The Stylus, Volume 125, Issue 8

s u l y t S e h T

Volume 125

ISSUE

2019-20

#8

Visit stylusonline.org for online news and student blogs

A student publication of Park University since 1895

FB: ParkUniversityStylus stylus@park.edu April 2, 2020

COVID-19 shutters Park, US, world Kalie Strain Editor-in-Chief On Dec. 31, 2019, China reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) that a pneumonia with an unknown cause had been going through Wuhan, China.

The cause has now been determined to be a novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

On March 11, WHO characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic.

As of April 1, COVID-19 has infected 935-957 people and has killed 47,245 people worldwide, according to worldometer.com.

As of April 1, 5,110 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19.

To slow the spread of COVID-19, many businesses and institutions, including Park University, have closed or moved to an online and work-from-home format.

In This Issue:

PHOTO/Kristin Shaw Signs have been place around the Parkville campus to inform visitors that it is closed and access is restricted.

COVID-19......... 2-6 Sports..................7 Opinion................8 Campus Life........9

COVID-19

Page 2 April 2, 2020

Tips for smart precautions against coronavirus transmission Trey Connolly email that all class meetings would be Control and Prevention (CDC) informa- severe diseases such as Middle East ReReporter canceled for the foreseeable future. Jen- tion to instruct her class and stay updated spiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and For the past couple weeks, the buzz for coronavirus has grown exponentially as people have become more aware of the virus’s potential.

With new cases of COVID-19 in America every day, communities were forced to cancel all major social functions.

Park University students returning from spring break were informed via

nine Wilson, assistant professor of nursing at Park University, explained what we know so far about the disease.

“The most important thing is not to panic, but instead educate yourself and use common sense regarding the spread of infection,” she said.

Wilson, who teaches a community health course at Park, said that her course focuses on communicable diseases such as COVID-19.

Wilson utilizes Centers for Disease

on diseases such as COVID-19.

While there is currently no known cure for COVID-19, there are simple precautions to avoid infection.

Wilson said that the CDC lists certain precautions such as social distancing, regular hand washing and avoiding touching the face to reduce the chance of infection.

Wilson said, “Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV)” Wilson said, “Flu is still a greater threat at this point than the coronavirus.

Some years it can kill upwards of 62,000 individuals in the U.S. alone.”

According to Johns Hopkins University on March 28, there are 105,470 cases of COVID-19 in the United States and more than 1,400 deaths from the virus.

COVID-19 virus effecting health and hygiene Annika Ruskievicz Editor COVID-19 has brought most of the country to a standstill, and it has affected us greatly. Many organizations and businesses have closed – schools, restaurants, gyms and more.

“Both my husband’s school and my school are closed for the remaining of the semester so we are staying home unless absolutely needing to go somewhere, and if we do need something only one of us goes and the other stays at home with our daughter. Of course we are continuing to practice hand hygiene and keeping everything as clean as possible. We are also continuing to stay updated with the CDC guidelines,” stated Kaitlyn Mattis, a junior nursing major.

The CDC has put out many regulations for Americans to follow, such as restricting the amount of people allowed to be in areas together, to stay at least six feet away from others and even recommending athome quarantines.

Some business that are still open, like hospitals, grocery stores and pharmacies, have taken precautions to clean and disinfect surfaces every hour.

There are many things an individual can do to protect themselves and their family. First, wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol, and avoid touching your face.

Stay home if feeling ill in any way, and try to avoid contact with someone who is sick.

If you happen to be sick, make sure to wear a face mask. “A face mask can help prevent the spread to illness to others.”

Stated from the CDC website.

At home, wipe down frequently-used areas like door knobs, tables counters, remotes and game controllers daily.

“From the minute I heard about a new virus found in China, I went out and bought a few of those mini hand sanitizers. I definitely stay very alert because every day it changes,” stated Lena Desko, a sophomore studying communications Studies at Park University.

Desko is home with her young daughter. “As of recently I have made the decision for both of us to just stay at home until all this blows over. With the rates going up, there is only a higher chance of us catching it.”

According to the Kansas City Star, a lot of area cities are issuing “stay at home or-

ders” to help prevent further spread.

