November 28, 2017

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 13 | THE-STANDARD.ORG The Standard/The Standard Sports

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2017

MVC

For the second time in three years, the Bears are MVC Champions and are headed to the NCAA Tournament BRENNER MOORE Staff Reporter @brennerm2

To almost no one’s surprise, the Missouri State volleyball knocked out University of Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference championship.

In their third matchup of the season, the Bears swept the Panthers for the second time this year.

“Unbelievable, awesome,” senior Brianne Dixon said. “If you watched me, I kinda go crazy on my celebrations, but finally we had (won the conference) and we had worked so hard.”

The 3-0 win for the Bears also ex-

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CHAMPS 7 p.m.

4 p.m.

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tended their road victory streak to 22, an NCAA record.

However, that NCAA record barely scratches the surface of the Bears’ accomplishments this season.

First and foremost, the Bears dominated in conference play this season and the two seasons before that. At the end of the season, the Bears finished with 34 consecutive MVC wins, – their last loss came from Southern Illinois University on Sept. 17, 2016.

Adding to the impressive road streak, the Bears beat three rating percentage index (RPI) top-50 teams on the road

MSUStandard

this season.

So, the Bears proved themselves on the road, but how did they do at home?

Turns out, they played just as well.

This season, the Bears are 11-2 at home while boasting an .808 winning percentage since 2000.

All of these records will be put to the test on Friday, Dec. 1, when the Bears travel to Omaha, Nebraska to take on Michigan State University in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Looking at the match up, the Spartans are favored to win, but at the same time, the Bears could force an upset.

The key to victory for the Bears is whether or not they can defend against the Spartans’ strong offense.

Sitting at No. 17 on the RPI rank-

Creighton (25-6) Second Round Coastal Caro. (20-7) 7 p.m.

Missouri St. (28-5) Michigan St. (21-8)

ings, Michigan State recorded a respectable .272 attack percentage this season. They also averaged 2.2 blocks a set compared to the Bears’ 1.9, so the game at the net could go either way.

Heading into the championship match of the MVC tournament, head coach Melissa Stokes changed up her defensive plan.

Junior MacKenzie Irwin usually starts at middle blocker for the Bears.

In the championship game against UNI, redshirt freshman Laynie Dake started instead.

The idea behind this change came from Stokes when she realized Irwin started against the Panthers twice this season.

The substitution kept the Bears game plan a bit more hidden and ultimately played a major role in their victory.

“I wanted an element of surprise,”

Stokes said. “After you’ve played a team twice, you’ve got to give them a little different of a look, and I think it payed off.”

The NCAA announcement aired on Nov. 26 when the team gathered in the Dixon’s household to watch the bid.

All year the team acted as more of a family than anything else. It seemed that no matter where they went in the country to play, someone that supported them opened their doors. The girls never once looked like teammates – they looked like sisters.

This family core is something that the Bears cherish, and it’s also something they look for.

“I think it’s just something we foster,” senior Lauren Boone said. “I think it’s just something we attract in our recruits every year. People that want to be a part of a family come to us.”

Facebook Marketplace meeting leads to armed robbery near campus CORTLYNN STARK News Editor @Cortlynn_Stark Two suspects robbed a man at gunpoint Monday night, near Missouri State’s campus, after arranging to meet through Facebook Marketplace.

According to Missouri State’s Safety and Transportation Department’s Public Safety Alert, a non-student was trying to sell his cellphone and met the suspects at 631 E. Madison, near Madison Square Apartments and just west of Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium.

One suspect pointed a gun and demanded the man’s possessions, according to the

alert. The suspects left with the man’s items heading northeast.

According to the alert, the suspects are white males, around 6-foot to 6-foot-2 and around 160 pounds. One man was wearing a hoodie, but both wore dark clothing.

The suspect who pointed the gun had long blond hair in a ponytail and was around 19-20 years old, according to the alert.

According to the alert, the gun could be a “357,” described as a gray revolver.

The Springfield Police Department responded to the robbery and are investigating.

If you have any information, contact the SPD at 417864-1810.

MEGAN BURKE/THE STANDARD

D-Rep. Crystal Quade and R-Rep. Jered Taylor discuss gun control during a public panel at MSU.

Safe or scared? State reps talk gun legislation CHLOE SKAAR Senior Reporter @chloeskaar Two Missouri legislators came to Missouri State to discuss guns, gun laws and guns on campus.

State Representatives Crystal Quade, democrat, and Jered Taylor, republican, met in the Plaster Student Union Theatre Monday night to educate students and citizens in a town hall-style meeting about guns and safety.

Elizabeth Dudash-Buskirk, associate professor of communication at MSU and

curator for Be Civil Be Heard, facilitated their discussion and delivered questions from the audience.

“If we are civil to each other, we will be heard eventually,” Dudash-Buskirk said, of the idea behind Be Civil Be Heard.

“That’s the only way to have a good discussion and good, civil, civic discourse. … Civility is not just about not calling people names and not fighting.”

Dudash-Buskirk said both state representatives came together easily and were eager to talk about “one of the most divisive topics ever” — guns and Missouri’s gun restrictions.

Quade, a graduate of MSU with a social work degree, said the topic is important to her after a childhood in southern Missouri.

“When I was asked to come, it was a very easy yes for me,” Quade said. “As someone who grew up in Webster County, eating the meat that my father killed, I understand the importance of the Second Amendment.”

Taylor said he intends to file legislation that addresses the gun free zones in Missouri — 17 already exist. He said he wants legislature that addresses each one and u See GUNS, page 8

news

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sports

Fine Arts Academy Returns Page 2

Hard work and innovation: A Garst story Page 5

Basketball while you’ve been gone Page 7

2 THE-STANDARD.ORG

THE STANDARD

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2017

Missouri Fine Arts Academy takes planning year Academy to return after year hiatus CARISSA ALFORD Staff Reporter @carissabalford After a year’s setback, the Missouri Fine Arts Academy will come back to Missouri State in the summer of 2019.

Due to budget cuts this year, the MFAA was gone. However, it was important enough for Shawn Wahl, interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters, to save the program. Instead of giving up, he decided to use 20172018 as a planning year.

“The new version of the MFAA is going to be focused on commitment and dedication to the fine arts,” Wahl said.

The MFAA is a three-week program where rising high school juniors and seniors come to MSU and become engulfed in the arts. The students get an on-campus experience by staying in the residence halls, eating in the dining centers and utilizing the campus facilities such as Brick City, Ellis Hall and Craig Hall.

“The students who participate experience a variety of master classes around the arts, such as art and design, theatre and dance, art projects, writing and music,” Wahl said. “It

“MFAA made me aware that art was valid.”

-Sarah Williams really is an institute of the arts.”

The MFAA staff consists of other universities and MSU’s staff and instructors, as well as high school teachers.

Even with all these staff members, the MFAA lacks a director. Wahl said they are currently engaged in a nationwide search for a director who will lead the academy into the future.

Sarah Williams, assistant professor of art, design and painting at MSU, attended the MFAA when she was in high school.

“Sarah is one of our success stories.” Wahl said. “She was accepted into MFAA and then came to Missouri State for her undergrad and now is a faculty member.”

Williams came from a small town where there weren’t many people interested in the arts. Her high school art teacher made an MFAA application for her.

“Before going to MFAA, I had never been around so many people who were engaged in using art to express their feelings, their ideas and their identities,” Williams said.

COLLIN O’CONNELL/THE STANDARD

Katie Hopkins dances as part of A Phenomenal Experience.

For Williams, she said her participation in the MFAA showed her there is a future for her in the arts and her experience in the program strongly influenced the direction she took to get where she is today.

