September 4, 2018

Page 1

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

VOLUME 112, ISSUE 3| THE-STANDARD.ORG The Standard/The Standard Sports

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

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MSU seeks new donor for naming rights of JQH Arena MONICA BLAKE Sports Reporter @monicablak3 Missouri State University is currently in bankruptcy court searching for a donor to acquire the naming rights to JQH Arena. MSU built the basketball arena with an investment from John Q. Hammons trust in 2008. The project cost the school $67 million. JQH Arena was a huge addition to the university and was a game changer for the basketball team, said junior guard Ross Owens. “Obviously I’m a little biased, but in my opinion it’s the nicest and biggest arena in the conference,” Owens said. Earlier this year, Missouri State made an agreement with JD Holdings LLC, a New York investment firm, that stated JD Holdings would pay this year’s bond payment and deliver the naming rights of the arena to the university. Rachael Dockery, the general counsel for MSU, said this gives the university the ability to lessen the damages incurred when the JQH trust declared chapter 11 bankruptcy by finding someone who will pay big money for the rights to name the arena. JD Holdings would pay the remaining portion of the bond. “We’ve been talking to some of the bigger local or semi-local companies,” Dockery said. “So far, we have not sold the naming rights, but we are still in that process.” The university has seven months to find a new donor. The next payment on the arena is not due until March 2019. Stephan Foucart, the chief financial officer for the university, believes Missouri State does not have a lot to worry about from a financial standpoint. “With our view that JD holdings owes the money, we shouldn’t have a financial impact to the university,” Foucart said. Dockery said the JQH trust promised to pay more than 47 percent of the total bond payment for the rights to the namesake of the arena. Dockery said the JQH trust, and 71 other legal entities owned by Hammons, filed for bankruptcy in June 2016, forcing MSU into bankruptcy court. The JQH trust filed bankruptcy after a long litigation with a company called JD Holdings. “JD Holdings had lent money to Mr. Hammons to build hotels and had provided that money at a much lower interest rate than a traditional bank,” Dockery said. Part of the agreement between Hammons and JD Holdings said that JD Holdings would acquire all of the properties built with the money they had lent him if certain circumstances were met. u See JQH, page 8

Springfield man receives life sentence for attempted rape, kidnapping CONNOR WILSON Staff Reporter @Connor4Wilson A Springfield man was sentenced to life in prison on Aug. 17 after being found guilty on a count of attempted rape in the first degree as well as a count of attempted kidnapping. Stephen Goodwin, 55, was arrested two years ago. On Feb. 10, 2016, a Missouri State University student was walking home from class early afternoon when she felt like she was being followed, according to court documents. She continued walking when she felt Goodwin getting closer. When the student moved to the side to make room for him to pass by, he grabbed her from behind. A witness was driving nearby when they saw the scene and stopped their car abruptly and unlocked the car. Goodwin then walked away and the student got into the witness’s car, called 911 and watched Goodwin as he left the scene. The witness followed Goodwin as he attempted to drive away, and he was eventually stopped by police and detained at Greene County Jail. Title IX Coordinator Jill Patterson offered advice for any students who feel uncomfortable while walking around campus. “First of all, I’m a big proponent of walking in groups. Fewer bad things happen when in a group rather than alone,” Patterson said. “Second, you can always call Safety and Transportation and ask for an escort, or call a friend to come and pick you up or talk to you on the phone while you’re walking away. Patterson also said if it’s an emergency situation, you should call the police. Patterson said stranger attacks in broad daylight are extremely rare, adding that it’s important to call the police in a dangerous situation. “Call the police immediately,” Patterson said. “That’s the beauty of everyone having cell phones these days.”

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Ivy the pit bull smiles for the camera at Plaster Student Union.

