Trick-or-Treat in the Halls is an event for children and families of Maryville and neighboring areas to walk around campus and visit each residence hall to collect candy from participating students. This took place from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 29.
A tradition that typically takes place around the same time as trick-or-treating is the haunted house usually put on in one of the residence halls. For students, the lack of the attraction this year was evident.
Rose Viau, assistant vice president of student affairs, said although she could not be sure, she believes the reason the haunted house could not happen this year was because of issues with student availability.
“The haunted house takes a lot of work from students,” Viau said. “My guess is that’s one reason why they weren’t able to do it this year.”
Viau believes the haunted house will return in the next few years, though she is unsure of when.
Northwest’s fine arts fraternities and sororities still celebrated Halloween despite this. Sigma Alpha Iota hosted a haunted house of its own in the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building Oct. 31.
Even with the lack of the regular annual haunted house event, families still managed to make the most of the night.
Community member Kyleigh Aksamit said her favorite part of the night was the memories she could share with her family.
“Honestly, getting to see how people decorate the outside of their dorms and then seeing how people dress up, I think it’s super cool to see everybody just participate,” Aksamit said. “I love Halloween and I think it makes it really fun for the kids.”
Aksamit said she brought her son and boyfriend to the event for some fun Halloween activities.
“Considering it’s put on by Northwest, I know it’s going to be a safe environment for my little guy here,” Aksamit said. “I think it’s very big for the people who live here to be able to trickor-treat and things like that.”
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ANNA BAILEY Asst. News Editor | @AmBailey1
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Maryville Parks and Recreation plans projects for upcoming year
As 2024 draws to a close, Maryville Parks and Recreation has plans in the works for three large projects. These projects will increase the versatility of Maryville parks, as well as make them safer.
Within the upcoming year, Maryville Parks and Recreation has plans to restore bridges at Judah Park, add Sunrise Bark Park — a dog park — into Sunrise Park and replace the tennis courts at Beal Park which are in need of repair with new pickleball courts.
Director of Parks and Recreation Jeff Stubblefield said the bridges at Ju-
dah Park have needed to be fixed, but it has not yet been done. This is because it first had to communicate with the Army Corps of Engineers in the Department of Natural Resources.
“The bridges at Judah Park are in desperate, desperate, desperate need of repair,” Stubblefield said. “Because Peach Creek runs through there, we have to get variances from the Army Corps of Engineers in the Department of Natural Resources…that’s why it’s taken so long to do those bridges. But we got the plans now, and (we’ll) hopefully go out to bid here the next couple weeks for the bridges.”
Missourian
BOTTOM PHOTO FILE
Sunrise Bark Park, a dog park for Maryville, has been planned by Maryville Parks and Recreation as an addition to the existing Sunrise Park.
Case closed involving infant found at Mozingo over summer
HANNAH CLAYWELL Managing Editor | @Hannah_9504
A Mozingo Lake Recreation Park employee found the body of a deceased newly-born infant May 25. In late June, the Maryville Police Depart-
ment identified a person of interest, not local to Maryville.
The department was waiting for the DNA analysis from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab. The mother and father of the baby were identified as a 19-year-old female and a 20-year-old male. Both of which
were from St. Louis, Missouri.
A recent update to the case shows there will be no charges handed out. The press release said both the mother and father cooperated throughout the investigation.
The autopsy and investigation showed no evidence of a live birth, and the baby boy was stillborn, according to a release
from Nodaway County Prosecuting Attorney Tina Deiter.
The press release said the mother was not aware she was pregnant.
The investigation is now over and there will not be any enactment of statutes criminalizing the disposal of fetal remains by an individual.
Nodaway students exposed to lifelike car crash scenario
ANNA BAILEY
Asst. News Editor | @AmBailey1
Blood was everywhere; all over the car and the teenage girl. Her parents were crying and screaming for help. Law enforcement rushed to their aid, on scene.
This is the type of scenario students in Nodaway County observed at the Northwest Missouri Docudrama Oct. 9. This presents real-life vehicle crash scenarios with hopes of educating students and promoting safe driving.
One of the event’s organizers, Brenda Neff, lost a child during a car crash in 2007. She said when she heard she could help with the Northwest Missouri Docudrama she jumped on the opportunity.
“I lost a little girl,” Neff said. “She was 3, almost 4. In 2007 we were
hit by a driver under the influence, and it was just after seven in the morning. I was taking my children to school, and so, yes, we lost her.”
She said the goal is for the scenario’s realism to move those watching, the hope being to prevent the loss of more people to a crash.
“We did have some people that maybe got a little affected by it this year,” Neff said. “But honestly, I think that’s good. I don’t want to sound crass about it, but if we’re making it super realistic, then hopefully that means that someone else isn’t going to have to lose their child like the group of us moms that are putting this on.”
Neff said steps are taken each year to make sure the scenes are as realistic as possible. This includes bringing real first responders onto the site, complete with police and ambulances.
Another aspect of this is making
the volunteer actors’ injuries look real. Neff said she helps with the moulage — applying mock injuries for training purposes — and makeup of the people on the scenes.
“We have an actual nurse that helps us and makes sure that the injuries are, you know, look kind of like what they’re supposed to so it’s more realistic,” Neff said.
The motto published on the Northwest Missouri Docudrama website is “Let’s make this thing look as real as possible, with sounds, smells, visual effects, without actually hurting anyone involved.”
However, research done by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shows that there is a link between watching traumatic events, real or not, and experiencing stress symptoms. This research evaluated people’s stress symptoms after watching a variety of tragic events and the aftereffects of that individual’s stress.
This study does not specifically mention the effects of watching mock scenarios of vehicular accidents, but it does say watching an event multiple times can cause harm to the viewer.
On the day of the Northwest Missouri Docudrama, students from across Nodaway County are bussed to the site where they sit before the scenario begins. Maryville High
School offers sophomores the option to attend the event.
Maryville High School Principal Thom Alvarez said sophomores are the chosen class level to attend because they are at the age at which students typically start driving.
“We don’t require students to go to it,” Alvarez said. “I mean, we had several who opt out of it. We make it available to our sophomores, and we usually send something home that kind of describes what the day is going to be like and what the information is that’s going to be received… and if they don’t, then we have an alternate day set up for them at school.”
