December 3 2015

Opinions

Features

Sports

Opinions cartoonist shares memories in farewell column

Editor-in-Chief shares tips about how to survive finals week

Senior volleyball player wins honors at fall conference

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

EXCELLENCE SINCE 1909

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT-PRODUCED NEWSPAPER

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Paris not alone in tragedy

Trevor Stark/Index

French students cope after attacks

By Eugene Kolb TMN Reporter

As events in Paris unfolded Friday, Nov. 13, Truman State students from France were going about their daily lives until they found out about the coordinated Paris attacks.

Many of the affected students contacted their families and friends to make sure they were okay while trying to stay updated on the events that continued to unfold. Thanks to the Facebook status option that allowed friends and families to declare whether or not they were in a safe place, many French students were able to keep in touch with loved ones who updated their statuses.

Delphine Azernour, a student from Paris, said she was cooking dinner with a friend when she first heard about the incidents in her city.

"We went to the fifth floor of my dorm to watch TV,” Azernour said. “Some Americans came and hugged us and some of them stayed up with us all night. The first two hours were a lot of crying.

I'm from Paris, and I've always lived there, and it's really weird to see my city. I could recognize the streets. The place they attacked is a place I go a lot of the time. I'm still shocked."

Azernour said she appreciated groups from around campus reaching out to support her. She said the International House sent her a message directly, and the staff invited her and other French students to dinners in their homes.

“We were full of anger, sadness, despair — but our friends brought us some joy, some love, some hope.”

— French international student Julien Vincent-Seillier

Azernour said she had inner conflicts during the days following the event because she did not experience the attacks firsthand. She said during that time, it was hard to accomplish anything. “[My friends and I] spent a lot of time together and people supported us,” Azernour said. “When everything happened, I experienced a strange feeling. First, I am away from home so I did not really live the event. Second of all, I don't know anybody who was actually touched by the attack. So when I started to get really sad, I felt like I was not allowed to. Because it is way worse for some people, and I got lucky. But the fact is that even if nobody I know died or was injured, I was deeply mad and sad. I figured out that it is because I am really happy and proud to be French. At some point, I was not even sad, but just really, really, really angry. Like, nobody has the right to attack my city."

Azernour was not alone in getting through that long night — Julien Vincent-Seillier also is a student from France whose family lives in a suburb near Paris. Vincent-Seillier was working in the SUB when he received a notification from French news outlet Le Monde.

By Saturday, the death toll was estimated at 130 with 352 injured, 99 of whom were critically injured, according to a CNN article. Even though Vincent-Seillier said he did not lose anyone he was close to, he said the attacks affected him on a personal level.

"My mom kept all the pictures of the victims on her phone because it's like friends, it's like your neighbors — people,” Vincent-Seillier said. “Even if you didn't know them, you're close to them."

VOLUME 107

ISSUE 14

While the students who were affected struggled to cope with everything that happened, VincentSeillier said support from the Truman community began to pour in.

Vincent-Seillier said he was surprised at the support the French international students received, ranging from hugs and phone calls to dinner invitations and the candlelight vigil hosted by the Office of Student Affairs.

“This is even bigger for us because we are not just with our French friends, we are with all of our friends here and we can pray together,” VincentSeillier said. “We are so touched that they are with us. This is the main thing that we needed here.

We were full of anger, sadness, despair — but our friends brought us some joy, some love, some hope.”

For those in the Truman administrative offices, their work was only just beginning — Lou Ann Gilchrist, vice president for student affairs, said her office responded quickly during the aftermath of the Paris attacks.

When Gilchrist first learned of the situation, she said she inquired about how many Truman students, domestically and abroad, might have been affected. She said she then coordinated with the Office of Student Affairs to plan a candlelight vigil on The Quad for those affected by the Paris attacks. However, she said she understands it will take more than just a vigil to help those affected move forward.

“I believe that a memorial service isn't enough, but it helps bring people together, it helps people to start the conversations about how they're feeling,” Gilchrist said. “I think that the series of events that we're planning for next semester are important as well because it helps people find meaning, to try to understand, if you can understand, these kinds of acts and to have an opportunity to not only feel but also to think about what all of these events mean. Individual response is also very different.

There's many people that feel that they're taking it in stride but after time passes they do realize that something has changed inside of them. So we want to make sure that it isn't a one-time event but that we're going to have some conversations around it."

In a campus-wide email, the Multicultural Affairs Center stated the student affairs office on campus had a vigil to commemorate the deaths of those impacted globally and domestically by the Paris attacks. During the coming weeks the student affairs office, along with many offices around campus, will meet to discuss inclusive programming that addresses these issues for next semester, according to the email. Departments also will meet with University President Troy Paino to begin discussing the creation of a diversity strategic plan for the University.

The candlelight vigil Nov. 18 on The Quad was filled with supporters. Gilchrist gave an opening speech during the ceremony before those in attendance observed a moment of silence.

"I appreciate those of you who came out in the cold tonight to join us in our moment of reflection to show our support for those who have been affected by hatred and violence,” Gilchrist said.

“This night is not about speeches, although there are many speeches that need to be made and many discussions that need to take place. Tonight is about coming together in support and to remind us that we are a community that cares. When we learn about acts of hatred and violence, it can make us question the very nature of humanity, and we can lose faith in each other."

Many lingered by the flames in front of the Kirk Memorial Building long after the minute of silence.

tmn.truman.edu

www.facebook.com/TrumanIndex

By Eugene Kolb TMN Reporter

It has been nearly a month since the attacks on Paris, and the world still is reeling. Although Truman may differ from France geographically and culturally, the unthinkable violence that took place is something the whole world can relate to.

Paris was not and is not alone in being targeted by acts of hatred. Cameroon, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Niger, Nigeria, Syria and Tunisia were all also targeted during the month of November alone. There is no doubt the U.S. media, and admittedly my own article to the left, has focused largely on the attacks in Paris, but campaigns of intimidation and violence have touched the lives of global citizens everywhere. Even in the face of seemingly insurmountable differences in opinions and backgrounds, it is important to take measures to self-educate and reach out to those who also occupy the world. No country is alone.

As winter break draws closer, students will be taking time to return home and enjoy the holidays. For some international students, their homes are the places affected by the recent acts of violence by the Islamic State group or Boko Haram. It is important to remember there are those who will be experiencing a holiday season without their loved ones. Being empathetic, compassionate and understanding toward others is something anyone can express to strengthen the spirit of solidarity that has spread in the face of hate, ignorance and aggression.

Lou Ann Gilchrist, vice president for student affairs, summed it up nicely when she offered words of peace during the Nov. 18 vigil.

"A small act of kindness will not resolve the very serious issues that exist across the globe,” Gilchrist said. “These acts, however, are the ways we begin to restore hope in ourselves, in each other and in humanity. I would like us all to join together for a moment of reflection as we stand in solidarity with those who are hurting as a result of violence and as we resolve to bring a little more light into the world by the way we act toward one another."

Eugene Kolb/Index

Top: Truman State students gather around the eternal flame during a candlelight vigil Nov. 18.

Above: The University lit the flame during a vigil in honor of those affected by the Paris attacks. Many international students had friends and family in Paris when the Nov. 13 attacks occurred. @trumanindex

© 2015

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

English students present senior seminar projects

NEWS IN BRIEF

Adair County Public Library director to retire after 25 years Glenda Hunt, Adair County Public Library director, announced she will retire during January.

Hunt began working for public libraries during 1974. After earning her library science master’s degree during 1991, Hunt accepted the job as director for Adair County Public Library during June 1991.

Hunt said she planned to work at the Adair County library for only a few years.

When she retires, she will have worked for the library for more than 25 years.

Faculty and students attend annual Missouri Folklore Society meeting

Johanna Burns/Index Above: From left to right seniors Kari Kolda, Morgan Siebert, Jamie Garland and Lyndsie Burns answer questions from the audience after presenting their senior seminar projects while English professor Cole Woodcox acts as the moderator for their session. The students’ presentations all dealt with topics relating to “The Great Gatsby.”

Below Left: Keynote speaker Laura McHugh gives a speech about pursuing a career in creative writing. McHugh is a Truman alumna and author of the book “The Weight of Blood.” Below right: Siebert presents her paper “How Great Is Gatsby?: The Prevalence of ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Secondary English Classrooms.”

Truman State students and faculty presented at the annual meeting of the Missouri Folklore Society.

Nine faculty members and students spoke at the Nov. 12-14 meeting in Jefferson City, Missouri, about topics varying from personal oral histories to ballads and local lore.

Students who attended the event include seniors Mahliyah Adkins–Threats, Nicholas Puleo, Emily Wildhaber, Lucas Corey–Yares, Patrick McGlasson and Anna Jones. English professors Alanna Preussner, Barbara Price and Adam Davis also attended the event.

The November 2016 state convention is scheduled to take place in Kirksville. Price and English professor Elizabeth Delmonico will be co-presidents for the convention.

Wastewater Treatment Plant construction set to begin in spring Construction to update the Wastewater Treatment Plant is set to begin during April.

Citizens voted and approved the $18 million bond to update the treatment plant during April 2013. Since then, city officials have been working with the Department of Natural Resources to finalize requirements and standards for the new plant. Construction will be divided into three phases – flow control, biological treatments and solid handling.

The plant originially was constructed during 1976 and has not received an update for almost 30 years. This upgrade will increase the amounts of water the plant can process.

