Northwest Missourian Feb. 1, 2024

CON V ERGING CA MPUS & COMMUNIT Y

NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

MARYVILLE, MISSOURI

NWMISSOURINEWS.COM

VOL. 112, NO. 18

@THEMISSOURIAN

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

SIDNEY LOWRY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Recycling Center Technician Johnathan Riley picks out different plastics while sorting recycling material. The Recycling Center takes campus recycling, but also takes community drop off.

An in-depth look at Northwest’s Recycling Center, sustainability SIDNEY LOWRY Editor-in-Chief | @sidney_lowry

E

ach year, the world accumulates more than 2 billion tons of trash. People decide each day where their plastic, glass, cardboard, paper, metal, food and more waste goes — and most of the time it is to a landfill.

Right across the street from the Wellness Center, Northwest has an alternative solution to throwing away materials from everyday life. To combat excessive waste and have an overall more eco-friendly approach, the University has a full facility and multiple efforts in place to help students learn more about recycling.

Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Tim Hill said Northwest’s sustainability and recycling efforts on campus have been around since he was a student in the 1990s.

“That’s when I started recycling, when I came to Northwest as a student,” Hill said. “I’ve been recycling ever since. Every place I’ve lived, I’ve always recycled. It all started right here at Northwest.”

Decades later, Northwest has continued to make sustainability efforts by starting and participating in new programs. Since 2011, the University has participated in the national Campus Race to Zero Waste competition. Hosted by the National Wildlife Federation, colleges across North America spend eight weeks reporting data on recycling, food waste and trash taken to landfills to advance recycling efforts.

The 2023 Race to Zero Waste resulted nationally in 29.4 million pounds of waste donated, composted and recycled; while 205 million single-use plastics were kept out of landfills. Northwest’s diversion rate — the portion of waste not sent to landfills — was 35.8% during last year’s challenge.

This year, Northwest will

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1914.

INFOGRAPHIC BY DELANIE DYKES DESIGNER

count campus usage and recycling from Jan. 28 to March 23 for the competition.

“It’s always nice to see how we stack up compared to others,” Hill said. “We always want to make sure that we are high on the list. So we’re out doing a lot of activities, a lot of outreaching during this time about recycling education.”

A part of this is a new challenge for the residence halls. Each hall will compete to see which building recycles the most during the same eight weeks as the Campus Race to Zero Waste. Each residence hall will earn points by correctly recycling materials into different bins and will earn points per pound per person. Each pound recycled per person will result in one point.

Students living in these halls have the opportunity to earn bonus points by either requesting a recycling information table to help residents learn about

recycling, or they can develop and implement a strategy to improve recycling rates and reduce waste within their hall.

Recycling on campus isn’t only quantified throughout those eight weeks in the beginning of the year, sustainability efforts are measured year-round through the University’s Recycling Center. The center, located on the northwest edge of campus on Country Club Drive (Icon Road) recycled over 800,000 pounds of material during Fiscal Year 2023.

Throughout the year, materials recycled at the facility aren’t only restricted to Northwest’s campus. The Recycling Center is also open to the community for people to drop off their recyclables throughout the week.

“Community members and our students who live off campus can actually drive through and drop off recyclables, and so they collect a lot of materials,” Hill said.

Tad Henggeler, a recycling center technician at Northwest’s Recycling Center, said having this facility is a huge resource to those in the community. In other towns, people have to pay for recycling if they want the service, which could ring up an extra hundred dollars or more on their bills each month. In Maryville, people can drop off recyclables for free.

Hill said many materials processed through the Recycling Center come from community dropoff. Throughout the year, there is no data collected seeing how many recyclables come from the city or campus, but he said the Campus Race to Zero Waste gives a snapshot of Northwest’s efforts to compare the data.

The Recycling Center collected 335,095 pounds of cardboard, 255,029 pounds of paper, 71,590 pounds of glass, 35,385 pounds of plastic and 11,079 pounds of aluminum during the last fiscal year. On top of this, there was a total of 120,789 pounds of metal recycled, which included metals from food cans to scrap metals from campus projects.

Hill said metal from when Phillips Hall and North Complex were torn down was recycled by the company doing those demolition projects.

From both buildings, 781 tons of metal was diverted, along with 25,000 tons of concrete.

SEE RECYCLING | A4

PLEASE

RECYCLE

Feb. 1, 2024 @TheMissourian

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NEWS

Step Afrika!

101 comes to campus, owner talks successes DAKOTA OSWALT Asst. News Editor | @doswalt_NWMSRN ALEXIS STARKS PHOTO EDITOR

Northwest students on the “Waffle Fries” team come together to answer a question during a game of Family Feud at the J.W. Jones Student Union Jan. 24.

Milestones show achievements in NW Black history ANNA BAILEY News Reporter | @AmBailey16

The 2022-23 and the 2023-24 school years have been full of progress towards changing inclusion and representation for Black students and staff.

From 2022 to 2023, Vice President of Culture and University Police Chief Clarence Green, served as the interim president at Northwest. Homecoming 2023 was the first year that both the king and queen are Black students and the Miss Black and Gold Pageant was reintroduced.

These events show different ways Black people are being included on campus. Green said he believes Northwest does not think of campus as showing more representation for Black people, but instead how they are being included.

“We have the diversity and now we are working on this inclusion, and we’re starting to see some results there,” Green said. “And I think what it’s going to lead to is a strong sense of belonging.”

Prior to serving as Northwest’s interim president, Green worked on campus for 28 years, having joined in 1996. As well as working on campus, Green attended Northwest to earn his bachelors degree in sociology as well as a master’s degree in higher education leadership.

Green said having already been so familiar with the community helped him while he moved into the position of president.

“I’ve been here a long time, I live here in the community, I’ve raised all my kids here, my wife works here in the community as a school teacher, so she knows everyone, you know so I think all of those things really did help me,” Green said.

During his time as president, Green was responsible for a variety of teams on campus. These included student success, behavioral intervention and inclusive excellence. He also had other responsibilities that included strategic planning and crisis management.

Being the first Black president at Northwest came to be an important role for more reasons than just his presidential responsibilities. Green said that being the first Black president showed people who come from marginalized backgrounds and more specifically, Black people that they could take on high and important positions.

“For the first time students and people had come to me to say, ‘Man this is really something special,’” Green said. “And the first time that I really knew that was true we hosted an event in the President’s Office and it was packed full of people who look just like me.

