The Stylus- Volume 126, Issue 3

s u l y t S e h T

2020-21

Volume 126

ISSUE

A student publication of Park University since 1895

#3

Visit stylusonline.org for online news and student blogs FB: ParkUniversityStylus stylus@park.edu March 26, 2021

Heading back to in-person class this fall MacKenzie Coder Reporter With a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Kansas City metro and vaccinations being widely distributed, Park University is “planning to return to a more normal Fall 2021,” according to an email from Interim President Shane Smeed sent to students on March 5.

Students can expect more in-person classes offered than were in the 2020-21 academic year. Subsequently, there will be more people allowed on campus, as well as more student events PHOTO/Skyler Jensen and activities. However, masks The Plaster Center nears the end of its exterior construction.The building is on schedule to be completed in May. It will open will still be required, and social distancing will be enforced as to students for business classes and the Global Warrior Center in the fall. well.

New guidelines allow attending games, ICM concerts in person Averyl Crouse Reporter

Park University has introduced a new spectator policy that allows some fans to watch their favorite Pirate athletes while respecting COVID-19 guidelines.

Starting Thursday, March 18, fans were allowed into home sporting events taking place at Breckon Sports Center, Comfort Field, Julian Field and the Park Softball Complex. This represents a loosening of

spectator guidelines, which had previously only allowed essential staff members to be present at games.

Anyone wishing to attend a game in person must be a Park University student with a valid student ID or a family member of an athlete. Athletes are allowed a maximum of two family members in attendance per game.

No spectators from the visiting team will be allowed to attend in person.

In order to attend in person, spectators must RSVP 24 hours before the event using

a JotForm sent out by the athletics department, have their temperature checked at the venue, respect social distancing and wear a mask for the entire event. Capacity will be capped at 25 percent of the venue.

Park University baseball player Austin Sawyer was excited about the announcement. “Even though there are restrictions I’m glad that they were able to get fans at games again.”

Online streaming or live statistics will be

See Spectators on page 4

See Normal on page 4

In This Issue: Campus Life.... 1, 4 Entertainment..2-3 Features...........5, 8 Sports................6-7

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 2 March 26, 2021

“Ted Lasso” charms audiences with much more than sports KC native Jason Sudeikis stars and steals the show Nathan Dunn Reporter After the release of “Ted Lasso” in August 2020, the Apple TV+ series quickly received tons of praise. Starring Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham, the 10-episode season was full of drama and laughter.

The series is based on the character of Ted Lasso, which first appeared in an NBC commercial promoting the Premier League in 2013. In the original commercial, Lasso, played by Sudeikis, is an American football coach hired as the manager of Tottenham Hotspur, despite no experience in soccer. The ads were a viral success for NBC. After the hilarious promotions from NBC, the new Apple TV+ series had a lot to live up to. But it did not disappoint.

In the series, Ted Lasso is hired as the manager of AFC Richmond, a fictional club in the Premier League. The club’s

owner, Rebecca, played by Waddingham, intentionally hires the soccer-inept Lasso to put both the club and her ex-husband, former co-owner of the club, in misery by sending Richmond into relegation.

Lasso comes to Richmond after winning the NCAA DII football title with Wichita State University. He leaves behind his family in the U.S. but brings along his assistant coach, Coach Beard, who is slightly more knowledgeable about soccer than Lasso.

Viewers learn that Lasso’s coaching philosophy focuses more on people rather than wins and losses. This earns him disrespect from the media, players and fans, but Lasso continues to be himself and is very endearing in the process. He not only wins over many characters in the show, but the hearts of most viewers at home.

The series’ success is backed up by a number of accolades, including Best Comedy Series from the Critics’ Choice

PHOTO COURTESY/Apple TV+ Jason Sudeikis plays Ted Lasso in the eponymous show. Here, he takes tea with AFC Richmond owner, Rebecca Welton, played by Hannah Waddingham.

Awards and Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy, from the Golden Globe Awards. Apple TV+ has renewed the show for two more seasons.

While many shows become less entertaining after a few episodes, “Ted Lasso” stands out because the series gets better with every episode.

