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NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN

Student minimum wage increases

Due to the recent raise in student employment minimum wage, there is a 30% decrease in the number of student positions available.

Beginning Jan. 1, the Missouri minimum wage was increased to $15 per hour, according to the Missouri Department of Labor. Public employers, including universities, are typically exempt from state minimum wage changes. This time, it was speciﬁed in law that universities are required to comply, according to the Missouri Senate.

Northwest students were all notiﬁed of this change Feb. 16 in an email written by Vice President of Culture Krista Barcus and Vice President of Finance and Administration Stacy Carrick. Barcus said the main concern that has evolved from this increase is Northwest’s budget.

“The impact, obviously, is an increase from $10.30 per hour to the $15 an hour, and so that’s a positive impact,” Barcus said. “We also have to just look within the budget and, trying to ﬁgure out, making sure that we don’t impact employees ﬁnancially, but also have to meet the current budget that we have.”

In order to ﬁt within the budget, all campus departments must decrease the number of hours and/or student employees they have in operation. There is no speciﬁed date by which this must be completed; Barcus said the decisions have been left to these leaders. Most departments are implementing changes as soon as possible.

Barcus said it is important to minimize the amount of student impact these adjustments will have. She said it is a priority to keep students from receiving less earnings; rather, the hope is that the wage increase and the decrease in hours will balance out, and students will make at least the same amount as they did previously.

“Right now we’ve asked our leaders to go back and look at the students and what they’re currently scheduled for, and what that looks like,” Barcus said. “At this point, we’re just letting our leaders go and look at that and see; see what the impacts of the minimum increase looks like for their areas.”

Office of Student Involvement Student Manager Jaeda Hasam said she lost two hours of work. She said in the OSI, the decrease is particularly upsetting because there are a lot of students employed, and there are only so many hours available each day.

Regardless, she said the minimum wage increase does make her happy.

“I don’t really know how they got away with paying us so little in the first place,” Hasam said. Due to the effects on the budget, the Career Pathing Program has ended, effective immediately Feb. 16. Students were notified of this in the same email sent by Barcus and Carrick. Barcus said in the email that any incremental pay associated with Career Pathing will be replaced by the required minimum wage increase.

“Participation in the program (Career Pathing) has remained low, and as a result, resources are being redirected to other student employment initiatives,” Barcus said.

Barcus said once Northwest was notiﬁed of the minimum wage increase, the senior leadership team gathered to discuss the impact. She said the main points of discussion were how to prepare for the change and what the most productive way to communicate this information across campus is.

Barcus said the challenge seen within this increase is ﬁnding a balance between complying with the budget and also taking care of the Northwest student body.

“Our student positions are very important; they’re just very important to the livelihood of our campus, and we need them,” Barcus said.

Campus Chick-fil-A to close at semester due to license changes

ANNA

BAILEY News Editor | @AmBailey16

The Chick-fil-A at Northwest will close operations May 1 after nearly 23 years of service on campus.

Chick-fil-A Inc. announced it will be switching nontraditional locations — specialized, usually smaller restaurant units located inside other buildings — to an “Owner-Operator led” model, in a press release published Dec. 3, 2025. This operational model requires each location to be owned and operated locally, rather than by third-party licensors.

Northwest’s location does not qualify to remain open because it is licensed through a third-party provider, Sodexo.

Northwest Sodexo Food Service General Manager Casey Benton said he is not yet sure of all the speciﬁc details included with this change.

“The CFA (Chick-ﬁl-A) group looked at their business model for the future and the pieces of business within contracted food service; so Sodexo, Aramark, Chartwells, all the big companies that are serving Chick-ﬁl-As now will be impacted, with the stores closing, and unfortunately, ours close.”

Across the U.S., nontraditional locations are seen in university campuses, airports, hospitals, theme parks and many other places, according to the Chick-ﬁl-A website.

NW provost talks plans, experience going into new position

Rose Marie Ward officially started her time as the next provost for Northwest Feb. 16 and is ready to connect with students. Ward is one of nine children and is no stranger to smalltown life, even after coming to Northwest from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. While working at her previous institution, Ward said she commuted an hour from Oxford, Ohio, which has a population of around 22,000 people, so the transition to Maryville isn’t as drastic as it may seem.

“I’ve always grown up in a college town, whether it was Penn State (Pennsylvania State University) or being in Oxford for the last 23 years,” Ward said. “I just love that small town kind of feel, where everybody knows everybody.”

Ward attended Juniata College in Huntington, Pennsylvania, and she said she was heavily involved there, which made it easy for people to know who she was and what she did.

She said because of her involvement, she could do interesting things, such as ask people to see their wallets.

“As an undergrad, I was a little feisty,” Ward said. “I would ask people all the time, I was like, ‘Can I see your wallet?’ and you do that enough, and people hand over their wallets…People would hand it to me, and I’d just start going through it, and they’re like, ‘Why are you doing that?’ I’m like ‘Oh, I’m doing a study correlating personality constructs to wallet contents.’”

She said claiming that it was a study would make people interested in what she was gaining from looking at their wallets. Ward did this to one of her professors, and it turned into her senior thesis project, which she eventually presented nationally.

“Those are the type of the formative experiences that made me the leader that I am — that tries to recreate that kind of environment all the way, but also just knows that when you make a decision, and whether it’s asking somebody for a wallet or what major to be, it impacts more than just you,” Ward said. “It impacts an entire family system, and so I wanted a place where I could do that.”

ANNA BAILEY News Editor | @AmBailey16

HANNAH

Northwest senior Gracie Brendle waits for her drink from Chick-fil-A employee Gemma Murray Feb. 17. The campus location will close May 1.

INFOGRAPHIC BY ANNA CASE DESIGNER

SOURCE: MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Divine Nine sorority returns to campus

MICAH STOLLEY Contributing Writer | @TheMissourian

Applicants at Northwest are awaiting the opportunity to start a chapter for one of the largest primarily African American sororities in the nation.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has over 1,000 chapters and 350,000 members internationally, according to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The Nu Gama Chapter was first founded at Northwest in 1976, but has been absent since 2020. This year, it is making its return.