“MFAA made me aware that art was valid

and there were opportunities to develop a path that would allow me to keep doing the things I loved as I got older and developed a career,” Williams said.

Applications for the MFAA summer of 2019 will be accepted through the fall of 2018.

Pay your parking ticket with community service BAILEY VASSALLI Senior Reporter @baileyvassalli You have been circling the parking lot for what feels like an eternity and 10:10 a.m. is creeping up fast.

You can’t be late for class again, so you park at a meter, even though you have no change.

You figure 50 minutes won’t hurt, but you come back to a ticket on your windshield.

Luckily for you, beginning next semester, students can work off their parking tickets while also helping the Springfield community.

The program, called Bear With Me, was inspired by other universities and is designed to give students an opportunity to complete two service hours rather than paying for their tickets out of their own pocket.

decisions they are making,” sophomore health communications major Abdillahi Dirie said. “It’s giving them an opportunity to work off their parking ticket while also making an impact on the community.”

Dirie – the director of administrative services – received the project from the student body president, senior economics major Brandon McCoy, and vice president, senior administrative management major Caitlin Schaefer. They learned of a similar program at the University of Arkansas, and believed it would work well at Missouri State.

McCoy and Schaefer pitched the idea to student and administrative stakeholders. Dirie took it from there, ironed out the details and saw it to FreeImages.com/Stefan Williams where it is now – just a few months shy from being implemented.

“It’s supposed to be a program “This could not have happened where students can understand the without his hard work,” McCoy said.

Weekly Crossword © 2017 King Features Syndicate

ACROSS 1 PC alternative 4 Like omelettes or quiche 8 Secondhand 12 Have bills 13 Color quality 14 “The Thin Man” heroine 15 Hotel personnel 17 Cole Porter’s “Let’s --” 18 Willingly 19 From then on 20 Jousting garb 22 Hunk of soap 24 Slender 25 Starving 29 Encountered 30 Bullwinkle’s foe 31 Greek vowel 32 Ran through, in a sense 34 Unclear image 35 Black 36 Exhausted 37 Fragment 40 Mediocre 41 Actress Gilpin 42 Noble 46 “-- go bragh!”

47 Sandwich treat 48 Science room 49 Rugged rock 50 Salamander 51 List-condensing abbr.

DOWN 1 Horde 2 Shock and -3 Pen pal?

4 Old number?

5 Blunder 6 Economist’s stat 7 “Of course” 8 Victoria’s Secret wares 9 Any time now

10 Idle or Clapton 11 Social engagement 16 Friend of Dorothy 19 Vail gear 20 Charitable donations 21 Stench 22 Mariah or Drew 23 In the thick of 25 Place setting component 26 Squalid site 27 Needle holder 28 “Phooey” 30 Flex 33 Electrician’s job 34 Spill the beans 36 Apportion 37 Blueprint detail 38 Frau’s mate

39 Met melody 40 Huffed and puffed 42 Triumphed 43 Before 44 Scoundrel

45 Leno’s employer

“It’s giving them an opportunity to work off their parking ticket while also making an impact on the community.”

- Abdillahi Dirie Bear With Me comes with a few terms and conditions.

The ticket must be issued by the university. In addition to that, it must be valued under $50 and must not be given due to illegally parking in a handicapped space.

Students can only work off one parking ticket per semester and they must complete the community service within 15 days of being issued the citation.

The service hours completed may only count toward the parking ticket, meaning the hours cannot count toward community service

hours needed for classes, scholarships and other campus organizations. “(The program) accomplishes two main goals,” McCoy said. “It exposes students to the pillar of community engagement and creatively reduces a cost associated with being a student.”

Dirie said there were originally some concerns from the university’s parking administration office, mainly about revenue, but once he explained it, they supported it.

To log their hours, students must join Bear With Me on Campus Link.

The program will end once $3,000 worth of parking tickets are worked off. If successful this semester, Dirie said the dollar amount could be higher in future semesters.

“I’m very confident that this program will help students and do more good than harm,” Dirie said.

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opinion

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2017 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

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Thanksgiving sucks Unwanted calories and shopping are hardly worth it ALI SPIES Columnist @AliceTheSpy Okay, that was a harsh title; there are many things about Thanksgiving that are nice, like food and family. But as far as winter holidays are concerned, it’s by far the worst.

I mean, the religious holidays usually come with presents of some kind. Then, the whole point of New Years is to get drunk and make out with someone.

But Thanksgiving? All you get is unwanted calories.

The anticipation for Thanksgiving break is like no other. It has been a month since fall break, which was barely even a break, so you are antsy to get home and recharge. Then, once you get home, you realize the break is even less than a week long.

Yes, any time off from class is nice, but I need a good week and a half to actually get stuff done and be able to enjoy the break.

Thanksgiving dinner is awe-

some; there’s good food and, if you’re over 21, you don’t even have to be sober. But, if your family is like mine, it is more stressful than it is enjoyable. To start the day, my grandma started a fire in the oven and burned a significant amount of the food.

Honestly though, this was the funniest and best part of my Thanksgiving.

My family, like most, has a ton of drama, and Thanksgiving is a time for them to sit and gossip about everyone who isn’t there.

Also, at any family gathering, the talk inevitably turns to politics and someone ends up getting angry and storming out. This part can be enjoyable, but tends to bring out the worst in people.

Since my parents are divorced, I have to leave one Thanksgiving in order to attend the other. This always causes tension because the family I’m leaving is upset I can’t stay, and the other side of the family is upset that I am late.

I know they don’t mean to make it hard for me, but I always feel

awkward and I can’t make anyone happy.

After, Thanksgiving is over, Black Friday starts. I like shopping, but being a college student without a job, shopping isn’t really a luxury I can afford. It really means watching my friends buy cool stuff while I help them fight the crowd.

After all of this, the break finally comes to an end and we have to return to school. Not only do we have to return to the semester we are all tired of being in, but we have two of the most stressful weeks of class. Then, there is a week of finals.

On top of that, we’re all still broke and without cute things because Thanksgiving presents aren’t a thing.

I don’t mean to sound bitter. I know Thanksgiving is meant to be a time where families come together to be grateful for everything they have, and I am immensely grateful for what I have.

I just have never felt less excited during a holiday than this Thanksgiving has made me feel.

I am not my illness(es) EMILY JOSHU Editor-in-Chief @EmilyJoshu 240 miles separate Springfield from the Washington University in St Louis Center 40 building for neurology and sleep study. The moment I set foot in the waiting room after spending four hours in the car, it hits.

Two hulk-sized hands squeeze my head until it feels like a deflated balloon balancing on a stick. Every sound, from the hushed drone of the corner TV to the breaths of the sleep study patient across from me, sends electric shocks through my eardrums.

Shutting my eyes to the overhead lights and placing my trembling hands over my ears, I

hunch forward. The scar on the left side of my head, nestled just behind my ear, twinges as if it is a separate entity.

This is just a normal Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Every Q and A session with the neurology physician’s assistant feels like a game of catch and release. Nortriptyline? Tried it. Carbatrol?

Useless. 2800 milligrams of Gabapentin every day? Never again. I have tried everything that she rattles off and I find myself curled in a ball in her dimmed examination room. Diagnosis: migraines. Treatment: ineffective.

Reasons: bad luck and three brain surgeries between July and September 2014.

Also, I am a senior in college and I have the hands of a 60-year-old construction work-

SABRINA MERRILL/THE STANDARD

er. Their resting position is curled into asymmetrical, claw-like shapes with a sharp pressure that runs from my fingertips up my shoulders.

