The Northwest Missourian by Northwest Missourian

NORTHWEST

MISSOURIAN

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2021

MARYVILLE, MISSOURI

NWMISSOURINEWS.COM

VOL. 110, NO. 1

@THEMISSOURIAN

Masks here to stay, for now

New strain prompts mandate to return SIDNEY LOWRY News Editor | @sidney_lowry

ith students pooling back to campus, Northwest has outlined their new COVID-19 mitigation and safety procedures, including requiring masks regardless of vaccination status and getting rid of Zoom as a required online option. After spending the whole summer not requiring masks for vaccinated individuals, this fall students, faculty and anyone on campus will be required to wear a face covering regardless of vaccination status. Lt. Amanda Cullin, who works with Northwest’s Emergency Management Team, said every procedure put into place goes by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines which had recently changed their own mask mandate despite vaccination status. Cullin said the mask mandate and COVID-19 policies are changing on campus because of the impact COVID-19 is having again due to the delta variant. Missouri was taken by storm with the delta variant; in midJune 30% of Missouri COVID-19 cases were linked to the delta variant, according to TIME Magazine. Other states were showing up at less than 5%. Cullin said Nodaway County was significantly impacted, bringing on the reintroduction of the mask mandate on campus. “Now due to the delta variant and the vaccination rate, they (CDC) came back and said if you are in an area that is signiﬁcantly impacted by the delta variant, we suggest that you wear face covering indoors,” Cullin said.

ADDALYNN BRADBURY | NW MISSOURIAN

During Freshman Convocation on Aug. 17, President John Jasinski walks through the crowd of cheering students to start off the event. Convocation initiates the start of the year for new students as they celebrate becoming Northwest Bearcats.

Though face coverings are required on campus buildings and facilities, they may be removed in dining halls or indoor areas where six feet of distance can be obtained. Northwest also outlined in their mitigation policies that face coverings will be required at all times in all classrooms

and labs. The Wellness Center, Horace Mann Laboratory School, Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families and Safe Ride vehicles require face coverings regardless if social distancing can be obtained. Cullin said the mask mandate put into place Aug. 13 is temporary

and will be reevaluated frequently. “We have a holistic process so we are looking at data that directly impacts us,” Cullin said. Not only is the University looking at campus data, they are using county and state information to reevaluate policies.

SEE POLICY | A4

Retired tech instructor dies at 68 Roger Lee Van Holzen, 68, of Maryville, Missouri, died Monday, Aug. 9 at Mosaic Medical Center - Maryville. Van Holzen was a key player in several technology initiatives at Northwest, which led to his appointment to the director of the campus faculty technology center in 1999. He stayed on with the University for 20 additional years and retired in summer 2020. Before his time at Northwest, Van Holzen attended Sacred Heart Catholic School in Marshﬁeld, Wisconsin. He graduated from Columbus High School in 1971, where he still holds a running record to this day. Van Holzen went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, then taught high school history and computer science for 10 years. Colleagues of Van Holzen recount his drive to constantly learn new things and be up-todate ontechnology in a changing world. He even earned a horticulture degree from Gateway Tech in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He earned his master’s degree in computer studies from Northwest in 1987 and began teaching at the University in the computer science program. He received his doctorate in instructional technology from Texas Tech University in 1993. Van Holzen met Michael Segura June 1, 1991 and they married December 25, 2016. Segura survives the home. Other survivors include stepmother Dorothy Marshield, Scott (Barb) Eau Claire, Jeff (Kris) Ashland, one niece, Kinsey (Steven) Ashland, step-brother Mark (Julie) Stangl, Andrew Huerta, Victor (Velma) Valdez, David Desecottier, Jonathan (Kelly) Huerta and Michael Andrew. Funeral services were held Aug. 12, but memorials can still be made in Roger’s name to Bernie and Katie Myers at 31130 250th St., Maryville, MO 64468 to establish a memorial at Mosaic - Maryville.

Nodaway County lags behind in vaccine rates NATHAN ENGLISH Managing Editor | @nathan_3nglish

An estimated 42% of Nodaway County residents as of August 14, including those not yet eligible to receive the vaccine, have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Nodaway County Health Administrator Tom Patterson said he, like many other health oﬃcials, would like to see that number higher. Nate Blackford, president of Mosaic Medical Center Maryville, said Northwest faculty, staff and students have higher vaccination rates than the surrounding population. Around 330 vaccines were distributed in Nodaway County last week. Three weeks pri-

IN THE NEWS

or, the number was hovering around 170 vaccines distributed. Patterson said people seem to be gearing up for the school year by getting vaccinated. Missouri is ﬁrmly in the bottom half of the country in terms of vaccination rates with a little over 43% of the Show-Me State’s population being fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to John Hopkins University. Both Patterson and Blackford said vaccines are the best defense and mitigation strategy against COVID-19 and the contagious delta variant. Blackford and others were hoping for a quieter summer after the pandemic peak that swept through the country in the winter months.

42%

50.3%

of Nodaway County’s total population that has been vaccinated

of Missouri’s total population that has been vaccinated

SEE COUNTY | A4

A2 Greek Life recruitment

Greek Life organizations kick off recruitment, try and connect with potential members, with series of events on-campus.

IN THE NEWS

COVID-19 VACCINES BY THE NUMBERS

A3 Remebering Ezra Mohn

Family hopes to honor the legacy of former graphic design student after his sudden passing from diabetes-related complications at 19.

51.4% of the U.S. total population that has been vaccinated

SOURCE: OUR WORLD IN DATA & MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES MAKAYLA POLAK | NW MISSOURIAN

OUR VIEW

Students are back and so is the mask mandate. Why everyone needs to do their part and maybe this mandate will only be temporary.

