Graduation 2022

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2 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | GRADUATION 2022

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Congrats to our RSPA grads and all other Beargrads!

4 Emphasis Areas

Sport Administration

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Recreation Management

Health and Wellness

Contact Dr. Hugh Gibson (417) 836-5417 | hughgibson@missouristate.edu For more info visit www.rec.missouristate.edu

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The Standard’s final special section When this publication reaches of the year is always the graduation newsstands, we’ll be only 16 days away publication, and every year there is from Commencement Day. I know an air of melancholy about the team. all my fellow seniors out there are Perhaps you feel some of the same counting down the minutes with me! emotions: ready for the semester to I can’t believe the school year is end and simultaneously scared for almost over. We Bears have been what the future brings.

I’m right there through a lot, and we have a lot to be with you. proud of.

The Standard team is thrilled this The Standard’s superb reporters, publication is in your hands, either visual artists and editors have a lot to digitally or in print. The graduation be proud of, too. We’ve had a big year. issue every year is a celebration Please allow me to digress a moment of students’ achievements and a to brag about them: celebration of the year as a whole. In In early April, The Standard this issue, you’ll fi nd features on some attended the annual Missouri College of MSU’s shining stars, plus advice Media Awards conference, and we took from seniors who will soon begin the home 25 state awards, including first frantic post-grad job search. We hope place for Story Illustration (Dorottya you join us in commemorating our Faa), first place for In-Depth News fellow Bears, and that you’ll come Reporting (Greta Cross), first place back to read our stories next year, too. for Sports Column (TJ Scott), and For the last time, first place for Special Section (Back to Campus 2021). You can read all our

- Diana Dudenhoeffer, EIC

GRADUATION 2022 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | 3

The English Department welcomes back our Be See us for a variety of General Education classes, majors, minors, undergraduate certificates, and master’s degrees

Add a major or minor!

Majors:

English Education • Creative Writing • Literature • Professional Writing

Minors: Creative Writing • English • ESOL • Folklore • Linguistics Technical Writing • TESOL • Writing

Congratulations

Undergraduate Certificates:

Advocacy Writing • Rhetoric and Argument Writing • Workplace Writing

Minors:

Second Language Acquisition • English • English Education • Writi to our EnglishApplied Department Grads!

Contact the English Department at English@MissouriState.edu and see the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs online.

Contact the En at English@M and see the Un Graduate C

For more Information Visit out website at english.missouristate.edu Call (417) 836-5017 Visit the English Department Office, Siceluff Hall 215 Or talk with your English professor!

Write on !

4 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | GRADUATION 2022

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Five tips for graduation elation, navigation and celebration DYLAN DURRINGTON Reporter D@dylanistrue On graduation day, things can get hectic and stressful. Formerly known as JQH Arena, the ceremony is at the Great Southern Bank Arena.

“Graduates will report to Hammons Student Center. Both venues will open 90 minutes before the ceremony,” Terry Weber, chair of the commencement committee said.

Pick a location to meet at after the ceremony

There can be upwards of 10,000 people showing up to see students graduate, so deciding on a place to meet after commencement will save you and your guests hassle.

Meeting at the bear statue, the flags or even the Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium LED sign just outside the arena would be a great

spot for your group to meet up before their college and/or degree earned. and after the ceremony. Always seek “Guests are welcome to sit anyout an easy landmark to gather by. where in the arena that is not reserved for graduates. There is no ticket limSecure parking it to the amount of people that may With 10,000 people showing up attend for each graduate.” to Graduation, parking can be hectic.

Most of your time could be spent Know your boundaries trying to find a spot. It is recommendYou might be tempted to get close ed to arrive an hour and a half before to the stage as your graduate crosses, doors open as you could be spending but it’s important to remain in your most of your time on campus trying seat. Walking closer to get pictures or a closer look can cause overcrowdto find a good parking spot.

Guests can park for free in Lot ing and disruptions. Staff will ask you 25 west of the Betty and Bobby Al- to return to your seat. lison South Recreation Fields, in 54 across John Q. Hammons Parkway Make restaurant from the arena, Bear Park North and reservations With the ceremonies lasting 60 to Bear Park South.