As of March 21, Kansas City as well as Johnson, Jackson and Wyandotte counties issued the order to stay home as much as possible.

The orders allow residents to leave for the hospital, grocery store and any essential business. This will be in effect until mid-April. KMBC.com stated as of March 19, all 50 states are reported to have people infected with COVID-19.

According to the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, as of March 27 the state had 670 COVID-19 cases and nine deaths attributed to the virus. For more information on how to stay safe visit CDC.gov for more.

Story written on March 16 and updated on March 28

Staff List Editor-in-chief Kalie Strain

Editors Cynthia Clark Jon Hokenson Annika Ruskievicz Matheus Teles

Reporters Trey Connolly Naida Gonzalez Victoria Olaleye Alison Overcash Savanna Wyatt

Adviser

Kristin Shaw PHOTO/Annika Ruskievicz

COVID-19

Page 3 April 2, 2020

Virtual classes pose challenges Alison Overcash Reporter On March 12, Park University President Greg Gunderson, Ph.D., announced that all face-to-face and blended classes at the Parkville campus and the Gilbert, Arizona, campus would move online on March 16 for the remainder of the spring semester. On March 16, another announcement from Dr. Gunderson said that all campuses across the country would do the same.

“Although I recognize this decision is disruptive and likely there will be aspects of this approach that don’t address everyone’s individual needs, I hope you will draw comfort from the knowledge that Park is focused to deliver the quality education you expect and our faculty and staff demand while addressing broader public health concerns,” said Dr. Gunderson on March 12.

“Park is far better positioned than most schools; our faculty and students are working hard to adapt, we have solid cash reserves, and management is meeting daily to discuss next steps,” said Dr. Gunderson in another email to Park faculty, staff, and students on March 17.

In halting all face-to-face meetings, most courses are now using Canvas. Canvas is the learning management system used by Park University. Canvas provides discussion boards, chat rooms, messaging, live video conferencing through Zoom, and a mobile app.

“In the event of campus closures such as this, we are very well prepared to move our traditional and blended classrooms to be taught online,” said Jared Flaherty, director of LMS support. “All courses, regardless of instructional modality, have always been provisioned Canvas course sites and Zoom video-conferencing.”

“The majority of our faculty in Parkville, the vast ma-

jority, have been teaching online and have been using the Canvas platform for their face-to-face classes,” said Dr. Gunderson. “Curriculum and pedagogy was already written for the vast majority of our classes that are taught here because they were being taught online.”

Dr. Gunderson said that for faculty who are not familiar with teaching online, “We have mentors and others that are working with them to make certain they make the transition.”

Additionally, Park University has tried to create resources for faculty members that might be new to online teaching.

“For faculty, we’ve set up a resource hub called “Keep Teaching @ Park” on the Faculty Center for Innovation’s website, innovatepark.org,” said Leslie Umstattd, interim director of digital learning.

Despite the faculty’s willingness to adapt quickly, students still have concerns and find learning is more challenging in the online environment.

“I like the face-to-face interaction better so I can ask questions and get the help I may need,” said junior J’nae Varela, a psychology and social work double major.

Bailey Turner, a communication studies major, agreed.

“I don’t like the fact that we are on online class just because I feel like I do better with face-to-face and teachers are more cooperative that way with answering students’ questions,” said Turner.

Park students have online resources if they begin to struggle or feel lost. The Academic Success Center still offers free tutoring for all students virtually. Students can connect with virtual tutors through the Park Tutoring and Success Services course on Canvas and then meet using Zoom.

The library is also offering services at this time such

PHOTO/Cynthia Clark Mackenzie Bowline, sophomore business administration major, human resource management concentration said the online work has given her more time for her job at Hy-Vee on 45 Highway in Kansas City, Missouri. as electronic reference and research assistance, library instruction via Zoom, online inter-library loan requests, and book delivery by mail, according to library.park. edu/coronavirus.

Administrations in Academic Affairs have encouraged students who are struggling with the changes in their coursework to talk with their instructor.

Education majors relieved with plans for teaching placements Cynthia Clark Editor When Park University’s classes shifted online due to rising concerns over the coronavirus, some majors and programs had to make drastic changes to their entire programs, one of them being education.

