Softball Bears win final home series; McPherson breaks home run record. See page 6.
THE
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
M I S S O U R I
S T A T E
U N I V E R S I T Y More than 100 years in print
Volume 108, Issue 29 | the-standard.org The Standard/The Standard Sports
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Graphic by Rebecca Biundo/THE STANDARD
Mobile App updates put more info at your fingertips
By Nicole Roberts The Standard @NReneeRoberts
Not many students know Missouri State University has a mobile app. Students who do have the app now mainly use it to track the Bear Line or look up MSU news, but that is pretty much it. The Student Government Association wants to change this. SGA will be adding five updates to the mobile app that will allow students to see more student and school information, such Bear Bucks balances, dining hall menus and more. The first update will allow students to access their Bear Bucks and Boomer Meal balances through the app. Lindsey Kolb, the student government association director of administrative and
information services and a senior socio-political communication major, originally wanted to add not only students’ Bear Bucks and Boomer Meal balances to the app, but also students’ Bear Passes. She said adding the Bear Passes would not be possible at this time, though. “It’s not feasible with the Blackboard transact technology that is incorporated into all the vendors, dining halls and scanners on campus that connects to your student account,” Kolb said. MSU Chief Information Officer Jeff Morrissey said the Computer Services Department will continue to look into the possibility of adding students’ Bear Passes to the app. One of the main problems the department will have to address is the security issues. “There are several protections provided by the physical card, and we’d want to ensure
that we continued to protect student information regardless of card form,” Sara Clark, the director of web and new media, said. Students might have the option of getting Bear Pass stickers instead. A Bear Pass sticker could be placed on the back of a student’s cell phone and would be like a mini Bear Pass, according to Kolb. The sticker could be tapped on the machine, similar to how students’ Bear Pass cards are tapped at dining halls and Plaster Student Union venders. App update No. 2 will make dining hall and PSU vender menus viewable on the mobile app. There is currently a separate app, App on Campus for Chartwells – the company that provides food for the dining halls and PSU – but very few students use the app. Update No. 3 will connect the new Bear Park North parking counter to the mobile app. This will help students to find parking spaces
faster and easier. Update No. 4 will provide a filterable MSU calendar. Through this update, students will be able to sort events by academics, athletics or other events. Update No. 5 will incorporate a safety tab into the mobile app. Students will be able to call the Safety and Transportation Department or the safe walk service. The safe walk service provides security escorts for students when they are walking to their campus destinations. Kolb said she thinks students will enjoy the new updates to the mobile app. “(The app) is going to give the students the convenience of and access to seeing things that are traditionally just on the MSU website in the palm of their hands,” she said. Students should be able to access all of the app updates at the beginning of the fall semester.
Murals promote public affairs mission By Myesha Smith For The Standard
Emily McTavish/THE STANDARD
Many students painted sections of the Grand Street underpass tunnel to represent their respective organizations.
Students have finished painting the Grand Street underpass after about two weeks. Information about sign ups, paintings and judging went out, and it took about two and a half months for everything to come together, said senior psychology major Kirby Williams. Williams is the director of university advancement for the Student Government Association and the coordinator of the project. The organizations involved were Alpha Delta Pi, Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Kappa Phi, Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Students for a Sustainable Future and Hibernotes. The criterion given to the students was to create relevant panels to the public affairs mission. Each organization was given one panel randomly placed by the committee, and it had to be finished within two weeks. These organizations were competing for cash prizes provided by the College of Arts and Letters. First place went to Students for a Sustainable Future with a prize of $300. Second place was given to Alpha Delta Pi with $200, and third place went to Delta Sigma Phi with a $100 prize. Judges were coordinated by Carolyn Cardenas, head of the Art and Design Department, and Gloria
Galanes, dean of the College of Arts and Letters. Several other faculty members from the department participated, and Jordan McGee, senior organizational communication major and president of SGA, and Grace Chang, president of the Student Activities Council and a junior public relations major, judged as well. Painting the Grand Street underpass tunnel had been discussed about two years ago, Williams said. The SGA cabinet, the university advancement committee and Williams were passionate about pursuing it because of its focus on public affairs, she said. The tunnel was dedicated and installed in 1981. Williams said there has been a lot of positive feedback on the murals. If anyone has any feedback or concerns about the murals, students or faculty can go to the SGA office in the Plaster Student Union. There may be more opportunities to come for projects that pertain to the values of Missouri State like the public affairs mural. The underpass now promotes the public affairs mission and showcases the talents of students. “I hope that when students pass through it, they will be reminded of the public affairs mission and the impact they themselves can have on and off campus,” Williams said.
See every organization’s mural by walking through the Grand underpass tunnel.
2 | the-standard.org
Calendar
Tuesday, April 28
MoStateAdClub Presents: AdTalk 2015, 6-7 p.m., Plaster Student Union Theater Civility Conversation, 6:45-9 p.m., Temple Hall Room 2
Wednesday, April 29 Retirement Reception for Jim Moyer, 4-5:30 p.m., Plaster Student Union Room 400 St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser for Childhood Cancer, 4-8 p.m., Plaster Student Union Ballroom East
Thursday, April 30
Greenhouse Plant Sale, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Karls Hall Greenhouse Missouri State Memorial Service, 5-6 p.m., Plaster Student Union Ballroom East
Friday, May 1
Colombian ArtWalk, 6-9 p.m., Morris Center Lobby BFA in Studio Art Senior Exhibitions Reception at Brick City Gallery, 6-10 p.m., Brick City 101/110
Saturday, May 2
Strutting and Fretting: A NeoVaudeville Dance Concert, 7:309:30 p.m., Craig Hall Coger Theatre
Sunday, May 3
World Press Freedom Day, all day, campus wide Springfield Urban-Warrior Challenge, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 771 E. St. Louis St.
Monday, May 4
Vicki Stanton Public Speaking Showcase, 2:30-7:30 p.m., Plaster Student Union
Reported Sexual Assault
A female MSU student reported to the Springfield Police Department and the MSU Department of Safety and Transportation that she was sexually assaulted by a male student in the male student’s residence hall room on campus on April 26. The female and male suspect know each other. The suspect’s identity is known, and the report is under investigation by the Springfield Police Department. We will have more on this story as updates become available.
The Standard
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
MSU saves energy, recycles competiton in national contest By Callie Dunaway The Standard @Callie_Dunaway
In the midst of Campus Conservation Nationals, Earth Day was April 22. Campus Conservation Nationals is a competition between colleges and universities to see who can reduce their energy usage the most. The competition runs April 5-25. Over the three-week competition, Missouri State reduced energy usage on campus by 11.1 percent. According to the sustainability coordinator, Jordan Schanda, “This reduction equates to a total of 135,816 kilowatt hours saved, 255,480 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided and $8,149 saved.” The results from the other universities won’t be determined until April 30 because other universities are still competing. 2014 was the first year Missouri State competed and placed within the top 20 schools out of 109. Last year, the university reduced over 9.8 percent of energy usage during the competition. Most of the energy used comes from fossil fuels. “Extracting and burning fossil fuels has negative effects on animal habitats and natural landscapes and emits carbon dioxide into the air, which causes climate change,” Schanda said. “In order to combat these problems, we can do two things: switch to using more renewable energy
and conserve the energy we use.” The university did a number of things to promote sustainability and to reduce energy usage during the month of April. Flip the Switch was the university’s campaign, and the logo and link were displayed on the Missouri State website homepage. Take the Stairs Challenge was put on by Missouri State University Sustainability and Wellness. Students had the option to fill out a form online and compete each week of the three weeks the campaign ran. At the end of each week, a random winner was selected, as well as the faculty, staff and students with the most flights of stairs over the competition won a prize. Schanda believes educating the students and faculty is a big first step. “Competitions like Campus Conservation Nationals offer the university an opportunity to educate faculty, staff and students on the importance of energy conservation and sustainability in general,” she said. Another event put on during the competition was Ecopalooza. Students for a Sustainable Future organized a solar-powered concert on campus. Ecopalooza was on April 24 from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Local bands played, and snacks, booths and eco-friendly crafts were also available. Campus dining halls participated in Lunch Without Lights during the competition. Blair-
By The Numbers: Going Green
11.1 percent
reduced energy consumption on campus over three-week period
135,816
kilowatt hours saved
255,480
pounds of carbon dioxide avoided
$8,149 saved
Shannon participated April 6-10, Garst participated the week of April 13-17 and Kentwood did during April 20-24. “By reducing our energy usage, we are setting a good example for our campus users and the community at large. We are doing our part to conserve energy, decrease carbon emissions and save money,” Schanda said.