90 minutes, you are bound to get hunFind your optimal seat gry. All that clapping and cheering “Regarding seating, graduates will for graduates will easily burn a fair be lined up by their college, as we are amount of calories. restoring the traditional procession“Springfield has many outstanding al,” Weber said. “Graduates will not restaurants with a variety of cuisines have assigned seating, other than by for graduates and families to enjoy,”

Commencement is your last vocab test So what do all those graduation terms mean?

KATE LUHMANN Reporter D@kateeluhmann Graduating Missouri State Bears are tickled pink — or maroon if you will — with excitement for graduation on May 20.

A lot more goes into a graduation than a cap and gown though, so what does the other lingo mean?

Graduation Cap:

Many know the tradition of graduates wearing the square, four-cornered graduation cap that has a tassel hanging from the middle that they move at the end of the ceremony, but do many know why they look this way? According to the question-and-answer website PopularAsk, the caps represent a graduate’s success and

come from birettas, which were worn by scholarly Catholic clergy and represent their high intelligence.

Cords and Stoles:

Graphic by Noah Huettenmeyer Q@nhuett.21 Weber said.

Lock down a reservation as soon as possible. Springfield favorites can fill up quickly even on days when there are no events going on.

A good rule of thumb is to sched-

a bachelor’s gown, a black cap with a tassel in the color of their university and a velveteen hood that is in the color of their degree.

DPT and Audiology: Graduates wear a black doctoral robe, along with a velvet hood, a gold tassel and, similar to the master’s and specialist graduates, a velveteen hood that is in the color of their degree.

DNAP/Anesthesiology/CRNA: Graduates wear a cap and gown that is unique to their program and will be different every commencement.

Faculty Regalia and Undergraduate Regalia: The faculty attending commencement are required to wear regalia, or formal dress. Depending on their position (President, Trustee and Marshal) their gown may include different colors or embroidery representing their field.

Comparatively, graduate caps and gowns depend on their degree. This could be a bachelor’s, master’s/specialist, doctorate or another degree.

A cord and stole are very similar. Cords, which are braided pieces of multicolored string that graduates wear draped around their shoulders, celebrate a graduate’s academic achievements throughout their academic journey. Summa Cum Laude: Stoles, on the other hand, are ribbons for the This is Latin for “highest honor” and is the best that a graduate can receive. In order to organizations that a graduate belonged to. qualify, a student must have a grade point avOther Degrees and their Regalia: erage of 3.90 or higher. Students graduating According to the Missouri State University Summa Cum Laude this semester will have a bookstore website, graduates receiving degrees gold cord. other than a bachelor’s will be presented with different garments ranging in color and design. Magna Cum Laude: Master’s and Specialist degrees: Graduates Students graduating with “great honor” finwear a black gown with sleeves different from ished their undergrad academic journey GPA

ule your reservation two to three weeks out so you are not scrambling at the last minute to find a place to eat.

For additional information, visit MSU’s commencement website.

Graphic by Chloe Gramelspacher Q@chloe.gramelspacher ranging from 3.75-3.89. Magna Cum Laude graduates will wear silver cords on graduation day.

Cum Laude:

“Cum Laude” means “with honor” and is awarded to graduates with a GPA ranging from 3.50-3.74. Cum Laude graduates will wear maroon cords on graduation day.

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‘Bear’ canvases MSU Art and Design

students host senior projects at Brick City TINSLEY MERRIMAN Editor D@merrimantinsley

According to director of exhibitions Jodi Lynn McCoy, Art and Design students must participate in the gallery to graduate.

The work can be any form of art — including video games or performance pieces.

McCoy said this year’s exhibition will be the first since the COVID-19 pandemic with an in-person reception. The reception will take during May’s First Friday Art Walk on May 6.

While McCoy has been with the department for almost 10 years, she said this was one of her favorite BFA exhibitions to curate.

The Brick City Gallery will feature up to 21 students’ works, each one ranging from traditional to digital pieces. For one participant, it is a mixture of both.

GRADUATION 2022 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | 5 “My BFA projects are my way of displaying this idea of translating traditional fine art skills into a digital experience,” Hegger said. “My drive to create with different digital styles is rooted in my interests in TV shows and games.”

