The Stylus - Volume 129, Issue 4

Volume 129

s u l y t S e h T

ISSUE

2023-24

#4

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A student publication of Park University since 1895

IG: parkStylus stylus@park.edu April 5, 2024

Park Campanella Gallery features faculty Jayme Uden named Chief HR Officer Abby Beagel sity’s Title IX officer.

In addition, Uden will collaborate Editor

Skyler Jensen Editor-in-Chief Past and present Park University faculty from the Department of Art and Design are showcasing their work in an art exhibit in the Campanella Gallery, located within Norrington Center on Park’s Parkville Campus.

The exhibit opened with a reception for the artists on Friday, March 29 in the Gallery. Admission to this biennial faculty exhibit will continue through Friday, May 10, and is free and open to the public.

Andrea Lee, Ph.D., associate professor of fine art and director of the Campanella Gallery, said that it is important for art students to see that their art professors do more than just tell the students how to create something; they actually create work themselves. This process allows the faculty to continue on as practitioners that the students can ask about the process and developments of artwork.

Lee created encaustic collages for the exhibit that were based on her interest in nature, birds and pollinators. The technique for this work is to combine other materials with melted wax to build color and layers in the piece according to Lee. Elaina Michalski, assistant teaching professor of fine art, created figurative ceramic pieces of her daughters with gold luster for the exhibit.

She believes it is important for students to see that their teachers are active in the field. “Our work is very project based.

What we teach the students, we also practice in our own lives,” Michalski added.

Cheri Regis, a senior double majoring

PHOTO/Skyler Jensen Students attend the gallery in Norrington Center. in fine art and digital marketing, said that it is very inspiring to see faculty’s work displayed in Campanella Gallery. “This is a great way for students to get a master class in what our faculty has taught us and shown us.”

Other participating artists include Dora Agbas, adjunct instructor of art/fibers; Donna Bachmann, professor emerita of art and founder of the Campanella Gallery; William Eickhorst, Ed.D., former adjunct instructor of fine/visual art; Merrick Henry, assistant teaching professor of graphic design; Matthew Krawcheck, adjunct instructor of art; and Lynn Richardson, adjunct instructor of fine art.

The Campanella Gallery is open during Norrington Center’s regular business hours which are currently Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m.

Jayme Uden, Ed.D., began a new leadership role at Park University as its chief human resources officer, effective March 18.

Uden offers a background in student affairs administration and a passion for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) which makes this appointment an important step from Park in a journey towards cultivating a more inclusive and engaged workforce.

In this new role, he will oversee and lead human resources strategies covering talent management, employee relations, training and development, performance improvement, compensation and benefits, organizational development, HR information systems and appropriate regulatory compliance. He will also serve as the Univer-

with Park’s Vision 2025 People and Culture Strategic Impact Group, which is addressing objectives of fostering diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, communicating with clarity and transparency, and cultivating employee satisfaction and engagement.

Uden has been with Park University in a variety of student life positions since July 2011. Most recently he was the associate vice president and dean of students. In that role, he worked to ensure students had a good experience at Park. “Even if it’s in the classroom, helping out and assisting students who have concerns or complaints about things, wanting to make sure we have certain standards at Park, and that we hold ourselves to those standards, and work closely with the provost to make sure we work with faculty who have concerns too,” he added.

Uden noted that he wanted to take a different role at Park to explore new challenges as he was in his former role

See Uden on page 7

In This Issue:

PHOTO COURTESY/Park University

Opinion..................2 Features.............3-5 Sports.................6-7 Entertainment......8

OPINION

Page 2 April 5, 2024

The gospel of Jesus Christ explained biblically Bryce Butler Editor With Easter having just passed, it’s important to understand the reason for celebrating the holiday. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a call to celebration for those who are believers.

For those that have not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, the gospel is a call to true repentance.

My aim is to point more people to Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The only way to receive salvation is through the confession and repentance of your sins, a decision one must make in their heart.

It is an act of full surrender, turning from the ways of the world and choosing to follow Christ, not merely with words but with actions. The decision to accept the free gift of eternal life, which is avail-

able to everyone, determines where you will spend eternity.

The time that we spend on this Earth is a vapor according to James chapter 14; It is there and gone in just an instant.

Once you step into eternity, your fate is sealed forever. If there is in fact life after death, then the way in which we live directly effects our eternity. Otherwise, it wouldn’t matter how evil we live because we wouldn’t have to answer to anyone.

The culture has helped spread the lie that hell is a just place where people get to continue doing all of the unrighteous things they were doing on Earth. This could not be further from the truth. As the book of Romans says, “For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God.” Hell, simply, is the eternal separation from God, a place of indescribable torment and suffering, from which there is no relief. “Then he will say to those on

his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” (Mt 25:41).

Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from Hell. He paid for our sins, a price that we can never repay, so that if we place our faith in him, he will forgive us and we will have eternal life in heaven.

One obstacle that stands in the way of people choosing to accept and follow Christ is the notion that they need to have undeniable proof of his existence before placing their faith in Him. However, that would not be walking by faith.

The fact is, there is no way to fully comprehend the reasoning of God. This is one of several reasons that we have the Bible, so that we can learn from what he has revealed to us. It is also the reason that believers will spend eternity in heaven learning more and more about him.

When a student enrolls in a course that

March Madness: the good and the bad Skyler Jensen Editor-in-Chief

You might have spent a lot of time in the past couple of weeks like I have: watching March Madness. You also probably watched as the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s team advanced to the Final Four on Monday, April 1.

To be completely transparent, I have not always been a college basketball fan.

I grew up playing basketball but watching it was never the most entertaining to me. Then, last year, Lisa Bluder, the head coach, and Caitlyn Clark, the star player, led the 2022-2023 Iowa Hawkeyes women’s team to the championship game.

Growing up in Iowa, I had heard about the amazing coaching for Iowa women’s basketball, but it seemed like last year the players put together all the pieces to create a highly dynamic team.

Hearing about Clark, also an Iowa native, sounded familiar. I, then,

remembered hearing about a Dowling Catholic player who broke records as the student section of the other team chanted “overrated” at her.

Now, she plays with a level of skill that few others can keep up with, becoming the NCAA’s women’s basketball all-time leading scorer and the all-time leading scorer in D-1 basketball for men or women earlier this year..

It’s been incredible to see the passion, the competitiveness and the sportsmanship displayed by not only Iowa but most of the other women’s teams in the NCAA tournament.

However, the teams that played at Moda Center in Portland, Ore. may be questioning the fairness of the tournament. The NCAA said one of the 3-point lines on the court in Moda Center was about 9 inches short of regulation at its apex, a mistake by the contractor that makes the courts used throughout March Madness.

The line on the court at was corrected, the NCAA said, ahead of Monday night’s UConn-USC game, but five games had already been played on it, the first four with the mistake unnoticed.

It’s unfair to the teams. If a team was up going into the second half, and switched to the half with the short marking, then would their opponent have a true shot to come back? The teams should be able to go to the courts and expect everything from the floor marking to the height of the hoops to be correct.

The mistake overshadows the two weekends worth of basketball that were played in this location and causes people to question if the outcomes may have been different for the teams.

Women’s basketball is finally gaining more attention so it is imperative that the checks are done beforehand to ensure everything is fair and accurate. Otherwise, the NCAA is doing a disservice to the players, the coaches and the fans.

they need to graduate, they don’t typically say, “I need to have all of my questions answered before I can take this course.”

Instead, they take the course so that they can learn what they need to learn. Students place trust in the degree program to equip them with the tools they need to navigate a specific career field.

The same up-front commitment is required for believing that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for the sins of the world and rose again three days later. He wants to have a personal relationship with each individual, and his invitation always stands. While receiving the gift of salvation is free, the gift does come at a cost; to forsake the ways of the world and follow him.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36).

Staff List Editor-in-chief Skyler Jensen

Design Editors

Abby Beagel Bryce Butler Mason Danner Damon Grosvenor Halle Magee Nathan Matthews Matalyn Smith Jaylynn Tucker

Editor

Audrey Hentges

Adviser

Melody Alexander

FEATURES

Page 3 April 5, 2024

‘Secret’ Parkville church saved Damon Grosvenor Editor

The Washington Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) Chapel, located in Parkville, was one of 31 historic Black churches in the U.S. awarded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund on Jan. 15, 2024.

“It was just so exciting to have our prayers answered,” Pearl Spencer, a trustee and 70-year congregant of the church, said about receiving the grant. The chapel has been closed since early 2020 due to loss of electricity and water damage. The congregation has been hosting services via Zoom and also at the St. James C.M.E. Church in Leavenworth.

Barbara Luetke, another church congregant, spent over a year looking for a grant to apply to. There were 550 total applicants, and the Washington C.M.E. Chapel was awarded it.

“The roof is the number one thing to be addressed,” said Spencer. Throughout the last few years, the roof, especially in the bell tower, has been subject to severe water damage. “The water damage knocked out the power and the restrooms,” she said. The restrooms, which were located under the bell tower, will be updated, ensuring both they and the entrance are ADA compliant.

On Jan. 21, 2023, the church was vandalized and a priceless historic panel bearing Park University founder John A. McAfee’s name was stolen. “It was so devastating when those vandals broke that window and took his name,” said Spencer. However, the day of the prayer vigil for the window, the panel was found near the steps, seemingly returned as a gift from God, she said. “The restoration of the window was flawless. You cannot spot the difference.”

