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 6 | THE-STANDARD.ORG The Standard/The Standard Sports
MSU graduate enrollment increases from previous years
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
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Trump visits MSU
AFTON HARPER Staff Reporter @affie888 Graduate enrollment increased by 5.82 percent over the past year, according to the Missouri State University fall 2018 census enrollment report. Donald Simpson, associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Services, said MSU has continued to grow over the past seven years. He also said that MSU has been on an upward trajectory as far as enrollment. “Some of the elements of our growth this year are an increase in graduate students, and we also had an increase in dual credit students,” Simpson said. “These are students that are actually in high school — mostly in southwest Missouri but actually all throughout the state — who are taking courses through their high schools by teachers that have been approved as Missouri State adjunct faculty.” Simpson said the report indicated that MSU has students enrolled from every county in Missouri. On the other hand, undergraduate enrollment decreased by .79 percent over the past year. “We were down a little bit overall in our undergraduate enrollment this year, but the increase in the graduate enrollment and dual credit made up for it,” Simpson said. Overall, MSU enrollment has increased by .16 percent over the past year. Missouri State has a lot to offer — starting with the quality of its academic programs because that should be the main reason a student picks a school, according to Simpson. “Another important consideration for students is value and cost,” Simpson said. “Missouri State has really worked hard to keep our tuition as low as we can. We are among the lowest in the state, and we are certainly below the national average.” Total enrollment for the Missouri State Springfield campus is 24,390 students — the highest it has ever been. The total enrollment for all MSU campuses is 26,182 students. This is slightly lower than last year by 34 students. The lowest enrollment that the MSU Springfield campus has had in the past 10 years is 19,925 students in 2008. For the most part, numbers have gradually increased, according to Simpson. The biggest overall enrollment change the university has seen in the past 10 years was a decrease of 312 students in 2011.
‘MSU Talks’ Students debate medical marijuana MONICA BLAKE Sports Reporter @monicablak3
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President Donald Trump spoke in JQH Arena on Friday, Sept. 21, to rally support for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley.
President calls for Missourians to vote Hawley into US Senate CORTLYNN STARK | EMILY COLE Editor-in-Chief | News Editor President Donald Trump told a crowd of his supporters that they will “make America great again” during an event where he rallied support for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley. Trump called for Missourians to vote for Hawley, Missouri’s current attorney general. “We need him to fight for Missouri and to fight for our whole country,” Trump said as he spoke against Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-MO. “She’ll never ever vote for us.” Hawley is running against McCaskill in the November election. McCaskill is running for her third 6-year term as U.S. senator. “Get out in 2018 because you’re voting for me in 2018,” Trump said. “You’re voting for me. A vote for any Democrat this November is a vote for massive regulation, massive taxes and, I hate to say it, massive crime.” Trump arrived in Springfield just after 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 21. His motorcade arrived on campus around 5:20 p.m. Around 3 p.m., the line for those with tickets stretched from JQH Arena to National Avenue. JQH Arena has 11,000 seats, though part of the arena floor was standing room only. Many attendees wore clothing like hats in support of Trump and his 2020 presidential campaign. People held signs reading slogans like “Make America Great Again” and “Drain the Swamp,” and signs that showed support for Hawley. The slogan “Promises Made, Promises Kept” hung from banners on either side of an American flag. Trump began his speech by mentioning that the stock market is
hitting consistent all-time highs to roaring applause from the crowd. He told the crowd that he is restoring the country’s “industrial might like nobody can believe.” The crowd cheered again as Trump said America is being rebuilt. “America is winning again and winning like never before,” Trump said. “America is finally being respected again because we are putting America first.” Trump also claimed that Friday night’s rally broke “every” record and that the media would never say that. Trump repeatedly spoke against the media, especially CNN and the New York Times, and the crowd loved it, chanting “CNN sucks” at the press area. Trump introduced Hawley, calling him Missouri’s next U.S. senator. Hawley gave Trump plenty of credit too. “Have you noticed something about our president?” Hawley asked the crowd. “When he makes a promise, he keeps it. When he makes a commitment, he delivers.” With that, the crowd stomped on the ground and cheered deafeningly loud. Hawley also spoke negatively of McCaskill. “I don’t know who she’s with, but she’s not with the state of Missouri,” Hawley said, calling for Missouri voters to “make history again.” After calling for Missouri voters to get rid of McCaskill again, Trump called Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh a “fantastic man.” He also said that women are more supportive of Kavanaugh than “anybody will understand.” Christine Blasey Ford recently accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school. u See TRUMP, page 9
This November, there will be three different proposals on the election ballot related to legalizing medical marijuana in Missouri. MSU Talks, a debate group on campus, debated two of the ballot items. Students who attended the debate found it informative. “Before the debate, I wasn’t familiar with any of the ballot initiatives,” Isaiah Eaton, freshman political science major, said. Junior history education major Patricia Mulligan spoke first in support of Amendment 2 — what she called the “most detailed and realistic approach.” Amendment 2 suggests a 4 percent sales tax rate on the sale of medical marijuana. The revenue produced will go toward health and care facilities for veterans. According to the bill, the project is expected to cost $7 million and raise $24 million annually. “It’s a constitutional amendment,” Mulligan said. “It’s much more important that we have the power to change it rather than a state legislature that typically votes along party lines.”
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On Sept. 22, firefighters from around Missouri came to Plaster Stadium for the annual Springfield Area Memorial Stairclimb. Each year, firefighters and community members, in cities around the country, climb stairs to honor the Fire Department of New York firefighters of 9/11. Participants climb the equivilant of 110 stories — the height of the World Trade Center. The first stair climb was held on Sept. 11, 2005, in Denver, Colorado. During the 9/11 attack, 343 were involved in rescue efforts.
u See DEBATE, page 8
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