Revived Popular club, Vintage, reopens downtown
Disability access Student proposes accessibility resources for campus
Game attendance
Homecoming numbers change with weather
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M I S S O U R I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y
VOLUME 113, ISSUE 9 | THE-STANDARD.ORG The Standard/The Standard Sports
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019
TheStandard_MSU
IT’S ON!
PAIGE NEWTON | LAUREN JOHNS Staff Reporters @PagesofPaigeM | @lje2017 Photo by KAITLYN STRATMAN After months of anticipation and social media coverage, Missouri State University revealed on Saturday night at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts what “It’s On!� is all about. The university unveiled “Onward, Upward,� a fundraising campaign that aims to raise $250 million dollars. The money
raised will go toward scholarships, building renovations, faculty positions, resource allowances and program support, such as athletics. Specific changes mentioned were three new buildings for the Darr College of Agriculture, construction of a permanent Tent Theatre structure and renovation of the Professional Building. The announcement was kept such a secret that even promoters for MSU weren’t told anything concerning the event. Katie Kubiak, junior nursing major and
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ZOE BROWN Lifestyle Editor @zoe_zoebrown
Of the 50 states in the U.S., Missouri has the lowest tobacco tax of all. Well below the national average of $1.79, the Missouri tobacco tax is 17 cents, according to the Tax Foundation and Department of Revenue. In fact, the tobacco tax in Missouri has remained at 17 cents since 1993. At that time, the national average was 28 cents. For over 50 years, tobacco use has been linked to serious health problems, such as lung cancer and heart disease. Missouri ranks 9th and 10th in rates of these diseases, respectively. Tom Kruckemeyer, an economist
at the Missouri Budget Project and former Chief Economist for the Missouri Office of Administration/Division of Budget & Planning, wrote a report on tobacco in Missouri titled, “Misery in Missouri: How the Alliance of Big Tobacco and Missouri Politicians Keep Smoking-Induced Deaths at Unacceptable Levels.� Kruckemeyer, whose parents both suffered from tobacco-related illnesses, has a personal stake in the cause. “My father dropped dead of a heart attack when I was 12 years old and I later learned it was probably because he was a smoker,� Kruckemeyer said. “My mom actually lived fairly long but she was in poor health much of her life because she was a pretty heavy smoker.� In his report, Kruckemeyer explains
cheerleader, said they were only informed of their duties for the event. “We got no information on this event,� Kubiak said. “We only knew what time to be here and they told us to walk around and get everyone excited.� For the last two years, the campaign was private and earned a little over $150 million from nearly 50,000 donors. In that time, 222 new scholarships were made, bringing the number of scholarships offered through u See IT’S ON, page 10
Graphic by JADIE ARNETT/THE STANDARD
Tobacco
TINSLEY MERRIMAN Staff Reporter @merrimantinsley
u See CRIME, page 10
MSUStandard
Missouri State University tackles its biggest fundraising campaign
Taxes on
Deterring crime on campus Crime is an unfortunate part of college life. During the 2018 calendar year, 16 vehicles were reported stolen on campus while two were stolen off-campus. A recent alert shows an uptick in bike thefts on campus. In a recent Missouri State Alert, the Springfield Police Department and Missouri State University Office of University Safety reported they had received over 20 reports of bicycle theft on campus in the last 30 days. The report said students should register their bikes with campus security, make sure to get a U-lock and when locking up the bike, make sure to secure it to the proper rack. These statements were echoed by Associate Director of University Safety Andrew Englert. “Have a good U-bolt style lock,� Englert said. “Make sure to register it with our transportation office. Those two things can really reduce that crime. Those cable locks are really easy to cut, but if you use that U-bolt, secure it through the frame appropriately and not to the front tire. You’re less likely to be a victim of that kind of theft.� Englert said there are around 700 cameras on campus, which means good coverage for observing any kind of criminal activity. He declined to comment on if the campus has blind spots, saying if there are any, cameras would either already be placed or are awaiting installation. Moving from two wheels to four, Englert said always lock the doors of motor vehicles. Make sure to remove everything of value, no matter how small or big it is. Check the doors and also remember to remove keys. “The criminal element is smart enough to realize that the thing that looks like a backpack with a sweatshirt
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the relationship between Missouri politicians, the tobacco industry and the health costs which arise from tobacco-related illnesses. According to the report, tobacco use is a net drain on the economy, as Medicaid costs far outweigh the revenue coming in from the tobacco tax. In 2019, Missouri Medicaid spent $295.8 million dollars treating tobacco-related illnesses and only collected $72.9 million in tobacco taxes. David Mitchell, an economics professor at MSU, said the perception of the cost of smoking-related medical treatment fails to account for the lack of social security collection at the end of a smoker’s life. “From society’s standpoint, it’s actually optimal for people to work
Medicaid costs far outweigh the revenue coming in from the tobacco tax.
until they’re 65 and then die,� Mitchell said. From both a public health and economic perspective, raising the tobacco tax could prove beneficial. If Missouri legislators were to increase the tobacco tax, they could potentially deter smokers and generate state revenue to cover the costs of tobacco-related deaths, allocate funds to anti-tobacco efforts and begin to invest in other government funded programs. However, Mitchell said politicians who advocate raising the tax to increase revenue and curb smoking have two competing goals. “Typically what people will do is they’ll say they’re going to increase
u See TOBACCO, page 10
Record? Perfect. History? Made.
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File photo/THE STANDARD
Senior Stuart Wilkin celebrates a goal with his teammates. Wilkin is one of 11 players on Missouri State’s men’s soccer team to score a goal. The Bears are 13-0, which just surpassed the previous program record for consecutive wins.
Read more on page 6.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019
Club reopens downtown VICTORIA SCROGGINS Staff Reporter @vrms12591
Photos by SARAH TEAGUE/THE STANDARD
New hemp dispensary opens in Springfield SHANNON NOONAN Staff Reporter @shannon_noo A new cannabis hemp dispensary, Swin Dispensaries, has recently opened in downtown Springfield. The dispensary includes cannabis buds containing a premium cannabinoid profile known as full-spectrum cannabis, meaning the cannabis buds yield a medicinal-grade with high potency CBD combined with THC. Swin Dispensaries products derived from the medicinal-grade cannabis buds include gummies, topicals, tinctures, bath bombs, wax dabs, hash, kief, vape oil and cartridges. Blake Swindall, founder and CEO of Swin Dispensaries, explained why the shop can legally be open, thanks to one molecule. “The cannabis plant and all of its parts are not illegal, but the Delta 9 THC level, if over 0.3 percent, is defined as marijuana and we know that marijuana is federally illegal,” Swindall said. “The high levels of total active THC do not define cannabis as marijuana, the Delta 9 THC molecule determines this. Within that reasoning, cannabis and any part of the plant, including the bud, if the Delta 9 THC molecule is 0.3 percent or less, the government’s definition of that cannabis is classified as hemp and not marijuana. That is why our bud is advertised and defined as hemp, not marijuana.” According to Swindall, when comparing medicinal-grade cannabis to what is found and sold on the streets you are much more likely to know what is in the product from accounts with hemp farms and lab analyses of potency and potential medicinal properties. Street cannabis provides no paper trail ex-
Swin Dispensaries is located on Park Central Square. plaining its origins. There is no proof of analyses done regarding its potency or chemical makeup or information regarding where it was grown or manufactured. “Professional industries and their businesses are held accountable, whereas street sales and street cannabis are not,” Swindall said. “Street sales also have the potential to escalate into violent incidents, whereas a professional, friendly retail environment provides a safe and controlled atmosphere for purchasing cannabis.” Medicinal-grade cannabis can affect several different illnesses both mentally and physically. “Medicinal-grade cannabis provides an altered head and body change that is created from interactions within our endocannabinoid system which are protein stations throughout our bodies,” Swindall said. Because of this interaction, medicinal-grade cannabis can have effects on illnesses such as managing nerve or muscle pain, stress, anxiety, sleep, an increase in appetite and overall wellness. u Read more at the-standard.org.
