Northwest Missourian April 18, 2024

BIG GREEN MOVE OUT

Students prompted to donate unused items

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nodaway County is putting together its semesterly Big Green Move Out as summer approaches by placing bins in each residence hall and throughout town for students to donate items while they move out.

As of April 15, BBSS put bins in each dorm, select stores around Maryville and the BBSS office at 2112 S. Main St. Executive Director of BBSS Lynette Harbin said all of this is in hopes that students will donate their unwanted things instead of throwing them away when they move out.

Harbin said the organization and the University have been doing this for over a decade. At first, BBSS only accepted clothing donations, but as enthusiasm for the event grew, it partnered with the Northwest’s Bearcat Food Pantry to accommodate food donations. The food is then split between the food pantry and the Maryville Ministry Center. This way, students don’t have to throw away clothes and food.

Students can donate kitchenware, bedding, towels, office supplies and more. The only items that aren’t being taken are books, furniture, mattresses, mattress toppers and televisions.

GUIDE TO ITEMS THAT CAN BE DONATED

President Lance Tatum to be inaugurated April 19, campus events canceled

The Presidential Inauguration will be held April 19 to celebrate the inauguration of Northwest’s 11th President Lance Tatum. The ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Bearcat Arena and doors will open at noon. A reception will follow the ceremony in the Lamkin Activity Center lobby. Tatum started his position in June 2023, but said because inaugurations are such large events it took a lot of planning.

“Because this is a very elaborate type of ceremony, it takes a lot of planning, it takes a lot of space and commitment resources from the institution,” Tatum said. “And so you generally look to plan this event, not when you arrive on your first day, but someday within the first year that you’re on campus.”

An inauguration is a celebration of the new hire of the pres-

ODI hosts early events for Asian American Pacific Islander Month

Asian American and Pacific Islander Month starts in May, but Northwest’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion is celebrating it in April for students to be able to participate.

As the school year comes to an end, the ODI is planning and hosting its last events of the year, including the events for Asian American and Pacific Islander Month and for other multicultural students.

“I mean, you have all these outside guests coming in, people are watching, you just want it to be nice. I’m very confident that what we do will make the university proud.”

LANCE TATUM UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT “

Senior Coordinator of Diversity Jessie Peter and Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion Latonya Davis put in the work to plan the different Heritage Month activities. “So, historically, May is considered Asian American Pacific Islander Month, but we are celebrating in April so that we have more student participation before everybody goes out for summer and I think it’s important for us to celebrate this, to acknowledge the contributions these groups have made,” Peter said. The different events that have been held were an interactive activity making traditional leis out of candy and a movie night showing “Finding ‘Ohana.” The next activity to be held is Bowling with ODI at 5 p.m. April 18 at Bearcat Lanes. There will be a shuttle to provide students with a ride to Bearcat Lanes for the bowling night.

“I’m going to be driving a shuttle, so if students need a ride,” Davis said. “We don’t want anything to be the hindrance of students not being able to get somewhere.”

ident and a celebration of their induction into the University. Tatum said he was most excited about the people coming to the event. A lot of people from outside of campus will be in attendance.

Stress Less Fest offers relaxation before finals

Northwest Wellness Services specializes in health of all areas, and stress is a major factor regarding healthcare with college students. Sixty-one percent of college students receive counseling due to stress relating to academics and family issues, and finals week makes it no better, according to

The American Institute of Stress.

Stress Less Fest is hosted by Wellness Services the week before finals to allow students relaxation before studying. With the end of the year approaching, and students eager to go home for the summer, the stress of completing essays and tests dwells. Wellness Educator Suzanne Von Behren wants nothing more than the students’ happiness near finals week.

“Whatever the students want, that’s what we want to do if we’re at all able to do so,” Von Behren said. “After all, it’s their night, it’s their event. We just organize it and host it, but we want them to know that we are here for them.”

Last semester, Stress Less Fest had over 600 students in attendance. It was the most Wellness Services ever had in attendance for the event, but the employees and event coordinators feel the requirement to attend for freshmen played a huge factor in attendance.

Von Behren organized both events and noted key changes to this semester’s fest. This year, there was around half of that number present. However, it still met Von Behren’s goal of attendance this semester, which was 300 students. Von Behren said since the event was not a requirement to attend, the number decreased.

Around 31% of college students feel finals are the biggest stressor in college, according to

Cross River Therapy. Around 45% of total college students feel stress in university is the highest, and Von Behren wanted this event to lower the levels and ease stress. Von Behren said even if stress is normal and can be good for the body, stress can also be damaging to the lifestyle.

“We want to focus on ways to decrease stress and better ways to cope with stress,” Von Behren said. “We know it’s a stressful time just moving in general, even if it’s graduation. We just want to do that part to be able to decrease that stress.”

We know it’s a stressful time just moving in general, even if it’s graduation. We just want to do that part to be able to decrease that stress.”

SUZANNE VON BEHREN

WELLNESS

Because of attendance and space issues last semester, Von Behren switched the location from the center meeting room of The Station to the Ballroom of J.W. Jones Student Union to accommodate more students. She said she plans to continue to use the new location as there are multiple rooms on the floor to space out activities.

The Stress Less Fest had activities like coloring sheets, massages, therapy dogs and essential oil handouts. As opposed to last semester, yoga was added as an activity due to demand from students. Von Behren said she added more massage chairs and space for therapy dogs as those were the two most popular activities. However, if a certain activity did not work for a student, anonymous evaluation forms were posted to fill out.

“That’s why the evaluation is so critical to us and so important to us to get that feedback,” Von Behren said. “That tells me as a coordinator of the event, what do students like and what they don’t like.”

Many students wanted to have smaller take home items, so there were tote bags added called “relaxation kits.” Students were allowed to make stress balls, take home coloring sheets and paint their tote bags as another form of portable therapy, and one they could do on their own time.

