January 23, 2018

THE STANDARD M I S S O U R I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

VOLUME 111, ISSUE 16 | THE-STANDARD.ORG The Standard/The Standard Sports

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

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Photo illustration by Nina Todea

While mass shootings rise, experts investigate why From old to young, mass shootings affect every generation

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CORTLYNN STARK News Editor @Cortlynn_Stark

ying bloodied on the floor of a Texas church, scattered across an elementary school in Connecticut, shot inside their mother’s womb.

The children.

“Put the pictures of murdered children in front of politicians, and change will happen,” said Patrick Gartin, a Missouri State University criminology associate professor and former sworn reserve deputy sheriff.

“You have the right to bear arms, or you have the right to bear children and keep them alive,” Gartin said. “I think it would turn the tide.”

According to data analysis by the Harvard School of Public Health, the frequency of mass shootings has increased since 1982.

The first phase of the analysis, looking at 1982-2014, found the United States averaged a mass shooting every 200 days. But from 2011-2014, the average increased to once every 64 days.

That’s a 68 percent fall, meaning the timespan between shootings has been shrinking.

The researchers used the definition of a mass shooting used by Mother Jones, a nonprofit news

“

Put the pictures of murdered children in front of politicians, and change will happen.” -Patrick Gartin

Clif Smart announces affordability changes for MSU

organization, and the list of mass shootings since 1982 compiled

by Mother Jones.

Instructor in the Harvard Department of Health Policy and Management and director of Interactive Data Analytics in the Division of Policy Translation Amy Cohen said her research group was concerned about a professor studying violence who was telling people mass shooting incidents weren’t getting more frequent.

“We wanted to look at some data ourselves to see if we reached the same conclusion, and we did not,” Cohen said.

In a Mother Jones article, this professor was referenced as James Alan Fox, a Northeastern University criminologist.

When The Standard reached out to Fox, he did not return request for comment.

Cohen said it was important to contradict Fox’s message, which is why the article on Mother Jones was published.

She wouldn’t speculate about why the rise is occurring but offered two possibilities. One is the copycat effect. The other is the availability of high-capacity weapons.

“There is evidence that there’s a viral effect that people read about these and then become motivated to do them, to copycat,” Cohen said.

“The other reason that people speculate about

The five changes: - 125 credit hours to 120 -Chartwells deal renewal

The Board of Governors decided during their meeting on Jan. 17 to reduce the total minimum number of credit hours required to receive a bachelor’s degree. The board reduced the total from 125 credit hours to Completing a degree within four years just 120. got a little easier for Missouri State under“The credit hour requirement reduction is graduate students. going to be very positive for students,” Carrie ALEC McCHESNEY CHLOE SKAAR HANNA SUMPTER

issuu.com/TheStandard-MSU

is the availability of assault weapons or semi-automatic guns that can hold large rounds, that enables you to kill more people in a very short amount of time.”

-Freeze three housing rates -Streamlined textbooks -Expanded scholarships Tergin, chair of the Board of Governors, said.

The vote followed quickly after the committee learned the details of the reduction. The committee members passed the reduction 3 to 0 during the meeting.

“We will be putting the credit hour requirement reduction in place immediately,” Provost Frank Einhellig said. “So, it will be a positive

The National Rifle Association, which pushes for the lack of gun regulation and lobbies to protect the Second Amendment, did not return request for comment in time for publication.

The growth of mass shootings created a “commonplace” feeling, said Gartin, who has a master’s degree in criminal justice and corrections and a doctorate in criminology and criminal justice. He said that commonplace feeling could create a higher risk for the inclination to commit a mass shooting. u See MASS, page 8 effect for the students enrolled as of right now.”

Einhellig also said Missouri State was one of only three universities in the state which still required over 120 credit hours to graduate.

Missouri State President Clif Smart announced on Jan.18 in a press conference that the move to 120 credit hours was one of five new measures to improve affordability at the university.

Smart said the move to fewer credit hours has the potential to save in-state undergraduate students over $1,000 in the course of their education at Missouri State.

About 78 percent of Missouri State’s programs will see the change, and those students will be able to graduate with 120 credit hours.

The remaining 22 percent require over 120 credit hours as a part of the degree. Smart said he thinks this will help students graduate in four years or less.

news

life

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Medal ceremony honors MSU Army Capt.

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Business school welcomes new interim dean Page 4

Swim sweeps Drury, falls to Mizzou at senior meet Page 6

u See SMART, page 2

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THE STANDARD

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

Army Capt. receives Soldier’s Medal two years after death MEGAN BURKE Photo Editor @Megs96_ Almost two years ago, a Missouri State University professor and Army instructor stopped on the side of Interstate 44 to help out an endangered motorist. He sacrificed his own life while saving the life of a complete stranger.

“Aaron did the right thing. He did not pass him by; instead, he stopped … at great personal risk,” Col. Kenneth McRae said at an awards ceremony for U.S. Army Capt. Aaron Eidem on Jan. 18.

Eidem, an assistant professor of military science at Missouri State University and supporter of the ROTC unit, was awarded the Soldier’s Medal on Jan. 18. The medal is “for heroism not involving actual conflict with an armed enemy,” according to the U.S. Army website.

“The word hero, we use when speaking about people we admire for their courage and bravery,” McRae, who presented the medal, said. “Heroic people recognize danger and they run to it, rather than run away from it.”

The award ceremony took place at the Plaster Student Union and was attended by his family, friends, Army ROTC students, Missouri State President Clif Smart and other Army

SMART Continued from page 1 “The board has been very focused on efficiency and affordability, and the credit hour reduction is key to that,” Tergin said. “It is something that other universities are doing. It works. It’s successful. It helps with the cost reductions. It is also beneficial to the students.

It helps us as a university to remain competitive and to reduce costs for the students while also offering still a great educational opportunity.

“So, the board has definitely been very positive and proactive in wanting to see this happen.”

Smart initiated the press conference by discussing Missouri State’s success in growth, despite college attendance numbers declining throughout the state.

service members.

During his years at Missouri State, Eidem taught sophomores in ROTC. Senior biology major Hayden Holbrook, one of Eidem’s students, spoke during the ceremony, highlighting the ways in which Eidem touched students’ lives and exemplified the seven Army values, such as selfless service and personal courage.

“He was just a selfless man,” Holbrook said.

“He always put his soldiers and the people around him first. He was easily one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met. He was cut from a different cloth.

“One instance that stands out was for one of our Fall FTX’s we had this competition to receive the German Armed Forces proficiency badge where everybody was having a really hard time shooting and getting six out of six on the target.

“Captain Eidem, having the expertise that he had, stayed with the cadets who were having a hard time, and he spent 10 hours total at the range to help them be able to get the badge. …

He decided that he was going to better the people below him,” Holbrook said.

Another of Eidem’s students, senior biology major Hank Lemmon, said that Eidem left a “big impact” on the battalion.

“He was always willing to help you,” Lemmon said. “Even if you didn’t feel like he was,

“Meanwhile, Missouri State University has set new enrollment records, year after year,” Smart said. “This fall, we set our sixth enrollment record in a row and went over 26,000 students for our system. This is due, in part, to our efforts to maintain affordability.

“Our work on affordability has primarily involved holding down increases on tuition and fees, but there’s more to affordability than what we charge per credit hour.”

Smart said the second initiative to make the university even more affordable was that the board approved an extended contract with Missouri State’s dining hall food service provider, Chartwells. The top priority of that extension, Smart said, was to renegotiate the contract to reduce the allowable increase in student meal charges year after year.

The university will also freeze housing rates for three residence halls next year: Hammons, Hutchens and Scholars. Smart said the freeze will impact over 1,300 students. This means residents in fall of 2018 will pay the

MEGAN BURKE/THE STANDARD

Col. Kenneth McRae awards Kaden and Amber Eidem the Soldier’s Medal on Jan. 18, nearly two years after the death of Army Capt. Aaron Eidem. he was always pushing you in the right direction, and you didn’t really know it until you were finally there. He’d give you that little smile.

“One of the fondest memories I have was (when) me and (another) cadet were setting up our military accounts online, and we had no clue how to do it. He kept dogging us and giving us hints. Finally, we ended up figuring it out but ended up botching our accounts. He spent a whole day helping us fix it. It was just really kind of him.”