The Vintage Dance Lounge is planning on reopening soon. Owner Cole Blake doesn’t have an exact date, but it is scheduled to reopen sometime in November. Blake said it will still be a vintage-themed bar, described as a “new flair to an old classic.” The club wants to maintain the theme as it once was because they know a majority of their customers enjoy it. The lounge knows it’s important to maintain the overall style and theme to keep current loyal customers. The renovations are to further improve upon the environment to attract more potential customers. Blake came across the dance lounge when it was ran by the former owners and wanted to buy it out and fix it up. He read the online reviews that were consistent and thought that they would be very easy to handle. One of the biggest changes to the dance lounge is it will now only allow people ages 21 and up to enter. Vintage Dance Lounge will only sell alcohol, but they will have a large variety of specials every night. Opening week there will be no cover charge. The dance lounge will also give booths only to those who order bottle services to maintain a feeling of “chic classiness.” Vintage renovated a large majority of the interior design. The first project being the bathrooms. The new design has made them more friendly with better lighting. This was once one of the biggest complaints Vintage has received, and they wanted to make sure it would no longer be an issue for customers. The dance lounge recruited MSU graphic design student, Katelyn Betz, to help them redecorate the bathrooms. She has been doing paintwork on their bathrooms to further improve their overall theme. When Betz worked with the marketing team, they gave her a few general ideas about the theme the dance lounge wanted but gave her full control over what she got to do. “This is my first large-scale project I’ve taken on and they have been really supportive.” Betz said she is excited to see what visitors will think of her work. “It’s a project I’ve been really excited about and I’m looking forward to see what people think of it,” Betz said. To make the bathrooms more inviting, they went for a “badass women” type of imagery with some empowering, and some just fun sayings on the back of the bathroom stall doors. Vintage replaced the carpeting with tile and have restored the marble storefront to ensure they keep the vintage look. They noticed the carpets were old and sticky.
Photos by SINJIN DELMORE/THE STANDARD
A new mural on the wall of the bathroom in Vintage is being painted by Missouri State student Katelyn Betz.
This creates a new environment and ensures the lounge maintains a higher level and feeling of cleanliness. The goal with the lighting and bathrooms is to create a more friendly and chic environment. The dance lounge wants its customers to feel safe, clean and respected. New light fixtures have been installed throughout the entire lounge. The front lounge will now be where the bar they serve their drinks. They will open up the upper level as a VIP room which will be available to rent out upon request. Vintage has put a new emphasis on cleanliness to maintain customer satisfaction. There aren’t any job openings as of now, but they plan to post any new positions that open up on both their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Weekly Crossword © 2019 King Features Syndicate
ACROSS 1 Birth-related 6 Sphere 9 “Great!” 12 React to reveille 13 Spelling contest 14 “-- not choose to run” 15 Bottled spirit? 16 Madison Avenue music 18 Eden, for one 20 Agts. 21 Crony 23 Moment 24 Nuts 25 The same, in bibliographies 27 Primly selfrestrained 29 Hide and -31 Fails to 35 Buckwheat porridge 37 Catastrophic 38 Wit 41 Lubricant 43 Tandoor-baked bread 44 Hibernia 45 In the course of 47 Rubs elbows 49 Lightweight wood 52 Light touch 53 Lemieux milieu 54 Tools for duels 55 Bashful 56 Forerunner of Windows 57 Endures DOWN 1 Rundown horse 2 Exist 3 Prickly sensations 4 One side of the Urals 5 Villainous looks
6 Thing 7 Check 8 Stein or Stiller 9 -- mignon 10 Skilled 11 Domineering 17 Marked a report card 19 Classroom array 21 Glutton 22 Big bother 24 Life story, for short 26 Vietnam river 28 Legendary firefighter Red 30 Listener 32 $1 bills 33 2nd Amdt. proponents 34 X rating? 36 “Monopoly” buys 38 Jute fibers
39 Dickens’ Mr. Heep 40 Like some mouthwashes and toothpastes 42 Written slander 45 Art --
46 California wine valley 48 Cover 50 Prepared 51 Balaam’s carrier
THE STANDARD
opinion
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019 | THE-STANDARD.ORG
BINGE-DRINKING CULTURE
The streaming war continues CHLOE SIERKS Columnist @chloes_16 Has anyone else noticed that lately the movie and TV selections on Netflix have been getting worse? The movie selection has always been subpar, but we could count of all of our favorite shows being on one platform. Those days are over. More and more streaming services are being offered — all of them for a separate price. Just to put it in perspective, I calculated what it would cost me to have all of the streaming services I am interested in per month. With the cost of Disney Plus, HBO Go, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu, I would be spending around $55.96 every month. I was actually pleasantly surprised by this amount. As a college student, I wouldn’t want to pay that much per month and could cut a few programs out, but for an adult or family this seems like a relatively fair price. Cable companies, like DIR E C T V, charge around $59 a month if you want to get the package that includes more than the basic channels and some movie channels. You may think that streaming services still don’t offer the same amenities that cable does, but some of the new services are definitely proving their worth. Disney Plus, for example, is only $7 a month — the lowest price out of all of them — and will offer new, original shows based on previous franchises like Marvel and “Star Wars.” If that wasn’t enough, they have also released that a large selection of their classic movies and TV shows will be featured right away, with even more to come in the future. I may not be a huge Disney fan, but the prospect of being able
‘Some are battling alcoholism in an environment that glorifies it’ If you don’t think that every college student is struggling, you’re lying to yourself. We all have homework, exams, personal lives and some of us even work too. But there are some college students that have even more on their plate. Some are battling alcoholism in an environment that glorifies it. There is a saying that a lot of partiers like to use to justify
their actions. “You’re not an alcoholic until you graduate.” This phrase loosely translates to “Everyone parties and bingedrinks in college. It’s normal. And I don’t have a problem.” This is inaccurate for a few reasons. For one, not everyone drinks in college (or at least not every weekend). It is also inaccurate that you cannot be an alcoholic until you graduate. Alcoholism is a disease that sees no age, gender, race or social class. I know of people who were drug addicts in high school. Not meaning that they
dabbled in partying and did drugs occasionally, meaning that they could not function without being intoxicated. I guarantee that there are people on our campus who feel the same way about drugs or alcohol. This is not to say that party culture is bad. For some people, it is a large part of the college experience. Everyone is entitled to their own actions and experiences. But there are students struggling with the use of alcohol. Addiction may run in their family, or they may
‘The Lost Boy’ showcases a young rapper’s evolution KAMRAN CHOUDHRY Music Reviewer @KamChoudhry Now, this is a steamy album. “The Lost Boy” YBN Cordae is his first solo studio album since he rebranded from Entendre in 2018 and it oozes with young brilliance. Ever since Cordae has joined the YBN rap collective with YBN Nahmir and YBN Almighty Jay, he has shown time and time again that he is easily the most talented rapper. Cordae has been rapping since 2014 and “The Lost Boy” is the best project he has worked on yet. The opening track, “Wintertime,” sets the mood for the entire album. It lulls you in with soft production and a nice rap flow. Cordae reveals many of the problems that have been plaguing him and the rest of the album goes more in-depth with each issue he names. The biggest issue The Standard Physical address: Clay Hall 744 E. Cherry St. Springfield, Missouri Postal address: 901 S. National Ave. Springfield, MO 65897 Newsroom: 417-836-5272 Advertising: 417-836-5524
he names is his self-doubt, hence the title “The Lost Boy.” Cordae dropped out of college in his third year back in 2018 and cites his struggle as a first-generation student and not finding his path. His experience at college and the aftermath of his withdrawal took a toll on him and he simply could not handle it anymore. He raps about not being sure if he is on the right path but hopes that it is. This struck a chord with me. I am also a first-generation student and child of immigrants and I had absolutely no idea how to live the “good” life here in America. I am still not sure if the life I am leading is the “correct” one and that doubt plagues me. The great thing about “The Lost Boy” is that it is an optimistic album. Cordae raps about his doubt but he knows that the here and now is the best part of life. There is no
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point in dwelling in the anxiety of the future and that we should have fun while we are here. Though the themes can get heavy, you never finish a song with sadness but with hope that things will turn out alright. The story of “The Lost Boy” is delivered in various ways. Some songs are more down to earth and softer like “Bad Idea,” “Thanksgiving,” “Way Back Home,” “Been Around,” and “We Gon Make It.” These songs explore the themes of family, the feeling of home, the value of hard work and are certainly the songs that make you feel good. Then there are the more absolute bops on the album that I enjoy quite a bit. These include “Broke As F***” and “Have Mercy.” These are the songs that you add to the party playlist and feel cool when you
have an underlying mental illness. They may be battling a personal issue which leads them to seek alcohol as an escape. Whatever the reason, if someone is struggling with alcoholism, the last thing they need to hear is that “You’re not an alcoholic until you graduate.” Some people think alcoholism is saved for people who act out because of their drinking or are constantly drunk. This is not the case. u See PINJUV, page 10
What country do you want to travel to and why? “France. I miss the food and the language.” Sarah Teague, Editor-in-Chief
“I want to go to England to study abroad at Hogwarts.”