The vigil for the window gathered the Parkville community. “We had fantastic turnout,” said Spencer. About 60 people showed up to support the prayer vigil. According to Spencer, the chapel “represent-

Above, the damaged roof is foremost among needed repairs for the chapel.

Below, a plaque on the chapel honors its namesake, Angeline Washington.

PHOTOS/Damon Grosvenor The Washington Christian Methodist Episcopal Chapel, shown above, is hidden at the end of West St in Parkville.The Chapel was awarded a grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation , which wll help restore the chapel. ed the struggle of the Black community in Parkville.” Spencer was among the very first racially integrated class at Park Hill High School in 1956.

The Washington C.M.E. Chapel has played a pivotal role in Parkville and Park University history since it was built by Park students in 1907.

The chapel was built with native limestone, similar to campus buildings like Mackay Hall. The church was formed in the 1870s by members of Parkville’s Black community. It was one of two Black churches in Parkville.

In the early 1900s, Arch Brown, a Black resident of Parkville, left with his cousin from Leavenworth on a flatbed wagon for Tennessee.

The trip took several months and Brown was able to attend the Colored Methodist Episcopal Convention to af-

filiate the Parkville congregation with the church. The name of the convention was changed in 1952 from “Colored” to “Christian.”

“By Park [University] having such a diverse community, it gave the church such a diverse congregation,” said Spencer.

“There were people from Persia, when it was called that. Chinese students. People from all over the world who came and gave us talks and taught us about cultures from all around the world.”

Today, the disrepair of the church is caused by the inability of the congregation to keep up with the maintenance.

The chapel’s congregants are looking to the younger generations to continue the history of the chapel and church.

“It isn’t supposed to be a secret,” said Spencer. “We have to quit keeping it a secret. We have to let it be known.”

PHOTOS COURTESY/Frances Fishburn Archives Above, the congregation of the Washington C.M.E. is pictured in 1972. Below, the chapel is pictured circa 1926.

The original church was built by Park students in 1907 and was one of two Black churches in Parkville.

FEATURES

Page 4 April 5, 2024

‘Silent Sky’: A profound impact on the stars and feminism Audrey Hentges Editor From March 8-17, 2024, Park University collaborated with Bellroad Barn Players to bring a compelling work to the theatre on campus. “Silent Sky” by Lauren Gunderson tells the true story of astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and her quest to find “where we are in the universe.”

The play deals with the many difficulties women faced in the early 1900s and how Henrietta persevered through it all. She discovered that cepheids were blinking in a way that could be measured and used to find the distance to that star.

Her work was the key to discovering our placement in the universe, as well as paving the way for other scientific discover-

ies from Hubble for many more scientists.

The show is very explicit about its feminist agenda, including the background work women do to support the men around them, and the importance of legacy, like the one Leavitt left behind.

The journey through Leavitt’s life and her legacy is an inspiration to women who want to pursue their passions, no matter the rules, the sexism, and the miseducation of many. Leavitt teaches curiosity and to fight for answers that need to be known. She never stopped, even in sickness, and paved the way for so many women after her to discover so much of the universe. This piece is necessary in today’s world because there are so many people fighting to strip women of their rights and their education, working to

minimize them to props and computers for men. This piece reminds women of their origins and inspires them to take a stand from their beliefs and for their rights, so that one day they may become “Mighty Oaks.”

Bell Road Barn Players selects female lead pieces every March. Director Matt Hentges talked about how he considers it extremely important to show female stories. He said, “It’s a powerful play about women, written by one of the most prolific playwrights, with a heavily female driven cast.” Hentges has been a director and board member at Bell Road for about 14 years, and he is dedicated to telling important and influential stories.

Kim Hentges, the lead actress who played Henrietta Leavitt, emphasized that

the play is a historical fiction that lets the world know the importance of Henrietta’s contribution to science. She said, “So many people came up to me and said they wanted to learn more about her, that was the most important thing for me, was bringing to light these stories about women whose contributions get overlooked.”

Park has been collaborating with Bell Road Barn Players since the late ‘70s and has been thriving in Park’s Jenkin and Barbara David Theatre ever since. The organization is not directly apart of the University, but Bell Road Barn is always looking for new actors, tech and set people, and directors for all their productions.

They have several upcoming projects. To learn more about Bell Road Barn Players, visit bellroadbarn.org.

