November 8, 2016

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

VOLUME 110, ISSUE 12 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

LUCA’S STORY

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Ruddick accuser speaks out Alec McChesney Staff Reporter @Alec_McChesney A month later, the Missouri State community is witnessing the effects of a crime committed by star athlete and starting quarterback, Breck Ruddick. However, the night of the crime changed Katie Riggs’ perspective of a former friend and her dog Luca’s physical health.

There have been many stories regarding the incident but few from Riggs herself.

Riggs wanted to tell The Standard her side of the story before Ruddick’s suspension but was advised not to by her parents and law enforcement.

Riggs has once again reached out to The Standard to share her side of the story. Riggs said she entrusted her dog, Luca, to former friend Ruddick, who she believes hit the dog fracturing his jaw and causing him to lose 10 teeth. Ruddick then turned the dog loose.

Adam Woody, the attorney representing Ruddick, disputes Riggs’ account of the events.

“If I were Katie Riggs, I would stop talking,” Woody said in an email to The Standard on Monday.

“She is going to talk herself into a defamation/libel lawsuit.

“Once she turned the investigation over to law enforcement, they were her voice. Obviously the prosecutor and the investigators are in a much better position to determine what happened than Katie. They did not pursue the animal abuse charge, so it was determined that what occurred was not abuse, regardless what Katie believes.

“It appears as though she is perpetuating a false narrative, and that narrative is being covered more by the media than what actually occurred. The prosecutor’s office and investigators know what actually occurred, and what actually occurred was not abuse.”

Riggs is in her first year at the UMKC School of Pharmacy at Missouri State, and on Sept. 20, her dog’s life was altered forever.

The incident

“I left Luca with Breck because I was going to study, and while I was there, Breck called me around 1 a.m. to tell me that Luca was bleeding from the mouth,” Riggs said. “He then told

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIE RIGGS

me that he didn’t know what to do, so he put Luca outside and that Luca had (run) away.”

According to Riggs, Ruddick had watched Luca on several occasions while she studied or worked. Riggs and Ruddick met this past summer when they became neighbors. Riggs said that Ruddick would watch Luca close to two times per week prior to the incident, depending on their schedules.

Riggs said that a good Samaritan from Mountain Grove stumbled upon Luca in a parking lot on Drury University’s campus and brought him home.

“Well, once I met up to get Luca back, it was clear that I needed to bring him to the vet, so I did the next morning,” Riggs said.

Riggs took Luca into the Animal Care Center on South Campbell Av-

enue, and the damage to Luca’s mouth was worse than Riggs feared. According to documents from the Animal Care Center, Luca lost 10 teeth and suffered a fractured mandibular symphysis (a fractured jaw).

According to Riggs, she saw Dr. Phillip Brown at the Animal Care Center.

“As I understand it, the dog ran at large from about 12:30 a.m. on Sept.

20 to 4:30 p.m. the next afternoon,” Dr. Brown said. So there are many things that could have happened during those hours.”

Riggs said that after getting Luca to the vet, she instantly reached out to Ruddick to find out what really happened.

“I texted him, and he just instantly told me that he would pay for everything,” Riggs said. “At first, he wouldn’t tell me what happened, but

he just kept telling me he would pay for Luca’s bills.”

According to the Animal Care Center’s documents, Luca’s repairs cost $1,539.86.

Riggs said she continued to ask for the full story and Ruddick finally gave in.

Ruddick’s admission In a text message to Riggs, Ruddick said: “I’m sorry. I just lost control of myself that has never happened to me before. I didn’t purposefully try to hurt him like that. I’m sorry. I already feel terrible about the whole thing.

I’m trying to work with you the best I can.”

Riggs confirmed that Ruddick’s family did pay for Luca’s surgeries before law enforcement became in-

volved. Riggs said that Ruddick and his mother told her to keep the story quiet and not get social media involved.

In several text messages between Ruddick and Riggs, Ruddick said things such as, “All I was asking was for you to not put my information on Facebook,” and “If I’m paying for the bills and having to live with what I did, what is posting my information on Facebook going to help?”

According to Riggs, a few of her friends did include Ruddick’s name along with pictures of Luca on social media posts. She said that she never posted anything on her own social media.

Word spread quickly about the incident. Facebook posts, Snapchat stories and tweets involving “star quarterback beats up dog” from Total Frat Move’s Twitter account and a U.S. Daily Mail Snapchat story went viral. There was a petition titled, “‘Dave Steckel: Give Luca a Voice’” on Change.org requesting Ruddick be removed from the program entirely.

The petition had over 25,000 signees as of Nov. 6. Riggs said she had no involvement in the creation of the petition.

On the night before the Bears’ third game of the season, MSU head football coach Dave Steckel susPho- pended Ruddick indefinitely.

According to Riggs, the coach reached out to Riggs to hear her side of the story before suspending his starting quarterback.

“Well, I guess one of his (Steckel’s) friends saw a Facebook post about it, so his friend put him in contact with me,” Riggs said. “I had no part in the decision-making process; he just wanted to know what happened.”

The investigations

Once the story broke, Springfield Animal Control and the Missouri State University Office of Student Conduct began their respective investigations. Before either of the two finished their investigations, Steckel announced Ruddick would have the opportunity to return to the field in 2017.

In a press conference, Steckel said that Ruddick would remain on scholarship for the remainder of 2016 seau See LUCA, page 8

Ruddick charged, accepts plea deal Alec McChesney Staff Reporter @Alec_McChesney On Thursday, Nov. 3, Adam Woody, the attorney representing Missouri State University football player Breck Ruddick, said that the quarterback had good reason for punching a friend’s dog on Sept. 20, because the dog had bit him and latched onto his hand. Ruddick, 20, was charged in Springfield Municipal Court less than two weeks ago with two violations — cruelty to animals and allowing a dog to run at large — after photos of the injured dog went viral on social media.

Ruddick was suspended for the remainder of the 2016 football season, but he will have the opportunity to return to the team in 2017.

On the afternoon of Nov. 3, the city of Springfield announced that Ruddick pleaded guilty for the dog at large charge, but the animal cruelty charge had been dropped as part of a plea agreement.

As long as Ruddick avoids trouble for the next two years and completes 150 hours of community service, the city of Springfield will drop the charge of animal cruelty, according to a news release from the city.

The city also stated that Ruddick will have to pay a fine of at least $500 and court costs, be placed on supervised probation and attend an anger management program.

Woody sent out a press release on Nov. 3 stating that Ruddick was the victim of a “public witch-hunt” and that his “reputation has suffered irreparable harm before the full facts

news

Pulitzer Prize winner visits: Page 2

came to light.”

Woody said that Ruddick was watching his friend Katie Riggs’ dog, Luca, on Sept. 20.

Woody also mentions in the press release that Ruddick watching Luca is not an unusual agreement. While watching the dog, Ruddick went to remove the dog from his bed when the dog bit down on his hand, according to Woody.

According to the press release, Ruddick acted upon reflex and struck the dog a total of three times until it released his hand.

“Mr. Ruddick is not a violent person, and he has never struck an animal or person before,” Woody said. “He had no idea what type of injuries could be inflicted, but he acted out of pain, fear and reflex.”

After the incident, Woody said, Ruddick let the dog out to wait for Riggs to come home.

The dog proceeded to run away, resulting in the other charge.

According to the press release, a bite report was taken and Luca was quarantined following the investigation, and the proof of the bite causing injury to Ruddick came to light. Springfield Chief Municipal Prosecutor Carl Yendes acknowledged the evidence of the bite was one of the primary reasons the city felt this plea agreement was appropriate.

“We are pleased with the municipal prosecutor’s decision to not prosecute the abuse case, as the actions were in self-defense,” Woody said. “Breck looks forward to moving on with his life and in being the positive ambassador for Missouri State University he was before this incident.”

life life

sports

Clif “The Main Course”: Page 4

Dress rehearsal: Page 6

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THE STANDARD

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

MSU student Pulitzer Prize winner speaks to accused of freshmen about immigration stabbing peer Cortlynn Stark Staff Reporter @Cortlynn_Stark

punched him in the face. After that, the victim noticed a knife in Alshuayl’s hand and realized he was bleeding, according to the statement.

According to the statement, the victim told police Alshuayl said something like, “If you do it again, I will kill you.”

When officers found Alshuayl, there appeared to be blood on his pants and hands, according to the statement.

Officers found a small knife with what appeared to be blood on the blade and handle thrown down on St. Louis Street, according to the statement.

Alshuayl said he does not remember the incident, but he and the victim were drinking heavily, the statement says.

The victim was later treated at a Cox hospital.

A Missouri State student has been accused of stabbing another MSU student outside a Springfield apartment complex Saturday, Oct. 29, police say.

Junior computer information systems major Fahad Alshuayl, 25, was charged on Oct. 29 with second-degree assault after he stabbed, shoved and punched another man, according to a probable cause statement.