Von Behren said she was pleased with how the event turned out and wishes to accommodate students and their needs for the future. Above all, however, Von Behren wants students to know that Wellness Service cares about the students and has resources for them if needed and believes a well student is a successful student. After the event, Von Behren said the event was a hit and the custom essential oil making stand would be making it for next year’s event.

“I would encourage students, if they are feeling stressed, they reach out to someone and talk to someone, whether that’s a friend, faculty or staff,” Von Behren said. “There’s no one on this campus that doesn’t truly care about them as a human being and just want them to be successful.”

Northwest Wellness Educator Suzanne Von Behren speaks to students about stress during final week at Stress Less Fest April 15. ALLISON DUARTE PHOTOGRAPHER

Students Kathryn Hoerman and Emilie Sward laugh together while starting on new coloring sheets at the Stress Less Fest April 15. Hoerman and Sward were two of over 300 students at the event. ALLISON DUARTE PHOTOGRAPHER

Northwest student Grace Tattersall plays with University of Missouri-Extension Pony Express Therapy Dog Myra at the Stress Less Fest April 15. Stress Less Fest is hosted by campus Wellness Services once a semester.

ALLISON DUARTE PHOTOGRAPHER

RAIEA SALERNO News Reporter | @RaieaS

EDUCATOR “

Event to promote women's health

Regular mammogram screenings reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer by up to 65%, according to Breastcancer.org. Women over 40 are encouraged to get yearly mammograms, and Mosaic Life Care is offering an event to promote this principle.

The Mammothon event is a two-day special event that will offer mammograms in three of the Missouri-based Mosaic Life Care’s locations: Maryville, St. Joseph and Albany. The event will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. April 19, and 8 a.m. to noon April 20 at Mosaic Medical CenterMaryville’s clinic at 2016 S. Main St. An appointment is required.

A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray procedure designed to find changes in the breast tissue, such as detections of masses in the breast. Yearly mammograms are recommended to start in women ages 40 and older due to an increased risk of breast cancer with age, according to Elizabeth Wende Breast CareBreast Imaging Excellence.

About a quarter of a million people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but among women who attended regularly scheduled mammograms, breast cancer survival rates were between 82.7% to 86.9%, while women who did not have regular mammograms had survival rates that fell between 59.1% to 77.6%

Ryan Milke is the regional marketing consultant for Mosaic Medical Center - Maryville. He works with other marketing consultants for Mosaic Life Care, and he said this team has put together the Mammothon event to allow people in the area who typically work during the day a chance to get a mammogram.

“As a system, we teamed up to launch this two-day special event on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20, just to have some extended hours for women in the area to get mammograms that usually, you know, might not have the opportunity

to during the day since our hours are usually eight to five,” Milke said. The St. Francis Foundation will provide resources to help get mammograms, even if someone does

not have insurance or is underinsured to receive a mammogram. Milke said people can discuss financial assistance options when setting up a Mammothon appointment.

Milke said getting a regular mammogram is good practice for women’s health, especially as it is a good detector of breast disease, of which he said detection is key.

“Women 40 and older who have not had a mammogram in the past year is kind of what we go for,” Milke said. “And then if you have a family history of breast cancer, so women under 40 with a history of breast cancer, they can talk to their doctor to see if it's right for them. It's kind of what we say, and then getting a regular mammogram is best practice for breast care. It's the most accurate diagnostic technique available for early detection of breast disease.”

Lauren Short is a family nurse practitioner with Mosaic Life Care Oncology. She cares for adults with hematological disorders, conditions found in the blood and malignancies, the presence of cancerous cells that have the ability to spread.

Short said during the mammogram procedure, the breasts are pressed between two firm surfaces to spread out the breast tissue, where the X-ray is performed to detect abnormalities. She said a radiologist then reviews the images to determine if there are any abnormalities, so it would take about 30 minutes of waiting. She also said a mammogram is not painful but some women experience mild discomfort.

“Mammograms are important because they can detect breast cancer at an early stage before symptoms are present,” Short said in an email to the Missourian. “Treatment is most effective when breast cancer is diagnosed early.”

Short said women over 40 should also stay up-to-date on cervical or colon cancer screenings. She said other ways women can take care of their health include ensuring they are getting about 30 minutes of exercise a day at least five days a week, getting plenty of sleep and following a healthy diet.

Short said in addition to calling to schedule an appointment for the Mammothon event, people can also visit the Mammothon web page to make appointments and find more information about mammograms and Mosaic Life Care services.

Kris and Kate's opens for summer, owner talks community

“Meet me at the cone,” might be a family's invitation to enjoy the coming summer. The community is invited to enjoy ice cream near a large, pink cone-shaped building, taking some time out of the house to enjoy the nearing season at Kris and Kate’s Ice Cream.

Originally owned by Gary and Diana Powers, Kris and Kate’s Ice Cream is an ice cream shop named after their daughters, Kris and Kate. The new owner Austin Evans wanted to keep the tradition of Kris and Kate’s alive, buying the location from Gary Powers in 2022. Gary Powers wanted to pass it to someone else, and Evans took up the offer.

After buying Kris and Kate’s in St. Joseph, Evans wanted to expand the location elsewhere, choosing Maryville in 2022.

Kris and Kate's is located at 119 W. Fourth St. and is open from noon to 10 p.m. every day. Both locations close in the winter and open back up in March.

Reagan McChristy, shift lead

of Kris and Kate’s, has worked at the Maryville location since its opening. She said her favorite part about working at Kris and Kate’s is seeing the happiness and excitement customers get when they see a giant pink cone on the side of the road, as well as the ice cream they walk away with.

“I’d say seeing everybody happy after getting their ice cream,” McChristy said. “It’s a lot of fun, it’s busy. I enjoy it.”