Students help defeat pit bull ban CARISSA ALFORD Staff Reporter @carissabalford Students at Missouri State recently contributed to the freedom of pit bulls in Springfield. In the Aug. 7 primary election, about 68 percent of Springfield voters voted no on Question One, which asked if the city should ban new pit bulls in city limits. With the help of the Animal Rights Club at MSU, the Breed Specific Legislation was rejected. Amber McBride was in the Animal Rights Club before she graduated in May 2018. She is a founder of Citizens Against BSL and went to school with her service dog, an American pit bull. McBride says she attended city council meetings with Citizens Against BSL and spoke out against the legislation. When the council decided they wanted to pass the legislation amid the backlash, McBride said animal rights activists and clubs used the referendum petition process to halt the legislation. This process requires a petition that needs a specific number of signatures, then that petition is presented to the court who then can vote whether or not they want to change legislation. Kathleen Larkin, instructor of finance and general business

at Missouri State, said their petition needed about 2,200 signatures. Instead, they collected almost four times the required amount, gathering over 8,000 signatures to put a pause on the ban. “The petition was to get city council to reverse itself,” Larkin said. “In lieu of that, if they didn’t, the way the law is written is that you would have to put it on to a public vote.” When the Animal Rights Club presented their petition to the council, the council decided to keep the ban by a 5-4 vote, forcing it to a public vote on Aug. 7. “In the interim, we really started big educational programs to try to get people to understand first of all what a ‘pit bull type’ dog means,” Larkin said. “Secondly, what Breed Specific Legislation means, what it does and what it doesn’t do.” Larkin said they showed people the research they had done on BSL and how it affected other cities. She said there is not a direct correlation between dog bites and a specific breed, but it depends on how the dog is raised and if it interacts with humans regularly. McBride said volunteers canvassed neighborhoods, raised funds and spread the word on why this legislation was a bad idea. “Every time this went to a public vote, it lost by a landslide, u See PITBULL, page 2

MSU to welcome Saudi transfer students with open arms HANNA FLANAGAN Senior Reporter @hanna_flanagan When diplomatic friction arose between Saudi Arabia and Canada last month, the Missouri State University Office of International Services wasted no time releasing an official statement that welcomed the estimated 12,000 Saudi students in Canada who were asked to leave the country. After the official Twitter account of Canada’s Foreign Policy (@CanadaFP) called out Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, the Saudi Arabian government froze all new investments with Canada, cancelled flights to Toronto and ordered the removal of Saudi students studying in Canada as part of a government-sponsored program that provides Saudi students with international education called the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM). According to USA Today, Saudi Arabia announced that the Saudi students currently studying in Canada will be removed and transferred to other countries around the world. Missouri State’s statement declared that the school is willing to admit qualified Saudi students from Canada. Maan Ayyash, a graduate assistant for the Khebrat Program at Missouri State, which is sponsored by the Saudi Ministry

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of Education, visited SACM headquarters in Washington D.C. to discuss the situation with other Saudi Arabian college campus representatives from across the United States. Students in Canada were given just 30 days to evacuate the country. With such short notice, Ayyash said SACM presidents all across America are working together to facilitate a smooth transition. In doing his part, Ayyash enlisted the help of his colleague and Missouri State’s Director of International Services Patrick Parnell. “Without any hesitation, he just said, ‘Of course, Maan. Let’s do this,’” Ayyash said. Shortly after, on Aug. 14, Parnell released a statement welcoming “all eligible Saudi Arabian undergraduate students coming directly from Canadian institutes for the fall 2018 semester.”

Parnell said SACM encouraged institutions who were interested in accepting students from Canada to get in contact and “facilitate fast-track admission to the best of (their) ability.” Parnell jumped at the opportunity, making it clear that Missouri State was willing to host the students. The one-page announcement was straight forward and lists only a few requirements, such as maintaining a 2.5 GPA, adding that “anything below will be considered on a case by case basis.” “At this late stage in the game … at the international level … it’s unheard of to be admitting students this late because we have issues with visas, (and) we have to get students here,” Parnell said. “But we did everything we could.” Parnell and his team worked to establish communication with Saudi students living in Canada, admitting a handful to Missouri State. But, ultimately, Parnell said these students decided to defer their enrollment to the spring semester. Similarities between the international systems of Canada and the U.S. are working in Missouri State’s favor. Nevertheless, transferring is complicated. Ayyash said Missouri State is ideally trying to send the necessary documentation to students while they’re still in Canada — and in the same time zone.

news

life

sports

Hill Hall reopens after renovations Page 2

Six decades ago: first black students at MSU Page 5

Volleyball wins home tournament Page 6

u See SAUDI, page 8


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September 4, 2018 by The Standard at Missouri State University - Issuu