Lily Fisher works at
“We wanted this year to really focus on that fan experience for the students who are not necessarily participating,” Tyana Lange, vice president of enroll ment management, said. “For the ridic ulous relays, we have some swag give aways. We will be doing food, so there will be vendors handing out hotdogs and things like popcorn — some snacks so that you feel like you’re having that fan experience as if you went to a baseball, football, basketball game.” This is the first year that clubs and organizations have been invited to have activities on the Quad during the firstyear students’ move-in time. The time for first-years to move into the residence halls has been expanded to the entire first day, allowing time for yard games and other activities on the Quad. Every year, first-year students arrive on campus four days earlier than return ing students to participate in a series of activities called Truman Week.
Campus seessummer updates
A wanted poster of Rongey posted in Thousand Hills State Park. Rongey is considered armed and dangerous. Photo by Emily Collins
See MANHUNT page 6 Football holds on to top playerspage14
Truman State University enacted a variety of structural and security updates throughout the summer of 2022 that im pact student life on campus. One of the largest projects was the in stallation of 76 security cameras across the campus, primarily in outdoor ar eas such as parking lots and bike racks, said Physical Plant Director, Sam Guth. By Aug. 10, most of the cameras were installed. Guth said he expected the re maining ones to be installed within a week of that date. Guth said all cameras were produced domestically and only a few cameras were backordered. The installation pro cess was overall successful with every thing moving smoothly, Guth said. Chief of Public Safety, Sara Seifert, said public safety officers will be trained to use the cameras once they are all fully operational. The company that manufac tured the cameras will provide training modules to assist in officer training. Sei fert said one of the reasons this camera service was chosen was because it is very user friendly and easy to navigate. All officers will have the ability to monitor the cameras, but only one or two will have administrative rights. Admin istrators will be able to complete tasks such as burning videos onto disks.
continuesManhuntintothirdweek
Photo by Matt Frank MATT FRANK Managing Editor
See UPDATES page 6
QUINN SLOAN News Editor
VOLUME 114 ISSUE 1 © 2022 See FRESHMAN WEEK page 6 Truman State University tmn.truman.edu @TrumanIndex @TrumanIndexWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 tmn.truman.eduOur View, stay safe in Kirksville, page 4 Abortion ban to affect students, page 3 “Nope” mixes the best of Peele’s previous work, page 8
Truman Week is a yearly occurrence, but this time students will experience it a little differently. This year Truman Week will be fo cused more on the “fan experience.” Some of the most memorable activi ties of Truman Week are the ridiculous relays and the college cup events. Events like these are featured in the new fan ex perience aspect of Truman Week. Additional activities will be associat ed with the ridiculous relays for the stu dents that sit and watch in the crowd.
Jesse Rongey shot and dismem bered Stephen Munn on Munn’s prop erty July 5. Munn’s remains were found five days later on his property near Youngstown Trail, where author ities suspect that Rongey was living in a shed, according to KTVO news. Local authorities began a manhunt July 28 after a reported sighting of Rongey in the hiking trails of Thou sand Hills. Since then, both the Nation al Guard and the U.S. Marshals were involved with the search, using tools such as drones, helicopters, boats, K-9s and officers on foot. With the semester right around the corner, many students and parents are worried about their safety. Sara Seifert, the chief of police on campus, advis es parents and students to be cautious and aware of their surroundings and to avoid Thousand Hills. “I don’t feel that it’s going to be a safety issue,” Seifert said, “He’s living off the land — I don’t think he’d ven ture this far into town.”
Centennial Hall is experiencing updates. The hall is closed for the 2022-2023 Academic Year. Photo by Emily Collins
her desk in the Resident Life office. ResLife helps coordinate freshman move-in week.
SETH JARVIS Staff Writer
New changes to Truman Week
Junior Brody Leath performs a bench press while Travis Wilson spots him. The bench in use is old equipment. A cycling machine is part of the new equipment. Users must clean exercise equipment after use.
Student Recreation center is updated
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 20222 The Index
Seniors Cathy Farmer and Lexi Neubauer and fifth year Kristen Chavana work at the front desk. The Student Recreation center was updated over the summer.
Photos by Emily Collins Junior Travis Wilson works out using new equipment. The Rec received new equipment as part of the summer updates.
The Rec received a new rowing machine. Rowing machines engage the lower body, upper body, and core muscles at the same time.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 3The Index See ABORTION page 5
The total operating budget for the fis cal year of 2023 at Truman State Uni versity will be $114 million, a decrease from last year’s $121 million, said Dave Rector, vice president of finance and ad ministration at Truman. The budget breaks down into three piec es. The first section is the education and gen eral budget, which is funded by money from the state and student tuition. The education and general budget funds items such as faculty salaries. This budget will be $85.72 million this year. The second section is the auxiliary budget which funds items such as residence halls and athletic centers. The budget for these expenses is $17.17 million. Finally, the third section is allocated to the restricted funds, which is primarily made up of money supplied by the Federal Govern ment. This adds up to about $11.38 million.
Enrollment among new freshmen for fall 2022 appears to be slightly higher relative to last year, said Tyana Lange, vice president for enrollment manage ment and marketing. In addition, Lange said she believes that enrollment for international students will be slightly higher as well, however, enrollment of new graduate and transfer students will be lower for this upcoming semester. An official University census will take place 15 days into the fall semester to deter mine the total student population. Enrollment has declined in recent years and Lange said reaching previously higher numbers, such as 1,200 a year, is not possible due to the numbers of peo ple graduating high school and continu ing onto college. She said they believe it is possible to bring enrollment up to 800, 900 or even 1,000 people a year. Mea sures such as earlier communication with students and encouraging students to visit campus are being implemented to attract more students to Truman. Cam pus visits from prospective students will receive higher funding as well since in the past, data has shown around 50% of students visiting campus then choose to attendLangeTruman.saidthey focused on increasing the yield of students, the amount of ad mitted students that choose to go to the University, relative to the previous year. This year will feature a higher yield than last year, Lange said. “We really focused this year on making sure students were connected to the Univer sity and those that raised their hand and said ‘yeah, I’m thinking of coming here’, defi nitely come here,” Lange said.
A group of prospective students and their families walk on a guided tour. Enroll ment for fall 2022 is increasing slightly from last year.
Over the past five years, the budget has slowly decreased. The previous fis cal year had a budget of around $121 million. Rector said the two main fea tures at play in this decrease are a de cline in enrollment and a decline of stu dents living on campus. As a result, less money is going into the University. The COVID-19 pandemic also sig nificantly impacted the University budget. When students left campus as the pandemic began, the University refunded their money spent on housing and meal plans. Money supplied from the Federal Government via stimulus provided relief to the University and students amid the crisis. Rector said the University invested most of the provided money into upgrading technology in the University, such as better internet access in the residence halls. Rector said the University has worked to remain within their revenue and maintain a balanced budget.
i GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Editor-In-Chief Missouri’s abortion ban, effective as of June 24, will have some effects on campus and has caused mixed reactions among students. Several students have raised concerns about in creasing mental health issues, an issue Madeline Harms, coordinator of University Counseling Ser vices and the Truman Health Center, is aware of. “There’s a variety of things that affect the mental health,” Harms said. “But I mean definitely not hav ing close resources and having that ban will definitely trigger some people … we’ve already kind of started to see that as well and we’re handling it.”
Harms said students already seeing counselors have brought it up during sessions. The counselors continue to point them toward resources and help the clients as best they can. Harms said she does not anticipate the number of clients needing counseling to increase, but the counsel ing center will continue to expand its services as there has been an increasing demand for them at Truman.