On Wednesday, March 25, Suzanne Tiemann, Ph.D., director of undergraduate programs for the School of Education, announced suspension of the depart-

ment’s requirement to pass the Missouri Content Assessment before teaching placement for the 2020-2021 academic year.

“We value your mental and emotional health as well as your academic success.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has temporarily closed all of the Missouri Content Assessment (MoCA) testing sites throughout the State of Missouri.”

The announcement also stated all other teaching requirements are mandatory for graduation, and all students should

prepare to take the assessment as soon as the testing centers are operational.

“We are very happy that the School of Education is being so understanding during this time,” said Paige Evert, a senior elementary education major. “Our professors are so understanding, we know that they have our backs 100 percent and do whatever it takes in order for us to be successful.”

Kaylea Bradshaw, a senior secondary education and social sciences major, was relieved when the announcement was

made.

“I was worried when we went completely online about certification testing and requirements for observation hours,” she said. “Thankfully, everyone has been very reassuring and helpful during this uncertain time.”

According to both students, going online was a little overwhelming at first, but now that they are in the swing of things and have a well-planned out schedule, it’s smooth sailing.

COVID-19

Page 4 April 2, 2020

Spring graduation ceremony a casualty of CDC guidelines Victoria Olaleye Reporter The graduation ceremony for spring 2020 has been canceled, and spring graduates have been invited to participate in the December graduation.

On March 17, President Greg Gunderson, Ph.D., sent an email addressing the issues surrounding the coronavirus as well as announcing that the graduation has been canceled.

“The Kansas City Area Commencement Ceremony scheduled for May 9 will be cancelled. We invite our spring graduates from Kansas City and from across the network to join us on December 12 at the main campus ceremony. Individual campus centers with ceremonies scheduled in the next eight weeks will be cancelled or rescheduled,” the president wrote.

According to Dr. Gunderson, in an email, the graduation has been canceled due to nationwide restrictions to ban gatherings to 10 or more people.

“The decision was made now so that family and friends who are traveling long distances for the ceremony, especially those of international students, could make alternate plans or cancel their travel

plans,” he said.

Students who might not be able to make it to the December ceremony can livestream from their various locations.

Regarding refunds for expenses graduating students incurred, such as for a cap and gown, Provost Michelle Myers, Ed.D., said her office has been getting lots of questions from students concerning refunds, and they have provided the students with four options on how to go about that.

The options are for students who plan to walk at the commencement ceremony, students who will not walk, but still want their cap and gown shipped to them, students who won’t be walking but want a $25 refund of their graduation fees, and for students who will not be walking and are waiving their refund.

The money waived will be applied to Park University’s Student Emergency Relief Fund assisting students who need help due to COVID-19 circumstances.

Diploma will be mailed to students upon final transcripts being verified.

Christian Leonard, a senior majoring in mathematics, said in an email, “It comes at an unfortunate time that the event had to be canceled, but it is for the

best. I am the second person in my entire family to ever graduate from college, so graduation has been on the calendar since I enrolled at Park as a freshman. It was a very big deal.”

Leonard said it was tough when he heard Park’s graduation was officially called off as he had picked up a cap and gown and paid the necessary fees. He also said his parents had sent announcements to family and friends.

“Though frustrating for many of us, I think it is important to distinguish that this is nothing but a difficult time worldwide, and that Park University is doing its best to mitigate the inconvenience of students having to shift to online classes, let alone having to coordinate everything regarding the graduation ceremony.”

Leonard said he understands that Park is having to navigate obstacles that it has never had to in the school’s history.

However, he said he believes their gradation will be special, and their year will stand out as one for the history books. He also said he will be participating in the December ceremony.

“There was no debate; my parents have done their part to get me this far, and graduation is a time for all of us to be

proud,” he said. “A single day being canceled doesn’t negate the years of effort, the friendships made, and the lessons learned during my time at Park. You bet I’ll be walking in December, and I can’t wait!”

Jesse Patrick, a senior majoring in information computer science - software development, said it is an understandable decision for the graduation to be canceled. He also said he had plans to celebrate with his friends and family.

“I think the four options they gave are great for students. I just worry about the students who cannot make it back in December,” Patrick said. He said he will be walking in December as he has already made the payments for the graduation.

