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Table of Contents 48 Walkable places STUDENT LIFE 51 Bucket lists 52 Multicultural events 54 Organizations 56 Dining halls 57 Financial aid 58 Hidden gems 60 Campus map 62 Politics on campus 64 News from last year 66 Parking guide 70 Politics podcast 72 Plaster Student Union 74 Entertainment 76 Transportation 78 Working out 79 Health center 80 Commuting 81 Where to eat 82 MSU secrets 84 Arts schedule 86 Nightlife 88 Bad roommates 90 Safety 92 On-campus jobs 93 Shopping 94 Dorm help

Standard staff Advertising staff

Joel Grieshaber sales Kayla Thompson sales Dominick Brogoto sales Olina Einarsdottir graphic design

Editorial staff

Sarah Teague editor-in-chief Carissa Codel news editor Zoe Brown life editor Amanda Sullivan sports editor Kaitlyn Stratman photo editor Bill Sioholm video editor Greta Cross engagement editor Sarah Hollstrom copy editor Madeline Schatz copy editor Chloe Sierks copy editor

Reporters/Photographers Afton Harper reporter Reese Radmacher reporter Kayla Curry reporter Jessica Flanigan reporter Connor Wilson reporter Shannon Noonan reporter

Tinsley Merriman reporter Michaela Satterfield reporter Kathryn Dolan reporter Lauren Saiko reporter Andrew Unverferth reporter Lainey Sanders reporter Lindsay Farrow reporter Annelise Pinjuv reporter Claire Niebrugge senior sports reporter Derek Shore sports reporter Christian Rehder sports reporter Stephen Terrill sports reporter Monica Blake sports reporter Clayton Frye reporter/photographer Sinjin Delmore reporter/photographer Jaylen Early photographer Steve Tran photographer Brenna Lumley photographer Bradley Balsters photographer Benjamin Vickers columnist Jadie Arnett illustrator Alyssa Vandegrift cartoonist

Professional staff

Jack Dimond faculty adviser Sandy King advertising manager

96 Student conduct 97 NPHC organizations 98 Fall festivals 100 Outdoor getaways 102 Fraternity and Sorority Life SPORTS AND RECREATION 105 Sports editor column 106 Women’s basketball 108 Cross country 109 Club sports and intramurals 110 Volleyball 112 Ice hockey 114 Sports podcast 116 Track and field 117 Swimming and diving 118 Men’s basketball 120 Softball 121 Women’s soccer 122 Fall sports schedule 124 Club sports list 126 Baseball 128 Football 130 Tennis 133 Golf 134 Men’s soccer ADVERTISERS INDEX ON PAGE 132

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is published by The Standard, Missouri State University’s student-produced newspaper.

The university has not approved and is not responsible for its content, which is produced and edited by The Standard staff.

Cover designs by Olina Einarsdottir

4 Letter from the editor-in-chief ACADEMIC LIFE 8 Freshmen 10 Study away stories 13 MSU president 14 SGA president 16 Brick City 17 Picking a major 18 Saying “no” 20 Tutoring 22 Electives 23 Buying textbooks 24 Transfer students 26 The path 27 Public affairs 28 Library archives 30 Academic calendar 32 Online classes 34 Animals on campus 36 Study away tips 38 Studying tips 39 Dealing with stress 40 Service hours 41 Dorm room tips 42 Places to worship 44 Disability resources 45 Picking a minor 46 International students

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Teague: News consumers deserve the truth SARAH TEAGUE Editor-in-Chief @sarah_k_teague My journey to becoming The Standard’s 20192020 editor-in-chief is not what I expected. But the beauty of this position is that no matter how I wound up in the editor’s chair, it’s bigger than just me — we’re a team working for you, reader, and for our community.

I’m grateful to be here. Becoming EIC wasn’t what surprised me; rather, it was the detour I took before taking this position that surprised me the most.

I left Missouri last year and lived with my family in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire for 10 months to see where my father grew up as a missionary kid, delaying my degree in the process. What I found there was more than an escape from normal college life.

Moving forward, as a journalist, my main objective is to tell the truth. So, reader, here are three relevant truths for you today: Storytelling holds us all accountable.

Through writing, videos, podcasts and photography we hold others accountable and are held accountable in return as reporters.

What I mean by this is while we report on important news happening in our community, we must live up to the standards we hold of others as

Sarah Teague responsible journalists. Our objective is to publish the news of the day while upholding ethics in our newsgathering and judgment calls. This is something we strive for and focus on as a newsroom staff.

Telling the truth isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle. We must embrace this if we want to do our readers justice.

We’re a team full of passion that compels us forward, and we’re human just like you.

But most of all, we’re here for the truth.

“When I first started out, I really felt like, 'I'm

a journalist; I will be respected as a neutral observer.' And I don't feel like that holds true anymore. I don't think people respect journalists the same way they once did.” — Lynsey Addario, war photojournalist In our polarized nation, the truth is being swept aside daily. With fake news websites on the rise, individuals are making the “fake news” narrative into a reality — a reality that hurts “real news” publications and professional truth-tellers. Nonsense like this is what pushes aside what’s really important and causes divisions in our society, as everyone runs to their chosen “side.”

We must stop this and start moving forward.

With faith and facts, we must condemn hiding truth and spreading disunity. Valuing the truth over all, even at a small student newspaper, is important. It’s something we fight for as journalists.

So how do we tell the truth? Journalists at The Standard are coming together to make our publication greater than ever before. We’re implementing new broadcast initiatives including podcasts and reimagined videos to keep our readers engaged in our ever-changing media climate. We’re dreaming up new ways to reach our audience online — we want to hear from you more than ever before.

And in addition to moving forward digitally, we’re invested in quality writing and news report-

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ing. We’re running after stories that are important to you: local government, community crime, trends and data coverage, entertainment pieces and interesting features. Our section editors are some of the best at what they do in our area and are invested in doing what’s right.

Kaitlyn Stratman will serve as photo editor, Zoe Brown as life editor, Carissa Codel as news editor, Amanda Sullivan as sports editor and our digital team: Bill Sioholm as video editor and Greta Cross as engagement editor.

In addition to our editorial staff, we have an entire team of reporters dedicated to crafting their reporting skills and writing the quality work we aim to publish.

Do you have a cool story idea, or know someone who’s done something newsworthy lately?

Let our editorial team know. You can email The Standard’s editors at Standard@MissouriState. edu.

We wouldn’t be here to tell truth without your help.

Journalists have this nagging feeling in us to get out and find stories to tell. It’s a weird feeling, believe me; we’re extremely nosy people. And sometimes we hate this feeling and want it to go away, especially if we fail. But it’s always with us. With your cooperation, we can do our jobs at holding others accountable, keeping people informed and sustaining our fourth estate of freedom.

Follow us on social media, find our publication online at the-standard.org, and pick up our paper on campus. Without your support, the truth could easily fade away.

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Meet two new Bears REESE RADMACHER Staff Reporter @Reese_Radmacher

The fall semester is upon us, bringing vibrant foliage, football tailgates, faultless temperatures and, most importantly, a fresh start. For incoming freshmen, however, this season will serve as a new beginning. A couple members from Missouri State University’s 20192020 freshman class agreed to talk about some of their hopes, fears and what they aspire to accomplish during their time as a Bear.

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‘Everyone (at MSU) wants to help one another grow.’

Sydny Kocsis Sydny Kocsis graduated from Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia, Missouri. Kocsis accepted a scholarship to play flute in the Pride Marching Band and plans to major in music education.

Why did you choose Missouri State?

Kocsis: “I chose Missouri State due to the amazing music department and beautiful campus.”

What are you most excited about for your first year? Most nervous about?

Photo submitted by Sydny Kocsis

Sydny Kocsis

Kocsis: “I am probably most excited about meeting new people and beginning a new part Is there a campus organization you of my life. I am most nervous about living in know you want to be involved in? dorms and learning to live with someone new.”

Kocsis: “I plan to be in the Pride Band.

It is a great way to meet new friends and I think it will be a good way for me to keep What do you hope to accomplish doing something I love and get involved on throughout your time at MSU? campus.”

Kocsis: “My main goal is to pass my classes and get my degree, but also to make many memories along the way.”

Claire Loew

Is there a campus organization you know you want to be involved in?

Why did you choose Missouri State?

Loew: “I’m interested in joining a sorority, but don’t know very much about it.”

Loew: “It felt like the perfect distance away from home, and I wanted to be a part of a large, diverse student body. The world is a big place and I thought attending a big school would help prepare me for life in the real world.”

Loew: “I’m most excited for new experiences and getting out of my comfort zone. I’m three hours from my hometown so I’ll have to make friends and find new fun things to do.

I’m most nervous about finding the right major

Kocsis: “Modern. They are consistently working toward improvements not only on buildings but also with their classes. They seem to be constantly striving to improve in any way possible.” my degree in a timely manner with good grades.

But personally, I hope to surround myself with people that share the same passions as me. I hope I live out my college years to the fullest, to try new things, meet new people and not spend the next four years alone in my dorm room watching TV.”

Claire Loew graduated from Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri and is currently undecided.

What are you most excited about for your first year? Most nervous about?

Based on your experience with the campus so far, how would you describe Missouri State in one word and why?

Based on your experience with the campus so far, how would you describe Missouri State in one word and why?

Photo submitted by Claire Loew

Claire Loew for myself, not liking my new roommates, gain- What do you hope to accomplish ing weight, juggling working and going to throughout your time at MSU? school full time and how I’m going to live on Loew: “Academically, I hope to complete my own for the first time.”

Loew: “Community. With a sense of community, everything else falls into place. Every time that I’ve come to visit campus I’ve felt safe, the teachers want to help you learn and everyone has common goals. Everyone wants to help one another grow.”

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Studying away inspires student to advise others to do the same KAYLA CURRY Staff Reporter @kaylalcurry A student wakes up in the morning to take a short scenic walk to a building that looks like a castle. This may sound like a dream vacation or a fairytale, but it’s not. This castle is University College Cork in Cork, Ireland, and the student is senior health services major Miranda O’Connell. O’Connell studied in Ireland during her sophomore spring semester.

“It was just pretty much me going to class, and most of my friends lived in my apartment complex, so I hung out with my friends a lot,” she said. “Sometimes we just went into the city and had fun.”

After studying abroad for one semester, she is now a student worker in Missouri State’s Study Away office, where she helps other students with their study-away planning.

While many students enter the Study Away office unsure of where they want to study or the type of program they want to pursue, O’Connell already knew she wanted to travel to Ireland through University Studies Abroad Consortium, one of the study away program providers, because she had experience traveling with the program to Spain with her best friend’s family.

“I knew I really liked the organization,” O’Connell said. “I (also) knew I really wanted to go to Ireland because my last name is O’Connell, and I wanted to experience that. So when I came here, I spoke with a Global Ambassador and told them I wanted to go with USAC and I wanted to go to Ireland. So it was pretty easy.”

Once in Ireland, O’Connell realized the education system in Ireland was different than in the United States. Throughout the course of the semester, she wrote two essays, took one quiz, and the rest of her grade depended on her final exam. Although this intimidated her at first, she said it worked out in her favor.

“With learning, I felt like a lot of the pressure was off, so I didn’t feel as nervous learning the information,” O’Connell said. “It’s a lot different than just studying for tests and then forgetting it.

“I feel like that’s a common thing in our education system. People really cram, and then forget everything right after the test.”

Even though O’Connell’s experience

sounds like a vacation, she said she learned more during her semester abroad than any other semester at Missouri State, and said she was impressed by her professors’ “ability to project their knowledge.”

O’Connell took three courses while abroad and only had classes Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, giving her Friday and the weekend to explore Cork with friends.

“We made Irish friends too, but they lived further away so we didn’t see them every day,” O’Connell said. “We just went out on the weekends, and we would all meet up. It was really just what we were feeling for the day.

Everything felt more relaxed and chill, and I just felt more excited to do things.”

Not only did O’Connell experience Ireland, but because traveling in Europe is quick and cheap, she traveled to multiple other countries throughout her semester, hitting 13 different countries in all. No day was the same, and O’Connell said one of the biggest reasons she enjoyed studying abroad was not getting stuck Photos submitted by Miranda O’Connell in a routine.

O’Connell had time to explore countries (Above) O’Connell’s hillside view in Kinsale, Ireland. such as the Netherlands, Belgium, LuxemMiranda bourg, Switzerland O’Connell spent and more while on break. She had the one semester autonomy to meet in Ireland and up with friends on now works in weekends and travel MSU’s Study as much as she Away office wanted. She said she found tickets to Lonencouraging don for 23 euros, other students and other tickets to experience around Europe were school and life similarly priced. overseas like “I think the best thing about being she did. abroad is your ability to get lost,” O’Connell said. “To understand (Middle) the city. I would just roam and figure out my O’Connell way home.” overlooks the Throughout her time in Ireland, O’Connell was able to contact her family easily through cliffs of County WhatsApp, but she tried to avoid calling home Kerry, Ireland. too often.

“I’m from Idaho, so I’m used to being away (Bottom) from my parents,” O’Connell said. “I talk to O’Connell them way more now than I ever did in Ireland because I feel like if I looked too far into it, hiking over like seeing what all my friends are doing, I the rocky hills would have a fear of missing out when really at the Ring of they should be the ones jealous of me.”

Kerry in For O’Connell, choosing a favorite moment Ireland. from her semester abroad brought too many different memories to mind, but she said it’s the little things and the connections she has made that stick with her.

“I feel like the times I think of most are the times I was with my friends just chilling,” she said. “The times that I think about are me getting to know people.”

“I think the best thing about being abroad is your ability to get lost.”

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‘I hope you enjoy life on your campus’ University president aims to create wellrounded college experience for students CLIF SMART University President @ClifSmart Whether you’re a new student or a returning Bear, I’d like to welcome you to Missouri State University for the 2019-2020 school year.

Academics are Missouri State’s foundation. More than 5,400 students graduated last year — a school record. By the time you join them as a member of MarooNation, you’ll have the education and training you need to get a job you want.

Academics and campus life go hand-in-hand. Earlier this year, I attended a keynote speech about the importance of making cities fun places to live. The talk resonated with me and got me thinking about how we can make MSU a more enjoyable place to work, learn and play.

All good universities are functional. But great universities put the “fun” in functional. They are interesting, friendly and unique, and that’s what I’d like to talk to you about today. Missouri State is all-in on delivering a fun experience for you while you’re a student and after you graduate.

We have done a lot to add interest to our campus in recent years. Examples include: • Banners and Bear head logos on campus buildings • Carillon concerts and outdoor picnic tables • Beautiful new architecture • Cutting-edge social media strategies (including my video series, which continues this year) However, we have not stopped there.

You may have seen advertising around campus for “It’s On.” I’d like to invite you to this big event that’s happening on Oct. 26 at 5:30 p.m. at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. Admission is free. Most information is top secret for now, but “It” is transformational for your experience at the university and for future students as well. I promise it’s something you will not want to miss. Oh, and we’ll have fireworks right here on campus that night.

We’re enhancing the daily Missouri State experience as well. In the coming months, you

will find even more bear statues popping up on and around campus. You can already see an example of one of these statues outside the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center. We hope these bears will further unite the campus (and provide even more selfie opportunities.)

Intercollegiate athletics is another way you can enjoy a united campus experience. Missouri State has championship-caliber programs you can enjoy in person for free just because you’re a student. I’m especially looking forward to upcoming football and basketball seasons.

The football Bears are making strides and play in the best Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conference in the country. I hope you enjoy BearFest Village before their home File photo games and take your enthusiasm into Plaster Stadium.

In basketball, the Lady Bears lost only one senior and are coming off a magical run to the Sweet 16. The Bears are also loaded with talent and are targeting a Missouri Valley Conference title.

The university is also becoming known as the place to go to enjoy top-flight entertainment.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan performed at JQH Arena earlier this month, and the arena’s fall calendar will feature shows by popular recording artists Chris Stapleton, Shinedown and Miranda Lambert in October. Hammons Hall will kick off another stellar Broadway run that includes: • “Escape to Margaritaville” • “Les Miserables” • “Waitress” • “The Play That Goes Wrong” • “CATS” I believe having access to unique events, community and entertainment matters when students make their college decisions. I hope you enjoy life on your campus.

Finally, I’d like to ask a favor. The best fun ideas don’t usually come from the top of an organization. They come from you. So, if you have an idea that you think will enhance your experience here, please let me know. I’m @ ClifSmart on Twitter, or you can email me at president@missouristate.edu.

I’ll see you on campus. Say hello if we run into each other.

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Dirie: ‘Without you, there isn’t a Missouri State’ MSU’s student body president shares his vision, offers words of encouragement ABDILLAHI DIRIE Guest Writer @MOStateSBP Hello and welcome back to campus!

I hope you all had a great summer and enjoyed some time to relax and spend time with your loved ones. It is an honor to serve you all as Student Body President this upcoming school year. I am excited to interact with you all and be your biggest cheerleader throughout the year. We have some cool things we want to accomplish, and with your help, we can do it!

We want to hear from you and understand what you want to see change at Missouri State. When you voice your opinion, we take that and really consider. Without you, there isn’t a Missouri State.

When I ran for Student Body President, my team and I wanted to focus

on three things: student wellness, student experience and campus advancement.

For student wellness, we want to ensure throughout our term that we are looking at both the physical and mental health of Missouri State students.

For student experience, we want to ensure that we are looking at ways to elevate the student experience for all students, while also making sure that every student feels like they belong at Missouri State and can call it home while they are here.

Lastly, for campus advancement, we want to see what can we add to campus to continue to better our institution.

It is important to get involved with student government and understand what is going on around campus. You can make a difference and be the change that you envision

for this university. If you have a problem or an issue, speak up and don’t let it just fade away. Understanding what is going on, will help you become more aware as a student.

When you know the policy and issues that are changing on campus, you will be able to be proactive and speak up for yourself and others. We are at a time in our nation where we need everyone to stand up and be civic leaders. We need young individuals to voice their opinions.

I believe being in an organization like Student Government Association and understanding policies will help you be that individual to speak up when the time comes. Here at Missouri State, we preach being a citizen bear and it is time we all be citizen bears and get involved to better our community.

SGA meets every Tuesday at 5:30

Photo submitted by Abdillahi Dirie

Abdillahi Dirie

p.m. in Robert W. Plaster Student Union room 313. Stop by and see what it’s about. If you enjoy it, get involved with us by applying to be a senator! Connect with us on Twitter @MoStateSGA and connect with my student body president Twitter ac-

count @MoStateSBP. I would love to hear what your ideas and collaborate with you all.

Don’t hesitate to send me an email as well at Abdillahi1997@live.missouristate.edu. I wish you the best this upcoming year! Go Bears!

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Brick City Buildings 3 and 4 are primarily used for art and design classes.

Brick City: Home of art and design ZOE BROWN Life Editor @zoe_zoebrown Located in the heart of downtown Springfield, Brick City is home to Missouri State University’s art and design department.

Because of its off-campus location, Brick City offers students the opportunity to engage with the community. The urban landscape promotes creative thinking, which is the purpose of the art and design department of MSU, according to the Art and Design Department’s website.

Brick City is part of an urban research park called IDEA Commons which stands for Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship and Art. This area has been in development through a partnership between MSU, the City of Springfield and the Springfield Business Development Corporation.

IDEA Commons aims to revitalize the area of downtown to become a place that is attractive to talented individuals, develop university partnerships with entrepreneurs and promote economic development, according to their website.

It is made up of the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center, Jordan Valley Innovation Center, Inspired Commerce Building, Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab and Brick City.

MSU leased the building spaces for classes for about 10 years before purchasing them in 2018.

Classes such as painting, sculpting, computer animation, photography, printmaking, digital arts and 3D studies are offered in these spaces. All art and design majors will have class in Brick City throughout their time at MSU. Brick City is made up of six buildings, four of which are in use by MSU.

Building 1: Brick 1 houses administrative offices, art history, ceramics, digital arts, graphic design, metals and jewelry, photography and printmaking. The Brick City Art Store is also located here.

Building 2: Building 2 of Brick City was demolished during the renovations of the area.

Building 3: The first and second floor of Brick 3 are used primarily for gallery space and art education classes.

Building 4: Within Brick 4 is an art gallery used to showcase bachelor of fine arts students, MSU faculty and professional artists. It also holds sculpture, drawing and painting classes.

Building 5: Brick 5 is used for photography.

How to get to Brick City

Located downtown at 305 W. Mill St., Brick City is a six-minute drive from the Plaster Student Union.

Two Bear Line routes, Gold and Gold Express, go to Brick City. Gold Express runs every five minutes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays. Gold Express makes stops at the PSU, but Gold does not.

In the evening, Maroon North stops at Brick City. The evening route runs from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and until 2 a.m. on Thursday.

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Major decisions

How much should salary impact your choice of major?

ZOE BROWN Life Editor @zoe_zoebrown The choice of an undergraduate major doesn’t automatically determine an employee’s starting salary, but some majors can have higher starting salaries with a bachelor’s degree than others.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers salary survey of 2018, the highest paying discipline is computer and information sciences at $73,768 as a starting salary, followed by engineering at $65,455 and mathematics and statistics at $65,349.

The lowest paying majors reported in the survey are zoology/animal biology at $26,424, drama and theater arts at $26,877, dietetics and nutrition at $29,592, and East Asian languages at $29,667.

For Anya Jones, sophomore dietetics major, the average starting salary in her declared major is one of the lowest paying of the NACE survey.

However, she plans to go on to become a dentist.

Jones said she knew a job in dietetics would not be high paying but she could still have a steady income with a bachelor’s degree.

“I could find a job because it’s not very popular,” Jones said. “But there’s always openings for it at hospitals if I needed to do that.”

Jones said she picked dietetics as an undergraduate degree because she was familiar with it. Her mother is a doctor and several of her family members are in the STEM field.

However, in high school, Jones was involved in choir and theater. Her advice to someone debating between going into the arts or the sciences is to go with what you’re truly passionate about.

Hayden Hart, sophomore musical theater major, said he can’t see himself doing anything other than musical theater.

“For me, there was nothing else I was going to do,” Hart said. “I came into it knowing I’m not going to be making a lot of money.”

Hart said he wants to do something he enjoys and finds fulfilling.

“I’m always going to say, ‘Do what you want to do,’ because you don’t want to be miserable,” Hart said. “I feel like I’d be so sad all the time if I worked in an office.”

Jones said she wants to love what she does and know she is financially stable. The ability to connect with people is what she values most in a career.

“I feel like there are jobs where you’re not able to see the work that’s actually being done and how it’s actually helping people,” Jones

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said. “I wanted to choose a job that I could actually see was changing people’s lives.”

Before college, Brendan Beck, sophomore computer science major, contemplated a career in the arts.

While Beck cites music as an area of interest, he said he personally wouldn’t have wanted to study music in college based on his style of learning. Beck said he prefers to learn by doing things on his own, rather than in an academic setting.

“Studying something artistic wouldn’t really work for me in college,” Beck said. “I think that was a huge factor that played into me choosing a major in the sciences.”

One reason Beck chose computer science as his major is because of the integration of computing into everyday life and the opportunity to pursue his hobbies and interests within the field.

“There has to be some hobby you have, to where if you have a computer science background, you can combine those and make that into something you enjoy,” Beck said.

On average, individuals with a bachelor’s degree in computer science have the highest starting salary, making $73,768 per year, according to the NACE survey. Beck expects to get a bachelor’s degree and potentially pursue a master’s degree in the field.

Beck said he would like to use his knowledge of audio engineering and computer science to conduct research that would contribute to speech recognition or possibly create his own music software.

Beck said salary definitely played a part in his choice of major.

“College is really an investment,” Beck said.

“If you’re going to be studying something, you should be looking at the salary — and that should be a part that factors in, but obviously it shouldn’t be entirely based on that.”

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Know when to say no

College is busy. Students have different priorities. Know what is important to you.

AFTON HARPER Staff Reporter @affie888 With over 300 student organizations and over 24,000 students at Missouri State, there are many connections to be made on campus.

However, college students have to learn to walk a fine line between having a social life, maintaining physical and mental health, and getting decent grades.

Julia Wilks, junior early childhood education major, said she has a hard time telling her friends no, especially because it is in her nature to procrastinate.

“If somebody’s like, ‘Hey, let’s get lunch at this time’ or ‘Let’s hang out,’ I’m probably going to say yes, even if I have something going on,” Wilks said. “I try to figure out a way to do it all.”

Wilks said she sometimes has events or meetings back-to-back, so she sticks to a strict schedule.

“It’s fun, but it’s crazy,” Wilks said.

Since coming to college, Wilks said she learned she has to say no eventually in order to get assignments done on time.

Wilks said she uses a planner to keep all of her events and due dates in one place. She said she’s still trying to get better with turning in assignments earlier. Sometimes she works on assignments a few hours before they are due.

“Just know where your priorities lay,” Wilks said. “If you choose to go to parties or hang

out with friends, then (your homework) won’t get done.”

Alec Haeberle, senior film production major and self-proclaimed introvert, said it is pretty easy for him to say no when he needs to.

Haeberle said there is always going to be parties or events to go to, so it’s OK to miss them occasionally to give yourself some “me” time.

Haeberle said he’s had to turn down a few short film offers over the past semester in order to give himself time to do homework and still spend time with his friends.

“You can’t do everything,” Haeberle said.

“You can be agreeable and still willing to do things but still have your own time. You can’t burden yourself with this idea of like, ‘Oh no, if I don’t say yes, then he won’t want me in his (film) project.’”

You’ve got to put the important stuff first, Haeberle said. Basic needs like eating and sleeping should be a priority.

Haeberle recommends making lists of all the things that need to get done during the week, even the simpler things like meeting someone for lunch.

“Sometimes you think you know it all and you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll remember that,’ but you don’t, and you won’t,” Haeberle said.

There is no perfect balance between homework and social activities. While some prioritize building connections, others might prefer a studious lifestyle.

There is no wrong choice between the two — just differing priorities.

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Clawing your hair out when you study? Try the Bear CLAW The Bear CLAW provides free tutoring when classes are in session GRETA CROSS Engagement Editor @gretacrossphoto Have you ever worked on a math problem for what seemed like hours and hours, but when you looked at the clock it had only been ten minutes? Maybe, instead of math, it was getting your history essay to flow smoothly. Whatever it may be, students of all ages and majors may struggle in a course or two throughout their time in college.

