Truman State University tmn.truman.edu THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018 tmn.truman.edu
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FEATURES | First Truman Lavender Graduation creates inclusive space Page 7
SPORTS | Truman Athletics facing big decisions as budget cuts come down Page 14
Apartments to be demolished BY RYAN PIVONEY Staff Writer
Photo by Nicolas Telep/TMN The Col. & Mrs. Robert L. McKinney Center is home to Truman State University’s Student Health Center and University Counseling Services. UCS will use money raised by an increase in the Student Health Fee approved by students in last week’s student elections to expand mental health services.
Fair Apartments will be demolished this summer and replaced with a green space for students. The building, located along Patterson Street in front of Ryle Hall and across from Violette Hall, will be replaced by an open area for students. Physical Plant Director Karl Schneider said demolition is set to begin on May 14 and will be finished by the end of July. He said the University has contracted the project to BRS Construction, who will remove asbestos before performing the demolition. While the deconstruction takes place, Schneider said the sidewalk and parking lot around the building will be closed. The parking lot will remain available to students next year. “[BRS Construction] is going to be done before the end of summer, so by next fall the site will be cleared, grass will be planted, the parking lot will be open again and the sidewalk will be open,” Schneider said. See FAIR, page 5
Students vote to increase fee for mental health Student death BY NICOLAS TELEP News Text Editor Truman State University plans to use revenue from a newly approved increase in the student health fee to provide higher-level counseling services to students. The $10 increase to the existing $27 per semester student health fee was approved in last week’s student elections by a 1,120-474 vote. The additional money — about $125,000 per year — will be used to provide psychological or psychiatric services to students through University Counseling Services. Student mental health is a concern for both students and administrators at Truman, especially after multiple student suicides over the past two academic years. UCS Director Brenda Higgins said the money from the fee will go to the University’s General Fund for the specific purpose of paying salary and benefits for on-campus psychological or psychiatric services. She said the fee might not generate enough revenue to hire a full-time psychiatrist or psychologist, but it would be beneficial for UCS to have someone at a higher clinical level available on campus to handle more complex cases. “What we are seeing, and what all universities are seeing, is an increase in acuity of the psychiatric needs of our clients,” Higgins said. “It’s no
longer just mild anxiety or depression that we’re seeing … It’s things like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, more complex psychiatric disorders.” Higgins said the details of a plan to use the funds have not been discussed yet because it is dependent on the individual the University hires to fill the position. She said she anticipates UCS would implement a system similar to that of the Student Health Center, where students are referred to the doctor in extreme cases for an opinion or further services. Higgins said the national increase in acuity of mental health problems on college campuses might be related to the Americans With Disabilities Act. “In past years, before the ADA … students with complex psychiatric problems just didn’t make it to college,” Higgins said. “And now, because of accommodations that can be provided for individuals with those types of needs, students are more successful. They’re being successful through their high school studies and doing well and able to then get into college and do well in college.” Higgins said 20 years ago, college counselors mainly dealt with transitional issues like homesickness, relationships and identity issues with students. She said the scope of mental health issues at colleges has shifted, so
counselors now have to deal with more severe mental health diagnoses. Higgins said Truman’s above-average rate of students who experience suicidal thoughts, reported in the 2017 Missouri Assessment of College Health Behaviors Survey, might have been impacted by the suicides of three Truman students last school year. She said it is not out of the ordinary for a community to have a higher rate of students struggling with those experiences in the wake of suicide in the community. “That’s a normal phenomenon, unfortunately,” Higgins said. “It’s not one that we want to see, but it is something that happens.” Higgins said University Counseling Services has not had a waitlist for the entire 2018-19 school year. She said students might have to wait a week for an appointment, but that wait is normal and shorter than the wait at other care providers in the community. Higgins also said patients sometimes don’t work well with the counselors they are assigned. She said after getting this feedback from students, UCS made an online form patients can fill out if they want to request a different counselor and do not want to do it in the office. She said all six counselors and the social worker in the clinic are licensed and have master’s degrees. See HEALTH, page 5
ruled suicide BY NICOLAS TELEP News Text Editor
The February death of a Truman State University student on campus has officially been ruled a suicide. Maya Warr, second-year biology and pre-med student, died Feb. 3 in her room in Missouri Hall. Janna Stoskopf, vice president for student affairs, informed students of Warr’s death the next day in a campus-wide email. Tuesday, Adair County Coroner Brian Noe confirmed to The Index that Warr’s death was officially ruled a suicide. Noe said the confirmation took a couple months because his office needed to complete tests and read reports before he could officially rule the death a suicide. In another University-wide email, Stoskopf said students can contact her with concerns. She encouraged students to seek mental health assistance, if needed, from her office or University Counseling Services. Janna Stoskopf can be reached at jstoskopf@truman.edu or (660) 7855404. University Counseling Services can be reached at (660) 785-4014 during normal business hours and at (660) 665-5621 for the 24-hour crisis line.
Students elect new president and VP
Student elections for Truman State University ended last Thursday. Senior Keaton Leppanen was elected Student Government president, and his running mate, sophomore Deanna Schmidt, was elected vice president. Students also voted for 12 student senators, student representative and chair for the Funds Allotment Council, and four ballot resolutions. Results are as follows. Student Senators
Sophomore Katie Alexander Freshman Adam Barker Sophomore Caroline Costello Freshman Caleb DeWitt Freshman Rachel Holt Freshman Kaylee Jacobson Sophomore Jared Kolok Freshman Adam Paris Sophomore Kathleen Placke Senior Joe Slama Freshman Sam Tillman Junior Hannah Wissler
Student Representative for FAC Junior Sarah Connolly
Submitted Photos Junior Keaton Leppanen (left) and sophomore Deanna Schmidt (right), Student Government president and vice president for the 2018-19 school year. See Leppanen and Schmidt’s column about the future of Truman State University in the opinions section on page 5.
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 27 © 2018
FAC Chair
Junior Kristen Schepker
Yes on Athletic Fee Rules Change 1:
“I support that beginning in the 20182019 academic year, the Athletic Fee may allocate up to 10% of short-term
project funding to projects proposed by non-intercollegiate athletics, with the potential of an additional 5% of short-term project funding with a 2/3 approval vote of the Athletic Fee Accountability committee.” Yes on Athletic Fee Rules Change 2:
“I support that beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year, the Athletic Fee should keep 3% of the short-term project funding in reserve for any necessary additional funding of projects.”
Yes on Student Health Fee Change:
“I support raising the Student Health Fee by $10 per semester, to total $37 per semester, to increase access to psychological and/or psychiatric care through University Counseling Services.”
The student body approved a revised constitution for Student Government.
The Index
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Community remembers students
Photos by Bethany Travis/TMN Above: The President’s String Quartet plays “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” at the Student Remembrance Gathering Tuesday. The gathering was a celebration of the two Truman State University students who died during the 2017-18 school year, Rachel Morris and Maya Warr. Residence Life hosted the event. Right: Freshman Katherine Moynihan reads Morris’ obituary at the gathering in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. Morris died in October 2017 and Warr died in February 2018.
New fee to upgrade classroom technology BY NICOLAS TELEP News Text Editor
Truman State University will charge a new classroom technology fee for most courses starting in fall 2018 in addition to the current $17 technology fee. The current technology fee, charged to each student on a semesterly basis, is used by Pickler Memorial Library and Information Technology Services to update bandwidth. The current fee is the lowest of any public university in Missouri. The new fee will be $4 per credit hour for classes taught in a classroom. The new fee will go toward updating classroom technology infrastructure like computers and projectors, something Truman has not had a steady stream of funding for in recent years. Dave Rector, vice president for administration, finance and planning, said the University wants to keep monitors and computers in classrooms upto-date, and the fee does not apply to courses where students would not usually meet in a classroom like internships, practicum and independent
studies. Rector said the fee will apply to about 80 percent of classes. Rector said the current $17 technology fee generates about $112,000 per year for ITS and about $61,500 per year for the library. He said the new classroom technology fee should generate about $500,000 per year. Rector said the current $17 fee is lower than many other institutions because the students who proposed the fee wanted to keep it that way. He said even though the current technology fee needed to be approved by the student body, the new per-credit-hour fee will not need student approval because it does not apply to all classes. Rector said Truman uses fees to raise revenue when the school cannot raise tuition because of Missouri’s tuition cap or political pressure. He said even though the tuition cap only applies to in-state students, out-of-state tuition cannot be raised too much because outof-state students will find less expensive options for school. Chief Information Officer Donna Liss said the money ITS gets from the current technology fee is used to update
the campus’ internet bandwidth — the total amount of data the University’s internet connection can support — as internet usage increases on campus. “We are a residential campus with a lot of students who are very active, so we’ve got a lot of bandwidth for our size,” Liss said. “It’s running everything. We’ve got our television going over this, we’ve got our phone lines going over this.” Liss said the University gets most of its bandwidth from two different organizations. She said it is not just a matter of upgrading the infrastructure — the University must pay an annual fee for access to the bandwidth. Liss said the last time ITS upgraded bandwidth, it was quadrupled, but the University might have to upgrade again because internet usage occasionally reaches the University’s limit during peak hours. “It’s lasted a good long while,” Liss said. “This gave us a couple of years of not having to worry about bandwidth, so it’s been a real good effort.” Liss said the amount and level of technology in a classroom varies by
classroom and discipline, and ITS is conscious of each discipline’s needs. Liss said every classroom computer is replaced after five years. She said classroom projectors have to be replaced periodically as well, and the University will replace 13 before fall 2018. “We’ve got a lot of classrooms on campus because we have small class sizes,” Liss said. “We actually have more classrooms that we have to outfit with the equipment. It’s just becoming more and more important for faculty to use technology in the rooms.” Liss said there has never been a dedicated budget for maintenance and upgrades of classroom technology. She said in previous years, ITS has requested available funding at the end of the fiscal year to update technology infrastructure and has worked directly with academic departments if there was specific work needed in classrooms. Liss said the new fee is an effort to make funding for these projects more long term. Liss said ITS will work with each school’s deans to determine upgrade priorities.