Trauma research is lasting impact of Chowchilla kidnapping Matalyn Smith Editor

Twenty-six people from Chowchilla, Calif., were kidnapped simultaneously, on July 15, 1976, 25 of which were children under the age of 15. One of the largest kidnappings in United States history, this incident would change the public perspective on childhood trauma, as well as open the door to discussion of how this trauma could affect children into adolescence.

On a school bus, children ranging between the ages of five to 14 and their bus driver were heading home to their families from a swim outing on a fairground when, around 4 p.m., they were hijacked by three armed men. The driver and children were transferred into two vans. Next, the hijackers drove 11 hours to a rock quarry in Livermore, where they were loaded into a trailer and buried alive for sixteen hours.

Eventually, the bus driver, Ed Ray, and 14-year-old Michael Marshall pried the roof open and helped the children escape.

The kidnappers, Richard Schoenfeld, James Shoenfeld, and Fredrick Woods, were attempting to hold them for ransom, demanding $5 million for their return. They cited the 1971 film “Dirty Harry” as inspiration. All three were arrested and charged with kidnapping for ransom and robbery. Originally, they were sentenced to life in prison, however, since 2022, all three have been released on parole.

When the kidnappers made a plea for parole, many of the survivors attended the hearing to prevent them from getting a more lenient sentence. There were a few people who would

protest the sentencing, claiming that they should be freed, as the incident happened a long time ago, they didn’t hurt any of the children, the three men were young when they were sent to prison, and that they had learned their lesson.

Larry Park, who was only seven at the time, was the only survivor who supported the kidnappers’ release. Even though he went through his own trauma from the incident, he decided to let it go.

In 1976, few were considering mental health and how childhood trauma could affect a person’s future. However, even months after the kidnapping, every child who was kidnapped was having night terrors. Dr. Lenore Terr, a psychiatrist known for her research on childhood trauma, would follow up with the Chowchilla survivors. Originally, she assumed the children would recover by the time they reached adulthood.

After interviewing the children years after the Chowchilla kidnapping, Dr. Terr realized her initial statement was wrong.

Most of the children were very angry with the kidnappers and wanted to punish them. Twenty of the 25 children lived in fear of being kidnapped again. Many of the survivors grew up to have problems with drugs or alcohol. Specifically, Michael Marshall was admitted to rehab seven times. All just wanted to forget about what had happened to them.

Dr. Terr’s work with the Chowchilla case helped shed light on how childhood trauma can still affect survivors into adulthood. This case is part of the reason why there are counselors in schools today.

PHOTO COURTESY/Zocdoc

Dr. Lenore Terr, a child psychiatrist in San Francisco, has published five books about childhood trauma. Dr. Terr was able to make clear distinctions between childhood and adult trauma in her books. She has won the Blanche F. Ittleson award for her research on childhood trauma.

While considered controversial, she advocates for the theory of the repression of memory, where a person can recall a repressed memory because of trauma. She is considered a pioneer in the field.

FEATURES

Page 5 April 5, 2024

Robb Centre provides updates on Valor Medals Review Project Damon Grosvenor Editor Park Universty’s George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War provided an update on the Valor Medals Review (VMR) Project at the “Credit Where Credit Is Overdue: The World War I Valor Medal Review” event hosted by the Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library at the Plaza Branch’s Truman Forum Auditorium on March 26.

This event included a panel discussion with members of team working on the VMR Project and a short presentation from Timothy Westcott, Ph.D., director of the Robb Centre.

Westcott and two of his researchers,

Damon Grosvenor, a history senior and US Navy veteran, and Martin Roberson, a secondary education sophomore, spoke with Anne Kniggendorf, a staff writer and editor for the Kansas City Public Library, for over an hour. Over 50 people attended the event and several joined the conversation during the public Questions & Answers portion. The event was also livestreamed on YouTube.

The VMR Project has submitted 50 Medal of Honor recommendations to the corresponding service branches. Forty-three have been submitted to the U.S. Army, which covers the regular Army and the Army Air Corps. Another seven have been submitted to the U.S. Navy, which will look at the Navy and Marine

Corps personnel.

“It was an edifying experience, both for us and the audience,” said Roberson.

This was Roberson’s first time being on a panel discussion. The event made his work feel more impactful. “We get to interact with the people who really care about our work in the real world,” he said. Roberson works directly with the primary accounts and acts of valor.

Kniggendorf has written about the VMR before and wanted to reengage with the topic given the extension granted by Congress for the VMR Project in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, passed in Dec. 2023. “The staff expresses deepest appreciation to our Congressional legislative sponsors and

Department of Defense colleagues who supported the recent Valor Medals Review Project extension in H.R. 2670,” said Westcott.

The VMR is a systematic review of minority veterans of World War I who, in spite of their valorous deeds, may have been unjustly denied high-level valor awards due to race or religious discrimination. To date, the project has identified 214 service members who qualify for review: 105 Jewish Americans, 73 African Americans, 24 Native Americans, 11 Hispanic Americans and one Asian American.

