Northwest Missourian April 4, 2024

Unofficial local election results tallied

Community members voted April 2 for several different propositions and candidates. The main decisions impacting Maryville were choosing the Maryville City Council members, Maryville R-II School Board members, Proposition JUMP and a countywide Central 911 Dispatch sales tax question.

JOHN MCBRIDE CITY COUNCILMAN “

I felt like, ‘OK, this is something I can do that would serve other people, take care of other people,’ so it’s kind of been a theme in my life.”

Three people were running for a spot on Council — John McBride, Dannen Merrill and Bill Richardson. Merrill received the most uno ffi cial votes with 1,006 total, McBride followed with 763 total unofficial votes and Richardson got 697 total unofficial votes. There were also 12 write-in votes.

There are two spots open on City Council, and based on the unofficial votes, Merrill and McBride will be reelected for another 3-year term.

“I

felt like, ‘OK, this is something I can do that would serve other peo-

ple, take care of other people,’ so it’s kind of been a theme in my life,” McBride said in an interview before the elections March 22.

The Maryville R-II School District School Board members running were James Kurz and Traci Diane Westfall. There were two open positions. They were running uncontested, and each earned a position on the school board.

Westfall got 1,616 total unofficial votes and Kurz got 1,594 total unofficial votes. There were also 31 write-in votes cast. Both will serve a three-year term.

Proposition JUMP is a $23 million no-tax-increase bond is-

Success. Winning. Championships. Trophies. Records. History.

For the last 15 seasons, these were all regular occurrences for Northwest men’s basketball. The program is on an active streak of 11-straight MIAA regular season titles. It’s won eight of the last nine conference tournament titles. But, most notably, it’s won four national championships — including the only national title three-peat in Division II history.

And the one at the helm of it all was five-time National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year, eight-time MIAA Coach of the Year and soon-to-be Missouri Sports Hall

of Famer coach Ben McCollum. But not anymore.

After years of speculation and battling a sea of offseason rumors, one of Bearcat fans’ biggest fears came true as McCollum has finally reached the Division I ranks as he was announced to be the new coach for Drake men’s basketball April 1.

It’s the end of an era for Northwest with the departure of its national championship coach. After years of guiding some of the best players to ever play for the Bearcats, including the program’s alltime leading scorer and eventual Houston Rocket, Trevor Hudgins, McCollum will head back to his home state of Iowa for his first Division I coaching job.

sue that will be used to improve schools in Maryville. Superintendent of the Maryville R-II school district Logan Lightfoot said there are three goals the proposition focuses on — safety, optimizing existing spaces and improving learning spaces and facilities.

There were 1,293 total unofficial votes in favor of passing the proposition and 640 total unofficial votes against it. Based on the unofficial votes Proposition JUMP will be passed and implemented.

The funds will go toward renovating classrooms, remodeling building

entrances for safety and several other improvements for the schools. There are both big and small changes that will come from the bond. The buildings impacted are theMaryville Early Childhood Center, Eugene Field Elementary School, Maryville Middle School and Maryville High School. The bond adds no additional taxes to the community. The last proposition on the ballot that affects Nodaway County is the countywide Central 911 Dispatch sales tax question.

Walk raises awareness for sexual violence

Northwest hosted Walk a Mile in Her Shoes and Take Back the Night April 2. The annual events are a part of national movements to end gendered sexual violence.

Nationally, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes aims to “actively confront gender stereotypes and expectations,” and it does this by having participating men walk one mile in women’s high-heeled shoes, according to its website. The action seeks to bring awareness to causes, effects and solutions to sexualized violence that stem from sexual and gender biases

Junior Jackson Faulkner is the vice president of philanthropy and financial services for Northwest’s Interfraternity Council. While he has participated in this event for the last two years, this was his first year coordinating it.

“The whole event itself is to raise awareness for sexual assault, sexual violence,” Faulkner said. “We’ll all wear some red heels to fully walk a mile in her shoes and kind of give us the perspective of women and how they may have to deal with, you know, different challenges and perspectives in their lives. And so we are not only mentally, but we are physically taking a walk in another woman’s shoes.”

The fraternity life members participating began their stroll outside the J.W. Jones Student Union, where they walked to the Nodaway County Courthouse at 305 N. Main St. and back. Faulkner said he hoped the event raised awareness for gender differences in the community and showed support to anyone who has been victimized.

Faulkner said sexual violence has specifically impacted college campuses for many years, so it’s important to be educated on the topic.

“I think that it has a lasting impact just to show that, you know, people from all different communities can come together and show their support and awareness for the same topic, it doesn’t matter who you are,” Faulkner said. “I think it can leave an impact on others just by knowing that there are other people there that want to hear you and want to do something for you.”

Faulkner said this event does not just impact Fraternity and Sorority Life, but the Northwest community as a whole. He said people could support the movement just by showing up to watch.

Senior Nate Brown is the director of scholarship and civic engagement on this year’s Greek Week executive board. His role included helping organize Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. He said while the event might be fun and seem humorous, it’s still important to remember the serious cause it represents.

“It’s supposed to symbolize sexual violence prevention, something that’s really important across a lot of college campuses and a lot of Greek organizations,”

Brown said. “It’s really big nationally. A lot of universities do it, and they do races with it, and it’s a lot of fun, but we wanted to not make a spectacle of it and really show it for the importance that it brings.” Brown said he has seen how it impacts Northwest students, as it has encouraged many to share their stories and has moved people to start using services from North Star Advocacy Center, a domestic abuse treatment facility in Maryville. His advice to bring awareness to and stop gendered sexual violence is to speak up if something seems out of place.

“If you see something, say something — it’s something we’ve heard for years now,” Brown said. “And, if you’re at the bars or if you’re at a party, and you see something that just doesn’t look right, it’s not going to hurt by asking.”