Hegger said while she had some setbacks such as sickness during her production period, she was glad to have been able to finish.

The Art and Design Department also partners with the Springfield Art Museum for the Masters in Fine Arts Visual Studies Exhibition, held at the museum proper. One of the two MSU graduate students participating this year is Haley Biere.

Biere’s piece is titled “Ouroboros,” an installation at the Springfield Art Museum at 1111 E. Brookside Drive. The piece is their thesis statement, a “taste test” of what it is like exhibiting in a museum professionally and is specifically tailored to Missouri audiences.

At the end of each semester, the Missouri State University Art and Design Department hosts its Bachelor’s in Fine Arts Senior Exhibition. Located in Brick City in downtown Springfield, the exhibition gives seniors in the program a chance to showcase their art prior to graduation.

Photo by Tinsley Merriman D@merrimantinsley Haley Biere’s piece “Ouroboros” explores their own queer identity. The installation uses found objects such as barnwood to give the materials a second life.

Photo by Tinsley Merriman D@merrimantinsley MSU senior Jeanette Hegger’s pieces, like the above “Pineapple Portrait” explore the marriage of traditional and digital styles.

Photo submited by Jodi McCoy MSU Art and Design student Anna Noel is one of the seniors with work featured in Brick City Galleries this spring. Her installation “Heart of the Home: Perceptions,” explores the roles of a refrigerator in a household.

Jeannette Hegger, senior digital arts major, is exhibiting four pieces in the gallery. They are “Pineapple Portrait,” “Mage on Broom,” “Stained Glass Fox” and “Bubble and Star Mountain.”

In order, they are self-portrait, character, mosaic and landscape pieces. Her main inspiration is unnatural; for example, her piece “Bubble and Star Mountain” is a volcano with bubbles emerging instead of lava.

Hegger originally worked with traditional art, but when she started using a tablet for drawing, it allowed her to create art digitally.

Biere said the piece’s biggest inspiration was their childhood here in Missouri. They used found materials such as barn wood and chicken wire to help create a “rustic” feel and enable the pieces to keep being used.

“A lot of my materials that I have in my work are found objects, as the history of each is important to me,” Biere said.

“The history of the wear-and-tear tells a story. And a lot of these objects would be cast aside or thrown away, and I want to add on to the story.”

Each piece highlights the installation’s motifs: gender norms, how norms blend together and how it is up to the individual to tell their own story, Biere said.

Biere plans on moving to Colorado following graduation.

They said boulders and stones are a huge inspiration, and the mountains will enable them to change the focus of “Ouroborus” from Missouri to the Centennial State.

Biere said their goal with the arts as a whole is to be a bridge between the queer and heterosexual communities.

“So it’s a constant balancing act of, how much do I want to reveal myself to others?” Biere said. “And it’s my goal eventually to be in a place and in a situation where I don’t have to hide at all.”

The BFA exhibition runs April 27-May 13. The MFA Exhibition runs May 7-13. Information on the galleries, times and past exhibits can be found on the MSU Brick City Gallery website at brickcitygallery.missouristate.edu and the SAM calendar of events at sgfmuseum.org.

6 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | GRADUATION 2022

Graduation 2022 Schedule Commencement is at Great Southern Bank Arena

9 a.m. commencement Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts and Letters College of Education College of Natural and Applied Sciences Featured Speaker:

Dr. Frank Einhellig, University Provost

1 p.m. commencement William H. Darr College of Agriculture College of Business Interdisciplinary Academic Programs Featured Speaker:

Jim Baker, University Vice President for Community and Global Partnerhsips

5 p.m. commencement McQueary College of Health and Human Services College of Humanities and Public Affairs Featured Speaker:

Dr. Glenn Coltharp, President of Crowder College

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Audrey Welhoff makes waves as an advocate in action ACACIA BOERBOOM Reporter

“If Audrey’s on your team, you know you’re in good hands,” said Jennifer Pratt, clinical associate professor of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at Missouri State University.

Audrey Welhoff is a Missouri State senior recognized for her diligent efforts as a student leader and advocate for the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association at MSU. There, Welhoff served as treasurer her sophomore year and president her junior year.

