September 18, 2018

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

VOLUME 112, ISSUE 5 | THE-STANDARD.ORG The Standard/The Standard Sports

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

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@TheStandard_MSU/@Standard_Sports

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40

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RUNNING AWAY WITH A WIN

BILL SIOHOLM/THE STANDARD

The Bears defeated No. 20 Northern Arizona 40-8 on Sept. 15. The last time the Bears defeated a ranked opponent was Oct. 1, 2016. For complete coverage, see Page 6.

‘Unity in Community’ Public Affairs Conference brings speakers, films to campus RONKEIA BATES Staff Reporter @Lyrie_Lyric What is the meaning of unity when it refers to a community? Is it about addressing issues that keep communities divided, or is it about unifying different cultures within a community? The Missouri State Public Affairs Conference this year, “Unity in Community,” seeks to address issues that affect communities beyond a geographical standpoint. This year’s conference will be taking place from Sept. 25 to Sept. 27 on the MSU campus. The conference is free and open to anyone. During the Public Affairs Conference, there will be many speakers, artists and presenters. The speakers for this year’s conference are Jenna Bush Hager, Celeste Headlee, Mark Horvath, Victoria Herrmann and Massimo Pigliucci. These speakers will explore different topics about what it means to build a healthy community. Mary Ann Woods, the director of public affairs support, said that each speaker was selected based on their experience and the unique perspective they will bring to the conference.

“They come from all walks of life, educational backgrounds, varied life experiences and from all across the country,” Woods said. Woods also wants people to know that this conference will be different from the previous ones. “This conference is unique because it’s the first time we will be hosting it in the fall,” Woods said. Previous public affairs events were always held in the spring. Kevin Evans, a geography, geology and planning professor, said that their goal with this conference is to spark student engagement in the community. “Students who engage with communities tend to stay engaged in service activities,” Evans said. Evans also said that it is encouraged that students come and participate in this Public Affairs Conference. “Student attendance is encouraged because the conference is an active and interactive experience,” Evans said. “The conference brings speakers and panelists from across the country and around the world to share their insights of their expertise and experience.” On Monday, Sept. 24, from 12:30 to 9 p.m. there will be a “Unity u See UNITY, page 9

Queen City crowned best college town in Missouri AFTON HARPER Staff Reporter @affie888 Springfield was recently named the best college town in Missouri by Reviews.org. But is it? Here is what students and staff have to say: Reviews.org is a review site that researches and tests products to provide unbiased reviews to consumers, according to Aaron Gunderson, marketing director for Reviews.org. Gunderson said their team looked at factors they believe are instrumental in what makes up a good college town. Data they used included overall populations of towns with less than 250,000 people, student population, rental costs, college education rates, transportation access, unemployment rates and bar availability. The team narrowed it down further by weighing cost of living, unemployment rates for 20–24 year olds and easy access to the city. The data was collected BILL SIOHOLM/THE STANDARD from U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other Missouri towns considered in the August 2018 ranking were Jackson, Zan the Club is one of many popular spots in u See TOWN, page 2 downtown Springfield.

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President Trump to visit JQH Arena EMILY COLE News Editor @EMCole19

President Donald Trump will visit Missouri State University on Friday, Sept. 21, as part of a campaign rally for U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley. The event will take place in JQH Arena Friday at 6:30 p.m., according to the university. Doors will open for general admission at 4 p.m. To register to attend, go to donaldjtrump. com. The university said more information will be coming in the next few days about security plans that may cause road and sidewalk closures around JQH Arena. “We realize that this will delight some members of our community and offend others,” the university wrote. “The university encourages everyone to be respectful regardless of their views.” Trump previously visited Springfield on Aug. 30, 2017, to rally for support of his tax reform. The event took place at the Loren Cook Company. This will be his first visit to the MSU campus. Republican candidate Hawley is running for the Missouri U.S. Senate seat against incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill. McCaskill visited campus to speak with students on Sept. 10.

Parking woes by the numbers CONNOR WILSON @Connor4Wilson Staff Reporter

Finding parking is a regular struggle for Missouri State University students. Despite parking lots being restricted to those who own a permit to park there, many students arrive to see the lot they’re driving through is full. Transportation manager Cole Pruitt said there are 5,456 commuter parking spaces, with 8,705 commuter permits sold. Commuter lots on campus are marked with yellow signs, and include parking garage Bear Park South and a lot across Grand Street. “(In the commuter lots) we would look at those parking spots turn over at a minimum of three times a day with commuters coming in and out of classes and moving their vehicles,” Pruitt said. “But with that being said, we wouldn’t want to sell any more than three times the amount of commuter spots that we do have.” Kelly Baker, sophomore graphic design major, said that parking can cause problems for commuters. “I can’t park (farther away) because I have 15 minutes to get from Brick City to Temple Hall, so I would be really late,” Baker said. “There’s not enough parking (for commuters), and the lots that exist are a tight squeeze.” Baker said sometimes the other students can be more of a problem than the parking itself. “I literally parked a foot over the line once in the commuter lot and people parked on either side of me and blocked me in for an entire day,” Baker said. Green lots, available for those living on campus, don’t have the same issue. In total, Missouri State has sold approximately 1,500 green parking permits, with 2,937 available parking spots, including Bear Park North, according to Pruitt. “We don’t have on this university what folks would consider convenient parking or doorstep parking as I call it,” Pruitt said. “I would love to be able to provide that to everybody, but it’s not a possibility.” Although commuter lots frequently have cars coming and going through the day, sometimes unlucky students cannot find a free spot in the lot they’re looking through. “We can’t get everybody to the doorstep of the dorms or classes; it’s just not possible,” Pruitt said. “We do our best to open up as many as we can to folks to be able to park on campus.”

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