Take Back the Night happened from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Lamkin Activity Center after Walk a Mile in Her Shoes was completed. The nonprofit organization’s mission is to stop all forms of sexual violence and “support survivors on their healing journeys,” according to its website.

The movement has an international

Student Senate appropriates funds for two organizations’ events, denies one

Student Senate funded two organizations and declined one at the April 2 meeting.

The International Honor Society in Psychology, also known as Psi Chi, will attend a conference called the Midwestern Psychological Association April 18 in Chicago. The event allows scientists and students to present their research with presentations over psychology and mental health.

Psi Chi requested $1,500 for a $3,645 event. The funding would go toward the event’s registration fee, gas prices, food and polo shirts that would rep-

resent Psi Chi for the event.

However, many senators posed questions regarding the shirts. Around $588 would go toward the shirts, and Senate thought the amount was too high for an event. Junior Class Representative McKenna Grimmer started the concern over the shirts.

“I think it’s great that they’re going to a conference, the problem I’m running into is the T-shirt thing,” Grimmer said. “Northwest has resources like Career Closet where they can go in and get professional clothing for that. It just seems a little weird to me.”

Eventually, Senate decided to cut out the funding amount for shirts from the original budget

and appropriated $1,112 instead.

The International Student Organization will have a conference April 17 in Jefferson City, Missouri. The ISO promotes cultural discussion and provides presentations over history, foods and customs. The event allows students to celebrate cultures from international and study-abroad students.

The ISO will attend in accordance with Missouri Western State University that will provide transportation and funding for the event and requested $1,490.64 for the rest of transportation, registration and food. The ISO hopes to bring back some of the cultural knowledge to its organization’s members.

Junior Class Representative Callie Spunaugle said the event is a great opportunity for the students to exchange culture. Senate approved the funding.

“I think that this is a really awesome opportunity for them,” Spunaugle said. “Very important for them to go as senators. They’ll gain that knowledge to be able to bring back to campus.”

Gamma Sigma Epsilon-Upsilon Alpha Chapter is an honor society that focuses on scientific exchange and knowledge. The honor society has 10 members and will soon be recruiting and inducting 13 and is requesting $140 for food for its induction ceremony.

On Campus Representative Hannah Wooldridge felt the event would eventually benefit the community since the new members inducted would gain money through membership fees in due time to fund the honor society.

“They’re going from 10 and inducting 13 members, and I feel like that’s quite a big jump for them,” Wooldridge said. “I think giving them an initiation that

history dating back to the 1970s, when areas around the globe saw a rise in female activism and protests, each working to end sexual violence and support victims.

Suzanne Von Behren is a wellness educator and Engage coordinator with Northwest’s Wellness Services, and she was the facilitator for Take Back the Night. This was her first time organizing the event, but she has attended it several times in years past and feels it is important.

Take Back the Night offered a brief program from Interim University Police Chief Amanda Cullin, Nodaway County Sheriff’s Department’s Captain Austin Hann and staff from the North Star Advocacy Center, followed by a UPD-led activity that taught self-defense stances and techniques.

However, Von Behren said it’s important to remember it is not the responsibility of a potential victim to keep themselves safe but rather the responsibility of the offender not to offend. There were counselors available from Wellness Services to anyone who needed someone to talk to.

She said universities have a responsibility to create safe and supportive environments for all students, so raising awareness about sexual and domestic violence can help prevent it, as well as promote healthy relationship dynamics among students.

“Universities are hubs for learning and growth,” Von Behren said in an email to The Missourian. “By incorporating education about violence into curriculum, workshops and programming, students can gain valuable knowledge about consent, boundaries and healthy relationships that can benefit them both during their university years and throughout their lives.”

College-aged adults, whether students or not, have high risk for sexual violence, according to a campus sexual violence statistics report from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. Von Behren said it’s important for events like Take Back the Night, that encourage tough conversations, support survivors and provide resources in a safe learning environment.

Von Behren said other ways people can bring awareness to and combat sexual violence include offering support and validation to survivors, advocating for policies and legislation to support survivors and hold perpetrators accountable, promoting consent and healthy relationships and intervening safely if witnessing or suspecting something might be off

“Northwest and the Maryville community is full of resources and people that truly care about our students,” Von Behren said. “Please reach out and know that you are supported, valued and respected. We are all here for you … no matter the need. We all need help at various points in our lives — there is no one that doesn’t. Know you are not alone and you have a whole community full of people that care about you and want to walk alongside of you.”

would kind of help the inductees feel welcome and feel like you’re part of something bigger than themselves would help them feel more inclined to improve.”

CALLIE SPUNAUGLE JUNIOR CLASS REPRESENTATIVE “

I think that this is a really awesome opportunity for them.”

vast majority of students. Senate President Elizabeth Motazedi said it would be unfair to fund the event since it will not be open to the public, and it would send an unfair message to the rest of the organizations that were denied funding for similar issues if Gamma Sigma EpsilonUpsilon Alpha Chapter was appropriated the amount.

“We do need to remember the fairness of this situation,” Motazedi said. “You need to put yourself in a place and think if this was another organization coming and asking for it, regardless of who it was, if you could still have the same mindset.” Senate denied funding altogether. Gamma Sigma Epsilon-Upsilon Alpha Chapter Vice President Callie Spunaugle said she knew the funding would not pass but decided to give it a try.

However, the event is a closed event and is invitation only. This means only a select few people will be allowed to attend the event, and Senate has strict rules regarding event funding. Events funded have to benefit the Northwest community to either every student or a

“We did come here knowing that there’s probably a pretty good chance we were going to get voted ‘no,’” Spunaugle said.