From each of the participating schools, students can apply to be a volunteer actor in the scenario. Neff said this increases the impact of the scene.
Neff’s first time sharing at the event was also her first time watching the entire scenario. She said watching was difficult. She said when it’s time for the group to watch real car accidents, she steps out.
Neff said she hopes by watching the scenario and listening to the stories of the speakers, people will leave with the understanding that they are not untouchable when it comes to tragedies involving vehicle accidents.
“I hope they just stop and think,” Neff said.
Open panel discussion focuses on identifying fake news
With internet access being found in many households, more people are able to publish their own articles online. This means people need to be cautious and on the lookout for the difference between fact and fiction.
Ask Valk Anything is organized as an open panel for questions about a specified topic for that evening. The topic for the 6 p.m. Oct. 24 event was media literacy.
vices and marketing, which includes running its social media.
A hot topic of the discussion was fake news, which Meneely describes as reporting on a fabricated story, made on potentially unsubstantiated claims. Offutt had a similar definition of the term.
Miller defined fake news as news that is pandering to an audience. He said it’s not about informing the public, but getting views.
One of the panelists was Jason Offutt, a senior instructor in the School of Communications and Mass Media. Offutt was a journalist for 17 years before he started teaching.
Kyle Miller, associate professor in the School of Communications and Mass Media, was also present.
Becky Meneely, a research and instruction librarian in B.D. Owens Library, was the third panelist. Meneely works in digital ser-
“Fake news is outright lies meant to sway people’s opinions,” Offutt said. “It’s disguised as the truth. It’s disguised as news.”
Offutt said no news source is entirely objective, so it’s up to the reader to further research stories.
Miller said it’s important to know the difference between commentators and journalists. Many talk shows feature commentators discussing news in hopes to engage with the audience.
“Fake news is, (when) you know it’s wrong, you know it’s going to confuse the public” Miller said.
He said it is important to look at headlines that garner strong emotional reactions. If the story makes someone feel angry, then they may question the story’s accuracy. Meneely said the B.D. Owens Library has resources to help students become more media literate. She said depending on the topic, different librarians have different experiences with finding reliable sources of information.
A realistic mock car accident sits behind a Missouri State Highway Patrol sergeant as he talks with students from Nodaway County-area high schools about the importance of safe driving during the Oct. 4, 2023 Northwest Missouri Docudrama. The Docudrama aims to be as realistic as possible with sounds, smells and visual effects.
B.D. Owens Library Research and Instruction Librarian Becky Meneely defines the term “fake news” during an Ask Valk Anything session Oct. 24.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
ASTRE SCHLAISS News Reporter | @AstreWords
Nodaway sees red in unofficial results
The 2024 General Election took place nationwide Nov. 5. The county’s loyalty to the Republican Party was shown when the unofficial results for Nodaway County were tallied and read aloud that night at the Nodaway County Administration Center.
The federal presidential race will not be officially called for a few days, due to voting regulations that vary by state. A couple of potential causes of setbacks include absentee and mailin ballots, which may take longer to arrive to county election officials, according to CBS News.
Unofficial presidential election results in Nodaway County show former President Donald Trump and running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance ahead over Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. As of Nov. 5, Trump, a Republican, has won 6,905-2,660 against Harris, a Democrat, in Nodaway County.
Two third-party presidential candidates made their way onto Missouri’s ballot. Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver and running mate Mike ter Maat earned 63 votes, while Green Party candidate Jill Stein and running mate Rudolph Ware gained 36 total votes. A total of 38 write-in votes were cast.
Five candidates fought for the Senate seat, including incumbent Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican, who earned the top spot in Nodaway County. He won 6,55-2,839 against his primary opponent, Democrat Lucas Kunce.
Libertarian W.C. Young obtained 109 votes for Senate, while Better Party candidate Jared Young got 52 votes and Green Party Candidate Nathan Kline got 45 votes. There were five write-ins.
Four candidates ran for Missouri governor. Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe came out on top in Nodaway County. He won 6,865-2,562 against his primary opponent, Democrat Crystal Quade, a Missouri State Representative.
Earning 113 votes, was the Libertarian Party’s Bill Slantz, followed by the Green Party’s Paul Lehmann with 54 votes. There were 10 write-ins.
Constitutional Amendment 2, a sports betting initiative, was not widely supported by Nodaway County voters. There were 5,401 votes not in favor of the amendment and 4,140 in favor of it. The revenue earned through the legalization of state sports betting was supposed to go toward public education if passed, but many critics had reservations about where the money would actually go, according to KCUR.
Statewide, unofficial results show encouragement for Amendment 2, with 72% of voters supporting the legalization of sports betting in Missouri, according to The Associated Press live election results.
Constitutional Amendment 3 reflected similar results. The initiative revolves around the state’s abortion laws. If the initiative passes statewide, it would guarantee a right to reproductive freedom. There were 5,567 votes not in favor of the amendment, and 3,999 in favor of it.
Statewide, unofficial results show Amendment 3 is supported by 51.9% of Missouri voters, according to The Associated Press live election results.
Proposition A was another ballot initiative not generally supported by Nodaway County. The proposition would increase the state’s minimum wage if passed. It received 5,243 votes not in favor and 4,204 votes in favor.
The proposition is supported on
SOURCE: NODAWAY COUNTY MO
Donald Trump wins Nodaway County against Kamala Harris.
6,905-2,660
a state level, with unofficial results showing 57.7% of Missourians voting in favor of the initiative, according to The Associated Press live election results.
Republican Austin Hann won approval to officially become the next Nodaway County Sheriff after winning the Aug. 6 primary elections by nearly 50%. He obtained 8,564 votes, but there were 119 write-ins.
Other positions on the ballot included lieutenant governor, which went to Republican Dave Wasinger with 6,664 votes, and Secretary of State to Republican Denny Hoskins with 6,698 votes. State Treasurer went to Republican Vivek Malek with 6,603 votes.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, Republican, was reelected with 6,948 votes. His tenure as attorney general has been defined by confrontation and corruption by some, due to some lawsuits and allegations he’s faced in the position, according to the Missouri Independent.