Wells House establishes honors LLC floor with space for 60 By Ben Gilbert For The Standard
Wells House, the oldest campus residence hall which houses 458 men and women, will be getting a floor dedicated to first-year honors students. Up to 60 female honors students will be living on a floor in the fall of 2015, according to the Honors College website. Scott Handley, the assistant director of the Honors College, said the number of honors students has grown from 950 in 2009 to about 1,300 in 2014. An addition was needed to house all the incoming students. The honors college is made up of 70 percent women, he said, and the floor in Wells House will be for women only. Wells House is co-ed, but men and women are on alternating floors. Handley said the floor dedicated to honors students will help the students interact with their peers, and participating in a living learning community helps the students network. An LLC is where students are able to live with other students who share common interests. “Wells is a cost-effective place to live among your peers, and it is more personal,” Handley said. “The Honors College is focused on getting our students to focus on networking with residents and faculty.” Alisa Garbisch, coordinator for living learning communities, said you must be eligible and
Wells House Honors LLC
• Opening fall 2015 • Space for up to 60 first-year female honors students • Current honors housing includes Scholars House and Hutchens House selected for your LLC. “You share commonalities when living with your peers like affinity for your topic,” Garbisch said. “You build connections with the faculty and staff who volunteer their time with the floor and provide opportunities to serve others in the MSU community.” Garbisch said Wells House costs $7,813 per
year with the 14-week meal plan and $195 Boomer Meals package. According to a 2014 Educational Benchmarking, Inc. survey, 91 percent of students living in an LLC said their learning improved compared to 85 percent living in a non-LLC. More results of the survey can be found on the “about” page of the living learning community page on the MSU website. Handley said living on a floor with other honors students will help keep the students focused. “Honors students are motivated, involved and take their studies seriously,” Handley said. “Every student at MSU does this, but being around others to help push you will help out the first-year students.” The floor is expected to be finished in time for the beginning of the fall semester in 2015. There won’t be any construction or renovations to the house, but the floor will be designated only for honors students. Garbisch reiterated the Wells Honors Community is for first-year female students . “The program helps students connect through campus and community partners, events and resources,” Garbisch said. “The LLC program is designed for primarily first-year students, but we are offering opportunities for transfer and secondyear students.” If any students are interested in living in these spaces, you can contact Garbisch’s office at 417836-3234 and request a space.
Weekly Crossword © 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.
ACROSS 1 Binge 4 Founded (on) 9 Stir-fry need 12 Eggs 13 Scent 14 Rage 15 Quasimodo's workplace 17 Shelter, at sea 18 Flightless bird 19 Kevin of "SNL" fame 21 They give one pause 24 Faucet problem 25 "The - Daba Honeymoon" 26 Siesta 28 Skier's hill 31 Protein-rich beans 33 Felon's flight 35 Move back and forth 36 Lifts to test the weight 38 Thanksgiving veggie 40 Adam's mate 41 Meadows 43 Went sightseeing 45 Ink stain, e.g. 47 "- Impossible" 48 Depressed 49 Bath alternative 54 Candle count 55 Obliterate 56 Hockey surface 57 That woman 58 Parking lot device 59 Deity DOWN 1 Task 2 St. crosser
3 Guy's companion 4 Bruce Wayne's alter ego 5 Stirring 6 Boar's mate 7 Make corrections 8 "- go first" 9 Energetic determination 10 Sandwich cookie 11 Acute 16 Moon vehicle 20 Has a bug 21 Moolah 22 Reed instrument 23 How pilgrims progressed? 27 Remuneration 29 Macadamize 30 Watched 32 Undo a dele 34 "The Piano
Last Week’s Puzzle Answers
Lesson" painter 37 Tribal chief 39 Mom 42 Coastline 44 GIs' entertainment grp. 45 Mediocre
46 Theater box 50 Tit for 51 Peruke 52 Environmentally friendly 53 Stop signal
STANDARD
OPINION // 3
THE
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 | the-standard.org
By Taylor Balleau Columnist @tayballeauu The black line on the text message bar blinks at you, mocking your inability to put down your feelings. You type, backspace, type a little more and backspace all of it in a fit of frustration. I’ve been trying to converse with the male species — a species I do not understand — and I find myself holding my tongue with every message I send. Most of us subconsciously follow the unwritten rules of talking to someone: Don’t double text, emojis should be chosen with great care and don’t text first too many times but don’t let them text first all the time. It’s a gauntlet of overthinking three-word messages, racking your brain for the right thing to say — try to be cool but not too cool; show some interest but
heaven forbid you show too much interest. We don’t want to be vulnerable. So much so that we catch our feelings in our throats and shove our thoughts into the pits of our stomachs only to sit in our own discomfort, hoping to be good enough. My question is, why on Earth is it so hard to be vulnerable? Why can’t we just put our feelings out there? We should be ok enough with ourselves to say, “If this doesn’t work out, that’s ok because I’m a pretty great catch.” My dream world is one where I can tell someone how I feel, and not only will they reply, they will reply with what they actually feel, not with what I want to hear. We would save so much time. No more decoding texts in your best friend’s bed, stalking him to see if you’re good enough. No more sitting and staring at your phone, hoping to be good enough to catch someone’s attention. Tell someone how you feel, and if they don’t feel the same way, that’s your sign to walk away. Instead of primping your social media profiles and taking handfuls of identical Snapchats, be yourself. Affection should not be taken as annoyance, and if whoever you’re showing that attention to takes your compassion for clinginess, then take your efforts else-
There are just three weeks left in the semester. It might seem difficult to believe, but it’s happening. So before finals week really kicks into gear, take a few moments and make sure you’re ready. Do you actually know when your finals are, and at what time? Go to http://www.mis-
By Spencer Martin Columnist @Spencer_XC
If this is what it feels like to be a fan of a baseball team that’s a contender, I’m not sure how much I like it. At the time of composing this article, the Kansas City Royals had a record of 12-4, having played a total of 16 games. Pretty darn good for the beginning of the season, but obviously, there are still plenty of games to be played. Recently, though, it seems the Royals have gained the reputation for being very confrontational, standoffish and even violent. I can safely say that this is not at all the baseball team I grew up with, and while others may have differing opinions, I don’t think it defines them now. All the Athletics and White Sox fans reading this may have just thrown the paper in the garbage, but for those that have reserved their judgement until after reading the whole article, I appreciate you greatly. Let’s discuss something quickly before I make my points and send you on your way. There really isn’t a place for violence in baseball. I understand that sometimes players get angry. I realize that sometimes people are intentionally hit by pitches — I played baseball from tee ball all the way through high school and was consistently the most-hit player on my team. There are times in baseball when a player is intentionally hit to send a message — usually something like, “You hit our guy or did something dirty, so we’re beaning you as a result.” I completely understand this mentality. I’ve lived it. But there is no place in baseball for physical altercations no matter how crazy, justified or even entertaining. It’s just not welcome. Now that that’s out of the way, let me say that the Kansas City Royals are not the Bad Boys of baseball. They are not the ‘89 Detroit Pistons, and they do not go out each game looking for a fight. If you don’t know who the ‘89 Pistons team was, go watch the “30 for 30” episode about it and then you’ll understand. The Royals don’t seek fights, but they have very good reason to feel attacked and feel the need to defend themselves. Yes, they have instigated an altercation or two but not without first being blatantly targeted themselves. After the 2014 baseball season, in which MLB fans watched the Royals go from a mediocre team to a World Series competitor, there is no shortage of fans and players that are pretty salty about their success, especially the Oakland Athletics and the perennial rivals of the Royals, the Chicago White Sox. The A’s got knocked out of the playoffs during the Wild Card game last season and clearly are still just as annoyed about it as ever. The White Sox... well, they always seem to hate the Royals. From literally Day 1 of the regular season, people have been gunning for the Royals. In the first game, White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija clearly intentionally hit Lorenzo Cain with a pitch on the very next play following a single home run by Mike Moustakas. Samardzija is a punk and continues to be a punk, but he was only the beginning of the parade of batters hit by pitches since then. In the 16 games the Royals have played by the time I’m writing, only six games had no Royals player getting hit by a pitch. Six of the nine usual starting players have been hit by pitches — one of whom is now injured as a result. The Royals have had 17 players hit by pitches this year. Only three other teams have more than 10: the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox with 11 and the Texas Rangers who also have 17. Two of the Royals players, Alex Gordon and Moustakas, have each been hit five times and Cain follows closely with four. I’m not saying that the Royals, or anyone else, are justified in fighting. They aren’t. What I am saying is that the Royals are under the gun. Players and teams will continue to aim to take them down and throw them out of whack. And if it isn’t already apparent to everyone else, let me make this clear. The Royals will not back down. They will continue to play hard, team-oriented baseball and will continue to improve each other throughout the season. Go Royals.
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Editorial Policy The Standard is the official student-run newspaper of Missouri State University. Student editors and staff members are responsible for all content. The content is not subject to the approval of university officials, and the views expressed do not represent those of the university. Letters and Guest Columns Letters to the Editor should not exceed 250 words and should in-
souristate.edu/registrar/sp15finals.htm and you can find out. Make sure you’ve got a plan to study for those finals as well. Are you registered for your classes yet? If you’ve spent a semester here already, you should be eligible to pick your classes for next year — make sure you’re in the ones you
want and need. And, as we’ve said several times in the past month, take care of yourself. No test or class is more important than your health. If you need to speak to someone, head to Taylor Health and Wellness. Get ready and get out there. You’ll do great.