“So, I really appreciate you all for hearing us out, and I really hope you did vote the way you truly believe.”

RAIEA SALERNO News Reporter | @RaieaS

On Campus Representative Hannah Wooldridge advocated for Senate to approve a $140 appropriation for an induction ceremony at the meeting April 2.

ONKARABETSE KOIKANYANG PHOTOGRAPHER

Senior Brodie Wallace, freshman Sam Young and junior Brock Hogue sit and prepare for the Walk a Mile event April 2. The event is held by fraternities to raise awareness against sexual violence. ONKARABETSE KOIKANYANG PHOTOGRAPHER

Tau Kappa Epsilon member Jason Holland walks to the Maryville courthouse April 2.

ONKARABETSE KOIKANYANG PHOTOGRAPHER Sigma Tau Gamma Jake Froeschl walks by the courthouse during the Walk a Mile event.

ONKARABETSE KOIKANYANG PHOTOGRAPHER

Amanda Cullin heads UPD for second time

University Police Department Lt. Amanda Cullin has been named the interim police chief and started her position April 1.

Cullin said she is excited to work with the UPD team in this new position. Her last time as interim chief was the 202223 academic year, when former Police Chief Clarence Green was named as interim University president.

“I have a lot of passion and, I mean, this is my home,” Cullin said “This is my community. I love the people in this community.”

Cullin recently got back from the National Academy at Quantico in Virginia with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and said she had the chance to talk with several different law enforcement executives around the globe.

“I just realized how blessed we are to have the community support that we have,” Cullin said.

She said the community and campus support gives the UPD more opportunities to learn and grow.

Cullin said Green helped her a lot. She said Green helped create a great team for her to work with and taught her a lot. She said she is set up to succeed because of the work with him.

Cullin said she isn’t really nervous but more excited to have the chance to keep progressing the department.

“And so as far as nerves go, it’s excitement and it’s passion, so it’s a great team and a great opportunity,” Cullin said. “I’ve been brought in and had a great time. I’m just looking forward to moving up.”

She said moving up into this position is still an emotional time because of Green’s retirement from the University. She said Green has helped her both in her professional life and her personal life. She said Green has offered her en-

couragement as she moves into the police chief role and is always going to leave a positive impact on her.

“He’s not passing away, you know, he’s still around, and no matter where he is, he’s always gonna have a positive impact on me and a positive impact on the University and the students for generations,” Cullin said. “And so, when you have that legacy to follow, that is awesome because there’s not this negative perception that I have to overcome.”

I have a lot of passion and, I mean, this is my home. This is my community. I love the people in this community."

AMANDA CULLIN

Cullin said the thing providing the most nerves is following Green. She described it as following a legend. Green said he is more than confident Cullin will do well in the interim position.

“She’s a go-getter,” Green said. “She’ll be fine.” Cullin said she is excited to have the opportunity to connect with the students.

She said the world is changing very quickly, so she’s just looking for whatever opportunity there is out there to serve and provide a safe environment for others to learn, develop and grow.

“It’s an honor,” Cullin said.

Krista Barcus named as interim VP of Culture

HANNAH CLAYWELL

Director of Human Resources Krista Barcus has been named as the interim vice president of culture following former Vice President of Culture Clarence Green’s retirement by March 31.

Barcus said she is looking forward to stepping into the position and broadening her experiences at Northwest. She started the position April 1.

“I’m very excited,” Barcus said. “Very excited, honored to serve in this role and just my passion is towards just people.”

Barcus came to Northwest from Sisters of Saint Mary Health St. Francis Hospital, now known as Mosaic Medical Center-Maryville and served there for 15 years. During the last of her tenure, she served in the human resources department and the executive leadership team. She said her goal there was the same as it is now — to help and serve people.

Barcus will now be a part of the Northwest Leadership Team and oversee the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness and the University Police Department on top of her role at the Office of Human Resources.

Barcus said while being in the interim role, she will be focusing on learning and becoming familiar with the job. She said learning is her main goal, instead of making any changes or having specific plans at the moment. She said she wants to settle into her new role first.

“So, in the interim role right now, (I’m) just learning, just building those relationships, you know, becoming more familiar with those departments and helping them,” Barcus said.

Barcus said the biggest change is how closely she will work with the Institutional

Research and Effectiveness Team and the University Police Department. The Institutional Research and Effectiveness Team assists with academic departments and handles a lot of data reporting.

“I know there’ll be challenges along the way as there is with any role, I just really look forward to embracing that and hopefully being able to make a positive impact while I’m in this role,” Barcus said.

I know there'll be challenges along the way as there is with any role, I just really look forward to embracing that and hopefully being able to make a positive impact while I'm in this role."

KRISTA

BARCUS DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Being a part of the Northwest Leadership Team will also be new for Barcus. The Northwest Leadership Team consists of several administrators in large roles for the University. “I’m excited about the opportunity and, again, just the experience, and, you know, I feel like it’s an honor to be asked to serve in this role,” Barcus said. “Sure big shoes to fill with Dr. Clarence Green retiring, and we’re gonna miss him.”

University Police Department Interim Police Chief Amanda Cullin talks with sorority and fraternity members at the Take Back the Night event April 2 at Bearcat Arena.

ALLISON DUARTE PHOTOGRAPHER

Director of Human Resources Krista Barcus has been named as the interim vice president of culture following Clarence Green’s retirement March 31.

CRIME LOG

for the week of April 4

Northwest Missouri

State University Police Department

April 2

There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Roberta Hall.

March 31

There is a closed investigation for Jessie H. Davidson, 19, for being in possession of a fictitious/ altered driver’s license in Parking Lot 39.

March 29

There is a closed investigation for an accident between Charlie R. Anson, 20, and Stephanie L. Turpin in Parking Lot 38.