“Basically everything that we were doing be fore we’re still doing,” Harms said. “We’re still referring to abortion clinics out of state if a stu dent needs that. We are here for the student and the patient and we just want to make sure that they are taken care of to our best ability and have all the Bietzresources.”saidtheWRC can’t provide birth con trol but provides sexual health products such as condoms and lubricant outside of its office. She wants people to know that the WRC is a great place to talk to someone since it’s a nonreporting crisis center. Though staff can’t give advice, they can point students to resources. Bietz said the WRC is looking into steps such as working with reslife to provide con doms for Student Advisers to distribute to resi dents and creating a pamphlet showing abortion clinic options for students based on where they are. These measures are hypothetical, howev er, since all staff members have to discuss and agree to take them. For anti-abortion students, the ban is a huge success, and shifts their approach on campus.
See BUDGET page 5
Photo by Matt Frank
Missouri abortion ban affects campus University budget decreases again while enrollment increases
Savannah Bietz, the director at the Women’s Re source Center, said she had concerns about mental health worsening at Truman. “It’s a concern for students to have an additional anxiety over what they already have to worry about while they’re at Truman,” Bietz said. Bietz said she’s concerned about the combination of people with uteruses feeling like they don’t matter to the government, the stress of school and work and the knowledge that an already difficult decision has been taken away. Her biggest concern is about the potential for sui cide attempts to continue, Bietz said. “Then, of course, there’s always the back of my mind thinking about what people did before abortion was legal, which was trying to do home abortions,” Bietz said. “I don’t know if anyone will be in a position desperate enough to do that, but I don’t like just assuming no one would do it when desperate times come about.” Harms said that on the medical side, the health center will continue to provide forms of various birth control, pregnancy tests, condoms, and Plan B at a discounted price.
Students can receive various types of resources at the health center. These include birth control, pregnancy tests and Plan B at a discounted price. TMN Archives
SETH JARVIS Staff Writer
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KENNEDY COOPER Student Government President GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Editor-in-Chief I applied to work at The Index before I even got to cam pus, that’s how excited I was. Later talking to the manag ing editor, she said, “Oh, so you’re the one that applied over the summer.” Oops. I actually thought I was doing a terrible job at first. I had trouble getting sources, meeting deadlines, etc. I thought maybe it would be better if I just quit. But then my editor, Rachel Becker, told me I should apply for the editorial board. So I did. And the rest is pretty much history. I could not be more thrilled to be taking over the position of Editor-in-Chief this year. I’ve loved working at the Index. From late nights laughing in the newsroom to early morning paper distribution, I’ve built a community at The Index that I truly cherish. Beyond being a fun environment, I’ve learned an incred ible amount about our campus and city. I’ve had the opportu nity to meet so many people who have a hand in shaping our city, from people in high positions of power to local business owners and families. I’ve also learned a lot more from students on campus. The range of ideas and opinions on this campus has been really insightful. It’s always eye-opening to hear about the range of issues facing other students here, and I’m grateful for each person who has chosen to share their story with me. I’m hon ored to be able to share these stories, and hope it’s able to bring about some change. Thank you to former Editor-in-Chief Rachel, for all the guid ance and encouragement, and thank you to Ryan, the EIC before her, for your help while you were here and even after you left. I am so grateful to all the people who have made the Index what it is and have made it such a great place of learning. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me. Thank you to my staff for all the great work you have done so far, I’m looking forward to a great year. Thanks to the University and communication department for continuing to support The Index and student media as a whole. Thank you to our advisers Don, and David Price, for all the time invested and help you have provided. This year, I want to continue to learn more, and share that with you, the community. I’m passionate about bringing to light important information and portraying that accurately. I’m passionate about keeping accountable those in positions of power and relaying the stories of those whose voices are not often heard. Here’s to a great year!
Positions open in LookingStuGovforward to a new year
VOLUME
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 20224
Opinions of e Index columnists are not necessarily representative of the opinions of the sta or the newspaper. Our View editorials represent the view of the Editorial Board through a two-thirds majority vote. e Editorial Board consists of the editor-in-chief, managing editor, section editors, copy chief and assistant copy chief. e 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
Kirksvillein
With the ongoing search for the man who shot and dismembered a Kirksville community member, it may be difficult to feel safe in Kirksville right now. Kirksville is a small town, and with that often comes a feeling of safety, when compared to the larger cities close to here. However for some, these feelings of safety have been shaken from the re cent manhunt. Many students at Truman State University come from larger cities. Seeing that violent crimes can even happen in small communities such as Kirksville can be shocking. It must be noted that violent crimes are not normal for Kirksville. The majority of the time, Kirksville is a very safe community, which is why this recent crime is shock ing. As an editorial board, we believe that we can still feel safe here in Kirksville, but some precautions must be taken. It is important to stay tuned in to lo cal authorities to hear about any alerts that you might need to be aware of. Ad ditionally, be safe when walking outside at night and bring a friend along if pos sible. There is always more safety in numbers. Also, be sure to see what tips local authorities have to stay safe. Stay updated with where it is safe to go, such as making sure it’s safe to visit Thou sand Hills before you go. We also believe it is important for Truman students to be made aware of these kinds of situations. While authori ties cannot always release all the infor mation , it can be helpful to ease the minds of students if they are kept in the loop as much as possible. Several mem bers of the editorial board, including one living in Kirksville, were unaware of this situation unfolding. Keeping stu dents and faculty informed is an impor tant part of being able to stay safe while situations like this occur. As always, we must remember that our first priority is to stay safe. Being aware of your surroundings can be helpful in many situations. Bring along a friend when walk ing outside, especially at night and make sure someone knows where you’re going when you leave. It is important to look out for your peers as well. Also be aware of where your local authorities are located and how to contact them.
Contac t
Buzz
Contact EDITORIAL POLICY: The Index is published Thursdays during the academic year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501. The production offices are located in Barnett Hall 1200. 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 ulti mately is responsible for all decisions. Opinions of The Index columnists are not necessarily representative of the opinions of the staff or the newspaper. Our View editorials rep resent the view of the Editorial Board through a two-thirds majority vote. The Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, section editors, copy chief and assistant copy chief. The Index reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limita tions, repetitive subject matter, libelous content or any other reason the Editor-in-Chief deems appropriate. Submitted material includes advertisements and letters to the editor.
EDITORIAL POLICY: e Index is published ursdays during the academic year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501. e production o ces are located in Barnett Hall 1200. We can be reached by phone at 660-785-4449. e Index is a designated public forum, and content of e Index is the responsibility of e Index sta . e editor-in-chief consults with the sta and adviser but ultimately is responsible for all decisions
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We are super excited to welcome all of the new students to campus, and the returning students as well! Over the summer, Student Government has been planning out some projects for this year, such as continuing to develop the LG BTQ+ Resource Center, planning for Truman Week, getting our budget put together and getting ready for elections. Our first general body meeting of the year will be Sunday Aug. 28 at 5 p.m in the conference room on the third floor of the Student Union Building. Anyone who is interested in Student Govern ment is welcome to come. We will be having elections in Sep tember for Incoming Senators, Voting Senators, Senior Senators, and a Gradu ate Senator. More information about elections will be posted on the Student Government Instagram page when it gets closer to the elections. We also have quite a few open posi tions that students can apply for. These positions include IT Director, Legisla tive Director, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair, Health, Wellness and Safety Committee Chair, Student Affairs Committee Chair, Purple Friday Com mittee Chair and others. If you have any questions about applying for one of these positions or about Student Government in general, please email Kennedy Cooper at kkc8132@truman.edu. We will also be tabling throughout Truman Week, so if you see our table stop by!
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ISSUE 1 © 2022tmn.truman.edu
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LETTER POLICY: The Index welcomes letters to the editor from the University and Kirksville community. Letters to the editor are due by noon the Sunday before publication and become property of The Index upon submission. Once submitted, the letter is subject to editing for grammar, punctuation and spelling errors. Submissions must contain a well-developed theme and cannot exceed 500 words, except at the discretion of the opinions editor and/ or Editor-in-Chief. The Index suggests that submissions be written about current events or public issues that need to be brought forth, and should offer a valid argument. Submission does not guarantee publication, especially when submissions fail to add something to the current discussion. Letters containing personal attacks, libelous attacks or inaccurate information will not be published. All letters to the editor must be typed and submitted by email to index.editor@truman.edu or online at tmn.truman.edu. Include the words “letter to the editor” in the subject line of the email. Letters which are not submitted digitally will not be taken into consideration.
