The Index, Vol. 113 Issue 10

Page 1

Student athlete balances two sports, page 16

Janet Gooch reflects as provost,

page 9

Beyond the pages, page 11 March Madness is sports at its finest, page 14

Truman State University tmn.truman.edu THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

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UNIVERSITY TO INSTALL CAMERAS

Students take notes and listen to a lecture during class. 76 security cameras will be added to various locations around campus. Photo by Rachel Becker

The total cost of installation will be $331,884 over five years SETH JARVIS Staff Writer Truman State University has begun the process of installing 76 security cameras across campus. These cameras are meant to provide added security and crime deterrence at the University. According to the Board of Governors, the cost of installing the cameras will be $331,884 for five years. Hardware, programming and training will cost $162,017. Electrical, cabling and boring will cost $150,667. A three-year service agreement will cost $11,520. Along with this servicing them will cost $3,840 for years four and five. Sam Guth, physical plant director at the University, said the contractor the University hired for the project is Communications Technology Incorporated out of St. Louis. Guth said the plan is to have all

cameras installed by Aug. 1. Over the summer, members of the Department of Public Safety and Information Technology Services will be trained on how to use the system. DPS will have exclusive access to the system except for ITS’s normal maintenance of it. Guth said the cameras will be installed on poles in parking lots as well as on buildings. Some boring will have to be completed to wire the cameras along with indoor wiring occurring in certain buildings. The campus has been divided into quadrants and installation will take place over phases. The goal is to avoid disrupting school or the numerous camps that Truman hosts over the summer. “They won’t be inconspicuous; they are not hidden cameras by any means. They’re full-size, outdoor cameras that are weather resistant. There are a multitude of types, some of them have better

nighttime resolution than others at certain spots. Using the ambient light from the parking lots and stuff like that, some cameras don’t need to be enhanced because we have the lights on all night,” Guth said. Guth explained that this is a well-designed project that was designed with the students in mind. It emerged from requests from students and parents over the years. Sara Seifert, chief of the Department of Public Safety, said the cameras are being installed to provide added security to the campus. Much of it will be perception as there will be warnings that people are under surveillance. The cameras themselves will not be monitored 24/7. What the cameras record will be available for playback if there is an issue on campus. The goal is to bring a sense of security to students and up the

department’s clearance rate of crimes committed on campus. Seifert said cameras are going to be placed in strategic locations across campus. Places that have seen more crime than other areas, such as parking lots and bike racks, will host the bulk of the 76 cameras. Only one indoor camera will be placed in the business office in McClain. DPS will be the main hub for reviewing, training and accessing the cameras. The two people at DPS who will be predominantly trained to handle the cameras on the campus will be Seifert herself and Sergeant Jeremey Cordray. They were heavily involved in the selection process of the cameras and choosing where the cameras needed to go.

See SECURITY page 3

Student groups LGBTQ+ Center debate abortion officially opens JACK RATLIFF AND GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Staff Writer, Features and Opinions Editor College Republicans and College Democrats hosted a debate over the issue of abortion last Friday, March 25. College Republicans were represented by Kyle Farrell, Abby Kranz and Layne Nichols, while College Democrats were represented by Ella Schnake, Alicia Stout and Kaitlyn Skeeters. Only one panelist in College Republicans had prior debate experience while two of the panelists in College Democrats were on their debate teams in high school. Stout is currently serving on the Truman debate team. See DEBATE page 5 Abby Kranz speaking at the podium. Kranz took the affirmative side of the debate along with other College Republicans Layne Nichols and Kyle Farrell. Photo by Rachel Becker

VOLUME 113 ISSUE 10 © 2022

MATT FRANK Staff Writer

Truman State University opened its first LGBTQ+ Resource Center Feb. 23. Truman held a ribbon cutting event to commemorate the moment.

The ribbon cutting event marked the opening of the center’s student lounge, located at Baldwin Hall room 101. The Resource Center is a part of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion office, which is also on the first floor of Baldwin Hall. See CENTER page 6

Senior Shania Montufar and junior Kennedy Cooper cut the ribbon at the LGBTQ+ Resource Center. Montufar and Cooper are on the advisory board for the Center. Photo by Emily Collins


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