Assistant Vice President of Institutional Excellence and Global Engagement Shay Malone said sororities like Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. help build a community.

“It’s a retention tool for us on campus,” Malone said. “When prospective students and current students see NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council) members on campus, they see a community; they look up to them as leaders.”

A rush event, the ﬁrst formal meeting to inform interested applicants, was hosted for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.-Nu Gamma Chapter Jan. 25 in the J.W. Jones Student Union. Unlike most rush events, which are open to the public, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. historically hosts private rush events where attendees are not visible to the public. Applicants may not hear back from Delta Sigma Theta oﬃcials regarding their membership in the sorority for over a month.

Joining a chapter of Delta Sig-

HISTORIC TIMELINE OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC.

ma Theta Sorority, Inc. has various requirements for interested applicants. A collegiate membership has a minimum credit hour requirement of 24 semester hours, according to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Members must also have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, but this can vary between chapters. Malone said these sororities create leaders.

“You have (a) high scholastic standard is one reason I want them on campus,” Malone said.

“We need these organizations on campus because you can’t even apply without demonstrating academic success, community service and campus involvement. These students should be, and will become, our student leaders on campus.”

After becoming a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., membership can continue for an individual’s entire life. Once a student has graduated, they can join an alumna chapter. Alumn mem-

North Star Advocacy Center welcomes new leadership

Leadership at North Star Advocacy Center is undergoing a change after 15 years of consistent oversight.

Former Director Linda Mattson has moved on, and taking her place is Wyatt Williams, who previously worked at North Star Advocacy Center as a victim advocate. Williams started at North Star as an intern in 2020; he later permanently joined the staﬀ. He said this position is his introduction to formal leadership.

“I am excited to see how I grow and expand as a communicator, as a professional, to ﬁnd my leadership skills and to ﬁnd out what I’m good at, and I couldn’t do it in a better place, with a more supportive community,” Williams said.

Williams began as director Feb. 2. He said it is a goal of his to maintain the “outstanding” work Mattson did in her time as director at North Star. He said North Star has always been an important place in the community. He said he wants to find ways to expand and continue to excel.

“I’m very excited…I recognize the size and the responsibility of this position, and I hope to be a good steward of the good work we do and a good leader for an

amazing team,” Williams said.

As a victim advocate, Williams said he spent his days prioritizing those he worked with. He said empathy is at the forefront of the advocate’s mind. This is done by providing guidance to the individual and helping them improve their situation.

Williams said the largest diﬀerence between his previous position and the new one is that instead of working face-to-face with those seeking help, he is guiding the individuals providing this support.

North Star’s mission is “Validating and empowering victims of domestic and sexual violence while working to inﬂuence a cultural change,” according to its website. Williams said he feels connected to this statement.

“I think that in times like these, it’s really, really important to ﬁnd an organization that can work with everybody that is willing to cross whatever bridge we can to make sure that someone is being served and being served well,” Williams said. “North Star’s mission has always been very, very close to me, and I really, really enjoy the things we’ve been able to accomplish.”

He said his favorite part of working at North Star is the team culture. Williams said he enjoys working with individuals who all have a common goal.

In his time as director, Williams said he wants to continue

I’m

very excited... I recognize the size and the responsibility of this position, and I hope to be a good steward of the good work we do and a good leader for an amazing team.”

WYATT

supporting the community he has found to love.

“I have my roots here in Maryville, and I really — I just love all of our ﬁve counties we serve,” Williams said. “I found such a close connection with all of them. I love Northwest; I was a Northwest grad; Maryville is my home. In any way I can make it better, I’m going to try.”

bers can participate in community events and are also connected to a network of other alumn. Malone said this sorority provides valuable networking experiences.

“One of the things that we learn in this organization is networking and transferable skills,” Malone said. “I am attending a regional conference in a few weeks, and even in graduate chapters, we are connecting women who have lost their jobs and learning about transferable skills and changing ca-

reers and diﬀerent things like that. There’s a lot of information around careers and career development, and there’s always a network of individuals in these organizations.” Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a career-oriented sorority aimed at helping students gather valuable economic experience. The sorority teaches ﬁnancial independence and entrepreneurship through workshops, seminars and mentoring, according to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

INFOGRAPHIC BY ALEX PENNINGTON MISSOURIAN DESIGNER

North Star Advocacy Center Director Wyatt Williams speaks about his recent appointment to the role during an interview Feb. 20. Williams began this role Feb. 2 after former Director Linda Mattson’s departure.

ALLY JEFFRIES PHOTOGRAPHER

ANNA BAILEY News Editor | @AmBailey16

SOURCE: DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC.

Local animal shelter undergoes rebrand

MICAH STOLLEY

Contributing Writer | @TheMissourian

The New Nodaway Humane Society has helped many animals get adopted over the years, but they adopted something entirely different Thursday — a new brand.

NNHS has introduced a new logo and brand identity after receiving ideas from Knacktive, a student-run full-service advertising and marketing agency program at Northwest. The rebrand follows a year of internal improvements, targeted at enhancing animal care and expanding access to NNHS information and resources, according to the NNHS. Wes Rockwood, a board member for the NNHS, said the rebrand was a collaborative eﬀort with Northwest.

“We worked with Knacktive students at Northwest Missouri State, an on-campus marketing agency, and so we were able to use some of the ideas that they had...compile some of our own thoughts and ideas, and our experiences, and kind of put together a final package,” Rockwood said. Knacktive is a selective, advanced educational experience for undergraduate Northwest students from various majors and professional schools: the School of Communication and Mass Media, the Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business, the School of Fine and Performing Arts and the School of Computer Science and Information Systems. The program is designed to replicate the creative process and teamwork at-

Campus prepares to comply with new ADA regulations

Northwest has two and a half months remaining until all of its websites and social media accounts must comply with the new Department of Justice regulations for accessibility.

The DOJ’s ﬁnal ruling, which updated its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, was published April 24, 2024, by the Federal Register, according to the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ. This created speciﬁc requirements ensuring all online content produced by government-funded entities is ADA accessible.