The character’s never-ending hope and positivity are impossible to hate. His personality ends up changing the club’s outlook and sets up a highly anticipated

season two. Viewers don’t have to know much about soccer to understand how the series shows the value of hope and having a positive mindset to surpass expectations.

In the end, season one of “Ted Lasso” lived up to its hype. It turned out to be a great comedy series while still having a dramatic plot within the overall story, which many of these types of series fail to produce.

Re-recordings mean reminiscing for longtime Swift fans Averyl Crouse Reporter World-renowned recording artist Taylor Swift recently announced she will be re-recording all of her previous albums. For many college students, these releases are like a time machine back to ten years ago to when we first heard the songs.

After the masters to her first albums were bought out from her original recording company in 2019, Swift decided to re-record them under her own production. Her first release was the single “Love Story” in February, and 2008’s “Fearless” album will follow in April.

Fans were ecstatic to hear that some of their favorite Swift songs from the past would be making a comeback. Hearing these songs as an adult will have a different impact than when we were children though. As an 8-year-old hearing “You Belong with Me,” we had no point of reference for how it felt to see the one you love with someone else, and we weren’t quite old enough to resonate with Swift on “Fifteen.”

I think hearing these songs again as an adult will have a much different impact now we’ve been through the same heartbreak she felt when first writing these songs

13 years ago. Alongside Swift, we have also grown and matured, and I hope that we can hear this growth in the re-recordings.

Swift has never been one to shy away from sharing her feelings in her songs, and that is the reason so many younger people gravitated toward her music in the first place. As she grew from a baby-faced teen into a young woman, fans watched her become one of the most scrutinized celebrities in the world.

She was criticized for having too many boyfriends, having too many friends and sharing her political opinion too much. But, despite the constant reprimands for speaking her mind, Swift made herself a role model for her younger fans. Swift has taken advantage of this infamy by speaking out about feminism and female empowerment in industries that are dominated by men.

Whether you became a fan in 2007 or 2021, Taylor Swift is an artist who is more than just songs. She shares her emotions, her struggles and her work ethic in her music, and she empowers others to do the same. Reliving these breakthrough songs will bring fans a whole new perspective, as the songs they have grown up with are brought back to life.

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 3 March 26, 2021

2021 summer events are making up for lost time Averyl Crouse Reporter Summer 2020 can we get a do-over, please?

Kansas Citians have spent many summer evenings at First Friday in the Crossroads, at Kauffman Center for a Royals game, or at the T-Mobile Center for a weekend concert. The pandemic did not allow for those events to continue during the summer of 2020, but the opportunities for events this summer looks bright.

First Fridays A Kansas City staple, First Fridays is an event showcasing food trucks, boutiques and art galleries in the graffiti-filled Crossroads Arts District downtown.

Visitors can find a wide array of food and drinks, while walking through art galleries or shopping in locally-owned shops.

There has been no official announcement of the large-scale First Fridays festivities returning on a regular basis this summer. However, some First Friday events have been popping up on calendars at galleries and businesses in the Crossroads Arts District.

Let’s hope it’s a sign of more good news to come.

Venues In March 2020, popular Kansas City concert venues such as the T-Mobile Center, the Midland and Cable Dahmer Arena had to postpone or cancel many shows. Thankfully, many of the have been rescheduled for the upcoming

months.

The T-Mobile Center will be welcoming Justin Bieber on June 16 and Maroon 5 on Aug. 13, among many others.

The Midland is featuring Brian Culbertson on May 5, Brit Floyd on June 9 and several comedy shows over the summer.

Also this summer, Grinders KC is featuring Sheryl Crow, Kenny Chesney is coming to Arrowhead Stadium, and Tech N9ne will be at KC Live!

Kauffman Stadium Baseball fans will again be able to cheer on the Kansas City Royals from the stands inside Kauffman Stadium season – instead of at home, like last year.

At the opening game on April 1, up to 10,000 fans will be allowed into the stadium, compared to the usual capacity

Pop culture, politics and photography collide

of 37,000, to allow for social distancing.

We’ll take it!