During the ceremony, Eidem’s wife, Amber Eidem, was presented with an “Honor and Remember” flag, a proclamation from Gov. Eric Greitens and the Soldier’s Medal. Then retired

same price as fall 2017 residents.

The university bookstore is partnering with faculty teaching large sections of lower division courses to offer streamlined versions of textbooks for those sections at far lower costs.

And, finally, several scholarship programs will be expanded, including opportunities for 750 more freshmen to receive scholarships and 450 seeing increases in their offers. The total scholarship expansions will be about $1.5 million.

“Since this university was founded … in 1905, affordability has been woven into the fabric of Missouri State,” Tergin said. “On behalf of the board, I can tell you that our commitment to affordability is as strong, or stronger, than it has ever been.

“Missouri State’s board and administration is guided by a long-range plan. One of the strategic priorities in the plan is that the university must continue to offer a high quality education at a competitive price.”

Zora Mulligan, Missouri’s commissioner

Chaplain Capt. Shawn Moreland gave the benediction while those in attendance bowed their heads. He finished the prayers as the Army song played and ROTC students and service members sang along.

The ceremony was open to the public and ended with a banquet in the Union Dining Hall on the top floor of the PSU. According to his obituary, Eidem joined the Army in 1996 and served for more than 20 years as a military police officer and instructor.

He served three tours in Iraq and received the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and many more awards.

Eidem is survived by his wife, Amber, and three children, Shae, Skyler and Kaden.

of higher education, commended Smart and the university for the affordability efforts, in a statement read by Smart.

“As the second largest university in the state, Missouri State is already a leader in affordability,” Mulligan said. “With your new affordability initiatives, you are taking it to the next level by addressing the expenses that most acutely affect students: tuition, room, board and books.

“Thank you for being proactive in this endeavor and supporting the state of Missouri in its effort to make higher education more accessible to its citizens.”

Smart said Missouri State will continue to prioritize affordability, despite decreased state funding — the university will receive $4 million less in state funds than it did 17 years ago.

In those 17 years, enrollment grew by over 6,000 students.

“Missouri State has always been a great value. This will make us even more affordable,” Smart said.

Weekly Crossword © 2018 King Features Syndicate

ACROSS 1 “Mamma Mia!” group 5 Apprehend 8 Colorful fish 12 Clay-rich soil 13 Blunder 14 Portrayal 15 Democrat or Republican 17 Radiate 18 Faucet 19 Arouse 21 Fireworks reaction 22 Delany or Carvey 23 Venomous viper 26 Zodiac cat 28 Passenger 31 Prosperous time 33 Knock 35 Pepsi competitor 36 Soothe 38 Tatter 40 Actor Danson 41 A long time 43 Bugging device 45 Tranquil 47 Pencil end 51 Impulse carrier 52 Multiple marriage 54 Expectorate 55 Ailing 56 Malaria symptom 57 Pop 58 Oklahoma city 59 Untouchable Eliot DOWN 1 Swiss peaks 2 Animated Betty 3 Java neighbor

4 Chihuahua chum 5 “-- a borrower ...”

6 Curved path 7 Wide 8 Occurring naturally 9 Bikini pattern?

10 Lotion additive 11 Chopped 16 Implement 20 Card game for two 23 Lawyers’ org.

24 Scale member 25 Edwin Land’s company 27 Rowing need 29 -- out a living 30 Primary color 32 Purplish 30Down 34 Kneecap 37 Longing

39 Indiana city 42 Brownish tone 44 Heathen 45 Back talk 46 World’s fair 48 Wise one

49 Ostriches’ kin 50 Deli loaves 53 On in years

THE STANDARD opinion 3 A nightmarish accident turned false alarm TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

Alert incident in Hawaii should make others aware of system flaws JONATHAN PETESCH Columnist @thepeach1999 You wake up to what seems to be a typical Saturday morning in Hawaii. You check your phone like normal, but find an emergency alert has been sent out. Your phone reads “Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter.

This is not a drill.”

For most, this is a reality straight from nightmares, but for Hawaiian residents, it became far too real on Jan. 13. Or so the world thought.

The alert turned out to be a false alarm, but only after leaving the population in terror for 38 minutes, believing they were about to die.

A statement later issued by the state explained what happened, stating: “Someone clicked the wrong thing on the computer.” This statement raises many questions, the largest of which is how is it so simple and easy to send something out like this?

While we might not know the answer to this due to the classified nature of that information, our opinion on the matter should stay the same.

This, or anything like it, should never happen in the future, and something should be done to make it impossible for it to happen again.

This incident also makes me think

about what the protocol is closer to home, specifically with the University Alert System. Not to undermine the seriousness of what happened in Hawaii, but it makes me think about how something would be handled

here, where I spend my time every day.

Don’t get me wrong, I think everyone would rather receive a false alarm alert for a threat on campus than an incoming nuclear weapon.

With the Hawaii incident, only one person was required to activate the alert which allowed the incident to happen.

Since the incident, the emergency command post has changed its protocol to have a system which requires two people to authorize alerts.

If the system at Missouri State is similar to the original system in Hawaii, I hope this sparks change to make our system more failproof so something like this never happens locally.

Again, I don’t know how our system works, but I hope it is more than just a BearPass login and one click to send an alert to all Missouri State students and faculty.

Any alert system should have multi-factor authentication, preferably via multiple people authorizing the alert.

This approach should allow any human error to be remedied and allow this kind of incident to never happen again by accident.

Graphic by EMILY JOSHU/THE STANDARD Overall, I feel like this incident in Hawaii should help make Similarly to Hawaii’s alert sys- other alert agencies aware of what tem, I don’t know how our universi- caveats might exist within their ty system works, but I hope it has current systems and I hope these some fail-safe measures built in to agencies will continue restructuring prevent an alert from going off with- their systems to make sure an inciout an actual emergency situation. dent like this never happens again.

SABRINA MERRILL/THE STANDARD

Making a difference, even without a title A title isn’t everything; it’s your impact that matters KATIE HAYNES Columnist @journalistkatie

Self-improvement, growing, requires change from within ALI SPIES Columnist @AliceTheSpy Coming back to a new semester after a long break is a weird experience. On one hand, it feels like coming back home. I’m back with my roommates who I’ve missed over break, I’m back with all of my college friends who I haven’t seen in a month and I’m back on campus. It is comforting to have everything fall back into place like it was last semester.

For me, though, it has been kind of sad. I never really realized just how much I love home until I am away from it. Even though break was a whole month long, I feel like it was way too short. I miss my friends and I miss my dog.

College should be a time of growth and change, which doesn’t always mean happiness. It is a time to learn and become more like real adults.

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It’s times like these when I really need to focus on why I am here. I want a better life for myself, which is why I am here studying for my career.

I want to be able to have a real job and a house after graduation, and I don’t want to have to worry and struggle.

It is important to remember the ultimate goal of being here, but it is also important to enjoy college while I am here. College is supposed to be fun and a time to do stupid stuff with friends. I need to focus on that and less on worrying about the little things.

I think I get inside my own head too much, and it ends up hurting me in the long run. I need to be more present in the world, and not in my own brain. I think too much about what I don’t have, which is why I miss home so much while I am here.

I think about the future too much, which is why I stress over classes all the time. I

think about what I should be doing, so much that I don’t actually have fun.

I think about how my relationships and friendships should be that I don’t end up enjoying them.

I find myself relying on other people and things to make me happy, instead of finding happiness within myself. This is dangerous, because letting people dictate when I am happy also lets them dictate when I am sad; one bad conversation and my day is ruined.

To succeed this semester, and in life, I need to really work on myself and becoming stronger. I need to work on building stronger relationships with others and not letting people control how I feel.

I want my relationships to build me up, but not be able to tear me down. This is going to be a hard process, but it is one I think needs to happen.

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A title for a prestigious position, whether it be an organizational or job position, is what people desire. They desire it not only for the awards reaped in the end of their careers, but the human instinct to be recognized by all, and most significantly, to be cherished.

I had always been so interested in obtaining a title to prove something, that I didn't stop and realize how much of a difference I was making in other people’s lives without one.