March 26

There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Colden Hall.

March 22

There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Perrin Hall.

March 21

There is an open investigation for harassment in the second degree in South Complex.

Local boutique wins Best of Rural Missouri award

Willow + Elm, a women’s apparel boutique for the closet, home and soul, has existed in Maryville as two past stores called Blue Willow and White Elm.

However, the two stores opened as one in 2023 and was voted as Editor’s Choice for Boutique Shopping in Rural Missouri.

Located at 107 E. Fourth St., Willow + Elm is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Founder and owner Stephanie Campbell Yount has been part of the Maryville community since 2016. Yount said her past stores were relatively hidden from community view, but Willow + Elm has recently been voted as Editor’s Choice for Boutique Shopping in Rural Missouri under the Rural Missouri magazine.

“I didn’t even know that, that was a thing,” Yount said. “I knew they had those awards, but I didn’t know anything about it, so I was shocked and really excited.”

She was surprised to be voted as editor’s choice in the category and is very fond of the community that helped her get the position.

“We’re been a part of our local community for a really long time,” Yount said. “It’s an amazing community, and I’m super proud to be a part of it.”

Maryville Department of Public Safety

March 31

There was an accident between Connie M. Wilmes 83, and John L. Steinman, 59, on East Fifth Street and North Water Street.

There was a summons issued to Johnathon Enriquez 24, for driving while intoxicated, failure to maintain the right half of the roadway, equipment violation, no valid driver’s license and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle on the 1500 block of North Main Street.

March 30

There was a summons issued to Landon S. Baker 18, for no valid driver’s license and failure to maintain financial responsibility on the 100 block of South Charles Street.

March 29

There was an accident between Kelton D. Emery 25, and Jonah P. Long, 16, on the 900 block of South Main Street. Long was charged with careless and imprudent driving.

There is an ongoing investigation for larceny on the 900 block of South Market Street.

There was a summons issued to Hollee J. Reynolds, 44, for a code violation for prohibited vehicles on the 200 block of South Newton Street.

There is an ongoing investigation for property damage on the 700 block of North Walnut Street.

There is an ongoing investigation for animal abuse on the 1200 block of West Crestview.

There is an ongoing investigation for stealing by deceit on the 100 block of East Edwards Street.

Since the rural Missouri spots are chosen by the community, Yount said Willow + Elm represents the lasting impact it has on the community if it was chosen as editor’s choice best boutique. Yount owns and operates Willow + Elm on her own, but she considers her store as a part of her and is proud of her business.

This is Rural Missouri’s 21st year hosting the contest. Rural

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Missouri editor Sara Schafer said editors go around and visit places that have a large amount of votes by Missouri residents. When checking the results and traveling around the state, Willow + Elm caught their eye in particular.

“We just really try to find some of those hidden gems that maybe our readers haven’t seen, or maybe worked in or are from different parts of the state,” Schafer said. “Willow + Elm had kind of everything you’d want in a small town boutique with

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lots of different product offerings and high quality products.” Schafer said she hopes the position Willow + Elm earned will help it gain more traction.

Since the awards are meant to help businesses thrive, she said Willow + Elm and the other winners deserve the recognition.

The sales tax passed with 2,201 unofficial total votes in favor and 767 unofficial total votes against.

The Nodaway County 911 Oversight Board met and discussed the implementation of the sales tax Oct. 19. The tax is a ⅜ of 1% tax to provide emergency services within Nodaway County. This tax will offer a permanent funding option for 911 and keeping the emergency services within Nodaway County and Maryville running efficiently.

The sales tax is an agreement between Nodaway County and Maryville. The main goal of the tax is to support operations, capital improvements and reserves for central dispatching of fire protection, emergency ambulance services and other emergency services in Nodaway County.

All of the current results are unofficial tallies and the official results will be announced April 5.

COUNCIL CONTINUED FROM A1

One of those players is junior guard Isaiah Jackson, who ended the 2023-24 season 10th in program history with 289 career assists and earned an all-MIAA third-team selection for the campaign.

“I’m very happy for him,” Jackson said. “He is more than deserving. I think it’s been overdue. You know, he’s waited on the perfect opportunity — I feel like this is something that he wants, and he’s talked to us every year after the season about the possibility.”

A new chapter for McCollum begins as does one for Northwest. For the first time since 2009, the program is in search of a new leader — with a lot of success to come in and attempt to follow up on.

Northwest athletic director Andy Peterson released a statement April 1 and said a national search for a new coach would begin immediately.

“We are so proud of and excited for coach Mac to be named the head men’s basketball coach at Drake University,” Peter-

Council also approved a contract with Keller Construction Company, Inc. for the 2024 Asphalt Mill and Overlay Project. This project aims to fix “poorly conditioned roadways” through milling and hot-mix asphalt overlay, which are the processes of removing deteriorated or deformed sections of asphalt and using it to make new asphalt overlay or restorations to improve surface conditions.

Seven roadways in Maryville were identified to need a twoinch asphalt mill and overlay for a base bid of $187,400.50 at the Feb. 12 meeting. Keller Construction Company bid on the project March 20, with an alternate bid of $86,995 for an additional 24 feet of asphalt work of South Avenue from Main Street to Munn Ave.

“Per the (request for proposals), the base includes two inch mural overlay for 12 blocks,” Smith said. “The RFP also includes an additive alternate, that can be selected independently based on available funding. That segment includes a one-and-a-half-inch overlay of what is South Avenue from Munn to almost Main, not quite. The postwork will also widen that roadway sections 24 feet.”

The total amount of the contract with Keller Construction Company is $274,395.50. The Fiscal Year 2024 Budget includes $550,000 between asphalt/concrete roadway repair, so council approved the ordinance. Requests for Proposals for concrete panel replacement opens May 2.