“Australia because they have kangaroos and beaches.”
Zoe Brown, Lifestyle Editor
Kaitlyn Stratman, Photo Editor
“France. It has the best language and the best breakfast food.”
“Can I just backpack around the world without any responsibilities? I just want to be broke and cultured.”
Carissa Codel, News Editor
Amanda Sullivan, Sports Editor
“Japan — I just want to walk through a Japanese countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, with my camera.” Greta Cross, Engagement Editor
Editor-in-Chief Sarah Teague Teague921@live.missouristate.edu
Engagement Editor Greta Cross Greta099@live.missouristate.edu
News Editor Carissa Codel Carissa731@live.missouristate.edu
Advertising Manager Sandy King SandyKing@MissouriState.edu
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Letters and Guest Columns Letters to the Editor should not exceed 250 words and should include the author’s name, telephone number, address and class standing or position with the university. Anonymous letters will not be published. Guest column submissions are also welcome. The Standard reserves the right to edit all submissions for punctuation, spelling, length and good taste. Letters should be mailed to The
Standard, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897 or e-mailed to Standard@Missouri State.edu. Advertising Policy The Standard will not accept any advertising that is libelous, promotes academic dishonesty, violates any federal, state or local laws, or encourages discrimination against any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, age, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual
u See SIERKS, page 10
Editor Q&A of the Week
u See CHOUDHRY, page 9
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to rewatch “That’s So Raven” and my favorite Disney Channel original movies is too great. So Disney has proven to be worth it, but what is unfortunate about the creation of all of these new streaming networks is that the “OG” Netflix is going to crash and burn. Most of us have already seen a decline in the choice of movies and TV shows, and even their original content is just not cutting it for me. I would argue that since the creation of “Stranger Things,” they just haven’t been able to put out any worthwhile content (and yes, I’m aware that “Bird Box” came after). Netflix basically created streaming, forever changing how viewers are able to access media, and now they’re just being swept away by the competition. I don’t think I could ever unsubscribe from Netflix, for now, because of the nostalgia and trust I have for the company. They have the best and most accessible interface, and I wouldn't have ever been introduced to shows I now classify as my favorite. I will also keep Amazon Prime, maybe because it just comes with my prime account, but also because it does have a pretty good selection. If I want to watch a good movie, I always check Amazon Prime Video before moving on to a new platform. Let’s not forget that one of their original shows, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, won an Emmy, and I was instantly engrossed in another of their new originals, “Carnival Row.” So, Amazon Prime Video has to be kept because of its convenience factor and its ability to produce quality television. HBO Go is a streaming service I have not tried yet,
Netflix basically created streaming ... now they’re just being swept away by the competition.
Illustration by ALYSSA VANDEGRIFT/THE STANDARD
ANNELISE PINJUV Columnist @Annelisepin
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life
TUESDAY, THE-STANDARD.ORG TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 15, 2019 | THE-STANDARD.ORG
Advocating for accessibility Senior proposes accessibility improvements for three campus facilities KATHRYN DOLAN Staff Reporter @kathryndolan98 Jackie Newman, a senior natural resources major, proposed several projects to the agriculture department to improve wheelchair accessibility in three different campus facilities on Friday. Newman, who turns 29 in November, was born with a dislocated right hip, severe scoliosis and was diagnosed with central core disease, a neuromuscular disease which affects all the muscles in his body. Newman has had two back fusions and six hip surgeries, all of which failed due to his lack of muscle structure. While Newman can still move and feel everything, the disease makes his muscles very weak. “Since I was old enough to use a wheelchair, I’ve been in one,” Newman said. “But that hasn’t phased my life at all.” Newman, who is pursuing a degree in agriculture, was raised on a farm and grew up helping his family sell crops. “I used to help my grandma sell vegetables out of our garage,” Newman said. “I used to be the kid that would carry everything to people’s cars.” With a natural resources degree, Newman has gained more understanding of agriculture, focusing on wildlife, plant science, soil science, livestock and forestry. He said making life accessible for people with disabilities is his passion and chose to focus on accessibility for his senior project. Newman spent the past two years working for the Disability Resource Center on campus, learning the struggles others face on campus, which was an eye-opening experience for him. “It’s helped me grow as a person, and made me realize there’s a bigger world than my world and my struggles,” Newman said. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s website, 200,000 farmers in America each year are disabled or incur an injury. Missouri ranks second in the nation for farmers with a disability.
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Senior natural resources major Jackie Newman proposed accessibility improvements in the agriculture department. Newman said while Missouri State is great at making most of its facilities accessible, there are three places he would like to see some improvements. Newman targeted Pinegar Arena in the Darr Center, the campus garden and Shealy Farms, all facilities used frequently by the agriculture department. Newman wants to lower one water fountain, lower one locker, add a door opener to the front door and remove the curb near the bovine lab to increase accessibility at Pinegar. At the campus garden, Newman wants to add a stone paved path for wheelchairs to roll on, more handicapped-accessible parking and lowered work stations. At Shealy farms, Newman wants to repair the currently caved in wheelchair ramp, fully extend the rails on the stairs and add a ramp to the back door. Newman suggests the Agriculture department invest in an ADA van, which would allow disabled students to participate in field trips. “Not every disabled student has transportation,” Newman said. William Mcclaine, assistant u See NEWMAN, page 9
Photos by JAYLEN EARLY/THE STANDARD
Students perform during dress rehearsal for “Cats.” The show ran Oct. 22-28 at Craig Hall’s Coger Theatre.
‘Cats’ comes to a close ANDREW UNVERFERTH Staff Reporter @overander When you take part in a show with intense choreography, unique theming and such a colorful array of feline characters, you’re bound to end up having a rare theatrical experience. That was the case when, after months of practice and rehearsals, a group of Missouri State University students finally presented “Cats” the musical last week. Junior dance major Katie Allison, who played Sillabub in this production, said auditions took place last semester in May. The first week of rehearsals started Aug. 26. To begin, the cast members broke off in to small groups to work on choreography and get acquainted with their makeup for the show. Rehearsals from the first week through opening week were hardly a walk in the park. Sarah Wilcoxon, director of the show and assistant professor at MSU, said each show has its own unique challenges. For “Cats,” those challenges have been particularly exciting. Wilcoxon said many of
the participating students simply weren’t used to the amount of dancing in the show, and it’s been enjoyable for her, as a dance-based person, to watch those students “level up their game.” “It’s just a difficult show,” Wilcoxon said. “It’s notoriously hard. The choreography is hard. It’s really hard to sing these notes. It’s a vocally challenging show and a physically challenging show.” Allison attested to the show’s difficult dancing and singing but said it’s done a lot to show her how capable she is in those fields. A key feature of “Cats” is its lack of a traditional musical plot. Instead, there is a heavy focus on the individual cats, their personalities and their relationships. This is an aspect of the production Allison and other cast members found rewarding. “It’s been a fun experience with everyone together trying to figure out what our relationships are, what the story is in general,” Allison said. “We’ve all gotten a lot closer to each other, not just in the show but in real life.” Tech, design and stage management major Lauren Fahrner, whose role was stage
manager, said the character and development the actors made, particularly in the ensemble, was just one of the fun things to watch each night. Fahrner discussed the overlap between the performers and the show itself, with the cast and crew getting closer and forming a family to depict this family of cats coming together to celebrate their Jellicle Ball. She said she will miss being in that family as the show closes. “I love the human interaction that comes with theatre,” Fahrner said, “and u See CATS, page 10
GIGANTIC
Springfield band heads to LA M. TODD DEARING Staff Reporter @mtodddearing
Photos submitted by Gigantic
(Top) Elijah Ebert plays bass guitar. (Bottom) Springfield band, Gigantic, plays at a concert. From left to right, Brice Richardson, plays guitar and sings with Joshua Clement on the drums.