Katherine Payne, a senior majoring in graphic design, said she is disappointed, but she understands that there are lot of people struggling as a result of current events.

“This is a completely new situation for everyone, and I feel as if everyone is making the best of it,” she said. Payne said she already paid for the graduation as well as her cap and gown and is looking forward to attending the December graduation ceremony.

Students, university face financial issues in wake of pandemic Naida Gonzalez Reporter Park University is still working out details on financial issues arising as a result of COVID-19.

According to Park University’s website, Park has moved to a modified closed status because of COVID-19. All non-essential employees are working virtually.

However, Greg Gunderson, Ph.D., Park University’s president, recognized that some students need to be on campus amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We made the decision early on, where other schools have said that the dorms had to close, we are attempting to keep them open in order to support our students,” Dr. Gunderson said. “It is, I can

tell you, an expensive proposition to keep them open.”

Some students are concerned about whether they will be receiving refunds since they moved out of the dorms. Park University is still trying to come up with a fair solution for students who chose to move out for the rest of the semester.

In an interview with The Stylus on March 18, Dr. Gunderson said there is no answer yet, but his staff is working the issue and will be reaching out to students as soon as they know more.

Dr. Gunderson said during the week of March 16 that the university’s “primary priority has been making the transition online, and we’ve identified who stayed housing and that we’re meeting food and

shelter and security means.”

Essential employees who are unable to do their jobs at home will still report to campus. Essential employees that are uncomfortable coming to campus because of COVID-19 are allowed to stay home.

“Those people have vacation and paid time off, but if they exhaust those, they go into an unpaid status,” said Roger Dusing, chief human resource officer.

More broadly, Dr. Gunderson announced in a meeting of faculty on March 27 that interim CFO Gregg Givens had signed a contract to join Park in that role full-time.

He also said that with decreases in enrollment, the loss of many on-campus residents and some costs related to

COVID-19, the university was working to address a planned budget shortfall this academic year.

Construction on the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center – future home of the College of Management and the Warrior Center – is still progressing, as construction work has been deemed an essential task so far. Dr. Gunderson said the Plaster Center project is funded by about 50 percent donations and 50 percent bonds, so its cost does not affect the operating budget. Put another way – the money being used to build the Plaster Center can only be used either for that project or for capital improvements. It can’t be used to pay salaries or other expenses.

Story last updated on March 28

COVID-19

Page 5 April 2, 2020

It doesn’t matter where you go; you can’t stay here Savanna Wyatt Reporter The Coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic has caused many schools and colleges around the country to shut down to help enforce social distancing. While Park University has made the decision to transfer all face to face classes online, it has not yet required all students to move out of the dormitories.

“With the current message sent out by the university, students are encouraged to move out and stay elsewhere to help with social distancing, however the residence halls remain open for students needing to stay,” said Tonya Wessel, director of residence life in an email interview.

This transition came abruptly as the number of COVID-19 cases in the Kansas City area has increased. The decision to allow students to move off campus and switch to online classes was announced on Thursday, March 12 from President Greg Gunderson.

Many students made the decision

to move off campus the last few days of spring break including sophomore Bailey Turner.

“I decided to leave because with transitioning into online, there was no purpose of me staying on campus, especially with spring sports being canceled,” she said in an email interview. The mass communication major runs for Park’s track and field team, which would usually have its outdoor season at this time.

Online classes allow for students to work remotely from anywhere, which was a big factor in determining if they would stay or leave.

Turner said she also wanted the opportunity to be able to work and make more money. This has become a challenge as many jobs are being forced to shut down with new stay-at-home orders.

Sophomore English major Mariah Moe said, “I moved off campus because everyone else was, and they are also offering refunds which was a big push as well.”

Park is offering the money students spent on housing to be added back to the students’ accounts to help with any cur-

PHOTO/Kristin Shaw The parking lot outside Copley-Thaw Hall is now mostly empty. All remaining Park University residential students have consolidated into the Copley Quad dorm, shown in the background. rent balances they might have, according to an email sent out Sunday, March 15 from Wessel.