Missouri State offers a free tutoring service for all students, the Bear CLAW (Center for Learning and Writing.) The Bear CLAW is located on the first floor of the library and is open during regular library hours.

Although students can schedule one-on-one tutoring appointments, students commonly use the Bear CLAW’s drop-in tutoring service. A student needing help in a particular subject can sign in at the Bear CLAW’s front desk with their BearPass ID then join a tutor who specializes in that subject. This type of tutoring allows for an open environment among the tutors and students who need help in the same subject.

“To utilize the drop-in tables the student should come prepared with textbooks, class notes and specific questions,” Bear CLAW Di-

rector Diana Garland said. “The tutors will assist the student in the learning and problem solving processes.”

Students interested in private tutoring sessions may use the application TutorTrac via the university’s website. Through TutorTrac, students can schedule, track and cancel tutoring appointments.

The Bear CLAW is popularly known for its Math Center. The Math Center also utilizes dropin tutoring. Depending on the time of day, two to five tutors may be present at the Math Center.

GRETA CROSS/THE STANDARD Sophomore speech pathology major Kaci Jordan said she used the Math Center once a A Bear CLAW tutor helps prepare students for finals in the Math Center. week, then more often when studying for uppaper,” Amburn said. “I know what I want to coming tests throughout her freshman year. say, but I want someone to confirm that it comes “I love the Math Center in the Bear CLAW across correctly. Plus, they help make correcand would’ve been so lost without it,” Jordan tions and make some papers flow a lot easier.” said. “There was always someone around that could help me with a math problem. The tutors Aside from standard tutoring, the Bear are all very nice and helpful.”

CLAW also provides peer-assisted study sesAnother popular service at the Bear CLAW sions, workshops, presentations and special is the Writing Center, a workshop for student events based around academic success. essays, speeches and other written publications.

“Our goal is to help students become acaThe Writing Center requires scheduled appointdemically independent and successful in their ments, which can be made through TutorTrac, academic courses,” Garland said. “Ultimately we want to see students successful in their calling or just signing up at the Bear CLAW’s —Sophomore Kaci Jordan courses and complete their degree.” front desk.

Junior interior design major Christopher giously.”

For more information about the Bear CLAW, Amburn said he uses the Writing Center “reli“I always go and have someone read my visit bearclaw.missouristate.edu.

“There was always someone around that could help me with a math problem. The tutors are all very nice and helpful.”

Bear CLAW Fall Semester Subject Help

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(Above) Two students study for their math class finals in the Bear CLAW. (Right) A student works on a desktop computer in the Bear CLAW while preparing for finals week on May 9, 2019.

Drop-in Tables: • Math (also serving Physics) • Science (biology, biomedical sciences, chemistry, geology) • Business (accounting, finance, management, marketing, quantitative business analysis) • Economics • History Other subject help by appointment: Art history, Latin and Spanish, political science, philosophy and religion.

The Bear CLAW also provides academic coaching for time management and study skills. Call the Bear CLAW at 417-836-6398 for tutoring help.

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Take a unique elective class for fun Breaking out of general education and major courses may be beneficial JESSICA FLANIGAN Staff Reporter @jessicaf161 From wine tasting to scuba diving to video game development, Missouri State offers many unique courses to provide a one-of-a-kind educational experience suitable for every student.

Whether students need more elective hours or want to gain knowledge across various fields, these courses add liveliness and variation to break up the monotony of academic life.

The College of Agriculture offers many unique courses that are applicable for any major, including wine tasting, beekeeping and floral design.

Wine Appreciation for Consumers — AGP 300 — allows students the opportunity to experience wine tasting in a class setting.

Alyssa Killingsworth, a professor in the agriculture department, typically teaches this course in the fall.

Killingsworth said students can look forward to tasting over 60 different types of wine from around the world in an eightweek time frame.

“The course is structured to include lecture and a wine tasting of two flights that include eight different wines per class,” Killingsworth said. “At the end of the course, students participate in a food and wine pairing to practice their new wine evaluation skills.”

Students from all different majors tend to take this course,

although they must be at least 21 years old in order to be eligible.

“Students will have a practical knowledge of wine and will have developed a procedure to evaluate wines in professional settings and for personal use,” Killingsworth said.

The Department of Kinesiology provides courses related to health, movement and sports and recreation. There are many memorable courses to satisfy any adventurous and exploratory interests, such as alpine skiing, canoeing, fencing and bowling.

Clayton Coffman, senior marketing management major, took KIN 135 Selected Activities, a class that develops lifetime skills in assorted sports, fitness and leisure activities.

With several sections, this one-credit hour course offers activities from pistol marksmanship to yoga to flyfishing. Coffman joined a section that focused on scuba diving.

The instructors provided the students with all the gear and equipment needed to learn sufficient diving skills before they took to the water.

“Everyone got to be involved simultaneously, and it was nice being able to be with a group of people while diving,” Coffman said.

Enjoying the scuba class and everything he learned from it, Coffman said it was all completely hands-on from the very beginning.

“We were in the water the first day and had all of our gear on the second day and were already diving,” Coffman said. “It was really cool to be able to learn everything so quickly and

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actually get to dive.”

At the end of the course, students showcased their diving skills on a group trip to Table Rock Lake.

For any aspiring visual artists who are tech-savvy, the Art and Design department offers courses in video game design and development.

In ART 301 and 302, students can use their creativity and imagination to construct their own 3D video game through the collaboration of artists, designers and programmers.

Students gain versatility when taking any of these eccentric courses, as they experience the benefits of engaging in activities separate from familiarity.

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Searching for textbooks?

The Great Textbook Search happens at the start of every semester, emptying wallets and worrying students. Not to worry ­— just read on.

CLAYTON FRYE Staff Reporter @clayton__frye Buying textbooks is often one of the most confusing and potentially expensive aspects of starting classes as a freshman. With so many options, it can be hard to know where to start.

The first place many students go is the Missouri State University Bookstore. They stock a wide variety of books and are located centrally on campus. The bookstore can mail books as well as reserve them for in-store pickup.

They feature convenient payment options, like charging books to the student account to pay off later.

“Students don’t have to wait for their financial aid to arrive,” Bookstore Director Raymond Presnell said. “(Students) can put all their textbook purchases and accessories, like school supplies, on their student account.”

The bookstore provides a printing station to print the student’s book list, then they can walk 10 steps to fill the order. The bookstore return policy is lenient, with two weeks after classes start to return the books for a full refund.

“We work really hard on our pricing to stay competitive,” Presnell said. “We consult with a third party to compare our prices to those online and try to stay in line with them.”

The next option is third-party bookstores, of which there are two in Springfield: Text Bucks and Student Book Exchange. Both are located less than a mile from campus. There are several advantages to these options. First, they allow you to rent textbooks. This is often much cheaper than buying them, with the added benefit of not having to sell them back at

the end of the year.

Student Book Exchange employee Adam Hoots said third-party bookstore workers may have “insider knowledge” about which textbooks and materials certain teachers actually use.

“After doing this for so long, we get a sense of what each class uses,” Hoots said. “Take, for example, a really difficult organic chemistry class. If everyone comes back halfway through the semester to get the optional lab manual, then we know to recommend it to students when they’re buying their books.”

Third, the prices are usually lower. Hoots said third-party bookstores don’t have to stock books for every student like the MSU bookstore, so they can afford to spend time looking for lower-priced used textbooks.

The last option for students is buying online.

There are websites that specialize in selling and renting textbooks and e-books. Some major websites are Amazon, Chegg and Half Price Books.

Keep in mind the accuracy of the materials for specific courses while shopping online.

Since online sellers don’t know students’ classes, students have to be aware of all relevant information, such as title, edition, access codes, workbooks and/or lab manuals to be sure you’re getting the right books.

With any of these options, students should be sure to order or reserve their textbooks early.

“Certain books run out really quickly, especially when everyone is starting classes,” Hoots said.

With a little effort and some preparation, students can make the textbook buying experience painless and cheaper.

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Transfer trouble Feeling like you’re starting over this year? Dupske gives her advice for transfer students.

KATHERINE DUPSKE @kdupske Guest Writer Sometimes as a transfer student you may feel like a freshman, even though you’re more than likely an older student. You have to learn where all of your classes and buildings are on the first day, and you might only know a few people — if any —so you might have to make new friends. Depending on where you are in your college journey, you might be starting completely new classes for your degree.

With all of these factors, and being that every student is different, you may face a challenge like something described above, or, you may float into your new school smoothly.

No matter what your experience, below are my tips for transfer students.

To start, make a mental note of university resources that may be of use to you. Get to know what the buildings on campus house, in case you need help.

Carrington offers a lot of great services —not only financial aid but also offices to help with your degree and career development.

Advisors are definitely some of the best resources you can find, so utilize them! So many of the advisors and professors I had in my first year at Missouri State were approachable and answered my questions eagerly. Emails and office hours go right along with this, so definitely learn how your advisors and professors keep in touch and what their office hours are and take advantage of it.

The library also has good resources, like computers to check out, a research help desk, and the Bear Claw. Also, just about every building on campus has a study space and/or computer lab for students to use, which can be nice places to wait between classes.

Another great resource if you live in a residence hall are your resident assistants — they’ve been here longer and know campus resources well.

Photo submitted by Katherine Dupske

Katherine Dupske

“There are ways to make your transition to a new university as smooth as possible, like getting out there and finding people who share your interests.”

Springfield is full of things to do when you have free time outside of class. There are plenty of places to explore and the city of Springfield sponsors a ton of events, like a tree lighting ceremony for the holidays.

Commercial Street is another place to go, farther north than downtown. This historic street holds plenty of shops and restaurants to visit and browse.

Campus also offers numerous extracurricular activities. Most of these events are completely free. During Welcome Week, the university offers a great event each year where every university club hosts a booth to advertise what they do to all new and returning students.

It may be really intimidating, but it’s definitely a good event to watch out for to find your place at MSU! Overall, your transfer experience is what you make of it. There are ways to make your transition to a new university as smooth as possible, like getting out there and finding people who share your interests. By doing this, hopefully you’ll begin moving into the direction you desire, professionally and personally!

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Teague: It’s about more than tightly scheduled credit hours SARAH TEAGUE Editor-in-Chief @sarah_k_teague Many college students finish their undergraduate degree in a difficult but concise four years. These years we spend gaining a degree are important, and are obviously for more than a piece of paper and an intimidating walk through JQH Arena. It’s a chance to better ourselves and gain the skills we need to move up in the world.

My story isn’t on the four-year timeline many experience. I came into college with zero credit hours to transfer in. I didn’t take any dual credit classes so I had to start from the very bottom, as many freshmen do.

On top of this, I decided to double major for my first three years of college, and this set me back considerably in what I ended up picking as my sole major — can you guess? Yes, journalism.

And to add a little more crazy in, I worked full-time while going to school some semesters, between the student newspaper, a part-time job for extra cash and a couple of internships I picked up along the way — usually working a combination of these at once.

So considering these factors, you’d probably assume I’d do my best to never veer off

Photo submitted by Sarah Teague

Sarah Teague

track so I could graduate on time — no extra trips, no unneeded elective courses and no failing.

So what did I do? I dropped a required math course four times and failed it once. I worked way too much while in school and then I decided to move to Africa for my fourth (and what should’ve been) my last year of college.

Don’t worry, I had a great time in Africa and I finally passed math online while I was out there too.

And while some Type-A planners or scholarship students winced reading my off track journey to this point, it’s a proud badge I wear.

I may be running my victory lap now (staying for a fifth year), but I wouldn’t trade these memories for the world — even to graduate in four years.

While some may try to lie and tell you otherwise, after college our lives become work. It’s all about what we make it, of course. Some choose to work a 9-to-5, others hang out in international circles to feel cool about working, others try the self-employed life for independence. But at the end of the day, it’s work.

So when my family — who live in Côte d’Ivoire — attempted to convince me to move out there with them for a “few months” (liars, it was much longer) — it didn’t take long. I said yes after about 30 seconds of hearing my father explain that a fifth year of college isn’t that big of a deal. I thought, “When else would I get this opportunity?” And “a few months” quickly turned into ten months. Oops.

What I found in West Africa was more than I imagined. Though I lived in Africa before as a child, I hadn't been to Côte d’Ivoire before.

It was terrifying, exhilarating and eye-opening.

I was scared a lot, there was a considerable amount of danger basically all the time, I ate a

lot of spicy food, spoke really broken French and made meaningful connections reaching into another culture that changed my life.

So while your story may be a four-year story, that’s great! But for others who need more time, you may not have to have traveled across the world to need another year — or few years — to finish your degree.

Some of you are trying to pay tuition while also trying to keep food on the table. Others are raising families and school has to be a side project. And still others may be living in another extenuating circumstance delaying their degree.

So, if you’re someone who is in a similar boat as me, I guess I’m here to tell you it’s OK. It’s almost impossible to not compare ourselves to others already out there using their degrees and moving on, but that’s not what gaining a degree is about.

The real value of your education is about more than the graduation robe — it’s about your personal growth to wear that robe, and to get to a place where you are proud of all you have accomplished and know you have the training to achieve even more.

And studying at the undergraduate level is already an accomplishment many take for granted today — but you’ve made it here.

Just think of how far you’ll go.

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Our Public Affairs Mission The 2019-2020 theme for MSU’s Public Affairs Conference is the 21st Century Digital World: How technology has positively and negatively impacted modern living CONNOR WILSON Staff Reporter @Connor4Wilson Each year, Missouri State University focuses on a theme for its public affairs mission. The goal is to choose a topic that fosters productive discussion and is relevant to students and community members alike —regardless of their career paths.

This year, the theme is “The 21st Century Digital World,” a topic applicable to students in every career path. This theme focuses on how technological advances have impacted modern living, both positively and negatively.

Mary Ann Wood, director of public affairs support, said each annual theme will play into deciding what the focus is of the Public Affairs Conference and all events the public affairs office holds throughout the year.

“We’ve been working with this theme for over a year now,” Wood said.

The Public Affairs Conference will take place from Oct. 1 through Oct. 3. The bulk of the conference is discussion panels over a variety of topics, from how technology plays into connecting people to whether or not technology makes the world safer.

On Oct. 1, the conference formally begins with a keynote led by country music DJ, Bobby Bones. Afterward, 20 panels will be held over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday.

The 2019-2020 Provost Fellow for Public Affairs, Paul Durham, said that the main goal is to create a dialogue.

“We don’t want just experts,” Durham said.

“The design of it actually freaks a lot of people out.”

Each panel has four speakers, but not all on-stage are experts on the topic.

All panelists will sit in on at least one panel topic that lies in their field of expertise. However, they’ll also participate in panels outside their focus to help further discussion by contributing an outside perspective.

“We’re bringing together panelists that have different interests because you want different perspectives,” Durham said.

A large portion of conference events will take place in the Robert W. Plaster Student Union to make attendance convenient for students. Local members of the community are encouraged to come and participate.

Admittance is free and open to the public.

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The Citizen Scholar statue stands directly in front of Strong Hall and represents the university’s commitment to public affairs.

Public Affairs Conference The Public Affairs Conference is held every year at Missouri State University. This year, it will run from Oct. 1—3 in different rooms of the PSU with more than 30 speakers targeting digital issues as the focus on their events. The keynote speaker will be Bobby Bones, a popular country music DJ.

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Archiving history Library employees preserve items of the past CONNOR WILSON Staff Reporter @Connor4Wilson Duane G. Meyer Library at Missouri State University has many resources for students, including academic resources, study spaces, computers, printing and even a virtual reality headset. The library also hosts a fully staffed office in charge of preserving artifacts.

Located on the third floor of Meyer Library, Special Collections and Archives is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anne Baker, head of special collections, said Special Collections and Archives holds onto material that are either one of a kind or unique in some way.

“We have history of the university going back to when it was founded in 1905,” Baker said.

According to the Special Collections and Archives website, there are four main kinds of collections: Ozarkiana, which covers the history of the Ozarks, University Archives, Ozark Labor Union Archives and General Special Collections. Many items in these collections have copies but are preserved nonetheless.

“There are still many (university yearbooks) floating around,” Baker said. “I see them on eBay all the time, but we want to make sure we save them here because this is our history.”

Special Collections focuses on the culture and history of the Ozarks. The archives keep records on a variety of subjects, such as newsletters, files on certain subjects — like the non-discrimination clause on campus — photographs and some artifacts.

“We have a group of supporters in the area who approached us several years ago called the Ozarks Lesbian and Gay Archives,” Baker said.

The library hosts a variety of records, ranging from minute details kept on the defunct Frisco Railroad to a bound book from 1502.

On the collections website, there are currently

171 collections logged, with some collections containing hundreds of documents.

Technology development has made some collections available online. The digitization of these collections allows for in-text searches. Baker said if anyone wanted to know when someone famous came to campus, they could look it up in the digital archives and find the answer.

Baker said the process of archiving information online can be an arduous task. File formats change over time, so in order to make sure the archive’s format stays up to date, the Special Collections and Archives have their own digitization lab dedicated to overseeing the digitization process. Baker said for just one collection, over 4,000 photos had been digitized and 1,500 are available online so far.

“Scanning is the easy part,” Baker said. “You have to be detail-oriented around here.”

In most cases, the staff acquires material from local organizations who either send in documents, bring them in in-person or call them to retrieve it from a location.

In one instance, Baker said the former head of collections drove out to a vacant house to collect documents and found a opossum upstairs.

“The things we do for our job,” Baker joked.

While Special Collections and Archives is a research facility, it also contains an exhibit space that changes several times per year.

Every summer they hold a themed fundraiser, and the displays reflect the theme. The theme usually stems from what has recently been donated — or anything relevant or interesting.

Baker said it truly it comes down to getting to show off some of their favorite items.

“We’ll all take turns (saying), ‘I’m going to put that on display for a while,’” Baker said.

Baker said the Special Collections and Archives encourages anyone undertaking research to walk in or call and ask about materials.

The staff can be reached at 417-836-4700 or by email at Archives@MissouriState.edu.

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Academic Calendar Fall 2019

Aug. 5: Fall Intersession classes begin Aug. 16: Fall Intersession classes end Aug. 19: Classes begin Sept. 2: Labor Day holiday (no classes) Oct. 8: First Block classes end Oct. 9: First Block final exams Oct. 10-11: Fall Holiday (no classes) Oct. 14: Second Block classes begin Nov. 26: Thursday evening

classes (4 p.m. or later) meet; Tuesday evening classes do not meet Nov. 27-Dec. 1: Thanksgiving Holiday (no classes) Dec. 5: Last day of classes Dec. 6: Study Day (no classes) Dec. 7-12: Final exams period for full semester and second Block classes Dec. 13: Commencement

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Spring 2020

Jan. 6: Winter Intersession classes begin Jan. 10: Winter Intersession classes end Jan. 13: Classes begin Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no classes) Feb. 17: Presidents Day (no classes) Feb. 19: Monday evening classes (4 p.m. or later) meet; Wednesday evening classes do not meet March 5: First block classes end March 6: First block final

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exams March 9: Second block classes begin March 14-22: Spring Break (no classes) April 9-12: Spring Holiday (no classes) May 7: Last day of classes May 8: Study Day (no classes) May 9-14: Final exams period for full semester and second bock classes May 15: Commencement Information from “2019-20 Academic Calendar on Missouri State University’s website.

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Online classes offer flexibility, require time management skills The benefits and drawbacks of online classes at MSU SHANNON NOONAN Staff Reporter @shannon_noo When considering online courses, it is important to keep in mind the responsibilities and challenges that may come along with them. Time management as well as contacting professors and classmates through Blackboard and online chatting services are just a couple reasons online classes may provide new challenges for students.

Macey Hurst, senior agricultural communications and agribusiness marketing and sales major, understands the importance of time management, which plays to her advantage in taking online courses.

Hurst travels home to Jefferson City frequently throughout the school year. Taking online courses allows the opportunity for her to pursue her degree and take a full course load even while traveling.

“These types of courses suit the needs of all types of students and offer the opportunity of an education to everyone,” Hurst said.

While Hurst enjoys the flexibility online courses, the experience can be very different for others.

Adrienne Strickfaden, senior health services major, had a positive experience with her online courses but said it can be “extremely time-consuming.”

In the spring of 2019, each one of Strickfaden’s five courses had to be taken online — that was the only way her courses were offered. Despite the time commitment, Strickfaden enjoys the flexibility of taking online courses because it still allows her the opportunity to work.

Online courses require a different type of dedication than traditional classes. For some students, it’s easier to learn in a physical classroom.

“Retaining the information is definitely harder because I don’t have a professor telling me the information,” Strickfaden said. “I think it’s because I don’t have someone holding me accountable to write down notes from lectures.”

Cynthia Speckman, a communications instructor at MSU, teaches interpersonal communication and conflict theory to her online students while living on the coast of Oregon.

“I feel like I really connect with the students because they have to communicate,” Speckman said. “I feel more connected than I probably did in a traditional classroom. People are a little bit more vulnerable when there is a screen than when they are in person. It’s incredibly rewarding.”

Speckman tries her best to mimic the experience of a “brick and mortar” classroom through student engagement with their peers.

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Macey Hurst, senior agricultural communications and agricultural business major, stands at Missouri State’s Darr Agricultural Center. Because online classes allow flexibility in location when taking them, students like Macey can study from anywhere.

“These types of courses suit the needs of all types of students and offer the opportunity of an education to everyone.”

—Macey Hurst, senior “Ask questions, and don’t be scared,” Speckman said. “Reach out to the other students, even though you’re not in a classroom together and you’re not looking at each other eye-to-eye, try to make some connections with your other classmates.”

Along with encouraging her students to make

connections with both herself and their classmates, Speckman encourages each individual who is considering enrolling in an online course to figure out what teaching style works best for them.

“Being both a student and an instructor in the online classroom, I learned a lot,” Speckman said. “I saw what worked and what didn’t work, and I heard feedback from my students. You’ve got to know what your learning style is, and you’ve got to pay attention to what your instructor’s style is.”

There are both advantages and disadvantages to taking online courses, but if it is something you are interested in, do some research about the courses and the professors and some self reflecting. Ask other students who have been enrolled in specific courses about their experiences, and pay attention to the ways in which you learn best.

Top Tips for Online Study 1. Clearly communicate your course expectations, goals 2. Ask questions 3. Don’t be scared to reach out to your peers online first for projects, discussion 4. Figure out which teaching style works best for you 5. Give feedback

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The realities of facilitating a service dog on campus GRETA CROSS Engagement Editor @gretacrossphoto As a freshman, moving onto a college campus can be stressful - sharing a living space with a complete stranger and finding the correct lecture halls can add to the anxieties. A companion can often make this transition easier.

There are two types of companions Missouri State allows in the residence halls — emotional support animals and service animals. Both can be registered through the Disability Resource Center on campus by students diagnosed with specific disabilities or other health conditions.

Emotional support animals, or ESAs, provide therapeutic benefits to his or her owner with a diagnosed mental disability, while service animals are trained to perform a specific task an individual may not be able to perform on his or her own.

MSU allows ESAs to be contained within the student’s assigned university housing room or apartment, except when the student is taking the animal to a relief area or off campus property, according to the university’s Emotional Support Animal Policy.

Junior public relations major Leslie Dean registered her 3-year-old miniature dachshund, Cas, as an ESA with the university for her anxiety.

Dean registered Cas about a month before moving onto campus, which is recommended by the university. Dean described the entire registration process as “simple.”

“I filled out like a page and a half, maybe, of just basic questions about my anxiety and Cas himself,” Dean said. “From there, I had another page to two pages that my mental health professional had to fill out.”

After submitting her paperwork to the Disability Resource Center, she was contacted the next day via her MSU email, informing her of Cas’ ESA approval.

Students interested in having an ESA on campus, specifically in the residence halls, should be informed of the rules outlined in the university’s Emotional Support Animal Policy.

One of the rules stressed in the university’s Emotional Support Animal Policy is about the animal’s primary caregiver. The handler — the student who owns the animal — should be the sole individual who is in control of the animal at all times.

“If someone else is seen feeding (Cas), walking him — any basic care needs —I can get in trouble,” Dean said.

On one occasion, Dean’s Resident Assistant saw her roommate walking Cas alone and wrote her up for not following policy. Dean attended a meeting about the incident and was given a warning. However, students may be asked to remove animals from resident halls or campus

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Callie Rainey comes home from classes to her dog, Ryder.

if policies are continuously broken.

Along with being the animal’s sole caregiver, the handler should only register an animal that is housebroken. ESAs are expected to utilize provided relief areas, while handlers are expected to clean up after their animal in a timely and sanitary manner.

Handlers are also responsible for any damages related to their animal, especially in the residence halls, and will be charged for any damages.

Although students must abide by a handful of rules when it comes to owning an ESA, Dean said having Cas by her side throughout her transition to living on campus has benefited her immensely. “(He) just makes me feel less homesick and a lot happier,” Dean said. “He’s a great conversation starter. I’ll take him out to events, especially when I first got to campus, and I met quite a few friends that way.”

Dean said students interested in registering an ESA on campus should prioritize time in their schedule to care for their animal, making sure to give them a proper amount of attention.

“Make sure you give them plenty of attention because taking care of your ESA is more important than any event,” Dean said. “You can be a couple of minutes late to the event to take your dog on a walk or give your cat a little bit of extra attention.”

For more information about Missouri State’s Emotional Support Animal Policy visit www. missouristate.edu/policy/Op5_05_8-emotional -support-animal-policy.htm.

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Studying outside the U.S. is easier than you think KAYLA CURRY Staff Reporter @kaylalcurry With over 300 long-term study abroad programs and an increasing number of short-term programs, Missouri State University’s Study Away office offers students a variety of options to travel while earning their degree.

“Only three percent of Missouri State students study away, so we could do a better job at promoting it,” Study Away office worker and senior health services major Miranda O’Connell said. “I feel like it’s the stigma around study away. A lot of people think its really expensive, or they think they can’t go because of their major, but that’s definitely false.”

Study Away programs are largely customizable. Students have the option of two types of programs — affiliate programs and exchange programs, O’Connell said.

Students can choose what type of program they want, whether they would like a short term or long term program, what continent they would like to study in and whether or not they want to study general education classes or major specific courses.

O’Connell said that short term programs —which are less than a semester long — are not always open year round, so students inter-

MSU student Miranda O’Connell stands by the ocean in Kinsale, Ireland, on her study away trip.

Submitted by Miranda O’Connell

ested in them should plan for them in advance and check the study away website often.