By Keenan Andrea Columnist @iKeenandrea
Make no mistake; it’s official. Researchers have just genetically modified a human embryo by means of a sobering technology called CRISPR. I kid you not. You may consider some things a while before refreshing the impossibility — time travel, teleportation, telekinesis — but the edited human is a future as foreseeable and fairly obvious as night and day, which means we’re wheeling open the floodgates to the age of the designer human. I’m just as terrified as you, if not more. Dollars to doughnuts, this haunting game of playing God will sooner or later become critical to the scheme of humanity. It seems as though science fiction is at last beginning to manifest. Keeping that in mind, it begs the question of what mad implications this discovery can possibly usher in? Rest assured that both a bad and a good side are acting roles in this. On the good side, we know genetic modification has the ability to search and replace components of DNA, which rewards us with the opportunity to remove, and possibly eliminate, disease altogether. Imagine that! Such would-be killers like AIDS, sickle-cell anemia, and, here’s hoping, any other nameable disease on God’s green Earth will be rendered obsolete. Poof. Just like that. Gone. But before we get carried away, let’s turn to the other side of that coin, which holds a more pessimistic outlook, naturally. This newfound ability to engineer a human will inevitably end with people shoaling in teeming masses for their chance to act in this cruel drama and modify their babies into athletic superstars, actors or supermodels. Soon the line between false and true talent will be blurred. There will be warring in the streets and murder in the alleyways. Enraged protesters will demand retrogressive action. Laws will be enacted to stem the flow. The more desperate will resort to underground doctors who will charge a small fortune to perform the procedure on any given child. Madness. And will it ever have an end? Probably not. Maybe. But probably not. I mean, if somebody gave me the choice to alter my child’s DNA — and if my wife was all right with it, of course — I’d go gung-ho on that opportunity. I’d whip myself up a batch of future president or Nobel Prize winner. So what if taking an active hand in evolution will wiggle the course of my bloodline? So be it. I’d rather pin the arrow on the bullseye than take shots in the dark. Life will still be a deck of cards. We’ll just be able to order the shuffle. And that, dear reader, is a very scary thought to chew.
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where. Save your time, save your subtweets and save yourself for someone that doesn’t mind that you miss them, even though you just saw them. Look for the person that won’t ignore you because chasing someone that doesn’t give you what you need is simply a waste of everyone’s time. Say how you feel, say it respectfully and love yourself enough to know that if your feelings aren’t mutual, that’s perfectly fine. Let’s stop wasting time saying pretty things with no meaning and be straightforward with people. Because frankly, I shouldn’t have to wait three weeks to figure out that you haven’t been interested from the start. Respect yourself enough to say how you feel without shame; if they have a problem with how you show affection, then they’re not your problem anymore. Make yourself vulnerable, and stop wasting your time on people that don’t give you the time of day. Waste away your free time with the person that would triple text you, not the one that ignores you. You and your time are worth more than that.
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4 // LIFE Tuesday, April 28, 2015 | the-standard.org
Russell saddles up for nationals Equestrian team member heads to Massachusetts By Zachary Fletcher The Standard @ZachSFletcher
Junior equestrian team member Devon Russell is dedicated to her sport. Less than three years after her arrival at Missouri State, she has risen from an amateur competitive rider with no more than a bit of barrel racing under her belt to a contender in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association’s National Championship. This sort of progress doesn’t come easy, of course. While most equestrian team members practice twice weekly for a total of four hours, Russell puts in four days and double the time each week. As you might expect, this rigorous riding routine doesn’t leave much time for other pursuits. “My whole life has been riding,” she said in an interview conducted, fittingly, at MSU’s equestrian facility, Pinegar Arena. That’s no exaggeration, either. At an age when most children are still trying to master their own feet, Russell was already in the saddle. “My parents put me on a horse when I was two,” she said, “and that was basically it.” Despite her long history of riding for fun, however, she is relatively new to the competitive life. Prior to college, her only exposure to show riding came from a few barrel-racing competitions. She joined the equestrian team her freshman year and participated in western style, “ranch horse” events. As a sophomore, she switched to hunt seat riding, which remains her specialty today. Hunt seat is a discipline in the English school of equestrianism. Also called the “forward seat,” hunt seat riding is judged according to equitation — the rider’s position and form — and the way the rider controls the horse. While there are no jumps or obstacles, the competitor must be prepared to do what-
It’s getting cold in here
ever the judges ask. As Russell put it, “It’s like modeling on a horse.” Competitors in the IHSA Conference are divided into divisions and must earn a certain amount of points to earn a ribbon. The best riders in their divisions proceed to the regional level, then to zones and finally to nationals. This year marks Russell’s first trip to the national competition, which will be held from April 30 to May 3 in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Russell’s fellow competitors will not be her only concern. Though at MSU she can choose the horses she practices with, she will have no such freedom in Massachusetts. At IHSA contests, riders must be able to ride any horse in any “tack,” or gear. On the day of the show, each competitor draws the name of a horse from a hat. “You don’t know the horse,” Russell said, “and you just have to be able to maintain your equitation through that.” It’s easy to see how riding would be in the forefront of her mind right now, but in the rare moments that she’s not in the saddle, Russell leads a fairly normal college life. She is studying accounting and is currently debating between going into the workforce upon completion of her bachelor’s degree or staying at MSU to earn an MBA. Either way, she plans to return home to Pacific, Missouri, once school is finished. When she has time, she likes to read “the typical, popular books” and walk her dog. She enjoys spending time outdoors and has four horses of her own. Regarding her choice of colleges, Russell said, “It was here or Mizzou, and Mizzou didnot have a horse team.” Though she was not an experienced show rider at the time, she was confident she could be if given the chance. Clearly, the choice has paid off.
Zachary Fletcher/THE STANDARD
Russell started riding at age two — now she is headed to nationals.
Adaline may have time for this, but I don’t Trevor Mitchell Movie Reviewer
@TJM613
Courtesy of Emily Cassimatis
MSU student uses painting talent to decorate coolers for fraternity formals By Rebecca Biundo The Standard @rebeccabiundo
For most students involved in Fraternity and Sorority Life, formal is just a night. It’s a night to dress up, dance and have fun. For Emily Cassimatis, “formal season” is an entire season that means painting drink coolers as fun gifts for formal dates. The tradition of the painted cooler isn’t anything new, and when Cassimatis started school at Missouri State University, it didn’t take long for students to catch on to her craftiness. “I think freshman year everyone knew I could paint, and when formal season came around, all the girls my age started asking me for help and it kind of escalated from there,” Cassimatis said. Cassimatis said friends would come to her with all the essentials of painting a cooler and have no idea where to begin. “Last year, during the whole stretch of formals, I painted seven coolers in four weeks,” Cassimatis said. “They take awhile to paint and everyone wanted different things on them. Seven was just quite a bit to do.” Cassimatis said she dedicates a lot of time to painting coolers for formals. “It honestly depends, but 10 hours minimum,” she said. “If the (design) is more intricate, I’ll go back in and work on that, so overall 12-15 hours for each cooler. “I’ve made 12 all together, and I’m working on one right now, and
Courtesy of Emily Cassimatis
Cassimatis has painted coolers for her own dates (pictured at top of story) and has also helped friends with their coolers. I’ll do another one next week,” Cassimatis said. Cassimatis said she even gets asked to just paint sides from other coolers instead of the entire thing. Cassimatis’ favorite design is on the cooler she painted for her boyfriend. “I painted the top to look like wood, which sounds simple, but I wanted it look like actual wood so that was like my favorite because it didn’t look fake at all,” Cassimatis said. “When I was making it, I wanted it to look like a wooden trunk and so it was all wood, but the top looked realistic.” Cassimatis said she draws inspi-
ration from the people she is making the cooler for and even looks at Pinterest for more ideas. “I like to get to know the people I’m painting them for — if they don’t know what they want but I know their date or something — and I can go off what they like. There are a lot of designs that are easier, and we can add stuff to them,” Cassimatis said. Cassimatis said the cost of each cooler depends on the prices of materials, such as the cooler and what extra features are added to it. “I think a lot of people spend around $70 per cooler for the cooler, sealer, primer, sandpaper and paint,” Cassimatis said. Cassimatis said she charges people for her time but isn’t doing it to make a profit. “I do it because people need a lot of help and I want to help,” Cassimatis said. Cassimatis doesn’t exclusively paint beverage coolers. In high school, Cassimatis got into painting shoes and has since picked up other unconventional canvases. “During spring break, I got into painting Bubba kegs that girls wanted,” Cassimatis said. “I painted 32 mugs for spring break this year.” Cassimatis said she doesn’t get bored of painting coolers because of all the different designs she gets to paint. “I love painting, and I try to give myself time to paint,” Cassimatis said. “I really like giving (the finished coolers) to people and seeing their reactions.”