Support the Valor Medals Review Project by visiting https://advancing. park.edu/giving/gsr-donate.

Park University has deep connections to new elementary school Damon Grosvenor Editor The Park Hill School District broke ground on the future Angeline Washington Elementary School in the Creekside area of Kansas City, Mo, on Feb. 29, 2024. The namesake for the school is part of the deep history of Park University and its founder George S. Park.

The name was decided by the Park Hill Board of Education naming committee on Feb. 22, 2024. The name was selected from hundreds of other community and student name suggestions, according to Mike Kimbrel, the Superintendent of Park Hill School District, during the groundbreaking ceremony.

“The naming committee wanted to express the story of Angeline,” he said, “the perspective of her life as an enslaved woman to a freed woman who married, owned land, had children, pioneered educational and religious opportunity, and bonded a community.”

At the same time as the groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 29, Missouri State Rep. for Platte County Jamie Johnson spoke to the Missouri House of Rep-

resentatives in Jefferson City. She said, “[Washington’s] journey, fraught with hardship and triumph, resonates as a testament to the strength that emerges from the depths of adversity.”

Washington was born a slave in April 1837. According to a letter from Parkville Presbyterian Reverend George Woodward in the 1840s, George Park was asked by Washington’s mother to purchase her so that Angeline might stay in the area and be treated well. Park purchased Washington in 1844 for $350.

The Frances Fishburn Archives at Park University retains the original purchase deed. However, manumission documents have not been found. “Embracing the actual contract that transferred Angeline, as property with a fixable monetary value, from one owner to another owner, heartens the connectivity of our local human narrative to the ties of history and ongoing struggles that form a better community,” said Timothy Westcott, a member of the naming committee and the associate archivist at Park University. Instead of ignoring our past, he said, naming the school after Washington is a step towards rectifying

past injustices.

Washington was married by Woodward in spite of Missouri laws that prohibited African American marriage in 1855. “Their union symbolized resilience in the face of adversity,” said Johnson.

Washington was also a member of the Parkville Presbyterian Church. It is probable that Park emancipated her around this time as he fled the state that year after the destruction of his newspaper press, the Industrial Luminary.

“The Washingtons, as freed individuals, denoted the local disputes that confronted citizens on Missouri’s western border between 1854 and 1865,” said Westcott.

Washington and her husband, William, stayed in Missouri at land deeded to them by Park in 1886. Washington mothered eight children and had many grandchildren who were taught at one or both of the Banneker schools. Washington and William were both chartered members of the Washington Chapel Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, today the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, in 1870. The Chapel was

dedicated to the Washingtons in 1907.

The new school is the first in the district to be named after a woman, and a person of color. It will be the 12th elementary school in the district.

The school is being built to remedy current district problems, with some schools having more students than intended and others less, said Kelly Wachel, the chief of communication for Park Hill School District. Over the fall of 2024, the district will be undergoing a redistricting to more equally distribute the student population. “The district is using an engagement process to garner community and parent feedback about the redistricting,” said Wachel. “We want parity across the district in terms of student size.”

The district is working with parents and the community to work out which school the families will go to. “We try to limit moving students between schools more than once during their elementary school career, but balancing population parity of the school sizes and redistricting is not always easy,” said Wachel.

The school is expected to open in fall of 2025.

SPORTS

Page 6 April 5, 2024

Pirate senior sets all time save record Mason Danner Editor

PHOTO COURTESY/Mike Myer Bryce Perdieu set the Park baseball all time save record.

Park University baseball closing pitcher, Bryce Perdieu made history on March 16. Perdieu recorded his 8th career save, setting a new Park record.

He threw a scoreless 7th inning to secure the Pirates 4-1 win over the Benedictine College Ravens, recording three outs on only nine pitches. His save helped the Pirates secure an important win in the series. The team went on to sweep the Heart of America Conference Series over Benedictine College 4-0 to move to 16-5 and 8-4 in conference play.

Perdieu, a Blue Springs native, is a se-

nior in his fifth and final season wearing a Pirate uniform. He has been the team’s closer for three years now and thrives in pressure spots where he is forced to perform at his best. “I like being able to talk a big game, but you can only do that when you go out there and shut them down,” Perdieu said.

The previous record of seven saves was held by Richard Scott (2006-2007) and Ethan Smith (2015-2016).

The Pirates now hold a record of 19-9 after splitting a two game series with #19 Oklahoma Wesleyan. The Pirates pick back up with Heart Conference play with a four game home series against Missouri Valley on April 5 and 6.

