NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN
First-year Northwest student dies in car accident Sunday morning
First-year Northwest agricultural business student Jase Michael Wilmes, 19, died Feb. 23 as a result of a crash near Clarinda, Iowa.
University President Lance Tatum sent a mass email the same day notifying students, faculty and staff of Wilmes’ death.
The accident occurred around 2:40 a.m. Feb. 23 between Clarinda, Iowa, and New Market, Iowa, where Wilmes resides, according to a crash report by KJAN. It said he was traveling east on 210th Street, near Willow Avenue.
The article said Wilmes, who was wearing a seat belt, was driv-
ing a pickup truck over a hill when it went out of control and moved into the ditch, striking multiple trees and going airborne. After the vehicle landed upside down it became engulfed in flames. Wilmes died at the scene.
Per the statement from the President’s Office, counseling services are available to anyone through Northwest.
Students can call 660-5621348 to be connected with a counselor through Wellness Services, or 660-562-1254 for the University Police Department Faculty and staff can call Northwest’s employee assistance
program at 800-964-3577, or Dacey Hassey, a certified licensed professional counselor through the Family Guidance Center. Hassey can be reached at dhassey@ fgcnow.org or 816-261-3091.
The email said additional crisis counseling support is available to all members of the Northwest community by calling 988.
Funeral arrangements for Wilmes have been made, according to an email sent to students, faculty and staff Feb. 25.
A visitation is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Clarinda High School gymnasium in Clarinda, Iowa. A memorial service is
scheduled for 11 a.m. March 1, also in the Carlinda High School gymnasium. Attendees are asked to enter through the activities entrance on the north side of the building. The Nodaway Valley Funeral Home of Clarinda includes Wilmes’ full obituary. His family is requesting attendees wear Clarinda Cardinal or Northwest Bearcat attire.
EDITORS NOTE
This is an ongoing story that will be updated as more information is released.
Club denied access to arena space
OSWALT News Editor | @doswalt_NWMSRN
The Northwest Horsemen Association was told by the University’s Risk Management team Feb. 21 it would no longer be allowed to use its space in the Edward Phillips Memorial Rodeo Arena. Catherine “CJ” Holthaus is an instructor in the Department of Language, Literature
and Writing. She is also the adviser and coach for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association competition team. Holthaus explained previous events regarding the University and the arena. Holthaus said when the Missourian reported on Facility Services’ consideration of selling the arena in the fall of 2022, it caused distress among students. This prompted students to create a petition, which garnered
Maryville resident dies after house fire Monday, investigation ongoing
A Maryville resident died after being trapped in his home during a fire at 3:51 a.m. Feb. 24. Inside, the home was filled with heavy smoke and flames, according to a Facebook post Feb. 24 from the Maryville Fire Department. This Facebook post has since disappeared from the MFD’s page. Maryville Fire Chief Jace Pine said the MFD received a call early morning notifying them of the fire. “It just so happened the pass-
erby was for some reason, out early in the morning, and then, thankfully, they made the decision to explore a little further into what they were seeing and smelling,” Pine said. He said the fire was likely able to spread because there was nobody around to see it start. If the fire had been at 2 p.m., Pine said, the result might have turned out differently. SEE FIRE | A4
over 1,000 signatures, and attend Board of Regents meetings, though Holthaus said they were unable to present their case.
Holthaus said the University’s then-Interim President Clarence Green met with students. He suggested if those students could demonstrate the space’s value and its benefit to the community, he would encourage the incoming president to allow time for further consideration before proceeding with
the sale. Holthaus said students were under the impression actions would matter, so they got to work.
“In response to Dr. Green’s directive, the club collaborated with the College of Education to provide horses and riders for the Ploghoft lecture, hosted multiple barrel races, and organized a bull riding event last fall,” Holthaus said in an email to the Missourian.
Religion in sports
DAKOTA
Nodaway Veterinary Clinic Veterinarian Dr. Edward C. Powell and Catherine “CJ” Holthaus tranquilize a horse at an educational event Feb. 24. The University’s Risk Management team told the Northwest Horsemen’s Association Feb. 21 they are no longer allowed to use the Edward Phillips Memorial Rodeo Arena.
NATHAN NODA ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
A Maryville man, Scott Ross, 76, died after an early morning house fire Feb. 24 at 1405 Chick Ave. Meredith Ross, Scott’s wife, was able to escape and the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
JASE WILMES FRESHMAN COURTESY OF BEARCAT ATHLETICS
X Ambassadors to headline spring concert
‘Who is performing for the spring concert?’ A question many students anticipate for months.
The wait is over; with days of hints leading up to the announcement from the Student Activities Council, the band was revealed Feb. 21. X Ambassadors — a pop-rock group — will perform 7 p.m. April 4 in the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse.
Co-Concert Director Ben Bueneman said SAC had multiple bands as options, but the option that fit the time frame best was X Ambassadors. He said he knew the performer would not be a country artist this year.
“We knew we wanted to do something different than country, just because that’s something we’ve done the past two years,” Bueneman said. “They had a good time frame…we thought it’d be a good band to bring on.”
Bueneman said the previous co-concert directors had posted a survey asking students what genre they would enjoy for this year’s concert. He said the consensus was to not have another country artist.
Sophomores Ellie Parker and Kiralyn Horton both said they did not go to the concert last year because they were not interested in the performer.
Parker said she likes that SAC is bringing in a different genre this year. She said she knows a lot of students are happy it
is not going to be country music again.
“I feel like everybody was mad because it was country for a couple years, so it’s exciting that they decided to switch it up,” Parker said.
Parker and Horton said they are not sure yet if they will go this year, but they are considering it.
Freshman Leah Mayfield said she has not heard of X Ambassadors and has not
For some, galas are nights of dazzling outfits, laughs over five-star meals and a toast to something important.