And so those folks, we just had a great conversation about how the office feels now. Like this is a place for us, and this is a role for us to aim towards.”

In October 2023 Obioma Nwuba was crowned Homecoming queen alongside Darren Ross who was named king. Both of these students being crowned made 2023 the first year at Northwest where the king and queen were both Black students.

Nwuba said that being given the opportunity to represent in this way made her excited and proud.

“It made me feel really good, it was good to know and just see that representation,” Nwuba said. “It was just such an honor, I was really, really happy to be able to represent and to make others see that it is a possibility.”

Nwuba said through the work of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and through other offices, she has seen representation changing on campus. She said that since coming to Maryville and seeing that there are so many people who look like her, it feels good to see the representation growing.

In November 2023, the Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant was brought back to campus. This pageant was open to women of color who are students on campus. Bringing this pageant back gave Black women and other women of color an opportunity to showcase themselves on campus.

President of the Black Student Union, Sherry Harper won Miss Black and Gold in the pageant.

Harper said having this pageant gave women of color an opportunity they may normally feel they don’t have.

“I would think of the same idea as like Homecoming queen and Homecoming king,” Harper said. “A lot of people of color probably don’t feel like they even have a shot like that and so having the opportunity to still, be on stage and still showcase who you are and still make a name for yourself on campus without having to be in Homecoming committee or be or be on the stage during Homecoming week, that was a really cool opportunity.”

Harper said she believes representation for Black people is changing, and people in the Black community are feeling more comfortable being in positions of high influence and high academic spaces.

As time goes on, Harper said she is looking forward to seeing more inclusiveness for not only Black students but also other minority groups. She said she believes more students of color and international students might feel more comfortable being on boards for clubs and organizations on campus.

Nwuba said Northwest feels like a place where progress can be made as long as people are willing to work for it.

“It just shows that Northwest is a very welcoming place and a very supportive place regarding your race or where you are from,” Nwuba said. “You always have an opportunity to thrive and you can always be connected to resources, people, places and things that will always help you be the best that you can be as long as you’re able to do the work that needs to be done and you are willing to show up and to stand out. I think that’s how you get this much progress.”

ALEXIS STARKS PHOTO EDITOR

Senior Darren Ross and junior Obioma Miracle Nwuba were crowned Homecoming royalty during the Oct. 19 Variety Show.

NW BLACK HISTORY MILESTONES

1963

Jan. 15, 1970 The fraternity Omega Psi Phi was founded on campus.

Joe Bell was the first Black student to graduate from Northwest.

March 5, 1976 The sorority Delta Sigma Theta was founded on campus.

March 26, 1988 The fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha was founded on campus.

Jan. 15, 2011 The fraternity Phi Beta Sigma was founded on campus.

July 1, 2022 Clarence Green started his term as the first Black interim president at Northwest.

Oct. 19, 2023 Nov. 2, 2023 The Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant was held.

Darren Ross and Obioma Nwuba were crowned as the Homecoming king and queen.

INFOGRAPHIC BY ANNA BAILEY DESIGNER

Northwest hosted the Step Afrika! 101 dance company Jan. 31. The group is on tour for Black History Month, performing at college campuses across the United States hoping to introduce people to stepping.

Step Afrika! is the world’s first professional dance company dedicated to the art of stepping, a dance style that is derived from slavery. It was founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams in order to preserve and promote stepping as a uniquely American art form practiced by African American people and students across the U.S. Step Afrika! 101 is the professional organization’s college performance counterpart, as many steps are still practiced by historically Black fraternities and sororities. Stepping is described on the Step Afrika! website as an artform where the body becomes an instrument, creating rhythms through footsteps, claps, spoken words and having high energy.

Williams initially became inspired to found Step Afrika! while he was a college student at Howard University in Washington, D.C. His membership in the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha - Beta Chapter is where he learned to step for the first time. “(I) became very excited about the art form, and wanted to learn more about the dance form and its connections to African American culture and African culture as well,” Williams said. “So 30 years later, Step Afrika! has performed in over 60 countries around the world, and in almost every state in the United States of America. We’re just glad to be on this tour of American colleges and universities.”

Williams’s historically Black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, is known for having some prominent Black figures in its ranks.

People like W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King Jr. and Lionel Richie are just a few people who have held membership with the fraternity.

Northwest is home to three historically Black Greek-life chapters; Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta sorority and Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. Isaiah Conner is the president of Phi Beta Sigma at Northwest, and he said the accomplishments of notable figures from his fraternity, like A. Phillip Randolph, Emmitt Smith and Hosea Williams have inspired him as president of his fraternity.

“It’s a great thing to see people of my color, just pushing through, reaching their goals, reaching success,” Conner said.

“It’s like a different type of vision when you see people of your color doing it, and it just inspires you and helps you move forward. The work they’re doing to provide for their community helps me push forward to help my community as well.”

Conner said members of historically Black Greek life chapters can keep the legacy of their predecessors going by continuing to be a voice for the Black community. They can do so by helping people with resources, scholarships, education and helping get registered to vote.

Conner said it’s important to learn about Black culture and the impact stepping had during slavery.

Williams said people are encouraged to watch any Step Afrika! shows to learn more about the African-American culture and history.

“It’s important for Americans of all backgrounds to connect and recognize the cultures and traditions of their fellow Americans,” Williams said. “We have such a richly diverse country.

There’s so many cultures and experiences here.”

1, 2024 NEWS Feb. @TheMissourian

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ILLUSTRATION BY JULIANNA LAWRENCE ASST. DESIGN EDITOR

Child suffers physical abuse, parents speak out HANNAH CLAYWELL News Editor | @Hannah_9504

“I just wish I could switch,” Molly Meyer said through tears. “I wish I could take the pain and the trauma for him.”

Kaysten is a 15-month-old boy, who came home from his babysitter’s house with a hand-shaped bruise on his face.

Through sobs, Kaysten’s mother, Meyer, talks about how he was physically abused by his babysitter, Erica Vandervort.

“I just wanted my little boy back so badly,” Meyer said. “There for a long time I slept with him in my bed with my hand on his chest, just to make sure that he was OK.” Kaysten’s father Jene Zarbano Jr. received a text from Vandervort Dec. 19, saying Kaysten, who was 14-months-old at the time, had gotten into a small accident and hit his face while in her care.

When Zarbano got home from work, he saw the size and shape of the bruise and called Meyer. Zarbano said he did not expect this since he has known Vandervort’s partner since he was a child.