Missouri State tuition does not transfer over to study away programs, but the cost varies depending on where you choose to go and how you choose to go.

Students interested in studying away are able to use all financial aid granted at MSU towards their study abroad program, and some university scholarships like the Board of Governor’s scholarship offer study abroad vouchers.

O’Connell said every college at MSU provides at least $10,000 to $15,000 a year in study

away scholarships, along with foundation scholarships.

In an exchange program, ISEP, students pay Missouri State room and board and tuition while attending classes abroad.

For affiliate programs like International Study Abroad, each program costs different amounts depending on where the student goes because the program fee is based on the cost of the programs in that country. For example, a program in Europe costs more than one in Asia.

“It’s a wide range,” senior public relations major Desmond Warren said. “Our most ex-

pensive program is called ‘Semester at Sea.’ You’re on a cruise ship for an entire semester, so it’s like $30,000 versus going to Mexico which I did. My semester was only like $3,500 with tuition, housing, meals and everything.”

As Warren’s experience shows, in some cases studying away can be cheaper than studying at MSU. Programs in countries such as Mexico, Thailand and Sweden offer less expensive tuition.

“You kind of have to be open to where you want to go,” O’Connell said. “I went to Ireland, so it was more expensive, but it wasn’t as expensive as some other places.”

For students or parents concerned about safety, O’Connell assures students are safe while away. In many programs, students stay with a host family that ensures a 24/7 resource for all questions and concerns.

“They worry about you like your parents would worry about you,” graduate assistant Jessica Worster said.

Student workers O’Connell and Warren said the planning process for studying abroad is fairly simple: just come into the office. No appointment is needed.

“We say you should come in a year in advance,” Warren said. “You can just come into our office and sit down and ask us ‘hey, what are my options?’”

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College courses may require more study than high school KAYLA CURRY Staff Reporter @kaylalcurry Transitioning from high school to college means switching from eight-hour school days to spending less than half that amount of time in class each day. It also means less work is done in class, and more work is left up to the student.

Tracy Stout, head of Research and Instructional Services at Meyer Library, said one of the trickiest areas of studying in college versus studying in high school is the amount of time allotted for studying.

“Most instructors will have a higher expectation in the amount of studying for their courses and sometimes that does not match the expectations of students,” Stout said. “The same amount of studying in high school does not equal the same amount in college.”

Stout suggests a general rule for students is

to dedicate two to three hours of outside study time for every credit hour. For example, for a three-credit hour course, students should spend six to nine hours studying for that course per week.

Stout said good time management skills are important in transitioning to college life.

She recommends students purchase a planner, fill it out completely and keep it updated regularly with everything from deadlines, to outside class activities, to planned study times.

“Don’t be the one who thinks they can cram the night before or get away with not doing it at all,” sophomore elementary education major Michael Chapman said. “Study smarter by spreading out your study load the week before your test for a better end result.”

As for getting study material, Stout said to make the most of class time by practicing active listening and taking great notes while in class.

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“Discover which note-taking method works best for you,” Stout said. “Look up different note taking styles and try them out. The Cornell format is a common way to take notes. You can also practice your note-taking method while you’re reading your textbook.”

For sophomore art history major Aly Cartier, she never had to try hard in high school to get the grades she wanted, but now that she’s in college, she has had to develop new study habits and note-taking skills.

“If it’s terms that I need to memorize I write them over and over again,” Cartier said. “It’s grueling and I hate every minute of it, but it works.”

Every student has different learning styles, but other factors to consider are different times and environments in which students like to study, Stout said. For example, some students prefer complete silence, others prefer to have background noise.

“My favorite place on campus to study is in the library by Starbucks, so I can get some coffee and stay away from the distractions in my room,” Chapman said.

The last piece of advice Stout gives to students is to “study up on studying” by using resources such as VARK learning styles to find your learning style or researching strategies online that cater to various individuals because everyone is different.

Graphic by JADIE ARNETT/THE STANDARD

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The Counseling Center, located in Magers Health and Wellness, is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

When it’s too much, don’t go it alone Don’t less stress win.

Visit the Counseling Center.

TINSLEY MERRIMAN Staff Reporter @MerrimanTinsley In the world of academics, stress seems to be a constant. But while stress can seem overwhelming, there are many simple ways to combat it.

Located on the third floor Magers Health and Wellness, the Counseling Center’s goal is to “promote students' personal development and psychological well-being.” According to Director Rhonda Lesley, there are a variety of easy ways to combat stress.

“One thing I think for managing stress, just a very basic stress management technique is deep breathing and muscle relaxation,” Lesley said. “That’s something you can do in the moment when you’re stressed out and anxious or uneasy. Just learning to take slower, deeper diaphragmatic breaths. As far as being more organized, having a plan of some kind, sitting down and creating a schedule. Making sure you’re scheduling time for self-care, things like exercise, hobbies, socializing and fun activities too as not to be totally overwhelmed and swamped. Physical exercise is one of the very best things for mood stabilization.”

Sarah Herdman, junior marketing and management major, said that her relaxation method involved self-care, socialization and exercise.

“I go to the Foster Rec Center and I hang out with people in my building,” Herdman said.

“Also Target has really cheap face masks and

really good exfoliators, you can get them really cheap for college students. They have boy ones too, so either gender is fine.”

Brock Hughes, junior health services major, said that spending time talking and training with others helped him combat stressful days.

“I guess my girlfriend really helps me out, I talk to her about stuff and my family is really supportive,” Hughes said. “Also I’m on the football team so I’ve got teammates and friends who help me out with that.”

Mia Baker, senior international business and Spanish major, said that to combat stress, she handles assignments in “little pieces,” making sure to take breaks as not to panic during work.

Lesley confirmed that this is a good way to handle stress in coursework. She encouraged breaks in study time, instead of cramming for long periods of time.

“Sometimes people will do a four hour stretch of hitting the books,” said Lesley. “And it’s not recommended, it’s not a very healthy way to handle it. It would be better to work in half hour increments, or 45 minutes to an hour, take a five- or 10-minute break, get totally away from it. Even scheduling time without screens.”

For new students, Lesley said that balance is key. Balancing education and socialization helps a student handle their stress.

She also said that getting the required amount of sleep, seven to nine hours, is a great benefit. Finally, Lesley said that if a student has some sort of problem, getting it checked out as soon as possible is key. She advised reaching out as soon as possible to get help as soon as possible.

To contact the Counseling Center, call the office at 417-836-5116 or reach out online at counselingcenter.missouristate.edu.

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Freshmen required to take part in service learning KATHRYN DOLAN Staff Reporter @kathryndolan98 As the semester begins, incoming freshman will be taking First Year Foundations, a General Education Program course, required by Missouri State University to acclimate newcomers to campus. This course requires students to complete four hours of community service as part of the curriculum in order to fulfill Missouri State’s public affairs mission of community engagement.

GEP works with a program called Give Pulse, a place where community partners at MSU post when they have opportunities available for students to sign up and volunteer at their organization. This program can be very helpful to any student trying to find service opportunities. All of the information can be found and accessed in the GEP blackboard course site.

Kelly Wood, executive director for academic success and transition, supervises and recruits faculty for GEP classes.

“We’re trying to develop citizens

here at Missouri State,” Wood said.

“Citizens are people that get involved in their community not only through service but also through understanding the issues in their community.”

She said there are many ways students can help better their community through service, whether it’s providing meals to individuals in need or helping out at a community garden.

Wood said there are two Saturday morning volunteer based events hosted by Missouri State in September and October where students can earn all 4 required hours of service at once.

Wood said this is the second year students will be pre-registered into their GEP sections; by the time freshman come to Student Orientation, Advisement and Registration (SOAR), their GEP class will already be scheduled.

“It’s always a mad dash at SOAR trying to get into the courses you need as a freshman,” Wood said. “(Preregistration) takes the guessing game out so students can build the rest of their schedule around their assigned GEP course.”

Wood said there are sections of

GEP that are designated by college, designed for students in the same field of study to work together. She said GEP faculty members often arrange service activities for the whole class that relates to their major. Wood said there are also sections dedicated to first-generation college students.

“This allows us to provide additional support, guidance and information to students who are first in their family to go to college,” Wood said.

Students log their service hours in Campus Link and are required to provide contact information from the event or organization they volunteered for in order to verify completion of the service.

If students fail to provide a valid contact or complete a service that does not meet the requirements of GEP, the hours will not be counted.

“The definition of service for (MSU) is addressing or bringing awareness to a humanitarian or community issue through a non-profit agency,” Wood said.

Alex Johnson, the director of community-engaged learning, said com-

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Volunteers with Convoy of Hope bag groceries going out to those in need in the community. Convoy of Hope has volunteer opportunities for students who need service hours. ing to college is a large transition for students. He said one of the positives of service learning is that it helps connect students to Springfield.

“We want students to feel like they belong, are welcome, and can make a difference in their new home,” John-

son said.

Two popular places students often volunteer are the Springfield community gardens, an organization addressing healthy food systems, and Convoy of Hope, an international disaster relief organization.

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The do’s and don’ts of sharing a dorm room KATHRYN DOLAN Staff Reporter @kathryndolan98 Spending two semesters living in a confined space often with a total stranger may seem a bit daunting to incoming freshman living in a residence hall. For many students this will be their first time sharing a living space. This transition can often be challenging.

Isabella Holtrop, a junior child and family development major, offered wisdom on making the freshman year roommate experience a positive one. Holtrop lived in Blair-Shannon her freshman year. Residence hall rooms in Blair-Shannon each have three separate bedrooms, one living room, one bathroom and six residents in total.

“Some people wouldn’t like to live with that many people, but overall I loved it,” said Holtrop.

Holtrop recommends agreeing upon a cleaning system at the beginning of the year. She said her roommates would switch off weekly on who would clean the living room and bathroom.

Holtrop said the key to a healthy roommate relationship is communication. If a problem erupts between roommates, she recommends addressing it right away to avoid internalized negative feelings.

“The worst thing you can do is avoiding talking about a problem,” Holtrop said. ”You never want things to boil up.”

Holtrop found texting to be a successful form of communication when addressing roommate issues. She said some people may perceive this as a cowardly method, but writing out the problem helped her calm down and organize her thoughts.

“In person you can’t always get out everything you need to say,” said Holtrop. “Face-to-face confrontation can be nerve-racking and awkward.”

Lauren Seibert, a nursing student at Cox College and former MSU student, lived in Hammons House her freshman year and said her roommate would often surprise her with thoughtful gifts.

“It was never anything expensive or huge,” Siebert said. “It was just her way of letting me know I was appreciated and that she enjoyed living with me.”

Seibert says the little things can go a long way. She recommends being kind to your roommate whenever possible to avoid a toxic roommate relationship. She advises freshmen to write encouraging notes for their roommates on the mirror or invite them to go to a party.

“You don’t need to be best friends,” said Seibert. “But it’s so nice to have a positive living environment to come home to.”

Zach Mueller, a junior computer science major, prefers communicating about roommate issues in person. He believes direct communication regarding conflict is the most effective and views texting as passive aggressive.

“We speak a lot with body language and tone of voice,” said Mueller. “It’s hard to properly deliver what you’re trying to say through writing.”

Mueller said it’s important to communicate with your roommate when inviting guests over, especially significant others. He said there may be times where your roommate has someone spend the night and you have to share a room with two people for the night.

“The best way to deal with guests is to give as much advance notice as possible,” said Mueller. “Let your roommate know when your guest is coming and what’s to be expected out of the visit.”

Mueller said living with a roommate is all about compromise. He says being a good roommate is simple when you treat people with respect.

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Finding faith-based organizations at MSU Explore MSU’s broad array of campus ministries to find your place of worship ZOE BROWN Life Editor @zoe_zoebrown For many students of faith at MSU, spirituality is the foundation of life. This foundation can be nurtured in college through one of MSU’s religious organizations.

Maggie Wampler, sophomore communications sciences and disorders major, said she attended several campus ministries her freshman year including the Vine, Younglife, Delight, Christian Campus House and StuMo (Student Mobilization).

Wampler said her faith is important to her because it is the only consistent part of her life that she can turn to in good times and bad.

“My relationship with God, even in its wavering moments, is something that has brought me up from some of my toughest times,” Wampler said.

Wampler recommends trying out various campus ministries to find what works for you, even if it might take a couple of tries.

“Just don’t give up,” Wampler said. “It is so worth it to surround yourself with people who have a common goal. If you’re not one to try new things on your own, grab your roommates and go together, that way it’s less intimidating.”

After trying out different ministries, Wampler began primarily attending the Vine.

She said the worship and message was what made the Vine different from the other campus ministries she tried out.

“We have a pastor from a local church that speaks every time we meet, and he always has a great message that relates to super relevant topics in the lives of students.”

Being a part of a campus ministry has made the transition from high school to college much easier, Wampler said.

“I think having a set time to worship (God) once or twice a week with my peers has helped me grow in my faith and also helps me feel more confident with everything college life seems to throw my way,” Wampler said.

The Vine meets every Wednesday night in Carrington Hall at 7 p.m.

Ann Cole, sophomore marketing major, is a member of Gamma Alpha Lambda, a Christian sorority at MSU.

“(Campus ministries have) given me a home at Missouri State and friends that I will have forever. It has helped me grow in leadership and pushed me out of my comfort zone.”

— Megan Loaney, senior communications major

“The thing that makes GAL different from other campus ministries or sororities on campus is that we not only have a love for God but a bond through our sisterhood and are welcoming to all others who want to know what a love for Jesus is all about,” Cole said.

GAL is not a part of Fraternity and Sorority Life but offers women a faith-based community bonded by their pillars of servanthood, evangelism, faith and sisterhood.

“Our mission is to serve with a heart like (God), sharing the faith as Jesus Christ would, growing a personal relationship with Him and forming a bond and unity within our organization,” Cole said.

Cole said GAL has introduced her to new friendships as well as helped grow her faith.

“It’s helped me to see how wonderful God is and how He has a better plan for me than I could even imagine just by putting my trust in Him,” Cole said.

To join GAL, students must participate in formal recruitment at the beginning of each semester.

Delight Ministries is another campus ministry geared toward young women. “(Campus ministries) are the perfect place to get connected with others, building deep and meaningful relationships with people and growing in a relationship with the Lord,” Megan Loaney, senior communications major, said.

Loaney is the president and event coordinator of Delight Ministries at MSU. “Our mission is to invite college women into Christ-centered community that fosters vulnerability and transforms stories,” Loaney said.

Loaney said Delight has given her oppor-

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Campus ministries offer friendly environments for students to share or diversify their religious beliefs. tunities for fellowship among other women and has helped her grow closer to God. “It has given me a home at Missouri State and friends that I will have forever,” Loaney said. “It has helped me grow in leadership and pushed me out of my comfort zone.”

While some of the religious organizations

Campus Ministries at MSU • Adolos • Bears Better Together • Campus 4 Christ • Canterbury Club • Catholic Campus Ministry • Catholic Relief Services Student Ambassadors • Chi Alpha Campus Ministry • Christian Campus House •Christian Student Center •Cross Bearers • Cru • Delight Ministries MSU

at MSU are not explicitly associated with any denomination, there are denomination-specific organizations for students such as the Episcopal Campus Ministry, Catholic Campus Ministry, First & Calvary Presbyterian Church Campus Ministry, Latter-Day Saints Student Association and Lutheran Student Center.

• Ekklesia • First & Calvary Presbyterian Church Campus Ministry •Gamma Alpha Lambda • Habitat for Humanity • Hill City U •His Legacy Ministries •International Fellowship •Latter-Day Saints Student Association •Lutheran Student Center •Potter’s House •The Religious Studies Club •Reverb — Young Adults •Student Mobilization • The Vine • Young Life College

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Implementing an inclusive approach for students with disabilities ZOE BROWN Life Editor @zoe_zoebrown There are two prominent ways of thinking about disabilities: the medical model and the social model, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health.

The medical model looks at disability as a deficiency or abnormality, which puts responsibility on the person to fit into society. The social model defines disability as a difference or uniqueness. It shifts the perspective to look at how society serves able-bodied individuals and presents obstacles to people with disabilities.

Missouri State University serves students with disabilities through the Disability Resource Center and Learning Diagnostic Clinic. According to MSU’s website, MSU aims to look through the societal lens, in order to improve the quality of life of students with disabilities and create a more inclusive campus.

“The educational environment was not originally created with disabled students in mind, so sometimes accommodations are needed,” said Kristeena Laroue, associate director of the DRC. The core values of the Disability Resource Center at MSU, as stated on their website, reflect

that disability is a social concept and inclusion is a shared responsibility of community members.

The mission of the DRC is to “recognize disability as a valued aspect of diversity, to embrace access as a matter of social justice, and design more welcoming and inclusive environments,” according to the DRC website. This is the guiding principle of the DRC, which is the office that establishes accommodations for students with disabilities.

Laroue said students can receive accommodations for a wide variety of disabilities. These include: physical, health, sensory, learning, cognitive, psychological, autism spectrum disorder and traumatic brain injuries as well as temporary accommodations.

“I think what a lot of students don’t know is that in many cases we can help with accommodations for health conditions like migraines and cancer,” Laroue said.

The DRC primarily works with students with physical disabilities, while the LDC works with students with learning or psychological disabilities.

Test scheduling is one of the primary services offered by the LDC in assistance to students with learning disabilities.

“We work with faculty and staff to create more universally designed physical and digital spaces

have an equal opportunity to complete their degree.”

All disability related information will be kept on a need-to-know basis within the university community, according to the DRC website. To receive accommodations, students should fill out the Request for Accommodations Form on the DRC website.

From there, students will be directed to the LDC or the DRC, depending on the disability and accommodations needed by the student.

“Once that’s completed, our administrative specialist will reach out to you to schedule an appointment with one of our advisors,” Laroue said.

In advisory meetings, students may be asked to discuss barriers and effective and ineffective accommodations they’ve received in the past.

Laroue recommends students meeting with a DRC advisor bring medical documentation, alZOE BROWN/THE STANDARD though they are not always required.

According to the DRC’s website, “it is the Tamara Hernandez and Jackie Newenvironment as well as societal and institutional man work in the front office of the Disability Resource Center. The DRC beliefs which limit our ability to be successful and spontaneous throughout our individual life is located in Meyer Library Suite 111. journeys.”

The DRC office is located in Meyer Library for the campus community,” Laroue said. “When Suite 111 and the LDC office is located in the this process is achieved, students with disabilities Meyer Alumni Center Suite 502.

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What is a minor and why do I need one?

LAUREN SAIKO Staff Reporter @laurensaiko If choosing a minor seems stressful to you, advisors and instructors at Missouri State are here to help make this process easy and help you decide which minor is best for you.

Not all students at Missouri State are required to have a minor. Comprehensive degrees have enough credits that a minor is not required.

But for non-comprehensive degrees, minors are required.

Kelly Wood, executive director of the Center for Academic Success and Transition, says there are lots of tips on how to help a student decide on which minor is best for them.

“Any ‘introduction to’ are good classes to take — to explore what a minor area might be,” Wood said.

General education courses are the perfect place to explore what different minor fields are at MSU and what

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you like, Wood said.

Shelby Blecha, sophomore psychology major, said she chose her minor, child and family development, by simply looking through a list of minors.

“I chose this minor by looking through the MSU minors list and it caught my attention.” Blecha said. “I then scheduled the first class and I was extremely intrigued so I ended

up declaring it.” (The list is at www. missouristate.edu/registrar/catalog/ majorsminors.htm#Minors.)

Wood says when advising students she tells them to think about your minor as a second set of skills you want to have to go with your major.

She says along with this, students should consider choosing a minor about something they are very interested in, even if it doesn’t directly

relate to their major.

“What your minor does is help you get skills so you can market yourself,” Wood said. “Your minor is not going to make or break what kind of job you’re going to get.”

Wood suggested talking to someone in the career center if you are still unsure and want some guidance. They have self-assessment tests to see what you’re good at and what minors pair with those skills.

Blecha said her advice for freshman is to explore the different areas general education has to offer.

“Explore and take classes you enjoy that also go with your major and see which you like the most that also helps with your future plan,” Blecha said. “If you don’t like your minor, changing it is the simplest process and can be done as many times as needed.”

Wood said her best advice for freshman who are unsure of how to choose a minor is to talk to an advisor or an instructor.

“What your minor does is help you get skills so you can market yourself.

Your minor is not going to make or break what kind of job you’re going to get.”

—Kelly Wood

“Don’t put pressure on yourself to decide first semester,” Wood said.

“In the beginning semester it is about exploring, figuring it out what general (education) is and how to be successful in class,” Wood said.

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Alzubi’s advice for international students Being far from home while in school is no small feat. Batool traveled from the Middle East for her degree from MSU. She shares her advice on living internationally and growing as a person too.

BATOOL ALZUBI Guest Writer @Albatoolz When I ask myself, “What’s the most challenging thing I’ve done in my life?” The first answer that comes to my mind is moving to the U.S. I still remember myself when I first came here, a 17-year-old that lived her whole life in one place and never left the Middle East — not even for a week.

It was hard for me to leave the everyday life I grew up with: my family, my friends, the places and the weather. And to do this to move to a place that I’ve only seen on TV. My first thought after my plane landed in Springfield was, “I don’t know if I will ever get adjusted.”

The first month was difficult. I was feeling homesick and I was slowly regretting my decision of moving. The thought of going back home to my normal life kept bugging me, but I knew it was impossible at that point. My only

option was to start finding other international students like myself who might help me get over this phase. I started looking for student organizations with international students. That’s when I found the Association of International Students.

I forced myself to go to one of their events.

I was amazed by the amount of international students around me. They were all welcoming and interested to know where I came from. I became more involved with them and this is where I met most of my friends, Americans included.

I was surprised to find Americans in the organization who were there because they wanted to learn about my culture. I started valuing my culture more and I realized the importance of the experience I was in.

I was stressed out by the idea of having to change and fit into the community I lived in, but I realized that I don’t have to. People are interested in who I am and what I bring to Springfield with me.

Advice that I would give every international student is don’t be afraid to be involved in different organizations and share what you bring from your own culture. It’s never a good idea to spend most of your time at home. It will only make you feel more homesick and lonely.

Give yourself time to feel that, but don’t make your whole experience these feelings.

Don’t force yourself to change and adjust immediately. You will later find yourself adjusting and acclimating to your surroundings without forcing it.

When I look at myself now — the friends I made and the way I grew — I feel thankful for this opportunity and experience. It gave me much more than I expected. It taught me how to be open to other cultures, accept people as they are and helped me see my impact as an individual. I learned that leaving and moving doesn’t mean losing the places and the friends you had, it only means gaining more and discovering a part of yourself than you never knew would come out.

Photo submitted by Batool Alzubi

Batool Alzubi

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International events International and domestic students can participate in annual events sponsored by the Association of International Students and the university.

International Banquet

“(Studying internationally) taught me how to be open to other cultures, accept people as they are and helped me see my impact as an individual.” —Alzubi

(Top) MSU students celebrate Holi annually by tossing colored powered in the air.

(Two in middle) International Banquet (Bottom) Holi

File photos/THE STANDARD

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Walkable living Everything you need a few steps from campus JESSICA FLANIGAN Staff Reporter @jessicaf161

Insomnia Cookies

Craving late night dessert? These warm cookies day or night are always a crowd pleaser. Insomnia Cookies is located on With downtown Springfield just a short Kimbrough Avenue, and also delivers until jaunt down the road, students can explore the 3 a.m.. various restaurants, coffee shops and shopping Bair’s All-American Sports Grill venues the city has to offer. Other than downtown, Missouri State University has unique Sitting right next to campus on Kimbrough places surrounding all sides of campus. From Avenue with endless choices of burgers and grocery stores, to cafes, to churches to LGBT sandwiches, this sports bar and grill has a wide resource centers, many places are within walk- menu. Bair’s gives students an opportunity to ing distance from campus. Students can easily watch a game with friends and eat a burger too. get around town without the necessity of a car or other transportation service.

Travellers House Coffee and

Bambinos Cafe

Tea

Located on Delmar Street, this cafe offers On National Avenue, this coffeehouse is across Italian food for reasonable prices. With open the street from Cheek Hall. It’s a place to study, patio seating, students can enjoy a nice day grab some lunch and a coffee or tea. Anna Stimac, outside with fresh pasta and a salad. sophomore theatre education major, enjoys walking to the nearby coffee shop in between classes.

Aviary Cafe and Creperie “I walk to Travellers House to escape the A very popular French cafe on the edge of busyness of MSU and grab a warm cup of cofdowntown, students come to enjoy the restau- fee while doing some homework,” Stimac said. rant's sweet and savory crepes and quaint at- “I can chill and relax while sipping on a mosphere. lavender latte.”

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The Potter’s House Also on National Avenue, this cozy, homelike atmosphere is a non-profit coffee shop and faith-based ministry. With a front porch and three stories of lounging space, students are invited to study and hang out anywhere around the home.

Homegrown Food Located off Cherry Street, this store offers basic groceries. Students can take a quick walk to the market for fresh produce.

Price Cutter On East Saint Louis Street, this supermarket has a variety of products offered students at lower prices.

The GLO Center

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Travellers House offers an expansive menu close to campus.

This LGBTQ community center is close to downtown on East Commercial Street. The Christ Episcopal Church center provides students with various programs, activities and advocacy events. The On Walnut Street a short walk from camorganization hosts support groups and events pus, Christ Episcopal Church is one of the to bring people of the LGBTQ community oldest Christian churches in the area, estabtogether. lished in 1859, according to its website.

University Heights Baptist Church

O’Reilly Catholic Student Center

A Baptist church located on the corner of On Holland Avenue, this center provides Grand and National Avenue, students can par- students of Catholic faith a place to attend ticipate in a ministry through bible study and mass, participate in parish events and meet youth group. other students.

Photos by BRENNA LUMLEY/THE STANDARD

Insomnia delivers until 3 a.m. for those who don't feel like walking.

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Have free time in between classes?

Start a bucket list CARISSA CODEL News Editor @carissacodeltv Moving to a new city for higher education can be a difficult experience. The day-to-day life can get mundane: going to school, work, home and back again.

One of the easiest ways to keep from going over the edge is to keep a bucket list.

Tim Wilkinson graduated in spring of 2019 with a major in entertainment management. He said a bucket list helps students connect to their university, as well as their professors and peers.

“Through those different activities, you are more exposed to your university and the things that it offers,” Wilkinson said.

In addition to the extra exposure, Wilkinson said getting to do different activities in the area is fun. He said instead of trying to please others, students should do what they want to do without the fear of being different.