Northwest’s Director of Student Accommodations and Accessibility Mackenzie Campbell said she this ruling is a step in the right direction for accessibility overall.

“I think that’s the most important thing to keep at the

forefront of everyone’s mind, is that we’re creating a more accessible world,” Campbell said. “I think it’s important to know where they apply…The date for entities larger than 50,000 people is April 24 of 2026, and so we’re included in that because we serve the state of Missouri.”

Campbell said the goal for these regulations is to make the digital world as accessible as the physical world.

She said from a visual perspective, users will not see much of a change. Some possibilities include the addition of alternative text on images, adjustments to the presentation of data in tables and URLs shown with descriptive text, rather than the typical URL layout.

“Really, it’s more on the back end side of things; so there will be structure things, formatting things, that will be available,” Campbell said.

Campbell said it is also encouraged to use language that is

mosphere of a marketing agency.

Students work with contracted agencies to create a brand image.

Rockwood said one reason for the rebrand was to show how important the community is to the animal shelter. One change made to the logo was a change in the name, now being referred to as “NNHS: a community- and donor-supported rescue.”

Rockwood said that 20% to 25% of funding comes from animal control agencies’ contracts, but 75-80% comes directly from the community.

Shelter Manager Kylie Farrow said campus Fraternity and Sorority Life is a large contributor to the shelter.

“Our biggest volunteer numbers are during Greek Week,” Farrow said. “They came in the other day, and they brought

about 20 volunteers in during open hours; so every single one of our dogs got to be walked, every single one of our cats got to be pet, brushed — all of those things. Campus is where our numbers come from.”

Farrow said there is a need for fostering pets, a system where participants can house and take care of an animal temporarily, without needing to worry about the medical bills and other financial needs. Animals with treatable illnesses or in need of socialization, as well as nursing mothers and their litters, are animals that need foster care, but all animals are open to fostering, according to NNHS. Farrow said the spring season is a prime time for puppies and kittens, which she said will likely lead

to more adoptions.

Farrow said the NNHS is looking for more community businesses to set up more adoption events. She said she hopes the rebranding brings more community involvement.

“We go to adoption events in Saint Joe, all the way at Petco, and we’ve done some in Savannah, (Missouri,) at Tractor Supply (Co.), and we are definitely looking into reaching out fto more communities,” Farrow said. “The Pub actually reached out to me, and we’re going to start bringing adoptable pets to Paws at the Pub, and we’re going to try to do a cat event with them as well. If anyone is interested in doing cat bingo, we’re so down. Yes, lots of new opportunities hopefully coming around the corner.”

clearer and more concise, rather than using jargon.

“If I can’t navigate a website with only my keyboard, then it’s inaccessible,” Campbell said. “If a screen reader can’t read through it, and (it) is fumbling over all the parts of it, then it’s inaccessible.”

These regulations must be applied to any website or social media page linked to the University, including those of

student organizations or other groups tied to Northwest.

Campbell explained this by saying “any good or service that the University would provide” is included under these regulations. Campbell said she has been working with University Marketing and Communication Digital Content Manager Ashlee Hendrix to spread this information across campus.

“I’m working with Ashlee Hendrix on putting together a presentation for anyone who has a recognized social media account with Northwest to work on their social media and just make sure that it’s accessible, because we don’t want someone to not have access to information that, maybe, an organization is posting, but they want to be part of,” Campbell said.

INFOGRAPHIC BY ANNA CASE DESIGNER

New Nodaway Humane Society Shelter Manager Kylie Farrow cuts the ribbon to announce the launch of new branding developed by Northwest Knacktive students Feb. 12.

ANNA BAILEY News Editor | @AmBailey16

SOURCE: WORLD WIDE WEB CONSORTIUM

CRIME LOG

for the week of Feb. 26

Maryville Department of Public Safety

Feb. 24

There was an accident between Lorenzo Brinkley 19, and Jami Sybert, 32, on the 1600 block of South Main Street.

Feb. 23

There is an ongoing investigation for larceny on the 1300 block of North Main Street.

Feb. 19

There was an accident between an unknown driver and Colton M. Johnson, 24, on the 1100 block of South Main Street.

There was a wallet recovered on the 400 block of North Main Street.

Feb. 18

There was a summons issued to Makenzie M. Cobb, 31, for profane language in public on the 500 block of West Sixth Street.

Feb. 16

There is an ongoing investigation for harassment on the 300 block of West Fourth Street.

Feb. 15

There is an ongoing investigation for domestic disturbance on the 400 block of Lisa Lane.

There is an ongoing investigation for larceny on the 300 block of East First Street.

There was a summons issued to Koda M. Morey, 21, for driving while intoxicated, failure to stop at a posted stop sign and failure to maintain ﬁnancial responsibility.

There was an accident between Kasinda W. M. Leivan, 19, and Margaret A. Schieber, 78, on East First Street and North Depot Street.

Feb. 14

There was a summons issued to Amelia R. Smith, 19, for minor in possession, littering and possession of a fake ID.

There was a summons issued to Logan S. Zoller, 20, for minor in possession and littering on the 200 block of West Seventh Street.

There were summonses issued to Stephanie M. Federoff, 19, and Lucy L. Donnelly, 19, for minor in possession on the 200 block of East Seventh Street.

Feb. 13

There was an accident between Donald R. Rush, 78, and Judy K. Yount on the 1500 block of South Munn Street.

There was a summons issued to Garrett R. Hough, 20, for driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest, minor in possession and possession of a fake ID on the 700 block of West Thompson Street.

Feb. 12

There is an ongoing investigation for leaving the scene on the 2800 block of South Main Street.

There was a summons issued to Michael A. McNish, 36, for careless and imprudent driving, excessive acceleration, failure to obey a stop sign and no seat belt on the 400 block of North Hester Street.

There was a summons issued to Michael J. Smith, 72, for littering on the 1300 block of North Main Street.

Feb. 11

There was a summons issued to Mya B. Lewis, 19, for larceny on the 1600 block of South Main Street.