STUDENT SENATE IN BRIEF

Johanna Burns/Index

Johanna Burns/Index

The Student Senate did not meet this week because of Thanksgiving break. The last meeting of the semester will be Dec. 6.

CRIME REPORTS DPS & KPD

Serving the University community since 1909

Staff 11/30 Theft reported at the 2200 block of N. Baltimore St. 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 Staff Reporters Clayton Berry, Rachel Fechter, Emily Merkle, Elena Bellamy, Emily Ploch, Brently Snead, Paige Yungermann, Anna Grace, Henry Janssen, Sam Stewart, Sarah Hicks, Rachel Steinhoff, Curt Wichmer, Robert Hu, Jack Derbak, Lindell Sconce Cartoonist Megan Archer Copy Editors MacKenna Palazza, Holly Fisher, Julianna Foster, Catherine O’Mara, Lauren Beasley, Molly Thal, Megan Gibbons, Trevor Hamblin, Sarah DeWolf Designers Clarissa Todd, Trevor Stark, Kara Nord, Samantha Nielsen Photo Editor Trevor Stark Photographers Trung Vo, Athena Geldbach, Marissa Billmeyer, MacKenna Palazza Marketing Manager Josh Gilmore Marketing Representatives Drake Gens, Emily Fitzgerald Technical Manager Amanda Atwell Adviser Don Krause

11/26 Driving while intoxicated reported at the 1200 block of S. Baltimore St.

11/30 Careless and imprudent driving reported at Baltimore Street.

11/26 Suspect arrested for underage possession of alcohol at West 11/29 Theft reported at the 600 block Jefferson Street. of E. Randolph St. 11/25 Second degree assault reported 11/28 Hit and run reported at the 2200 at the 900 block of E. Pierce St. block of N. Baltimore St. 11/25 Fraud reported at the 2100 block 11/28 Theft reported at the 400 block of of Bartlett St. S. Florence St. 11/24 Suspect arrested for 11/27 Harrassment reported at the 1500 distribution of drugs at the 100 block block of S. Baltimore St. of Concord Square.

Mark your calendar Student Directed One Act Festival 8-10 p.m.

Dec. 4-5 James G. Severns Theatre

Students in the Fall 2015 Play Direction class will present their final projects at the One Act Festival this weekend. Different shows will be featured each night. Admission is free. A list of plays and production times is available on the Truman theatre calendar.

Reindeer Romp 9 a.m.

Dec. 5 DuKum Inn

A.T. Still University’s class of 2018 presents the 32nd annual Reindeer Romp. Participants can register for the four-mile run and 1.5-mile walk at active.com for $15 until 5 p.m. Dec. 3 and $20 until 8:30 a.m. the day of the race. Prizes will be awarded to the top three contestants in each category.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

CORRECTIONS The Nov. 12 story “Paino issues a response to Mizzou events” contained several inaccurately transcribed quotes attributed to University President Troy Paino. The correct quotations are as follows.

“I think in some ways, President Wolfe maybe became a symbol […] for a lot of the frustrations that those students were feeling,” Paino said. “Rightly or wrongly. And in that sense, once you become a symbol of something, it's kind of hard to change that narrative, and I really sense that President Wolfe, in some respects, the events kind of overwhelmed him, and this kind of took on a life of it's own. And he had a hard time getting control of that narrative.”

“And whenever students want to express their views are frustrated, whether it’s about something the University is doing or not doing — or some larger societal issue — I think the important thing is to make sure they have a voice and to make sure that they are being listened to,” Paino said. “My experience with students is that if you show them enough respect to listen to them and give them a seat the table, they usually reciprocate in some profound way and show you that respect in working together towards a solution.”

“When I got to know people — especially when I was in graduate school — who were different from me, it really taught me how to value people who were different from me, that they really enriched my own experience on this planet,” Paino said.

“It's easy for me to sit back on the sidelines and say, ‘Oh, poor University of Missouri, they should have been doing this, they should have been doing that,’” Paino said. “But I think the more important response is for us to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, well, are we as good at this as we think we are?”

“I'm proud of this University,” Paino said. “I do feel that this is a place where students feel they have a voice. And that they have access to not only me, but really to everyone, whether faculty or administration, to express their concerns, and I think as long as there's that feeling on this campus, whatever problems we might have or whatever differences we might experiencs, we can work together on this.”

University Counseling receives record number of service requests

By Elena Bellamy TMN Reporter

University Counseling Services has received a record-breaking amount of requests for its services during fall 2015, and some students are waiting longer than ever for an appointment.

A combination of high demand and decreased staff has left some students waiting a month or more for regular appointments. Universities nationwide are struggling to meet student requests for counseling and define the level of responsibility higher level education has to provide mental health care for students. Students at Truman State have brought this subject to the attention of the student affairs office, which said adding to Truman’s counseling staff is a possible, yet complicated, solution.

Caps on Truman’s tuition and student fees mean if students don’t vote to increase student fees to raise UCS staff, the money would have to be taken from elsewhere in the budget.

UCS Assistant Director Joe Hamilton said requests for counseling have increased 13 percent from this time last year. Hamilton said students might wait two or more weeks for a screening session and another two to three weeks for regular appointments, though scheduling is handled on a priority basis. Hamilton said UCS staffing has been reduced from five to four counselors for almost all of the 2015-16 academic year because of two consecutive maternity leaves.

Hamilton said when he became assistant director, students would wait nearly a week for a screening appointment, then another week for an intake appointment.

He said crisis calls have not increased, and the staff is still able to handle crisis cases without problems.

Hamilton said he thinks the rise in demand mainly is because of a decrease in stigma associated with counseling and increased encouragement for students to seek counseling.

“When I was young, no one at school said that a counselor was going to come talk to you [when something distressing happened],” Hamilton said. “We’ve raised young people to come talk about their feelings when they’re in distress — it’s expected almost, like visiting the doctor’s office when you’re sick.”

Brenda Higgins, Student Health Center and UCS director, said students knowing where and when to seek help is a good thing. Higgins said she wants to continue to encourage students to seek counseling when it might be helpful.

Higgins said the increase in demand for counseling is a nationwide trend, and university counseling centers across the country are facing overwhelming requests for appointments. She said she, Hamilton and Lou Ann Gilchrist, vice president for student affairs, teach

a class every semester about mental health first aid, and UCS is using the growing interest of students in group counseling to help meet the mental health needs of Truman. Higgins said she would like to have more staff at UCS, but that decision does not rest with her.

With the reduction to four counselors, Truman currently has a ratio of about 1,500 students to every one counselor, which is lower than some other state schools in Missouri.

Northwest Missouri State University has a ratio of approximately 1,700 to 1, Missouri University of Science and Technology has a ratio of approximately 1,500 to 1 and University of Missouri has a ratio of approximately 2,400 to 1, according to their websites. With a full staff of five counselors, Truman would have a ratio of about 1,200 to 1. Higgins said the recommended ratio of students to counselors varies from school to school, and there is no universal ratio. She said being in a rural area could affect the demand for Truman’s counseling services.

“People outside of Truman try to get in to see our psychiatrist because they can’t see anyone in the community.”

–Brenda Higgins, Student Health Center and UCS director

“We really have a dearth of psychiatric providers outside the campus,” Higgins said. “It’s generally a lot longer in the community than it is here. People outside of Truman try to get in to see our psychiatrist because they can’t see anyone in the community.”

Dave Rector, vice president for administration, finance and planning, said students currently pay a $27 student health fee every semester, which goes toward UCS and the health center. Rector said the remaining costs are covered by state funding and general tuition. Rector said there are challenges to increasing UCS staffing, such as the fact that Truman only needs counselors eight months out of the year.

He said another alternative would be to contract out to local agencies, such as Mark Twain Behavioral Health or Northeast Missouri Health Council.

Rector said increasing the student fee is also an option, but it would have to be voted on and approved by students to avoid caps on tuition and fees based on the consumer price index. He said the best way for students to address this issue would be by talking to Gilchrist or Student Senate.

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Gilchrist said after University President Troy Paino sent out a campuswide email during early November seeking communication about student concerns, Paino received some replies expressing concerns about a lack of counselors at UCS. Gilchrist said she is working to meet with all the students who expressed this concern, and she already has met with some. Gilchrist said whether it is the responsibility of a university to provide mental health care is a difficult question to answer.

“How much do we need to provide in that way, how much will that take from other responsibilities — it’s not an easy job to figure all of it out. It’s not just a dilemma for Truman, it’s a dilemma across the country,” Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist said while Truman might have somewhat skewed results in the Missouri College Health Behavior Survey because of its high proportion of undergraduate to graduate students, its results in the American College Health Association survey do reflect significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns than the national average. She said 62.5 percent of Truman students reported feeling overwhelming anxiety, 5.6 percent higher than the national average. Thirty-six percent reported feeling so depressed it was difficult to function, 1.5 percent higher than the national average, and 8.4 percent reported a psychiatric condition, 1.3 percent higher than the national average, according to the ACHA survey.

She said the only category in which Truman students had a lower response rate than the average was reported attempted suicides — Truman reported 0.8 percent, 0.6 percent lower than the national average.

Gilchrist said students have expressed a desire for more counselors with more types of expertise, but no one has talked to her about possibly raising the student health fee. She said the trend in counseling requests steadily is increasing.