Welhoff initially joined the NSSLHA as a freshman to meet other students in her field and become more involved in the world of speech pathology, but her peers encouraged her to go further and run for president – so she went for it. Welhoff ran for president her junior year at Missouri State and transferred some of the responsibilities her senior year as treasurer of the organization.

During her time as a student leader of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, Welhoff helped to reform organizational meetings and events to suit COVID-19 restrictions, and she introduced a diversity and Inclusion sector of the organization.

Initially, her former professor from the CSL Department, Pratt, has also had the honor of working alongside Welhoff as her former advisor for the NSSLHA organization.

“Her leadership at NSSLHA was highly involved as she tried to make the transfer from the presidency as smooth as possible for her fellow classmates. She was very involved despite her busy schedule,” Pratt said.

During her time as president, Welhoff assisted in activities like helping to modify and space things out for a socially distanced celebration ceremony that took place amidst COVID-19, all while introducing a diversity liaison position

during her presidency for the NSSLHA. “The NSSLHA donates every year to Camp Encourage children with autism spectrum disorder, but this year we decided to connect with the University’s Diversity and Inclusion sector to further research diversity and inclusion within our field,” Welhoff said.

Pratt spoke highly of Welhoff’s position as president last year, stating, “Audrey is a go-getter and self-starter.”

Welhoff’s peers regard her as a highly reliable and personable leader.

“I wouldn’t have been able to manage it all without her help.”

Pratt said.

“The field of speech and language pathology is highly varied depending on different cultures, backgrounds and dialects, so diversity and inclusion is an essential component to the field,” Welhoff said.

Pratt is no longer serving as an advisor for the NSSLHA, but she has worked with Welhoff long enough to know she is a truly inspiring leader.

“She seeks leadership roles, but does so in a way that is both personable and engaging; you can tell she really cares, and she’s intentional about what she wants out of her time at MSU,” Pratt said.

After graduating from the CSL department with her Bachelor’s on May 20, Welhoff plans to start graduate school for an MS in Speech Pathology in June.

“The program starts in the summer to give students a head start, that way we can focus on clinicals during the regular semester term,” Welhoff said.

Welhoff will also be working as a part-time graduate assistant in the CSL department next fall. The department offers “half graduate assistantships” which require GA’s to work half the hours — 10 hours — and pay half the tuition. This allows students to focus more time on studies and clinicals.

Photo by Russ Bray Q@russ.bray Audrey Welhoff, a soon-to-be graduate in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, will continue her education at Missouri State University in the graduate program.

Welhoff is originally from Har- performing an externship out of the risonville, Missouri, but after grad- state. uation, she’s open to trying new She would like to work in a things and becoming a traveling pediatric hospital or school. speech-language pathologist or

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MARKETING-A-PLENTY

How Libby Jones’ capstone project turned into one of her greatest achievements SAWYER WAMPLER Reporter D@wampler_sawyer

Missouri State senior Libby Jones went to a conference for the Association of Marketing Theory and Practice in Destin, Florida, in March 2022 to present her paper detailing how online stores compete with brick-and-mortar stores in the bridal industry. The person alongside Jones throughout the paper’s creation was Dr. Ismet Anitsal, head of the Department of Marketing at Missouri State University.

Anitsal said the paper was for his marketing class.

“In that course, the goal is to work on a oneon-one basis with each student,” said Anitsal. “I said, ‘Okay, we can do this together.’ And when I looked through her research proposal for the class, and then her willingness to take it beyond, I said ‘No problem.’ She started working on the project the summer before she took the class, and it was submitted by the end of the fall 2021 semester.”

Libby Jones said a high school job in her hometown of Sullivan, Missouri, about halfway between Springfield and St. Louis, was a formative experience.

“I started working at a bridal store in high school, and I loved it,” said Jones. “My ultimate goal is to work for a bridal corporation to forecast trends, figure out what brides want and tell companies what to sell.”

Jones, like many college students, had a difficult time pinpointing her major. She tried psychology, general business, finance and accounting but could not settle on one. Still, Jones persevered and eventually settled on marketing with the market research option, one of the four emphasis tracks the marketing department offers.

She is also getting a fashion merchandising certificate.

Anitsal recalled the first time he met Jones: “She looked very determined. And I got the impression that she would provide a hard-working student’s image because everything was so systematic with her first meeting.”