The victim called police to 311 S. Hampton Ave. Saturday night around 11:30 p.m., according to a probable cause statement.

When officers arrived, they found the victim and his cousin, Tisa Woody, holding fabric over two stab wounds on the victim’s arm, according to the statement. According to the probable cause statement, officers noted drops of blood on the driveway of the apartment complex.

Alshuayl told officers he had gone to a club downtown and returned to the apartment to get his wallet, according to the statement.

The statement says that Alshuayl became upset about girls rejecting him, and the victim tried to reassure him. The victim went inside the apartment, and when he returned, Alshuayl attacked him, according to the probable cause statement.

According to the statement, Alshuayl shoved the victim to Fahad Alshuayl the ground and then

Cortlynn Stark Staff Reporter @Cortlynn_Stark

Wood, director for public affairs support.

“I think it was good; I think it gave people the opportunity to look at the book in a complex way,” Wood said. “It’s not cut and dry; it’s not a yes or no issue. There are a lot of things that go into immigration. She sees both sides of the issue.”

Nazario is a journalist for the Los Angeles Times but has worked for several publications, including the Wall Street Journal.

Her speech focused on her personal history, her experi-

ence writing stories for different publications and what she went through to write “Enrique’s Journey.” The book looks at a Honduran boy’s journey to find his mother after she left for 11 years for the United States.

Nazario said she spent six months on freight trains traveling thousands of miles across Central America with other children, who she said were trying to find their family members. She said locals would throw food and supplies to the children on the trains.

“My goal is to grab you by the throat and take you on a ride,” Nazario said about her stories.

After the speech, Nazario held a book signing in the lobby.

Freshman marketing major Daija Byrd said she wanted to meet Nazario. She said she related a lot to Enrique, the star of the book.

“I couldn’t imagine how I would feel in that position,” Byrd said. “I would feel very scared, and I can’t imagine being away from my mother.

I love my mother with all my heart and she’s like my best friend, so I don’t know. I couldn’t imagine how that feels.”

Nazario made each signing personal and asked the students how they felt about the issue.

“Basically, I think with the election going on and all of this negativity, that it’s really important for us to have empathy for immigrants,” sophomore nursing major Laura Liang said. “Because my parents are immigrants, I was first generation born here. So I’m very familiar with the struggles and hardships that my parents had to go through just to get here.”

Pulitzer Prize winner Sonia Nazario told a crowd of mostly Missouri State freshmen to never give up.

Freshman in the GEP 101 class, a class that introduces students to campus, were required to read “Enrique’s Journey,” which won Nazario the Pulitzer Prize. Many students were also required to attend Nazario’s speech, part of MSU’s Public Affairs Convocation.

“Well with the current political thing going on, hopefully they’ll open their eyes a little bit and see what the immigrants think about coming to this country and see what they feel coming to this country,” said Galen Martin, GEP instructor and associate director of campus recreation.

Several students either received extra credit for going to the speech or had to write a paper.

Freshman undeclared major Lilli Buxton said she had to write a two-page paper about it.

“I think it’s a good topic that people should be informed on, so everybody should get something out of it,” Buxton said.

The common reader is chosen based on the public RYAN WELCH/THE STANDARD affairs theme for the year, Sonia Nazario speaks to MSU President Clif Smart. according to Mary Ann

Brace yourselves: the election is here Chloe Skaar Staff Reporter @chloeskaar American voters are showing increasing frustration with the current state of politics, and college students are no exception.

Since the start of this election season, voters’ concerns about the country’s patriotism have skyrocketed, stemming from doubts that neither candidate will be able to re-establish a sense of unity after some particularly hateful campaigning.

Millennial voters have been one of the largest targeted voter groups in this election, with their presence in the polls increasing from 19 percent in the 2012 election, according to the

Pew Research Center for the states. A big turnout of young voters is crucial in ending the dismissive stereotype that college students are not invested in current politics. u See ELECTION, page 10

THE STANDARD

opinion

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

THE RETURN TO AMERICAN ‘NORMALCY’ Life after the election turns to the holiday season

ILLUSTRATION BY SABRINA MERRILL/THE STANDARD

Spencer Martin Columnist @Spencer_XC If all goes according to plan, Nov. 9, 2016 will mark a return to “normalcy” within America—whatever that means.

Life after the 2016 election is going to be a very strange world. Take a minute to think about all the wonderful things you’re going to have to learn to live without for another three years.

No more attack ads revealing Jason Kander to be a liberal—shocking that a member of the Democratic party might be liberal. No more ads exposing Roy Blunt as a career politician who voted to raise his own pay numerous times—just like most every other politician.

And I certainly won’t know what to do once I run out of Billy Long mailer ads that I can put straight in my trash can. I guess I might have to empty the trash can less frequently.

We’ve been so inundated with promotionals, TV commercials, radio ads and candidate signs that, at this point we’ve likely forgotten what life was like before we had the daily circus known as Donald J. Trump or America’s current favorite scandal target, Hillary Clinton.

Do you even remember what normal television ads look like? They don’t usually involve creepy, stormy scenes talking about all the skeletons that can be found in the closet of their target politician of choice. Normal ads have people like Terry Crews bouncing his pectoral muscles to sell male deodorant products.

I miss the good old days where animated bears using non-stick toilet paper was the highlight of my viewing experience, not this doom and gloom stuff that makes you feel like the

world is coming to an end.

Luckily for us, we’ve come to the end of the 2016 election cycle. Thank goodness. I think I’ve been at the end of my rope with the campaign ads since before the general primaries.

Unfortunately, with all the ads coming to an end, it also means we have selected the next president of the United States.

This means one of two things.

1. We’ll be dealing with a continued FBI investigation into President Clinton involving God only knows what. Meanwhile, Trump supporters have taken up armed rebellion over a “rigged election.”

2. We may be in an all-out war with North Korea by next week because The Donald got his feelings hurt by Kim Jong-un via Twitter.

Whatever the future holds for us—be it rise of the machines, nuclear war or even the Sweet Meteor of Death—at least we won’t have to be burdened by attack ads and the most vile humans Twitter can muster.

Starting Nov. 9, 2016, Americans can rest easy knowing that they have four more years before they have to endure the mud slinging of the campaign trail once more. For the first time in more than a year, the nightmare will be over, and we can all awake to the comfort of business as usual. We can all go back to hating Monday’s instead of having lengthy Facebook and Twitter comment battles about why someone’s candidate of choice is or is not the best thing since sliced bread.

That said, like any good—or bad—horror movie, the nightmare is never truly over. The next trauma is only just around the corner.

Here’s to you, 2020 election. Please take your sweet time getting here for the sake of our collective sanity.

Today is Election Day From all of us at The Standard, go vote!

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Immigration policy could change Andrew Webster Columnist @anjrew12 There is a quiet town in Pennsylvania called Erie. There are only about 100,000 people in Erie, and you read about them in the news.

Something very interesting has been happening in Erie for a few decades now, and I think we have a lot to learn from it.

During the Vietnam War, refugees began to flock to the United States. Afterward, wherever the United States have been militarily active, there have been refugees that followed.

A lot of them found refuge in Erie, Pennsylvania. This election season has been saturated with some terrible rhetoric regarding those who come to our country.

In Erie, however, refugees have had positive impacts on their new community.

I would like to see this attitude taken nationally. Unpronounced to some, the United States was once a haven for many Europeans seeking a new life in a new world.

I believe that the immigration has always been beneficial to us. Massive immigration was an essential ingredient for the industrial revolution.

For our entire history, the U.S. has been a huge magnet for immigration, which has attracted some of the greatest minds of all time.

We are lucky to receive some of the smartest doctors, scientists and engineers in the world.

In any 100-level economics class, you will learn that immigration boost the labor supply, which boosts our capacity to produce goods and provide services.

Increased production raises our GDP, which raises wages. We’ve actually seen this happen a few times in our history. During World War Two, Mexican immigrants helped fill the labor shortage created by workers fighting overseas. In the early 1980’s, immigrants helped achieve an oil boom in Texas.

Immigrants also played a role in the housing boom during the 2000s.

Our perceptions and expectations of immi-

grants have been diminished by some poor rhetoric. For the past twenty or so years, there has been a rise in highly skilled workers coming to the United States. The introduction of highly skilled workers into our workforce, has actually made our domestic workforce more innovative along the way.

A lot of skilled immigrants find jobs in research and development and become entrepreneurs.

A large portion of our medical professionals come from abroad. Same goes for a large portion of computer service workers in the United States. Immigrants make up large percentages of professors, engineers, and medical workers.

So far, I have only mentioned benefits.

Nothing in this world is black and white. Of course, there are downsides. Immigration lowers wages.