They took Kaysten to a hospital in Atlantic, Iowa, where he lives with Zarbano. The doctor told them they had to call the police because the bruise looks like a handprint. Meyer told the Atlantic Police Department Vandervort has a camera at her daycare.

“They had found some video footage of what she was doing to Kaysten that day,” Zarbano said. “Some incidents prior to what happened that we’d never caught because there was no bruising or anything.”

Meyer said her son started at-home daycare with Vandervort in November, and the abuse might have been happening the entire time, not only to Kaysten.

Zarbano and Meyer were unaware of this because there were no worrying marks left on him.

“She could have killed him,” Meyer said. “She hit him so hard that she could have killed him.”

Kaysten is showing trauma responses to the abuse, his mother said. Meyer said, after being in the emergency room, Kaysten was sleeping a lot, not eating and smacking others. Meyer said he is getting better, but some of these symptoms are still present and he is still wary around women.

“I just can not imagine how hard you have to hit a child like that to leave that big of a mark on their face,” Meyer said.

“I just can’t imagine if I ever did any-

thing like that I would not be able to live with myself.”

Meyer said no media outlets were reporting on the incident and there was very little coverage, which prompted her and Zarbano to share their story.

Zarbano shared a Facebook post with information and pictures of what happened to Kaysten Jan. 20. As of Jan. 30 the post has over 21,000 shares and 4,500 comments.

“Stick together as parents and do what you need to do, (so) this never happens again,” a Facebook commenter said.

“No child should ever be put through

“ “She hit him so hard that she could have killed him.”

MOLLY MEYER KAYSTEN'S MOTHER

something like this. I hope you guys find the justice you all deserve,” another Facebook commenter said.

As of now, Zarbano and Meyer are waiting for the legal proceedings to continue and whether Vandervort is being found guilty. “(I’m) trying to look at the positive in this situation, maybe there was something else that happened and why he had the big bruise around him,” Zarbano said. “There’s a lot of questions.”

Kaysten had been staying with Meyer in Maryville for a while after all of this happened. Meyer said they have had a meeting with a state attorney as the legal actions have been taking place.

“I just feel so bad that I wasn’t there, and that I didn’t notice any of the signs until afterwards,” Meyer said.

Vandervort is being charged with two counts of child endangerment causing bodily injury which is a Class D felony, according to a press release from the Atlantic Police Department. She has been pleading not guilty. Zarbano said the Atlantic Police Department is working on the case and has been helping them throughout the process.

“I just want to get this story out there so people know to be more cautious and sometimes you just never know,” Meyer said through tears. “Just be careful and watch out for your babies.”

“I believe that her (Meyer) and I will go to the trials to see what’s going on and to make sure that something is going to be done,” Zarbano said. “Other than that just kind of wait and play it out and see if the law is going to take it into their hands.”

The Northwest Missourian reached out to Erica Vandervort and received no response.

Feb. 1, 2024 @TheMissourian

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CRIME LOG RECYCLING A1 for the week of Feb. 1 Northwest Missouri State University Police Department

Jan. 26 There is a closed investigation for Keely N. Coen, 18, for possession of altered driving licenses in Hudson and Perrin Hall.

Jan. 24 There is a closed investigation for Andrew J. White, 18, for possession of altered driving licenses in Parking Lot 10.

Jan. 23 There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Hudson Hall.

Jan. 22 There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Dieterich Hall.

Maryville Department of Public Safety

Jan. 27 There is an ongoing investigation for a hit and run accident on the 1600 block of South Main Street.

Jan. 26 There is an ongoing investigation for domestic assault on the 400 block of West Fifth Street.

Jan. 25 There is an ongoing investigation for someone leaving the scene of an accident on the 200 block of East Cooper Street.

Jan. 23 There is an ongoing investigation for a burglary on the 1700 block of North College Drive.

Jan. 22 There was an accident between Marissa L. Anderson, 53, and Joel R. Harbin on the 1200 block of North Main Street.

Jan. 20 There was an accident between Adeline J. Johnson, 37, and Michael D. Gibson, 19, on West First Street and South Munn Street. Gibson was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

Jan. 18 There was an accident between Tejeswara Pathuri, 24, and Will Bushman, 19, on East Third Street and North Dewey Street. Pathuri was charged with careless and imprudent driving and failure to register a motor vehicle.

There was an accident between Brooklyn J. Williams, 25, and Mark F. Wiederholt, 71, on U.S. Highway 71 and U.S. Business Highway 71.

Jan. 17 There was an accident between Larry M. Harbin, 77, and Caitlyn M. Chandler, 24, on North Buchanan Street and West Eleventh Street.

There is an ongoing investigation for a recovered stolen motor vehicle on the 1500 block of North Main Street.

There was an accident between Preston G. Adwell, 18, and Josephine M. Morgan, 18, on South Buchanan Street and West Edwards Street.

Jan. 14 There is an ongoing investigation for a burglary on the 1600 block of South Main Street.

Jan. 13 There was an accident between Seth A. Crabs, 38, and David M. Chesnut, 57, on the 1500 block of North Main Street.

A cell phone was recovered on the 600 block of West Seventh Street.

Jan. 12 There was a summons issued to Shamar D. Riley, 22, for driving while suspended, careless and imprudent driving and failure to comply on the 700 block of South Main Street.

Jan. 9 There was an accident between Kori T. Hoffman, 43, and Elijah M. Fox, 21, on West Edwards Street and South Buchanan Street.

CONTINUED FROM

“It’s probably various kinds of metals that the demolition people have sorted to help recycle,” Hill said. “Concrete probably gets used for fill, it might be crushed into gravel.”

One of the common misconceptions is that all plastic is recyclable through the Recycling Center, Hill said. Of the seven different types of plastic, Northwest’s center is only able to recycle type one and type two.

Type one is polyethylene terephthalate, which is commonly found in water bottles, soft drink bottles and condiment bottles. Type two is polyethylene (high density), commonly used in milk and juice bottles, detergent bottles and shampoo bottles.

On the bottom or sides of containers, there are labels of which type of plastic the product contains. If the number inside of the plastic identification code doesn’t have a one or two, then that material finds its way to the trash.

Outside of plastic materials three through seven, there are only a few more materials the Northwest Recycling Center doesn’t accept: containers that do or have once contained hazardous or toxic material, community electronics, and paper or cardboard that is wet, greasy or dirty. So, the commonly recycled pizza boxes or greasy Chick-fil-A bags won’t be made new but are rather sent to the landfill.