Jones remembers Anitsal saw something in her that she did not see within herself.

“He speaks very highly about me,” Jones said.

Throughout the semester, Jones and Anitsal worked in tandem on Jones’s senior capstone project. The two would meet to make comments

and revise the paper. Anitsal said when he would provide feedback on a version of her paper, Jones would take handwritten notes about his suggestions.

“It was quite unusual for a student in the digital age,” Anitsal said. “Then when I saw her in the next meeting, there was nothing asked; she fully understood everything and she addressed the feedback for all of the comments in the revised version of the paper.”

From beginning this process in summer 2021 to the final version of her paper, Jones discovered how brick-and-mortar bridal stores stayed afloat among online competition.

“I learned about how disruptive online retail has been to physical stores and was able to identify ways that brick-and-mortar managers can capitalize on their competitive advantages to stay in business and give brides that special experience,” Jones said.

This led to the conference in March of this year. Jones is hoping to get her work published in the association’s newspaper, but she has not received confirmation yet.

“I do not know yet, but it would be the most rewarding and challenging experience I’ve had here, but it’s also helped me grow as an academic,” Jones said.

Jones has already been rewarded for her dedication and hard work at MSU. According to Anitsal, Jones’ down-to-earth personality, her teamwork and her participative personality caught the eye of a scholarship panel, which chooses the students who receive the College of Business’s rewards.

“At the College of Business awards banquet on April 21, 2022, she received two awards, one of which was the Outstanding Marketing Student with the Highest Overall GPA,” Anitsal said.

“She got another award for Outstanding Marketing Student in Marketing Research. As a department, we gave nine awards. Two of them went to her.”

Jones, a member of the Honors College, the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and an avid foodie, said that she is glad she attended MSU, but that it is her time to leave.

“I am ready Photo by Russ Bray and able to move Q@russ.bray on, but that does not make it any easier,” Jones said.

Libby Jones poses Jones is curfor a photo on the rently looking for Glass Hall staircase an apartment in Overland Park, on the Missouri State University Campus.

Kansas, where she plans to work in a Jones is a student bridal shop while in the Marketing working toward Department and her Masters of will receiver her Business Adminbachelor’s on May 20. istration.

GRADUATION 2022 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | 7

8 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | GRADUATION 2022

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AWARD AFTER AWARD

Adam Chilcote wins Broadcast Education Association competition

Photos by Russ Bray Q@russ.bray Adam Chilcote, an Electronic Arts major emphasizing in audio with a minor in music composition, poses for a photo. Chilcote designed sound and composed a song for a short film that won him three awards, including Best in Festival, at the Broadcast Education Association conference in Las Vegas.

EM BLACKSTONE Reporter D@EmBlackstone Missouri State senior Adam Chilcote won award after award during the Broadcast Education Association competition, an international organization for university media programs. Chilcote is an electronic arts major and music composition minor.

Chilcote first won best in the category, which was multimedia sound design. Then to his surprise, also won Best of Festival, which encompasses all audio entries.

Chilcote traveled to Las Vegas for a convention following his wins and got another unexpected surprise, winning yet another award.

“While I was out there in Las Vegas, they had another award that they were waiting to announce until people got there, and that was the Festival Chairs Award, which was first place out

of the Best of Festival,” said Chilcote. “So I basically won the whole competition somehow.”

Weiyan Wang, Associate Professor of Media, Journalism and Film, is one of Chilcote’s professors and the person to whom he attributes much of his success.

“I even gave her a special shout-out during my speech,” said Chilcote. “If she hadn’t been pushing me to do my best and encouraged me to enter the contest, none of this would have happened.”

Chilcote has taken every class Wang teaches, and she sees how hard he works every day. Wang describes Chilcote as having an incredible focus on detail and sees how hard he works on each and every assignment.

“He is really deserving of the work he has done,” Wang said.

Andrew Twibell, associate professor in the department of media, journalism, and film and program coordinator for electronic arts, is another person who has worked closely with Chilcote during his academic career.

Chilcote earned the “Best of Festival” award in Las Vegas for his work in the film “Escape.”

He chose the film from a list and decided to create the audio and music for it.