Truman to launch comprehensive marketing campaign BY DANA BARTCH Staff Writer
Truman State University is adopting a centralized marketing approach and hiring a marketing director to better advertise the University to potential students and donors. Until now, faculty and staff members across campus have done the marketing for the University. The admissions office has spearheaded the recruitment of undergraduate, graduate, international and online students, while the athletic department has worked toward recruiting student athletes for the University and many other departments have contributed to Truman’s brand. This marketing approach is designed to place the responsibility of Truman’s publicity on one individual, therefore
easing the burden previously on faculty and staff members campuswide. Offices and departments, such as admissions and athletics, will continue to aid in the recruitment of potential students. The addition of a singular marketing unit will also ensure that the advertising Truman produces is uniform and understandable. “We want the messaging to be consistent, we want the brand to be consistent,” said Regina Morin, vice president of enrollment management. “We want the message to be clear, but clearly Truman.” The first step the University is taking toward this new marketing approach is hiring a marketing director whose responsibility it is to advertise Truman to all types of incoming students and community members who
might want to provide the University financial support. Morin said ideally, Truman is looking for a person equipped with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, five years of marketing experience, and the ability to use social media and other forms of digital advertisement. “This is a pretty complex set of skills that we’re asking someone to have, so it’s not just the ability to have that marketing background and really strong sense of brand consistency and messaging consistency, but this person also needs to have some expertise with social media and digital marketing,” Morin said. University President Sue Thomas is currently finishing the ad for a marketing director, which will be released within the next couple of weeks.
Thomas said the goal is to have a director in place for the beginning of the fall semester. Whether or not Truman will have only one marketing director or eventually develop an entire marketing team later is uncertain, but Thomas said the University will use the new marketing director as a way to assess what the University already does and improve upon it. “An investment in this position hopefully will pay dividends for us in terms of our recruitment of students, our recruitment of faculty and staff, getting our message out in a broader way so that we can be even more strong and impactful,” Thomas said. “From what I can tell, the vast majority of the campus sees it as the investment that we see it as.”
staff Serving the University community since 1909 Editor-in-Chief Brently Snead Assistant Editor Johanna Burns News Editor (Text) Nicolas Telep Features Editor (Text) Rachel Fechter Opinions Editor Morgan Gervais Sports Editor (Text) Rachel Steinhoff Sports Editor (Multimedia) Jeremy Jacob Copy Chief MacKenna Palazza Assistant Copy Chief Trevor Hamblin Photo Editor Bethany Travis Design Chief Mariah Radle
Distribution Manager Jessica Rose Staff Writers Jase Willhite, Ashley
Murphy, Kennedy Martin, Paul Province, Patrick Pardo, Stephanie Hulett, Brooke Bailey, Travis Maiden, Ryan Pivoney, Dana Bartch, Gordon McPherson, Justin Newton, Aura Martin, Elisabeth Shirk Sales Manager Joey Iaguessa Copy Editors Molly Thal, Bethany Spitzmiller, Ellen Thibodeau, Allyson Lotz, Elise Hughes, Cara Quinn, Jenna Faulkner
Cartoonists Annie Kintree, August Davis Designers Georgia Gregory, Maddie
Kamp, Emmett Divendal, Emily Taylor, Kaitlyn Farmer Photographers Lawrence Hu, Athena Geldbach, Austin Dellamano, Daniel Degenhardt, Hannah Ahlenius, Samantha Garrett Distribution Representatives Greta Roettegen, Amanda Claywell Adviser Don Krause
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Stu Gov
Buzz End of year note from editor-in-chief BY BRENTLY SNEAD Editor-in-Chief As the year winds down, I cannot help but reflect on the long and rewarding year I have had here. I am proud of the work thr Truman Media Network, especially The Index, has done this year. As managing editor, and now as editor-in-chief, I have had the privilege to see the hard work everyone puts in, and I will never be able to thank all those involved with this organization enough. There have been some late nights and early mornings this year and all of them were worth the time. We brought home first place in college media website in the state and second best newspaper overall, and I’m excited to continue to improve next year. But of course, sometimes improving means changing, and we’ll be embracing these changes the best we can. All of us at Truman State University know the stress budget cuts have placed on departments across campus. We are no exception, and for that reason we are planning to print fewer issues next semester as part of our plan to save money. Despite fewer printed issues, I promise our coverage and quality will not suffer, and we will continue to be the primary news source for all things Truman. During this time, I encourage you to continue to use our website, tmn. truman.edu, and bear with us as we figure out how to best handle our irregular print schedule. You can always receive updates on our latest content and events from our social media. I’m excited to continue my role as editor-in-chief and to work with the students who will be next year’s editorial staff as well as the writers, photographers, designers, copy editors, etc. that make this whole thing possible. Finally, I want to say thank you to our readers and all those who have contributed their thoughts and ideas this year. Part of being a college paper is writing about difficult, and sometimes controversial, topics. We’ve received many letters to the editor this year, and they have all served as a nice reminder as to why we do what we do. I’d like to think all of us at Truman could agree this year has been long and rough, and summer is much needed. Then again, perhaps I’m the only one really feeling that. Nonetheless, check out our last issue of the year next week — it’ll be good, I promise — and breathe easy during finals week. Happy summer, Bulldogs!
Leppanen, Schmidt step into new positions SUBMITTED BY KEATON LEPPANEN AND DEANNA SCHMIDT Student Government President and Vice President After an exciting two weeks of campaigning ending in an incredibly high student voter turnout of 1827 total votes, we are honored and humbled to begin our work as President and Vice President of the Student Association here at Truman. We are deeply grateful to all who supported us through the campaign and to the entire student body for being so enthusiastic about participating in this year’s Student Government elections. Following elections, we were officially sworn into our respective roles, and now it is with great excitement that we turn our attention to the task of leading both the Student Government and the Student Association. This past Sunday, we were thrilled to convene the first meeting of the Student Government for this term. It was there that we had the sincere pleasure of swearing in all twelve of the newly-elected members of the Student Senate. We have high expectations of this dedicated, energetic group and are excited to be working with them this coming year. As this semester draws to a close, our highest priority is laying a solid foundation to truly hit the ground running at the beginning
of next year, and our first order of business is to form our new administration through appointing committee chairs as well as the other members of the Executive Board. Student Government consists of six standing committees: Academic Affairs, Campus Diversity, Environmental Affairs, External Affairs, Health/Wellness/Safety, and Student Affairs. In addition, we oversee a number of secondary committees: Parking Appeals, Appropriations, Purple Friday, and Sexual Assault Prevention. If you are interested either applying for a chairship or serving on any of these committees, applications can be found at senate. truman.edu, no previous experience on Student Government is necessary! We are very passionate about getting as many students involved with Student Government as possible and would love to welcome fresh ideas and faces to the body this upcoming year! Finally, we just want to again emphasize how grateful we are to have this amazing opportunity to serve the student body. We hope that we can truly unite Truman as one campus behind one voice, and we cannot wait to see what is in store for the 2018-2019 Student Government. Please feel free to reach out to us anytime at trumanstatesenate@gmail.com. We would love to talk with you, and are so excited to begin this journey together!
Submitted letters offer learning experiences BY JOHANNA BURNS Assistant Editor
In the past few weeks, The Index opinions section has seen a significant influx of letters to the editor. This isn’t the first time the paper has suddenly received increased submissions, and as a senior communication major who has been a student journalist for four years now, I treasure each and every flood of letters. You might find it strange that I would welcome criticism of my work, but the truth is responses to my work, or the columns my peers write, tell me two important things. First, it shows me the Truman Media Network is operating as a public forum. This is a vital tenet of journalism and a foundation for our rights under the First Amendment. As a dedicated public forum, The Index is protected from censorship and prior restraint, allowing the journalists who work here to provide an important service to the public. It has been reaffirming to see the readers take advantage of our public platform. Additionally, when citizens write in to express their opinions about
an issue, we are able to see what matters to our audience. As student journalists, we’ll be the first to say one of the hardest lessons a student has to learn is the balance between giving our audiences what they need to know and what they want to know. That can be especially difficult for students who are still new to this community. We have to get acquainted with our audiences and our sources quickly, and that process is greatly accelerated when our audience participates in a dialogue with us. The second reason I’m proud to see people responding to editorials specifically written by editors at The Index is because the Truman Media Network is meant to function as a learning lab, and feedback from our audience helps us develop our skills as journalists. The student journalists within this organization work incredibly hard and put in massive amounts of time outside of their academic coursework putting content together. Each week, that process hones their skills as researchers, interviewers, writers,
editors, videographers, photographers and more, before submitting their work to a wide and sometimes harsh audience for approval. Imagine taking a test every single week of your academic life. That’s sometimes what it feels like as a student journalist, and we know that means not always receiving a perfect score. Editorials are sometimes the most difficult kind of content for editors to write. They require writers to skillfully build arguments, and as self-proclaimed learners here, you can imagine how daunting that task might be. At the professional level, editorials are often reserved for writers with decades of experience and a set of well-developed emotional callouses to protect them from the sting of rejection. Figuring out how to write a well-constructed editorial can be exceptionally difficult for a student who is operating with two years of experience and a fistful of gumption under their belt. Beyond that, our editors are aware that when they write an opinions piece, they aren’t simply opening themselves up to criticism
EDITORIAL POLICY: The Index is published Thursdays during the academic year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501. The production offices are located in Barnett Hall 1200. We can be reached by phone at 660-785-4449. The Index is a designated public forum, and content of The Index is the responsibility of The Index staff. The editor-in-chief consults with the staff and adviser but ultimately is responsible for all decisions. Opinions of The Index columnists are not necessarily representative of the opinions of the staff or the newspaper. Our View editorials represent the view of the Editorial Board through a two-thirds majority vote. The Editorial Board consists of the editor-in-chief, managing editor, section editors, copy chief and assistant copy chief. The Index reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limitations, repetitive subject matter, libelous content or any other reason the editor-in-chief deems appropriate. Submitted material includes advertisements and letters to the editor. LETTER POLICY: The Index welcomes letters to the editor from the University and Kirksville community. Letters to the editor are due by noon the Sunday before publication and become property of The Index upon submission. Once submitted, the letter is subject to editing for grammar and spelling errors. Submissions must contain a well-developed theme and cannot exceed 500 words except at the discretion of the opinions editor and/or editor-in-chief. Submission does not guarantee publication. Letters containing personal attacks, libelous attacks or inaccurate information will not be published. All letters to the editor must be typed and submitted by email to index.opinionseditor@gmail.com or online at tmn.truman.edu. Include the words “letter to the editor” in the subject line of the email. Letters which are not submitted digitally will not be taken in consideration.