IN SPORTS The Spoofhounds look to build on last season’s state title game appearance as new season is close to kicking off. A7 MHS Football

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NEWS

Greek Life prepares for in-person recruitment QUENTIN MORRIS News Reporter | @QuentincMorris

ting faces to chapters and having the first face-to-face interaction.” The pandemic made many feel like last year was an off year, especially because they were restricted on what kind of activities they were able to do. Some of the restrictions, like not having any food at events and even limiting face-to-face interactions, limits what activities can be done. This year, the only COVID-19 rule for recruitment is everyone must wear masks for indoor events. Many chapters think they will easily see more potential new members. The number of recruits did jump significantly as Interfraternity Council formal recruitment numbers more than doubled after Meet the Greeks on Sunday. Around 7% of the new male student population has signed up. Panhellenic has a total of 170 new members.

The whirring of Cornhole bags, the sound of a compressor from the slushy machine, the upbeat laughter of new friendships and the smell of paint from the “Greek Life Rocks” rock painting table — that is how Greek Week recruiting started off. For the past year, the phrase “back to normal” has been repeated despite COVID-19 continuing to affect campus life. The back to normal sentiment was once again on display as Greek Week officially started Sunday, Aug. 15. Representation from all of Northwest’s fraternities and sororities had one goal in mind: inform newcomers of the opportunities Greek Life offers. Thomas Mick, Noble Ruler of Alpha Gamma Rho — the term Alpha Gamma Rho uses for president — said, “Today is about put-

ROSCOE FLINT | NW MISSOURIAN

Phi Sigma Kappa recruiter Dillon Davis discusses recruitment with freshmen during Meet the Greeks Aug. 14 under the bell tower. Phi Sigma Kappa has many interesting events planned for the coming month, including a waterslide and other chapter-specific recruitment activities according to Davis.

The recruitment process continues throughout the next couple weeks as the fraternities hold open houses on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20. Following those events, chapter-speciﬁc recruitment activities will be Aug. 21-26 and preference day runs 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 28. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Finally recruitment ﬁnishes up with Bid Day on Aug. 29 with scheduled events going on from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Panhellenic recruitment will start with open houses 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 21, a Philanthropy Round 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 22, Preference Round 12 p.m. to

7 p.m. Aug. 28, followed by Bid Day 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 29. There is no registration process for Northwest’s historically Black fraternities and sororities, but if students are interested in joining, they can reach out on social media or the Oﬃce of Student Involvement.

Incentivized on-campus vaccine clinic sees minor turnout SIDNEY LOWRY News Editor | @sidney_lowry

timates that 28% of students, 40% of on-campus students, and 53% of employees have shared their record of vaccination based on voluntary self-reporting. Northwest is still compiling vaccination cards for the drawing and vaccination data. Wellness Services thought putting on a mass vaccination event during Advantage Week would help draw students in for an easy way to get a vaccine quickly. Grace Goetsch, an intern at the Wellness Center, collaborated with Frueh to host this clinic before students went back to in-person classes. “It’s just an opportunity for those who have not been vaccinated to do so before the school year starts,” Goetsch said. “We’re out here for the students to see what we can do for them.” In addition to the clinic, Student Senate sponsored Kool

A COVID-19 vaccination clinic gave out 27 vaccines Monday, Aug. 16 by the Northwest Wellness Center to offer students an opportunity to get a dose of the Pﬁzer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine before the beginning of classes. Assistant Director of Wellness Judy Frueh, who is in charge of the vaccination clinic, said Wellness Services wanted to offer multiple vaccination times during move-in week while people were on campus, but have not planned any more vaccine clinics. “We wanted to hit it hard before school started so their schedules wouldn’t interfere,” Frueh said. Frueh said the Wellness Center is seeing student vaccination numbers grow every day. As of Aug. 18, Northwest es-

Kats, a local shaved ice business, for students who had proof of vaccination in hopes of boosting attendance and getting more students vaccinated.

vaccines were given to students at the vaccination clinic Aug. 16 “We tried to make it enticing for students,” Goetsch said. “It seems to have helped a little bit. Or at least we hope it does. We were looking to get freshmen because we knew they were going to be circulating in and out to see if they wanted to get it before their freshman year.”

Goetsch also said the clinic had enough supplies for around 500 students, while Frueh said the Wellness Center has around 1,000 vaccines available. “We want people vaccinated as soon as possible,” Frueh said. “We want people safe when they get here, not five weeks after they get here.” In efforts to have students continue to get their COVID-19 vaccine, the Wellness Center is holding drawings for students who submit a photo of their vaccination card. In the Aug. 18 and Sept. 13 drawing, fully vaccinated students have the opportunity to win two $2,500 scholarships, three parking passes, three $100 gift cards to the Bearcat Bookstore, or 16 $50 dining dollars. Some students didn’t come to the clinic for snow cones or to be entered into the drawing. Freshman Alexandria Duhn

said she got her vaccine to protect herself and those around her and live out a school year as normal as possible. “They told us the rules, like if you’re vaccinated and somebody around you gets Covid, then you don’t have to quarantine,” Duhn said. “I also just honestly wanted to get vaccinated because I haven’t done it the past year.” Though there was a vaccination clinic held, students don’t have to wait for another one to get their vaccine. Frueh said the Wellness Center oﬀers vaccinations Monday through Friday. “I think it is important because this year is an opportunity for us to have a normal school year, as normal as we can get it, and to do so, getting the vaccine helps,” Goetsch said. “Not only would it help those around you, but the classroom environment. The safer the better.”