All positions local to Nodaway County were uncontested in this elec-
tion. A full list of candidate results and ballot initiatives can be found on the Election Results page of the Nodaway County website.
Unofficial election results are provided courtesy of the Nodaway County Clerk’s Office. All of these results are unofficial.
DAKOTA OSWALT
INFOGRAPHIC BY JULIANNA LAWRENCE DESIGN EDITOR
Missouri voter Abbie Schmidt receives an “I Voted Today!” sticker from Nodaway County Volunteer Poll Worker Chaselynn Wymore after submitting her ballot Nov. 5.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
CRIME LOG
for the week of Nov. 7
Northwest Missouri State University Police Department
Oct. 29
There is a closed investigation for harassment in Millikan Hall.
There is a closed investigation for a trespass warning in Franken Hall.
Oct. 27
There was an accident with Jailynn Hughes, 19, on West Ninth Street.
Oct. 26
There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in South Complex.
Oct. 24
There is an open investigation for a motor vehicle theft in Parking Lot 10.
There is an open investigation for online stealing. There is a closed investigation for harassment in the GarrettStrong Science Building.
Oct. 23
There was an accident between Bailey Ast, 20, and Vinay Gollapalli, 23, in Parking Lot 38.
Maryville Department of Public Safety
Nov. 3
There is an ongoing investigation for larceny on the 1200 block of West Sixteenth Street.
There is an ongoing investigation for larceny on the 900 block of South Dunn Street. There is an ongoing investigation for property damage on the 100 block of South Prairie.
Nov. 1
There is an ongoing investigation for property damage on the 400 block of East Second Street.
There was a summons issued to Shanna L. Ingram, 20, for driving while intoxicated, careless and imprudent driving, possession of a fake ID and leaving the scene of an accident on the 100 block of North Main Street.
There was a summons issued to Lorenza D. Simmons, 21, for driving while intoxicated and failure to maintain the right half of the roadway on the 100 block of West Lieber Street.
Oct. 31
There was a summons issued to Lauren S. Vogt 18, for minor in possession, disorderly conduct and possession of a fake ID.
There is an ongoing investigation for someone leaving the scene of an accident.
Oct. 30
There is a warrant out for the arrest of Nathaniel L. Emily, 40, for failure to appear in court on the 600 block of South Main Street.
Oct. 28
There was an accident with Gregory Brumley , 46, on the 300 block of South Buchanan Street.
There is an ongoing investigation for animal neglect on the 1000 block of West First Street.
PARKS CONTINUED FROM A1
ODI honors next heritage month with events, hoop dancing show
Long braids, feathers, tipis and dreamcatchers — some defining symbols of Native American culture. Northwest’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion is trying to showcase more of the culture throughout November.
1990 marked the first year Native American Heritage Month was celebrated. It was in Presidential Proclamation 6230 that former President George Bush said November would be Native American Heritage Month. November was chosen because it is generally the end of the traditional harvest season and a time of Thanksgiving and celebration for Native Americans.
Latonya “Davis” Harrison, coordinator of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, said she is excited for students to see cultures that aren’t their own.
“It is important students try to learn about their own cultures and other cultures not like your own,” Harrison said. “It is a great way to learn about history, to understand why things happen the way they do. We enjoy spreading knowledge about different heritage months.”
There are three events during the month of November the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is hosting.
It starts at 6 p.m. Nov. 12 in the J.W. Jones Student Union Boardroom with a movie night where students will watch “Killers of the Flower Moon”, a movie set in 1920s Oklahoma. The film focuses on a series of murders of members of the Osage Nation — a Midwestern American tribe of the Great Plains — and relations in the Osage Nation after oil was discovered on tribal land. The tribal members had retained mineral rights on their reservation, but a corrupt local political boss sought to steal the wealth.
The next event is a performance by Eric Hernandez, at 6 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Charles Johnson Theater, who is a Native American hoop dancer affiliated with the Lumbee Tribe. He performed as the lead character and dancer in Cirque du Soleil’s production of TOTEM, which toured over 17 countries.
The month rounds out at 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Student Union Tower View Room, with creating dreamcatchers. Honoring the symbol of life, dream catchers are one of the most enduring and widespread symbols associated with Native or Indigenous cul-
ture. It is commonly believed that the familiar hoop-and-web form is meant to protect sleepers from bad dreams by “catching” them while letting good dreams pass through, hence the name.
The events are hosted in order to showcase a culture that historically has been erased over the past hundreds of years, through years of forcing Native Americans to be moved to reservations and being sent to Native American residential boarding schools. The Indian Boarding School Policy expressly intended to implement cultural genocide through the removal and reprogramming of American Indian and Alaska Native children to accomplish the systematic destruction of Native cultures and communities. The stated purpose of this policy was to “Kill the Indian, Save the Man.”
There were more than 523 government-funded and often church-run Indian Boarding schools across the U.S. in the 19th and 20th centuries. Native American children were forcibly abducted by government agents, sent to schools hundreds of miles away and beaten, starved or otherwise abused when they spoke their Native languages.
Today, compared to the national population, Native Americans have significantly lower median incomes, lower
When creating the most recent Maryville Parks and Recreation master plan in 2020, Stubblefield said the largest request from community members was to add a dog park in town. The master plan lays out plans for the upcoming years including projects that will be completed.
By adding the Sunset Bark Park, Maryville will encourage outdoor activity and increase social interaction between community members with pets, according to Pet Safe.
The dog park will be located on the side of the existing Sunset Park that is next to Depot Street.
Along with the addition of Sunset Bark Park, Maryville Parks and Recreation will also begin repurposing the tennis courts at Beal Park, turning them into pickleball courts. Stubblefield said there are already outdoor courts at Northwest, but none elsewhere in the community.
“Well, the pickleball courts, obviously, that sport has grown exponentially here recently…and the tennis courts that we currently have at Beal Park are not usable anymore,” Stubblefield said.
Karissa Oberhauser, Northwest senior, works part-time in child care and at the front desk at the Maryville Community Center. She said she believes adding outdoor pickleball courts is a great addition to the community, partially because all ages can play the sport.