When visiting different organizations, Hill brings examples of types of plastics to see what people think can and can’t be recycled. One of these is a clear, plastic Starbucks cup.

Many of these find their way into the recycling bins but can’t be broken down because they are made out of polypropylene, the fifth type of plastic. In this same category are food containers, like the ones that commonly store yogurt or deli meat.

“I think the most eye-opening part of those presentations is when we get to those items that seem like maybe they ought to be recyclable,” Hill said. “The plastic cups, the paper cups which aren’t completely paper, some of those items that we see on campus every day, that truly we aren’t able to recycle here at Northwest and need to be going into the trash.”

In most cases, Hill said, a lot of missorted recycling comes from not knowing the difference between what can be recycled and what can’t.

“I think it’s people who are trying to do the right thing or

NEWS

7 DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLASTIC

PET

PE-HD

PVC

PE-LD Polyethylene (low density)

Polypropylene

Polystyrene (Styrofoam)

Bisphenol A and others

Commonly used in water bottles, soft drink bottles and condiment bottles.

Commonly used in milk jugs, juice bottles, detergent continaers and shampoo bottles.

Commonly used in plumbing pipes, clear food packaging, shrink wrap and plastic toys.

Commonly used in bread bags, newspaper bags, garbage bags and produce bags.

Commonly used in yogurt containers, deli food containers and furniture.

Commonly used in plates, cups, takeout containers and packing peanuts.

Any plastic item not made from the other six plastics.

Polyethylene tereohthalate

Polyethylene (high density)

Polyvinyl chloride

PP

PS

O

INFOGRAPHIC BY SIDNEY LOWRY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CAMPUS RACE TO ZERO WASTE RESULTS 2021-23

INFOGRAPHIC BY REESE SERVI MISSOURIAN DESIGNER

hope that they’re doing the right thing, and put any kind of plastic in the bin because it’s either that they get recycled or they hope it can be recycled,” Hill said. “And so in a lot of cases, I think it’s just people trying to do the right thing, but it can be confusing for sure.”

Inside the Recycling Center, there are different areas of the building that house certain materials. Right inside of the open door, there are bins for mixed paper, cardboard, cans, bottles and different types of plastic. Within the rest of the building, paper, cardboard and more materials are all separated into different areas, then are all broken down and pressed into bales to be collected.

The Recycling Center is a large part of Northwest’s sustainability efforts, but other endeavors can be seen when walking from building to building.

Three buildings — the B.D. Owens Library, Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation and the Jon T. Rickman Electronic Campus Support Center — all utilize solar-powered energy.

At the end of 2023, these

three buildings had generated 236 megawatt hours of electricity, which saved around $15,000 in energy costs.

Smaller changes to work toward sustainability can be seen across campus in many different buildings and even in parking lots.

hand dryers were rolled out, it would be long enough to stretch from Maryville to Minneapolis, Minnesota. With the water fill stations across campus, more than 2.3 million plastic bottles were saved from when the fillers were installed to the end of 2023.

828,967

pounds of material was recycled through Northwest’s Recycling Center during 2023.

These small changes include replacing paper towels with hand dryers in bathrooms, implementing water bottle refill stations, installing and designating spaces for electric vehicle charging and using LED lightbulbs.

From 2018 to 2023, Hill said if the amount of paper towels that were saved by the

Hill said over the next couple of years, his goal is to educate more students about how to recycle and the resources they have around them. Many of them haven’t had the opportunity to regularly recycle before.

“One of my goals is to really increase the visibility of recycling education on campus because recycling isn’t always easy,” Hill said.

Organizations receive travel funds RAIEA SALERNO News Reporter | @RaieaS

Five organizations appeared before Student Senate to ask for funding for school trips Jan. 30.

One organization, The Navigators, caused confusion over their funding proposal.

The group asked for $1,500 for the trip. They originally stated they fundraised $3,700 but later said they raised $1,469. It will be discussed next week after confusion with their funding plans not coordinating with what they have raised.

There was a new proposal to change the suggested funding of $1,500 to $1,000 after the actual raised funds were corrected by the group. However, senators agreed the funding needed and the money raised caused uncertainty, as the funding written and said did not match. They decided to table a decision for next week’s meeting.

The other four groups, Tau Kappa Epsilon - Delta Nu Chapter, Phi Sigma Kappa - Epsilon Nu Chapter, Omega Psi Phi - Iota Theta Chapter and the Wildlife Club were accepted for funding.

Two representatives from Phi Sigma Kappa are hosting a trip for academy skills like risk management, suicide prevention and information regarding equity and inclusion. The trip would require $675 per person, and the organization is asking for $1,500. After the presentation, Freshman Class Representative Anna Tucker agreed with the trip and its premise.

“I think that this seems like a great opportunity for these two exact members to learn a lot of lead-

ONKARABETSE KOIKANYANG PHOTOGRAPHER

Freshman PAL representative Daniel Sherchan comments on a discussion presented

by Senior Class Senator Darren Ross from the CSIS professor Dr. Fella Jan. 30.

ership skills,” Tucker said. “Everybody can really enhance all the learnings that they get from this.”

Everyone unanimously approved to give Phi Sigma Kappa the requested $1,500.

Tau Kappa Epsilon will be going to a Regional Leadership Conference held in Chicago.

RLC is a weekend-long conference that engages the attendees in leadership and topics from recruitment to finances. Tau Kappa Epsilon requested $1,500 for the trip, which it estimates will

total around $3,284. So far, the group has raised around $2,100.

After discussion, Senate agreed to appropriate the $1,200.

Omega Psi Phi hopes to recruit more members of their fraternity as they only have three members.

The fraternity hopes to learn from its trip experience, give back to its community and learn more ways of improving campus life.

The fraternity’s total for the trip would be $735 and they asked for $800. The money was allotted to the organization.

Fifteen members of the Wildlife Club originally hoped to attend a conference to present their scientific research, but the members did not have time to finish for the event. However, there will be workshops, research presentations and they will speak with the Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society about what they do on campus.

The group originally planned to stay in two hotel rooms with around seven students per room. They requested $1,385 originally. The cost of a hotel room is around $121, and the club wanted to pay for a third but could not due to funding.

Senate President Elizabeth Motazedi discussed the club’s decision to request a low amount of money. She said they asked for a lower amount than they really needed, and they showed the character of the club.

“They requested for what they needed, but they didn’t want to request too much,” Motazedi said. “The hotel rooms are big, but seven to eight people is a lot.”