I had always believed that having better titles in organizations would lead to better titles in jobs, but I was putting too much stock into the idea that a title makes a difference in how I could make a difference.

With involvement in several ideas and groups, the thought occurred to me that the most cherished people are the ones who have just enough for themselves but give what they can to the outside world.

That is a true leader, and that very aspect is what I strive to be. In my opinion, a leader strives to experience life as wholeheartedly as possible, while creating his or herself through prosperity and compassion.

I wanted to, of course,

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strive for the best I could possibly be, and when a title wasn't awarded to me, I felt useless.

Throughout my childhood, I have always been fond of the idea that I do not have to limit myself. As I have gone through school, I have been in many different organizations.

There was nothing more rewarding than recognizing that the information and guidance you give to someone is understood and applied to their daily life. It’s a power that is often taken for granted, but the ones who recognize how much greatness it holds are the ones who can realize how much potential it holds.

However, as we all know, life can interfere immensely.

My family and I had to move to South Bend, Indiana, my junior year of high school.

This was ultimately heartbreaking. I was ready to move up in my most prized organization — band — which held the position of drum major I so desperately wanted. However, I did not achieve my goal of obtaining that position.

I was so upset I could not lead my family that I often wondered how I could even make a difference at a new school. I was so wrapped up in the idea that titles matter more than anything, I could not see what was right before me: I was a leader in my own experiences. As I spent my junior year out of state, I real-

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ized that I could be of influence to these students. I helped them all the same, shared stories of Missouri and gave them new perspective. I did so in more various organizations, such as their choir program, and even their school news team. As the year went on, not only did I grow as a student, but my life was changed forever.

With all of the accomplishments I have achieved, I give thanks for all of the different lives I have been able to influence. I have been given a gift to expand minds and perspective, because I recognize how different everyone really is.

There’s nothing more enjoyable than experiencing something new. I realized this life is about growing into what we truly are meant to be. Supporting the ones around me, I’ve opened my eyes and have seen the impact each person has on one another.

Everyone has a voice and does not need to be in a position of power to exercise their opinions.

I will never stop trying to influence the lives of others with my leadership. Never feel powerless for not having a title – just make sure to always do the most for yourself and your community, and keep at the goal, but don't feel useless.

That's what it's all about.

You have power in your voice and actions. Use them for good.

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4

THE STANDARD

life

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

‘We mean

business’

COLLIN HADLEY/THE STANDARD

Dr. David Meinert, who started as the College of Business’ interim dean on Jan. 1, leads Missouri State’s largest college forward following former Dean Dr. Stephanie Bryant’s six-and-a-half-year tenure.

College of Business welcomes new interim dean NOAH STANDISH Staff Reporter @NoahjStandish “We mean business.”

It’s a declaration printed in bold capital letters on brochures throughout Glass Hall.

It’s a play on words for Missouri State’s College of Business, an expression of the excitement surrounding the building’s recent renovations.

For students and faculty, it’s more than a declaration — it’s a motto.

David Meinert started as the new interim dean of the College of Business on Jan. 1 following a resignation that signaled the end of Stephanie Bryant’s six-and-a-half-year tenure.

Last semester, Bryant became vice president of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, creating a vacancy at the head of MSU’s College of Business. It marked the start of a new chapter for the college and for Glass Hall.

Shortly after her departure, Meinert said he was honored to take on the role.

“When Dr. Bryant came to me and said she was leaving, it was bittersweet,” Meinert said.

“I knew we were losing a great asset, but I feel (Missouri State) is in a wonderful place to continue to grow, and that was the deciding factor for me in taking the position.”

For Meinert, filling the shoes Bryant left behind was a natural next step from his previous role of associate dean at MSU’s affiliate campus in China.

“I have a bit of advantage in that I get to try (being dean) first,” Meinert said with a

laugh. “Some decide that being a dean isn’t for them, but I felt it was important to have strong leadership during the transition.”

Meinert earned a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from the University of Mississippi in 1990. Soon after, he came to MSU as a professor of computer information science. Now, he’s the face of MSU’s largest departmental college.

“After my MBA program (at Northern Michigan University), I had a chance to teach some university classes, and I found it so rewarding,” Meinert said. “Working with students, staff, faculty and business professionals since has been extremely fulfilling.”

Nearly thirty years later, Meinert said he’s never considered teaching anywhere else.

Today, the Michigan native is proud to call Springfield home.

“I liked what I was doing before — and I could have left any time — but I love being a Bear,” Meinert said. “I applied for (the interim dean position) because I believe in where the college is at and where it’s going, and I want to be a part of that. I really believe the best is still ahead for us.”

Meinert’s valuable experience in international recruiting and project development helps him host community events and meetings which have resulted in the university receiving increased attention from nearby companies.

“One thing I’ve learned is just how important the corporate engagement aspect is,” Meinert said. “I’ve had contact with businesses and community groups that want to use the building. You’d be surprised just how many people

Shepard: ‘It’s not the place, it’s the people’ A study abroad reflection SARAH SHEPARD Copy Editor I think it finally hit me when I was in the Chicago airport waiting at the gate, already having said goodbye to my best friends and family.

I was going to live in France for four months.

That's definitely when I started to freak out. A French family was playing a card game on the carpet while waiting to board the flight, conversing so quickly that I could only understand every five words. Sure, I had taken French courses all throughout high school and college, but that doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things.

That's when I realized this was going to be harder than anything I've ever done. I would be living in a completely new place with completely new people who speak an unfamiliar language.

The first two months were a whirlwind — so much to learn and so many places to explore. I lived with a host family, so each nightly dinner was a chance to learn something new. Even a trip to the grocery store was a massive challenge.

I spent the fall semester in Pau, France, a small southern town nestled in the Pyrenees mountains near the border of France and Spain. I studied at l'Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour through the University Studies Abroad Consortium, a direct affiliate with Missouri State.

I spent some time explor-

ing the amazing vineyards in Jurancon, a neighboring city, and taking bus trips to other French cities, soaking up every experience I could.

Despite all of this amazing culture and the unique European way of life, I came to understand something. People all around the world are more u See FRANCE, page 9

Submitted by Sarah Shepard

Shepard spent a weekend touring San Sebastian, Spain in September 2017.

didn’t know what they had in their own backyard.”

Meinert said the renovations resulted in Glass Hall becoming a signature building for current and prospective students. His role with the project started on day one, alongside contractors and MSU’s Department of Planning, Design and Construction.

“It was the first time I had done anything like this,” Meinert said. “It shows that we’re invested in our students, and I believe that makes a lasting impression in the long run.”

Associate Dean for the College of Business Elizabeth Rozell praised Meinert’s work ethic, calling him energetic. Before coming to MSU, Rozell and Meinert were Ph.D. students at the University of Mississippi — their graduations five years apart. “(Meinert) is such a productive and articulate person to work with,” Rozell said. “He always walks fast with that look about him — like he’s on a mission. He just never tires of being here.”

After staying in touch with Meinert for nearly a decade, Rozell had the opportunity to work beside him as an associate dean in MSU’s College of Business.

Rozell said consistency and interpersonal skills are the most notable traits in Meinert’s leadership ability. Another is his extensive background, resulting in him becoming a knowledge base for students and faculty. “(Meinert) is really committed to (Missouri State),” Rozell said. “He sees areas where we can grow and opportunities we haven’t pursued. When anyone needs advice, he’s one of the first people that I consult.”

Interim Associate Dean Kent Ragan echoed praise for Meinert’s work ethic, commending his ability to multitask and problem-solve on a daily basis. He also cited dedication and attention to detail as a few of the many elements that led to his key role in Glass Hall’s renovations.

“Dr. Meinert was crucial to the updating and expansion of Glass Hall,” Ragan said. “The project really showcases his dedication, detail orientation and vision. He certainly is a tough act to follow.”

Students can often find Meinert traversing the four floors of Glass Hall or organizing meetings, lectures and project plans.

When asked to describe Meinert in one word, Ragan didn’t hesitate to say “tireless.”

“If you follow (Meinert) for an hour, you’ll know what I mean when I say he’s ‘on the fly,’” Ragan said. “He can answer his cellphone, solve a problem and coolly return his phone to its holster without breaking stride on the way to a meeting.”