If you were to go around Springfield and peek into the dark windows of music venues in 2016, you would see the name “Gigantic” on many flyers. At the time, Gigantic was one of Springfield’s most eclectic and unique bands, proudly claiming the fake title of “417 Magazine’s worst band of 2016.” Earlier this year the band left Springfield for Los Angeles, where they’ve continued to work on their music. The lineup consists of frontman Brice “Broice” Richardson on guitar and vocals, Elijah “Ellie” Ebert on bass and additional vocals and Joshua “Jash” Clement on drums. Gigantic described their sound as “loud, fast, kinda proggy punk but not like ‘punk punk’ because punk usually has like a message and we don’t.” Bands that may sound similar are The Melvins, Municipal Waste, Fear and local band Suzi Trash.
The band’s Facebook page tells a grandiose tale of a band of misfits from the future travelling back in time to save the future of a niche fighting game “Tekken,” and to warn their past selves of the dangers of drugs. They claim they have plagiarized the “biggest and richest band in the year 2023, Gigantic,” claiming all of their songs as their own. According to their bio, “if history plays out like it did before we came to past, we'll be famous musician millionaires in a few years time.” Gigantic chose to stray away from the idea of finding an audience. They said they would rather their audience find them instead of changing themselves or their music to fit some type. “This is going to sound narcissistic because it is, but WE really like our music,” Ebert said. “That being said, we put on a theatrical show so people who wouldn't normally listen to music like ours would still have a good time.” The shift from Springfield
to LA has undoubtedly been a change for the band. According to Richardson, “We have to make friends with an entirely new community which, you know, takes years.” Despite their challenges, Gigantic was able to play at venues along Sunset Blvd. including The Viper Room and The Silverlake Lounge. They’ve also played at other famous LA venues like The California Institute of Abnormal Arts. “We're basically starting from scratch out here,” Richardson said, “but we're definitely moving forward.” Dillon “Dilgon” Kaasa was their second guitarist but did not make the move to LA. They have not since replaced him and have had to adjust their setlist and songs to accommodate only one guitar. “We've had to write new songs because our entire catalog was written for four playersm,” Clement said. This has been the key driving force behind their latest endeavor. Currently the band is put-
ting the finishing touches on a new six-song EP together. It is being engineered and mastered by Adam Schoeller with NRG studios. It is set to release sometime this year, and it should arrive with a new music video as well. In addition, before the EP is released, Gigantic will be back in the studio to record a second EP which is set to release next year. Though they are no longer based in Springfield, the band has not forgotten their Springfield roots. “Springfield will always be our home, and we can't wait to come back,” Richardson said. They are not actually considered 417 Magazine’s Worst Band of 2016 but are actually included in the magazine’s 2016 12x12 vinyl release featuring local artists. Stores like Stick it in Your Ear sold copies of their 2017 release “Danky Muniz” all the way up until this year. They haven’t been able to plan an exact time or date as of yet, but do intend to come back to Springfield to do a few more shows.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019
THE STANDARD
DAY OF THE DEAD Graphic by KAITLYN STRATMAN/THE STANDARD
PAIGE NEWTON Staff Reporter @PagesofPaigeM Instead of gorging oneself on candy this year for Halloween and going into a sugar coma, consider breaking some “bread of the dead,” otherwise known as pan de muerto. This semi-sweet bread is just one of the many things that will be offered at the fourth annual Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) Festival hosted by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. The festival brings celebration and awareness to one of the most beloved Hispanic holidays, Día de Muertos, to Missouri State University. Día de Muertos is celebrated throughout Latin America, but it is especially revered in central and southern Mexico. Día de Muertos honors the dead with festivals, parades, creation of ofrendas (alters), serenation, decorations and candlelight vigils. Latin American culture views death as part of a natural cycle and Día de Muertos is a day the dead awaken and celebrate with their loved ones. Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez de la Vega, Assistant Professor of Spanish and event organizer, said Día de Muertos isn’t about “death or scaring people,” but honoring and celebrating those who are deceased. “We typically remember the best times we had with our departed relatives, friends, et cetera.” Rodriguez de la Vega said. “It is about the remembrance of the impact these people had on our lives.” Due to its festive nature, Luis Lombilla, senior instructor
Department of Modern and Classical Languages holding festival on Halloween
of Spanish and event organizer, said the holiday’s approach towards death is happier than that of other cultures. “It can be a real party,” Lombilla said. The festival will take place on Oct. 31 in the Plaster Student Union Ballroom from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. At the festival, there will be live music performances as well as traditional Mexican dances. There will be several craft stations where students can decorate sugar skulls, paint confetti eggs, make papel picado banners and traditional cempasuchil paper flowers. There will be contests for best Catrina and Catrin (dapper skeleton) costume and most creative miniature alter. Lombilla said Día de Muertos has had a place at the MCL department for many years and has continually grown. According to Lombilla, over 700 people attended last year, including students from surrounding schools and people in the local community. “It serves to give visibility to the Hispanic community,” Lombilla said. “This can be really important for our Hispanic students at MSU and for those Hispanic high school students in areas where it is not easy growing up being a minority.” While the festival explores Día de Muertos from the perspective of Mexican culture, it also will explore other groups’ cultural perspectives. Various MSU departments, such as history, religious studies and sociology will give presentations about the holiday. Due to its connection to death and days of celebration
“This can be really important for our Hispanic students at MSU and for those Hispanic high school students in areas where it is not easy growing up being a minority.” - Luis Lombilla, event organizer
u See DAY OF THE DEAD, page 9
Do you dare enter the Foster Recreation Center’s Annual Haunted Trail? KELSEY BENACK Staff Reporter @kelseybenack One night a year, the Foster Recreation Center closes its doors to the public, flicking off the lights and turning away gym members. One night a year, the sounds of weights hitting the floor and treadmills accelerating turn into high-pitched shrieks and long-lasting wails. Because for only one night a year, the Foster Recreation Center puts on an Annual Haunted Trail for the students of MSU, during the Halloween season. Functioning much as any other haunted house, students enter the trail and follow it to its end. Along the way, they may encounter psychopathic clowns, ghoulish monsters or
deranged dolls, among other frightful creatures. For 2019, the trail is scheduled to take place on Halloween night from 9 to 11 p.m. Don’t fret if you are too afraid to enter the haunted trail; the FRC provides additional activities for people uninterested in the haunted trail, including snacks and dancing. Alexis Alston, the graduate assistant who took the lead on the project, has been planning the event since the beginning of the semester but really began buckling down on it during the beginning of September. Even though this is Alston’s first year planning the haunted trail, she said she wants to make sure it differs from last year’s, so returning students will still receive their
fair share of scares. Differing from other haunted houses in or around Springfield, the recreation center trail is free of charge, making it an easy way to have a spooky time for Halloween while staying on a budget. Students need only to bring their Bearpass cards, which they will use at the check-in tables where they will fill out their waivers. In order to deliver such an elaborate event, the FRC seeks help. MSU volunteers transform the recreation center and dress up to work the haunted trail. Keep that in mind for next year if you know you’ll need volunteer hours and are interested in scaring your peers. “Last year there were exactly 666 people that went
through the haunted trail,” Alston said. “Spooky.” However, the real question remains: is the trail itself actually scary? “The trail was not very scary compared to other haunted houses,” said sophomore Isabelle Haase. Another student, sophomore Alyssa Haverdink, disagrees with Haase. “I was really impressed. The trail was a little short compared to other haunted houses but definitely scary.” Of course, the scariness level of the trail is relative to each student and his or her individual definition of “scary.” So perhaps, before you make up your mind about whether or not you think the trail will be scary you may just have to experience it for yourself.