Feb. 10

There was an accident between Shelby A. Fairbairn 18, and Alexandria M. Sullenger, 31, on South Market and East First Street. Fairbairn was charged with failure to yield.

There was an accident between Jocelyn E. Schreck 20, and Deloris A. Argo, 88, on the 100 block of South Hills Drive. Schreck was charged with failure to yield.

There was a recovered vehicle key on the 300 block of North Market Street.

Feb. 6 There is an ongoing investigation for a peace disturbance on the 200 block of Volunteer Avenue.

Feb. 5 There was an accident between Joyce E. Peterson, 75, and Ashley N. Aley, 38, on North Buchanan and West Sixth Street.

Council allocates funds to Mozingo

DAKOTA OSWALT Managing Editor | @doswalt_NWMSRN

Bunkers at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park’s golf course have undergone renovations since the fall, but the Maryville City Council allocated more funds toward the project and added on another part of the plan at its meeting Monday.

Council approved a contract with Viridity, LLC for the renovations of the Sechrest 18 bunkers at the park for an amount not to exceed $344,087.35 in September of 2025.

City Manager Ryan Heiland said the project includes reshaping the bunkers and installing new drainage systems and sand around them.

“As they’ve gotten into the project, they realized additional sod was necessary to fully restore the areas impacted during construction,” Heiland said.

The original sod placed near the bunkers was worn down after extensive grading and shaping, so Heiland said around 35,000 square feet of additional sod is needed for proper turf establishment, durability and aesthetics.

The extra sod cost around $12,241.65, bringing the total contracted amount with Viridity, LLC to $356,329. Heiland said Mozingo’s Fiscal Year 2026 fund

CLOSING CONTINUED FROM A1

All nontraditional locations will be evaluated individually, according to the Dec. 3 press release. Airport locations will not be aﬀected by the license changes.

“Chick-ﬁl-A is shifting its licensed location strategy to better serve guests in non-traditional restaurants by transitioning as many as possible to our local ownership franchise model,” Chick-ﬁl-A Inc. said in an email to the Missourian. “Over time, this shift will impact restaurant

for the Bunker Renovation Project was $510,000, so the project is still coming in under budget.

“I was able to get out there last week and take a look at the front nine, which are completed, and it looks really nice, the white sand looks really good,” Heiland said. “Then, just the way they shape the bunkers, they haven’t completely gotten rid of the areas that are still sod, so there’s still a lot of playability…(with) the former bunker areas.”

The extra sod will cost around

$12,241.65.

Mozingo Lake Recreation Park Director Jordyn Greenhaw previously said the new sand, which is supplied by Covia Corp, is angular instead of round. This prevents the sand from blowing away in the wind and averts drainage issues.

Along with the change order to the initial contract, another contract was formed be-

locations on college campuses, hospitals and theme parks.”

Benton said this shift is not a decision made by Sodexo. He said it has not yet been decided what will replace the Chick-ﬁl-A.

“It’s an open conversation,” Benton said. “We don’t know if we’re going to have, like a mini c (convenience) store, or if it’s another branded concept.”

It has not been decided if there will be any necessary construction or cosmetic changes following the closure of the Chick-ﬁl-A.

Sophomores Genely Gordon and Alice Hurtgen said they are

sad to see Chick-ﬁl-A go.

tween the city and Viridity, LLC for bunker renovations at Mozingo.

Heiland said the Watson 9 golf course was constructed in 2015, and while the bunkers are still in good condition, he said they are starting to show typical signs of wear and tear.

Since there are already materials like sand and pipes on site, Heiland proposed to the Council that Viridity, LLC could do work on Watson 9 once ﬁnished with Sechrest 18.

“If you look at the Watson 9, we’re going to have to do something with the bunkers in about 10 years anyways, and so this would actually push that time frame oﬀ for about 20 years,” Heiland said.

Another positive beneﬁt he mentioned was that all 27 holes within the course would look consistent, since all would utilize the same sand.

The Council approved the $17,711.22 cost. Although it was not originally budgeted, Heiland said the Watson 9 Foundation has committed $4,000 toward the project. The city will pay a little over $13,000 using Mozingo’s fund, which he said contains just over $800,000.

Gordon said she enjoys having a Chick-ﬁl-A in Maryville because it reminds her of home, having had locations in her hometown.

Hurtgen said she feels the opposite, having no Chick-ﬁl-A where she is from. She said she goes to Chick-ﬁl-A at least twice a week in Maryville.

“Where I’m from, we don’t have Chick-ﬁl-A, so it’s a really cool thing coming to this school, so I’m like, ‘Oh, I get Chick-ﬁl-A whenever I want,’” Hurtgen said.

Benton said he feels a sense of luxury knowing the group most

PROVOST CONTINUED FROM A1

Since Ward started several weeks into the semester, her husband and youngest son will join her in Maryville at the end of the semester, and her oldest sons are going to stay where they are pursuing their careers and schooling.

She said they talk more than ever, and that she talks with her 11-year-old every day.

“We’ve just, you know, found a diﬀerent way to now — not even a week in — ﬁgure out how to communicate regularly,” Ward said.

University President Lance Tatum was a key part of the selection process. Tatum said he set expectations for the candidates in the ﬁnal interviews.

He said when he ﬁrst interacted with Ward, he noticed her energy, how invested she was and her knowledge of Northwest.

“Right off the bat, you could tell that she had really invested her time and energy into understanding Northwest,” Tatum said.

It took Tatum four days to make the final decision. He said he had to work through who was going to be the best for the Univer-

impacted by this loss is the students, rather than the entirety of Maryville. He said he has spoken to residents who did not know there is a Chick-ﬁl-A in town.

He said he feels let down by the loss of the local location.

“It’s just a disappointment that when you’re running a good program, we got guardian of the brand, which is not something that every store can do,” Benton said. “It’s successful…This team has done a very exceptional job running this store, so I just — the commitment all the way around is going to be what’s, I think, the loss.”

sity, and the feedback he got after Ward’s visit put her out in front. Another key aspect for Tatum was Ward’s comfort level with data and background in student retention.