“There are definitely support activities people can get engaged in — classes might be able to resolve some of these issues, and medical care, but I don’t think that there will ever be a substitute for having an opportunity to receive therapy, at least at some point, or as a part of comprehensive treatment,” Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist said the best option for students wishing to increase the student health fee is to contact Student Senate.

She said otherwise, hiring one or more additional counselors likely will mean cuts elsewhere in the budget.

Senior Zach Hollstrom, health, wellness, and saftey committee chair, said in an email he has been contacted about this problem, and his committee is aware of the issue and taking steps to address it.

Commission approves new training standards

By Austin Hornbostel Managing Editor index.editor@gmail.com

The Missouri Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission approved rules to strengthen law enforcement training standards Dec. 1.

The POST Commission now will require additional training for several aspects of police tactics, such as de-escalation techniques for potentially violent situations, handling individuals with mental health and cognitive impairment issues, officer wellbeing, and fair and impartial policing, including implicit bias recognition. The commission also raised the number of continuing education hours officers must receive to retain their licenses from a total of 48 hours every three years to 24 hours each year. These changes meet the standards put forward

by Gov. Jay Nixon to the Missouri Department of Public Safety Aug. 6, when Nixon called for these new rules for effective and ongoing training in those areas

by Dec. 1.

These updated standards represent the most sweeping changes for continuing education requirements for Missouri law enforcement officers since 1996, according to a press release from the Missouri DPS. The new sanctions also mandate law enforcement officers receive two hours of training each year in four critical training areas laid out by the POST Commission, according to the press release.

Nixon’s directive for determining these new rules also mandates the POST Commission host public meetings across the state to gather input from Missourians, including law enforcement agencies and advocacy groups, according to the press release. Public meetings took place Sept. 1 to Oct. 14 in Springfield, Jefferson City, Ferguson, Sikeston, Kirksville and Kansas City, Missouri, according to the press release.

The new rules will be filed with the Missouri secretary of state and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules as required by state statute, according to the press release.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

Goodbye and good thoughts from the cartoonist and former opinions editor

Megan Archer This is it — the last Index issue I’ll be in. Since my first issue Sept. 13, 2012, I’ve created content for 94 straight issues. During my time here, I’ve been a columnist, an illustrator and even the opinions editor — but my true passion will always be the first job I accepted at the Index as the cartoonist.

During my freshman year I wasn’t interested in the Index at all, but I was very interested in making comics. Unfortunately, I couldn’t draw to save my life. Even though I wasn’t happy with the results, I put my first comics online and showed them to some trusted friends — one of whom happened to be the photo editor for the Index. She knew the Index was looking for a cartoonist, and she told me to send in my application as soon as school started the next year to try to get published.

Although publishing my comics in a place where anyone in the school could read them was a terrifying thought, I knew I had to go for it. I knew sporadically practicing on my own wasn’t getting the improvement I wanted out of my comics, but I thought perhaps the pressures of weekly deadlines and a product that could be viewed by the whole school might just be the kick I needed.

So, I started coming up with possible Index comics right away.

Embarrassingly, all my original comic scripts made fun of the Index — I wrote down about five of these before it occurred to me the subject might not play so well with the editors.

I scrapped those. Throughout the summer, I worked hard to come up with more. It’s tough to come up with any comic ideas, but I discovered the hard way how tough it is to come up with comic ideas that appeal to an audience consisting of Truman State students, Truman staff and general Kirksvillians while following newspaper guidelines. Eventually, I landed on an idea I was happy enough with to draw. Today, I wouldn’t even consider it, but I had to start somewhere.

I had drawn comics before, but I had never been as concerned about the quality as I was with this. I wanted my first impression with the Index to be as good as possible — I think on some level, I thought of this as a litmus test to see if my comics actually were any good. I had dedicated so much time to making comics without any genuine feedback — my friends and family weren’t going to insult my work to my face. So one summer day, I cleared my schedule and opened up my computer to start making my first Index comic. Ten working hours later, I was about halfway done.

Many types of art take longer to create than one might assume, but comics are an especially maddening form of this. A comic that takes a couple of seconds to read might have taken 20 hours to make. I have no idea if my comics are funny, or even make any sense. By the end of this process, it’s like rereading a word again and again until not only does it not seem like a word, you start wondering who came up with the idea of representing abstract ideas with squiggles on paper.

However, the particular comic I had chosen to start with wasn’t helping — I was trying to draw three panels containing three people standing in front of a set of stairs. That description takes a moment to write down but forever to draw. I scrapped that comic too.

By this time, school had almost started, so I raced to finish another submission comic that was slightly easier to draw. After another 15 hours of work, I finally had it — a comic I was happy with.

One I could send out into the world — or at least out into a handful of newspaper racks — to represent me. I emailed alumnus Bob Overmann, the opinions editor at the time. He set up an interview.

As far as I know, I’m the only prospective Index employee who showed up in full job fair attire. He laughed at my eagerness, but I got the job.

Every Friday, Bob sent me an email listing all the topics the Index writers were covering, and I picked one to write a comic about. Every weekend, I spent about 15 hours coming up with an idea, writing and rewriting a script, and drawing out the comic.

Through the years, some things changed. I got faster — I went from 15 to nine to five hours per comic. My art noticeably improved, assisted not only by the years of weekly cartooning but also the art classes I was taking. I became more confident. Looking back, I was right — making comics for the Index was exactly the sort of pressure I needed to improve.

And now, here I am — 94 comics later. And this won’t be the end. I might never again be published in a newspaper, and I might not turn this into a career, but I’m going to keep making comics. I’ve been accepted into an anthology coming out next year, and I’ve got a quarter of a graphic novel thumbnailed — I have plans. And I hope during the future, I’ll be able to find a similar push that’ll inspire ridiculously long work days, determination to succeed and the creation of many comics I can be proud of.

To conclude — I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve given me, Index. Goodbye.

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

“A comic that takes a couple of seconds to read might have taken 20 hours to make.”

—Senior Megan Archer, Index cartoonist and columnist

Editorial Policy

Letters Policy

The Index is published Thursdays during the school 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 660-7854449. 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, news 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 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, double-spaced, signed by at least one individual and include a phone number for verification. They must be submitted by e-mail to index.opinionseditor@ gmail.com or on our website at http://tmn.truman.edu/theindex.

Include the words “letter to the editor” in the subject line of the email. The Index does not publish anonymous letters to the editor.

No individual may submit more than one letter per week.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

EIC reflects on semester, welcomes collaboration Bethany Boyle Editor-in-Chief As we head toward the final weeks of school, I want to take a moment to reflect on this semester of news, ask for grace where we’ve fallen short of the standard of excellence we strive for, and thank you for your readership and participation.

Take a step back for a moment to the first issue, which appeared across campus as the class of 2019 was moving into the residence halls for the first time. As editor-in-chief and head of the Editorial Board, I promised our readers three things — that the newspaper and its staffers would strive to learn, share and serve you in our work and endeavors during this academic year.

I’d say we learned quite a bit this semester. The Blueprint Teams taught us about University administration — how it works, the formation and implication of policies, funding and budgeting.

Covering the Black Lives Matter movement and our campus-wide response to the resignation of Tim Wolfe, University of Missouri system president showed the influence external events have on leaders and members of our community. The cross-country mid-race fight incident reiterated the importance of sportsmanship and courtesy among athletes.

Personally, I also learned we have a quidditch team on campus, I found out the oldest record

store in America is just up the street and I now have a better understanding of what LARPing is all about.

We also did a lot of learning in the newsroom, and among those many lessons is the most important of all — we are far from perfect. This semester had its fair share of formatting issues and other hiccups, including listing a current student as an alumnus and a headline that announced the Nether premiere on the wrong day, to name a few. We put forth our best effort, but we recognize it did not always meet the expectations we strive for. Some coverage slipped through the cracks and, on behalf of the Index Editorial Board, I apologize for failing to serve you as well as we would like and as well as you deserve.

Sifting through a stack of this semester’s issues of the Index, I find myself surrounded by a lot of life — updates about the situation in Nepal, the arrival of Santana’s food truck, a visit from Gov. Jay Nixon, a witty column about airport security and the possibility of state funding increases and frozen tuition. However, I also see a lot of brokenness — the death of freshman William Batterson, a Title IX harassment case, a student standing trial for rape and the community divided about the Ameren transmission line issue.

I am struck by the variety of influences we saw in the paper this semester. Several stories were pitched by individuals outside of TMN, and we received a steady stream of guest columns showcasing valuable knowledge and differing perspectives.

Together, these articles tell the story of us — Truman State and the Kirksville community. They form part of the narrative that defines us, who we are, what we do and, at the end of the day, how each of us makes our mark and fit into the overall community here at this University and in the world.

To that end, I want to thank you, the readers, for helping make this a public forum. You reached out to us with your stories and ideas, and the

result was a collaborative effort with greater potential to increase understanding, and allow more voices and stories to be heard. Just as a newspaper can fulfill its purpose to inform only if people choose to read it, that same paper can become a vehicle for public discourse only if the public chooses to engage.

And I daresay you have.

However, this accolade comes with a challenge as well — don’t let it end there. As we strive to provide this vehicle for public consciousness and discourse, I once again encourage you, the reader, to participate in what is being created here. You are a part of Truman, whether you like it or not, and this is your narrative. You can choose to be a member or stand by and let other voices define the events and movements you have witnessed, and the experiences that are a part of you and this community.