This year’s St. Francis Foundation Gala was held 5 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Mozingo Lake Event Center at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park. Community Relations Foundation intern Lauren Kelly said the event had many of those elements.
Kelly is a Northwest senior studying business management and marketing. Between classes, she helped prepare the event.
She said while last year’s gala speaker and donations focused on women’s health, this year the foundation wanted to emphasize this idea further. That is how the foundation decided on the theme, “Shining a Light on Women’s Health.”
They also themed the decor around Paris, including backdrops of French cafés and gardens.
“We live in a maternity desert, so there’s not very many women’s health care practices around the area,” Kelly said. “So we’re trying to bring that closer so that it can be like a hub for women, where they feel comfortable in a safe space.”
A maternity desert, according to March of Dimes, is a place where maternity care is extremely limited or absent.
Kelly said its primary goal was raising money for the upcoming women’s health facility in
decided if she will attend yet. However, she said she thinks it would be a fun event to go to with friends and socialize. Even though she was not here the other years to experience the previous headliners, she agrees it is good SAC is changing the genre.
“I feel that that’s good that they’re trying to give variety…just because they’re (in) Maryville does mean that they’re going to like country music,” Mayfield said.
“So I think that’s good.” For students and faculty, a prepaid concert ticket will cost $10, and it will cost $20 for the public. Anyone buying at the door or day-of will pay an extra $5 with the original price. Tickets will be available on the Northwest website’s Office of Student Involvement page under SAC. Bueneman said he is hoping there is a large turnout at this year’s event. He said in the past two years, it has had between 1,500-2,000 attendees. As in previous years, Bueneman said SAC is working on advertising the concert efficiently. The last time Northwest hosted an artist who did not perform country music was AJR, an alternative band, in 2022. Bueneman said mostly he hopes people enjoy the concert.
“I just hope people like it,” Bueneman said. “I mean, it’s definitely a different genre than what, even with AJR back three years ago — it’s not pop, it’s more of a rock — so I really hope people enjoy it, and I hope they give a good performance.”
Maryville. Much of the money was raised through an online-facilitated silent auction which went live just over a week before the gala Feb. 14 and stayed open until 8 p.m. during the gala’s dinner. The rest was made from ticket prices.
Before dinner, guests had the opportunity to walk through the conference center and move through the many Paris-themed rooms. In a café-themed space, Kansas City jazz vocalist Shay Estes said her live performance.
“In an environment like this, which is meant to make you feel like you’re in a French café setting, the idea is to make those people leave feeling relaxed and talkative,” Estes said. “The end result was to complete that sort of total illusion for them and leave them feeling something more than what they walked in with.”
Estes said she has been a freelance musician for over 20 years and has sung at many galas. Estes said one of her favorite parts of this gala was the use of the space, noting the event moved between multiple themed rooms.
“I feel like the attention to detail in all of the elements; the scenic, the flow of it, the food, the layout, it’s really lovely,” Estes said. She said she was more than willing to drive over 95-miles to support women’s health. Estes said supporting women’s health is especially important right now and there are many ways to give back to the community.
“It feels really nice to know that the money that’s generated from an event that I got to participate in goes to help women,
are so often overlooked
who
in the medical industry,” Estes said.
ANNA BAILEY Asst. News Editor | @AmBailey16
Country singer and songwriter Russell Dickerson performs his song, “Every Little Thing” at the annual Student Activities Council Spring Concert April 19, 2024. X Ambassadors will perform at the Spring 2025 SAC Concert 7 p.m. April 4 in the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse.
AJR guitarist Jack Met performs during the Student Activities Council Spring Concert April 8, 2022, at Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse.
ASTRE SCHLAISS
Love Letter vendor Rye Booth gives Sue Watson a love letter she wrote at the St. Francis Gala held Feb. 22 at the Mozingo Lake Event Center.
NATHAN NODA ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
Area religious groups talk serving community
Asst. News Editor | @AmBailey16
Maryville’s 6.37 square miles is home to 20 religious buildings celebrating over nine different nondenominational and other Christian denominations, not including other religions celebrated by Northwest students or small groups within the community.
Each place of worship has its own way of reaching the community, whether through open events, volunteer work or simply advertising itself as a welcoming space. First Presbyterian Church Pastor Joel Whiteside said there is a variety of work done by his church to involve itself in and serve the community.
Some work the church does includes providing resources to families in distress, clothing the population of homeless people in and around Maryville and supplying meeting spaces for groups within Maryville to gather. He said the church also supports the Maryville Ministry Center and the North Star Advocacy Center.
Whiteside said supporting these groups and providing service helps carry out First Presbyterian Church’s mission to recognize the community’s needs and respond to them.
First Presbyterian Church also has an emphasis on providing mission trip opportunities. By becoming involved in mission trips, members can have an engaging and meaningful experience that benefits themselves and those receiving the message, according to First Presbyterian Church.
Whiteside said the church does this work because it believes listening to the voices within and around the community is necessary.
“I think it’s important for a church to be very sensitive of its context, its community and the nature of that community, and to be able to see it clearly and to
hear the voices of those that are not being heard, and respond to them, and to create a safe spot for people to be who they are, and to kind of sponsor a conversation about those things that we can do to help,” Whiteside said.
Laura Street Baptist Church Pastor Paul McKim said the mission of this church is to glorify God and to bring glory and honor to God and Jesus. He said those who follow and love the Lord have a heart of service.
He said Laura Street Baptist Church helped found the Maryville Ministry Center, so significant time is spent supporting it and volunteering at it. The church also acts as a polling place and provides benevolent care to community members who need it. He said past volunteer projects it has engaged in include cleanup after windstorms and offered to help put classrooms back together in the Maryville R-II School District as renovations have been completed.
“I think our goal is to just to show the love of God with no expectation,” McKim said. “Our goal is not to gain anything other than to be obedient to what Christ has done on our behalf.”
Like First Presbyterian Church, Laura Street Baptist Church also provides opportunities for members to travel. Some of these include annual adult Bible study tours and youth float trips.