“I think he is extremely motivated; I think he is extremely talented, disciplined, driven,” Twibell said. “He is what I would consider a quiet leader: He is not always the loudest voice in the room, but when he does speak it’s going to be something that everybody will want to, and need to listen to. Which is a very valuable type of person to collaborate with.”

Chilcote never expected to attain these awards. Completing the project was difficult because of the many challenges. There are many factors to think about when creating music and because he started the project in 2020, the pandemic added more challenges with communication from professors.

Even with the difficulties, Wang always gave Chilcote the support he needed. The main goal was trying to figure out how to organize the sounds and put them together for the best result.

“I’m rarely sure of anything, but I thought it was okay.

Having Professor Wang there to help me and give me a second set of ears to be like, ‘no don’t do that, do this,’ is helpful, but I second guess all the time,” Chilcote said. “I never expected anything to happen from this project, so it’s been really interesting.”

Chilcote flew to Las Vegas on April 24 and got back to Missouri the evening of April 27. Chilcote stayed at Hotel Treasure Island, right on the strip. The convention included the BEA, where Chilcote won the awards, as well as the National Association of Broadcasters.

During his time there, he attended an award show, rehearsal and a career day. Coming from Springfield to Las Vegas was a huge change for Chilcote, and a little overwhelming. But there were also some unexpected perks.

“Jim Gaffigan was there performing too, so I got to see that.

He’s one of my favorite comedians, and I didn’t know he was going to be there, so that was a plus,” Chilcote said.

For the future, Chilcote does not have a solid plan but used the career day during the convention to jumpstart his search for future employment.

“I just talked to everyone and handed out my resume. There could be half a dozen solid leads to potential employment,” Chilcote said. “My track is audio but since it’s a mixed media degree I could end up in radio or television or whatever.”

Support from his professors, as well as his own work ethic, led Chilcote to unexpected success, and now he has many opportunities waiting for him after graduating on May 20.

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GRADUATION 2022 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | 9

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COURTNEY FALLON Grad student’s groundbreaking research is an inspiration to women pursuing communications

Photo by Russ Bray Q@russ.bray

Courtney Fallon poses for a photo in front of Craig Hall on the Missouri State University campus. Fallon is graduate student in communication who will soon be working toward a PhD in the communication studies program at Colorado State University.

MADDY RICE Reporter D@MaddyRice14 “A majority of my mentors in communications have been women,” says Courtney Fallon, a communication graduate student whose research in social issues has won much praise in the Communication Department at Missouri State.

Fallon has done a majority of her work with criticism analysis and rhetoric. Her main focus of research is on social issues such as gender studies and racial injustice. Fallon was also a graduate assistant for the COM 115 course at MSU and was a communication liaison for the Vaccine Hesitancy Project operated by the CDC and Ozarks Public Health Institute.

Her major is in communication, but she also studies political science, which has helped her in her research. Her first successful research paper, which she co-wrote with two other graduate students, was about why people with similar religions have different political views that she co-wrote with two graduate students. The paper led her to her first conference in Portland, Oregon, and showed her talent in both communication and political science. Fallon explained more about her work on the research done for the paper.

“We chose to study Christians who were both pro-life and pro-choice,” Fallon Said.

“We were interested in sort of what the communication processes affected their sort of deviation from their similar religious background to this completely different political background.”

Her most current work is a seminar paper on a speech given by United States Congresswoman Alexandria Occasio Cortez that is awaiting conference approval, and will be presented to faculty as a part of her masters degree requirement.

Fallon has enjoyed using both her major and minor. She did not start as a communication major and political science minor. It was switched with starting as a political science major and a communication minor.

“I did not start as a comm major, but in my public speaking class, I had a great experience with my instructor Nora Cox,” Fallon said. “I was a communication minor and took more classes with Nora. Eventually, as I started learning more about both departments, I decided that my skill set was better for comm. I switched and became a communication major and a political science minor.”

Fallon has had enormous success in her time at Missouri State. She is a nominee for the Cooper Award given by the Central States Communication Association and won Distinguished Teaching Award given by the graduate college at Missouri State University.

Brian Ott, head of the Communication Department spoke highly of Fallon and her work calling it “innovative.” He emphasized her time as a graduate assistant and what made her such a great teacher.