Tasks as simple as turning pages or holding my phone become compromised, and the only information I can go off is, “It could be muscular or autoimmune.” For all I know, I could have inherited my father’s possible rheumatoid arthritis.

I am two weeks away from turning 22 and my body already often feels as if it’s falling apart, but this is what no one sees. It is invisible, but it is not who I am.

This is the time of the semester when students are pushed to their breaking points academically and emotionally. We literally stress ourselves sick over the fear of not measuring up to the expectations we set for ourselves at the beginning of the semester.

For students with pain disorders like mine, finals and the holidays are physically paralyzing. I cannot even count the number of times my family asked me over Thanksgiving alone,

“Do you still have headaches?”

They ask this before even getting into how school is going.

However, this is not a reason to underestimate our ability to handle our medical problems and school. I am an Editor-in-Chief, Social Marketing Editor, Assistant Fiction Editor and Writing Consultant, and I have five pill bottles lining my nightstand.

I am no less than anyone else because of my pain. Many people choose to keep these problems secret in order to avoid being underestimated, and that shouldn’t be a necessity in these cases.

It may take longer to do something, and sometimes there are going to be moments of isolation. It is an obstacle, not a disqualifying characteristic.

I am in pain, but I am not my illness; I just have claw hands and a broken brain.

The tale of Red River Gorge and no Wi-Fi No technology shows faults in life led off the grid JONATHAN PETESCH Columnist @thepeach1999 When I arrived at Red River Gorge, I was unpleasantly confronted with the fact that I would have no data connection for the entirety of the trip.

As I suffered through boredom and withdrawal from social media, I wondered if, in today's society, it was possible for a person like me to go off the grid. What I found kind of surprised me.

For some background, I am an avid user of most social media networks and cannot go very long without checking my phone.

This is partially because I need to fidget with something once in a while, but also because my phone is my lifeline to the outside world and my main hub of communication.

This is why last week was hard for me.

When I wasn’t doing something related to rock climbing, such as climbing or belaying or hiking, the natural urge was there to pull out my phone or other device to check my social media.

Normally I would; however, I was met with a no data connection emblem most of the time.

Not checking social media for a few days did not hurt me in the end, but the hindered direct communication was a problem.

One night a friend snapped me, in need of help on a project due after break.

With an, at best, spotty Wi-Fi connection from Miguel's Pizza, I was partially able to help, but not to the extent which I normally would. With messages often failing to send The Standard Physical address: Clay Hall 744 E. Cherry St. Springfield, Missouri Postal address: 901 S. National Ave. Springfield, MO 65897 Newsroom: 417-836-5272 Advertising: 417-836-5524

in order after I returned to my residence hall and cranked up the heat.

I also couldn’t work on my homework effectively, either. Anything I did while at the campsite was completely typed on my phone, as my laptop was too clunky.

With a few papers due when I got back from break, this threw a wrench in my productivity and made for a very homework intensive drive home, as well as a busy night when I got back on campus.

But this return to a world where everything digital was easy to use didn’t come without its time for deep thought.

Could I have continued that life? The easy answer to that is no.

I fully came into this trip expecting to have some spotty connection, but didn’t realize the implications that would have.

I lost connection with friends and family, lost the ability to do any work I needed to do and lost the connection with most of the outside world in general.

It would have been perfectly possible to continue this if I didn’t have any responsibilities to the outside world. I got used to this by the end of the trip, which heavily surprised me as I didn’t expect to be able to adapt.

JONATHAN PETESCH/THE STANDARD Despite this, if I want to do anything other Freshman undeclared major Emma Meyer rock climbs at the Red River than something like rock climbing, it’s impossible to continue that life, and I’m extremely Gorge trip during Thanksgiving Break. excited to be back on campus where I feel at and connections dropping frequently, I couldn’t This year was my first year not being home home. be a valuable resource like I normally would, for Thanksgiving, and the lack of a way to effectively communicate with my family made which made me feel horrible as a friend.

Above this, connection with my family was it harder on all of us. also hindered.

In short, a phone call home was definitely

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THE STANDARD

life

“

I went into the war with my eyes open.

It wasn’t long after I arrived that I thought, ‘These people are just like us. What’s the beef?

Did they fly their planes into the twin towers? Did they bomb us or shoot us?

No.’” -Larry Rottman, veteran, educator and citizen

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2017 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

Veterans Speak

of the Springfield Art Museum as he unfolded the story of a new Vietnam.

“It’s not like that anymore,” Rottmann said. “(Vietnam is) a whole new generation who have no memories of war, or Americans or even Ho Chi Minh.”

NINA TODEA ter of children fills the streets. If you Rottmann, currently an Ozarks Technical Community College English Staff Reporter listen closely, you can hear the quiet, gentle murmur of prayer. When he professor, first wrote and performed @Todea_NinaM arrived, Larry Rottmann found Vietthe piece in 1985. He was later joined Today you hear the chirping of nam in peace. by director Mark Biggs, associate dean birds and the rushing of water. The But his memories tell a different of the College of Arts and Letters at natural sounds of animals and insects story.

Missouri State University and Ray hum in the warm breeze, and the laughThey paint vivid pictures of young Castrey, emeritus staff of theatre and dance at MSU who pieced together original music for the program.

In the three decades since its making, “Voices From Vietnam” has traveled across the nation and overseas in countries such as Japan, China, Russia, Canada and Vietnam.

Although Rottmann’s story speaks of a double-edged narrative, serving in Vietnam was not a life-changing experience for all American soldiers.

“They didn’t think about it; they didn’t take it to heart,” Rottmann said.

“Many enjoyed it.”

For many soldiers, the food, the people and the vibrant music added to the thrill of being in a foreign nation. Rottmann said although it was terrible for those drafted, a short 365 days in Vietnam was an adventure.

As a 26-year-old college graduate, Rottmann was older than the majority of soldiers he served with.

“I went into the war with my eyes open,” Rottmann said. “It’s not life-altering. It's the totality of the experience. You have to look at it and think about what your government does.

“It wasn’t long after I arrived that I thought, ‘These people are just like us. What’s the beef? Did they fly their planes into the twin towers? Did they NINA TODEA/THE STANDARD bomb us or shoot us? No.’” Rottmann returned to the country Larry Rottmann, a Vietnam War veteran who is now an OTC professor, told his story at the as soon as the war was over, despite multi-reader Voices From Vietnam event held on Nov. 16 at the Springfield Art Museum. u See VETERAN page 5

Giving voice to Vietnam

“Thor: Ragnorok” big step for Marvel, kept light and fun COLE TRUMBLE Reviewer @Cole_Tr “Thor: Ragnarök.” Odds are you’ve already seen it. I mean, with the steaming hunk of man Chris Hemsworth starring in an all-out end-ofthe-world battle action movie with the whole of the Marvel budget behind it, why wouldn’t you?

But for those of us who have a beef with Marvel movies, and for those of us unimpressed by the god of thunder’s luscious golden locks, why should we go out of our way to see this movie? It’s produced by a studio that regularly practices cheap antics and formulaic scenes crafted into multimillion-dollar mediocrity. Despite this, “Thor: Ragnarök” kicks ass.

If you’ve ever talked to me — and I mean ever, because I talk about it a lot — you know that I have a beef with Marvel. Ever since the first “Avengers” movie, they’ve been lazy. Their fight scenes are the same in every film, and they add in stupid jokes that ruin dramatic scenes rather than provide comic relief they aim for.

Despite having the budget and the array of successful directors at their disposal, Marvel has become intent on quantity over quality in a wildly successful cash grab that is not going to stop in the near future.

At some point, however, Marvel started to experiment with a different formula.