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‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’: An Interactive Experience KAYLA CURRY Staff Reporter @kaylalcurry With Halloween approaching, watch parties and theater performances of staple Halloween films are among the festivities happening in Springfield. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is one film that has earned its title as a cult classic and is commonly viewed around this time of year. Showings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” were offered at the Alamo Drafthouse and the Gillioz Theatre on Oct. 26. A unique quality of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is its interactive experience between the audience, the film and the shadow cast. A shadow cast is a group of performers who dress up and play roles of characters in the film in front of the screen while the film is playing. This factor sets “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” apart from other movies. “I know a lot of people like it because they like doing the sing-a-longs and throwing things at the screen, but it’s famous because it’s famous,” said Timothy White, a film professor at MSU. White said a big reason people watch it is because everyone else watches it, making the film a cult classic. Springfield’s Alamo Drafthouse sold out of their Oct. 26 movie party about a week before the showing. According to the Alamo Drafthouse website, “with thrilling props, the most outrageous callbacks, boisterous sing-alongs, and stimulating pre-show games, our
Movie Party will be your ultimate ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ – whether this is your first or 500th viewing.” Along with the show’s ability to create an interactive experience, White said the timelessness of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” can be attributed to its lack of adherence to a certain time period, making it a popular film even four decades later. “It’s like the ‘Wizard of Oz,’” White said. “Some movies are tied to particular time like [for the Wizard of Oz] the Depression, but the bulk of the movie can happen anytime. For example, Star Wars doesn’t age because it doesn’t reference things happening during that time. It’s another dimension or a fantasy world.” Sophomore elementary education major Isabelle Hasse said she grew up watching “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with her friends and has vivid memories of it. “We would always watch it and dance to the Time Warp,” Hasse said. “It’s interesting. If I had one word to describe it, it would be interesting.” White said “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was “ahead of its time” because of its genre-bending. The film incorporates comedy, music, cannibalism and a transgender character played by Tim Curry. Hasse said she thinks the film grew in popularity because it was different from most other movies produced in the ‘70s, and the interactiveness of the show makes it fun to watch repeatedly without tiring of it.
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sports CHRISTIAN CUOZZO/ THE STANDARD
Senior Matt Bentley slides for the ball while the Evansville goalkeeper collects it.
THE STANDARD TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019 | THE-STANDARD.ORG
Making History MSU’s historic 1999 team watches current Bears break record with 13th straight win for 20 straight games until a 2-1 loss to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the first round of the NCAA tournament. “When you go 20 games in a row without a loss — that’s incredible,� said Bears head coach Jon Leamy, who was in his seventh year as head coach in 1999. “I think they’re one of the greatest college soccer teams I think you will ever find.� “That year was an accumulation of a lot of hard work,� Aaron Rickard, a defender on the 1999 team, said. The team’s appearance in the NCAA tournament was an unexpected event, but several players say they still look back on fondly. “We weren’t expecting that,� said Mark Modersohn, the goalkeeper for
STEPHEN TERRILL Sports Reporter @Stevethe2nd It was fitting that the night the Missouri State men’s soccer Bears broke the record for longest winning streak in program history with 13 straight wins, that the team that set the previous one at 12 wins was there to watch. Homecoming day for Missouri State saw a reunion of the 1999 Missouri State men’s soccer team — then Southwest Missouri State — a team that went 17-1-3 and made a trip to the NCAA tournament. Several members of the team came and watched the Bears take on Evansville — and secure a 2-1 victory. The 1999 squad had a season similar to the Bears’ current undefeated campaign. They did not lose
Volleyball team uses science to break down individual serves
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u See RADAR, page 8
DEREK SHORE Senior Sports Reporter @D_Shore23 In sports like baseball and tennis, speed is everything. The faster the ball flies, the straighter it goes and the higher chance to a desired outcome. This season, the Missouri State volleyball team has been using a radar gun during games to track serve velocity. Interim head coach CHRISTIAN CUOZZO/ Manolo ConcepciĂłn THE STANDARD said for the past four or Sophomore Chloe Rear five years volleyball sets the ball. Sets has been shifting to power for serving pur- are one of the things poses. Since power is the volleyball team such an essential part measures in speed with of the game today, the a radar gun. more speed a server puts on the ball, the level of difficulty for the opposition to react increases. “I think it gets great results because — just like in baseball — you can provide them direct feedback,â€? ConcepciĂłn said, who started using a gun when he coached at Evansville in 2013. “What is the execution? What is the result of the speed of the ball versus the reaction of the opponent?â€? ConcepciĂłn said the Bears’ goal is to always serve harder than the opponent. While that might increase the number of mistakes, it also gives them a higher chance of being in predictable situations. If a player has a jump floating serve, ConcepciĂłn looks for a serve between 37-40 mph. This serve is when a player performs a small jump and hits the ball which has little to no spin For a standing float serve, the team asks for a serve in the 30-35 miles per hour range. The standing float is performed without a jump, but is served in a way that makes the ball move. Sophomore Chloe Rear is the hardest-hitting player on the team, averaging 45-50 mph on her hits. Rear has a jump floating serve, so she said she is focused less on precision and more on speed. “With me, I just go out and rip it as hard as I can,â€? Rear said. ConcepciĂłn said sophomore Leah Vokolek possesses not only one of the best standing float serves on the team but in the Missouri Valley Conference. Her serves average around 40 mph, but it’s not the
u See RECORD, page 8
2019 2018 2017 2016
Graphic by JADIE ARNETT/ THE STANDARD
Missouri State has the lowest attendance at homecoming football games relative to the student population of three other universities in Missouri.
Attendance at big games varies between Missouri universities Missouri State has smallest homecoming turnout of prominent state football programs CLAIRE NIEBRUGGE Senior Sports Reporter @claireniebrugge Every prominent collegiate football team in Missouri showed their lowest homecoming attendance over four years in the same year. In 2017, Missouri State, Mizzou, Northwest Missouri State and Southeast Missouri State showed record low numbers at their homecoming games. But then 2019 came around. In 2019, Missouri State, Northwest and SEMO had the lowest homecoming game attendance in five years. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern between schools but definitely a pattern within schools. Missouri State’s attendance seems directly related to the weather. Bears fans are fair-weather fans. In 2018, 2016 and 2015, Missouri State had great attendance numbers when the temperature was above 60, recording 12,109, 12,369 and 14,212, respectively. When the weather was less than great, the Bears didn’t have good turnouts, showing just 6,583 fans in 2019 during the cold, rainy weather and 8,732 attendees during 2017’s 43-degree game.