“I think it’ll be really good, especially the pickleball courts, because we do have a lot of people who come in here to play, and I think having somewhere for them to go where there is constantly pickleball courts will be good,” Oberhauser said.
Alongside these projects, Maryville Parks and Recreation has also been looking into new options for the aquatic center in Maryville. The options being discussed include an indoor-outdoor pool, outdoor aquatic center facilities and renovations to the existing Maryville Aquatic Center.
Stubblefield said the projects planned to be completed in 2025 have been on a list to do for a while.
“There are many projects that we have in the upcoming year,” Stubblefield said. “So we’re trying to take care of some items that have been needed to be done for quite some time.”
homeownership, increasing health disparities and twice the level of poverty. These outcomes are the effects of a system of white supremacy, according to the American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
The month, however, doesn’t just celebrate Native Americans. The month also pays honor to Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and affiliated Island community members — communities that weren’t included until the past couple of decades.
The groups were added to celebrate the traditions and cultures of all Indigenous groups, not just one Native American idea. The addition recognizes the different and distinct cultures of Alaska and Hawaiian Natives reflects their history as well. It also allows for the month to serve as an opportunity to educate the public about the Indigenous populations.
Harrison said she is hoping to honor all groups with the ODI space.
“The office is a place where students can feel seen, heard and represented in many ways,” Harrison said. “We support an inclusive environment for students and promote collaboration with students. Advocacy, focus on programming, (culture and perspectives), policy and campus climate and support a sense of belonging.”
HALLOWEEN
CONTINUED FROM A1
Resident of Perrin Hall Lexi Love said she wanted to be able to give candy to children like Aksamit’s son because of her own excitement for Halloween.
“I love kids, and just seeing them all dressed up makes me really happy,” Love said. “It gives me ideas, honestly, for me, too.”
Advertisements for the annual event were put up long before the event took place, aiming to give families and students ample time to prepare.
While Love heard about the opportunity from her Residential Assistant via a group chat, there were multiple other ways Northwest got the word out, and families like Aksamit’s heard about it from a different source.
“A lot of people at work talk about it,” Aksamit said. “So it’s kind of word-of-mouth out there. I also go to Northwest online so I heard about it through the emails.”
COACH CONTINUED FROM A1
He said they are both avid walkers. However, Mel Tjeerdsma started having problems while he was walking, not having the endurance he used to. That’s when he decided to go in for a physical.
After the appointment, he got a call from the hospital saying he might need a blood transfusion because his blood counts were so low. He told his wife, who thought he was kidding. Carol Tjeerdsma said she tells people her husband is one of the healthiest specimens ever, taking a vitamin every day and never having any hospital visits.
“It was just unbelievable, it was kind of a shock,” Carol Tjeerdsma said. “And you know, then when the reality set in, like he said, we have a strong faith, and we know the Lord’s always in control. So with that faith, that brought us through.”
Before Mel Tjeerdsma could make it to his Monday oncologist appointment, his doctor told him to pack his bags and head to the University of Kansas Medical Center. His doctor suspected he had acute leukemia, and he was officially diagnosed with it at KU MC.
He was admitted to the hospital the week of Aug. 11, and has since undergone
chemotherapy treatments. The Tjeerdsma’s have been staying at an Airbnb in Kansas City, Missouri, due to his weakened immune system.
They said the encouragement from the Maryville community has been unbelievable, and at times overwhelming.
“We’ve had great support from the community,” Mel Tjeerdsma said. “As a coach, I’ve been around a lot of young men in my 44 years of coaching, and the support from them and families has been incredible.” Carol Tjeerdsma said their friends in Maryville are always willing to help out, which means a lot.
“There are many people going through cancer and different diseases that need support, but that support from loved ones in the community and friends is golden, and from our church community, it’s absolutely golden, and we just hope we do the same for others,” Carol Tjeerdsma said through tears.
“It’s all been very appreciated.” Mel Tjeerdsma said he can’t say enough about the support from Northwest faculty, staff and coaches, as well as the Bearcats’ fan base and the Maryville community.
“Everybody has just provided tremendous support,” Mel Tjeerdsma said. “And as Carol said, we hope we can do the same for other people that get in this position.”
Kids from Maryville come to celebrate their Halloween early by participating in Northwest’s annual Trick-or-Treat in the Halls event.
ALLY JEFFRIES PHOTOGRAPHER
School is meant to be safe, but it isn’t
It is 8 a.m. on a Thursday morning. You get on a bus with your backpack and your sports bag and head to school. You’re laughing with your friends in the back, watching the trees fade as you pull into the parking lot.
You are living your life as you do every other day, not knowing that in about four hours, you’ll be scared for the lives of you and everyone around you, standing outside being guarded by police officers, waiting to hear if your friends are still alive or not.
This may be a heavy thought for some, but for many young children in the U.S., this is a reality.
As the Missourian has previously addressed, violent threats and incidents have increased this year, especially around our suburban area. From the beginning of 2024 to the end of October, Missouri alone has had over 200 school shootings and bomb threats. About 29.5% of cases are reported falsely, with many violent incidents coming from gun threats, bomb threats and harassment.
School, for many kids, is a second home; a look into the future, a place to go when they can’t go home and, most importantly, a place to feel safe. Many children are suffering from anxiety and mental illness because their safe spot is being taken away.
Students shouldn’t have to worry about not coming home from school or feel worried about their classmates’ actions, they should be learning — that is what school is for.
Schools are a building ground for our future, with new generations coming in to form a new society. Enforcement needs to take place and guard our future.
The scenario I described before was a real event that happened to my siblings, and it can happen to your family as well. My 12-year-old sister and 14-year-old brother were walking outside because of a false bomb threat that had interrupted their class and changed everything.
The thought of a person’s capability to create and cause so much harm, physically and emotionally, with two sentences is a fear that my siblings know way too well now, and for my family and I, there is no way to fix that feeling. It is not a joke, it is a felony, and an event that can desensitize and harm young students like my brother and sister.
I frantically worry about them at school everyday. I’ve also thought of all the reasons this could happen. Did someone think this was a joke? Does this happen because of mental health problems? What could be the root cause to all of these school threats?