Other City Council business:

• Council approved a contract with CNH Industrial Captain America, LLC for the lease buyout of a 2021 Case 590SN Backhoe and two buckets for the

However, because the Maryville community provided a home and comfort to Yount, she wanted to reflect her love and appreciation to the community in some sort of way. She said she wanted a homey boutique that was welcoming for Maryville.

“We’ve grown steadily over the years and just continue to try and contribute to our community and be a big part of it,” Yount said. “We’ve been really fortunate to have community support, and we just try to be a big supporter of our community and pay them back for letting us be here.”

Since someone’s personal life can affect their mood, she hopes her inviting and bright atmosphere makes store visits warm and calming to her customers. She said this is key in operating a business and is one of the most important things she has learned as a business owner over the years. Yount said building relationships with her community and customers is what has made her business the way it is today.

“It also has the feel of a kind of a destination for shopping which is what our readers are after,” Schafer said. “We really try to shine a spotlight on some of those places that would be great for our readers to visit.” Yount said she had a love for owning a business since college. She received her undergraduate degree in accounting at Rockhurst University and a Master’s degree in public administration at the University of Kansas. Yount had an interest in entrepreneurship since then, but when she moved to Maryville from Kansas City, she said she felt lost.

son said in the statement. “Obviously, the success is something that stands out … but what’s even more impactful are the people that he and his family are and the young people, their families, and other fans and support that was attracted into Bearcat Nation with him leading our program. I know many of them — myself included — are so glad he decided to take a chance here and then stayed as long as he did honing his craft. We wish nothing but the best for Ben, Michelle, Peyton, Tate and Grace on their new journey. Drake’s basketball fanbase got a lot bigger today.”

While Jackson may not have as much of a say in the new coach as Peterson, he said he at least hopes the family feel of the team remains consistent under new leadership.

“That’s probably the biggest thing for me,” Jackson said. “I know that, whoever it is that comes in, we’re gonna play hard.”

She wishes to continue her passion for owning Willow + Elm and is incredibly grateful to the community for such an opportunity to be voted. She wishes to continue serving the community and providing for them as they have to her in the past and wishes to showcase her love to Maryville as they have done for her. The Fiscal Year 2024 Budget for Water/Sewer Funds includes $55,000 for maintenance and equipment for emergency repairs. Council approved the full amount to be paid.

Sewer Maintenance Division of the Public Works Department. The lease-purchase option is set to expire April 8, 2024, and is available as long as the unit has less than 300 service hours and remains in excellent condition. The Fiscal year 2024 Budget includes $175,000 in Water/Sewer Funds for sanitary sewer improvements at the former Drake Lumber property, but Smith said that project will likely be moved to the next fiscal year as construction is not likely to be complete by the end of FY ‘24.

• The Maryville Housing Authority Board has two members with expiring terms; Joe Hayes, who has expressed desire to serve an additional term, and Frank Myers, who is resigning from his position. Jeff

Farlow has been recommended for appointment, so council approved Hayes and Farlow to serve four-year terms expiring May 31, 2028.

• Council approved a contract between the Maryville Police Department and Midwest Mobile Radio Service, Inc. for the purchase of four Motorola Pyramid Vehicular Repeaters. MPD was awarded the $9,999.99 Local Law Enforcement Black Grant for these four repeaters. Midwest Mobile is the only distributor for this equipment in the region, it already services existing equipment and it gave a quote in the amount of $10,268.88 with the remaining $268.89 to come from a General Fund.

“Quiet on Set” sheds light on important problems

My childhood, as well as most others who grew up in the 2000s, was defined by Nickelodeon and Disney Channel. What we didn’t know was while we were watching “iCarly” or “Drake and Josh,” wishing it was us on screen, our favorite actors and actresses were suffering.

“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kid’s TV” exposes the secrets inside the Nickelodeon Studio. The well-named series investigates claims of abuse, racism, sexism, toxic workplace environment and inappropriate behavior specifically in shows created by Dan Schneider.

Living in a generation of documentaries exposing the dark secrets of big business, I can’t say I was surprised, but that didn’t stop my heart from shattering when I watched. We were raised on these shows, and learning about the corruption behind its creation is agonizing.

For 20 years, Schneider shaped children’s entertainment, and for almost as long, industry employees have been waiting to tell their stories — stories that never should have happened. From discrimination to stashes of child pornography to sexual abuse of actors, the ongoing five-part docuseries covers every gut-wrenching detail.

Inappropriate jokes that went over our heads as children are being brought to light. “Zoey 101” actress Alexa Nikolas discussed a scene where her co-star Jamie Lynn Spears had a “gooop” squirted in her face in a sexual manner. Spears was 14.

The whole time this scene was recorded, Nikolas said she recalled Schneider laughing.

How dare Schneider and every other adult on set let this happen to children. Instead of protecting them, they were taking advantage of fame these programs brought.

I am disgusted by the events that took place for decades, right under the public’s noses. We should not be sacrificing the safety and childhood of child actors for the sake of a good laugh.

Any rules Nickelodeon has in place are not enough.

The time for exploiting child actors is over. Hollywood needs to stop normalizing the harassment children face and protect them while they’re in such a vulnerable part of life.

The increased awareness revolving around these issues has created an environment of zero tolerance for sexual misconduct and assault while holding violators accountable for their actions.

While I was sitting on the couch laughing at “Sam and Cat,” Ariana Grande was pushed to participate in explicit scenes that walked the line between entertainment for children and for adults. How am I supposed to enjoy the TV shows I grew up with when I know that she probably can’t stand to watch anything she was in?

The innocence I gained from watching Nickelodeon was built by children who lost theirs. “Quiet on Set” shed light on issues we didn’t know existed — tainting our childhood memories along the way.