Kris and Kate’s also specializes in catering for many events like birthday parties, celebrations and weddings. It has food sizing for children and allows multiple ice cream combinations, but it also serves food like nachos and chili dogs. It has other fun additions like live music and car shows for entertainment, but Evans said the main focus of Kris and Kate's is to be a source of community for people.

“It’s super cool seeing the patio filled up with people and phones down and engaging with one another, which is not very common in our world,” Evans said. “That’s really fun about our

businesses, just bringing people together and being a source of happiness for people.”

Evans was familiar with Kris and Kate’s while growing up in St. Joseph. He said the ice cream cone-shaped building was too iconic to let it fade and wanted to keep the pink cone standing for the community. He said he loves the Maryville atmosphere and its busyness.

“You know, a lot of people think of us as an ice cream place, and that’s what we are for sure, but we’re serving happiness,” Evans said. “When people come to us, they’re a lot of times, coming to celebrate something. And we have the opportunity to, you know, get to serve some happiness to these people for these occasions.”

Much like how the original Kris and Kate’s brought Gary Powers and his family together, Evans wanted to keep the same theme. He currently owns it with his wife and family, keeping the business family-owned.

Evans said he loves seeing families gather for the summer, and one customer, Shirley Schmidt, thinks the same. She and her family would gather at Kris and Kate’s for ice cream in St. Joseph. She was even more excited to find out there was a Kris and Kate’s in Maryville when moving from St. Joseph. “We’d spend all of our summer Saturdays out there,” Schmidt said. “I like just being outside, being able to enjoy the time together with friends” Evans said he strives to offer the best ice cream Missouri has to offer and is appreciative of the support Maryville has given Kris and Kate’s Ice Cream. Evans said family and community are his priority at Kris and Kate’s, and he hopes he will “see you at the cone.”

Northwest sophomore Rylee Schmitt and friend Austin Smith pick up their ice cream orders from the window of Kris and Kate’s April 15. ALLISON DUARTE PHOTOGRAPHER RAIEA

INFOGRAPHIC

SOURCE: AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

Maryville Auxiliary members give $10,000 donation to medical center

CRIME LOG

for the week of April 18

Northwest Missouri State University Police Department

April 15

There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in the Fire Arts Building.

April 12

There is an open investigation for stealing in Parking Lot 42.

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

There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in The Station.

April 11

There is a closed investigation for a vehicle accident between Emma Mondorf, 19, and Rory Bredlow, 22, in Parking Lot 59.

Maryville Department of Public Safety

April 13

There was a summons issued to Brayden R. Buck for no valid driver’s license, failure to register a motor vehicle and failure to maintain financial responsibility on the 200 block of South Buchanan Street.

April 12

There was a summons issued to Alea M. Vanvactor, 19, for minor in possession on the 400 block of North Buchanan Street.

There is a warrant for the arrest of

April 11 There was a summons issued to Richard E. Mace, 58, for a prohibited vehicle code violation on the 700 block of Franklin Place.

April 10

There was a summons issued to Troy E. Poppa 45, for driving while revoked and failure to register a motor vehicle on U.S. Highway 71 and U.S. Highway 136.

April 9

There was an accident between Kerrie A. Goerne 34, and Cheryl L. Son , 75, on the 1600 block of South Main Street.

There is an ongoing investigation for tampering with a motor vehicle on the 200 block of West Seventh Street. Meredith A. Ross, 72, on the 100 block of East Fourth Street.

The Mosaic Medical Center - Maryville Auxiliary members gave $10,000 to the emergency department at Mosaic to purchase multiple needed items.

The Maryville auxiliary members donate $10,000 annually with the intention for different departments at Mosaic to purchase specific items. Of the total amount of money donated this year, $7,200 was used to purchase a blanket warmer and the remaining $2,800 will be used as needed to buy fans for individual patients. A blanket warmer is a large cabinet that is used to warm blankets, linens, sterile intravenous and surgical irrigation fluids, according to Steris healthcare. This piece of machinery helps patients who are on the verge of hypothermia.

Kelsi Meyer, the community relations manager at Mosaic Medical Center - Maryville said the emergency department had reached out to the auxiliary members about a need for more fans available to the patients.

Meyer said one of the regulations to avoid cross-contamination at the hospital is providing individual fans to each patient who needs one.

“Every time a patient needs a fan we have to recycle those out, so that can become costly,” Meyer said. Meyer said having these temperature control items available is a critical need as far as patient satisfaction and comfort.

“Having access to those, to just kinda help keep them

CEREMONY

CONTINUED FROM A1

“We have been teasing Jacob (Wood) and Carma (Kinman) that is, almost feels like they’re planning a wedding,” Tatum said. “So it’s ceremony, it’s reception, it’s invitations being mailed, but I’m very excited about the people who are coming to campus next week to be here when we do this.”

Tatum said it would be a great experience for students and people in the community to come and watch.

There are a lot of different components to the ceremony. There are a set of delegates — individuals who work in higher education — who will wear their regalia and march in, similar to a graduation ceremony.

“These are individuals that either I know or they are other sitting presidents from the region or provosts or dignitaries, so that’s kind of a neat thing to see, all the different color gowns and all the different people that come in with that,” Tatum said.

There will also be a set of dignitaries there that are invited guests, not a part of higher education, but a part of Tatum’s family or are close to

as comfortable as possible regardless of what they are going through, I know has been a big benefit for the nursing staff and as well as just patient satisfaction,” Meyer said.

Last year, the Mosaic Medical Center - Maryville Auxiliary members donated the annual $10,000 for the medical-surgical nursing department to purchase a TruRize bed. These beds help patients with their mobility and prevent falling, as well as ensure caregivers the patient will be able to move in and out of their bed more safely, according to Stryker.