McKim said he travels with the adult group on their Bible study tour.
“One of the first trips we did probably 20 years ago, (and) on that I took an 86-year-old woman from our community,” McKim said. “On that trip, we went to Colorado…and when we crossed the county line, she said, ‘Paul, this is the first time I’ve been outside Nodaway County in my life.’”
Laura Street Baptist Church also hosts multiple local events that welcome both church members and those who are not. It hosts annual events like Vacation Bible School for children and others, like
its Wild Game Supper.
McKim said half the participants who come to the Wild Game Supper and other events are not church members.
“A lot of our men will bring their friends from the community in, and it’ll be kind of a time where we’re going to eat some raccoon and some bear and some different things like that,” McKim said. “It’ll be one of those weirdo deals that you can bring your son to and have a man time.”
Maryville’s 6.37 square miles is home to religious buildings.
Aside from these two religious buildings, many others in Maryville also host events or provide service opportunities. First Baptist Church hosts Bible studies for women, retreats for men and multiple other events centered around prayer, one being the Men’s Prayer Breakfast.
The Bridge Maryville, a nondenominational Christian church, also provides opportunities to practice its religion. This church hosts a variety of events like its night of worship and events focused toward specific groups of people, such as the Young Adult Lunch and the Favored Women Conference. The Bridge also offers an on-campus organization called The Bridge YA.
There are multiple other religious
organizations on campus. Some include the Newman Catholic Center, Christian Campus House, the Lighthouse at Northwest, the Navigators, the Wesley Student Center and the Lutheran Campus Center.
Whiteside said he wished the local churches would work together more like they did in the past in order to better involve people with each other.
“I think it’d be nice if the churches would do what they used to do and I get involved in cooperative meetings and stuff,” Whiteside said. “I think the churches are very engaged in support of a lot of different mission efforts in Maryville.”
He said the church is always interested in learning from groups who practice differently.
McKim said Maryville has been highly impacted by the different religious groups within the community. He believes Maryville has grown with the values that come from faith.
“I think a rich tradition in our community is to have a church presence,” McKim said. “I think the churches are the heart of the spirit of our community.”
Maryville was founded in 1845, and the first church to be established in Maryville was First Christian Church in 1868. The community has since grown to offer the practice of multiple religions and become what it is today.
McKim said he does not have a specific event or service opportunity that is his favorite, rather he enjoys working with others.
“I love our community,” McKim said. “I love the people in our community. I think the favorite part is just being with others and that can look and be handled in a myriad of different ways. You can experience that in all manner of things, but I think when you labor and serve together, it’s a pretty special time.”
First Presbyterian Church is located at 211 S. Main St. First Presbyterian Church offers services to families in distress and clothing the homeless.
Among other events, First Presbyterian Church provides mission trip opportunities, annual adult Bible study tours and youth float trips to its members.
Laura Street Baptist Church is located at 120 S. Laura St. The church helped found the Maryville Ministry Center, so many church members support and volunteer.
ANNA BAILEY
CRIME LOG
for the week of Feb. 27
Northwest Missouri State University Police Department
Feb. 17
There is a closed investigation for an accident with Sarah Gaumer, 18, on College Avenue. There is a closed investigation for an accident with Megan Boteler, 18, and Ryan Fette, 18, on Centennial Drive.
Feb. 14
There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Forest Village Apartments-Hawthorn.
Feb. 13
There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Perrin Hall.
Feb. 12
There is an open investigation for stealing in Hudson-Perrin Hall.
Maryville Department of Public Safety
Feb. 20 A missing person was located at the 100 block of North Munn Street.
Feb. 19
There is an ongoing investigation for stealing by deceit on the 400 block of North Main Street.
Feb. 17
There was a summons issued to Connor M. Long, 19, for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia on the 500 block of North Laura Street.
Feb. 16
There was a summons issued to Adrien J. Salway 24, for driving while intoxicated on the 400 block of North Main Street.
There was a summons issued to Clayton E. Gauff Jr. 19, for minor in possession, possession of a fake ID and an illegal u-turn on the 100 block of South Fillmore Street.
Feb. 13
There was a summons issued to Bennett J. Thomas, 19, for minor in possession and possession of a fake ID on the 800 block of North Fillmore Street.
Executive orders cause change for transgender people
RAIEA SALERNO Contributing Writer | @Raiea_S
Sophomore Christopher Morris is a transgender male who realized his gender identity in high school. He said he is proud of who he is, but recent policies regarding transgender individuals makes him fear for the younger generation.
Morris said President Donald Trump’s policies are a violation of the American ideal and what America stands for. He believes America is the land of the free and home of the brave, but in recent years, that ideal has diminished due to recent policies.
“What he (Trump) is doing, he always says that the left is limiting free speech,” Morris said. “It’s against the First Amendment. It’s against every moral and principle I was taught as a child that was American.”
In his inaugural address Jan. 20, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the official U.S. policy would establish only two genders, male and female. Executive Order 14168 later attributed men to small eggs and women to large eggs, signed the same day. However, his definitions of attributing both men and women with “eggs” garnered backlash from scientists, according to Yahoo! News.
Section 2 (g) of Executive Order 14168, titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” goes in-depth with his two genders policy. It also states gender identity is not a meaningful way of self-identifying.
Morris said he disagrees with this order. He said gender is a valid way of self-expression.
“You have to express who you are on the outside,” Morris said. “You can’t repress those feelings. You have to show them. Otherwise, you’re not going to live a happier, fulfilled life.”
Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Health and Well-
being Tyler Tapps said the Wellness Center is committed to the well-being of Northwest students regardless of Trump’s policies.
He said he understands the fear many students might have, and reassures students they will always be accepted at the Wellness Center, regardless of their identity.
“No matter the political environment, should there be somebody who comes in sick, needs some sort of attention, we will treat them here if we can do it,” Tapps said. “If not, we will find a referral to provide to them.”
