April 6: President John Jasinski announces departure following the nonrenewal of his contract.
April 20 : Vice President of Culture and University Police Chief Clarence Green named interim president.
June 16: Regents approve a seven-step presidential search process.
July 1: Green takes over as interim president.
Aug. 4: Regents approve a 15-person Presidential Search Committee.
Sept. 14: Regents approve Presidential Search Prospectus following input sessions.
December: Committee reviews 16 applications for the position.
Jan. 26: Michael Godard, David Jones, Kent Porterfield and Lance Tatum are announced as finalists.
MARCH 1:
April 7: Regents vote 4-2 in closed session to not renew Jasinski’s contract.
May 4: An in-person community forum was held for feedback on the Regent’s decision.
June 30: Jasinski’s last day as Northwest president.
July 15: Anthem Executive, a Texasbased search firm, was selected to help Northwest in its search.
Aug. 22 and 23: Anthem Executive hosts multiple input sessions for people to make comments on what they would like to see in a new president.
Lance Tatum, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at Troy University, has been announced as Northwest’s 11th president, according to a Northwest News email March 1.
Tatum will begin his time as Northwest president June 1. The Board of Regents selected Tatum unanimously and agreed to an initial three-year contract.
Tatum hails from the South, having worked at Troy University in many positions since 1998 and before with his bachelor’s and master’s from Troy State University and his doctorate in sport management from Florida State University. In his position as vice chancellor, Tatum oversees 32 academic departments, supervises leaders over multiple offices and is responsible for
January: Committee reviews nine semi-finalist applications.
Feb. 2-16: Finalists visit campus and participate in tours and stakeholder meetings.
DESIGN BY MAKAYLA POLAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
all aspects of the university’s mission.
Him and his wife, Jill, first visited Northwest Feb. 16 when they participated in a tour of campus and multiple stakeholder meetings and forums.
“We’re excited about what’s happening here at Northwest,” Tatum said at the Feb. 16 open community forum. “We think there’s great opportunity here. We think you are moving things in the right direction, and we also believe that we can contribute. That’s another part of what we do. When we look at an opportunity of ‘Are we going to be able to come in and actually add value to the organization?’ I think that we can do that.”
A conference will be held for Tatum March 16 alongside the Board of Regents meeting that day.
Censorship has been around since 1634 in the United States and is not a new conversation. What is new is a proposed rule from Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.
In October, Ashcroft proposed a rule that required library certification for the protection of minors and restricted federal funding from going towards books not appropriate for minors. The rule is composed of several different regulations that increase libraries' written policies and different censorship rules.
A common misconception about this proposed rule is that it will start banning books. Parents are now allowed to challenge a book, but if the book is pulled off the shelf, that is up to the library.
Director of the Maryville Public Library Stephanie Patterson said it was very important to understand the difference between challenges and banning.
“This is about transparency,” Ashcroft said. “It's about the ability of parents to be more in charge. It doesn't ban or burn any books. Frankly, I think it's something that everybody ought to agree with, but you can't please everybody.”
Patterson said she has been conducting a research poll with libraries around Missouri. As of Feb. 22, 37 libraries had responded to her about experiences with book challenges. She said not many of the libraries could report many book challenges. The library with the most, reported 14 challenges within the last year.
“So given that the U.S. Census reports well over 4 million adults living in Missouri, we're so far aware of roughly a dozen or so that have actually walked in a public library and formally challenged a book or movie,” Patterson said in an email to The Missourian.
These numbers are from public libraries, but school libraries face different issues. Around 300 books were banned in at least 11 school districts in Missouri in 2022, according to PEN America. While public libraries in Missouri
are not facing many challenges, school libraries are facing bans. While Ashcroft said his rule doesn’t ban books, it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. It is affecting libraries and authors all over the country.
One of the most prominent policies found in Ashcroft's proposed rule, are the funding rules. The funds for the libraries to host events and buy books come from the secretary of state’s office, and it gets to define the funding received and what it is used for.
“I love libraries,” Ashcroft said. “Libraries receive more funding than they ever have, and I've fought for that funding. I just want to make sure that they continue to be able to do things well.”
Ashcroft said under his new rule the library would still have full control over policies and if a book is removed from the library. Patterson said it would be more accurate to say the governing boards have that control.
Ashcroft also said parents would have the control to choose which books their children are exposed to. He said it is very important that parents can decide
what is and is not appropriate for their child.
censorship problems. Patterson has worked in both small towns and larger ones and said this is not as big of an issue some might make it out to be.
“Despite what popular media can lead us to believe, I have not found there to be any more attempts at censorship in rural areas than there is in urban or academic environments,” Patterson said in an email to The Missourian.
Ashcroft believes that larger libraries tend to have the policies he wants to see already in place and will not have to make as many changes as the smaller towns will.
“I think this will be more helpful for small libraries to get their policies and procedures where they ought to be and where many of our large libraries may already have them,” Ashcroft said.
Ashcroft said this is a necessary rule to allow parents to have a say in what their children are exposed to and keep inappropriate books away from children.
a librarian made the comment that she would have books on how to be a child molester, if they would publish them,” Ashcroft said. “And I said, ‘No, you shouldn’t, even if they did publish them.’ I had been looking at (proposing the rule) and thinking about it, but that’s when I really said ‘OK, we’ve got to figure this out because if we have people like that, there’s a problem.’”
This proposed rule is not supported by everyone. Ashcroft said he has received both negative and positive feedback from people. Some librarians are opposed to this rule because of the difficulties of what is considered age-appropriate and how it differs from child to child.
Ashcroft said that this is not something he is concerned about because parents need a say, and it is important there is transparency within the libraries.
“I haven't had anyone explain to me why it's wrong to be forbidding pornography in our children's libraries, but evidently some people are in favor of having that there,” Ashcroft said.
Patterson said both sides to this argument make sense. Taxpayers have the right to know where their money is going and how it is spent, and parents have the right to censor what their child is reading, but she does not know if the rule is needed.