Moe was planning on staying in the dorms at first, however, the loneliness and isolation was a tough adjustment on campus, she said.

She made the decision to leave campus shortly after the start of online classes.

Currently, students who have been approved for a hardship by residence life will be able to stay on campus. However, they must comply with the new, temporary residence life policies and consolidate into

Copley Quad starting Monday, March 23.

These new policies include no guests, no leaving campus unless approved, compliance with possible curfew guidelines and more.

Students who were not approved had to leave campus by Tuesday, March 25 in compliance with the local government’s stay-at-home order. If they couldn’t clear out their items by then, they should email residence life after April 23 to coordinate a time to return for their belongings.

Story written on March 24

From fitness to art, organizations shift all their events online Victoria Olaleye Reporter Different departments at Park University are coming together to create events to actively engage students online during while keeping social distances.

Director of Student Engagement, Mya Lawrence, said she is trying to encourage student organizations to still meet virtually to engage their members. This is important because seniors are still graduating, and if things are left undone for a long period, it might be difficult to continue in the fall. She also said she’s still thinking of ways to engage students who are on campus and working to create a Park presence online for all students at a distance now.

The office of student life and engage-

ment is currently running a TikTok challenge for students to show how they are washing their hands and practicing social distancing. The link to the video entries should be posted on Crew and students stand a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. In an email, Lawrence said she started TikTok Thursdays recently, and, with classes going online, it is a way to still connect Park students.

“We’ve had a few students post videos on Crew, but not as many as I thought.

Some students seem shy or timid, but we would encourage them all to participate.

There is a high chance of winning one of the prizes,” she said.

Pirate Fitness, in collaboration with Om Prana yoga studio, has moved the yoga classes online until further notice. In a post made on their Crew page, Stefanie

Rettenbacher stated that the move online will give students in any location a chance to try out the yoga classes. Students have been sent email on how to join. All they have to do is email their student ID numbers to the yoga instructor to get the Zoom link for the class.

Coffee and Zoom is another virtual event organized by PSAB that would be scheduled weekly to have students come online and have discussions. The event is set to start on April 1 at 11am and would be organized by PSAB executive members. Students can join via the zoom links that will be sent their email and on Crew.

In an email sent out on March 27 by Lawrence, the office of student life announced a virtual painting event that will be held on April 15 at 6:45p m. Supplies will be provided for students living

on campus who RSVP before 10 a.m. on April 1.

“Each painter will be guided virtually step-by-step, stroke by stroke, to ensure they create their very own masterpiece,” the email stated.

Also, in the same email, students who would like to take a walk solo or in a small group of five or less are provided a link to walk on Park’s designated trails. Conversation partners, an event regularly scheduled on Wednesdays, has also moved online. A Zoom link to join the conversation was emailed to students on March 23.

Many departments and organizations are working toward creating events online to engage students, and students are encouraged to look out for the announcements in Crew, emails and social media pages of Park organizations.

COVID-19

Page 6 April 2, 2020

NAIA awards spring sport athletes more eligibility Matheus Teles Editor After the American Midwest Conference announced the cancellation of all Spring 2020 sports activities on Friday, March 13, some questions came up in the minds of the student-athletes at Park University. One of the most asked, was if the seniors involved in spring sports would have one more year of eligibility.

Student-athletes in the NAIA are able to play for four years. With the season being abruptly over, seniors, in addition to all the other athletes, did not play every game they were supposed to. They ended their college career with an incomplete season.

The Park men’s volleyball team received good news. According to an email

sent on Monday, March 15, from the NAIA to their coach, Mike Talamantes, the seniors and all the other players from the team would be able to play one more year as a student-athlete because

season.

Later that day, according Nascimento, Talamantes said their season was over.

Nobody knew what would happen about

Any spring sport student-athlete wo was enrolled full-time in 2020 will be awarded two additional semester terms of attendance or the equivalent. they would receive one more year of eligibility by the NAIA. According to Mateus Nascimento, a senior libero majoring in international business, at the end of the team’s last practice, Friday, March 13, Coach Talamantes said that he would keep the team updated about the possible changes involving their

the situation involving the seniors. In the following week, Talamantes sent a message on their group chat saying that the seniors would be eligible to play another year.