Senators discussed hotel safety, keycard security and possible fire security with the amount of students in one hotel room. They decided to pay for another room, allowing the club to have $1,626 instead.

Other Student Senate Business: • Senate welcomes Freshman Class Representative Daniel Sherchan as the new Panhellenic representative, replacing senior Manasa Taddi, who will be an associate member and is graduating this spring.

1, 2024 OPINION Feb. @TheMissourian

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Speaking Spanish doesn’t determine my heritage HANNAH CLAYWELL Columnist @Hannah_9504

I am Hispanic and I don’t speak Spanish fluently. I was never taught Spanish outside the walls of my high school.

Not being able to speak Spanish is something I am always conscious about and have been since I was a child.

I remember starting first grade and being put into a speech class because my school assumed I spoke Spanish as my first language. I was embarrassed being the only Hispanic child that couldn’t speak Spanish in my class.

I remember going to my Spanish speaking friends’ houses and feeling stupid because I couldn’t understand what they were saying.

My complexion is also pretty light, which made me wish I knew Spanish even more. It felt like another layer that made me not the right type of Hispanic.

People don’t think about the stigma that comes with not being able to speak Spanish as someone who is Hispanic, 21% of Latino adults say it’s necessary to speak Spanish to be considered Hispanic, according to Pew Research Center.

It is so hard to feel like I don’t belong in my own culture – to feel like I’m not Mexican enough.

You never know someone’s circumstances or why they might not speak the language that corresponds with their culture. My great grandparents were afraid to come to America and speak Spanish, so they never taught any of their children. They didn’t want our family to be targeted or discriminated against, so they didn’t allow anyone to learn Spanish.

Decades ago, they made a choice I had no say in and now I am living with it. Now I have to explain that I am Mexican, but I don’t speak Spanish. I don’t blame them for that choice, because they kept our family safe, but I still wish I had the chance to learn Spanish through my family.

I am learning Spanish because it’s important to me, but no one is required to learn a language to be a part of their culture. Not being able to speak Spanish doesn’t make me any less Hispanic than someone who can. If I decided to never learn Spanish, that is my choice to make.

I know I am not alone in being Hispanic without speaking Spanish. Around 24% of Latino adults in America don’t speak a lot of Spanish, according to Pew Research Center. Even though this doesn’t seem like a lot, we still deserve to be respected and represented.

I will not let someone decide how Hispanic I am based on something I had no control over.

No one should be able to tell someone that they’re not enough of their ethnicity or culture.

I always wondered how I was able to claim to be Hispanic without being able to communicate in Spanish. I will no longer be embarrassed by not being able to speak Spanish. I am Hispanic and not being able to speak Spanish doesn’t change that.

HAILEY JOHNSON-NEESER CARTOONIST

Everyone needs to take part in sustainability, recycling OUR VIEW:

The United States is the top trashproducing country in the world, generating about 40% of the world’s waste. With limited space for disposal, people need to consider recycling in their daily lives.

Waste could be drastically reduced by simply changing the way it’s disposed of. Initiatives like recycling applicable materials, composting food scraps and buying recycled materials are only a few ways to start this process.

Efforts need to be made by individuals, universities and major corporations to reduce waste in all forms. For many, including Northwest, this starts with a zero waste campaign.

Since 2011, Northwest has participated in the Campus Race to Zero Waste competition, helping to combat pollution and promote recycling.

Because of this, the campus diverts over 100,000 pounds of waste from landfills every year.

While Northwest does a great job of recycling, it does not end here. Students, faculty and employees of Northwest need to acknowledge, participate and expand in the efforts being made.

Campus should pay attention to the upkeep of existing bins. Maintaining existing bins on campus is crucial. Overflowing bins can discourage recycling efforts. Some may

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“I recycle where I can and avoid the excess use of disposable items.”

“I turn my lights out if I’m not in a room or space.”

“With living off campus I make sure to turn the water off while doing things like brushing my teeth or washing dishes while I am not using it.”

Your Bearcat hates Punxsutawney Phil I don’t know how to explain it, but I’ve had a problem since I was 5 years old with the groundhog who somehow decides whether spring is on its way, Punxsutawney Phil.

Every year when the time comes for that stupid little groundhog to come out of its burrow, I can’t help but roll my eyes. They have a little party at like 6 a.m. to celebrate him coming out of a hole and then ultimately deciding that winter NEWS STAFF Nathan VanDruff Raiea Salerno Anna Bailey Delanie Dykes Allison Duarte Onkarabetse Koikanyang Hailey Johnson-Neeser Noah Crowe

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change and global warming can sound intimidating and scary, but they don’t have to be. Simply put, making an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions just means being conscious of the Earth.

Consider reducing your carbon footprint by eating locally, buying second hand items and reducing waste at the source. Everyone needs to recognize that even though recycling will help, it is not a quick fix.

Going green and living a sustainable lifestyle doesn’t have to upend or restructure someone’s life. It could be as simple as reducing food waste in your home, having a meatless Monday to reduce the amount of red meat consumed or being aware of the amount of technology waste produced. All of these things can majorly reduce global warming — the ultimate goal of recycling.

If everyone took steps to reduce their carbon footprint, it would be possible to reverse the damage done by climate change, even if it takes a few decades to see an impact.

Every person on Earth has a responsibility to care for the planet. All of us must do our part, or else it could be detrimental to our future. Whether it’s recycling glass bottles or being the person to find alternative energy sources, everyone has a role to fill.

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EDITORIAL BOARD Sidney Lowry Wesley Miller Hannah Claywell Dakota Oswalt Savannah Athy-Sedbrook Julianna Lawrence Alexis Starks Aaron Hare Brianna Bowman

not even go through the effort to recycle if they can’t find a bin or it’s overflowing when they get there.

More education on what can and can’t be recycled is also important in contributing to sustainability efforts.

Many people don’t even know there are seven different types of plastic, and that only the first two types are recyclable at Northwest. The common clear cups at Starbucks, food containers, grocery bags, bubble wrap, plastic wrap and more aren’t able to be broken down at the recycling plant.

Sometimes there’s so much trash and non recyclable items mixed in the recycling bins that all of the waste — whether it can be recycled or not — has to be thrown away. People need to know more about this so they can properly dispose of waste.

Recycling is a huge industry, creating more jobs than the trash industry and bringing in $117 billion in economic activity every year. Not only is recycling beneficial to the planet and the people living on it, it creates more economic opportunity than its counterpart.