“If you want to join a group or take a different class or change your major, you should follow your passion,” Wilkinson said.

Rachel Reed, junior wildlife biology major, said the biggest items on a bucket list should get students involved.

She said Missouri State has over 300 student organizations to choose from, so students do not need to pick the biggest organization or the one that fits best with their major, they can just choose what makes them happy.

“There is something for everyone,” Reed said. “Getting involved in at least one club or leadership role will help you meet so many people.”

She said being involved is a great way to feel connected with the university.

Aside from MSU, Reed said there are fun things to do around Springfield as well.

“My favorite things, since I am a biology

MSU bucket list • • • • • • • • • •

Attend Bear Bash Visit a professor during office hours Swim in the Foster Recreation Center Eat at the Union Club Learn the fight song Take a non-required course Attend at least one game for every sport Study in the library Dip your feet in the fountain Take a picture with the bear statue in front of Plaster Student Union • Join an organization • Visit the Brick City Art Gallery • See a play or musical in Coger Theater

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MSU Bucket List: Take a photo with the bear statue outside the PSU. major, is the aquarium, and I love the zoo,” Reed said.

She said while those options are more on the wildlife side, there are things everyone can enjoy.

“Find something in Springfield that you enjoy, bring your friends and try new things,” Reed said.

Wilkinson said there are ups and downs to having a bucket list, including putting too much pressure on students, and if they don’t finish it, they might feel unaccomplished. Reed disagrees.

“You come to college to have a good time, and there are so many opportunities to do that while you’re in college and in Springfield,” Reed said. “Having a bucket list is definitely a good idea so you can lay it all out.”

She said a bucket list provides students with a solid starting point to have a good time. Reed also urged students to try something new.

Springfield bucket list • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Try Pineapple Whip Attend a Springfield Cardinals game Visit one of Springfield’s parks Hike locally Attend May Day Visit the Wild Animal Safari Visit the Wonders of Wildlife aquarium and museum Eat at Andy’s Frozen Custard Ice skate at Jordan Valley Ice Park Visit Commercial Street Explore downtown Find your favorite restaurant Try out each coffee shop

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All are welcome MSU boasts multicultural resources, organizations for all students LAYNE STRACENER Senior Reporter @LayneStracener

our community as welcoming and as affirming as possible,” Banks said.

The MRC is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

If you’re looking to join an organization that celebrates LGBTQ individuals and multicul- MRC Annex tural diversity or want to know what resources are offered to these students, look no further.

The MRC Annex, an extension of the MRC, These multicultural and LGBTQ organizations is in the west basement entrance of Freudenand resources are welcoming to all Missouri berger House. It includes a lounge with a TV State University students: and four computers with a printer. The LGBTQ+ Resource Center is located here. This center has a resource library and Transitions Closet, Multicultural Resource Center which provides students with clothing if needThe MRC, located on the first floor of the ed. The MRC Annex is open 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Plaster Student Union, is the “hub for student Monday-Friday. community, connection, and intercultural exchange,” according to MSU’s website. It Advocates includes a lounge with a TV and a computer Advocates is an activism-focused group that lab.

Matt Banks, the Multicultural Programs/ “works on changing things on campus for the LGBT Student Services coordinator, said the better for LGBT people,” said Advocates MRC promotes academic, personal and pro- co-president A.J. Aumann, a junior political fessional success in students from underrepre- science major. Aumann said the goal of the sented backgrounds, which is primarily LGBTQ organization is to “advocate to make sure evstudents and people of color. erything is equal and to inform allies.” Advo“A lot of what the MRC does is provide a cates meets every Monday 8-9 p.m. in the MRC. space with resources and programming for students from underrepresented backgrounds Spectrum while also providing educational programming for majority students who want to learn more While Advocates is activist-based, Spectrum about how to better ally and engage with un- is primarily a social group. It provides a safe derrepresented populations in order to make space on campus for LGBTQ students and allies to meet and socialize. Spectrum Co-President Alex Padilla, a sophomore communication science and disorders major, said Spectrum educates students about sexual assault and consent and leads discussions on LGBTQ topics.

The meetings usually begin with a discussion of these topics and end with activities such as crafts or games.

“Our officers also take on leadership roles for our members’ personal needs,” Padilla said.

“We make sure all our members know that any of the officers can help with any problem they have on campus, LGBTQ or otherwise.”

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African Student Association Serving as a support group for African students, the African Student Association’s goal is to create awareness of the African culture and promote a better perception of Africa and all of its entities, according to the MSU website.

South Asian Students Association This organization serves to build a community, educate others about South Asian culture and carry out social, charitable, educational and athletic activities and to help incoming and existing students adjust to college life, according to the Missouri State website.

International Student Services Located in the Jim D. Morris Center, the Office of International Services provides resources and support for international students and faculty at Missouri State University, according to the MSU website.

Melaqueer

Pride, Inclusion, Nobility and Knowledge

Melaqueer is an organization for LGBTQ people of color to build a community, learn about queer and trans people of color in history and explore relevant topics, according to the MSU website. This organization hosts social and educational events. Melaqueer meets every other Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the MRC Annex.

PINK is an organization that focuses on bringing multicultural sorority Sigma Lambda Gamma to campus, according to the MSU website. It also focuses on empowering women of distinction.

For more information on these resources and organizations, visit missouristate.edu.

Multicultural events for the Fall semester Aug. 18: Belong-B-Q (Welcome Weekend) Sept. 21: Carnaval: Latinx Heritage Month Banquet October: LGBT History Month (Events TBA) Oct. 1-3: Public Affairs Conference November: Native American Heritage Month (Events TBA) Nov. 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance Dec. 5: Multicultural Services Fall Graduation Ceremony and Reception Events included here may change and others may be added to the official university calendar after publication. More information for each event can be found on Missouri State’s website under “Calendar of Events.”

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Find your place in one of the (over 300) organizations on campus CARISSA CODEL News Editor @carissacodeltv Missouri State offers more than 300 on-campus organizations and clubs to help students jump-start their involvement as a Bear.

Andrea Greer, assistant director of student engagement for co-curricular involvement, encourages students to log in to Campus Link — a website that organizes the different clubs at Missouri State into specialized categories.

Besides Campus Link, Greer said Missouri State’s New Student Festival on Aug. 18 will host about 300 organizations that table inside and outside the Plaster Student Union.

Greer said students who take part in clubs learn how to balance their academic life and social life.

“Studies have shown that students that are involved and engaged on their college campus actually do better academically,” Greer said.

She said a student has more opportunities for internships by being a part of a club due to networking and building soft skills.

However, Greer said students should find their limit with what they can fit on their plate or else they might feel overwhelmed.

“A lot of our students have a lot of interests, therefore they might take on too much their first year because they don’t realize how hard their first semester can be academically,” Greer said.

Greer said the transition between high school and college can be shocking, so students should look for the organizations that best suit their interests, among other things.

“Be sure that it is the best fit for not only your passions but also

your schedule,” Greer said. “If you work or are taking lots of classes, just be sure to prioritize properly.”

Some clubs, like the National Honor Society, require members to pay dues while others have prerequisites students have to meet, such as a minimum GPA. If students want to join clubs but do not have the money, Greer said there are ways to possibly work around it.

She said to discuss finances with the club and see if they accept payment plans or if scholarships are available to help pay the dues.

Tara Benson, associate director of the Plaster Student Union and director of Student Engagement, has worked for MSU for 12 years. Her office provides opportunities for students to connect with co-curricular communities.

If students do not connect with any of the co-curriculars, there is a way to create their own club.

“The first step (to creating your club) is to connect with our co-curricular involvement graduate assistant,” Benson said. “They will discuss all of the registration steps with the interested students.

Next, they will need to find five others to join the proposed group, recruit a faculty or staff advisor and write a constitution. After those steps are completed, SGA will vote for approval.”

If students don’t want to start their own club but still want to find their place, Benson said students can email studentengagement@missouristate.edu to request a 15-minute session in which an employee from Student Engagement will learn about students’ individual interests and help the student make connections.

Greer and Benson said students should not limit their club options to mainstream ideas of how to get involved at MSU. “There’s a stereotype in college that fraternities and sororities

Photo submitted by MSU Archery Club

The Missouri State archery team is a club team.

are the only way to get involved but there are many other aspects to that,” Greer said. “I think often times students don’t realize that working in an office as a work-study position is another way to engage in the community here at Missouri State.”

Benson said students can also join intramural sports, participate in the performing arts or apply to be a peer leader.

Whether it’s Beekeepers Club or A Cub Bella, MSU offers a variety of choices to help students feel connected to campus.

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Make the most out of your dining hall experience TINSLEY MERRIMAN Staff Reporter @MerrimanTinsley Missouri State University offers a variety of food options for students. However, there are three main dining halls for eating around campus.

The main dining halls on campus are Blair-Shannon, Garst and Kentwood. Garst is located between the Hammons and Hutchens residence halls on the north side of campus, while Kentwood is located northwest of the main part of campus.

Students like Isabelle Calvanese, freshman English major, enjoy Garst’s food more, but Calvanese is faced with the long walk to the hall from her dorm room at Freudenberger House.

If students don’t want to walk to the dining halls, the Bear Line’s Green route stops at both Robert W. Plaster Student Union and Garst. The Blue route takes students to Kentwood.

The dining halls are run by a third party company called Chartwells, which oversees the restaurants in the PSU as well.

After purchasing a meal plan, students

can use their allocated money on all restaurants around campus, but not in Bear Necessities or the bookstore, according to the Chartwells website.

Since the MSU bookstore and Bear Necessities are operated by Chartwells, they do not allow students to use their Boomer Meal plans. Instead, students can either pay out of pocket or charge items to their school account in these locations.

The dining halls are partnered with Rockbot, a service that provides music while eating. Rockbot allows students to request certain songs via a QR code. According to its website, Rockbot has over 16 million songs, topping both Pandora and Mood Media.

Operating hours vary from time to time for the two main on-campus dining halls.

For Garst, weekday hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Weekend hours 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. then the hall reopens from 5 to 7 p.m.

For Blair-Shannon, weekday hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Weekend hours are 8 to 11 a.m. then the hall reopens from 5 to 7 p.m.

For times to dine, Calvanese said it is better to go at an off time to beat the crowds.

“I come at 1 p.m. because at 1 p.m. everyone is gone already — like everyone’s

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back in class again,” Calvanese said. “At noon is when it gets really busy.”

Kyle Nichols, sophomore undeclared major, had the opposite mentality.

Nichols said it would be better to dine at normal times to get fresher food. His favorite time is dinner, as it has more variety.

“I go probably around 5:30 p.m., when everything’s hot and just came out,” Nichols said. “Usually I enjoy dinner more than latenight because there’s more to choose from.”

Late-night lasts from 9-11 p.m. on weekdays. The location also changes each semester, starting at Garst then working its way to Blair-Shannon in the second semester.

The dining halls provide regular food options, as well as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free choices. These meals have a dedicated station to themselves, but options are increased by asking a server.

For example, in Blair-Shannon students can get black bean burgers from the grill section.

A major special event that takes place for students once each semester is the President’s Breakfast.

Hosted in Blair-Shannon, the President’s Breakfast is from 9 to 11 p.m. where students can enjoy breakfast and win prizes. It is a tradition for President Clif Smart and other administrative staff to attend and help serve.

Peyton Sharp, senior nursing major, remembered volunteers handing out little study materials during one Presidential Breakfast while standing in line.

Keeping well-fed is a major part of survival. And with so many foods to choose from, keeping well-fed at MSU looks to be a cakewalk.

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MSU’s wide umbrella of financial aid MICHAELA SATTERFIELD Staff Reporter @mchaela_s College, infamously known as the years of ramen noodles and running all the way to your parents’ house to do a load of laundry, can be one of the toughest times financially. The first wobbly years of becoming financially independent may require plenty of help along the way.

Thankfully, there are people like Amy Steele, the Missouri State University Commerce Bank branch manager, ready to guide the way.

With 16 years of experience at Commerce Bank under her belt, Steele said the first step in setting a budget is to track your spending habits for one or two months. Compile all the information on your spending activity to analyze where the money goes. Then, Steele recommends checking how much money you bring in each month.

After that, she said to figure out what you can eliminate from your spending.

The next step is laying out all your purchases and figuring out how to cover them. Make sure your fixed expenses, like rent or car payments, are covered first.

While general budgeting can be tricky, one of the most pressing financial matters on students’ minds may be how to pay for school. At MSU,

the Financial Aid Office located in Carrington Hall offers the resources students need to navigate the challenging world of finances while in college.

Vicki Jacobson, MSU financial aid coordinator, said there are counselors available at the Financial Aid Office ready to answer any financial questions students may have. She said students can meet with different counselors until they find one they connect with in order to get the best possible help.

“Our ultimate goal is to present you with options so you can make an informed decision,” Jacobson said.

Jacobson said it is important to note the difference between the Financial Aid Office and Financial Services at MSU. Financial Services is the place to go if you need to find out what you currently owe on your bill. The Financial Aid Office is a separate department, and it is there to help you identify resources to help you pay what you owe. However, this department doesn’t actually manage your bill.

A broad definition of financial aid, Jacobson said, is the financial assistance that complements or supplements what students already have saved for education. There are four types of financial aid: loans, grants, scholarships and student employment.

Aside from student employment, the other

three types of financial aid all require the same first step — filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA. Students can come to the Financial Aid office for help with filling out the FAFSA. Jacobson referred to grants and scholarships as “gift aid.” She said students should seek this type of aid before considering loans. A simple online search will turn up plenty of scholarship opportunities. However, students should be careful not to provide personal information, like Social Security numbers, to these sites.

The MSU Annual Scholarship Application is a great way for students to discover and receive scholarships. It closes March 1 each year, so students have to start seeking financial aid early. Students can access the application from their My Missouri State portal.

“It’s almost a part-time job looking for scholarships,” Jacobson said.

Jacobson said loans are a last resort, but there are two types of loans: federal and private. Federal loans are directly through the U.S. Department of Education. The amounts are set by Congress, and every school in the country receives the same amount. Students can apply for private loans online. Steele said banks look at credit history for these types of loans, so applicants will need a co-signer if they have no credit history.

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Students looking to build credit can do so by applying for a low-limit credit card and putting small expenses, like gas or groceries, on it each month. Paying the card off at the end of each month will allow credit to build over time.

Sitting down and talking with someone who knows about finances and can personally tailor their advice to a students’ unique situation may be the best way to get started on the road to financial independence.

Steele and Jacobson expressed their desire to be accessible to students wanting to do just that.

“We’re always here, available to have conversations and talk with,” Steele said. “To help (students) understand a little more.”

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Hidden gems worth digging for AFTON HARPER Staff Reporter @affie888 As the third largest city in Missouri, Springfield offers many unique places to visit. Many people know about the Wonders of Wildlife Museum or the Dickerson Park Zoo, but there is more to Springfield hiding behind buildings and subdivisions just waiting to be discovered.

Dale Moore, professor of media, journalism and film at Missouri State University, said he spends a lot of time hanging out at Mudhouse Coffee near the corner of West Walnut Street and South Avenue.

Although coffee is in their name, Mudhouse serves finger foods worth checking out, Moore said.

“It’s just a cool place to go,” Moore said.

Matthew Foster, a senior electronic arts and audio studies major, said he loves playing games at the 1984 arcade on Jefferson Street because it’s practically a museum of 80s pop culture and has a large working pinball collection.

The arcade has classics such as Burger Time, Ms. PacMan and Joust. But Foster’s favorite game at 1984 is Galaga.

“I can always go in to play Galaga and then I get the high score every time I go in, so I get to come back for free,”

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The 1984 arcade on Jefferson Street.

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Mudhouse coffee shop in downtown Springfield.

Foster said.

The arcade’s hours are from 4 to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

In April, 1984 opened a second location in Branson. It’s hours differ from the Springfield location, so be sure to check both 1984’s Facebook pages or websites for more information.

Foster said he recommends trying Umi Sushi Bar on South Kimbrough Avenue if you are willing to spend a little extra money for quality sushi.

“The guy in there (Spring Park) is a master chef,” Foster said. “He’s not a wannabe. It’s his restaurant, he does the

cooking, he’s the sushi chef (and) he’s who makes the grocery lists every day in that place.”

Autumn Loerzel, a May 2019 graduate of MSU, said she enjoys making and decorating buttons at Rosette Studios on South Campbell Avenue.

Rosette Studios is an art gallery that also sells craft supplies. They also offer henna tattoos by appointment.

“There’s a lot of little handy crafts that you can do there,” Loerzel said.

Loerzel said the crafts are relatively cheap and easy to make. They have black scratch-off papers for a $1 each.

Rosette Studios is known for its laser cutting and vinyl work. It is in the process of moving to East St. Louis Street.

These are just a few unique places around Springfield worth giving a try. There is much to see and experience around the city, so don’t be afraid to venture out.

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Learning the layout of campus may seem daunting at first — we’ve all been there. Don’t be afraid to ask your peers how to find your way, and download Missouri State’s mobile app for a map of the Bearline routes and for your class schedule. You’ll know your way around in no time.

See white arrow in top left circle of the map for orientation.

Graphic by ALYSSA VANDEGRIFT/THE STANDARD

t North

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Community & Debate Campus political clubs give students the opportunity for community involvement and conversation within and across party lines ANDREW UNVERFERTH Staff Reporter @unverferthandr1 Student organizations at Missouri State University can help students get involved on campus as well as in the community. For students who have a particular interest in politics, there are a number of clubs dedicated to both political discussion and activism.

While organizations like Advocates or MSU’s NAACP chapter focus on minority activism, there are also organizations centered around broader American political ideals such as the Missouri State University Green Party and Young Americans for Liberty.

There are also organizations for America’s two major political parties, Missouri State College Democrats and Missouri State College Republicans. Both groups meet regularly throughout the semester, finding ways to be active in local politics.

Junior professional writing major Madeline Schatz, president of Missouri State College Democrats, said some members of the group are interns for local politicians. The group occasionally visits the state capital as they did last semester to lobby for the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act. “That’s the kind of stuff we do outside of election season,” Schatz said. “We try to get involved on campus and in the community.”

Junior art education major Amanda Taylor, vice president of Missouri State College Republicans, said the club invites a number of guest speakers to meetings throughout the semester. The organization also does a fair amount of footwork for Republicans in the community.

“We have a lot of people that end up graduating and doing office stuff,” Taylor said.

“We also try to get specific weekends where we’ll all go out and door knock during election season.”

Both groups expect to be significantly more active in their canvassing this spring semester in the 2020 presidential election.

Both groups seem to greatly value con-

versation. Taylor described College Republicans as being very open to conversation with both Democrats and a number of Libertarians active in the group.

“It does depend on the meeting, but we do open discussions and we have a variety of opinions,” Taylor said. “We like to have a nice little debate.”

Similarly, Schatz said College Democrats is a rather diverse group. Its members have a wide array of views and opinions but are united by their shared fundamental values.

“Everyone has a different background and things they care more about, things they would like to learn more about,” Schatz said.

“It is nice to have those different perspectives.”

Despite any disagreements club members might have among one another, both Taylor and Schatz made it clear that differences in opinion aren’t damaging to their clubs and improve debate and discussions in meetings.

Although both clubs welcome new members, joining might seem like a stressful commitment, especially for those still forming their political views. Taylor said students should still give political clubs a chance because they do plenty of fun activities alongside their political activism. College Republicans occasionally get together for bonfires or game nights.

“I feel like people get kind of turned off when it seems like it’s polarizing but it’s really not,” Taylor said. “It seems a little overwhelming, but it’s really not.”

While both organizations can potentially provide students with internship or job opportunities with politicians, they also provide a way for students to get truly involved in local, state and national politics.

For Schatz, the impact student political clubs can have in the local community is particularly important.

“We always see these broader federal perspectives, but it’s really the grassroots local people who make the most impact on communities like Missouri State’s campus,” Schatz said.

Madeline Schatz, a source quoted in this story, is employed as a copy editor at The Standard.

Photo courtesy MSU College Republicans

First meeting of MSU College Republicans in 2018.

Photo submitted by Madeline Schatz

Hanna Moellenhoff, senior psychology major, and Mady Hammontree, sophomore anthropology major, members of MSU College Democrats, participate in a rally by Strong Hall.

Political clubs at MSU • Advocates • College Republicans • Missouri State University Green Party • Missouri State College Democrats • Model United Nations • NAACP • Spectrum • The Forum • Young Americans for Liberty

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The buzz of

2019

A rundown of important news you might have missed from last semester SARAH TEAGUE Editor-in-Chief @sarah_k_teague A lot of news happened last school year, and The Standard journalists were standing by ready to cover it all. Here is a quick rundown of the most important news we’ve covered since January 2019. Don’t miss anything — our reporters’ work can be found at the-standard.org.

doctoral programs. This news came after the Board of Governors approved a new Master of Science, Defense and Strategic Studies program at MSU in 2019.

Partnering with Bolivian students

Missouri State will offer dual degrees in partnership with the Universidad de Aquino de Bolivia for The Double Dual Degree program starting August 2019.

Jared Dixon beats the clock

Lady Bears new head coach

Woods House going co-ed

Impact Summit

Jared Dixon, senior guard on the men’s basketball team, made a half-court shot with just seconds on the clock. Sports Editor Amanda Sullivan reported this as “Missouri State’s highlight moment of the season,” sending the 6,500 people in the arena into a frenzy. The news reached Barstool Sports, Bleacher Report and Fox Sports, among thousands of other Twitter feeds.

Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, also known as “Coach Mox,” was announced as head coach of the Lady Bears on April 17 by Missouri State Director of Athletics Kyle Moats and University President Clif Smart. This came after former head coach Kellie Harper left for the head coaching position for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, as first reported by ESPN’s Chris Low.

Woods House will be Missouri State’s first Missouri State, led by then Dean of Students co-ed living community in 2020, after current Thomas Lane, organized the first ever Impact renovations are completed. This was previously Summit, a conference dedicated to mental reported by The Standard’s Jessica Flanigan. health awareness. The conference was held May 1 on campus, and another is planned for April 800 wins 29, 2020.

Holly Hesse, the Bears’ head softball coach, recorded her 800th win March 24. Hesse, in MSU funding increase her 31 years coaching the Bears, has the second A possible state funding increase of 10 milmost wins in Missouri Valley Conference his- lion dollars was announced in May. This intory and the most wins for Bears softball his- crease could prevent future tuition hikes and tory, as previously reported by The Standard’s expand pre-existing academic programs, President Clif Smart said in his Clif’s Notes column Derek Shore. published May 14. The increase was approved Doctoral status on June 10.

Missouri State was promoted to doctoral Thomas Lane resigns as dean of university status in the 2018 edition of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher students Education, previously reported by The StanThomas Lane, former dean of students, has dard’s former News Editor Emily Cole. This been hired at Kansas State University, as preclassification means the university is a part of viously reported by The Standard’s Amanda a higher-ranking list of universities offering Sullivan.

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File photo by BRADLEY BALSTERS/THE STANDARD

Amaka Agugua-Hamilton announced as the new head coach of the Lady Bears.

File photo by BILL SIOHOLM/THE STANDARD

Sean Astin, American film actor, speaks at MSU’s Impact Summit.

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Woods House is a newly-renovated dorm with co-ed bathrooms.

File photo by BILL SIOHOLM/THE STANDARD

The Missouri State Bears celebrate in the middle of JQH Arena after a 6665 last second win against the Illinois State Redbirds.

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Your guide to parking

Tips and tricks to getting the perfect parking spot and into class on time REESE RADMACHER Staff Reporter @Reese_Radmacher When seeking information about what to know before coming to college, the topic of parking and transportation typically doesn’t take precedent. However, it is crucial to be familiar with tips and guidelines to make college smooth and citation free.

The Bear Line provides fast, easy and safe transportation for students to travel on and off-campus at Missouri State University.

Cole Pruitt, manager of Transportation at MSU, said the best way to learn how to effectively use the Bear Line is by simply riding it.

Pruitt said if a student needs assistance, he and his staff are willing to ride along to help familiarize them with the process.

Students can download the MSU Mobile app to track shuttles on the go, and follow @MOStateParking and @ColePruit18 on Twit-

ter for transportation updates, such as traffic and construction interference.

“What we typically say is, in between 8-12 minutes, you are going to see a shuttle come by your stop unless there’s some sort of major traffic challenge,” Pruitt said.

Parking lots are color coordinated to align with the permit students must purchase to park on campus. There is a sign located outside of each lot indicating the color of the permit authorized to use the lot. Pruitt said there are also “rainbow lots” where yellow, blue, red and green permits are allowed such as Bear Park North and Lots 44 and 51. Blue lots and permits are mainly used by faculty and staff whereas all other colors are for students.

Though spots tend to fill up quickly in lots that are closest to campus, especially within the first couple of weeks, Pruitt said there are hundreds of additional spots available to students on the north side of campus.

Brittany Callanan, a recent graduate from

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The metered parking spots in front of Freudenberger House are usually full during busy campus hours.

MSU, urges incoming students to give themselves plenty of time to park before class begins.

“Try to get to campus with plenty of time to find parking and walk to class,” Callanan said. “Depending on the lot and time of day, parking can take anywhere from 2-20 minutes.”

Pruitt said students should confirm their parking permit correlates with the given lot and park in an actual parking space.

Revised parking regulations will be published this year upon approval from the administrative council. Pruitt said the regulations

will define a parking space as, “an area designed for parking and marked with paint except in gravel lots where spaces are designated with concrete wheel stops.” He read this from his own copy of the updated regulations.

In regards to citation protocol, Pruitt said transportation services plan to move from an escalating fee schedule — meaning the first five citations remain at the base amount and increases at different points thereafter — to a model based on compliance, contingent on approval from the administrative council. The compliance-based model means that for citations five through seven, the vehicle will be booted and on the eighth citation, the vehicle will be towed off campus.

“We don’t want to sit here and take students money over and over again,” Pruitt said. “What we want is compliance to the parking regulations.”

Students interested in an alternative way to pay off citations have an option through a program called Bear With Me — an initiative put in place by the Student Government Association to give students the chance to pay parking citations by completing at least two community service hours, given their citation is valued under $50.

It is also worth noting that on weekends, beginning after 5 p.m. on Fridays, lots without a sign indicating 24-hour restriction are open to everyone, including those without a permit.

For further information regarding transportation, visit missouristate.edu/transportation.