During the Industrial Revolution, millions of farmers were displaced. However, this led to the growth of cities, and the positives that arose from that.

People that live here illegally can also add to the tax burden on citizens. Illegal residents can receive tax-funded medical services and collect untaxed income.

The amount of illegal residents can also burden law enforcement. There are federal agents and law enforcement officers that spend a lot of time handling illegal residents, they could be accomplishing their regular jobs, like handling traffic violations.

Like I said, nothing in this world is black and white, and immigration is certainly a difficult issue to openly talk about. Just because I lean on the side of open borders does not mean I haven’t considered the consequences of massive immigration.

There is an important and effective argument for closed borders, and I understand why people support that notion.

All that I can be sure about, is that we are about to see some massive changes to the current state of American immigration policy, and that we should be ready for what comes next.

Campus Chat: Q of the Week If you could vote for anyone, who would it be?

“Bernie Sanders.”

Charlie Stebbins Freshman, Film and Theatre major

“I would vote for Kanye.”

Adel Abuomar Senior, IT Management major

“I’d vote for me.”

Mekahlia Jones Junior, English Literature major

“My dog.”

Megan Sandy Senior, Elementary Education major

“If Walt Disney was still alive, I’d vote for him.”

Rachel Prather Junior, Speech Pathology major

From dusk to dawn: A day in the life at Missouri State Casey Struble Staff Reporter @Casey_A_Struble Every day, every week, Missouri State University has a plethora of free events open to students –– I went to all of them one Thursday.

This would have been easier freshman year. You’re living on campus, which is a hub of cultures and entertainment. When I lived in Freudenberger House, it was a breezy, brief walk to the PSU or anywhere to meet a student organization or passionate speaker.

But now, as a crotchety old senior living off-campus, it’s not nearly as easy. Every trip to campus is calculated out of need (there are flowcharts filling my room pertaining to sleep, academics and gas).

My saving grace was an assignment from Media, Journalism and Film Professor Andrew Cline.

“Go to an event and use social media to report it,” Cline said.

Easy enough, but my team wanted more. We all missed MSU campus and we wanted to get back in touch, with student life.

I was soon getting in touch with different cultures, religions, faculty, students and friends. I also, at the very

least, got my exercise for the day.

Here’s a breakdown of my MSUcampus-filled Thursday.

11:a.m. My day started at Brick City, since there is a faculty exhibit going on.

11:15 a.m. Hopped on my bike, Tour-de-France’d back to main campus to make the next event.

11:16 a.m. Saw spider on handle bars –– only kind-of crashed.

11:30 a.m. Ate a delicious squash soup at Carrie’s Cafe. The restaurant is planned, ran and serviced by HRA 435: Resturaunt Studies students.

Carrie’s Cafe is located on the fourth floor of the Professional Building and is open on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Noon After running back to the PSU, I attended “A Tough Talk” with Hannah Harris, a mental health clinician for MSU. We explored racial injustice in law enforcement, campus representation and civic responsibility. The door was closed, and students shed tears, promising to meet next week.

“We have everyone here,” Harris said. “We have people from St. Louis, Kansas City, the small surrounding farm towns. We ask them to live together to build a community –– it’s hard.”

1 p.m. Almost tripped going downstairs to the PSU Theatre. The “Stop The Violence” campaign presented a panel of lawyers, civil workers and police officers, including Chief Williams. The campaign’s purpose is to bring the problem of domestic violence to light in Missouri.

“I love having this on campus, it engages the entire student,” Williams said.

2 p.m. We visit Meyer Library’s “Discovering the Artifact” exhibit.

The second oldest book in the room was from the 1600s, entitled “The Historie of Fovre Footed Beasts.”

“The book contains unicorns and gorgons, since they still didn’t know if they existed or not,” Meyer’s archivist Anne Baker explained.

2:30 p.m.: Another Tough Talk at Strong was followed by a documentary screening at Cheek. What are social privileges? What are social responsibilities?

“With all the issues of the world, I find it, personally, incredibly painful to be an instructor,” Arud Wachter, director of “American Textures,” said.

4:45 p.m. I caught the tail-end of an LGBT mixer behind Freudenberger. Also made a net-gain in potato chips while meeting Yvania Garcia-Pusateri, executive director of

multicultural programs.

“These events are a real way to get involved. There not in a strict, official setting,” Garcia-Pusateri said.

5:05 p.m. Made a late, but quiet entrance into Karls Hall (the first time after almost four years here that I’ve been in the building.) Dr. Pamela Klassen explains the history, relationship and significance of medicine and religion.

5:30 p.m. Thirty minutes into lecture, I, one of few non-religion majors in the room, am completely dazzled and confused.

6 p.m. I attend my first women’s soccer game against Evansville. I have no idea what’s going on, but it’s fun to stand up and yell in-sync with the rest of the crowd. It was $5 for adults and free for students.

7 p.m. I quietly sneak into an Author Talk in Meyer Library. I’m still pumped from the game, but I have to sit calmly.

“The life of John T. Woodruff, arguably the founder of modern Springfield, is explained by Thomas Peters, dean of library services and author of “John T. Woodruff.”

“I’m not from here, so it’s interesting. Springfield is a big city with a small-town feel, and this kind of explains why,” junior computer sci-

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9:05 p.m. I arrive to the FRC’s “Haunted Trail.” The line, filled with nervously laughing students, is wrapped out of the building and all the way down to the Blair-Shannon House.

9:30 p.m. I finally start my haunted journey. It starts in the elevator.

Demonic screams can be heard.

9:34 p.m. I am greeted by five clowns with knives. I make my group promise to not tell anyone about the highest pitched scream that’s ever come out of me.

9:35 p.m. We make it out alive.

There is a pizza party with students in costumes dancing. Some clap as we leave the Haunted Trail.

10 p.m. I get home and get the best sleep I’ve ever had.

The take away? I was constantly blown away by the amount of welcoming communities at MSU. The passion of speakers, students and faculty drew people together on multiple, universal points.

And while I can’t pull this tour off every day, I did realize that I could, at some capacity, easily engage at MSU. No car needed, either.

From dawn to dusk, there’s something waiting to be discovered.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

Clif Smart as ‘The Main Course’

RYAN WELCH/THE STANDARD

Chloe Skaar Staff Reporter @chloeskaar Students of Missouri State University have continuously prided themselves on a strong relationship with the university’s president, Clif Smart. Now, they were also given an opportunity to watch him be served as “the main course” in a roast by his friends and associates.

Missouri State students and faculty, Springfield community leaders and staff of the event’s host, Springfield Little Theatre, gathered Friday evening at Farmer’s Park to watch Smart get roasted. The ‘roasters’ shared jokes about Smart’s humor and habits, stories from college, workplace experiences and humorous memories of Smart at MSU. The event was initiated by performances of three theatre students of the College of Arts and Letters: Natalie Gorman, Travis Holt and Haley Rolland. The emcee was Beth Domann, executive director of SLT. Featured roasters consisted of: Greg Burris, current City Manager of Springfield; Steve Garner; Dean of MSU’s College of Business, Stephanie Bryant; Brent Dunn, vice president for university advancement; and Brian Fogle, CEO and president of community foundation of the Ozarks.

Burris began the roasting with a caricature drawing of Smart sporting Trump’s hair and a slideshow of pictures Smart has posted to his social media profiles, providing his own variations on the captions. He also prepared a video based off of Jimmy Kimmel’s “Mean Tweets” segment, in which other city officials were recorded reading Smart’s tweets about them.

Bryant, who proudly announced that she was the first female

roaster of the annual event, joked about Smart’s frugality and his love for Twitter.

“The MSU campus hasn’t been informed yet, but Russian hackers and WikiLeaks recently found a private server in his basement,” Bryant said. “It had 31,000 deleted and drafted tweets made by an account registered as ‘Clif Kardashian.’”

Bryant also compared his MSU presidency to the current presidential candidates, joking that we need to act fast to enRYAN WELCH/THE STANDARD sure a “Smart” president and President Clif Smart reacts at “The Roast,” presented by Springfield Little suggested that audience memTheatre on Friday, Nov. 4. bers write in Clif Smart on their ballots for the general election. nasty women,” allegedly inspired by Bryant’s time on the stage.

Dunn joked that while it was his ninth time attending a roast Despite periodical jokes about losing their jobs for particiof Smart, it was also the first one he had been to in which Smart pating, roasters each made evident their deep-seeded apprecihad actually been invited. He continued the theme of making ation for Smart and their experiences working with him on and fun of Smart’s love for Twitter, particularly his constant inter- off MSU’s campus. action with students through the site, saying that students would “He’s only the eleventh president of the university but must eagerly hold a rally for Smart after he once tweeted about “feel- be the best one yet,” Dunn said. “Clif was the right man (for ing gassy.” the job) at exactly the right time. He has made our university Smart, who received a standing ovation, concluded the eve- better and he has made our community better.” ning with his own rebuttals. These ironically included a list of tweets he had comprised throughout the roast, such as “I love

Day of the Dead honors Promoting diversity by exploring various cultures loved ones passed away Trinh Nguyen Staff Reporter

NINA TODEA/THE STANDARD

Students prepare for the Day of the Dead Festival on Nov. 2.