If you were immortal — as the eponymous protagonist of “The Age of Adaline” is — how would you spend your endless days? Traveling the world and seeing every corner there is to be explored? Studying and gaining more and more knowledge without the restraints of time or an aging memory? If you’re Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively), you live alone with your dog. Sometimes you make dinner plans with your daughter, but other than that, you’re either at home or work. And, of course, you have to uproot your life every 10 years because the FBI is probably looking for you in order to figure out how exactly you’ve managed not to age a day since 1935. Adaline has lived a long, long life in her 107 years, almost all of it looking like she’s 29 years old. The film’s explanation for this: Adaline crashes her car into a lake, where she lies unconscious and freezing to death. Lightning strikes the car, which starts her heart, wakes her up and somehow halts the aging process in her body. Just substitute “magic” if it makes you feel better. The film takes this somewhat interesting premise and does very, very little with it. Aside from a few throwaway jokes — “I heard that once from a young Bing Crosby… type.” — we mostly see how it affects Adaline’s relationships. Her daughter, who is in her 70s, must pretend to be the grandmother of her deceptively youthful mother whenever they meet someone new. And dating is another thing altogether. Her latest suitor is Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman), who accidentally invented a tech company and is now a millionaire. There’s the standard resistance from Adaline, the standard assertive, borderline stalking from Ellis and the standard eventual acceptance as the two kiss. You’ve seen it before a million times — and so, perhaps, has Adaline. That’s really the issue with “The Age of Adaline.” While her resistance to growing close to others is borne of a desire to keep her secret and protect them, large portions of the film would make just as much sense if she was just frightened of love, or a cynic, or any of the other traditional reasons that romance films give. This all changes, however, when Ellis takes Adaline home to mom and dad (Harrison Ford, who appears out of nowhere and deserves better than this). During the stay, Adaline’s facade begins to crumble, and things she’s done in her past begin to catch up to her. While the film manages to lurch toward something resembling an interesting plot, it never quite makes it, and none of the questions you really want answered ever are. Additionally, characters are dropped left and right with no fanfare, including a delightful blind woman with whom Adaline can be herself without worrying about looks. Once Ellis enters the picture, it’s like she never existed. If you’re immortal, “The Age of Adaline” might be nothing but a blip in the timeline of your many years. For the rest of us, two hours is a long time — and there are certainly better ways to spend it than this.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Calendar
Tuesday, April 28
Carrie’s Cafe, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Professional 426 MoStateAdClub Presents: AdTalk 2015, 6-7 p.m., Plaster Student Union Theater SAC Presents: Spoken Word Poet Theresa Davis, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Carrington Hall 208 SAC Cultural Affairs Presents: Sushi rolling class, 7-9 p.m., Plaster Student Union East Ballroom
Wednesday, April 29
St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser for Childhood Cancer, 4-8 p.m., Plaster Student Union East Ballroom SAC Presents: “Horrible Bosses 2” 9-11 p.m., Plaster Student Union Theater
The Standard
the-standard.org | 5
The nature of spring — from sprouts to Earth Day
Maddy Cushman/THE STANDARD
Thursday, April 30
From farm to table
SAC After Hours Presents: “Easy-as-Cake!,” 9 p.m.-midnight, Plaster Student Union Food Court
By Emily McTavish The Standard @EmMcT
Carrie’s Cafe, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Professional 426
Friday, May 1
Greenhouse Plant Sale, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Karls Hall Greenhouse First Friday ArtWalk, 5-10 p.m., Downtown Springfield Rock ‘n’ Bowl, 7:30-10:30 p.m., Level 1 Game Center Million Dollar Quartet, 8-10:30 p.m., Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts
Saturday, May 2
Million Dollar Quartet, 2-4:30 p.m. and 8-10:30 p.m., Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, $25-60 Strutting and Fretting: a NeoVaudeville Dance Concert, 7:309:30 p.m., Coger Theatre, Students $12 in advance, $16 at the door
Zachary Fletcher/THE STANDARD
Sunday, May 3
April showers bring May flowers
SAC Presents: “Pitch Perfect” 911 p.m., Plaster Student Union Theater
By Callie Dunaway The Standard @Callie_Dunaway
Springfield Urban-Warrior Challenge, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 771 E. St. Louis St.
Monday, May 4
Vicki Stanton Public Speaking Showcase, 2:30-7:30 p.m., Plaster Student Union Theater Missouri State Improv, 9-10:15 p.m., Carrington Hall 208
Briefs
Fraternity to throw party for a cause
Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity is hosting its annual philanthropy event, Backwoods Bash. The event will be held at Boogie and Bubbles Cafe on Wednesday, April 29, from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Admission is $10, and proceeds go to benefit the Child Advocacy Center. For more information, contact Thomas Hermann at hermann25@live.missouristate.edu.
Spring has sprung, and by the time April arrives, students are more than ready for warm weather and lying in the grass in front of Carrington. With the warm weather here, it’s time to start planting flowers and gardening. If you are like most college students and have no idea what type of flowers to plant or when to plant them, this guide will help. The type of plant you choose will determine when to plant it, where to plant it and the type of watering and nutrients it needs. The plants flowering right now are classified as cool-season plants. Those bulbs are best planted in the fall and are the easiest type of plants to grow according to Clydette Alsup-Egbers, associate professor in Agriculture. “They are already genetically programmed to flower, so all you have to do is dig the holes and plant them and give them some plant food at certain times of the year,” she said. In this part of the United States, there are native columbines with orange and yellow flowers, according to Alsup-Egbers. Warm season plants grow in later spring through fall, and the bloom time depends on the species. “These plants may or may not be able to cope with winter’s cool air and soil temperatures. Some of the warm season bulbs can overwinter in the ground and regrow the next spring,” Alsup-Egbers said. For college students, the easiest and most lowu See FLOWERS, page 10
Springfield has not one, not two, but three farmers markets, so buying local and seasonal produce this summer should not be a problem no matter what side of town you’re on. Not to mention, vendors at many of the markets take credit cards. According to Writa Gray, her husband Brad does everything behind the scenes as the manager of the Greater Springfield Farmers’ Market, which is located on South Glenstone Avenue by the Battlefield Mall. “I work for the market,” Gray said. “I am the people’s servant.” Some of the things Gray is in charge of include going through vendor applications, working with vendors to become more profitable, customer relations and special events. Greater Springfield Farmers’ Market is a “producer-only market,” according to Gray, meaning everything at the market is grown locally and seasonally. In addition, Gray said oftentimes the farmers’ produce was picked less than 24 hours before the market opens. Currently, vegetables like asparagus, spinach, mustard greens and a few lettuce varieties are in season, Gray said.
Kimby Decker, a vendor for Millsap Farm — which sells at the Farmer’s Market of the Ozarks — said she likes eating seasonally because of the variety of the produce available. Decker said she got into the produce business because she went to college for entomology but now “actually wanted to grow something.” The Millsap Farm stall at the market currently has a variety of herbs, spinach, carrots and small squashes, but Decker said tomatoes should be coming soon along with additional produce. However, farmers markets are more than just produce these days. For instance, Gray and his wife sell frozen tamales and homemade jams out of their trailer at the market. Skyler Walrath is at the Farmer’s Market of the Ozarks every Saturday for Copper Run Distillery, which is the first legal moonshine distillery in the area. Walrath said she does end up doing a bit of shopping herself at the market because “the veggies here are just awesome.” She said, at the very least, she buys breakfast at the market. For the distillery, Walrath said the exposure from being at the market is really great and more people do come to tour the distillery near Branson. u See MARKET, page 10
Eco Earth Love By Brittany McIntyre For The Standard
Students gathered in the Plaster Student Union on Friday, April 24, to celebrate Ecopalooza, the ninth annual Earth Day extravaganza at Missouri State. The celebration featured a day of musical groups, vendors and information about sustainability. This event is put on by the Students for a Sustainable Future. Normally, the event is held outside and powered with solar panels. However, due to weather conditions, the event was moved inside this year. Ten bands made an appearance to support the cause. “Ecopalooza makes people think about sustainability,” Vicke Kepling, a member of Students for a Sustainable Future who helped organize the event, said. “Even if the
songs aren’t about sustainability, the performers are sending a message.” According to Kepling, 75 percent of trash is not organic, and there is no such thing as “away.” Everything can be reused one way or another. Besides musical guests, there were also representatives from organizations such as Missouri Herbs, Renew Missouri, Springfield Environmental Services and others. All organizations came to raise awareness for sustainability. “We can do better,” Kepling said. “If everyone does just a little bit, it all adds up.”
See Ecopalooza photos online at http://the-standard.org
6 // SPORTS
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 | the-standard.org
Scorebox Softball (28-21, 16-7) Wednesday, April 22 Missouri State 231 000 0 Wichita State 302 100 4
- 6 - 10
Thursday, April 23 Missouri State 000 000 0 Missouri 112 020 0
- 0 - 6
Saturday, April 25 Missouri State 002 002 4 Northern Iowa 013 105 5
- 8 - 15
Missouri State Northern Iowa
10002000001 - 4 01000200000 - 3
Sunday, April 26 Missouri State 200 220 0 Northern Iowa 002 200 0
- 6 - 4
Baseball (30-10, 9-3) Tuesday, April 21 Missouri State 021 005 001 - 9 Missouri 122 200 100 - 8 Friday, April 24 Missouri State Illinois State
100 0010015 - 8 000 0020100 - 3
Saturday, April 25 Missouri State 000 001 000 - 1 Illinois State 000 002 110 - 4 Sunday, April 26 Missouri State 030 010 003 - 7 Illinois State 100 200 100 - 4
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Calendar
Tuesday, April 28
Baseball: 6:35 p.m. vs. Missouri at home
Wednesday, April 29 Softball: 3 p.m. vs. Tulsa at Tulsa, Oklahoma
Women’s soccer: 8 p.m. vs. Drury at home
Friday, May 1
Baseball: 6:35 p.m. vs. Wichita State at home
Saturday, May 2
Softball: noon vs. Southern Illinois at Carbondale, Illinois
Seniors go out with a boom
Maddy Cushman/THE STANDARD
Sophomore second baseman Olivia Roark waits for a pickoff throw from home as a Missouri baserunner attempts to steal.