In 2019, the Bears had a losing record overall (1-5) and a losing record at home (0-2) going into the homecoming game, while also coming off a loss to a ranked team — No. 1 North Dakota State. The same holds true for the other low-attendance year: 2017. That year going into the homecoming game, Missouri State had a losing record overall (1-6) and a losing record at home (1-2). The Bears had just come off a loss to ranked No. 13 South Dakota State. For MSU’s foe up north, Mizzou’s homecoming attendance rises when they play a successful, well-known program. Mizzou played Ole Miss in 2019 and 62,621 fans showed up. In 2015 when Mizzou played ranked No. 11 Florida, 70,767 people were in attendance. NWMSU, though, has a better turnout at homecoming games when the opponent has a winning record. In 2019 and 2017, Bearcat attendance was low when the opposing team was coming in with a losing record. NWMSU played Lincoln (1-6) in 2019 and Lindenwood (2-5) in 2017. During the 2018, 2016 and 2015 homecoming games, the Bearcats opponents had winning records coming in to the
matchup. SEMO’s attendance numbers don’t show any correlation. In 2019, the Redhawks had very low attendance numbers, yet the team is undefeated at home. SEMO didn’t have a great turnout in 2017, either, but it was a sunny 83 degrees, and the team was coming off a win. In the last five years, both Mizzou and NWMSU have generated attendance higher than their enrollment numbers while Missouri State and SEMO were unable to do so. Missouri State has the lowest average percentage of attendance based on their enrollment. MSU’s attendance is less than half of their student enrollment. SEMO’s homecoming game attendance is just over half of their student population, on average. Northwest’s attendance is about 1 Ÿ of their enrollment, while Mizzou’s attendance at homecoming games, on average, is almost double their student population. Based on Missouri State’s population, the Bears should be second in attendance behind the Tigers. Instead, they rank last of these four well-known football programs in Missouri.
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Runner takes leadership role beyond the course JAMES HAMILTON Staff Reporter @Jamescraighamil From a young age, senior cross-country runner Erica Wollmering knew running was something that was destined to be in her future. “I remember in elementary school being in gym class we would have to run the mile,” Wollmering said. “I was so competitive and loved that I could beat everyone, and it was especially fun to beat the boys. I liked that I could beat them, and it didn’t feel that hard to me. It really brought out the competitiveness in me.” Running seems to be embedded in Wollmering’s DNA. Not only does she have two siblings who are involved in running competitively, but she also has two parents who were collegiate runners at Drake University.Which happens to be in the same conference as Missouri State University. “My mom actually started our cross-country club in middle school,” Wollmering said. “It started out as just a club for girls, but she turned it into a school sponsored sport.” For Wollmering, family and running go hand-in-hand. Over the course of her career, she has created a new family of runners: her teammates. Wollmering said her teammates motivate her to perform well more than anything.
“She just puts others first,” cross-country head coach, Jordan Fife said. “She’s the go-to person for every single person on the team whenever they are struggling with something. Whether it’s running-related or something outside of the sport, she provides that comfort for everybody that whatever it is they are going through. She is somebody who can be there for them. That type of person on a team is of uber importance, and she does that very well for us.” “Wollmering is the glue that holds her team and teammates together,” Fife said. “She provides a sense of security for the team that is unmatched. She’s very compassionate but is also fierce and never content with any of her successes.” “Seeing the time and seeing that you did PR is kind of one of those ‘Wow, I just ran the fastest I ever have before,’” Wollmering said. “It’s really satisfying, but it leaves me hungry and wanting to do it again.” Wollmering is approaching her final races, and she said she intends to add to her legacy. “This year, I’m stronger than I’ve File Photo/THE STANDARD ever been, and I know that I’m more Senior Erica Wollmering races in the 2018 Southern Stampede in Joplin, Missouri. confident — not only in running itself Wollmering has placed in the top 10 in several races this season. Besides leading on the — but in who I am and my place on course, Wollmering has taken on a leadership role outside of competition. the team,” Wollmering said. “Just being a senior, it’s really fun to work “Every part of me now in racing the same things in races gives me so Wollmering said she pushes her with the younger runners and be a wants to do it for my team,” Woll- much more of a purpose for what we teammates to do better in running and mering said. “Thinking of them doing are out here trying to do.” life and truly cares for their well being. u See WOLLMERING, page 8
Women’s soccer team prepares for postseason Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium to host conference tournament Nov. 8-10
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Junior Emma Skornia battles two Illinois State defenders for the ball. Skornia, a forward, has no goals in her time at Missouri State but has three assists, two of which have come this season.
The Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament is quickly approaching with just one game remaining for every team in the conference, all of which takes place on Thursday, Oct. 31. The season hangs in the balance for some teams as this final game could determine the fate of their season. Meanwhile, other teams sit comfortably in their positions. But the current rankings are far from what was predicted back in August. When the MVC preseason coaches poll was released in August, the rankings looked a little different than they do now. Loyola was the favorite, sitting in first place followed by Drake, Illinois State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Evansville, Valparaiso and Indiana State brought up the rear. The preseason coaches poll was not very accurate. Only two teams — Loyola and MSU — have retained their preseason rankings. As it stands, the Missouri State women’s soccer team sits in fourth place in the MVC with a 3-2-1 conference record and is guaranteed a spot in the MVC tournament. The Bear’s three wins and one draw give them
10 conference points, giving them the fourth seed in the conference. Ahead of them in the conference are Loyola, Illinois State and Drake who all boast 18, 15 and 12 points respectively. The teams behind Missouri State in the conference are Evansville, Indiana State, Northern Iowa and Valparaiso. These teams have five, four, three and three points. With the way the points currently lie, and how the point system works, Missouri State can not fall lower than their current ranking. However, there could be some shakeup amongst the top teams dependent on the result of the Drake-Illinois State game. If Drake were to lose their game against Illinois State, the Bears would have a chance to take third place with a win of their own. There could be some rearrangement at the bottom of the conference as a team that sits outside the current tournament pool has a chance to grab a spot. Evansville has a tough matchup Thursday against the hottest team in the conference in Loyola, while UNI travels to Valparaiso with a great chance of getting three points and passing Evansville to gain the fifth seed. The Bears understand that wins in this part of the season mean, and they’re mentally prepared for the games that lie ahead. u See SOCCER, page 8
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the 1999 team. Modersohn still holds the program record for wins in a season by a keeper with 17. “The tournament was the reward for the year. It was exciting because you’re one of the top teams in Division I athletics.” The players that were able to make it to the reunion came from places like Texas and Florida and have changed significantly since graduating. They all agreed Leamy has not changed much. “He was very intense — high expectations,” Modersohn said. “When it came to the program, everyone had
THE STANDARD followed his lead on that. It’s the same way now.” The one story the team seemed to remember the most from 1999 was Leamy’s cereal with water analogy. “Eating cereal with water versus milk was a great story that he had,” Modersohn said. “In his mind he was like, ‘You guys have to sacrifice on the pitch for your teammates, like I will sacrifice by having water with cereal instead of milk.’” The message of cereal water must have been effective — Leamy had high praise for the team’s work ethic. “I was just the luckiest guy in the world to be around them,” Leamy said. “These guys played so hard. They were so committed to making
it happen. And it wasn’t easy. They didn’t get to play at home a lot — everybody was against them. I think the world of those guys.” As for their winning streak being topped, the players said they were fine with it. “You can look at it and say the school that you went to is still nationally relevant, which is very cool,” Modersohn said. “Everybody (on the 1999 team) worked really hard during their time here, so to see that it’s still carried over is awesome.” The Bears have three more games left in their regular season schedule. After Loyola Chicago tied Drake on Sunday, Oct. 27, the Bears only need to get one point out of those three games
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Evansville to gain the fifth seed. The Bears understand that wins in this part of the season mean, and they’re mentally prepared for the games that lie ahead. “The mindsets pretty much do or die,” senior forward Ashley Coonfield said. “We know that every game we have from now on, we have to win.” Winning is essential to every team right now. The games on Thursday could determine whether a team’s season is over or not.
to win the regular season Missouri Valley Conference championship. As of now, the Bears are No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. This ranking means the Bears will most likely have a bid in the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament. They can also secure a bid by winning the MVC tournament that will be held at Loyola Chicago from Nov. 13, through Nov. 17. The bracket for the NCAA tournament will be revealed in a NCAA livestream on Nov. 18. CHRISTIAN CUOZZO/THE STANDARD
Redshirt junior Kyle Hiebert serves the ball during a game against Evansville.
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leader and have that role and do what I can to help everyone else.” Through all of the success Wollmering has had, she said she still sticks to being humble and putting her teammates above everything else. What is most important to her is that she has helped others along her journey. The wins, PRs, the highs and the lows all take a back seat to her favorite part about running, her teammates. “I want to be remembered as KATE BROWN/THE STANDARD someone who was for everyone Erica Wollmering else,” Wollmering said. “I think that
BRENNA LUMLEY/THE STANDARD
Senior Ashley Coonfield takes on an Illinois State defender. The Bears faced Illinois State on Friday, Oct. 25 for their Senior Night game and lost 1-0.