Magee: MUSCO Heart Player of the week Mason Danner Editor Halle Magee, a junior at Park, was named the MUSCO softball player of the week for the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Magee, a Kansas City, Mo. native, had a stellar week for the Pirates as she hit .529 with two home runs, six RBI’s, two triples, three doubles, and scored four runs. She helped lead the Pirates to a 3-3 record for the week including a 2-0 win over #16 Grand View.

For this season, Magee’s stats include 46 assists, 18 runs, 27 hits and 19 RBIs. Magee has had a decorated career as a Pirate already, being named Second Team All-Conference and a Gold Glove winner in 2022, and Honorable Mention All-Conference in 2023.

Pirate softball now has a record of 12-12 and is hoping to come back from their losing streak from the past two games in their next game on April 5, at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kan. as a part of the team’s Heart Conference play.

The team have eight more games until the Heart Championship softball tournament begins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on May 2.

PHOTO COURTESY/Park Athletics Park shortstop Halle Magee recently received MUSCO player of the week for the Heart of America Conference for her outstanding performance. This is not her first award as a member of the Pirates’ softball squad. She was also named Second Team All-Conference and a Golden Glove winner in 2022, and Honorable Mention All-Conference in 2023.

Sabi: Heart Setter of the Week

PHOTO COURTESY/Park Athletics Eduardo Sabi was named Heart Setter of the week.

Mason Danner Editor Park Men’s Volleyball Setter Eduardo Sabi just received his second Heart of America Conference Setter of the Week Award in the 2024 season.

Sabi, a native of Florianpólis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, led the Pirates to two 3-0 sweeps over the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Graceland. Sabi, sophomore business marketing major, averaged 10.67 assists per set and in both matches recorded over 30 assists.

Sabi is now #10 in the nation in assists and #5 in the Heart. For the season, Sabi has 670 recorded assists. He has played 67 sets this season.

The #8 ranked Pirates recently took down #5 William Penn in a thrilling 3-2 match where Sabi led the team and game with 49 assists and 12 digs.

The Pirates pick back up with another Heart matchup against Culver-Stockton College on April 5. The Pirates will finish up the regular season against Missouri Valley and Grand View before the Heart Championships begin on April 13.

SPORTS

Page 7 April 5, 2024

Proposal for new Royals stadium denied after controversy Abby Beagel Editor Amidst the vibrant atmosphere of the Crossroads Arts District, the aftermath of the April 2 vote is something many had been anticipating. The proposed Royals Stadium in the Crossroads found itself at the center of a contentious debate, with revelations shedding light on the financial complexities of the project and sparking concerns among Kansas City residents.

In a report by KCUR, details emerged regarding the funding structure for the proposed stadium, pointing out the significant role of taxpayer dollars in its realization. According to the report, the total cost of the stadium project was estimated at $800 million, with the Kansas City Royals’ ownership group, led by John Sherman, committing to contribute a

portion of the funding.

However, the bulk of the financial burden would have fallen on Jackson County taxpayers, who were slated to finance a substantial portion of the project through a sales tax increase. This revelation drew criticism from residents and advocacy groups, who questioned the allocation of public funds for a project spearheaded by private interests.

In a post from @kctenants on Instagram, the group wrote, “The proposed sales tax to fund the stadium would have cost our neighbors $50 million each year for 40 years. That’s about $167 per household, per year, all to pay for a playground for the wealthy and for tourists. This is a regressive tax, a tax on the working class.

This tax revenue, plus a future incentive deal with the city which would redirect money from our schools and other ser-

vices, would have been among the largest transfers of public money to private corporations in our region’s history.”

Moreover, the proposed stadium project had implications beyond its financial aspects, as it necessitated the demolition of several businesses and properties in the Crossroads area. The prospect of displacement and disruption to established communities sparked outcry among affected residents and business owners, who feared the potential loss of livelihoods and cultural heritage.

“The Crossroads is one of the only neighborhoods left in KC that’s almost exclusively locally owned and operated and full of independent businesses,” said Mat Adkins, owner of a boutique liquor shop, The Pairing, which would have been knocked down under the proposal. “Dropping a baseball stadium on top

of it would have completely changed the culture of creativity that so many people have built over that time.”

As the debate intensified, stakeholders on both sides of the issue attempted to sway public opinion and influence the vote’s outcome. Proponents of the stadium project argued it would stimulate economic growth, attract tourism and enhance the city’s sports infrastructure.

Opponents raised concerns about taxpayer subsidies for private ventures and the negative impact on local communities.

With the fate of the proposed Royals Stadium having been decided by the vote on April 2, carrying a somewhat split decision with 58 percent voting “no” and 42 percent “yes,” the future of Kansas City continues to be a subject of questions about the city’s priorities, financial responsibility and community well-being.