Stay safe
Murder second degree reported 07/30
Property damage reported at the 100 block of Valley Forge Drive 07/30
Assault 1rst degree reported at the 300 block of Il linois St. 07/22
“We’re still fired up, we’re still ready to work for Sophomore-Alexandrathis.”ThornhillmemberofStudentsforLife
Theft from building reported at the 1200 block of Jef ferson St. 08/03 Possession of Marijuana/Synthetic cannabinoid 1135 grams or less reported at the 100 block of Main Street, 08/03HurdlandShoplifting reported at the 400 block of Cottonwood 08/04St.
Warrant reported at the 100 block of McPherson St. 08/04 Unlawful entry of condemned property reported at the 900 block of Gardner St. 08/05
AUGUST 26 BACK TO SCHOOL BASH 10:30 A.M. Sub Georgian A&B rooms Come kick off the school year with SAB! Enjoy mobile escape rooms, refreshments and a mechanical bull on the lawn! AUGUST 27 FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LIFE INTEREST BBQ 4:00 P.M. The Quad Interested in joining Fraternity and Sorority Life? Come meet members of
07/01
Arson reported at the 1200 block of Jefferson St. 07/02
Theft from building reported at the 1000 block of Hil dreth St. 08/06 Trespass first degree reported at the 500 block of Swanson Avenue, Novinger 08/08 Possession of controlled substances reported at the 900 block of Gardner St.
Continued from page 3 Continued from page 3 Upcoming Events CRIME REPORTS DPS & KPD
AUGUST 30 ART GALLERY EXHIBIT: NEW WORK BY TRUMAN STATE ART University8:30FACULTYA.M.ArtGallery, OP1114 New faculty artwork will be on display. Exhibits will include Laura Big ger, Lindsey Dunnagan, Nick Phan, Amy Smith and Danielle Yakle.
AUGUST 31 OBSERVATORY OPEN HOUSE 8:00UniversityP.M.-10:00P.M.Farm Enjoy the crescent moon and the Milky Way, as well as “deep sky” ob jects like nebulae, star-clusters and galaxies!
SEPTERMBER 5 Labor Day Holiday (University Closed) The University will be closed for the labor Day Holiday. Enjoy the three-day weekend with your families and friends!
AUGUST 31 ACTIVITIES FAIR 12:00 StudentP.M.-5:00P.M.UnionBuilding Looking forward to finding your flock at Truman? We can’t wait to see what types of student organizations you choose to join!
Alexandra Thornhill, sophomore a member of Students for Life, said one of the group’s main focuses was to provide resources to pregnant students and parents and that this was a focus that would likely become even larger. “I could see us transitioning into doing even more of that,” Thornhill said. “But it is still a focus that we’re working to ban abortion and make it illegal in the U.S.” Thornhill said it’s important for women to get medical help and discuss their situa tion and options with someone. She said it is a difficult decision regardless of the per son’s beliefs, and SFLwants to be there for them, support them, and help them know they’re not alone. For SFL and College Republicans, an organization Thornhill is also in, they don’t see their work as being done, she said. “So I would say, personally, and from the people I’ve talked to in the College Republican club and the people I’ve talked to in the Students for Life club that we’re still fired up, we’re still ready to work for this,” Thornhill said.
BUDGET| Truman adds more datapoints to track the enrollment process.
Fraudulent (or attempt) use of credit device reported at the 1000 block of Oakland Drive 07/07
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 20225 The Index
Burglary 1st no force non-res reported at the 600 block of Franklin St. 07/22
Theft of $750 or more reported at the 3000 block of Lincoln St. 07/08
Kaitlyn Skeeters reads off her laptop to the audience. Skeeters spoke at an abortion debate in the spring semes ter. TMN Archives the community and learn more about what we do on campus.
Assault/Dom reported at the 400 block of Cotton wood St. 07/14
The Missouri abor tion ban affects various groups on campus
ABORTION|
Forgery reported at the 100 block of Robin Hill Drive 07/02
Burglary 1st (no force) resident reported at the 1500 block of Jamison St. 07/28
Associate Director of Admission, Hayden Wilsey, said there were other measures they have implemented to in crease enrollment. Wilsey said visits are important in recruiting students to attend the University. He said he hopes to en courage more prospective students to vis it the campus this year. Wilsey also said they did a more effective job tracking data with students as they moved through the enrollment process. For instance, this was the first year the University utilized an enrollment deposit, giving them an additional datapoint to look at where stu dents were in the admission process. Wilsey said he viewed the suc cesses of this year as being the culmi nation of work of the set of directors over several years. “This has been the story of the past few years,” Wilsey said. “We keep ask ing the question. Is this working or not? If it is working, how can we do it better? If it is not working, what can we do to get it there? I think across the board, we’re in a really great spot in terms of what our team is able to do.” Wilsey said they are implementing measures to improve outreach to other areas as well. A recruiting counselor has been relocated to Kansas City to better reach high school students living in that region. They are also working to send out more regular mail to students and work ing to reach out to juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. In addition, they are work ing to expand outreach to transfer popula tions from community colleges and other four-yearWilseyuniversities.saidhe encourages stu dents to contact him directly to tell him their story on why they choose to come to Truman. Students can reach him via email hwilsey@truman.edu.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 20226 The Index Continued from page 1 FRESHMAN WEEK| Truman week to focus on “fan experience” this year
UPDATES|
Centennial updates put on hold
Movers take furniture out of Centennial Hall. The residence halls updates have been put on hold. Photo by Emily Collins Students move in to the residence halls. First-year students living on campus move in Aug. 17. TMN archives
These cameras will not be monitored 24/7, but officers will have the ability to view cameras through an app on their phone if an incident occurs. Footage will also be reviewed if something such as a criminal event occurs on campus. Other people who want video footage unrelated to a criminal matter will have to put in a request to the university counsel, Amy Clendenen.
A committee of people from various parts of campus plan and implement Tru man Week. The co-chairs of the committee are Tyana Lange and Joyce Patrick. Other committee members include representatives from Residence Life, Union and Involvement, Athletics, Public Relations, Admissions, the Center for Academic Excellence, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and the faculty.
Dave Rector, vice president of administration and finance, explained that the initial estimate to update the north side’s windows was $60,000. After a competitive bid, the cost of installation increased to $120,000. Adding in the remaining sides and labor costs, the total cost jumped to around $1.26 million just to install new windows. Along with this, because of supply chain issues, the windows cannot be delivered until December, which would be a difficult time for carpenters to begin working within the building. These factors resulted in the University deciding to put the updates to Centennial Hall on hold until the costs of the project can be brought down. Rector also explained that renovations were completed in the north wing of Pershing during spring 2022. New heat and air conditioning units were added into the building along with an expansion of the nursing lab on the top floor. Athletic offices were updated in the north wing to provide more space for people there. The total cost of this project was $4.8 million. The state provided the money for this project.
Students participate in 2021 Freshmen Trivia. First-years can engage in various activities to get involved. TMN archives
“I feel out of the loop and uninformed constantly,” Backes said. “I worry that my friends who have been gone for the sum mer will come back and be unaware of recent events.”
The goal of Truman Week is to help first-year students transition into Truman State University. The activities are aimed to take the students through different of fices, resources and experiences on campus, Lange said. “Research tells us that students only have about those first two weeks on cam pus to make those connections that will help determine if they are successful in college,” Lange said. “So we really front load those first two weeks on campus to make sure that students have an opportunity to meet and get engaged with as many people on campus as possible.”