Ward said to her, retention is thinking about all the diﬀerent ways the University can invest in all of its students.

Ward previously accepted a position at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, but decided it wasn’t the best ﬁt for her.

“Murray State is an absolutely wonderful institution with amazing people there doing great things…But the search process involved some kind of challenging conversations at the end,” Ward said. “In the end, we had to decide what was best for the family, and so we decided to keep going.”

For the next couple of weeks, Ward will have a full schedule of meetings and get comfortable in her position. So far, she said she’s been going around campus and introducing herself to people, as well as asking questions.

“I really mean that I’m here, I’m all in, and I want to get to know and support as many people as I can, and the best way to do that is to get to know you,” Ward said.

City Manager Ryan Heiland proposes an increase in funds for the Mozingo Lake Recreation Park Bunker Renovation Project to purchase additional sod. Along with this, the Maryville City Council approved a contract with Viridity, LLC to work on the Watson 9 course once it has ﬁnished the Sechrest 18 course.

HANNAH CLAYWELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

American schools are failing the children

Children are getting stupider — I’ll just say it. The public education system refuses to help make any actual change. America seemingly doesn’t care its education is ranked No. 31, and that’s deplorable. Public education reform has been a discussion for decades, with origins dating to the 1800s. Back then, the reform people were looking for in schools was desegregation; the reform people are looking for now is much different, but equally as dire. In the past decade, public education has taken a massive hit for a multitude of reasons, whether it’s the lack of teachers or the punishment it faced during the pandemic. All that matters is that our future generations are suﬀering the most.

The COVID pandemic certainly aﬀected the way the grading system is used in the K-12 classrooms.

Grades would be frozen so that students’ grades would not go down past a certain point, but the grades could progress at any time. If the students don’t have to worry about failing the class, there is no incentive to do any of the work. This also teaches children that they don’t have to do their work with 100% effort. Imagine if a firefighter didn’t want to do his job at 100% effort, or a brain surgeon; this way of thinking is detrimental to children who are still developing.

Children are also dealing with severe absenteeism; in urban school districts, 30% of students still suﬀer from this issue. The pandemic forced students to learn from a naturally comfortable environment, which is hard to transition back from — especially with teachers who don’t want to be there most of the time anyway. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Another problem is the shortage of teachers, due to the low pay and the high stress teaching brings. U.S. President Donald Trump withheld $12 billion in funds meant for public schools in his ﬁrst year back in oﬃce.

That $12 billion could easily be used to increase pay for the teachers. That would not only entice more people to become educators, but it would also signiﬁcantly impact the way educators view their profession.

International spending has taken a large chunk of American funding each year. In the past two years combined, America spent $116 billion in foreign aid. That money could have been dispersed into the public education system, but it is spent on funding conﬂicts that have nothing to do with us.

Additionally, high school students are becoming less likely to choose college after graduating. While it is valid to choose a trade, because there’s always a need for those jobs, I just can’t imagine the 55% of high schoolers who don’t choose college are going the trade school route instead.

Public education is failing its students and making them not want to continue learning after their mandatory 12 years. It all boils down to funding in my eyes; teachers don’t care enough to be there because they don’t get paid enough. Students don’t want to be there because teachers are boring and spend more time pushing their own political agendas than educating.

THE STROLLER:

Your Bearcat ﬁnds Diet Coke superior

Yeah, Sprite is good, but have you ever had a crispy Diet Coke? It clears Sprite from miles away. Sorry, last paper’s Stroller — I’m not sorry, actually.

If you know me, you know I always have to have a Diet Coke; at this point, I should be sponsored by Coca-Cola. If you’ve seen me around campus, I either have a canned or bottled Diet Coke in hand.

I’m not just a bandwagon fan — I am a walking bill-

board for Diet Coke. Every day, without fail, there is one in my hand.

My addiction goes way back to my high school years; the levels of aspartame may catch up to me in the coming years, and may even be the death of me, but that’s OK because Diet Coke is worth it every single time.

Sprite is OK, don’t get me wrong, but after a long day, you reach into the fridge and see that gorgeous silver glistening in the fridge light — it’s

time for a Diet Coke break. Nothing can compare to the sound of cracking open a Diet Coke can. After class, while taking an exam or when I’m just needing a good beverage, I know Diet Coke will always come through. In my sleep, I dream about Diet Coke and the crispness. The sizzle, the bubbles — the recipe for the best drink ever created. Instead of reaching for a Redbull or an Alani Nu, I reach for a Diet Coke; the caffeine is enough to kickstart

my heart. I could go on and on about how Diet Coke is the best soda to bless the earth, but that may bore you; you wouldn’t want to read a 300-word story about how it’s the best. If you disagree with me, ﬁne, argue with the wall. Diet Coke is the best drink. It’s OK if you don’t agree — I know I am right.

OUR VIEW:

Minimum wage increase has unexpected downsides

Northwest announced the minimum wage for student employees was raised to $15 per hour Feb. 16 to comply with regulations regarding minimum wage in Missouri. This sounds amazing at ﬁrst, but it’s important for students to know everything this will impact.

Making $15 per hour is great.

Living with a $10.30 per hour paycheck was hard on a lot of students, the Editorial Board included. However, we have already started to see the negative effects this is also bringing.

This transition will cause possibly detrimental changes for a large number of students on campus. We hope the University continues to be transparent and answer our questions during this shift.

For all oﬃces and departments, it was made clear 30% of the pay or student employee positions for each needed to be cut. A lot of students have an on-campus job, so for this change to come, it raises a lot of questions, especially if they will continue to have a job in the coming months or years.

This makes sense. Raising the pay rate by almost $5 is a lot, and there would have to be adjust-

YOUR VIEW:

How do you feel about the raise in student employment minimum wage?

ments made to make this feasible. However, most of us are not actually experiencing the raise because our hours are being cut. Luckily, most students we have talked to on campus have said their hours are evening out to a point that they will still be making the same amount as before, just working fewer hours.