OUR VIEW:

‘Fairness’ needs to be consistent in Student Senate appropriations

“We do need to remember the fairness of this situation,” Student Senate President Elizabeth Motazedi said at the meeting April 2. “You need to put yourself in a place and think if this was another organization coming and asking for it, regardless of who it was, if you could still have the same mindset.”

At that meeting, Gamma Sigma Epsilon - Upsilon Alpha Chapter — the Northwest chapter of a national chemistry honor society that focuses on scientific exchange — requested $140 for food for the group’s induction ceremony. It was met with hesitation from Student Senate, and the funding was ultimately denied because this event is invitation-only and wouldn’t benefit the majority of students.

Simply put, this mindset used as a reason to not fund this event has not been used the whole year in regards to appropriating money. Senate decided to not fund this event because it is only for a specific group of students, but there have been many times when it has appropriated over $1,000 to a small group of students — and in one instance just a singular student. If Senators want to keep fairness in mind and keep this rea-

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soning, then many of the appropriations the group has made this year should not have been made.

Many groups that come to Student Senate to request funding are for individuals from an organization who are going on a trip. Many of these include national convention trips that are only for certain members of Fraternity and Sorority Life or other chapters of organizations to attend.

Now, we aren’t saying that Student Senate shouldn’t fund those trips. They are great experiences for people to have and they should be supported. The concern is when the reasoning behind denying a small amount of funds for one organization directly contradicts funds Senate has appropriated many times before and in much larger quantities.

The Senator’s argument is that this isn’t benefitting all students, but rather a select group of people for one event. How is funding $140 any different than using over $1,000 to send a few members from an organization to a national conference? Not all students are able to attend those just like not all students will be able to attend this induction ceremony.

Senate’s argument against appropriating this money is that it won’t

“I feel like Student Senate, they know what they’re doing. There’s lots of organizations on campus, so I feel like how they’re using it now is a good way.”

benefit the majority of the student body, but that can also be said for a small group of individuals who are sent on a service trip that will only impact the people going.

There is a disparity in the reasoning behind not funding this. The arguments that Senate made against funding this organization’s event are nowhere to be found when it comes to funding trips for other organizations. Many of these trips are affiliated with Fraternity and Sorority Life, which only accounts for 700 students on campus. Those aren’t benefitting the “majority” of students Student Senate says need to be included in these events, just like this event it denied funding to. If the mindset Student Senate uses is that there needs to be fairness in all decisions, it has failed to do that this week in denying this organization its funding.

When making future appropriations, whether it is for an event or for travel, there needs to be a standard in which those decisions are made. Saying that funding should be denied if it is only benefitting a small group of students should be upheld with every decision made for every organization.

“I would say they should use it to support students, and I think they should use it for all students.”

“I feel like it would kinda be most fair for them to split it up as evenly as they can.”

HAILEY JOHNSON-NEESER CARTOONIST

KENNA MARKT Freshman Early Childhood Education

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Maryville will now also shift focus to the third game of the tournament at 5:45 p.m. April 4. In its way is Harrisonville (3-1), where last campaign saw the two teams exchange a win each in head-tohead matchups. The Spoofhounds suffered a tough, 5-2 loss to the Wildcats, also in the Round Robin Tournament April 6, 2023. However, the Spoofhounds quickly bounced back later that same month, securing a 3-2 win April 27.

Ingram’s team will be eager to see the ball in the back of the net against the Wildcats and end the tournament on a high note. After getting the chance to play them first, Maryville will evaluate strengths and weaknesses before the rematch. Ingram said the Spoofhounds are excited for the match and also for the opportunity to face the Wildcats again later in the season April 25 — this time on home turf.

“Harrisonville is a really good school,” Ingram said. “We’re really hoping to come out with a win on that one. … So, let’s see how we match up against them and then go from there.”

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Another opportunity to move up in the conference standings will happen April 6. Northwest will also host Northeastern State with the doubleheader starting at noon.

The RiverHawks come into the matchup second-to-last in the MIAA with a 2-12 MIAA record and 7-24 overall. Northeastern has a .229 team batting average — the worst in the conference — and a 4.20 earned run average, which has the team at 10 in the MIAA.

Tellez said the Bearcats won’t overlook the RiverHawks as most of their games have been close scoring-wise. Northeastern has 15 losses that have been decided by three runs or less, including nine of the conference losses.

“Northeastern is in tight games with a lot of teams,” Tellez said. “I don’t think that necessarily our girls are gonna just say ‘Oh, it’s, you know, not the top team in the conference.’ But at the same time, you know, we just have to stick to our game plan of winning every inning and taking advantage of the opportunities that we are given.”

Nolte has been a Bearcat for five seasons and is looking to end her career on a high note. Nolte hit her 34th career home run in a 7-3 loss to Emporia State (March 30). That home run moves her just three away from third alltime in Northwest history. Ashley Pride (2003-2006) holds the spot at 37 home runs. Solid pitching and timely hitting have been the key to the Bearcats’ success Nolte said. Even though they went 1-3 against Washburn March 29 and

Emporia March 30, the team is playing good softball, Nolte said. “Well, honestly, even though we didn’t win a lot of the games, I feel like we didn’t really play bad,” Nolte said. “We just, sometimes, we get a couple errors that really end up being our downfall in games and, you know, end up with the loss. But, I feel like our pitching is coming along, and our hitting is coming along too. We need to try to, you know, put it together, and I think we will be good.”

Southwest

Midwest

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INFOGRAPHIC

team look to remain hot leading into the tournament.

Hoffman said she looks to keep her mindset fixed on adjusting to the conditions of spring and staying in good shape.