of their personal opinion — like the average letter to the editor is — they’re also putting their professional reputation on the line. Editorials give our editors, who pride themselves on learning to separate fact from opinion, a chance to lift the curtain of the byline, expose their personal opinion and open up a dialogue about something they believe is worthy of public discussion. So it is not only gratifying to see someone reading our work — although that is certainly a large part of it — but every time we receive a response to an article or opinions piece, we learn a little bit more. We learn how to improve our research. We learn how to improve our writing. We learn how to improve our ability to take and apply critiques. Keep submitting letters and keep participating in the public forum. Let us know what’s important to you. Tell us when we get it wrong. Tell us when we get it right. Know that we’ll do our best to keep learning and bringing you better content with each letter you write.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Response to mental health opinion The April 18 opinion piece regarding the health fee increase was saddening in its misinformation and lack of research. Firstly, contrary to the $62,000 stated in the April 18 piece, the fee should raise approximately $124,000 per year (using the math employed by the writer), as the fee is assessed every semester, not year. I refer readers to the ballot language (which was mysteriously lacking from the very piece critiquing it): “I support raising the Student Health Fee by $10 per semester, to total $37 per semester, to increase access to psychological and/or psychiatric care through University Counseling Services.” $124,000 is much more substantial than the $62,000 reported. Secondly, the piece is uninformed as to how student fees operate. Student Government is not a “middle-man,” as was suggested. Fee money never passes through our organization’s budget except the fraction allotted us in the Student Activities Fee. Rather, Student Senate is the agent behind this fee, as student fees can only be created or raised at the initiative of the Senate. We are
not a middle-man, but instead the overseer of these fees, ensuring that student money benefits causes supported by the students. The question “what can we do?” must certainly be asked in a crisis of such magnitude. This issue is complex and multi-faceted, and a multifaceted response is required. One essential facet is quality and accessible clinical services, and it is this facet which this fee seeks to address. All of this information, from the math behind the fee to the workings of its assessment, was missing in the piece which sought to critique said fee’s proposal. The opinion references several persons and entities, among them Dave Rector, vice president for administration finance and planning, UCS and Student Government, whose input could have clarified the misconceptions published and disseminated on April 18. As a member of Student Government, I am disappointed in The Index for not contacting the people behind the story they were reporting. I am disappointed in the publication of a piece which pleads, “Seriously, if you have an explana-
tion, let me know,” rather than consulting sources to get the facts straight and the story right. I firmly agree that mental health has become a “god term;” it deeply concerns me that the label “mental health” seemingly sanctifies any agenda. It is for this reason that, when a fee slated to help improve mental health comes before the student body, I hope that my fellow students look to inform themselves before casting their vote. It is frustrating, therefore, when our newspaper delivers incorrect claims and unresearched assumptions on such a critical issue. It is imperative that The Index and the Student Government work as partners in creating communication channels that advocate to improve the University for its students. Reporters should reach out to Student Government on relevant issues rather than attacking the University on issues they have not researched or clarified. BY JOE SLAMA Chair of Health, Wellness, and Safety 2017-2018
Carpenter to be remembered
The departure, to hopefully a better place, of Dr. Edwin Carpenter is noteworthy, estimably so, for a number of reasons that official obituarists are likely to miss, but those of us who will miss his lively present must not. Firstly, he was the last of the really “great” town mayors of this city, a fully strong one in the classic American and British senses of the office. Electorally, he got “turn-outs” that solely nonmayor Councilman Steele today has equalled. Not even my wife nor his equal protege, Dr. Adam Davis, in their own policy-principled runs for KCC could get his high turn-out, which was based on his fearless ability to take strong policy positions, some of which did involve public money outlays. Secondly, one of those outlays is literally, verdantly all around us today 2018, Kirksville’s spectacular green trees illuminating this city, when, at last, the sun bursts forth. However, they were motivated by Ed’s deep commitment to oxygen and planetary conservation in legacy bequeath for future younger Kirksvillians. Clint Eastwood, the Carmel mayor, was one of his Republican heroes, he confided in me, for his too such “eco” steward-
ship of our dangerously finite resources, as too was his backing for cyclists’ parks and lanes, none of which stopped him in his younger days from his being something of a record timed car driver to places as far away as KC and Columbia! Finally, as a campus administrator, he was wonderfully open to people of often entirely divergent views as me with my UK socialism, Vincent Price the actor with his frequently Ed camera-snapped horror movie jokes on life’s foibles, or, indeed, around his inviting house, argumentative guests like the late writer and feminist lesbian Susan Sontag. His sheer catholicity of interests, as foregoing, will not be made up in genuine community gap easily these lackluster presidential years. And I shall never forget his contempt for the gun lobby, “as less than... real, Larry,” for their indifference to murdered human life and sheer irresponsible indifference towards basic communal get-along peaceful norms he, steadfastly, upheld. SUBMITTED BY LARRY ILES
[Our View] Lavender Graduation and other LGBTQ safe spaces matter The Multicultural Affairs Center is hosting the first annual Lavender Graduation Ceremony on Truman State University’s campus. These ceremonies are intended for students in the LGBTQ community to have a safe and positive space where they can celebrate graduation using their desired pronouns and names while dressing the way they feel most comfortable. Getting to feel like your true self is a luxury many cisgender and heterosexual people take for granted. For members of the LGBTQ community who aren’t open with relatives attending graduation or whose family members do not support their identities, graduation ceremonies can be stressful. This divide creates a need for a safe place for LGBTQ students to celebrate graduation. Lavender Graduation is the latest in a series of steps the University has taken to support its LGBTQ students. Starting last year, assistant professor Summer Pennell resumed Safe Zone Training on campus and hired more LGBTQ students to facilitate the process, which is important because Safe Zone Training is all about teaching students, faculty and staff about LGBTQ identities and being comfortable talking about them. Furthermore, Prism, Sigma Alpha Iota and the Student Activities Board each hosted drag shows in April. It’s fitting for Truman to conclude this LGBTQ-friendly school year
with Lavender Graduation. We, The Index Editorial Board, applaud the MAC for creating an institutionalized safe space for LGBTQ Truman students, especially for an occasion as important as graduation. Every student should feel free to celebrate milestones on their own terms. It’s not too much to ask to hear your preferred name as you cross the stage to receive your diploma or to open that diploma and read your chosen pronouns. Ideally, such safe spaces shouldn’t be necessary. The MAC shouldn’t have to host its own Lavender Graduation to ensure LGBTQ students aren’t misidentified. It’s disheartening that some college students, on the brink of beginning their adult lives, still cannot safely use their names and pronouns at graduation for fear of backlash. We, The Index Editorial Board, hope other colleges will push to host their own Lavender Graduation ceremonies and Truman will continue to take more steps toward LGBTQ inclusivity. For those interested in attending the Lavender Graduation Ceremony, RSVP by Monday, April 30 at mac.truman.edu/lavgrad. Anyone is welcome to come as a (cis), (straight) ally or an LGBTQ graduating student.
StuGov acted responsibly in face of criticism BY NICOLAS TELEP News Text Editor
I wrote a column for last week’s paper. I hesitated before giving it the thumbs up for publication, and there have been times then when I wished I hadn’t written it, but in the end, I told readers how I felt about the new initiative from Student Government to raise the semesterly student health fee. I did not mince my words. I figured there must be people like me out there and that my feelings were important as a student at Truman State University. It’s important to remember I wrote what I wrote in that role. That piece expressed the thoughts and feelings of a student — not the official stance of this publication nor information obtained from a source for a news story. Anyone reading this
piece right now is welcome to do what I did and submit their written opinion for publication, as long as they follow the editorial submission policy. I quickly got a response from a few members of Student Government. Because the fee is an important, meaningful issue to many people in this community, The Index will be reporting on it this week in a news capacity. I have interviewed sources for and written that story, but I’ve done it in my role as a news reporter. In that article, I am not sharing my own opinions, I am taking information given to me exclusively by others — experts on the topic — and putting that information in a format you can easily read and interpret. One of the experts who gave me information for that story is Joe Slama, a student senator who has been very
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supportive of this initiative. I’m sure I’m not his favorite person right now — and I can’t blame him because I said some pretty bad things about the plan he’s been working hard to get passed and which he thinks will help the community. You can read his response to the column I wrote last week in this week’s paper. But there’s something else Slama did as he campaigned in support of the fee — he sponsored a Student Senate bill calling for a change to the way the Truman Media Network, including The Index, is funded so we, as a network, can keep the portion of our funding which is currently in jeopardy. In the midst of an unpleasant exchange, he recognized the importance of student media though he could have let his emotions get the better of him. I know that’s what would have happened to me
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were I in his shoes. If Slama stands up for student media, I’m sure he won’t hesitate to stand up for countless other programs he thinks are beneficial to campus. I hate being the bad guy. In student media, I’ve chosen a role where my job is to be as neutral as possible and seek the truth. Slama has chosen a role where speaking his mind is encouraged, and he’s given a significant amount of influence on campus in that respect. I’m very thankful to him for recognizing the importance of what we do at The Index, even though it might mean funding the very publication which published a piece bad-mouthing his initiative. He acted, in both of our opinions, in the best interest of the student body. That’s what an outstanding activist and representative does. I appreciate the commitment of Slama and all of Student Senate to stu@TrumanMediaNet
© 2018
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
The Index
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StuGov talks local summer activities BY ELISABETH SHIRK Staff Writer
Student Government hosted Summer in Kirksville on April 17 where assistant city manager Ashley Young spoke to Truman State University students about opportunities for recreation, entertainment and work in Kirksville during the summer. In addition, Young talked about the projects completed in Kirksville since the half-cent sales tax for the Kirksville Parks and Recreation Department passed in April 2017. Freshman Adam Paris, Student Government voting senator, said Student Government brought Young to Truman to help increase interest in Kirksville and widen the knowledge of the half-cent sales tax’s purpose. Paris said although he went to the event to learn about job opportunities, he got a good idea of other activities available in Kirksville throughout the summer. Senior Sarah Holtmeyer, Student Government vice president, said the External Affairs Committee worked with Young on the half-cent sales tax last year. Holtmeyer said People for Better Parks were present at a Student Government meeting to explain what the half-cent sales tax does. “We wrote a resolution encouraging students to vote ‘Yes’ on the half-cent sales tax because it would increase revenue to make different repairs around the city,” Holtmeyer said. Young said a couple of the measures used to indicate success and economic growth within Kirksville are population and sales tax.
Young said the city government thinks there has been a significant increase in Kirksville’s population during the last few years, largely because of the addition of the Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health at A.T. Still University and an influx of immigrants from Central Africa. He said the population is the highest it has ever been. “We’re very confident that our population, for the first time ever, has gone over 18,000 people, and we’ll see in the 2020 census what that number actually is,” Young said. Young said sales tax is also higher than it has ever been. He said the half-cent sales tax only goes to support the Parks and Recreation Department. Young said before the passage of the sales tax, the Parks and Recreation Department was supported by the city’s general fund. He said since passing the sales tax the Parks and Recreation Department no longer needed money from the general fund to operate. “The council decided to take those dollars that had previously gone to support the Parks and Recreation Department and instead direct them toward the Kirksville Police Department,” Young said. “So really the passing of the half-cent sales tax not only improved the park system and will continue to make Kirksville a better place through improvement and recreational opportunities, but also created a safer community by putting more officers on the streets and drawing support for our police department.”
Young said the first accomplishment upon passing the sales tax was the hiring of a new Parks and Recreation Director, Rodney Sadler. He said after Sadler was hired, the planning for the new Aquatic Center and community center began. Young said the City Council approved an agreement with SFS Architecture out of Kansas City, Missouri, to help manage the project. Young said while the Aquatic Center is the largest project currently in the works, there are many other improvements being made around the city. Young said some of the things that were completed last year were a new Americans-with-Disabilities-Actcompliant sidewalk in Brashear Park, a resurfacing of the tennis courts in Patryla Park and re-roofing the park shelters with a more durable material. Young said it is difficult to predict what projects will be completed in the future because the plans will change as the community’s needs change. He said one of the things many citizens have said they would like is additional lights for ball fields at the North Park Complex. Young said he thinks all of the improvements will bring Kirksville into the modern era and put it on equal footing with cities of similar size. “Communities across the country are basically in an arms race to build the most attractive, enjoyable and safest communities they can to attract the talent and the workforce of tomorrow so that we can attract the business and industry necessary to not just survive, but thrive in the future,” Young said.
FAIR | 60-year-old apartment complex to be torn down Continued from page 1 Dave Rector, vice president for administration, finance and planning, said the project is expected to cost $179,000, and it has been on the University’s to-do list for a few years. Rector said the project has a high cost because removing the asbestos and the solid structure with thick walls are expensive operations. He said the University is also required to pay the workers a prevailing wage, similar to union wages. Funding for the project comes from the University Physical Plant fund, Rector said. Rector said the building was scheduled to be destroyed about two years ago, but the Baldwin Hall renovation pushed the project back. Fair Apartments were used as temporary faculty offices while the renovation of Baldwin Hall occurred. Rector said a company was hired to perform a facility condition index of all Truman residence halls in 2005-06 to determine which buildings to stop investing in. Fair Apartments, Randolph Apartments and Grim Hall were deemed too expensive to be renovated and were no longer needed, he said. “The long-range plan has this parking lot [not] there and this would all just be a grassy area here and just a kind of a free-play area or place to have some benches and so forth for students to hang out,” Rector said. Residence Life Director John Gardner said the demolition of Fair Apartments will not affect Residence Life moving forward. He said the apartments were the most popular living space at Truman at one time but have been less popular because of the rise in single rooms
available on campus. Additionally, the apartments had issues with deteriorating bathtubs, and the carpets could not be removed because of the asbestos underneath. He said financially, it made little sense for the University to keep the structure and pay for repairing an empty space.
“Fair has served our community well,” Garder said. “It’s been an important part of our history, and it will always be, for many alumni and past members of our community, an important space on campus. It just no longer serves our current residents’ needs.”
Photo by Ryan Pivoney/TMN The Fair Apartments were built in the late 1950s and named after former University President Eugene Fair. The building will be demolished during the summer.
Submitted Photo The building was last used as temporary office space during the 201617 renovation of Baldwin Hall. After demolition, the site of the building will eventually be converted into a grassy space.
Submitted Photo After an evaluation of residence halls, Truman State University determined Fair was not worth preserving. The building has fallen into such disrepair that it would not make financial sense to renovate.
HEALTH | Fee to fund additional mental health care Continued from page 1
“I think that the entire campus and administration is concerned about the mental health needs of our students and how we’re going to take care of that” Higgins said. Senior Joe Slama, student senator and chair of health, wellness and safety for the 2017-18 school year, said mental health is a severe issue at Truman compared to other universities and needs to be addressed. “It is, arguably, the most pressing concern facing this campus, except for maybe budget issues,” Slama said. “It’s a very complex issue full of different facets, so it’s very hard to describe or diagnose one simple cause.” Slama said Student Senate will oversee the money generated by the fee but will not include it in the organization’s budget. He said student fees must be created and maintained by Student Government because it represents the student body voting on the fees. Slama said Student Government passed a resolution encouraging students to vote in favor of the increased fee before voting opened. According to Student Government meeting minutes, the resolution passed with no votes of objection and two abstentions. “My hope for its use is that it will increase and cheapen access to psychological and psychiatric services which are not currently available through University Counseling Services,” Slama said. “We have yet to see exactly how it will take shape, but the intended purpose, which Student Government supported, for this fee is that it be used for increased
access to psychological and psychiatric services, especially for students who may not be able to afford those services normally.” Slama said Student Senate is hoping to use the fee to form partnerships with health care providers in the Kirksville community, but discussions have not started yet. Slama said he hopes Mental Wellness Week happens again next year and actively involves the campus community. He also said Student Government would like to increase greenery and access to outdoor equipment on campus, which he said is proven to have a positive impact on mental health. “There’s a lot of stuff that Student Government, especially the new administration, hope to do on this, but we’re in the early stages, so it’s difficult to say things for certain,” Slama said. Janna Stoskopf, vice president for student affairs, said she learned about Truman’s mental health issues from concerned staff and students as soon as she came to Truman in January. She said Higgins gave her some information showing what the impact of raising the student health fee would be. Stoskopf said some Truman administrators thought it might be bad timing to propose a new student fee while the University was going through a financial crunch. She said she attended a Student Senate meeting and asked the body’s opinion on putting a measure increasing the student health fee on the April ballot. “Conceptually, they had tremendous support for it,” Stoskopf said. “The only concern that they raised was
the same one I had — whether the timing was right, given the financial issues — but we all talked about it together that students in general have expressed concern about the need for additional and more comprehensive mental health support.” Stoskopf said any money left over from the fee after the main resources are established would be put toward additional mental health training and prevention. Stoskopf said the number of students needing help with mental health issues is increasing at Truman. She said the number of appointments at UCS has increased each year for the past few years. She said mental health is a growing problem at Truman as well as at other universities around the United States. “What we have to do is figure out, how do we give students the skills they need to be able to manage those issues better?” Stoskopf said. “What kind of programming do we need to do preventively? What kind of resources do we need to make sure people are certainly aware of?” Stoskopf said there was a response rate of more 40 percent on the JED Campus Healthy Minds Survey this semester. She said this shows students are interested in talking about mental health issues. “I really appreciate the student support for doing this,” Stoskopf said. “I really appreciate that they saw the need to do this and were willing to put their fee money toward it. I think that’s going to really provide a tremendous amount of support for students and help us make some good progress at taking care of people.”
The Index
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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
calendar Language and Literacy Conference
The Final Blowout April 28 5-9 p.m. Patterson Parking Lot
Massages in the SUB May 2 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. SUB Alumni Room
The Truman State University School of Health Sciences and Education will host the 10th Annual Language and Literacy Conference tomorrow. Christina Carnahan of the University of Cincinnati and Pamela Williamson of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro will be the featured speakers.
The Student Activities Board will sponsor this The Final Blowout this year in the parking lot between Centennial and Barnett halls. Food trucks will be selling food, and there will be live music, games and T-shirt decorating. A fireworks display will follow the event. Admission is free for students with a Truman ID and $5 for everyone else. In case of rain, the event will be hosted in Pershing Arena.
Students are invited to the Student Union Building to participate in relaxing activities before finals week. There will be free massages and soothing music, and students can make their own mini zen gardens to take home. The focus of the event is to reduce the stress of finals and promote relaxation.
April 27 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. SUB Georgian Room
news in brief TruCare Results
Scheeler Wins at 2018 Bulldog B.I.T.E. Competition
“Pursue the Future” Campaign
TruCare, the program to coordinate more community service opportunities among Truman State University Bulldogs, saw an increase in participation since 2017. This year, 1,230 volunteers were active in TruCare events, totaling 12,370.5 volunteer hours logged. The number of alumni participants doubled from last year, and 91 service events took place in 38 cities across 20 states. Compared to last year, TruCare saw an increase of 169 alumni volunteers, 7,643 more hours, 17 more cities and 55 more events.
The Bulldog Business Innovation by Truman Entrepreneurs competition is for students to present a short business pitch to judges. Senior Jonathan Scheeler won $3,000 and first place in the B.I.T.E. Competition with his drone data servicing idea. Senior Shane Legatzke won second and earned $2,000 for his system of educational grants to teach high school students financial literacy. Sophomore Joey Goldman and senior Victoria Kleitz won third place and $1,000 for their idea for an application that helps donors find charities.
The “Pursue the Future” campaign raised more than $40 million in less than five years. Charles Hunsaker, interim director for advancement, announced the total on April 14 at the Truman State University Foundation Banquet. The campaign has received 15,000 donations ranging from $1 to $7 million. The money raised will be used for foundation scholarships, academic programs, faculty support, mission enhancement gifts and athletic programs. The campaign will conclude June 30, 2018.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
7
Lavender Graduation Ceremony to offer inclusive space for LGBTQ students BY RACHEL FECHTER Features Editor
Graduation is intended to be a ceremony of celebration, but it’s one which can turn into a stressful day of hiding, pretending and suppressing for an LGBTQ graduate. With potentially unsupportive family members coming into town and a still heteronormative culture on college campuses, LGBTQ students don’t always get to dress how they want, use the names they wish or use their chosen pronouns at graduation ceremonies. This year, the Multicultural Affairs Center wanted to challenge the possible alienating effects of graduation ceremonies for LGBTQ students by hosting a separate ceremony called Lavender Graduation. Lavender Graduation ceremonies originated in 1995 when an openly lesbian professor Ronni Sanlo at University of Michigan was denied the right to attend the graduation ceremonies of her biological children. In response, she decided to host a separate graduation ceremony for LGBTQ youth at her university, according to the Human Rights Campaign website. Since then, Lavender Graduation ceremonies have taken place on college campuses all around the country. The color lavender represents the combination of the pink triangle gay men were forced to wear in Nazi Germany concentration camps and the black triangle lesbian women were also forced to wear, according to the Human Rights Campaign website. Summer Pennell, English education assistant professor and LGBTQ safe zone coordinator, originally approached Brad Turnbull, MAC program coordinator, with the idea of a Lavender Graduation Ceremony at Truman State University. Turnbull said this will be the first annual Lavender Graduation ceremony at Truman. Pennell, who is openly lesbian, attended her own Lavender Graduation after getting her doctoral degree. Pennell said in her experience, Lavender Graduation ceremonies tend to be more personal and casual. She hopes this ceremony will be as positive as her own ceremony was. “The whole point of [Lavender Graduation] is just for queer and trans students to be able to celebrate graduation as they are,” Pennell said. “Not all queer students have struggles with their family relationships, but for those who do, a Lavender Graduation can serve as an opportunity to be their full selves and be able to celebrate their graduations and celebrate themselves at the same time, and not have to separate themselves or hide part of themselves.” Pennell said safe spaces created by the Lavender Graduation Ceremony are especially crucial to those within the LGBTQ community because they allow students to present how they feel most comfortable and to go by their chosen names and pronouns. She also said safe spaces are important because they provide intentionally inclusive environments. Among the students planning to attend Lavender Graduation is senior Julia Heath, who identifies as an asexual non-binary demigirl. Heath said she has not explicitly come out to her family, and she is excited to celebrate in a safe space and cheer on her other queer friends. “I love it,” Heath said. “When I found out we were having Lav-
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ender Graduation I was like, ‘Oh, I have to do this.’ Anyone who’s in a minority group knows how important it is to have your own spaces and to have those groups with people you can be out with, you can be yourself with. You can celebrate.” Heath feels this is a step in the right direction for Truman as far as LGBTQ inclusivity goes. Truman alumnus Alex Klein said this kind of inclusivity did not always exist at Truman, however. Klein attended Truman from 2006 until he graduated in 2011 from graduate school, and said his overall experience as a gay man in college felt isolating. “It’s weird to even think about, but when I was at Truman, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ was still a policy in the military — there were very few states that had legalized gay marriage, and even today there’s no employment nondiscrimination act … ,” Klein said. “Even thinking about when I was in college versus now there was a lot less awareness and a lot less people who had come out, who were living openly and who were pushing for the more equitable and more tolerant spaces, than there is now. I think apathetic is a really good word to describe what it kind of felt like on campus outside of some very select places.” Klein, who used to identify as a gay man in college but now identifies as queer and gender non conforming, said he thinks having more safe spaces for members of the LGBTQ community is important but at the same time, he thinks the desire for a separate ceremony shows there is more work to be done in regards to tolerance. “I know that when I went through graduation there were kind of rules and guidelines around what you were allowed to wear and what you weren’t — and that’s a big deal for people who are constantly policed by others, by society, by people in authority positions, having to kind of shut off or deny a part of you is a big deal,” Klein said. “It’s one of those things that really grinds you down. So being able to identify the way you want and to have other roles recognize it is a huge thing that Truman and other universities can do to make LGBTQ folks more welcomed and feel like they are being seen in the same way that cisgender and heterosexual folks are.” Klein said while he wasn’t completely secure in his identity during his time at Truman, and might or might not have attended a Lavender Graduation Ceremony himself had it been made available, he thinks the option for one now is a great step toward progress. Heath said she plans to have a great time at her two graduation ceremonies and she will wear a rainbow graduation cord around her neck with pride. “Maybe there will come a day where we don’t have to have a Lavender Graduation and everyone can just be completely out to their families and be supportive, but until then, it’s nice to have a Lavender Graduation,” Heath said. “I feel even just having the event as an option feels kind of like being seen and being represented, so that’s really nice. And I hope I can also help represent the queer people who have yet to come to Truman who can also enjoy having their own graduation ceremony if they need it.” For those interested in attending the Lavender Graduation Ceremony, RSVP by Monday, April 30 at mac.truman.edu/lavgrad.
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© 2018
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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
Planetarium promotes, entertains via Twitter BY TRAVIS MAIDEN Staff Writer After causing an uproar of laughter on Twitter, the Del and Norma Robison Planetarium has received a surplus of visitors to its shows. The student worker behind it all? Senior Elisabeth Blotevogel. Blotevogel began working at the planetarium in spring 2016 and took over the planetarium’s Twitter account the following semester. She said she decided to work at the planetarium because she needed a scholarship job and because “space is neat,” which has become a catchphrase at the planetarium. Blotevogel said the planetarium formed the Twitter account to create awareness about its shows. “Definitely getting news out about the planetarium has been our biggest challenge,” Blotevogel said. “Trying to get it off the ground. You know, as a gigantic round building that says planetarium on the outside, a bunch of people still don’t know that it’s a planetarium.” Planetarium Director Jared Young has been the acting director since the fall 2015 semester. He said he has always had an interest in space because he likes technological things like SpaceX, Tesla and whatever else Elon Musk is doing these days. Young also watched “Star Trek: Voyager” growing up and said he is a Trekkie at heart. Young said people generally overlook print advertisements, so social media was the best way to get people engaged in the planetarium’s content and realize the building was there. Young said the planetarium was once mistaken as an aquarium by students who were terribly disappointed with the selection of fish. Since then, the planetarium has added a full dome aquarium video. Young said the planetarium workers are always looking for new ideas and events to get people to attend shows. He said the Twitter account was a good idea because it gave outsiders a peek into the building’s environment. “The Twitter account in particular has been able to give the planetarium a personality, instead of it being just this building that you go to,” Young said. “There’s a deeper understanding of the realms of planetarium life that exists within.” After creating the account, Blotevogel noticed more student interaction at the planetarium than before. She said events partnered with different student organizations or de-
partments boosted attendance more than anything else. Blotevogel said the charm of the planetarium is that it’s an educational experience not attached to an obligation. She said the shows share a commonality by providing opportunities to learn for enjoyment and increasing awareness of the world around us. “There are definitely many educational experiences that you can have through classes or certain student organizations, but that’s typically adding eight different things to your schedule,” Blotevogel said. “Given how stressed out and busy Truman students are, it’s really easy to forget that every learning experience comes with a set of related obligations. It’s really easy to kind of lose sight of the joy of learning for learning’s sake, which is something that is pretty integral to the liberal arts at Truman.” Young said the planetarium is distinct because of the number of subjects that can be taught in the building. The planetarium often hosts events for field trips, student groups or other educational events. He said he is excited for the future of the planetarium. “Overall, for the planetarium, I am excited for what the planetarium is,” Young said. “I’m excited for what the planetarium can be. I hope it remains an integral part of the University for a long, long time, and I think it will.” The Twitter account has been one of the ways student workers become invested in growing the planetarium’s presence on campus. Blotevogel said her time running the Twitter account has been wonderful. Young was a motivating factor in her interest for the Twitter account and promised to give her a pony if the Twitter account received enough followers. However, Young found a loophole in their deal and plans on buying Blotevogel a My Little Pony doll. Young said the workers are what made the planetarium what it is today. “The student workers that have worked at the planetarium over the past few years have been fantastic and are taking some ownership in what the planetarium does,” Young said. “So it’s more than just show up, put in your hours and go home. It’s something they dedicate a little bit of their time to, which has made it so much better than what I could have done with the time myself.” Young said more than 5,000 people came to shows in 2017, and this year will match that attendance. He said the planetarium will continue to host shows every Saturday at 2 and 3 p.m. because, as they like to say, “Space is neat.”
Top 5 Out of This World Planetarium Tweets #1 #2 #3 #4 #5
Top: The Del & Norma Robison Planetarium is located in the heart of campus by Magruder Hall. The planetarium has been open to the Truman community since fall 2015. Bottom: A photo of the planetarium captured on a stormy night with a rainbow above. In addition to unplanned aesthetics like this one, the planetarium typically offers public shows every Saturday afternoon at 2 and 3 p.m.
Submitted Photos
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
The Index
“Rampage” is entertaining but shallow
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This movie gets 2.75/5 George the Gorilla action figures BY GORDON MCPHERSON Staff Writer As an over-the-top action film featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Brad Peyton’s “Rampage” entertains on a mindless level. Even so, viewers should demand more for their money than an overall mediocre film likely to air on cable in a few months. Based on the 1986 arcade game of the same name, “Rampage” centers around primatologist Davis Okoye, played by Johnson, who has developed a strong emotional bond with an albino silverback gorilla named George. Okoye finds little enjoyment and meaning in relationships with other human beings, often emotionally distancing himself from them. Rather, he finds fostering friendships with animals, particularly gorillas, far more worthwhile. Unfortunately, George gets infected with an experimental drug that significantly alters his DNA, making him stronger, larger and more aggressive. This leads Okoye and geneticist Kate Caldwell, played by Naomie Harris, to embark on a frantic mission to secure an antidote before the United States military kills George with extreme firepower. Also involved is the rogue organization that created the drug, Energyne, which is led by some of the most generic villains to hit the big screen all year. George isn’t the only animal infected throughout the film. Along with him are a wolf and a crocodile who transform into monstrous creatures able to level entire cities. Given this ridiculous plot, viewers shouldn’t expect “Rampage” to take itself too seriously. For the most part, the film knowingly maintains a light tone, led by a performance only The Rock could have provided. Fortunately — or unfortunately, depending on personal preference — Johnson gives a performance that fits in snugly with the other characters he’s played in his acting career. Okoye has an intimidating physical appearance that gives him the aura of a superhuman. He also has an empathetic heart that’s brought out through his friendship with George and his nearconstant stream of humorous one-liners. The Rock is as ripped as ever, but his performance in “Rampage” doesn’t offer many surprises. Okoye’s friendship with George is given just enough attention to make viewers care, largely because of the impressive motion-capture technology that brought George to life. The scenes in which Okoye and George interact contain
the film’s most tender moments, as they speak to each other in sign language. I say “moments” because, more often than not, these scenes end with lewd, juvenile jokes that leave a sour aftertaste. This includes George giving the middle finger directly to the camera — multiple times! — seemingly calling viewers out for going to see this outlandish film in the first place. While “Rampage” isn’t trying to be anything other than an action-packed extravaganza, the central plot points of genetic modification and weaponization are surprisingly relevant in contemporary society. It’s a shame, then, that the film overlooks many of the darker aspects of this concept, except in a few brief moments scattered throughout the film. Peyton seems to think that’s not what audiences are interested in, but rather that they are interested in mindless carnage. Indeed, the film more resembles a Saturday morning cartoon than a fullfledged motion picture — a 30-minute cartoon expanded to feature-film length, I might add — containing dialogue that will certainly elicit laughs from more critical viewers. In particular, the money-obsessed heads of the Energyne corporation, played by an annoying Malin Åkerman and a greasyhaired Jake Lacy, are distractingly exaggerated. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is also notable as governmental agent Harvey Russell, who employs a Texas drawl that’s impossible to take seriously. Then again, most viewers will only go to see “Rampage” for chaotic, explosive destruction. In this respect, the film wholeheartedly delivers. Peyton employs spectacular special effects, especially with the creatures themselves. The film isn’t afraid to push the PG-13 rating, often featuring grisly acts of violence and carnage that will leave viewers’ bloodthirsty appetites satiated. The film’s last 30 minutes provide what the trailers and poster promise — a non-stop barrage of destruction and chaos. Seeing these giant creatures face off was cathartic and gratifying, a stress relief from the academic hell of Truman State University. However, this anarchy eventually becomes mind-numbing, leaving viewers feeling exhausted by the time the end credits roll. There’s nothing majorly wrong with seeing “Rampage” to relieve stress as finals week looms, but there’s little brain behind all the brawn on display.
Passionate community members take climate change action BY AURA MARTIN Staff Writer Hundreds of students lined a lush, green Quad on a particularly sunshiney Earth Day, interested and energized about making a difference to help the planet. Freshman Ben Grabner, president of the Environmental Campus Organization, is part of the many different groups and organizations on campus that have turned their passion for environmentalism into actions. “We’ve only got one Earth,” Grabner said “Why shouldn’t we do the things we can now to protect it instead of leaving trash heaps for our kids?” Grabner, like many new students, sought organizations that fit his interests, like investing in environmentalism, and became president of ECO within his first year. He already had a blast meeting and making friends with people who are as passionate about sustainability and protecting the environment as he is. One such event was the MO Love Conference hosted by Truman State University, where universities statewide sent representatives to share ideas about sustainability and making schools greener. “It was great to see people from all over the state and country doing the same exact work we are but doing it on a much larger scale,” Grabner said. “And it was refreshing to hear their ideas.” The purpose of ECO is to promote sustainability on campus and educate students about environmental issues and ways that they can participate in sustainable practices while at Truman. Grabner said one of the ways ECO promotes sustainability on campus is by hosting events and educating students. During Earth Week, ECO collaborated with the Sustainability office and other groups, including Bulldog Biodiesel, health science capstone students, the Wildlife Association and the Veggie Club. Throughout the academic year, ECO works with the Bike Co-op and sends volunteers to help the Stream Team. One of ECO’s future projects is encouraging Truman to adopt a carbon neutral petition so the school can divest from carbon sources, such as fossil fuels, and invest in sustainable options. Grabner said students can be more green on campus by placing food waste in compost containers located outside all dining halls. There’s an upcoming bike share program which gives students the option of riding to the grocery store or around campus. All dorms also offer recycling for glass, paper, plastic and aluminum. “Just make sure that you dispose of them in the proper containers so it’ll make it easier for employees to collect them,” Grabner said. There is a minor available for students who are interested in learning about the forces that shape both the environment and the things that live there. Assistant professor of biology Ben Wodika is on the committee for the environmental studies minor. In this minor, students take a lot of interdisciplinary classes that make use of their knowledge and skills, Wodika said.
Submitted Photo
Students line up on The Quad Sunday for Earth Day. The Office of Residence Life hosted an event where they handed out free succulents to promote taking care of the Earth. Typically there are a lot of science students who show interest, especially biology majors. Several courses are student-led, and their students get handson experience in environmentalism. Students who pursue this minor also get to apply their knowledge to organizations such as Bulldog Biodiesel, the
tures who live on it, I think it makes sense to address the overarching issue that climate change presents.” For students looking to go beyond campus for environmentalism, there is the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Sharon Bagatell is the chapter leader of Citizens’ Climate Lobby in Northeast Mis-
“We’ve only got one Earth. Why shouldn’t we do the things we can now to protect it instead of leaving trash heaps for our kids?” -Freshman Ben Grabner Compost Project and the Bike Co-op. To be more eco-friendly, Wodika recommends asking questions and doing research so students can understand what they are talking about. He said there is a lot of misinformation out there about climate change, so decisions should be based on data and not raw emotion. “The data is clear,” Wodika said. “And as a person who has children and as a person who has a vested interest in our planet and all the people and crea-
souri and is also the co-state coordinator. The Citizens’ Climate Lobby, as the name suggests, works primarily on lobbying at state and national levels. Specifically, Citizens’ Climate Lobby is lobbying for the Carbon Fee and Dividend proposal which would place a fee on fossil fuel sources, such as wells and mines. The fee would start at $15 per ton of carbon dioxide emissions and increase steadily by $10 each year. All the fees returned would go to American households in the form of a month-
ly check. With the money households receive, they could invest in whatever they choose, such as solar panels for their homes. “It’s a market-based solution to climate change, and it could really make a difference in our carbon emissions,” Bagatell said. Nationally, Bagatell and the organization hold meetings with congressional members and senators. Locally, aside from work she does with her chapter, Bagatell reaches out to the media via letters to the editor, hosts presentations, tables events and talks to people who are willing to learn about the environment. Bagatell says the organization specifically does grassroots outreach to community leaders include business, school and faith. The Citizens’ Climate Lobby is nonpartisan and meetings tend to draw people who are interested in the environment, Bagatell said. To reach out to people, Bagatell said that she treats people with respect and does not argue with science. She tries to discover what is important to people, such as the loss of certain species or concerns about future generations. “We try to understand where people are coming from and what their values are,” Bagatell said. “Then we find what our common ground might be.” Bagatell said the greatest amount of carbon emissions are actually embedded in the everyday products, so everyone should be very conscious about packaging and not throw things away so hastily. People can also look for alternate routes of transportation, such as walking or biking more. “Climate change impacts all realms of life from food to national security,” Bagatelle said. “And there are simple things that people can do to reduce their carbon footprint.
The Index
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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
Questions on The Quad What are some ways we as Truman students could all take care of the environment a little more?
Caleb DeWitt, senior
How often do you recycle?
What is your biggest concern related to climate change?
“I have a recycling bin in my room. I recycle everything I can, from glass to plastic to paper. I recycle everything, every day, all the time.”
“... I read somewhere that the accelerating rate of rising sea levels, if it continues to accelerate at this rate, at the turn of the next century, Miami, Newark and I think San Francisco, all of those will be underwater if the sea levels continue to rise. That’s a lot of money that we would lose. Also very large cities and a lot of people would lose their homes.”
“Daily. Anything I can. I compost, also.”
“Probably feeding people is the biggest one because places that we’re gonna be able to grow crops is going to change dramatically in the next 10, 20, 30 years, and we already have insane amounts of hunger and poverty, and all that’s gonna get much worse.”
“I think there’s a lot of little ways to pitch in. Keeping track of litter is always an easy way to help. Recycling when you can is important and helpful. Doing your part. If you see litter, pick it up. Stuff like that.”
“A decent amount … it’s a hard thing to quantify ... I think I’m decent about remembering to recycle.”
“On a governmental scale, there needs to be restrictions on corporations. Even if everyone individually helps to do their part to prevent climate change, large corporations are very much an outnumber when it comes to pollution and things.”
“The simple thing is just recycling when you can recycle and not just throwing it away. Picking up after yourself, especially when you’re sitting on The Quad eating food.”
“Whenever I have, like, a plastic bottle, and there is a recycling bin that I can recycle it in, then I’m gonna recycle it.”
“... In the dining halls, even just using one less napkin, because people use a lot of napkins in the dining halls. If you reduce your shower by like two minutes, that saves tons and tons and tons of gallons of water. Turning off the light every time you leave a room. Don’t use straws. Straws are Satan. Straws are the worst. They are so bad for the environment. Reduce, reuse, recycle.”
“Honestly, I’d say biking and walking places a lot more. Places in Kirksville are really close together, and I feel like people drive everywhere. I think that would be the biggest way.”
Julia Goldman, senior
Nicholas Huber, senior
“Probably the people that deny that it’s actually occurring. That’s kind of the biggest blocker from anything getting changed and working on it.”
Jack Milburn, senior
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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
The Index
11
COLUMN | Football offers many benefits to families in America BY KENNEDY MARTIN Staff Writer Sitting in class the week before Super Bowl LII, a near-national holiday, I overheard a conversation about the historic American sport that deeply bothered me. A young woman was expressing to her friend that football is barbaric and that she will never allow her children to play such a horrific, dangerous sport. Growing up around football, I witnessed first-hand the good that can come from the sport. I’ve seen the game benefit the bodies and minds of youth. Football builds character. It teaches discipline and leadership. One can learn the patience, resilience and commitment required to achieve goals, not only for personal gain, but for something bigger than oneself. Being on a team of 50 or more people can teach selflessness and pride for what can be accomplished together with a common goal. But lately, it seems these values have been forgotten, and I can’t ignore the negative discussion to eliminate a sport that means so much to me. I’m not just talking peers, but I have heard politicians, doctors and lawmakers alike speak of banishing football in certain high schools, cities and even entire states. I realize the main concern for those against football is safety, especially the effects football can have on the brain. I empathize with these concerns. Brain injuries are extremely serious and need to be approached with the utmost care and concern, but eliminating football is not the answer. Research and continued efforts and changes to make football safer is the answer. According to the Chicago Tribune, the National Football League has made many rule changes to decrease injuries, especially to the head and neck, since 2002. These changes include prohibiting a player from initiating contact against another player with the crown of his helmet. Helmet manufacturers, such as the
popular brand Schutt, continue to research and develop helmets that lessen the impact and damage from tackles with the goal of one day creating a helmet that prevents concussions. Yes, even more change and research needs to be implemented. Football is not a perfectly safe sport yet. But, before you start finding signatures to sign a petition banning the game of football, take a look at the real problems and dangers in life, and think about the families you might be affecting. My dad has been coaching football my entire life. It’s at the center of our family values. We’ve watched it strengthen our family, other families and even the community. As a coach’s daughter, I am easily offended when people say they won’t let their kids play football or that football won’t even exist one day, especially when I see fewer young men try out for my dad’s high school football team each year. I know the risk of injury can be terrifying to some, myself included. I feared the possibility of a torn ACL or concussion daily as a Div. II women’s basketball player. But risk is a part of sport, and there are risks in everything we do, even in something as simple as walking down the street. Life is a game of risks, including walking, driving, football and much more. But with great risks, come great rewards, and the benefits of football are much greater than the unfortunate injuries that occur. The athletes I’ve had the chance to speak with who have sustained injuries in the sport are the most eager to return to the turf. They aren’t afraid because, to them, football is a way of life worth protecting. Of course, serious injuries are a different story, and if an athlete must resign from the game of football because of health concerns, I wholeheartedly support that. Safety should be the No. 1 priority. So, instead of dissing the game, let’s come together to make the game even safer for the people it positively impacts everyday, like myself, my family and my community.
JujiTSU has the Ultimate spirit
Submitted Photos JujiTSU, the men’s Ultimate club team, said Ultimate requires physical prowess to play at a high level. However, the players said observing spirit of the game is important to make sure everyone is playing the game fairly and is nice to opposing players, which brings all Ultimate players closer together. BY JEREMY JACOB Sports Multimedia Editor JujiTSU, Truman State University’s men’s Ultimate team, will be playing for a bid to nationals this weekend at the regional tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Despite the high stakes, the players hope to enjoy themselves. JujiTSU builds basic skills rooted in various other sports such as soccer, basketball and football. Senior Blake Bixler, Ultimate head coach, said cutting through a defense, keeping the disc moving and having the proper throwing technique are all important in the game of Ultimate, but maintaining a fun atmosphere separates it from the sports it embodies. “Ultimate is a culmination of a lot of different sports,” Bixler said. “But under the umbrella of trying something new and not really taking itself as seriously.” While he is contributing to the team in a different role this year, Bixler said he played for JujiTSU the previous four years and enjoyed every moment of it. He said Ultimate is what he wanted to do at Truman after falling in love with it in high school. Bixler acknowledges Ultimate is a physically demanding game, but he said it has a weird dichotomy of being competitive while having a relaxed culture. He said the biggest way Ultimate differs
from other sports is how it is self-officiated according to the spirit of the game. This is how players are expected to call their own fouls and resolve disputes without a referee, which Bixler said establishes a higher need for integrity, and he said it allows himself to approach the game like a dog chasing a disc. “There’s a difference between playing to win at all costs and competing at the highest level because you were trying to match your opponent,” Bixler said. “Even in the most intense games, it’s still silly. You’re still chasing a piece of plastic in the air.” Junior captain Sean Eberle said he has been playing competitive Ultimate since high school. When they compete in tournaments, Eberle said he enjoys the competition and the game is even more challenging when it is windy, making it harder to pass. This is where he said the spirit of the game comes into play. Eberle said the games can still get heated because of the sheer competitiveness, and fouls are bound to happen, but the spirit of the game also prevents malice from spoiling the joy of the game. Disagreement is handled with civility as he said players are encouraged to resolve the problem respectfully. “The idea of spirit of the game is that you’re playing in the most sportsmanlike way possible,” Eberle said. “If something
does happen, you can discuss it and find a resolution.” Even though not everyone follows the spirit of the game, Eberle said its positives outweigh its negatives. In his experience, Eberle said spirited games tend to be more fun. Senior president Nathan Pyles said he first experienced the fun nature of Ultimate in high school. Pyles said everyone in the Ultimate club was separated into teams to compete against one another, and he had so much fun that he decided to continue playing in college. While he does have an athletic background in swimming, Pyles said he hasn’t felt the level of commitment to any other sport as he has with Ultimate. He said it does have aspects that take a while to get used to, like the cutting needed for an open pass, but the emphasis on fun makes him want to continue playing after Truman. “I was never the best at the mainstream sports like football and basketball,” Pyles said. “I ended up being surprisingly good at throwing a piece of plastic around, so I just stuck with it really and enjoyed it ever since.” Together, Pyles said every member of JujiTSU and TSUnami, the women’s team, is responsible for recruiting new players and showcasing the spirited nature of Ultimate. He said much of their
Senior Jared Favero tries to angle a throw past the defender. Handlers and cutters are the two positions in Ultimate — the handler throws the disc down the field while the cutters weave through the defense to get open for a pass.
Junior captain Sean Eberle leaps to catch a pass. Prior to Truman, Eberle played Ultimate in high school. recruiting happens during Truman Week when both Ultimate teams combine to play scrimmages. Pyles said this and their informal games on The Quad demonstrate what Ultimate is so people might want to learn more. “When we say we play frisbee, [they say], ‘Like with the baskets?’” Pyles said. “They’re talking about frisbee golf. [We say], ‘Uh, not exactly.’” Pyles said JujiTSU is like its own community, but he said there is also a bigger community of Ultimate players outside of Truman. He said the virtues of spirit of the game follow a player wherever they go. “Ultimate is a community,” Pyles said. “If you’re an ultimate player, no matter where you go, somebody recognizes you as an Ultimate player. That’s an instant connection.” As for JujiTSU’s chances for nationals, Bixler said everyone has played to their potential this year and needs to continue doing that to beat the fierce competition. Bixler said Truman must defeat one of the teams that have qualified for nationals — Air Force Academy, Colorado College and John Brown University. He said he considers this season a success already because the team funded themselves entirely after losing all funding this semester. Whatever happens, Bixler said members of JujiTSU will always be a team united through the spirit of Ultimate. He said they look forward to playing highly competitive games against people they consider as friends. “The games are going to be difficult,” Bixler said. “There’s a chance that we don’t go to nationals, but we’re going to have a blast doing it.”
The Index
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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
DOGSPYS | Awards put close on 2017-2018 athletic year
2018 ANNUAL DOGSPY AWARDS Recognizing athletic & academic greatness in Truman student athletes
Peter Young, Baseball Zach Fischer, Men’s Basketball Katie Jaseckas, Women’s Basketball Brice Pavey, Men’s Cross Country Michaela Hylen, Women’s Cross Country Sam Reeves, Football Nicolle Barmettler, Women’s Golf Tyler Nord, Men’s Soccer Laura Ney, Women’s Soccer Christa Reisinger, Softball Will Shanel, Men’s Swimming Natalie Galluzzo, Women’s Swimming Paul Province, Men’s Tennis Lindsey Schlichting, Women’s Tennis Sam Stewart, Men’s Track & Field Hannah Sells, Women’s Track & Field Jasmine Brown, Volleyball Sam Reeves, Wrestling Katie Jaseckas, Newcomer of the Year Sam Reeves, Most Inspirational Jen Speak, Bill Cable Spirit of Truman Award Clint Fitzpatrick, Coach of the Year GLVC Cross Country Championships in Kirksville, Event of the Year Men’s Basketball, Team of the Year
Continued from page 14 “Each team nominated a faculty or staff member who has made a difference to their team to be honored at the Dogspys,” Ressel said. SAAC President senior Matt Tometz said the event represents unity among the 450 members of the athletic community. Tometz said the Dogspys are designed to celebrate student athletes and enhance Truman pride across all of campus. Tometz said at the end of the day, everyone here is a Bulldog, and he would love to see the event become something the entire student body enjoys. After just two years, Tometz said he sees the potential for the awards ceremony to become a staple of the athletic year. “The Dogspys [committee] literally works year-round on this event,” Tometz said. “Their only goal is to make the Dogspys bigger and better than the previous one. With the event starting in the spring of 2017, it appears that the ceiling for this event is
limitless … it has gone from a speculated idea in a SAAC meeting to the first annual, and being able to see the entire process over the past two years is truly amazing. I could not begin to praise enough of all the hard work that is done behind the scenes.”
Photo by Kara Mackenzie/TMN
SAAC President Senior Matt Tometz welcomes guests. SAAC was planned the event.
SIMEK | Leader selected for BUDGET | Truman Athletics Truman swimming faces cost-cutting decisions Continued from page 14 “There are a few small changes I would like to make that I feel can benefit our performance, but a lot of what we are doing as a program is helping us move in the direction that we are looking for, so not too many changes are needed,” Simek said. Junior JT Thayer is happy Simek will continue to be their coach. Thayer said he and the other juniors think he is the right choice because Simek’s first year as assistant coach coincided with their first year. Now Simek will be with them for their final seasons. “We all know the program is in good hands with [Simek] since he has been invested in it for so long as both a swimmer and a coach,” Thayer said. Thayer stressed how committed Simek is to the program and to the athletes experience at Truman. He said it is encouraging to see Simek stay in lieu of the high turnover in the coaching staff within the last few years. Thayer said Simek is a hands-on coach who emphasizes a personal
commitment to the sport. Thayer said Simek values the mental side of athletics and regularly meets with swimmers to discuss their goals and training. “He’s shown us what it means to be dedicated to Truman swimming even after we graduate,” Thayer said. “We’re all looking forward to making next year go just as well as this one, if not better.” Junior Emma Barnett said not much changed last season with Simek taking over as interim head coach, but she’s excited to officially have the tag of interim removed from his title. Barnett said it was a smooth transition last season because they kept the same general structure. She said Simek has a relaxed and flexible demeanor that establishes a level of comfort within the team. “He did a great job with everything this past season, and I think he really deserves the position,” Barnett said. “It’s nice because if you feel like you need something different all you have to do is communicate and he’s really receptive.”
Continued from page 14 The government is still debating cuts to higher education, meaning the permanent budget plan for 2018-2019 is still not set in stone. This is not the first time the state has seen detrimental budget cuts to higher education negatively affect Truman Athletics. Mike Cannon, women’s soccer head coach, said back in the mid-1990s, Truman Athletics announced it would have to cut wrestling and men’s swimming. He said alumni chapters of those sports offered monetary support, saving money in other areas of the budget to keep them around. In 2011, a budget crisis resulted in cutting men’s golf from Truman Athletics and all athletic scholarships for men’s swimming, wrestling, men’s tennis and baseball. Cannon said he’s hoping the budget cuts currently facing the department aren’t as detrimental as some from previous years. He said he hasn’t heard anything yet about cuts.
Cannon said he hopes the department can cut spending in several small ways among all sports to make up for the large sum needed to be considered. Matt Tometz, senior baseball pitcher and president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, said it is unfortunate the budget cuts will affect some people more than others, but it is a harsh reality. He said if he were part of the administration, he would talk with each head coach and ask for one or two things each of them could do to save money. “If it’s a burden that all of us could share, it’ll make the load a little lighter,” Tometz said. Tometz said many plausible suggestions were brought up at SAAC meetings, like putting four athletes in a hotel room as opposed to three when they travel. He said he is still uncertain how the cuts will specifically affect the athletic department, so the administration, coaches and athletes should continue to come up with potential ideas that can help the department.
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SA SA
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
The Index
13
Softball honors seniors
27 Friday
BY PAUL PROVINCE Staff Writer
Golf
The Truman State University softball team is approaching the final games of its regular season. Last weekend, the Bulldogs hosted Lewis University and University of Wisconsin-Parkside for doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Bulldogs split their doubleheader with Lewis University. In the first game, the ’Dogs delivered a barrage of hits, racking up 12 hits and nine runs in just six innings. Junior pitcher Lauren Dale started in the circle and allowed five hits throughout the Bulldogs’ 9-0 shutout — their fourth of the year. In the second game, it was Lewis who came out swinging. The Flyers scored three runs during the top of the first inning, and the ’Dogs never caught up. While the Bulldogs scored a couple times, the Flyers won 6-2. “Our pitching and defense really contributed in both games,” sophomore infielder Adrienne Compton said. “Regardless of if we were up or down in the game, those both held constant.” Afterward, the Bulldogs took a moment to recognize five seniors for their contributions to the program — infielders Jamie Fowle and Ashley Murphy, outfielder Riley Cook, utili-
Senior infielder Jamie Fowle barehands a ball to throw. Fowle was honored with the four other seniors.
April TBA in Eureka, Mo. at GLVC Championships
28 Saturday Golf TBA in Eureka, Mo. at GLVC Championships
Baseball Noon in Kansas City, Mo. vs. Rockhurst University — Doubleheader
Softball Noon in Quincy, Ill. vs. Quincy University — Doubleheader
29 Sunday Photos by Kara Mackenzie/TMN Senior outfielder Riley Cook swings in her final games at Bulldog Softball Park. In the final game, Cook had three hits for the 11th time in her career. ty player Kadie Orenstein and senior pitcher Nicolette Simpson. This season, the four field players account for a third of the team’s RBIs, while Simpson served as one of the team’s three pitchers. Sunday’s games against Wisconsin-Parkside were decided by one run. In game one, the score was 0-0 through the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, the opposing Rangers took a 1-0 lead with a home run. In the bottom of the seventh, the Dogs rallied back. Truman loaded the bases with a single, a walk and a Rangers error. Shortly after, Murphy ended the game with a walk-off single to secure the victory. The second game of the day was just as close. For five and a half innings, the score was even at 2-2. In the bottom of the sixth, Truman loaded the bases for the second time that day. This time, it was Fowle who singled the go-ahead run. The Dogs would maintain their lead for the
3-2 victory, with sophomore pitcher Alyssa Hajduk winning her teamhigh 11th game. “We were really good about having timely hits when runners were on,” junior catcher Sydney Scherzinger said. “We capitalized on the opportunity when we had runners in scoring position, and that was essential.” The Bulldogs have one series left this season. On Saturday, the ’Dogs will head to Quincy, Illinois, to face the Quincy University Hawks. Truman currently sits at seventh in the conference with William Jewell College and Missouri University of Science and Technology close behind. The top 8 teams advance to the GLVC Tournament May 3-5. “We need to win this weekend to contend for a spot in the GLVC tournament,” head coach Erin Brown said. “We’ve competed well throughout this season, but we still want that shot at postseason. It’s dependent on how we play this weekend, and we need to play to our potential.”
Golf TBA in Eureka, Mo. at GLVC Championships
Baseball Noon in Kansas City, Mo. vs. Rockhurst University — Doubleheader
May 3 Thursday Softball TBA in East Peoria, Ill. at GLVC Tournament
Track and Field TBA in Romeoville, Ill. at GLVC Outdoor Championships
Baseball turns extra offense into first GLVC split BY JASE WILLHITE Staff Writer The Truman State University baseball team has scored more than three runs in its last six games after failing to score more than three runs in 10 of its first 16 games. Regardless, the extra offense resulted in a series split with the University of Missouri-St. Louis Tritons this weekend. The Bulldogs led for much of the first doubleheader, as the team routed the Tritons 21-8 in the first game, then followed it up with a 9-7 win. The Bulldogs hit five home runs during the first two games with a team batting average of .441. Junior first baseman Charlie Kreh and senior infielder Brendan Trimble each had two home runs throughout the doubleheader. Kreh led the team with 12 RBIs and Trimble added eight RBIs. Senior pitcher Kent Frantz started on the mound in game one, with sophomore pitcher Rian Markes starting the second, each receiving a win. The team could not hold the momentum in the second doubleheader, falling to the Tritons in both games Sunday, with the first ending 11-9 and the second ending 7-5. Kreh continued to hit well, adding another home run under his belt and five more RBIs. Sophomore infielder Evan Kayser hit two home runs to go along with his seven RBIs on the day. Senior pitcher Matt Tometz started on the mound in game one with sophomore pitcher Bryan Clark starting in game two, each receiving a loss.
After this weekend’s series, the Bulldogs are 11-29 in the season, going 5-15 in conference play. Clark said the season has not panned out the way the team would have liked, but the team is still finding positives to build on and is striving to get better. He said all the pieces are there — the players just need to bring them together and fire on all cylinders. “We will hit exceptionally well, but our pitching and defense isn’t clicking,” Clark said. “Then the next game, the pitching staff will throw a gem, but we’re getting beat at the plate.” Freshman pitcher Matthew Wade said the veterans on the team have been constantly rallying the team to get on the same page. “I think all of the upperclassmen are always trying to rally the team together to get us on the same page,” Wade said. “We all have a common goal, and they do a good job of not letting anyone forget it.” Wade said teammates like Clark, Frantz and seniors pitcher Peter Young and outfielder Josh Abegg are constantly reminding the team to be in sync to get better. Like Clark, Wade said the team performs in spurts, and it’s a big deal to get every aspect of the game working at once. With only two series left in the season, the Bulldogs are fighting to improve their record and get some much-needed experience in hopes of a playoff berth. The Bulldogs will finish their road games for the season against Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri.
Senior pitcher Kent Frantz throws a pitch during his game one start last weekend against University of Missouri-St. Louis. Frantz was the only starting pitcher to last seven innings the entire weekend as the offenses combined to score 77 runs, making it the highest-scoring series for the Bulldogs this year.
14
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
Budget cuts affect Truman Athletics
Photos by Kara Mackenzie/TMN Truman State University athletes, coaches and athletic department faculty gather in Baldwin Auditorium on Tuesday night for the second annual Dogspy Awards. In light of budget cuts, the athletic department has been asked to cut $193,000 from its operating budget next year. BY ASHLEY MURPHY Staff Writer In the wake of recent higher-education budget cuts, Truman State University is looking to decrease spending in all departments across campus, including Truman Athletics. In January, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens proposed a state budget that included a significant decrease in funding for higher education. His plan included budget cuts totaling more than $146 million, with $82 million cut from higher-education institutions. As a result, universities and
colleges across the state are brainstorming ways to further decrease budgeting. Truman Athletics Director Jerry Wollmering said the athletic department has been asked to cut about $193,000. Wollmering said coaches are given an operating budget for the year, but they’ve already taken hits the past several years. He said it will be difficult to determine where they can afford to cut more. “Most of our operating budgets aren’t enough to get through the year,” Wollmering said. Wollmering said University teams host camps and engage in fundraising
Simek cuts interim title, named head coach BY BROOKE BAILEY Staff Writer Jerod Simek has come full circle at Truman State University. From student athlete on the Bulldog swim team to assistant coach to interim head coach, Simek has made a name for himself here at Truman. Last week, to cap off his Bulldog resume, Simek was officially named head coach for the 2018-19 season. Simek spent two years as an assistant to former head coach Ed Pretre before serving as the interim this season when Truman was unable to find a replacement for Pretre on short notice. With the interim status removed, Simek officially takes the reigns of Truman swimming and continues to leave his mark on the program. Simek said he is grateful for the seven years he has been part of the Truman program as an athlete and coach. “This program has been home to me for some time in differing ways,” Simek said. “I wanted to give back to the program that gave me so much as an athlete, alumni and staff member.” As an athlete, at Truman, Simek was a team captain and
nine-time honorable mention All-American. Simek said he hopes to make the Truman community as proud as he did when he was an athlete. Now that he is head coach, Simek said the program won’t need to be changed much. See SIMEK, page 12
Submitted Photo After completing one year as interim head coach, Jerod Simek was named head coach of Truman State University swimming.
efforts to get through their seasons. Additionally, he said many sports do not have scholarships in their budgets and instead rely on foundation scholarships as their only means of offering athletic funding for students. “The issue is that the main source of revenue for publicly funded universities are state money and student tuition,” Wollmering said. “The amount of money we receive from the state is the same it was about 20 years ago.” Taking inflation and raising costs into account, Wollmering said this poses a problem for an institution of Truman’s
caliber. He said the biggest challenge facing Truman Athletics is how the University sponsors more men’s sports than any other public school in the state. Additionally, Truman matches the 10 University-sponsored men’s sports with 10 women’s sports, meaning Truman offers more sports teams than almost all public schools in Missouri. Wollmering said sharing a small budget between that many sports is what makes the situation so difficult. He said he has no specific answers yet about what will be cut from the budget. See BUDGET, page 12
Dogspys honor 2018 sports BY RACHEL STEINHOFF Sports Text Editor
The Truman State University StudentAthlete Advisory Committee hosted the second annual Dogspy Awards Tuesday, April 17. As a Truman-specific version of the ESPYs, the Dogspys feature 18 StudentAthlete of the Year Awards — one from each sport — and eight specialty awards. The Dogspys were planned by a subcommittee of SAAC headed by senior golfers Stephanie Hullett and Amanda Ressel. Ressel said the budget for the Dogspys comes from a combination of funds from Student Government and sponsors. While Student Government helps cover the costs of poster advertising and refreshments, the committee worked to get sponsors to fund the cost of the award plaques. Following the inaugural ceremony last spring, the Dogspys moved from its former home in Pershing Arena to Baldwin Auditorium this year. “Holding the event in Pershing last year was cool since it’s the home of many of our athletic events, but Baldwin is better suited for an event like this,” Ressel said. Ressel said the goal of the evening is to give student athletes and the athletic department a night to get together and celebrate their achievements throughout the past year. A Truman Athletics highlight reel began the ceremony, followed by the awards presentation. Ressel said coaches nominated candidates for each category and then voted on these candidates. Voting was made available to the public online, and coaches and athletic staff were given a formal ballot to fill out. Ressel said
President Sue Thomas recognizes athletic and academic success at this year’s Dogspys Tuesday night. the committee was then in charge of calculating the winners. Ressel said some changes were made to the actual show this year to give credit to the faculty members who make athletics possible at Truman. She said faculty such as athletic trainers will be recognized for the first time to show how important they are to the athletes’ success. See DOGSPYS, page 12
ATHLETE o f
t h e
w e e k
Junior outfielder Christa Reisinger drove in three RBIs and stole
three bases in the softball team’s 9-0 win Saturday against Lewis University. Reisinger has never had that many RBIs and stolen bases
in the same game before this performance. She recorded at least one
hit in her next three games to extend her on-base streak to a career-
high 25 games.
CHRISTA REISINGER VOLUME 109
ISSUE 27
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