Planning for Truman Week is a year-long process, Lange said. Assessment is done in the fall to note any necessary changes. The committee then begins to meet during the spring semester to start the planning process for the next Truman Week. During Truman Week, multiple activities take place within the residence halls. “We’re excited about the opportunity to utilize Truman Week to help these resi dence halls really feel like home in very quick order,” Zac Burden, the assistant director of Residence Life said. The Truman lecture is an event held Thursday night, featuring Truman alumni and Boston Celtic Brodric Thomas. Thomas graduated from Truman during 2020. The lecture will focus on overcoming obstacles. Thomas will speak with Psychology faculty member Katie Judd during the lec ture. Thomas was in Judd’s psychology capstone class during the spring semester of 2020.There will also be a new event Sunday night, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Sue Thomas. The event begins at 7 p.m. on the Quad and will be for both new and re turning students. The new event is intended to be a celebration for the new academic year. A ball drop, along with food and mocktails will be at the event.
“The cameras are just another tool to keep people safe on campus,” Seifert said. “I don’t want them to forget about getting their heads up, putting their phones down, making sure they’re aware of where they’re at, what they’re doing, because self-awareness and keeping yourself apprised of what’s going on around you is probably your number one safety tool.”
Police tape blocks trail entrance at Thousand Hills State Park. There was a reported sighting of Rongey in the trails at one point. Photo by Emily Collins
In addition to the cameras being added onto campus, other updates have occurred during 2022 along with more being planned for the future. Centennial Hall is closed this year because of plans to update the single paned, original windows in the residence hall.
“I can’t say that I feel particularly safe on campus,” sophomore Madison Backes said. “Recent events have made me wonder what Truman DPS and the University will do to keep us safe and let us know. I’m worried about the lack of communication about any of the re cent insane crimes.” Backes said she has felt safer in places like Columbia and Jefferson City than she has in Kirksville, and that lack of a sense of safety continues even while on campus. “In the year I’ve been at Truman, bikes go missing all the time, cars are stolen out of dorm parking lots, and I feel like we have to just accept that this is just the way it is,” Backes said. “Campus police were constantly in the dorms. Every extended break, my music professors warned me to take everything out of my instrument locker because townies will come into the building and try to steal instruments.”
Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1
Seifert said the University plans to alert students to the issue and advise them to follow the local news. Seifert said she isn’t concerned for stu dent safety on campus at this time. “There are 76 new cameras on cam pus that are recording, not monitored, 24/7,” Seifert said. “If you see some thing, say something.” Students on and off campus concerned about recent criminal activity should avoid Thousand Hills and download the campus Guardian app, Seifert said. If stu dents feel actively unsafe, they should call the campus escort services, as Kirksville isn’t immune to crime, Seifert said. Seifert said she does not think campus life will be affected. The U.S. Marshals are now offering up to $5,000 as a reward for informa tion leading to the arrest and convic tion of Rongey, who is considered armed and dangerous.
MANHUNT| U.S. Marshals offer $5,000 re ward for information leading to Rongey’s arrest
Students sit at tables outside the library. Truman’s sustainability office works to make the campus more sustainable. TMN archives
“We like to get people to think about the things that they are doing on a personal basis,” Smith said. “How are you contributing to your personal environmental foot print and the school’s environmental footprint? If every body made small changes to how they heat and cool their rooms or how long they take their showers — it could make a real difference.”
“And at the end of it I talked about actually feeling like I was making a difference and I think I feel that especially now after hav ing kept in touch with these people and given talks to different classes, you know, searching for more future interns,” Bagby said. “It definitely feels like this is something that will be con tinued in this community and it feels great to have that relationship between city and university.”
“We are trying to involve a lot of stakeholders across cam pus,” Smith said. “Folks at the physical plant, printing servic es … just trying to understand how many natural resources we are using as a university.”
Some of Smith’s favorite parts about this project are the people he gets to work with. Even in trying times, his fel low students and faculty lift his spirits and remind him of why he is working on the project. Smith said they all care deeply about sustainability at Truman and can laugh it off when difficult times arise.
Stein said the process was completely new to her and said it was a challenge to learn the new calculations needed and get used to the computer program.
“We’ve got this nice little camaraderie now,” Smith said. “We’ve all rolled our eyes at the same email replies and talk ed about ways in which we can systematically improve sus tainability here, so it’s a nice little tight knit group.”
Something Smith and others working on sustainability want Truman students to know is The Environmental Sustainability Fee Accountability Committee allows for “the implementation of large-scale sustainability projects on Truman’s campus.” Af ter talking to the director of the program about what they think could be more sustainable, students are able to submit a project proposal to ESFAC found on Truman’s sustainability page.
Another important aspect of STARS is creating sus tainable classes. There is no perfect example of a sus tainable course, but Smith explained that there are two types of sustainable courses: sustainability focused and sustainability inclusive. A sustainability inclusive class, Smith explained, could be a normal business course with a unit or two on sustainability topics such as carbon neutral purchasing habits. Sustainability focused courses are more tradi tional sustainability courses, such as those in the envi ronmental science minor.
One change that is being considered is implementing more energy efficient light bulbs into downtown Kirksville. Stein said another change could be to alter bus routes to use less gas.
AASHE’s STARS program issues ratings to any institu tion that submits a sustainability report to it so schools can compare their results and strategies. Some sustainability metrics are more highly valued in STARS. For example, completing a greenhouse gas inventory, used to measure how much carbon dioxide, nitrogen and other gasses are used, is worth almost 13% of the possible points a universi ty can earn in its submission. Smith and his team’s primary focus is on such an inventory. Some Truman students have already completed such in ventory for the city of Kirksville. The first group of Truman students to work on a climate inventory in Kirksville began their work during June 2021. Senior Daniel Bagby was the one of the students to help kick off the project. The climate inventory looks into Kirksville’s green house gas emissions and comes up with a plan on how to lower those emissions.
Sustainability has been a growing concern among stu dents and faculty on college campuses. Many have formed clubs and created jobs to make campuses around the globe more sustainable. As of May, Truman State University’s sus tainability office started tracking their sustainability using STARS — the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rat ing System — to ensure they were doing everything in their control to have a sustainable campus. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, which maintains STARS, defines sustain ability as “a pluralistic and inclusive way that encompases human and ecological health, social justice, secure liveli hoods, and a better world for all generations.” With STARS, a program specifically for college cam puses, Truman is able to track sustainability outreach and publications, sustainability-focused courses, research tied to sustainability and much more. When junior economics major Owen Smith joined the Environmental Campus Organization at Truman, he took an interest in updating Truman’s STARS information, see ing it had been reported on since 2012. He is very passion ate about Truman and ensuring it is running efficiently in all areas, especially sustainability.
Recently, Sophomore Kristin Stein took the climate in ventory to produce viable options to decrease Kirksville’s greenhouse gas emissions. Stein worked on the project dur ing the spring 2022 semester. Stein worked on forecasting and inventory for Turner. According to her, that involved trying to find ways to lower greenhouse gas emissions. With the climate inventory Bagby helped complete, she looked at different changes the city could make to become more sustainable. She used a program called ICLEI to accomplish this. “On an average day I would have two screens pulled up on my computer,” Stein said. “One of them would be of the inventory so that I knew where the data was coming from, and then the other screen was the actual ICLEI program and that’s where I would input the data in the correct places. ”
There is also a deadline of Dec. 31 due to their subscrip tion timeline. This means Smith and his colleagues are hard at work to submit as many credits as possible to ensure suc cessful sustainability for Truman’s campus.
“What we learned from what I did is that there are super manageable ways to reduce Kirksville’s carbon emissions that don’t cost much money at all.”-Kristin
“When we get the data, we try to mold it into a usable format that SIMAP and STARS will accept,” Smith said. “It’s been a little tedious at times, but hopefully in the end, it will give us a good picture of how sustainable we are.”
“I really do care about the University,” Smith said. “As an economist, I hate to see things be less efficient than they could be.” Smith works with two other students, Blaine Small wood and Drew Arends, both of whom work in the Sus tainability Office, as well as the Director of Sustainability Donna Liss. Smith and his colleagues contact many differ ent departments on campus in conjunction with STARS, as the program has over 25 areas on which universities can submit sustainability data.
With all of Smith’s experiences with environmental sustainability on campus, there are days that are still quite challenging. In getting all of the information they need for STARS, there are many contacts they need to reach which has proven difficult. Smith mentioned there can be a lot of lag time and there is a certain amount of stress in trying to corral people to get things done in a timely manner, therefore impacting data collection.
Smith said personal action is the most influential way stu dents and professors can help with sustainability on campus. A simple Google search on the most energy efficient way to set a thermostat in an apartment can go a long way.
Stein, Climate Inventory Worker
There are many tools Smith’s team uses to chart the in formation they gather, including the Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform, where they provide infor mation about the electricity usage they obtain. There, they can track data and assess the University’s performance.
ALYSSA RZANY AND SYDNEY ELLISON Staff Writer and Features & Opinions Editor
“The end goal would be to actually see change happen,” Stein said. “What we learned from what I did is that there are super manageable ways to reduce Kirksville’s carbon emis sions that don’t cost much money at all.”
Sustainability in action
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 7 detours detours detours detours Graphic by Maddie Morris ISSUE 1 © 2022tmn.truman.edu @TrumanIndex@TrumanIndexVOLUME 114
“I’d say at the very end was the most exciting ‘cause you know we actually saw what our work resulted in, and that was that most of our emissions were from wastewater facilities or anything water related in Kirksville,” Bagby said. “I think it was about 65% of all of our emissions were related to water, so the fact that we did all this work and organized all this data and could actually write it all in a report to the city officials … that was really cool.” Bagby worked remotely and helped Kirksville’s city planner, Mary Turner, with data collection. The program lasted ten weeks. Once the program ended there was a big push to get more students involved in the coming semesters. Bagby went to classes to encourage stu dents to join the project in the future.
Some Truman students have worked a climate inventory for the city of Kirksville. The project started summer 2021. TMN archives
While the story of “Nope” is endlessly exciting and gen uinely horrific at times, the reveal of the main antagonist’s identity lessens the intensity of the film. Viewers who have seen the film’s trailers know exactly what the entity is: a fly ing saucer not of this world. “Nope”’s initial reveals merely teased the nature of said entity, but subsequent trailers all but spoiled its identity and impact on the plot. Within the film itself, there is an unfortunate dramatic irony that kicks in from the narrative’s outset given much of the audience’s prior knowledge of the antagonist. Despite this marketing fumble, Peele manages to get out what he puts in, largely thanks to the likable characters and overall intrigue resulting from Park’s interwoven subplot and general veneer of mystery sig nature of Peele’s larger body of work. While there cer tainly exists a seeming disconnect between the Hay woods’ plotline and that of Park, the two are connected by the desire to capture the alien entity — the Hay wood siblings metaphorically by capturing its likeness on film and Park quite literally by capturing it for an attraction. Aside from this more obvious connection, Peele layers each respective plotline with enough in dividual mystique such that the viewer no doubt ques tions the connection entirely. Students at Truman State University echo this sentiment. “I think [“Nope”] is Jordan Peele’s most complex project yet,” said senior Lukas Hudson. “You have to come with an under standing that the movie is not going to resolve itself. You have to bring some interpretation into it and define the ending for yourself. The movie is a metaphor essentially and in my opin ion, you may need a second watch to fully get it.”
During 2017, renowned comedian and skit actor Jordan Peele stepped onto the directing scene with “Get Out,” a hor ror flick rich in social commentary and alive with enough nuance to remain original. The film was immensely popular with casual moviegoers and horror enthusiasts alike. Peele, effectively credited with the creation of a new subgenre en tirely, continued his now signature style with 2019’s “Us” and, most recently, “Nope” during 2022. “Nope” follows OJ and Emerald Haywood, great-greatgrandchildren of the man who acted in the first ever motion picture — a seconds-long clip of a galloping horse and its rider from 1878. In honor of their predecessor, the duo head a company that provides horses for Hollywood productions. When the Haywoods’ father is suddenly killed at their re mote farmstead by falling debris, OJ and Emerald uncover the truth that a horrific alien entity has stalked their family for years. Thus begins a desperate attempt to capture the en tity on camera to prove its existence and drive it from their home in the California desert. In tandem with this narrative is that of Ricky “Jupe” Park, a former child star who now serves as the per sonality behind Jupiter’s Claim, a Gold Rush-themed amusement park on the outskirts of the Haywood farm stead. Park aims to revitalize his show business career by turning the lurking entity into an attraction. Mean while, Park himself is haunted by a childhood trauma from the set of Gordy’s Home, a late-1990s sitcom and his former claim to fame. These two plotlines interlink in surprising ways as the central narrative unfolds. Where “Nope” most notably succeeds is in Peele’s direc tion coupled with Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography. Peele’s respect for traditional Hollywood escapism and van Hoytema’s commanding grasp of the camera make for a visual experience that is consistently thrilling to watch.
Graphics by Maddie Morris
JOEY DOUGHERTY Staff Writer
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 20228 The Index
Junior Brody Leath shared a similar thought re garding Peele’s style. “The ending isn’t known,” said Leath. “You’re always on the edge of your seat be cause you can’t promise or you can’t guarantee that you know the ending with … [Peele’s] work.” As mentioned, the acting in “Nope” is some of the best yet from Peele. Daniel Kaluuya returns following his last Peele outing “Get Out.” As OJ Haywood, he plays an aloof but warm character, a balance few man age to strike, but Kaluuya handles expertly. Keke Palm er as Emerald Haywood leans into a comedic edge akin to much of Peele’s older work. Finally, Steven Yeun as Jupe Park brings a muted charisma indicative of the childhood trauma to which his character is subjected. Yeun plays this trait with the acting expertise seen best in works like 2020’s “Minari.” Overall, Peele presents a respectable third outing with “Nope,” a comfortable mix of the pure tension of “Get Out” and the experimental narrative of “Us.” The cast’s impres sive acting combined with the excellent use of mystery bonds what appear to be two entirely different plotlines together. That being said, viewers approaching the film without a more critical eye may find the twin narratives jarring and seeming ly disparate, perhaps making for a less satisfying experience.
“Nope” mixes the best of Peele’s previous work
Peele’s narrative is both a love letter to the mode of film and filmmaking itself and a story layered with social com mentary. The film invites viewers to analyze each decision made behind the scenes and consider how Peele utilizes the genre of horror — a genre with which he has become more and more familiar — to relay this commentary.
“Nope” gets four out of five inflatables
“While the story of ‘Nope’ is endlessly exciting and genuinely horrific at times, the reveal of the main antagonist’s identity lessens the intensity of the film.”
Top 5 fall activities to do in Kirksville
MATT FRANK Managing Editor
The Interrupters
Dinner and a movie If you’re anything like me, you have seen Top Gun: Maverick at least three times this past summer. If that is the case, I have great news! Kirksville has a nice and inexpensive movie theater so you can continue to marvel at Miles Teller or any other dreamy actor of your choice. Grabbing a bite to eat across the street at Maxwell’s and seeing a movie after is a great way to destress after classes.
Leisure World Looking to show off your professional league bowling skills? Then Leisure World is the spot for you! One of their main attractions is their 20 lane bowling alley, but there is also an arcade, a bar — if you’re of age, of course — pool tables, and a skating rink. The prices are right and it’s a fun way to spend your weekend to take your mind off of school for a bit.
Most of the albums being made right now may very well have been written in a boardroom by a bunch of stuffy people in suits with the only intent being to sell— purely commercial endeavors. However, the new album by The Interrupters “In The Wild” has a special touch, showing that the lyrics are com ing from a place of truth. Each song refers back to how resilience and the courage to continue pay off in the end. The main vocalist of the group Ai mee Allen is very open about her rough past. Allen talks about growing up in the foster care system and the experiences that brought her to where she is now. The Interrupters have been around for a while now, formed during 2011. The band members are close, like family — in fact, they’re a literal family. Allen married Kevin Bivona, the guitarist, and the other two members are Bivona’s twin sib lings, Jessie Bivona and Justin Bivona. The album is like a victory anthem for getting through the dark tunnel of the past and finally being able to see the light at the end, with that light being acceptance of the past and mov ing forward to better places. The musical themes of the album stay true to the punk sound that The Interrupters have in their past work, and some of the songs even have the ska vibe they have been known for. What also sets The Interrupters apart is the unique sound of Allen’s singing voice. She has men tioned being influenced by Joan Jett, which can be heard in the way she sings. It may be a hot take, but to me, she has always sounded as if Lady Gaga went punk. The opening song of the album “Anything Was Better” re ally gets into the meat of the album’s theme. Allen sings about coming from a rough place and how looking for dreams is what leads someone out of those places. It is not sung with bit terness, but victoriously, a stepping stone to a better place, an undeniable part of the past, albeit a sad part. Allen reminds us we have to acknowledge the sad parts of our past to continue moving forward and grow. One of the singles from the album, “In The Mirror,” really delves into what it was like for Allen to face her past and how difficult that can be. The song has the ska combined with punk sound The Interrupters love to produce. Allen sings about how she could run as far as she wanted, but she’d always end up back at the person in the mirror. We are made up of our past, we have to own up to it one day and Allen used that to fuel her passion as a singer and put it into an amazing new album. The album “In The Wild” shows Allen’s journey through her struggles in an artful way. The songs sound great and have a real message behind them.
Thrifting in K-Vegas Not everyone thinks Kirksville is much of a booming metropolis, but there are many hidden treasures if you take the time to find them, in cluding at the store Hidden Treasures. There are also a couple of antique stores in The Square that have every thing from classic books to old cast iron skillets. One of the best ways to kill time is to go thrifting at Salvation Army and The Crossing Thrift Store.
Graphics by Genevieve Tlustos Red Barn ‘Tis the season of Red Barn! Kirksville Arts Association is bringing this popular art festival back on September 24 and it’s a cathartic experience. Not only do you get to see beautiful pieces of art that people have spent years making, but you and your friends can walk around and get snacks and listen to live music too. Nearly all of the art work is for sale and it is a wonderful opportunity to see the talent of those in the Kirksville community.
ALYSSA RZANY Staff Writer and enthusiastKirksville Farmer’s market The Kirksville farmer’s market is one of my favorite places to go on the weekends. Being from the Chicago area, I’m used to mass produced, impersonal items, but it’s quite the opposite at the farmer’s mar ket. These vendors take years perfecting the things they sell and love explaining the process. I have had 20 minute conversations with some vendors about how they grew their fruits and vegeta bles. They are located in The Square until October and it’s a different experience each time you go.
“In The Wild” is a wild adventure
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 “In The Wild” gets 5/5 mirrors of self reflection
Junior Thomas Schodl stands in front of his presentation. Schodl spent the sum mer researching at Washington University. Submitted photo After The Harvest is a non-profit that partners with farmers to provide food to those in need. Junior Mairin Warner interned at this organization over the sum mer. Submitted photo
Photo by Sydney Ellison
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 202210 The Index
Rohrbach is interested in continuing in the political field with a focus on policy instead of campaign. She said the most challenging aspect of campaign politics is how fast paced it can become. The benefits out weigh the challenges though, she said, and she feels like she has learned a lot from the experience.
SYDNEY ELLISON Features & Opinions Editor People crowd the walkway on both sides. A bus ahead blasts party music that has the crowd jump ing. Emma Rohrbach walks forward holding a ban ner with the words “Spencer Toder” printed across it. The crowd screams as other members of the pa rade wave their signs around and Missouri Senate Candidate Spencer Toder runs to give high fives. Rohrbach is at the St. Louis pride parade with the Spencer Toder Missouri Senate campaign. She had helped organize the group’s appearance there. “It was impactful just because of how much we had to organize,” Rohrbach said. “We were in the pride parade and that was something I personally had never organized before.” Rohrbach joined the campaign during April 2022. She said she wanted to get involved for the Aug. 2 primaries. Rohrbach is a political science and economics major. She applied for a volunteer position after re searching Toder’s campaign and policies. She was given an internship and later was added on as a part-time employee. “I wanted to get started in this field as soon as I could,” Rohrbach said. Once hired on, Rohrbach’s day usually started with a 10 a.m. meeting with the Toder team. She would then get a list of tasks to complete. Her job responsibilities included design, youth outreach, purchasing campaign materials and much more. On the weekends Rohrbach would often go to events such as the St. Louis pride parade and rallies on various subjects. She said she would occasionally give impromptu speeches at these events. “It is really reassuring to see so many people give support to candidates who have shared values to them,” Rohrbach said. “Especially for our campaign we had a lot of supporters who said they felt like they were left behind by politics and they didn’t have any politicians they felt were actually doing good work until seeing Spencer Toder on his campaign.”
“I think politics in a general sense are important to me because of just how necessary I think they are for us to get things done,” Rohrbach said.
“I definitely remember the people I worked with in the lab that made it such a safe environment to make mistakes and be relaxed and joking,” Schodl said. To Schodl, science is a creative outlet and a way to help people. Schodl said he appre ciates the structure of science in academia –being able to mentor and be mentored. The programs helped Schodl decide that he wanted to go into research in his future. He said he wants to be actively involved in making discoveries. “I feel a lot more confident in general not just with my abilities as a scientist, but also the direction I wanna take in my life,” Schodl said.
Junior helps provide food for Kansas City
Warner’s father is on the board of direc tors for After the Harvest which is how she first learned about the organization.
SYDNEY ELLISON Features & Opinions Editor Junior Mairin Warner spent her sum mer working to improve food security in the Kansas City area. Warner worked as an intern with a non-profit organization, After The Harvest. The organization partners with farms around the Kansas City area to harvest the food farmers have left behind. The produce is then distributed to the Kansas City metro area.
“He’s been really engaged in sustain ability and climate change and all of that for as long as I can remember and he definitely has made me want to pursue something like that,” Warner said. An average day for Warner could vary from in-office tasks to going out to farms and harvesting produce. When she was in the of fice she spent time researching food deserts and making sure they have outreach in those areas. She said she has also been looking into carbon trading for the organization since Af ter the Harvest is carbon negative. “It’s a little bit chaotic but I thrive in those kinds of environments, I love not doing the same thing everyday,” Warner said. Warner said the ever changing nature of this job is one of its most challenging aspects but also the most valuable. She said another challenge the organization has encountered is finding volunteers to help out. According to Warner, seeing the adminis tration side of the organization was fascinat ing. She recalls her first day when she ended up in an administrative meeting with the board of directors. “I just got to sit there and take it all in,” Warner said. “It was like the coolest thingTheever.”organization had a corn glean-athon where farmers grew corn for volun teers to glean. Warner said seeing everyone working together to gather food for a com munity was really special. “There was a giant pile of just like bags of corn that people picked,” Warner said. “We’re feeding like hundreds of people with all of this, that was very cool to me.”
SYDNEY ELLISON Features & Opinions Editor Junior Thomas Schodl was looking for an internship that would help him grow his skills as a scientist and he found that through the Amgen scholars division located at Washington University. The program began June 1 and ended Aug.The5. program focuses on cultivating skills for undergraduate students to become graduate students. According to Schodl the program felt like a peek at what graduate school could be like. “I was looking for prestigious research institutions to spend my summer at, ‘cause I thought that’s where I’d get the best train ing.” Schodl said. Schodl’s project was looking at the ef fects of opioids on the respiratory system. Schodl chose this topic because he wanted to widen his skill set. Schodl said the hardest part of the pro gram was adapting to working a full time job while balancing other life responsibilities. According to him, it got overwhelming at times trying to keep track of everything. Regardless of the challenges he faced, Schodl said he would go back and do the program again if he could. Schodl said the program has given him a lot more confidence and made him a more capable person. “Being the first person to study this and everything you’re finding is something that someone didn’t know prior to this experi ment, to me, that’s very interesting and a driver for me,” Schodl said Schodl worked with a group of 17 other people and shared a room in a residence hall with other members of the program. He said it was a great environment because of their shared interests.
“On a personal level it did make me very stressed but I think it did make me more hopeful which is a little strange,” Rohrbach said. Toder came third in the Democratic primaries. Rohr bach has plans to continue working with Toder as they transition into a non-profit working with text banking and various other projects.
A group of staff workers and volunteers for the Spencer Toder for senate campaign walk in the St. Louis pride pa rade. Sophomore Emma Rorhbach helped organize the groups appearance.
JuniorSophomoreworksonpoliticalcampiagnattends summer research program
Truman students making change over summer
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 11The Index
Golfing a shortened season
Collin Nurenberg will take his new position as head coach for Truman’s cross country teams as well as assistant coach for track and field. The men’s team welcomes eight freshmen and the women’s welcomes four. Both teams have only one senior. Last season the men’s team placed 10th out of 15 teams at the GLVC Championships and the women’s team placed ninth out of 15. Both will start their season at the Les Duke Invite at Grinnell College. The Bulldogs will start their season at the Missouri Southern Tournament, Aug. 26. Last year, the squad finished their first tournament 2-2. The team found a 3-1 win against Lane College as well as a 3-2 win against Florida Institute of Technology. The Bulldogs only graduated three of their seniors and fifth-years but are welcoming four freshmen to round out their team.
Truman sports in brief: week of Aug. 18
Junior Nathan Key and senior Thomas Cormier compete in the eighth annual “Dog and Cat Fight” against Lindenwood, Sep. 2. Submitted Photo
Cross Country welcomes coach Tennis looks to keep energy
Sophomore Emma Wollert and junior Kate Benzing go up for the block, Sep. 24. The Bulldogs fell to Missouri S&T at their first home game last season, and will face the Miners again Sep. 17. Photo by Oliver Malone
Redshirt junior Kate Peterson goes for the kick against McKendree University, Oct. 3. The women’s soccer team fell 0-1. Last season, Peterson started all 14 spring matches and played 1,267 minutes. Photo by Oliver Malone.
ADAPTING | Underclassmen must take the lead Continued from page 12 Along with the new additions to the team, 10 of the players are sophomores. This means that 23 of 32 are first or second-year players. “There are a lot of unknowns,” Cannon said. “That’s going to be the biggest thing, trying to lay out a framework for what the next, not just this season, but the next couple of seasons will look like.” The first women’s soccer game will be against Saginaw Valley State University Aug. 26. The game will take place on Truman’s soccer field. The women’s soccer team played against Saginaw Valley last year, losing 3-1. The game will not be a part of the GLVC tournament. Since Lindenwood University and University of Southern Indiana have moved into Div. 1, the GLVC conference had to fill some games quickly. Cannon said the women’s soccer team picked up another early season game against Quincy University that will not be a part of the GLVC conference.
Volleyball hopes to start strong
Truman’s tennis team finished last season 14-8. The Bulldogs look to play as well as they did last season at the Quincy Invitational. Truman had individual scores that won two singles matches as well as a doubles squad that won two of their matches. Their following match will be at Truman against Missouri Valley, Sep. 13. The Bulldogs took a 5-2 win last season. The Bulldogs finished their season at the GLVC Championships and placed 11th out of 13 teams. They had their best showing at the Cougar Classic at Co lumbia College when they placed first out of six teams. Women’s golf will start their season at the Lady Panther Fall Invite at Drury University. Last year the Bulldogs placed 14th out of 17 teams. Their next tournament will be at the Kan sas City Cup at William Jewell where, last season, they placed fourth out of seven teams. The Bulldogs are only scheduled to play in four tournaments as compared to seven last year.
Head tennis coach Steve Smith talks to doubles pair freshmen Akansha Negi and Allie Brown. The tennis team fell to University of Missouri - St. Louis, April 9. Photo by Oliver Malone
Junior Montana George plays golf in 2017. George had the best scoring average on the team at 82.9. TMN Archives
“That’s
Above: Senior Dom DeProspero goes to get the ball against Central Meth odist University, Sep. 8. The Bulldogs fell to the Eagles 0-3 and will face them again Sep. 4. Photos by Oliver Malone
MATT FRANK Managing Editor
The women’s soccer team, however, consists of a lot of new players. The team has taken on 13 new players out of a total of 32. Of the new players, 10 are Freshmen, two are transfer students and one is a walk-on. “We’ve got a lot of young talent,” Mike Cannon, head women’s soccer coach, said. “There’s going to be a lot of opportunity. Pre-season this year is going to be more about identifying who goes where. It’s always kind of that way, but this year especially.” Cannon explained that the last two seasons saw two large classes graduating, leading to the team consisting of many new players. (H) UniversityDavenport12p.m. -VB: (A) UniversityAugustana1:30p.m.
GOLF: (A) Kansas City Cup - William Jewell GOLF: (A) Kansas City Cup - William Jewell TN: (H) Central College 4 p.m. -WSOC: (A) McKendree University 5 p.m. VB: (H) UniversityMcKendree6p.m. -MSOC: (A) McKendree University 7:30 p.m.
WSOC: (H) Quincy University 12 p.m. -MSOC: (A) Central Methodist UniversityMissouri 6 p.m.
The
WSOC: (H) Southwest Baptist University 12 p.m. TN: (H) Missouri Valley 4 p.m. -WXC + MXC: (A) Larry Young Invitational 10 -WSOC:a.m. (A) Missouri S&T 5 p.m. VB: (H) UniversityDrury6p.m -MSOC: (A) Missouri S&T 7:30 p.m. -TN: (A) Grand View 10 a.m. MSWIM + WSWIM: (H) MeetIntrasquad/Alumni -FB: (A) Hillsdale College 1 p.m. (ET) -VB: (H) Missouri S&T 3 p.m. -WSOC: (A) Drury 2:30Drury-MSOC:University(A)Universityp.m.
WSOC: (H) Maryville University 2:30 p.m. -VB: (A) UMSL MSOC: (H) Maryville University 7 p.m. TN: (H) 2UniversityAmbroseSaint12p.m.FB:(H)Tiffin-Ohiop.m. -VB: (A) UniversityMaryville3p.m.
WSOC: (H) UMSL 12MSOC:p.m. (H) UMSL 2:30 p.m.
See ADAPTING page 11 September Sports Calendar Home (H) Away (A) MSOC: (A) Cloud State University 6 p.m. -VB: (A) South Dakota AugustanaMinesInvite 9 a.m. WSOC: (H) Upper Iowa University 3 p.m. -VB: (A) Northern State University 3:45 p.m. -VB: (A) Minnesota State MoorheadUniversity9a.m. FB:
GOLF: (A) Lady Panther InvitationalFall- Drury University GOLF: (A) Lady Panther InvitationalFall- Drury University
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 202212 The Index
Soccer makes big changes
TN: (A) UniversityQuincy9a.m. -WXC: (A) Les Duke Invite - Grinnell College 10 a.m. -MXC: (A) Les Duke Invite - Grinnell College 10 a.m. -FB: (A) South Dakota Mines 12 p.m.
“There’s going to be a lot of opportunity. Pre-season this year is going to be more about identifying who goes where. It’s always kind of that way, but this year especially.”-Mike Cannon Head women’s soccer coach
Left: Senior Hannah Hickey goes after the ball Oct. 3. The Bulldogs fell 0-1, but will face McKendree again Sep. 30.
The Truman State University men’s and women’s soccer teams have a goal in mind for this season — to qualify for and win their respective Great Lakes Valley Conference tournaments. The entirety of the soccer season has been pushed up a week earlier because of an NCAA festival. men’s soccer team has an edge this season with five players continuing to play into their graduate education. These five players have a lot of experience under their belts, which will help their teammates. Duke Cochran, head men’s soccer coach, said he thinks this year, opposed to the start of some previous years, many of the positions have already been dialed in. The men’s soccer team will have six freshmen joining the team this year. fairly normal,” Cochran said. “On average, if you look at bringing in five to seven a year, that will give you a roster the size of anything from 20 to 28.” Cochran said he has seen numbers anywhere between three to twelve incoming players.
The Men’s track and field team competed in the Truman State Twilight, April 22 2021. The Bulldogs won 21 events.
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The women’s basketball team was recognized by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for their high grades. The Bulldogs had a 3.637 grade-point average, placing them on the Academic Top 25 as a special mention.
earned the United States Marine Corps and the American Volleyball Coaches Association award. This award is for volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale or a 4.1 on a 5.0 scale. Truman’s volleyball team has received the award for five consecutive seasons.
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Winding up, sophomore Alex Leary delivers the pitch against University of Indianapolis, April 3, 2022. The Bulldogs fell 3-9 in their last game of the series against the Hounds. In their first game April 1, the Bulldogs won 3-2 in an 11 inning game.
recognized by the American Baseball Coaches Association and awarded the Team Academic Excellence Award. They were one out of 400 collegiate baseball teams, 88 Div. II teams and five GLVC programs to have a cumulative 3.0 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale to be eligible for the award. The Bulldogs have earned this award six times within the past seven seasons which has put them on the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award List. Track and Field Both the men’s and women’s teams were recognized by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association for having a team cumulative GPA over a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Individual athletes Brendan Baker, Bobby Campbell, Jacob Morris and Lea Moose were recognized, as they had above a 3.25 cumulative GPA and earned a NCAA qualifying mark during the indoor or outdoor season. The men’s team was one of seven teams nationally to have a 3.5 GPA or higher, and the women’s team had a team cumulative GPA of 3.67 which led the GLVC and was the fifth highest among all Div. II schools.
Freshman Gracie Stugart goes up for the shot, Feb. 28., 2022 The Bulldogs beat Quincy University 67-62 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. Photos by Oliver Malone Senior Morgan Smith serves against Drury University, Sep. 25, 2021. Smith led the team with 11 digs during their match.
Bulldogs earn academic honors
Senior goalkeeper Beth Hopwood had 10 combined shutouts in the fall and spring women’s soccer seasons of the 21-22 school year. She had a season-high seven saves in a 1-1 tie with Indianapolis and an .838 save percentage. Hopwood earned both her fifth GLVC Defensive Player of the Week and Academic All-GLVC Honors.
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“Experience is a strength of this team, but not our greatest strength. Everyone here is a competitor and we push each other on the field every day. Iron sharpens iron.”-Robert Greco Senior defensive tackle
FOOTBALL HOLDS ON TO TOP PLAYERS
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Junior quarterback Nolan Hair is confident in his team as well. Hair broke out last year, completing 62.7% of his passes and tossing 20 touchdowns.
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“Being able to understand how guys run their routes…and where they will be is key. I think the entire offense will break out this year.” running attack this year will be led by returning sophomore Jake Tuttle and will also feature true freshmen Jace Reynolds and Gerry Marteen Jr and redshirt freshman Tim Johnson. On the offensive line, second team all conference linemen Dane Eggert and Nick Biesemeyer as well as All-GLVC honorable mention Justin Watson all return to anchor one of the strongest units on the team. “[With Schrader gone] the offense isn’t really going to change much,” Hair said. “It’s just like any other year when we have someone graduate or leave.” Defensively, the Bulldogs are overflowing with returning talent. Nine of last season’s top 10 tacklers return as well as four of the top five sack leaders. Greco said to look out for defensive players Ben Thomas, Ben Miller, Isaiah Estes, Ryan Olivas and Ben Watson on defense this year. The defense is anchored by their run stuffing. They return All-GLVC first team lineman Greco as well as second team lineman Miller, who led Bulldog linemen with 35 tackles last season. The linebacking unit will also be strong. Returning sophomore and All-GLVC honorable mention Ulysses Ross leads the group, which also returns all-GLVC second team LB Estes. The defensive backfield boasts several returning all-GLVC players as well, led by first team DB Watson and second team DB Thomas, who both recorded 86 tackles and three interceptions in 2021. They also return second leading tackler Peyton Carr and sophomore Olivas, who posted 49 tackles and three interceptions last season. special teams, All-GLVC second team punter Taylor Cornish returns. The Bulldogs will have to replace the production of graduated second team AllGLVC returner Jaylen Jefferson. now, the Bulldogs look like a strong team in all aspects of the game, Nesbitt said, and other GLVC coaches believe so as well, ranking Truman second on the preseason coaches’ poll. Greco, with four years of experience, reflected on his time at Truman and summed up the team’s mentality headed into the season. “The last four years have been a journey. I’ve had the privilege to play with many great players and coaches, and I feel bittersweet about this upcoming season,” Greco said. “I hope to end with an epic conclusion and create more history for the Bulldogs this year.”
Right: Sophomore Cody Schrader runs up the field, Oct. 30, 2021. Schrader rushed 119 yards with 21 carries. The Bulldogs won 49-28.
“This is a new season. The [success in previous seasons] means nothing,” Greco said. “There’s no room for us to be content with what we have done in the past. The mindset right now is ‘What can we accomplish this season? How much better can we be?’”. The Bulldogs kick off their season Sep. 3 at Stokes Stadium against Davenport University.
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Hair will have several of his top receivers returning from last season such as Matt Hall, an all-GLVC second team tight end, receiver Tate Crane, receiver Zach Zerwig and tight end Chris Kerr, a huge advantage when it comes to familiarity and chemistry. biggest thing we have is that a lot of us have played together for a while so we are used to each other,” Hair said.
In their first regular season following the shortened pandemic spring season of 2021, the Bulldogs capped the football program’s best three year run in 50 years last fall with a second straight victory in the America’s Crossroads Bowl. The Bulldogs routed Hillsdale College 34-17 to finish the season with a 9-3 record and a 28-8 record over their previous three seasons. Bulldogs boasted the Great Lakes Valley Conference No. two overall defense, anchored by their top ranked rushing defense. On offense, the Bulldogs had the No. five overall group with the rushing attack leading the way, as on defense. As for individual honors, the 2021 Bulldogs had 18 All-GLVC selections, the second most in school history. In 2022, the Bulldogs will return 12 of those All-GLVC players. The experience this team boasts will certainly help them this year, but it will not be enough on its own to make them successful, according to head coach Gregg Nesbitt. “It is always comforting to return quality, experienced players, [but] experience opens up an entirely different set of problems: guarding against complacency,” Nesbitt said. “The goal right now is to simply focus on what we’re doing today and build on that tomorrow.” “Experience is a strength of this team, but not our greatest strength,” senior defensive tackle Robert Greco said. “Everyone here is a competitor and we push each other on the field every day. Iron sharpens iron.” Greco said competitiveness is the key to maintaining the success the team has had recently. On offense, however, maintaining that success will be a tall task. Truman must contend with the loss of the top running back in Div. II football last season, Cody Schrader. After posting 2,108 yards and 25 touchdowns, Schrader transferred to Div. I NesbittMizzou.said he understands the difficulty of replacing a player of Schrader’s caliber, but remains confident in his offense this season. have our work cut out for us, but we will evolve to our strengths,” Nesbitt said, adding that the experienced offensive line will aid that process.
MICHAEL LAKEY Staff Writer
Bulldogs return 12 All-GLVC players, but cannot rely on experience alone
Above: Redshirt freshman Nolan Hair looks for an open pass against William Jewell College, Oct. 23, 2021. The Bulldogs won 52-0 during their Home coming game.
Truman wins against Hillsdale College 38-24, Sep. 17, 2021. The Bulldogs faced Hillsdale for their last game of the season and won 34-17. Photos by Oliver Malone
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