“I don't know if this rule is necessary or what every outcome will look like, but since taxpayers are required to pay for public schools and libraries every year, I don't think it's unreasonable for constituents to be interested in how that money is being spent,” Patterson said in an email to The Missourian.
“I think parents should not just have a say, they should be the final arbiter,” Ashcroft said. Many people are led to believe small towns have more
“I went to a library directors meeting, and there was a discussion about how much involvement taxpayers should have and what libraries were displaying and adding to the catalog, and
Missouri is not the first state to propose more censorship in libraries. Ashcroft said Missouri needs to follow the other states that have more censorship rules and pass those without rules he feels are good enough.
“I hope that this will create an environment for our libraries to flourish even while libraries and other states are running into real problems,” Ashcroft said.
Northwest’s spring census showed the second-highest enrollment in University history, despite a decrease in undergraduate enrollment, due to record graduate enrollment.
This semester, Northwest’s headcount has increased to 7,923, which is nearly 10% higher than it was a year ago. It was also seen last spring that nearly 36% of overall headcount was made up of graduate students. This spring, Northwest has over 800 more graduate students than the previous year, and they make up 43% of the 7,923 headcount.
Associate Provost of Graduate and Professional Studies
Greg Haddock said when looking across many institutions, there is a decrease in enrollment when looking from the fall to spring semester. Northwest, however, is not seeing the same trends.
In fall 2018, there were just over 1,000 graduate students and now there are just over 3,400 students from all over the country. Haddock said the Graduate Office is working on finding new faculty to handle the increase in numbers within programs.
“The academic units that are seeing more graduate, especially graduate online, are seeing an opportunity to reach out for more adjunct faculty instruction,” Haddock said. “So they're having to track a lot more sections and classes.”
While the graduate programs continue to prosper, Northwest undergraduate enrollment seems to be impacted by the smaller pool of students choosing to have a traditional in-person experience of college.
There was a 2% dip in undergraduate students from last spring to this spring despite a 7% increase in first-time freshman enrollment. Northwest’s retention rate went from 91.6% to 88% this semester.
With the demographics and preferences of students changing across the country, Director of Academic Success and Retention Allison Hoffmann said she and her team are working to predict what incoming students are going to want out of their experience in higher education.
“This is the million dollar question for all enrollment managers, not only across the state in the region, but really the country, is constantly trying to evaluate what's working, what's not working, what new things we need to put into the mix,” Hoffmann said. “I definitely think that student preferences have shifted some as have all of our consumer preferences, post COVID and post pandemic.”
With the decrease in undergraduate enrollment, many factors of the University are impacted, one of the biggest being the overall budgets the institution uses. Hoffmann said all of the numbers that were seen in this census weren’t a surprise, and she recognizes that the overall budget is impacted by the enrollment numbers seen every term.
“As part of our enrollment council we have, we have a member of the finance team
that sits in on all of our meetings so that they're constantly aware of what's happening from a production standpoint,” Hoffmann said. “(They) can be working behind the scenes, you know, they're just trying to think about what is the impact of that? So we definitely are in sync in terms of working together on that.”
International student enrollment increased to 822 students, making up around 10% of Northwest’s population. These students hail from 36 countries, with the majority coming from India, Nigeria and Nepal.
Hoffmann said her office, as well as others, have been working on new ways to attract students and keep them all the way down to the marketing tactics used.
“What we do for a first time, traditional 18-year-old freshman looks a little different than what we do for a transfer student that's maybe, you know, at a community college or even different than that, if they're an adult learner who's looking for the quickest route to degree,” she said. “So we have to really think about our messaging and the strategies that we deploy in order to recruit different segments, so it's definitely not a one size fits all approach.”
“ I haven't had anyone explain to me why it's wrong to be forbidding pornography in our children's libraries, but evidently some people are in favor of having that there.”
ASHCROFT MISSOURI SECRETARY OF STATE
Three Boy Scouts were awarded the Outstanding Public Service Award for their volunteer work at the Feb. 27 City Council meeting.
Mayor Tye Parsons presented the award to Alex Rice, Dane Henderson and Logan Henderson for the work the boys put in during their Eagle Scout projects. The service award was created in 2019 to recognize members of the community and city employees who exceed expectations and make Maryville a better place.
“Over the last year, the City Council has had the pleasure of hearing from several youth who provided leadership and dedicated projects to improve our local park system,” Parsons said.
Rice was recognized for his work of preserving and cleaning the veterans’ memorials on the Nodaway County Courthouse lawn and cleaning the Freedom Rock at Franklin Park. He set out to complete the project before July 4, but finished in a single day due with the help of 28 volunteers.
Dane and Logan Henderson presented their projects at the Jan. 9 City Council meeting. The two proposed the idea over a year ago to work together to clear growth, create outdoor classrooms and help out Maryville Parks and Recreation with Robertson-Christ Park.
“We’ve received positive feedback from the community and from neighbors around the area
saying how good it looks,” Dane Henderson said at the Jan. 9 Council meeting. “People are coming back. People are taking their dogs out on a walk, or having picnics, kids are coming back and playing in the bushes and, you know, having fun.”
Dane Henderson completed the first phase of the project by clearing out pathways, spreading mulch around trees to prevent weeds and powerwashing the bathrooms. During this phase, 59 volunteers throughout the community spent over 300 hours cleaning the park.
Lane Henderson set out to make outdoor classrooms as the second phase of the project. Him and other volunteers cut down two dead trees to create stumps as seats for the two classrooms and paths in and out of the areas.
“All three recipients of the Outstanding Public Service Award tonight worked vigorously to improve our park assets while reducing maintenance burdens placed on staff,” Parsons said. “... Your leadership and hard work sets a tremendous example and reminder of how special the Maryville community is. Thank you for your outstanding public service.”
Other City Council Business:
The Council approved a contract with Motorola Solutions Inc. for two Motorola portable radios for the Maryville Police Department for $11,395.90. The
police department was awarded a Missouri Local Law Enforcement Block Grant, which will reimburse the city for these costs.