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“Once we get down to this part of the season, it’s kind of in our hands,” redshirt junior goalkeeper Kaitlin Maxwell said. “We control what we need to control, we’re looking ahead and realizing if we get the win, we get to be back on our home field that Sunday.” When asked about the chance to compete at home during the MVC tournament the Bears seemed excited. “It’s awesome knowing that this isn’t actually our last game at home,” Coonfield said following the team’s loss to Illinois State last Friday. “We have more opportunities to keep getting better and then come back here and compete for a championship.”
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speed that makes it effective. “With me, I go to the backline and take my time,” Vokolek said. “What I’ve been working on this year is taking my time and have positive self-talk in your head. You got to say, ‘I’m going to get this thing over. I’m going to ace this person.’” While radar guns in practice are commonly used in volleyball, it is not as common during games. Concepción said he has seen two or three schools in the Big 12 use guns during games to track serve velocity. Concepción even relies on that data during games to help him make decisions. In practice, the coaches focus on how to create power and knowing how to have a clean, simple technique with their windup.
“We put that together with speed and then we put speed with the precision of where we want to serve,” Concepción said. “It’s about trying to find a balance.” Whenever Rear comes in to practice her serving, she works specifically on her toss. “Without a good toss to my serve, it’s really not going to be as aggressive,” Rear said. “I have to really get that specific part of my serve down, and that helps a lot.” Rear said there’s not a set competition on the team to see who has the hardest serve on the team, but Vokolek admits the players are always competitively trying to see who’s the best of the best. “It’s always a competition here,” Vokolek said. “As long as we are competing against each other, it will help us compete against other teams.” Concepción said the team will continue to work on serving since speed and power have come to the forefront in modern volleyball.
is really important in our sport because, as runners, we can beat up ourselves so much and forget that our disappointments lead to bigger things. I just want to be remembered as being there for my teammates and having them know that they can count on me for whatever not just for running but in life outside of that.” Wollmering and the Missouri State cross-country team’s next race will be at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships on Saturday, Nov. 2.
CHRISTIAN CUOZZO/ THE STANDARD
Junior Emelie Orlando sets the ball.
“We want to provide scientific feedback right away to the players instead of being subjective about a bad serve,” Concepción said. “We have found ways to be more specific with the players.”
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NEWMAN
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professor in environmental plant science and natural resources, has had Newman in several classes. “He’s a great student,” Mcclaine said. “He’s very hard working and thoughtful.” Mcclaine said Newman is a problem-solver and navigates his disability incredibly well with little need for accommodations. Mcclaine said he has noticed some classmates try to do things for him. “It drives him crazy,” Mcclaine said. “He’ll let you know if he can’t reach something and then he’ll ask for help, but otherwise assume he can do it.” Mcclaine said he thinks the worst thing you can do to someone with a disability is to treat them differently. Mcclaine thinks overall MSU does a great job of making its facilities accessible for disabled students. While funding has not yet been finalized yet, Newman hopes MSU
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Continued from page 5 or Agrability will pay for the projects. According to Agrability’s website, their vision is to enhance the quality of life for farmers, ranchers and other agricultural workers with disabilities, so they, their families and their communities can continue to succeed in rural America. Agrability often works with campuses and individuals to help students and farmers by donating assistive agriculture technology. Newman is on the president’s council for disability, a group formed by President Smart to focus on making MSU more accessible for faculty and students with disabilities. “We brainstorm ideas and ways of making things more accessible on campus,” Newman said. Newman said one recent significant change was the addition of 44 handicapped-accessible parking spots around campus. “Things have been getting better — a lot of changes have been made,” Newman said.
(Oct. 31 - Nov. 2), people often connect Dia de Muertos to Halloween. Despite the holidays being different in tone and tradition, Rodriguez de la Vega said they are often “misconstrued by people to be one and the same.” “Some believe that Dia de Muertos to be the Mexican version of Halloween
- which is not valid,” Rodriguez de la Vega said. “They are two separate holidays with different origins, beliefs, festivities and meanings.” While both Halloween and Dia de Muertos were influenced by Catholicism, Dia de Muertos was also shaped by pre-Columbian
CHOUDHRY Continued from page 3
play it. These songs have productions that are simply fantastic and you will have them stuck in your mind for days after you listen to them. The two skits in the album are arguably the best part of the album.
While the absolute bops that I mentioned before are fun, these two skits are very much from the heart of Cordae. They are both gospel-like and are fantastic additions to the album that I find myself
Aztec rituals. This is why the celebrations of Halloween and Dia de Muertos fall on the same day and celebrate the same idea (death), but in vastly different ways. Rodriguez de la Vega hopes this festival will bring awareness to different cultural traditions and help people understand and ap-
preciate traditions when borrowing them. “Rather than borrowing some elements characteristic of Day of the Dead for fun (as it can be seen in Halloween), people should make an effort to understand their meaning and to appreciate and respect others’ cultures,” Rodriguez de la Vega said.
singing throughout the day. They help break up the album and show a sense of community with friends and family. In “Grandma’s House Skit,” Cordae employs his grandma to sing a common gospel duet and it certainly tugs at the heartstrings. “The Lost Boy” is a brilliant album. The pro-
duction is excellent and the lyrics are insightful and memorable. Clocking in at 45:17 minutes, “The Lost Boy” is at that sweet spot for how long I like an album. I would recommend it to anybody who likes to see someone succeed in their craft and slowly become one of hiphop’s respected figures. 8.75/10
10 THE-STANDARD.ORG
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TOBACCO Continued from page 1
the tax on tobacco to raise revenue and get people to stop smoking,” Mitchell said. “But if people stop smoking, you can’t raise revenue.” Mitchell said he does not think anyone should smoke because of the obvious health issues smoking can cause, but legislators may look at the issue from a monetary standpoint. “You want to raise revenue in such a way that you don’t want the tax to be so high that it discourages people from smoking,” Mitchell said. In 1956, Missouri first implemented a state tax on tobacco at 2 cents per pack. Adjusted for inflation, the rate of taxation in Missouri is lower than it has ever been. In proportion to 1956 dollars, the 2018 tax rate would be 1.8 cents per pack of cigarettes. In 2016, a measure known as Constitutional Amendment 3 was proposed to increase the tobacco tax to 23 cents but was defeated. Top politicians in Missouri state government
have accepted considerable amounts of campaign money from the tobacco industry. For example, Gov. Mike Parson accepted $105,000 in his 2016 run for lieutenant governor, according to Followthemoney.org, a nonprofit organization which tracks campaign contributions. Similarly, 33 out of 34 of Missouri’s state senators have accepted campaign money from tobacco interest groups, according to Follow the Money.org and Kruckemeyer’s tobacco report. Sen. Brian Williams is the only Missouri State Senator with no recorded tobacco contributions. “It’s pretty bipartisan, democrats and republicans,” Kruckemeyer said. “They all apparently think this is okay and they take the money and do pretty much nothing about any of these problems.” Mitchell said he does not think there is a correlation between politicians accepting campaign money from the tobacco industry because there have been ballot measures to raise the tax but they have not passed. “It’s really a matter of, ‘I already know voters are going to reject this anyway, I’ll just go ahead and take the money,’” Mitchell said. Mitchell said governmental skepticism is one
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019
of the reasons voters don’t vote for tax increases. “Everyone knows that basically once the tax revenue is in there, the government can change their mind and use the tax revenue from cigarettes for something else,” Mitchell said. Kruckemeyer agrees. “To be fair, Missouri is a very low tax state,” Kruckemeyer said. “There’s a lot of people who are just against anything that brings more money into the government.” Mitchell said the taxation of goods like tobacco and alcohol can appear to be politicians guiding social policy. “If you raise the tax high enough, you can deter anything,” Mitchell said. “The problem is again, you aren’t going to raise any revenue from it.” Missouri, however, does not grow or manufacture a considerable amount of tobacco. The top three tobacco producing states, North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia, have higher taxes on tobacco than Missouri, North Carolina at 57 cents, Kentucky at $1.10 and Virginia at 30 cents. If Missouri were to raise the tax to North Carolina’s rate, the state government would
Infographic by JADIE ARNETT/THE STANDARD
receive $122 million in tax dollars. If Missouri were to raise the tax to Kentucky’s rate of $1.10, the state of Missouri would receive $389 million that could possibly go toward anti-tobacco initiatives, treating tobacco related illnesses, infrastructure and government funded programs. Part two of this report is coming soon.