This is my invitation to you.

As you prepare to leave for winter break, let me leave you with this thought for next semester. If there is something that needs to be shared, a story that isn’t being told, consider that if you don’t do anything about it, perhaps no one ever will. Write a guest column, email any of the editors listed in our staff box on page two and share your story.

Help us create a more complete narrative. The only one who can do it is you.

For those of you who have graduated or will graduate next weekend, it doesn’t end here. You might have left the Truman community, but you have the ability to impact the next community you become a part of. Become a part of the journalistic process. Put yourself in the narrative.

Bethany Boyle is a senior communication major from St. Louis, Mo.

What is your opinion on the red cup controversy?

I think it’s a waste of energy to complain about corporate stylisms.

I like the red cups, it shows holiday spirit. I don’t know why there’s a problem with the red cup.

I’m in favor of the red cups.

They spread holiday cheer which is really nice, but I think not having them isn’t detrimental either.

It’s not offensive to me, but I think a lot of people made a big deal about it.

Corey Schmidt Senior

Jasmine Brown Freshman

Audrey Masek Senior

Mosaic Shrestha Sophomore

The holidays are not about red cups

Holly Fisher Last month, the red cup debate hit the Internet with rampant force. Social media sites exploded as a single item sparked one of the largest controversies of the season so far — Starbucks’ red holiday cup. These small objects made of colored paper had so many people up in arms the fights were almost comical. The actual debate, of course, is not about the cups themselves, but about the supposed overuse of political correctness. After taking a step back, it becomes clear the arguments made against political correctness during the holidays are simply a waste of time and energy.

The red cup is just one point in a long timeline of holiday political correctness. Companies encourage their employees to say, “happy holidays” rather than, “merry Christmas,” organizations encourage snowmen or snowflake decorations instead of a full manger scenes and the abbreviation Xmas is often used in place of Christmas without a second thought. All of this is done in an effort to be more

politically correct during the holiday season, because not everyone celebrates Christmas. Contrary to the very vocal belief floating around out there, none of these actions intend to purposely do away with or completely ignore Christmas as a holiday.

Personally, I just can’t see how being tolerant or inclusive of other human beings is a deliberate attack on Christmas. If anything, Christmas is about spreading joy and happiness to all people — this is why the holiday season is also the season of giving.

No one is unrealistically forcing everyone to celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa simply by acknowledging these holidays, so why are we so intent on forcing everyone to celebrate Christmas?

Conversely, no one is forcing anyone not to celebrate Christmas. Starbuck’s “anti-Christmas” cup isn’t all that rare considering it rarely produces cups with Christmas designs. Most of Starbucks’ past seasonal cups have sported snowmen, sleigh rides, pine trees, snowflakes, reindeer, nutcrackers and other seasonal images. None of these are blatantly Christmas designs, but I certainly would not call the designs “anti-Christmas.”

The same is true when people say “happy holidays” or when they write Xmas. Christmas has become so commercialized it does not matter whether or not people use the actual word “Christmas.” Even with a deliberate effort, no one could possibly extinguish the raging fire of Christmas, as the holiday consumes everything under the sun for not just one but three whole months of the year.

The least those who celebrate Christmas can do is courteously remember not everyone and their mother has fallen to the Christmas plague of mad-

ness when we wish them a happy holiday season instead of a happy Christmas season.

The other argument I often hear is how hellbent people are to take the Christ out of Christmas in their efforts to be politically correct. This is, again, not something anyone is deliberately doing.

Christmas means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Some find happiness in celebrating togetherness and family, while others find happiness in celebrating the birth of Christ, and no one is denying one way or the other. I promise writing Xmas on a series of cards and boxes will not bring about the downfall of Christian tradition.

These simple gestures are not examples of being too politically correct as many people argue. At this point, people merely are being a little more self-aware of those around them. The day people become too politically correct during the holiday season is the day it is unacceptable to even mention Christmas in a public setting for fear of offending someone else. The world is still a very long way away from that day, and there are so many more important issues demanding our attention.

So this holiday season, instead of arguing about paper cups, let’s direct our energy into something a little more productive. Let’s talk about helping the homeless, providing for parents who can’t afford to celebrate the holidays with their children or even the Syrian refugee crisis. Above all, let’s have a wonderful holiday season.

Holly Fisher is a senior English and linguistics major from Elizabethtown, Ky.

6

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

Paige Yungermann/Index Students hold hands during a peaceful protest fall 2014 outside the Student Union Building in response to the Michael Brown Ferguson shooting. Truman State encourages similar peaceful protests, but has a plan in place in case of on-campus violence.

University plans in case of violence

By Paige Yungermann TMN Reporter

Following recent events at the University of Missouri, Truman State has been considering how the University would handle similar situations.

The University’s plan has two components — the Department of Public Safety would handle any unsafe situations, such as a protest that turns violent or shooting threats, and Truman administration would handle less immediate threats, such as hate speech.

DPS Director Sara Holzmeier said since the events at Mizzou, DPS has received multiple phone calls and emails from concerned students and parents. However, Holzmeier said DPS had no reports of racerelated issues during the last few weeks.

“We’ve been pretty lucky,” Holzmeier said. “People know to act accordingly.

If something has happened, I encourage people to report and come forward because we won’t tolerate that kind of behavior on campus.”

If such a situation were to occur, Holzmeier said laws and University rules would be enforced properly. She said she has discussed with DPS officers how they would proceed, but DPS does not foresee an immediate problem.

Holzmeier said though it is possible a situation like the one at Mizzou could occur at Truman, she thinks it is unlikely.

“I’m proud to be a part of Truman,” Holzmeier said. “We have a lot of good students. I feel that we are blessed to have a pretty small campus with a diverse, educated group of kids, and luckily we haven’t had anything like that. It’s my hope that we won’t have it, but it’s always a potential.”

Holzmeier said the officers will receive sovereign citizen training during the coming weeks. While not directly related to the situation at Mizzou, she said this training will teach the officers how to handle situations such as what occurred in Ferguson, where armed citizens presented an issue to law enforcement.

When it comes to protests becoming violent, Holzmeier said this is something else she thinks is unlikely to occur at Truman.

“Obviously, if it’s a peaceful protest, they have the right to do that, so long as it’s not done in an unsafe manner,” Holzmeier said.

“One thing that we’ve learned from Mizzou is that we have to create a safe place for people to express their concerns...”

— Institutional Compliance Officer Jamie Ball

Holzmeier said during the past, student protests have been small and contained.

If there were an issue, she said she would meet with the protest leaders to hear their concerns and find a solution.

Holzmeier said if a student feels unsafe, they should report the situation to DPS. “Even if it doesn’t rise to the level of being a criminal issue, if someone says something that is racially-biased or derogatory in any manner, I encourage them to report it,” Holzmeier said.

Holzmeier said if the situation did not present an immediate safety issue or warrant criminal charges, DPS would report it to student affairs.

Lou Ann Gilchrist, vice president for student affairs, said if a violation of the Student Conduct Code occurred, the student affairs office would take care of the problem. Gilchrist said anyone violating the code would face appropriate consequences. While this likely would be in the form of education or mediation, the more severe consequences for repeat offenses would be suspension or expulsion, she said.

Gilchrist said while a situation similar to the one at Mizzou could occur at Truman, she thinks Truman has various systems that would mitigate such an occurrence, such as University President Troy Paino’s open door policy when it comes to communicating with students.

“We have a president that’s very open to communicating directly with students,” Gilchrist said. “We have a close-knit community with people that help to give students a voice. That being said, I certainly have heard of incidents of inappropriate discriminatory behaviors. It could happen on any campus, but I hope we might see things transpire a little differently here because of those reasons.”

Institutional Compliance Officer Jamie Ball said she has not received any reports from Truman students following the situation at Mizzou, but such occurrences are possible.

“One of the things I’m beginning to understand is that sometimes there are problems or concerns that people just deal with, and suffer through and don’t speak up about,” Ball said. “One thing that we’ve learned from Mizzou is that we have to create a safe place for people to express their concerns about things.”

Ball said part of creating this safe space is Paino’s efforts to speak with students

about issues on Truman’s campus. For example, she said Paino met with students and faculty at the Multicultural Affairs Center following the incidents at Mizzou.

Ball said she attended this meeting, and learned the biggest issues are microaggressions at Truman and racist behavior in the Kirksville community.

“Because of the experiences of students at Mizzou, it’s definitely making us give some additional thought to what we can do here at Truman to be proactive and not wait for people to feel like they’re in crisis,” Ball said.

Ball said students should report any hateful behavior to her or a trusted member of the Truman faculty.

If a situation were reported to her, Ball said she would handle it according to the circumstances and how the person who reported the issue wanted to proceed. For example, she said if someone reported finding a swastika — such as the feces swastika at Mizzou — the University would first investigate who was responsible and then determine how to proceed.

However, if someone makes a complaint about a specific person or group of people, Ball said one course of action is to mediate between the parties.

“If everybody feels safe doing it, we can have a supported, facilitated conversation about what all of this meant to hopefully achieve more understanding and to give people some tools for doing better,” Ball said. “Sometimes, these situations come from a place of ignorance.

If we give people more information and make them more aware, our community is better for that.”

Students can report incidents to DPS at police.truman.edu or by calling 911.