Softball Bears lose to cross-state rival Mizzou, but close out home schedule with series win over UNI By Bart Anders The Standard @bartanders42 The 2015 MSU softball season has been reminiscent of the summer of 1998. As many might remember, two friends, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, went on a home run hitting binge. Both spent the entire season on a seesaw battle to see who could launch the most baseballs over the fence. This year, the softball Bears have a couple of long-ball launchers themselves. Before the three-game weekend series with Northern Iowa kicked off on April 25, MSU had three sluggers chasing the single-season school record of 10 home runs. Junior shortstop Erin Duewel stood at six homers, while freshman third baseman Chelsea Thomas and senior leftfielder Rebecca McPherson both had nine. Once the first pitch left senior Chelsea Jones’
hand on Saturday’s Senior Day, the rest was history. In the bottom of the sixth, McPherson smoked a ball over the fence in left field to put her at 10 on the season. The only other Bears to reach that feat were Ashley Meredith in 2004, Samantha Fleeman in 2006 and Stevie Pierce in 2013. “I don’t really see myself as a slugger,” McPherson said. “I’ve just been staying focused on being a true power-hitter.” Duewel wasted no time trying to catch up to her teammates home run marks in Game 1. She drove one deep in the sixth inning and another one in the seventh while the Bears were still trying to come back from a 15-3 deficit. Both of her homers were in a losing effort, though, as the Panthers outlasted the Bears 15-8. Game 2 showcased a Bears squad that came out of the gates swinging. Head coach Holly Hesse said Duewel gave the pregame speech and was dead-set on playing well for the seniors, something she backed
up with her play on the field. The junior got on base six times, had five hits and came up huge when her team needed her the most. Extra inning after dramatic extra inning was capped off by a walk-off Duewel single in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Bears a 43 win. “I’ve never done that before, but I’m seeing the ball pretty well,” Duewel said. “I knew the pitcher was going to give me something to hit, so I was trying to have quick hands and send it up the middle.” April 26 was not only the last game of the weekend series versus UNI, but it was the last home game of the year for the softball Bears. That being said, it was not without some fireworks. All knotted at four-apiece in the bottom of the fifth, McPherson sent a souvenir the shape of a yellow softball over the fence in left field u See HOME, page 7
Women’s soccer: noon vs. Missouri State Alumni at home Softball: 2 p.m. vs. Southern Illinois at Carbondale, Illinois Baseball: 2:05 p.m. vs. Wichita State at home
Sunday, May 3
Softball: noon vs. Southern Illinois at Carbondale, Illinois Baseball: 1:05 p.m. vs. Wichita State at home
Briefs
MSU shortstop wins MVC Player of the Week Honors
Junior shortstop Erin Duewel has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, announced by the league on April 27. Duewel hit four home runs over a span of five days, including two during a game against Northern Iowa on April 25. So far this season, Duewel has hit nine homeruns, driven in 24 RBIs and has a .292 batting average.
Women’s golf places second atTheMVC Tourney Missouri State women’s
golf team finished second at the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in Burlington, Iowa on April 19-21. Senior Chiara Critterio posted the top individual performance, finishing in fourth place at 3-over par. Freshman Stine Patterson won MVC Newcomer of the Year and head coach Kevin Kane won Coach of the Year
Ryan Welch/THE STANDARD
Two fighters square off in the ring during Bear Brawl I in McDonald Arena. The event was hosted by the MSU Boxing Team, with 11 bouts taking place.
Boxing team knocks out first event MSU organization hosts first Bear Brawl at McDonald Arena By Mike Ursery The Standard @MikeUrsery Boxing took place at Missouri State University for the first time ever when the MSU boxing team hosted Bear Brawl I on April 25 in McDonald Arena. Bear Brawl I was a night of boxing which featured 11 bouts between the amateur members of the boxing team and other fighters from various gyms around the state. The boxing team hosted the event in an effort to give the organization exposure, allow amateur fighters a chance to gain experience and raise money for the organization. “I think it went very well for our first time out,” Melanie Nelgner, a junior English major and the organization’s president, said. “We had a good turnout. It was a really good time.” Of the 11 fights that took place, two featured MSU students — Bethany Roweton and Zane Schmeckle. Roweton, a junior wildlife biology major, joined the boxing team just two weeks prior to the event. Having no experience and very little train-
ing, she entered the ring for the first fight of her amateur career. “It was definitely different than what I had anticipated,” Roweton said. “I’ve sparred a couple of times, but that was with my friends. But when you’re up against someone you don’t know and they’re out for blood, you have to be out for blood yourself.” To say that Roweton and her opponent were both out for blood is a bit of an understatement. From the opening bell, both fighters threw a flurry of punches at each other. Even as the fight wore on and the two began to tire, they continued to exchange blows until the final bell. “I was told to go out as aggressive as I possibly could,” she said. “I knew if there was any way I was going to get in her head, then I was gonna have to do as the coaches told me to.” Roweton won the bout by way of split-decision, meaning that two of the three judges scoring the fight named her the winner, to earn her first career victory. “I’m ready for another one,” Roweton said. “I’m feeling the itch.” Schmeckel, a junior criminology major, lost his bout by way of splitdecision. Schmeekel and his opponent went the duration of the bout without a
u See BRAWL, page 7
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
The Standard
Brawl
Continued from page 6
clear winner by knockout. In the end, the judges ruled in favor of Schmeckel’s opponent. “He had to put on weight to qualify for this fight,” Nelgner said. “When you put on weight, your cardio lowers and you wear down faster. That’s what happened to him tonight.” Nelgner said the Boxing
Team brought in $200 from T-shirt sales and donations. Nelgner also said, now with the first Bear Brawl finished, the plan is to make it an annual event for the Boxing Team. “We turned out a little bit of a profit for the team, which is good,” Nelgner said. “Bear Brawl II will be happening next year.”
Home
Continued from page 6
and etched her name in MSU history. The senior’s landmark homer sent home two runs and gave the Bears the 6-4 victory. Once the weekend commenced, Thomas and Duewel both stood at nine home runs while McPherson had 11. The Bears are back in action on April 29 to face the Golden Hurricane in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Then, they’re off for the last series of the season in Carbondale, Illinois on May 2-3 to face off with the Salukis of Southern Illinois. MSU is currently in second place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 16-7 conference record and a 28-21 record overall. They are one game out of first place in the MVC, trailing only Drake.
the-standard.org | 7
Road to the Super Bowl starts with the NFL Draft What will the Rams and Chiefs do during the Draft? Read what our experts think
Will Dorial Green-Beckham be a Chief? Mike Ursery Sports Editor @MikeUrsery
Despite finishing the season with a 9-7 record, their second-straight winning season, plenty of things happened that the Kansas City Chiefs want to forget about. The Chiefs were on their way to a playoff bid and were even in contention to challenge the Broncos for the AFC West title after winning seven of their first 10 games. They recorded victories against Super Bowl teams Seattle and New England during that span. However, they lost four of their last six to finish the season. They lost to Oakland, who was 0-10 before getting their first victory on nationally-televised Thursday Night Football. This is one embarrassing thing Kansas City wants to forget. The other thing is that the Chiefs didn’t have any touchdowns thrown to wide receivers the entire season. Starting quarterback Alex Smith threw 18 touchdowns last season, but they all were thrown to running backs and tight ends. Now the Chiefs head into a new season with a chance to erase last year’s failures. They already have taken necessary steps to improve the roster. They signed former Mizzou standout wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who is an upgrade over Dwayne Bowe. Derrick Johnson is returning from a season-ending rup-
tured Achilles tendon injury that he suffered in last year’s opener. Johnson returns to what may well be the top starting linebacker core in the league, joining Justin Houston and Tamba Hali. Despite the transactions and returns that have happened during the offseason, Kansas City still has holes to fill in its roster. It has the opportunity to address its needs this week at the 2015 NFL Draft. The draft starts April 30 and runs through May 2. The top needs for Kansas City are wide receiver and offensive line. It added Maclin and Pro Bowl offensive lineman Ben Grubbs as more protection for Smith. But, if there’s anything I’ve learned from being a Chargers fan, it’s that you can never have enough linemen.