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NEWS

Aug. 19, 2021 @TheMissourian

Family seeks to honor memory of Ezra Mohn NATHAN ENGLISH Managing Editor | @nathan_3nglish

SUBMITTED

Ezra Mohn, who majored in graphic design his freshman year at Northwest, was also an avid outdoorsman who frequently enjoyed going hunting, fishing and camping, among other things. He died due to a diabetes-related complication July 24.

art style and character design of those on the screen. He wanted to add his own spin on things, always looking to enhance and improve the world around him. He began drawing as soon as he could grasp a utensil, and his fascination with art led him to Northwest where he initially planned to major in Art Education before transitioning to graphic design. He was careful and considerate with his art, adopted mother Joanna Mohn said. He took considerable time creating every piece and completed things with care. When it seemed Ezra had no more time for any other hobbies, he would still find a way. His biological father Chris Barnett was using his experience as a mechanic to teach his son how to fix cars. Ezra Mohn was a “goofy-inspirational” person Wood said, and unabashedly himself no matter what crowd he was in. It was difficult to find him without a smile on his face. Both his biological and adopted parents noted Ezra Mohn’s deep care for other people. “I don’t think he had an evil bone in his body and that was no joke, from the time he was born up until the very last day, he did nothing but love people,” Wood said. A close friend of his had com-

Ezra Brenden Lee Mohn was never bored. “He would go on Youtube to find crazy things to do,” Ezra Mohn’s adopted father Kenneth Mohn said. Whether it was new yo-yo tricks or creating his own Lichtenberg machine using parts from a microwave to burn wood and make patterns. Ezra Mohn unexpectedly died in his off-campus residence July 24 of a diabetes-related complication at the age of 19. He had been diagnosed with the disease as a pre-teen and washaving trouble with his insulin pump prior to his passing, Kenneth Mohn said. Even with his diagnosis, Ezra Mohn was always on the move. Ezra Mohn embraced his Midwest routes as an outdoorsman and loved to be active. He biked, ﬁshed, hunted, camped and participated in nearly every sport he could, from wrestling to track to basketball and many more. “We literally went from one sport straight into another all year round,” biological mother Tiﬀany Wood said. Art also fascinated Ezra Mohn. When he would play video games as a child, Wood said he would regularly critique the

mitted suicide while Ezra Mohn was in high school. He still had the obituary hung up on his wall as a reminder and a way to honor his friend, Joanna Mohn said. His adopted parents called him a “hero to children.” He enjoyed bringing joy to those younger than him, often with the simple piece of plastic on a string that he was learning to master. He cherished being a son, a brother, a boyfriend and a friend to those around him. He particularly cared for his younger sister Esther Mohn who was born when Ezra was seven. “From that day (her birthday) forth, he knew nothing but how to protect her,” Wood said. He was always looking to help those close to him, even when ordered not to. Wood and Barnett said he would often sneak out to mow the yard or do other chores and help out in any way he could, even despite being told whatever task it was could keep until tomorrow. Ezra Mohn was not returning to school for his sophomore year of college right away. He was planning to take a break and spend some time working. He was excited about the prospect of living on his own. “My son, he was a great intelligent man,” Barnett said.

Face coverings optional heading into new school year at Maryville R-II KAILEE FORD News Reporter | @kailee_ford

mask,” Maryville High School Principal Thomas Alvarez said. If in-person classes are unable to continue due to mass absenteeism of students and staﬀ, the district will continue learning completely virtually by providing school books and webbased software. Teachers will stay in contact with students through phone or video and internet will be provided if a student does not have access to it. With mask wearing left up to the students, Alvarez said the school won’t enforce masks and would support the students no matter what option they choose. The Maryville R-II School Board released the new guidelines July 26 and created them based on COVID-19 safety information from the Nodaway County Health Department and the CDC, despite the CDC changing their guidelines for

Maryville R-II School District detailed their COVID-19 safety and mitigation policy in a news release which included guidelines for social distancing, cleaning protocols and symptom monitoring before attending school. Due to the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all staff and students in K-12 schools wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. However, face coverings are not required unless a mandate is put into place. Such a mandate was voted on by the Maryville R-II School Board, Superintendent of Schools Becky Albrecht said, but not approved. “We want everyone to do what they feel is best for them personally whether it’s mask or no

mask wearing in July. Nodaway County has 58 current active cases of COVID-19 as of Aug. 14, according to the Nodaway County Health Department. The department continues to recommend social distancing and masking, and urges people to get vaccinated. Nodaway County, nor the city of Maryville, have a current mask mandate. Mandatory vaccinations for students and staﬀ has not been discussed by the Board of Education, Albrecht said. Albrecht said that backlash over these decisions is bound to happen, and the Board of Education cannot make everyone happy. Albrecht was unable to comment on any criticisms or backlash mentioned, instead restating the importance of a safe education for all students. “We hope the measures we have in place will prevent any

FILE PHOTO

In this file photo from Janury 2021 face coverings where required indoors in Maryville R-II. With the new school year starting August 26 face coverings will be allowed but not required for students, staff and faculty.

future closures,” Albrecht said. “We want kids in classrooms.” Both Albrecht and Alvarez said they hope the school year will proceed with students remaining in-person, and that they were excited to see students

back in classes after having been unable to the past school year due to COVID-19. “We’re getting ready to do what we do best, which is education,” Alvarez said. “It’s starting to feel like a regular year.”

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Aug. 19, 2021 @TheMissourian

CRIME LOG for the week of Aug. 19 Northwest Missouri State University Police Department Aug. 17 UPD made an arrest on a warrant for Adaina M. SaxtonRoss of Kansas City, Missouri, at lot 56. Aug. 16 There is an open investigation for property damage at the Raymond J. Courter College Park Pavilion.