The truth is nobody knows the true reason these bomb threats keep happening, but what I do know is that we can keep this from becoming worse. Protect our future generation at all costs. Vote for politicians that support safety regulations on schools. Check up on your friends, your family, and the young students around you. Love and respect each other and make a school what it is meant to be again.
THE STROLLER:
Your Bearcat is thanking Beyoncé now
There has been way too much conspiracy surrounding Beyoncé recently. I have found myself thanking her in all my daily activities just to stay safe.
I can’t believe she is behind so many tragedies and Kanye West saved Taylor Swift by yelling at her on stage after she beat out Beyoncé for an award. I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of this. Now, I don’t actually buy into any of this stuff, but it is
insanely fun to see the different videos on TikTok regarding the whole ordeal. I see so many now, connecting different deaths to her and it almost convinces me every time.
My favorite thing to come out of this has been TikTok comments on unrelated videos reminding people to thank Beyoncé, or the comments that, when something bad happens, tell people they forgot to thank her.
I will never forget to thank
her. I have too much going on in my life to not. I’m a college student working an insane amount to be able to afford groceries, I don’t need this to turn out to be true and because of the one time I didn’t thank her, now she’s out to get me.
Some days I think about not thanking her, but then I live in constant fear she’s waiting for me around the corner. I’m afraid I’ll walk up to the Bobby Bearcat mascot and it’ll take
off the mask to reveal her. I haven’t thanked her yet today, so here it is. Thank you, Beyoncé, for everything I have in my life. I know you did nothing for me, but I’m scared. I’m living in fear that I’m next on her list. I don’t know why I would be, but you never know. Some people pray before bed. Not me — I thank Beyoncé.
Artificial Intelligence is here, and whether you like it or you don’t, it is growing rapidly and affecting everything in our dayto-day lives — especially when it comes to the creative industry.
Almost 70 years ago, we saw the first forms of digital art come alive, with MacPaint and other vector graphic programs that gave artists a new and improved tool.
Nowadays, you can put a few words into a generator and make an exponential piece of art, but now we have a bigger question on our hands — is “AI Art” real art?
Artificial Intelligence-created art has grown rapidly in the past few years, however, it has a long history. The earliest attempt can be traced back to the autonomous picture creator, known as the A.A.R.O.N System, back in the 1970s and has been able to make autonomous abstract images over decades, according to AI Artists Timeline. During the surfacing of this invention, the same questions about AI art were being asked — is this considered imaginative? Is the work being produced creative?
Software applications that digital artists use — such as Photoshop, Illus-
YOUR VIEW:
Do you consider AI art real art?
LEAH CLARK Freshman Graphic Design
trator and Canva — have recently integrated AI technology into their programs, having tools and accessories that can quickly come up with images and vector graphics. This has been very prompt in students’ education, making it easier to exaggerate their work with ChatGBT, Google’s AI Overview and, now, AI Roaming in art classrooms.
Typing a few words to make a work of art is not the same as the hours-long process it takes to produce authentic work.
One software that now uses AI technology is Adobe’s InDesign, which is what we use to design the biweekly newspapers. This can affect our structure and our use of value in producing papers every other week by using algorithms and different data sets to translate text into images.
Artificial Intelligence isn’t actually “intelligence.” AI art lacks the human touch that makes art so special and emotional. AI models don’t have thoughts of their own. They don’t create art.
When you ask an AI to spit out a piece of “art” for you, it’s not creating; it’s an algorithm rearranging and regurgitating a ton of informa-
“I feel like it’s so easy to just say what you want to a screen and it just makes it. There’s no actual effort or passion into it. There’s no real creativity, and it just doesn’t look good. Honestly, it’s not realistic.”
JOSIE MORGAN Junior Mathematics Education
tion and art that someone else fed it. When you paint a picture, you use your own complex ideas. When AI paints, there is no thought or meaning, it’s just a program.
The problem isn’t that AI is now making art, the problem is that AI is taking others’ art and making it their own, without copyright or royalties. It completely discredits the hours, passion and labor artists put into their work.
Many individuals in the industry have felt the corruption and defeat because they’re receiving no credit The creative market is declining with many artists losing their lifeline and dignity to an algorithm.
According to Systematic Alternatives, the algorithms are specifically programmed to not only recognize images but also to study the styles and techniques The art we are seeing from AI is not the AI’s work, it’s a replication of what AI thinks an artist is.
AI is a tool, and a useful one, but if we let it get too far with no regulations, we will be left bland and dull with no organic thought.
The world needs creativity. We need color, we need structure and we need authenticity.
“I do not believe AI art is real art. I think art is a way to show creativity, show what you’re passionate about, show what you care about (and) show what you want to project into the world and AI just doesn’t have any of that to it.”
NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN
“That’s complicated because what is real art? I would say it (AI) is useful. I would probably not distinguish it as real art, because I believe art comes from the mind and where AI is at the moment, I wouldn’t say it has a mind.”
OUR VIEW:
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BRAEDEN LHAMON Senior Computer Science
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Cross country carries momentum
TREY HOUCHIN
Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports
Northwest cross country will look to carry its momentum into the NCAA Central Regional meet — set for Nov. 9 in Joplin, Missouri — after a record-breaking performance from the men’s team, claiming its first MIAA Championship title in 52 years and the women’s team earning a fourth-place conference finish.
In the Bearcat’s last outing — the MIAA Championships Oct. 26 in St. Joseph at the Missouri Western Cross Country Course — the men’s cross country team collected their first conference title since 1972. The women’s cross country team earned a fourth-place finish, claiming their fourth top-four finish of the season.
The Northwest men’s cross country team finished with 47 points to obtain the MIAA team title. Senior Grant Bradley led the ‘Cats, claiming the individual conference title. Juniors Nate Mueller and Drew Atkins finished in third and fourth place while sophomore Riley Witt finished in 18th. All four earned all-MIAA honors.
The Bearcat women’s cross country team finished with 83 points in the MIAA Championships to collect a fourth-place finish. Senior Alyna Thibault (4th), junior Lydia McGlocklin (5th) and sophomore Mayson Hartley (20th) earned all-MIAA recognition for their top-20 performances at Missouri Western.