“On a Monday after, he (Talamantes) texted in our group chat saying that NAIA gave us another year of eligibility,” Nasci-

mento said.

The players had access to the email sent by the NAIA to their coach, and they were able to read all the information. In the email, there is a specific paragraph that mentioned the addition of one more year to every spring sport student-athlete.

“In an effort to provide relief, no spring sport student-athlete will be charged a season of competition,” he continued.

“Any spring sport student-athlete who was enrolled full-time in 2020 will be awarded two additional semester terms of attendance or the equivalent.”

When asked about the addition of one more year of eligibility to all the athletes, Tyler Price, assistant director of athletics for media relations and marketing at Park University, said he was not allowed to comment on the situation.

Student-athletes reflect on an abrupt ending to their seasons “I need to go to work to help my family and study, that is what I’m going to do.”

Matheus Teles Editor Lebron said.

The 2020 spring athletic season is over for all the Park University Athletic Teams.

Due to the quick spread of the COVID-19 virus, the American Midwest Conference decided to cancel all the sports events through the end of the academic year.

“This was a tough decision by our Council of Presidents knowing the impact it would have on so many young women and men that compete for our institutions and the Conference,” said AMC Commissioner Will Wolper.

This decision made by the AMC directly affected the lives of the student-athletes at Park University. Sports such as men’s volleyball, baseball, softball, track and field, and golf had to finish their seasons because of this decision.

“It was disappointing because I was having a good season,” said Angel Lebron, a pitcher from the Park baseball team.

The Park men’s volleyball team was also having a good season and had to stop their activities because of the coronavirus. The Pirates ended their season with a 12-1 record, and they were about to play the conference playoffs.

According to Hiago Crins, a senior outside hitter on the team, they were having a very good season, and he is very proud of his team.

“I think we had the best team of the competition, and our chemistry was good since we have been playing together for a couple years,” Crins said. “I’m upset with the end of our season, but it was a necessary action.”

Since the recommendation is to stay at home, there are not many options, and now the student-athletes have to figure out what they will do during their free time.

For more information regarding the recent updates involving the COVID-19 procedures check the Park Athletics website.

End-of-season standings

Because the rest of the NAIA season has been canceled, these are the final standings for Park’s spring sports teams.

Men’s basketball, 21-7 Men’s volleyball, 12-1 Men’s golf, 1st of 7 in one tournament Men’s track and field, 7th of 9 in conference championship Baseball, 10-12 Women’s basketball, 4-23 Softball, 4-10 Women’s beach volleyball, 2-9 Women’s golf, 2nd of 7 in one tournament Women’s track and field, 1st of 9 in conference championship

SPORTS

Page 7 April 2, 2020

Men’s basketball loses in AMC quarterfinals

PHOTOS/Savanna Wyatt Left: Senior guard Deionte Wilson defends against a Williams Baptist player with junior forward Ernest Myles III behind him. Right: Pirates huddle in a time out.

Savanna Wyatt Reporter The men’s basketball quarterfinals for the American Midwest Conference took place on March 4 at 7 p.m. The Park University men’s basketball team faced off against the Williams Baptist University Eagles at Breckon Sports Center.

This was the first game of the AMC tournament, and winning this round could have meant a ticket to the NAIA National Championship at the end of March.

However, the final score was 84-79 with Williams Baptist defeating the Park Pirates.

The Pirates ended their regular season with a 21-6 record, clenching the number two seed for the AMC tournament. They expected to beat the Eagles due to their season record.

It was a close game throughout with Park leading 44 to 38 in the first half, while Williams Baptist led 46 to 35 in the second half.

In the end, the Pirates just could not close the gap and lost.

The Pirates led the first half in three-point shots making five out of 10.

The Eagles, on the other hand, only made two out of the 13 three-point shots they

took, making their three-point percentage only about 15.

The Pirates also shot more free throws versus Williams Baptist who fouled Park more with 18 personal fouls.

In the second half, Park made fewer three-point shots, only making three out of the 12 they took.

The Eagles’ three-point percentage went up in the second half from 15 percent to about 45 percent.

Park’s free throw percentage also took a dive from about 81 percent to 16 percent. In turn, Williams Baptist was shooting better overall.