Maryville Department of Public Safety Aug. 13 A summons was issued to Carl D. Dosztan, 36, for failure to appear in court on the 400 block of North Market Street. Aug. 11 There is an ongoing investigation of larceny on the 1500 block of East First Street. There is an ongoing investigation for property damage on the 1600 block of South Main Street. A summons was issued to Kody L. Lull, 28, for a peace disturbance on the 500 block of East First Street. There is an ongoing investigation for tampering with a motor vehicle on the 300 block of Volunteer Avenue.

Aug. 10 There was an accident between Shannon N. Auffert, 23, and Vicki L. Williams, 70, on East Edwards and South Market Streets. Aug. 9 There is an ongoing investigation of larceny on the 300 block of South Main Street. Aug. 8 A summons was issued to James S. Barton, 24, for possession of marijuana on the 100 block of East Third Street. A summons was issued to Aaron M. Valentine, 19, for possession of a fake I.D. on the 1500 block of North Main Street. A summons was issued to Brendan P. Aldrich, 20, for possession of a fake I.D. on the 1500 block of North Main Street. Aug. 7 A summons was issued for Rigoberto C. Valencia, 38, for driving while intoxicated, open container of alcohol in a moving vehicle and an equipment violation. Aug. 6 There is an ongoing investigation for trespassing on the 200 block of Park Avenue. There was a fire caused by a vehicle on U.S. Highway 71 and M Highway.

COUNTY

CONTINUED FROM A1 The delta variant, a proven more contagious form of the novel coronavirus, made its way to the U.S. and began ravaging unvaccinated populations. The variant hit disproportionately, aﬀecting a certain part of the population: young and middle-aged people who have not been vaccinated. The push at the beginning of the vaccine rollout was to target those most at risk, the old and immune-compromised, Patterson said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 90% of people over the age of 65 have been fully or partially vaccinated. Younger people and minority demographics have lower vaccination rates, resulting in higher hospitalization rates from the delta variant for those populations. Springfield, Missouri is a warning to Blackford of what could potentially happen locally. The southern Missouri city and Greene County, as a whole, made national headlines during the summer as its hospitals were overwhelmed by unvaccinated individuals with severe cases of COVID-19. Presidents of two prominent hospital sys-

tems in Springﬁeld Cox and Mercy Health made continual pleas to the public to get vaccinated. Blackford estimated the COVID cases in the Mosaic system to be around half of what they were in the winter months, but because of delayed care and other circumstances, the system is at around the same capacity it was during the winter. “Flattening the curve,” will be important to make sure Mosaic does not become overwhelmed and start sending away or transferring patients. Prior to COVID-19, healthcare was local, Blackford said. People want to be treated close to home, but the pandemic and hospitals at capacity have caused a change in that model. Blackford said the Mosaic Health System has received calls from St. Louis to Atchison, Kansas inquiring about bed availability, and Mosaic has accepted overﬂow patients from those locations. With Northwest and other local schools resuming classes, both Patterson and Blackford anticipate an uptick in cases, but both are cautiously optimistic the spike will not be near the level it was August of 2020. “Anytime you bring 40% of the community back in at one time you run the risk of indi-

NEWS

viduals bringing COVID with them,” Blackford said. That optimism springs from a few factors, one of which is that decision-makers are now experienced. Last year was uncharted waters for everyone on how to handle a school year during a pandemic. Now, leaders have experience to learn from. “We are operating from a playbook, so-to-speak,” Patterson said. Vaccinations are another point of hope for local health ofﬁcials and potential full FDA approval could push more people to get the vaccine. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna both submitted vaccine data for full FDA approval, different from the emergency approval they were granted in 2020, which is expected to increase vaccination rates across the country if approved. “We hear from people that are like ‘not getting it ‘til it’s approved’,” Patterson said. Blackford urged people to talk to their primary care physician about whether or not the vaccine is right for them and their situation. People who will be in or around large groups and/or people who are immuno-compromised are heavily encouraged to get vaccinated.

Aug. 4 There was a fire caused by a vehicle on U.S. Highway 148 and OO Highway.

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ADDALYNN BRADBURY | NW MISSOURIAN

A sea of Northwest students and faculty watch as Convocation begins with speeches from President John Jasinski, Provost Jamie Hooyman, Vice President of Student Affairs Matt Baker and Student Senate President Bailey Hendrickson.

POLICY

CONTINUED FROM A1

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Mitigation policies are being evaluated based on data like student and staff vaccination rates, Nodaway County case rates, hospitalizations and hospital capacity. Another change that will be coming to campus is the lack of online options for class. Last year, classes heavily relied on Zoom and online alternatives for blended courses, providing quarantined students with another way to remain in class. This year Northwest will not be

providing Zoom or requiring an online option for those students. Cullin said instructors and students will have to work together if they are told by the University they need to quarantine. If students don’t have proof of vaccination and are contact traced by the University, they will be required to quarantine either on campus in quarantine housing or at home. In order to be considered a contact, they would have had to spend more than 15 minutes within six feet of the person that tested positive, even if wearing masks. This year, the quarantine

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housing will be moved to Dietrich Hall. Rose Viau, assistant vice president of student affairs for residential and auxiliary services, said this was mainly because of two things: North Complex’s lack of air conditioning and Dietrich being unoccupied because of roof construction. Though policies are being evaluated frequently, there will be no modifications unless data changes amongst the University. County officials as well as campus officials are urging students and faculty to get vaccinated so everyone can remain on campus this fall.