Wide Receiver
The Chiefs have the 18th pick in the draft. They will likely use their first pick on a wideout. One likely target is local product Dorial Green-Beckham. Green-Beckham declared for the NFL Draft despite not playing in over a year. GreenBeckham transferred to Oklahoma after being dismissed
u See CHIEFS, page 9
What will the Rams do in the first round? John Robinson
Sports Reporter
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Ah, the NFL Draft. This is the time of year we fans of the St. Louis Rams start planning for when the Rams come out and lose Week 1. The draft is the one time of year where we can say we actually won something, even if it translates to yet another Jeff Fisher-approved, 8-8 year. The 2015 NFL Draft will feature something the Rams have not had to deal with for over three years now: Only having one first-round pick. Yes, the bounty of picks from the Robert Griffin III trade has finally run out, and the Rams, barring trade shenanigans, will select one player at pick 10. I’ll go over the positions I can see the Rams having interest in, then give my thoughts on what I think Les Snead and company will do on Thursday. Offensive Line: So you may have seen the blockbuster trade the Rams pulled off this offseason. Bye-bye Sam Bradford and hello Nick Foles. The shiny new quarterback is here, and, though he may not be the long-term solution, I do think
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it was a necessary move. Now, the Rams need to make sure he is not murdered this year. The Rams currently have a glaring sign which reads “under construction” when you look at the offensive line. Greg Robinson, who had a less-than-stellar rookie year, and Rodger Saffold, whose shoulder may be made of actual glass, are the only starting caliber players on the line at this point. Offensive tackle is always a fun pick, and Andrus Peat would be a good fit for the Rams. He’s not ready for the left side quite yet, but should fit nicely on the right, where the Rams currently have a hole. D.J. Humphries and La’el Collins would also be solid selections for the Rams. The guard class is a two-horse race for me. The current popular top guard is Brandon Scherff. He’s a mauler who can pretty consistently push solid in the run, but his pass protection needs some work. I think he will be gone by the time the u See RAMS, page 9
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NAMI Southwest Missouri and Christ Church Episcopal are accepting sleeping bags, blankets, etc., to hand out to homeless veterans during the 2015 Veterans event this summer. Donations can be dropped off at NAMI, 1443 N. Robberson #408, M-F 9:30am-5pm; or at Christ Church, 601 E. Walnut, M-F 8am-4:30pm or Sun 8-11:30am. Call 417-350-3519 for more information.
8| the-standard.org
The Standard
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Is it smart for college athletes to go ‘one and done?’ The 2015 NBA Draft happens in June, and some underclassmen around the country have declared. But is it wise? Two of our writers have different takes
It’s not a good idea to leave early
ment — broadcast journalism surely does not. Having a degree increases your ability to have a job to make money. Not all retired athletes have a good savings plan. Not all retired athletes have the Eli luxury of becoming an analyst for ESPN or Wohlenhaus the like. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a degree Digital Editor to fall back on if professional competition doesn’t pan out, or the money runs out after “One and done” is a term often used in it’s all over? sports today in reference to athletes — especially in basketball and football — who 3. Build camaraderie, maintain forego whatever remaining courses they relationships, keep learning. This may be simple, and may sound have in college to enter into professional athletics. They use the National College somewhat cheesy. Yet, to me, this is an Athletic Association as a trampoline rather important factor. I see college as the last chance to learn about a sport in an environthan a stairwell. It is my belief that this is not the correct ment that really encourages learning and way to go, and that is what I will present to growth. Not that learning stops after the NCAA, you today, my readers. There is no doubt in my mind that there but trades happen and then an athlete’s enviare guys who are good enough to play at ronment changes. Staying in school gives a that next level from high school into col- player the opportunity to stick with somelege, but that doesn’t mean they should rush thing and not worry about getting sent to into it. Yes, I am aware there are millions to another city out of the blue. College athletbe made, but there is a lot more to consider ics could be the last chance for consistency than just getting to the next level. There are for players. University of Wisconsin’s head men’s stats and there are my personal feelings on the subject, all which are about to come into basketball coach said after losing the National Championship that “he doesn’t do play. rent-a-player.” While really polarizing and 1. Only 17.4 percent of high school poorly timed, it pointed to the fact that his athletes will compete in the NCAA. players stay for their entire collegiate For this statistic, we will use baseball as careers, building a stronger bond as teamour example sport. There are, on average, mates and friends. This almost completely 482,269 boys that play baseball in high goes away in the big leagues, unless you are school, of which only 33,276 will play in Tony Parker and Tim Duncan with the San college. Of those 33,276, only 2,861 will Antonio Spurs. Coach Gregg Popovich is get drafted into Major League Baseball. the exception to the rule. This does not always mean playing in the MLB, though. It can, and often does, mean 4. Stuff happens. I know. “What if I decide to stay my senior year playing for a minor league team, either in Double A or Triple A. You can bet those and I get hurt and never get to play again? guys are not making the big bucks either. In At least if I was in the pros I could go out fact, the average salary for a minor league with a contract and paycheck,” players will player is around $11,000, which is approxi- argue. My rebuttal is simple: If an athlete realmately half of that of a fast food chain ly, really sustains an injury that ends his or employee. Still with me through the numbers and her career, God forbid, then wouldn’t that person prefer to have a degree than a partial mathematics? Good. contract that will expire if the injury is 2. Think long term, folks. career-ending? Getting hurt in college We’ll stick with the money talk for now. would be the best-case scenario in my opinThere is too common a problem when pro- ion because that individual would be able to fessional athletes retire from their sport: complete an undergraduate program right Going bankrupt. Not that all college degrees then, rather than have to go back to college, are geared toward teaching money manage- a humiliating and oft-unsuccessful venture.
Leaving early for the next level is fine if it’s what you want to do John Robinson Sports Reporter
Kyle Hardrick was told all his life he had a future in basketball. When he was just a freshman in high school, Hardrick received a scholarship from the University of Oklahoma. During his freshman year of college, he suffered a knee injury in practice, which forced him to step away from the game, resulting in a loss of scholarship. The medical bills forced him to drop out of school entirely. Is the Hardrick case one which is universally applicable? No, it is not, but it illuminates a larger problem in college athletics: the inability for college athletes to take control of their future. The NBA requires players be at least 19 before entering the draft; the NFL requires three years removal from high school before offering eligibility. This creates a problem. Either you are a once-in-a-generation talent like Lebron James and skip college, or you roll the dice and go to college, where an athlete can easily end up like Hardrick. This has led to a trend in college basketball known as “one and done,” where a player attends school for one year, using it as a stopgap before going pro. I’ve heard arguments saying this ruins the game. The NBA Players Association is thinking of pushing back the age limit to 20 years old. The Big Ten Conference is talking about banning freshmen from seeing the court. All of this, in my humble opinion, is a load of bull. Why is one and done a bad thing? Why are we saying young people with talent should not be allowed to use their talents to make a living and pro-
vide for themselves and their families? I love college sports because I am a sports junkie, but at its core, the NCAA is a money-making monster built on the backs of the unpaid labor of their student-athletes. The NCAA made over $1.7 billion in ad revenue alone during the latest March Madness basketball tournament. Meanwhile, student-athletes can be punished for simply accepting a meal on a discount. You may ask, “John, what about an education? That’s plenty valuable to a student-athlete.” I would actually agree with you there; there are plenty of great things about being given the opportunity to get an education if student-athletes were given ample time to receive said education. Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman recently spoke about this subject, and I recommend looking it up on YouTube. It boils down to this: How can you expect a student-athlete to receive a quality education — asking them to perform all the duties we students perform — while also keeping up with athletic responsibilities and holding a job? It’s nearly impossible to imagine the education experience as a good one. You then also run into problems like the ones at the University of North Carolina, where it was discovered student-athletes took useless classes which offered little educational value. I’m not arguing that student-athletes should get special treatment in terms of academic shortcuts or other ridiculous compensation like free cars and other cartoonish things. I simply want to see young people who put their health on the line given protections so stories like Hardrick’s become a thing of the past. You wouldn’t tell a business major to go to work for four years for no pay for the chance to be a professional, would you? Then why would you force an athlete to stay in school?
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Rams pick, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him in the horns. Tre’ Jackson is my personal favorite at the guard position. His footwork is good, and he’s a mauler inside — everything you look for in a guard. He’s a rawer prospect than Scherff, but I think he has the potential to be great. At center, there is really only one name which should be on your tongue for the first round: Cameron Erving. He played all along the line at Florida State but is projected at center in the NFL, and I would be ecstatic if the Rams picked him up. He’s quick, strong and smart and will add athleticism and versatility to a Rams line desperate for both. Wide Receiver: I hear you Rams fans reading along with this column (all 12 of us left in Missouri), saying, “John, we spend high in the draft on wide receivers, and they never work out. Why are you giving the Rams another one?” Well Strawman McGee, I am glad you asked. You see, the Rams currently have two, maybe three wide receivers who have shown something, and this is a great draft for the position, so why not pick one up? Amari Cooper will not be there, so there’s no use crying over it. Kevin White is from West Virginia, and I’m getting horrifying flashbacks to Tavon Austin just typing those words. So, my wide receiver pick is one who has been mocked to the Rams many times. DeVante Parker from Louisville has got the size to be a number-one receiver, and he fights for the ball — something the Ram’s coaching staff seems to think is illegal. The man has a natural talent for the position and is my favorite after Cooper. Jaelen Strong would be my next pick, and, if we wanted to get crazy, why not wait for a wide receiver and pick up Dorial GreenBeckham? Cornerback: In the first round for this draft? No way is it necessary, but I only see one good option in Trae Waynes and even then I think it would be a reach. But hey, I have certainly been wrong before. John’s Choice: Trade back if you can, Rams. None of the players I mocked feel like a good fit for the 10th overall pick. I feel the team can fill its needs later in the first round, though. If they had to pick, I would go with Parker. I love the draft as a Rams fan. It gives me hope before the soul-crushing reality sets in. It’s Christmas time for football fans to see which new potential stars join their favorite team.