Matt Campanelli Staff Reporter @THE_MattyCamp Skeletons, food and parties are only a few of the things that make up the Day of the Dead.

The holiday is more than just something that everyone learned about in Spanish class in high school.

On Wednesday, Nov. 2, the Department of Modern and Classical Languages co-hosted a Day of the Dead festival with the La Baracca Spanish club.

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that falls on Nov. 2. The holiday is a day for people to honor their loved ones who have passed away and is a celebration of their lives.

“I really enjoy the way they celebrate this day, because for them, it’s a cycle; death is a part of the cycle of life,” said Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez de la Vega, an associate professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. “It doesn’t mean that the dead has to be something scary, creepy or serious. Death is just a part of that cycle. Celebrators embrace that connection.”

One of the day’s traditions involves family members visiting gravesites to clean and decorate them. They will also leave favorite foods at the family member’s gravesite.

“I think it’s interesting to host this event and promote diversity,” Rodriguez de la Vega added.

The event was open to students and the public, and different classes visited the festival throughout the day. Rodriguez de la Vega said that it was interesting to provide an opportu-

nity for students to learn about how other cultures view and embrace death compared to the way it happens in the United States.

“It’s completely different than how we do it in the United States, where we think of it in a more serious way,” Rodriguez de la Vega said. “I’m not trying to say that this celebration is not serious, but for them, that sense of death is a cycle. Life for us here is ‘you’re born, you do things and then you die.’”

The festival was held in the library in Siceluff Hall. Eight events were held during the festival, and they were spread out during the day.

One event was a satirical poetry competition called “calaveritas” which means “skulls.” In Mexico, the poems are a way to poke fun at people in a way that makes it sound like they are dead although they are alive.

Often, these poems make jokes about politicians or other people in power. Some of the poems on display in the Siceluff library poked fun at the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Pan de Metro or “dead bread,” is a sweet bread and traditional holiday dessert that was served with hot chocolate at the event as well.

Emily Tipton, a junior modern language major, is a member of the La Baracca Spanish club and spent her day helping at the festival.

“I think in general, there’s a lot of misunderstanding about different cultures,” Tipton said. “In America, death is a sad thing. In Latin American cultures, it’s a happy occasion.”

At 3:30 p.m., the festival came to an end with a catrin and catrina costume contest, capping off a successful day.

Over 20 countries were represented in “Tour of the Globe,” the annual event for MSU students to experience diverse cultures––the U.S. was not among them.

Last Friday night, Morris Center welcomed hundred of visitors to join the “Tour of the Globe.” Many countries were represented and assigned rooms to have their showcases.

“This is showcasing international cultures,” Emma Farley, MSU global ambassador said.

“It’s pointless to come here and eat hamburgers and hotdogs, because you can go do that anywhere here in the U.S.” Twenty rooms in the center were used for showcasing. Countries prepared their traditional food, drinks, dress, dancing, games, arts and more.

Guatemala, a Central American country south of Mexico, showcased their food, history and culture in room 317; They presented traditional Guatemalan food: rice pudding, which is a dessert topped with a touch of cinnamon powder; and Chojin, a radish salad that is made with lime juice, spearmint and paired with pork cracklings.

Room 410 was a German showcase; they had interactive activities and traditional food as well. Visitors could paint the simulated Berlin wall, make pretzels out of paper and try sachertorte, a chocolate layer cake with fruit jam in between. The cake is originally from Austria, but it is considered traditional southern German food.

“This (event) is the place to get away from American cultures, just for a little while, and travel the globe,” Farley, a junior global studies major, said.

The event was during the First Friday Art Walk that many American people attended.

According to Farley, Americans would get the chance to know about this event and to expe-

rience different cultures, even though their country was not represented.

“It’s a good exposure to different cultures,” Blerina Halili, business administration graduate student said. She is from Kosovo, a country in southeastern Europe that became independent in 2008.

Halili believed that the event would benefit people from her country as well as Americans. She could show traditional food and clothes. People that came in contact with her culture would learn a lot about the experiences she had in the U.S. “It’s basically a cultural exchange that is happening,” Halili said.

Globalization is taking place, and people should interact more with different cultures.

The U.S. particularly has a diverse society; therefore, American students are encouraged to take part in international events like “Tour of the Globe.”

“It’s super important to get that experience interacting with other cultures,” said Kately nHageman, “Tour of the Globe” visitor and anthropology and religious studies sophomore.

According to Hageman, not many MSU students came to this event due to the lack of advertising. “I don’t think it’s well advertised before it happens.” Plus, the event was on Friday; students had to go home for the weekend.

“It’s not the best time to do it,” Hageman said.

President Clif Smart could play a role in making this event well known among students, especially American students.

“He is very popular, and everybody loves Clif Smart,” Farley said. “So, maybe have him tweet about it or post something. I think that will help get the word out.”

“Tour of the Globe” was among the series of events for International Education Week 2016. Students can refer to the International Programs website for information of next events: https://international.missouristate.edu/ iew.htm.

COLLIN HADLEY/THE STANDARD

Students discuss cultural differences at Tour the Globe on Friday, Nov. 4.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

THE STANDARD

THE-STANDARD.ORG 5

Communication Professor becomes MARTIN: EMOJI? EMOJ-DON’T certified StrengthsFinder Coach Trevor Martin Emoji Expert @Trevorsaur

BAILEY VASSALLI/THE STANDARD

Nora Cox, communication professor, explains what StrengthsFinder is.

Sarah Shepard Staff Reporter Nora Cox, senior instructor in the MSU Communication Department, recently became a StrengthsFinder coach, geared toward helping people make the most of their individual strengths.

Over the summer, Cox went through an accelerated five-day training and passed an exam at Gallup headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, in order to gain her certification.

Gallup is a national corporation known for research and data collection. Don Clifton, former Gallup chairman, developed the StrengthsFinder assessment, an online assessment of 177 questions that aim to find people’s strengths.

The assessment takes about 30 minutes to complete, and after the assessment is finished, you receive a report detailing your five signature strengths.

About 15 million people have taken the assessment, according to Cox, and the odds of two people having the same five strengths in the same order are one in 33 million.

Cox said that not everyone’s strengths looked the same. “All of the strengths are dynamic, and they play off each other,” she said.

Two people could have the same strength, but they could look a little different based on the combination of their other strengths.

The top-selling book that accompanies the assessment, “Now, Discover Your Strengths,” can be purchased along with a unique code in order to access the online StrengthsFinder assessment.

Cox, as a StrengthsFinder coach, helps people interpret the results once they have taken the assessment.

“I would talk with someone about how they’re using their strengths and their talents in their job that they have, or maybe how they can learn more about those strengths and be happier in their job and succeed.”

There are 34 themes that Gallup found, repetitive traits or strengths that were seen in many people.

Cox said that the assessment is “all about finding out what’s right with people rather than what’s wrong.”

Cox took the assessment about six years ago, and she has spent the past few years learning about her strengths and analyzing how they affect her work.

Everyone in the communication department completed the assessment before the school year started. Realizing

everyone else’s strengths allowed each person to be recognized for what they can contribute.

“It can help you sort of unlock someone,” Cox said.

“It can help you understand why people can look at projects so differently.”

Cox explained that she delivered pizzas for Domino’s when she was a college student. There was a “30 minutes or free” time limit on deliveries, and she excelled when faced with the time crunch.

She knew how long the yellow lights were and how many times the “don’t walk” signs would flash. She knew exactly where she needed to go and how to get there.

“I didn’t know it then, but I have a strength called ‘strategic,’” she said. Now, she understands all of her strengths more and how to use them to her advantage.

Cox has also used the assessment in her GEP 101: Freshman Seminar classes.

The book was one of their textbooks, and they analyzed their different strengths and avenues for success. She explained that the students change each year, so she gets a chance to see how her strengths interact with each student’s.

Weekly Crossword © 2016 King Features Syndicate

ACROSS 1 Like a snail 5 Biblical verb suffix 8 Venomous vipers 12 Swearing-in utterance 13 Extinct bird 14 Actress Perlman 15 Acolyte 17 Gruesome 18 More indigent 19 Runs off to wed 21 Soar 22 Croon 23 Possesses 26 Thither 28 Scratch-and- -31 Canyon phenomenon 33 Scale member 35 Great Lake 36 Mall unit 38 Wrong (Pref.)

