Aug. 13, 2020 THURSDAY
Issue No. 1 csceagle.com
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The voice of Chadron State College since 1920
100 1920 – 2020
NEWS >>
Work continues toward new Math & Science Building at CSC Please see page 3
NEWS >>
Rhine home damaged by sewage back-up Incident results in an estimated $35,000 damage to the home, owned by CSC.
Please see page 6
SPORTS >>
RMAC cancels football, volleyball fall seasons
Photo by Brandon Davenport
Even a statue of famous Nebraska author Mari Sandoz, located outside the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center on the CSC Campus, wears a mask, Tuesday. During the fall semester, students, staff and faculty at the college will be required to wear face masks during classes and in public places where social distancing isn’t possible.
Decision ends all fall seasons except for Cross Country and Women’s Golf. Please see page 7
INDEX News 2 Sports
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Face-to-face classes resume at CSC Despite pandemic, in-person courses continue, but it won’t be business as usual Monday, students at CSC will resume courses, for the most part back in the classrooms they left earlier this year. But the experience will be far from normal as the campus makes its best attempt at safeguarding from COVID-19. Classrooms have been revamped or moved to larger areas to accommodate social distancing, plexiglass barriers adorn areas where students and staff
would otherwise have conversed freely, and the voices that ring through the halls are slightly muffled due to cloth masks and face shields. “It’s going to take time to get used to the differences and to work through them,” CSC President
For our full coverage of the return to campus, see pages 4 and 5.
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Aug. 13, 2020 | The Eagle | csceagle.com
News
Senate regoups after COVID kills spring election By Aubrie Lawrence Co-Editor Due to the COVID-19 outbreak that forced CSC to shut its doors in March, student senate was unable to hold an election to fill the vacant positions that would be left behind by students that graduated in May. Now, as the new semester begins, it faces even more challenges. According to Student Trustee, the first plan for the semester is to fill those empty positions as soon as possible. All students on campus will be sent an email on Aug. 17 allowing them to vote on who will fill the empty positions on the executive board. The students eligible to fill these positions must be former senate members. Votes must be submitted by Aug. 20 at 5 p.m.. Until the election is over, Vice
President of Finance Lily Umeta, Chief Justice Carter Thiele, and Kluber will be leading senate meetings. While there won’t be too many problems that arise with these vacancies, there will be a decrease in functionality of the senate until the positions have been filled. “There will be some challenges, but as a Senate we are trying to fill the spots as soon as we can,” Klueber said. After the positions on the executive board have been filled, empty positions in the senate body can be appointed by the president. Executive board positions are expected to be filled much quicker than the senatorial vacancies. The empty positions isn’t the only challenge senate will be facing. Senate meeting will have to be adjusted to fit social distancing regulations caused by the
COVID-19 outbreak. Klueber said that meetings held in-person are the most desirable, but livestream options will be made available for students who choose not to gather. These options will allow for an uncapped number of students to participate in the meetings. “Much like everything in our society during these times, this too will be a learning and growing process for us. As guidelines change, vacancies are filled, and the semester progresses, Student Senate plans on doing the best they can to serve the students,” Klueber said. Plans for the rest of the semester remain unknown. However, Klueber said that the senate is looking to foster an environment where students can return as closely possible to “normal” in regards to their student life, organizations and other activities.
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csceagle.com | The Eagle | Aug. 13, 2020
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The voice of Chadron State College since 1920
CO-EDITORS Brandon Davenport Aubrie Lawrence editor@csceagle.com NEWS EDITOR news@csceagle.com OPINION EDITOR Mackenzie Dahlberg opinion@csceagle.com SPORTS EDITOR Devin Fulton sports@csceagle.com LIFESTYLES EDITOR Chase Vialpando lifestyles@csceagle.com AG & RANGE EDITOR editor@csceagle.com PHOTOGRAPHER Mercy Maunu
EXECUTIVE ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ads@csceagle.com EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL ASST. & DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Brendan Fangmeier subscriptions@csceagle.com NEWSROOM CONTACT PHONE & EMAIL Editorial: 308-432-6303 editor@csceagle.com Advertising: 308-432-6304 ads@csceagle.com GENERAL EMAIL QUERIES editor@csceagle.com MAILING ADDRESS The Eagle Old Admin, Room 235 Chadron State College 1000 Main St. Chadron NE 69337 FACULTY ADVISER Michael D. Kennedy Office: 308-432-6047 mkennedy@csc.edu MEMBERSHIPS Nebraska Press Association
Participation on The Eagle staff is open to all Chadron State College students. As a public forum, The Eagle invites guest columns and letters to the editor from all readers. Opinions expressed in submissions belong solely to the author(s) and DO NOT necessarily reflect the opinions of The Eagle staff, its adviser, CSC students, staff, faculty, administrators or governing body. Please limit all guest columns or letters to 400 words. Deadline for submissions is noon Monday for consideration in the following Thursday’s edition. The Eagle reserves the right to edit or reject all submissions.