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Tune in: ‘The Backroom’

New podcast ‘The Backroom’ tackles the current political issues plaguing America, brought to you by The Standard’s columnists BENJAMIN VICKERS Columnist @benrvickers96

Why do some people like politics?

Maybe they like the push and pull, the drama and the bickering.

Or perhaps they just like to keep up with whatever happens to be going on in the world.

Politics is crazy, unpredictable and sometimes difficult to understand. But to me, this is what makes it so devilishly fun.

But lately, politics has been the complete opposite of fun.

We often find ourselves quick to anger over Facebook posts or the ramblings of politicians stirring the pot, and as a member of the upcoming generation, we often feel overwhelmed by problems that seem to constantly appear.

I take great issue with this current political environment.

My problem is that I utterly abhor all the lying, sidestepping and resentfulness cur-

“Deflecting blame will never fix anything, and now more than ever, we need to fix things.”

—Benjamin Vickers rently plaguing our country. I refuse to blame anyone or any party in particular because these problems frustrate everyone of every belief.

Deflecting blame will never fix anything, and now more than ever, we need to fix things.

If you are as frustrated with the way we talk about politics as I am, then I invite you to listen to our new podcast, The Backroom, coming to you from the good people here at The Standard.

We will cover everything from national politicians to what is happening right here in

our own backyard.

Every other week The Backroom will focus on relevant issues in a way that is honest above all else.

Our dedicated political columnists will strive to explain those issues and policy as clearly as we can, and offer possible solutions to the many problems at hand.

In between that podcast, you can read my own take on the subject as a columnist for The Standard.

There is much to talk about in the world of politics, and our ultimate goal is to leave you better informed and to help you believe that you can leave the world a better place.

I hope you will join us in that endeavor by listening to The Backroom.

To see more of The Standard’s podcasts, visit the-standard.org. We do more than just political podcasts as well. If you would like to hear about local and university sports and select feature stories, you can head to the website for all things Springfield and Missouri State.

Submitted by Benjamin Vickers

Columnist Ben Vickers is now starting a podcast named “The Backroom” to talk about American politics.

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Chartwells opening two new restaurants in PSU LAUREN SAIKO Staff Reporter @laurensaiko Chartwells plans to open two new restaurants in the Plaster Student Union this coming fall. Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Madison Avenue Pasta Company will replace Papa John’s and Grill Nation, respectively.

This decision was long coming but made official after remarks from Papa John’s CEO. “SGA and the university formally requested that we remove Papa John’s shortly after the CEO made some offensive and disparaging remarks,” Nicole Young, Director of Marketing for Chartwells said.

Halle Farrar, sophomore, communication and psychology major, said she thought this decision to remove Papa John’s was great.

“What the CEO said was extremely offensive and I think it shows initiative and shows that Missouri State University cares about everyone,” Farrar said.

Young said Chartwells collected more than 2,500 student surveys to decide on replacements based on the students’ votes.

“In a poll we released in fall 2018, we surveyed students as to the type of cuisine they would like to see added to campus and they

“We want to continue to serve students, faculty and staff as efficiently as possible while providing excellent quality options and a wide variety.” — Nicole Young, director of marketing for Chartwells.

Photos by SARAH TEAGUE/THE STANDARD

overwhelmingly chose pasta and salad,” Young said.

Young said Madison Avenue Pasta Company was developed with MSU students’ specific interests in mind.

“We’ve infused our recipes with superfoods and local ingredients to satisfy the need for more healthful options,” Young said. “We’ve taste tested them on campus representatives to get constructive feedback and to make sure we’re providing valuable, fast options for …

Many students spend their free time catching up on schoolwork or sharing a meal with friends in the Plaster Student Union. Freddy’s and the Madison Avenue Pasta Company are coming this fall.

PSU guests.”

As for Freddy’s Frozen Custard replacing Papa John’s, Young says this change was long past due.

“Papa John’s brand was tainted for our campus community with the comments made by the CEO,” Young said. “It was also one of

the least visited venues in the PSU.” Freddy’s is a relatively local brand based out of Wichita, Kansas and has proven to be successful on other college campuses, Young said.

“Freddy’s tested very well with the student population and we’ve received a lot of positive

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feedback from the campus community,” Young said.

Students like Farrar, are excited for these new editions to the PSU. “I think it’s great that Freddy’s will be in the PSU because there aren’t a ton of locations in Springfield so far and it gives a variety to the restaurants in the PSU,” Farrar said.

Young said they hope these changes will provide better options for the students and faculty on campus.

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“We want to continue to serve students, faculty and staff as efficiently as possible while providing excellent quality options and a wide variety,” Young said. “Student feedback drives most of our decision making and that remains true of these concept changes as well.”

If the construction timeline goes as planned there will be a soft opening of both locations the week before the fall semester in August and a grand opening on Friday move-in day, Young said.

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Discover your new pastime Springfield, with a feel of big-city convenience and small-town coziness, furnishes an abundance of free or affordable places and events students can attend for music, comedy and entertainment.

“We just love to make people laugh and feel loved,” Anger said.“Come to our show if you need either.”

LAINEY SANDERS Staff Reporter

Comedy

Poetry

Blue Room Comedy Blue Room Comedy Club host open mic nights every Thursday and Sunday at 8 p.m.

Both amateur and seasoned comics can perform.

Carter Breaux, senior mass media major, has attended Blue Room open mic nights at the Blue Room Comedy Club.

“The talent can be very hit and miss, but that makes the laughs much more enjoyable when they come.”

Open mics at Blue Room allow anyone to sign up for a five minute set on stage.

Some advice for any first-time goers: “Keep in mind that these people have the guts to get up on stage and try to make you laugh,” Breaux said. “So before you judge how ‘funny’ they Photos by JAYLEN EARLY/ THE STANDARD are ... when was the last time you had that (Above) Moxie Cinema is located in downtown Springfield on Campbell much courage?”

Missouri State Improv

Avenue and frequently shows independent and foreign films.

(Below) Carrington Hall hosts comedy shows every Wednesday from 9:30

You don’t have to go far for a laugh with Missouri State Improv performing on campus p.m. to 10:30 p.m. by the Missouri State Improv team. every Wednesday from 9:30-10:30 p.m. in Carrington Hall.

Each performance, the team takes a suggestion from the audience and builds a scene based off of the suggestion.

“I think the group is really great, and it’s been really fun watching them grow as I’ve been here at MSU,” said senior history major Devon Grosstephan.

Basement Kats Roxie Rae Anger, creator and director of Basement Kats, created an all-female group that puts on a monthly pop up variety show that consists of mostly comedy bits with select guest performers, performing in different venues for each show.

“We wanted to create a safe place for women in comedy,” Anger said. “There are all male shows and that’s not seen as weird. So we just thought, ‘why not do an all female cast?’”

However, men aren’t entirely excluded, Anger said.

“We had a male musical guest on our

Untamed Tongues Untamed Tongues is a poetry group on campus that anyone can join. Sha’Diya Tomlin, a sophomore journalism major, says the organization is more than just a group on campus.

“Untamed Tongues is a family,” Tomlin said. “The energy you get when you come to a meeting is unmatched. We all want to hear the new poems and even how your day is going. We are literally like brothers and sisters and we all are untamed.”

Untamed Tongues attends a number of events that mainly focus on culture and creativity.

Sha’Diya said the best thing you can do is, “(To) just show up, really. We want more members and our family is never too big. You don’t even have to be a writer or artist, but if you want a space to be creative and express yourself, Untamed Tongues is the place for you.”

Meetings are once a week on Tuesdays at 7:15 p.m.

At meetings, members usually do a free writing share, talk about upcoming events and share any new work and artwork.

Show Me Poetry

Show Me Poetry is an event that combines uncensored performance poetry and friendly competition. Poets perform their original work and are judged by members of the audience.

Poets are judged by their writing skills and ability to perform, which encourages performers to focus on what they’re saying and how they say it.

Poets at the event come from all walks of life, with ages ranging from 16-80.

The slam encourages the audience to take part in the show by either cheering on their favorite poets or participating as one of the five judges.

The Show Me Poetry slam is every third show as well as male performers featured love them very deeply.”

Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Springin sketches when needed,” Anger said. “We Their shows are open to anyone, so be ready field Improv Theater in downtown Springfield. also have men that are on the crew team. We to laugh.

Doors open and sign up starts at 7 p.m.

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Photos by JAYLEN EARLY/ THE STANDARD

(Above) The Flea organizes open mic nights and every Monday, trivia nights every Tuesday, game nights every Wednesday and local live bands on Thursday evenings.

(Right) Comedy shows are hosted at Springfield Improv.

The comedy club is located in downtown Springfield.

Entertainment Drag Shows Martha’s Vineyard, Missouri’s longest operating LGBTQ+ nightclub, according to its website, opens its doors to anyone 18 and over.

Martha’s is a bar and a place to watch drag queens do what they do best — perform.

There are shows every week, some with free covers and others requiring a small cover.

Grave Tales Grave Tales is a monthly horror-variety show featuring one-act horror plays, musical numbers, dance pieces and dramatic readings all in the horror genre.

Grave Tales was founded by A Class Act Productions with George Cron and Sean Parker, with showrunner Nate Staley.

“People should come see Grave Tales if they are looking for a fun change to their average entertainment,” Staley said. “Nowhere else in Springfield can you find such a diverse night of entertainment that will leave you

screaming.”

Staley said Grave Tales is not family friendly. “(Grave Tales) will absolutely leave you with a nightmare or two to keep you company,” Staley said.

If that didn’t scare you away, you can go to their shows on the last Friday and Saturday of the month at 9:30 p.m., with the exception of May and December. The location is currently to be decided for the upcoming season.

Tickets are $12 at the door and $10 if you pre-order online.

The Outland Located in downtown Springfield, The Outland has an intimate vibe with booths, a bar and a separate area with a stage and seating for watching performances.

The Outland is open seven days a week and hosts local and touring bands, DJ’s, stand-up comics and a weekly open mic night.

It’s an inviting environment to put on a show or sit back and watch.

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Time-wasters: Traffic Edition Don’t spend all your time in traffic. Here is an overview of transportation options around campus.

SINJIN DELMORE Staff Reporter @SandersSinjin Getting around Missouri State University’s main Springfield campus is said to be timeconsuming, but getting around Springfield is even more of a hassle.

However, if you don’t have a vehicle, there are efficient ways to get around campus and Springfield.

Traveling downtown is easy when using the Bear Line shuttle. The gold Bear Line goes directly to downtown and Brick City.

Jenny Reynolds, senior art major, said she rides the Bear Line every Tuesday and Thursday to Brick City.

“It’s better to take a bus ride than to park in the tiny little parking lot they have (at Brick City),” Reynolds said.

Edward Sun, senior art major, says he rides the Bear Line to get to his art classes. Sun said the Bear Line is convenient in getting to his art classes on time.

However, there are other methods of transportation around Springfield and campus, such

as biking.

MSU has bike paths that go everywhere on campus — from Strong Hall to Blair-Shannon House and from Hutchens House to Bear Park South, for example.

In addition to the bike paths on campus, Springfield has a bike route called The LINK. According to the city of Springfield’s website, The LINK is meant to be a low stress route for bicyclists to get through the city.

“The LINK is a route along streets with low traffic volume and slow speed through Springfield’s core,” according to the city of Springfield’s website. “Since the streets have low traffic volumes and slow speeds, people on bicycles can drive in the street.”

In addition to The LINK, Springfield is close to having a bike sharing program.

Springfield Bike Share, a nonprofit corporation trying to bring bike sharing to Springfield, said the goal to bring bike sharing to Springfield sometime this spring, The Standard reported in February 2019.

If your mode of transportation is sporting your own bike or skateboard, MSU Transportation services’ website states three rules for

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Cars are the most common off-campus transportation method. Be sure to know the hours of the parking meters, or risk a ticket! skateboards, scooters, and bicycles: • Yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and have caution at intersections and crosswalks.

• Ride with the flow of traffic.

• Ride as close to the right side of the bicycle path as is practical. If sharing the lane with automobiles, allow enough room for a car to comfortably pass on your left.

Transportation services also requires that you register your bicycle with their office. This

is a free service and you will be given a registration sticker, however, you will need to know the model, make, year, color, size, serial number and any other distinguishing marks of your bicycle. This will help find your bicycle if it is stolen.

There are a lot of ways to get around campus and Springfield. Whether by shuttle, bike, car, scooter, walking or skateboarding, find a way that fits your needs.

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Foster Recreation Center

Staying active: How to pick the right gym ANDREW UNVERFERTH Staff Reporter @unverferthandr1 Between studying and classes, students might find themselves wanting to get some physical activity into their daily routine. Luckily, Springfield has a variety of places where students can exercise.

While there are a number of parks in Springfield where students can get active, there is also a fairly wide selection of gyms and fitness centers.

One of the cheaper options is Planet Fitness which has three locations in Springfield. For students living on campus, the closest can be found on South Campbell Avenue.

Management at Planet Fitness said they try to provide a “comfortable, non-intimidating environment” for members, with a focus on general fitness.

They have a number of cardio and weight resistance machines available for members.

Membership also provides access to fitness training with a certified trainer in small group sessions.

Students might also consider a membership at the Ward Downtown YMCA. Senior Membership and Program Director Kelci Scott said they offer a variety of group fitness classes including low-impact sessions, tai chi and more intense classes.

The downtown YMCA also contains a free weight area, cardio area, racquetball courts and a basketball gym.

Membership at the YMCA also allows for a lot of flexibility. With no contract, students can feel free to drop their membership if they wish to take a break or leave school for a while. Members at the Ward Downtown

YMCA can also make use of other YMCAs that participate nationwide if they travel or visit home.

Scott also emphasized the YMCA’s role in the community and how she would encourage students to be a part of that.

“We really try to make sure that we’re for everybody, and I really think that that’s what sets us apart,” Scott said. “We have all different walks of life here, and it’s really cool to see everybody come together around a community, which is what our mission is.”

Students at Missouri State also have access to Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center, providing them with a nearby option to satisfy their workout needs.

Along with the location, Teresa Brandenburg, assistant director of Campus Recreation for fitness and wellness, said one of the biggest reasons for students to use the center is because it’s free for them.

“As students, they are already members of the recreation center, relieving them from any membership costs to another local gym,” Brandenburg said.

While students do have to pay for any of the various training sessions or fitness classes that Campus Recreation offers, many of the other amenities offered at the center, including weights, cardio equipment, the aquatic center and other services, are readily available.

Brandenburg also said the center can act as a hub for students, helping them meet other students and generally have a nice, comfortable place on campus to stay active.

“It is a safe (and) fun getaway for students to be themselves, find their friends, relieve stress and place health and fitness in their days,” Brandenburg said.

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Magers Health and Wellness Center provides convenient medical help CARISSA CODEL News Editor @carissacodeltv College can be stressful and cause a lack of sleep as well as promote unhealthy eating habits. Unfortunately, stress, sleep deprivation and junk food can sometimes cause illness.

Luckily for Missouri State Students, the Magers Health and Wellness Center is nearby.

Located on campus, the Center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Magers has been at Missouri State for 96 years and students authorized the construction of its new building two years ago.

Dr. David Muegge, director of health and wellness services, said Magers is a tremendous resource for students.

“If a student thinks they might have the flu or strep throat or anxiety, they are welcome to make an appointment with one of our Board Certified practitioners,” Muegge said.

A student can visit for free if no labs or x-rays are needed.

If a lab or x-ray is needed, Magers offers a reduced rate compared to the other hospitals in Springfield.

Muegge said four of the most common lab tests students have done are available for free at the Wellness Center.

They offer a urinary tract infection test, a swab for strep throat, a check for mono and a blood count for free.

“They can come in for 15 minutes, get a test done for free and leave with a prescription for $10 worth of amoxicillin,” Muegge said.

Students are also given the option to defer the payment from their visit until the end of the semester.

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The Bill and Lucille Magers Family Health and Wellness Center is located on Missouri State’s campus next to the bookstore and near the Plaster Student Union.

The Wellness Center is not limited to MSU students.

Muegge said they serve ages 6 to 80 years old.

A difficult aspect of health care is insurance. However, Magers works with students even if they do not have health insurance. If a student does have insurance, the staff at Magers will recommend where a student can go to find the help that works best with their insurance plan.

“We are not allowed to be a part of the insurance networks that go into the hospitals,” Muegge said. “So if you need an appendectomy or a CT scan or something that we don't do here, then you should show us your insurance card and on the back is a number that we call to find out where you can go and we can make a referral for you.”

This helps students get expensive work done in a place where insurance will cover it.

However, pharmacy cards are different. Muegge said there are about 500 different pharmacy cards that are used at Magers.

The Wellness Center is able to give out prescriptions at its walk-in and drive-through pharmacy.

Muegge said they have a doctor on call at all times, so if a student called Magers in the morning, he/she would be able to make an appointment that same day.

Aside from physical health, Magers offers help for mental health as well.

Counselors are available to talk to about anxiety, depression and homesickness. They even have programs to help break bad habits, such as smoking cigarettes.

Magers Health and Wellness Center is convenient for students and offers a variety of services to help students in all aspects of wellness.

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The ups and downs of commuting What to expect when driving to campus MICHAELA SATTERFIELD Staff Reporter @mchaela_s Murphy’s Law states, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”

When commuting to campus, this is the adage to keep in mind.

Slap that yellow sticker on your windshield and the fun begins.

You’ll want to make sure you leave the house with plenty of time. Think you need 10 extra minutes? Give yourself 20. You’ll thank me later.

The first trial in your journey will be the traffic.

Those 7 a.m. rush hour drivers are stubborn.

Defensive driving is your new friend. The good news is that there will be some great radio shows on at this time.

If you’re lucky enough to plan your schedule to sleep through this hour, your drive will be much easier. However, you’ll still need to prepare for unexpected traffic jams and road work.

You will have a love-hate relationship with road work. It will ultimately make things easier, but while you’re in the middle of it, that can be hard to keep in mind.

Remember — patience is a virtue.

Make sure you have some stellar playlists ready. You’ll want several to keep things interesting. Having time to listen to music and mentally prepare for the day is one of the best parts of commuting.

Once you skillfully make it through traffic, there is yet another trial in store — the infamous Missouri State University parking lots.

It’s not so bad after you get some experience.

Planning your classes to avoid the dreaded parking lot hours is the first line of defense. If things don’t pan out, though, here are some tactics.

Know all of the available parking lots. There are several commuter lots. A quick look at the MSU parking map will save you loads of time.

As a commuter, you’ll soon figure out which lot is your favorite. Always have a backup. And another. And … you get the point.

If you’re patient enough and have given yourself enough time, a parking spot should come up soon enough. Don’t count on it, though. Remember — Murphy’s Law. Get ready

Photo submitted by Michaela Satterfield

Michaela Satterfield

to do quite a bit of searching.

At the end of the day, driving out of the crowded parking lot will be one of your favorite parts of the day. There’s something wonderful about being able to leave the stresses of school at school.

You’ll get to drive to your off campus housing, whether that’s your own apartment or your parents’ house. While the dorms have their own draw, those who live off campus have more freedom when it comes to housing options.

The food options for commuters are limitless, as well. Those on campus may not feel like going all the way to the parking lot to go off campus for more food choices. They’ll be stuck at the dining halls.

Commuters, however, have the advantage here — you’ll already be in the car.

And on those dreaded snow days? It’s a little easier to justify staying home when you have many roads to traverse rather than a short walk down the sidewalk.

As you can see, being a commuter comes with its fair share of advantages and disadvantages.

You should know that it’s important to remember Murphy’s Law when commuting to campus by now. Got that down? Good.

Now, you just need to remember a few other laws — the traffic laws.

Slap that yellow sticker on your windshield and the fun begins.

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The best-kept secrets at MSU

We’ll let you in on the best study nooks and napping areas SHANNON NOONAN Staff Reporter @shannon_noo Missouri State University holds a myriad of locations around its beautiful Springfield campus to provide students the perfect places to study, chat with friends, gain some quiet time or lay back and relax.

Booths

It is hard to find a booth in the Robert W. Plaster Student Union or Glass Hall that is not already occupied by a busy student. But if a booth is snagged, this comfortable seating allows space for an easy study session that is not

secluded. It is a simple amenity enjoyed by many.

“The booths in the PSU or Glass Hall are so comfy and I haven’t found it to be super loud when I am sitting at them,” junior special education major Lauren Rector said.

Junior nursing major Alyssa Aubuchon is another student who enjoys the atmosphere that surrounds the booths.

Study nook in the basement of Duane “The booths by Starbucks in the PSU have the perfect volume to where I can do my home- Garden work without getting too distracted,” Aubuchon Perhaps MSU’s best kept secret is the small said. “I always see a lot of friends walking by garden located between the library and the Forsythe Athletics Center. This space contains and it’s nice to catch up.” several benches for a moment of peace, and a picnic table to spread the books out and study.

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G. Meyer Library.

This is all while being encompassed in the plant life growing from every direction.

Glass Hall

Glass Hall offers comfortability with its sleek and modern design and a calm, but pro-

THE-STANDARD.ORG ductive atmosphere, featuring a student favorite, Einstein Bros. Bagels. Choose to relax in the atrium, grab a booth or find an empty room to satisfy your study needs.

“It’s not creepy-quiet, but it’s not overwhelmingly loud either,” sophomore information technology major Emily Falbe said. “The absolute best place to eat, Einstein’s, is there too.”

Hammock stations

Lounge around and let the wind sway you back in forth by relaxing in a hammock. Students may utilize any of the four hammock stations located around campus: outside of Blair-Shannon, Temple Hall, next to the Forsythe Athletics Center and most recently behind the PSU. These stations feature poles students can secure their hammocks to, rather than searching for the perfect tree.

Sophomore psychology and criminology major Kayley Clements said the best place to hammock is the new stations built next to the PSU near Carrington Hall.

“The trees provide shade and who doesn’t want to be that close to Starbucks and Chickfil-A?” Clements said.

Library

Duane G. Meyer Library includes several amenities that serve as ideal locations for MSU students to find a quiet zone. Choose between sitting at divided desks, study pods

THE STANDARD that include an adjustable desk and footrest, a reservable room or even a private nook of the library with a picturesque view of the fountain.

Picnic tables

Whether they are located around Blair-Shannon, next to the John Q. Hammons Fountain or behind the PSU, this simple seating is the perfect space to study. Sprawl out those textbooks, notebooks, pens, pencils and highlighters and get crackin’. Make sure to choose your table wisely — soak up some vitamin D in the sun or keep cool in the shade.

“My favorite spot is the tables outside of the PSU on the back side,” freshman English major Lily Skidmore said. “I love sitting there with friends to study or just to hang out.”

For others, like junior finance major Jerad Daniels, choosing between these locations depends on the level of productivity needed to complete his work.

“It depends on how I’m feeling that day,” Daniels said. “If I want to go work by myself for a few hours, I’ll go into one of the rooms in Glass Hall. But if I am feeling more social, I’ll go work on the top floor of the library because you can see a lot of people while you’re there.”

Although these lovable locations are kept a secret from the outside community, MSU students are no stranger to the benefits they each offer.

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On-campus entertainment for 2019-2020

Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts Home Free Dive Bar Saints: World Tour — Oct. 2 John Prine — Oct. 12 A Very Special Evening with Vince Gill — Oct. 17 Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville — Oct. 29-31 Joe Bonamassa: The Guitar Event of the Year — Nov. 1 ZZ Top: Celebrating Their 50th Anniversary — Nov. 5 Les Miserables — Jan. 21-26 Waitress — Feb. 18-20 The Play That Goes Wrong — March 24-26

Coger Theatre

Cats — Oct. 24-28 The Comedy of Errors — Nov. 21-24 The Secret Garden — April 2-5 Spring Dance Concert — April 30-May 3

Submitted by Deen van Meer

Juanita K. Hammons Hall hosted “The Lion King” in spring 2019.

Balcony Theatre

Crimes of the Heart — Sept. 19-20, 22-27, 29-30, Oct. 1 Picnic — Feb. 20-21, 23-28, March 1-3

JQH Arena

PBR: Unleash the Beast — Sept. 13-15 Chris Stapleton — Oct. 3 Shinedown — Oct. 5 Miranda Lambert — Oct. 25

Courtesy of Missouri State Theatre and Dance

(Above) Ensemble of “The Odyssey” performed in Coger Theatre in 2012.

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(Above) PBR in JQH in fall 2017.

(Right) “Women’s Stories” performed in the Balcony Theatre in 2016.

Courtesy of Missouri State University Communications

Aerial view of the JQH Arena in spring 2019.

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Out on the town KATHRYN DOLAN Staff Reporter @kathryndolan98

When it comes to going out in Springfield, there are many options. Downtown has over 30 restaurants and bars, as well as five different clubs to choose from.

Emma Dames, sophomore history education major, said she isn’t a big fan of the clubs Zan or Vintage, but thoroughly enjoyed her experience at Martha’s Vineyard.

Martha’s Vineyard dance and night club has been open for 26 years. Devion Mornett, show director at Martha’s Vineyard, said Martha’s is a place where everyone is welcome.

“Martha’s isn’t just a gay club,” Mornett said. “It’s a place for all kinds of people in every walk of life— it’s a real representation of America.”

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People fill downtown Springfield’s bars and clubs, especially on weekends when many students have some time off.

THE-STANDARD.ORG Martha’s hosts a variety of drag performances Tuesday through Saturday. Tuesday’s performance includes strippers, Wednesday's performance showcases up-andcoming drag performers and Thursdays are open to anyone willing to come in and put on their own show.

“Friday and Saturday we stick to our main cast member shows,” Mornett said. “(Cast members) are the girls and boys who have worked really hard on their craft.”

Dames said Martha’s is filled with fun personalities and she immediately felt welcomed and comfortable upon entering.

“Everyone was down to dance with each other,” Dames said. “It was less crowded than other clubs which I prefer — I had space to breathe and move.”

Benji McBride, junior agricultural business major, said he’s been to the clubs Zan and Vintage downtown.

“I was underage and sober when I went there,” McBride said. “I think it would’ve been more fun if I was under the influence.”

McBride said the clubs in Springfield are dance and alcohol-oriented so if you don’t like to dance or drink, it’s not the place for you.

“If I’m going out I prefer going to bars or pubs like Ebbett’s or Dublin’s,” said McBride. “I like Dublin’s because they have good deals and good food.”

Dublin’s Pass, an Irish style pub and restaurant, was founded in June 2011 and has two locations in Springfield, one off of West Republic Road, and one downtown.