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OPINION

Aug. 19, 2021 @TheMissourian

Eﬀects of climate crisis close to home KAILEE FORD News Reporter @kailee_ford

Summer heat waves plagued Missouri as the state experienced heat advisories for multiple weeks, with temperatures in Maryville reaching up to 120 degrees. July was the hottest month on record, beating out 142 years of previous records, according to an article by the Associated Press. In the aforementioned article, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that, in the past seven years, temperatures in July have been the hottest in history. Overall, July 2021 was the hottest July on record, according to NOAA. This message continues to be ignored, and activists sound like broken records, but we need to keep talking about this crisis as an actual crisis. We need to keep presenting the science and showing that climate change, something we think of as a future event, is happening right now. It is dire that we stop using fossil fuels like coal and oil to prevent the worst of climate change. Last week a new report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that we have a very small window to meet in order to achieve this. Current goals of reducing emission by 2050 are not enough. We cannot wait that long because we are already seeing the effects of fossil fuel emissions, now set to increase by 7% this year, according to a Los Angeles Times article. It seems like nothing is changing fast enough. However, Missouri could start making strides to become a leader in renewable energy use in the Midwest. Accounting for about 70% of electricity generation in 2020, Missouri’s largest energy source was coal. Currently, Missouri trails other Midwestern states in renewable energy, but coal use in Missouri is slowly declining as the utilization of wind power roughly doubled in the state. A new bill in the state recently signed by Gov. Mike Parson will make it easier for energy companies like Evergy to move to renewables by allowing energy companies to refinance debt to build new wind plants. Education is vital to tackling the climate crisis. Knowing what climate change means for Missouri is important to our understanding of the climate crisis as a whole and shows how this heat the state has experienced is becoming exacerbated as time goes on. Missourians have the power to push for change and further the conversation of the climate crisis. We can tell our politicians how we feel about the climate crisis and encourage them to act on it. Missouri’s state website offers information about the state’s legislature, including links to look up and contact your representatives and senators. We cannot keep denying the reality of climate change. We need to listen to the scientists, and understand that, even if you aren’t being personally affected by the crisis, you will be in the near future.

ALEXANDRIA MESZ | NW MISSOURIAN

OUR VIEW:

Northwest students should get vaccinated; wear masks It’s been a little more than a year and a half since Northwest students were sent home on an unintentionally extensive spring break. Now, Bearcats return to school to resume classes as normal — or so we thought. President John Jasinski sent out an email to all students discussing how the campus would operate in regards to COVID-19 and mask mandates. “Due to the volatility of the delta variant and low vaccination rates in our region, Northwest is temporarily reinstating its face covering requirement for all students, employees and visitors indoors, regardless of vaccination status, eﬀective Friday, Aug. 13,” Jasinski wrote. If you pay attention to the wording Jasinski used, he said, “temporarily reinstating” the mask mandate. Whether the university intends on mandating masks for a month or the rest of the semester, it seems like there’s a chance for students to go back to normal college life. However, it won’t come without some eﬀort from the students. As we know from last semester, the Wellness Center — in partnership with Mosaic Medical Center — is offering free vaccinations to students. Students should be utilizing this opportunity to protect not only themselves, but their friends and family members from the more contagious and deadly delta variant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states the delta variant is more than twice as contagious and causes more severe symptoms in those who have not been vaccinated. Additionally, vaccinated people who come in contact with the variant will be infectious for a shorter period of time, making it harder to spread the

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Your Bearcat loves the start of school It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The overused phrase is often attributed to the time of year when Maryville looks like the set of a sequel to “The Revenant” where Leonardo DiCaprio treks through the terrible ice-laden parking lot of Taco Bell to get to Taco John’s. However, here in the heart of rural northwestern Missouri, the beginning of classes is truly a magical season. All of the best parts of living in this slice of heaven disap-

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pear during summer vacation but every August they make their triumphant return. The big truck and motorcycle guys are back — I know because I hear them all hours of the day — revving their engines past Roberta, hoping a sophomore in a sorority will realize that what she is missing in her life was a man wearing a Busch Light cutoﬀ and jorts on a green street bike. The 100-level professors with no empathy have also returned

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in full force. They can’t wait to tell every student in their class they have a zero-tolerance policy on late work but will themselves be unable to grade your midterm before ﬁnals week. Last, but certainly not least, are those I classify as “close acquaintances.” People who would never hang out with me and I would never intentionally hang out with either, but we are loosely connected through our major or mutual friends. Every conversation goes the

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mask when you’re supposed to. If we all got vaccinated, we wouldn’t even need to wear masks to protect each other and none of us would have to be worried about getting sick or getting loved ones sick. Of course everyone would have to take caution and wear masks just to abide by the CDC guidelines and ensure the elimination of the virus, but I would imagine mask mandates would become a thing of the past rather quickly. If people are upset with mask mandates and the pandemic in total, wouldn’t it make sense to do all that you can to get rid of the mask mandate? It doesn’t make sense to be upset about being hungry and then bite the metaphorical hand that feeds you. Additionally, by refusing to get the vaccine, you’re actively ruining college for those who chose to get the vaccine as early as possible and diligently wore masks. People who refuse to get the vaccine or wear a mask resemble those children in elementary school who wouldn’t stop talking during the movie, so the entire classroom lost movie privileges. Yes, refusing a vaccine is just as childish as a silly classroom punishment. However, now that we’re here, we must roll with the punches COVID-19 relentlessly throws our way. The mask mandate is implemented to protect students and staﬀ, but what good will it do if students don’t get the more permanent solution to the virus? If students never get vaccinated, we’ll never be “back to normal.” We all want our original sense of normalcy back.