“It’s about knocking off the rust when you enter the spring,” Hoffman said. “Spring definitely comes more attached to the weather. So, it’s kind of my mindset, always, like, just manage whatever conditions you’re in. You’re not necessarily going to shoot 75 or 76 every round because the conditions just won’t allow it. And, just kind of being patient with that, it’s kind of the overall spring mindset for me.”

Northwest has performed well since returning for the spring season placing third out of 12 teams in the Southwest Minnesota State University Classic March 11-12 and fifth out of 15 teams in the Midwest Intercollegiate Invite March 18-19.

Going into the ATU Spring Invitational, Peterson and his

“You know, we’re going to qualify,” Peterson said. “We’ve been pretty fortunate with our schedules so far that we’ve been able to take all seven girls for the most part. We are getting ready to roll because this tournament leads us into the conference tournament.”

Hoffman transferred in from South Dakota University following her freshman season, and now, with almost two years at Northwest, Hoffman has settled into her team very well.

“You know, she’s been fantastic,” Peterson said. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls to work with and to get along with each other and just be a team. She’s a fantastic person, from a great family — they’re ubersupportive of everything that is Northwest women’s golf — and she fit right in. So, the fact that she’s almost an All-American golfer at this level, it’s just gravy on everything else.”

Maryville girls soccer freshman Jaidaci Wilmes moves the ball up the field while working through a drill in practice March 28. The Spoofhounds are next in action against Harrisonville at 5:45 p.m. April 4 in Smithville, Missouri.

Northwest softball junior utility Marleigh Thurman practices her batting during practice March 7 at Bearcat Softball Field.

ALEXIS STARKS PHOTO EDITOR

Baseball to continue on road stretch with series in Kansas

Northwest baseball entered its last month of the season fighting for a spot in the MIAA Tournament.

The Bearcats face Fort Hays State April 5-7 in Hays, Kansas, following their game against William Jewell April 2 in Liberty, Missouri. The Jewell game was meant to be at Bearcat Baseball Field, but the home game was moved to next week and the away contest is now first due to weather conditions.

Northwest is facing the Tigers for the first time this season,and the two teams know how to swing a bat against each other. Since 2014, both teams have scored at least a combined six runs in each matchup.

The Bearcats will follow the Hays series up with a matchup against Washburn April 9 in Topeka, Kansas. The games between the two teams this season have led to some backand-forth action as the Ichabods won in a road blowout over Northwest in 11-0 fashion in seven innings March 12, but the Bearcats were able to sneak out a 7-6 win against Washburn at home March 27.

Coach Darin Loe said he has prepared his team for the tough slate of games ahead.

“You know, they are all good teams, and it’s a little bit different than playing them in a midweek contest,” Loe said.

“You know, you never know how much pitching you have remaining midweek after a long threegame weekend series.”

With the Bearcats winning three of their last four, they have caught fire at a crucial time. Northwest sits third-to-last in the MIAA standings with a 7-13 conference record with 13 conference games left in the season. And with a couple more series wins, it will put itself in the running for the MIAA Tournament. Junior first basemen Ryan Williams said he looks forward to the competition and how he can help the team pick up some crucial wins.

“We’re just wanting to stay locked in,” Williams said. “We have a lot of big series coming

up with teams that we’re fighting for spots with so we know that they’re gonna come, bringing their best abilities, and we got to bring ours because it can be the difference between making it into the tournament and where you’re going to be heading for the tournament.”

Williams has become a solidified No. 3 spot for the Bearcats this season and has had a breakout season. Williams is one of three hitters in the MIAA to hit over .400 this season and leads the team in on-base plus slugging with 1.162, doubles with

13, triples with two, slugging percentage with .656 and walks with 25. Williams said his work over the summer and fall was the cause for his improved performance on the diamond.

“Yeah, just taking a ton of swings over the summer, fall, all the way into the winter and just staying consistent,” Williams said. “And then, just going in every game, believing that you’re gonna go out there and find some barrels. Sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don’t, but you just got to keep with it.”

Track and field looks to find rhythm in outdoor schedule

Northwest track and field is set to compete April 6 in Pittsburg, Kansas, in the Gorilla Classic. The Bearcats are fresh off their first outdoor competitions of the 2024 campaign.

Coach Brandon Masters had the teams compete in three separate meets March 27-30. Northwest participated in two meets in Texas between the Texas Relays and the Bobcat Invitational. And, the rest of the squad competed at the Emporia State University Classic in Emporia, Kansas.

One of the challenges Masters faced during the three-day stretch was not being there for every Bearcat. Masters said coaching technique isn’t necessary for these events but just being a fan for everyone is always nice.

“There’s coaching that goes on during the meet, but for the most part, we’re really made up of runners, “ Masters said. “We have less field people, and we have more people in running events. It’s hard because you want to be there for a kid, but, at the same time, you know that you’ve done your job and that they can go and execute the plan.” Northwest showed its women’s 4x400-meter team can compete with anyone in the country.

At the Texas Relays, senior Tiffany Hughey and juniors Chloe Sanez, Kaylee Harp and Luisarys Toledo finished with a time of 3:37.48.

The quartet scored the seventhbest time at the event only behind Division I’s Arkansas, Houston, UCLA, Texas, Clemson and BYU.

Masters said track is a unique sport where what school you run for doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is the time after you cross the finish line.

“Our sport is unique in that a time is the time, no matter where you’re at,” Masters said. “Doesn’t matter who you’re playing. So, that is different than any of the other sports on campus, and we can line up against the best in the country, regardless of division.”

At the Bobcat Invitational, Northwest men’s 4x100-meter dash team took second place with

a time of 40.03. The group of sophomores Dominic Sedlacek, Truman Hare, junior Joel Dos Santos and senior Enrico Cavagna ran the second-fastest time in program history.