As students, not documenting the hours we actually work may seem unfair, and the work we are putting in may seem like it’s for nothing — but in reality, when we enter the real-life workplace, it will be about the same. It hurts not having money in college, but past college, that’s life. A lot of the student employee supervisors on campus are also working with students to make sure they aren’t working over the time they are able to put on timesheets.

With the change happening so quickly, students are unsure what student employment will look like next year or even for the rest of the semester. Many of them are left wondering if they will have a job when they come back from spring break.

Some of us rely on on-campus jobs to pay our bills, whether that’s simply our car insurance

BELLA COMPARATO

Senior Creative Writing and Publishing

“I saw the email, and I was kind of excited because I had an interview scheduled...They said at this time they had to cancel my interview because of the wage increase, which was really disappointing for me, because (I’m a) broke college student.”

KAITLYN

Junior Early Childhood Education

O’BRIEN

or our entire rent. It’s stressful to have so many uncertainties at this time, but this is a transition for everyone, including our supervisors, who have to make the tough calls about cuts. However, it is important for everyone in charge of those decisions to make them as timely as they can.

Student employees are vital to how Northwest runs — we are told that almost every day. Many people have said this for years. This minimum wage raise is also a requirement the University has to follow. Ask questions and understand how this is going to impact you individually. Every student employee is going to feel the effects of this differently.

Also, understand this change isn’t something the University is doing to cut hours or get rid of student employees. It was specified in law that universities have to comply with the minimum wage changes. It may seem sudden, but it’s something that’s been in the works for a while.

You are allowed to feel how you want to feel about these changes, but remember, it was out of the University’s hands to deal with.

“I thought it was a good thing at ﬁrst. I’m going to get paid more. I currently have three jobs on campus. It wasn’t really transparent enough that our hours were going to get cut. I heard it through a grapevine that my hours would be cut.”

NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN

“I think it’s redundant. It doesn’t make sense to make that kind of move. I’m also struggling job-wise, because the job scene in Maryville sucks. I feel like it makes things worse; it shrinks the options even more.”

CARTOONIST

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

RYAN KING Missourian Columnist

@TheMissourian

Dazzlers perform at regional competition; led

by junior dancers

OLIVIA WALLACE Sports Editor | @_oliviawallace_

With school closings due to the weather hitting the northwest Missouri area altering schedules, the Maryville High School Dazzlers dance team has five days to prepare for the Missouri state dance competition Feb. 28 — right after ﬁnishing in the Top 10 at its most recent competition.

The Dazzlers, in Division 2, placed No. 3 in their pom routine and No. 2 in their lyrical routine at Lee’s Summit North Regional competition Feb. 21 at Lee’s Summit North High School — the highest the team has placed at the competition.

Coach Kensley Wood said with the weather and the cancellations of competitions, conditions have prepared the team to bounce back quickly.

“I think they are ready,” Wood said. “I think the part that sucks about the postponement is that we usually take the judges’ critiques and make changes to our routine before state. With it being a week before State — that’s not really an option anymore. We are taking it head-on; we could take it as a pre-performance right before State.”

The team is taking full advantage of halftime performances to not only show oﬀ the dances they are taking to state, but also see what needs to be ﬁxed before the big performance.

Wood said the team is still young but can place higher than last season at the state competition. The team has three juniors

UPCOMING GAMES

@ Newman

7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 Wichita, Kansas

@ Emporia State

3:30 p.m. Feb. 28 Emporia, Kansas

NW WBB

@ Newman

5:30 p.m. Feb. 26

Wichita, Kansas

@ Emporia State

1:30 p.m. Feb. 28

Emporia, Kansas

NW TENNIS

@ Ouachita Baptist

1 p.m. Feb. 28

Arkadelphia, Arkansas

NW GOLF

@ Diffee Ford Lincoln Invitational March 2-3

Edmond, Oklahoma

who have helped guide the team to the Top 10 finishes in the last few competitions: Teagan Brandkamp, Kynnadi Damgar and Zoey Hawkins.

“All of them have been there the whole three years now,” Wood said. “I think they have done a really good job taking over for captain purposes. I think it’s been a really long time since we had captains that were not seniors. I think they have done a good job being role models and taking them (the lowerclassmen) under their wings and just being their friends.”

Every year, the Dazzlers do a tradition called “sisters,” where a lowerclassman gets paired with an upperclassman to learn from and who will be there when they need support both on and oﬀ the dance ﬂoor.

The “sisters” tradition is something Wood said has played a key role in prepping the team for the state competition.

With the time winding down before State, the team is going into the competition with one thing in mind — placing higher than last season. Wood said the objective is doable, but the team has to put in more work for that to happen.

“I think our routines are very, very clean and ready to go this year,” Wood said.

Last season, the team placed No. 3 in their pom routine, No. 2 in lyrical and landed No. 4 overall in the state of Missouri. The times for State haven’t been released yet — when they are, Wood said the Dazzlers are ready for it.

TICKET CONTINUED FROM A8

We had a brand new team this year,” Stanley said. “I wasn’t guaranteed the same role I had last year. I was expecting to work for a spot. We have a lot of good players, I was just kind of waiting for my opportunity — and luckily it’s coming at a good time.”

Stanley’s impact begins on the defensive end, where the Bearcats are No. 2 in the MIAA for scoring defense, allowing 58.1 points per game. On the court, Meyer said Stanley is never tired.

Meyer also said defense is the most controllable part of the game — rooted in eﬀort, preparation and attitude — and said Stanley has embodied that identity.

“She’s a high-level defender — an all-defensive team type of player,” Meyer said. “Offensively, she’s grown. We’ve got her playing offball screens with the ball in her hands more, making plays and putting shooting around her — the offense has gone to another level.”

Softball starts hot; 4-game win streak

Northwest softball (12-5, 0-0 MIAA) continued its hot streak into a road trip over the Missouri River — winning every matchup in a dominant fashion.

The Bearcats have won nine of their last 10 games, most recently on a four-game win streak at the Washburn Invitational Feb. 20-22. Northwest outscored its opponents 36-6 and ended two of the games in ﬁve innings on the run rule.

The ’Cats’ 30-run diﬀerence is the largest of any tournament this season.