40 “Ben-Hur” author Wallace 41 Volition 43 Denials 45 Game with lettered cubes 47 Put into cipher 51 Met melody 52 G.I. of WW I 54 Bacterium 55 Hiatus 56 Telegram 57 One’s performances 58 Speech hesitations 59 $ dispensers DOWN 1 Cleanser 2 Composer Schifrin 3 “Beetle Bailey” dog 4 Harbor structure

5 Early life forms 6 Also 7 19th president 8 French forest region 9 2005 Steve Martin movie based on a novel he wrote 10 Father (Fr.) 11 Emulates Simon?

16 Depend (on) 20 Fleur-de--23 “-- a real nowhere man” 24 Do something 25 Vegas troupe member 27 -- de plume 29 “A pox on thee!”

30 A handful 32 Folding art 34 Police methods 37 Right angle

39 Composition 42 Sill 44 Unstressed vowel 45 Luggage 46 Sandwich

cookie 48 Last write-up 49 Campus quarters 50 Spud’s buds 53 Rowing need

You’re about to send a really important text, possibly the most important text of your life. You’ve got a typed out, proofread, Pulitzer Prize winning text message, but it’s missing its most important component: the emoji.

In today’s fast paced, non-confrontational, hide-behind-a-computer-screen world, projecting the true intentions of what you’re feeling is harder than ever.

Even more important is making absolutely sure you don’t send the wrong message.

We’ve all had our eye on that special someone, and we’ve all struggled to walk that fine line of saying too much or saying too little.

That’s where emojis step into the spotlight.

Nothing does a better job of distinguishing between “hi…” and “let’s get naughty” like a giant, bald yellow face with cartoon features, right?

The hardest part about emojis, however, is knowing what message they truly convey to the person on the other side of your blindingly bright screen.

That’s why I’m here. With my years of inexperience, lack of expertise and scarcity of social prowess, I’m going to show you how to take that emoji game to the top.

First and foremost, it’s time to tune up that smiley face game. You may be someone who thinks “a smiley face is a smiley face; they’re all the same,” and to you, I politely ask that you stop reading this and smash your iPhone immediately. For the rest of you who are curious about the multitudes of smiling emojis and their concealed meanings, let’s get to it.

There are six emojis in the “major key” category, and I have expertly named them as follows: Regular Face, Happy AF, Confidently Flirtatious, Embarrassed Blushy Smile, Wide-Eyed and Happy––and my personal favorite––the “I’mKind-of-a-Jackass” face. Each of these faces convey a message, and it is imperative that you know what each of them communicates.

The Regular Face is one I suggest you leave out of your repertoire. Regular Face is what your mom sends you at the end of a nice text message. It’s also the emoji your 80-yearold grandmother sends you after getting an iPhone for the first time.

The “Happy AF” face is rather simple. If

you’re receiving it, they’re trying to say “You’re a great person and a great friend.” If and when you assume too much from receiving this emoji, you’re S.O.L. You’ll probably be watching Channing Tatum’s “The Vow” by the end of the night and wondering, “Why can’t my life be like a completely fictional, outlandish film?”

The Confidently Flirtatious face shows a possibility of interest in someone. At the same time, it shows a lot of confidence, like “I know what I want and I’m not afraid to show it.” It’s a great emoji choice for those highly confident individuals.

The “Embarrassed Blushy Smile” shows obvious interest in someone. Remember that scene in “The Office,” season 3, where Jim comes back and asks Pam on a date and she starts tearing up, then we started tearing up because we knew it was finally happening? This is that face.

The Wide-Eyed and Happy face is probably the friendliest of all.

If there were ever an emoji to describe Leslie Knope from “Parks and Recreation,” it would be this face. It also looks like the possible face of a serial killer, like Jeffrey Dahmer. Honestly, it’s 50/50.

The final face for your repertoire is the “I’m-Kind-of-a-Jackass.” This is the upside-down smiley face that people send right after they send you some sarcastic message.

The most important thing to remember out of all of this is to not take anything written here as legitimate. In fact, if you stumbled upon this article in hopes of finding some euphoric insight into your love life, I suggest you Google “10 ways to know they are into you,” or something like that.

Basically, be a normal person. Stop freaking out about social media, “sliding into DMs,” and whatever other emotionally empty nonsense people think has any substance to it.

If you want to have a real conversation with someone, I suggest putting down your phone, going out and meeting people; no phone screens, no emojis.

Doing so, you’ll meet tons of cool people, all with unique stories to tell and real emotions to feel. Hell, one day, you may even cross paths with someone to share your unique stories and emotions with.

You’ll look back one day, and all these emojis will seem much less relevant.

6

THE STANDARD

sports

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

DRESS REHEARSAL

MSU shines in exhibition play with season approaching

MEGAN BURKE/THE STANDARD

Alize Johnson had 26 points in Saturday’s exhibition win over Missouri Baptist.

MIRANDA ROLLER/THE STANDARD

Liza Fruendt drives the lane during Sunday’s win over Northeastern State.

Johnson unstoppable Polowy puts up 20 in JQH Arena debut in Lady Bears win Wyatt Wheeler Sports Editor @realYitWheeler

seconds into the game.

Miller was just happy to be playing against someone other than against his own team.

“We have gone up against each other for about 26-27 practices and I think it was good for us to go up against other people out there,” Miller said. “It was fresh blood, so it was pretty good.”

Also making a debut was redshirt-junior guard Austin Ruder. It was Ruder’s first game back since undergoing hip surgery, which sidelined him for the final 27 games of last season.

“It felt good (being out there),” Ruder said.

“It’s been almost a year since I played, so it’s been good to get in some practice and a little preseason in and finally getting out here and putting some shots up.”

Lusk said the road for Ruder to get back to playing has been tough, as Ruder has only had a limited amount of practices before Saturday night’s exhibition. The Bears’ head coach is also happy to have him back and available.

“When you miss all that time, there’s a lot of rust there,” Lusk said. “I’m very pleased that he’s back with us and that we have him.”

Missing the exhibition game was junior guard Chris Kendrix and senior forward Jordan Martin, who were both suspended by Lusk for a violation of team rules. Lusk said that he will decide when the players return and he doesn’t see it as a long-term suspension.

Welcome to Missouri State, Alize Johnson.

The junior transfer forward from Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas, made his presence felt in Missouri State’s 93-72 exhibition win over Missouri Baptist.

Johnson ended his JQH Arena debut with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

“He gets a lot of stuff done,” Bears head coach Paul Lusk said. “He’s been our leading rebounder ever since he set foot on this campus and he’ll continue to get better.”

Johnson, along with sophomore forward Obediah Church, brought in 24 of Missouri State’s 48 rebounds. Missouri State dominated the boards by out-rebounding Missouri Baptist, 48-30.

Johnson was one of three junior college transfers who made their debut as a Bear on Saturday night.

Johnson started with junior guard Ronnie Rousseau III from State Fair Community College in Sedalia. Rousseau III ended with 11 points. Sophomore forward Tyrie Hill-Thomas came off the bench late in the game.

“When I asked the JUCO guys what (playing Division I) was like, they said ‘Jeez Coach,” Lusk said. “They said that it was different and that JUCO was nothing like (playing Division I).”

Missouri State will open the regular season Another standout in Missouri State’s win at home against Alabama A&M at 7:05 p.m. was standout senior guard Dequon Miller who scored 13 points for the Bears, including a three-pointer the first time he touched the ball,

Cortlynn Stark Staff Reporter @Cortlynn_Stark In their final exhibition game, the Lady Bears sailed easily over Northeastern State 87-46, led by junior guard Lee Ann Polowy’s flawless shooting.

Polowy scored 20 points Sunday afternoon at JQH Arena, knocking down six three-pointers and a layup without missing.

“Obviously we know she can shoot, there’s no doubt,” head coach Kellie Harper said. “The best thing about her shots is that she took really good shots, high percentage shots.”

Polowy was one of four Missouri State players to score double digits, including junior guard Liza Fruendt, freshman guard Alexa Willard and freshman forward Shameka Ealy.

Williard scored the second most points with 16. She only missed one shot.

The Lady Bears shot 52.3 percent for the game and 48 percent on three-pointers.

The Bears took the lead early in the first quarter and never let it up. They led by 44 points, the highest lead of the game, in the fourth quarter.

Two Bears, sophomore guard Danielle Gitzen and senior guard Lexie Hughes, led the team in assists with five each. The Lady Bears combined as a team for 22 assists.

The Bears hit 7-8 free throws as a team, but only three players got to the line.

“We have talked about not getting to the free throw line enough for this team, it’s not where we need to be,” Harper said.

Four Bears didn’t have any turnovers, in-

cluding junior forward Aubrey Buckley, Hughes, Williard and Polowy.

“She didn’t have any turnovers, I was so proud of her,” Harper said as Polowy smiled.

“She was really fast defensively, I thought she had a great game.”

Three freshman, guard Brice Calip, Williard and Ealy combined for 32 points and 11 rebounds.