Throughout its fiscal year, the auxiliary members host fundraising events and run the gift shop at Mosaic Medical Center - Maryville. This allows it to continue to obtain enough money to donate and purchase items for different departments at the medical center.

Meyer said each year, when the auxiliary members are trying to decide what the $10,000 will go to, it looks at previous years and which departments it has recently donated to.

“So every year the hospital will create a list of wishlist items or items that are needed for that next coming fiscal year,” Meyer said. “So from that list, the auxiliary will choose one. There’s some intentionality behind it, they focus on different areas of the hospital each year.”

The Mosaic Medical Center - Maryville is looking toward a new women’s healthcare department. Meyer said one of the reasons this is being looked into is because

his family.

women go to the general clinic, which is where a lot of sick people also go. This brings up concerns for the health of women who may be pregnant while being around contagious people.

“So we are working on trying to get a comprehensive women’s health clinic established here in Maryville where they’re seeing people for those of maternal age that are trying

There will be a platform party that includes members of the Board of Regents and representatives from the University that will speak during the program.

The keynote speaker will be Jack Hawkins, Troy University’s chancellor, which is where Tatum previously worked. After the chain of office is put on Tatum, he will deliver his address and the program will end.

“So we hope the whole thing doesn’t take more than two hours,” Tatum said.

During the reception following the ceremony, students and the general public will have the opportunity to have their picture taken and speak with Tatum.

“I just like for people to know that the University is doing a great job of making sure that it does well for this,” Tatum said. “I mean, you have all these outside guests coming in, people are watching, you just want it to be nice. I’m very confident that what we do will make the university proud.”

The event is open to anyone to attend and classes and activities on campus will be cancelled after 1 p.m. April 19 to promote attendance.

to get pregnant, labor and delivery, all the way up to when women are needing mammograms,” Meyer said. Because there could be a new department coming into the Maryville branch of Mosaic Medical Center, Meyer said she predicts the auxiliary members will look into the needs of the women’s health clinic for the upcoming year’s donation.

HERITAGE CONTINUED FROM A1

There is a lot of work that goes into planning the different activities for each month, and Peter said it is a great opportunity for students to get involved.

“With all our heritage months, we try to bring different aspects of the culture to our campus and it’s an easy, accessible way for everybody to expose themselves to learn something new,” Peter said. “And it brings people together, it brings that sense of community.”

The Multicultural Graduate Reception is the last event for every multicultural student to have the chance to attend will be held by the ODI at 6 p.m. April 25 at the Pavillion. Davis said this is an opportunity to celebrate the multicultural graduates, and the second time that they have done it.

The graduates’ families are welcome to come, and there will be food offered at the event. Students also have the opportunity to get graduation stoles.

“We’re gonna have some hors d’oeuvres and some snacks and things like that for people to come and just celebrate their kids one more time before they leave,” Davis said. “So we’re going to get their graduation stoles to them. We have different stoles for different heritages.”

Senior Nick Bolton will be speaking at the event with a couple of other senior students, and there will be prizes handed out after the ceremony during a reception. The ODI is partnering with the International Involvement Center this year and hopes to see more students participate in the event.

“So we’re really pumped about it,” Davis said. “Last year was kind of small, first year we were doing it and so we’re really hoping with the International Office that it’ll be bigger.”

DONATIONS CONTINUED FROM A1

“The Big Green Move Out is an event to encourage college kids to donate,” Harbin said. “All the things you are wanting or needing to get rid of because they either won’t fit in your car or you just don’t need them anymore, rather than throwing them in the trash, (find) one of our locations.”

Donation bins will be available in the lobby of each residence hall. BBSS also has bins at Walmart, Sutherlands, Hy-Vee, the Dollar General at 925 N. Main St. and its office, which will have a bin for breakable items. There is also a trailer parked in Lot 20 near Valk Center, which will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for donations.

Harbin said donated items will go to organizations that benefit the community. BBSS organizes the donations based on what it needs and what can go to other groups.

“Some (things) will stay here, things like pencils, pens or school supplies that are gently used, we keep those and give those to our littles,” Harbin said. “We have a back to school fair in August, and we like some of that stuff for (that).”

Much of the donated clothing is transported to the Kansas City BBSS office where it is sold to a thrift store.

“We all need to do a better job of recycling and this is a great way to recycle your stuff instead of it going to a landfill,” Harbin said.

Colden

Hall

is a hazard for

everyone

JOHNSON-NEESER Columnist @TheMissourian

With all these new projects and construction happening on campus, you would expect big and bold changes, however, maybe it’s time to look at what we don’t have going for us — Colden Hall.

Colden Hall houses a variety of classes for those in six different departments, like literature and psychology; however, I wouldn’t be surprised if the University forgot they owned this building.

Colden Hall has several different problems. For instance, bathroom sinks leaking and flooding different floors, the single dropoff zone being closed removing access for disabled students or teachers. The biggest problem of all, there isn’t a parking lot designed for the building leading the different crosswalks and side roads to become the equivalent of Mario Kart’s ‘Rainbow Road’ — in other words a death trap.

The number of times I have shown up at least 20 minutes early and still ended up late to my class solely because I’ve circled the streets and the single parking lot about seven times has slowly become a joke.

I’m just curious to know how the University expected this to work well, and why this hasn’t come up in the many projects that have begun. Truly, I believe I could scream about this for hours on end, the single parking lot available is actually for the Fine Arts Building so imagine hundreds of students from Colden Hall and another hundred for the Fine Arts Building all trying to fit into a spot while rushing for class.

This is the definition of a disaster. People slam on their breaks to miss cars coming through the many blind spots in the area, while other students are desperately trying to not get rammed by a car that isn’t aware we’re all trying to make it to class on time.