Head coach Naomi Tellez said creating run diﬀerentials allows playing to be less stressful.

“Our defense and pitching has kept us in a lot of ball games,” Tellez said. “Giving our pitching and defense a little room to breathe gives them conﬁdence…we’re ﬂying around and having a lot of fun while doing it.”

The ’Cats traveled Feb. 20 to the three-day, four-game Washburn Invitational in Topeka, Kansas.

Northwest began with a fast start to the tournament, winning its Day 1 matchup 6-1 against the Rockhurst University Hawks (45). The ’Cats continued to cruise into Day 2, beating the Montana

State University Billings Yellowjackets (2-12) 10-2.

Northwest finished out the tournament still riding high, sweeping its Day 3 doubleheader, each in five innings, winning Game 1 against the Drury University Panthers (5-8) 9-1 and outscoring the Minnesota State UniversityMankato Mavericks (3-7) 11-2.

Tellez said the team played consistently all weekend, ranging from on the field, energy and attitudes.

“We’re really able to focus on what we do well,” Tellez said. “We’re just eliminating the outside distractions, and we show up to the ﬁeld, and we’re ready to play every time.”

Paul Bryant — former University of Alabama football coach, considered one of the greatest college football coaches — coined the common sports phrase, “Offense wins games and defense wins championships,” which the ’Cats took in stride. Northwest sits No. 2 in the MIAA and No. 13 nationally in ﬁelding percentage, No. 3 in the MIAA in put-outs and leads the MIAA in double plays.

Junior outfielder Emma Hague said constant work in practice helps everyone limit errors and miscues that could happen during a game.

“We have those high-pres-

sure situations that we create, so that we are used to that pressure in games,” Hague said. “Also, we set aside time for what we think we need to make ourselves more comfortable.”

The ’Cats will conclude their preconference tournaments with a final trip Feb. 27 to the two-day, four-game Midwest College Classic in Shawnee, Kansas.

Northwest opens the tournament with a Day 1 doubleheader: Game 1 against the Minnesota State UniversityMoorhead Dragons (1-7) 10 a.m. and Game 2 against the Minnesota State UniversityMankato Mavericks 12:30 p.m.

The ’Cats finish Day 2 with their second doubleheader of the tournament: Game 1 against Concordia University St. Paul Golden Bears (6-3) 5 p.m. and Game 2 against the Quincy University Hawks (2-10) 7:20 p.m.

Tellez said preconference tournaments are the hardest stretch of the season because of the constant travel wearing on her players’ bodies.

“Being able to focus on Friday and Saturday and recover, then hopefully catch a bit of a break with single-day games,” Tellez said. “This weekend is the perfect example of how conference (play) is going to be.”

Bearcat baseball beats Tigers in unconventional home-opener

CLAYTON CULP

Missourian Reporter | @claytoonie811

The Northwest Bearcat baseball team (10-5, 2-1 MIAA) is preparing to face the Emporia State University Hornets (12-1, 3-0 MIAA) after winning its homeopener series 2-1 against the Fort Hays State University Tigers (49, 1-2 MIAA) Feb. 19-20 in a cold, setting-changing three games.

The ’Cats beat the Tigers in the conference-opening series 2-1. The homestand was marked by chilly games and changing of stadiums — Game 1 and a portion of Game 2 played at Bearcat Baseball ﬁeld, then completing Game 2 and Game 3 at Kansas City Kansas Community College, in Kansas City, Kansas. Head coach Tony Jandron said the temperature is a part of the game and did not impact anything the team did.

“Nothing changes on our end for cold games,” Jandron said. “We’re in the Midwest and used to the climate. We play the same game just in diﬀerent conditions.”

The series opened with a doubleheader for the ’Cats, their home-opener Feb. 19, and Game 1 started with a bang. In the ninth inning, junior designated hitter John Connors hit a walk-oﬀ single to win the game 11-10. Connors went 5 for 5 at the plate.

Game 2 began at Bearcat Baseball field; however, it was delayed in the eighth inning due to darkness and was ultimately forced to switch fields due to inclement weather. Play resumed Feb. 20 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. The ’Cats went on to split the final two games of the series

against the Tigers, losing 10-8 in 10 innings for Game 2 and winning 9-1 in Game 3. The ’Cats are off to their best 15-game season-start since 2017, where they started 9-6. Northwest now has its toughest test ahead: taking on the Emporia State University Hornets (12-1, 3-0 MIAA).

The Hornets put up a total of 42

runs against the Lions, led by juniors inﬁelder Logan Myers and outﬁelder Noah Steele.

Northwest will play the Hornets in a three-game series over three days, with Game 1 beginning 3 p.m. Feb. 27 at Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia, Kansas. Game 2 begins 2 p.m. Feb. 28 and Game 3 is scheduled for 1 p.m. March 1.

HANNAH TATE Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports

Northwest softball senior ﬁrst-baseman Sara Farlow drills inﬁeld situations during practice Feb. 24. The team has won nine of their last 10 games.

MITCHELL HARVEY CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Northwest baseball junior ﬁrst baseman John Connors celebrates with junior ﬁrst

baseman Connor Wiese after Connors’ home run during the Bearcats’ 11-10 win in Game 1 of their series against Fort Hays State University Feb. 19.

NATHAN NODA PHOTO EDITOR

ONE LAST

Women’s basketball punches MIAA ticket

LEAH COX

Asst. Sports Editor | @byleahcox

As March arrives, there is a different feel for the Northwest women’s basketball team (1710, 10-7 MIAA) — not the frantic feel of the upcoming postseason, but something steadier.

The Bearcats have already secured their spot in the MIAA Women’s Basketball Championships March 4-8 in Kansas City, Missouri, and are closing the regular season with purpose, focused more on daily habits than postseason hypotheticals.

“(It’s) just pretty businesslike,” Meyer said. “‘What’s the next day hold?’ Next practice, next weightlifting session, we take it one day at a time and don’t talk much about anything beyond that.”

That approach has the ’Cats playing their best basketball at exactly the right time.