An ordinance regarding open burning regulations was amended by the Council. Previously, there were three open burning periods from April 1 to April 14, July 17 to July 31 and Oct. 24 to Nov. 6. The new ordinance will allow for lawful open burning year-round with safety limitations and regulations.
The Council approved a contract with Snyder & Associates for engineering services for the Franklin Park Sanitary Sewer Improvements. The city issued a request for proposals for the
Maryville Sanitary Sewer Conversion Project in 2019, but due to available funds, weren’t able to complete the improvements to the park. Snyder & Associates offered a proposal for $12,000 to revise the plan specifications, construction drawings, underground utili-
ty survey and bidding documents.
The Council approved a contract with Streetlogix for pavement asset management software for $12,750. The annual subscription will cost $5,750 and will allow city staff to evaluate the state of street networks.
Iowa couple Don and Jody Athens donated $75,000 to help fund renovations for the McKemy Center to help the development of Northwest’s Agriculture Science systems. In honor of their donation, the McKemy Center will be renamed as “Athen Family Entry.”
Don Athen attended the University of Iowa, and Jody Athen graduated from the University of Montana. The couple said that even though they are not Northwest Alums, their bond with the institution inspires them to support student success and help advance the careers of graduates interested in agriculture-related fields.
Jill Brown, Northwest’s director of corporate relations and major gift officer, said these renovations are a great opportunity for students and can prepare them for their future career.
“Northwest is fortunate to have a broad set of supporters and donors who believe in investing in the future,” Brown said. “Don and Jody Athen are tremendous friends and supporters of Northwest, and we are most thankful to have them as part of our Bearcat family.”
As well as the Athen family donation, the Board of Regents approved funding for $1.9 million during a meeting Oct. 21.
The McKemy Center was built in 1977 and renovated in 1999. It is commonly used as an agricultural mechanics lab and math skills laboratory. The proposed renovations include features such as technology and simulator lab, welding lab and improved classrooms.
The technology and simulator lab is designed to hold virtual reality welding training simulators. These tools offer students to efficiently train and transfer skills and knowledge to their work.
With the new labs, welders have access to booths holding tools that help prepare them for production welding, general fabrication, construction, training and education.
Throughout the Forever Green campaign that lasted from 20142021, it raised $55 million for a number of projects impacting the University. Through this campaign, it celebrated the additions of the Agricultural Learning Center to the R.T. Wright Farm. With this campaign, the Athens also donated $100,000 to provide for the Agricultural Learning Center on top of a $25,000 gift to create
a scholarship in their name.
Jay Johnson, associate provost for academic operations and development, said renovating campus buildings allows them to invest in their students.
“A benefit is that the students are going to have access to top notch brand new facilities that are going to be better than what brought them here,” Johnson said. “It’s a really exciting opportunity for our students to have a much better experience.”
The Office of University Advancement currently is finishing up fundraising for McKemy Center and is in the middle of fundraising for Martindale Hall. It connects donors through a variety of means to better understand what its interests are while serving as a champion in telling the story of Northwest.
“(The Renovations) will greatly enhance the amount of handson education, while utilizing all of the newest technology and equipment,” Brown said. “Professionbased learning has always been part of the Bearcat culture and both of these transformational projects will allow us to continue to be a leader, contributor and collaborator in serving our communities for years to come.”
“
Your leadership and hard work sets a tremendous example and reminder of how special the Maryville community is.”
-TYE PARSONS MARYVILLE MAYORSIDNEY LOWRY Managing Editor | @sidney_lowry
Members of the Student Senate approved the proposal for fee increases for Safe Ride, Student Activity fees, Campus Recreation and Campus Master plan that were presented at the Feb. 28 meeting.
Matt Baker, vice president of student affairs, and Stacy Carrick, vice president of finance and administration, presented a budget overview and proposed budget increase for those fees. The first presentation was at the Feb. 21 meeting but was continued.
“We’re looking at four fees this year,” Baker said. “What we talked about last week was most of these fees were asking for increases to cover inflationary costs. These aren’t necessarily new things. These are based on maintaining what we already have.”
Baker returned to review the previously discussed topics and allowed the members to vote on an increased budget.
“The Northwest leadership
for the week of March 2
Northwest Missouri State University Police Department
Feb. 25
There is a closed investigation for stealing in Franken Hall. There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Hudson Hall. There is an open investigation for a hit and run in Parking Lot 52. Taylor Holley, 23, was driving while suspended on College Park Drive.
Feb. 24
There was an accident between Diana Linville, 43, and Samuel Lee, 18, on College Park Drive.
Feb. 23
There is an open investigation for property damage in Parking Lot 66.
Maryville Department of Public Safety
Feb. 27
There is an ongoing investigation for a domestic disturbance on the 400 block of North Davis.
Feb. 26
There was an accident between Maryann R. Johnson, 21, and Jonah P. Miller, 16, on the 2900 block of South Main Street.
Feb. 24
There is an ongoing investigation for property damage on the 400 block of South Walnut Street.
Feb. 23
There is an ongoing investigation for a disturbance call on the 300 block of East Summit Drive.
team works with the Board of Regents, we like to keep it below an $800-$1200 a year increase in total,” Baker said. “Right now we’re setting it at around $500.”
Under the proposed budget, the Safe Ride Home app requested to be raised from $1.75 to $2.75 per credit hour. The Safe Ride Home app plans to use these funds to update its app, raise labor cost, improve equipment cost and cover the cost of increasing gas prices.
“I’ve heard from many students that Safe Ride is important to them,” Baker said. “We’ve had an incredible reduction over the last 20 years of DUI’s. We know that this adds safety for people, adds safety for the community.”
The Student Activity fee, originally $3, now $4 per credit hour, is aimed to help aid current programs and add support for already existing organizations. This fee hasn’t been increased for over 10 years, but Baker said now is the time to add additional support due to increasing maintenance prices. This program helps support Senate, Lead Green and mental health
and well-being programs.