Head coach Wick Cunningham said to continue this momentum both teams must remain
“Just with the new guys coming in, making sure they’re comfortable and everything, getting them adjusted to the things that we do here,” Schomers said. “We had nine guys return so we kept them around. With the coaching, mostly just learning how to adjust to his playing style. That
consistent this week in practice.
“Right now we just got to continue to stay on the gas pedal, keep doing the same stuff we’ve done all year — nothing new, nothing fancy,” Cunningham said. “But I think that really the big thing is just making sure that we’re still in a spot to, you know, get top three at the central region championships to continue on to the national meet and that’s ultimately the goal.”
Cunningham was recently named the MIAA Men’s Cross
was the biggest thing but it’s been good.”
Schomers also acknowledged the unpredictability that comes with a different team dynamic and a new coach at the helm.
“There’s not really any pressure,” Schomers said. “There was never really any pressure before. I mean, we’ve always won and everything, so we’ve done that. But kind of, yeah,
AA honors and the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association all-region recognition, including setting the school record in the men’s indoor track and field 3,000 meters (8:28.30) during his collegiate career.
Cunningham was named head coach for the Northwest men’s and women’s cross country teams on Sept. 20, 2021, after serving as a graduate assistant in 2018-19. Since becoming head coach, Cunningham has produced 12 all-MIAA men’s athletes, including the four this season — Bradley, Mueller, Atkins and Witt.
Atkins said Cunningham is the reason the Northwest cross country program is starting to find success.
Country Coach of the Year after leading the Bearcat men’s team to three team titles this season, including its first conference title since 1972 and tallying the lowest team-point total in program history of 25 points at the Griffon Invite Oct. 5. Cunningham is familiar with success, as he was a two-time national cross country qualifier in 2014 and 2016 during his time on the Northwest men’s cross country team from 201316. Cunningham earned all-MI-
with everything, with all the changes and everything, you can’t expect anything. So we’re going to, obviously, that’s the main goal, is to win. But you never know what can happen.”
Senior forward Luke Moustakas said the focus so far has been cohesiveness as a team.
“I think the goal is to definitely win a lot, that’s always everyone’s goal,” Moustakas said. “But I mean, the new coaching staff, you know, kind of a different team, different people in different roles; I think, like,
SEMIFINALS CONTINUED FROM A8
The Spoofhounds held the Irish scoreless in the last three halves of plays against each other, including the match seven days prior on Oct. 25 where the ‘Hounds won 42-0.
The Irish finally found the end zone after a pick-six by Lafayette sophomore middle linebacker Isaac Powell, making the score 48-7. The Irish scored again late in the fourth quarter, leading to a final score of 48-13. Webb is proud of the ‘Hounds defense during the past two games.
“We’re playing really good on defense,” Webb said. “I think it’s being able to stop the run and being able to get them in passing situations. I think we had five different guys get sacks, and that’s always important when you’re facing a spread offense, to be able to get pressure on the quarterback, and that’s been important to get
“Wick is incredible — I was actually his first ever recruit, you know, I toured here the moment he got the (head coaching) job, and I didn’t know anything about this place,” Atkins said. “He just kind of welcomed me in and said, ‘Hey, we’re trying to build something special.’ I took a chance on him and people aren’t coming here just because our team has been great, or the guys on the team, they’re coming here because of Wick.”
The ‘Cats head to Joplin, Missouri, for the NCAA Central Regional meet Nov. 9 in search of a top-three finish for both of the teams to continue their season and advance to the NCAA Championships Nov. 23 in Sacramento, California. Only the top three teams in the central region move on to nationals.
honestly just playing together as a team.”
The starting lineups for this weekend will include Moustakas, senior guard Emorie Knox, sophomore forward Jack Ratigan and senior forward Byron Alexander. The last starting spot is still undecided due to a minor injury Schomers suffered.
The ‘Cats will hit the road Friday to play at the Missouri Western Fieldhouse. They will face Augustana noon Nov. 8 and Wayne State 2 p.m. Nov. 10.
that defensive pressure.”
The Spoofhounds will host the Class 3 District 8 quarterfinals at the Hound Pound against Chillicothe (5-5). While Maryville came out on top with a score of 42-0 during the teams’ last meeting on Sept. 13, Webb says things are different now.
“We played them earlier on in the year but that was a long time ago,” Webb said. “A lot has changed since then. You know, teams change throughout the year with injuries and everything else.”
When Maryville faced Chillicothe earlier this season, they had senior quarterback Matthew Walter as their starter. Walter has not played during a game since he was injured during the game against Benton Oct. 4.
“They attack on defense so we are going to need to stop the run and do a good job of attacking them when we get the ball on offense,” Webb said. “Be able to get a hat for a hat and execute our offense.”
Northwest cross country senior Grant Bradley runs laps during practice Sept. 10.
Bradley took first in the men’s 8K at the MIAA Cross Country Championships.
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Bearcat soccer prepares to make playoff appearance, team talks raising spirits
said although his team gave a lot of effort, it wasn’t enough.
One year ago, Nov. 3, 2023, was the last playoff appearance for Northwest women’s soccer, losing 3-0 to Emporia State. Now it’s back to what teams work toward all season.
Match day is just under a week away, with a Central Oklahoma win versus Newman Nov. 6, the Broncos will host the ‘Cats. On the other side with a loss, Central Missouri will be the opponent in the MIAA quarterfinals Nov. 10.
Coach Marc Gordon wants to make sure the Bearcats keep their minds focused on each other and day-to-day preparation, no matter the opponent at hand. Gordon said togetherness and belief are needed during this time of year.
“Tomorrow’s really focused on the team,” Gordon said. “I know there’s going to be interested people watching that particular game to figure out where we’re going. If you’ve done well enough to get there, you’re a good team. We have to come and play big time and our big-time players have to step up and be those players for us.” Senior defensive midfielder Yesenia Arnau also added that the focus is on mindset.
“We had a meeting yesterday,” Arnau said. “We have nothing to lose at this point. We’re capable of playing and getting results, and we’ve shown that we’re able to play and keep up with ranked teams, and know to come in with a clear head and clear mindset and just go in and just give it our all, especially for the seniors at the last games.”