CRIME IT’S ON! Continued from page 1
thrown over it is probably a backpack,” Englert said. “Take those valuables out of your vehicle and be sure they are secured.” Englert said steps have already been taken to make the campus a safer place. Lot 31 and Bear Park North have been equipped with LED lights to increase brightness. Bear Park South has added cameras, and Bear Park North is changing certain cameras to better identify attendants. But this safety does not extend to everyone off-campus. On Sept. 12, 2019, fifthyear chemistry education major Abby Ritter had her car stolen from the front of her apartment. Ritter immediately notified the police and her insurance agency. The vehicle, as well as her wallet, ID and social security, were not found until a week later when a sheriff’s deputy pulled over a driver who had Ritter’s ID and social security on him. Police later found her vehicle pulled over on the side of the road. Ritter’s insurance agency had given her a check for a new car. She still had to retrieve the license and parking tag from her old car. While there, she saw the state it was in. “I had to claim some items from the stolen vehicle, and when I went to go check it out both of the front windows were busted out and there was trash everywhere,” Ritter said. “Seats were stained and it was just a mess so it’s a good thing we went ahead and got the new Jeep. I was completely devastated to walk out and just have my car missing. I had no idea what to do and always thought something like that would never happen to me.” Ritter said even though she was sad when her old Nissan Juke was stolen, she enjoys the new Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk and called it a “blessing in disguise.” On campus, several blue light call stations are available to call university safety. To report any suspicious activity, call University Safety’s number at 417-8365509. The main office of University Safety is located in Carrington Hall.
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MSU’s foundation to 1,381 scholarships. Cumulatively, those scholarships have offered $2.4 million in financial support. The big news was announced by campaign chair and MSU alumnus, John Goodman, President Clif Smart and Missouri State Foundation Executive Director Brent Dunn. When Goodman discussed why he took the role of campaign chair, he spoke of his fondness for MSU. “I stay connected to Missouri State because it’s one of my blessings,” Goodman said. “It’s great when I come back and discover campus all over again. I just love it here. It’s such a great place. It really is. I owe this school so very much.” Leading up to the event, there was much speculation about what the “transformational” announcement would be. When asked, common answers from students were John Q. Hammons Arena being renamed or the creation of a new building. Matthew Kiewiet, senior theatre education major, foresaw the event would involve a fundraiser. “This is a glorified fundraiser to get money for the university,” Kiewiet said. “I believe it is a little overhyped.” Allison Livorsi, senior elementary education major, one of the students who thought JQH Arena was being renamed, was just excited to see what the night held. “I’m excited for John Goodman,” Livorsi said. “I’m excited to see all the people there and it will be an exciting
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having a show ending is like saying goodbye to those relationships. I know I’ll see people again … but it’s still
Photos by KAITLYN STRATMAN/THE STANDARD
(Left) An MSU student sings on stage at the “It’s On!” event. (Right) Brent Dunn points at John Goodman during the “It’s On!” event at Hammons Hall. atmosphere. I’m also excited for the fireworks, AKA ‘explosives,’ in the parking lot.” Following the announcement, MSU celebrated by hosting a food truck festival and fireworks show on campus. On the event page for “It’s On!” there were 13 confirmed food truck vendors, ranging from Tex-Mex to Italian. One of the food trucks in attendance was Davalon, a Hibachi style food truck, who had heard about the event from one of the other vendors. “This is our first year coming to this campus,” Owner of Davalon Cody Davis said. “Basically, all of us food trucks talk and we learned of a really good event after getting ahold of them.
very sad.” Wilcoxon said she and the cast were ready to share their work with an audience thanks to the amazing job everyone did on the production. She said she was very happy with the work everyone put into it. “I’m just really proud of
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Alcoholism can be an every night binging event that leads to waking up the next morning not knowing how the night ended. According to the National Institute on Abuse and Alcoholism, 20 percent of college students meet the criteria for alcoholism. Roughly 1 in 4 college students report academic consequences, such as lower grades or missing class. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are resources on campus. Two programs, CHOICES: About alcohol and CHOICES: About marijuana and other drugs are here to help aid students through the recovery process. This meaningless phrase — “You’re not
All we do is travel for big events.” Despite all the festivities, students had mixed feelings about the announcement. Cameron Brown, sophomore psychology major, felt like he had been misled about the nature of the announcement. “I think the event could have been advertised differently,” Brown said. Mia Sethi, senior economics major, also felt that the event could have been advertised differently, but was still excited to see what the future held. “I enjoy the faculty support and scholarships, but I think students expected differently,” Sethi said. “What they are aiming towards is cool and I’d like to get a more detailed list of it.”
our students,” Wilcoxon said, “on both sides of the table, the ones that you see on stage in the cast and the ones that worked backstage to help create the world. They have just really done exceptional work, and it makes me proud to work here.”
an alcoholic until you graduate” — is more harmful than it seems. It may prevent people to seek help even if they think they need it. The phrase should be more like, “You might not see yourself as an alcoholic until you graduate, where you will most likely have a hard time maintaining relationships, a job and personal health.” If you drink to feel normal or alleviate stress, choose drinking over other things that should be priorities, experience irritability or extreme mood swings, drink alone or are becoming distant from friends and family members — you may be on your way to alcoholism. Not being able to control your drinking or your actions while drunk is something you cannot fight alone. Get help from friends, family or your campus. Don’t let a phrase cause you to not seek help. It is okay to admit that you are struggling, after all, we all are.
According to Sethi, she felt the whole thing was more emotionally driven than fact-based. And she also acknowledges that, while this is good news, it won’t impact her directly since it will be implemented past her time. Despite the lack of information, students found the event to be a worthwhile experience. “When I walked out of the [theater] I heard a guy saying that this is probably the biggest time he’d felt like an actual Bear, like he belonged in this school,” Freshman cell and molecular biology major Kayla Kline said. The event ended with a fireworks display choreographed to the MSU fight song and then a montage of Queen songs.
SIERKS Continued from page 3
so I can’t speak on the specifics. What I can say is that is has already been recognized as having produced popular and award-worthy tv shows. “Big Little Lies,” filled with a cast of recognizable names, has gained tremendous popularity. Their website also displays a very large and wide-ranged movie list. Some that excite me include: “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Crazy Rich Asians.” These titles only scratch the service of all the movies, new and classic, that HBO Go offers its members. My final reason for investing in HBO Go is because HBO is a household name — we trust them to deliver good content and they have proven their reliability. The streaming service that I know I could live without 100
percent is Hulu. I already know this could polarize me from the popular opinion, but I’ve used friend’s accounts and just wasn’t impressed. First, I found that it was hard to browse through their selection and even harder to manage my “currently watching” tab. On top of that, there just aren’t shows and movies that they exclusively offer that I’m dying to watch. The Handmaid’s Tale? Eh. The Act? Double eh. When Hulu and Netflix were arguably the only two streaming services available, it would have been no big deal. But now, Hulu is going to have to step up their game if they want to compete with these other platforms. Streaming services have just begun their journey of taking over the way media is accessed and viewed.Keep track of the pros and cons of your favorite platforms, because there might come a day when you have to make some cuts.
Published on Oct 29, 2019
10.29.19 issue of The Standard
The Standard is the student-run newspaper at Missouri State University
10.29.19 issue of The Standard
Published on Oct 29, 2019
The Standard is the student-run newspaper at Missouri State University