April 24, 2018

Page 1

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 28 | THE-STANDARD.ORG

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

The Standard/The Standard Sports

TheStandard_MSU

@TheStandard_MSU/@Standard_Sports

MSUStandard

issuu.com/TheStandard-MSU

Board approves fee increases HANNA SUMPTER Senior Reporter @hannasumpter

KAITLYN STRATMAN/THE STANDARD

A pile of metal, wires and other material sits at the scene of the crash in Fordland.

Three injured, one dead after MSU TV tower collapses CHLOE SKAAR Senior Reporter @chloeskaar First responders confirmed one fatality after a KOZK tower, owned by Missouri State University, collapsed during maintenance on Thursday morning. Three other employees were hospitalized in Springfield to evaluate their injuries, which were concluded non-life threatening. Six total — external maintenance employees from the state of Washington — were on the tower, working at about 105 feet in the air, at the time of the collapse, with one more working on the ground. Three cars were also crushed when the tower fell. Robert Talburt, assistant chief for the

Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District, said the collapse is considered a “major incident.” The Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District was dispatched a few minutes before 10 a.m., responding to reports of injured workers and workers still trapped in the aftermath of the collapse. The fatality, Talburt said, was confirmed upon their arrival. “I’ve been in fire services here for 25 years and have never seen anything like this before,” Talburt said. “So it’s a pretty crazy accident. For us, no two days are ever the same … but this is definitely a new one.” The KOZK tower — built in 1971 and 1,980 feet tall — was broadcasting Ozarks Public u See TOWER, page 2

KAITLYN STRATMAN/THE STANDARD

(Middle) Thick cables lay sprawled over the ground after tearing though the grass and soil. (Bottom) Two firefighters maneuver through the destruction to grab tools from their truck.

Four items pass on spring ballot

Senior class gift passes, two cabinet positions consolidated NOAH STANDISH Senior Reporter @NoahjStandish The personalized maroon bear outside the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center will soon have a twin outside of Strong Hall, thanks to the recently passed 2018 senior class gift. The bear was one of the four items recently passed in Missouri State’s Student Government Association spring ballot: student body president and vice president, this year’s senior class gift and a

bill affecting the Student Government Association’s cabinet positions. Polls were open online for MSU students between April 9 and April 13. After closing, results were available to view just two hours later. According to Chief Elections Commissioner Samantha Siebert, the election saw 1,839 students vote for the issues regarding cabinet positions, allocation of funding for the senior class gift and MSU’s next student body representatives.

The campus’s second personalized bear statue was recently approved by current Senior Class President Eric Mertens. Siebert said the item is offered at the end of each academic year as a gift from the senior class to the university. The fourth item to pass on the ballot was General Bill 08, Consolidation of SGA Cabinet Positions: an internal adjustment intended to combine the cabinet positions of sergeant at arms and secretary into a single position. “This change was offered as a

way to streamline and unify communication between cabinet and senate,” Siebert said. Dean of Students Thomas Lane said the consolidation of sergeant at arms and secretary into one position reflected a move toward increased efficiency in the SGA, emphasizing a focus of building a more diverse and inclusive student body. “(The item) reflected a desire to efficiently combine two positions that separately did not have the workload of the other cabinet u See BALLOT, page 11

Two budget paths diverge at a maroon and white university, and its board compromised with the approval of a unique set of fee increases for students. The Missouri State University Board of Governors Missouri State approved two fee University resolutions at their Clif Smart executive committee board meeting April 18. The resolutions include fee increases, a few of which reserve the right to waive or lessen some of the fees. MSU President Clif Smart said the special option to waive the collection of the portions of the fees gives the university the “flexibility to set a university budget whether the legislature’s budget for MSU becomes law or the governor’s budget for MSU becomes law through withholds or line-item vetoes.” In-state undergraduate students at the Springfield campus will see a tuition fee increase of $4 per-credit-hour from $210 to $214 per credit hour, but the board will waive collection of $2 if higher education funding remains in the Missouri government’s budget. This fee setup stems from the stipulation proposed by the General Assembly of Missouri. In-state undergraduate students at the West Plains campus will see a $6 per-credit-hour tuition fee increase, with $5 of the fee increase waived to meet the following 1 percent stipulation from the Missouri general assembly. According to the Board of Governor’s Executive Committee Agenda, the general assembly requested “no more than a 1 percent increase in tuition for Missouri resident undergraduate full-time students for the 2018-19 academic year.” Student services fees were also increased for students at the Springfield campus by $13, but $8 of the fees will be waived if the state’s higher education funding remains in the state’s budget. If the $8 is not collected, students will be charged $508 per semester for this fee. The West Plains student body also approved a $1.50 per-credit-hour Common Fee increase, according to the agenda. The Missouri Senate is scheduled to approve a state budget this week. Carrie Tergin, chair of the Board of Governors, said advocating for higher education with state legislators is important during the budget-making process. “Faced with the challenges of state funding, the board is proactive in working towards solutions,” Tergin said. “It is important to continue to work with our state legislators and highlight the importance of higher education, and especially Missouri State’s role as a leader in affordability and working hard to minimize the financial impact on students while continuing to offer excellent educational experience and opportunities.” Although Smart said he anticipates the Senate’s budget to include the restored funding for higher education, he is worried it won’t take effect due to Gov. Eric Greitens’ lack of involvement in the budget-making process and his ability to withhold funding despite the approved budget. “The unknown is how the governor will respond to a budget the legislature passes u See FEES, page 11

news

life

sports

‘Facts have become a highly undervalued commodity‘: ‘The Young and the Restless’ screenwriter speaks Page 2

African banquet celebrates culture Page 5

McChesney: Media coaches Bears’ spring game Page 6


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.