Morris said many teenagers might consider suicide if they are not able to fully express themselves in a safe environment. Tapps said he wants to remind students they will never be turned away because of their identity.
The Wellness Center does not provide transgender-affirming care or therapy due to state regulations. The B.D. Owens Library’s LGBTQ+ resources include the Wellness Center, but it also includes the LGBT National Help Center and The Trevor Project.
However, Executive Order 14190, titled “Ending Racial Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” might prevent the privacy of transgender teenagers in schools. In Section 3 (B.iii), schools would be barred from hiding a student’s possible transgender or nonbinary identity from parents.
Morris said this is dangerous because students might be living with homophobic or transphobic parents. He said these parents wouldn’t hesitate to kick their children out of their homes, or even abuse them, due to their identity.
“It’s not just going to affect trans children, it’s going to affect literally everyone,” Morris said. “That could lead to an increase in youth homelessness. It’s going to cause a huge leap in domestic violence. That makes me worry for the safety of children.”
On par with transgender removal, the Stonewall National Monument recently removed
Along with the Ploghoft Diversity Lecture and other events, Holthaus said the Northwest Horsemen’s Association regularly campaigned an Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team, earning points against top equine industry competitors. It has also supported local 4-H groups, conducting horsemanship workshops and working to provide educational material to 4-H youth.
Second-year student and President of the Northwest Horsemen’s Association Max Ferris said he’s known about the University’s intention to sell the arena since last spring, gaining more information since. He said the club has made much progress on the arena, and did everything it could to prevent the sale and show the administration its importance.
“I mean all the other organizations, all the other sports clubs have their spaces to practice, so I feel like we deserve a place to practice as well,” Ferris said.
When it comes to insurance, Holthaus said her usual protocol for utilizing the space in the arena is to check with its insurance company, Equisure Inc., to ensure availability, as the club must cover liability outof-pocket for public events.
Holthaus said the club consistently depends on local businesses and horsemen for funding, knowledge, manpower and equipment throughout its show season. One donor has provided equipment and expertise to the Northwest Horsemen’s Association’s past events and has offered to do so again for summer 2025 events.
“I want to emphasize that insurance is crucial for this club,” Holthaus said. “Horses pose inherent risks, Missouri has horse-specific liability statutes, and navigating the University’s liability insurance has been historically challenging.”
Despite these challenges, Holthaus said Equisure Inc. confirmed the club has available paid insurance dates this year during the same time frame as
transgender historical figures and history from its website. This was in lieu of Trump’s transgender policies regarding the removal of gender ideology from government-based websites, according to NBC News. Morris said this was an erasure of transgender and human history. He said there will be less acceptance of transgender people due to this, regardless of the fact that a Black transgender woman, Marsha Johnson, fought for queer rights during
FIRE CONTINUED FROM A1
Neighbor Mark Falke said he was taking his dog outside at 4:15 a.m. and saw the house while it was on fire. He said he noticed the garage was engulfed in flames and there were plenty of emergency personnel at the scene. He described what he felt seeing the fire.
“Kind of just shock,” Falke said. “I know that an older couple lives there, so it’s just hoping that everybody made it out.”
An occupant of the house, Meredith Ross, was able to escape. However, her husband Scott Ross was trapped inside the burning home for longer than she was.
Scott Ross was provided immediate medical care by the Nodaway County Ambulance District. He was then transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead, according to the Facebook post.
Meredith Ross and Scott Ross, Pine said, were the only residents in the home
the donor. Holthaus said it’s urgent to confirm the club can secure insurance before fully planning an event.
“
I mean all the other organizations, all the other sports clubs have their spaces to practice, so I feel like we deserve a place to practice as well.”
MAX FERRIS PRESIDENT OF THE NORTHWEST HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION
However, Holthaus said the University’s Risk Management team informed the club Feb. 21 it would be unable to access the arena space. When Ferris learned
JULIANNA
the Stonewall Riots in 1969. He said regardless of recent policies, transgender people should keep their heads up and continue moving forward, finding their community.
“We trans people will always be here,” Morris said. “Trans people have always been here. There’s still a community for you, there’s still people that are going to love you and cherish you and make sure that you’re safe and feed you. You can’t let the oppressors win.”
at this time.
Pine said the suppression team, who works to put the flames out, was cleared at 5:56 a.m., however, this did not mean their job was done.
“We remained on scene with the fire marshal’s office as they conducted their investigation, and we didn’t clear until 9:17 when they finished their on- scene investigation,” Pine said.
The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting an ongoing investigation to decipher the cause of the fire. Falke said he has not heard any new information from other neighbors regarding the fire.
“I mean, it’s sad that it happened…I know that we already know that one has passed, but I hope the other, the lady is okay, and comes out of it,” Falke said. “It’s just a tragedy. It’s sad.”
The MFD has asked that anyone who has further information or surveillance footage of the fire to call Pine at 660-5623209, according to the Facebook post.
of this, he said he felt confused, since he had been told the club would be continuously kept up to date on the arena’s status. Up until this point, all of the Northwest Horsemen’s Association’s major events were held in the arena.
Over the summer, Ferris said the club wrote an email about its concerns to University President Lance Tatum.
Holthaus was then contacted by Tatum’s executive assistant, Jacob Wood, regarding the future of the arena. Wood only addressed Holthaus in the email, even though the Northwest Horsemen’s Association is student-led.
“This is a time-sensitive matter therefore, at this time we will plan to have you (as the advisor) meet with President Tatum and the Nodaway County Economic team,” Wood said in the email. “We are committed to involving students once they are on campus in the fall as the conversation continues.”
Ferris said during all the email exchanges he has had as the club president, he feels as though the students involved
are not being heard. Holthaus and Ferris said they were advised to contact the campus sports clubs about it. Henry Lickteig is the coordinator of intramurals, sports clubs and recreation at Northwest. Ferris said he emailed Lickteig, hoping to set up a meeting to discuss the insurance dates. Ferris said the meeting was supposed to be a simple conversation for him to gather information.