“I think all three right now are playing very well,” Harper said. “They’re giving us what we need. They’re being aggressive, they’re picking things up very quickly in practice, which is really speeding things up for our entire team. I think the more comfortable they get, the better they get.”

The Lady Bears held NSU to shooting only 28.1 percent.

“Just because a team misses a shot doesn’t mean it was necessarily good defense,” Harper said. “So we’re not necessarily looking at the end result but are we in the right spots?

Are we trying to go to the right spots offensively and defensively? At least, if we have an understanding of what we’re supposed to do and moving that way and playing hard, that to me is a bigger indicator of where we are rather than score.”

The Bears open regular season in Memphis on Friday and at University of Kansas on Sunday. Conference play starts in late December.

“I know they’re chopping at the bit to get the season under way,” Harper said. “There’s so many question marks about what’s going to happen and I think that’s exciting.”

Going out on a new level Volleyball’s Marshall enjoying senior season success Eric Knifong Staff Reporter @e_knifong Missouri State volleyball (21-7, 12-2) continues to impress this season as they have won their last 12 matches in a row. The Bears are getting production from numerous players during their longest winning streak since 2003, when they won 18 consecutive matches.

One of those players is senior defensive specialist/libero, Tatum Marshall.

The Fayetteville, Arkansas, native says this season has been one of the best seasons that she has had at MSU through her four years.

“It’s just been a lot of fun,” Marshall said. “We’ve had great competition from, like, the beginning of preseason up till now and I just realCOLLIN HADLEY/THE STANDARD ly love this group of girls and we’ve Tatum Marshall awaits a serve in game against Northern Iowa. had a great freshman class come in

and contribute so much ... the team I feel like has just gone to a whole new level and just getting to be a part of that my senior year, kind of going out on that note, is just really cool.”

It took hard work for Marshall to get to the point she is at in her collegiate career, but says she grew in all aspects on and off the court.

“I think the one thing I have learned the most is, just communication, is the biggest thing that volleyball teaches you,” Marshall said.

“Communication leadership that you can take away and not just keep it in volleyball, but you can take it away and use it in your life later on.”

Marshall is majoring in exercise and movement science, and graduation is coming up quickly. She is not too sure of what she wants to do but grad school looks like it is next on her to-do list. She hopes to get accepted into occupational therapy school, whether that continues to be in Springfield or elsewhere.

“I would still like to maybe continue living here or just depends wherever the road takes me,” Marshall said.

Marshall also wants volleyball to remain as an aspect of her life. She says it would be weird for her not to have it around.

If Marshall is not seen on the court then she is probably enjoying her time outdoors. Hiking, camping and hunting are a few of her favorite outdoor activities, and says during the fall most of her time is spent inside of an arena, anytime she can get outside, she will.

You can watch Marshall in the final two home matches of her collegiate career and the rest of the MSU volleyball team later this week. The Bears square off with Indiana State (10-16, 4-10) inside Hammons Student Center on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by the last home match of 2016 against Illinois State (16-10, 9-5) on Saturday at 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

THE STANDARD

THE-STANDARD.ORG 7

Trevor Martin Staff Reporter @Trevorsaur By the end of the week, only one team will call themselves “champions of the MVC.” It will be a long three days before any team can say that. However, as seven teams are competing for the conference championship as well as a trip to the NCAA tournament. The Missouri Valley Conference has some great teams, some terrible and some teams in between. With the Valley Tournament coming to Springfield this week, it’s time to take a look at each, see how they got here and where they’ll end up.

No. 1 Loyola: BAILEY VASSALLI/THE STANDARD

Ice Bears celebrate during weekend sweep over Iowa State.

MSU sweeps Cyclones off ice Alec McChesney Staff Reporter @Alec_McChesney Starting on Thursday, Nov. 3, the Missouri State Ice Bears embarked on a difficult three-game slate including one game against reigning National Champion and No. 10 Lindenwood University and back-to-back games against the fifth ranked Iowa State Cyclones.

The weekend didn’t get off to a great start, as the Ice Bears dropped the first contest against the Lions 8-1.

MSU played strong against Lindenwood in the first two

periods, as the Ice Bears trailed just 3-1 after 40 minutes of play.

But the Lions capitalized in the third period, scoring five times to squash any comeback attempt. Though the weekend got off to a rubbish start, the Ice Bears turned things around against Iowa State on Friday evening.

“It was astronomical for us to come back after a tough loss against Lindenwood,” senior captain Brendan McClew said. “Iowa State is a great team, so to beat them is a big boost to our self-esteem.”

Freshman forward Jake Champaign got the Ice Bears on the board off an assist from linemate junior Alex Turin. MSU dominated the first two periods of the game and took a 2-0 lead into the third period of the game.

The fifth overall team in the country had no intentions of folding, and the Cyclones scored two goals in the third period to send the game into overtime. Iowa State picked up a penalty early on in the overtime period, and the Ice Bears didn’t waste the power play.

Senior captain Ryan Hogland buried the overtime game winner after crashing the net hard on the power play.

The second game of the two-game set had the same result for the Ice Bears, as MSU defeated Iowa State 4-3.

For the second straight game, it was the Champaign getting the Ice Bears on the board first.

“It was huge because it sets the momentum in our favor and gets all of us wanting to give it our all for the rest of the game,” Champaign said.

The Cyclones came back to take a 3-2 lead in the third period, but sophomore defenseman Brennan Anderson tied the game at three for the Ice Bears. For a moment, it appeared that game two would go to overtime as well.

But, Missouri State had other ideas. With just under two minutes remaining, junior Andrew Kovacich found the back of the net to give the Ice Bears a 4-3 lead and subsequently, a 4-3 victory.

“It says a bunch about this group of guys. The bounces haven’t been going our way as of late, but the guys continue to not give up, and eventually,v that is going to pay off, just like it did this weekend against Iowa State,” senior forward Logan Lopicka said.

The Ice Bears have a week off before hosting the University of Alabama on Nov. 18 at Mediacom Ice Rink.

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No. 5 Missouri State:

The Missouri State Bears sit at the middle of the road in terms of conference record (3-3-1), but they probably have the second highest win probability for the whole tournament. They’ve yet to be blown out this season and have competed to the end even in games they’ve lost. They have upheld a tradition of refusing to lose at home, and that’s where the tournament will be all weekend. It will be a tough road for the Bears, but the odds, the crowd and the pitch will be in their favor this weekend. It’s up to this veteran squad to go and claim what they’ve proven all season.

Loyola, who sits at 12-2-1 (5-1-1), is the mathematical favorite in the MVC tournament by far. They began and finished the season ranked in the national Top-25, and they have absolutely handled the MVC. Their only loss this season came against second ranked SIUe, so it will be a shock to everybody to not see them in the champi- No. 6 Drake: Though not last, the Drake onship game this weekend.

Bulldogs have not had a season to be proud of either. The BullNo. 2 Southern Illinoisdogs are 3-3 in their last six Edwardsville: matches, still underachieving to SIUe has won or tied in all a measly 5-11-1 (2-5-1) record. of their last eight games, and Drake was blown out earlier this they come into the MVC tour- year by Loyola 4-0 and also nament as one of the hottest surrendered four goals to Evansteams. Ranked second in the ville in a 4-3 loss. They play conference at 8-4-4 (4-1-2). Bradley in a first-round matchThey traded their season series up that ... well ... someone has with Loyola and have almost to win. completely handled the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference No. 7 Bradley: without being stopped. A deep Bradley’s season, put nicely, run is likely for SIUe, but there has been rather abysmal. They is always the possibility of a currently sit in the cellar of the team like Missouri State or Missouri Valley Conference at Evansville playing spoiler to 2-13-3 (0-6-1). They’ve given their title hopes. up a total of 12 goals in their last four games. They’ve lost their No. 3 Evansville: last six matches, and they’ve Evansville holds a 9-7-2 (4- been shut out in half of those 2-1) record and sits at third place matches. The last time Bradley in the MVC, but their play this pulled off a win was Sept. 20 season has proven them to be a against Western Illinois, so it’s top team in the Missouri Valley. safe to say that their tournament They’ve gone on the road and championship chances remain beat a Missouri State Bears team a long shot. However, as we all that refuses to lose at home, and have seen in sports, nothing is they even went into Loyola ear- impossible. lier this season and came away

with a hard fought 1-1 draw.

They’ve accrued quite a few losses, but many of those have come against Top-25 teams like Butler and Kentucky.

No. 4 Central Arkansas:

Central Arkansas is the first of the teams that could play

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8 THE-STANDARD.ORG

THE STANDARD

Jacked up

Wyatt Wheeler Sports Editor @realYitWheeler

A pair of explosive plays in the first half made it look like the Bears were going to give the No. 13 Jackrabbits a run for their money, but South Dakota State contained the damage to hand the Bears their fifth loss of the season.