They stopped making their movies serious action movies, and started making comic book movies where fun was the top priority. This absurd idea that maybe movies based off of colorful comic books for kids should themselves be colorful and fun turned out to be a hit, leading to some of Marvel’s best movies yet: “Deadpool,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.”

Despite these cinematic wonders that were funny, flashy and a good time, Marvel hadn’t broken the mold on their less colorful, more serious flicks. Obviously someone took a look at the past — and the response to “Spiderman: Homecoming” — and realized that a movie that doesn’t take itself seriously is more Marvel’s forte.

Enter “Thor: Ragnarök.”

As anyone can see from the first scene in the film, this movie is not in the business of being serious. Beginning with Thor himself chatting with a skeleton as if he’s catching up with an old friend then immediately being thrown into a massive fight scene with Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.”

With regular joke cracking, Thor meets the villain of the movie who is intent on taking over Asgard and eventually the whole universe.

The plot is sort of old-superhero movie fare but it supplies the ingredients for some exciting hijinks.

The most visually interesting scenes take place on the trash planet Sakaar ruled by the eccentric Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum.

Some have said Goldblum simply plays himself in the movie and it works out hilariously. On, Sakaar, the sky is full of a kaleidoscope of different colored vortexes and ships and aliens journeying to see the gladiator fights run by the Grandmaster. It is here that Thor and the Hulk reunite in a brutal fight that is a definite highlight of the film.

Here we also meet Korg, the soft-spoken revolutionary voiced by Taika Waititi, and Valkyrie who captures Thor but eventually returns with him to save Asgard. Tessa Thompson, who plays Valkyrie, holds a nobility and chemistry with the other characters that leads to her role being another high point of the movie.

Overall, this movie is pleasing because it prioritizes the fun and fantasy of a comic book over making things tense and heavy like early DC movies. It fixes the problem of some other more “realistic” Marvel movies like “Captain America: Civil War” by avoiding a more grayscale look in favor of a bright and colorful high-saturation look that is more comic book-esque.

“Thor: Ragnarök” is a big step for Marvel as it shows they are moving closer to making enjoyable movies instead of only a lucrative business model. Who knows?

They might even start drawing in people who aren’t loyal fans. This movie isn’t high art and it doesn’t have a profound theme at all, but it is damn fun and that’s OK. 7/10

American soldiers playing with guns, of constant chatter, billowing smoke and the white noise of warfare. His memories depict images of troops on an adventure, in a John Wayne movie or on a trip to Cancun — their army-green combat fatigues casual resort wear. His memories are of a war-torn nation halfway across the world, away from reality and helpless at the hands of others.

Rottmann is a Vietnam War veteran. In his multi-reader performance “Voices From Vietnam” on Nov. 16, his solemn voice filled the auditorium

BEARS OF MO STATE u Trevor Currie

Sophomore, communication studies

Photo by KAITLYN STRATMAN Trevor Currie, sophomore communication studies major, leans forward as he attempts to balance on the slackline set up outside of Blair-Shannon. Currie is a founder of the newly established hammock and slacklining club, the Mo-State Slackers.

“I transferred from a school in Arizona and (slacklining) was huge out in Arizona, so I just started doing that with my

friends out there and then brought it here,” Currie said. “People come over thinking it’s pretty easy but it’s actually pretty tough just to get the balance. The line moves a lot more than you would think, so people usually can’t ...step up the first time they try it. But keep after it and you’ll get the hang of it for sure.” If you’re interested in joining the club or just want to try slacklining out, look out for the Mo-State Slackers on Thursday afternoons.

Always taken by your favorite Standard photographers exploring stories across campus: Check out new “Bears of Missouri State” posts on our Instagram every week at @thestandard_msu.

Change the world, tell your story: Visiting MSU speaker encourages “going and giving” SARAH TEAGUE Life Editor @sarah_k_teague Taking advantage of global engagement can present struggles, but without struggle, there is no progress in an individual’s life.

This philosophy on cross-cultural commitment comes from Carrie Wagner, an Asheville, North Carolina-based photographer and speaker, and former long-term volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

Wagner spoke to a crowd of a couple-dozen in Missouri State University’s Plaster Student Union Theater on Nov. 14 for International Education Week. Her message was simple: “Go, give, learn and Tell the Story.”

Wagner and her husband served for three years in Uganda in the early ‘90s, moving to South Africa and back to the States to fill the international training director role for Habitat for Humanity. The couple worked with the organization for 11 years, and Wagner says this experience and the struggles it brought have shaped her perspective in the years since. “(My husband) and I went to see a Jane Goodall docu-

mentary,” Wagner said. “For us, just sitting there and watching the movie (brought) back so much that (we) forget about. (A) sense of familiarity, (a) sense of … warmth and hospitality, and the genuine sort of give that the people offer. It’s very humbling.”

Wagner encouraged the crowd to be the person who changes the world around them. She had the crowd recite “The world needs me, and the time is now.” Her presentation echoed this theme.

“We have to think about things in new ways,” Wagner said. “Opportunities are to revision a world of abundance and resilience and vibrance and sustainability for all. The world needs us, and the time is now. The world needs us collectively … across different industries, sectors and cultures.”

Alex Johnson, MSU’s director of community involvement and service, attended the event and related Wagner’s message to life at Missouri State. Johnson facilitates service trips, or “Bear Breaks Immersion Trips,” which he said encourage students to “pop the college bubble.”

“I thought (Wagner) had an encouraging message for folks to step outside of their comfort

“

The world needs us, and the time is now.

The world needs us collectively … across different industries, sectors and cultures.”

-Carrie Wagner zone,” Johnson said. “Those members to seek personal challenging experiences are growth through service and often the most rewarding. critical reflection.”

(She) encouraged audience u See WAGNER page 8

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2017

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MSU chef boosts camaraderie within Garst team Story by TERRY CHAPMAN Garnish Chef Lawrence Beatty-Hairston is no stranger to hard work. On a cloudy afternoon, he instructs students and his fellow staff members on preparing cucumber rolls in his “Cooking 101” class.

While his pupils work diligently in Garst dining hall, he walks around supervising and answering questions, explaining the dish can be either vegan or gluten-free depending on the ingredients.

With a smile on his face, he jokes with the students, and eventually, they finish, thank him and say goodbye.

Beatty-Hairston has worked at Garst for 10 years.

He works catering in the back, but when he is out front, he can often be seen socializing with students. He says he finds personal joy in greeting students with a smile.

“I’m a very inquisitive person by nature,” Beatty-Hairston said. “I just like to find out what’s going on with people, and ask them how they’re doing.”

He has been an employee at Garst ever since he was junior in high school. Originally from Philadelphia, Beatty-Hairston left for Springfield at age 16.

“Life was just a little bit too crazy in Philadelphia,” he said.

“My dad actually lived here in Springfield. I chose to get away. I’ve lived here for 15 years now.”

Beatty-Hairston started working in Garst at the age of 19. He claims that he entered the job with a mindset that a 19-year-old would have.

“I didn’t want to be here,” Beatty-Hairston said. “I wanted to quit as soon as I could. I had an older friend who worked here, and really encouraged me not to quit.

Slowly but surely, Beatty-Hairston began to work his way up the ladder.

Over time, the other employees and the students showed him he belonged. He said that they became more like a family to him.

This year, in addition to helping the staff decorate, Beatty-Hairston dressed up as Jack Skellington from the movie, “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” for a holiday party. He says he does this because he likes to be “that guy” who makes work a fun environment.

Melissa Hedgepeth, Garst cashier, spoke about Beatty-Hairston’s character.

“He’s always got a smile on his face,” Hedgepeth said.

“He’s very fun-loving. He really shows that he cares about the customers. When he dresses up (for parties), it really brightens up my day.”