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7

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

-Make s you eat ure during f -If you’reinals unsure, always a sk

-Do what you can to help yourself focus while taking your finals

time during d e -He rningsnd wa ms a e exa ays b about alw listic u can rea en yo wh ish fin

-Triple check that your alarm is set if you have to get up early for an exam

EVENTS

-Ch fina eck the sch ls wee care edule k fully

-Graduate Pizza Party: 11:30 a.m.

Dec. 9 in the SUB Georgian Rooms -23rd Annual Box Fort Competition: 7 p.m. Dec. 8 in Kirk Gym -Look for other stress relieving events in the residence halls

BY BETHANY BOYLE

Editor-in-Chief index.editor@truman.edu

Finals week.

These two, simple words strike fear into the hearts of students.

Whether it’s your first or your last, there’s something unpleasant, scary and daunting about the last week of the semester at Truman State, but there doesn’t have to be.

Personally, I’ve had a strong aversion to finals week because of an exceptionally bad first experience and a couple of honest mistakes on my part.

It all started when my alarm didn’t go off.

I can’t explain it. For some reason our alarm clocks, phones, watches and iPods seem to turn on us the moment we need them most. I opened my eyes to see light streaming through the blinds, rolled over to face my alarm clock and nearly fell out of my lofted bed when I saw the time. I was almost late to my final … in Barnett Hall. After donning the first pair of pants I could find, I was out the door, and I reached the classroom just in time to review a few notes before the test. First lesson — double and triple check that your alarm is set if you have to get up early for an exam. In fact, it’s safest to set multiple alarms and, just to be safe, ask your roommate to make sure you’re up by a certain time I thought perhaps I was out of the woods, but time continued to get the best of me throughout the week. That night, I was hard at work in my dorm room studying for my two finals the next day. I didn’t have a roommate at the time, so I had not spoken to another human being for hours. It turns out I studied right through dinner, late into the evening, and without consulting my watch I stumbled out into the south side of Missouri Hall’s first floor to see people crowding the dining hall. In a panic, I ran into my lounge disoriented because I thought perhaps it was morning and I had studied all night. Turns out it was actually the late night exam treats, a delicious alternative to my nonexistent dinner, but for about five solid minutes my internal clock was completely out of sorts. Second lesson — make sure you eat during finals. Stock up on snacks and easy dinners, and take advantage of exam treats. It’s a great study break, and an opportunity to pull your nose out of your books and get some air.

Then came Tuesday. I woke up on time — thanks to my properly set alarm — and continued studying until it was time to head out for my second final in Barnett. I arrived a little early, feeling much more confident. As the exam time approached, I was worried by the few students filing into the room, none of whom looked familiar. I was part of a relatively large class and knew many of the other students.

VOLUME 107

ISSUE 14

tmn.truman.edu

When I asked the girl next to me, I nearly jumped out of my seat — I was in a nursing final. In the hallway I ran into a girl from my class and frantically asked her which room our final was in. She looked at me quizzically and pointed to the room I’d just come from. When I continued to express my distress, she added “and it’s not until 1:30.”

I had showed up for the test at 9:30 a.m. Third lesson — check the finals week schedule carefully. If you’re not sure when a final is, check with your class’ syllabus or professor.

After completing my first final of the day and squeezing in a bit more studying, I arrived at Baldwin Hall for my Spanish exam. It turned out True Men was having a concert that night as well — during my exam. So while I was up to my eyeballs in subjunctive verb conjugations, the harmonious sounds of male voices singing a capella wafted in from Baldwin Auditorium across the hall. Fourth lesson — you might not always have a perfect atmosphere for concentrating, so do what you can to help yourself focus. Now, I always take a bottle of water, a jacket and gum with me to a test. The water gives me something to do when I need to give my hand or mind a break, and the jacket ensures temperature won’t be an issue. The gum is pleasant, keeps me moving and helps my mind focus on the task at hand. There’s not much you can do about a fabulous concert happening across the hall, but you can take steps to counter what you recognize as problem areas when testing and staying concentrated.

Finally, Thursday rolled around and it was time for my last final.

I had not studied much because there was a paper due for the same class that day. I was also unsure of exactly what would be on the test and let that uncertainty go unaddressed during the weeks leading up to the exam. Fifth lesson — if you’re unsure, always ask. You’ll learn even more about the material and how well you’re absorbing it by meeting with your professor.

My last lesson comes from the final moments of that same exam.

The last component for this exam was a full essay. I was scribbling furiously, trying to get it all down when the proctor gave me a warning. Instead of tying up the sentence I was working on and doing my best to end it there, I charged on, sure that I could get it all in during my remaining two minutes. Turns out I could not. It ended with the proctor ordering me to put my pencil down and me turning in an essay that concluded with an incomplete sentence. Sixth lesson — heed those time warnings and be realistic about what you can finish, then let it go. An imperfect essay on a test is not the end of the world.

In closing, I’d like to leave you with this — finals week will be fine. It’s just five days, and even if they are some of the worst days of your life — believe me, I would know — you’ll get through it.

You can sleep until 1 p.m. and watch Netflix on Saturday. Work hard while it still counts.

www.facebook.com/TrumanIndex

@trumanindex

© 2015

8

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

No longer on the Dark Side

BY KATEY STOETZEL

Features Editor index.featureseditor@gmail.com

This isn’t Reel Talk, but real talk. The person you’ve been reading film reviews from this whole semester has never seen “Star Wars” — until last week. I’m not implying that just because I’ve never seen “Star Wars,” I don’t know anything about film and TV. But for some reason, any time I’ve told fellow film enthusiasts, members of Filmmaker’s Club — of which I am president — coworkers, casual moviegoers, random people on the street, my neighbor and my dogs, they have a complete and total freak out. Multiple people have gone so far as to say they hate me because of what they call a complete gap in my film knowledge.

But as of last week, that gap has been half-way closed because I sat down and watched the original “Star Wars” trilogy with my family. We even had a new TV to watch it on. I made the decision to marathon the original series during Thanksgiving break so I could be caught up for the release of Episode VII Dec. 18. I’ll continue my catch-up with the prequels during the few short days leading up to the release.

Why hadn’t I ever seen “Star Wars” before now?

Well, let’s see. The original movies were released during the ‘70s and ‘80s, and I wasn’t even alive then. For my generation, “Harry Potter” was a thing, and I was all about that thing. By the time I became engrossed in the pop culture world, the biggest secrets of “Star Wars” already had been spoiled for me. A lot of film critics I read referenced “Star Wars” plot details and character beats in their articles, so I knew some of those specifics — like how Luke goes on a pretty typical but fantastic hero’s journey. “Star Wars” is such a part of our mainstream culture that in my head, I already felt like I had seen “Star Wars.” To me, “Star Wars” was a modern-day Greek epic, and every other film out there should bow down to it,

especially the ones boldly exploring new worlds on a starship Enterprise.

And obviously, I enjoyed the movies. I’m not going to pretend I didn’t just to be “that” person.

They are vastly entertaining. Luke’s hero journey is fascinating, and I appreciated how “The Empire Strikes Back” — my favorite of the three — slowed down enough amidst the action blockbuster-ness of the films to show us that journey. Luke’s scenes with Yoda are what solidified these films as great to me, and were definitely the point during the story where I sat back and said, “OK, I get it. I understand now.” Of course, the characters are also great. And oh boy, do those special effects still hold up today.

“From where I stand, however, the love for “Star Wars” seems pretty universal, and I can’t help but be absolutely amazed by that.”

But I’m probably just rehashing what people have been saying for years, I realize that. Again, late to the party. Before watching them, I’ll admit I was kind of worried. Because of all the hype surrounding “Star Wars” — especially with the release of Episode VII looming on the horizon — I was worried they wouldn’t live up to my expectations.

And to a degree, they didn’t. Now, before you shun me for all eternity, let me explain. Like I said, in my head, “Star Wars” was a complex story told through hours of screen time a la the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. And to be confronted with the fact

that each film is essentially an action blockbuster running about two hours long was a bit jarring.

I mean, you’ve got to excuse my ignorance for a minute here. People refer to “Star Wars” as a space opera. Anytime I think of operas, I think long and boring, but epic. You see where I’m coming from?

Maybe I need to brush up on my opera knowledge, too. “Star Wars” certainly isn’t long and boring, but I feel content in calling it epic, though not in the sense I was thinking it was — not epic, like “The Odyssey” but epic because “Star Wars” can hold society’s attention for decades, and still create mass chaos among hardcore and casual fans alike.

My family tends to disagree when it comes to what movie we want to watch, but last weekend, we all sat down in the living room and watched “Star Wars.” My sister even got roped into watching. She hadn’t seen them either. After the first one was over, my sister grudgingly admitted she liked it, adding “I didn’t want to get invested in another series, but here we are.”

While switching the movies out from case to Blu-ray player, my dad and mom started reminiscing about when they first saw “Star Wars” in theaters. My mom remembered all the girls loved Luke, but she didn’t understand that when Han Solo was in the film. My dad talked about how crazy long the lines were to get into the theater and how cool the “Star Wars” video games were when he played them at the arcade. The world was all about “Star Wars” back then, and it’s about to be again.

I lived through the “Harry Potter” craze. In fact, I was a part of that craze. But not everyone loves “Harry Potter.” There are haters out there.

From where I stand, however, the love for “Star Wars” seems pretty universal, and I can’t help but be absolutely amazed by that. I’m glad I’m in the know now, and though the films weren’t exactly what I was expecting, the hype didn’t kill it at all because the cultural affect transcends the films.