The crosswalks that are available in this area have slowly become more of a suggestion than a moment to stop for pedestrians. These crosswalks are also less than a couple of feet apart from each other, leaving little space for a car to break twice. This may be why when cars pull up to the final crosswalk they jump the gun and speed right through. These cars are flying through the crosswalks and it isn’t unreasonable to see a student merely two steps away already approaching the pathway.

After four years of frustrations, I have reached the point of endless critiques and a slight overall distaste for this building. Each morning has become a complete irritant as I drive to campus praying I can find a spot and trying my best not to let this struggle ruin my day.

Even the varying teachers I have had in Colden Hall have an opinion on this, how is it that this building has become the afterthought of campus when students and teachers are both struggling? It is time to make some changes for the safety and well-being of the students, staff and faculty, and I believe the first step should be focused on Colden Hall.

OUR VIEW:

Support your local journalists

There are three things a democracy needs to be efficient and effective: A body of government, voting constituents and the mediator — journalism.

In the United States, we tend to focus a lot of our attention on the government and people, but when it comes to the news, many people can succumb to misinformation.

At the national level, this misinformation is brought on by distrust of biased mass media services, according to a Pew Research Center survey. But at a smaller level, consumers are just not as interested in receiving their information from local sources. The Brookings Institution found that Americans generally prefer to read about national coverage online rather than holding print subscriptions.

In response to small newspapers across the country that are slowly dying off due to lack of interest and support, we need to make a better effort to support local journalists, at both community and student levels.

United States’ citizens are granted all rights and amendments listed in the Constitution, but a democracy is not a one-way street where the government hands out rights and the people remain stagnant. Citizens also have civic responsibilities, which ensure participation in the governmental system.

than acting out of ignorance, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. It also serves as a “check” on the government by making certain elected officials carry out the wishes of those who elected them. You can use your power to make a difference.

Another thing about the news — it affects you personally. No, not every news story affects you all the time, but the laws, regulations and standards created by local boards will probably have an impact on your life at some point or another.

Ignorance isn’t bliss — there would be a dramatic shift in the way society works if you choose to let journalism die.

Sometimes, the decisions carried out by local governing bodies affect you greater than those at a national level, as these boards make decisions regarding area school systems, first responder services, transportation amenities, public works projects and taxes to name just a few. You can often find information on these decisions through your area news source.

Young adults especially should take interest in serving their community through being well-informed about the news, nationally and locally. Even more so if they attend a public school or university, in which local and state laws often determine curriculum and budget. It is important to be aware of these stipulations.

WESLEY MILLER MANAGING EDITOR

Journalism is not dying, it’s changing. Just decades ago, you’d have to wait for the same paper every week or you’d have to wait all day to finally catch the news broadcast in the evening. Now, all of that and more is just a click away. You may not pick up the paper anymore, but we’re still who you go to when it matters most. When something happens, people jump on social media or turn on the TV to see what’s going on — that’s where we come in. When there’s an event, you want to know what’s happening — so provide support to those who you go to for that information.

HANNAH CLAYWELL NEWS EDITOR

Civic responsibilities are optional tasks in which people engage in their communities and work to create a better society. When you ignore civic responsibilities, you are hurting your community, even if you don’t realize it.

An example of civic responsibility is picking up a newspaper and choosing to be informed of the events and information around you. It is important for people to have knowledge of, understand and be involved in said affairs.

Without journalism, and citizens acting on their civic responsibilities, democracy will fail.

The role of the media in democracy ensures citizens make responsible choices rather

SIDNEY LOWRY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nearly every time I tell someone what I’m going to college for, I’m met with the same phrase, “Journalism is dying.”

Over my four years studying journalism, I’ve found that it’s not dying — it’s simply evolving like everything else in the world. Don’t discourage young journalists because people aren’t having the paper delivered to their house every Sunday morning. Without them — without us — there’d be little information on important issues all over the world. Stay informed and support journalism.

Not only does being informed broaden a young adult’s awareness of what’s going on around them, it also gives them a chance to spark change and progress in the institutions that surround them. Not to mention, it also supports their student-journalist peers.

If we disappear, information will go uninvestigated, and justice won’t be served. If there wasn’t local news, you wouldn’t know the truth about anything that’s going on around you. Ignorance isn’t bliss — there would be a dramatic shift in the way society works if you choose to let journalism die. Be informed, make decisions carefully and support your local newspaper.

SAVANNAH

ATHY-SEDBROOK DESIGN EDITOR

I’ve known journalism was going to be part of my life since I joined my high school newspaper staff six years ago. Even so, I feel exhausted and defeated. Newspapers are the watchdogs of the government, the fourth branch of government, and without us, people will lose their right to information. It is devastating to think there may be a future where my job, the jobs held by my friends, may not exist anymore.

AARON HARE ASST. PHOTO EDITOR

In a day and age where misinformation and rumors rapidly circulate as facts online, journalism is as important as ever. It keeps local and national governments in check. It holds people to their word. It provides current, important, trustworthy, accurate and unbiased news. This isn’t only true among local newsrooms, but national publications, too. If journalism dies, then truth and accountability will die along with it.

I am spending thousands of dollars to get a degree in a ‘dying’ industry. Journalism isn’t dying, everyone still reads the news, maybe just in different ways now. Journalism has given me a platform and a voice to speak out on issues, especially for people of color. If journalism dies, so does that voice, and that’s not something I’m willing to accept. So, no, journalism is not dying — we are still here and we’re not going away.

DAKOTA OSWALT ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Each Thursday I hand out the newspaper to my friends, who often reply, “I’m only taking this for you, but I won’t actually read it.” Ouch. Not only does this discredit the long hours I spent writing those articles, but it also discourages me to know they simply aren’t interested in learning about the things going on around them, straight from a local source. Journalism is only dead if you make it dead to you, so please, choose to stay informed on the major decisions happening around you and support local journalists.

HAILEY

Baseball to play last home series looking for tournament spot

Northwest baseball plays its second-to-last series of the year against Northeastern State April 1921 at Bearcat Baseball Field.