To get here, the ‘Cats recently suffered a 2-0 loss away to No. 20 Washburn Nov. 1 in Topeka, Kansas. That marks the team’s first loss to Washburn since the 2018 season, losing 2-0 Sept. 28. Washburn, the National Championship runner-up in the 2023 season, played hard against Northwest finding a deserving goal, finishing it off. Gordon
“They have a lot of returners,” Gordon said. “I thought we played them well. The goal they scored, they worked for it, and it was a really good goal to kind of open it up for them. They had a lot of the ball a lot of the game, but, I felt like we did OK for where we’re at right now.”
Bearcats hosted Missouri Southern Oct. 25 at Bearcat Pitch where they came out with a victory
4-1
Northwest faced another defeat in the last home game of the season versus Emporia State Nov. 3 at Bearcat Pitch. Two Sundays in a row, the momentum and possession were on the ‘Cats side, but just missed and hit the post on multiple occasions. Gordon said both matches were unfortunate in the outcome, but this one in particular was deserving of a better result.
“It was like a repeat of the previous Sunday against Pitt State,” Gordon said. “You know, it’s just been kind of a tough stretch but I think our spirits are in the right place. Now, we’ve done enough early in the season that’s given us a second chance to get into the postseason. Now everybody is zero and zero after Wednesday, and hopefully we can start finding the back of the net again.”
Spoofhound boys soccer works toward championship spot
After achieving a state semifinals placement during the 2023 season for the second time in four years, No. 2 seeded Maryville boys soccer are back in the thick of it. They play in the Class 2 District 8 championship against familiar opponent No. 1 Excelsior Springs at 6 p.m. Nov. 7 at Chillicothe High School. Earlier in the season, Sept. 12, Maryville traveled to Excelsior Springs and played hard
to a 2-1 loss. The ‘Hounds will have another shot at the Tigers to avenge themselves and head to the state tournament for a fifth-consecutive year. Coach Matt Stoecklein said there will be some strategic adjustments headed into Nov. 7.
“Before the game, we’re just going to roll more, stretch and ice,” Stoecklein said. “We’ve been on a long trip, so right now, just rest and recovery. But we’re going to try to be more of a defensive strategy. We struggled to score this year, but we also have teams that have a hard time
scoring on us, so that’s what our focus is going to be.”
Coach Stoecklein has seen improved work from his team throughout the year; with injuries and missing pieces, they have worked hard to get themselves back to where they belong. Stoecklein said they have come a long way since the beginning.
“At the beginning of the season, we didn’t know who was going to play where,” Stoecklein said. “We are at the end of the season, we are still moving pieces around. And then, some injuries that needed to be replaced. But the team has done a really good job. So that’s a tremendous improvement from the beginning of the season, how we move the ball as a team.”
To claim themselves the spot in the championship game, Maryville confidently found the back of the net and defeated St. Joseph-Lafayette 8-0 in the Class 2 District 8 quarterfinals Nov. 2.
The ‘Hounds then faced No. 3 seed Kirksville in the Class 2 District 8 semifinals Nov. 5. It was a close game all the way to the end. Both teams played hard, missing many chances on goal throughout the contest, but held each other to a 0-0 draw heading into penalty kicks.
Maryville was given a scare with 30 seconds to play in regular time. Kirksville charged into the Spoofhound’s final third of the field approaching the 18-yard box then fired off a shot that was saved followed by the final whistle.
Maryville already won by a penalty shootout earlier in the season against St. JosephBenton Oct. 8. Having that experience gives an advantage to the ones who have been through it before.
Being prepared and ready for the playoff push is something coach Stoecklein made a priority, especially against Kirksville. He said chemistry and successfully playing with each other is an important skill.
“In soccer, there’s a drill called ‘rondo,’” Stoecklein said. “You’re usually outnumbered, and trying to win the ball in the middle. So, trying to move the ball quickly,
and it’s forcing our kids to keep their heads up, pay attention, because we knew we needed to do that against Kirksville in order to win that game. We had to be
able to control the ball as much as possible, because they were a hard-pressing team. We spent a lot of time working on our touches and just seeing the field.”
Northwest soccer sophomore forward Abby Overbay fends off Emporia State junior defender Abby Bachman while dibbling down the pitch during the Bearcats’ 1-0 defeat to Emporia State Nov. 3.
NATHAN VANDRUFF PHOTOGRAPHER
LANDON CLOUSE Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports
Maryville boys soccer senior striker Tucker Wilmes heads a ball to a teammate during the Spoofhounds’ 4-3 win against Savannah Oct. 21. NATHAN NODA PHOTOGRAPHER
LANDON CLOUSE Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports
‘NOTHING TO LOSE’
Bearcat football wins after bye
OLIVIA WALLACE Sports Reporter
| @_oliviawallace_
After a tough loss to Central Missouri and a bye week, the Northwest football team bounced back with a 42-26 victory over the Northeastern State RiverHawks.
The Bearcats started off on their 25-yard line, junior running back Tank Young gained 10 yards to have the first down for the team. Junior quarterback Chris Ruhnke connected to junior wide receiver Luke Mathews for another 15 yards.
On the next play, Ruhnke attempted to connect with sophomore wide receiver Eric Richardson but was knocked down by a RiverHawk defender. Ruhnke was sacked on the play following – resulting in a 33-yard punt.
Gaining possession back of the ball, junior running back Jackson Miller gained 12 yards for the team. On the following play, junior quarterback Chris Ruhnke connected with junior running back Jadon Brady for a 27-yard touchdown.
Attempting to score, the RiverHawks scrambled to find an open defender on Northwest’s 20-yard line but Northwest senior defensive end Jake Fisher was open to sack RiverHawk sophomore quarterback Dereun Dortch.
“I think just going out there and kind of playing to not give up any first downs,” Fisher said.