Zak Kirk, a bartender and key holder at Dublin’s Pass, said Dublin’s is family friendly and drink friend-

THE STANDARD ly. Every Tuesday night starting at 9 p.m. is college night where a live DJ performs.

Dublin’s Pass has a full kitchen and bar with happy hour specials from open until 5 p.m. and late night specials from 9 p.m. until midnight.

McBride said bars are a great place to make friends but advises students not to go out alone.

“It’s always smart to go out in a group because there’s strength in numbers — there’s a lot of creepy people out there,” McBride said.

Dames said even when she goes out in groups, she often feels uncomfortable in clubs.

“I often feel like I’m being scrutinized and objectified by men in the club scene,” Dames said. “It makes it hard to have a good time when people are in my face or touching me without consent.”

Dames said she doesn’t go out to be harassed, she goes out to have fun and dance with her friends.

“That’s why I love Martha’s,” Dames said. “I never felt uncomfortable there and I could just hang out with my friends without having to worry about anything.”

Eric Francis, junior digital film production major, said he dislikes the clubs in Springfield.

“There’s just a lot of random people and I get bumped around a bunch,” Francis said.

Francis said he prefers going to bars or his fraternity’s parties because the music is better and he knows more people there. Francis said he always sees long lines outside of the clubs Vintage and Zan on Thursday nights.

“I personally don’t get it, but people like it,” Francis said.

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Club-goers hit the dance floor at Martha’s Vineyard.

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Roommate horror tales: Dorm life is what you make of it CONNOR WILSON Staff Reporter @Connor4Wilson For most students, freshman year of college is the first time a student lives in a shared space with a non-family member. This new experience can lead to several disagreements arising, starting from something as small as a roll of toilet paper.

Kali Eggert, junior psychology major, said while she and her roommates all got along the first few weeks of the semester, eventually the six person dorm room had a falling-out over a toilet paper misunderstanding.

“One roommate sent a message to all of us saying ‘we need to buy toilet paper,’” Eggert said. “I offered to drive and responded saying ‘Amber (and I) would be free at this time unless we go to the gym,’ and she thought that me saying that meant if we were going to the gym we weren’t going to buy toilet paper, and she snapped at me.”

This was just the beginning of a tumultuous roommate relationship, Eggert said.

Eggert’s dorm room was actually four

rooms, with three bedrooms split between six people. She shared her bedroom with long-time friend, junior psychology major Amber Schneider.

Schneider said that while the two argue every once in a while, they know each other well enough that they don’t take it too personally. For the other roommates, this was not the case.

Schneider said one of her roommates would make her feel bad about herself.

Eggert said overall their dorm room had a clique dynamic, and that there were two roommates who wanted to control the situation and get their way.

“I remember one time we played a bunch of games and towards the end one of those roommates was like, ‘We should all go around the room and say one reason we choose to be friends with each other,’ and when it got to me I just didn’t do it because I felt like they (weren’t my friends),” Eggert said.

While the two found plenty of negative experiences from dorm life, it also helped reaffirm the friendship between them. After the first year was over, Schneider and Eggert continued

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living together. Schneider said overall she’d rather just forget about the whole experience of living in the dorms.

“After we moved out and we did our own thing, I was like, ‘I don’t want to think about that time period of my life,’” Schneider said.

Living in a dorm will be what you make of

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it. While some students have negative experiences living with their first roommates, other students find their best friends by being paired with other students in dorm life. No matter your circumstance, the fall semester is sure to bring change, and with it new experiences — like dorm living.

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Staying safe AFTON HARPER Staff Reporter @affie888 On the Missouri State University Springfield campus, the most common crimes are drug and alcohol violations, according to the 2017 MSU Springfield annual crime report.

However, this doesn’t mean MSU is immune to other types of crime. According to the 2017 annual crime report, there were five reported rapes and 30 reported motor vehicle thefts on campus.

These numbers are relatively low, said Andrew Englert, associate director of safety and transportation at MSU. Missouri State has camera systems and patrol officers spread across campus to ensure student safety, such as the 16 blue light phones for students to call the police substation on campus if they don’t feel safe while walking, Englert said.

Similarly, MSU has a safe walk program that allows students to be escorted by an officer wherever they need to go.

Englert said students should be aware of their surroundings and walk in well-lit areas around campus.

MSU also has a Green Dot program which trains students on how to respond as a witness of crime and how avoid being an apathetic bystander. The program aims to reduce power-based personal violence such as sexual assault and dating violence, according to the MSU website.

In order to protect yourself on campus, Englert said he recommends carrying pepper spray and taking MSU’s sexual assault prevention and defensive moves course. He said the class teaches students about situational awareness and how to protect yourself in a dangerous situation.

To prevent vehicle theft, Englert said students should lock their car doors and remove

valuables like backpacks and laptops from their car.

“It doesn’t do enough just to hide it,” Englert said. “If you’re going to put it in a backpack under a sweatshirt, people are going to ascertain that that’s a backpack under there.”

Students should also understand how to make safe choices, especially while going to clubs or parties around Springfield.

Jessica Schlueter, junior socio-political communications major, said she goes to clubs with her friends and always uses the buddy system to stay safe. She also never accepts open beverages in case they may have drugs in them.

A red flag Schlueter said she would be aware of is if a guy tried to isolate one of her friends.

She also said it’s concerning when guys question her decision not to drink.

“I don’t really have to have a reason, you know?” Schlueter said. “That always raises red flags for me.”

Schlueter said she advises college girls to be a good friend.

“Treat your friends like human beings and how you would want to be treated,” Schlueter said. “No one wants to be ditched at a party.”

Schlueter said she recommends girls find a group of trustworthy friends to go to parties with.

She said guys should be respectful of a girl’s boundaries to make sure she feels safe.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Schlueter said. “You don’t want to do something that you’ll regret.”

Whether on or off campus, students should try to watch their surroundings and let friends or family know when they travel, even if it is just down the street.

The Springfield Police Department’s campus substation is at 636 E. Elm St. Students can call MSU safety at 417-836-4825 during business hours or 417-836-5509 after hours to report crimes or discuss safety concerns.

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On-campus jobs: Gain income without the travel time TINSLEY MERRIMAN Staff Reporter @MerrimanTinsley Getting a job during college provides a source of income for not only everyday necessities, but also to pay off student loans, pay down outstanding bills and even collect savings for the future. While a source of income can be a saving grace in college, with a job comes the pressure of managing time for both classes and one’s schedule on the clock.

But having a job during college may force students to have to travel, costing money due to gas. This is where on-campus jobs get their benefits.

Cheryl Combs, assistant director of the Office of Student Employment Services, said many jobs on campus help students manage their time, develop a network of people and make financial gains.

“It really helps develop time management skills for students because when they have a job they are forced to have more of a regimented schedule to allow time for study,” Combs said. “(Students will) develop skills, build their resumes and references and of

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course get more money.”

Combs mentioned that a 10 hour work week could net students a $267 paycheck. Vicki Jacobson, financial aid coordinator, said this paycheck belongs to the student. It can be spent on anything, for example paying off a student loan or getting a tank of gas.

Jacobson said work-study students have a starting wage of $7.85 per hour. Work-study students are paid via federal funding given to Missouri State University, while regular student employees are paid solely by MSU.

Work-study students are sourced from the termined by the individual’s schedule. financial need reported on their FAFSA. Before “It really is all about how much you can submitting it to MSU, they can select an option handle,” Ashcraft said. “I took 18 credit hours to apply for work-study. at school and could only work about 20 hours Jacobson said the work stua week. Then I took 12 credits dents do on campus isn’t busy and could work 30-35 hours a “School is super work, but provides real work week.” important and Olivia Dove, senior wildlife experience the student would should be first find outside of school. She also conservation and management said if a student is qualified and priority. But having major, mans the front desk at hardworking, her office tries to work (or) volunteer Wells House. She said that hire them for the coming school even though work is a key part experience that year. of college life, school should can prepare us for still be a student’s main con“I know for our work-study —if (a student is) good —we’re cern. our future career gonna do everything we can to “School is super important is (also) super and should be first priority,” bring them back the next year,” Jacobson said. “So you could important. It’s about Dove said. “It’s why many of us finding the balance moved Missouri State for four have a built-in job for four years.” between educational years. But having work (or) volWhile working on campus learning and real-life unteer experience that can predoes provide easier travel, the pare us for our future career is experience.” maximum amount of hours alsuper important. It’s about findlowed by MSU is 20 per week. — Senior Olivia Dove ing the balance between educaAllison Ashcraft, senior wildlife tional learning and real-life conservation and management experience.” major, has worked off campus To apply for an on-campus to beat this rule and gets more money and hours. job, go to missouristate.edu/findajob and create Ashcraft said that balancing classes is de- an account.

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Low on clothes? Try these local boutiques LINDSAY FARROW Staff Reporter @lindsayfarrow28 Beyond going to class, students may have activities, events and job that require business causal attire. For work or for play, there are many local and chain clothing options.

So, I’ve decided to make things a little easier by using my self-proclaimed fashionista expertise to compile a list of the best clothing stores Springfield has to offer. This list will serve any new resident hoping to learn more about Springfield’s fashion scene, and may even share insight for locals too.

First things first, Battlefield Mall. Yes, it is a mall so there is an abundance of options here for both male and female clothing needs. It’s located only a few miles from campus and is a convenient stop for most. But where Springfield fashion shines the brightest is through its various local boutiques.

Karlee Kramer, junior health communications major, shared her go-to shopping destinations around town.

“Springfield is full of a ton of local gems,” Kramer said. “I mainly go to Clothe Boutique or Uptown Boutique for casual but cute options, and if I have the extra cash to spend, I’ll go to

SARAH TEAGUE/THE STANDARD

Uptown Cheapskate is located at 1724 Battlefield Rd. Staxx.”

Kramer also mentioned the booming thrift scene in Springfield.

“I always try to check out Goodwill too because you can find really awesome stuff there,” Kramer said.“There’s a couple Goodwill stores in town and one time I got a vintage denim jacket for like five bucks.”

Springfield also has various consignment shops such as Plato’s Closet and Uptown Cheapskate that sell gently used name brand clothing at discounted rates.

Aside from the multitude of feminine style options, Springfield boasts a variety of menswear. Killian White, senior marketing major, revealed a little bit about his experiences with needing outfits for various occasions such as fraternity events, awards ceremonies and everyday life.

“I usually try to stay away from the mall just because I like the variety you get from shopping local,” White said. “If I have to get formal (clothing) I go to Blackwell’s or sometimes even Men’s Wearhouse. Both are right by the mall so it’s still a super convenient location. If I need something kind of dressy but still casual I’ll hit up Modern Society or 5 Pound Apparel.”

Both Modern Society and 5 Pound Apparel sell attire for both men and women, making them great choices for those seeking a new set of threads.

The time may come for a new outfit for a special occasion or maybe just the desire to buy something nice. For a budget small or large, Springfield provides unique and trending styles.

Locations 5 Pound Apparel 412 South Ave. Battlefield Mall 2825 S. Glenstone Ave. Blackwell’s 2716 S. Glenstone Ave. Clothe Boutique 2644 S. Glenstone Ave. Goodwill 3151 S. Kansas Expressway and 425 S. Western Ave. Men’s Wearhouse 1724 E. Battlefield Road Modern Society Apparel 2652 S. Glenstone Ave. Plato’s Closet 1258 Battlefield Road Staxx Boutique 2144 E. Republic Road Uptown Boutique 1326 Battlefield Road Uptown Cheapskate 1724 Battlefield Road

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Don’t call Mom, just ask your residence hall staff CLAIRE NIEBRUGGE Senior Sports Reporter @claireniebrugge Do you find yourself needing the one thing your mom told you to bring, that you insisted you would never need?

Well, don’t go buy anything just yet — and don’t tell your mom she was right.

Check out the front desk of your residence hall to see if they have what you are looking for. Every residence hall has an abundance of items they anticipate new college kids will forget. Each residence hall is a little different, but they have a majority of the same type of things such as games, cleaning supplies and cooking utensils.

Games

From poker, to Monopoly, to Catch Phrase, residence halls have a large assortment of board games and card games to cure your boredom blues. Just ask your front desk receptionist for a list of the game options, invite a few friends and have fun.

Cleaning

You probably promised your mom you would routinely clean your room, too. Before you head to Walmart to buy heavy duty scrubs to clean a year’s worth of filth, check to see what the front desk has available. They have vacuums, brooms, mops and a variety of other cleaning products. Go crazy and clean your roommate’s side, too.

Cooking

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Freudenberger House.

Gary Stewart, director of Residence Life, Housing and Dining Services, says it’s important to develop a sense of community in the residence halls.

If a group of students or a residence hall assistant wants to make a batch of cookies or some other comfort food, they have everything they need to do so.

Another service residence halls provide is 24-hour printing.

Now that most students have their own laptop or computer, they are able to print to the front desk from the comfort of their own room.

Stewart said MSU is unique in that every residence hall has a 24-hour front desk.

There is someone manning the front entrance at all times to ensure the safety of every resident in the building.

“It’s important to me to be aware of who comes and goes in the halls for the safety of our students,” Stewart said.

The overnight receptionists are able to intervene and help keep a student safe when needed thanks to Missouri State’s 24-hour desk.

Whether you need a vacuum, deck of cards or help walking to your room after a night out, the front desks at the residence halls on Missouri State’s campus are there to make sure you are taken care of.

“The (dorm) resources are very convenient and helpful.”

— Abby Gregg, freshman biology major

Did your grandma mail you a ‘happy first week of college’ care package? Did you run out of cookies way too quickly? You’re in luck.

The front desk of your residence hall has everything you will need to recreate grandma’s cookies. From the baking sheet to the spatula you lick at the end, your front desk receptionist has you covered. Just remember to buy the ingredients.

Freshman biology major Abby Gregg said she has used the cleaning supplies and some games behind the front desk and loved how easy it was to check items out.

“All you need is your BearPass,” Gregg said.

“The resources are very convenient and helpful.

It was nice to have them right there for the residents to use instead of going out and buying it on our own.”

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Understanding university conduct rules ANNELISE PINJUV Staff Reporter @Annelisepin

the residence halls, as well as level two probation for one year, meaning the student cannot represent the school or participate in clubs or activities. Finally, they must to participate in counseling sessions for chemical dependency.

For a student’s fourth violation, they receive suspension from the university for one semester and will not eligible for university housing. After the fourth violation, the student is required to meet with the dean of students to prove they are prepared to attend MSU again and follow the rules.

College is often the first taste of freedom for many 18-year-olds.

“A lot of kids I met had strict parents or no interest in partying until coming to college, and when the freedom sets in the first night in the dorms, you realize you can do whatever you want,” Sarah Lowe, sophomore speech pathology major, said.

This freedom can lead students in the wrong Marijuana direction.

There are non-discriminatory, concrete conThe consequences for getting caught with sequences for drinking or using drugs on cam- marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia follow roughly the same principles as alcohol violations, pus at Missouri State. with one major difference between the two.

Weber said if students are caught drinking on Drinking campus, most often the police are not called. RAs Drinking on campus is prohibited. Jeremiah are trained to deal with the situation, and students Hinds, junior digital film production major and follow the MSU student conduct procedures. The residence hall assistant, said RAs are trained offense goes on the student’s conduct record, extensively to deal with alcohol violations be- which is confidential, according to Weber.

In contrast, police are always involved if cause of its frequency on college campuses.

“In my experience, I have never busted any- students are caught smoking marijuana because one for alcohol … some RAs never do and the drug is federally illegal. some do a lot,” Hinds said.

“For marijuana, they come for everything,” Hinds said this is often due to marijuana Weber said. having a distinct smell, where as alcohol can be According to statelaws.com, the minimum easily hidden if students keep quiet in their dorm. penalty for a first time marijuana offense in If students are caught drinking in the dorms, Missouri will most likely include a maximum the Office of Student Conduct assigns the fol- $500 fine, along with MSU’s consequences.

With marijuana becoming medically legal lowing consequences.

“If students are in the residence halls and in Missouri this year, it is also important to note they’ve got some alcohol there and they are that MSU is a federally funded institution. drinking, Springfield Police is probably not go- According to Weber, this means as long as the ing to be called ... unless they are getting rowdy, drug is federally illegal, students will still be and they’re not answering the door and not be- punished for using it on campus even if they ing compliant,” Andrea Weber, director of stu- acquire a medical card. dent conduct said. “But (Springfield PD) will “I think it’s super important for students to only come for alcohol if they are being trans- understand this for next year,” Weber said. ported or assessed because they’ve been vomiting or publicly intoxicated in the building.”

When a student is given their first alcohol Other drugs Getting caught with drugs such as cocaine policy violation, they have to complete an online module, which is an interactive online or prescription pills comes with heavier learning platform that takes roughly 45 minutes consequences and fewer violations. to complete. Students then write a one-page The first violation of being caught with these paper on what was learned from completing kinds of substances includes participating in the module along with a one-page reflection. an online module geared towards drug use rathStudents receive a fine based on the offense. er than alcohol use, two sessions with the counWhen given a second violation, students re- seling center, receiving a fine, being tested for ceive an additional fine, are put on level one chemical dependency and parental notification. probation for a year, meaning no participation This also includes a level two probation for two in school activities or groups, as well as univer- years and any other consequences deemed apsity housing probation for one year, meaning the propriate by the student’s conduct officer. student cannot apply for university housing A second violation includes separation from within this year. The student must complete at the university for one semester and parental notification. If a student is found with the intent least 15 hours of community service.

When given a third violation, students re- to distribute or sell these drugs or marijuana, they ceive yet another fine, and their parents are are dismissed from the university permanently. notified about the third incident. The student Weber said there are cameras all over camis put under university housing suspension, pus, so it is best to simply stay away from ilmeaning they will no longer be able to live in legal activity.

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National Pan-Hellenic Council strives for recognition on campus ZOE BROWN Life Editor @zoe_zoebrown The Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Association and the National Pan-Hellenic Council: these three organizations are co-councils of one another that makeup Fraternity and Sorority Life at Missouri State.

The NPHC acts as the governing body to the Divine Nine, the nine predominantly African American Greek organizations.

MSU is home to five Greek organizations that are a part of the Divine Nine: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.

If a college or university has more than one predominantly black sorority or fraternity, a chapter of the NPHC must be established to govern the organizations.

Brittany Buchannon, who graduated in May 2019, was the 2018-19 president of the NPHC at MSU. She was also a member of Sigma Gamma Rho. Since joining Greek Life in 2015, Buchannon served as the treasurer of NPHC for two

years and president for one.

“Having NPHC on campus is an opportunity to show the unity that is on campus,” Buchannon said. “I think that people really take for granted what it means to a student body to see organizations and councils and clubs unified over different things.”

Teaira Bass, senior exercise and movement science major, will be serving as vice president of NPHC for the 2019-20 school year. She’s been involved in NPHC for two years.

Bass said the nine organizations that makeup NPHC are each different, but they all seek sisterhood and brotherhood, community service and scholarship.

“We all have our individual things that make us our own separate organization but at the end of the day, all of us are here for the same goal,” Bass said.

In order to join an NPHC organization, an individual must express interest within an organization, attend informational meetings and then the person begins the intake process where they take classes to learn about the organization. After the intake process, there is a new member presentation.

One of the differences between IFC and

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The NPHC governs over nine fraternities and sororities. There are five of these nine organizations on campus.

PHA organizations and NPHC organizations is the recruitment process.

“It’s really about who’s interested in us,” Buchannon said. “We want all the members that come on board to really know they want to be on board because that means they’re going to work harder when they get on board.”

Lack of awareness about their organizations on campus has been a challenge for the NPHC. Buchannon said the NPHC received feedback from some students saying they didn’t know there were African American Greek organizations on campus.

In order to solve this problem and establish their organizations in a lasting way, the NPHC began to seek visual representation on campus.

Two years ago, the NPHC proposed a portion of MSU be dedicated to honoring the organizations that make up the NPHC.

“We really want to make sure we put a stake in Missouri State — we’re here and we’re not going anywhere,” Buchannon said.

Since the idea was proposed, the organizations of the NPHC began to raise money for a plot of land to commemorate the NPHC. To cover the cost of the plots, they used the proceeds from their step shows, created a GoFundMe page and reached out to alumni donors.

After two years of work, MSU cut the ribbon on the new NPHC plots, located on McDonald Arena patio.

“It’s a great stride for MSU in their strides for diversity,” Buchannon said. “It’s a great accomplishment for us because we’ve come such a long way from not having any establishment to really building these relationships and foundations.”

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Fall festivities Fall 2019 festivals and events taking place in Springfield File photo/THE STANDARD

Cider Days, planned for Sept. 21-22 on Walnut Street, draws large crowds of artists, vendors and festival-lovers annually.

AFTON HARPER Staff Reporter @affie888 Fall is a good time to start exploring and experiencing Springfield. Students are just coming back to campus and there's a lot of opportunities to make new friends and share good memories through food and music.

There are a variety of events and festivals hosted this time of year. Below is a list of upcoming festivals around Springfield:

Admission: $2 per person/pet There is a costume contest for pets and their owners. The event is held in the downtown square of Springfield. The festival will also feature a walking costume parade. The money made from the event will be donated to local children's organizations and animal charities, according to the Pets and Pumpkins website.

Japanese Fall Festival

Sept. 6-8, 2019 5-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. SunMissouri Food Truck Festival day, Sept. 8 Sept. 21, 2019 Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

2400 S. Scenic Ave. Springfield Expo Admission: 635 E. St. Louis St. Adults: $10 Friday and Sunday, $15 SatAdmission: Free Food trucks will compete in several cate- urday; children younger than 12 years: $3 The festival is to celebrate Springfield’s Japgories including finger food, sweet treats and anese Sister City, Isesaki, Japan. There will be people’s choice. artists and martial arts demonstrations as well as Pets and Pumpkins Festival matcha tea and a romantic candlelight walk.

Oct. 19, 2019 More information about the event can be 12-5 p.m. found on the Springfield Sister Cities AssociPark Central South Avenue ation website.

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22nd annual Cider Days

Sept. 21-22, 2019 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day Walnut Street Admission: $4 per adult; children younger than 10 are free Handmade products will be sold by regional artists and apple cider will be served. The event is presented by the Historic Walnut Street Association.

More information on this event can be found on the Cider Days Facebook page.

Art in the Park Oct. 12-13, 2019 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day Sequiota Park 3500 S. Lone Pine Ave. Admission: The Southwest Missouri Art and Craft Guild has hosted Art in the Park for 25 years to present and sell artwork. More information about the event can be found on their website.

12th annual Greek Festival

Sept. 6-8, 2019 5-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6; noon to 10 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 7; noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept.

8 St. Thomas the Apostle Orthodox Church 4200 S. Holiday Ave. Admission: Free The annual Greek festival is held by the St. Thomas the Apostle Orthodox Church to celebrate Greek culture by wearing togas and eating various Greek dishes.

For more information, follow the Springfield Greek Festival Facebook page.

Enjoy food and friends at some of these festivals around Springfield and create lasting memories.

Vendors, street performers and festivalgoers enjoy time in the sun at Cider Days 2018.

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Photo submitted by Alina Carter

A cyclist rides through a stream of water over a trail at Dogwood Canyon.

The canyon is an outdoor getaway that is just over an hour’s drive from Springfield.

When you need a break from campus ...

GRETA CROSS Engagement Editor @gretacrossphoto

After a long week of classes and studying, you may just need a break from campus life.

Southwest Missouri is bountiful with local hiking trails, parks and outdoor experiences to enjoy.

A popular student favorite is Sequiota Park, located about five miles from campus. A picnic pavilion, pond, network of trails and caves invites visitors to a relaxed getaway.

The park is well-known for Sequiota Cave, home to an endangered migrating colony of gray bats, according to Springfield Missouri Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The cave is closed off to the public but private tours can be scheduled. Smaller caves in the park are more accessible and can be explored freely.

“On arrival, you can immediately tell there is something special about Sequiota,” junior theater major Jacob Cannon said. “The trail system is pretty detailed, going far back into the woods. It also gives visitors a beautiful outlook point on top of where the cave entrance is, allowing people to really take in the park as a whole.”

Cannon described Sequiota as a “must-visit for people on a budget, nature lovers and anyone in between.”

Lake Springfield is another essential getaway spot, with its mile of shoreline and various hiking trails.

The lake is about a 20-minute drive from campus and caters those who enjoy being in the water and fishing. Canoes, kayaks and

paddle boats can be rented from the Lake Springfield Boathouse for $10 per hour of use.

While the city of Springfield offers numerous outdoor places to visit, students can drive 20 or 30 minutes out of town to explore even more.

About 11 miles from campus, located in Republic, Missouri, is Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, which provides a more educated experience. The park preserves the site of the first major battle in the Civil War. Visitors can take a five mile self-guided tour through the park that includes eight interactive stops, highlighting significant locations related to the battle.

Other walking trails veer off the main trail road, including a seven mile horseback riding and hiking trail. A collection of Civil War artifacts can be seen in the park’s Civil War Museum.

“Any time you’re out in nature, you’re experiencing a spot that is different than the next,” senior electronic arts audio studies major Devon Lalumondiere said. “Wilson’s Creek is an interesting one because there is so much history in that one single spot, and they have the information laid out for you to easily learn.”

Another popular student spot outside of Springfield is Busiek State Park, which is about a 30-minute drive from campus.

Busiek is known for its long trails, showcasing the beautiful areas of the upper Ozarks. The park is one of the few in the area that allows overnight camping. A camping permit is required.

A bit farther out is Dogwood Canyon, which is just over an hour drive from Springfield.

Unlike the other locations, visitors must pur-

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Lake Springfield is a popular student getaway spot and is only about a 20-minute drive from campus. Canoes, kayaks and paddle boats can be rented from the lake's boathouse for $10 per hour. chase a day pass.

Typical day-long passes are $15. However, tickets to other activities within the park have an additional cost.

The park offers hiking trails, fishing opportunities and guided segue and wildlife tram tours.

Private guided Jeep tours can be scheduled, giving a closer look at the canyon. All three tours require ticket purchases.

Senior psychology major Alina Carter visited Dogwood Canyon on a whim but said she recommends it to anyone interested in exploring nature in the Branson area.

“I had never heard about Dogwood Canyon until I was planning a trip to Branson for a girls’ trip,” Carter said. “All in all, it was one of the best places I’ve been and it was well worth the money. The girls and I still talk about it a year later and we all want to go again.”