Originally, Beatty-Hairston

made pizzas. Last year, he got a promotion, and now works catering. He believes his success can be attributed to his hard work.

Beatty-Hairston cites Chef Quintin Eason as one of his biggest influences in the kitchen. “Chef Q,” as many in the MSU community refer to him, is an executive chef for dining services.

“Chef Q is one of the many guys who has given me a lot of culinary knowledge,” Beatty-Hairston said. “He and the other chefs have helped me and encouraged me to put different spins on some of the products that we’re putting out.”

While he admires Eason, Beatty-Hairston is looked up to as well.

Marcus Ebhraim and Nathan Frazo, co-workers of Beatty-Hairston, said Lawrence brings a much-needed sense of humor to the kitchen.

“We all have a tendency to get really stressed out after working long weeks,” Ebhraim said. “When you spend so much time working directly with other people, you’re bound to get under each other’s skin.

“His sense of humor helps us all decompress and unwind.”

Nathan Frazo said Beatty-Hairston encourages his colleagues to use the resources around them to create some-

BAILEY VASSALLI/THE STANDARD

Lawrence Beatty-Hairston teaches a cooking class in Garst Dining Hall on Nov. 16. thing impactful for students.

“He brings a lot of comic relief,” Frazo said. “He encourages us to think outside of the box, and always helps us find different ways to do things and solve problems. Presenting (the food) is his strong point, really. He likes to find different ways to display the food that are out of the ordinary.”

Cooking 101 is just another step in Beatty-Hairston’s development in the culinary arts.

“Cooking 101 really has me excited,” Beatty-Hairston said. “Chef Q came up to me one day and just said, ‘Cooking 101 is yours. You can do it.’ Even though this is my first time running it, I couldn’t be more excited to continue with it.”

Popular majors offered at MSU, present plethora of opportunities EMILY COLE Staff Reporter @EMCole19 Graphics by KAITLYN STRATMAN Missouri State University offers over 150 undergraduate majors and has 48 graduate programs. Other universities across the country offer many of the same majors, but despite this diversity, there are still some majors that come out on top as the most popular, year after year.

According to College Factual, in 2016 the top five most popular majors were business administration and management, nursing, liberal arts and general studies, general psychology and general biology.

MSU offers undergraduate degrees for each of these five, and graduate level degrees for all except general studies.

The College of Business offers undergraduate degrees in general business and management, with several specific areas of study for both.

Within the management degree students can choose administrative management,

human resources management or international business administration. There is also a master’s program in business administration.

According to College Factual, this area has around 180,000 graduates each year across the country.

Nursing, the second-most popular major, is also available at MSU. The School of Nursing offers a pre-nursing undergraduate program as well as a Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice.

Dr. Kathryn Hope, director of MSU’s School of Nursing, says one benefit of the nursing program is that many students have jobs before they graduate, sometimes as early as five months before their graduation date. There are also a lot of career options.

“There are many different roles — nurse educator, research, nurse practitioner, nurse anesthesia, nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, school nurse, public health nursing, case manager, staff nurse and on and nurses can fairly easily move from one role to another, with educa-

VETERAN Continued from page 4 a frozen relationship and a trade embargo imposed on Vietnam in 1975.

He was determined to know what the country was “really like.”

He didn’t go alone. Together, Rottmann and Biggs combined their energy and began a long relationship with many projects between two documentaries.

Upon arrival in Hue, a city in central Vietnam, the country appeared peaceful. Biggs said documenting what was actually going on in Vietnamese hospitals was a way to “try and break the iceberg up a little” and facilitate conversation, especially among doctors and health care workers.

What they discovered was a country strangled by the repercussion of economic war. In the third largest hospital in Vietnam, doctors were

tion.” Hope said.

Nearly 155,000 students graduate from nursing programs per year, according to College Factual. At MSU, Hope said, around 100 students graduate from the school of nursing across all degrees.

Psychology, number four on the list, is offered at MSU as well. Dr. Paul Deal, head of the psychology department, said he thinks students are drawn to psychology for many reasons.

“Some view it as a flexible major that can help prepare them for employment in a variety of fields or for graduate school,” Deal said.

“Some are attracted to the science behind psychology and want to pursue a research career, while others are drawn by the potential for a career in the health services. A degree in psychology is extremely versatile and has applications across a range of disciplines, making it an attractive major.”

During the last year, around 230 students graduated from MSU with a psychology degree, Deal said.

Deal said he thinks psychology degrees will continue to grow in popularity because employment opportunities will also continue to grow. The U.S. Department of Labor shows a 14 percent increase in job outlook for psychologists between 2016 and 2026. The average is 7 percent.

One thing that seems to tie these five majors together is the flexibility they offer students. A degree in any one of these five fields can open doors to a variety of careers, or graduate and doctorate level programs.

While there are benefits to choosing a popular major, there can be negatives that may influence students to choose something less popular.

In programs like nursing, high student demand is creating more competition in admissions and limits in resources like clinical sites and access to faculty, Hope said.

Also, the more students that graduate with the same degree, the more people there are competing for the same positions after graduation.

“

He’s always got a smile on his face. He’s very fun-loving. He really shows that he cares about the customers. When he dresses up (for parties), it really brightens up my day.”

-Melissa Hedgepeth

PETA speaker visits MSU, sparks discussion on animal rights BRYCE DERRICKSON Contributing Writer @BruceyD17 Hanh Nguyen, an activist from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), spoke about why animals should have rights on Missouri State’s campus Nov. 13.

Nguyen has been an animal rights activist for two years and decided to become vegan after witnessing an investigation in a slaughterhouse.

“We owe (animals) ... care and protection ... and (to) learn their characters,” Nguyen said.

Many people at the presentation were students and animal rights activists.

In her presentation, Nguyen discussed speciesism — special rights to individuals based on their species. She also discussed how people and animals are more alike than they are different, and that we shouldn’t degrade animals.

Nguyen later said that animals are just as intelligent as humans and have feelings just like people do.

Nguyen said there are solutions to stop speciesism.

Speciesism can be unlearned and challenged, she said.

Some students found

Nguyen’s presentation to be insightful and helped them learn about what it is like to go vegan.

“I thought it was really good (and) it gave me a whole new insight,” junior cell and molecular biology major Ruth Ehie said. “I never thought about veganism. Like her talking about why she is vegan and all about veganism just gave me a new insight of what veganism really is.”

Freshman nursing major Lucinda Snow also thought the presentation was informative.

“I really enjoyed it,” Snow said. “I gained more insight on more options of what I can do to improve the environment.”

After Nguyen gave the presentation she allowed the students to discuss the topic and ask her questions.

“I really liked the discussion, because some of the questions they had I had,” Ehie said. “I had the same question, but I didn’t know how to ask them.”

Snow said she also liked witnessing different perspectives.

Nguyen was asked in the discussion about actions people can take. Nguyen said that the simplest things people can u See PETA page 8

sharpening their scalpels from one day to the next. Short of acupuncture, there was no pain medicine available and antibiotics were scarce.

“I think (the documentary) added to the conversation,” Biggs said. “So much of the conversation for so long had focused on war that no one was talking about, ‘Geez, maybe we need to move on. Maybe this war was not only devastating for us, but for Vietnam.’”

Coming from a deeply ingrained military family of World War I and World War II veterans, Rottmann’s attitudes of war are influenced by the innocent women, children and older folks he encountered.

“We always use total war,” Rottmann said. “We bomb not just the soldiers, but the civilians, their hospitals, their schools. That’s so wrong.

What have we gained from killing 3 million Vietnamese? What have we gained from killing however many we’ve killed in Afghanistan? Are we better off? Are you better off? Is America better off?”