The top-four times in Bearcat history in the 4x100 have Dos Santos, Cavagna and Sedlacek’s names attached to it. Cavagna said the dynamic between those three is the reason for all the record times.

“We learn from each other,” Cavagna said. “The fact that we are the best in Northwest history is because we study each other, we improve looking at each other, we push each other in the training, we push each other in the weight room.”

In preparations for the Gorilla Classic, Masters said the team has to shift its focus back to training. After finishing up the indoor season, the Bearcats are back to

pushing their bodies to continue to improve upon times.

Masters said the team is going to have to get back into learning how to compete when the Bearcats’ bodies might not be feeling the best.

“I think that is just hard, you know, coming off of indoors, when we’re peeked up ready to roll and you get your best marks of the year and go back and put a big train segment in and you’re not, you’re not peaked up,” Masters said. “You’re working hard and you’re tired and you’re sore and you still gotta go compete and learn how to compete in these events that are outdoors.” UP

Northwest baseball junior infielder Kaehukai Young slides into first base during the Bearcats’ 7-5 loss against Missouri Southern March 29. AARON HARE ASST. PHOTO

Northwest softball is off to its best start in conference under coach Naomi Tellez. The Bearcats sit at 6-6, whereas in the 2023 campaign, in the first 12 games, Northwest was 5-7, and in 2022, the program went 1-11.

With the steady improvement in conference record, Northwest is looking to make the MIAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. The top-ten teams make the tournament this year, and Tellez is looking for her first appearance since taking over prior to the 2022 season.

Tellez said making the conference tournament would be a huge boost of confidence for not just the players but the coaches as well.

“It’ll feel like a sense of reassurance that what we’re doing is moving us in the right direction,” Tellez said. “I think it was just a little reassuring and almost, you know, I don’t want to say it’s gonna be fulfilling. But, knowing what we’re doing and the kids that we’re recruiting and the culture that we’re building will get us to a postseason, you know, it’d be awesome.”

Northwest will be hosting Rogers State April 5 and has a good opportunity to knock off a top opponent. Rogers sits second in the MIAA with a 13-1 record and a 29-5 record overall.

The Hillcats will come into the contest with the best pitching staff in earned run aver-

age with 1.23 in 227.1 innings pitched. Rogers also has the seventh-best team batting average of .284, just behind Northwest with a .303 team average.

Sophomore Hillcat pitchers Harley Culie and Jade Sanders are in the top six in the conference in earned run average. Culie is second with a .92 in 44.2 innings pitched and Sanders has thrown 83.2 innings with a 1.67.

Bearcat senior second baseman Abby Nolte said facing top pitchers in the conference is not something the Bearcats think about a lot.

“Coach’s first year, we used to look into the pitching, but now, go in there with no game plan,” Nolte said. “Pretty much the first time that we’ll see the pitcher will be basically when they’re warming up, like, for the first inning, like, when we’re gonna hit, but we try to obviously watch the pitchers in warm-up throws before the game starts and just trying to identify patterns that pitchers might have.”

readies for final meet of regular season with road trip south next up

Northwest golf is headed to Springfield, Missouri, April 8-9 for the Arkansas Tech University Spring Invitational.

The Bearcats will play their final tournament of the regular season before the MIAA Championships at the Rivercut Golf Course. Coach Andy Peterson said he is preparing the team for its first time on the course.

“It is all about course management,” Peterson said. “Feeling good about where you’re at and trying to get into a good routine. We will have a practice round on April 7 when we arrive to get some familiarity. I’m not sure if the girls have gotten a chance to play down there in the past, so

this will be a good test for them.” Junior Paige Hoffman has been breaking records seemingly every time she steps out on the course, having the record for lowest 18hole shot total with 68 twice, both being in the 2023 season at the Midwest Intercollegiate and in the NCAA Central Region Tournaments. She is also the year-byyear stroke leader with an average score of 75.43, and she has already entered the top five in top-ten finishes in tournaments with 15.

Maryville girls soccer kicked off play in the Smithville Round Robin Tournament against the hosts, Smithville, at 4 p.m. April 2 in Smithville, Missouri.

Matches were set to begin for the Spoofhounds April 1 against Staley, but due to more inclement weather, it was postponed to 5 p.m. April 3 in Smithville.

Nevertheless, neither the Spoofhounds nor the Warriors were able to exploit the opposing defense. Lack of finishing-off chances in the attacking third was a key component. Shots throughout the match could not find anywhere other than the goalkeeper’s hands, which overall produced a 0-0 draw. Nothing could separate the sides, but Maryville will leave with a much better result than the 8-0 loss to the Warriors April 4, 2023.

Junior midfielder Ryesen Stiens said she was proud of her team’s performance in the first game of the tournament despite the result.

“I thought we played really good,” Stiens said. “I was proud of the team for playing aggressive, (the Warriors are) a really good team.”

Heading into a quick turnaround due to the postponed match versus the Falcons (2-3), the Spoofhounds will have to rest up quickly and prepare for the rest of the week.

Playing multiple games in such a short amount of time can be hard for any athlete. Soccer, though, in general, demands trained endurance and recovery methods due to its speed and nature of play. Coach Stephanie Ingram said the upcoming action will especially test the fitness of her team, given the jam-packed week.

“A lot of tired legs,” Ingram said. “I think we only subbed out two girls in the Smithville game. We’re just going to try to get more players in there to space out playing time and get girls rest. Also, just focusing on those things outside of games,

like stretching, and a lot of girls do like ice baths.” Last season, the Spoofhounds suffered a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Falcons. Ingram has been emphasizing the importance of passing and receiving in training leading up to the rematch to be ready to compete with a talented Staley squad.