Taking care of our Earth may start at recycling, but that is not all it takes to go green.

People should live a lifestyle that is eco-friendly. The words climate

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will continue. Someone teach this overgrown squirrel about global warming.

When it comes to weather predictions, half the time meteorologists don’t even get it right… Do you mean to tell me a deformed beaver can? I absolutely will not be convinced of this. I won’t believe it, and I won’t condone it.

I Googled it the other day, and groundhogs only live a couple of years. You’re telling me

that they find a new groundhog every three years that can predict the future simply by seeing its shadow or not? And they just name him Phil each time? I can’t stand by it.

When you look at the Groundhog Day Wikipedia page, it even says there is no scientific data to back up that if the rodent sees its shadow then winter is still upon us. Capitalism has got to be behind this.

Also, if he doesn’t see his

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shadow, that means spring is “just around the corner.” What does that even mean? If this groundhog has the power to determine the weather, then tell me when. It’s a hoax.

All I know is that Groundhog Day Feb. 2 is not a day I have celebrated, nor will I ever celebrate. Whatever trick is being played, I’m not falling for it.

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

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Feb. 1, 2024 @NWMSports

A6

Northwest to host three-day Bearcat Invite with focus on preparation ANDREW CLARK Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports

AARON HARE ASST. PHOTO EDITOR

Northwest women’s track and field freshman distance Shelby Harris competes in the women’s 5000 meter at the Coach Richard Alsup Open Jan. 20.

Northwest’s track and field teams sent 11 athletes to compete in the Wendy’s/Pittsburg State Invitational Jan. 27. The meet had a few Bearcats earn provisionally qualifying times again, including juniors Ally Hammond, Luisarys Toledo and Chloe Saenz.

Hammond ran two provisional times at the Coach Richard Alsup Open in the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash. At Pittsburg State, Hammond, again, earned the distinction in both events, with a 8.62 time in the hurdles and a finish of 7.65 in the dash.

Toledo and Saenz both ran provisional times in the 400-meter dash. Toledo took first place with a time of 53.95, while Saenz came in third with a mark of 55.70.

The Bearcats will turn their attention to their third home meet — the Bearcat Invite Feb. 1-3 in the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse. Both the men’s and women’s teams will enter the week within the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association Division II top 25 index. The women come in ranked at No. 9, and the men place at No. 21.

Coach Brandon Masters said the teams are looking prepared to run some times that will stand out nationally. Masters said one of the advantages

REVENGE

UP NEXT Bearcat Invite Feb. 1-3 Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse

for the Bearcats is being at home for the weekend.

“It is an important meet for us — the training always kind of lightens up this week and we tend to have great results,” Masters said. “It is better to try and get national marks at home, which is one of the fastest tracks in the country. The kids are comfortable, and they get to sleep in their own bed.”

Saenz, the Kansas City, Missouri, native, said she is excited for a chance to compete at home.

Her goal is to try and create season-best times and not worry about setting an all-time personal best.

Saenz’s preparations off the track is something Masters has been trying to get her to work on for a few years, and the sixth-year coach even laughed when the question was proposed to Saenz about her eating habits. Masters said they have been battling the issue for years, but Saenz is working to improve.

“I have been preparing since yesterday (Jan. 29),” Saenz said. “I am trying to work on eating fuller meals, like pasta and carb load to get ready for the weekend and drinking plenty of water.”

The Bearcat Invite will start at 1 p.m. Jan. 1 with the pentathlon events followed shortly by the heptathlon events at 1:30 p.m. The heptathlon events will continue into the next morning and finish that day. All the field and running events will begin at 11 a.m. Jan. 3 and Jan 4.

Masters said his optimism is high due to what he has seen from both teams at practice. He said the squads are ready to go and cannot wait for the Bearcat Invite.

“I believe we are going to have some big marks and because I see it in practice, they are ready to get it done,” Masters said. “I hope we do. It takes some pressure off of us when we run and not have to chase marks.”

REMATCHES

CONTINUED FROM A8

CONTINUED FROM A8 A chance for revenge and a chance to keep their placement atop the MIAA standings — all at stake when the Tigers come to visit. But, it doesn’t stop there. The Saturday matinee will also be a showdown between the best defenses in the nation.

Northwest is second in Division II, allowing 59.5 points per game, while Hays is first, giving up 58.4. Senior forward Wes Dreamer said he expects practice to be focused on the details.

“We’re getting to the point where we find out who we really are — practice is where it starts,” Dreamer said. “Things are starting to get on the line here towards the end of the season, so it’s where we need to buckle down and just keep fighting.”

Before their contest with Hays, though, the Bearcats will host Nebraska-Kearney (5-13, 2-11 MIAA) at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 1 in Bearcat Arena.

SPORTS

Northwest’s first contest with the Lopers went much better than its first with the Tigers, defeating Kearney by 30 points Dec. 9.

The Lopers are last in the MIAA in terms of record and points allowed per contest (83.9). McCollum and Dreamer said they think the Bearcats will be ready for Kearney, despite a big matchup coming up afterward.

“I mean, we don’t wanna look past Kearney, that’s for sure — they’re a good team as well,” Dreamer said. “So, we’ll just take it how we usually do. Nothing’s changed, it’s just a couple more games that we gotta win.”

“It’s kind of just staying present,” McCollum said. “We’ve always done a pretty good job of maintaining that and staying focused. I think you just need to continue that process.”

Hays’ (16-3, 10-3 MIAA) defense is led by junior forward Olivia Hollenbeck, who averages 1.5 blocks per game and junior guard Katie Wagner, averaging 2.3 steals per contest.

The Bearcats are fourth in the MIAA in standings behind Western, Hays, and Southern. With two wins against the Lopers and Tigers, Northwest will become third and gain better seeding for the MIAA Tournament.

Coach Austin Meyer and the rest of Northwest will look to get their revenge from last season as Kearney (14-5, 8-5 MIAA) eliminated the Bearcats from last year’s conference tournament.

“It would be huge for us,” Meyer said. “Obviously, it’s our next game, and it is a team that’s up there in the standings and the league. It’s a team that has been one of the better teams in this league over the last decade. So, definitely doesn’t get any easier for us — it’s a huge game, and they have a lot of size. … It’s gonna be another big challenge but I think our kids will be ready for it.”

When Hays and Northwest played the first time this season, the Tigers came out on top, 62-48, Dec. 9. This time will be different, as it’ll be at the Bearcats’ home instead of Hays’. Atwood said she knows she will need to execute in order for her team to come away with a win.