Festivals Last year, the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival announced its production of “The Tempest” would be postponed until this summer. While no dates have been announced yet, keep an eye out for this popular production in Southmoreland Park.

As the fall begins, check out the Renaissance Festival in Bonner Springs, Kansas, open weekends from Sept.

4-Oct. 17.

There are many different opportunities to enjoy Kansas City this summer, which will hopefully make up for the secluded nature of the summer 2020. So get out and enjoy the metro, while also staying safe during this pandemic.

Staff List Editor-in-chief Shelby Adkins

Designer

Victoria Olaleye

Reporters

PHOTOS/Kristin Shaw The Campanella Gallery in Norrington Center current has an exhibition of artwork from William Eickhorst, an adjunct instructor of fine art at Park University. Left“Fleer Metal,” a collage. Above: “Corner Graffiti,” a photo collage. The show will be on view until April 23. Park University students, faculty and staff can visit Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Fridays 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays 4-8 p.m.

MacKenzie Coder Averyl Crouse Nathan Dunn Skyler Jensen Yi Li Kevin Melson Natalya Nalivaiko Bailey Turner

Adviser

Kristin Shaw

CAMPUS LIFE

Page 4 March 26, 2021

COVID-19 symptom tracker is helpful but data rarely shared Averyl Crouse Reporter

ing in rooms or quarantining in our COVID-specific rooms,” Uden stated.

Athletes and residential stuEveryone working or attending dents are contacted much sooner class on a Park University campus for the next steps because of their this academic year is familiar with increased contact with other peothe COVID-19 symptom tracker. ple on campus.

The daily email comes at 4 a.m.

Since the beginning of the panThen a reminder to fill it out arrives demic, leadership at Park has had at 10:30 a.m. Is this tracker really a hard time deciding what inforthe thing that has helped to keep mation to make public and availcampuses and classrooms free of able regarding COVID-19 statisCOVID-19? tics, Uden stated.

According to Dean of Students When logged into MyPark, usJayme Uden, Ed.D., the goal of the ers can search for the COVID-19 tracker has always been to keep the dashboard. It displays statistics community safe. from the Parkville and Gilbert “It makes it easier for students to campuses and in the Kansas City reach out to us if they have been exmetro area. The categories include posed or tested positive,” Uden said.

The tracker puts the responsiPHOTO/Averyl Crouse availability of testing and personal protective equipment, percentage bility in the student’s hands when filling out their answers. Then Park Park University students wait in line at Breckon Sports Center to complete COVID-19 of ICU hospital beds available in the KC area, number of students University staff members review the testing after Spring Break. and staff in isolation and quaransubmitted information. tine, and sports are given a rating said. showing up to campus.

“We have several individuals Uden himself is one of those people “Usually within 24 hours, we have of not an issue or closely monitoring. involved who check the tracker multiple times a day to see if any students or who checks the tracker to make sure no reached out to that person and figured The last update to this dashboard was on employees have been given a stop,” Uden one who has been given a stop is still out the next steps whether that be isolat- March 5.

Normal

Spectators

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“We will follow guidelines set by Platte County and set by the CDC. Right now, that’s six feet distancing, but there’s been talk about changing what that is,” said Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Jayme Uden, Ed.D. According to Uden, faculty who normally teach face-to-face classes have been told to plan for a completely inperson format. Should a rise in cases or other issue require Park to return to a blended or online format, Uden is confident staff will be able to make the switch fairly easily.

Residence hall capacities will also be

returning to a new normal in the fall.

Typically, the residence halls are home to just under 400 students.

“We were right under 200 this year because it was half-occupancy. Next year we think we’ll be closer to 300-350,” Uden said.

There will be an opportunity for some students living on campus to stay in a single room while sharing a living space, much like what was done this year. Uden said returning students can expect an email regarding that option in the near future.

On Tuesday, March 23, the ICM welcomed a live audience for Ilya Shmukler’s graduate recital performances of Debussy and Rachmaninov.

Students, faculty and staff with a Park University ID, as well as members of the Park ICM Advisory Council, are able to attend concerts at the Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel. However, to attend, spectators must complete an RSVP form sent out by the ICM at least 24 hours in advance.