Then, Ferris said Lickteig added Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Kori Hoffman and Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs in Campus Recreation Greg Hansen into the email chain, inviting them to join the meeting as well. Ferris said it feels intimidating being one person talking to three higher-ups.
“(It’s) escalating something that should have been a simple conversation into (an) intimidating meeting,” Ferris said. When asked over the phone about the Northwest Horsemen’s Association’s usage of the arena, Lickteig ended the call with the Missourian.
INFOGRAPHIC BY
LAWRENCE DESIGN EDITOR
A house located at 1405 Chick Ave. was the subject of an early morning fire Feb. 24. The Maryville Fire Department is conducting an ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
SOURCE: THEWHITE HOUSE
You cannot push queer people out of religious areas
FARNAN Missourian
Our Father, who art in Heaven –
The beginning of a prayer I’ve heard and recited for the majority of my life. I grew up Irish and Roman Catholic. I went to church on Sundays and Bible school on Wednesdays. I loved the church — it did not love me.
I believe that everyone should have the freedom and right to practice their own religion. In recent years I think we’ve forgotten that people who don’t practice a religion also deserve that respect.
The disrespect I have received from people who claim to be loving and caring children of God is astounding.
I came out as queer when I was 17; a fact about myself I am proud of. However, it is also a fact that angers and offends other groups of people.
The words I get from these people are ‘Let him save you’ and to that, I respond with ‘no’. If you are going around telling people that your religion will ‘save’ them, you are in the wrong. Be respectful and don’t shove your religious propaganda down people’s throats. Religious trauma and the LGBTQ+ community go handin-hand. It is a box to check in the requirements to be queer at this point; however, it shouldn’t be.
I was shoved out of religion, shoved forcefully out because I wasn’t right or pure enough. I was told I needed to pray the gay away. Maybe you need to pray the hate away.
We can’t cherry-pick the Bible — an activity so many people do. My existence is not a point to argue, and the verse you want to preach — Leviticus 18:22, the verse burned into my brain. This verse has spread that I am unworthy of being loved by God the same way others are.
Truthfully, I’m tired. I’m exhausted by the rhetoric that queer people have no space in the church. We have that same right to be in any house that God built. The same as everyone else. Most of us leave the church, not because we stop believing in God, but because we feel we are no longer welcome — we stop believing in the church the same way it stopped believing in us. I wanted to feel welcome. I wanted to feel loved and at home. But I don’t.
I miss the relationship I used to have with religion. It was calm and sweet. However, I can’t go back. Not to the pain, the self-doubt and loathing. The wish to be ‘normal’ and ‘perfect’ as if loving someone different causes me to be weird and not good enough. We just want to live and love the same as everyone else. So I say —
Dear Heavenly Father, allow your children the peace to love like you did because they are not. Allow your children to not judge in your name because they are. Allow everyone to be loved and respected for who you created them to be. Amen.
Religion is not an excuse to hate; respect each other
Northwest is a melting pot of cultures, races, ethnicities and notably — religion.
The University provides eight faith-based student organizations, while Maryville is home to 20 different church denominations including nondenominational, Catholic and Baptist. Maryville is right outside of the area in the United States known as the Bible Belt, but religion is still considered important to a significant number of people living in the Midwest. No matter what religion, or lack of, someone practices, we are all humans worthy of love and respect. Personal religious beliefs are not a reason for hate.
People practice religion because it offers them a meaning in life, comfort and a social community according to the American Psychological Association. However, just because you believe in a god does not give you the right to impose your lifestyle on other people.
There is nothing wrong with diligently attending church every Sunday morning, but there is also nothing wrong with deciding not to be-
lieve in any god. Schools, workplaces and government facilities need to separate religion from their duties. At Northwest, this looks like calling the break between semesters ‘Winter Break’ instead of ‘Christmas Break’, providing spaces for students to worship and even just not forcing religious discussion in an average classroom. Religion should not be a taboo topic. Northwest has opportunities for students to explore religious viewpoints, and students need to take advantage of them. College is about expanding your worldview and becoming educated — learning about religion is part of that.
In other levels of education, it’s common for schools to not be in session on major Christian or Catholic holidays, but colleges have a much more diverse population of students. It is rude and inconsiderate to assume everyone celebrates the same holidays by not acknowledging other religious holidays.
One person’s religious text or god is not the only way of life that exists. It’s important
How does religion impact you?
MAKINLEY HALL
Junior
Pre-Radiology Non-Denominational Christian
“It gives
me faith for a better future, because right now it might not be really good, but it may be better later. It helps me look forward to the future.”
to acknowledge religious holidays not as commonly talked about, especially in a college setting. Northwest has an international population of around 10% of the student body according to Northwest’s website. Indian students are the largest group with 719. It’s important that an effort is made to also recognize holidays celebrated by international students.
There is no reason to pick a fight with someone or see them as lesser, simply because their beliefs are different from yours. Life is not one size fits all and just because it’s different from yours doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
People are so much more than the religion they believe in, or if they don’t believe in any, and at the end of the day, we are all human beings. The world would be a much kinder, better place if we would all simply mind our own business.
Overall, no matter where someone comes from, no matter what they believe, no matter how different it is from your own life, it is imperative to treat everyone with respect, regardless of religion.
“Religion positively impacts my mental health because it gives me something to fall back on, and I feel like it makes me a more loving person to everyone around me.”
MARYANNA BOLINGER Sophomore Public Accounting and Business Management Southern Baptist Christian
“Jesus defines what I do, the actions I take, relationships I have and it (religion) gives me opportunities like this to talk to other people about Jesus and tell them what he’s done for me.”