Missouri State lost to South Dakota State, 49-24, to fall to 4-5 (2-4) on the season.

With no team making the playoffs last season with five

losses, the loss almost guarantees that the Bears will not be making their first postseason appearance since 1990.

The Bears went into halftime trailing only 21-17 but were held to only seven points in the second-half while the Jackrabbits ran away by scoring 21 unanswered points in the third-quarter.

Senior wide receiver Zac Hoover kept the Bears within striking distance after they were nearly blanked on total yards in the first quarter.

Hoover took a screen pass

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Jackrabbits outscore Bears 28-7 in second-half

91-yards to the house for a touchdown to make the game 14-7.

Junior wide receiver Malik Earl burned the Jackrabbit defense to bring in a 38-yard pass from senior quarterback Brodie Lambert to tie the game.

After a Jackrabbit touchdown to go up 21-14, the Bears threatened to tie the game before halftime, when the officials ruled that Lambert fumbled the ball instead of spiking the ball, with the Bears at the Jackrabbit 5-yard line.

After a chunk of the clock

was ran off, the Bears were forced to kick a field goal to go into halftime trailing 21-17.

The Jackrabbits came out in the second-half to score three touchdowns within four minutes of each other to go up 42-17.

Lambert and Earl would connect for a 44-yard reception early in the fourth quarter. The big play set up an 11-yard touchdown pass from Lambert to junior tight end Erik Furmanek, and that’s all the Bears came away with.

South Dakota State capped

off the afternoon with junior running back Brady Mengarelli’s second touchdown of the day.

The Bears gave up 548 yards of offense on the day.

Sophomore safety Anthony Upchurch was able to force the Bears’ lone turnover with an interception in the second-quarter.

Missouri State picked up only three first downs in the second half after having 11 in the first half.

Big plays made up for most of the 336 yards that Missouri

State was able to gather. The Bears had three plays go for more than 35 yards and eight plays for over 10 yards.

Lambert ended the day 1021 for 224 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Hoover brought in three passes for 113 yards and one touchdown.

The Bears will travel to Illinois State next week to take on the Redbirds at noon.

Luca Continued from page 1

son but would not travel with the team. According to Steckel, if Ruddick can adhere the “academic and social environment guidelines,” he will have the opportunity to play in 2017.

Although Ruddick was suspended for the remainder of the season and paid for Luca’s medical bills, Riggs said she feels adamant that he should have seen more consequences for his action — especially when it comes to representing Missouri State University.

“I don’t think he deserves to represent the school anymore,” Riggs said. “With the title of starting quarterback for a university like this, a lot of character goes along with that, and you have to earn that spot. And I think that position goes beyond talent, because it needs to be a reflection of character as well.”

Riggs explained holding a position such as Ruddick’s, he must act as a representative of the university.

“I mean you have so many people looking up to you,” Riggs said. “It just doesn’t look good for the university, it doesn’t look good for the football team, and I really don’t think he deserves the chance to be that person anymore.”

The charges

As the Springfield Animal Control and Springfield Municipal Court concluded their investigation, they charged Ruddick with two violations. The first charge, cruelty to animals, comes from Sec. 18-9 (a) of the Springfield Municipal Code, which states: “No person shall be cruel or inhumane to any dog or cat by beating, torturing, kicking or any other physical abuse.”

The second of the two charges comes from Sec. 18-53 (a): “It shall be unlawful for any person owning, controlling, harboring, possessing, or having the management or care of any dog to permit such dog to run at large.”

Just days after the charges were filed, the city of Springfield announced that Ruddick had pleaded guilty to allowing a dog to run at large, but the animal cruelty charge would be dropped if Ruddick performed 150 hours of community service and unsupervised probation for the next two years.

“It was really disappointing to find out that he (Ruddick) wasn’t going to get charged with the animal abuse, because I thought all of the evidence was there,” Riggs said.

Springfield Chief Municipal Prosecutor Carl Yendes was in charge of the investigation and played the primary role in Ruddick’s plea agreement. Yendes acknowledged the evidence of a dog bite on Ruddick’s hand/arm area was one of the main reasons the city felt the plea agreement was appropriate.

According to a press release from Woody, Ruddick acted in self-defense when he injured Luca.

“While watching the dog, Ruddick went to remove the dog from his bed when the dog bit down on his hand,” Woody said. “Ruddick acted upon reflex and struck the dog a total of three times until it released his hand.”

According to Riggs, Ruddick never mentioned that Luca had bit him.

“At no point did he (Ruddick) ever say that Luca bit him,” Riggs said. “The news of the bite conveniently came out right when Ruddick hired his lawyer, and the bite marks that I was

shown were not conclusive, in my personal out. opinion.”

“I really trusted the authorities and the university to do the right thing, but he isn’t getting The aftermath charged for animal cruelty and he will have the Over a month has passed since the night of opportunity to play for the football team next the incident, and Riggs said Luca is doing much year,” Riggs said. “It’s really, really disheartbetter. ening.”

“Luca came back into the office to have his sutures checked out a little after the surgery, and he is in great shape,” Brown said. “He is in great condition.”

According to Riggs, Brown said that Luca would likely never be able to have teeth replacements.

“It would depend on how much money the person would be willing to spend, but Luca can live a good life without the replacements,” Brown said. “At some point, there’s no reason to put a dog through all of that.”

Because of this, Luca struggles keeping his tongue inside of his mouth.

Riggs said that although his mouth is forever changed, the incident appears to not have damaged Luca psychologically.

“Dr. Brown at Animal Care Center did tell us that since he is so young, he may get over the psychological part of this,” Riggs said. “And so far, that is true. He has been doing much better over the past couple of days, and is back to his usual self.”

As for Riggs and Ruddick, there is a No-Contact Agreement through the Missouri PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIE RIGGS State University Office of Student Conduct Over a month since the attack, Luca according to Riggs. is doing better.

According to Riggs, she is ready to put this incident in the past, but she is extremely disappointed by how the majority of this played

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

THE STANDARD

THE-STANDARD.ORG 9

ACM holds programming contest Wyrick Commission holds first 2016 meeting Casey Struble Staff Reporter @Casey_A_Struble

Ten programs, five hours and three people – can you do it? Computer science students teamed up to decide who’s the best at this year’s Mid-Central USA Programming Contest.

The definitive student computing contest, held Saturday around the midwest at different universities, was part of the ACM-ICPC — The International Collegiate Programming Contest that is held by the Association for Computer Machin-

“We’ve got this. We saw the practice problems and we’re not worried at all,” Sasha Cook, a senior computer science major from UMKC, said.

The UMKC team, who funded their four hours of travel and competition, discussed their strategy.

“It’s not all about programming knowledge. If you’re good at math you can help our team. Last year we compiled a program but still had to look up the distance formula,” Cook said.

MSU’s volunteer hosting was organized by Dr. Ken Vollmar, computer science professor and faculty sponsor for

and swiftly went back to their room.

Then, the team of three was isolated from the outside world for the next five hours.

The programs were submitted to a computer that runs them to find an answer.

If the programs weren’t perfect, the team didn’t get the point.

The team who answers the most problems correctly wins. In case of a tie, the win goes to the team that took the least amount of time.

This year’s winner in MSU’s district was one of University of Arkansas’ teams, the “Razorbacks.” The team was able to answer four out of the 10 problems. Even

COLLIN HADLEY/THE STANDARD Computer science students had the opportunity to test their programming skills at the ACM Competition held on Saturday, Nov. 5.

ery.

At 11 am, the students from surrounding colleges met for a catered lunch in Cheek Hall. The schools included MSU, University of Arkansas, UMKC, Drury University and Southwest Baptist.

The event represented a region of a region; the Mid-Central contest was held in seven other locations around the Midwest.

MSU was represented by four teams of three.

“I’m nervous. But it’s fun,” Clint Cochrane, Computer Science senior, said.

“There’s not really training outside of classes, but you decide what problems to attempt first.”

MSU’s ACM chapter.

“You see the full range of human emotions in these things. You’re in the room for 5 hours with nothing but a computer and a whiteboard. The only internet connection you have is to the grading computer,” Vollmar said.

At 12:30 p.m., the teams were given the 10 problems. The “problems” asked for fully coded programs that performed specific tasks. Vollmar described one of last year’s problems where the teams had to come up with a program that could calculate a shape’s point’s location after ‘x’ degrees of rotation.

A representative from each team received a piece of paper with the questions

across the entire midwest, the high score was seven out of ten questions -- scored

by Northwestern University competing at University of Chicago.

MSU’s top team, Team Later, was able to successfully program one of the answers. Team Later received 12 out of 21 teams.

After five hours of tense competition, the event ended in a warm reception. The winners were announced and pizza was served. Students started talking to fellow computer science majors from different schools.