The Bearcats sit tied at eighth in the MIAA, but a series win against Northeastern could put them in the running for an MIAA Tournament bid. Northwest holds a 9-18 MIAA record that is tied with four other teams and has had a back-and-forth season to this point.

The Bearcats took the series against the then-No. 8 team in the country, Missouri Southern, in a three-game series March 28-30. Winning two out of the three games in the series, Northwest followed that up with a 2-7 record in its last nine games.

Coach Darin Loe said his team should be well-rested before entering the big series against the RiverHawks.

“Yeah, I mean, we just got done with Newman,” Loe said. “So now we’re going into Northeastern State at home. So yeah, we need to get hot in the last two weekends and kind of see where we sit at the end.”

Junior third baseman Alex Bowers has been a starter since his sophomore campaign and has been one of the few that has stayed since he was recruited to Northwest.

While Bowers’ hitting has improved significantly this season, bringing his average up to .305. He said that is not his most important takeaway from this season.

“Just being just a good

WIN CONTINUED FROM A8

Maryville and Pleasant Hill alike have scored a fair share of goals this season. The Chicks have conceded only two goals in their last three matches, so scoring goals could be challenging for the Spoofhounds against this Midland Empire Conference opponent. Ingram said it’s important to focus on conference games one match at a time.

“The next home games we have coming up will be tough, Pleasant Hill, Pius, Harrisonville,” Ingram said. “But that’s OK, I think the girls are getting to a point where they are more focused each game. When we come to practice, we work hard and focus on what the end goal is. I mean, we always go over like, what do we want

teammate,” Bowers said. “I feel like all of these guys are really close. So, I mean, just kind of keeping that same culture that we have right now just within the group. Even though we’re losing a lot of guys at the end of the year, if we just keep on bringing good guys and just good people to be around, I think that is a big part of a winning culture.”

The Bearcats have their first week without a weekday game since the week of March 3, giving the bullpen some much-needed rest. While the team may get some rest from traveling for games for the week, its practices will remain the same.

Loe said his team will be set up well with the practices but doesn’t believe changing its routine will fix any issues.

“Well, as of today (April 16), it looks like we’re gonna be inside, we had some heavy rains this morning,” Loe said. “So we’ve been working on our field and trying to get ready for the weekend.”

Loe is set to retire following the conclusion of this season, and with his retirement, comes a group of seniors that will also be leaving. Of the group of seniors, right-handed pitcher Quinn Mason has stood out as one of the best on the squad as he sits second on the team in strikeouts with 58, has pitched the secondmost innings on the team with 52.2 and holds a 2-3 record on the season.

Bowers said he is glad Mason has stepped up for the team and ate up some innings giving some of the other pitchers a break.

“Quinn Mason is the guy that

to accomplish, and we can’t get there unless we win each of these games first.”

Ingram said last season’s finish was disappointing, losing 1-0 to St. Pius X in the district final May 19. She said it serves as motivation to the athletes to go even further this year.

“They’re extremely motivated,” Ingram said. “We have new coaches this year, new team, new teammates, and it was a change, but they just want to come back better than last year. Also, not having Pius in our district this year also was a big motivator.”

Maryville will travel across the Iowa state border to compete in the Glenwood Shootout April 27. The first game of the doubleheader is against Treynor at 10:30 a.m. followed by the hosts Glenwood at noon in Glenwood, Iowa.

will be on the mound for us Friday,” Bowers said. “He’s had a really big impact this year. With a few of our arms going down at the beginning of the year, him just being able to step up and do what he’s been doing this year has been really big for us.”

Loe said this group of players are great leaders and he is glad he gets to end his career with them.

Ingram said how this showcase will test her squad’s legs, similar to how it already has this season.

“Back-to-back games like that when we’re traveling that far, we’re going to have to use people off the bench,” Ingram said. You know, get some different girls in there, And I think that’s OK. We need those types of games to practice for teams we will play in state and if we only play who’s in our conference, we’re not going to get that practice. So, just utilizing different girls than we have before.”

Maryville girls soccer extended its win streak to three straight matches after a convincing 8-1 victory against St. Joseph-Benton April 15 at Bearcat Pitch.

After conceding a goal due to a missed touch on defense, falling back 1-0, the Spoofhounds quickly equalized with a deflected finish by junior forward Jalea Price tying the match with 23 minutes left in the half.

In the attacking third, quick give-and-go passing by Maryville opened up play down the wing and through the middle. Despite falling behind in the score, it didn’t affect the overall performance. Price led the team with a hat trick performance. Coach Stephanie Ingram said her team’s play changed after conceding the first goal.

“Yeah, I think when I look at those groups, there’s no other group of guys that I’d rather go out with,” Loe said. “They have fun, and they love each other. They are obviously good athletes and good students. So, all those things combined, it’s a great group.”

“We just kind of went into the game a little rushed,” Ingram said. “But, I think the goal kind of put us in check and then made people realize, ‘All right, we need to lock down.’ No matter what team it is, you need to go into it with the same mentality. So, once the girls started finding their footing, connecting passes, it was really a go.”

COACH CONTINUED FROM A8

In training, Maryville has focused on finishing chances and improving connectivity, which has shown improvement throughout the season. Freshman

Throughout the years, the MIAA has been consistently touted as one of the top conferences in the nation, with three men’s basketball programs earning an NCAA Tournament bid for the 2023-24 season.

While he’s spent some time in Arizona since then, Keeley is not unfamiliar with the MIAA. He served as the assistant coach for Washburn from 2007-09. He’s also been around it with his family as his sister, Cindy Keeley, helped Ichabod women’s basketball win the 2005 national championship and his dad, Mike Keeley, played football (1975-78) and baseball (1976-79) for the Ichabods and was part of Washburn’s 2013 Hall of Fame class.

