the St. Pius X Warriors Oct. 19.

The Spoofhound faithful gathered into the ‘Hound Pound for a whiteout theme to watch as five Maryville seniors took the court for the last time in front of their home crowd.

“It’s been amazing,” Maryville senior outside hitter Grace Wright said about her time playing at the ‘Hound Pound. “I really cannot describe it; this season has been wonderful.”

Technically, it wasn’t the Spoofhounds’ Senior Night, which was celebrated Oct. 14 with a sweep against Chillicothe. However, emotions still ran high, as seniors Addie Arnold, Avery Baker, Sloane McAdams, Jillian Ternus and Wright took the home court one final time. Maryville used that energy to jump out to an

early 14-11 lead on the Warriors. Maryville (10-17) fired on all cylinders throughout much of the first set, eventually grabbing a 20-15 lead.

“Everything that we had been working on the whole season just kind of fell in place,” Maryville coach Bailey Cook said. “The energy, the hitters being synced up with the setters, our serves, our defense — everything was just all coming into play.”

With the hot start, it felt as though Maryville would run away with set one. The Warriors (18-2-2) had other plans, using a 10-3 run to take set one 25-23 from Maryville.

Spoofhounds midfielder Truett Haer fights for possession of the ball during a neck-and-neck first half against Savannah. The game ended 4-0 for the Spoofhounds, with goals scored by Jacob Ferris and Kason Teale.

ROSCOE FLINT | NW MISSOURIAN

GAGE KAHLER Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports

Maryville junior Rylee Vierthaler prepares to bump the ball back to the awaiting players of St. Pius X in the Spoofhounds’ home game Oct. 19. Maryville volleyball wrapped up the regular season with a 3-0 loss to the Warriors.

TRISTAN LYNCH Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports

“This gives us some momentum heading into the winter time to work, to get stronger, to get healthy and to be ready to go come spring.”

-ANDY PETERSON NORTHWEST GOLF COACH

Soccer returns home following four-game trip

Throughout the past two weekends, Northwest soccer has traveled 1,457 miles through four different states and has been on the road almost an entire day’s worth of time.

Along the way, the team made its mark on program history.

From Oct. 8-17, the Bearcats played four games, all on the road, against Nebraska-Kearney, Fort Hays State, Rogers State and Northeastern State. The Bearcats started the fourgame road stretch with three consecutive wins before losing the final game to the RiverHawks, marking the first time in program history that a team has won three straight road games in the regular season.

Gordon said the team has started to find the right combination between showing up to perform and doing so well.

“We talked about it earlier in the season,” coach Marc Gordon said. “I think we’ve found some of it.”

Gordon said he’s proud of the team, but, at the same time, knows there’s more to come.

The Bearcats return to Maryville to play at the Bearcat Pitch Oct. 22 against MIAA foe Central Oklahoma. They’ll follow that with a matchup against Newman, another conference opponent.

Redshirt freshman defender

Ashton Dain said she’s excited for the games, especially after being away for two straight weekends.

“We’re all ready to play at home again,” Dain said.

The Bronchos are 10-3-1 and have won seven out of their last eight games. Last weekend was full of success for the Bronchos; they won both matches, including a 2-1 win over then-No. 3

Emporia State. Following the loss to Northeastern State, Gordon said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to bounce back against a good team.

“It’s going to be a fun game to be a part of,” Gordon said. “I just want to see our girls move the ball, and I know they can.”

“I’m confident that we can get our rhythm again, as we play better at home,” Dain said.

Gordon said he firmly believes any team can be beaten on any day. He said if a team can believe in the process and can execute, then there’s no reason they can’t win.

“I don’t think we’ve gone into a game afraid this year,” Gordon said.

He said the Bearcats just focus on doing their best and let the rest take care of itself.

Dain said she is a little nervous to go against the Bronchos but that those nerves won’t last long.

“Their stats against our stats show they can be beatable if we play our game and don’t panic,” Dain said.

After Central Oklahoma, the Bearcats will matchup with the Newman Jets.