I’ll see you guys Dec. 18th, lightsabers in hand.

Holiday event brings cheer

BY BRENTLY SNEAD Staff Reporter

Kirksville already has begun decorating for the holidays and spreading cheer, and the Truman State Student Senate hopes to continue the trend.

The Student Union Building will be open to third- through fifth-graders to celebrate the holidays with college students for the first annual Holiday on Campus from 1-3 p.m. this Saturday.

Senior Parker Conover, external affairs committee chair, said elementary students who attend the event will be partnered up with Truman student volunteers. He said the teams can then participate in a variety of holiday activities.

At the event, Conover said Truman students will give their third- fourth -or fifthgrader a gift which, for some kids, might be the only gift they receive during the holiday season.

“On a larger scale, we hope this event further communicates Truman’s mission to foster positive relations with the community,” Conover said. “Having a positive relationship with the community means not just interacting with those who can support our community, it means we also ought to engage those we might not have as much in common with.”

Conover said Student Senate hopes to help low-income families that might have a hard time making ends meet this holiday season. Conover said while the children are the primary reason for the event, he also is hopeful it will create a positive relationship with the Kirksville community.

Junior Jacob Buxton, external affairs committee vice chair, said events like this are part of the reason he is a member of the external affairs committee. Buxton said he hopes it unites the students and town.

“I was raised to make sure you give back whenever you’re celebrating Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving,” Buxton said. “The idea there is to not be

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selfish and to give back, and not only to your friends or family in gifts, but to help those who might need it a little more than you do.”

Buxton said he thinks Truman students do not appreciate the Kirksville community enough, and this event gives them the opportunity to make a connection with Kirkskville.

“Having a positive relationship with the community means not just interacting with those who can support our community, it means we also ought to engage.”

-Parker Conover, external affairs committee chair

Buxton said he thinks this event will send a positive message to the community by showing that students care and want to reach out to the community.

“I think that the holiday spirit will also spread — the city is transforming and we want to participate in that,” Buxton said.

Senior Nick Wehner, one of the Truman students who will be volunteering for Holiday on Campus, said he and his friend are looking forward to spending time with his assigned partner.

“We hope that we can not only give him the present he's asked for, but also a day of fun and friendship,” Wehner said. “In return, we hope [he] can help us rediscover the childhood excitement we once had for the holidays.”

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Highway renamed after local woman THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

BY EMILY MERKLE Staff Reporter

The four-lane stretch of U.S. Highway 63 between the Macon/Adair County line and the south side of Kirksville is now called the Harriet Beard Highway to honor a local woman who has devoted time to making existing highways safer throughout Missouri.

The name change went into effect during August, and the signs for the highway were unveiled during a ceremony on Truman State’s campus Nov. 15.

Kirksville resident Harriet Beard grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa, and graduated from Iowa State University. Beard later moved to Kirksville, where she and her husband raised four children who all are involved in the family business, Beard’s Decorating Center, of which she is president.

Beard said she’s been working to promote Kirksville for many years. She said she was involved in the Community Betterment committee, which established a health department in Kirksville. She said she and many others worked to bring the YMCA to town and raised the funds to build its current building. Beard said she has served on many committees, worked on many local betterment projects, particularly for environmental interests, and was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to serve on the short-term Total Transportation Commission.

She said she also is involved with the Rotary Club.

“I’ve just kept busy with what needs to be done,” Beard said.

Beard said her efforts to get a four-lane highway in Kirksville were inspired by the need for one she noticed in the community. She said the goal for U.S. Highway 63 is to connect capital cities Jefferson City, Missouri, and Des Moines, Iowa. The section

from Macon to Kirksville has four lanes, and Beard said only thirty miles from Kirksville to the Iowa border and twenty miles from the Iowa border to Ottumwa, Iowa, have yet to be turned into a fourlane highway. Beard said the committee she serves on, the Northeast Regional Transportation Planning committee, has been working with people in Iowa to finish connecting the capitals.

“I am honored and privileged to be able to recognize someone important to our community.”

-Nate Walker, District Representative

Aside from having a section of U.S. Highway 63 named after her, Beard said she has received several state awards for her work toward community betterment throughout the years.

Heidi Templeton, Truman’s director of public relations, said during the process of trying to get a four-lane highway approved, a highway commission meeting took place in St. Louis, and more than 200 Truman parents attended to show their support for the highway projects. Templeton said after a vote was passed to raise taxes to pay for the expansion of the road, the ground breaking took place during 2002.

Templeton said she views Beard as the type of person she encourages students to strive to be. She

said Beard is a highly involved citizen and a great community leader. Templeton said despite having helped get a four-lane highway to the south side of Kirksville, Beard has not stopped her efforts to bring better and safer highways to northeast Missouri and continues to be involved in efforts to get a four-lane highway from the north side of Kirksville to the Iowa border.

State Rep. Nate Walker said he introduced Bill 34, which called for the naming of the section from Macon to Kirksville after Beard. Walker said the bill unanimously passed in the Transportation Committee and passed in the House by a considerable margin. He said the bill faced some opposition in the Senate on the grounds that Beard still is living. Walker said after discussion, the bill finally passed in the Senate and went into effect Aug. 8. He said the signs were unveiled Nov. 15 and are expected to be put up quickly. Walker said there was an amazing turnout at the highway sign unveiling ceremony.

“I am honored and privileged to be able to recognize someone important to our community,” Walker said.

Walker said Beard is still highly involved with further improvements for U.S. Highway 63 and with the ongoing efforts to get much-needed upgrades and repairs on Baltimore Street.

Kevin James, assistant district engineer of Missouri Department of Transportation Northeast District, said MoDOT helped support the signs and will be in charge of maintenance, but the signs were funded by private donations.

“The naming was done to recognize Ms. Beard’s long efforts at improving our state transportation,” James said.

Making cards for Giving Tuesday

In honor of the National Day of Giving, students were invited to make holiday cards to give to the residents of Kirksville Manor Care.

The event was hosted by students from COMM 353: Public Relations.

Students created a total of 132 cards, exceeding the group’s goal of creating 86 cards.

Submitted photo Truman students create cards for the residents of Kirksville Manor Care for the National Day of Giving. The group hosting the event provided props including a festive photo frame and letters for students to use to take pictures and post to social media using the Giving Tuesday hashtag.

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10

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

Kate's Kitchen

EVENTS A True Men Christmas 6-7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 Baldwin Auditorium

by Anna “Kate” Grace

True Men will host its annual winter concert featuring several holiday songs. True Men will also perform an original skit.

RHA’S Winter Well-Wishes 7-9 p.m. Dec. 4 Centennial Hall Lounge

TOP

Join the Residence Hall Association for a campus-wide winter social.

Students can decorate cookies, drink hot chocolate or cider, and enjoy music while writing encouraging notes to other students wishing them happy holidays or good luck for finals.

Finals Week Breakfasts

It’s the week before finals — you still have to attend your classes and cram in all those final projects. This can leave a Bulldog tired, frazzled and hungry. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it’s all too easy to skip during a rushed morning. This can leave you distracted and with stomach grumbles heard classroom-wide — the last two things you want during a final. Eating protein in the morning will keep you feeling full longer, all the way through the worst final, according to healthyeating.org.

Greek Yogurt

Plain Greek yogurt is a multitasker that definitely can pull its weight at breakfast.

Adding honey or pure maple syrup, fruit or granola, and chia seeds makes it extra tasty and knocks out some of your required fruit servings in the morning. Add nuts for even more protein.

Cheese & Nuts

This breakfast is perfect for munching on as you power walk to an 8:30 a.m. final. It’s like a mini cheese platter to go that supplies a lot of protein. Add fruit for a sweet touch.

Egg & Peanut Butter Toast

The name pretty much gives it away. Top a piece of toast with peanut butter and an egg cooked any way for an unexpectedly tasty and proteinloaded breakfast.

(Pictured right)

Movie Releases to Look For During Winter Break

Good luck on those finals!

3

“The Hateful Eight,” Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film, will be released nationwide Jan. 8. The film stars Channing Tatum, Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russell.The movie is about a group of bounty hunters who must figure out who betrayed them.

1

“Star Wars Episode VII” releases Dec. 18. The film is directed by JJ Abrams and stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Andy Serkis. The film is set 30 years after the events of “Return of the Jedi.”

4

“Joy” is the newest collaboration of director David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. The film releases Dec. 25. Lawrence plays Joy, a woman who becomes the founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty.

2

“The Revenant” hits theaters nationwide Jan. 8 and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. DiCaprio plays a frontiersman who is bent on revenge against Hardy, who left him for dead in a forest after killing DiCaprio’s son. The film is directed

by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

5

“Sisters” releases to theaters Dec. 18. Stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler play sisters who decide to throw one last party after their parents tell them they are selling their childhood home.

AKA why isn’t everything “jessica jones”

BY KATEY STOETZEL

Features Editor index.featureseditor@gmail.com

Even though I love anything to do with the Marvel Cinematic Universe — except for “Thor” — Marvel’s latest is the best of the bunch.

“Jessica Jones” released its 13 episode first season on Netflix a couple weeks ago, making it Marvel’s second Netflix show after “Daredevil,” which released earlier this year. If we learned anything from “Daredevil,” it’s Marvel took advantage of the Netflix release to make the show more violent and bloody than its movie counterparts.