Rottmann and Biggs’ joint message of reconciliation is told through documentaries, live performances, movie scripts and books. “Voices From Vietnam” is just a sliver of Rottmann’s efforts; since his initial trip, he has revisited Vietnam 19 times.

The program, Rottmann said, is simply trying to humanize and give voice to the Vietnamese. His personal brand of social justice calls for a more introspective America.

Yet, the minds and hearts of people are rarely changed overnight.

Biggs recognizes the sheer gravity of such a message.

“Sometimes you have to do more than cross your fingers,” Biggs said.

“Sometimes you have to stand up and shout. When I first met (Rottmann), he was still very much shouting. As he’s gotten quieter, his message has gotten deeper.”

The most important lesson he has learned, Biggs said, is that although people look different, eat different foods and speak different languages, people are much more alike than they

NINA TODEA/THE STANDARD

Ray Castrey, Missouri State emeritus staff, plays original music on a spread of traditional Vietnamese instruments.

The music was written and composed for Voices From Vietnam on Nov. 16.

are different. good for somebody else,” Biggs said.

“We can learn something about “Like give them some damn scalourselves if we can do something pels.”

6

THE STANDARD

sports

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2017 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

For the love of the game: Brendan McClew’s story

BAILEY VASSALLI/THE STANDARD

Brendan McClew is the captain of the Ice Bears for the 2017-18 season.

BAILEY VASSALLI Senior Reporter @baileyvassalli Brendan McClew’s love for the game started early.

His dad had St. Louis Blues season tickets, and he’d taken Brendan to the games ever since he was a baby.

For his second birthday, Brendan received a plastic hockey stick and a plastic puck — his parents couldn’t get him to open any other gifts.

And as soon as Brendan could read the jumbotron at the Blues games, he memorized the number for the youth hockey league. Before long, he recited it back to his dad, begging him to call and get him signed up.

“We heard a lot of horror stories,” Brendan’s dad, Rick McClew, said. “We tried everything to keep him from playing, but eventually my wife gave in and said ‘We just have to let him play.’”

So, they signed him up.

It started with a spring hockey team in St. Louis. Rick said, although Brendan had never played before, he played exceptionally well.

After that, he played with the Kirkwood Youth Association.

And when he was 10, the St. Louis area created the Black Bear League.

The Black Bear League was a league where all of the 10-year-olds in the St. Louis area tried out and the top 120 players were chosen to play on one of the six teams.

Brendan made the cut.

He played for the St. Louis Cobras, and Rick said it was one of the more notable years of Brendan’s hockey career. With the Blues on strike, the team’s trainer became an assistant coach for the Cobras. Brendan’s team got to use the Blues’ locker room and skate on the same ice the NHL team practiced on.

When he was 11, he played for the AAA Blues. And when he was 12, he played with the Central States League.

Brendan’s eighth grade year and the year he played in the Central States League, his mom, Cyndi, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“That was a rough year,” Brendan said. “She went through chemo and radiation, and seeing her go through that was really difficult.”

However, his team and the community rallied around the McClews.

“They were always making meals and stopping by to see how she was,” Brendan said.

“And they were giving me rides to practice and helping out my dad, too. But we got through it.”

Cyndi doesn’t remember much from that time in her and her family’s lives. She tried her best

Courtesy of the McClew family

Brendan (right) and his younger brother Connor in their youth hockey uniforms. to keep their lives as normal as she could.

When she lost her hair, she wore wigs, no matter how much she hated them. Not drawing attention to herself was one of her main concerns, and she hoped that Brendan being so involved in school and with hockey would help him with everything that was going on.

“I really don’t know what it was like for him,” Cyndi said. “My only fear was that I wouldn’t live to see where he is now.”

Now, Brendan is a senior studying sports medicine at Missouri State, captain of the Ice Bears and the president of the player board. And his mom is here to see it.

But the last few years haven’t been with-

out adversity During the 2015-16 season, Brendan tore his shoulder. He played like that for the rest of the season. When he finally got it checked out, the doctor told Brendan and his parents he’d been playing with a broken collarbone.

He had surgery the day school was out in May, resulting in six months of rehab.

He got back on the ice two months into the Ice Bears 2016-17 season.

Then, Brendan strained his groin, but he didn’t let it keep him from playing. That is, until he tore it at his high school’s alumni game over winter break last school year.

He only played in 13 games of what he

thought would be his senior season due to the injury.

However, thanks to the injury, Brendan stayed on the team as a fifth year student. He came back to the ice after missing 13 additional games this season.

His comeback came just in time for the annual Pink the Rink games. His mom hasn’t missed one of the breast cancer awareness games since Brendan has been on the team, even if it means leaving a convention in Las Vegas earlier than planned.

But, after a few weeks back on the ice, Brendan strained his groin once again. He took a week to rest it before playing again.

“He’s just so damn intense,” Rick said. “He doesn’t want to miss games. He’s not the kind of guy that likes to watch from the stands.”

His teammates respect him for that, among other things. “(Brendan’s) got more passion for this team than anyone else,” Ice Bears head coach Jeremy Law said. “He’s easily one of the hardest working players we have.”

Last year, when the team decided they wanted a new coach, Brendan approached Law. Rick said the decision to get a new coach wasn’t an easy one to make. But he spent a lot of time making sure he helped find a good coach.

“As a parent, I’m proud of him,” Rick said.

“I admire the fact that he was able to do what was right for the club and the other players.”

Ryan Armstrong, the Ice Bears’ assistant coach, knew Brendan since he became an Ice Bear.

“I know that he’s a good kid,” Armstrong said. “He’s a great kid off the ice, he’s a hell of a scholar.”

Armstrong said that Brendan previously won the Andy Marquart Award — the award means that Brendan exemplifies what the Ice Bears want out of their organization, on and off the ice.

The younger players look up to Brendan.

“He’s always giving his all,” sophomore Josh Bell said. “He’s been around the program for a long time, so he really knows all of the ins and outs. He’s a good leader for the young guys like me.”

After graduating with his Bachelor of Science in sports medicine this May, Brendan plans to stay at Missouri State to complete his master’s.

Although he’ll still be around, he isn’t sure that he’ll be able to play hockey as an Ice Bear another year.

“It’s going to be a really sad day when it comes to a close,” Cyndi said. “It’s been quite the ride.”

Moore: 2018 season make or break for Dave Steckel BRENNER MOORE Staff Reporter @brennerm2 “What’s next for the Bears?”

As an electric senior class heads out the door, the Bears end with another losing season and their final game showed the Bears’ weaknesses every step of the way.

This season bursted with potential before it started. Sophomore quarterback Peyton Huslig, the new man on campus, promised to be a breath of life to a stagnant Bears’ offense.

He more or less lived up to expectations.

Coming in, fans were told Huslig aired the ball out, but his accuracy needed improvement.

At the end of the season, that’s what fans got.

Huslig finished with 1,981 passing yards for nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Huslig needs to iron out his accuracy in order to become the de facto starter, especially with sophomore J. T. Granato breathing down his neck. That said, I think Huslig can do it.

Most of Huslig’s interceptions came from the first half of the season. Totaling seven interceptions on or before Sept. 30, Huslig buckled down and focused on his accuracy.

When his interceptions tapered off, Huslig’s pass yards increased. This may seem like a given, but this stat shows Huslig didn’t slow down his aggressiveness. With an entire offseason to hone in accuracy while also building up his already strong arm, Huslig could be a major threat in the Missouri Valley Football Conference next season.

On top of his passing ability, Huslig can run.

As the leading rusher for the Bears this season with 621 yards, Huslig proved he is a double threat.