My religious beliefs should not be anyone else’s business
SAVANNAH
I don’t identify with a typical religion that worships in a church every week, prays to a god or reads scripture. Instead, I take a holistic approach. I am surrounded by people with different beliefs than me — and that is absolutely OK. What’s not OK is my beliefs are labeled as ‘wrong’ and ‘far-fetched’ because they aren’t as normalized. Recently, I have come to the realization that what I believe in is none of anyone else’s business. People can judge me or call it ‘Woo woo nonsense’ but my faith gives me comfort and happiness in a world that values greed and violence. I have an obsession with pretty rocks, own a ton of fancy card decks and believe in the Universe as a spiritual being. At the end of the day, I’m happy and that’s what matters.
As I learn more about what spirituality looks like to me, I’ve gone through many stages. In the beginning, I found myself embarrassed and hiding the crystals I wore around my neck or avoiding rituals that would label me as a freak, odd or even a witch. Now, rather than giving in to the witch burners, I’ll walk barefoot in the grass, drink tea and live my best life.
Thank you for your opinions, you can keep them to yourself.
Faith made me who I am today; treat people kindly
DAKOTA OSWALT
My faith in God is the only reason I am here.
The world is full of so much hatred, division and heartbreak. At the end of the day, it can be so easy to respond to hateful people with the same negative attitude. Thankfully, I have a God who symbolizes the opposite of these. Instead of picking fights with those around me over things they might have done to hurt me, I choose to live by the two commandments given by Jesus in Mark 12:29-31, one being, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This means I choose to treat people kindly, even if they are hateful toward me. Sometimes I look around at my fellow Christians and, quite frankly, I am disappointed. Some have forgotten the principles our savior came to Earth to teach. Some have joined the world in its mission of driving hate. It saddens me — and it is harmful to the way people view Christians. Some of these people have been hurt by the Church or its people, and therefore disregarded the faith entirely — and most of them are justified in feeling this way. They should have been loved, but were rejected. This column is not meant to preach at you or condemn you. It is simply to show how my faith made be a more loving person.
NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN
OUR VIEW:
ANNA CASE CARTOONIST
YOUR VIEW:
BROOKLYN
Columnist @TheMissourian
MADDIE BEETSMA
NEXT WEEK IN SPORTS
NW MBB
7:30 p.m. Feb. 27 Bearcat Arena
3:30 p.m.
NW WBB vs. Newman
5:30
vs. Emporia State
1:30 p.m. March 1 Bearcat Arena
vs. Chillicothe
6:15 p.m. Feb. 27
Northwest track finishes regular indoor season
LANDON CLOUSE Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports
With MIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships on the team’s mind, Northwest track finished the last week of regular indoor season meets in Fayetteville Feb 21. and Friday Night Lights Feb. 22.
A record was achieved once more for the Bearcats, in the men’s 3000 meters Feb. 22. Senior Grant Bradley kicked off the meet with an impressive performance, breaking both the school and field house records with a time of 7:53.33. Bradley previously set the school record at the Washburn Open Jan. 31. His time now ranks fifth in NCAA Division II for the season.
Bradley talked about how he felt about his performance from his perspective and the surprise of such an impressive finish.
MHS BBB vs. Chillicothe
7:30 p.m. Feb. 27 ’Hound Pound
NW BASEBALL
vs. Concordia, St. Paul
Feb. 27-March 1 Bearcat Baseball Field
@ Western Illinois March 4 Macomb, Illinois
NW SB vs. Rockhurst vs. Southwest Baptist vs. Augustana vs. Maryville March 1-2 Shawnee, Kansas
“It was definitely shocking to run that quickly at home,” Bradley said. “I don’t think we anticipated doing that. But, I mean, we were primed, we were ready. Even though it was a small meet, it was just like practice. We’re used to just clicking off splits in practice, and we were just clicking off splits in a race on our practice track. While it was a little maybe past our expectations, I’m not surprised. We work for it, and we deserve to go to Nationals.”
Coming from Fort Hays State to Northwest was a big change, but Bradley fit right in with these runners who pushed him every day since he arrived. To achieve what he has so far, Bradley said that from the jump keeping up with the intensity and the standard of this team overall was a
FINISH
CONTINUED FROM A8
great help to his progression.
“It’s just having guys to chase,” Bradley said. “I say it all the time, it’s like, I know if I can finish a workout with these guys, I’m going to be in good shape because it’s hard. They’re fit, they’re fast, and I’ve never had that before. I’ve never been pushed in practice to the level that I am, you know, it tells me I’m gonna perform well when it’s time. ”
Head coach Brandon Masters took 19 athletes to compete at the Arkansas Qualifier Feb. 21 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Junior Riley Witt had a strong showing in Arkansas, setting a new school record in the mile with a time of 4:02.56. His previous personal best was 4:03.61, set on Feb. 1. Witt finished 10th overall and was the fourth-fastest NCAA Division II runner in the race.
Masters said hitting some spots of achievement was good to see but it’s not the end of the world when you don’t check everything off your list. He also said getting some national meet experience on the track is good to see sooner rather than later.
“It was a very, very busy weekend,” Masters said. “We did get a majority of the things that we were shooting for, not everything, but it was exciting to see. You’re also not always going to get everything right the way you plan, but having an opportunity to take some kids to the Arkansas meet and get some things done on a 200 bank, which is what the national championships is going to be.”
The NCAA Div. II Indoor Track & Field National Championships will be held March 13-15 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“We’ve played the best teams scheduled in the country, so we’ve been tested and been in some close games that we’ve won, some close games that we’ve lost,” Meyer said. “And obviously, when you look back and see how we did against the top three teams in the MIAA, we didn’t fare very well against them from a win-loss standpoint. But hopefully, we can still finish strong and get to the tournament, and try to make some noise down there.”