“I mean, if i’m scoring, then I’m gonna keep looking to score,” Atwood said. “If I’m not, then I am just going to focus on defense and how I can make that impact while I’m on the floor and finding my teammates. So, I think just having that mindset of playing to my strengths the whole time can help me.”

SEASON

CONTINUED FROM A8 The scramble proves to be a tough matchup for the Spoofhounds to close out their regular season.

“There’s the James Booher in Albany, Missouri, that’s looking like it’s gonna be a little tougher than it has been in previous years.” Nickerson said “I’ve been preaching to the boys that we want these tournaments to be harder than districts. We don’t want to get there and be shellshocked. We want to know what tough wrestlers are. We want to know our limit, and we want to break that limit.”

Nickerson’s goal this season is to bring more than one or two competitors to the state competition. Last year, the Spoofhounds only qualified their 285-pound wrestler Kort Watkins for the state tournament.

“

We want to know what tough wrestlers are. We want to know our limit, and we want to break that limit.”

TYLER NICKERSON WRESTLING COACH

“I don’t want the program to stagnate,” Nickerson said. “I’m preaching to the boys, ‘We have to get better.’ Our district, it’s a gauntlet ... but if they’re able to make it through districts they have a good shot and end up on the podium.”

1, 2024 SPORTS Feb. @NWMSports

A7

Spoofhound boys prepare for intensity WESLEY MILLER Managing Editor | @wesleymiller360

On a Tuesday night in Martindale Hall, a Maryville boys basketball practice nears its end. With the underclassmen in white and the upperclassmen in green, two teams look to end a drill by being the first to make a halfcourt shot.

Shot after shot, the ball missed its mark, until freshman forward Jackson Wilmes sent seemingly the entire gym into pandemonium. The players cheered, high-fived and flexed to their counterparts in green.

Coach Matt Stoecklein said one of his goals for practice was to increase pressure on his older players. As the green team ran up and down the floor for losing the drill and smiles covered the faces of the white team, that mission seemed to be well on its way to being accomplished.

“We gotta handle the crowd,” Stoecklein said. “We gotta take that pressure and that environment and be ready to take care of business.”

Through its first 12 games, Maryville (11-5) was seemingly the definition of red hot. The Spoofhounds started 10-2 — the earliest the program earned 10 wins in a single season since the 2017-18 campaign.

1-3

is the road record for Maryville boys basketball.

Now, the team is looking to break itself out of a rough patch of the season.

Maryville lost three of its last four games — including its first loss at home and to a team in Missouri against Smithville Jan. 23. Senior guard Delton Davis said the team’s first back-to-back losses of the season against the Warriors and Bedford (Iowa) Jan. 27 have been a bit of wake-up call.

“Sometimes, with success, you can let it get to your head and that humility kind of fades away,” Davis said. “So, I think the biggest thing is just physicality and effort because, I mean, now it’s like we

ALLISON DUARTE PHOTOGRAPHER

Maryville boys basketball senior guard Delton Davis stays low while guarding Smithville senior Jake Shaffer at the Spoofhounds’ 84-60 loss Jan. 23. The game’s result marks the third-consecutive loss to the Warriors for the Spoofhounds.

go into this, we have something to prove.

You know, it’s like, ‘Two in a row, we gotta bounce back.”

The Spoofhounds’ next opportunity to break their skid is in a Midland Empire Conference showdown against St. Pius X at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Against Pius, recent history has been on Maryville’s side. The Spoofhounds have defeated the Warriors in five of the last six meetings, including a 16-point triumph a season ago. However, where Maryville has not been favored is on the road — where the Spoofhounds are 1-3.

“Some of our road losses have been to pretty darn good teams and teams we aren’t as familiar with,” Stoecklein said.

“With this Pius game, we know them, and we’re very familiar with them. And, really — Pius is a conference opponent — (the players) really wanna beat Pius.

So, I know they’re gonna be focused, and they’re gonna be ready.”

The Spoofhounds’ (11-5) most-recent loss came in heartbreaker fashion. In its third of four games against Iowa foes, Maryville lost 57-55 off a buzzer beater

by Bedford. Davis led the ’Hounds with 15 points and said the intensity needs to be better, which led to the focus on pressure in practice.

“We weren’t hitting shots, but they were hitting everything,” Davis said. “So, we just let it get to us, and we just can’t do that go-

UP NEXT MHS vs. St. Pius X 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 Kansas City, Missouri MHS vs. Cameron 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 Maryville High School

ing forward, especially if you want to make a run in the playoffs. And, I think you can tell by just even today’s (Jan. 30) intensity in practice, you know, there’s something different, you know? We wanna have that same want we had at the start of the season.”

Maryville girls look to turn tide in conference contest LANDON CLOUSE Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports

KAILEEN DOHRMAN MISSOURIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

Maryville girls basketball junior forward Alyssa Cunningham shoots a three pointer during the Spoofhounds’ 53-36 win against Nodaway Valley Jan. 24.

Maryville girls basketball is set to face St. Pius X at 6:45 p.m.

Feb 7 at Maryville High School, after the contest was rescheduled from Jan. 11 due to winter weather conditions.

Maryville, holding a record of 4-9, will look to turn the tide in its favor after losing four of its last five games.

In one of the Spoofhounds’ recent losses, Maryville fell in a narrow, 55-52 defeat to Pembroke Hill Jan. 26. Despite the loss, it is the third time this season the ’Hounds have scored over 50 points, and it’s the team’s third-highest point total this season. Maryville’s outing is roughly 12 points higher than its average of 40.5 points per contest.

With the uncertainties surrounding games during the winter weather, Maryville has had multiple chances to test its resilience. This upcoming contest against Pius serves as a crucial opportunity for the Spoofhounds to regain momentum with it being at home. Coach Kelly Obley said the team is excited to play in Maryville again.

“Playing at home is always great,” Obley said. “We don’t have many home games during the season, so everytime the girls get out there, we try to make the most out of the home games we have. Protecting home court against a conference opponent is important to us. These girls are looking forward to it for sure.”

Pius, with a record of 7-8, comes into the contest on a three-game win streak, including a 32-point blowout over Pembroke Hill.

In addition to being a conference clash, this sets the stage for a closely-contested battle. Obley said she recognizes the significance of this game as the team aims to get back in the win column. Obley said she is proud of her team during these weird times.