“She makes meaningful contributions to our department in all three of the major ways we evaluate,” Ott said. “She is a superlative teacher, she is an extraordinary scholar and she helps us build a better community through her service.”

Fallon attributes her success to her mentors who have inspired her over the years.

“Nora Cox and Carrisa Hoelscher gave me the steps to feel empowered not only as a woman, but also as a woman entering scholarship,” Fallon said. “Going into my PhD program, there are stereotypes and barriers about not only how women are treated, but how women think of themselves. One of the things that my mentors taught me is how to have the confidence to pursue a doctorate.”

“(Fallon) is a superlative teacher, she is an extraordinary scholar and she helps us build a better community through her service.”

- Brian Ott, Communication Department head Fallon is graduating with her Masters from Missouri State University on May 20 and has been accepted into the PhD program at Colorado State University. She is planning on continuing with her work in rhetorical analysis and research with social issues such as gender studies and racial injustice. Fallon previewed another rhetoric paper that she is currently working on, and how that is what she wants to pursue while at Colorado State University.

“I am currently writing the rhetoric of the Blue Lives Matter movement and how that invites us to look at that organization in relation to Black Lives Matter,” Fallon said. “That is the direction that I want to take, and looking at the intersection between race relations and rhetoric with organizations. I definitely want to maintain my interests in politics, but that could change.”

Fallon is hoping to use her success to also help empower her future students to gain the confidence that her instructors gave her.

“For me to see successful powerful women stay true to themselves, but also be phenomenal scholars in their field and just caring wonderful teachers have just inspired me that I can do that and can do the same for other women,” Fallon said.

10 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | GRADUATION 2022

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‘INQUISITIVE AND AMBITIOUS’ Seventy-year-old student G. Kerr explores themes of money, abuse and personal choice in her autobiographical novelette

Photo by Russ Bray Q@russ.bray Georgette Kerr poses for a photo at the Department of Religious Studies in Strong Hall. Kerr will graduate May 20 with bachelor’s degrees in English and religious studies.

GIANNA KELLEY Columnist D@gianna_kelleyyy Seventy-year-old Georgette “G.” Kerr has lived a full life –– continually following her curiosity to new and exciting places while learning a lot on the way. Kerr is retired with three kids, three grandchildren with another on the way and three great-grandkids. She will be the first online graduate of religious studies and English –– a double bachelor’s degree –– at Missouri State University on May 20.

Kerr is currently in the process of writing an autobiographical mini-novel titled, “A Poor Little Rich Girl.”

“I’m writing this book to show that just because you’re rich or poor, it doesn’t necessarily make your life any better if there’s abuse on the other side of the garden,” Kerr said.

“What you do with your life is what’s important. I could have gone on welfare and felt sorry for myself, but instead I worked for a better life.”

Kerr is writing the novelette for one of her final grades in ENG 580: Gender Issues in Language and Literature, and MSU English professor Joel Coltharp is editing it.

“I’m writing this book to show that just because you’re rich or poor, it doesn’t necessarily make your life any better if there’s abuse on the other side of the garden. What you do with your life is what’s important.”

- Georgette “G.” Kerr

THE-STANDARD.ORG “He’s given wonderful advice on how to bring out more flavor and more text in what happened and when. I’m up to chapter eight …

I may stop there,” Kerr said. “I’m going to see if I can find an agent and possibly submit it after a couple of rewrites.”

Senior Instructor for the Department of English Tracy Dalton is Georgette’s professor for ENG 377: Professional Editing during this spring 2022 semester. She describes Kerr as “inquisitive and ambitious.”

“G. Kerr asks any and all questions that she needs to in order to understand an assignment or process,” Dalton said. “After the questions, she takes on the challenge to learn the task for herself, and once she’s learned something, she’s really got it.

“One aspect of our class that challenges students is learning the Track Changes function in Word to edit documents. Not only did G. figure this out with little help from me, but she’s used it effectively through the assignments we’ve conducted –– and an aspect I want to mention here is that she’s successfully taken an online editing class, learned copy marks via video, mastered Track Changes and tackled an editing cycle.

“G. is curious as well as determined. I’m proud to have served as her instructor!”