Chiefs
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from Missouri’s program but sat out due to being ineligible last season. Standing at 6 feet, 6 inches, Green-Beckham is a big target, and running routes downfield opposite of Maclin could spell problems for opposing secondaries. The only thing that would discourage the Chiefs from using their pick on Green-Beckham is that he doesn’t have the ability to create separation between himself and defenders, and he doesn’t match up well against physical defensive backs. His off-field issues also are a potential for disaster. Devin Smith from Ohio State and Phillip Dorsett are also potential first round selections for the Chiefs.
Offensive Line
Smith was sacked 45 times for 229 yards last season, an average of 3.1 sacks per game. The Chiefs ranked 22nd in pass protection and 27th in run protection. I really don’t need to spell it out – – Kansas City’s offensive line was awful in 2014. Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis are talented running backs. Just imagine the kind of production Charles could have with a top-tier line opening holes for him. If the Chiefs choose to use their second round pick on a lineman, which I think they will, it could potentially be Daryl Williams from Oklahoma. Other possibilities are Donovan Smith from Penn State or Ty Sambrailo from Colorado State.
Other Picks
Kansas City is sitting in a good position before the draft. It has limited needs and also has talent at the skill positions. It has a top-five running back, a top-five tight end, explosive linebackers and a good secondary. I could see the Chiefs adding a defensive back or linebacker, along with more help on the offensive and the defensive line. Teams have a tendency to make an unexpected splash during the draft. I don’t see the Chiefs doing this. I expect them to shore up the few remaining holes in their roster, making them a threat in the AFC in the near future. As a rival fan, I really don’t like having to type that last sentence.
Volleyball Bears close spring with tough loss By Mike Ursery The Standard @MikeUrsery
Maddy Cushman/THE STANDARD
Freshman outside hitter Lily Johnson shouts after her team scores a point against Arkansas.
It’s only April and the Missouri State volleyball Bears won’t play meaningful games for another four months, but they found themselves locked in a competitive battle with the Arkansas Razorbacks in a scrimmage game on April 23 at Hammons Student Center. MSU won Set 1 25-16, but Arkansas won three of the next four sets to secure a 32 win in the match. “We had a lot of intensity in the first
set,” head coach Melissa Stokes said. “We came out and took it to them. We had moments of greatness in the second and third sets, but we allowed them to go on too many point runs.” Freshman middle blocker Lynsey Wright recorded MSU’s first point of the match when she spiked the ball for her first kill of the game. MSU went on to win Set 1 with kills by Wright and freshman outside hitter Lily Johnson. Arkansas regrouped before the start of Set 2, and the momentum and scoring opportunities swung in its favor. The visiting team won Set 2 25-19 and followed that with a 25-20 victory in Set 3 and led the
match 2-1. “I think we had a lot of opportunities that we didn’t execute on in those sets,” Johnson said. MSU tied the match with a win in Set 4. With the Razorbacks leading 16-13, the Bears went on a 13-8 run to win 26-24 and tie the match. “I think the difference between that set and Sets 2 and 3 was our energy and our intensity,” Johnson said. “We just refused to lose.” The Bears were not able to keep the momentum from their Set 4 win in Set 5, and the Razorbacks won the set for a 3-2 match victory.
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Market
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Other things that can be found at the markets include local arts and crafts, jewelry, food carts, fresh meats and cheeses, flowers and plants to start a garden. Gray said students should come to the market to talk with the farmers and vendors and get more knowledge about buying and using farm fresh produce. “You’ve got to get creative and find recipes that fit your lifestyle,” Gray said. In addition, both Gray and Walrath said the market is a great way to support the local community and economy.
Graphic by Rebecca Biundo/THE STANDARD
maintenance plant would be a succulent. A succulent can be kept year-round and can even be kept indoors in a pot. According to houseplants.com, succulents are any plant with thick, fleshy water storage organs. Cacti are a part of the succulent family. “Many students are familiar with jade plants, but other succulents include aloe vera, lots of kinds of sedum, and hens-and-chicks,” Alsup-Egbers said. “All of these succulents tend to have few pests and don’t have to be watered often, but most require somewhat high light levels.” Succulents should be kept in a brightly lit window or area. They can ideally be kept in any temperature, but it is suggested they be kept between 70 and 85 degrees. The potting mix for succulents should be dry between watering periods, and they only need to be watered when the potting mix goes dry. Aside from succulents, flowers are across the board. Some of the most popular flowers in springtime are tulips, petunias, geraniums, snapdragons and begonias. Alsup-Egbers said the best kind of lowmaintenance plants for college students are
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more traditional houseplants. “Since they grow below taller plants, they have adapted to growing in low light levels, and many of our dorms, houses and offices have low light levels,” she said. Kim Remy, a greenhouse employee at Wickman’s Garden Village in Springfield, said now isthe best time to plant but with caution. “It’s the middle of April,” Remy said. “Therefore, we could still have a frost. It’s risky, but everybody does it and gets the itch to plant.” Remy recommends succulents for college students and said Wickman’s hosts classes periodically for people who want to learn the basics of gardening and plants. When it comes to choosing a flower to plant and where to plant it, the best thing to do is to use your resources. If you choose to plant tulips this time of year, choose a type of potting soil and figure out where to plant it. The Greenhouse Management class has finished producing crops for the annual plant sale, which will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday April 30 and May 1 in the greenhouses on top of Karls Hall. “We searched far and wide, scouring through dozens of seed and plant catalogs to bring the best of new and older varieties of vegetables, herbs, flowers, perennials, succulents and houseplants,” Alsup-Egbers said.
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Meyer Library hosts OLGA
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History projects researched with Ozarks Lesbian and Gay Archives By Lacey Curtis For The Standard
The Ozarks are not known as the most gay-friendly place in America, but, here in Springfield, a hidden history is documented. The Ozarks Lesbian and Gay Archives — founded by Missouri State University history professor Holly Baggett and emeritus professor Ralph Smith — aim to chronicle the stories and experiences of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Springfield and throughout the Ozarks. Established in 2003, the collection relies on donations from the community to grow. Originally, the archives were created during the nondiscrimination policy debate at MSU. During this time, the faculty senate was voting on adding “sexual orientation” to the university’s nondiscrimination policy. The vote passed, but the university president at the time refused to sign it into action. In 2006, sexual orientation was finally added to the policy. The archives began as a way to document this discrimination on MSU’s campus, but they quickly expanded to include the experiences of people in Springfield and the Ozarks. “We received a tremendous amount of support,” Baggett said. “People turned over photo albums, playbills from theater productions, various Springfield self-published LGBT magazines over the years designed to inform people of local activities and there were a large number of contributions from people who had “The Normal Heart” newspaper clippings and other memorabilia.” Now, nearly a decade after sexual orientation was added to the university’s policy, the city of Springfield is still debating the addition of sexual
Code maroon
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High school students visited MSU on Friday, April 24, to participate in Nurse for a Day.
By Kelsey Kane For The Standard
orientation and gender identity to nondiscrimination laws. OLGA is a way for the gay community of Springfield to tell their stories. Aside from taking in photographs, diaries and letters, the archives also have an ongoing oral history project. “When we decided to add the oral history project to the archives, the experience became more uplifting as we interviewed people and heard their stories,” Baggett said. “Of course there were many sad and awful experiences people had growing up here, but the sense of self-empowerment that came through when people recalled their decisions to come out or deal with the discrimination upfront was an important other side to the story.” The oral history project now has over 160 entries, all interviews with Springfield and Ozark residents documenting their experiences. MSU archivist Anne Baker believes that projects such as OLGA are important to the
Emily McTavish/THE STANDARD
community as well as the university. “As an archivist, I’ve found it interesting to be involved with a project like this from its beginning,” Baker said. “With support of the university and the community, we have been able to uncover a hidden history. That history will be available in MSU’s Special Collections for generations to come, helping researchers ranging from doctoral students to Springfield residents who just want to know more about the LGBT community.” While Springfield still has a way to go in becoming progressive with LGBT issues, Baggett said, “Nevertheless, as the saying goes, ‘The only constant in life is change.’ It is going to happen, and, yes, someday we will see a Springfield that lives in the 21st century.” OLGA is located on the third floor of Meyer library in Special Collections and Archives. To contribute to the archives, visit Special Collections or contact Baker.