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virus that’s ruining college life. According to the CDC’s reports, people ages 18 to 49 are in an upswing of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and are the largest demographic in hospitalizations in recent weeks. Those who aren’t wearing masks or refusing to wear masks are more at risk than the older adults who were once at higher risk when the original strain appeared nearly two years ago. That’s the point of all of this. It should be permanently gone from people’s minds that this is an illness only affecting the old and infirm. Those people aren’t as likely to be hospitalized and aren’t as likely to die from the delta variant of the coronavirus because they listened and got the vaccine. No single person is too healthy or has a good enough immune system to battle the delta variant. It reacts differently with each person. You don’t know what it could do to your body. You could get over the illness in a few weeks or you could need a medical professional to intubate you and put you on a ventilator and have a machine breathe for you. Now that the unimportant and apparently highly debatable facts have been presented, we can address the main reason why students will care about getting vaccinated. Remember a time when you could walk to the J.W. Jones Student Union and smile at a friend without having to wave to show that you recognized them? Or when you would get that sudden thirst and could put your water bottle to your mouth without any interference? How do we get back to that? Get vaccinated and wear your

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same, with a generic greeting and the one conversation topic we have in common before uncomfortable silence. Man, I missed those guys. All the hallmarks — see what I did there because the company Hallmark makes greeting cards and ornaments for Christmas — are upon us that Maryville is back to its best. The Stroller has been a tradition since 1918 and does not reflect the views of The Northwest Missourian.

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CONTINUED FROM A8 Northwest won the 2019 meeting between the two programs — a Week 10 matchup in Hays — in double overtime with a final score of 36-33. It was a game that practically punched the winning team’s ticket to the postseason, while the losing team’s fate was left hanging in the balance. “We’ve been waiting for this since 2019,” said Hays junior quarterback Chance Fuller, who threw two of his six interceptions last season against the Bearcats. “We’re ready to get back at ‘em. There’s no better place to be than Hays, Kansas, on Sept. 2.” “Always fun to hit quarterbacks and to make plays on them,” said Howard, who tallied eight sacks in 2019. “Chance is a good player. We respect everyone, but Fort Hays is deﬁnitely one we respect as well, up at the top of the list. We look forward to playing that game.” But before Rich Wright can start his fifth year at the helm of the program, before junior Braden Wright can showcase his talents in the Bearcats’ rebuilt oﬀense and before Barnes — who took advantage of the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 — can start his

farewell tour, they’ll all have to grapple with lingering nuances of the pandemic that eﬀectively canceled last season. With vaccinations against COVID-19 more accessible than they have ever been, MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy is strongly urging student-athletes and coaches across the league to get vaccinated. “Medical information shows that the vaccines are safe; the vaccines help reduce the likelihood of infection. And if you do get sick, the vaccines help reduce the severity of the illness,” Racy said. “I do predict that MIAA student-athletes and coaches not vaccinated will be subject, to some level, of institution testing, especially during the fall season, and subject to quarantine if there is a positive COVID test for the team. Student-athletes and coaches who are vaccinated will be exempt from these testing requirements, unless they’re showing symptoms of COVID.” Student-athletes and coaches who get vaccinated won’t have to quarantine, either, unless they become symptomatic, Racy said. Rich Wright knows he can’t force his players into any situation, though. He’s aware of the spike in COVID-19 cases due to the delta variant. Still, he’s con-

tinued to do nothing but lay out the repercussions for his players, reminding them of the “set of hoops they’d have to jump through” in order to make it back on the field should they come in contact with the coronavirus. The set of hoops for a vaccinated individual is significantly easier to manage than for someone who isn’t. “That’s their personal choice,” Rich Wright said. “In light of everything that we went through, I just strongly advise them to talk with their families and become educated on the topic and try to do the best thing for them and for our football program.” Despite the trials and tribulations of trying to make it through a full, 11-week football season while COVID-19 cases are on the rise across the United States, but especially in the Midwest, Barnes wanted one last chance to help the Northwest football program secure a seventh national title. He wasn’t at peace with what would’ve been his last game at Northwest if he would’ve elected to graduate — a 25-3 road loss to Ferris State in the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals. “That’s not enough because we come here to win a national championship,” said Barnes, who led Northwest in tackles (89) in 2019. “That’s not how we want to end. We don’t wanna end with losing in the playoffs; we want to play for it all. That’s just the standard we have.” Barnes is part of a group of 14 players that decided to return to Northwest instead of graduating. By doing so, each one of them halted the life awaiting them after college to pursue that one common goal of being the last team standing at the end of the year. Rich Wright knows that, and he didn’t let it go unnoticed at the podium in the Little Theatre. “I’m particularly proud of this — what I’ve been terming as ‘super senior’ group,” Rich Wright said. “They weren’t gonna let this virus beat us, and

they weren’t going to end their career that way. It’s just fun to watch the resiliency of a bunch of young men.” “It wasn’t an easy decision to come back,” Barnes said. “But looking back on it, I know that I made the right decision. … I’m not ready to give it up; the rest of us weren’t either.” Despite the Bearcats heading into the season voted as the No. 1 team in the MIAA with 10 first-place nods by the rest of the coaches in the league, Rich Wright is aware that his team will have to work with a target on its back to start the 2021 season. “I’m here talking to the

“

Medical information shows that the vaccines are safe; the vaccines help reduce the likelihood of infection.” -MIKE RACY

coaches and they’re like, ‘How’s this guy gonna be? How’s that guy gonna be?’ I’m like, ‘Shoot, I don’t know how I’m gonna be,’” Rich Wright said. “I, as the head football coach at Northwest Missouri State, don’t know what’s gonna happen with this football season. … It’s a good thing; it’s an honor, but we’re not going to put any stock into that. We’ve got to go earn it, starting Week 1 in Hays, Kansas.”

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CONTINUED FROM A8 The choice to have no capacity limit due to COVID-19, for at least the first football game, stems from the availability of the vaccine and each individual’s choice whether to receive one or not. It’s a different approach compared to the MIAA’s 2020-21 basketball season, which featured a max capacity of 25% at each member institution’s gym. Northwest Athletics’ website says the max occupancy of Bearcat Stadium is 6,500. That equated to a max capacity of roughly 500 people inside of Bearcat Arena for each basketball game. There was a league-wide agreement then, mostly because of the guidelines and requirements then-put in place by the NCAA, but Racy and Peterson don’t think there’s a reason to have another one-sizefits-all protocol. “We’ve gotten to the point now, for me, that the vaccines are out there. If you want to get vaccinated, you’re going to get vaccinated,” Peterson said. “If you’re OK going out, you understand what’s going on. COVID isn’t this secret anymore that you don’t know about. ‘Oh, are you kidding me? There’s a pandemic going on?’ No. Everybody knows there’s a pandemic going on. At this point, you kind of know those risks.” But just because there won’t be any attendance limitation for the first game doesn’t mean there won’t be for any of the other four home games. A month after the first day of classes at Northwest in fall 2020, Nodaway County saw its biggest spike in positive COVID-19 cases to date. Peterson is hoping there isn’t another this year. If that’s the case again, tickets into Bearcat Stadium could become scarce. “Is the situation fluid enough to say that we host one football game and its full capacity, and the next weekend it’s not? I think that absolutely could be a reality,” Peterson said. “I think if you do that, though, the rest of the season’s probably going to be like — we’re not going to bound back and forth.” The MIAA will be providing a webpage for fans to check each stadium’s policy before attending. The league is sending out surveys to each institution before Aug. 23 so that the site is ready in time for the leaguewide start date of Sept. 2. Racy’s hope is that the website will make things more convenient for individuals, particularly in the instance that they don’t want to abide by a certain stadium’s guidelines. But above all, Racy and Peterson are urging fans to do what they have to do to get into stadiums, and both have strongly urged people to get vaccinated since the shots have become available. “Everybody needs to do their part and be cautious and safe,” Peterson said. “Hopefully we can keep everybody on campus.” “I think it’s the fair thing to do,” Racy said about leaving guidelines up to each of the league’s member institutions. “I think if the primary concern here is to make sure we’re taking care of each other and staying healthy, then we need to honor what each school is deciding based on what they’re getting from their local health authorities.”

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Athletics names Tellez as softball head coach KESTON OLTMON Sports Reporter | @KO_12_14

JON WALKER | NW MISSOURIAN

Maryville football quarterback Connor Drake readies to receive the center’s snap during the Spoofhounds’ 42-40 win against Harrisonville Sept. 4 at the ’Hound Pound. Drake is preparing for his second year as the starting QB.

Maryville to start redemption trail with preseason jamboree WESLEY MILLER Sports Reporter | @wesleymiller360

Last season, the Maryville football team made it to the MSHSAA Class 3 State Championship before Blair Oaks won 62-40 Dec. 5 in Jefferson City, Missouri. Now, back in Maryville, the Spoofhounds are readying for the journey to get back to the title game. After finishing the 2020 season with an 11-4 record and a second-place finish at state, the ’Hounds are back to work in preparation for the 2021 season. First thing on the calendar is its annual jamboree Aug. 20 at William Chrisman High School in Kansas City, Missouri. The Spoofhounds will scrimmage against the William Chrisman Bears and Center Yellow Jackets, where the players will see how they stack up for the rest of the season. “Every area needs improvement,” Coach Matt Webb said. “We play team football.” Webb said every practice is a part of the Spoofhounds’ process. That process, Webb said, is about making sure every area is improving each day so the team is ready every Friday night. Senior quarterback Connor Drake, who was named the start-

er after Week 1 last season, said he is trying to focus on himself and learn from every experience. “I want to read the defense better, hit routes on time and improve my decision making,” said Drake, who eventually led Maryville to the aforementioned title game. Drake said the whole team has improved a lot through the early summer camps and the ﬁrst two weeks of practice. Even though Maryville is coming off a loss in the state championship game, Webb said he does not think that phases his players in the slightest. They weren’t surprised to get there last season, despite a pandemic and the team’s starting quarterback tearing his ACL in Week 1. “These players grew up in a culture where they’re used to winning,” Webb said. He said it’s not about hoisting the state championship trophy at the end of the 2021 season or winning the MEC: It’s about winning the day. Similar to Webb, Drake said being around Maryville with the success the Spoofhounds have had, along with the success that comes down the road from Northwest, makes it easy for players to get used to the winning atmosphere. He said ath-

letes in this area are just used to winning all the time, or at least being close to a winning team. “It was awesome, but it’s not guaranteed,” Drake said about making it back to the title game. “I think we’re even better than last year, and I believe we can make it far in the playoﬀs.” The nine-game regular season for the Spoofhounds features six home games, with their ’Hound Pound debut Sept. 17 against St. Pius X. The regular season will start Aug. 27 against Blair Oaks in Lees Summit, Missouri. The Spoofhounds fell to the Falcons twice during the 2020 season — Week 1 and the state championship game. Despite the championship game result and the current four-game losing streak to the Falcons, Webb said he isn’t focused on them right now. He’s taking it one practice at a time and preparing for the jamboree. As for Drake, he’s ready to get back to the thing he’s been itching to do since late 2020: play football. “The summer has really ﬂown by,” Drake said. “But I am and have been ready to be on the field and to play this season.”