“Obviously, there have been

changes in our game and practice schedule, which for most teams could be a negative, but our girls have been very flexible with everything going on, and it doesn’t make it affect them,” Obley said. “The girls are just excited to get out there and play.”

UP NEXT MHS vs. St. Pius X 6:45 p.m. Feb. 7 Maryville High School

SPORTS

Running home Northwest track and field teams set to host three-day meet. see A6

Practice makes perfect Maryville boys basketball looks to break rough patch with focus on practice. see A7

Feb. 1, 2024

Bearcat men look for revenge over Fort Hays WESLEY MILLER Managing Editor | @wesleymiller360

G

AARON HARE ASST. PHOTO EDITOR

Northwest men’s basketball sophomore guard Bennett Stirtz rushes the ball down the court during the first half of the Bearcats’ 76-47 victory over Newman Jan. 20.

Women’s basketball readies for first MIAA rematches at home NATHAN VANDRUFF Sports Reporter | @naterhater12

Northwest women’s basketball is on a three-game win streak, after rolling through Central Missouri, 76-68, Jan. 25, and Lincoln, 62-52, Jan. 27.

The Bearcats will look to extend their three-game win streak in their first series of rematches — and perhaps their toughest tests yet. First, they’ll host Nebraska-Kearney at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 1 in Bearcat Arena.

The Lopers have had a successful season up to date, as they have averaged 74.2 points per game this season which is third in the MIAA. Northwest will follow that game with its second meeting of the season with the first team to beat the Bearcats this campaign — Fort Hays State — at 1 p.m. Feb. 3 in Bearcat Arena. The Tigers have also been dominant on defense this season, giving up the least amount of points per game in the MIAA at 55.1.

This season, junior guard/forward Emma Atwood has played the best basketball of her Northwest career. She is third on the team in rebounds with 4.4 per game, and she set a career-high in points (15) and rebounds (nine) in a game. Atwood said physicality is what will make the difference in the upcoming matchups.

“Fort Hays and Kearney are probably the most physical teams we’ve played,” Atwood said. “I mean, they’re just very physical, and we know that going in. We just have to play physical and keep consistent throughout the game.”

SEE REMATCHES | A6 UP NEXT

NW vs. Nebraska-Kearney 5:30 p.m. Feb. 1 Bearcat Arena NW vs. Fort Hays State 1:30 p.m. Feb. 3 Bearcat Arena

ood practices are a goal for any team. As it gets later and later into the season, practices may start to look a little different — perhaps easier to keep the athletes fresher.

That’s not an option for Northwest men’s basketball. As the Bearcats look to hold a onegame lead in the MIAA, easy practices aren’t on coach Ben McCollum’s agenda.

At the Bearcat Athletics’ media luncheon Jan. 30, the 15thyear coach said he expects the team to be giving each other hugs at the end of the day.

“We’re probably a little bit different than most,” McCollum said. “Talk to most coaches and it’s, ‘Yeah, we went for an hour today or maybe watched film,’ and we’re still going two, two and a half hours, we’re practicing, we’re scrimmaging, we’re doing everything we did — it might even be harder than it was early in the season.”

And that might be what one would expect given the situation the Bearcats are in. But for McCollum, it’s always been that way. Outside of seeing his wife, children and dogs, he said practice is his favorite part of the day.

“Team to team, it’s not necessarily the same plan, but we’re always gonna practice,” McCollum said. “It’s going to be, ‘Let’s get in there and get after each other. Let’s compete.

Let’s scrimmage. … Let’s add some physicality to it.’ Oh yeah, it’s on. So, there’ll be some hurt feelings and hugs passed out, but we’re gonna get after each other.”

Northwest started the conference schedule 2-0 until dropping a road matchup to Fort Hays State Dec. 7 — the Tigers’ first win in the series since 2013. The No. 16 Bearcats have been 10-1 since then, and the Tigers have gone 9-2. Now, the two are set to rematch at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 3 in Bearcat Arena.

SEE REVENGE | A6 UP NEXT NW vs. Nebraska-Kearney 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 Bearcat Arena NW vs. Fort Hays State 3:30 p.m. Feb. 3 Bearcat Arena

AARON HARE ASST. PHOTO EDITOR

Northwest men’s basketball junior guard Isaiah Jackson attempts a jumper in the paint during the second half of the Bearcats’ 76-47 victory over Newman Jan. 20.

Tournaments to wrap up wrestling regular season NATHAN VANDRUFF Sports Reporter | @naterhater12

Maryville boys wrestling placed sixth at the Quad State Tournament with two wrestlers placing second in their respective classes, senior Tanner Turner at 126 pounds and sophomore Cash Dew at 132 pounds.

Dew took as many shots as possible and kept the pressure on his opponents, leading to his success. This was his first tournament in three weeks after he strained his elbow in December and was unable to continue wrestling.

“You know, going into it I knew that I had to shoot,” Dew said. “You know, if you don’t shoot, you can’t score. So I knew I had to get my offense going.

I did pretty well. I’m really happy with my performance.”

The Spoofhounds have their last regular-season action with the James Booher Memorial Wrestling tournament Feb. 3 in Albany, Missouri, and the East Atchison Scramble Feb. 6 in Tarkio, Missouri.

Maryville recently had its tri-du-

UP NEXT

James Booher Memorial Tournament 9:30 a.m. Feb. 3 Albany, Missouri East Atchison Scramble 5 p.m. Feb. 6 Tarkio, Missouri

ALLISON DUARTE PHOTOGRAPHER

Maryville boys wrestling sophomore 132-pounder Cash Dew takes on Plattsburg at Maryville Tri Jan. 30.

al against South Harrison and Plattsburg Jan. 30 at Maryville High School.

Spoofhounds went 1-1 in the dual, beating Plattsburg 54-27, with pins coming

from freshman 106-pounder Blake Wallace, senior 126-pounder Tanner Turner, freshman 165-pounder Kedrick Watkins and Cash Dew.

It was also senior night for Tanner Turner and 150-pound Tucker Turner.

They have wrestled with each other since they were children, and this will be their last season on the same team.

Tanner Turner and his twin brother have hopes of making it to the state tournament this year after falling short last season.

“It’s special,” Tanner Turner said.

“You always want to make it to state senior year. But, if it doesn’t go that way it’s been a great ride together, but the goal is to make it to state.”

Coach Tyler Nickerson scheduled these last two tournaments for the Spoofhounds as a way to get them ready for the district tournaments.

SEE SEASON | A6