As for the ground game, the Bears have a couple of options. Junior Jason Randall filled in for the Bears after the loss of senior Calan Crowder.

Randall doesn’t have the same explosiveness as Crowder, but Randall proved he is reliable and when he is needed, he can contribute in big ways.

Randall’s best game of the season came

against Indiana State University when he recorded 143 all-purpose yards, three receiving touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.

Along with Randall, freshman Myron Mason saw some playtime this season, and he proved to be a solid man off the bench.

With a total of 164 rushing yards and a touchdown, Mason sits in the perfect position to join Randall on the running back committee next season.

While no one knows the game plan for next season, I think the committee is the best option.

Randall and Mason bounce off each other well.

Randall can power the ball through the line and turn short gains into first downs and then some.

Mason, on the other hand, can sweep outside and hug the line, burning past defenders. Together, they have a chemistry that can easily shake up defenses, especially if they both learn how to play off each other even better this offseason.

Not having Crowder or any of the other seniors on the offense will sting, but the Bears aren’t in the worst situation.

The defense is relatively young, but head coach Dave Steckel is excited for the underclassmen.

The entire year, Steckel talked about the small things. Fundamentals, field vision and job execution highlighted the changes made to the Bears.

These changes looked like they worked towards the end of the season, but not soon enough.

However, Steckel remains optimistic with his underclassmen because they received the bulk of the training for the longest time.

After this season, it is hard to be a Bears fan.

You were told to “just wait” and that is what you did. Now, I’m telling you to wait just a little more.

Steckel came into his career ready to turn the Bears around. Turning a program around takes time. In my opinion, the 2018 season is the makeor-break season for Steckel.

He’s had time to recruit, train and improve.

Next year will be decision time, and while I don’t think it will be a big season for the Bears, it will be better.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER, 2017

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McChesney: The tape tells the story; the process is underway ALEC McCHESNEY Sports Editor @Alec_McChesney

MEGAN BURKE/THE STANDARD

The Bears huddle during their game against North Dakota State, which they lost 57-54.

And in their back-to-back victories, the Bears shot 33 and 40 percent from deep, respectively.

That percentage will keep rising as the offense finds its groove, which it will as Johnson returns to All-American form.

The combination of Johnson at his best with Miller, Rhodes and junior forward Obediah Church will prove successful for Lusk this season.

After a strong season opener against Western Kentucky, Church struggled in the next three games. Then, against Manhattan, he exploded for 12 second-half points and six total rebounds to propel the Bears to a muchneeded victory.

Even with the two losses, the tape told the story: The process was underway.

“We are finding out a lot about ourselves,” Lusk said.

“We are not ready. We are still getting Alize back and getting some rhythm. We are disappointed and we are going to keep getting better. We are going to be very good.”

The next day, the Bears defeated a lowly Manhattan

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ment many expected the Bears to win.

The first opponent, Georgia Southern, posed the biggest threat to the Bears entering the tournament and were a mismatch nightmare for Missouri State.

Having three guards selected to the preseason all-conference team, Georgia Southern exploited the Bears’ lack of depth in the backcourt.

Johnson and Miller scored 17 points apiece and the Bears had a chance late, but once again, Missouri State fell in a close game, 74-73.

Fans were rattled.

I spent hours watching and rewatching the game and the whole tournament, and although the result wasn’t ideal, the Bears looked much better than the end result.

The 3-point shooting was horrendous during the twogame losing streak but will never be that bad again.

With senior guard Ronnie Rousseau III and juniors Ryan Kreklow and Jarred MEGAN BURKE/THE STANDARD Dixon, the Bears will shoot Junior guard Ronnie Ryan Kreklow fades away on the ball well from beyond the arc at the end of the season. a shot attempt against North Dakota State.

TH

Where are we now with the Missouri State men’s basketball team and where do we go from here?

Well, frankly, I am not sure yet. And there is a giant question mark surrounding the team leading into tonight’s game at JQH Arena against Colorado State as part of the Mountain West and Missouri Valley Conference Challenge.

Let’s recap the last two weeks of games for the Bears.

There was the impressive 86-58 victory over Southern University, which featured senior guard J.T. Miller scoring 16 points on perfect shooting and senior forward Alize Johnson corralling 14 rebounds and five assists.

Southern played Duke University, the No. 1 team in the country, two days later and lost by just 17 points.

While the logic is not perfect, it’s what we resort to during the early days of the college basketball season.

Speaking of early days, Western Kentucky, who the Bears defeated 85-80 on the road in the season opener, lost to No. 4 Villanova by just eight, defeated No. 18 Purdue by four and snuck by Southern Methodist University 6361. SMU won 30 games in 2016-17 and entered the NCAA Tournament as a six seed.

Head coach Paul Lusk and the Bears followed with a 5754 disappointing loss to North Dakota State.

The Bears were favored to win by nine but shot 1-17 from the 3-point line and, ultimately, lost at the buzzer as senior forward Jarrid Rhodes’ game-winning three ricocheted off the rim.

The lone bright spot of the loss against NDSU came with Johnson, who grabbed 20 rebounds and notched 23 points. He’s just the second player in the NCAA in 201718 to have a 20/20 game.

Missouri State hit the road the following morning, flying to Florida to play in the Gulf Coast Showcase — a tourna-

squad 69-65, thanks to Johnson nailing a game-winner with 12 seconds left in the game.

“We are growing and we are going to continue to get better,” Lusk said. “We just have to keep growing, but that was a good win for us, because we did some good things.

“We are going to keep getting better and keep improving throughout the season.”

By beating Manhattan, the Bears won the game they were supposed to, and that continued with a 71-60 victory over Florida Atlantic and an 80-48 win over Evangel to improve to 5-2 on the season.

Up next: Colorado State (3-3) at JQH Arena, another game the Bears are expected to win. According to Kenpom college basketball rankings, the Bears have a 75 percent chance of winning and are predicted to escape with a 7467 victory.

Missouri State is in the middle of a stretch of games where I believe they can win 10 in a row, dating back to the victory against Manhattan. The process is in place, but with several games in a row against lesser opponents, it’s time for the fruits of labor to show.

Following Colorado State, the Bears take on South Dakota State and North Dakota State on the road. Both teams have played tough competition and are stingy on the defensive side of the ball.

But, as the Bears progress, these are teams they should defeat — even on the road.

The Bears then have Hampton University — which already has five losses on the season — at home.

Oral Roberts on the road and Wright State at home wrap up the non-conference season before Missouri Valley Conference play.

In all honesty, the Bears should run the table, improving their record to 11-2 before hosting Loyola Dec. 22.

If Johnson and Co. can do this, they’ll set themselves up for a flourish of victories in MVC play.

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8 THE-STANDARD.ORG

THE STANDARD

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2017

BASKETBALL — A TIMELINE

Over the last two weeks, a lot of basketball happened. Here’s a timeline of the men’s basketball team and Lady Bears last handful of games.

W 86-58

L 54-57

L 73-74

W 69-65

W 71-60

80-48

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

NORTH DAKOTA STATE

GEORGIA SOUTHERN

MANHATTAN UNIVERSITY

FLORIDA ATLANTIC

EVANGEL UNIVERSITY

11/15

11/17

11/20

11/21

11/22

11/24

MEN 11/15

11/19

CENTRAL MISSOURI

MISSOURI UNIVERSITY

W 62-36

L 59-69

LOOKKCAB

11/23

WOMEN 11/24

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

L 59-69

L 59-69

Board of Governors approves $1.4 million privately funded Greenwood renovation EDIE SALTER Contributing Writer @EdieSalter Greenwood Laboratory School is expecting a major renovation.