“Much familiarity with what the level is and how good the league is and how good the coaches in the league are,” Keeley said. “You know, I get that it’s a very, very talented level.”

During his time with the program, one of McCollum’s points of emphasis was on building the athletes to be even better in life than they are on the basketball court.

midfielder Miah Stoecklein said witnessing real-time progress feels good for her and the team. “I think we connected really well,” Stoecklein said. “I mean we have been working on it in practice, so it’s kind of cool to be able to see how we’ve been progressing.”

Keeley has spent the last seven years doing the same with Ottawa-Arizona and said it will continue to be one of his goals as he takes over the helm of the Bearcats.

“In of itself, it’s pretty shallow, but when you’re able to use the things of sports to then you paint the picture of, ‘This is what it might be like as a dad someday,’ or as an employee someday or as a business owner someday. Like all those things are ultimately being used to set the stage for where they go next.”

Keeley took his first step in doing so with Northwest. He said he received the hiring phone call early in the morning of the same day as the announcement, and one of the first things he’s done is call and talk to the players who are already on the team.

“Those guys are Northwest guys through and through, and they’ve spent a week — which has probably felt like a lot longer than that for them — not sure of what’s going to happen next,” Keeley said. “So, you know, now that I’m in place, you know, just having conversations with them and reassuring them as to what my plans are. I plan to get to campus as early as I can next week and hit the ground running.”

Northwest baseball coach Darin Loe hugs Bearcat athletic director Andy Peterson while holding a congratulatory poster April 13.

Maryville girls soccer freshman midfielder Leah Wonderly steals the ball from her opponent during the first half of the 8-1 win April 15.

KAILEEN DOHRMAN MISSOURIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

LIVIN’ THE DREAM

Dreamer talks time with ’Cats

Wes Dreamer has heard his name for a lot of reasons. He heard it over the PA system every time he made a big play, he’s heard it called for all-tournament teams and sometimes he even hears it when he’s just walking down the sidewalk.

It might be from the success he accumulated in five seasons as a forward with Northwest men’s basketball. It might be from the 320 career 3-pointers he made to cement himself at No. 3 in program history. Or, the reason for hearing his name so much might be simply due to what his last name is.

“I get quite a few (comments),

especially if the person doesn’t know who I am, and then they really just, ‘Oh, that’s a neat last name,’” Dreamer said. “It happens two or three times a week if I don’t know the person.”

But, he doesn’t need to worry about that with the Northwest community. Since joining the program prior to the 201920 season, the two have become well-acquainted with each other as Dreamer has gone on to become one of the most successful players in program history.

With the team, he’s won backto-back national championships in 2021 and 2022, five-straight MIAA regular season titles and four conference tournament crowns.

“Nothing’s ever gonna beat those memories,” Dreamer said.

“That feeling never got old, winning that national championship, and it was just such a great experience going through it with those guys and the coaches and teammates. That’s something that I wish every athlete could experience, but it’s a hard one because it’s so worth it.”

Aside from his previously mentioned 3-point mark, Dreamer is fifth all-time in points with 1,864 and fifth alltime in rebounds with 824. For his senior season, he won MIAA Player of the Year and was named an All-American selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

However, for him, he much prefers team success over individual recognition, although it still doesn’t hurt.

“It’s nothing I really care about too much, but obviously it’s a good feeling when you accomplish something and you get credit for it,” Dreamer said. “Especially this last season, I put all I could into this last season, and just getting the award in the end was a great feeling.”

While the Alvo, Nebraska, native’s career with Northwest has come to a close, he said he cherishes the time he had with the Bearcats. And his entire journey in Maryville started with just a bit of honesty.

“Whenever I was getting recruited, (Northwest) never guaranteed a spot or playing time, which I really liked,” Dreamer said. “I didn’t want a coach who was going to guarantee playing time because I think in college you really have to earn it.”

Dreamer took that mindset into his first season with Northwest. While he may be regarded as a 3-point marksman now by the Bearcat faithful, that wouldn’t have been the case in high school.

He said he never really was a 3-point shooter during his time at Elmwood-Murdock and Lincoln East in Nebraska, so he made sure to get in the gym during the summer and work on his shot from beyond the arc.

Despite not being a 3-point shooter in high school, Dreamer made a triple in the Bearcats’ 2019-20 season opener in a 20-point win over Daemen College, and he slowly turned that into being one of those most prolific 3-point shooters to even don the green and white.

“I worked a lot with (thenassistant) coach (Zach) Schneider, who worked with me hours on end trying to get my 3-point shot down,” Dreamer said. “So, props to him for really getting my shot dialed in and my confidence through the roof. It’s kind of like going back to that freshman year, hitting a couple early in my career, it really got the confidence going for the rest of my rest of my time here at Northwest.”

Dreamer and the Northwest community quickly formed a connection. The fans inside Bearcat Arena would make sure to fill the room with cheers whenever Dreamer’s shots would reach the bottom of the net, and he loved the environment so much he elected to come back for his fifth year for the 2023-24 season.

“I had so much fun with the group of teammates that I had and all the coaches and the community — it’s going to be hard moving away from all this,” Dreamer said. “And, that’s kind of why I did it. I had so much fun with all these guys and here at Northwest, and I just wanted one more year to try and cherish it.”

While Dreamer was able to cherish it with a collection of awards and with the Bearcats’ run to the Central Region final, he was also forced to adapt to some adversity.

After Northwest’s 64-61 win over Emporia State Feb. 7, the senior was sidelined for the next three games due to a wrist injury. Dreamer returned with a bang, scoring 16 points in the Bearcats’ title-clinching triumph over Missouri Western Feb. 24, and never missed another contest, despite having to wear tape on his wrist throughout the rest of the season.

WHAT’S IT MEAN TO LIVE THE ‘DREAM’?