Vollmar explained that this competition “Is a demonstration of initiative. It shows a students getting out of the class.”

Alec McChesney Staff Reporter @Alec_McChesney The last day to submit a proposal to the Wyrick Commision to enhance the quality of life and improve day-to-day functions on Missouri State University’s campus is Nov. 18.

For the first time in the 2016 school year, the Wyrick Commission met on Friday, Nov. 4 at 7 a.m. to discuss the year’s budget and plans, as well as to vote on the Wyrick Commission final proposal deadline.

Wyrick Commission Student Chairperson Dominic Pecoraro ran the meeting, which consisted of nine members, good enough for a quorum to vote on the Nov.18 deadline. Pecoraro, a senior communications and intercultural communications and diversity major, started the meeting off by going over their prospective budget for the 2016-2017 school year.

This year’s commission has a budget of $112,000.

According to the Wyrick Commission page on Missouristate.edu, funds are to be used to finance capital projects that possess the potential to enhance the quality of life and improve the level of service to all students and members of the university community.

But, the feeling throughout the members of the commission was that more proposals are needed. The majority of the meeting focused on howto spread the word about the

commission and the need for proposals. Pecoraro mentioned on numerous occasions the possibility of passing out flyers and updating the website to get students involved.

At the current moment, the Wyrick Commission has received only one proposal for this school year. A senator in the Student Government Association at MSU has proposed for a bike cover over the bike racks outside of both Strong Hall and Cheek Hall.

The deadline to submit an initial proposal is Nov. 18 by 5:00 p.m. in Room 123 of the Plaster Student Union. The proposals are needed early, as it does take awhile to decide whether or not they will be accepted, and the ballot for the proposal occurs in April.

Even more so, the commission stressed the importance of early submissions. Pecoraro reiterated the fact that the earlier a proposal is entered, there is a greater likelihood of it being passed.

The second deadline for proposal submissions was the topic voted upon by the quorum on Friday morning. The two options were Dec. 9 or Dec. 15. With the majority (63), the commission voted Dec. 9 as the last day to turn in final proposals.

Following the voting, the group went ahead and scheduled their next meeting in the spring semester. The Wyrick Commission will meet again on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.

MSU partners with crowdfunding organization All campaigns that appear on the MSU Foundation’s crowdfunding site must be related to MSU, but otherwise, the options are endless. Whether it be helping student organizations A new online crowdfunding platform is fund a trip or MSU faculty raising money for available to students, faculty and staff of Mis- new equipment the MSU Foundation is able to souri State University to raise money for all help them start a campaign to raise the necessary kinds of university-related opportunities.

The Missouri State University Foundation has been offering a crowdfunding program to those which are connected to MSU since the fall of 2014. However, within the last month, the Missouri State University Foundation has formed a new partnership with a site called GiveCampus.

GiveCampus, according to their website, is a “social fundraising and engagement platform” that “empowers educational institutions to meet donors where they spend their time and make giving more than just a transaction.”

CEO of GiveCampus, Kestrel Linder, said that “crowdfunding is the way fundraising happens now” and he is excited about the new partnership with MSU because it is “an innovative institution.” He also said it is GiveCampus’s goal to “help take (crowdfunding) to a whole new level” for MSU. Through the partnership between GiveCam- funds. pus and the MSU Foundation, they have creOnly three campaigns are available currentated a new website platform that is branded for ly on the site. Two campaigns are for immersion MSU, which hosts all of the crowdfunding trips to Kansas City and St. Louis put on by the campaigns that are still seeking donor funds. Community Involvement and Service DepartThis crowdfunding program has specific ment. The other campaign supports a middle features that set it apart from other crowdfund- school debate tournament put on by the MSU ing sites such as Kickstarter and GoFundMe. Debate organization.

Hannah Sumpter Staff Reporter @hannasumpter

Alex Johnson, the director of community involvement and service, said the crowdfunding money raised for the trips will “support the extra costs of lodging, food, and transportation.”

Johnson also said that crowdfunding “allows a lot of opportunities for students to share about the trips.”

SCREENSHOT FROM GIVECAMPUS

Another notable feature that sets this program apart is that whether or not the crowdfunding goal is met the campaign organizers are able to keep the funds and use them toward whatever the focus of the campaign is.

Melanie Earl-Replogle, the director of annual funds for the Office of Development, has been very involved in the crowdfunding pro-

gram and was able to explain the process of starting a campaign.

Senior Class President Daniel Guerrini is in the process of setting up a crowdfunding campaign for next semester to raise money for the senior gift and said that the new platform offers “lots of great features.” Guerrini specifically noted the social media aspect of the campaigns.

“Social media offers a simple foundation for (the campaigns) and is a great way to spread the word,” Guerrini said.

People who wish to start a campaign must first fill out the MSU Foundation’s application.

Earl-Replogle said this helps to “get people thinking about the details for the campaign.”

From there, the setup time for a campaign can vary depending on how prepared the campaign is before initially applying. Earl-Replogle said setup time “varies greatly” meaning it can take as little as a few days to as much as a few weeks.

Earl-Replogle said that campaigns with goals between $2,500 and $5,000 seem to be most successful, but the campaigns can range from $500 to as much as $10,000.

The MSU Foundation is happy to help anyone who is interested in starting a campaign.

Crowdfunding workshops will be held on Nov. 11 and Nov. 15 at the Meyer Alumni Center.

10 THE-STANDARD.ORG

THE STANDARD

Election

New app hopes to bring students together

Continued from page 2

“Most people I know get their news from random articles shared on Facebook,” said Conor Wadle, a sophomorepolitical science major. “And there’s a dangerous effect from that, where most of your news is first presented to you by a biased friend or family member. Personally, I get my news from CNN or Politico.”

Another big responsibility of young voters will be to represent a strong presence at the polls on Nov. 8. A study published on Nov. 2, conducted

by Rock the Vote and USA Today, reflects that although a record-breaking 83 percent of millennials are registered to vote, their enthusiasm about the election has been steadily decreasing since January.

“It may seem like one vote in a sea of millions won’t make a difference, but there are so many more things on

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

the ballot than just the presidential election,” said Kolby Eller, a junior socio-political communication major. “(Missouri’s) Senate race is one of the most competitive in the country. There are also amendments on the ballot that could come down to just a few hundred votes –– this could boil down to be just a dozen per polling location.”

The New York Times and CBS News conducted their final nationwide Pre-election Poll from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, which reflected that the Democratic Party has sustained a margin of unity of 73 percent of voters united to 25 percent divided. The Republican Party showed that their voters were 14 percent united and 85 percent divided.

This survey also confirmed that the general election polls will be incredibly close, with

Clinton scarcely beating Trump’s numbers 45 percent to 42 percent, as of Nov. 3.

Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate, stands just over the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, with a margin of 5 percent to 4 percent. Despite the significant gap of voter percentages between major and minor parties, the option of a third party candidate has become more and more appealing to undecided voters.

“Feeling unsure about the presidential race is not a reason to not vote,” Wadle said.

“Not only does your vote provide the opportunity to show that your state isn’t for a certain candidate, it also allows you to show that you’re potentially not for a main candidate, but instead in support of a third party. It is also important to keep in mind that you can leave the presidential part

of your ballot blank, while still voting for other issues.”

Wadle and Eller both said they anticipate Clinton to win the presidency, due to her target appeal to independents and the younger generations, as well as the impact of the significant divisions the Republican Party is facing. Eller also said that Trump’s campaign has not yet formed a clear path to the 270 Electoral College votes that are necessary to win.

“Overall, I think the student body will be happy the election season is over,” Eller said. “Those who don’t support Hillary will continue to complain about her policies, and those who don’t support Trump will continue to talk about how ridiculous they think he is. In the end, I think most people will feel relieved that it’s done.”

Layne Stracener Staff Reporter @LayneAlison1 There will soon be a solution for students who are bored in their dorms, wanting to make friends or try something new but not knowing how.

Parrot Social LLC is an app students created that will be available in the spring. It lets you select your hobbies, interests and availability, and it matches you to a group of people who enjoy the same activities. You can then discuss what you want to do and when.

The app is designed to help students meet new people.

You can’t select specific people to be in the group, and one must be a student at Missouri State. The app will be available on iOS and Android.

Sophomore entrepreneur-

ship major Luke Baker, junior computer science major Cole Lawrence and freshman marketing major Thomas Vernon are the core Parrot Social team.

Baker and Lawrence thought of the idea in September after realizing that MoState.Social, a website they created for student organizations, wasn’t the solution they were looking for to help students meet. MoState.Social focused on events instead of individual students and their interests.

“You get to meet people, get out there, and experience something new,” Baker said, “especially for the people who are in their dorms and don’t really have a friend group.

They can make new friends and maybe make their next best friend.” u For the full story, go to www. the-standard.org