September 15, 2015

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THE

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

M I S S O U R I

S T A T E

U N I V E R S I T Y

Volume 109, Issue 5 | the-standard.org The Standard/The Standard Sports

More than 100 years in print

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Home opener: Bears bring down Chadron State

Ryan Welch/THE STANDARD

Junior captain linebacker Dylan Cole, linebacker, brings down Chadron State’s Cody Paul during the home opener on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. Cole had 11 total tackles in the game. Sophomore running back Calan Crowder had 164 rushing yards and 23 carries. The next home game is Saturday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. against Indiana State.

A new degree is growing in popularity at MSU

The General Studies program helps students follow their passions By Han Zhao Staff Reporter @hanzhao0620

Approximately 95 students have declared the newly implemented degree, Bachelor of General Studies, as of Aug. 31. BGS is a degree created to help current and returning students who have interdisciplinary academic interests. “The point is to provide a mechanism for diploma for students who have a lot of credit hours,” Amymarie Aufdembrink, assistant director of the Advisement Center, said. The degree is designed to serve students with 75 credit hours or more. It is separated from the individualized studies program and requires 45 credit hours. Students have the option of splitting them between two or three academic departments. Aufdembrink explained that if students chose to split the hours between two departments, the hours would be divided into 24 for one department and 21 for the other. It would be 15 hours in each department if students decided to split them among three departments. “They can pull (classes) from anywhere on campus,” Aufdembrink said. “What’s great about the general studies (program) is that a student who has a diverse interest and may have done hours in sociology and hours in biology can utilize those (hours) in their Bachelor of General Studies.”

Maddy Cushman/THE  STANDARD

Students can talk to someone from the Academic Advising Center for more information about a BGS. Aufdembrink said that students have to take 18 credit hours at the 300 level or higher. At least nine of those 18 hours have to be a 400 level or higher. She said this is to make sure the degree is still rigorous, whether or not students do two or three departments. Since the specialized degree allows students to explore their thirst of interests, each one of them has a story to tell. Adrienne Parnell, a senior in General Studies, is one step closer to her dream career. “My career goal is to eventually open my own studio,” Parnell said. “A holistic-based

P u b l i c

Sept 15.

Bridging the Diversity Gap by Building Healthy Communities and a Rich Life, 9:30-11 a.m., PSU theater u New Voter Registration, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Meyer Library lobby u Building Healthy Communities Through Advocacy, 2-4 p.m., Meyer Library room 101 u Hunger Banquet, 5-6:30 p.m., PSU ballroom u

NEWS

Sept. 16

Students show off their digital artwork page 2

A f fA i r s

New Voter Registration, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Meyer Library lobby u U.S. Citizenship Naturalization Ceremony, noon-1 p.m., PSU theater u MSUTalks!, 4-6 p.m., PSU room 313 u “Fed Up,” 9-11 p.m., PSU theater u

center which emphasizes overall well-being through yoga, nutrition and classes incorporating a person's own body weight versus traditional gym styles.” Other institutions who have a General Studies degree, students have to apply to the degree in order to go on to professional programs such as medical school and law school. “I think it could allow for them to have a little bit more flexibility in doing the prerequisite courses that you need for those kind of programs,” Jamie Schweiger, the primary adviser for BGS, said. “It’s not limited to what you can do,” said Schweiger. That is just the story of senior Mary Carlson. Carlson already has 128 credit hours; she started pursuing her education since the early ‘90s, but had to put her college education on hold 17 years ago due to life and finances. Carlson received her associate’s degree in Medical Office Procedures in 1993 at MSU. Due to job shortage in the field, Carlson started substitute teaching in 1997. She then discovered her passion in education and started taking education courses in the summer of 1998. “The General Studies Bachelor’s degree will open the door for me to get a more specified Master’s degree,” Carlson said. Besides providing a mechanism for diploma and the freedom in course choices, the BGS has a third purpose. “We have a large number of students who

Sept. 17

Civic Engagement Conference, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., PSU ballroom u New Voter Registration, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Meyer Library lobby u Carillon Bells Patriotic Recital, noon-1 p.m., Meyer Library front lawn

SPORTS

It pays to play tougher schools page 7

u See the full story online at thestandard.org.

W e e k

u

Inside Athletics

have left the university in the past 10 or 15 years with a large number of hours completed,” said Schweiger. “For whatever reasons stopped them (from) attending, the university definitely wants to reach out to them, and get them to come back to finish what they have started.” Cara Clements, who left MSU before she finished her degree, currently has 161 hours toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with an emphasis in Drawing. She said she thought giving students the option to have a General Studies degree was a good idea and would consider it if she did return to MSU. “So often when I was in school, I would find myself really interested in taking classes in other departments, but would worry that I was just wasting time and money since it wasn't for my degree,” Clements said. Clements thought the general studies degree would help students explore their vast interests. “I think it’s sad when the goal is to create educated people and foster a thirst for knowledge, and yet students often feel confined within their one program and are unable to pursue varying interests,” Clements continued. “The General Studies degree seems like a great solution to that, instead of one set path you can have an array of choices that fit your unique interests and goals.”

LIFE

u

Sept. 19

Into the Streets, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Springfield

For more information about events going on during Public Affairs Week, contact Stacey TrewathaBach, coordinator of Public Affairs special projects, at 417-836-8832.

Dining hall hacks

Find out ways to spice up your everyday dining hall food. page 4


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September 15, 2015 by The Standard at Missouri State University - Issuu