But “Jessica Jones” takes things a little farther and darker, and with good reason. The show is loosely based on the 2001 comic book series “Alias,” created

by Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos.

The series was published by Marvel’s MAX imprint, which meant it could earn an R rating — not just because of the sexual content and the language, but the issues of rape and consent the story details as well. All of this translates directly to the show.

Not only is Jessica our first female superhero to helm her own story, but she’s got a dark past she buries under alcoholism and sarcasm. Her past gradually is revealed to

the audience through expert pacing on the show’s part, hints of it shown only through vague flashbacks and Jessica’s post-traumatic stress disorder during the first few episodes. But when her past is fully revealed to us, it's clear "Jessica Jones" isn't going to be the family-friendly Marvel superhero show general audiences were probably expecting.

The series’ main villain is Kilgrave, played by David Tennant. During her short exploits as a superhero, Jessica runs into Kilgrave, who uses his power of mind control to have Jessica do his bidding, including sleeping with him, for nearly eight months. After she is able to break his control, Jessica ditches the superhero gig and goes the private investigator route. However, Kilgrave comes back — but unlike other Marvel super villains, he’s not interested in world domination. Kilgrave’s goals are much more personal — he wants Jessica back, and he doesn’t care about the civilian casualties along the way.

Another thing to be said about these Netflix shows — they know how to handle their villains much better than the movies. And Tennant really brings it as Kilgrave. With his charm and good looks, he’s able to turn Kilgrave into a three-dimensional character we can at least pity. But the show also does a good job with not redeeming him.

“Jessica Jones” doesn’t shy away from the issues of rape

and consent, and it’s Kilgrave’s complete lack of understanding about how horrible his actions were that make him a great villain. Because we’ve seen this before, right?

Society and the police not believing a woman when she says she’s been raped or abused grounds the show in reality to a point where it’s not exactly a superhero show.

And really, that’s the way it should be.

Krysten Ritter is such a treasure as Jessica — she gives a nuanced performance of a character who has been through trauma and probably doesn’t handle it the correct way, but has great redeeming moments. She truly wants to do good, but she stumbles along the way, endearing her even more to the audience. But Jessica isn’t the only hero here. There’s also Luke Cage, played

by Mike Colter, setting him up for his own Netflix show, “Luke Cage,” premiering next year. Then there’s Jessica’s neighbor Malcolm, played by Eka Darville, who’s not a superhero, but has an intriguing redemption journey all the same.

“Jessica Jones” is truly the best thing to come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe because of its ability to tell a rich, deep story. It might be a while until we get a season two however, because “Luke Cage” and “The Defenders” probably will come first. Even so, I’m anxiously counting down the days. Grade — A

SPORTS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

@trumanathletics

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tmn.truman.edu

Eight ‘Dogs earn All-GLVC

BY RACHEL STEINHOFF

during Truman’s Homecoming win against Southwest Baptist University.

On the offensive side, junior wide receiver Joey Schenck also earned his first All-Conference honors as he finished second in the GLVC with 6.5 receptions per game and landed a spot on the second team. Schenck recorded 71 receptions during 2015, tying for seventh place in singleseason catches at Truman. Schenck totaled 693 yards on the year, averaging 63 yards per game — eighth in the GLVC in this category. Schenck had two games this season with double-digit receptions.

Schenck said success as a receiver comes from the top down, starting with the coaches.

“The coaches called plays that put the ball in my hands, and we developed a game with short passes that allowed me to be a bigger part of the offense and make plays,” Schenck said. “I think I just got bigger over the offseason and ran crisper on routes that allowed for me to get more touches, but anytime any offense is created, it is [only possible with] the collaboration of the team.

It starts on the O-line, and we’ll be losing two guys in that area so those will be spots we’ll have to fill before next season,” Schenck said.

The offensive line will be graduating three seniors — consisting of Decker, offensive linemen Brad Hardin and Charlie Brynac. Schenck said he believes in the Truman offense and sees opportunity for improvement during the upcoming offseason months.

“At a critical point in the year, our offense really exploded against William Jewell [College],” Schenck said. “It was encouraging to see the kind of game we are capable of putting together offensively, and that’s something I think we can do more consistently. You know, offseason is one of the most important times of the year for us because with everyone returning straight off the season we know what to expect and how to practice with each other and can get a lot out of that.”

TMN Reporter

Eight Bulldog football players received recognition from GLVC coaches when they were voted members of the 2015 GLVC All-Conference teams.

After finishing GLVC conference play with a 4-4 record, the ‘Dogs finished with a tie for fourth place in the conference standings. Following the completion of conference play, league coaches had the opportunity to cast their votes for the players they thought made the biggest impacts throughout the season. The ‘Dogs were awarded two first-team selections, four second-team selections and two honorable-mention awards.

Redshirt junior offensive lineman Ethan Decker and junior defensive back Austin Zoda led the way for Truman State by earning first-team AllConference recognition.

This selection marked Decker’s debut as a member of an All-Conference team, and it continued Truman’s streak of three years with an offensive lineman on the first team.

Decker started 21 consecutive games as a Bulldog. Zoda earned the third all-conference honor of his career after being selected as a secondteam member the past two seasons.

Zoda finished seventh in the GLVC in tackles and led the Truman defense in tackles for the second year in a row. Zoda tallied 75 tackles during the 2014 season and improved upon this number, recording 95 tackles this year while also nabbing two interceptions, one recovered fumble and five forced fumbles. Zoda’s season high tackles for 2015 came during the season opener against Midwestern State University when he completed 13 tackles. Zoda will return next year for his senior season with the Bulldogs.

The Truman defense received more recognition with four other members picking up All-Conference attention.

Sophomores defensive back Jordan Brown and linebacker Ben Wellman were selected to the second team, as well as senior defensive lineman Nick Reichert. Sophomore defensive lineman Brian Craft also received credit as an honorable mention member.

As sophomores, Brown, Wellman and Craft made their first appearances on the All-Conference teams.

Brown registered 57 total tackles on the year, six of those going for loss. Brown also collected two picksix interceptions on the season, one of which went on to be the game-winning touchdown during the Bulldogs’ Oct. 17 win against the Univesity of St. Francis.

Brown said committing himself to pregame preparation was the key to his personal improvement during the course of the year.

“I felt like taking time to watch film really helped me out,” Brown said.

“It slowed the game down, and I was able to make the plays that I did because I didn’t feel rushed and I knew I did enough preparation throughout the week to trust myself out there.”

Brown said he thinks the overall success of the defense came from the ability of each team member to fulfill their role. He said his teammates hold each other accountable, and everyone does what is asked of them each week. Brown said last season’s senior leadership influenced this seasons’ leaders, some of whom are underclassmen. He said because everyone trusts each other, many players aren’t afraid to take responsibility and lead. Brown said because no one tries to stand out, the job always gets done.

Brown said though the team learned and gained experience this year, he is not fully satisfied. He said after receiving a preseason ranking of second place in the GLVC but finishing the season in fourth, he feels a chip on his shoulder and a greater understanding that his team needs

VOLUME 107

ISSUE 14

“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing and not take anything for granted. We need to improve little things but mostly just work on taking one game at a time. This past season is definitely motivation going forward because we lost a lot of close games, and that feeling will motivate anybody.” to be better if it wants to achieve its ultimate goal of winning a conference championship.

Wellman said he agreed with Brown and said the results of this season will motivate him.

“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing and not take anything for granted,” Wellman said. “We need to improve little things but mostly just work on taking one game at a time.

This past season is definitely motivation going forward because we lost a lot of close games, and that feeling will motivate anybody.”

Wellman’s second team selection was the result of a total of 61 tackles, four of which were for a loss. Wellman also recorded one sack, and recovered two fourth quarter fumbles to seal Truman’s conference win against St. Joseph’s College.

Wellman said he had similar thoughts as Brown because he thought his preparation and growth

tmn.truman.edu

in experience over the course of the season allowed the game to come more naturally to him.

“Coach [Kellen Nesbitt’s] defensive scheme works for us,” Wellman said. “He simplifies it enough so that we can just play fast, and the whole defense buys in. For me, and I think a lot of the other young guys, the speed of the game just kind of slowed down after gaining some experience. I think the main difference between this year and last year, along with getting the nerves out, was just knowing how to prepare for games and being more comfortable in knowing what I was doing.”

The final sophomore honoree, Craft, earned honorable mention status as a defensive lineman. Craft collected 31 tackles with four of them going for loss. Craft also made 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble and a quarterback hurry this season. Craft also was credited with a blocked field goal

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- Sophomore linebacker Ben Wellman

The final honoree, junior wide receiver Derek Hammann, was the lone award winner for Truman’s special teams. Hammann received honorable mention for the second year in a row, averaging 7.5 yards on 17 punt returns, with his longest return of 21 yards occurring during the Bulldogs’ win against William Jewell. Hammann also averaged 22.3 yards on 13 kickoff returns, with the longest at 38 yards against Quincy University.

Bulldog football now heads into the offseason returning five of its eight All-Conference honorees, as well as a relatively young lineup across the board. Offseason training starts soon, and fans will have one chance to see the ‘Dogs progress in the annual purple vs. white scrimmage during the spring semester.