Photo by Brandon Davenport
CSC President Randy Rhine and Dean of Graduate Studies and the School of Business, Mathematics, Wendy Waugh take a tour of the temporary science laboratories in the Birkhiser Complex on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
With rustic facilities, M&S dept. is ready Pres. Rhine and Dean Waugh praise Math & Science faculty for preparations u By Aubrie Lawrence Co-Editor In May of 2019 it was announced that the Math Science building, renamed the Math Science Center of Innovative Learning this May, would be receiving a long-awaited renovation. A little over a year later, the beginning stages of construction have started. Opening in 1968, the Mathematics and Science building drew attention from all over because of the many innovative programs that resided there. Now, that same building is described in the Design Development Report as having classrooms and laboratories that have become worn and deficient. The building does not meet contemporary life safety and accessibility standards. Because of these issues, plans for renovating the building began in 2014. The renovations on the original building will guarantee continued growth for programs that are already in place and ones that will develop in the future. Old and outdated equipment will be replaced with stateof-the-art technology that will promote a collaborative learning experience that allows students to fully engage in their classes. A new entryway will also be established on the south side of the original building to provide a more accessible and convenient route for students, visitors, and faculty than the one currently in place. “If you go over to that building today, there is no logical main entrance to it,” President Randy Rhine said. “It doesn’t say ‘come in here.’
We wanted that entrance to be intuitive.” Along with the renovation on the original building, a north wing will be added that will connect to the central campus walkway. This wing will house the various science collections that are already on campus and contain modern chemistry, geology and biology labs that are equal to other facilities in the state. Study lounges will also be furnished that will be available for students. A ground breaking ceremony for the project will be held on Sept. 11 to commence the start of construction on the building. According to the Design Development Report, renovations will cost around a total $32 million. While the building is under construction, the math and science departments have taken up residency in the Birkhiser Complex. Over the course of the summer, proper spaces, including labs, have been created for the faculty and students who regularly use the Math Science building to use through the duration of construction. This move will allow continuity for faculty teaching math and science classes and the students that will be taking them. “That was a major project,” Rhine said. “To get that done between June and now and be ready start is pretty phenomenal.” Wendy Waugh, dean of graduate studies and the school of business, mathematics, has played a big part in the transition. She said that faculty have played a major role in making the transition to the Birkhiser Complex smooth. “Faculty have really kicked in,” she said. Construction is set to be completed in February of 2022 and classes are expected to begin using the new facility in the fall of 2022.
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Aug. 13, 2020 | The Eagle | csceagle.com
csceagle.com | The Eagle | Aug. 13, 2020
Photo by Aubrie Lawrence
Emily Converse, 19, sophomore of Highmore South Dakota, gets help from her brother Bryton, 16, during her early move-in time at High Rise, Monday. Staggering move-in times this semester was one of many changes aimed at keeping students and faculty safe from the pandemic as they return to campus.