Missouri State’s Nursing Department offered its Nurse for a Day event on Friday, which gave high school students a taste of the life of a nurse and nursing student. The event gave students from all over the state, and a few from out of state, the opportunity to learn some of the basic responsibilities of a nurse through simulations, presentations and panel discussions. Ayrus Black — a high school student from Laquey, Missouri — participated and said she wants to be a nurse to help people. “I’ve wanted to be a nurse for a while, and MSU emailed me and asked me to come, and I thought, ‘Well that’s pretty cool,’” Black said. Black was one of about 60 participants in the one-day program, and her schedule involved moving around to different stations to learn how to take vital signs, give IVs and listen to speakers talk about the importance of nursing and what to expect when they go to nursing school. “It’s been pretty fun,” Black said. “We learned how to do an IV and what an IV feels like, how to do a tourniquet on an arm, how to read your blood pressure and how to take somebody else’s blood pressure, and we learned how to use a stethoscope.” Carol Daniel, a clinical instructor in the Nursing Department, demonstrated how to take a person’s blood pressure, as well as answered questions and offered advice to the prospective MSU students. “The students are looking at applying to Missouri State to do their undergraduate work, and this gives them an opportunity to look at the
program overall and get a chance to see the campus and see the simulation labs and skill labs,” Daniel said. Daniel said Nurse for a Day is crucial in generating interest for future nursing students. “I think it’s a good time to explore the possibilities for them, and they need to know that there is a program here that they’re interested in so that they can pursue, with knowledge, that career path,” Daniel said. Missouri State students are considered to be in the pre-nursing program before they can be admitted into the nursing program, and, according to the Nursing Department website, the prenursing program boasts the highest number of students than any other pre-major program. The website says one of the requirements to be accepted into the nursing program is a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 for all attempted college course work, and nursing prerequisites must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 19 percent from now until 2022 — faster than the average for all other occupations. This can be contributed to an increase in life expectancy, a rising number of people with health insurance and the need for more educated nurses to help treat chronic health conditions. Government analysts estimate that more than 581,500 new registered nursing jobs will be created through 2018. The Nursing Department offers Nurse for a Day two separate days every fall and spring semester, and the registration cost is $15, which includes the day’s participation, a parking pass, lunch ticket and a T-shirt.
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Trevor Mitchell/THE STANDARD
Pummill Hall will now house Carrie’s Cafe, which is run by the Hospitality and Restaurant Administration Department.
Renovations on track — Pummill to open July 17 By Kelsey Kane For The Standard
The interior renovation of Pummill Hall is moving along smoothly, and the School of Social Work and the Hospitality and Restaurant Administration Department can’t wait to move into their new home. The $6.9 million project is expected to be finished by July 17 of this year and will be the new location of the social work and hospitality and restaurant administration classes and offices. The project includes a remodel of all four floors, the installment of a new and larger elevator, an energy-efficient curtain wall system to replace the existing curtain wall, new student seating and LED lighting to reduce the building’s energy consumption. Abbe Ehlers is an instructor for the HRA Department’s restaurant management class, which is the class for the student-run Carrie’s Cafe. Ehlers said she was informed that appliances for the restaurant are being moved in. Currently, the restaurant is on the fourth floor of the Professional Building but will inhabit the fourth floor of Pummill when the renovation is finished.
“I know, currently, equipment is being moved from our current lab to the kitchen space, so they’re having things plumbed and attached to gas lines,” Ehlers said. “The large equipment has begun moving in.” The HRA Department will occupy the third and fourth floors of Pummill, while the School of Social Work will take the first floor. Both will share the second floor. Ehlers said she hopes the new central location of Carrie’s Cafe will bring in new customers, while hopefully keeping the customer base they already have. “We look forward to having more on-campus faculty and staff for lunch because we’ll be more available to them,” Ehlers said. “We will shift from some of the external community members. I think the issue of parking may deter a few people, but I think we will stay very busy and active over there, and we are really looking forward to it. I hope we keep our current customer base and grow.” Michele Day, the interim director for the School of Social Work, said she was told the ceilings in Pummill were finished and painting had started. She said although her department won’t
receive any more space than they currently have in Ellis Hall, their facilities will be improved. “One of the best things, when talking to students, that they’ll be interested in is the computer lab that students can access and a study lounge area,” Day said. “One of the big things they’ll like is the adequate furniture for them. They will have chairs and desks that are more appropriate — an actual desk and not the half-desk.” DeWitt & Associates, the contracting company in charge of the construction, is also responsible for other Missouri State building projects, including the newly completed athletic fields and the occupational therapy building that is expected to be finished by fall. The contracting firm could not be reached for a comment regarding Pummill. As of now, Ehlers said she has not been told a date of when she can formally move into Pummill. “We have not had an official date given to us, but everyone has begun the process of packing,” Ehlers said. “We look forward to getting into the new space and being able to utilize the design specifically to support our course.”
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Portion of funds released by Nixon will go to MSU Occupational Therapy By Sofia Caito The Standard @SofiaCaito
Governor Jay Nixon recently released the state funds on April 3. Of the $43,231,715 released, a portion of this will be going to the Missouri State University Occupational Therapy program and the University of Missouri/Springfield Medical Partnership. Nixon was supportive of funding for both programs, but he believed the 2015 budget did not have enough revenue to pay for everything. Therefore, the money was withheld from several different programs. University President Clif Smart explained the background of the funding. MSU is in fiscal year two of funding for the OT program. “We got all of the money the first year, then the governor released 45 percent in January and recently has released the remainder of the funds,” said Smart. This money will help pay faculty as well as the construction of the OT building. The budget for next year, fiscal year 2016 will be finished this week. “What’s really important is that year three of that OT money is in that budget,” Smart said. “If we get this three years in a row, then it’ll be permanent and it’ll be standardized as a part of the budget entry that we just regularly get. “Nixon has released the money this year when there is still other money withheld tells us he thinks it’s a priority too. That helps us be confident that if it’s in the budget for next year that we are likely to get it,” Smart said. This money will benefit not only Missouri State, but the Springfield community and state as a whole. The MSU Occupational Therapy program will receive $705,000 and the University of Missouri/Springfield Medical Partnership will receive $5.32 million. This will allow the number of students enrolled in the program to increase from 8 to 32. Cox and Mercy are partnering with Mizzou so that the 32 physicians will spend their third and fourth year of medical school in Springfield. The next step is waiting for the higher learning program to accept the program so it can accept its first class of students. The OT program will be accredited in the next two to three weeks. The head of the program will be Dr. Sapna Chakraborty, who was hired in the fall of 2014. There will be 24 students enrolled in the program.
Smart sent a signed letter to the Springfield News-Leader urging the release of funds. The letter was sent out before any of the money was released. It was signed by Smart, the president of the University of Missouri, the Mercy president, the Cox Health president and the chamber of commerce president for Springfield and Columbia. “The message we wanted to convey was that business healthcare universities all thought these two programs were really important to provide the healthcare we needed, create jobs and honor the commitments made to the universities that we were in the best position to offer these programs,” Smart said. Smart said this money will help the Springfield community, specifically addressing the need of health care because there are lots of unfilled positions for physicians and people in southwest Missouri. “The theory is, about 70 percent of the people who go to school in an area will get jobs in that same area that they attended school. Right now we aren’t producing enough people to fill those positions,” Smart said. The OT program will affect the economy of Springfield. “We add faculty and positions to teach. The construction of the building will add construction jobs. There will be more income in the economy. When we turn out the therapists, the money they earn will go into the economy and continue to cycle through,” Smart said. Smart says that in terms of adding professional and graduate programs, the OT program will raise our profile as a university. Smart said this will help the state of Missouri because as our population is getting older, there is a need for additional health care workers. Kathryn Hope, head of the Nursing Department, said the state funds will help the Springfield community, specifically in addressing the need of health care. Hope sees the funding for the OT program greatly affecting Missouri State. “I think we have increased in the number of health programs. A lot of students are coming here. This is just one more program to bring students in,” Hope said. She added that it will also help provide community and state health care.
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Taylor Health may be the subject of renovation soon after students raised concerns about privacy, because the building is connected to the bookstore.
Students to decide on future renovations of Taylor Health
By Eli Wohlenhaus The Standard @eliwohlenhaus
The Student Government Association welcomed in Hastings & Chivetta Architects to discuss potential renovations to the Taylor Health and Wellness building. Hastings & Chivetta have done many projects on campus, including the most recent ones stemming from the B.E.A.R. Fee. In fact, the new student section for Plaster Stadium is on the cover of the company’s website. The past projects are not the only reason this company could be contracted, however. Hastings & Chivetta has many recent projects that are specifically for health and wellness buildings. Erik Kocher, one of three of Hastings & Chivetta’s principals, said it is important to have health buildings on campus that have the capacity for teaching as well as offices and exam rooms. Yet that was not on the list of concerns shared by students at an open-forum panel discussion led by Kocher and Ashley Crisafulli, a senior political science major and the 2015-2016 student body presidentelect. Here is a short list of what students’ main concerns are with the current set-up for Taylor Health and Wellness: • The pharmacy is too small and too public • The back entrance is confusing and
not welcoming and the front entrance is small • The building is not aesthetically appealing and not reflective of great staff or a growing university • It is connected to the bookstore • Parking and accessibility issues • Privacy issues Among those listed, privacy was the number one concern. A lot of the issues students have is that there is not enough space to get the level of private attention wanted by those who visit. Kocher agrees. “Number one is the privacy issue,” Kocher said. “Every time you interact with a professional, others can hear you and see what you’re doing.” Kocher doesn’t see the actual look of the building as important as some students but recognizes that, for Missouri State University, a change has to be made. He noted that seeing it attached to the bookstore is unlike anything he’s ever seen before. The students at the panel were anxious to give suggestions about what the next health and wellness building should include, such as a drive-thru pickup window for the pharmacy and the ability to order prescriptions and make appointments online. All MSU students will have a chance to weigh in on this proposed project through a survey that will come out on Tuesday, April 28.
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