The Campus Recreation Fee has been raised from $11.75 to $15.25 per credit hour. This fee will help maintain recreation programs across campus and eventually add opportunities for more. This fee helps improve informal recreation, fitness, intramurals, club sports, special events and collaborative functions through Mozingo Lake Recreation Park. The Fee Committee hopes that with this extra funding, it can maintain current programs and operational levels while student labor and programs increase.
The biggest fee increase, the campus master plan, has been raised from $20 to $25 per credit hour. This program covers residential halls, campus signage, navigation markers, landscaping, classrooms and gathering spaces. This fee addresses central plant and tunnel infrastructure, LED lighting to reduce cost over the years, technology upgrades and domestic water lines.
“We want to invest in order to save money,” Baker said. “It
takes money to make money, one of the things that we’re going to improve is replacing the lighting in the library with LED lighting. It’s $100,000 to replace the lighting, we will save that in a year and a month.”
Other Student Senate Business:
• Student Senate’s 50th president, Ed Douglas, presented his book “25 Truths” and discussed life principles that students should live by.
• Sigma Tau Gamma was appropriated $200 to pay for an app that will track hours spent at library for Greek Study.
• African Student Organization was appropriated $1,500 to put on “Taste of Africa,” an event that will showcase African culture.
• President Elizabeth Motazedi announced the Board of Regents has made its decision and will announce Northwest’s 11th president March 1.
• Motazedi announced a freshman class representative spot opening.
The Influential Women’s Award recognizes women who have made an impact on lives throughout the Northwest campus. Women’s History Month is celebrated in March to recognize and honor the contributions of women throughout history.
Women’s history month was officially recognized by the United States government in 1987. This year’s theme for the month is “celebrating women who tell our stories.” The Influential Women’s Award allows students, staff and faculty to tell their stories.
This award has been given to students and employees since 2007. In the past, it has recognized many women from students, staff and faculty. This year they will only be awarding one student and one employee member due to a new structure of the program. Originally, these awards were set up by the Womxn’s History Month Committee. This year, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion will be partnering with them, and this created different ideas and time matters that led to the decision on the number of award winners.
The Womxn’s History Month committee members are Ashlee Hendrix, Terry Immel and Jacquelyn Loghry. Assistant Vice President of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Justin Mallett said he is excited to hear the stories from the recipients.
“I am a huge believer in recognition, and if we have employees and students that are doing great things, I think we should honor and acknowledge them,” Mallett said.
Mallett and the Womxn’s
History Month Committee will both be a part of the selection process, and Chelli Green is putting together a panel discussion for the event.
The campus was asked to fill out a form nominating women they thought deserved the award. The questionnaire asked why they should be nominated and how they have influenced you or others. Nomina-
tion forms have closed, and winners will be recognized March 21 at 3 p.m. in the Agricultural Learning Center.
Winners will be given a certificate and plaque. They will also participate in a panel discussion on women’s empowerment with Green. Mallett said topics will be about who influenced the recipients in their role, how they got to where they are now and shar-
ing their stories.
In 2021, Rebecca Moore, a professor in early childhood education, received the Infl uential Women’s Award for a faculty member. The Influential Women’s Award gave Moore validation in her work, she said she saw her work was creating change. It lit a fire in her to want to do more for her students to inspire and empower them. She said she hopes the impact she made on others is reciprocated through their interactions with others.
“My goal is to make sure they can see themselves at the next step when they graduate from college,” Moore said. “It’s very rewarding to see them come full circle and seeing the growth.”
When she received her certificate, there were quotes listed on the certificate from what others said about her. One of the comments was “Dr. Moore is the most genuine, selfless and caring person you will ever meet, she will always make you feel loved and recognized.” These comments made her feel accomplished in the support and sources she provides to her students in the classroom every day to help them mentally.
The Influential Women’s Award allows the community to learn more about what women are doing on our campus to make changes in their fields. Mallett said it hopefully inspires other women to keep working towards change and empowering others.
“This award is a way to continue to work, to realize that as a campus and as a community, that we are recognizing all our intersexual identities,” Mallett said.
This is an exciting time of year in the sports world. Division I basketball March Madness is on the horizon, the NBA is officially in the second half of its season and the MLB’s preseason is underway.
The excitement doesn’t stop at the professional level either. For college and high school, the winter sports’ championships are coming up soon. The Editorial Board wants to embrace the excitement and competition but also believes fans should be more cognizant of athletes and their mental health more than ever.
A study in 2015 found suicide was responsible for 7.3% of college athlete deaths from 2003-12, according to the National Library of Medicine. Five college athletes committed suicide in spring 2022, according to Psycom. Both of those numbers are too far away from zero. Fans can do their part by remembering to be supportive and respectful, rather than toxic.
Some of these athletes are about to head into the toughest part of their season. Northwest men’s and women’s basketball teams are set for the MIAA Tournament March 1-5, and both track and field teams are preparing to send athletes to the national championships. Maryville’s basketball teams are in the Class 4 District 16 Tournaments, and the Spoofhounds will
“There’s a lot of stress factors that go into being a studentathlete too. To find that balance between the sport and school. So, staying on top of mental health and making sure that everythings good there definitely helps us compete at our best level and then get our best grades that we’re capable of.”
start baseball, track and field, boys golf and boys tennis within the next month.
Fans should enjoy all of the sports happening in their area and should support the local teams, but spectators have to be mindful of how they act. It’s perfectly acceptable to be a passionate supporter, but there’s a difference between wanting to see your favorite team succeed and berating athletes for their play, whether it be good or bad.
These athletes know better than anyone what’s at stake. They’ve worked all season, and now it’s “make-or-break” time. The pressure rises in the postseason, and this can be especially hard for athletes still in school.
Aside from constantly keeping their bodies in the best shape possible, going to practice everyday — sometimes early in the morning or late at night — and traveling across the state or country for days at a time, high school and college athletes also have to keep up with their school work. Some college athletes won’t see their professors for a week, but they still have to keep their grades up because bad grades means no scholarship.
While these athletes have to keep up with their work at school and in their sport, they now have the added pressure of their season potentially coming to an
ENRICO CAVAGNA Track and Field Graduate Student
“I would say that one week before a big event, conference, nationals, whatever it is, all my way of thinking and my way of behavior changes completely. So, for example, school is less important for me, so I focus more on what I’m going to do, and I try to think of my race and how I will compete and everything. So, mentally wise, I would say that I have way more focus on track and less focus on maybe people, school and other stuff. I wouldn’t say that I’m more anxious because I’m not like an anxious person. It doesn’t bother me though. (It) actually motivates me to be ready for the meet.”
end. The stress can take a toll on their mental health, and fans should think of this before they insult a player for their performance.
They want to win, they want to try their best and they know when they mess up. Damaging an athlete’s mental health is never acceptable. Instead, fans should aim to support and lift their teams up. Positive feedback, or even constructive criticism, will help more than insults.
It’s also important to remember to be respectful outside of sports. Whether physically or not, athletes wear their uniforms wherever they go. If it’s in the classroom, at the store or in the lunch line, athletes are constantly connected to their sports. The stress and anxiety is always there too. Just because they’re an athlete does not mean it’s OK to be rude.
The same goes for anyone. Whether they’re on your favorite team or not, they’re still just as deserving of respect as anyone else. There’s no question Maryville and Northwest have proud fanbases, but fans shouldn’t get lost in the pride.
Fans have plenty to cheer about, so there’s no reason to insult or berate officials and opposing teams. They’re still people, and they’re also trying their best. The best fanbases have the best sportsmanship.
“I would definitely say toward the end of the season mental health for me is a slippery slope. It can get really bad towards the end just because you feel like everything is kinda caving on you. Like school, you’re still trying to perform well for your sport, and you obviously want to win in your sport … but then you’re also getting down to crunch time in the classroom. It definitely feels like everything is caving in, and your mental health does go down a little bit, but knowing that everybody else is in the same boat as you definitely helps you stay up and knowing that there is resources to help you get through that is nice too.”
“(It was) indoor conference (last) week, and it’s also time for midterms, so it always lines up for outdoor conference too. We always have finals that week so it’s really stressful, and we just have to make sure that we’re really organized with school and getting our homework done before the weekend starts because it’s a long weekend – it starts Friday and ends Sunday. With finals at the end of the week, it’s just making sure that you have everything in line.”
Women’s reproductive rights. They have been ripped from our hands, taking the right to choose what happens to our own bodies away from us. I’ve lost a lot of respect for our government — the system designed to give us freedom.
June 24, 2022. The day America changed women’s rights — again. Roe v. Wade was overturned, taking away women’s right to safe abortions.
Whether you believe that as soon as there is a heartbeat, it’s a sign of life and has rights, or because the fetus still resides within the womb, therefore is up to the choice of the mother, it is up to opinion. No matter your belief, the focus should be on women who had no choice in getting pregnant, now being forced to have children that are products of rape.
A woman that is forced into intercourse, who is violated, tormented and dehumanized is now forced to carry and birth a child they did not plan. There is not a single ounce of choice in that situation. Some states have allowed to make the exception for circumstances of rape. Missouri is not one of them.
In America, 1 in 6 women are victims of attempted or completed rape. 1 in 6 women might have to live the rest of their lives with a child of rape.
Rape in itself is traumatizing and follows women around everyday. If by chance a woman finds out that she is pregnant after the event, there is a possibility that she may not want to keep it. There is nothing wrong with making this choice.
Our state hates women. There’s no other way to say it.
Missouri implemented a trigger law before the overturn, resulting in many doctors having to exile practice effective immediately — the first state to do so. Women were immediately forced to continue to full term with their pregnancy, whether it was a result of rape or not.
Just over 50 years ago, Roe v. Wade was passed, allowing women to have an abortion by choice depending on a number of factors. It wasn’t passed to abuse the right. It wasn’t passed to maliciously hurt other people.
It is a simple concept of letting women decide. If a person is anti-abortion, then they don’t think about the option of having one. If they are pro-abortion, then they weigh the options and decide what is best for them.
It’s simple, respect a person’s choice, even if it’s something you wouldn’t do.
Taking a look at the cost
Having a child is a life altering event that not everyone is able to take on. On average it costs $12,980 a year to raise a child. Not everyone can supply that money.
In the state of Missouri, annually, it costs $10,041 for childcare. That roughly breaks
ABORTION EXCEPTIONS FOR RAPE OR INCEST
with exceptions without exceptions
down to $837 a month. The minimum wage in Missouri is $12 an hour, meaning that working 20 hours a week would only cover the cost of childcare with some change.
There is even more to add to the cost if there are medical conditions with the child. Even asthma can cost an extra $3,259 a year. That is just asthma alone, imagine what the cost would be for other medical conditions.
There are obvious solutions to this, including finding a job that pays more and working more than 20 hours a week. However, his option is not available for every woman in the U.S.
I haven’t even mentioned the cost of childbirth, clothing, food, education and the list goes on. There are so many costs that go into having a child, and parents are expected to cover it.
We need a solution to help future parents raise their children through tough times. Although there are options to help with the financial assistance with raising a child, you usually have to go through a lengthy process to be accepted for these options. Still, there is a possibility that a person may be declined for the assistance they need.
Birth control seems to be the solution and the unfortunate wave of the future, but people need to know the facts behind birth control.
For women without medical insurance, a single birth control pack can cost nearly $50. This is what women consider the cheapest form of birth control.
Many women do not have access to health insurance or assistance that will help cover the cost. A cost that could result in hundreds of dollars.
An implant or an IUD is estimated to cost $800 - $1,000 for women without health insurance, and in some cases, it could cost even more.
This is not a viable solution to the problem at hand.
Taking away abortions and not letting women have the choice is depriving them of their life in some cases. If a woman were to become pregnant by rape or incest, she is now forced to bare and birth that child.
In what aspect can a person justify this as humane?
We are falling down a dangerous path by taking away women’s rights to abortion. The protests and the outrage is justified.
At the end of the day, no matter which side of the argument you stand on, all we need to do is respect each other’s views. We are already politicizing women’s bodies, and though I wish it couldn’t get worse, it can. So please, for the sake of not only women, but all people, stop going back in history and just continue writing a new one — a better one.
ABORTION EXCEPTIONS FOR SEVERE HEALTH RISKS
with exceptions without exceptions
ABORTION EXCEPTIONS FOR THE PATIENT’S LIFE
with exceptions without exceptions with exceptions without exceptions
ABORTION EXCEPTIONS FOR FATAL BIRTH DEFECTS
POSTSEASON
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“To get to Kansas City a couple years in a row now, we’re trying to get our program to a consistent level where we’re fighting for championships,” Meyer said. “Obviously, finishing tied for seventh isn’t probably where we want to be moving forward, but you have to look at where we’ve come from and how our program has grown, to put ourselves in a position to go down there and hopefully make a little run.”
While achieving another bid into the MIAA Tournament, the Bearcats finished with a .500 win percentage for the 2022-23 season, marking the first time they have ended the regular season .500 or better in back-to-back seasons in 15 years.
The last time this was achieved was the 200607 and 2007-08 seasons. In the 2006-07 season, the Bearcats made it to the second round of the MIAA Tournament.
In the 2007-08 season, the ’Cats won the MIAA Tournament and made it to the NCAA Tournament. They won their first NCAA Tournament game before falling short against Emporia State in the second round.
Meyer said it’s special to be able to do some-
thing that hasn’t happened in 15 years.
“Just taking what we’ve built here the last few years and just continuing to build off what I think is kind of the culture that we’ve established,” Meyer said. “Just to be able to see it happening is really neat, and then just not be satisfied with that and continue to build on it next year.”
The first round matchup will be Northwest’s second meeting of the season with Newman (1017, 7-15 MIAA). The Bearcats defeated the Jets 6753 when they clashed Jan. 14 in Wichita, Kansas.
Meyer said the key to defeating Newman — the No. 1 team in the conference in 3-point percentage (35.7%) — is getting back on transition.
“They’re playing a lot faster,” Meyer said about the Jets. “So, we got to do a really good job in post defense on her, and we got to make sure you stay home and take away their shooters.”
Atwood, who is set to make her second appearance in the tournament, said having a positive mentality is going to help the Bearcats in the tournament.
“I feel like we know we’re capable of beating anyone, and we have to believe that,” Atwood said. “So, just going in there and having a mindset every game — no matter if we’re playing a lower seed or higher seed — and just the understanding that everyone at the tournament is good, and that includes us.”
TOURNAMENT
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The MIAA Tournament March 1-5 is set. Ten out of the 14 teams in the conference will fight for a chance to add hardware to the trophy case after the conclusion of the championship game at 1 p.m. March 5. As the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Northwest has the first round off before its first game at 12 p.m. March 2.
The Bearcats will either first play eighth-seeded Washburn (14-14, 11-11 MIAA) or ninthseeded Missouri Western (13-15, 9-13 MIAA). The Ichabods and Griffons split the two meetings in the regular season between the two squads. Northwest swept both teams in the regular season.
Should the Bearcats advance past the quarterfinals, fourthseeded Emporia State (21-7, 15-7 MIAA) or fifth-seeded Lincoln (17-9, 13-9 MIAA) will be waiting for them in the semifinals at 12 p.m. March 4.
Even with the uncertainty of who will be the next opponent, McCollum said he doesn’t expect it to be an issue.
“For us, it’s always been pretty easy because we don’t change a ton of things,” McCollum said. “We just change the little minute details, and, you know, when you don’t change per opponent, I think that helps a lot in these tournament settings to where you rely on your fundamentals, and you rely on your habits, rather than on some gimmicky scheme.”
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If Chillicothe upsets Lafayette and moves on to face the Spoofhounds for the district title, it would be the third contest of the season between both teams. Junior guard Derek Quinlin scored 24 points to lead the Spoofhounds to a 54-46 win Jan. 24, and five Maryville players scored in double-digits for a 70-49 win Feb. 23. Maryville has only played Lafayette once this season. The Fighting Irish gave the Spoofhounds their only Midland Empire Conference loss of the season in 72-57 fashion Jan. 5. Stoecklein said that if the Spoofhounds get the chance to play Lafayette again, they are going to be ready.
“After we played Lafayette the first time, the boys were really disappointed with the outcome of that game,” Stoecklein said. “They are really looking forward to recorrecting some things the first time if we do end up facing Lafayette.”
If the Spoofhounds win the Class 4 District 16 Championship, they will face the champion from District 15 in the first round of the state tournament bracket March 6.
Northwest baseball is nearly a month into its season, and the Bearcats have yet to have a home game this season. This changes as the ’Cats will have their home-opener against Missouri Southern March 3.
For the 2022 season, Northwest was 11-8 at Bearcat Baseball Field compared to 5-15 on the road. Coach Darin Loe said playing at home will be good for the Bearcats.
“We got outside a few days in early January for practice at Bearcat (Baseball Field), but we haven’t in a while,” Loe said. “Every time we’ve stepped on a field now, it’s been game day. … It’s huge to be able to play at home.”
Senior pitcher Alex Slocum totaled 24 strikeouts in five home games during the 2022 season. Through four overall games this season, he’s recorded 17 strikeouts. He said it will be a nice change of pace to finally play at home.
“It’s very special — home games here are a lot of fun to play,” Slocum said. “Having one of the only (natural fields) in the MIAA has an advantage for us. We play on it all fall. Also, just the wind and the atmosphere — the ’Cat plays differently than a lot of the turf fields in the MIAA.”
Northwest (2-12, 0-3 MIAA) will open up its home schedule against the Lions (11-5, 2-1 MIAA) in a three-game series March 3-5. The Bearcats are on a four-game losing skid after being swept in a threegame set by Central Missouri (9-5 overall, 3-0 MIAA) in Northwest’s conference opener Feb. 24-25.
In 2022, the Bearcats lost the first five conference games of their season. Slocum said the key for the Bearcats to have a different outcome from a season ago and to bounce back from the team’s 0-3 conference start is to focus on themselves.
“We talk about trusting the process while we’re working on our process — focus on that rather than wins and loses,” Slocum said.
The Lions won the last three-
game series against the Bearcats, 2-1, March 3-5, 2022. Northwest won the final game 6-3 and snapped a sevengame losing streak against Southern. Slocum, who recorded six strikeouts in the win against them in 2021, said in order to be able to defeat the Bearcats they have to not let the Lions bats get hot. Southern tops the conference with 36 home runs.
“I feel like we have a really good chance to win these games,” Slocum said. “They have a lot of good hitters up and down their lineup, but if we’re able to limit them to two or three runs a game, I think we have a good shot at beating them.”
Next on the docket after the threegame series is a contest with Rockhurst (2-9) March 7 at Bearcat Baseball Field. The Bearcats won the last two games against the Hawks.
Slocum said in order to defeat the Hawks, the Bearcats need to get back to the basics. Loe said in order to get better and win, the team needs to stay focused mentally.
“Those games are really tune-up games for the most part,” Slocum said. “Just get guys that may not be getting (at-bats), try to get them comfortable in the box and try to get pitchers comfortable on the mound.”
“At this point of the season, you can beat yourself up if you’re worried about the wrong things,” Loe said. “Just players focusing on what they need to do and being able to have success at the end of the day.”
Northwest softball is preparing for the MIAA/GLVC (Great Lakes Valley Conference) Crossover March 4-5 in Joplin, Missouri, after winning three out of its four matchups in the Washburn Invitational Feb. 24-26.
Coach Naomi Tellez said building off the momentum from the Emporia State University Classic Feb. 1820, where the team went 5-1, played a significant role in the success in the Washburn Invitational.
“In Friday night’s game, we got canceled due to weather, but I was nervous that our offense wasn’t going to keep the momentum, but we came out swinging,” Tellez said. “That was big for us, to make sure that the week prior wasn’t a fluke — that’s the team that we want to be. We want to show up the same way every single day.”
The Bearcats (9-5) will start the MIAA/GLVC Crossover in a doubleheader against Rockhurst (3-6) at 10 a.m. and Southwest Baptist (5-9) at 3 p.m. March 4.
The ’Cats will then face off against Missouri S&T (7-5) in back-to-back games at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. March 5 to finish out the weekend.
As the ’Cats look ahead to the weekend in Joplin, senior infielder Olivia Daugherty, like her coach, said it is key to keep the momentum and bats going.
Northwest averaged 9.25 runs per game this past weekend in Topeka, Kansas.
“We’ve been looking really good,” Daugherty said. “We have a lot of potential, and we are coming off a good weekend with our three wins. I think it will roll into this weekend.”
After back-to-back successful weekends, Northwest is No. 1 in the MIAA in batting average as a team (.340) and No. 6 in the conference in fielding percentage (.965).
A reason why the team’s batting average is No. 1 in the MIAA is because seven players for the Bearcats are hitting above .300 —
NW vs. Rockhurst
10 a.m. March 4 Joplin, Missouri NW vs. Southwest Baptist 3 p.m. March 4 Joplin, Missouri NW vs. Missouri S&T
10 a.m. March 5 Joplin, Missouri NW vs. Missouri S&T 12:30 p.m. March 5 Joplin, Missouri
freshman outfielder Omara Love (.538), Daugherty (.442), sophomore outfielder Lillie Filger (.396), senior infielder Aubrey Griffith (.372), sophomore infielder Skylar Pieper (.341), junior infielder Abby Nolte (.313) and junior infielder Lela Bryant (.306). Love is No. 2 in the MIAA in batting average and Daugherty is No. 11.
Daugherty said live at-bats during practice has helped the team tremendously throughout the beginning of the season.
Live at-bats give players the opportunity to experience game-like situations when they step to the plate.
“After every weekend, we really just adjust,” Daugherty said. “We look at what pitches we were missing and what pitches we were really hitting well on. Just always making those practice adjustments has really helped us.”
Northwest has yet to have a home game and will not have their season opener in Maryville until March 24.
Tellez said it is key to stay mentally focused while heading on the road, week in and week out, during the beginning of the season.
“These girls are resilient, and they definitely take everything in stride,” Tellez said. “Their mindset going into every game is something that we’ve worked hard on — to just be able to control what we can control and go out and play to the very best of our abilities.”
Maryville girls basketball was able to survive and advance to the Class 4 District 16 Tournament Semifinals with a 67-42 win against Cameron Feb. 28.
As for the seniors — guard Anastyn Pettlon and forward Rylee Vierthaler — this is the last time they will ever play in front of a home crowd at Maryville High School.
“Yeah, it’s kinda crazy,” Pettlon said. “I am going to miss these girls and coaches a lot.”
“I don’t know if its really hit me yet, that that’s my last time ever playing here,” Vierthaler said. “I couldn’t have asked for more, to end on such a positive note.”
Along with this being the final home game of Pettlon’s career, she made her 224th career 3-pointer to break the program career 3-point record in the Feb. 28 district matchup against the Dragons (8-17), which was set by Kansas State standout and sophomore guard Serena Sundell.
“I’ve wanted it since my freshman year,” Pettlon said. “It’s been a goal forever and just getting that, it means a lot to me. My teammates were just working so hard to get me the ball all game, so that helped a lot.”