Ragan also pointed to Meinert’s relationships with faculty, students and alumni as examples of natural talent for interpersonal communication.

On Oct. 26, 2017, Glass Hall officially reopened under the tagline, “Open for Business.”

Now that the new semester has begun, its overhaul is closer to completion than ever, and new leadership is ready to take the reins.

Today, Meinert and Glass Hall are ready to embody the motto printed on hundreds of brochures.

They mean business.

Gambling in college features slots, scratchers and sports betting EMILY COLE Staff Reporter @EMCole19 There’s something thrilling about the sound of a slot machine, scratching off a lottery card or watching your favorite team play and knowing you have a chance to win big. In fact, there’s a psychological reason why gambling, in all its forms, feels so rewarding — and why some people can’t stay away.

Studies by the American Psychiatric Association have shown that gambling triggers responses from the reward centers of the brain, flooding them with dopamine. This is the same process the brain goes through when you do things you enjoy, like eating.

The dopamine tells the brain this a good decision that you should repeat. That’s why it can be so hard for some people to quit while they’re ahead, even if they end up losing it all. People become addicted to the thrill of winning, and the chance to continue winning.

This possibility to win big drew almost two-thirds of

Americans to gamble during 2015, according to a Gallup Poll, with the most popular choice being state lottery tickets. Nearly half of those surveyed purchased at least one lottery ticket, and around a quarter visited a casino.

Almost 75 percent of college students surveyed by the National Association for Responsible Gaming said they had gambled within the past year, while 18 percent said they participated as frequently as once a week or more.

One of the more popular forms of gambling on college campuses is sports betting.

Around 67 percent of college students bet on sports. This is over double the percentage of American adults that place bets on sports, according to the Pew Research Center.

Betting on sports is something MSU graduate Alec Inman was pretty familiar with during his time at school.

He got involved in betting because of an existing interest in sports.

“I’ve always been interested in watching and playing sports,” Inman said. “I follow

basketball, baseball and football very closely, so once I turned 18 I started betting on sports online in very small amounts. It makes watching games more interesting.”

Inman said he would occasionally visit Downstream Casino, which is about an hour away in Quapaw, Oklahoma to play blackjack, but preferred betting on sports.

“There isn’t much control in my hands at a casino,” Inman said. “I lost more often than I won, so I haven’t been in a while. It’s definitely an adrenaline flow. I like my odds a lot more betting on sports because I like to think I’m knowledgeable.”

An interest in sports may be one of the main reasons why college students gamble.

In 2001, the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, a survey which also included questions about gambling among other topics, found that athletes or sports fans were more likely to bet on the outcome of games than non-athlete students. Male u See GAMBLE, page 9

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

THE STANDARD

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Violence vs. mental health, the gun control debate marches on MATT CAMPANELLI Staff Reporter @THE_MattyCamp Peter Tsahiridis was eating breakfast the morning of Jan. 16, 2002, when Peter Odighizuwa walked into the commons area at the Appalachian School of Law carrying a briefcase.

Odighizuwa had been failing out of the school. The disgruntled student went upstairs and shot law school dean Anthony Sutin and a professor, Thomas Blackwell, in an office.

Odighizuwa began to shoot at others in the building. After Tsahiridis helped two others to safety, he heard a weak cry for help. It was Angela Dales.

“So I said ‘Fine, if I am going to die, then I am going to die helping someone,’” Tsahiridis said.

He lunged near the injured student and used his body to shield her. A sense of peace rushed over Tsahiridis.

“I was at peace because I knew I was gonna die,” Tsahiridis said. “I remember kind of an image of God, and it was just peaceful for me.

“And nothing happened.”

Odighizuwa had left. Tsahiridis dragged Dales out of the hallway and tried to stop her bleeding.

Before Appalachian School of Law Tsahiridis grew up in Branson, Missouri. His father owned a restaurant while his mother was a nurse technician. As a child, Tsahiridis said he had trouble fitting in in Southwest Missouri because his family wasn’t originally from the Ozarks — both of his parents are Greek. Tsahiridis’ mother was born in the United States and his father immigrated from Greece in 1968.

Tsahiridis said he learned to disregard the negatives associated with racism and while it’s easy to focus on them, he said he chooses to focus on the positives instead.

After he graduated from high school, he went to Kansas State University. He would end up transferring to Missouri State University, which was Southwest Missouri State University at the time, to be closer to home. He said Kansas State was just too far away.

“I wanted to stay local,” Tsahiridis said. “I love this area, and I love the people. I get job offers to move out, but I don’t do it.”

At Missouri State, Tsahiridis pur-

sued an undergraduate degree in history because he was taught growing up that learning history was important. Learning about history was a way for Tsahiridis to try and self-reflect and see where his place is in history.

Even though he was closer to home at MSU, Tsahiridis said he still had trouble making a connection to where he was. That feeling was coupled with failing grades.

Tsahiridis decided, after one year back home, he needed more disci-

awarded the Army Commendation Medal for placing other students safety before his own.”

According to the FBI, there were 220 active shooter incidents from 2000-2016. Tsahiridis said he blames recurring gun violence on an American culture “that’s dominated by an Alpha male mentality.”

He said things such as violent video games, violent movies and even sports such as MMA, football and hockey are examples of that mentality.

Unfortunately, we do not even remember the name of the shooter from Las Vegas or his motive because the debate shifted to a type of gun-part. We hold candle vigils then it is forgotten, accepted and then forgotten again.” -Peter Tsahiridis pline and joined the armed forces.

He enlisted in the Marines because his uncle had done the same in World War II. The Marine Corps didn’t just instill a new sense of discipline in Tsahiridis. He said his time in the armed forces have shown he can do almost anything. While in the military, he applied to different graduate schools and law schools.

“I never thought I’d get in,” Tsahiridis said.

Tsahiridis did hear back from Appalachian School of Law. Tsahiridis said his undergraduate transcript wasn’t good enough on its own to get him admitted. However, he was able to take summer courses to be considered for admission. He passed with all A’s and was able to attend in the fall. Tsahiridis said he learned how to study that summer.

The shooting occurred during his second year at the school.

After pulling Dales to safety, she died from her wounds. Covered in blood, Tsahiridis went to help other students. In his mind, he said, her death hadn’t registered, and he believed she was still alive.

That’s when news media began to show up. Tsahiridis said he received calls from friends in other parts of the country asking him if he had been in the middle of it all.

As a member of the army reserves at the time, Tsahiridis was

This aggressive behavior, he argues, runs over those who don’t hold an Alpha male mentality, and actions are geared toward attaining power over people.

After the shooting, Tsahiridis said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. He had trouble watching movies with gunfire and even hearing rapid knocking was a trigger in some cases.

Tsahiridis said current gun laws allowed the Las Vegas shooter to play God and decide who lived and who died that night. On Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock opened fire on a country music festival, killing 58 people and injuring 422. Tsahiridis said if Paddock didn’t have access to guns, he would have just been angry.

“Unfortunately, we do not even remember the name of the shooter from Las Vegas or his motive because the debate shifted to a type of gun-part,” Tsahiridis said. “We hold candle vigils then it is forgotten, accepted and then forgotten again.”

He said people are taking their anger out on others with the help of guns.

“It’s not terrorists that are doing it; it’s regular Americans that are doing it because they’re pissed off,” Tsahiridis said.

Be Civil Be Heard, an organization that thinks progress on social issues cannot be made without civil-

ity, held a town hall style meeting in the Plaster Student Union Nov. 27, 2017, discussing the gun control debate.

A hot topic in the gun debate is the place of semi-automatic guns, notably the AR-15, and whether there should be more regulations or a flat-out ban. The AR-15 has become infamous for its use in mass shootings.

This type of rifle is popular for controlling feral hog populations.

Feral hogs are an invasive species in Missouri.

“All of (the) sudden my very easy conclusion ... I’ve got a conclusion that semi-automatic and automatic weapons never have a use,” Elizabeth Dudash-Buskirk, associate professor in the Communication Department, said. “Well, wild hogs might actually be a reasonable use.”

Dudash-Buskirk is the director and curator of BCBH. “(Allowing semi-automatics) is not something I’ve ever considered in my life,” she said.

Dudash-Buskirk grew up in Pittsburgh, where her father was a district attorney who owned a gun for protection. She said growing up in an urban environment shaped her view on guns. To her, she said, they mean violence.

She said using “pro-gun” or “anti-gun” to describe people isn’t usually true because the issue isn’t black and white, even though it’s often portrayed that way.

BCBH events follow what is known as the Ten Tenets of Civility, which are supposed to help promote productive discussions especially about highly contested topics.

“When we use terms like debate, competition, black and white, win or lose — we put ourselves into a false binary,” Dudash-Buskirk said.

“That means we have to have an outcome that’s more than just learning.”

Matthew Buck, who graduated in December with a degree in construction management, said he thinks the answer to the gun control debate isn’t more regulation, but to avoid talking about the people who carry out mass shootings. Buck said he thinks a lack of focus on the perpetrator of mass shootings might deter people from seeking their 15 minutes of fame.

“The victims should be the ones

who are addressed — it shouldn’t be the shooter,” Buck said. “It should be the heroes, the people who come in there and risk their lives for everyone or the ‘average joe’ who disarms a gunman.”

Buck said he’d like to see increased gun education, like hunter education courses. Some states require their citizens to take and pass a hunter education course before they can hunt on their own. For those who want to conceal and carry, some states require citizens to pass a class to receive a permit.

Citizens are no longer required to have a conceal and carry permit in Missouri.

Buck said he thinks there should be some basic education everyone takes to become more familiar with guns, that they’re just tools used for different things.

When it comes to calls for more legislation, Buck said he agrees with necessary restrictions, such as background checks. But too much will only hurt law-abiding citizens, he said.

“The people who do horrible things are already breaking the law,” Buck said. “What’s gonna stop them from breaking a few more?”

Matthew Smith, a senior political science major, said he also thinks more laws aren’t the answer to the gun control debate.

His answer? Mental health awareness.

“I think the real issue with this, especially when it comes to mass shootings, is mental health,” Smith said. “Mental health is not talked about enough when it comes to gun violence.”

Smith said he thinks the victims of mass shootings should be the primary focus and every effort should be made to help them, as opposed to immediately politicizing the event or focusing on the shooter.

Smith said he hopes there can be more discussions about controversial topics like gun control.

“Every issue is a gray area,” Smith said. “If we can understand that, we can have discussions about anything.”

6

THE STANDARD

sports

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

Ice Bears ready for push to nationals BRENNER MOORE Sports Editor @brennerm2

KAITLYN STRATMAN/The Standard

Senior Alize Johnson reaches for a rebound against Drake, when the Bears lost 61-58.

Bears let first place slip away against Drake ALEC McCHESNEY Editor in chief @alec_mcchesney DES MOINES, Iowa – In a surprising first-place match-up in the month of January, the Drake Bulldogs (12-9, 6-2) took sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a tough victory over the Missouri State Bears (15-6, 5-3).

The Bulldogs improved to 8-0 at home on the season with an impressive come-frombehind, 61-58 victory.

“I mean, it was a really hard game,” head coach Paul Lusk said. “We had a lot of guys struggle. Our defensive effort was outstanding. They are one of the best offensive teams in the country, and we hold them to 61, but they got 18 points from the foul line.”

Drake averages a little more than 84 points per game at the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa, but the Bears’ defense traveled well.

Junior forwards Reggie Scurry and Obediah Church scored four points a piece in the first few minutes of action, leading the Bears on an 11-0 run to separate from Drake.

Senior guard J.T. Miller drilled a 26-foot 3-point jumper at the end of the shot clock to push the Bears lead to eight points early.

“In the first half, we came out swinging defensively,” senior wing Jarrid Rhodes said.

“They are leading the league in scoring as a team, and in the second half, they punched it down our throats.”

Drake senior guard Reed Timmer, who averages 18.3 points per game, scored six straight points to lead an 8-2 run for the Bulldogs. Missouri State responded with a timely 3-pointer from Rhodes.

Miller attacked the lane, drew two defenders to the ball and kicked it out to Rhodes for the bucket. Miller returned to his aggressive style of play on Saturday — especially in the first half — scoring nine points on eight field-goal attempts in just 11 minutes.

“We did some good things,” Lusk said.

“We had 50-something paint touches. The ball was at the rim constantly, but we really came up empty a lot.”

In the Bears last three games, Miller scored a combined seven points on nine fieldgoal attempts.

Despite a few big shots from beyond the arc, the Bears struggled in the first half, making just 18.2 percent of their attempts (2-11).

The Bears did most of their work without star senior forward Alize Johnson in the first half, as he had zero points after 20 minutes.

Even so, Missouri State took a 28-23 lead into the halftime break, thanks to its defense.

The Bears forced the Bulldogs into seven turnovers, holding Drake to 15.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc and just 31 percent from the field.

At the end of the first half, Scurry and Church finished with six and four points, respectively. Junior guard Jarred Dixon added in six points, and Miller pitched in nine.

The Bears played nine players in the first half, including walk-on sophomore Ross Owens, who logged four minutes of action at the end of the half.

Timmer started the second half with five straight points to cut the Bears deficit, but Johnson found Rhodes in the corner for his second 3-pointer of the game.

Still, Drake fought back right out of the gates in the second half to take a 35-33 lead with 15:33 left in the game.

Scurry and Dixon made buckets on backto-back possessions to regain the lead for the Bears, which junior guard Ryan Kreklow followed with a big 3-pointer from the wing.

With 12 minutes left in the game, Johnson had a zero on the stat sheet, but Missouri State held a 43-37 lead. “(Alize) really struggled,” Lusk said.

“But, he’s been great, so he can have one of those. But there’s no question we moved much better when he wasn’t in there. He had a tough night, but he will bounce back.”

All thanks to his supporting cast.

The Bears continued to take care of the ball in the second half, with just one turnover in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

Instead, the Bears used the philosophy of taking care of the basketball and getting the best shot available late in the shot clock on offense.

Even with taking care of the ball, Drake made getting good looks on the offense extremely difficult, as both teams excelled on the defensive end. The Bulldogs used the defense to ignite the offense and take a 44-43 lead with 8:42 left in the contest.

Dixon scored three straight for the Bears, while Johnson continued to sit on the bench, and the game was locked at 46.

“We had some turnovers down the stretch, and I feel like, on the offensive end, we got stagnant in the second half,” Rhodes said.

“Our effort was there, but we just have to finish and that was the main thing. We just have to do a better job of finishing.”

With 4:38 left on the game clock, the Bears trailed the Bulldogs 52-49. Johnson still had yet to score a basket. On the next possession, he went to the free-throw line and made both to trim the lead to just one.

Johnson took two of the Bears’ seven free throw attempts on the day. Dixon took the other five, making three. Meanwhile, Drake hit 18-21 from the line, which resulted in the difference in the ball game.

“We got the ball inside a ton ... you’re getting it at the rim, but we’re coming up empty,” Lusk said. “We aren’t taking it up strong enough to draw the foul. You either have to score it or you have to go to the foul line, and we did neither.”

Minutes later, with 1:43 left in the game, the Bears trailed 54-53. Johnson had two opportunities to take the lead, but Drake defenders swarmed him and impacted the shot attempt.

“We have to finish in there,” Lusk said.

“We had a play in there, and we gotta finish it, but that’s life on the road.”

Drake came up with back-to-back defensive stops to secure the home victory. Miller had an opportunity, with less than 10 seconds left, to tie the game on a floater in the lane, but it came up just short.

“It was a really good game, and I thought we did a lot of good things, but give Drake credit,” Lusk said.

Missouri State will travel to Bradley on Tuesday, Jan. 23 to take on the Braves at 7 p.m.

The Braves are sitting in the middle of the pack in the Valley through the start of the MVC season, holding a 14-7, 4-4 record.

A season ago, Bradley and Missouri State split the season series, 1-1, as both teams won its home contests. If the Bears are to keep pace with the league frontrunners, Drake and Loyola, a win over Bradley is a necessity.

After a trip to the Rocky Mountains, the Missouri State Ice Bears returned to Springfield with two wins under their belt after starting the trip on a low note.

“Our first game against (Colorado) didn’t go as planned,” head coach Jeremy Law said.

The Ice Bears took on the University of Colorado Bison on Jan. 18 but fell short, losing 6-3.

The Bison struck first, scoring in the first four minutes of the first period. The Ice Bears responded with a goal of their own from sophomore forward Josh Bell.

The Ice Bears and the Bison continued to trade off goals throughout the first period, with the Bison leading 3-2 going into the second period.

However, the game started to slip away from the Ice Bears as the penalties began to rack up.

“We weren’t disciplined,” Law said. “When it was fiveon-five, the score was 3-3.

They killed us in power plays.”

After scoring once in the second period, the Bison began to pour it on in the third to close out the game.

Two final goals from the Bison were met with a small, one-goal comeback from the Ice Bears. In the end, the Ice Bears fell 6-3.

Going into the second game of the week against the Colorado State Rams on Jan. 19, Law wanted to focus on penalties.

“We cleaned up our discipline against Colorado State,” Law said. “I just felt like we cleaned up the rust.”

And, with the rust gone, the Ice Bears exploded on the ice.

A quick goal from sophomore defender Patrik Johansson was the only action the first period saw.

The Ice Bears cranked up the intensity in the second period, with two goals from sophomore forward Jordan Bratton and Bell.

The Rams finally got on the scoreboard in the third period, but the Ice Bears said one goal was enough and answered with three goals of their own.

The Ice Bears knocked out the Rams, 6-1 to open the twogame series.

Game 2, on Jan. 20, told the same story. The Ice Bears

kicked things off with a goal from sophomore forward Shane Thornton just before the 10-minute mark.

Colorado State quickly fired back with a goal of its own, but once again, the Ice Bears held the Rams to one.

Another goal in the first period from senior forward Alex Turin put the Ice Bears ahead.

Opting to go for the kill, sophomore forward Zane O’Bryan and Johansson added two more goals in the second period and senior forward Andrew Kovacich finished things off with a goal in the third.

Missouri State walked away with its second win of the weekend, sweeping Colorado State.

As for the rest of the season, the current goal is the national tournament.

“The top 17 teams make national,” Law said. “Right now we are ranked 19 so we have two spots to climb.”

With only three series left, all games are a must-win. Missouri State hosts the University of Arkansas Razorbacks on Feb. 2 and 3.

“These two games against Arkansas are must-wins,” Law said. “We are just trying to pack the stands.”

BILL SIOHOLM/The Standard

Missouri State swimmer Artur Osvath swims against Mizzou in Missouri State’s pool on Jan. 20.

Swim and dive start spring season with victory over Drury, loss to Mizzou BRENNER MOORE KAITLYN STRATMAN With snow on the ground and 35 degree weather, the Missouri State swimming and diving team jumped into Breech Pool, winning their meet against Drury University on Jan. 18.

The men beat Drury 140-117, and the women dropped 124 points to top Drury’s 91.

The men and women excelled in the 50 freestyle race, a strong event for the Bears.

Sophomore Lucas Paloschi took first with a time of 20.60 seconds, and sophomore Samuel Senn came in third, finishing with 20.88 on the clock. The women placed even higher with junior Loretta Stelnicki finishing first, in 23.79, and freshman Anna Miller coming in second with 24.04.

Another highlight of the meet was senior Sydney Zupan’s 200-yard freestyle win, which “really helped kind of get us over the hump there at an important part of the meet,” head coach Dave Collins said. Zupan finished the race with a time of 1:51.92.

“It’s a big rivalry so we have to kind of get behind each other and I think we did a really good job of that,” Zupan said.

The Bears dominated the scoreboard for a majority of the races, repeatedly securing second, third and fourth place. Still, they struggled to consistently land the first place spot, giving it to Drury for exactly half of the events. “(The Bears) have better depth, and (the Panthers) have better top-end,” Collins said.

“Part of it is you’ve got to have talent, but then you’ve really got to be ready to race, and I think that’s something we’re still learning in some spots.”

Regardless, this was a rewarding win for the Bears after, according to Collins, their most difficult block of training.

“The athletes are as fatigued as they’re going

to be all year and we’re asking them to race tough,” Collins said. “We’re getting ready to start resting them going into the conference championship, so I really was pleased with the racing.”

Not only did the swimmers have the men’s soccer team in the crowd cheering them on, but their own teammates were there to push them until the last event.

“Definitely having everybody there is unbelievably important,” sophomore Antonio Thomas said. “You know, when you take a breath and you see your team right there cheering for you, it helps you go that extra step.”

Fast forward two days and the team from up north traveled to Missouri State, as the University of Missouri Tigers hopped in the pool with the Bears for senior day. The men fell in this matchup, 138-98, and the women also came up short, losing 146-88.

“I thought we put up a good fight against a very good Mizzou team … I thought we raced pretty tough,” Collins said.

Even though the day resulted in two losses for the Bears, some good came from the meet.

Junior Artur Osvath shattered a long-standing record for the 200 fly, finishing with a time of 1:44.86. The cherry on top? Osvath barely races the 200 fly.

“I wanted to break the school record,” Osvath said. “I wanted to be a little faster. I wanted to be under 44, but it’s still good.”

On the women’s side, freshman Libby Howell broke a 12-year record in the 1,000 free, finishing in 10:01.67.

“I felt really good about it,” Howell said.

“Last Thursday we had a meet against Drury, and it was bad. So this was better, for me, and the team I think.”

The Bears travel to the Shamrock Invitational tournament in South Bend, Indiana on Jan. 27 to finish up the regular season.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

THE STANDARD

THE-STANDARD.ORG 7

Lady Bear defense causes chaos on the court BRENNER MOORE KAITLYN STRATMAN After starting out slow this season, the Missouri State Lady Bears are white hot going into the middle of conference season.

Five wins in a row, a good defense that’s only getting better, what seems like an endless amount of playmakers and great chemistry headline the list of accomplishments. So, what are the Lady Bears doing right?

“I think we have to continue to give our players things to work on,” head coach Kellie Harper said. “I think we have to continuously challenge them in practice to be the best team they can be individually. You know, we’re constantly looking for something better and not settling, and I think that’s going to be important.”

This, combined with the “next man up” mentality that the Lady Bears follow, will be the things that set them apart late in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Right now, the Lady Bears seem to have an answer for any situation. Need to get the game going? Let senior guard Liza Fruendt have the ball for a little bit. Want to go to the freethrow line more? Let junior guard Danielle Gitzen defend the best shooter, she’s sure to draw a charge.

All of this is easy to talk about, but the proof is in the pudding. So, how is all of this working for the Lady Bears?

Currently, everything is going the Lady Bears’ way. Two big wins against Valparaiso University and Loyola University added to the Lady Bears’ confidence.

Against Valparaiso, on Jan. 19, the Lady Bears went faceto-face with a team that matched them offensively. Nearly identical offensive stats meant the Lady Bears would have to win with defense.

And, they did just that. The Lady Bears out rebounded the Crusaders 48-36 and capitalized on trips to the free-throw line.

Senior forward Aubrey Buckley led the charge on defense, as redshirt freshman guard Brice Calip collected nine rebounds, the team high.

“I thought we played great team basketball, and everybody contributed really well, and we got stops. I think that was the biggest key,” Fruendt said.

Heading into halftime, the Lady Bears led 37-33. After that, the Lady Bears blew the game wide open.

Starting off the third quarter, Missouri State opened with a 24-0.

“I thought our team did a nice job making corrections throughout the game, especially going from the second quarter to the third quarter,” Harper said. “We asked them to do some things and felt like they went out and executed those.”

The Lady Bears held onto the end, defeating the Crusaders 83-60.

The second matchup of the weekend home stretch against the Loyola Ramblers resulted in a blow out, courtesy of the Lady Bears.

The game started out slow, with the Lady Bears trailing 9-7 at the end of the first. From there, no one looked back.

Fruendt kicked-started the Lady Bear offense, sinking backto-back 3-pointers.

“I was just ready to get us rolling,” Fruendt said. “I think we were just a little stagnant and slow moving, so whatever had to happen, happened.”

Leading into the half, the Lady Bears led 27-16. The defense once again stepped up this game, only allowing the Ramblers to reach double-digit scoring in one quarter.

Stepping back on the court, the Lady Bears had no intention of slowing down. Starting out strong, Missouri State had yet another big third quarter, scoring 27 points.

“That’s honestly where we’ve struggled the most lately, is in the third quarter, so I’m actually really proud of our team for fixing something that we haven’t done well in the past,” Buckley said.

Once the fourth quarter arrived, the Ramblers looked ready to throw in the towel, to the point where head coach Kate Achter stopped telling players to sub in, she just asked who wanted to play when someone stepped off the court.

The Lady Bears went on to win 75-36. This win also marked Harper’s 250th win as a coach.

“Seems like it’s taken a long time to get to 250,” Harper said. “There have been a few humbling moments in my life, and that was one of them.”

Going on from here, the Lady Bears are poised to make a run at the MVC title. Their only obstacle comes from Drake University, who has delivered the Lady Bears their one conference loss.

But, with Missouri State’s versatile lineup, who are learning their roles more and more each day, the Lady Bears just have to maintain their current course.

BRADLEY BALSTERS/The Standard The Lady Bears begin a three-game road trip, starting off Junior Danielle Gitzen pump-fakes the defender with a trip to Carbondale, Illinois to take on the Southern into the air against Valparaiso.

Illinois Salukis on Jan. 26.

Missouri State managers return to the court

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that’s just not doable.

“Sometimes we only travel with three managers … it really just depends on how much we travel and how much they travel,” Scott said.

In the case of the game with Valparaiso, the director of

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KAITLYN STRATMAN/The Standard

Missouri State manager Jordan Scott drives past his defender for a layup.

E

After an intense first game against Valparaiso University, the Missouri State basketball managers have begun their season.

The managers league, a league Missouri State has competed in for a couple of years now, came from a desire that stems from the love of basketball.

“It’s a good way to get out and play basketball instead of watching the team play,” Jordan Scott, one of the Missouri State managers, said.

The league is self-sufficient, meaning everything is operated by the managers playing the games. Managers contact each other when teams come to town; they run their own games and adhere to a set of rules in the postseason.

“You basically hit (other teams) up through Twitter or texting them somehow, and after that it’s just kinda if they can (play),” Jarrett Paoni, another Bears manager, said.

In fact, the managers have their own rating system that helps them determine who is a potential bid for the Final Four.

In order to make the postseason, teams must play five games before the conference tournament — winning a conference tournament is an automatic bid — and the final bracket is built off of Key Performance Indicator (KPI) rankings.

All in all, the tournament runs like the actual NCAA. However, there are some limitations to the league.

Travel plays a major role in the season. Games need at least four players on each team in order to qualify as one of the five pre-conference tournament games. And, for some road games,

operations tagged in to be the fifth man.

Traveling is also dictated by the basketball team.

Missouri State’s season began with Valparaiso because this was the first time the Bears found another team with enough managers to play.

The second major drawback of the league comes in the postseason. With seedings based on actual stats, sometimes two teams aren’t able to actually meet up and play.

In this case, a Twitter poll is used in place of a game.

“That’s what happened last year,” Paoni said. “I know they had to get a lot of Twitter votes.”

Last season, Bears fans managed to send the Missouri State managers to the Final Four in Arizona. Once the teams get to the Final Four, the games are guaranteed, with travel being provided for the teams.

So, what’s the best part of this league?

Well, for Scott and Paoni it’s being able to actually play basketball.

“We can’t play in practice, we get yelled at if we try to do too much,” Scott said.

Unfortunately for the Bears, this season started off with a loss. In the first half of play, the Bears looked ready to run away with it.

Going into half, the Bears sported a double-digit lead and looked more confident on the floor.

However, after the Crusaders came off the bench, they found their rhythm. Playing a more aggressive offense and spreading out the Bears on defense, Valparaiso came back to win 81-77.

As for the next matchup for the Bears, they’re unsure of who they will play. But, they are looking forward to this season and another chance at the Final Four.

TH

BRENNER MOORE Sports Editor @brennerm2

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MASS Continued from page 1 “When I was a kid growing up and I’d get upset with my parents or I’d get upset with my teacher, I never thought, ‘Why don’t I go get a gun and shoot the place up?’” Gartin said.

So why is that happening now? It’s the question Americans have yet to answer.

In 2014, according to the National Vital Statistics Report compiled by the Centers for Disease Control, 33,593 people died from firearm injuries in the U.S. According to the report, 63.7 percent of firearm-injury related deaths were suicides. About 32.8 percent of deaths were homicides.

Justin Orf, a fifth year senior at Missouri State studying civil engineering and political science, said he thinks a focus on mental health could help reduce gun-related deaths.

“There have been multiple headlines in my lifetime of ‘biggest mass shooting ever,’ and that is awful,” Orf said, who’s been chair of the Missouri State chapter of College Republicans since December. “I feel like if we focus a lot on mental health and mental stability, then we see not only those deaths go down but also mass shooting deaths because you’d have a lot less people wanting to kill others.”

The problem of mass shootings is much less frequent in other countries, like Australia.

Australia’s National Firearms Agreement is an agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the States and Territories signed in 1966 and updated in 2017, according to the agreement.

In the opening statement of the agreement, it “affirms that firearms possession and use is a privilege that is conditional on the overriding need to ensure public safety, and that public safety is improved by the safe and responsible possession, carriage, use, registration, storage and transfer of firearms.”

The Second Amendment of the U.S. Con-

THE STANDARD stitution states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Australia’s agreement references public safety, while the Second Amendment focuses on the right of the people.

According to Fact Check, Australia passed the NFA after a 28-year-old man in Tasmania killed 35 people in the Port Arthur Massacre.

The NFA banned “all semi-automatic long arms and pump action shotguns,” magazines with a capacity over 30 for long arms and over 20 for handguns, “all handguns intended for sporting shooting purposes” and “all handgun parts for sport shooting purposes,” according to the agreement.

Australia implemented a buyback program from 1996-1997 and collected more than 700,000 weapons prohibited in the NFA, according to the Library of Congress executive summary on Firearms-Control Legislation and Policy: Australia.

“It’s a way to get rid of the gun that won’t fire anymore or grandpa’s 120-year-old shotgun,” Gartin said.

According to the Library of Congress, the national suicide rate and firearm homicide rate dropped from 65 percent and 59 percent, respectively, in a population of 20 million, equal to 300 fewer suicide deaths and 40 fewer homicide deaths from 1995 to 2006.

In 1992, Seattle conducted a buyback program. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information, changes of firearm-related events before and after the program were not statistically significant, though injuries decreased and crimes and deaths increased.

“Part of the problem is we’re used to it,” Gartin said. “I don’t think it’s that people don’t care. I’m guessing, if you were to survey folks they’d say, ‘It’s terrible, we don’t want this to happen, but what do you do about it?’ And so I think we’re in the cycle of helplessness about it.”

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

Highest fatalities in mass shooting since 1982 1. Las Vegas Strip - 58 - 2017 2. Orlando nightclub -49 - 2016 3. Virginia Tech - 32 - 2007 4. Texas First Baptist Church - 26 - 2017 5. Sandy Hook Elementary - 27 - 2012 Information from Mother Jones’ investigation on mass shootings, 1982-2017 After the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, where two students murdered 13 and injured several others, people didn’t stop talking for months, Gartin said.

“The problem is that everybody sort of squawks about it then it dies down,” Gartin said. “If you think about Las Vegas, that was a tremendous loss of life, but no one’s even talking about it now. … And no one even blinks an eye.”

In November, 2017, gunman Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, killed 26 people at Texas First Baptist Church, including infants, toddlers, a pastor’s daughter and his own grandmother-in-law, according to The New York Times.

And 50 years ago, this wouldn’t happen, Gartin said, but something is different now.

What that something is, he’s not sure.

Most mass shootings, like the Las Vegas country music festival – where 58 people were murdered and hundreds were injured – and Texas church shootings, happened in gun-free zones. Churches are gun free. Hotels are gun free. Many college campuses are gun free, though some, like the University of Texas, have instituted campus carry laws.

In November, two Missouri state representatives spoke at Missouri State about guns and safety. Rep. Jered Taylor said at the event that he planned to file legislation to address Missouri’s 17 gun-free zones.