VICTORY CONTINUED FROM A8
“I thought coming in we were two evenly matched teams,” Morley said. “Different strengths and weaknesses but overall, I thought
Newman comes into the matchup on a five-game losing skid and six-straight losses to Northwest, dating back to Jan. 30, 2020. The Bearcats have never lost to the Jets in the program’s history. As for Emporia, the Hornets are fresh off snapping its four-game losing streak with a win over Newman, 6963. Emporia got the best of Northwest in the previous meeting this season with a 75-66 victory over the Bearcats Dec. 5 in Emporia, Kansas, due to a nine-point first quarter from the ’Cats the Hornets exploited. Kesten said she is excited to be back home in front of the fans for the final two
we were very evenly matched.”
With under a minute left of the game, the Savages trailed the ’Hounds 41-37. The Spoofhounds had one final rebound to secure the win at 47-39.
With one more home game,
times with something to prove before the conference tournament.
“I think it’s making the most of the opportunities that you have and not taking anything for granted,” Kesten said. “The last time in front of the Bearcat family, so I want to show them what progress I’ve made in the last five years, and hopefully leave them proud and excited for whatever the future holds for the Northwest women’s basketball team.”
Tipoff between Northwest and Newman is set for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 27 in Bearcat Arena with Emporia State following at 1:30 p.m. March 1.
the Spoofhounds are giving it their all for a chance in postseason conference play. The team is set to face off Chillicothe at 5 p.m. Feb. 27 at Maryville High School.
“I think this game will make
us either 12-10 or 13-10,” Acklin said. “I think just having a winning record, we haven’t had that in quite a while. I think that’s super hopeful and really encouraging for this year looking into the postseason and also next year.”
SERIES CONTINUED FROM A8
Missouri Southern fought back in the bottom of the third to get in five more runs to take the lead back as the score was 9-4 headed into the fourth. Senior first baseman Kai Young was able to hit a home run in the top of the fourth, cutting the deficit down to 9-5 and marking Young’s fourth home run of the season so far. The ’Cats weren’t able to get enough momentum going, losing 12-7. Northwest finished with another low number of hits, finishing with four compared to Missouri Southern’s 13 hits.
Monday marked the end of the three-game series against Missouri Southern and the ’Cats were unable to get anything going this game. After four innings the Bearcats were down 13-3 and the struggles continued. The game finished 16-3 after seven innings, starting the ’Cats’ in-conference season off 0-3. One bright spot was senior infielder Dylan Hufft who fin-
ished 2-3 at the plate with an RBI single.
Jandron acknowledged there were highs and lows to the team’s performance this past weekend.
“I think we saw good stretches, just didn’t put together a complete game,” he said. “It was a great challenge to go against a well-coached and nationally recognized team, we will embrace our downfalls and get back to work.”
He also said the team will have to bounce back quickly as they play again Feb. 27.
“With us having that long stretch off from games, getting back on the field against Concordia with a quick turnaround is exactly what we need,” Coach Jandron said.
The ’Cats will host their first home series heading into the weekend Feb. 27-March 1 against Concordia, St. Paul (1-2) who also have not seen the field much this season due to cancellations.
Game one’s first pitch will be 1 p.m. Feb. 27 at Bearcat Baseball Field.
Northwest freshman Wyatt Garner places first in the men’s long jump at the Friday Night Lights on Saturday - Last Chance Meet Feb. 22.
NATHAN NODA ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
Northwest then-sophomore, current-junior pitcher Landon Wells goes for a bunt in a matchup Mar. 23, 2024. FILE
MHS GBB
Northwest athletes talk religion’s role in sports
Tension hangs in the air as the Northwest softball team huddles together before their big game. Hands are clasped, heads are bowed and soft murmurs fill the space as each player whispers their own prayer.
For junior Omara Love, it’s a moment of calm amid the chaos, a reminder that the outcome of the game isn’t the ultimate goal. The field or court, for many studentathletes, isn’t just a place for competition, but for spiritual growth.
“We pray before games,” Love said. “You can see just how welcoming everybody is, no matter what level they’re at or what they know about being Christian. But as a team, you can see that we prioritize that. People can tell there’s a difference between what it looks like to not have a relationship with Christ and what it means to have a relationship with Christ, especially in sports.”
Whether in softball, football, basketball or other sports, athletes all over Northwest’s campus, including Love, have something in common — faith.
Softball
For softball players senior Lillie Filger and Love, college became the turning point where faith went from routine to real, guiding them through the highs and lows of being on and off the field.
Filger and Love both grew up Christian but didn’t fully live it out until college. Filger believed in God from a young age, but it wasn’t until a Student Mobilization leader reached out to her at Northwest that she began committing to a Christ-centered life.
“It wasn’t until college that I also met the same girl from StuMo as Lillie (Filger), and actually figured out what it meant to truly live out my relationship with Christ and what that looked like on a daily basis — actually reading my Bible with the intention of applying it to my life, having fellowship with other people and actually learning how to share my faith,” Love said.
Love wants to use her platform to show others, especially athletes, that they are not alone in their struggles and God is with them.
“There’s a lot of times you want to please your coaches or please your teammates, or not want to look bad, or you really want to look good in front of people, but know that at the end of the day, like you’re never going to look bad in front of God,” Love said.
Filger said with this being her final softball season, God has helped her come to terms with the end of her softball career, reminding her that while the sport may end, God’s presence is eternal.
“It’s really important to kind of be able to use my platform and just encourage other people around the world, like, yeah, you can do a sport and you can do school and still put faith as a priority,” Filger said.
Football
Freshman Delton Davis has always had faith at the core of his life. He grew up in Maryville, a community where religion plays a central role. Davis has attended church ever since he was a little boy go-
ing to Sunday school. He said going to church was something he wanted to go and participate in. As he has aged, his beliefs as a Protestant have grown.
“I’ve always been centered around it, but I think it really kind of took off for me about two years ago,” Davis said. “I would say, around then, when I kind of started making more decisions for myself and just kind of exploring my own true faith.” He played football at Maryville High School, where being a Spoofhound allowed him to form meaningful religious connections. At Maryville, the team would pray before and after games and encourage post-practice Bible studies. The foundation of faith on the field has continued to stick with Davis as he has transformed into a collegiate athlete.
“You got to really kind of take a step back sometimes when you’re in the mud,” Davis said. “It’s just part of that grind. You just got to think of how much of a blessing it is to you and be able to be in the position you were in, and also just take it as an opportunity to share the good news of God.”
Being involved with Bible studies on campus with teammates and other athletes has helped Davis stay grounded and focused on his faith. He attends weekly studies on Tuesday nights with athletes from other Northwest sports.
“Without my faith, there’s no doubt I wouldn’t even be in this place today,” Davis said.
LEAH COX Sports Reporter | @byleahcox
ILLUSTRATION BY JULIANNA LAWRENCE DESIGN EDITOR
Northwest softball senior outfi elder Lillie Filger (far right) poses with her friends during a summer 2024 ministry trip in South Carolina called ‘Kaleo’ through Student Mobilization. SUBMITTED
Then-junior Maryville High School football current Northwest freshman wide receiver Delton Davis sneaks through an opening during an October 20, 2023, matchup. Davis prayed before and after Maryville games.
Bearcat women’s basketball then-junior current-graduate student guard Caely Kesten dribbles along the baseline during a March 15, 2024, matchup. Kesten says that her family is a big part of her faith.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
Northwest
In a dramatic finish to the regu- lar season, Northwest women’s games, keeping its MIAA Conference Tournament hopes alive with two more games remaining against New- man Feb. 27 and Emporia State March 1 in Bearcat Arena. For graduate student guards Caely Kesten and Molly Hartnett, senior for- ward Kelsey Fields, and senior guards Peyton Kelderman, Evelyn Vazquez, Laini Joseph and Kendall Clatt these
NW women’s basketball to wrap up its regular season
years have come with a lot of bless- ings and personal growth, in and out of basketball,” Kesten said. “I’m super grateful for the opportunity to be here opportunities that I have gotten from it. It’s been a long time,
win over Northeastern (53-45) and a loss to Fort Smith (56-47) Feb. 20 and 22. The Bearcats defense was the although they split the two games — as they held the RiverHawks to just 45 points and the Lions to 56. The ’Cats face off against the Newman Jets (7-19, 2-15 the season Feb. 27, followed by
baseball takes tough series loss, looks to
The three-game series did not end well for the Cats as they dropped all three contests. After having a nearly two-week absence from the diamond, Bearcat baseball (4-7, 0-3 MIAA) traveled to take on No. 13 Missouri Southern (10-2, 3-0 MIAA) at Warren
Head coach Tony Jandron said the team tried to use the days
“We had a 13-day hiatus from competition due to some poor weather,” Jandron said. “Our team had a good 8-game sample size to begin the season, and we took advantage of the opportuexperiences and focus on what we need to do internally to get a little better each day.”
-
ed the three-game series and game one was closely contested. The ballgame started a little game was tied 2-2 with neither team able to get much going.
In the seventh inning, however, senior utility player Ryan Williams hit a shot into deep right center to drive in three runs, giving Williams a three RBI double and giving the ’Cats the lead 5-3 going into the eighth. Missouri Southern was able to get two runs in during the bottom of the eighth to tie the game again at 5 runs a piece. The game once again hit a wall following
the tie, forcing the game to extend into extra innings. Eventually, in the bottom of the twelfth inning, Missouri Southern was able to put the game away, hitting a RBI single to win the game 6-5. The ’Cats were unable to put the ball in play much as they only achieved eight hits compared to Missouri Southern’s 15 hits.
“
We will embrace our downfalls and get back to work.”
TONY JANDRON HEAD COACH
Game two of the doubleheader did not end much better for the Bearcats as they played catch-up. After the second inning, the ’Cats had dug themselves a pretty big hole being down 4-0, but in the top of the third, they were able to get in four runs to tie the game headed into the bottom of the third.
cob Selock picked up an RBI from an error from Missouri Southern’s defense which allowed sophomore infielder Chester Brooks to get Williams hit an RBI single to right
MHS girls basketball pushes the pedal to take down Savannah
OLIVIA WALLACE Sports Reporter | @_oliviawallace_
back home Friday night to face the Savannah Savages — a team the ’Hounds previously lost to during the 2024 season. With a new coach and fairly young team, the Spoofhounds came into the game with a different mindset than other years. Compared to the 2024 season, the team was 7-17 whereas now the team stands 13-10 — and with this season came a new coach — former boys basketball coach Del Morley. Coming off a big win against
Atchison, the ’Hounds came into another conference game with the mindset of being the better team.
“The last thing I told them before I left the locker room at the start of the game,” Morley said. “If they play their best game, we play our best game. I think we’re better.” Being better is what the Spoofhounds did. In the first period, junior guard Brylee Acklin and sophomore forward Claire Walter scored multiple three-pointers to put the lead at 5-2. The team’s defense played fast but controlled the ball — with multiple rebounds going into the second period.
“I think with each timeout, it’s never like ‘Oh my goodness we’re doing so good, we’re ahead,” Acklin said. “It’s more like, we got to stick with it because at any point they could come back and we just have to keep pushing the pedal.” Pushing the pedal is what the team did coming into the second of the game — with a lead of 21-14 the ’Hounds held the Savages with multiple steals and rebounds. Walter and Acklin helped push the team in the second half of the game with their defensive skills and rebounds.
TREY HOUCHIN Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports
PHOTO BY NATHAN NODA ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
Maryville girls basketball junior guard Brylee Acklin looks for a bounce pass during the Spoofhounds’ Feb. 21 win over Savannah 47-39. Maryville picked up back-to-back wins Feb. 20-21 following its three-game skid earlier in February.
NATHAN VANDRUFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CLAYTON CULP Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports