April 23, 2015 by Truman State University Index

NEWS

FEATURES

SPORTS

News editor holds Q&A with the new Public Works Director

The Parks and Rec Department hosts “Forbidden Broadway”

Senior baseball player makes lasting impact on and off the field

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THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

EXCELLENCE SINCE 1909

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT-PRODUCED NEWSPAPER

Former University President passes BY TAYLOR LAY TMN Reporter

Charles McClain, former Truman State University Presiden, passed away April 9 at age 83. McClain was Truman’s president during 1970–89 and helped guide the development of Missouri’s only public liberal arts university. McClain was the first president to interview every faculty candidate applying to teach at the University. During McClain’s tenure, Truman became the first university to use higher education assessment metric tools of student learning. University President Troy Paino said McClain’s use of student assessment led to early recognition and awards for the University. He said McClain was a key developer of the Masters in Education program currently offered at Truman. Paino said McClain oversaw the development of the Pershing Scholarship, designed to bring in bright students and create the best possible learning environment. Paino said McClain also established the Missouri Government Internship Program. Paino said he knew McClain on a personal and professional level. Paino said he occasionally would have lunch with McClain to discuss topics related to the University or higher education. Paino said because of McCLain, he focused more on outcomes, deciding how to measure success and set goals. Paino said McClain was passionate about adding value to overall education. “I think if you’re going to understand Truman State University and why we are the institution that we are, you have to understand Dr. McClain,” Paino said. “[McClain] was so instrumental in the evolution of this school to become really the great institution that it is.” Paino said McClain was different because he took the time to invest in everyone he met and really got to know them. Paino said when a leader invests in others, a foundation of trust and mutual respect is built throughout the institution. Political science professor Candy Young said McClain was a humble

tmn.truman.edu

Council elects new city Mayor The Kirksville City Council named Richard Detweiler to the office of Mayor April 10 after serving a previous term as Mayor from 2011-13. By Lucas Meyrer Staff Reporter

Submitted photo Charles McClain, former Truman State University President, attended the Pershing 40th anniversary celebration during March 2014. McClain established the Pershing Scholarship to recognize academic achievements. man. Young said he was the first to arrive in the morning and the last person to leave. She said McClain was an invested leader, always asking if the faculty was making a dif-

ference in their students. “There was a consistent discussion of excellence,” Young said. “What is our responsibility to society and how See MCCLAIN, page 6

The Kirksville City Council internally elected Richard Detweiler, an eight-year incumbent of the Council, to the position of Mayor April 10. Detweiler was elected to his third consecutive term on the council April 7. He served as mayor from 2011-13. The mayor of Kirksville serves a oneyear term. The council must elect a new mayor annually from the current council. All mayoral candidates remain in office as a council member for three-year terms. During 2014, Detweiler served as Mayor Pro Tem while council member Glen Moritz held the office of Mayor. Detweiler said he is very excited to serve as mayor during 2015. “I just really enjoy this particular job,” Detweiler said. “It’s fun to drum up business and be as optimistic as possible to get people’s spirits up.” Detweiler said he looks forward to finding new solutions to old problems. Detweiler said he enjoys expressing himself as the face of Kirksville. “You want it to be optimistic, positive looking, and you have to be an ambassador of hope and economic development,” Detweiler said. Detweiler said he was born and raised in Kirksville. He graduated from Kirksville High School during 1972 and, after four years in the Navy, he graduated from Northeast Missouri State University — now Truman State — during 1982, he said. After living in Texas, Florida and several other states, Detweiler said he was able to return to Kirksville as a purchasing agent for the Kraft Foods plant during 1990. Detweiler worked there for 16-17 years before he was forced to retire because he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. “You can’t just sit down and waste until the end of life,” Detweiler said. “You have to accomplish something. I have always loved politics, and I decided that I can do something here and give back to Kirksville.” See MAYOR, page 3

Students elect Turner, Dorrell By Andi Watkins Davis and johanna burns Digital Editor Assistant News Editor

Sophomore Jake Buxton, Speaker of the Student Senate, announced the results of Truman State’s Student Government election last Thursday in the Student Union Building. The most contested race, for the presidential and vice presidential ticket, was won by juniors Molly Turner and J.J. Dorrell. Turner and Dorrell will be the President and Vice President, respectively, for the 2015-16 academic year. Dorrell said he and Turner learned a lot about themselves during the campaign and are ready to unite Truman’s campus. “We want to congratulate everyone that ran,” Dorrell said. “It was a great campaign.” Student Government election polls opened April 14 and closed at 6 p.m. April 16. A record 2,118 students voted during the elections. The ballot included presidential and vice presidential candidates, senatorial candidates and ballot issues. The election results are as follows — VOLUME 106

ISSUE 27

Contested Races Student Government President and Vice President Ticket 50.97 percent or 1,001 votes to juniors Molly Turner and J.J. Dorrell 38.54 percent or 757 votes to juniors Parker Conover and Zach Hollstrom 10.49 percent or 206 votes to sophomore Clayton Berry and freshman Clarissa Todd 1,964 total votes Funds

Allotment Council Chair 58.92 percent or 1,014 votes to senior Taylor Schulz 41.08 percent or 707 votes to junior Jordan Duecker 1,721 total votes Ballot Initiatives Environmental Sustainability Fee Passed with 84.08 percent or 1,664 of 1,979 votes Funds Allotment Council Constitutional Changes Passed with 85.20 percent or 1,330 of 1,561 votes Student Government Constitutional Changes Passed with 85.58 percent or 1,282 of 1,498 votes tmn.truman.edu

Student Government Election Results Student Government President and Vice President Ticket Juniors Molly Turner and J.J. Dorrell 50.97% Juniors Parker Conover and Zach Hollstrom 38.54%

50.97%

Sophmore Clayton Berry and freshman Clarissa Todd 10.49%

Student Government Funds Allotment Council Chair Senior Taylor Schulz 58.92% Junior Jordan Duecker 41.08%

58.92%

Passed Ballot Initiatives Environmental Sustainability Fee

84.08%

85.20% Student Government Constitutional Changes 85.58% Athletic Fee Increase 53.72% Funds Allotment Council Constitutional Changes

Athletic Fee Increase Passed with 53.72 percent or 1,047 of 1,949 votes Uncontested Races Student Government Graduate Senator Senior Kayla Gunter Student Government Senior

Senators Senior Greg Jochems Freshman Chade Shorten Junior Amanda Trosen Student Government Voting Senators Freshman Jacob Breese Freshman Elisabeth Condon Freshman Kyra Cooper

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Senior Christine Gooch Sophomore Cory Hogan Sophomore Chris Hornsey Sophomore Wyatt Mansell Sophomore Paul Moe Junior Rachael Palmer Freshman Benjamin Terrell Freshman Henrio Thelemaque See ELECTION, page 3

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THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

NEWS

Campus groups celebrate Earth Week Earth Week began Monday and continues through Saturday. Various groups, organizations and classes promoted environmental consciousness with a series of projects, presentations and activities. Earth Day was celebrated on Tuesday with a display of Health Science 362 projects and two sustainability speakers.

Claire Nipper/Index

Johanna Burns/Index

Above: FreshmenMaeve Grogan signs a pledge to be more environmentally friendly as part of the #PaperProject put on by Sophomore Becca Elder, Dobson Hall Student Advisor and the Dobson Hall Council. The project seeks to reduce paper towel consumption by holding a competition between floors to see which floor can use the least amount of paper towels during Earth Week. The first 20 participants who signed the sustainability pledge Monday and Tuesday night were given a free hand towel to help decrease the use of paper towels.

IN BRIEF

Screenwriter, Truman alumna to speak at senior seminar Truman alumna Akela Cooper will return to campus to speak at the English and Linguistics Senior Seminars April 23-24. Cooper works as an executive story editor for an upcoming major network in Los Angeles. She previously has worked as a writer for the shows “Jericho” and “Grimm.” Cooper will give two presentations at the seminars. The first presentation, “When Nobody Knows Your Name: How Grad School Helped Me Start My Screenwriting,” will take place April 23 and will focus on Cooper’s experience trying to pursue a career in writing. She also will talk about her time in graduate school. Cooper obtained her master’s degree from the University of Southern California. The second presentation, “Folklore as Persuasion in Grimm and The 100,” will take place April 24 in the Activities Room of the Student Union Building. Cooper wrote three episodes for “Grimm” and is the executive story editor for “The 100.” Sigma Tau Gamma raises money to support disabilities The Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity raised over $1,100 with its annual “From Here to There in our Underwear” February fundraising event. The money raised from the fundraiser went to a local nonprofit, the Northeast Missouri Association for Citizens with Disabilities. The funds will be used to purchase specialized equipment and for services for those with disabilities. In addition to the 5.5 mile walk through Kirksville, the fraternity also hosted fundraisers at local businesses.

STUDENT SENATE IN BRIEF

Junior Molly Turner was installed as President of the Student Association. Freshman Clarissa Todd was elected as Speaker of the Student Senate. Claire Nipper/Index

Claire Nipper/Index

Above: Health Science 362 presented their Second Life Projects in SUB Georgian Room A Tuesday. The projects featured ways to recycle everyday items such as the vases above, which are made out of recycled containers. Left:A poster display gives details about how to make an entry- way bench from recycled wood pallets.

Junior Christian Forrester was appointed to the position of Treasurer. Sophomore Adrian Wheeler was appointed Sustainability Fee Accountability Fee Committee Chair. Sophomore Chris Hornsey was appointed to Environmental Affairs Committee Chair.

CRIME REPORTS DPS & KPD

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Staff

Editor-in-Chief Bethany Boyle Managing Editor Austin Hornbostel News Editor Emily Wichmer Assistant News Editor Johanna Burns Features Editor Katey Stoetzel Assistant Features Editor Courtney Kauffman Sports Editor Devin Gillespie Assistant Sports Editor Courtney Strait Opinions Editor UmmeKulsoom Arif Copy Chief Rose vonHatten Assistant Copy Chief Megan Robison Design Chief Noah Dayson News Staff Clayton Berry, Keaton Robertson, Lucas Meyrer, Taylor Lay, Bene Clear, Drew Orscheln Features Staff Emily Ploch Sports Staff Henry Janssen, Sam Stewart, Sarah Hicks, Giang Lanh Cartoonist Megan Archer Copy Editors Alex Reiser, Jessica Williams, Madeline Kaleel, MacKenna Palazza, Holly Fisher, Julianna Foster, Catherine O’Mara, Lauren Beasley Designers Clarissa Todd, Connor Frazier, Trevor Stark Photo Editor Trevor Stark Photographers Trung Vo, Deja Bolton, Athena Geldbach, Gabriel Gowen, Claire Nipper, Marissa Billmeyer, MacKenna Palazza Marketing Manager Josh Gilmore Marketing Representatives Drake Gens, Emily Fitzgerald, Amanda Atwell Adviser Don Krause

4/19 Suspect arrested for domestic 4/18 Trespassing reported at the 1200 disturbance at the 1000 block of E. block of Biggs St. Washington St. 4/18 Vandalism reported at the 1200 4/19 Burglary reported at the 800 block block of N. Elson St. of N. Franklin St. 4/17 Theft reported at the 500 block of 4/19 Sex offense reported at Walker St. Osteopathy St. 4/17 Domestic disturbance reported at 4/19 Attempted suicide reported at the Woodwind Ct. 1000 block of Gardner St. 4/17 Theft reported at the 900 block of N. 4/19 Fight reported at the 1200 block of Olive St. Baltimore St. 4/17 Suspect arressted for passing 4/18 Civil dispute reported at bad checks at the 1500 block of N. Walnut St. Osteopathy St.

Mark your calendar Tru Men Spring Concert 7-9 p.m. April 24 Baldwin Auditorium

Truman’s all male a cappella group, True Men, will perform its annual spring concert April 24 in Baldwin Auditorium. Admission is free. The group will be selling its new CD, “Truly Yours,” at the performance for $10. Visit the True Men Facebook page for more details about the event.

SAB: The Final Blowout! 12 p.m. April 25 Pershing Arena

The Students Activities Board will host its annual end of the year celebration with games, music and contests. The event will feature a petting zoo and eating contests. There also will be prize giveaways. The celebration is free with a University ID. General admission is $5. Rain date is set for May 2 in Pershing Arena.

Hope Hop 5K April 25 Thousand Hills State Park A charity 5K and children’s fun run will honor the late psychology professor Teri Heckert, who died of breast cancer during February 2014. Proceeds from the run will go to fund research for metastatic breast cancer. The run was organized in part by Heckert’s daughter. To register for the run or make a financial donation in commemoration of Heckert, visit, hopehop.weebly.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

ELECTION l Following record voter turnout for the Student

Government elections last week, juniors Molly Turner and J.J. Dorrell will serve as President and Vice President beginning fall 2015

Continued from page 1 FAC Student Representative Junior Krista Davidson FAC Treasurer Sophomore Maren Eriksen-Russo Dorrell said he is excited for the coming year with he and Turner fulfilling leadership roles. He said he thinks they could have a beneficial impact for the student body as newly elected heads of

Student Government. Dorrell said their main challenge moving forward is to accomplish all the tasks and projects they have talked about. He said they already have taken steps to get some of the projects going. “Molly and I are already on the right track,” Dorrell said. “We already kind of have our executive cabinet together, we’re getting our committee chairs together, so it’s one of those things where we’re really already putting together our team … to put on all those events we promised.”

MAYOR l After serving as Mayor Pro Tem for the city, Richard Detweiler replaces Glen Moritz as Mayor of Kirksville

Continued from page 1 council, and said he was very active in the Detweiler first was elected to the passing of human rights ordinances and City Council during 2008. the construction of the new dog park durDuring his fourth non-consecutive ing his time as mayor. year as mayor, Detweiler said he plans “I just really thoroughly enjoyed it,” to continue a lot of the ongoing work Moritz said. “I had the privilege to come of the city managers and help people in back here and make a pretty significant multiple ways with different programs. contribution this past year. I feel really Detweiler said he acknowledges citizens’ gratified to do that and represent the city expressed interest and participate in a few in better sidewalks events statewide.” and public parks. Moritz said he is “... We’re going to Detweiler said excited about differbecome a better he intends to focus ent projects, such as on economic develplace to live with the transitional housing opment of the city for citizens displaced people of Kirksville and an increase of from their homes. Durand their support.” tax revenues. He ing April 2016, when said he also wants his term on the council — Mayor Richard Detweiler to use the city’s expires, he intends to annual fall budget seek re-election. more intelligently, which he said is the City Manager Mari Macomber said as most difficult part of the job. a third-class city with a council-manager Detweiler said he wants to make style of government, the mayor of the city Kirksville a better place to work and a is elected by simple majority of the five more attractive option for businesses. councilmembers. Every April 7, registered Detweiler said he is very optimistic Kirksville voters cast their ballots for the about moving forward as mayor, and council members in a municipal election. looks forward to the impact he can “The mayor is ceremonial and they have while in office. have one vote like every other member “We’re a great place to live, raise a of the council,” Macomber said. family, work and go to school,” DetweiMacomber said the mayor has no veto ler said. “And we’re going to become a power and has only one vote on city isbetter place to live with the people of sues, but what distinguishes the position Kirksville and their support.” is the mayor presides over meetings and Moritz will serve as the new Mayor represents the city publicly. Pro Tem during 2015, effectively switchAs City Manager in the council-maning positions with Detweiler. ager style of government, Macomber Moritz sought a second term as Mayor, said she is hired by the council members but lost in a council election to Detweiler. and makes sure the policy decisions of “I was hoping to continue but there’s the council members are implemented. change all the time with the new council “It’s the council members’ responperson coming in, so it wasn’t something sibility to think about Kirksville when I had a lot of control over,” Moritz said. they’re making decisions to consider Moritz said he considers himself the what’s best for the whole of the commumost progressive member of the city nity,” Macomber said.

Dorrell said one of the first issues they plan to address is the student attendance policy. He said they already have drafted a resolution to try and make any University-sponsored event an excused event for students, so students would be allowed to make up the assignments they have missed in class. Turner said the most important thing for her and Dorrell is to make sure they appoint experienced committee chairs. Turner said Student Government has had a low turnover rate during the past and committee chairs are crucial. She said she will focus on bringing back members of Senate to retain the experience they bring. Turner said she and Dorrell campaigned with a platform that promised to put Greek Life and Residence Life

representatives in Student Government. Since then, she and Dorrell have talked about adding even more representative roles. She said she and Dorrell would like to see representatives from different campus organizations within the Senate, or for organizations to know they can approach Student Government with their concerns. “We’re going to recruit a lot of people from outside of Student Government to be on committees,” Turner said. “I think that will kind of help with the cohesion of the University.” Turner said a focus on unity among represented entities will take precedence. She said she thinks it will be beneficial to have a voice representing each organization.

Campus mourns former Truman President’s death

Robert Overmann/Index The flag on Truman State’s campus flies at half-mast April 10. The Governor declared April 10 a city-wide remembrance day in honor of Charles McClain. McClain was a former University President and was the founder of the Pershing Scholarship.

Summer at SCC. A chance to get ahead at Truman State University.

Josie Greenemay Current Truman State student SCC student, Summer ‘14

Enroll now for summer classes. Visit stchas.edu/summer today.

Summer five-week session begins May 19. Summer semester classes begin June 1.

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

Style Guides that use the Oxford Comma

Commit to your activities

At the beginning of each semester, Truman State campus organizations fill the Student Union Building armed with candy and email lists to recruit new members and raise interest for their respective groups. If you’re a typical Truman student, it’s hard to finish out the fair without giving your email address to half a dozen organizations, and stopping to talk and swipe sweets from countless others. Before you know it, two weeks pass. Now you are on the email list for seven groups, and have visited and given your Banner ID number to three of them. By the end of the semester, you might regularly be attending one group, but have spent enough time with the others to feel comfortable listing your “involvement” in those groups on your extracurricular résumé. We, as an Editorial Board, would like to call attention to a pattern of behavior we see throughout the Truman community that is destructive to groups and individuals alike — shallow involvement. We see students joining clubs and doing the minimum to remain part of the group. It can happen in any type of campus group, but especially within professional and honors organizations. These will look great on a résumé, but people motivated by a résumé could be tempted to neglect the organization and fulfill only the most basic membership requirements. We would like to encourage students to look beyond the résumé line and explore what they can do during their time with an organization. Groups exist to provide students with avenues to pursue their passions and connect with others who share similar interests. For those concerned with the bottom line, even employers are becoming more interested in skills and objective-based résumés, meaning it is more important to demonstrate what you did with an organization than simply to list your membership. Employers want to see five basic things in your extracurricular involvement — leadership, athletics, writing or technical skills, foreign languages and volunteer work, according to an article on wetfeet.com, a career advice and search site. These are just a few examples of what could be listed as the outcome of your participation in a group, demonstrating you did more than just sit back and collect the benefits of membership. We think actively contributing to student organizations sets students apart and shows commitment, another characteristic employers would consider valuable for a potential job candidate. That being said, we implore students to look at their involvement and take stock of what they have gained from their extracurricular experiences. If this turns out to be a difficult task, it might be time to get involved — for real. Listen for opportunities to step up at the next organizational meeting or ask an executive board member about their job and see if they are looking to step down from the position for the upcoming election period. We suggest students make a bucket list of things to learn or do within current groups, and then get out there and make it happen. However, we recognize everyone has their limits. By becoming more invested in one group, it might be time to step down from another. For students who want to stay committed without becoming overwhelmed, we recommend a maximum of three groups. We remind students that we are at this university primarily to learn and earn a degree, and secondarily to involve ourselves in extracurricular pursuits. Limiting the number of groups to a manageable few also will help students avoid being a dead weight that brings the group down. Instead, we implore students to pick and choose commitments carefully, and be faithful to the select few that will be the best fit. This will benefit both the group and the individual. The group gains a committed and engaged member who can help accomplish the organization’s objectives. The individual gains experience with the topic or activity of choice, the chance to mingle with others who share a common interest and an understanding of how an organization functions. Truman students have a reputation for being highly involved in extracurricular activities, and that is something to be proud of. However, if more students aimed for quality over quantity in their involvement decisions, it greatly could improve the morale and caliber of student organizations at this university.

Editorial Policy

The Index is published Thursdays during the academic year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501. The first copy is free, and additional copies cost 50 cents each. The production offices are located in Barnett Hall. We can be reached by phone at 660-785-4449. The Index is a designated public forum, and content of the Index is the responsibility of the Index staff. The editor-in-chief consults with the staff and adviser but ultimately is responsible for all decisions. Opinions of Index columnists are not necessarily representative of the opinions of the staff or the newspaper. Our View editorials represent the view of the Editorial Board through a majority vote. The Editorial Board consists of the editor-in-chief, managing editor and opinions editor. The Index reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limitations, repetitive subject matter, libelous content or any other reason the editor-in-chief deems appropriate. Submitted material includes advertisements and letters to the editor.

The Elements of Style Fowler Modern English Usage Chicago Manual of Style U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual American Psychological Association Modern Language Association American Medical Association

Style Guides that avoid the Oxford Comma The Associated Press The Economist The New York Times *Fun fact — the Public Relations Department at Oxford University no longer uses the Oxford comma, although Oxford University Press still does.

Who Uses the Oxford Comma?

The Oxford comma deserves more use Source: ragan.com/Main/Articles/Infographic_The_Oxford_comma_debate_46247.aspx

Trevor Hamblin As an English major, there are small grammatical errors I always notice, whether I’m actively looking for them or not. There a few that are more obvious than others — missing quotation marks, typos, “affect” vs. “effect,” etc — but there is one that isn’t technically an error. This little quirk of grammar even has its own name — the Oxford comma. For those who don’t know, the Oxford comma is the comma that appears right before “and” in a list of things. For example, “At the zoo, there are lions, tigers, and bears.” However, this same sentence without an Oxford comma would be “At the zoo, there are lions, tigers and bears.” It’s not really wrong to do it this way. However, in certain writing styles, such as the AP style used by this very publication, it’s generally unused. This bothers me to this day. The Oxford comma is in place to help create an ease of understanding. Consider the following sentence, “We will be going with the tennis players, Nikki and William.” However, the writer of this sentence is not referring to Nikki and William when referring to “the tennis players,” thus creating a misunderstanding

Letters Policy The Index welcomes letters to the editor from the University community. Letters to the editor are due by noon the Monday before publication and become property of the Index. Submissions are subject to editing, must contain a well-developed theme and cannot exceed 500 words except at the discretion of the Editorial Board. Letters containing personal attacks will not be published. All letters to the editor must be typed and submitted by e-mail to index.opinionseditor@gmail.com or at http:// tmn.truman.edu/theindex. Include the words “letter to the editor” in the subject line of the e-mail. The Index does not publish anonymous letters to the editor. No individual may submit more than one letter per week.

that would not occur if the comma were used. A reverse of this kind of misconception also is possible. For example, “I traveled with Michael, a martial artist and a government agent.” In this bizarre scenario, a reader might assume Michael is a secret agent with martial arts training, rather than one of three people who traveled with the writer. There are two major arguments against the use of the comma, though I’m not a big fan of either of them. The first is too many commas can distract from the content of the page. Omitting the Oxford comma gets rid of a supposedly unnecessary comma without breaking any important grammar rules. The other major argument refers back to the tennis player example. The idea is if Nikki and William were, in fact, the tennis players I was writing about, then I would have used a colon instead of a comma. This is a fair point, and one I cannot argue against strongly. That said, this reasoning seems more like an excuse since it wouldn’t even be necessary if the Oxford comma were used in the first place. Call me pretentious, but I like the Oxford comma. It has a noble purpose and is easy to use. It’s something I have been taught to use my entire life. Working in student media is the first time I’ve had to change the way I use it. It’s been a big adjustment not to use it, though the editing staff does a good job of catching it when it happens. Really though, my heart lies with the comma’s use instead of against it.

Trevor Hamblin is a freshman English and communication major from Moberly, Mo.

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Occupy The Quad for democracy THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

Will Chaney I think we all can remember our third grade history class, with its American flag coloring books and “Schoolhouse Rock!” videos. We were told to be proud of the country we live in, because it is a democracy — rule for the people by the people. What we must learn later during life is democracy is not a solitary institution that stands firmly after it has been built. Instead, democracy is a process only kept alive if its citizens are active participants. This especially is important during 2015, while higher education in the United States faces an unprecedented financial crisis. As students — and citizens of a democracy — we actively must communicate our dire situation to the rest of society with a unified protest. Standing by without making noise simply is an invitation to be stepped on. Many college students shy away from political involvement. According to a 2014 U.S. Census Bureau report, 18-24-year-olds vote less than any other age group. We often do not think politics are relevant to our lives, and our votes and opinions don’t matter to the rest of society. The fact that this opinion is prevalent should not be surprising. How many of your friends care deeply about foreign relations with Syria or the national debt? Probably not many, because a majority of the issues our political parties talk about are not applicable to our daily lives as college students. Political apathy does not mean we exist in a vacuum, devoid of issues and conflict. Instead, the problems we face are different from many other members of society. In addition to Truman State’s economic troubles, college students across America must face the issue of increasing debt. Student loan debt in the United States has risen 84 percent since 2008 to an astounding $1.2 trillion, which averages to almost $30,000 per person, according to a September 2014 CNBC article. This debt is not forgiven if you file for bankruptcy

during the future, and can take decades to pay off. People with debt this large often are forced to postpone buying a car, a house or even getting married. Despite the ominous situation confronting our generation, the legislature continues to defund higher education. Missouri’s state government has decreased its contribution to your education from 75 percent 30 years ago to 44 percent today, according to Dave Rector, Truman Vice President of Finance. The other growing 56 percent appears in your Truview account. It now is clear the government is not representing our interests as students. Change only will come if we follow the example set by other universities and politically organize ourselves to send a clear message to the legislature. During January, Ohio State University students marched through campus to protest tuition increases, according to Ohio State’s school newspaper, The Post. Activists at Ohio State have organized rallies, teach-ins and comedy shows that focus student attention on the debt crisis. Similar protests also have taken place in New York City, Wisconsin and Iowa according to an April 2012 Reuters article. Demonstrations like these are an important first step in any societywide movement, because they put the problem at the forefront of our consciousness and allow those affected to gather together in solidarity. We, the students of Truman, must now engage our democratic system and realize the benefits of living in the United States. To send a message, we don’t necessarily have to belong to a political party or become informed about all the issues. Instead, I encourage you to join other Bulldogs to discuss the challenges we face during an open forum discussion 4:30 p.m. April 27 in Baldwin Hall 156. Your ideas, personal stories and debt complaints will be welcome. Students from many organizations also will gather 4:00 p.m. May 1 to occupy The Quad and protest Missouri’s defunding of higher education. Student debt affects all of us — Democrats, Republicans, LGBTQ individuals, math majors, musicians, Leaguers and bikers. Protests are vital to democracy, because individuals are not as loud as the voice of a crowd. This especially is true of college kids, who rarely are given a microphone.

TIMELINE OF STUDENT PROTESTS

Hundreds protesting against the police shooting of Michael Brown marched to the SLU campus and staged an overnight sit-in. October 13, 2014

Students protesting Michael Brown's death at the Missouri State Homecoming game were harassed by fellow students, alumni and faculty. October 18, 2014

Students stood in a "hands up don't shoot" stance during an assembly at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy while Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon spoke. November 20, 2014

Several hundred students at Washington University in St. Louis staged a walkout and die-in to protest the police shooting of Michael Brown. December 1, 2014

One hundred students walked out of classes at Clayton High School in St. Louis to protest the police shooting of Michael Brown. December 1, 2014

Will Chaney is a freshman economics major from Bridgeton, Mo.

Categorizing too much is fruitless

Megan Archer When I was in grade school, I always wanted to be factually correct. So when I heard the often-quoted tidbit “tomatoes are actually fruits,” I set out to incorporate it into my knowledge database as much as I could. When I did a project about nutrition, I categorized marinara sauce with my smoothie — after all, I figured they both were blended fruits. I mercilessly ridiculed VeggieTales for featuring a fruit, discrediting its own name. I thought the masses were under the mistaken impression that tomatoes were vegetables and those who knew were the enlightened ones. But as I grew up and learned more about the world, I saw my error not just in forcing tomatoes into a category, but in forcing the rest of the world into discrete categories as well. Categories only should be used when they are useful for interacting with the world — there are parts of reality that cannot be put into categories.

This realization began when I took an introductory biology class as a freshman in high school. Our plant unit covered the topic of plant reproduction — specifically fruits. My previous food categories completely were obliterated by the facts I learned during that unit. Yes, a tomato is biologically a fruit, but so are cucumbers, pumpkins and peas. The only requirement of foods under the “technically a fruit” label is to have developed from a plant ovary – or, more simply, to contain a seed. Not only were a lot of foods I had considered vegetables actually fruits, but foods I had thought of as singular fruits turned out to be bizarre fruit mashups — oranges and other “splittable” fruits easily were believable, but I couldn’t believe how seemingly solid fruits like strawberries or apples were collections of fused fruits. To top it all off, I couldn’t find anything that biologically was a vegetable — plant foods not covered as a type of fruit biologically were leaves, roots, stems or flowers. Baffled, I turned away from biological definitions — those seemed only to be based on plant reproduction and not human consumption. However, the nutritional and culinary definitions didn’t make the line between fruit and vegetable any clearer. Fruits have a higher sugar content than vegetables, according to some nutrition sources such as the Jillian Michaels website. Although this generally might

be true, I found a vegetable with a higher sugar content than a fruit — sweet onions contain seven grams of sugar per 100 grams, versus cranberries, which contain four grams, according to the USDA. Suddenly, my hunt for the true category of the tomato was making me rethink everything. So much of my education had been built on determining the best way to categorize things. In my ecology class, we categorized ecosystems. In my political science class, we categorized ideologies. In my English class, we categorized genres. But I found that no matter how obvious categories and their differences seemed, when examined closely, the edges would blur. When does the desert switch to the grassland? What’s the difference between a left-leaning centrist and a moderate liberal? When is science fiction so soft that it’s fantasy? I realized how arbitrary the way we think about the world is. Why do humans feel the need to categorize everything? The answer lies in human evolution. The ability to categorize items originally was very useful when humans needed to distinguish between categories such as “predators and food animals” or “poisonous or edible plants” to survive, according to psychologist Alfonso Caramazza of Harvard University in a February 2010 Scientific American article. However, this trait now is so pervasive in our culture and ways of thinking that

it has grown beyond its usefulness — it now can be detrimental. Trying to keep track of the types of nutritional groups we consume throughout a day to monitor our diets is useful, but arguing over the categorization of the tomato is just a waste of time. More than a waste of time, categorization actively can be harmful, especially when people are the ones being categorized. In any categorization of people, there will be cases where categories blend together, or cases that fall outside the generally recognized categories altogether — a few of the more controversial ones are race, ability, sexual orientation and gender. In these cases, it’s important to remember this lesson — things exist first and are categorized second. Sorry, Plato. The world is incomprehensibly complex, so human-made categories always will fall short. If you keep in mind how arbitrary the lines we draw are when you are interacting with the world, you will live a more enlightened existence than if you try to force everything into a category. So is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? It really doesn’t matter. Tomatoes don’t care what they’re called, and neither should you.

Megan Archer is a senior computer science major from Morrison, Colo.

What is your favorite fruit and vegetable? Why? Pomegranate and broccoli. I just like them.

Peaches and celery. It goes well with peanut butter.

Bananas and broccoli. That’s what I think tastes best.

Strawberries and green beans. My grandma makes the best green beans.

Andrew Neugarten Freshman

Lindsey Forker Junior

Oliver Dubois Senior

Amanda Barringhaus Freshman

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

With Public Works Director Glenn Balliew By Emily Wichmer

News Editor index.newseditor@gmail.com

The City of Kirksville appointed Glenn Balliew as the new Public Works Director April 13. Balliew had served as Interim Director since March 2015. TMN sat down with Balliew to discuss his new appointment. Emily Wichmer: You had been serving as the Interim Director of Public Works. For you, does being the official director give you more responsibilities? Glenn Balliew: I think, as the Interim Director, I really just stayed on top of things and worked the surface issues. Now that I’m director, I will dig deeper and see if we can find some better, more efficient ways to do things. We’ll see where we can save some money and start looking at budgets, new processes — things I wouldn’t do as Interim Director, because I didn’t want to do things the incoming Public Works Director wouldn’t want to do. So it’ll be more in-depth, with more responsibilities of digging deeper and trying to fix the things that are broken. If things aren’t broken, I’ll look for ways to be more efficient. EW: Is there anything you especially want to focus on during your time as director? GB: I think a big thing with the citizens is the streets. It’s a concern of mine too, but you can only do as much as you can with the money you have. But I think there are some ways we can do some forecasting and planning to get a good assessment of the streets, because I think our biggest issue is not having a clear assessment. At least we’ll let the city council and mayor and city manager know what we’re facing — maybe come in and develop a phasing process of getting the streets back up to par, because that seems to be a major complaint from the citizens, and it’s something that we’re going to try to work on. EW: How would those assessments work? GB: There is a program the city has — called a Paver Program — that actually grades the streets. You go out and measure cracks, how much has fallen off the side and what kind of condition the pavement and concrete and asphalt is in. There is a

Emily Wichmer/Index Glenn Balliew, Kirksville Public Works Director, sits at his desk in the Public Works office. Balliew said he plans to assess city streets and install LED lights around the city to improve the area and cut down on costs. whole program, but you have to examine all the streets and measure them to get a good reading, and when all the data is entered on the computer, you can go in and the streets that grade below a 50 need to be replaced. If they grade between 50 and 60, then you’re looking at one to two years before replacement. There’s a whole system. We’re just a little behind on getting that up and running, but we’re going to really focus on that so we know what we’re facing and how many miles of street we really need to replace. EW: Anything else you’re going to focus on? GB: Obviously anything we can save money on — start looking at some of the things and assess if it’s a want or a need. The more money we save in some places, the more we can put into other areas that need attention. I don’t know exactly what those specific areas will be quite yet, but we’re looking into it. We’re also looking to replace some street light bulbs with LEDs. There are about 124 we’re looking to replace around the city. The upside to the LED is that, while typical bulbs last from 12 to 18 months before they need to be replaced, these LEDs only need to be replaced every five or so years. So we’ll be saving on bulb replacement and the city’s electric bill will go down thanks to those lights as well. There’s also a part called a ballast that we have to replace almost as often as the regular bulbs, but those aren’t necessary with LEDs. So that

cuts down replacing those parts as well. With all the money saved from that, we could use the funds to fix roads or anything else that’s pressing. EW: So what were your thoughts when you were first asked to take on this position? GB: I’m the airport director too, which I will remain during this time as well. So I really hold two hats even though we’re bringing the airport kind of under public works, but because of city policy, you need an airport director. So I will keep that title and we will restructure a little bit and hire foremen at the airport to run the day-today operations there. I’ll still run the grants and federal programs. They asked me to sit in here as interim. I didn’t apply for the job, because I didn’t want to put the city in a predicament. I didn’t want them to say, “Well, he’s the airport director and what happens if we don’t hire him?” ... I wanted to make sure I didn’t take on too much, because I didn’t want to give up the airport because I’ve gotten a lot of work done over there and it’s really headed in the right direction. [The city manager] discussed the Public Works position with me, we talked about the main issues I’d be dealing with in the position and I took a few days to think about it. Then they called me last Friday and offered me the position officially, and I accepted, so here we go. It’s exciting, and it’s a lot on my plate. I’ve run some organizations be-

fore, and I don’t think it’s too much. It’ll be a little busy to start with. I’m going to get the airport straightened out, but after I get that going and get a foreman there, I’ve got a good crew and they know when a problem is something they can deal with or if they need to give me a call. If the leadership at the supervisory level here at Public Works hadn’t been so good, I wouldn’t have taken the job. There is no way I would have walked into it and run the airport too with a young staff. These guys have been here a long time, and know what they’re doing. The fact that they had really good supervision here helped make my mind up about taking the job. EW: Do you think working as airport director gave you good experience for this position? GB: I’ve been managing operations for a long time. The airport was really a step down for me so I could settle down a bit and retire, but obviously that doesn’t seem to be happening. I think Public Works has a lot of moving parts and a lot of things going in different directions, so they just need a manager to handle the city hall pieces of it, work the budgets and do the administrative stuff, and that’s what I’ve done in the past. So hopefully I can bring some experience to the table and help them out, fight for them and get them what they need to work with, set priorities, focus on what matters and improve Kirksville in the process.

MCCLAIN l Charles McClain, former Truman

State University President, the first in the position to personally interview every faculty candidate applying to teach at Truman and developer of the Masters in Education program at Truman, passed away at the age of 85 April 9

Submitted photo Former University President Charles McClain poses with former Missouri Governor John Ashcroft during 1985. McClain helped make Truman a statewide public university.

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Continued from page 1 vital we are as a dimension making the country successful in the next generation.” Young said McClain’s influence on higher education was even greater than his accomplishments at Truman. She said he continued his dedication to higher education at the state level after his presidency by serving as commissioner of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. “He carried his excellence here, he took it to Jefferson City, he carried it every day of his life,” Young said. “There was always a reference to how important the work we are doing really is.” Susan Plassmeyer, a voting member of Truman’s Board of Governors, said the Board continues striving to fulfill McClain’s vision for higher education. She said as a result of McClain’s presidency, the University improved as a whole, developing into the institution Truman is today.

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

COMMUNITY THEATRE PARODY CALLED WICKEDLY FUNNY

Katey Stoetzel/Index Katey Stoetzel/Index Audience members enjoy a theatre dinner catered by Hy-Vee before the show. Actors finish their Stephen Sondheim segment of “Forbidden Broadway.” The “Forbidden Broadway” offered a dinner and a show option. performance parodies famous musicals such as “Into the Woods” and “Rent.” BY COURTNEY KAUFFMAN Assistant Features Editor

Music and laughter filled the air last weekend at the premiere of “Forbidden Broadway,” a musical that parodies other musicals. Kirksville Parks and Recreation is continuing to present “Forbidden Broadway” April 23-25 at Jackson Stables. The musical includes satirical versions of musicals such as “Wicked,” “Chicago,” “Les Misérables,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and more. Recreation specialist Heather Darrah, the director of “Forbidden Broadway”, said she is responsible for a fine arts program with the City of Kirksville which consists of a spring, summer and fall show. She said she found this show during the winter and wanted to bring it to Kirksville because of her love of musicals. “For those people that don’t like musicals, I think it fits them because it makes fun of musicals,” Darrah said. “And for those that do like musicals, they will appreciate it because they will know all of the musicals [the cast] is talking about.” Darrah said the show is a musical comedy composed of vignettes that parody other Broadway musicals and famous performers. She said the style is similar to that of a roast. Darrah said this production appeals to a wide audience because it features material from varieties of eras of genres. Darrah said auditions were hosted during March, followed by 5-6 weeks of rehearsals. Every Parks and Recreation show has open auditions for the community, she said. Darrah said Truman State students often participate in shows. “I think we have a nice array of decades of shows and performers,” Darrah said. “I think there is a little bit of something for everybody.” Darrah said attendance has been high for the few shows that have occurred thus far, with at least 45-50 audience members each night. Truman alumnus Jenny Clark, a performer in the show, said she has been participating in Kirksville community theatre, the program organized by Parks and Recreation, since 2011. Clark said she plays the roles of Annie, Little Red Riding Hood and a backup role in the “Fiddler on the Roof ” segment of this production. “I got involved with doing these shows a few years ago,” Clark said. “I graduated from Truman with a theatre degree and I love doing theatre, so I was looking for another way to do it out in the community.” Clark said she has been involved with many performances throughout the years. She said this production has been one of her favorite performances with the community theatre program because it is so funny and has a solid cast. Clark said preparing for this production was different than previous performances because the musical is full of well-known songs, and trying to learn new lyrics to the famous songs was a challenge. The cast found themselves wanting to sing the original lyrics, she said, instead of the satirical versions.

Clark said Darrah managed rehearsals well and accomodated everyone’s schedules. The cast has been rehearsing for five weeks. Practices last from 6-9 p.m. during the week, she said. “This show appeals to a lot of people,” Clark said. “The first night we had an older audience, so they loved Carol Channing and Liza Minnelli numbers, and last night we had people who know a lot about theatre so they loved everything in the show because they got all the references.” Clark said the humor in the production is tailored to each individual number in a way that even those who enjoy the original musicals referenced will appreciate. Senior Logan Mack, theatre major and Kirksville resident, is performing in the show and said he has been performing in community theatre since 2003. He said he plays the roles of Sweeney Todd, Enjolras, the Phantom and Mark from “Rent.” “This is a big year for us,” Mack said. “This show is another opportunity to demonstrate what Kirksville can offer to Truman students.” Mack said Truman students often appear in community theatre, but this year he saw some new faces, which he said he was excited about. The rehearsals for this production were set up in a way that got many people together who have other commitments in life but share a love of theatre, Mack said. He said he liked that this performance process allowed the actors to have a life outside the show. Mack said the atmosphere is different from acting at Truman because this show is a dinner theatre, but the performance value remains the same.

This show is another opportunity to

demonstrate what

Kirksville can offer to Truman Students. – Senior Logan Mack

VOLUME 106

ISSUE 27

“‘Forbidden Broadway’ has allowed me to take part in a musical while studying this semester,” Mack said. “Which is often something people feel like they wouldn’t have time for.” Mack said he is preparing for graduation, working on enhancing his resume and working parttime, yet he still had time to perform in “Forbidden Broadway.” He said he hopes other students interested in theatre give community theatre a chance during the future. Mack said he will move to Los Angeles after graduation to pursue film acting. He said being a part of Truman’s and Kirksville’s theatre programs has been beneficial because he has gained a lot of experience playing different roles and being involved with varying audiences. Sophomore theatre major Tia Hernandez said she plays the roles of Barbra Streisand, Elphaba, Laura Bell Bundy and a soloist in “Rent”. Hernandez said this performance has been pretty freeform and easy to fit into her schedule. Hernandez said this is her first production with the community theatre, and she heard about the auditions from one of her theatre professors. Hernandez said she enjoys the playful nature of this musical and how it pokes fun at popular shows in a funny but respectable manner she can appreciate as a theatre major. It has been challenging to switch between so many roles, Hernandez said. She said there was a lot of research put into matching the gestures and personalities of performers. There has been a lot of collaboration between the cast that has made practicing and researching enjoyable, she said. “I loved working on this [show],” Hernandez said. “I’m auditioning for the summer show [and] if I could do Kirksville Community theatre every day, I would.” The show dates are divided into dinner and nondinner performance nights. For dinner performances, tickets are $20, and doors open at 6 p.m. April 24-25. Tickets for the dinner performances must be purchased at least a day in advance. Tickets for non-dinner performances are $7 and doors open at 7 p.m. April 23. Tickets for all shows are available at www.kirksvillecity.com or the Kirskville Aquatic Center. For questions, call Kirksville Parks and Recreation at 660-627-1485.

Katey Stoetzel/Index Members of the cast appear as Little Red Riding Hood, Sweeney Todd, a character from “Les Misérables” and Stephen Sondheim himself, the writer of the musicals featured during the Sondheim segment.

tmn.truman.edu

www.facebook.com/TrumanIndex

@trumanindex

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015

BY KATEY STOETZEL, Features Editor

with screenwriter and Truman alumna Akela Cooper

Screenwriter and Truman State alumna Akela Cooper will be the guest speaker today for the English and Linguistics Senior Seminar conference. Cooper also will give a talk tomorrow about using folklore in screenwriting. An Index editor had the chance to speak with Cooper during a phone interview this week about what it’s like to write for TV and the popularity of genre television.

Katey Stoetzel: How did you get into television writing, especially when Truman didn’t have any screenwriting classes until recently? Akela Cooper: I graduated in the fall of 2003. A couple of my professors, Dr. Becky Becker and Dr. Adam Davis, encouraged me to do grad school, which obviously as a Truman student you know that Truman prides itself on the amount of students who go on to masters degrees and Ph.D.s. It had never occurred to me before, but I joined the Ronald E. McNair program, which also encourages students to do research and get research published, which will help you with grad school. And doing that I basically applied to a couple of schools, two of which were focused in creative writing, which is what my major was and my focus was at Truman. And then two of which were screenwriting. The No. 1 choice that I had was University of Southern California, and I got in, so that brought me out to Los Angeles in fall of 2004. My last semester at USC, I got into the CBS writer’s mentoring workshop and that helped me get my foot in the door because my mentor actually got me my first job as a research assistant on the CBS show “Jericho.” KS: Do you have any advice for anyone who is wanting to write for television?

10-hour work day, in a room full of very smart, very creative people, and not to mention most of the time you get a free lunch, so that’s a perk. Basically you are paid to help with stories for these characters and for these shows, and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else, quite frankly. I’m happy where I am and I’ve been able to actually make a living doing what I love. Spending time in these rooms with these people, you’re making friendships, you’re forming bonds. It’s actually one of the best things I could think of to do. When I went to USC, initially it was for features ... just from the television writing classes that I took at USC, I didn’t realize how a television staff worked or how television worked, really, until I got there. So it was eye opening that instead of toiling away in obscurity for years on end until you sell your first feature, you could actually be a writer, making a living, and seeing your product on screen months after you write it instead of years. I love television, it’s what I want to do. Hopefully someday I will have my own show.

Submitted Photo Truman alumna Akela Cooper said she loves to write for genre television and will be talking about folklore and screenwriting on Friday.

AC: The advice I have is to be prepared to start at the bottom and work your way up. Entry-level jobs, which is basically the staff writer position, [are] becoming harder for people to break into. You have to be willing to do the research assistant jobs, the writer’s assistant jobs, script coordinator, production assistant, which is commonly known as a PA. And also doing your own writing, and also looking into the writing programs. I was a part of two — CBS was the first one and about two years later I ran into the Warner Bros. workshop which is actually a program that helped me land my first staffing job. So more and more of the writing programs are how people are getting their foot in the door. KS: What is it like working on a television show? AC: So far for me it’s actually been a lot of fun. You’re basically spending your 8-hour work day, sometimes

KS: As a writer for a television show, do you get to spend any time on set?

AC: Two of the shows that I’ve worked for, “Grimm” on NBC and “The 100” on The CW, they send writers to set. You get production experience for most shows now, I think. They prefer to have writers on set. It’s really important, especially in helping the showrunner keep their vision and keep the show on target, especially if the actors have questions or something’s not working, to have someone there to be able to fix it immediately instead of having to go back and forth. KS: Any specific characters on “The 100” or “Grimm” you enjoy writing about? AC: This may seem like a cop-out, but typically I enjoy just writing everyone, especially how they interact. On “Grimm,” I was partial to Sgt. Wu, but that’s because he’s just fun. Usually — I don’t know if you’ve seen the show — but he has the

sarcasm and the one-liners. Also, the character of Monroe was a lot of fun to write for in that same vein, they were just, you know, I don’t want to say our lead was brooding, but he was kind of brooding, so whenever we could stick humor in there, that was always a plus and something we enjoy. And that goes for “The 100,” as well. It’s a very serious, dark, post-apocalyptic show, so whenever we can inject humor in there, we thought that was a great accomplishment. “Witches of East End” is a big ensemble show, so there’s a lot of characters where you just enjoy the different pairings, and the different dynamics that all of the actors bring to those pairings and seeing how they work. So it’s kind of fun, especially if you’re on a show that goes multiple seasons, to put characters together who haven’t worked together. Season two of “The 100” we had a character named Jaha and a character named Murphy who actually met for the first time in my episode in season two and both of those actors are great. It was a dynamic we hadn’t actually explored yet because the character Jaha was actually responsible for killing Murphy’s father when they were still on the Ark and just exploring all those tensions and figuring out realistic ways the character of Murphy would come around to respect and follow Jaha, so that was a lot of fun. Looking for those little moments between the actors and characters can be a lot of fun, especially when you realize what you thought was going to click actually clicks. KS: You mentioned all these shows you write for, and they all seem to have a supernatural/sci-fi element to them. And I know “The 100” is on The CW, which is sort of known for its genre television, so I was wondering how you feel about genre television and those fantasy elements, and what place you think it has in television, especially with other bigger shows it competes with, like “Breaking Bad” or “Mad Men” sort of the shows that are grounded in reality and are popular. AC: I think genre itself is really popular. Like the biggest show on TV right now is “Game of Thrones.” Everybody is looking for their own “Game of Thrones.” I love genre. I was born and raised a sci-fi nerd. Both my parents were heavily into genre. We watched “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Babylon 5,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “seaQuest,” “Farscape,” “Battlestar Galatica,” “The X-Files.” That was my bread and butter growing up, so I love working in genre television. It actually might be difficult for me to write for something like “Law & Order: SVU,” that’s kind of not my wheelhouse, although “Grimm” had a little bit of the cop procedural itself. But I love genre. If I never work in anything outside of genre, I wouldn’t be sad, honestly. If I could continue making a living writing for genre, I’ll do it and I’ll be happy to do it.

“She Kills Monsters,” about nerds, for nerds BY LAURA SEAMAN

accept new things and accepts the weirdness in herself. Life for Agnes becomes much more exciting, and she becomes a happier person after tossing aside her hesitations and immersing herself in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. “She Kills Monsters” loudly and proudly announced that the nerds of the world have Anybody can be like Agnes if they learn to live their lives without judgment and become come out of their shells and are here to stay. The play serves as a huge stateopen to new experiences. On the other hand, ment about modern nerd culture as well as other social issues such as bullysomeone could be like the bullies in the play, ing and sexuality. and be close-minded and hateful toward people “If I had to choose one word After her parents and younger sister were killed in a car accident, main are not like them. to describe the exact message whoI think character Agnes dives into the world of Dungeons & Dragons in an attempt anybody could learn a valuable lesson of ‘She Kills Monsters,’ it to better understand the sibling she barely knew. Her deceased younger sisfrom this play, whether it’s about sexuality, acter Tilly was a nerdy girl, and that’s about all Agnes knew. But with the help ceptance or nerd culture. I thoroughly enjoyed would be acceptance.” of Tilly’s friend Chuck, she is about to discover an entire fantasy world full myself, and the production was incredible. — Junior Laura Seaman of secrets. The actors in this play had to be funny, emoThe audience joins Agnes as she uncovers her sister’s secrets one by one, tional and skilled at fighting all in one. The Trufinding out that Tilly was a closeted lesbian who disliked Agnes’ boyfriend man State students in this production were sucand was bullied in school. All of these memories and feelings are portrayed through fan- cessful in all of those areas. These talented actors made the audience laugh with their tasy characters, daring rescues and, of course, monsters. witty comments and skilled choreography. One particularly smart and humorous touch The play takes place during the 1990s when nerd culture still was deemed “weird” was the use of the ensemble for comedic relief as they lifted actors during fights and and any sexual orientation other than heterosexuality socially was unacceptable. Watch- participated in dance battles. ing this play made me realize how much society has changed throughout the years. The best fight in the play was probably the one that included Tiamat, the five-headed Nowadays, completely it is normal to geek-out about something or to know someone dragon. Tiamat’s entrance was breathtaking as the wall opened up to reveal a fiery glow who is part of the LGBTQ community. However, the message of this play can be applied and five floating heads with glowing red eyes, each one held by a member of the ento more than just these situations. semble. The music was hardcore and the fight was intense. If I had to choose one word to describe the exact message of “She Kills Monsters,” it The production’s music and set also were incredible, as classic songs such as “Loser” would be acceptance. At the beginning of the play, Agnes is an average adult in every way. and “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” emphasized the fight scenes and brought a feelShe does nothing out of the ordinary, has a ho-hum boyfriend and has no knowledge of ing of familiarity to the fantasy world. The sword fights almost seemed like a dance when the nerdy world of Dungeons & Dragons. If it weren’t for the death of her younger sister, paired with the music, and it was enchanting. The monsters featured in these fights were Agnes might have remained average her whole life. Instead, she branches out, learns to just as incredible, and it was clear that hours of work were put into the costumes. TMN Reporter

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