On Jan. 8, 2018, he filed House Bill 1936,

similar to House Bill 630 he pushed through the house in 2017.

HB 1936 changes where people can conceal carry and “prohibits the state, political subdivisions, and public institutions of higher learning from imposing any policies or contractual requirements that would have the effect of prohibiting employees or students,” from concealed carrying in legally allowed locations, according to the bill summary.

But Orf said not much has changed in the Republican Party when it comes to change.

There’s a lot of people in Missouri who “like their guns,” he said, as well as farmers who want to use guns for hunting and defending their property.

“I think there needs to be a discussion on it, but I think both sides have to be willing to come together instead of just kind of shouting at each other, which is what we see a lot of the time,” Orf said.

Cohen said Americans shouldn’t be OK with the rise.

“We should not accept that this is a given part of our condition of life in this country, that we have to fear for that at anytime, anywhere someone could shoot us,” Cohen said.

“In other countries, they’ve been able to not have this phenomenon happen and take measures to stop it from happening again and we shouldn’t assume that there is nothing that can be done.”

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

THE STANDARD

Moore: ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ painfully beautiful BRENNER MOORE Sports Editor @brennerm2 How far would a mother go to protect her children? If your mom is like mine, she jokes that she had two kids just in case one of them died.

But, if your mother is anything like Mildred Hayes, she would walk to the end of the Earth for you.

In the unfortunate true story of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Hayes, played by Frances McDormand, is torn away from her teenage daughter due to an untimely death. However, this death came from the hands of a heinous man, who Hayes is dead set on finding.

As fate would have it, the man left not a single trace of evidence of his crime, so the local police department had no leads.

Hayes took this as the department giving up on her daughter. So, like any caring mother would do, Hayes bought three billboards just outside Ebbing, Missouri, to call out the chief of police.

Chief Willoughby, played

by Woody Harrelson, is respected by nearly every man and woman who lives in Ebbing. To say the least, the town viewed the billboards as poor taste.

Now, the most surprising part of this movie is the fact that it is true. This tale of a broken mother’s love for her child seems like it comes from the mind of one of the world’s greatest storytellers.

With so many twists and turns that followed this poor woman, she responds with such resilience it’s almost farfetched.

McDormand plays Hayes to near perfection. While playing a cold-hearted woman looking to avenge her daughter, she also executes

the more sympathetic and vulnerable side of Hayes with as much precision and care.

After seeing multiple movies with Harrelson as a lead, I am convinced this man doesn’t act; he is just the same person on and off the screen.

While playing Willoughby, an officer under extreme scrutiny, Harrelson manages to be lighthearted and carefree every step of the way.

His character reveals very early on in the movie that he has cancer and expects Hayes to lighten up a bit.

To almost no one's surprise, she doesn’t quit. So, instead of being vindictive, Willoughby begins to get back at her by creating an elaborate joke.

If you were to tell me that someone rented out three billboards to more or less slander me, I’d be pretty upset. I sure as hell wouldn’t pull a prank on them to even the score. No normal person would.

But Harrelson's character did, and when I saw that, I told myself ‘That was the best way he could have handled that situation.’

I said that because Harrelson made me say it. His character was so believable and relatable, I ate it up.

This movie takes a horrible, horrible story of a mother’s loss and conquest for retribution and makes it fun to watch. That sounds awful, but this movie made me laugh the hardest I’ve laughed at a movie in a while.

This beautiful fusion of tragedy and hilarity make for a wonderful viewing experience. I highly recommend anyone who wants a movie to make them laugh, cry, think or all of the above, to see this movie.

Rating: 8.5/10

GAMBLE Continued from page 4 athletes were also more likely to bet than female athletes.

As many as one in four male athletes reported having gambled on sports, compared to one in 20 females.

Despite the obvious popularity of college level sports betting, the NCAA has a policy against it on their website because it “has the potential to undermine the integrity of sports contests and jeopardizes the welfare of student-athletes and the intercollegiate athletics community.”

Sports betting isn’t the only form of gambling students participate in. Lotteries, card games and betting on games of skill — like pool or darts — also made the list.

Many college campuses host gambling-related events, although usually without the use of real money. MSU’s Student Activities Council hosts a casino night every fall semester where students play mock casino games and trade in chips for chances to win prizes like gift cards and electronics.

“Casino night is one of the events that has sort of become a tradition, (and) we hold it every fall semester because a lot of people enjoy it,” SAC After Hours Chair Renz Kho said. “We do plan on doing another casino night in the future.”

But gambling isn’t always fun and games. Sometimes it

FRANCE Continued from page 4

similar than they realize. Sure, circumstances are different, and languages separate us, but, at the center of it all, we're not too different.

During dinner, I would listen to my host family speak about their problems and politics, ranting away just as my family does in the U.S. Whenever I would take the city bus, I would listen to the elderly

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becomes an addiction that can have devastating consequences.

According to the National Association for Responsible Gaming, recent research estimated that close to 6 percent of college students have a gambling problem. Among the older population of the U.S., around 2.5 percent have a compulsive gambling addiction.

NARG theorizes that higher rates of addiction may occur among college students because younger people are often more impulsive and have less self-control. Many people who develop gambling issues in college will likely outgrow them after graduation.

Inman said he never had an addiction to gambling, but he has gambled less since graduating.

“Once I started working full time, I cut back because I wanted to save my money, and I don’t have as much time to watch sports,” Inman said.

He also said he didn’t know anyone with a gambling addiction.

“For the most part, we all bet reasonable amounts and know when enough is enough if we go through a cold streak,” Inman said. “Most of my friends don’t have the means to fund a gambling addiction either.”

Gambling addictions can bring negative effects to the life of the addict, as well as their friends and family. One of the biggest effects is on the financial state of the addict.

“Like any other addiction,

a gambling addiction must be financed, and because the addiction directly involves money, it can be a more expensive addiction than other common addictions,” James Philpot, associate professor of finance, said. “This, of course, can directly influence an individual’s cash flows and wealth.”

In an extreme case, Philpot said, college students with gambling addictions may borrow money and cause themselves to go into more debt. For some, the risk is even higher.

“The stakes are higher for varsity athletes, who risk being expelled from NCAA and losing their scholarships.”

Philpot said.

If any students do find themselves struggling with a compulsive gambling problem, there are resources that can help. The MSU Counseling Center is one of them.

Justin Johns works at the Counseling Center and is a certified substance abuse counselor. Johns said that he

has seen students at the Counseling Center for gambling problems in the past.

“Students come in for a lot of different things, and behavioral addictions are definitely one of those things,” Johns said. “It’s not uncommon for someone who has an addiction to gambling to also have either a co-occurring mental health condition or have some other form of addiction.”

Outside of standard counseling, MSU offers help through the Collegiate Recovery Program. On the third floor of Carrington, near the Counseling Center, is a lounge dedicated to the CRP, with couches, a pingpong table and stacks of books and flyers about addictions of all types. Students are welcome to spend time there if they are struggling with addiction.

The CRP provides students struggling with addiction recovery, support and resources, as well as the chance to spend time with students in a similar situation.

women talk to their friends about recipes and their daily errands, just as my grandma does at home.

We have the same wants out of life, the same problems.

As I explored the city and studied in a classroom filled with students from all over the world — including Russia, Ghana and China — I realized something important.

Not to say that I don't appreciate these things, but it's not going to be the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe that I will miss the most; it's most definitely, without a doubt, the

people.

It'll be the times when my friend and I would wait for 40 minutes for the city bus to come, only to realize that there was a strike that day. It'll be the sketchy overnight bus trips to Barcelona to meet up with my best friend from home. It'll be the many nights spent with my friends in little cafes around the city, drinking our weight in wine.

Sure, I don't take the opportunity to travel halfway across the world for granted, but, to me, the most important thing that I will take away from

the entire experience are the new friendships.

I explored Disneyland Paris with my new friends from Denver, and I tried a new church service with two girls who grew up in Ghana.

I made Christmas cookies with my host mom and sister and read Moana in French to my little host brother.

I've learned from these people, both about the world and myself.

I've learned, no matter how cliche it might sound, it's not the place; it's the people.

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THE STANDARD

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018