The Chapel will be capped at 25 percent capacity, and seats are filled on a first come-first served basis. Attendees must

wear a mask the entire time they are on the Parkville campus.

The ICM will continue to provide a live video stream for all concerns at ICM. park.edu.

Correction: In the Feb. 19 edition of the Stylus, a story about Interim President Shane Smeed's appointment incorrectly published the date of the first Board of Trustees meeting where he was named acting president. The meeting was held on Nov. 13, 2020.

FEATURES

Page 5 March 26, 2021

Popculture Gourmet Popcorn & Ice Cream relocates to downtown Natalya Nalivaiko Reporter

Above: The current storefront for Popculture Gourmet Popcorn & Ice Cream is in the Parkville Commons. The store will be relocating to downtown Parkville in late spring 2021.

Right: The new location for the shop is currently under construction in downtown Parkville, near Farm House Collection and Parkville Coffee.

PHOTOS/Natalya Nalivaiko

Popculture Gourmet Popcorn & Ice Cream is coming to downtown Parkville in late spring 2021. Popculture owners said the store has outgrown its space in Parkville Commons. This move will benefit the business and the community in many ways.

Co-owners, Justin and Melody Woo, share how the relocation will impact them in the future.

“Downtown Parkville gives us an opportunity to introduce Popculture to anybody who’s visiting just to experience downtown Parkville and the riverfront,” said Justin Woo. “That really is a big draw.”

Melody Woo added, “That’s going to bring more people in and get our product into more hands, just by the nature of it.”

As Popculture has grown since the Woos purchased the shop in 2019, there is a need for more space to produce products for both stores, in Parkville and in Overland Park.

“For our production to satisfy the needs that we have for creativity, and to push the popcorn flavors into a different direction, and to get Popculture into the future, we need more space,” said Justin Woo. As the business moves forward, the owners said they want to embrace the atmosphere of new creations and stay up to date with the needs of their customers and community.

“We have popcorn for the older generation, and we’re also wanting to bring popcorn to the newer generation, and try to satisfy their needs as well,” said Justin Woo.

Popculture has more than 45 flavors of popcorn and is available to order various combinations online for delivery.

“You can get cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper!” said Melody Woo, explaining the diversity in the flavors Popculture creates.

The relocation to downtown Parkville will not only bring in more foot traffic from people visiting the area, but it will also allow Popculture to further support their community in many ways.

“We’re big on partnerships,” said Justin Woo. “We’re the official popcorn of the Mavericks.” He added, “We work with a lot of businesses for, like customization of logos for gifts and things like that.”

Popculture partners with a family-owned wholesaler who provides the ice cream for the business. They also partner with other local businesses and collaborate with them to make new flavors of popcorn based on another business’ food products.

In the new retail space, Popculture will share an entrance with a bakery going in downtown.

“We’re really excited to have that kind of partnership that we were hoping to develop with that tenant as well, to kind of have that synergy,” said Justin Woo. Popculture is still in the process of its build and is projected to open sometime in May, according to the owners.

The Parkville Commons location remains open now, and Popculture popcorn is always available to order online, allowing customers to customize their orders and even request customized labels for special events.

SPORTS

Page 6 March 26, 2021

Park duo aiming for gold at Summer Olympics Nathan Dunn Reporter A pair of Park University alumni are preparing to lead the United States Women’s National Team to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The 2020 games were rescheduled to begin in late July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vlatko Andonovski, a 2008 graduate of Park with a business administration degree, serves as the head coach of the USWNT. He will be joined by Milan Ivanovic, a 2009 graduate of Park with an international business degree, as an assistant coach.

The 12-team tournament will begin with group stage matches starting on July 21 and conclude with the final on August 6. The groups will be drawn in April.

The U.S. will be looking to take back the gold medal after losing to Sweden in penalty kicks in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

For Andonovski, the journey has been unique. A native of Skopje, North Macedonia, in former Yugoslavia, Andonovski came to the U.S. to play indoor soccer for the Wichita Wings in 2000. After the Wings folded, he was drafted by the Kansas City Comets in 2001, where he played until 2005.