According to the college, students will be required to wear a mask during indoor courses and in public spaces inside campus buildings. Students will also be asked to wear them in outdoor spaces where social distancing isn’t possible. In order to facilitate mask wearing, CSC will provide two masks during move in to each student living on campus, and those living off-campus can get theirs in the Student Center at the student activities counter, Monday. Disposable masks will also be available in classrooms. Those who believe they may have developed symptoms should remain at home or in their dorm and follow the college’s health response protocol which puts the student in contact with CSC Health Services to assess their risk and provide assistance for those deemed to be showing symptoms and needing to quarantine. Students can also use CSC’s COVID-19 reporting form, found on the college’s website, to report any suspected contact with the virus or the occurrence of symptoms. According to PPHD, testing in Chadron is done twice a week, once on Monday and once on Friday. Currently, test results have been requiring about a four-day wait period, although Engel said a two-or-three-day wait is typical. Students showing symptoms will be required to quarantine during the time they are waiting to be tested or waiting for the test results. The college is prepared to help any student, on or off campus, who needs to quarantine. Temporary living quarters can be arranged and meals will be delivered to residential students via Dining Services for no extra charge. Although they’ll ultimately be responsible for reporting the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, if a student who tests positive is found to have intentionally failed to report their symptoms they could be found to be in violation of the student code of conduct and face suspension. Similarly, those who test positive and fail to quarantine will face a misdemeanor charge from the State. Though PPDH will handle testing, per Nebraska State College System guidelines CSC has acquired a number of tests reserved for
students and employees. To help students screen themselves for symptoms the college will also be launching their #CampusClear mobile app soon. Engel stresses that when being tested students should be sure to use their campus address instead of their home address to avoid any delay in receiving test results. Masked classmates won’t be the only changes students notice on campus. Buildings now have designated entrances and exits to control the flow of traffic. Stairwells have also been designated as flowing only one way and are clearly marked. Halls have also been lined with hand-sanitizer dispensers and several classrooms are now adorned with plexiglass barriers. Dining services will continue to provide meals on campus, but self-serve food areas will no longer be part of the cafeteria. Instead, the cafeteria will provide grab-and-go meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Students can still eat at the cafeteria, but self-serve areas will no longer be in service, other than the beverage area. The college has also installed physical barriers to limit contact between servers and diners. Ultimately, it will be guidance from Nebraska Governor Pete Rickett’s Directed Health Measure that determines whether classes will continue to occur in person. Time will tell if CSC’s measures will lead to a COVID-19-free campus or if students will be back to remote classes. As of Monday, Dawes County had one active case of the virus, its 10th confirmed case. Nearby Box Butte County to the south has five active cases. Chadron and the surrounding region’s low case count likely benefited from being relatively isolated during the spring and summer, but the fall semester will bring students from across the nation back into the community and despite the college’s efforts, a large part of the battle against COVID-19 will depend upon the willingness of students to follow safety measures, like mask usage, to protect themselves and others from spreading the virus on campus and in the community.
Face to Face F
are infected will never have symptoms, or will have symptoms mild enough to be passed off as something other than COVID-19. Because of this, one positive case on campus could easily lead to many more cases, and even more who have to quarantine. According to PPHD, one of the best ways for students to protect themselves and each other is to wear a mask. Though some have pushed back against mask requirements, studies continue to show they are effective at slowing the spread of the virus, particularly among those who are either asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic and feel healthy despite being contagious. With regard to quarantine protocol the wearing of a mask can determine whether or not a student will need to quarantine after exposure to someone having tested positive for the virus. So long as the person who tested positive and those who were exposed to them are wearing masks, only the positive case will be required to quarantine. In contrast, if either the infected person or the person exposed was not wearing a mask, both will be required to quarantine. In short, those exposed can only avoid having to quarantine if they and the infected person were both wearing masks at the time of exposure.
Ruth Mencia, 20, junior of Grand Island, and Caleb Cash, 20, junior of Casper, Wyoming, pose for a photo while wearing cloth masks in Edna Hall, Tuesday.
Mask on, mask off Studies show that masks are an effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but how you wear one, not just when or where, matters. Wash your hands before putting you mask on.
Story and layout by Brandon Davenport
or the first time since mid-July, students at Chadron State College will meet for courses in person when the semester begins Monday. Faced with the challenge of operating during a pandemic, some institutions have chosen to continue remote-delivery of courses, but a variety of factors from financial considerations to the desire to maximize the learning experience, have motivated many others to attempt to go forward with courses as normal – or as normal as possible. As the nation continues to experience a rise in COVID-19 cases, it’s unknown how successful safeguards against the virus will be at universities and colleges once students begin to flood back onto campuses and into dorm rooms. Though some would prefer to return to college life as they knew it, the pandemic has led to fundamental changes in the college experience, at least for the fall semester. Without access to widespread and routine testing of students, pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers represent a major challenge to keeping COVID-19 off campus. According to Kim Engel, of Panhandle Public Health District, infected individuals are contagious two days prior to showing symptoms, and some who
Photo by Brandon Davenport
Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin. Fit your mask snugly whenever possible. Make sure you can breathe easily Handle the mask only by its ear loops or ties Fold outside corners together
Facilities on campus will have dedicated entry/exit ways
Place covering in the washing machine and let air dry
This map, available on the CSC website, details changes made to how students and faculty will navigate their way around campus. Each building will now have dedicated entry and exit points, as well as stairwells that are designated up or down only. The changes help direct the flow of traffic within each building to facilitate better social distancing. Students may want to study this map in order to avoid delays in getting from one course to another.
Wash your hands with soap and water
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Aug. 13, 2020 | The Eagle | csceagle.com
News
Oh crap! Sewage backup damages president’s home By Brandon Davenport Co-Editor CSC President Randy Rhine and his wife Ann, suffered a stinker of a day back in late July after a city sewage problem flooded their basement, causing an estimated $35,000 in damage. The home is owned by Chadron State College and used as the residence for the sitting CSC President. The backup filled the basement with 2 to 4 inches of raw sewage flooding the basement, Monday, July 27. In addition to damaging the basement floor and walls, Rhine said Tuesday that several pieces of furniture and other personal belongings were damaged or lost, including irreplaceable family photos. Kari Gaswick, vice president of administration and finance, said Wednesday the college filed a claim with the City of Chadron, but added
that it will likely be months before the matter is resolved. She also said it could be some time before renovations to the residence can begin. Repairs will not take place until engineers determine the extent of the of structural damage, Rhine said. Gaswick said the college is waiting on the results of a City of Chadron internal investigation aimed at determining what caused the sewage to back up into the Rhine’s home. Two phone calls Tuesday and Wednesday seeking comment from City of Chadron Utilities Department Superintendent Tom Menke went unanswered before press time Wednesday. The Rhine’s did not have to permanently vacate the home. Although it’s no bed of roses at times, Rhine said Service Matters, a local company, has worked to clean up the mess. He said the water and
sludge was removed by the end of the day it flooded. While Rhine admits there’s never a good time for sewage to back up into a home, it was particularly untimely, as the he, along with the rest of the staff and faculty at CSC, were occupied with preparing for the upcoming semester. “It’s been tolerable, you know,” Rhine said. “But it’s kind of like the last thing I needed to happen.” The home was originally gifted to the CSC Foundation which later transferred ownership to CSC in 2009. The house, valued at $372,330 back in 2009, was originally gifted to the Foundation by Vernon Chicoine, who created the CSC Foundation. When it was gifted, the Foundation had a policy of liquidating property it received from donors, but made an exception in accordance with Chicoine’s wishes.
Photo by Brandon Davenport
CSC President Randy Rhine and his wife Ann’s home sustained an estimated $35,000 in damage after a glitch in the city sewage system flooded the basement on July 27.
College planning Larios memorial on heels of Title IX settlement By Aubrie Lawrence Co-Editor Plans for a memorial honoring former softball player Fatimaw Larios, a 2015 suicide victim, are in the early stages, CSC President Randy Rhine said Tuesday. The memorial is one of several terms of an agreement the college reached earlier this summer with Larios’ parents, Lissette Larios Roohbakhsh and Nelson Larios, both of California, who filed a dating violence lawsuit against the college under Title IX on Jan. 30, 2017. In that suit, the parents claimed the college did little to protect their daughter from an abusive boyfriend. The college also agreed to pay, Roohbakhsh and Nelson Larios, $900,000, a sum covered by the college’s insurance. In the suit document, the parents alleged: The college failed to “investigate reports by Fatima’s softball teammates and an assistant coach that Fatima was being beaten by her boyfriend;” “stop the dating violence;” “protect Fatima as her physical and emotional well-being were visibly deteriorating;” or “obtain the help Fatima needed.”
Any out-of-court settlement, by its nature, suggests that neither party committed any wrongdoing. In addition to installing the memorial commemorating Fatima’s life, other nonmonetary terms in the official settlement agreement are: > The college will provide annual suicide prevention training to its staff, faculty and students for the next 10 years. The scope of the training and all other details will be determined by the Nebraska State College System. > The college will receive annual technical assistance with regard to its Title IX related policies, procedures and practices for the next three years beginning in 2020. > The College will annually award a “Fatima Larios Spirit Scholarship” to a member of the women’s softball team. The terms did not specify the amount of the scholarship. Rhine said that the several of the terms related specifically to Title IX assistance are new federally mandated requirements that the college was already planning to implement.
Sports
csceagle.com | The Eagle | Aug. 13, 2020
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Track nearly complete u By Devin Fulton Sports Reporter
Photo by Brandon Davenport
A set of tackling dummies sits unused at Don Beebe Stadium. After a meeting Aug. 6, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference decided to cancel the fall seasons for football and volleyball, instead opting to attempt a season in the spring.
RMAC cancels fall football, volleyball u By Devin Fulton Sports Reporter
During an Aug. 6 meeting, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Presidents’ Council postponed the seasons for football, volleyball and soccer to the spring, but agreed golf and cross country can compete this fall. Leading to the postponement, the RMAC Presidents’ Council voted to delay sports practices to Aug. 24 and the opening competition to Sept. 18. The RMAC also decided to reduce football, volleyball and soccer to a conference-only schedule. However, nine days later, the National College Athletic Association Div. II Presidents’ Council decided to cancel seven fall championships for 2020 because of “The operational, logistical and financial challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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The NCAA offseason proDiv. II’s de...when the NCAA took grams. Howcision means ever, unceraway the championChadron State tainty filled College’s footminds ships for Division II and the ball and volof athletes II, I felt heartbroken for and coaches leyball teams must aim for hroughout our seniors and the kids ttheir comp e tition summer in the spring programs. who worked hard all despite spend“As a coach summer.” ing the offseayou always son preparing - Jay Long, CSC Head Football Coach have a plan,” for a fall seaHead Footson. The Eaball Coach gles’ football Jay Long said. team was originally scheduled to “We tried to set a plan, but COVID play Western Colorado University, made it hard to follow that plan. I Sept. 5, while the volleyball team was just disappointed when (the was scheduled for a tournament on postponement) happened. Sept. 4 in Pueblo, Colorado. “Our players worked so hard With changing guidelines and to be able to play and when the restrictions resulting from the NCAA took away the championCOVID-19 pandemic, all sports ships for Div II and III, I felt heartteams faced limitations in their broken for our seniors and the kids
who worked hard all summer,” Long said. Long said he developed four different fall itineraries this offseason and is currently working on another for the future. As yet, no dates are set for the start of practices and competition in the spring, and no games have been scheduled for football or volleyball. “We were just preparing as normal as possible since everybody didn’t know what to expect,” Head Volleyball Coach Jennifer Stadler said. “We had it in the back of our minds that the season would get pushed. My assistant coach and I just planned for us to be ready to go this fall, but unfortunately our season got pushed to the spring. Now we are changing some things around, but we are excited to get in
Please see RMAC, page 8
With the grass and synthetic rubber laid down, Chadron State College’s outdoor track and field complex is nearing completion with the installation of long-andtriple-jump pits and a press box remaining. The installation of the press box is expected to begin Thursday, Aug. 20. Following its completion, a ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10 at 5 p.m., just south of the Chicoine Center. According to CSC Sports Information, the track cost $1.8 million. Head Track Coach Riley Northrup said having an outdoor track and field complex gives student-athletes the opportunity for improved training along with the ability to host meets “It has already been a huge boost in recruiting, as most track and field athletes in high school are only familiar with outdoor track,” Northrup said, “So before when there wasn’t an outdoor facility we were always asked the question of where we practice and compete outdoors. Now we have a beautiful new facility that answers that question and provides our student-athletes with everything necessary to be successful!” The track allows athletes on CSC’s track team to use an outdoor facility for the first time since the 1980s when the track was conjoined with Elliott Field. Construction for the new facility began in April, 2019. “I honestly love having an outdoor track,” Senior Sprinter Tyler Freeman, of Perris, California, said. “I went and saw it earlier and it’s just cool that the track is so close to the hill. I’m glad that I’ll get a chance to run on it and do great things with my team this year.”
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Aug. 13, 2020 | The Eagle | csceagle.com
Sports RMAC,
Photo by Brandon Davenport
The stands at Don Beebe stadium sit empty as the sun sets Tuesday evening. They’ll remain empty this fall after the RMAC canceled the fall seasons for football and volleyball.
from page 7
the gym with all our team and have them back on campus.” Similar to their coach, many volleyball players trained in the summer with hopes of fall competition, but knew changes could be on the horizon. “After coming back from spring break and hearing that schools were all moving online, I was very skeptical going into the summer, especially since spring ball was canceled,” Chandler Hageman, senior of Chadron, said. “I wasn’t sure what would happen next. The virus did not change the way I thought about volleyball or how I’d train going into the summer. I continued to push myself harder than I probably ever have.” There were no practices or conditioning since March and with student-athletes leaving for home, the limited weight rooms saw a few players lifting alone, according to Hageman. Stadler also mentioned the postponement gives the team “a chance to break things down more than we normally get to in the fall.”
Both Stadler and Long mentioned they will meet with senior athletes to discuss their future playing career and will honor the scholarships of athletes who opt-out. “As of right now, I have a lot of different thoughts about volleyball moving to the spring,” Hageman said. “Although, it seems like there are so many unanswered questions and there could potentially be more changes to come. So, I am going to continue to lift and workout and just ride the wave and see what happens throughout the semester.” Stadler credits CSC’s administration, athletic directors and President Randy Rhine for their efforts in communicating with all the coaches throughout the pandemic. “As soon as they got information, I feel like they are communicating with us – having a long dialog with us coaches and also accepting our feedback and getting our input. That’s been awesome being able to communicate with them and not just hearing the information but having a conversation with them has been a huge thing during this situation.” Stadler said.