Coach Lundy earns 500th win with sweep over Benedictine Bryce Butler Editor On Sat. March 16, Head Coach Cary Lundy earned his 500th career win as the Park University baseball team won 14-5 over Benedictine College.

Lundy is the first coach to reach 500 wins in a single sport in Park history. He is a 2022 Park Wall of Honor recipient in his 22nd year as the head coach. He grad-

Uden Continued from page 1 for the past six years. “I didn’t think I could be the Dean forever and do everything that I was doing as there is a high burnout rate.” He added that this role included some of the same aspect in terms of managing people, just employees versus students.

One of the parts of Uden’s new role that he highlighted was the importance of understanding the organizational dy-

uated from Park in 1982, where he played baseball, basketball, and cross country.

This was the seventh straight win for the Pirates in Heart of America Athletic Conference play before falling to Clarke on March 21. It was also their second straight series win. Their current record is 19-9 on the season, with a 10-6 record in the conference.

The Pirates are ranked No. 3 in conference standings, trailing Central Meth-

odist and MidAmerica Nazarene. The Ravens of Benedictine are now 11-25 overall and 5-15 in the Heart.

Raul Garcia, senior pitcher, lasted six innings and struck out seven Raven hitters. Benedictine scored five runs; however, the Pirates’ offense went on a dominating stretch with 10 runs between the third and fifth inning.

Victor Sanchez-Ramos and Zayne Morrow each added doubles to take a 3-1

lead in the third inning. Yadiel Santana, junior outfielder, had a solo in the top of the fourth. Sanchez then added a two-run home run. He finished the game with four RBIs, while three other Pirates had twoRBIs. Michael Hoffman, junior, finished the game with a scoreless seventh inning to secure the win. The Pirates recorded 17 hits in the game opposed to 12 for the Ravens.

namics and drawing parallels with his previous experience in student affairs administration. He said his previous role gives him understanding of what the student experience is and how Park is set up to serve students through teachers, frontline advisors, individuals in the Student Accounts Office, and more. “Knowing all those pieces will help me as we have to make decisions on employees when we’re recruiting positions that are empty and how we’re going to compensate and reward staff and faculty who do well …

We’ll also need to incentivize them to

want to stay. Most people who work at Park love it but that’s not the only thing that’ll keep people here.”

He also articulated a passionate commitment to driving meaningful change when diving deeper into his vision for advocating diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within the workforce.

“I’ve done the work with great employees on the student affair side to try to create some experiences, bring in speakers at leadership events, look at some policies and processes that will impact diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, so I can

bring that same passion to the employee side.” He added that he wants to create experiences to allow people to feel like they belong. He knows that Park has been taking steps towards a more diverse culture but hopes that with his leadership everyone can commit to that kind of workforce.

In his first several years at Park, he served as dean of students, associate dean of students and assistant dean of student life. He was assistant director for residence life at the University of Kansas from 2006-11 and residence life coordinator at Kansas State University from 2003-06.

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 8 April 5, 2024

“It’s Morbin’ Time” — the best quote never said Nathan Matthews Editor “It’s hard to talk about “Morbius” (2022), and, in fact, it deserves its own write-up.

But, I’ll keep it short; it’s the kind of movie that kills a franchise where it stands.” — me, a few weeks ago Alright, here we are, talkin’ about “Morbius” (2022) … Seven-hundred something days after its release.

Morbius is a weird character, first created in 1971 as a villain for Spider-Man. If you’re not into comics, you probably wouldn’t have heard his name before. It’s not like he’s a bad villain, per say. But Spider-Man has a pretty incredible rogues gallery: Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Venom, Sandman, Green Goblin again, The Lizard, Electro, Vulture, Mysterio, Rhino, Shocker, and these are just the ones that Spider-Man’s fought in movies. Then in 1992, Marvel got bored and puts all of their edgier heroes on one team, the problem being that they don’t actually have many “edgier” characters, which is why, outside of Blade and TWO Ghost Riders, the team is filled with a bunch of relative nobodies. The exception is Morbius, who is therefore dubbed an “anti-hero,” which was, like, novel at the time, I guess.

Funnily enough, Morbius almost made it to the big-screen in 1998, as deleted scenes from “Blade” (1998) would prove, but he was only ever thought of as an antagonist to the titular vampire hunter. Probably a better idea for what to do with Morbius, honestly.