The Board of Governors met Wednesday, Nov. 15, and discussed two proposals for the university’s expansion.

“There are two meaningful items for us to talk about today rather than a whole slew of smaller procurement items,” Missouri State University

President Clif Smart said.

Greenwood’s renovation is expected to cost $1.4 million, however, the project has already been privately funded and will not detract from any of the university’s funds, Smart said.

The first phase of the construction project will focus on redoing the locker rooms at Greenwood.

Many board members commented on the overall disrepair of the school, but most agreed the locker rooms were in des-

perate need of change.

Greenwood was built in 1966, and although improvements have been made to the school in the past, water infiltration occurs when it rains and the building is not ADA compliant, board members discussed.

Board members agreed the locker rooms are a deferred maintenance that will end up costing more money in damages if they are not repaired as soon as possible.

The Greenwood locker

Ghost towns lay abandoned, but one researcher pushes for preservation EMILY COLE Staff Reporter @EMCole19 Across the American West lies abandoned, collapsing and unpopulated towns. Some of these ghost towns are becoming relics of the past, but Dr. Krista Evans wants to change that.

Evans gave a presentation about ghost town preservation in the American West, based on her master’s thesis, at Missouri State University on Thursday, Nov. 16.

Evans’ presentation was part of the annual celebration of Geography Awareness Week at MSU. Her work focused on four ghost town locations, three in Montana and one in Idaho. She chose sites that were formerly hard rock mining towns along the Rocky Mountains, were originally settled in the late 1800s and abandoned in the mid-1900s.

“What I mean by ghost towns is abandoned landscapes, abandoned villages,”

Evans said. “Not like ghost stories.”

Evans’ interest in ghost towns came from her childhood. Growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Minnesota, she spent a lot of time exploring local ghost towns and became fascinated with them and how they were preserved.

“When you think of the spirit of the American West, probably one of the most compelling images you can have is of these abandoned landscapes,” Evans said. “They really represent a period in American history that is vivid in all of our minds, that pioneering spirit, and they’re really deserving of preservation.”

Evans did her research in order to help those who wish to preserve these towns.

“There’s a lot of literature on preservation, but not really a lot on ghost towns specifically, so people are preserving them in all different kinds of ways,” Evans said. “So it would really help people that are interested in preserving

these to kind of understand what are the best techniques.”

There are many techniques of preservation for ghost towns, according to Evans’ presentation. Some are stabilized, meaning the preservers add support to the buildings but leave them as they are.

Others are reconstructed when the buildings collapse.

One type of preservation Evans finds interesting is arrested decay, the technique of creating the illusion that the town was abandoned just moments ago.

A common misconception about ghost towns is the myth of the American West. Many people travel to the ghost towns expecting to feel like they’re in a Western movie.

“A lot of people believe the American West was completely a history of lawlessness,” Evans said. “That everybody solved all their problems by shooting each other, that it was this really wild place.”

Evans said there is some truth to this, but it’s blown out of proportion by movies and

PETA

WAGNER

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do is make different consumption choices: Not purchasing items made from animals, and some of the first things to eliminate from your diet should be fish, chicken and dairy.

“I’m not a full vegetarian,

but I’ve given up everything except chicken and fish and that’s like the main thing to start,” Snow said. “The conversation made me want to limit the amount of chicken and fish (I eat) and someday eliminate it all.”

Wagner reflected on her time in Uganda in the ‘90s, and her return in 2009 with a service team. She said stepping off the plane in 2009 brought back memories of another time. She spoke on the realities of everyday life in the African bush.

rooms are located in the basement and Smart emphasized that the students deserved a locker room on the main level that wasn’t in danger of leaking.

“If we’re going to have a school then we need to have the appropriate facilities,” Smart said.

Other board members noted that the state of the locker rooms was dissatisfactory, but could eventually be used for storage after they are repaired.

The second phase of the television. Most of these towns never had the shoot-outs or wild gangs popular in the movies, but were simply home to miners and their families.

Some of the ghost towns play on the popularity of Western films in order to draw tourists. Others, like Garnet, Montana — one of Evans study subjects, do not promote it but use arrested decay preservation and the wilderness experience to attract frontier travelers who enjoy the authenticity and isolation of the ghost towns.

Every year, National Geographic’s Education Programs encourages public schools to participate in Geography Awareness Week, or GeoWeek, to spread knowledge of geography and how it affects our lives, according to their website.

GeoWeek was established in 1987 by a presidential proclamation and has been observed every third week of November since.

Dr. Judith Meyer, geography program coordinator, says MSU has been participating in GeoWeek for at least 20 years.

For the expanded version, visit www.the-standard.org

“I think the rawness of life — just living … on the edge (is relevant.) You really have to let go of control because you have none, and you have to trust other people for survival — and people rise to that occasion. You lose some fear, because maybe in your experience … you’ve had miracles happen. So, the minute to step off the plane (and back into Africa), it all comes back to you.”

Greenwood project will include another 700-seat gymnasium. For this phase, all construction will be through private gifts as funds become available in the future, Smart said.

The motion for the revision of Greenwood was approved and phase one is expected to be completed by fall of 2018.

The second proposal presented during the meeting is stop-loss insurance policy the board has been working on for over a year.

GUNS Continued from page 1 provides more details, including the instances of guns in churches, bars, daycares, prisons and college campuses.

“In my opinion, it should be up to the owner (of private property),” Taylor said.

“If you are a restaurant and sell food and alcohol … once alcohol is 51 percent of your sales … you are considered a bar … it’s listed in the Missouri Statute you can’t carry (a gun) in those locations.”

Taylor also said he would favor legislation that allows those with their carry concealed weapons permit to carry on a public college campus and for private universities to decide for themselves.

Quade said she doesn’t intend to file any legislation on the issue, but relayed a few policies other Missouri legislators are constructing.

Quade said she doesn’t see a problem with a delay for background checks for citi-

Giving of yourself individually is good, Wagner said.

But doing this collectively is the formula to implement change in society. By interculturally connecting and working collaboratively, every individual and team has the capacity to do great things, she said.

Tying this back into MSU’s public affairs mission, Johnson said Wagner’s message was useful for International

“MSU’s objective under the intent resolution is to lower its overall debt service by refinancing all of its outstanding 2005 bonds and the 2014 bonds insuring the years 2020 and thereafter which have a current principal amount of $34.99 million,” Chief Financial Officer Stephen Foucart said.

This proposal was approved and is projected to save MSU $2.7 million over the course of the next 18 years, Foucart said. zens purchasing guns for personal use. She said, if there’s a delay for patients receiving medications that aren’t covered by Medicaid, a delay in pre-purchase checks for guns is excusable.

Taylor disagreed, and said the people affected by the delay aren’t the ones who sellers should be concerned about.

“The delay stops a lawful person from purchasing a firearm, it’s not stopping a criminal,” Taylor said. “Having another background check won’t do any good. … If (the purchaser) shouldn’t have the weapons anyway, they won’t go through a background check just because there’s a law for it.”

“This isn’t an issue that’s easy, it’s very divisive,” Taylor said. “We each have our own opinions on this topic and we each want to be heard. … it affects each one of us.”

Be Civil Be Heard is a group of community members that host similar events to provide citizens with a forum for civil, educational discussions.

Dudash-Buskirk said, to find more information, express concerns or ask questions, citizens can visit www. becivilbeheard.org.

Education Week, but hopefully will stick with the students who attended on a deeper level. “(Wagner’s) message of ‘Going, Giving, and Sharing’ was inspiring, and can resonate with many students,” Johnson said. “I personally believe that each member of our Missouri State community can create positive change, on a local, national or global level.”