When a break is needed from campus, exploring the beautiful parks in and around Springfield can act as an affordable, yet enjoyable get-away.

For more information about parks and facilities in Springfield visit https://www. parkboard.org/148/Parks-Facilities.

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Is Fraternity and Sorority Life the life for you?

CARISSA CODEL News Editor @carissacodeltv For the first few weeks of the fall semester, Greek Row is vibrant. Women — literally — run outside in white dresses and heels while men participate in the events thrown by their soon-to-be chapter, mainly outdoor barbecuing and games.

However, there is more to Fraternity and Sorority Life than glitter and loud music. In addition to following their chosen philanthropies, fraternities and sororities are heavily involved on campus.

Junior Kamryn Downing, elementary education major, is the new member educator for Alpha Chi Omega. In this role, she helps new members acclimate to the chapter.

“I feel like I get a special job because I get to hang out with the new members,” Downing said.

In addition to being the new member educator, Downing helps plan bid day — the ceremony where active sisters accept new members.

Downing said being in a sorority helped her grow as a person, giving her more confidence. She said because of her sisters she was able to get more involved in other campus organizations.

“It’s fun to see our involvement, not only in a sorority, but on campus too,” Downing said.

She said one of the positive things about being in a sorority is finding her place. Because she lived in the house, she became closer to the girls around her. However, she said building friendships doesn’t happen immediately.

Downing said even though it’s cliche, new members need to trust the process. She said a good way to stay drama-free is to hang out with people who “you have the best conversations with.”

Downing said being in a sorority helped her manage her time better than before.

FSL Facts • MSU’s Fraternity and Sorority Life’s values are leadership, service, development, scholarship and community.

• The FSL community makes up 17% of the undergraduate population at MSU. • In 2018, 680 members of FSL had 4.0 GPAs. • The Interfraternity Council governs the 20 fraternities at MSU. • The National Pan-Hellenic Council represents the five (of nine) active historically African American chapters at MSU. • The Panhellenic Association governs the 9 sororities at MSU. Information from https:// www.missouristate.edu/ studentengagement/FSL/ “I know if I don’t get this one thing done then I won’t be able to enjoy this event happening later,” Downing said.

She said while being in a sorority can be challenging, the rewards are worth it.

“At the end of the day when the glitz and glam (calms)comes down, we’re just real people trying to study and get a degree,” Downing said.

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Each year MSU’s Fraternity and Sorority Life chapters recruit new and returning students. These chapters, in partnership with the university, hold events throughout the year including recruitment, Greek Week and tailgating during football season, to name a few.

Excitement can be seen on students’ faces on Bid Day — the day chapters gain new members.

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Junior finance major Elliot McComas is a member of Theta Chi. He said when he first came to college, he did not plan on joining a fraternity But, his SOAR leader was a member of Theta Chi and encouraged him to go through recruitment.

“As I got to know the guys, I saw a lot of them were focused on excelling academically, which is a big thing for me,” McComas said.

“I also saw plenty of opportunities to be able to get involved in a lot of aspects of campus and build leadership skills.”

He said the most important part about joining a fraternity is the connections. McComas said he has gotten three jobs from being in Theta Chi and has met campus administrators due to him being a board member in his chapter.

“It also exposes you to a diverse group of people,” McComas said. “There (are) so many backgrounds in every single chapter on this campus that you can learn from.”

He said he has been able to understand different viewpoints on life thanks to the fraternity’s diversity.

“Sometimes you can butt heads with people,” McComas said. “All the different viewpoints, while it’s a good thing, there is plenty of conflict that comes out of it when you get 120 guys together.”

McComas said a good way for new students to find the right chapter for them is to ask around and don’t be solely set on one chapter.

“There is a lot of really awesome chapters on this campus,” McComas said. “Anywhere you can really find your home so keep an open mind and look into all different kinds of chapters.”

FSL isn’t all glitter and rainbows, it is still a full-time commitment that new members should consider before buying a white dress or firing up the grill.

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Sullivan: Building on a strong foundation Our sports reporters have done their homework and are ready to give you awesome coverage AMANDA SULLIVAN Sports Editor @mandasullivan14 I’ve spent a lot of time over the summer watching sports. It’s what I do — it’s my job.

I haven’t spent a lot of time working in Springfield, though.

I’m coming back with fresh eyes and a new energy. I was starting to burn out as the spring semester ended. So, I took this summer to regroup and find my passion again.

This incoming sports staff is awesome. They did their homework and are ready to give you some awesome coverage.

A lot of familiar faces are back, so be sure to keep giving them your support.

Also, keep an eye out for additions to our sports staff. We are always excited to add new reporters, so be sure to give them all a follow. (Also: Come work for us, no matter your major. Sports or not, we love new writers.)

We’ve got our traditional coverage set, but we’re expanding our coverage even further.

Every sports reporter will keep you up to date each week on their beat.

From injury updates to features on standout players, we will strive to do a fantastic job covering Missouri State athletics.

Claire Niebrugge will be hosting The Standard Sports Weekly just like last year.

Be on the lookout for that on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook every Tuesday.

I will be hosting The Growl. That will be posted on our website, Twitter and Facebook every Thursday. Read more about the podcast on page 114 of this issue.

The photography staff led by Photo Editor Kaitlyn Stratman will also have some great photos coming your way throughout the year.

Galleries posted on our Twitter and Instagram are something you’ll want to look forward to.

Every team has a rebuilding year. We had

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Amanda Sullivan

Where to find us on social media Twitter: @Standard_Sports Facebook: The Standard Sports Instagram: @thestandard_msu YouTube: MSUStandard Issuu: thestandard-msu And as always, we publish live game recaps, video highlights and hard-hitting articles at the-standard. org. to rebuild a strong foundation last year. Now, we build up. We want to make our coverage better for the readers, so reach out to us on social media.

Follow us @Standard_Sports on Twitter and on Facebook.

We’re back with fresh eyes, fresh brains and fresh content.

We’re excited. You should be too.

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Will the magic continue?

New coach, experienced team look to repeat Sweet 16 Cinderella run DEREK SHORE Sports Reporter @D_Shore23 Expectations could not be any higher as the Missouri State Lady Bears enter the 2019-20 campaign.

Missouri State comes off its first Sweet 16 appearance since the days of Jackie Stiles and they only lost one senior from last year’s magical NCAA Tournament run.

The Lady Bears also head into the winter season with a new face at the helm for the first time since 2013-14.

Former Michigan State associate head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, also known as “Coach Mox,” takes over a team that went 2512, 16-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play under Kellie Harper last season.

“There’s definitely a lot of pressure,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “Making the Sweet 16 is not easy, and it’s going to take a lot of hard work to repeat that. Our goal is to be competing for conference championships, reaching the NCAA Tournament, getting hot and repeat that and go beyond. It’s been done here many times before. We definitely have the talent to get it done. It’s not a given, but we will be dedicated to it.”

Agugua-Hamilton will have a roster of two seniors, headlined by Alexa Willard who is the team’s leading returning scorer. She averaged 12.3 points per game last season as a junior.

Junior Brice Calip, who averaged 10.1 points per game as a sophomore last year, will also be among the key returnees. Sophomore Jasmine Franklin will look to build off a strong freshman season in which she posted 9.2 points per game.

Juniors Abby Hipp, Emily Gartner and Elle Ruffridge and sophomores Sydney Manning and Sydney Wilson should all see increased time and productivity.

“I think we have a great nucleus,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “We have some freshmen coming in that are highly-talented as well. I look forward to getting in the gym and working on deficiencies and working on strengths to make them better. I think the core group coming back can really wreak havoc in the Valley.”

Calip took a lot away from Missouri State’s postseason run last year.

“I think we definitely learned that we are capable of competing with the best of the best,” Calip said. “We enjoyed the exciting,

fun ride and will forever cherish those memories.”

Calip expects the team to learn from the new staff and get accustomed to the new system quickly. She likes what Agugua-Hamilton will bring to the table.

“She should bring some grit and fire to this team,” Calip said. “We will have a similar up-tempo style that we had last season. I think her coaching style will hold the team to higher expectations by challenging us mentally and physically.”

Agugua-Hamilton said she plans on implementing a disciplined transition offense and will have her team primarily play a man-to-man defense with a mixture of zone.

But Agugua-Hamilton’s ultimate goal will be to carry on the tradition Harper left in her final season with the Lady Bears.

“The tradition here is to raise banners,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “We will not waver from that.”

File Photos/THE STANDARD

The Lady Bears made it to the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA Tournament after starting the season 1-7.

(Above) Sydney Wilson looks for an open teammate while Iowa State All-American Bridget Carleton tries to take a charge.

(Left) Bri Ellis, right, celebrates with Elle Ruffridge after defeating Iowa State, ranked No. 13 in the nation, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Unranked MSU defeated No. 24 DePaul first round and lost to No. 6 Stanford in the Sweet 16.

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Cross-country team to follow successful junior in bounce-back season CHRISTIAN REHDER Sports Reporter @Christian_MR03 After a disappointing end to last year’s season, the experienced Missouri State cross-country team is ready for a new season.

The Bears’ less-than-stellar performance at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships dropped them one spot in the standings from where they finished the year before.

Head coach Jordan Fife said he knows the team is better than what they showed at the conference meet, but there were also some outside factors contributing to that.

“We didn’t run to our full potential that day, but we know we are better than that and are capable of being closer to the front,” Fife said. “We also had a little bit of sickness floating around late in the season that could have contributed to our disappointing performance.

“We have to do a better job of taking care of ourselves, and we need a little more depth to make it up if that happens again.”

File Photo/THE STANDARD Fife said he sends mileage and workouts to Grace Breiten leads a pack of the runners throughout the summer to make sure they keep improving, and he knows they’ll runners at the Southern Stampede keep each other accountable. on Sept. 15, 2018, in Joplin.

“They know how important the summer mileage is for their success in the fall — and ultimately the whole year, so I trust them to get the work done,” Fife said.

With an older and more experienced team, the Bears are confident that experience will help them in the upcoming season.

“We are a very experienced team, so nothing should surprise us,” Fife said. “We know we can be one of the best teams in the conference if we actually race like it. Our biggest expectation is staying confident.”

“Grace Breiten will be a leader by default based on her performances thus far and having been our number one runner already.”

— Head Coach Jordan Fife Seniors Jordyn Capra, Erica Wollmering, and Paityn Stagner as well as junior Grace Breiten and sophomore Edna Dar are returning for the Bears.

All of those Bears competed at the NCAA Midwest Regional on Nov. 9, 2018. The team placed 22nd out of 35 teams.

The Bears had run on the regional course in the two meets prior to the NCAA competition. They raced at the Bradley Pink Classic as

well as the MVC Championships that were held in Peoria, Illinois.

A few incoming freshmen will be joining the cross-country team as well. Fife said they will focus mostly on getting used to the college stage with consistent training as well as working on time management and balancing everyday life.

Fife said all of the older runners have the potential to be a team leader next season, but especially Grace Breiten.

“Any number of our juniors and seniors have the ability to be a leader and set a good example for everyone around them,” Fife said.

“Grace Breiten will be a leader by default based on her performances thus far and having been our No. 1 runner already.”

In her two seasons at Missouri State, Breiten has already clocked in the sixth fastest 5-kilometer time in program history at 17:21.67.

Fife said the main goal for next season is simply to just keep improving.

“We’ve gone to the same meets for a few years now, so it’s easy to be able to compare one year to the next with our times and team places,” Fife said.

The fall cross-country schedule was not released at the time of publication.

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Club and intramural sports provide friendly competition CHRISTIAN REHDER Sports Reporter @Christian_MR03w

Freeimages.com/Oshin Beveridge

Club and intramural sports are great opportunities to compete in sports if a student isn’t an official student-athlete, but the nature of the two competition outlets differ in many ways.

Intramural sports allow students to put together their own teams and offer a more casual type of competition, while club sports offer a more competitive and dedicated style of play.

Missouri State offers a wide variety of club and intramural sports to students throughout the fall and spring semesters.

Adam Brown, sophomore center for MSU’s Division III club hockey team, says playing on the team is often just as time consuming and demanding as his classwork is.

“From August to March, we have three practices a week that don’t start until after 9 p.m., a mandatory team meeting every week and required conditioning camps in the offseason,” Brown said.

Brown said the D-III Ice Bears also play roughly 25 games per season against other schools’ club teams, occasionally traveling as

far as Wisconsin.

Club sports, such as the hockey team, have coaches, athletic trainers, a general manager, significant monetary requirements and academic mentors to help the players balance school during the season.

Intramural sports require a $10 fee to register the team, as well as a $10 registration fee for each participant to be a member of the team.

Intramural teams usually have one game per week.

Alec Storms, intramural sports chair for the Kappa Sigma fraternity and former club lacrosse player, said intramural sports are a great opportunity for friends to get together and enjoy a less intense style of competition.

“In my opinion, intramural sports are much less demanding in just about every way possible,” Storms said. “You pay $10 per semester, then you get together with your buddies one night a week to play whatever sport you signed up for against other MSU students.”

Storms said the requirements of intramurals outside of dues and the weekly games depend solely on the team members.

“There aren’t any coaches or really anybody

else involved with your team other than the players who signed up,” Storms said. “So if you and your friends don’t want to practice or take the games seriously, then you can do that without anyone yelling at you, like a coach.”

Both Brown and Storms said in order to be on their respective sports clubs teams, a student has to contact the team’s coaches to get information on tryouts.

Then, they’ll likely have to participate in a series of drills and practices before the coaches will consider the student for a spot on the team.

For a list of all club sports offered at Missouri State and their contact information, visit https://www.missouristate.edu/recreation/ recsports/sports-clubs.htm.

To register an intramural sports team, go to recportal.missouristate.edu.

Once the team is registered, other students can sign in and request to join the team.

The team captain — the one who registered the team on recportal — must approve each request for that student to be added to the team.

For more information, visit www.missouristate.edu/recreation or call the Foster Recreation Center at 417-836-5334.

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Volleyball teams have eyes on NCAA tournaments DEREK SHORE Sports Reporter @D_Shore23

Volleyball

For most teams, transition seasons tend to be a struggle.

For the Missouri State volleyball team, the Bears remained competitive and went 17-15, 10-8 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

Head coach Melissa Stokes said she can’t recall a team she has had younger than the one featured during the 2018 campaign.

“There was a time early last year when I wondered if we were going to have a winning record,” Stokes said. “I liked the way we finished out and the fact we did have another winning season for the program. That was pretty impressive with the number of young players we did have on the team.”

The fall senior class is focused on making it back to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years.

Under the leadership of seniors Aubrey Cheffey and Gerri Idos, the team has spent the summer working in the gym. Missouri State also traveled and played in six matches throughout Europe from May 23 to June 4.

Stokes said the NCAA allows the team to take a foreign trip every four years, which is funded privately by players and staff members to make the trip happen.

Coming off back-to-back conference championships in 2016 and 2017, the Bears used the trip to Europe to blend a mix of veteran and young talent together.

“We are really proud of the fact we did it all on our own,” Stokes said.

“It was a great experience jump starting into the 2019 season.”

With leaders like Lily Johnson and Emily Butters graduating over the last two years, Stokes is looking to Cheffey and Idos to lead the way this fall.

Junior Laynie Dake said this year’s team will be capable of great things this fall.

“Above all else, we are hoping to build a great culture and really set our sights on big things,” Dake said. “I think we have all the pieces to make it happen.”

Stokes said she has already set lofty goals for this year’s team. On paper, Stokes said this team has a strong chance of finishing in the top

of the Valley and returning to the NCAA Tournament.

“We are going to have the caliber of athletes that can get us there in the next couple of years,” Stokes said.

“It is going to be an exciting season, for sure. The goal is to get back to the NCAA tournament. I truly believe that is a realistic goal for 2019, 2020 and 2021 moving forward. I’m really excited about the future of our program.”

“Above all else, we are hoping to build a great culture and really set our sights on big things.

I think we have all the pieces to make it happen.” — Junior Laynie Dake on the team’s expectations for fall 2019.

Beach Volleyball

The Missouri State beach volleyball team set a new standard with a winning record in their second season as a program.

Missouri State went 12-7 the rest of the way which was an improvement from 7-10 in 2018.

Head coach Terri Del Conte said looking back the team put in a tremendous amount of work and having a full offseason was the biggest difference in their win-loss improvement from 2019 to 2018.

“We had the majority of the team being prepared throughout the offseason versus year one,” Del Conte said.

“We started with one athlete in the offseason. Obviously, a huge difference with that. We were able to train more with a lot more intent earlier on.”

Sophomore Kylee Davis said she is proud of how far the beach volleyball team came from the beginning of the season to the end.

“I came in with not a lot of expectations,” Davis said. “We proved that we are a force to be reckoned with.”

Del Conte will have over half of

(Top) The volleyball team poses for a photo after winning the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn a new squad coming in for the 2020 gram with prior training and experi- Invitational on Sept. 1, 2018.

season with a combination of beach experience and beach training.

Now that it is year three, Del Conte expects the returning players to be even more seasoned.

“Two years under their belt, they will have a good feel of the system, the program and of the sport because all of them are still new to the sport,” Del Conte said. “I expect them to bring experience, maturity, leadership and help take the younger ones under their wing and bring them into the program’s culture.”

Del Conte described the newcomers as “ballers,” coming into the pro-

ence from coaches.

Davis said she expects the team to be more competitive next year, turning close losses into wins.

“We will be a very young team next year,” Davis said. “That will allow us to grow tremendously together over the next few years.”

After achieving the program’s first winning season, Del Conte’s expectations have grown even higher going into next year.

“I want to crack the top 20 in the nation,” Del Conte said. “I feel we will be a contender for the NCAA Tournament.”

(Bottom left) The volleyball team celebrates a win.

(Bottom right) Sophomore Leah Vokolek serves.

File photos by MEGAN BURKE/THE STANDARD

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Ice Bears hope experience translates to a championship Coach Law crafting team with strong core of experienced players, consistent members STEPHEN TERRILL Sports Reporter @Stevethe2nd The Missouri State Ice Bears have plenty of confidence coming into this season, with the team being built around an already tested and established core of players.

After finishing last season ranked No. 13 nationally in the American Collegiate Hockey Association and losing to No. 3 Adrian College in the second round of the national tournament 1-0, Missouri State returns a largely intact roster — graduating only three players.

“The confidence of the guys has increased so much with last year’s tournament,” Ice Bears head coach Jeremy Law said.

The players believe the experience gained last season, along with seasons before that, will translate well into this season’s campaign.

“Even going into it last season our goal was to win a national championship,” senior goaltender Brady Griffin said. “This year we’re going to come into it, and I don’t think we’re going to take no for an answer. We plan to do whatever it takes to win a national championship.”

Headlining the returning players on the roster is sophomore forward Nikita Salnikov, who posted 55 points, 28 goals, 27 assists, in 46 games last season. Salnikov placed 13th in scoring across Division I of the ACHA, as well as being named the Western Collegiate Hockey League’s Rookie of the Year.

“He has a work ethic like no one else,” Griffin said. “He’s the first one on the ice everyday and the last person off. He’s all about it.”

The Ice Bears’ forward depth is further augmented by the return of the “B-Line” of seniors Jordan Bratton, Zane O’Bryan and Travis Barrett, who combined for 102 points last season.

MSU will have familiar faces between the pipes this season, returning all three goaltenders from last season. Griffin was named to the ACHA honorable mention all-tournament team last spring, junior Bailey Stephens posted a .915 save percentage in nearly 1,400 minutes of ice time and senior Brendan Shuck had a goals against average of 2.41, will split time in net.

“Those three will push each other really hard, and it will be a battle to see who ends up with the starting spot,” Law said.

MSU lost their travel partner and biggest rival last spring when the University of Arkansas hockey team folded. The WCHL — the conference within the ACHA the Ice Bears are apart of — will operate its standings based off win percentage as opposed to points to negate the unbalanced schedule.

Law said he sees this as both a positive and negative. While MSU loses its travel partner, the team will be playing fewer games this season, roughly 35 games, significantly fewer that the 49 games the team played last season.

“We played at lot of games shorthanded last year because of injury,” Law said. “Fewer

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(Left) Junior Patrik Johansson skates behind the goal.

(Right) Former student Marshall Gevers defends the puck.

File photos/THE STANDARD

“Even going into it last season our goal was to win a national championship. This year we’re going to come into it, and I don’t think we’re going to take no for an answer. We plan to do whatever it takes to win a national championship.” — Senior goaltender Brady Griffin games will allow us to try to be fresh all season.”

Tryouts for the Ice Bears will be the week of Aug. 26 and will consist of several days intense drills and scrimmages.

After the tryout period ends, Law and his coaching staff will decide who will be on the roster.

“We’ve had people play one year and not the next. It is my job to make sure we have the strongest team possible,” Law said.

The Ice Bears’ season will open the week of Sept. 16.

The team plays their home games at Jordan Valley Ice Park. Student tickets for home games are $9 for reserved seating or $4 for general admission.

Returning players you should know • Nikita Salnikov Posted 55 points, 28 goals and 27 assists in 46 games last season. Salnikov was named the Western Collegiate Hockey League’s Rookie of the Year.

• The “B-Line” of seniors who scored 102 points combined last season: Jordan Bratton Zane O’Bryan Travis Barrett • All three goaltenders: Brady Griffin — named the ACHA honorable mention all-tournament team last spring Bailey Stephens Brendan Shuck

Tryouts for the Ice Bears will be the week of Aug. 26.

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The Growl: Bringing you sports on a new platform Hear game recaps, interviews with experts and commentary from our reporters monthly on The Growl.

AMANDA SULLIVAN Sports Editor @mandasullivan14

Our sports staff

Articles? Check.

Videos? Check.

Podcast? Coming this fall!

The Standard Sports staff will be starting a weekly podcast about all things related to Missouri State Athletics.

Here are a few goals of the podcast we’re planning for you:

Claire Niebrugge | @claireniebrugge Senior Sports Reporter, football beat writer and features writer

We’re going in-depth with our sports coverage.

Monica Blake | @monicablak3 Sports Reporter, women’s soccer beat writer and features writer

Derek Shore | @DShore23 Sports Reporter, volleyball beat writer

Every week, the sports staff diligently updates you on every Missouri State sport Stephen Terrill | @Stevethe2nd throughout a season.

Sports Reporter, men’s soccer With our podcast, we’re bringing in experts beat writer and our thorough beat reporters to analyze MSU teams.

Christian Rehder | @Christian_ Is a team performing well? What are they doing wrong? Do we know why? We want to MR03 give you more information that we can’t quite Sports Reporter, cross-country fit into our print paper, but that’s worth talking beat reporter about.

From injury updates to standings in conference, all beat reporters will be available during any given week to answer your questions, and we want your suggestions for our audial cov- discoveries with you as they come.

A podcast one week could be about the erage moving forward. injuries of one team member and the next could be about the coaching staff of a different team and if this coaching style is effecWe’re discussing local tive.

athletic trends.

MSU has had some turnover with its coaches in the last few years.

The addition of Dana Ford and Amaka Agugua-Hamilton as head coaches for the basketball programs were major news, as well as the addition of the fastest woman alive, Carmelita Jeter, as an assistant coach for the track team.

Because we want to inform you to the best of our ability, our sports reporters are focused on this trend, and coaching styles is a topic we’ll discuss in-depth in the fall. But this is just one example.

Our team of sports writers are looking out for changes through MSU athletics, and with our new platform, we’ll be sure to share these

We want to hear from you.

The whole point of this podcast is to bring you a different way of checking in on Missouri State sports. Our goal is to bring you a new take and the news surrounding MSU athletics.

Our purpose is to serve the readers, keep you up to date on what you want to know about.

Message any of the reporters or myself on Twitter at @mandasullivan14.

Follow them all on Twitter for regular updates on their sports among other things, and keep an eye out for our first episode of The Growl coming fall 2019!

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Track and field looks to impress with large incoming class CLAIRE NIEBRUGGE Senior Sports Reporter @claireniebrugge Missouri State’s women’s track and field team graduated several point-scorers in May, including NCAA qualifier Taryn Smiley.

Smiley, along with five other women, will be replaced by a large group of newcomers. ”​ We will certainly miss our seniors for their leadership and their contributions at the conference level,” interim head coach Jordan Fife said. “However, we have a lot of returning leadership and top level talent coming back and a huge recruiting class whom we have high expectations of.”

Fife was disappointed the recruiting errors last summer led to a small roster in the outdoor season, making it hard for the Bears to compete in every event.

This year, however, he believes they will have the largest incoming freshman class in a long time come August.

“We have not only secured student-athletes in every event area, but we have big-time potential in every event as well,” Fife said. “We're hopeful we can get an immediate impact by several of our newcomers.”

Fife said he hopes the returning class can step up for the newcomers and show them how to be

File photo/THE STANDARD

Timeka Jordan, Chicago Bains and Tomi Bamigbade jog to cool down after their sprint workout.

it’s possible for the Bears to make it to the big stage.

File photo/THE STANDARD “It's great that multiple event groups were able Sophomore Tomi Bamigbade and junior Timeka Jordan take off from the to see someone from their group make it to that starting line in April 2019. level and make it seem more realistic than ever,” Fife said. “And we're excited at the possibility of a successful student and athlete at Missouri State.

Junior Grace Breiten is returning, and she that number increasing in the next few years.”

“We want them to lead by example and in- was also an NCAA qualifier.

The track and field team will begin indoor Breiten and Smiley’s representation showed season this winter. still confidence in the new group,” Fife said.

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Josie Pearson swims the breaststroke at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in February.

Reload and Repeat Talented seniors replaced with promising freshmen CLAIRE NIEBRUGGE Senior Sports Reporter @claireniebrugge The Missouri State swimming team lost a lot of point scorers in May’s graduating senior class. Now, the team looks to the underclassmen to keep the tradition alive.

On the women’s side, Missouri State graduated a solid class, but it wasn’t a large one.

“The senior class is irreplaceable,” senior Sarah Allegri said. “With that being said, we have a lot of really talented juniors and underclassmen. I have no doubt that they will step up and fill the gaps the seniors left.”

Head coach Dave Collins said he thinks they’ve done a good job of replacing the point production in recruiting. While it looks good on paper, he’s excited to see what happens when the freshmen begin to practice and compete.

“Honestly, this year kind of exceeded the expectations we had,” Collins said. “Moving forward, we can build off that. I think we’ve got some really good underclassmen.”