Despite Maryville (12-12) going on a 5-0 run from the opening tip, Cameron was able to climb back into it from the 3-point line as it took a 1814 lead heading into the second quarter. The Spoofhounds were able to cut into the deficit, going on a 10-0 run to close out the half. They went in front 33-24 and ultimately led the rest of the way.
Coach Kelly Obley said Cameron is a well-coached team, and the Dragons have been improving every game all year. She said she knew it was going to be a battle to get the opportunity to move on to the district semifinal.
“(The Dragons) run a lot of really good sets, and the girls worked hard to communicate through those, and then just the adjustment of getting those hands high on shooters and trying to take them out of their rhythm,” Obley said.
Pettlon led the way for the Spoofhounds with 24 points, six 3-pointers and five steals, as Vierthaler had a double-double with 12 points and
11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jalea Price was doing it on both ends of the floor for the ’Hounds as she ended with 11 points and three steals. Sophomore forward Ryesen Stiens was also able to get in on the scoring, adding 9.
The ’Hounds were able to pull away from the Dragons in the second half, as they look to face off against Chillicothe (22-4) in the Class 4 District 16 Tournament Semifinals at 7:15 p.m. March 2 inside Benton High School in St. Joseph.
Maryville has lost to the Hornets twice this year by an average margin of 24 points per game. Vierthaler and Obley said they are not going to worry about the previous matchups, as they have their eyes set on one goal — a district championship.
“I think we’re going to figure out whichever defense, whichever offense works the best, and we are going to use that against them,” Vierthaler said. “Obviously, it is hard to beat a team three times, so we are just going to bring them all we got.”
“We are excited to get to play in a district semifinal,” Obley said. “We see the adjustments that we need to make — a couple defensive rotation things and boxing out and getting those rebounds for extra possessions.”
“
Yeah, it’s kinda crazy. I am going to miss these girls and coaches a lot.” -ANASTYN
The regular season is over, and Northwest men’s basketball is searching for its seventh MIAA Tournament title in eight seasons.
A season ago, the Bearcats reclaimed the tournament crown after losing to Washburn in the 2020-21 MIAA Tournament Championship. Coach Ben McCollum, who is set to coach in his 11th MIAA Tournament within his 14 years at the helm of the program, knows what this time of year means.
He knows what it takes to be successful, with his team being the three-time defending national champions, he knows
it’s “win or go home,” and he knows every team is fighting for a chance to continue its season. Yet, even with the experience, he said it isn’t everything.
“I don’t really read into it too much,” McCollum said. “It probably helps a little bit with some confidence, some understanding of what it actually takes — the effort level that you have to have to be able to win something like this. Those things probably help, so that you know what path you’re supposed to take, but, ultimately, you still have to do it. So, you know, I guess that gives you a little bit better map, but you still have to take the trip.”
The trip Northwest (27-2, 20-2 MIAA) took to get into the
It’s postseason time for Maryville boys basketball, and the team is preparing to make a run in the Class 4 District 16 Tournament.
The second-seeded Spoofhounds had an extra day of rest as they awaited the winners of the first-round games. In the 2021-2022 district tournament, the Spoofhounds beat Cameron, 62-48, in the first round and advanced to the second round before falling short to Lafayette-St. Joseph — the No. 1 seed in this year’s district tournament. Coach Matt Stoecklein said the benefits of having a day off have been obvious.
“To have that extra day of rest in a game where they know it’s going to be intense is a big help,” Stoecklein said.
The Class 4 District 16 tournament started Feb. 27 with fourthseeded Chillicothe taking a 68-47 win over fifth-seeded Cameron in St. Joseph. Later on the same night, third-seeded Benton and sixth-seeded Savannah nearly
matched the score of the first district tournament game, as the Cardinals won 66-49 over Savannah.
Those two games set up the semifinals of the district tournament March 1 at Benton High School in St. Joseph. Lafayette, the defending district champions, plays Chillicothe, and Maryville plays Benton for the third time this season at 7:15 p.m.
If Maryville earns its third win of the season against the Cardinals, the Spoofhounds will advance to the district championship at 6 p.m. March 3 in St. Joseph. Maryville senior forward Keaton Stone said it would mean a lot to him to get a win in his final district tournament.
“We deserve to be here, and we’ve grown a lot throughout the season,” Stone said.
postseason started with a 78-62 win over then-No. 5 West Texas A&M Nov. 5 and ended with a Senior Day, 75-64 win over Missouri Southern Feb. 25.
Through the weeks of the season and the preseason, the team has had chances to develop trust in one another. While some of the players have been with the team for multiple years, a few — including consistent starter freshman guard Bennett Stirtz — are still new.
Sophomore forward Daniel Abreu said sometimes the Bearcats are still trying to find their identity on offense after the departure of the program’s all-time leading scorer, Trevor Hudgins, but the trust within the
team has grown everyday.
“I think we’re all able to do the things that are required on the court, meaning every player is talented, every player can shoot, everybody has things that they are great at,” Abreu said.
“I feel like in the postseason, whenever we’ve already been playing with each other for a long time, the chemistry is just as strong as it can be.”
Northwest women’s basketball is headed to the MIAA Tournament for the second consecutive season, but this time as the No. 8 seed March 1-5 in the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Northwest will kick off tournament play against ninth-seeded Newman at 6 p.m. March 1. Sophomore forward Emma Atwood said being a lowerranked seed won’t impact how the Bearcats play.
“Once the tournament starts, it’s kind of just — the records don’t really matter anymore, (and) the record you have against other teams doesn’t really matter,” Atwood said. “Every game is a new game, and none of the past games matter, regardless of how you did against that team previously. So, I think it’s a good mindset to have — it’s kind of a clean slate for everyone.”
This will be the second year in a row that the ’Cats (14-14 overall, 9-13 MIAA) will make an appearance in the MIAA Tournament.
Northwest hadn’t made back-toback MIAA Tournaments since the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
Coach Austin Meyer said it is a very special accomplishment to make the tournament in back-to-back seasons.