The Northwest Missouri State softball team is starting the 2021-22 school year with a new head coach for the ﬁrst time since Ryan Anderson was hired in 2007, as Naomi Tellez was named the 10th head coach in program history June 2. Tellez has an extensive history in softball, playing throughout her life and ultimately spending her collegiate career with the University of New Mexico for her freshman and sophomore seasons before transferring to DePaul University for her junior and senior seasons. Tellez said her experience playing as a catcher gave her insight into the game that many players don’t get, which helped prepare her for a coaching career. “Throughout my college years, I’ve been under coaches that have really put a lot of responsibility on catchers,” Tellez said. “You just have to know all aspects of the game, not just your own.” Having a coach that played the sport they are coaching may seem like a given, but for many softball programs, that is a luxury. Sophomore pitcher Breck Dickey mentioned her excitement about having a head coach that has been in the team’s shoes before. “I am very excited,” Dickey said. “She knows how it is mentally and physically on our bod-

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ies. She also won’t let us make any excuses, and she is gonna keep us accountable because she has been there.” After graduating, Tellez jumped right into coaching and began as a graduate assistant at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, before heading to the University of North Dakota as a pitching coach. Tellez worked as North Dakota’s pitching coach for the past three years, and she knew a change was necessary. “I was at a point in my career where I was like, ‘OK, I know I can be an assistant,’” Tellez said. “This is something that has been a dream of mine. Like, this is what I’m going to do.”

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Stepping up Former assistant takes reigns of MHS volleyball program.

New faces, new places NW softball names 10th head coach in program history. see A7

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Aug. 19, 2021

JON WALKER | NW MISSOURIAN

There will be 649 days between Northwest football’s last home game (Nov. 30, 2019 against Lindenwood) and their 2021 home debut (Sept. 9 against Lincoln). Northwest’s Director of Athletics told The Missourian Aug. 16 that Bearcat Stadium will operate at full capacity for the 2021 season, unless there are COVID-19 guideline modiﬁcations from the NCAA and CDC.

Northwest Athletics to operate at max capacity in Bearcat Stadium

JON WALKER Sports Editor | @ByJonWalker

fter sitting empty since Northwest football’s last home game Nov. 30, 2019, Bearcat Stadium will operate at full capacity for the Bearcats’ 2021 home debut Sept. 9 against Lincoln. In coordination with Northwest’s university-wide policies, which were eﬀective starting Aug. 13, fans in attendance won’t have to wear a face covering unless they’re inside of the stadium’s suites. Fans won’t have to provide proof of vaccination to enter the stadium, either. “We’ve talked about, as an institution, evaluating the mask mandate every week,”

Northwest Director of Athletics Andy Peterson said. “We’ll continue to do that, but wearing them inside is really our only limitation.” “Other than that, we’ll ask/require that if you’re unvaccinated to wear a mask. Otherwise, no required mask in an outside space.” The MIAA is leaving decisions regarding stadium procedures up to each institution, considering the transmission rates of COVID-19 and its variants aren’t likely to be the same across the league’s four-state area. MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy, along with Peterson, knows that the University of Central Oklahoma’s campus in Edmond, Oklahoma, will have different COVID-19 numbers than Northwest will in Maryville.

Northwest’s decision, Peterson said, follows speciﬁc guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though that might cause a few complications throughout the league’s 12 diﬀerent football stadiums. “The CDC has come out and said that your local guidelines determine what you’re doing,” Peterson said. “So, that’s awesome that we’ve got autonomy as an institution, but it’s not great if our institution’s in a different scenario than Missouri Western. You could be at Northwest and have to wear a mask, or whatever it hypothetically might be, but then you could go to Western and it’s wide open.”

SEE STADIUM | A6

Bearcats eager for 2021 after 656-day hiatus from football JON WALKER Sports Editor | @@ByJonWalker

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In August 2020, four days after the MIAA announced the cancellation of all fall sports due to COVID-19, Northwest football defensive tackle Zach Howard took to The Northwest Missourian to pen a message to Bearcat fans. “It is saddening to know there won’t be Bearcat football this fall,” Howard wrote Aug. 18, 2020. “There will be Bearcat football in the future. It sucks that it isn’t right now, but it will continue, and when it does, our mission will be the same.” Though optimistic, the then-sophomore wasn’t really

sure when he’d be able to put on a Northwest uniform again. Nobody was. Three weeks shy of a year since Howard’s letter, July 27, he donned a black polo and a pair of khaki pants inside of the Little Theatre at Municipal Auditorium. He sat two rows of folding chairs away from the podium in the octagon-shaped room while Northwest football coach Rich Wright and a pair of his teammates, quarterback Braden Wright and linebacker Jackson Barnes, addressed the media for the first time since they were tabbed as No. 1 in the preseason poll by both the media and league’s coaches earlier that morning. Howard was assured of one

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BEARCATS TABBED NO. 4 IN AFCA PREASEASON POLL

JON WALKER | NW MISSOURIAN

From left to right, Northwest football senior quarterback Braden Wright, coach Rich Wright and senior linebacker Jackson Barnes address reporters at the MIAA Football 2021 Media Day July 27 in Kansas City, Missouri.

thing: The future he wrote about last fall was right around the corner. MIAA Football 2021 Media Day served as a light at the end of the tunnel for each of the 12 teams in the league. “We’re almost here. We waited it out, right?” Howard said. “It’s, like, ‘OK, we’re about to play a game; we’re about to play

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football.’ It’s just really fun.” When the Bearcats take the field for Week 1, Sept. 2 against Fort Hays State in Hays, Kansas, it’ll be their first game against an MIAA opponent in 656 days — the longest game-break in MIAA football history.

SEE MEDIA | A6

When the American Football Coaches Association released its preseason poll for the 2021 fall season, the Northwest football team was tabbed at No. 4. A 22-point loss to Ferris State in the NCAA Division II Quarterﬁnals effectively dropped the ’Cats to No. 7 for the last AFCA Top 25 poll of the 2019 season. Now, with a revamped offense under Todd Sturdy, who joined the program in early 2020, and a defense that returns most of its production from 2019, the coaches who make up the poll expect the Bearcats to be one of the best programs in Division II football. Coach Rich Wright and company will open the 2021 season Sept. 2 against Fort Hays State in Hays, Kansas. It’ll be the ﬁrst MIAA football game in 656 days, the longest break in action in the conference’s history.

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