Anyways, if you’re reading this and asking who could possibly care about this, you’re on the right track. See, if you were to look up a list of “top twenty-five Spider-Man villains,” you’d realize that, just like I listed off earlier, a lot of them have been brought to the big-screen already. Based off IGN’s list, there are a few ideas, but they’re mostly bad: “Kingpin,” who’s a Daredevil villain in the public eye; “Hobgoblin,” who is way too similar to the original Green Goblin; “Alistair Smythe,” who ... come on, just doesn’t even have a super villain name; “Chameleon,” whose power is just disguising himself; “Jackal,” who was part of the highly controversial “Clone Saga,” which I will spare the reader from my explaining; “Morlun,” who’s immortal; “Hammerhead,” whose powers include “having a steel plate in his head” and “wielding a gun;” “Carnage,” who got to show up to fight Venom; “Juggernaut,” who is an X-Men villain; “Black Cat,” who has a romance with Spider-Man more than a genuine villain-ship; and “Hydro-Man,” who… yeah, okay, I’m done listing off names.

Then, right in the middle of all of this unmarketable nonsense, is a vampire, who’s sometimes a cool dude, but mostly drinks blood. Why not, right? If you were entirely out of ideas, it’s at least an idea.

But, you know, a lackluster idea can either turn into a really good idea or a really bad idea based on the context it finds itself in. “Morbius” (2022) came out after a weird time in superhero films. “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) marks the end of the MCU’s third phase, commonly considered “the end of the MCU proper.” After that, it’s no secret that Marvel properties take a bit of a nose dive: “Dark Phoenix” (2019), “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019), “The New Mutants” (2020), “Black Widow” (2021), “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021), “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” (2021), and “Eternals” (2021) might not be the biggest losing streak in cinematic history, but it’s certainly not the “flawless streak” that Marvel used to be on.

Then comes “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021), the film that brought all three Spider-Men on to the big screen. It doesn’t even matter if the film was flawed, it arguably didn’t even matter if the film was good. Its mere existence was a breath of fresh air, an argument that Marvel wasn’t done quite yet.

Immediately after that is when “Morbius” (2022) comes out. Three months after the most fan-beloved thing since the death of Iron Man himself … is when Sony decides to release their gamble.

One could theorize if the entire affair was just a big, manufactured joke, because “Morbius” (2022) would be released on April 1, 2022, and, within mere hours, in the afternoon of April 2, 2022, the immortal words would be first uttered:

The jokes quickly spread. “It’s morbin’ time” turned into “#morbiussweep” and “fans” cheered the film, claiming it’d be the first to make “a morbillion dollars.” Of course, none of this could save the film from not actually containing anything of value.

Morbius never said “morbin’ time,” or anything close. In fact, there’s actually a scene where a goon asks Morbius who he is, to which he responds, “I am Venom,” before chuckling at his own joke, and knocking the guy out, one of the few moments that the film seems even somewhat self-aware. Despite what memes of Matt Smith as the generic villain of the film dancing goofily led some to believe, “Morbius” (2022) is a very dull film, one that feels incredibly dated. For a film that released years after Phase 3 of the MCU, the final product feels very similar to pre-MCU attempts at superhero films, such as “Fantastic Four” (2005) or “Ghost Rider” (2007). While some viewers might be able to appreciate it at something as an unintentional throwback, the film lacks any attempt at being genuine, while also missing any attempt to be in on the joke.

Granted, it’s difficult to know when something is going to be made the subject of mockery, but “Morbius” (2022) is all but defined by its self-seriousness; an opening with two terminally-ill, orphaned children being bullied for their condition leads to both of them becoming obsessed with finding a cure, to the point that they turn to vampirism, one who cares deeply about how this leads him to hunger for human blood, while the other is content to be a serial killer, and then fight to the death over their differences. Guess who wins. Guess who cares.

The real joke, however, is how much money the film made. For context, both “AntMan and the Wasp” (2018) and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021) made around $75M a piece on their domestic opening weekends, and they’re on the low end of Marvel’s standards. “Morbius” made $39M. By the end of its nine-week run, by the end of its sixty-two-day run, it made only $73M domestic. That’s two million dollars less than the Ant-Man sequel made in three days.

After barely making its budget back, though, Sony decided to prove they were “in on the joke” and re-released the film in theaters for three weeks, from June 3 to June 23, 2022. Let’s do some math. On the opening day of “Morbius” (2022), April 1, 2022, the film was released in 4,268 theaters domestic and made $17,305,908, for an average of $4,054 a theater. Not too shabby, one could say. Let’s just ignore that “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (2018) averaged $8,018 a theater, opening-day domestic. For the re-release, June 3, 2022, “Morbius” (2022) was released in 1,037 theaters domestic and made $88,625, for an average of $85 a theater. Don’t worry… It gets worse. The darkest day in the history of “morbin’ time” was June 21, 2022, when the film was in only twenty-four theaters domestic, and made $251, averaging a whopping $10 a theater.