The Pirates were missing shots, which inevitably led to their disappointing loss.

They had a good season which started off beating both Central Methodist University and MidAmerica Nazarene University in the Jeff Uphaus Memorial Classic.

They previously beat Williams Baptist in January, 58-55. They also beat out many teams twice, such as Lyon College and Hannibal-LaGrange University.

They unfortunately will not have a spot at the NAIA National Tournament, but the NAIA National Tournament, along with all other spring athletic sports practices and games, will be canceled.

opinion

Page 8 April 2, 2020

Missouri’s library oversight bill threatens human rights In January, Missouri Rep. Ben Baker (R-106th) filed the Parental Oversight of Libraries bill, which would require public librarAlison Overcash ies to establish Reporter parental review boards that would prevent minors from accessing what they determine to be “age-inappropriate sexual materials.”

The boards, which according to the bill would consist of “five adult residents of the public library’s geographical area” elected for two-year terms, would hear concerns from the community and determine whether each piece of questioned material is age-inappropriate.

Any material that describes or represents “nudity, sexuality, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse” and “lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors” would be removed from public access by minors, according to the bill.

As an employee of a public library, I

have been taught to challenge censorship since day one at my job. All of the public libraries in my area support the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read statement and the Library Bill of Rights.

“The American Library Association opposes all attempts to restrict access to library services, materials, and facilities based on the age of library users,” according to Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights on the ALA website.

“Libraries and their governing bodies shall ensure that only parents and guardians have the right and the responsibility to determine their children’s—and only their children’s—access to library resources.”

The Parental Oversight of Libraries bill is therefore in clear violation of the Library Bill of Rights. Furthermore, in the Freedom to Read statement, the ALA expresses their belief that parents, and teachers have a responsibility to encourage children to think critically for themselves and should promote access to the diversity of the human experience.

“These are affirmative responsibilities,

not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared,” stated the ALA in the Freedom to Read statement.

“In these matters taste differs, and taste cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised which will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.”

Despite the large-scale implications of a bill that violates these principles, the thing about the bill that scares me the most is the inclusion of the word sexuality. The demands of the bill would limit the freedom of the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, the bill arose in response to events like “Drag Queen Story Hour” in Houston, Baker said in an interview with the Neosho Daily News.

Board members would have the power to restrict any content that even mentions the LGBTQ+ community. This erasure would be particularly harmful to LGBTQ+ youth, who would then not be able to see themselves represented in the media they are consuming.

Picture this: a nervous 13-year-old boy rides his bike to the library. He sneakily searches and finds a book that might explain these confused emotions

he’s been experiencing. He thinks there might be something wrong with him.

He uses the self-checkout so the librarians can’t see what he’s checking out, but an alert message comes up after scanning the book, “This is restricted material. See a librarian for assistance.”

He can’t stay and read the book at the library. He returns the book to the shelf and rides home, embarrassed and discouraged.

That could be anyone’s son, daughter or a child who thinks they might be neither. As a former scared child and as a future librarian, I can only hope that one day I will be allowed to provide the youth in my community with the resources they need regardless of their age, just as I have been trained to.

The bill, which was introduced on Jan. 8 and read for the second time on Jan. 9, does not have another hearing scheduled according to the House calendar as of March 16.

If you want to voice your opinion on the bill, call Vic Allred (R-13th), the Missouri State House Representative representing Platte County at 573-751-6593 or your local Missouri state representative.

Quarantine viewing: Check out Disney’s “Coco” again Three years after its release, “Coco” still seems to be a family favorite.

The movie highlights the life of a young boy called MiVictoria Olaleye guel who had a Reporter passion for music and wanted to be like his role model, Ernesto De la Cruz, but his family didn’t support his passion. That was because they believed his great-great-grandfather

abandoned his family to pursue music.

Out of stubbornness and passion, Miguel left his home for a music competition and ended up in the land of the dead.

There, Miguel met a lot of his family members who had died. He was able to recognize them from the pictures at the ofrenda in his home and reunited with them.

While I tend to forget sometimes and mix them up, the character Coco in this movie was Miguel’s great-grandmother, who had lived for a long time and was already having faded memories of her father.