“Always getting a stop no matter the circumstance, I think that’s the mindset that we’ve had
Bearcat men’s basketball to begin season with new coach
First-year Northwest men’s basketball head coach Matt Keeley will begin his journey with the team at the Hillyard Tipoff classic Nov. 8-10 in St. Joseph. The start of this season follows a tough buzzer beater loss to Minnesota State in the Men’s NCAA Tournament last season, and the departure of former head coach Ben McCollum. The 202324 team finished with an overall record of 29-5. Going in, the Bearcats were picked No. 4 in the 2024-25 MIAA Men’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll, and No. 3 in the MIAA Men’s Preseason Media Poll. They ranked No. 20 in the preseason top 25 poll by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. New to Northwest’s coaching staff, Keeley was appointed head coach after McCollum resigned to coach at Drake University. Keeley said the goal is to keep the momentum going at Northwest.
“So I’m originally a Midwest guy that grew up in Kansas and lived in the Kansas City area for several years, and so very familiar with the MIAA and prestige of Northwest,” Keeley said. “And so just the idea of getting to work at a school that has unbelievable people and unbelievable tradition and trying to take the baton, keep that going.”
As the Bearcats prepare to start the season,
in the past and through this year too.”
Northeastern State was desperate for a play but settled for a field goal to put the score 7-3 with 4:46 left in the first quarter.
After a fumble on the kickoff, the RiverHawks were on Northwest’s 30-yard line but the Bearcat’s defense stayed stout, forcing a sack and an incompletion. With 0:43 left in the first, Northeastern State settled for another field goal putting the score 7-6.
Starting the second quarter, Ruhnke threw a 12-yard pass to Brady.
The Bearcat offense was now humming and Young rushed for another 14 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 9-yard line. Ruhnke then connected with senior tight end Tyce Hoover to cap the drive off with a touchdown.
“Our defense gives me opportunities,” Myers said. “Gives me stops, gives me four downs to try to, you know, make something happen.”
After gaining another stop on defense, the Bearcat passing attack stayed hot as Ruhnke would connect with multiple receivers including senior wide receiver John Giagiari for a 9-yard touchdown pass to put the score 21-6.
The RiverHawks answered back with a 2-minute passing drive to put the score 2113 going into halftime.
Coming out of the half, junior defensive tackle Clayton Power forced a sack to bring Northeastern State to their own 2-yard line.
On the next play, Myers took a kickoff return to the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown — putting the score to 28-13.
Keeley said the team has faced changes all around.
“Not only first-year coach, but a lot of our guys who have even been in the program are going to be playing new roles,” Keeley said. “And so the whole preseason has been an adjustment, which has made each of our days really important. We got to get the most out of every day. But the guys have bought into it, and so we’ve had a couple scrimmages here early, and we’re certainly ready to go play a game on Friday and kind of measure it up and see where we’re at.”
The team has a mix of seasoned collegiate players, both program veterans and transfers, as well as four freshmen on the roster this season. Senior guard Spencer Schomers said they’ve found some consistency during the preseason with returning players.
“It feels great,” Myers said. “You know, coming onto the sideline and all the guys just coming around me and being happy for me. It makes me feel loved.”
Northeastern State would come back to score another touchdown to bring it within a one-score game at 28-20.
The RiverHawks attempted to punt from their own territory but with a missed snap, the ‘Cats tackled a RiverHawk to get a safety to have a two-score lead at 30-20.
“To have a day like today, I think it was super fun for us,” Fisher said. “We just wanted to keep going out there and keep playing.”
With 2:39 left in the game, Ruhnke connected with Brady again for a 1-yard touchdown to put the score to 44-20. To reach the final score, the RiverHawks scored one last touchdown to put the final score 44-26.
Head coach Rich Wright said he is embracing the team’s ‘nothing to lose’ mentality going into the last two games of the season after losing their chance to make it to the playoffs after the 35-30 lose during the Homecoming game.
“It’s a little bit different around this place,” Wright said. “You know, we’re not used to being in this position, we know when the end of our season is going to be now.”
The ‘Cats will be on the road next weekend as they face the Missouri Western Griffons at 2 p.m. Nov. 9 at Spratt Stadium in St. Joseph.
“It’s a rivalry game,” Wright said. “They are playing better, it’s just going to be another test.”
Spoofhound football to advance to semifinals, talk developing skills on field
The Maryville high school football team (6-4) advanced to Class 3 District 8 semifinals after a second straight win over St. JosephLafayette (2-8) Nov. 1.
Sophomore quarterback Jackson Dredge and junior quarterback Will Sheil helped lead the team to a 48-13 victory over the Fighting Irish, with Dredge starting the game for the ‘Hounds. Head coach Matt Webb is excited to see Dredge develop his skills on the field.
“Jackson had three touchdowns in the first half, so he played really well,” Webb said.
“That’s refreshing to see and I’m very excited to see his confidence grow. And it certainly helps our team when you know they can make plays like that.”
Dredge connected to junior running back Brody Shepherd for a nine-yard touchdown for the first score of the game. Shepherd ended the game with six carries for 126 rushing yards and two receptions for 23 receiving yards.
“Our offensive line has done a
good job all year, and it’s refreshing to see him (Shepherd) score touchdowns and get those long runs,” Webb said.
Senior wide receiver and defensive back Kole Zarbano had an interception and a score in the first half. Dredge connected to Zarbano in the first quarter for a 10-yard touchdown pass making the score 14-0. Each Spoofhound touchdown during the game was scored by a different player, including a 39-yard touchdown run from Dredge. Senior running back Gavin McAtee scored the last touchdown of the first half with a four-yard run, making the score 35-0 going into halftime. “I think that’s important, you know, to be able to be versatile and make a lot of plays,” Webb said. Senior running back Canon Creason ran in an eight-yard touchdown at the beginning of the second half to make the score 41-0. Junior running back Ben Jaster scored the last touchdown of the game for the ‘Hounds on a 20-yard run.
Maryville boys soccer enters postseason play with away match.
Northwest football senior wide receiver John Giagiari tumbles into the end zone as he scores a touchdown during the Bearcats’ 44-26 non conference victory over Northeastern State Nov. 2. Northwest’s offense totaled 188 rushing yards and five touchdowns against the RiverHawks.
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KAITLYN LISKO Sports Editor | @kaitlynmlisko
LEAH COX Sports Reporter | @byleahcox
Northwest men’s basketball then-junior forward Luke Moustakas dribbles along the baseline during a game Feb. 1.