Kerr has taken many English courses to help improve her writing in case she decides to become an ordained pastor in the future –– in which case she’d have to write sermons every week. At first she was getting a major in Religious Studies and a minor in English, but her love for writing evolved into a double major.

Other than trying to get her book finished and published, Kerr hopes to visit her daughters this year after graduation. Kerr has lived in West Plains, Missouri –– about 100 miles southeast of Springfield –– for 25 years but she’s considering moving to Springfield for some writing job opportunities if being a pastor isn’t on the table.

“Everyone called by God can pastor with a seminary degree. My next step is checking with online seminaries. Some faiths do not allow women pastors and some faiths are strict about past sins.”

Even though Kerr has aspirations to become a pastor, she sometimes has doubts.

“I’m finishing up my finals in religion and … well… I kind of don’t think I’m good enough to be a pastor. I know that most religions say they ‘want the bad people who have changed.’

Well, I’m not a horrible person. I’m a normal person who’s lived a full life and has had a couple of marriages. Most of the Christian faith frowns upon multiple marriages, especially in the pastor. The pastor is supposed to be kind of … guilt free.”

Kerr’s degrees are very important to her because she wants to write meaningful sermons.

“When I write I hope to help someone through trauma knowing it is not forever,” Kerr said. “On my way home yesterday a driver said that I can’t pastor because I’m a woman. I told him I can do anything God leads me to do.”

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THE STANDARD’S seniors weigh in: What’s one piece of advice you would give to your freshman self?

“Every experience, positive or negative, has value.

Instead of discounting a bad day as a complete and total waste, take time to think carefully and critically about what you ought to learn from it all. Think of a bad day as a chance to paint over the ugly parts and find worth in the otherwise unseemly situation. In the wise words of journalism professor Andy Cline: ‘It’s not a problem; it’s an opportunity.’”

Diana Dudenhoeffer, Editor-in-Chief “Value yourself and your time because it’s too easy to take for granted. Balancing responsibility with rest is crucial to well-being; too much of anything can be a bad thing. I’ve often connected with the proverb “a stitch in time saves nine,” which suggests it’s better to deal with work before it piles up. While that’s certainly easier to prescribe than practice, as a procrastinator, it alleviates an overwhelming workload and feelings of burnout. But be patient along the way, mistakes happen and it’s better to be your own ally than your own worst enemy.”

Sidney Miles, Reporter

GRADUATION 2022 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | 11 “You will literally never have this chance again.

Go crazy, get nuts, do everything. Yeah you’re trapped in crummy Wells House, but you are on campus, you’re plugged in. Go to everything, talk to everyone. Plus you’re only in college for four short years. Keep that in mind and keep yourself upright. No matter how bogged down you get, just remember you are more than a conqueror. Oh, and you better get used to Dominos here in a year; Papa Johns is going by the wayside.”

Tinsley Merriman, Campus Life Editor

“Do what you feel YOU want to do. Don’t do things because they seem more practical, simple and less stressful; do things because you have the desire to do them. Follow your heart, take chances and put your future in your hands. And most of all, have fun doing it.”

TJ Scott, Sports Reporter “Never sell yourself short. I was given an amazing opportunity on The Standard Newspaper to host a music podcast interviewing local Springfield bands. I’ve always been shy and could barely speak in coherent sentences most of the time, not to mention, I had zero audio editing experience. But now I have 10 episodes completed. I’m glad I gave it a chance, regardless of the fact that I had to drive 200 miles monthly to record them since I was studying remotely.”

Lauren Johns, Music Critic

“Learning what you don’t want is just as valuable as learning what you do. Though, the real trick is taking the courage to advocate for yourself when you finally figure it out. And, if I can sneak in a second tip, take a walk every once in a while. It helps.”

“Who cares if they’ll say no — be it an interview, a grade change or a job. I once applied for an NHL credential on the off-chance I got to interview Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning for a story.

Didn’t get the credential, didn’t write the story either. If you try, you can move forward knowing someone else ultimately made the call.”

Eli Slover, News Copy Editor

Stephen Terrill, Sports Editor

12 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 | GRADUATION 2022

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Thanks for reading this year. We look forward to creating more for you next school year!