“It was very painful,” Dreamer said. “Honestly, it was just knowing it was my last ride, last season with these guys and knowing we really could’ve done something special, which we did. We had another great season, and that added more to the fire of like, I can do this. I can beat the odds, and I can come back and help these guys win.’”

While the injury may have served as motivation on the court, it also provided Dreamer even more opportunity to be a leader to the younger athletes on the team. He said throughout the season he wanted to be a leader on the team, and he was able to set an example for perseverance through a difficult time.

That chapter of Dreamer’s life may be done now, with the next including navigating parenthood, but Northwest is also entering a new chapter with the departure of coach Ben McCollum after 15 seasons with the program.

Dreamer said McCollum’s goal of finding players who weren’t only great on the court but were also great individuals is what sustained Northwest’s dynasty. And, he said, for any incoming collegiate athletes who also want to find success — whether they’re coming to Maryville to play for newly-hired coach Matt Keeley or not — be ready to work for it.

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“Enjoy the process, enjoy the hard times because the hard times are what makes the good times even better,” Dreamer said. “Like, the preseasons here at Northwest, I didn’t want to keep playing after my freshman year of preseason, but just seeing the results that came after that was something I wouldn’t change a single thing. So, it’s just staying steady minded, making close friends and then really just giving it your all and cherishing every moment.”

BEARCAT REBOOT

NW hires new basketball coach

Arguably the greatest dynasty in Division II sports history has found its new coach. After 15 seasons, four national championships — including the only national title three-peat in Division II history — and 12 MIAA regular season titles with the program, it was announced April 1 coach Ben McCollum was headed to Division I to become the helm of the program for Drake men’s basketball.

Days of searching for a replacement to the soon-to-be Missouri Sports Hall of Famer led Northwest Athletics to announce Matt Keeley as the 21st head coach in Northwest men’s basketball program history April 13. “It’s a premiere spot in Division II, if maybe not even the premier spot,” Keeley said hours after the announcement. “I think the biggest resource and asset is the people, both administration that are on campus and the people that are former Bearcats — you know, once a Bearcat, always a Bearcat — and then just even the people in Maryville. All of that stuff is what helps make it such a special place.”

Keeley comes to Northwest after seven seasons with NAIA’s Ottawa-Arizona. He went

113-89 overall, while also leading the Spirit to Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament titles in 2022 and 2023 and to the National Christian College Athletic Association National Championship game in 2021. The Great Bend, Kansas, native is also well decorated himself, winning NCCAA National Coach of the Year in 2023 and NCCAA West

“I think if the biggest problem with Northwest’s job is that they win too much, that’s a good problem to have for any coach.”

MATT

KEELEY

Girls soccer looks to build off three-game win streak

Maryville will stay at home looking to build on its threegame win streak, facing Pleasant Hill at 5 p.m. April 18 at Bearcat Pitch.

In their last matchup April 20, 2023, the Spoofhounds came out with the 2-1 win April 21, 2023. Ingram said there are areas of change this time around due to Pleasant Hill’s talent — and since the team is under new leadership.

“We’re focusing on shielding a lot this week, and releasing the ball quicker off our feet,” Ingram said. “They’re a tough team and they’re a physical team, so we just can’t hold on to the ball as long as we have been. We just really have to connect the passes and rely on our other teammates because they’re very physical.”

Region Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

“I think if the biggest problem with Northwest’s job is that they win too much, that’s a good problem to have for any coach,” Keeley said. “Obviously, very aware of coach Mac’s success, I mean, it’s unprecedented. So, the question makes sense, and it’s logical, you know, ‘How do you follow a guy like that?’ But, you follow him one day at a time and being about the right things and you’re just confident in the idea that, you know, the program is great as well.”

While no official introductory press conference has been scheduled yet, athletic director Andy Peterson made a statement about his thoughts on Keeley and his confidence with him moving forward in Northwest Athletics’ press release.

“I’m very confident in bringing coach Keeley on board to lead our men’s basketball program,” Peterson said. “I’ve known him for a long time having scrimmaged, coached and recruited against him over the years and know who he is as a person and a competitor. He will be an asset to our program, our department, our institution and our community. I can’t wait to get started working with him in this next evolution of Bearcat men’s basketball.”

’Cats to need new starting five after trio transfers to Drake

Northwest men’s basketball will look quite different next season.

That much was already true after it was announced coach Ben McCollum was headed to Division I’s Drake after 15 seasons at the helm of the Bearcats. The changes haven’t stopped there, though, after Northwest announced its new coach to replace the four-time national champion April 13 — Matt Keeley, who spent the last seven seasons with NAIA’s Ottawa-Arizona.

With new leadership on its way for Northwest, the Bearcats’ roster is now already experiencing its own changes after sophomore Bennett Stirtz and juniors Isaiah Jackson and Daniel Abreu all announced via social media April 16 — just three days after the new coach announcement — they

were joining McCollum in Des Moines, Iowa.

With seniors Wes Dreamer and Mitch Mascari already having played their final seasons with Northwest, the Bearcats are now without their entire regular starting lineup from the 2023-24 season.

Northwest does have incoming freshmen Marcus Glock from Wahoo High School in Wahoo, Nebraska, and Joey Matteoni from Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, set to join the roster in the fall.

With Keeley set to move over 1,300 miles from Surprise, Arizona, to Maryville for this new chapter in his life and for the Bearcats’ program, it seems the Great Bend, Kansas, native will have plenty of work to do.

Former Ottawa-Arizona coach Matt Keeley talks to then-senior guard Keshawn Bruner and then-senior guard Kolten Hitt during a break in play during the 2022-23 season. Keeley was announced as the 21st head coach in Northwest men’s basketball history April 13. SUBMITTED

WESLEY

Maryville soccer junior striker Jalea Price moves the ball up the field past St. Joseph-Benton