While Miguel was wandering around

in the land of the dead, he found Coco’s father, Hector, whose picture had been taken away from the family. Together, they uncover some family secrets and stories no one knew.

I watched this movie for the first time in Park University’s McCoy Meetin’ House in 2018 as organized by the Park International Club. I remember leaving the hall singing the “Poco Loco” song.

I saw the movie a second time in 2019, organized by the same club, and I still enjoyed and sang along.

This movie tugs at heartstrings as it shows us the importance of keeping memories with and of people we love.

This is demonstrated in the way the pictures of the family members were displayed at the table and how much they valued their family heritage.

The movie also shows the importance of pursuing one’s dream, which is a lesson anyone watching can hold on to. I love the catchy songs in the movie. This is one part of the movie that has stuck with me for a long time and even when I didn’t remember some parts of the movie during a second watch, I didn’t forget the “Poco Loco” song.

You can stream “Coco” on Disney+ or rent it at a variety of locations.

CAMPUS LIFE

Page 9 April 2, 2020

Introducing a new campus group: Delta Lambda Zeta Annika Ruskievicz Editor Park University offers many opportunities for students to join clubs and groups they are interested in.

The opportunity grew in August 2019, when a group of friends decided to create a sorority for women to connect and better help each other.

Jaycee Roe, a sophomore communication studies major, is one of the founders of Park’s Delta Lambda Zeta chapter.

“We basically started with the idea that we wanted a bigger group of women to become friends with,” she said. “We wanted to establish bonds of sisterhood that last a lifetime.”

Delta Lambda Zeta currently has 12 members, but the numbers keep growing.

To join, each applicant must meet the requirements which include being a self-identifying woman, having a 2.2 GPA and being enrolled as an undergraduate student.

According to Roe, the sorority was about adapting to the big change of coming to college. The group shares three values: ambition, friendship and inclusivity.

“We try to go off of some of Park’s values like inclusivity. That was part of why we started; that we wanted a very in-

PHOTO COURTESY/Jaycee Roe clusive group of women who wanted to make some friends, and that anyone that needed a community could be a part of one.”

The group is still in the early stages but tries to have monthly meetings.

They had a sisterhood dinner in the fall, a secret sister around Christmas time and are planning on doing a rush week in fall 2020.

“Our biggest thing right now is hitting

hard on rush for the fall,” Roe said. “We want to make sure we get as many girls as we can and just focus on incoming freshmen girls who would love to be a part of our community and grow.”

Students seek a gender neutral restroom in Findlay-Wakefield Science Hall Naida Gonzalez Reporter Spectrum, a Park University club, has been working with Park Student Government Association and the dean of students to implement gender neutral restrooms in Findlay-Wakefield Science Hall.

During a meeting, members of the club mentioned that there are gender neutral restrooms in almost every building on campus besides Science Hall. According to the proposal submitted to Michelle Myers, Park University’s provost, gender

neutral restrooms are an important part of providing safe spaces for transgender and gender nonconforming students.

Some students don’t feel safe or comfortable using a restroom that matches their sex.

The plan is for facilities to install locks and new signage, which will be at minimal cost to the student organizations or Student Services.

Alison Overcash, Spectrum Club’s president, reached out to Christian Leonard, PSGA’s president, to inquire about the possibility of transforming one of the gendered restrooms into a non-gen-

dered restroom. In a group meeting with Spectrum leadership, Leonard suggested reaching out to Dean of Students Jayme Uden to further the process.

Overcash and Leonard met at the Science Hall with Uden to pick out the restrooms that will be converted into the neutral restrooms. The biggest concern was choosing a restroom that did not already have a lot of traffic as to not inconvenience students and faculty. The group ended up settling for the second floor, with the basement as a back-up option.

Olivia Lauhoff, Spectrum’s secretary,

said that her former college had a few gender neutral restrooms, but not nearly as many as Park.

“Having gender neutral bathrooms accessible in every building makes students feel safer and more included,” Lauhoff said. “I think it’s important that people have the option to use these bathrooms if that’s what’s most comfortable.”

According to Overcash, the response from the provost is being awaited.

“We hope to get this advance the process and have the restrooms by the fall 2020,” she said.