As he looked past his playing days, Andonovski wanted to finish school and decided to attend Park University. Since he still had eligibility, he originally planned on playing for the Park men’s soccer team, but after talking with head coach Efrem Shimlis, he agreed to join the coaching staff.

“I wanted to be involved in any way possible,” Andonovski said. “My first duties were working with goalkeepers in Park University. I really enjoyed being around Coach Shimlis and just being around those good players.”

Andonovski’s next step in coaching was a return to indoor soccer, where he

served as the head coach of the Kansas City Kings before joining the Missouri Comets as an assistant coach. Andonovski took over as head coach of the Comets and the inaugural year of FC Kansas City in 2013. He left the Comets in 2016 and joined the Seattle Reign in 2018 after FCKC ceased operations.

After a couple of years in Seattle, Andonovski took his biggest job yet, accepting a position to become the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Andonovski has a decorated résumé as a head coach, which includes two NWSL titles and a MISL title as a professional coach as well as four Missouri State championships and a Youth National championship as a youth coach. He has also won the NWSL Coach of the Year twice and the MASL Coach of the Year once. In September 2020, Andonovski was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Ivanovic has taken a similar path: from Europe to Park University to indoor soccer and now into coaching. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Ivanovic played in the Red Star Belgrade youth academy before coming to Park University in 2005, where he played three years with the Park men’s soccer team.

“We had 14 or 15 different nationalities on the team, so every day you would learn something new,” Ivanovic said. “For me as 19, 20-year-old, it was amazing experience just to meet people all around the world and learn more about American culture, about Ethiopian culture, about culture from people from Uganda, Kenya, Scotland, Spain.”After graduating, he returned to Europe to play professionally. He returned to Kansas City in 2012 when he joined the Missouri Comets. He spent six seasons with the Comets and won the 2014 MISL championship before joining the Tacoma Stars for a short stint in 2018.

Ivanovic’s professional coaching career began in 2015 when he joined Andonovski as an assistant coach for FC Kansas City. He followed Andonovski’s steps to

Seattle in 2018 and joined him with the USWNT in 2019.

The Park duo has led the USWNT to a 16-0 record, which is the best record for a new coach in USWNT history. Highlighting their early success has been winning the SheBelieves Cup title in both 2020 and in 2021.

Andonovski was certain that the preparation for the Olympics has been the most challenging task for him as the head coach of the USWNT. “Choosing the roster of 18 players, which I know is not going to be easy, but also playing against 11 of the best teams in the world,” Andonovski said. “We’re doing everything possible to evolve as a team and keep on getting better to hopefully be as prepared as we can when the challenges come in front of us.”

The USWNT has scheduled a friendly against Sweden in April, and Andonovski said that he plans on scheduling more

games in June when the FIFA window opens up for the final time before the Olympics.

“As a coach, it is something that doesn’t come very often, so just the idea of winning it is something that makes you feel great,” Ivanovic said. “Before dreaming about it, I think we need to focus on putting the work in and preparing for it.”

After the Olympics were postponed in 2020, the preparation has been extended for another year. The U.S. will be looking to claim its fifth gold medal in women’s soccer since it was added to the Summer Olympics in 1996.

“Winning the Olympics is going to be just a crown on all the hard work and determination that we put in over the years,” Andonovski said. “It would be a win for the team, for this country, for the communities that I represent, for the schools that I went to, for my family, for everyone.”

PHOTOS COURTESY/Brad Smith

Vlatko Andonovski (left), a 2008 graduate of Park and head coach of the United States Women’s National Team, and Milan Ivanovic (right), a 2009 graduate of Park and assistant coach of the USWNT, are preparing the team to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

SPORTS

Page 7 March 26, 2021

Summer Olympics

Games look different this year but persist Averyl Crouse Reporter The pandemic brought a halt to many traditional events across the globe, maybe most notably the summer Olympics which were scheduled to take place last year in Tokyo, Japan. However, the tradition has been rescheduled, as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be held this summer.