Northwest is entering its ﬁnal week of the regular season, riding a seven-game winning streak — its second extended surge of the season after an eight-game win streak from Nov. 19 to Dec. 17 — and

will close out conference play on the road.

Seeding for the MIAA Tournament is still up in the air, including the possibility of earning a Top 6 spot and a ﬁrst-round bye, but Meyer said the inside-the-locker-room message has not changed.

“You want to get in and give yourself a chance,” Meyer said. “You want to be playing really good basketball late, and this is the time you want to be playing your best.”

Northwest has not fallen to an opponent since its Jan. 23 loss to the University of Central Missouri Jennies (21-5, 15-2 MIAA) 7759, and much of the late-season push has coincided with a lineup adjustment.

Sophomore guard Brooklyn Stanley stepped into a starting role for the ﬁrst time this season against the Missouri Western State University Griﬀons (11-15, 7-10 MIAA) Jan. 31, where the ’Cats came out on top 75-66. The team has gone 7-0 since then — most notably taking down the No. 20 Pittsburg State University Gorillas (18-8, 11-6 MIAA) 65-59 Feb. 14.

Track prepares for conference, national meet

For senior Truman Hare, the text messages started rolling in seconds after he crossed the ﬁnish line.

His Northwest track and ﬁeld teammates, coaches and friends followed his race from miles away, waiting to see if his gamble — running in back-to-back meets hours apart from each other — would pay oﬀ with a national qualifying mark.

Hare began the weekend at the Northwest Tune Up-Last Chance Meet Feb. 19. He competed in the men’s 4x400-meter relay alongside middle-distance runners juniors Danny Jantzen and Christian Lanphier, as well as freshman Josh Fraker. The group captured the event title, broke the Carl and Cheryl Hughes

Fieldhouse record, recorded the second-fastest time in school history and the ninth-fastest mark in Division II this season.

“Its the ﬁrst time in a year I’ve done that, so it was a shock to the body,” Hare said. “I knew that going into it, that it was going to be something I’d have to do eventually for nationals and conference. I wanted to qualify, but more important than anything, I wanted to prove I can run back-to-back days.”

After the relay, Hare made the 120mile trip to compete at the Steve Miller Invitational hosted by the Kansas State University Wildcats in Manhattan, Kansas, this time racing alone in the 400-meter dash against primarily Division I competition.

Hare raced Division II provision-

al time and a personal best of 46.81 — breaking the Steve Miller Invitational men’s 400-meter dash meet record and beating his own second-fastest time in school history — to claim the title.

Hare said the quick turnaround time required a strict recovery process — a long cooldown shakeout, staying oﬀ his feet, eating well and prioritizing sleep before being able to line up again.

“It was hard — it hurt,” Hare said. “Now, I’m going to be so much more ready (for postseason).”

Hare’s performance highlighted a strong weekend for the ’Cats, boosting the men’s team to No. 6 nationally and No. 2 in the Central Region, while the women sit No. 21 nationally and No. 3 in the region. Both squads trail No. 1 Pittsburg State University in the MIAA conference standings.

“For the most part, on the men’s side, we’re pretty set up for who we think should be at the national meet,” Masters said. “On the women’s side, we do have a little bit of work to do — they’ve got to get the job done.”

More than 50 Bearcats will compete at the MIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb. 27 through March 1 in Pittsburg, Kansas. For some, it will be a ﬁnal opportunity to improve times and secure national spots. For others like Hare, it’s about proving if they are ready for what comes after.

“It’s my last indoor (meet),” Hare said. “I’ve always enjoyed indoor because you get to race and battle each other on the track. I just want to leave it all out there.”

Bearcats need victories to enter championships

Northwest (13-15, 6-11 MIAA) will secure an MIAA Tournament appearance for the first time in head coach Matt Keeley’s career if the ’Cats win their ﬁnal two regular season games. Northwest faces the Newman University Jets (5-21, 1-16 MIAA) 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita, Kansas, and the Emporia State University Hornets (9-17, 5-12 MIAA) 3:30 p.m. Feb. 28, at the William L. White Auditorium in Emporia, Kansas, to close regular season play.

Keeley said the do-or-die reality has given the Bearcats reason to enter a postseason mentality a week earlier than the rest of the conference.

“The mindset is just our postseason has started a week early, in the sense of, you have to continue to win to advance,” Keeley said. “That’s where everyone will be a week from now, whether you’re the number one team in the country or somebody else, everyone is in win-and-advance mode. We start that on Thursday, so it’s just a little bit earlier venture into that mindset.” Freshman forward Robby Garcia has found an oﬀensive spark in his

most recent two games, supplying Northwest with 24 points against the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions (20-6, 11-6 MIAA) Feb. 21, then 15 points against the Northeastern State University RiverHawks (12-14, 5-12 MIAA) Feb. 19. Garcia said being on the road will be a challenge, but the team’s resilience has to be the trait that carries the Bearcats over the hump.

“The ﬁrst time around, we played them (Emporia State) at home, which is obviously an advantage — so going to their place it’s going to be a lot tougher,” Garcia said. “I’m assuming they’re going to have a good crowd because it could be a do-ordie game for them as well…Hopefully, we can knock down some shots.”

The ﬁnal game against the Hornets will have many unusual factors in play, but Keeley said it all falls back on the preparation of his team.

“We played them in December, so that was a long time ago, and now we’re playing them on the road, on what is going to be their senior night; so there’s a lot of variables that go into that game,” Keeley said.

The 2026 Men’s and Women’s

MIAA Basketball Championships take place March 4-8 at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Men’s basketball freshman forward Robby Garcia attempts a right-handed layup during the ’Cats’ 72-65 win over the University of Central Oklahoma Feb. 5.

NATHAN NODA PHOTO EDITOR

KEATON SMITH Sports Reporter | @keatonsmedia

LEAH COX Asst. Sports Editor | @byleahcox

Women’s basketball sophomore guard Brooklyn Stanley shoots a free throw attempt in the Bearcats’ 68-56 win over Northeastern State University Feb. 19.

MITCHELL HARVEY CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER