The Index Vol. 110 Issue 21

Last issue of the semester!

We’ll be back Aug 14

Truman State University tmn.truman.edu THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

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CAMPUS CARRY BILL PASSES HOUSE RACHEL BECKER News and Photo Editor

Missouri House Bill 575 passed the House of Representatives and is going to the Senate.

The bill initially was based on campus protection officers of higher education institutions, which would allow for faculty and staff to undergo campus protection officer training and being able to conceal and carry. An amendment was added to the bill that would allow students to conceal and carry on campus as well.

Rep. Danny Busick, who represents Adair, Putnam, Mercer and Sullivan counties, voted in favor of the bill.

The Council on Public Higher Education in Missouri opposes legislation that would remove or reduce the local governing board’s authority to set campus policies on firearms.

“Truman supports the COPHE position on campus carry,” Truman State University President Sue Thomas said in a written statement.

Thomas added in a written statement that this opposition is based upon a few main points. Missouri’s university campuses are gun-free zones, Thomas wrote.

Every campus has armed, fully certified law enforcement professionals on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Thomas said the concealed carry age

Enrollment impacts budget RYAN PIVONEY Editor-in-Chief

As Missouri lawmakers try to determine a state-wide budget, Truman State University officials are planning a budget based on flat core funding and fewer enrolled students.

There are currently three proposals for higher education appropriation floating around state government: one from Gov. Mike Parson, another from the House and one from the Senate. Truman administration is planning a budget which takes into account all three proposals, as well as around 300 fewer students.

Parson proposed flat core funding for higher education, $20 million in additional funding for maintenance and repairs for four-year institutions — meaning $1 million for Truman — as well as $22 million for the MOExcel programs — which Truman has two of. The House has proposed a similar plan with flat core funding, but $11 million for maintenance and repairs and $19 million for the MOExcel programs. The Senate has proposed adding a recurring $28 million to core funding for four-year institutions instead of allocating money for maintenance and repairs, as well as $10 million for the MOExcel program.

begins at 21 in most other states that allow campus carry. In Missouri it is 19, and this makes a great deal of difference on a college campus.

Thomas wrote that COPHE is also concerned about the prospect of additional firearms on campus contributing to suicide and mental health issues. Thomas wrote that COPHE states suicide is the leading cause of death among college students, and access to a weapon has been linked to the likelihood of success in a suicide attempt.

Thomas said COPHE believes 18-25 year-olds have a higher rate of mental illness than any other age group. One in five young adults aged 18-25 suffers from a mental illness.

Thomas also said there are areas on campus that are clearly inappropriate for firearms like research laboratories, medical and mental health facilities, board meetings, student discipline proceedings and residence halls, especially without appropriate firearm storage available.

Sara Holzmeier, Department of Public Safety director, said this is the closest that any campus carry bill has come to becoming a law.

Holzmeier said when this bill came up before, there was some concern from faculty and staff about the likelihood of a gun getting involved when

JESSICA VENVERTLOH Staff Writer

The Truman State University Speech and Debate Team placed third overall at nationals in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Nationals were hosted by the Santa Ana California School District and took place from April 18-22. Lincoln-Douglas debate is a one-on-one policy style of debate in which two people debate over one resolution of policy. One person is in support of the resolution while the other takes an opposite stance.

Forensics Director Christopher Outzen said 12 students competed in nationals, but three other students also qualified.

Eight of them competed in debate, and three Truman students made it to the finals in Lincoln-Douglas debate. Tyler Behymer, Johnathan Christy and Peyton Gilbert rank among the top 16 debaters in the nation. Four Truman students also competed in 14 individual speech events.

“This is one of the biggest nationals in the program’s history, but also, it was for sure the largest Lincoln-Douglas field that our national organization has ever seen,” Outzen said. “So, for our students to do that well against that many

Administration & Finance

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$18,000

Student Affairs

$13,500

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$9,000

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Total VOLUME 110 ISSUE 21 © 2019

$1,378,000

them feel more comfortable to be able to do their job when and if this is passed,” Holzmeier said. “I do not know what that is till we get there.”

other debaters is really a testament to the strength of our program and the strength of our current debaters.”

Assistant Forensics Director Craig Hennigan said nationals was tremendously successful. He said the third place ranking is higher than the program has seen in recent years.

large budget and coaching staff. Both of them have multiple coaches and much more access to resources that we don’t.”

In addition, he said the regular debate season went really well, with Truman debaters winning multiple tournaments.

Christy was involved in debate all four years of his college career and competed at nationals every year. This year, Christy said he competed in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Christy said he hopes the Truman debate team keeps its overall culture of success moving forward. He also said he hopes the team maintains its team-oriented mindset because although they compete individually, there are still awards they earn as a team and as a school.

Behymer was also involved in debate for his four years at Truman and competed at nationals every year.

This year at nationals is his second time being an octofinalist, he said, and he also finished as a national quarterfinalist once.

He said the road to nationals is full of hard work in the form of research and practice but that competing at nationals is a fun experience.

See Campus Carry page 3

“The top two teams are both much better funded Div. I schools, and we’re just a small liberal arts college,” Hennigan said.

“So, it means something that we’re competing with Missouri State [University], who has a much larger budget, and Western Kentucky [University], who has a very

Former EIC bids farewell

Reallocation by area for 2019-20 Budget $853,000

disciplining or giving a bad grade.

Some faculty were very apprehensive about past bills similar to HB 575, Holzmeier said.

“We as an institution are going to have to do something that makes

Speech and debate team nationally ranked

See BUDGET page 3

Academic Affairs

House Bill 575, a bill on conceal and carry on college campuses, has passed through the Missouri House of Representatives. Rep. Danny Busick voted for the bill. Photo from TMN Archives

BRENTLY SNEAD Former Editor-in-Chief It’s difficult for me to close four years of my life in a single article. While I have done a lot during my time at Truman, nothing will ever compare to the time I spent in the newsroom.

I started at The Index my freshman

year when I met former EIC Bethany Boyle at a bonfire. Classes hadn’t started yet, but she told me I should drop by the newsroom. Less than two weeks later, my name was printed in the paper for the first time, and the rest is history.

I’ve served as a writer, photographer, features editor, interim opinions editor, managing editor, interim sports editor, interim digital director and Editor-inChief. Over the years, there have been occasions when I spent more time in Barnett Hall than my own house. I have literally spent nights in the newsroom trying to perfect something I’ve poured my heart into. While I’m insanely proud of all of this, it’s the people I have worked with that truly made a difference and made the time here worth it.

To my dearest husband — thank you

for handling my crazy these past four years. You have seen me at my worst and you have remained steadfast. Additionally, thanks for serving as my distribution manager (you too, Tyler!) and being willing to wake up early despite being a hater of early mornings!

To The Index’s faithful adviser, Don — I apologize now for all the hours I spent in your office and all the texts I sent whining about absolutely nothing.

Thank you for always being willing to give advice and never overstepping in your role.

To former EIC, Seth Wolfmeyer — I will never pretend like I wasn’t a little bitter when you said you were leaving early.

See EIC page 6

The Index

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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

Goodbye Fountain, Hello Summer

Top Left: From left to right: Allen Reed, Clayton Watts, Sophia Indelicato and Becket Clark preform at the Goodbye Fountain, Hello Summer Event. Pepe Silvia played at the event put on by the Center for Student Involvement.

Top Right: Joseph Cheng playing the piano at the CSI event. The event was in honor of the reconstruction of the plaza fountain and the renaming of the plaza to the Sandra K. Giachino Reavey Sesquicentennial Plaza.

Bottom Left: Clark singing a cover of “Mama Mia� by ABBA. The band performed songs from Scott Pilgrim, Pokemon and originals. The event had yard games, food and live music in celebration of the remodel on the plaza set to start this summer.

Bottom Right: An audience watching Pepe Silvia perform at the mall. About 20 people were in attendance. The remodeling of the plaza is predicted to be completed by the end of summer. Photos by Rachel Becker

Crime Reports staff

DPS & KPD

Serving the University community since 1909 Editor-in-Chief: Ryan Pivoney Managing Editor: Elisabeth Shirk News Editor: Rachel Becker Sports Editor: Sam Roettgen Copy Chief: Cara Quinn Design Chief: Emmett Divendal Photo Editor: Rachel Becker Distribution Manager: Tyler Hanson Designers: Georgia Gregory, Jake Bertish Photographers: Kara Mackenzie, Mary Van Winkle, Caleb Bolin, Rachel Stubbs Copy Editors: Elise Hughes, Jenna Faulkner, Jessica Robinson, Emma Gottfried, Katie Puryear, Julie Mickael Staff Writers: Travis Maiden, Gordon McPherson, Aura Martin, Jessica Venvertloh, Allison Maschhoff, Curt Wichmer, Tad Bast, Chase Potter Adviser: Don Krause

4/22 Offense against fam- 4/26 Animal complaint ily reported at the 10 reported at the 700 block block of Meadow Ln. of East Randolph St. 4/22 Fire reported at the 1500 block of Knights Ct.

4/26 Domestic disturbance reported at 1000 block of Oxford Dr.

4/22 Animal bite attack reported at the 1600 block 4/26 Trespassing reported of South Baltimore St. at the 1400 block of North Walnut St. 4/22 Domestic disturbance reported at the 400 4/26 Theft reported at the block of West Harrison St. 10 block of Leisure Dr. 4/22 Sex offense reported at the 1200 block of South Baltimore St.

4/27 Fraud reported at the 2000 block of North Baltimore St.

4/22 Harassment report- 4/27 Animal complaint ed at the 2100 block of reported at the 1400 block East Normal Ave. of Boundary St. 4/23 Domestic distur- 4/27 Animal injury rebance reported at the 700 ported at Dogwood Dr. block of North Franklin St. 4/28 Theft reported at the 200 block of North 4/23 Domestic distur- New St. bance reported at the 300 block of West Pierce St. 4/28 Harassment reported at the 200 block of 4/23 Domestic distur- West Elizabeth St. bance reported at the 1300 block of Blueberry Way

The Index

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

news in brief

calendar

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ALUMNA COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER SELECTED

SAB: THE FINAL BLOWOUT 3 TO 7 P.M. THE QUAD The Student Activities Board is hosting their annual Final Blowout and this year the theme is tropical. The event will have food, games, music, the opportunity for prizes and more.

MAY

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FARMERS’ MARKET 7 A.M. TO NOON KIRKSVILLE DOWNTOWN SQUARE The Kirksville Kiwanis Club Farmers’ Market will be open to the public every Saturday morning starting May 4 through Oct. 26.

Stephanie Parkhurst, a 2017 Truman graduate, was selected to be the commencement speaker for the Spring commencement. Parkhurst graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and a minor in mathematics. She is now a software developer at AGCO Corporation. The graduation ceremony will be 2 p.m.

May 11 in Stokes Stadium.

DAILY FOOD PACKS AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS

The Pantry for Adair County is providing free food packs to all students. Their mission is to provide supplemental food to residents of the county. The food packs can be picked up at the SERVE Center in the Student Union Building Monday - Friday in room 1105 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a Truman ID.

MAY

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GRADUATING STUDENTS BBQ 11:30 A.M. TO 1:30 P.M. THE MALL The Truman Alumni Association is sponsoring a BBQ for all spring and fall 2019 undergraduate and master’s graduates. There will be complementary hamburgers, hot dogs, drinks and desserts. Graduates will also be able to pick up their first official Truman State Universtiy alumni t-shirt. The rain site is in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms.

MAY

COMMENCEMENT 2 P.M. STOKES STADIUM Graduating students and their families and friends are welcome to attend the 2019 Spring Commencement. The commencement speaker will be Stephanie Parkhurst, a 2017 Truman graduate. The event will also be livestreamed.

11 MAY

APRIL 25

Classics professor Amy Norgard presented the program’s five-year review to Faculty Senate. The review analyzed the Classics Department from 2010-15, during which time the largest number of graduates from the program was six and the lowest was one. Norgard said the program is looking to increase these numbers in multiple ways, including requiring fewer language courses and creating a greater emphasis on civilization and culture courses.

Faculty Senate passed a bill to determine the course double-counting policy for the new curriculum. The policy states that a course satisfying one disciplinary perspective requirement cannot also count for another disciplinary perspective requirement, however, any requirement of The Dialogues, with the exception of JINS, can doublecount for majors, minors or other requirements. The bill was supported by Student Government.

Faculty Senate President Scott Alberts voted against a motion to postpone discussion on the harmonized outcome statements after the governing body vote resulted in a tie. At the next meeting, Faculty Senate will consider whether to pass finalized wording on the outcome statements for each of the disciplinary perspectives.

Budget| Administration planning budget with fewer students

Continued from page 1 “We’re very conservative in how we budget here,” University President Sue Thomas said. “We never want to be in the position that we assume we have more than what actually comes in and then we have to go back.”

If the conservative budget is used, Thomas said, there will likely be a tuition increase and no faculty compensation increases next year.

Thomas said there is a potential to increase tuition by up to 5% because of how much state funding decreased in the last two years. This would have to be approved by the Board of Governors at its next meeting.

The 300 student figure comes from an expected decrease in 100 freshman students and 200 other students, which Thomas said comes from the larger grad-

uating class and small current freshman class.

Thomas said as of right now, there is still a lot unknown about how much Truman will receive from the state, but the one thing that seems constant is funding for the MOExcel program.

“If enrollment looks better…that opens up some money,” Thomas said.

“If, and I’ll probably fall backwards out of my chair, if we actually get a million dollars added to our base in a recurring way from the state, that’s a whole new ballgame to be able to talk about things.

At this moment in time, it is just all totally unknown.”

Dave Rector, vice president for administration, finance and planning, said flat core funding is what he is working with because it is the most likely.

Among the measures taken to save

money are closing Dobson Hall, which will save about $250,000, and not filling some open faculty and staff positions.

Rector said not filling those positions is a reaction to the lower enrollment, because they are no longer needed.

“A lot of it is vacant positions being eliminated,” Rector said. “It’s not just retirements — it’s more restructuring and deciding do we need to fill all these vacancies.”

Rector said restructuring is not new to Truman or any higher education institution in the past few years. He said the University is fortunate it hasn’t had to completely eliminate as many programs as other Missouri colleges.

Additionally, the University’s rate on its retirement system increased, as did health insurance rates.

These increases will cost about $1.3

million and cannot be covered by a tuition increase, so Rector said he has worked with the other vice presidents to reallocate their department funds to cover that cost.

The student service budget is made up mostly of the auxiliary budget, which is funded through student fees and tuition.

Rector said the cuts to that budget are mostly covered by closing Dobson for the year.

Rector said he thinks the current level of funding from the state is where it will likely stay for a while.

“I think things will turn around here,” Rector said. “I think all the state universities of Missouri are coming to the realization that our budget cycle with the state, where you’d have a bad year or two and then it would come back up and grow for several years … that’s gone.”

Campus Carry| Missouri House Bill 575 Moves to Senate after passing through house

Continued from page 1 Holzmeier said a lot of states, such as Kansas, have allowed conceal and carry in higher education institutions, but their minimum age for conceal and carry permits is 21.

Holzmeier said she has some reservations about students on campus being away from home for the first time, experimenting with drugs and alcohol, thinking impulsively and having a gun.

The mental health worries on campus and throughout the United States also concern her and a gun might be more accessible to those looking to harm themselves or others.

Holzmeier said there are people she is not con-

cerned about having a concealed weapon — the ones who have been educated, have been raised with guns and have taken the eight-hour conceal and carry class.

Holzmeier said those people are the most careful.

“If kids were to come in at 19 years of age or older and they were to live on campus, we would have to address how we would store and secure things on campus,” Holzmeier said.

Holzmeier said the bill won’t affect the police department, but rather she said the biggest issue will be public perception and the fear of the unknown.

People need to understand who can carry, where they can carry and how to identify themselves as an armed citizen, Holzmeier said.

Holzmeier said she sees the good and the bad of the issue and the specifics of how this bill affects campus are just something the Truman community is going to have to deal with when and if it passes.

“As a police officer, I will always be for the right to bear arms and the right for people to defend themselves with a firearm,” Holzmeier said. “However, in a college environment with the conceal and carry weapon permit [minimum age being 19], it poses a conflict with me because I am not sure at 19 some people have the maturity and the forethought to … really understand what kind of a huge responsibility it is to carry that and to know that you could take somebody else’s life.”

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PRESENTS

Havana Cuba All-Stars 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 21, 2019 Baldwin Auditorium

General admission tickets are $10 (includes tax) and can be purchased at the Truman cashier window in McClain Hall, at Edna Campbells in downtown Kirksville or online at lyceum.truman.edu.

Questions regarding the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series can be directed to the Truman State University Public Relations Office at pr@truman.edu or (660) 785-4016.

The Index

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

4

Earth Week on campus Top: Dr. David A. Padgett, associate professor of geography and director of the geographic information sciences laboratory at Tennessee State University, speaking at the Global Issues Colloquium. The event was cosponsored by the Presidential Sustainability Action Committee and the environmental studies minor. Photos by Rachel Becker Bottom: P.L.A.N.T.S. gave away free herbs at the plaza. The plants were also covered in compost from the P.L.A.N.T.S. compost project.

Top left: Bill Kunz and Luke Mudd planting trees in front of Blanton-Nason-Brewer Hall . The tree planting ceremony was April 26 in celebration of Arbor Day and Earth Week events.

Photo by Daniel Degenhardt

Enrollment likely down for fall 2019 RYAN PIVONEY Editor-in-Chief

Based on new student application and admission numbers, Truman State University is projected to have another decrease in enrollment.

As of Tuesday, there were 3,627 applicants, 2,678 of which have been admitted.

Dawn Howd, associate director of admissions, said the goal is to enroll a freshman class of 1,100 students.

The University is down about 200 applicants and about 150 admitted students from average numbers this time last year. While it is still early, Regina Morin, vice president for enrollment management, said the strongest indicator of enrollment is the number of students who RSVP for orientation sessions, which as of right now is similar to levels last year.

Morin said Truman typically has about a 39% yield, which is the amount of students who have been admitted and then go on to enroll at Truman.

Last year, however, yield was at 36%, and student retention also fell 3%, meaning there was an unusual drop in enrollment.

This smaller class will have an impact on overall enrollment for the next 3-4 years.

Morin said the behavior of the new student class is different from what she has previously seen because they are more indecisive — meaning they are committing to schools later than usual. She said there also seems to be an unusual number of students taking a gap year.

“We are in the grips of the demographic shift,” Morin said.

“That’s really the biggest problem. There aren’t as many students. There are simply not as many students across the Midwest, and at Truman … that population is shrinking faster than the general numbers.”

Truman’s pool consists primarily of traditional students who are well prepared and looking for a residential experience, Morin said.

Morin said the University is looking at fewer applications, which means the number of accepted students is also down. Additionally, Morin said there is an inordinate number of students in an awaiting submission category who haven’t finished their application, as well as a larger than normal pool of students who have finished an application but have not submitted all their application materials.

Howd said she doesn’t want to compromise the Truman experience by trying to get more students enrolled.

Truman’s average ACT score is in the top 10%, so there is tougher competition to recruit those students, Howd said.

“It’s hard when there just aren’t as many students to find out there to come here,” Howd said. “We don’t want to change who we are — that’s not appropriate. What we really have to do is have a great product to go out there and talk about.”

Despite the current numbers, Morin said she is optimistic enrollment can remain at its current level if 150 more

students apply before August, yield levels rise back to normal, and they try to get students who have already started applications to finish them.

She said they are reaching out to students who have listed Truman on their FAFSA forms but haven’t submitted applications and targeting specific kinds of students who might have overlooked Truman.

With the help of SEM Works, the enrollment consulting firm, and SME, the marketing consulting firm, Morin said she thinks Truman will be able to compete with other colleges in Missouri and the Midwest more successfully. The companies are working to guide Truman in how to appeal to the new generation of students without compromising the University’s mission.

“As I shared when I announced we had retained the services of SEM Works (an enrollment management consultant) and SME (a marketing/ branding/identity firm), that work is expected to impact fall 2020 enrollment and not impact fall 2019 enrollment in any significant way,” University President Sue Thomas wrote in an email statement to The Index. “That is why I emphasized in my All University Address the importance of every member of our community working to get one more student to come to Truman and/or one more student to stay at Truman.”

Morin said she thinks it’s a good time to get different perspectives by hiring a new admissions director and her replacement for when she retires at the end of the school year.

She said while she and Melody Chambers, the former admissions director, had the historical knowledge from being part of the Truman community for a long time, new people won’t be burdened with doing things as they have always been done.

“What worked in the past is not going to work now,” Morin said.

Some of the steps Truman has taken to recruit more students include visiting about 150 more high schools throughout the region, more substantive training for admission counselors, a social media and electronic recruitment effort, and more.

Howd said the admissions office is trying a relationshipbuilding approach because they are finding students looking at colleges are looking for a safe choice that they will stay

at throughout their college career. The counselors have worked on a more consistent and conversational tone and have visited every county in Missouri. Other efforts have included adding a regional counselor in the northern Illinois area and more big events for opportunities for prospective students to visit campus.

Howd said she didn’t expect to have low admission numbers again because Truman has normally bounced back from bad years quickly. She said there might be some factors that make it more difficult to recruit that are out of her office’s control, including outside perspectives on liberal arts colleges and Truman’s rural location.

With a number of admission counselor positions still open, Howd said she doesn’t expect it to be a large problem this year.

CURRENT PROSPECTIVE STUDENT NUMBERS applied 3,627 admitted 2,678 Enrollment goal

1,100

*numbers as of April 30th

Renewable energy panel talks Wind Farm Project RACHEL BECKER News and Photo Editor A renewable energy panel met at Take Root Cafe April 25 during Earth Week. The event was co-sponsored by NEMO Sierra Club and NEMO Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

The panel members introduced themselves and talked about the innovations in solar and wind energy for 40 minutes, and then had a 50-minute Q&A session. The audience was made up of residence, Truman State University faculty and staff, and students.

Christine Harker, environmental studies chair and NEMO Citizens’ Climate Lobby member, introduced the panel.

There were four panelists: Brad Brown, environmental communications manager for Ameren Missouri, Paul McKnight, CEO of EFS Energy, Henry Robertson, Great Rivers Environmental Law center climate and energy program director, and Mark Casper, vice president of environmental affairs for Terra-Gen LLC. Casper answered questions about the High Prairie Wind Farm Project, an effort to build the state’s largest wind farm in Adair and Schuyler counties.

Questions were asked about how the High Prairie Wind Farm Project would affect waterfowl migration and the local economy. Casper said the project pays special attention to wildlife in the area, and they are unsure about the impact the project will have on the local economy.

Casper said the first wind turbines will go up in the third or fourth quarter of next year.

Harker asked the panel to talk about the innovations in renewable energy, how important renewable energy is and how to persuade corporations to move to renewable energy. McKnight mentioned that the job of solar installer is the fastest growing job in Missouri.

During the Q&A part of the event, the panel answered questions about renewable energy innovations, how to get companies to go renewable, electric cars, carbon pricing and the panel’s opinion on other forms of renewable energy, like algae and hydropower.

McKnight also addressed a question about the lifespan of solar panels and their effect on landfill waste. He said solar panels have a lifespan of about 20-30 years, and the industry is working on a way to effectively recycle old panels.

Top: From left to right Paul McKnight, Brad Brown, Henry Robertson and Mark Casper introduce themselves.

The panel talked about innovations in renewable energy.

Bottom: Christine Harker asking McKnight about the job of solar panel installer. McKnight said solar panel installer is the fastest growing job in Missouri. Photos by Rachel Becker

G I V E A WA Y

Enter for your chance to win a $25 giftcard from the Truman Bookstore. Take a picture with a copy of The Index over the summer and mention us on Twitter @TrumanIndex

Giveaway Rules: The giveaway is open to all Truman State University students and alumni! Only tweets mentioning @TrumanIndex will be accepted, and photos must be submitted by midnight Saturday, August 10, 2019. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced in the Aug. 14 edition of the paper. The Editor-in-Chief will also directly contact the winner to arrange a time to pick up the prize.

Entry into the contest allows TMN to use the image, including the announcement of the winning entry.

K C A B E B L L WE’ N R U T E R L L I W X E THE IND 9 1 0 2 , 4 1 T S U G ESDAY, AU N D E W

SEE YOU THEN!

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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

New EIC at The Index

RYAN PIVONEY Editor-in-Chief When I arrived on campus almost two years ago, I knew I wanted to join the student newspaper. I did not know I would be its Editor-in-Chief so soon.

It is a great honor to serve in this role, and I’m looking forward to overseeing this fantastic newspaper and the quality student journalism we produce each week.

I began my journey at The Index as a staff writer in the news section within my first month on campus. Without any experience and only an underdeveloped interest in journalism, I joined staff and quickly became enamored with every part. I even switched my major because I was having so much fun. Since then, I became the news editor and then managing editor, and my admiration for this news outlet hasn’t wavered a bit. I have enjoyed serving the Truman State University and Kirksville communities by covering important subjects each week and writing the occasional entertainment piece. Not only do I enjoy helping produce content, I have had a blast working with everyone on staff, several of whom are graduating this year and will be sorely missed.

I want to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to those who have mentored me over the past two years. From my first editor Nicolas Telep, who was sure I would stay with Truman Media Network throughout my time at Truman, to the outgoing Editor-in-Chief Brently Snead, who has shaped my path more than anyone else, helped foster my love and appreciation for journalism, and taught me so much about the trade. Thank you for everything you have done.

The Editor-in-Chief position is a lot of responsibility, but I am happy to be the one chosen for the job. I will continue working to ensure this newspaper is producing the best news and entertainment every Thursday and that we look good doing it.

I also want to say a special thank you to our readers. Without you, we wouldn’t be doing this and having such a wonderful time. I look forward to continue serving you.

Funds for Collegiate Readership Program should not be cut Last week, The Index covered Student Government elections. The article explained the three issues on the Student Government ballot that were passed. One amendment to the Student Government Constitution made a $1 Student Activities fee reallocation from the Collegiate Readership Program to Student Government.

The Collegiate Readership Program provides newspapers in dining halls, residence halls and other buildings.

Before elections, Student Government got $2 from the student fee to fund its operations. The fee reallocation passed, increasing the Student Government budget by 50%.

We, The Index Editorial Board, believe money should not have been taken away from an already challenged program, like the Collegiate Readership Program, to go to an organization with a stable future.

The idea of the Collegiate Readership Program losing money and going digital on this campus is disheartening, even more so if the program gets defunded all together. That might be a possibility because the language of the Student Government resolution is unclear about whether the future of the Collegiate Readership Program will be online

only or provide online access in addition to the physical newspapers.

As a media organization, we understand the importance of having different media to choose from — an opportunity the Collegiate Readership Program provides for students.

As an educational institution, it is Truman State University’s job to provide as much education as possible to our students and to the larger Kirksville community. The newspapers the Collegiate Readership Program provides not only help educate but also serve as design inspiration we often use in our own newsroom.

The loss or downgrading of the Collegiate Readership Program will not only be a loss to the communication students who use it for inspiration, but also to the students on campus and our community as a whole.

Some people still enjoy the aesthetic and the fulfillment from getting a paper every morning.

In such a small community, we pick up a hard copy of the paper more often than large communities. While this percentage of people might be dwindling, student legislation should not be taking away the benefits the Collegiate Readership Program provides.

Stu Gov

Buzz

Schmidt, Alexander sworn in as president, vice president

Happy last week of classes, Bulldogs! As the school year comes to a close, a new year in Student Government is just beginning. We are so honored and humbled to have been sworn in as your new Student Government President and Vice President on Sunday, and we can’t wait to see what the 2019-2020 school year has in store.

As we begin work on our campaign platform, we plan to focus on four core areas this upcoming year: communication, academic excellence, health and wellness, and community building. We have already laid the foundation for several projects, and we’re so excited to make our community the best it can be!

Over the summer and early fall, we will continue to work closely with faculty governance in discussions about the new curriculum. We also plan to further develop our idea of Course Threads, which will be a program of study that is similar to a minor but requires fewer courses for completion. Rather than focusing on a specific discipline, Course Threads take an interdisciplinary approach to a niche area of interest such as natural resources and sustainability, human rights and global culture.

Student Government is also moving forward with

planning our second TEDx conference this November, as well as continuing to work with administration to construct a rock labyrinth meditation area in the green space where the former Fair Apartments once stood.

We hope the rock labyrinth will be a peaceful place for students to relax during the school year.

If working on any of these projects sounds interesting to you or if you’d like to learn more about joining Student Government in general, please reach out to us!

We will be filling committee chairships and membership positions through the end of the school year and into the fall semester, and we will also be holding elections in the fall for our open senator positions.

We are available through email at dks6214@truman.edu and kga5644@truman.edu. We’d love to hear from you to answer your questions about Student Government or to discuss how we can work towards your vision for Truman!

We wish you the best of luck with finals, and we hope you have a safe and fun summer!

SUBMITTED BY: Deanna Schmidt and Katie Alexander, Student Government President and Vice President

EDITORIAL POLICY: The Index is published Thursdays during the academic year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501.

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The production offices are located in Barnett Hall 1200. We can be reached by phone at 660-785-4449. The Index is a designatedofpublic forum, and content The Indexrepresentative is the responsibility of TheofIndex staff.

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The Index

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

6

Feature writer An ode to copy: copy chief bids farewell says goodbye

AURA MARTIN Former Staff Writer Well, this is goodbye. I’ve been working at The Index for almost two years, ever since transferring to Truman State University in 2017. I joined The Index to gain experience with journalism, though I am a creative writing major. Joining The Index has been one of the best experiences I’ve had at Truman. Through the power of the press, I was given the chance to interview 16 writers.

Some of them were teachers, alumni and visiting writers who were teaching classes and giving readings. They included writers who wrote Midwestern poetry, delved into post-apocalyptic worlds and created textbooks. I can’t thank The Index enough for giving me the chance to interview these writers and expose readers to different types of literature. The Index has also given me the opportunity to interview other people such as a beekeeper, a flautist and a prairie dog expert. I’ve been able to bring stories of these extraordinary people to The Index readers. I am also extremely grateful for the opportunity to alleviate my anxieties about reaching out to and interviewing people. I have gained skills to tell interesting stories and make them accessible to readers. So to the staff and readers of The Index, thank you for making me a better writer.

ALLYSON LOTZ Former Copy Chief the index has 4 sections; news, opinions, features, and sports. Each of these sections has an editer. Then their are editors for the newspapers designs and photos, and then theres a managing editor and a editor in chief that oversee it all.

So,, what’s this ‘copy chief“ been doing in the staff box each week?

I’ve had teh privilige of writing for every sectoin of the Index in my time here but as copy chef I’ve never worked for any of em perse. I’ve been managing a staff of seven copie editors, and together, were the copy desk.

Copy desk”s job is to edit all txt that goes into each issue of The Index, for accuracy, clarity, & stylistic constancy. In plainer words, that means we makesure we spelt every one’s name corectly, we don’t let peeple pubilsh sentences that don’t make cents, & editing out all oxford comas, among other small deetz. When we get everything just right, the story shuld lok god on teh page?

Now, if youve been paying attentoin, this story probly does not lok god on teh page. I chalenged

copy desk to anti-edit this fairwell colunm to be as inacurite, unclear and stylsticly inconsistent as posible. This should serve as an example to you reader of what teh paper in your hands could look like f copy desk decided not to com into work this week. (Try to find all teh errors! I counted one hunned tirty on3 at teh time of pubication.

As a computer sceince major, copy desk has given me the opportunity to melk Trumn State Univeristy’s libel arts mission for all its worth. Almost 0 of my computer science skills transfer over to copy editing, & cause The Index covers every corner of campus. Ive had to learn about every, one, o,f those ,corners to do my job effectively.

This made me a unusual case at copy desk, however. Most copy editers here are prepare themselfs for careers in editing/writing. My fellow coopy desk graduates — Kaite, Elsie, Jena, and July — all doing just that in some shape or form, and I am wish them the best in advancing there careers and make wherever they work brihgt and fun as theyve made copy desk.

Two freshman remain in our stead as copy editors. Ema and Jessca, I hope you find time for copy desk in your everbusy schedules next year.

Your expereince will prove invaluable as The index starts its next volume; in august.

Finally, I’ve passed the copy desk helm to Kara Queen. She started copy editing about the same time I did and she’s been editing for another juornal all this time as well so she has more than enuohg experience to take this Job by the thorns.

Also, she’s a virgo: so she’s basicly destined to be an editor. Index readers, your in for a clean paper under Cara’s redpen.

Even after this collumn, you probably wont notice the work copy desk puts into the paper each week — but that’s a good thing. That means the story looks good, on the page, and Emma, Jessica, and Cara got everything just right

EIC| Former Editor-in-Chief thanks those who have had impact Continued from page 1 Nonetheless, you believed in me every step of the way, and you made sure I was set up for success. Thank you for empowering me during the times when I thought I couldn’t go on and for sharing in the joy of The Index with me.

To my Former Sports Editor Rachel and Former Assistant Editor Johanna — thank you two for being my support system that first semester as EIC. Y’all were amazing, and I don’t think I could have survived it without you.

Thanks for the laughs, the pep talks and all the late nights you dedicated to this paper.

To those who have served on my Editorial Board — I’m proud, to say the least. Each and every single one of you challenged me to be a better writer, designer, editor and person. I’ve enjoyed the late nights spent laughing, eating and crying with you all. We have had some really hard nights, but you each handled it with grace, and you held me up during the hard times.

You each have had such an impact on my life, and I am so grateful that you trusted me to be your leader. The truth is that the greatest part of being Editor-in-Chief has been serving each of you.

To the future EIC, Ryan Pivoney — you’ve got this. I have given you a

EIC talks local elections

BRENTLY SNEAD Former Editor-in-Chief Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the March 28 issue of The Index Local elections are weird for me. My parents are good people, and they always vote in the big, presidential elections, but the thing they never instilled in me was the importance of local elections. Never did my parents train me to be invested in local government.

I don’t solely fault my parents. The truth is a lot of us shrug off local elections even though they directly impact our communities. Likewise, I won’t fault you if you’re not engaged.

It wasn’t until I took an interest in journalism and fishy stuff started happening within my school district while I was in high school that I started to pay attention to these sorts of elections. Lucky for me, that spurred a lasting interest.

I’ve been in Kirksville for four years.

While I can’t say I’ve voted in every

single election (don’t stone me, please), I feel I’ve been relatively well involved.

I never had someone back home telling me to vote, and you might not either, so I figured I’d step in and tell you: register here and vote.

Maybe you won’t be here your entire life, and that’s okay. But, for now, you reside here. Four years is a long time to complain about something, and there will be decisions made here that will have an effect on you. A prime example? Road infrastructure. Did you know that we will be voting people to City Council, and those are the folks who decide which roads get patched and when?

If you have no other reason to vote, do it because college is a great time to get yourself familiar with local election cycles and the process of voting.

It’s too late to register here for Tuesday’s election, but why not make the change today? If you are registered here, make sure to vote. It seems small, but these are the people who are making decisions that influence your local community.

hard time the past few weeks, but the fact is I know that you will handle this position exactly as you need to. The work you have done here is profound, and I am excited to see where you lead The Index next. I have no doubt you’ll continue to improve, and I cannot wait to hear about all the awesome things you and your team accomplish.

My final note is to all those who have read this paper throughout my time here. What we sometimes fail to remember is that we wouldn’t do this if it weren’t for our readers. Thank you to all of you who took the time out of your Thursdays to not only read The Index, but also continuously provide feedback. I’m not sure I was prepared for the community that I would build as Editor-in-Chief, but I leave here grateful for it.

So, with this being the last thing I’ll write for The Index, I leave you with one final piece: Stay classy, Truman!

Editor’s Note: This cartoon originally ran in the Jan. 31 issue of The Index

7

The Index

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

Investigation pending for Truman fraternity RACHEL BECKER News and Photo Editor An investigation into the organization of Sigma Tau Gamma moved from the institutional compliance office to the Student Affairs office for further investigation.

Lauri Millot, Title IX coordinator and institutional compliance officer, said she could not speak about any

open investigation, or confirm or deny one was taking place, until it has been concluded and finalized.

Millot said when there is a case of reported sexual misconduct and she believes the institution is at risk, she will initiate an investigation. She said a student organization can be considered a respondent according to the nondiscriminatory policy, particularly if they are responsible for discrimina-

Sigma Tau Gamma house is located at 1001 S. Davis Street. The fraternity is under investigation, as an organization, related to a social function.

Photo by Daniel Degenhardt

tory conduct or created an environment conducive to that behavior.

“I have responsibility to identify the areas, and the concerns, and the behaviors that are concerning or that violated policy,” Millot said. “I have a responsibility to identify it, but I don’t have the authority to make it happen.”

Millot said after her office is finished with an investigation of a student organization, her role is to provide services to the complainant and assess how to prevent future instances.

She can recommend action to administrators, which might result in change in policy or training in some cases.

Janna Stoskopf, vice president for Student Affairs, said she is still in the process of investigating code violations. Potential violations in policy related to alcohol, social host, risk management policy and potential violations of national headquarters policy are currently being investigated.

Stoskopf said at this point in the process no specifics can be given into the investigations.

“There was an incident that occurred at the chapter house that we are looking into whether or not they had the appropriate risk management functions, whether they met their social host obligations, whether they followed national policies and whether or not they may have violated any public policies associated with those types of things,” Stoskopf said.

There was a social function and there

might have been a possible violation of those types of policies, Stoskopf said.

Stoskopf said that both Truman State University and nationals look into national policy violations. Nationals has the ability to enforce their policies, Stoskopf said, but specifically within Truman’s code, part of the expectations of the organization is that they abide by the rules established for them by their national association.

Stoskopf said her office looks at organizational conduct, and there are a number of things that can happen and it can be very wide ranging.

The conclusion of the investigation could be from a level of a warning or maybe certain privileges are taken away, Stoskopf said. In the most severe of cases, a university can say the chapter is no longer invited to be a chapter affiliated with this institution, Stoskopf said.

She said her office is the final stop for the investigation, but part of the process also includes an appeal process, and that would be the final phase.

Stoskopf said she would really like to see their chapter flourish, but it might require some major changes.

She also said headquarters offices don’t put cease and desist orders in place lightly, so there is a possibility that it could look like a real game changer in terms of what the fraternity is focused on.

Stoskopf said she is hopeful that the process will be done within the next two weeks.

New ResLife director hired JESSICA VENVERTLOH Staff Writer

A new Residence Life director with 17 years of experience in Residence Life has been hired at Truman State University.

New Residence Life Director Jamie Van Boxel will assume the position July 1. He has about 17 years of experience in Residence Life.

He said he first worked as a residential assistant when he was an undergraduate student and then went on to work as a hall director at a few universities. He served at his most recent job for nine years as the area director at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he was in charge of supervising hall directors.

Janna Stoskopf, vice president

for student affairs, said the position was first advertised in October, but because of delays, the search process really began early in the spring semester. Her role in the search was to evaluate the information she received from the search committee and then decide which candidate to offer the job. She said the results of the search were announced at the beginning of April.

Stoskopf said the Residence Life director is in charge of the entire Residence Life department, which includes budget, planning and staffing responsibilities. She said a new Residence Life curriculum is being developed, and the new director will have a role in moving it forward.

Stoskopf said the new director has experience working with living-

learning communities, residential curricula and mental health issues.

Van Boxel said his first goal as director is to learn about the culture here so he can apply his experience in Residence Life to help contribute to the Truman experience. He said the goal of Residence Life should be to support students in their goals and experiences outside of the classroom.

“The role of the director is to listen to the voice of the students, the residents in our residence halls,” Van Boxel said.

He said he will speak with student leaders to determine which improvements should be made to the current Residence Life program.

Jamie Van Boxel was hired as the new ResLife director. He worked for Minnesota State University, Mankato as an area director. Submitted photo

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Revised April 2019

The Index

8

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

Best of Spring 2019

Photo by Daniel Degenhardt

Dobson Hall to close next year RYAN PIVONEY Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the Feb. 14 issue of The Index.

Dobson Hall will close for the 201920 school year to accommodate for falling enrollment and to save money.

University President Sue Thomas said the University could have closed Dobson this semester, but students were already assigned rooms and it was too late.

Dave Rector, vice president for administration, finance and planning, said he met with Residence Life Interim Director William Nelsen and Janna Stoskopf, vice president for student affairs, in early January to discuss options for addressing the decreasing enrollment and its effect on campus living.

“So we got to looking at the different options,” Rector said. “We had a small freshman class, and we know that the percentage that normally renew to come back on campus, and we did the math and said, ‘Well, that would seem to be the logical one to shut down.’”

Dobson Hall is located off East Patterson Street between Blanton-Nason-Brewer Hall and Ryle Hall. The residence hall can house about 300 stu-

dents, but this semester there are only 191, which led to closing the fourth floor this year. The building was last renovated in the 2008-09 school year.

Rector said Dobson is usually the last residence hall to fill when students are looking for housing, and it is one of the smallest residence halls on campus.

Stoskopf and Thomas said this year’s early enrollment numbers seem to be lower than last year’s.

“Anticipating the number of students we might have next year, we’re not going to get over 200 additional freshmen on top,” Thomas said. “We just don’t anticipate that happening. So the discussion was about to maintain community in all of our residence halls.”

Nelsen said the top priority of his office is making sure students who live in Dobson have a community to live in moving forward. Residence Life expects the number of on-campus residents to remain the same next year.

Residence Life has had discussions with Dobson student advisers who want to return next year and identified places for those staff members to work, Nelsen said. Because there will be 13 fewer SA positions next year, Residence Life did not hire as many new SAs as usual.

Nelsen said there will be enough housing on campus to accommodate next year’s projected residents. As of now, there is no definite plan for the future of Dobson Hall, but Nelsen said Residence Life would be open to re-opening the building if enrollment calls for it in the future.

Rector said he talked to Sodexo General Manager Justin Dreslinski and Lori Shook from the Campus Planning Office to determine a way for the convenience store on the first floor to remain open while the rest of the building is closed off.

Rector said Truman State University will save an estimated $250,000 annually because the costs of staffing and building operations will be cut. Because the building won’t be completely shut down, Rector said he expects the building to still cost the University about $100,000 to run.

The closing of Dobson Hall has provided fewer opportunities for students to become student advisers, Stoskopf said, but the decision was made prior to hiring SA staff for next year, so Residence Life hired only what was needed. The full-time staff associated with Dobson, such as the hall director for the building, could not be reassigned, so their contracts were not renewed for

next year.

Rector said someone from the facilities group will walk through the building regularly to ensure the building is maintained.

Thomas said the building will be maintained at a level that it can be opened easily and quickly.

Truman has closed residence halls before, such as Grim Hall and the Fair Apartments, but they were shut down permanently, while Dobson will be closed temporarily.

“It’s not uncommon for campuses to close residence facilities if they anticipate their number of residents is not going to be as high as it was,” Stoskopf said. “So I really don’t think it’s going to have much of an impact on our incoming students in terms of how they perceive Truman.”

Thomas said she thinks closing the residence hall could reflect negatively on the University, but the focus for the institution was more on maintaining community and saving money in the process.

“For us, I think, the concern is there is always concern about the external reputation of the University, but I think that we can very easily explain all of it,” Thomas said.

life

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

9

100 feet above Kirksville SAB organizes hot-air balloon rides

TRAVIS MAIDEN Staff Writer

Taking the chance to finally conquer my ridiculous fear of the sky, I took the time to wait for a spot to open and nabbed it the second I could. Driving to the corner of South Franklin and LaHarpe, the first thing I saw was the burner flame burst into the beautiful multicolored balloon.

Truman State University students had the chance to ride a hot-air balloon hundreds of feet in the air anchored to the ground with ropes. The Student Activi-

SAB offered Truman students the opportunity to rise 100 feet above Kirksville in a hot-air balloon. The balloon was anchored to the ground by ropes.

VOLUME 110

ISSUE 21

ties Board hosted the High Flying Adventure Friday, April 26 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and allowed students to sign up online for a spot weeks in advance.

After taking a quick stroll down the grassy hill toward the SAB table and signing a waiver, I waited with over a dozen other people while a young child gave us safety directions for entering the balloon. As we waited, the same child gave me a wonderful twizzler candy that calmed my nerves.

As we stepped into the balloon, shuffling past the others who had just taken their adventure into the sky, the tension grew as I felt the weight of the basket continually shift. Looking around, everyone looked more excited than nervous. The flame ignited with a grand display of yellow and orange, and slowly the basket lifted off the ground. Within a minute, we were hundreds of feet in the air. Members of our group took pictures and pointed out the beautiful sights of Kirksville and Truman, all the while my hands were gripped like a vice to the side of the basket.

It was absolutely gorgeous. It was nearing nighttime, so the city’s lights were turning on while the flame beside us illuminated the ground. Never have I had the pleasure of being able to see the city of Kirksville and Truman’s campus from such a height, and while I didn’t once take my hands off of that basket as if it was my life line, it was still an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.

As the basket lowered and a new group began to cycle on, I took tmn.truman.edu

the chance to talk to students Angelique Beasley and Lillian Schell who had been in my group.

Beasley said it was an amazing time, while Schell said Beasley held her hand the entire ride.

Neither had ridden in a hot-air balloon and this was a chance to experience a rare opportunity with a smaller group in comparison to events that had hundreds of people in attendance.

“Oh yeah, I love the diversity of the SAB office,” Beasley said. “I’d really like something like this to happen again.”

This event wouldn’t have been possible without SAB’s coordination. Both students heard about the event from either their emails or SAB’s social media like Facebook and Twitter.

SAB President Adam Miesner said the High Flying Adventure was an event that was also put on years ago. Since a new cycle of students have come around, it was time to bring the adventure back to Truman.

“We’ve been trying to move up all of our planning and organization further up and hopefully we can publicize them further out,” Miesner said. “For example, for this event, we sent it out with our April email and we had posters up before that, so that gave people about a month out to think about, ‘Okay, I’m going to try and put this in my schedule.’”

The event was originally scheduled for Thursday, April 25, but was pushed to Friday, April 26 because of bad weather. Miesner said the surveys sent out to the Truman community helped decide

www.facebook.com/TrumanMediaNetwork

SAB Production Chair Sophia Gao said a lot of research went into organizing this event. She said campuswide surveys are what make these kinds of events possible. Photos by Travis Maiden

what event to put on. The free response section in the surveys is important because it allows students the chance to voice an opinion on what is going to happen on campus. Sophia Gao, special event member and new production chair, said the campus-wide surveys are what make these kinds of events possible.

Gao said SAB did a lot of research with the surveys to find out what was possible in Kirksville and what people have never had the chance to experience. The High Flying Adventure was a great event to hold at the end of the year so everyone could have a fun night before beginning to cram for finals, and it gave everyone who attended a new story to tell their friends and family. @TrumanMediaNet

© 2019

10

The Index

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

Opportunities in science

Chemist, Truman alumnus shares experience working with federal government AURA MARTIN Staff Writer Glow sticks are those neon lights often seen at concerts and parties.

Glow sticks actually have a military origin and were developed as a light source in the navy in case of power loss. That is what Paul Goodman, returning alumnus, said during his lecture. He was invited back to speak to Truman State University chemistry students during the weekly Friday

chemistry seminars to talk about his experiences as a government chemist.

Goodman came back because he wanted to talk to students about the chance to work in the federal government as a chemist, an opportunity he did not see or hear about while he was a student at Truman.

After graduating from Truman in 2008, Goodman went to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He graduated in 2013 with his doctorate in chemistry and then started work as a research chemist at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake. Goodman’s field of training was electrochemistry, so he worked on energy storage devices, specifically supercapacitors.

“My work was in developing new electrode materials to see if we can improve their properties or develop new electrolytes to see if we could make them perform better,” Goodman said.

He discussed some of his work with supercapacitors at his lecture, as well as his current work.

Goodman now works at the Department of Defense’s drug testing program.

He is the quality control department head for the drug screening lab at Great Lake.

He said his department is responsible for preparing and certifying the control material to make sure all the chemistry they do works the way they expect.

“I’m one of the people who looks at the data and makes sure that it is accurate,” Goodman said. “Then I let those results go to the command or the customers who have submitted those samples.”

He also serves as the laboratory certifying official, so he acts as an

expert witness for the lab. Goodman said every report usually results in some kind of legal action for the service members because there is a zero tolerance policy for drug use in the military. Goodman said he is called to testify in administrative boards, usually several times per week, any time a service member gets a positive drug test.

He has been certified for a year now.

He doesn’t work much in a lab like he used to. Goodman’s job now is to run the quality control program while technicians work in the laboratory. Certifying data is a desk job. His previous job was lab focused, which meant he was in a lab all the time. One of the reasons he moved to the drug screening program was because he wanted to do something different that was a little less lab heavy.

Goodman said that during every Friday chemistry seminar, somebody would be invited to talk to chemistry students.

Typically these were professors who would come in to talk about the research they were doing in their labs, and they partially served as recruiting trips.

“It turns out that Truman students are good chemists as a general rule, so it’s worth the trip to see if you can convince some students to come and be in your lab,” Goodman said.

Goodman initially came to Truman as a pre-pharmacy student. During his sophomore year, he decided he preferred chemistry to biology and dropped pharmacy. It was also at that point that he started working as a student researcher for John O’Brien, a chemistry professor at Truman. O’Brien said as a student researcher, Goodman worked on synthetic chemistry, working toward a synthetic oxygen that would end up behaving like hemoglobin. They tried to make a product, but they were not successful, though

getting a successful product was not the point of a research project.

“One of the things I look for in a student is that they will adopt the project as their own and kinda go with the idea and come up with some original improvements,” O’Brien said. “And he [Goodman] did that. He had good imagination and he was very tenacious, and had a lot to show for it.”

Chemistry professor Barbara Kramer taught analytical chemistry courses while Goodman was a student at Truman. She said that he was a good example of a Truman student.

“I think that he was a great guy to have in class and just good to know,” Kramer said. “He’s a good person to see as an example of someone who does good things.”

Chemist Paul Goodman talked to Truman students about job opportunities in the federal government. He also shared some of his work on supercapacitors. Photo by Aura Martin

“Avengers: Endgame” is an emotional finale

This movie gets 4.5/5 tacos GORDON MCPHERSON Staff Writer “Avengers: Endgame” is an impressive cinematic achievement, resonating both with die-hard Marvel fans and casual viewers. The $1.2 billion raked in worldwide on opening weekend was well deserved.

After the catastrophic events of last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War” (which I enjoyed but felt physically beaten up after watching), the remaining Avengers — including Iron Man, Captain America and fan favorite Captain Marvel — embark on a mission to vanquish purple Thanos once and for all.

I probably shouldn’t say anything more. As with “Infinity War,” spoilers will result in my ritual sacrifice.

“Don’t spoil the Endgame,” the trailers say. Well, alright then.

While I’m forbidden from describing the specifics of what I adored in “Endgame” — there are many pow-

erful, unexpected moments — what surprised me most was the film’s magisterial weight and deeply affecting emotional core.

After 22 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the OG Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Thor in particular) have developed into fully formed, fleshedout characters. While still providing quips and pop culture references, “Endgame” presents them in their most vulnerable states yet — not shying away from depicting sadness and tragedy, or their courageousness in the face of global annihilation.

“Endgame” has much to say about the importance of family and loyalty, both in regards to the characters themselves and their bonds with Marvel fans developed over the past decade.

The film rewards viewers who’ve kept up with the franchise, particularly with Iron Man and Captain America, succeeding both as popcorn entertainment and as a loving ode to the

characters that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the first place.

Indeed, while much of the film is unabashedly fan service, Joe and Anthony Russo mine nearly every scene for maximum emotional impact. My theater was cheering and sobbing in equal measure, indirectly bonding over our shared appreciation and love for the characters on screen.

Even I, with a somewhat lukewarm opinion of Marvel films, became wrapped up in the nostalgia and suspense. By the end credits of “Endgame,” tears were sliding down my pale, sleep-deprived face.

This is surprising, considering the film’s unwieldy three-hour runtime.

Unlike “Infinity War,” which pummeled me with sometimes incoherent action, “Endgame” is a master class in pacing.

The film has an unexpectedly subdued first hour that perfectly sets the stage for the superhero carnage later on. When the action comes, it holds

This movie gets 4.5/5 tacos

more impact than any other Marvel movie, providing expected thrills with wallops of dread and real, tangible risks for the characters. Thanos is perhaps even more intimidating in “Endgame” than he was in “Infinity War,” continuing to be a worthy, nuanced antagonist.

“Endgame,” as did last year’s “Black Panther,” feels like its own beast, containing a level of polish that sets it apart from other superhero films. There are numerous picturesque shots I’d like to frame and put on my wall, and the melancholic soundtrack perfectly complements the film’s overall somber tone.

Alas, there are numerous plot holes, embarrassing jokes and technical mumbo jumbo that doesn’t make sense, but who really cares when the emotions run so high?

Readers have probably seen “Endgame” by this point, but now you should watch it again. Good luck with finals week.

The Index

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

11

Best of Spring 2019 Top (5)

Winter till the cows come home Multiple snowstorms complicate University Farm operations TRAVIS MAIDEN Staff Writer

By Elisabeth Shirk, designated townie

#1

The e s r u C of

Take Root Cafe

Take Root Cafe is a cozy and quiet place to settle in and read a good book... or your textbook.

The dark wood and warm lamp lights scream “study here!”

You can also order yourself a piece of cake, a cup of tea or whatever else looks good on the menu.

#2

Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the March 21 issue of The Index.

Bill Kuntz, Truman State University farm manager, couldn’t be happier to see the bitter cold and merciless snow and ice of winter coming to an end.

Kuntz is responsible for taking care of the farm grounds, crops and animals — a task made more difficult by inclement weather.

After working with Truman’s biology department for seven years, Kuntz applied for the manager position because of his love of the outdoors, doing anything and everything on the farm that needs to be finished.

Kuntz said the farm did pretty well preparing for the freeze. Starting last summer, the farm began baling hay to stockpile for animals and preventing water sources from freezing. By utilizing different tools like water heaters to keep the frost out, the farm can make sure the animals stay well cared for.

“The most difficult thing during winter is taking care of the animals,” Kuntz said. “We have to make sure they’re getting what they need.”

The ice was another difficult trial.

Kuntz said the snow was harmless and easy to get rid of, but the ice was an issue because of the possibility of people and animals slipping. The safety of everyone is the farm’s No. 1 concern.

Overall, Kuntz said this winter has gone well, and he is hoping it’s long gone. With so many animals and a large amount of land to look over, Kuntz might not have had enough time to get it all done without Truman students like Danny Nadler working on the farm.

Nadler has been working on the farm since August 2017. Growing up on a farm north of Columbia, Missouri, Nadler has had plenty of experience working with his hands. His sister attended Truman and recommended he attend and work on the farm as well.

Being a part of the chore crew, Nadler’s responsibilities range from caring for livestock to cleaning and beyond. Even through the cold brush of winter, Nadler said he doesn’t have a favorite season while working on the farm. Winter can bring some negative conditions because of the snow and ice, but every season has its thorn.

“I think the farm is an incredible resource that Truman State [University] has,” Nadler said. “Several people

places to study off campus

Thousand Hills State Park

If the weather is nice, Thousand Hills is a great place to ind a picnic table and study.

If you get bored of the scenery in one place or you just need to take a break, there are many trails to get you moving and plenty of views to keep your brain stimulated.

Farm Manager Kuntz uses an RTV to get around the 400-acre farm. Kuntz gets work done on the farm with help from Truman students like Danny Nadler, who has been working at the farm since 2017 and is a member of the “chore crew.” Photo by Caleb Bolin are still unaware we even have a farm and what goes on here. Our farmto-table program provides fresh vegetables to the dining halls during the growing season. I think every student should come to the farm at least once to just look around.”

There are many people on the farm making sure everything is well and taken care of, like equestrian show team coach Emily Costello, who helps with the farm’s horses and riding practice.

Costello began as a student at Truman 11 years ago and decided to work at the University when she noticed Truman needed a new equestrian team coach. Since working around horses and people was a passion of hers, applying for the position was the obvious choice.

Costello said this winter was hectic compared to previous ones because of its frequent storms. Costello said she had to cancel class because the conditions were too unsafe.

“I had to cancel class because it just wasn’t safe for anyone to be outside there,” Costello said. “It just wasn’t safe for students to be outside on the farm, for me it wasn’t safe, and it wasn’t safe for the horses to be working when it was so cold.”

Costello said the farm did an excellent job at preparing for the snow and ice with its heavy equipment.

Costello said spring couldn’t get here any sooner, and she is looking forward to it finally warming up in the next few days.

#3

Adair County Public Library

While Pickler Memorial Library is one of my favorite places in Kirksville, the Adair County Public Library also offers computers and cozy corners if you need to study or just get away from campus for a little while.

#4

#5

Honestly, any of Kirksville’s public parks would be good places to study, but Brashear Park is my personal favorite. It’s not as spacious as Thousand Hills, but the drive is shorter. There is also a shelter with tables under it for you to enjoy the outdoors while being out of direct sunlight.

The Square

Right outside the Adair County Courthouse, which sits directly in the center of The Square, there is a grassy area with benches and large, mature trees. This is a great place to go and study because it is typically quiet and peaceful. You can sit on any side of the courthouse to see a different view of The Square.

s l e a r Bria Mich

Part VIII: Briar was surprised when Aislinn returned to the hospital the next day. In all honesty, Aislinn was surprised by her own actions, but as Dushan and Asuka trailed into Mallory’s room behind her, they were not surprised. They had known Aislinn long enough to know that she was invested at this point. Trying to help Mallory wasn’t just a favor for Briar anymore — Aislinn had developed a sense of duty. She had developed a belief that it was the right thing to do.

After three hours of waiting, Aislinn watched Death slip in through the door. A nurse had left it ajar and Aislinn couldn’t help but wonder if closing it would’ve stopped the creature from entering. Death paused and, to Aislinn’s horror, it gazed at her for a few cold, silent moments. Then it shifted its attention to Mallory.

“Briar,” Aislinn whispered. Her voice shook.

Briar looked at Aislinn and watched her skin grow paler and her body begin to shake. Aislinn raised her arm and pointed, moving her arm to track Death as it moved closer and closer to Mallory. Mallory’s eyes were closed. Her brow furrowed in pain.

Aislinn’s hand stopped moving when she was pointing almost directly at Briar, as if he and Death were occupying the same space. A million thoughts flew through Briar’s mind in that moment. The truth that this was his only chance to save Mallory was one of them, and another was the realization that he also had the chance to justify everything he was putting Aislinn through. But he had questions. Was Aislinn right that this wasn’t in their control? Would pushing off Death for a little bit longer only lengthen Mallory’s struggle? Would she remain in pain? Would she still die too soon for him to let her go quietly?

They say no life is meant to end after a mere twenty-six years, but perhaps some lives are. Perhaps fate is cruel and willing to rip life away at any age. And perhaps fate is unstoppable.

For the first time since he had learned of Death, Briar considered the possibility that the powers which gave him and Aislinn and Dushan and Asuka their sixth senses were not benevolent. It was entirely possible that there were no benefits of their abilities.

If fate was cruel, what reason was there to believe that people could not be cursed?

What reason was there to believe that people who don’t deserve to suffer won’t?

And in between all the questions, facts and fears, Briar heard a voice in his mind repeating Aislinn’s name over and over.

Aislinn was crying. It was getting harder for her to breathe and she didn’t understand why Briar was just standing there. He wasn’t doing anything. It was almost as if he was just going to let her die and Aislinn wasn’t sure she could live with that. All of this suffering needed to be worth something.

Aislinn tried to scream at Briar, tried to tell him to do something, anything, but she

Brashear Park

by llison A hoff h c s a M

couldn’t find her voice.

Death leaned over.

Mallory exhaled.

Dushan’s hands flew to his ears.

Aislinn watched the creature retreat, a delicate soul resting in its arms.

Briar collapsed onto the bed. The only sound in the room was his sobbing. He apologized to her lifeless body over and over again. But she was gone. He had made his choice.

Eventually, Aislinn, Asuka and Dushan left. Asuka was angry. Dushan was tired.

Aislinn was filled with grief. She believed Briar had proven that day that he never had been — and perhaps never would be — strong enough to fight for the people he said he loved. He only stayed until he realized the other person was leaving. Aislinn wasn’t sure a person could truly call what Briar Michaels felt for other people “love.” Wasn’t love supposed to be more enduring? Wasn’t it supposed to have faith?

Aislinn’s conclusions were not far from the truth. Though it would take years for him to admit it to himself, Briar had not let Mallory die out of a fear of fate or a desire to end her suffering. He knew Mallory would’ve wanted to live longer. He knew that if Mallory had known the whole truth, she would’ve wanted him to try. But when it came to the moment Briar was caught between Mallory and Death, he couldn’t escape the way his mind yearned for Aislinn. His guilt had finally filled up his lungs and he had been suffocated by the knowledge that he was cursed.

But his curse was not the ability to touch Death. Something so easily avoidable seemed hardly deserving of such a fearsome categorization. No, the curse of Briar Michaels was his love for Aislinn. It was the fact that he would never forget her, never escape her, and he would never have her back.

Aislinn moved back to Chicago after Mallory’s death. She started living with Dushan and Asuka again and eventually she fell in love with a boy who was not cursed, but accepted hers. He helped her carry her burden in a way Briar never had. But she never forgot about Briar Michaels, the man who had taught her more about love than he’d ever know. From loving him she’d slowly learned what love was and what it was not. By the time she found her true love, she knew the difference. She felt the difference in her soul.

Briar never saw Aislinn, Dushan or Asuka again. He lived the rest of his life paying the costly price for learning what truly mattered too late. Its currency was guilt and shame and it left him with the knowledge that he would never fill the emptiness inside him. Some days he regretted letting Mallory die, but other days he regretted ever meeting Mallory at all. Most days he regretted not fighting for the girl he knew had been his soulmate, and everyday he mourned the fact that he hadn’t been hers.

The Index

12

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

Ouestions ?

on

Livie Manuel, freshman

the

Abby Fawks, senior

Ouad ?

Kate Becker, sophomore

Question 1: How do you prepare for a long study session?

“I usually make some tea, then I find a quiet spot to sit for a while and study.”

“I bring some snacks, I go get a chai tea and I turn on some low-fi music.”

“I usually stop by the Starbucks, make sure I have everything, get some music going — I like to listen to instrumental music covers.”

Question 2: What are you looking forward to the most this summer?

“I am really looking forward to seeing my family and my new puppy, Clark.”

“I guess going home and being with my family and seeing my dog.”

“I am going to study abroad in Italy, so almost as soon as I get back home I get on a plane and go, so I’m really excited about that.”

Question 3: What is one thing you would like to accomplish this summer?

“I would like to read all of the Harry Potter books. I haven’t read them yet.”

“Get a job and work and get money.”

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“I’m going to also be taking a computer science class online for my major, so I hope I get a pretty solid grade on that one.”

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30

The Index

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

13

THIS MONTH IN SPORTS Thursday, May 2

Saturday, May 4

Friday, May 10

Softball vs. Southern Indiana 2 p.m.

Baseball at Lewis Noon

Track and Field Dr. Keeler Invitational TBA

Track and Field GLVC Championships TBA

Track and Field GLVC Championships TBA

Friday, May 3

Thursday, May 9

Saturday, May 11

Baseball at Lewis Double Header

Baseball GLVC Tournament TBA

Track and Field Dr. Keeler Invitational TBA

Track and Field GLVC Championships TBA

Thursday, May 23Saturday, May 25 Track and Field NCAA Championship TBA

Tune into tmn.truman.edu for a full list of events and to see updated scores.

ATHLETE o f

t h e

w e e k

Infielder Alyssa Rivera stayed steady in Truman State University’s 4-5 losses to Quincy University on Saturday. Rivera split an even .500 batting average on the Bulldogs’ Senior Day, reaching the bases on 4 of 8 at-bats. Rivera sent home three RBIs for the Bulldogs against the Hawks and scored a run of her own during Game 1. The Troy, Missouri, native also recorded three outs for the Bulldogs during Saturday’s games.

Alyssa Rivera

WRESTLING| Athletes talk GOLF| Coach reflects on seniors about what coach meant to them Continued from page 16 Senior team captain and 2018 national tournament qualifier Sam Reeves can attest to this, as he has spent the last four years learning from coach Schutter and believes he is a better man because of it.

“It was devastating to hear that our AD decided to cut our wrestling program,” said Reeves.

“This was life changing for not only us student athletes currently on the roster, but the Bulldogs to come in the future. For many this was the end, and the easiest thing would’ve been to give up. Instead we thrived in adversity and did the best with what we had. I look at coach Schutter and he is a man I aspire to be like. He has helped shape me to the man I am today, and has always been there both on and off the mat.”

Schutter has always stressed the importance of academics to his athletes.

This is just a small part of his efforts to ensure his wrestlers are just as successful in life as they are on the mat.

This practice came full circle over the summer when the program was asked to raise $75,000 in just 146 days. Many of the wrestling alumni that learned so much from Schutter in their time at Truman returned the favor by donating to make his final season as a Bulldog possible.

“Although we lost the war with saving our program. He has taught me that

Continued from page 16 “After losing our top 3 players from last season, our expectations are different from last year when we were competing for a regional spot, but they are still high,” Fitzpatrick said. “We have made some very big strides with a young team and are excited to see them all come together for our last event this year. There are some outstanding teams in the conference we have a hard time competing with, but the majority of the teams we will be able to challenge and look for another good showing.”

The Bulldogs struggled to begin their spring season. At the Midwestern State University Spring Invitational they struggled with bad weather conditions and a number of tough teams as they finished last in the field of 15.

University of Central Missouri’s Jennies Invitational proved a little better for the Bulldogs as they finished 10th in a tough 14-team field. They were led once again by Kelley who finished 20th in the field.

The next tournament garnered similar results for the Bulldogs. They finished 11th out of 16 in the UMSL Spring Invitational. At the University Illinois Springfield Invitational they finished fifth out of eight.

“Our team is very young with three of our starting five being underclassman,” Fitzpatrick said. “It has been great to see them come in and compete for a starting spot right away and progress as quickly as they have. I still don’t think any of our players have hit their peak yet for this season, so I’m excited to see it all come together for them.”

Schutter will leave the program after an almost 30-year career as the wrestling coach. He is the longest tenured coaches in Truman history. Photo by Truman Athletics life is not always about winning,” said Reeves.

Schutter had no comments on his time at Truman, the end of his career here or what he plans to do moving forward.

The Truman wrestling team practices this season. This was the team’s last season after falling victim to budget cuts. Photo by Truman Athletics

TRACK| Truman’s teams place well ahead of GLVC Championships Continued from page 16 Marissa Gress won the women’s 4x100 relay with a time of 49.50.

It was a photo finish as she bested William Penn University’s Asia Laudermilch by nine hundredths of a second. The rest of the winning team included Brianna Barton, Hally Blackwell and Grace Feeney.

Other gold medalists on the women’s team included Feeney in the 100 meter hurdles, Barton in the 200 meter, Taylor Burlis in the 800 meter and Gemma Saathoffin in the 1500 meter.

In the field events the Bulldogs also won multiple awards.

This included Hannah Oberdiek in long jump, Marissa Brady in triple jump, Katie Reeves in pole vault, Elle Renault in javelin, and Cassidy Smestad in discus, hammer and shot put.

Bobby Campbell was the highlight of the men’s team, winning gold in both discus and hammer.

The other gold medalists were Nash Kolb in the 110 meter hurdles, Kyle Kubernat in the 400 meter, Jackson Foster in the 800 meter and Nathan Stinson in the 1500 meter.

Colby Roundtree won gold in long jump along with Brandon Hackamack and Blake Laird in triple jump and pole vault respectively.

Finally, Brendan Baker won in shot put and Nathan Bufka in javelin.

The teams move next to the GLVC Championships at Stokes Stadium this weekend. Competition will begin this evening with prelims and the first half of the multi-events. On Friday, competition will begin at 9 a.m. with the completion of the multi-events followed by field and running events. Sunday’s events will kick off at 9 a.m. with most events having finals this day.

A one day pass costs $10 for adults and $5 for students while a two day pass is $15. Thursday’s events are free.

Two Bulldog men are looking to defend their titles from the Indoor Championships earlier this season: Brandon Hackamack in the triple jump and Elijah Farrales in the 400-meter.

Elle Renault will look to repeat as GLVC Javelin champion. Last year, Renault won by 12 feet.

14

COLUMN| Arizona

The Index

Cardinals make strange move picking Murray No. 1

SAM ROETTGEN Sports Editor

The Arizona Cardinals selected Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in last week’s NFL draft. This is a puzzling selection given the fact that they drafted a quarterback last year and just fired their coach. There is a reason the team went 3-13 last year and were awarded the first pick of the draft, but teams should try to work with what they have for longer than one season.

This is especially true since the replacements the Cardinals got are totally unproven.

Much has been made about Murray’s height. Murray measured in at 5

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

feet 10 and 1/8 inches at the NFL Combine, and while it makes me feel very tall to know that someone shorter than me is playing quarterback in the NFL, I question how someone this short can still be successful in this position. Quarterbacks only an inch or two taller have won Super Bowls: Russell Wilson won at 5 feet 11 inches, and Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks of all time at 6 feet, so I will not count him out. That being said, quarterback is a position that is generally a position dominated by players much taller than Murray No player is a surefire hit, but there are several players who have a better chance of being successful than Kyler Murray.

This same decision also bothers me on a human level. The Cardinals are managing their personnel very poorly this offseason. They fired their coach Steve Wilks after just one season. Granted, it was a terrible season, but they did not give him a chance to do anything with the bad team he inherited.

They then turned around and hired the unproven Kliff Kingsbury after he was fired at Texas Tech. The NFL likes to follow trends. Sean McVay, the 33-yearold coach of the Los Angeles Rams, has done a great job turning that team into a success. McVay and Kingsbury are similar — they are both relatively young, offensive minded coaches. That said, Kingsbury did not have a winning record in six seasons as the head coach of Texas Tech and made only two bowl game appearances.

The move to draft Kyler Murray feels very familiar. The Cardinals used their 10th overall pick to select Josh Rosen last season. Rosen had a mediocre first season and the Cardinals could not wait to get rid of him. It was not that long ago that he earned the nickname “Chosen Rosen.” After the drafting of Murray, Rosen was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a second round pick and another fifth rounder. Who is to say that Rosen would not have made leaps and bounds in his second season as a starting quarterback?

It feels to me like the Cardinals never gave Wilks or Rosen a chance. This is not to say that either of them is the solution to their problem. If they have another bad season in 2019, are they going to fire Kingsbury, trade Murray and draft Justin Herbert in the top 10? Are they hoping if they get a new coach and quarterback every season that the law of averages will give them the right ones? Are they going to try to move again?

The book is yet to be written on the rookie quarterback and the 39-yearold head coach. If they have another bad season it will be interesting to see what happens with those two. At least they convinced Larry Fitzgerald to stick around another season.

2019 ANNUAL DOGSPY AWARDS “Recognizing athletic and academic greatness in Truman athletes” Athlete of the Year Baseball: Mason King

SAM HEVEROH

Outstanding Male Senior Athlete

Men’s Basketball: Brodric Thomas Women’s Basketball: Sloane Totta Men’s Cross Country: Mike Grasing

CHRISTA REISINGER

Outstanding Female Senior Athlete

Women’s Cross Country: Gemma Saathoff Football: Lawrence Woods Golf: Brooke Kelley Men’s Soccer: Matt Yankowitz

CADE MCKNIGHT Newcomer of the Year

Women’s Soccer: Hanna Burke Softball: Christa Reisinger Men’s Swimming: Sam Heveroh

AMY EAGAN Coach of the Year

Women’s Swimming: Natalie Galluzzo Men’s Tennis: Griffin Turnage Women’s Tennis: Maura Dunn Men’s Track: Elijah Farrales

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Team of the Year

Women’s Track: Hannah Oberdiek Volleyball: Savvy Hughes Wrestling: Sam Reeves

BASEBALL

Bill Cable Spirit of Truman Award

30

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The Index

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

15

Best of Spring 2019 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

10

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

NATIONALLY RANKED Women’s basketball nationally ranked CURT WICHMER Staff Writer

Edior’s Note: This story originally ran in the January 17, 2019 issue of The Index.

Truman State University’s women’s basketball team rebounded after their Jan. 3 loss to Lewis University with a three-game win streak, all while playing exclusively on the road. The Bulldogs posted a 73-51 win over the University of Indianapolis, an 83-72 win against the University of Southern Indiana and a 65-49 win over Bellarmine University throughout break. In addition, head coach Amy Eagan celebrated her 102nd win with the Bulldogs, becoming the winningest coach in the history of Truman’s women’s basketball program.

Eagan credited her coaching success to the various student athletes and Truman faculty who worked alongside her over the years, and stressed the importance of keeping good company regardless of the situation. She said the various connections between her and her athletes push the team to perform better and achieve success as a whole.

“We break to ‘family’ every day, and we all define what that means because everyone’s definition is different,” Eagan said.

“Our kids spend a lot of time together both on and also off the floor, and they make time for each other because they know it’s important. Heck, it’s not uncommon for a senior to be hanging out with a freshman in our program, and I think that’s pretty cool!”

Eagan said the team’s two losses against Lindenwood University and Lewis University earlier in the year have been great learning experiences for the Bulldogs.

“Lindenwood and Lewis are both having outstanding years, and I think we learned a lot from both,” Eagan said. “We are building this program for top of the league, and playing both those teams can show us what it takes. Lindenwood won

Guard Sloane Totta fights hard against the University of Indianapolis Jan. 5. The Bulldogs dominated with a score of 73-51, and head coach Amy Eagan secured her 100th win with Truman State University. Photo by Truman Athletics

Guard Sloan Totta fights hard against the University of Indianapolis Jan. 5. The Bulldogs dominated with a score of 73-51, and head coach Amy Eagan secured the100th MIAA and Lewis has been year I think we have something very position in the GLVC championships, the her winlast withyear, Truman State University.

Photo by this Truman Athletics

top of our league for years. I think our kids unique where no one cares who gets time, team has formed a no-pressure environknow we can play with the both of them, who gets points and who gets rebounds,” ment to just go out and play good basketand I think we are working more on the Steinhoff said. “It’s all just for the win, and ball. mental game more than anything to get to I’ve never been on a team where people “We care about each other a lot, and that level.” are cheering so hard for people who are I think it shows,” Steinhoff said. “In the coachput in the of Tru-and a lot of time together on and for top we of the andLindenplaying CURT WICHMER Senior guard Rachel Steinhoffningest said the onhistory the court taking their own bothpast, like when gotleague, beat by man’s women’s basketball program. also off the floor, and they make time both those teams can show us what Staff Writer attitude each of the student athletes has minutes.

There’s no bitterness, and no wood, we could’ve gotten really tense Eagan credited her coaching suc- for each other because they know it’s it takes. Lindenwood won the MIAA this season has been different one’s student sulkingathletes about not getting to it’s play. and startedlastthinking cess what to the various important.

Heck, not uncommon year, andabout Lewis ourselves, has been topbut of Truman State University’s women’s than and Truman faculty who workedjustforfully a senior to be in hanging out with awe’ve our league for years.

Iattitude think our that kids basketball team in rebounded after their she has seen her previous four years on I think everyone’s bought to instead taken on the Jan. 3 loss to Lewis University with a alongside her over the years, and freshman in our program, and I think know we can play with the both of the team, win andstreak, she credited Eagan’s coach-the importance winning.” of keeping that’s pretty cool.” we shouldthem, play for other.

There’s no stressed and each I think we are working three-game all while playcompany regardless of the Eagan said the losses even morethough on the mental than ing the road. ingexclusively style as aonfactor in the team’sgood success.

Steinhoff saidsituthe personalities of team’s the two pressure, we’regame doingmore so well.

The Bulldogs posted a 73-51 win ation. She said the various connec- against Lindenwood University and anything to get to that level.”

Steinhoff said theof team has hadtions a level team Lewis members haveearlier fac- inWe up andsenior say, ‘Let’s have fun betweenvarious her andBulldog her athletes University the just year walkRedshirt guard Rachel over the University Indianapolis, pushthat’s the teamtored to perform better and ofhave been great learning an win against of 83-72 cooperation andthea University drive to win into this spirit team cohesion.

She experiences out there.’”Steinhoff said the attitude of each for the Bulldogs. of the student athletes this season of Southern Indiana and a 65-49 win achieve success as a whole. pushed the team to excel. the team tight-knit group Kirksville to“We break said to ‘family’ everyitself day, is a“Lindenwood and Lewis areThe bothBulldogs has been return differentto than what she has over Bellarmine University throughwe all define what that means years, and I think seen in her previousupfour years the on out break. In addition, head of coach Steinhoff said regardless who and is given of athletes who pushhaving each outstanding other to sucnight at 5:30 p.m. to square against Amy Eagan celebrated her 102nd win because everyone’s definition is dif- we learned a lot from both,” Eagan the team. time on the court or who scores the points, ceed, whether it’s by setting challenges University of Missouri-St. Louis and will See WOMEN’S page 8 with the Bulldogs, becoming the win- ferent,” Eagan said. “Our kids spend said. “We are building this program the team is unified in an effort to take the for the other athletes, hyping them up to continue their home stand for four games W. play their hardest or setting an example until their game at Missouri University of “Every team I’ve played on has loved through teaching. She said despite the Science and Technology Jan. 31. each other, wants to win, all of that, but Bulldogs’ strong record and second-place

During winter break Eagan reached 100th win, women’s basketball became nationally ranked team

Wrestling fights in face of small team

Men’s, women’s swim prepare for spring

Baseball and softball finish off seasons ALLYSON LOTZ Copy Chief

Despite losing two wrestlers from an already shorthanded roster at semester, Truman State University’s wrestling team competed in four meets in the span of a week at the end of Winter Break, concluding with its first individual first-place finish of the season.

Truman’s wrestling team narrowly qualified to compete this season after Truman Athletics eliminated its funding in April 2018 and required the team to raise $75,000 by Oct. 10, a deadline the team met with less than a week to spare. Between graduating seniors and wrestlers transferring out of Truman, the team started practice this season with 10 men hitting the mat.

Head coach David Schutter said this season has been rough. He said his wrestlers have a hard time getting the practice they need because the team does not have enough members, and some of the wrestlers on the team have been sustaining injuries.

See WRESTLING page 8

RYAN PIVONEY Managing Editor

Truman State University’s men’s and women’s swimming teams last competed against the Western Illinois University Leathernecks, winning first place in numerous events, and are now prepping for their next meet.

The women took home first place in 10 of their 14 events, while the men placed first in seven events.

The women’s team won in the 200yard medley featuring Lauren Massot, Ginny Schranck, Maggie Hickey and Emma Brabham. A relay team consisting of Brabham, Lexi Krogman, Allison Garrett and Kaylee Sisson also took first place in the 200-yard free relay.

Megan Mensinger won the 500-yard free event, and Emma Barnett placed first in the 1000-yard free event. Barnett also took first in the 200-yard backstroke

while Massot had the same showing in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200yard individual medley.

Hickey also placed first in both the 100- and 200-yard butterfly, and Schranck won the 200-yard breaststroke.

On the men’s team, Justin King touched the wall first in the 200-yard fly and 200-yard individual medley.

Jack Mckenzie also won first in the 100-yard fly.

The rest of the men’s wins were in freestyle events with Lliot Gieseke winning the 100-yard, John Breen winning the 200-yard, Riley Olson taking the 500-yard and Connor Neils taking the 1000-yard.

The men will compete next Jan. 18 against Missouri University of Science and Technology in Pershing Natatorium.

Both teams will compete Jan. 19 against Washington University in St. Louis also in Pershing Natatorium.

Juniors Maggie Hickey and Justin King were awarded PNC GLVC Swimming and Diving Ahtlete of the Week for their performances in the Dec. 1 meet. Photo by Truman Athletics

Photo by Truman Athletics VOLUME 110

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Top Left: The graduating seniors pose with their families on senior day at Truman.

Coach Erin Brown also had her last game at home as a Bulldog. They hope to put an exclaimation mark on their season with a good showing in the GLVC Tournament.

Top Right: Adrienne Compton and Emma Walber bid farewell to Erin Brown. Brown leaves with the most wins in program history. The Bulldogs had a successful season with a record of 28-15.

Bottom Left: Tanner Forck pitches in a game this season. The baseball team had a disapointing season only reaching a record of 6-32. They had a number of players who were injured as a well as having a young team.

Bottom Right: Tyler Blackington makes a play on defense in a game this season. The baseball team will continue its season and hope to finish strong this weekend in the GLVC Tournament. Photos by Kara Mackenzie

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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

TRUMAN WRESTLING PROGRAM ELIMINATED

The Truman State University wrestling team lost funding, bringing the program to an end. Coach David Schutter ended his 29-year career with Truman this season. Photo by Truman Athletics

Truman’s longest tenured coach departs following loss of Bulldog wrestling program CHASE POTTER Staff Writer

Truman State University will be losing its longest tenured coach, David Schutter, following the elimination of the Truman wrestling program after this semester.

The wrestling program is being cut before the upcoming season because of the University’s budget constraints.

Originally, the program was set to be cut prior to the 2018 season. After coming to an agreement with University President Sue Thomas and Athletic Director Jerry Wollmering, the wrestling team was able to fundraise their way to one more year of competition.

Prior to the 2018-2019 season, the wrestling program successfully completed the first part of a two-part agree-

ment with Truman. This agreement stated the program must independently raise $75,000 in order to compete in the 2018-2019 season.

The second part of the agreement stated the program must independently raise enough money to create and endow a fund large enough to support the program for the indefinite future with only the interest gained from the fund.

The University set the deadline for this fund to be raised in full by March 10, 2019. This gave the team just 296 days to raise a fund large enough to generate thousands of dollars in interest to support their program. After the team was unable to meet these standards, the Truman wrestling program has come to an end.

Now, as the 2019 spring semester ends, the wrestling program will go

with it. The mats have been rolled up and the office is cleared out. In addition to the loss of the wrestling program, Truman will be now be departing with coach David Schutter.

Schutter has been the leader of the Bulldog wrestling program for a staggering 29 years. After serving four years in the U.S. Army and finishing as a finalist in the 1988 Olympic Wrestling Trials, Schutter joined the Bulldogs in 1990.

Since then, Schutter has undoubtedly amassed the best coaching resume in the wrestling program’s long history.

Schutter helped the ’Dogs win six Academic National Championships in his tenure, including four straight from 2007-2010. He led the team to their only undefeated season in 1993, going 11-0-1. He holds the record among

Golf team wraps up season, graduates four players SAM ROETTGEN Sports Editor The golf team finished its season this weekend with an 11th place finish at the GLVC Tournament.

The Bulldogs placed two players in the top 30 of the tournament. Senior Brooke Kelley finished in a tie for 26th with a three-day score of 249. Junior Lindsey Repp finished 28th with a score of 250.

Kelley had 31 career events played as a Bulldog. Her finish this weekend was her 16th career finish in the top 20, and she had a career scoring average of 86.9 in 64 rounds. Additionally, Kelley was awarded The James R. Spalding Sportsmanship award for the second straight year. This award recognizes Truman State University athletes that show good sportsmanship and ethical behavior both on and off the field as well as in the classroom.

The Bulldogs have three other graduating seniors. Katie Posto, Peyton

ISSUE 21

See WRESTLING page 13

Track and field prep for GLVC tourney SAM ROETTGEN Sports Editor

The golf team poses at the GLVC Tournament this weekend. Pictured are Brooke Kelley, Lindsey Repp, Emily Ducaji, Katie Gastrau and Maya Schnable. Photo by Truman Athletics

Sandfort and Madison Weilbacher have all played for the last time as Bulldogs.

“It is always tough when our seniors graduate and we lose their experience, skill and leadership, and they will all be greatly missed,” Golf Coach Clint Fitzpatrick “It is always tough when our seniors said. “It will be especially graduate and we lose their experience, be hard this season when lose our No. 1 player skill and leadership, and they will all we and captain Brooke Kelley. be greatly missed.”

Words can’t describe what Clint Fitzpatrick, she has meant to this team Golf Coach over the last four years.

Nobody works harder VOLUME 110

Truman wrestling coaches with 132 dual wins, and he coached Truman’s first National Champion wrestler since 1968, Merrick Meyer in 2004, ending a 36-year drought.

In 2008, Schutter was presented with the Bob Bubb Coaching excellence award. This award is presented annually to a single coach at the Div. II level who epitomizes the qualities of a role model and mentor for student athletes.

Over his long career Schutter said he has found pride in being a mentor first and a coach second, striving to transform the young men who step into his program into leaders.

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than she does and her leadership and accountability have definitely helped shape the rest of our team.”

The golf team had an inconsistent season after the departure of three players last year, however, there was still a lot of optimism going into the season.

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The men’s and women’s track and field teams did well in the Truman Twilight Quadrangular meet at Stokes Stadium. The meet served as a tuneup for the GLVC Championships at the end of this month.

Both teams grabbed the majority of the gold medals with the men winning in 12 of the 17 events and the women winning 13 of their 16 events.

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Ally Ebert competes in a meet April 25. Photo by Sam Roettgen @TrumanMediaNet

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