The International Olympic Committee said these games will be “the most innovative ever organized.”

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will look very different compared to previous games. Instead of building all new facilities for the events, Japan will be reusing facilities from the last Tokyo games in 1964. Additionally, there are plans to spend $2.8 billion just on precautionary measures related to COVID-19.

The Tokyo Olympic Committee said that the hope is to have spectators, but no decision will be made until it is closer to opening ceremonies. Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said, “We are determined to deliver

hope and courage to the world.”

These games will also introduce new sports to the competition this year, including karate, skateboarding, surfing, climbing, baseball and softball, resulting in 33 different sports for athletes to compete in.

U.S. viewers will see recognizable athletes competing this year, such as Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe and Katie Ledecky.

Simone Biles is the most decorated American gymnast and will be making an appearance at this year’s games after winning four gold medals and one bronze medal at the 2016 Rio games.

Megan Rapinoe is a highly decorated soccer player and helped the national team win a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2019 World Cup. Katie Ledecky is the most awarded female swimmer of all time with a gold medal from the 2012 London games and four golds, one silver, and a world record set at the 2016 Rio games.

Women’s volleyball dominates first HOA conference championship Natalya Nalivaiko Reporter The No. 1-ranked Park women’s volleyball won the Heart of America Conference tournament March 8, and will be playing in the NAIA National Championship this season.

The champions did not drop a set and had a clean sweep against each of the three teams they played in the conference tournament.

On March 2, the team played Clarke University in the opening round of the conference tournament. The teams played three sets with Park winning each with the scores 25-19, 25-16 and 25-21.

With 37 kills on the night, senior outside hitter Nada Meawad had 12 kills, and senior opposite hitter Nou-

ra Meawad had 13 kills. Along with these attacks, Park’s serving was at an 82 percent efficiency and digging was at 79 percent which were large components of the winning sweep.

On March 5, the team faced MidAmerica Nazarene University in the semifinal round. The Pirates again swept all the sets, this time with scores of 25-14, 25-18 and 2515. Similar to the Clarke match, the team had 47 kills overall and once again had excellent efficiency with their attacks, as well as digging and serving.

On March 8, Park University faced No. 2-ranked Central Methodist University to battle for the HOA conference championship.

Once again, Park came out of the game with a winning sweep with the

scores of 25-14, 25-19, 25-16.

This is the first season the Park women’s volleyball has played in the Heart of America Conference, moving out of the American Midwest Conference from previous years.

After much success in the old conference, Park brought that competitive success into the new conference, winning their first HOA conference championship.

Park University women’s volleyball conference champions have secured a bid to the NAIA National Championship and will play to win another ring beginning April 17 in Sioux City, Iowa. Game time and opponent is yet to be determined.

For updates and live video, visit parkathletics.com.

Opinion: Mahomes means more than football to KC Averyl Crouse Reporter Ask any Kansas Citian and they’ll say Patrick Mahomes is a hometown hero. With a $450 million contract and two trips to the Super Bowl, it’s easy to see why there is so much hype for the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback. Aside from his game performances, Mahomes has also won over fans by becoming active in the community for causes that are near to his heart.

Mahomes established the 15 and the Mahomies foundation in 2019. He had only been with the Chiefs since the 2017 draft, but spent his two years in Kansas City growing to love the community and its people.

According to its website, 15 and the Mahomies aims to “support 15 youth charitable initiatives that focus on academics, science, the arts, classroom supplies, athletics, children with disabilities, after-school programs and more.”

When he established 15 and the Mahomies, Mahomes said, “It’s a foundation that’s designed all around kids … that don’t have the same opportunities I had when I was young.”

“I want to make sure I can give back to them in any shape and anyway in order to give them the resources they need to have an amazing life,” he stated.

Since 2019, 15 and the Mahomies now supports more than 30 charities, with many events and programs to support the Kansas City community.

Besides his foundation, Mahomes has also been very civically involved. In 2020, he appeared in a video with several other professional football players to encourage the NFL to condemn police brutality and violence against black people.

Before the 2020 election, Mahomes helped to establish a voter registration project in Kansas City and was a part of Lebron James’ initiative to encourage the younger generation to vote.

With his entire career ahead of him, Mahomes has already had his philanthropic efforts stretch to many nationwide and local issues. Before his million-dollar contract or nationwide fame, Mahomes put in the effort to make sure he is doing his part in his community and setting a great example for all professional athletes.

FEATURES

Page 8 March 26, 2021

Women’s History Month Important reads for Women’s History Month Averyl Crouse Reporter One way to honor or celebrate Women’s History Month is to remember the groundbreaking female authors and fictional characters that helped to make history. Park University Librarian Camille Abdel-Jawad recommended some books to read for that purpose.

Abdel-Jawad said she wants everyone to start expanding their reading material to include more recent authors as well as the classics.

“Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and Agatha Christie were all pioneers in early literature,” she said.

Park University’s McAfee Library actually does not carry books that would be considered classics; instead its collection is largely popular fiction.

However, Abdel-Jawad said immersing oneself in stories about strong female

characters is just as important as learning about authors who broke down barriers in the literature industry. To that end, she compiled book recommendations that are about women, written by women, that have all been published in the last few years.

“These stories all have a heart of exploration and have something to say in the world,” she said.

Abdel-Jawad found Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer to be her favorite.

She said, “The female lead is funny, relatable and it is a great story of self-discovery.”

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson was also recommended. It is a story of the vulnerability of young black girls in society and the struggles that they face.

Conjure Women is a historical novel

by Afia Atakora about former slaves struggling to survive shortly after the Civil War. With a strong female protago-

PHOTO/Averyl Crouse

These books are some of the recommendations from Park University Librarian Camille Abdel-Jawad to celebrate Women’s National History Month. nist, this is a story of a woman’s resilience during a tumultuous time for a young, black woman.

Through these books women can learn more about the experiences of others, educate themselves and honor the

women that helped to make female authors and strong female characters more prominent in the literary world.

For more recommendations , reach out to the librarians in Norrington Center or at the McAfee Library homepage.

Women’s History Month: Female Park leaders give advice Skyler Jensen Reporter Every March, the country looks back at female accomplishments during Women’s History Month. In honor of that, two leaders at Park University give their advice to young women who want to be leaders in their own field.

Provost Michelle Myers, Ed.D., encourages students to succeed by first doing the work to earn good grade, then rounding out their character by participating in community service. She also recommends developing networking skills, to gain recognition and start building connections for future careers.

To build those networking skills, she said, “Students could easily reach out to leaders here on this campus, and po-

tentially others, but we might be able to open some doors for you. If you wanted to have a conversation with a leader, we could certainly make that happen.”

Dr. Myers also advises building skills like collaboration and critical thinking, which are skills she says are essential in the workplace.

Ashley Jones, head coach of the Park Esports team, advises young women going into male-dominated spaces to find their people. On the hard days, she says you need people to rely on and to support you.

“If people say something directly to you, try your best to educate them,” she added. Whether it’s a sexist remark or someone making a pass, speak up and let them know why that isn’t okay. Also, speak up if you hear it said to other

people. By educating others, society can grow and hopefully move past those types of comments.

Jones also said that for women who want to be leaders, “There’s no starting too small.” She recommends getting involved on campus and taking on a leadership position in order to start building those skills.

When looking for leaders in university administration, it seems like there are an overwhelming number of men in those positions compared to women.

Jones, who is one of the three female head coaches on campus, feels that it is important to create an environment that people are going to feel safe in regardless of their gender.

“I think it’s just lot of visibility that needs to happen within the space,” she

added.

Jones, who is also the vice chair for the Kansas City Esports Coalition and the chair elect for the Board of Directors for the National Association of Collegiate Esports, thinks that it is important for women to see women in those leadership positions, so they know that it is possible for them, too.

Dr. Myers agreed that this lack of diversity is an issue for higher education.

“We need to just do the best we can and have a strategic plan for increasing the overall diversity on all college campuses and especially in leadership roles in higher education,” she said.

She also added that for those minority in leadership roles, it is important to try to reach back and help those working up the ladder in that field.