The Jets sit at the bottom of the MIAA with a 1-10-1 record, but there’s more to this team than what the record suggests. Of the last seven matches, six of them have been decided by one goal, including the Jets’ first win of the season against Missouri Southern Oct. 10.

Newman is quite familiar with Northwest’s first opponent of the weekend, and the Jets tied with Central Oklahoma 2-2 Sept. 19.

Gordon said he is aware of Newman’s toughness, and he knows the team will need to

be prepared. “We’re going to have to do our work,” Gordon said. “You have to take them seriously and know they’re going to show up to play.”

Part of the reason the Bearcats are entering this weekend following a loss could be because the team was on the road as much as it was.

Gordon said he’s unsure of the main reason for the 2-1 loss, but he doesn’t think traveling was it.

“I think your mind maybe gets tired and those things, but I’m not going to say that’s what it was because, I mean, we were up,” Gordon said.

In the 55th minute of the

contest, the Bearcats scored the first goal of the game. Less than a minute later, the RiverHawks tied it up and eventually scored the game-winning goal in the 62nd minute of play.

Gordon said they just couldn’t find a rhythm after the RiverHawks’ first goal.

“We were treading in new waters,” Gordon said. “Maybe that idea of ‘Hey, we’re actually going to pull this off,’ slipped into our brains, I don’t know, that we’re going to win four on the road. We went more into a, ‘Let’s play to not lose,’ instead of, ‘Let’s keep playing to win.’”

Although the Bearcats’ road trip

The Irish’s high-flying offense is led by senior quarterback Jaron Saunders, who sat out for some of the game against Pius and the entire game the week before against Cameron.

ended with the loss, Gordon reflected on some other positives from it. “It’s a different feeling when you get off the bus carrying a loss,” Gordon said. “But I felt like there was some good growth with the team, outside of the matches, with the camaraderie and sisterhood with all of the players.”

A concrete sidewalk stretches from the Maryville football locker room to the football field. Throughout the years of the ‘Hound Pound’s existence, that sidewalk has been the source of the sound of cleats clicking off the ground.

Multiple cleats have walked on that sidewalk over time, and one of the main causes is the Maryville football team.

Before every home game, the Spoofhounds march down the sidewalk with a Spoofhound flag in one player’s hand and an American flag in another’s. At the end of the walk, amid speakers at the venue flooding everyone’s ears with music, they wave the Spoofhound flag and run onto the field.

This is a longtime tradition for Maryville, one that has continued through this year, and the Spoofhounds will have one last chance to do it in the 2021 regular season.

“We’re getting ready to close out our regular season and start focusing on postseason, so we need to polish up in all three phases,” Maryville coach Matt Webb said.

Before the postseason begins, the Spoofhounds (4-4) will have one final opponent in the regular season when they face MEC foe Lafayette Oct. 22.

Senior lineman Tye Halley said the Spoofhounds’ 42-0 win over Savannah in Week 8 will give the players a confidence boost for this game.

The Spoofhounds currently hold an 11-game win streak over the Fighting Irish and will be

fighting to increase the number to a dozen straight wins against Lafayette.

Lafayette will enter the game at 6-2 and on the heels of its second loss of the season in Week 8 against St. Pius X.

“Explosive team,” Webb said. “You know, they’re extremely talented.”

The Irish have been explosive all season, averaging roughly 35 points per game. Through eight games, Lafayette has scored over 35 points five times, including 56 points in its first loss of the season against Central in Week 5.

Halley said they’re a dominant team, but he’s not worried about it.

“If we stay focused on what’s true to us and Maryville football, I mean, who knows what will happen?” Halley said.

Regardless of his status, Webb said he’s another quarterback in the MEC who is very good at passing and running the ball.

“They run a spread attack, and they can throw the ball and light it up,” Webb said. “So, we’re going to have our hands full Friday night.”

Maryville’s defense may just be up to the challenge, though, after recording its second shutout of the season against Savannah.

Northwest goalkeeper Ashley Williams jumps to head the ball against Emporia State midfielder Aislinn Hughes during the Bearcats home game Oct. 3. The Bearcats have most recently dropped a 2-1 match to Northeastern State to end a three-game win streak Oct. 17. Northwest is now 8-5-1 on the season.