Allegri said the incoming class will make an excellent addition to the team, and she can’t wait to begin swimming with them.

Missouri State graduated almost half of the team on the men’s side of things, including two All-Americans.

Collins said he has a great group of returning athletes, and because of what the senior class did for the program, he’s able to recruit better athletes than he was a few years ago.

“I hate the word rebuilding, because I don’t think that a good program with a good history and tradition should ever use the word rebuilding,” Collins said. “I prefer reloading. We’re gonna have a brand new team. It’ll be a fun, exciting project because we’ll have to find an identity pretty quick and see what kind of leadership emerges.”

Collins said it’s important to him that his athletes don’t think about the trophy at the end of the season or judge a season’s success based on the conference meet. While they want to perform well at conference, Collins said that is not the most important thing to the swim team.

The swim team puts their focus on shortterm goals and setting daily and weekly routines.

Collins said he would rather have his athletes focus on being great teammates and not worrying so much about results or times.

“People that have focused on making those around them better has ended up coming back around and helping them improve,” Collins said. “Looking long-term can overwhelm an athlete in this long season.”

Because Collins is able to coach his athletes all year long, he tries to keep things interesting to keep spirits high, especially during the summer competition season. Whether that’s getting out of the area, going to outdoor meets or swimming at open-water events, Collins likes to change things up and get creative.

Collins said this upcoming season is a big one, because it’s the last “hoorah” before Olympic trials next summer.

In 2012, Missouri State sent one swimmer to the trials meet, and in 2016, they had four representatives. Collins is looking to continue to build the representation.

“We’re very optimistic that we’re going to have some athletes qualify,” Collins said.

“Those cuts continue to get faster, but athletes continue to get faster.”

Allegri is excited for her last collegiate “hoorah” as well.

“I am so happy that I get one more year with my teammates and coaches,” Allegri said.

“Hopefully we can carry on the success our team has had in the past.”

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Basketball Bears shooting for a championship What will come of Ford’s next season with the Bears?

AMANDA SULLIVAN Sports Editor @mandasullivan14 After a strong inaugural season for head coach Dana Ford, the Missouri State basketball Bears want more from his second season.

Ford, who was introduced as the Bears’ new head coach on March 22, 2018, said he was hired at MSU to win championships — and he came close in his first season.

The Bears had a tough nonconference schedule, facing teams like Nebraska and Southern California, and it prepared them for an impressive Missouri Valley Conference schedule.

Valley play started off rough for the Bears.

They started off 2-4, and after losing to Drake, Ford said the team sat down and figured out what changes needed to be made.

The next game, the Bears defeated 2017-18 Final Four Loyola 70-35. The Bears went on to place third in the conference after being predicted to finish eighth. The Bradley Braves knocked out Missouri State in the first round of the MVC Tournament in St. Louis.

With what the Bears showed last year — and what the returners are capable of — there is a chance for a very successful season Ford said he thinks the team is capable of.

“We feel more comfortable with our depth this year, we feel more comfortable with our versatility and our ability to be a lot more aggressive in our intentions,” Ford said, comparing his first year to now.

Ford said last year’s transfer Tulio Da Silva made a huge difference for the Bears. Da Silva was ineligible before his transfer waiver was cleared on Nov. 21, 2018. As one of the only forwards on the team, Da Silva got a lot of minutes. Ford said Da Silva’s minutes should decrease but his effort should increase.

“I think he’s going to be a better player because he’ll be playing harder for longer periods of time,” Ford said. “I think that’s going to help him be a better player and probably make us a better team.”

Senior Keandre Cook also shows promise for the Bears. In his first season at the Division I level, Cook averaged 12.8 points and had a

(Right) Senior guard Keandre Cook dribbles past two Loyola Chicago defenders. The Bears decisively won against Loyola by a score of 7035 on Jan. 23, 2019.

(Below) Coach Dana Ford kneels and watches his Bears run the offense.

File photos/THE STANDARD

“We feel more comfortable with our depth this year, we feel more comfortable with our versatility and our ability to be a lot more aggressive in our intentions.” — Coach Dana Ford, comparing his first year to now.

43.7 percent shooting percentage.

The two expected stars have a strong lineup behind them coming in. Jared Ridder, who only played half of the season last year, has been in the gym working on building muscle and working on his shot, Ford said. Seniors Kabir Mo-

hammed and Ross Owens as well as sophomore Darian Scott return for Missouri State, too.

Tyrik Dixon and Josh Hall were both ineligible last season but are expected to be impressive for the Bears. Dixon should replace fifth year transfer Josh Webster. Webster played as a true point guard for the Bears and was a major piece of their success.

“They’re both experienced Division I guys that have started to take up a little bit more leadership. Obviously they’ll be playing this

year, which will be good to see,” Ford said.

The Bears also bring in three freshmen and three transfers.

Columbia, Missouri, natives Isiaih Mosley and Ja’Monta Black join the Bears after spending at least four years together. The two played basketball at Rock Bridge High School. Tyem Freeman also joins the Bears. Freeman is a Springfield native and tore his ACL during his senior year.

Anthony Masinton-Bonner and Lamont West are both fifth-year transfers and are expected to make an impact. Gaige Prim is a long-awaited transfer for the Bears. He spent his first two years at South Plains College in Texas and averaged 11.5 rebounds and 20.7 points per game with a 64.8 field goal percentage.

Regardless of the new faces, the Bears set the bar high last season, and Ford said he thinks this team is capable of surpassing it.

“We’ve got a lot of moving parts, but I think things will really start to settle in,” Ford said during the MVC coaches teleconference in early July.

MSU kicks off its season on Tuesday, Nov. 12, against Cleveland State.

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Members of the MSU softball team encourage a teammate in the spring of 2018.

Softball brings back mature and experienced team DEREK SHORE Sports Reporter @D_Shore23 The 2019 season for the Missouri State softball team ended on a disappointing note, but they still accomplished one feat: the Bears compiled back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time since they made three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1996-98.

Head coach Holly Hesse said the team battled through adversity, with season-ending injuries to three starting upperclassmen, to still put together a successful season which was impressive.

“Our younger players stepped up and stepped in to fulfill roles with great success,” Hesse said. “For this team to achieve a 30-win season was a great achievement.”

As the softball team looks ahead to 2020, the Bears are poised to build on that winning plateau since they only lost two seniors to graduation.

The returners will be headlined by junior Steffany Dickerson, who was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team in 2019 after becoming the first Missouri State pitcher since 2011 to win 20 games. She posted a 2.37 ERA and recorded 12 complete games, registering 144 strikeouts over 183.1 innings of work.

Senior Darian Frost is expected to be back and healthy after missing all of last season with an injury. The team’s starting catcher posted a team-high 34 RBIs in 2018. The Bears also will see sophomore Payton Minnis as well as juniors Madison Hunsaker and Daphne Plummer return to help bolster the lineup.

The pitching and offense are expected to look relatively the same. Kyana Mason is the

File photo by BRENNA LUMLEY/THE STANDARD

Steffany Dickerson explodes off the mound.

only missing starter, who led the team with 64 hits last year.

“We will be more mature, experienced and have added depth,” Hesse said. “All of that should lead to a highly successful and exciting 2020.”

With next year’s squad, Hesse said the team will once again play a competitive schedule against teams like Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Missouri.

“I expect us to compete with those teams and challenge for an MVC Championship,” Hesse said.

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BAILEY VASSALLI/THE STANDARD

Freshman Anna Durnin protects the ball.

Women’s soccer team expects challenging season ahead 2017 season.

“Our goal is to be competitive in the Missouri Valley Conference and try to win a regular season and a tournament title. That’s The women’s soccer team will play at always our No. 1 goal,” Brewer said. home eight times this season, including one Brewer said the most important thing for exhibition game. The Bears will host UMKC, the women to focus on is their summer trainTulsa, Murray State and Saint Louis as well ing and making sure they are in shape when as Missouri Valley Conthey come back to camference teams Valparapus in the fall. In addiiso, Drake, Northern tion, the Bears will “Our goal is to be Iowa and the homecomchange their style of competitive in the ing weekend opponent, play to fit new personIllinois State. nel, specifically focusMissouri Valley “We’re looking foring on possession and Conference and try to ward to it,” head coach attacking players.

Rob Brewer said. “I “We have a lot of win a regular season think it’ll be challengexperience coming ing, but we have a very back,” Brewer said. and a tournament strong group of returnIn addition, they title. That’s always our ing players.” have been waiting on The Bears graduated the incoming freshmen number one goal.” four seniors — only two for multiple years, as of them being starters they recruit out years — Head coach — from their 26-woman in advance.

Rob Brewer roster. Last season the The heart of the reBears finished with an cruiting, according to 8-9-2 record with a loss Brewer, is out of Kanto No. 4 Illinois State in the first round of the sas City, St. Louis or Oklahoma City, but MVC Tournament. they also have an incoming player from Ice“We had some tough games last year in land. terms of not being able to produce goals when “A lot of the improvement in the recruitwe needed them,” Brewer said. “Seventeen ing has been because of the facilities,” Brewof our games were decided by one goal or er said. “It takes a while to trickle down, but less.” we’re finally at the point where every player The Bears are looking to return to the coming in we’ve been able to show them the championship status they earned during the new facilities.”

MONICA BLAKE Sports Reporter @monicablak3

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Fall athletics schedule * Denotes conference matchup All dates are subject to change.

Editor’s note: Some schedules were not available at press time.

Football

Sept. 21 at Nebraska Omaha Sept. 28 vs. Valparaiso* Oct. 5 vs. Drake* Oct. 12 at Loyola Chicago* Oct. 16 at Evansville* Oct. 19 vs. Northern Iowa* Oct. 25 vs. Illinois State* Oct. 31 at Indiana State* Nov. 3, 8-10 - Missouri Valley Conference Championship in Springfield, Missouri

Aug. 29 at Northern Arizona Sept. 14 at Tulane Sept. 21 vs. Kennesaw State Oct. 5 at Western Illinois* Oct. 12 vs. South Dakota* Oct. 19 at North Dakota State* Oct. 26 vs. Northern Iowa*

(Homecoming) Nov. 2 vs. South Dakota State* Nov. 9 at Southern Illinois* Nov. 16 at Illinois State* Nov. 23 vs. Indiana State*

Men’s Soccer Aug. 17 vs. Missouri S&T Aug. 21 at Creighton Aug. 24 at St. Louis University Aug. 30 vs Missouri-Kansas City Sept. 2 at Santa Clara Sept. 7 at Missouri-Kansas City Sept. 10 vs. Central Arkansas Sept. 14 vs. Tulsa Sept. 18 vs Valparaiso* Sept. 22 at Loyola Chicago* Sept. 26 at Western Illinois Oct. 1 vs. Nebraska Omaha Oct. 5 at Evansville* Oct. 9 vs. Bradley* Oct. 13 vs Drake* Oct. 19 at Bradley* Oct. 26 vs. Evansville* Oct. 30 at Valparaiso* Nov. 3 vs. Loyola Chicago* Nov. 9 at Drake* Nov. 13-17 Missouri Valley Conference Championship in Chicago, Illinois

Women’s Soccer Aug. 14 vs. Southeast Missouri State (Exhibition) Aug. 18 vs. Emporia State (Exhibition) Aug. 18 vs. Drury (Exhibition) Aug. 23 at Western Illinois Aug. 25 at Arkansas State Aug. 30 at Central Arkansas Sept. 1 at Little Rock Sept. 6 vs. Missouri-Kansas City Sept. 8 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Sept. 13 vs. Tulsa Sept. 15 vs. Murray State Sept. 18 vs. Saint Louis

Volleyball Aug. 24 Maroon vs White Scrimmage Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational in Springfield, Missouri

Aug. 30 vs. Jacksonville

Aug. 31 vs. DePaul

Aug. 31 vs Southeast Missouri State Sept. 3 at Oral Roberts Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Volleyball Classic in New Orleans, Louisiana

Sept. 6 at Tulane

Sept. 7 vs. Mississippi

Sept. 7 vs. Houston Baptist MSU Fall Invitational in Springfield, Missouri

Sept. 12 vs. Kansas State

Sept. 13 vs. Southern Methodist

Sept. 14 vs. Dayton

Sept. 14 vs. Weber State Ball State Tournament in Muncie, Indiana

Sept. 20 vs. Wright State

Sept. 21 vs. Austin Peay

Sept. 21 at Ball State Sept. 27 at Illinois State* Sept. 28 at Bradley* Oct. 4 vs. Northern Iowa* Oct. 5 vs. Drake* Oct. 11 at Valparaiso* Oct. 12 at Loyola Chicago* Oct. 18 vs. Indiana State* Oct. 19 vs. Evansville* Oct. 21 at Southern Illinois* Oct. 25 vs. Bradley* Oct. 26 vs. Illinois State* Nov. 1 at Drake* Nov. 2 at Northern Iowa* Nov. 8 vs. Loyola Chicago* Nov. 9 vs. Valparaiso* Nov. 15 vs. Evansville* Nov. 16 at Indiana State* Nov. 22 vs. Southern Illinois* Nov. 28-30 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa

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Club sports

The MSU community has competitive club sports for all students in the fall and spring semesters

Archery Club Boxing Team Club Baseball E-Sports Club Fishing Team Handball Team Ice Hockey Club (D1) Ice Hockey Club (D3) Men’s Lacrosse Club Men’s Ultimate Team Men’s Club Volleyball Men’s Soccer Club Men’s Golf Club

MSU Marksman Team Running Club Racquetball Team Ranch Horse Team Women’s Club Basketball Trap and Skeet Team Wrestling Club Tennis Club Water Ski Club Women’s Field Hockey Team Women’s Club Volleyball

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File photo/THE STANDARD

The Missouri State club golf team in April 2018 competed in the National Collegiate Club Golf Association Invitational.

Women’s Lacrosse Club Women’s Ultimate Team Women’s Soccer Club

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Baseball expects exciting 2020 roster File photo by BILL SIOHOLM/THE STANDARD

The 2019 season for the Missouri State baseball team certainly goes down as one of the more forgettable years in program history. The Bears lost a program-high 36 games for one of the worst seasons in Missouri State history.

Head coach Keith Guttin has a lot to do in the offseason to return the program to the perennial power he’s built for himself over his 37-year career.

The Bears enter the fall offseason without All-American catcher Drew Millas and left-handed pitcher Davis Schwab, who continued their baseball careers in the Oakland Athletics and Atlanta Braves organizations, respectively. Missouri State also lost Brooks Zimmerman and Jake Lochner.

Millas, Schwab, Zimmerman and Lochner contributed to the Bears during the 2019 season.

Schwab and Lochner played in Friday night starting pitching roles during the season.

THE-STANDARD.ORG Millas, who was ranked by Baseball America as the nation’s No. 167 prospect, had pro scouts watching him at Hammons Field last season. He finished his career at Missouri State with a .276 average in 150 career starts. The catcher drove in 115 RBIs while hitting 13 homers during his three years.

The incoming freshman class has eight position players and three pitchers, headlined by former Kickapoo star Mason Auer.

He passed on playing professionally for the Chicago Cubs to play for the Bears in 2020.

The freshman class also includes Blaise Matheny, the son of former St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. The outfielder comes off a season where he hit .375 with one home run and 14 RBIs at Westminster Christian Academy.

With empty spots in the lineup and pitching staff, Guttin will look at returners and newcomers to decide who should fill the roles.

Sophomore Dakota Kotowski returns after earning MVC Freshman of the Year honors last

year. He finished the year batting .288 with 12 home runs and 29 RBIs. The Bears will build around his bat for the next two to three seasons.

Missouri State also brings back some key experience in senior Jack Duffy, who led the team with a .305 batting average last spring.

Seniors John Privitera and Ben Whetstone and junior Joey Polak also return after making an impact on last year’s team.

Sophomore Anthony Herron Jr. hopes to build off his standout freshman season as well.

On the mound, the Bears will once again have senior Logan Wiley, who anchored the rotation last spring. He had a 3.67 ERA over 15 starts for Missouri State in 2019.

Sophomore Hayden Juenger also returns after posting a 4.58 ERA over 26 games as a freshman. Sophomore Ty Buckner and junior Alex Moore are two more names to watch, barring injury.

With the combination of experience and youth, Missouri State has the makings of an exciting 2020 roster.

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File photo by BRENNA LUMLEY/THE STANDARD

Drew Millas hits a single. The MSU baseball team is entering the fall offseason without a few experienced players, including Millas, but is bringing back veterans and newcomers as well.

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File photo by BILL SIOHOLM/THE STANDARD

Staking their claim

Young players battle to claim their spots AMANDA SULLIVAN Sports Editor @mandasullivan14 The Missouri State football team hasn’t ever really been out of the swing since the season ended.

Head coach Dave Steckel announced his signing class for the 2019 fall season on Feb. 6 and said the young players will be battling it out with the veterans throughout the offseason.

Twenty-seven new players signed with the Bears for the season, including six transfers.

Since before the Spring Game on April 18, the Bears have been working to replace their offensive line. They are also working with a new offensive coordinator in Justin Kramer.

Kramer was the assistant coach for the tight ends at MSU before being named the offensive coordinator.

“We’re not going to change the offense,” Steckel said after the Spring Game. “Our kids know the offense — Kramer knows the offense inside and out. But you’re going to see his stamp on it.”

In the Spring Game, redshirt freshman Ian

Fitzgerald filled in at left tackle, sophomore Derek Kohler played left guard, junior Casey O’Brien played center, junior Charles Carter played right guard and junior Daniel Allen played right tackle.

The Spring Game showed high levels of competition at every position, and Steckel said that remains true through the summer.

This is Steckel’s fifth year as head coach.

This is his first year where every player on the roster was recruited by him or someone on his staff.

Last season, the Bears showed hints of a

full buy when they started the season with a loss to Oklahoma State followed by threestraight wins, two of which were over ranked opponents.

Missouri State was ranked for a week before losing to South Dakota on a missed final-drive touchdown. The Bears won one more against Indiana State before losing the rest of their games. They ended the season 4-7.

Missouri State kicks off this season on the road at Northern Arizona on Thursday, Aug. 29. Last season, the Bears beat the ranked Lumberjacks 40-8. The Lumberjacks brought on a

THE-STANDARD.ORG new head coach after they went 4-6 last year.

The Bears will also be on the road for their second game against Tulane on Sept. 14. They have a week off before heading to New Orleans for the Saturday showdown. Tulane went 7-6 last season.

THE STANDARD Missouri State has one more nonconference game before jumping in the Missouri Valley Football Conference on Oct. 5. The Bears will face Kennesaw State on Sept. 21 at home.

Valley play starts on Oct. 5 at Western Illinois and ends on Nov. 23 at home.

“We’re not going to change the offense. Our kids know the offense — Kramer knows the offense inside and out. But you’re going to see his stamp on it.” — Coach Dave Steckel, after the spring game, on replacing the offensive line.

(Top right) The Bears line up against Northern Arizona at Plaster Stadium on Sept. 15, 2018.

File photo by BILL SIOHOLM/THE STANDARD

(Right) Bear Up! File photo by BRADLEY BALSTERS/ THE STANDARD

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Tennis team falls short in 2019, hopes to ace 2020 “Coming off a conference championship, we wanted to get back to where we were. We fell a little short, but I definitely think we have the potential to get back there again next year.”

— Junior Ellie Burger

Junior Ellie Burger

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MONICA BLAKE Sports Reporter @monicablak3 In the 2018-19 season the Missouri State tennis Bears earned a .500 record with 11 wins and 11 losses. They ended the season with a loss in the second round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament to No. 1 Stony Brook.

“Stony Brook is a really good team, and it’s hard because we don’t play them in the regular season,” sophomore Ellie Burger said.

“We went into that match not really knowing what to expect.”

Burger has been an impact player during her two years at Missouri State. She earned all-MVC honors for singles in the 2019 season and as a freshman in 2018.

In the 2017-18 season the Bears claimed the conference title, going 12-10 on the season.

“Coming off a conference championship, we wanted to get back to where we were,” Burger said. “We fell a little short, but I definitely think we have the potential to get back there again next year.”

Though the final score may not reflect it, the Bears battled it out with Stony Brook in multiple matches.

“We came out very strong,” head coach Mallory Weber said. “I think it was one of the most complete matches we played this year.”

The Bears finished the season ranked fourth in the MVC with a conference record of 3-2, earning regular season wins over Northern Iowa, Drake and Valparaiso.

Only two seniors graduated from the team’s 10-woman roster, including Fati Khamissi who made an impact for the Bears throughout her four years. She earned all-MVC honors for both singles and doubles in the 2018 season.

“This team has been unique in the fact that we are very deep talent-wise,” Weber said.

“The fact that we get all of that back and that they have another year under their belt, I think that’s very exciting.”

The Bears had high expectations going into the MVC tournament as title defenders.

“It’s hard because we had the potential to win, but things just didn’t click right in the tournament,” Burger said. “The bar was set high, but with the new people coming in, we will be expecting the same thing.”

The Bears will bring in two freshmen and a possible transfer student. Weber said the new players will likely make an immediate impact in the 2019-20 season.

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Senior Alye Darter

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Young golf teams aspire to build on previous success CHRISTIAN REHDER Sports Reporter @Christian_MR03 The golf season never really ends for the men’s or women’s team at Missouri State.

Women’s golf

After a full summer of individual amateur tournaments to keep their swings strong, the Missouri State women’s golf team is full of potential for the 2019-20 season.

With only one senior and two juniors returning this fall, the roster is filled with returning underclassmen and incoming freshmen.

Head coach Kevin Kane said transitioning from an older group two years ago to a younger team now has its downfalls, but he’s still excited about the upcoming season.

“Our past two recruiting classes have been strong, and with last year’s freshmen having first year jitters out of the way, I feel we’re in really good shape,” Kane said.

Standout sophomore Abby Cavaiani is returning for the Bears.

Cavaiani earned the 2018-19 Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year award and was the first MVC golfer to receive medalist honors in the conference tournament as a first-year MVC player since 2011.

This year’s promising new freshmen include Taylor Towers from Owasso, Oklahoma, and Johanna Wollenhaupp from Germany.

Kane said he’s curious to see how the incoming freshmen will make adjustments during their first year of collegiate golf and is excited to see what the returners did to prepare for the season.

The Little Rock Classic, which MSU has had much recent success in, and the Pat Bradley Invitational at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, are tournaments the Bears should look forward to.

Men’s golf

Following a stellar year for the MSU men’s golf team, the Bears look to reset and rebuild after losing four seniors.

Head coach Neal Stafford said the seniors’ success throughout the season helped set the pace for the younger golfers.

“Our four seniors kind of rewrote the record books this year — which is great for their success — but it’s also great to see that success push the returning younger guys to continue improving their game.”

The Bears tied the single round 18-hole scoring record at Mizzou shooting 278, senior Brad Carpenter set the single-season scoring

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The Missouri State golf teams compete at Twin Oaks Country Club. record with a 71.88 average, and the team finished third at the MVC Championships — the Bears’ best finish since 2012.

Despite losing the most experienced members of the group, Stafford said he’s excited about the three returning golfers and the incoming freshmen.

“All things come to an end, but I’m excited to see the returning players’ experience and confidence help drop their scores,” Stafford said.

The three returning golfers are sophomore Carter Lee, junior Chris Obert and senior Lukas McCalla.

With Lee shooting an impressive 65 at the Derick Dolenc Invitational in St. Louis, Obert winning the Missouri Stroke Play Championship, and McCalla being the most experienced returning to the team, Stafford is excited for what they’ll bring to the team this year.

“I really like how they have navigated their first couple years, and I feel the team will be in a good spot with those guys leading the incoming additions to the team,” Stafford said.

Incoming freshman Max Kreikemeier played in the Class 4 Missouri State Championships last year and also received an invitation to Sage Valley Junior Invitational — one of the most prestigious junior invitationals in the country.

Stafford said he’s excited to see what motivates the new incomers and hopes to work on what they need to while not letting them forget about their strengths. The first play of the year for the men’s team will be at the Southern Mississippi tournament on Sept. 9-10.

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Men’s soccer team vies to come back even stronger MONICA BLAKE Sports Reporter @monicablak3 The Missouri State men’s soccer team ended the 2018 season with a 9-2-6 record in an overtime loss to Central Arkansas in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. The Bears ended the game 2-2 and lost in a nail-biting penalty kick shootout, 5-4.

“We had a really productive season last year, we only lost two games,” said Michael Seabolt, associate head coach and sport director. “Unfortunately, there were two games that impacted us in a big way and we’re really hungry to start fresh and be even stronger this year.”

The Bears will start their 2019 season with exhibition games against Missouri S&T, Creighton and Saint Louis.

Their first official game will be at Allison North Stadium on Aug. 29 against UMKC. The Bears will

The Broncos compete in the West Coast Conference.

“Santa Clara was kind enough to travel to Springfield last year and that was a part of the agreement, that we would come back,” Seabolt said. “It’s a cool opportunity for our team. Part of education is exposing, and part of what sports allows is exposure to different things.”

Last year’s matchup between the Broncos and the Bears resulted in a 3-2 victory for the Bears.

The guys will return home for a three-game homestand including a Missouri Valley Conference team, Valparaiso, plus Central Arkansas and Tulsa.

“We’re going to play everyone in the league two times,” head coach Jon Leamy said. “We haven’t File photo/THE STANDARD done that in a long time, so that’s going to be really cool.”

Senior Kyle Hiebert dribbles up the field. The men’s soccer The Bears will then travel to face team lost 1-0 to Central Arkansas on Nov. 3, 2018. off against the Missouri Valley tournament runner-up from last year, face the Kangaroos twice in 2019. way across the country for a match- Loyola Chicago, followed by a The Bears will then travel half- up against Santa Clara University. nonconference game against West-

ern Illinois.

October starts with a home game against Nebraska-Omaha. The team then travels to Missouri Valley opponent Evansville for a weekend game on Oct. 5.

“We have a great group returning and we feel like our recruiting class is really strong as well,” Seabolt said. “We’re going to find out who our impact guys are throughout the season because actions speak a lot louder than words.”

October is rounded out with three additional home games against three Missouri Valley teams — Bradley, Drake and Evansville — as well as second-time games against Bradley and Valparaiso.

November brings senior night against Loyola Chicago on Nov. 3, and a final regular-season matchup against Drake. The Bears will then fight for an MVC tournament title the week of Nov. 13.

“Our goal is to win every match and give ourselves a chance to win every trophy we can compete for,” Seabolt said.

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