’Hounds hope to halt high-powered scoring threat in regular-season finale

’Cats aim to get on track after first loss

Rich Wright has had his fair share of memories since joining Northwest football’s staff as a defensive line coach in 2004.

During his media availability Tuesday afternoon, following the Bearcats’ first loss of the season — a 17-16 defeat courtesy of MIAA foe Washburn Oct. 16 — Wright spent time recollecting his thoughts on the program’s historic team in 2005, which won four consecutive road games to reach the National Championship.

“We went to Angelo State, beat them. We went to Topeka, Kansas, beat (Washburn). Then we went to the jungle and beat Pittsburg State. We flew to Florence, Alabama, and beat North Alabama,” Wright said. “We were a catch in the end zone away with 17 seconds left to go in the game to beat Grand Valley, who, at that time, was at the cusp.”

The fifth-year head coach remembers everything about the 2005 team, which is often referred to as the “Road Dawgs,” and that group will be inducted into Northwest’s M-Club Hall of Fame Oct. 29.

Starting QB to return for Week 8

JON WALKER Sports Editor | @ByJonWalker

After missing the last five games due to emergency surgery to repair midgut volvulus — twisting of the intestine — Northwest junior quarterback Braden Wright has been cleared by doctors and will return to action during the No. 10 Bearcats’ Week 8 matchup with Northeastern State, fifth-year coach Rich Wright said Tuesday afternoon.

“Braden Wright will be available this week,” Rich Wright said. “He was cleared by the doctors, so he’ll progress as tolerated.”

Barring any unforeseen setbacks, Rich Wright said, Braden Wright will be dressed out when the team hits the road Oct. 23 for a six-hour trek to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, to play the RiverHawks (2-5).

Northwest has won all 10 of the series’ matchups against Northeastern State by an average margin of 47.4 points, including a 79-0 win during the 2019 season.

Volleyball takes down No. 1 Washburn for defining win

Prior to Northwest volleyball’s matchup with then-No. 1 Washburn Oct. 15, setter Alyssa Rezac had recorded 18 total kills this season throughout 51 sets of action.

The senior finished with three against the Ichabods, but perhaps the most important kill of her career came in the third set, when she gave the then-No. 9 Bearcats a 4-2 lead over the top team in the country in the fifth and final set.

“It doesn’t happen often … just to go up, as a setter, and be able to get a kill right on two people who are blocking you, I think says a lot about her confidence in being able to say, ‘I’m just gonna get this kill right now. I’m gonna go do it,” North-

west volleyball coach Amy Woerth said.

“I don’t know if there’s, in my world, one particular play,” said Rezac, who elected to attribute credit to her teammates instead of stepping into the spotlight for her fifth-set heroics.

Rezac’s kill paved the way for the ’Cats to take a 15-7 win in set five, meaning they had just pulled off the biggest upset in the twelve-year Amy Woerth era, the program’s first-ever win against a top-ranked opponent. Northwest defeated Washburn 3-2, but it was never as easy as the Bearcats made it seem during the fifth set.

In fact, they were a set away from being defeated 3-1 at home.

Northwest senior running back jukes

a defender during the Bearcats’ first loss of the season, a 17-16 defeat courtesy of Washburn Oct. 16 at Yager Stadium in Topeka, Kansas.

WALKER | NW MISSOURIAN

Northwest football junior quarterback Braden Wright dresses out and throws during warmups prior to the No. 10 Bearcats’ 17-16 loss to MIAA foe Washburn Oct. 15 at Yager Stadium in Topeka, Kansas.

At the end of the Bearcats’ 3-0 game win, junior Hannah Koechl celebrates with teammates in their game against Missouri Western Oct. 12. The Northwest volleyball team has since rolled to its ninth consecutive victory with a 3-0 sweep of Emporia State Oct. 16.

ADDALYNN BRADBURY | NW MISSOURIAN

JON WALKER Sports Editor | @ByJonWalker

JON WALKER Sports Editor | @ByJonWalker