@trumanindex

© 2015

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

‘Dogs split two Women improve games at Drury their win streak

BY DEVIN GILLESPIE

Sports Editor tsusportseditor@gmail.com

The Truman State men’s basketball team finished the Drury Thanksgiving Classic with a loss to Union University and a win against Cameron University last weekend. The split moved the ‘Dogs to a 4-2 overall record before beginning league competition tonight on their home court.

Truman’s Friday matchup against Union was off to a close start, with the Bulldogs shooting 48 percent from the floor and trailing by just 3 points at halftime. After the break, the men were 0-for-16 from the 3-point range while Union shot 64 percent from the field to cruise to an 84-53 victory.

Head Coach Chris Foster said the missed shots affected the team’s overall execution. He said not focusing on other aspects of the game when shots didn’t fall was a point he wants to emphasize.

“I thought we missed some shots we normally make in that game,” Foster said. “The message was just to not worry about missing shots — focus on everything else that you can do to help the team and let offense come to you.”

The men bounced back the following day against Cameron with free throw shooting and points from turnovers. Truman shot 17-for-21 from the free throw line and garnered 15 points from 13 turnovers against the Aggies.

Along with their team play, Truman had career-high performances from junior guards Cory Myers and Kyle Kanaskie. Foster said the team wanted to work on getting the ball into the paint more often, and he said he was happy to see Myers and Kanaskie scoring from around the basket.

Kanaskie played 36 minutes and finished with 22 points against the Aggies.

Despite landing seven of his 12 shots and five of his six free throws, Kanaskie said any other player in purple and white easily could have played as well.

“We’re such an unselfish team that anybody can have a big night,” Kanaskie said. “[During the Cameron game] my teammates did a great job of finding me when I was open.”

Myers finished the tournament finale with a career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 57 percent from the field and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

Myers, a native of Ankeny, Iowa, and Truman’s current leading scorer, said credit for his individual statistics goes to the team’s offensive efficiency. He said he has a higher chance to make plays this year because he has the ball in his hands more often.

“I don’t think I did anything different than normal, I just took what the defense gave me,” Myers said. “We moved the ball on offense and everyone took good shots and got good looks to score.”

Four Truman players finished with double-digit figures in scoring last Saturday. Senior guard Cole Myers totaled 17 points during the contest and senior guard Andrew Vander Zwaag added 12 of his own, knocking down four three-pointers.

Cole Myers said the win against Cameron was good for the ‘Dogs as they prepare to host a 3-2 Rockhurst University team. The Bulldogs defeated the Hawks 89-65 last January when they met in Kirksville.

“It’s a big win,” Cole Myers said. “4-2 is a lot different than 3-3. The win gives us good momentum going into conference play [tonight] against Rockhurst.”

The Bulldogs will begin GLVC play 7:30 p.m. tonight in Pershing Arena

“It’s a big win. 4-2 is a lot different than 3-3. The win gives us good momentum going into conference play [tonight] against Rockhurst.”

- Junior guard Cory Myers

against the Hawks before a 4 p.m. tipoff Saturday on the road against William Jewell College.

BY HENRY JANSSEN

TMN Reporter

The Truman State women’s basketball team currently has a three-game non-conference winning streak. The team’s only loss of the four games during Thanksgiving break was Nov. 21 against Missouri Southern State University in Pershing Arena with a score of 58-49.

Despite shooting 0-for-11 from beyond the three-point line, the Bulldogs were able to record two more rebounds than their opponents. The team outrebounded its next three opponents by a combined 39 boards. Assistant Coach Adam Tandez said rebounding is a strength for the Bulldogs.

“Rebounding is huge,” Tandez said.

“We’re winning the rebounding battle.

There’s not too many games like [Missouri Southern] where we shouldn’t come out on top.”

Truman is up 10 rebounds in the rebounding margin on the season, averaging 39.3 per game compared to its opponent’s 28.6. The team is also averaging 12.7 assists per game, nearly double its opponents’ 6.6 average.

Tandez said the coaching staff was happy with the assist-to-turnover ratio the Bulldogs posted during the fourgame stretch. Truman is averaging 14 assists per game.

“We’re sharing the ball, we’re doing a lot of little things well,” Tandez said.

“It’s our sixth straight game where we’ve held our opponent to less than 60 points.

Our defense is playing well. Seniors have been stepping up.”

Tandez said there were issues from the loss to Missouri Southern that needed to be corrected, including more protection under the basket. Tandez said the ‘Dogs let their opponents into the paint too much. He said allowing teams into the center of the floor often leads to open shots at the basket or an opportunity for other teams to shoot free throws. Tandez said one of the team’s main focuses is to prevent future opponents from getting to the middle of the floor and sending players to the free-throw line.

Tandez said the engine of the team was senior center Michalina Tomczak.

He said she deserves GLVC Player of the Week for her performance against Upper Iowa University, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds against the Peacocks.

Tomczak averaged 16.5 points during the four-game stretch. She is shooting nearly 64 percent from inside the arc and leads the team in points per game with 13.0 and rebounds per game with 5.9.

Tomczak said she thinks teams are scouting her differently now than they did previosly because she thinks she is a more athletic basketball player than she has been.

“I’m a little bit more of a force than I was last year,” Tomczak said. “Honestly, most of the time I’ll face up and one area where I have a real advantage is that I’m quicker than most of the [centers] that guard me. I can hit that 10-foot jumper now.”

Tomczak, who stands at 6-feet-3 -inches, said she now feels more comfortable shooting from farther out on the floor rather than being close to the basket, but the ability to back down defenders is still the preferred part of her offensive repertoire.

Tomczak said sophomore guard Rachel Steinhoff has been the biggest spark in the Bulldogs’ offensive attack. Steinhoff is averaging 26 minutes this season and leads the team in steals with nine and assists per game with 3.7.

“She’s become more of an offensive threat,” Tomczak said. “Last year, as a freshman, you could tell she was focused on being a facilitator at point guard. This year, you can definitely tell that she’s more aggressive, and she’s looking to score more. She makes lay-ups. She can hit the [3-pointer]. She’s definitely versatile.”

Sophomore forward Ashley Hartwig said the beginning of conference play tonight in Pershing Arena will set the tone for what the Bulldogs look to do against future GLVC opponents. She said the team can start off strong these first two games and build momentum. Hartwig said if the team stays focused, it can achieve big things this season.

The ‘Dogs open conference play against Rockhurst University at 5:30 p.m. tonight in Pershing Arena before traveling to Liberty, Missouri, to face William Jewell College 2 p.m. Saturday.

Mells Signs with Spain Former Bulldog Reed Mells recently signed a contract to play professionally in Barcelona, Spain.

Mells averaged 33 minutes and 14 points during his career as a Bulldog.

Adam Antor/Index

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13

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

Patterson awarded Underdog All-GLVC accolades magic Senior middle hitter Ali Patterson was honored with her fourth straight All-Conference selection.

Patterson, who was recognized as an All-American during 2014, received Second Team All-GLVC honors after the completion of her senior season.

COURTNEY STRAIT Assistant Sports Editor

Trevor Stark/ Index

CURT WICHMER TMN Reporter

About three weeks ago, Truman State’s volleyball season ended. With the season’s closing came awards and other special recognitions for the players in the GLVC, and among these recognitions for exceptional effort is being named a member of the All-Conference team, which was awarded to Truman senior middle hitter Ali Patterson.

During each season of her four-year career at Truman, Patterson has been awarded All-Conference recognition in some form — an honorable mention as a freshman, first-team as a sophomore, second-team as a junior and second-team again as a senior. But despite receiving the award before, Patterson said she enjoys the recognition.

“I think it’s an acknowledgement for all the hard work I’ve put in,” Patterson said. “Of course, I couldn’t have done any of this without my teammates — it’s a team sport, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything like this without their help.”

Patterson finished her career with 1,058 kills, making her the fifth Bulldog to register more than 1,000 during their career. She also had 462 blocks, which is sixth all-time.

Throughout the Bulldogs’ season, Patterson said she has taken a leadership role within the team, whether it’s helping the other players practice or giving her teammates a greater drive to win.

“I try to do what I can to make the team better,” Patterson said. “I try to push my teammates, try to make them better, give some positive feedback and, of course, to make myself a better player. I come in every day to work harder for my team. Every day I train, I see that I have Truman on my shirt and on my jersey. I’m motivated by the thought that I’m working for something bigger than myself — I’m working for my team and my program at the school.”

Senior opposite hitter Abby Heise said she compliments Patterson on her leadership skills and willingness

to do anything she can to improve the team overall. Heise said she can always play confidently with Patterson because of the drive and urge to win Patterson possesses.

Heise said her All-Conference teammate’s passion for volleyball inspires the other players to play their very best, and she said Patterson has a killer instinct that rubs off on the other players.

Head Coach Ben Briney said Patterson’s drive plays a huge part on the team.

“She really helps the team with the fire she brings to the court,” Briney said. “She does not like to lose, and she’s always going to be the one to drive her team. She wants the ball, and she demands it when she is out there.”

Briney said at the end of the year, the GLVC coaches vote on which athletes are given varying degrees of the All-Conference award. He said eight athletes are awarded the first-team award, eight are given the second-team award and six more are named honorable mentions. Briney said because the coaches cannot vote for members of their own team, the All-Conference award means Patterson’s opponents recognized her skill and hard work.

“She really helps the team with the fire she brings to the court ... she’s always going to be the one to drive her team.”

-Head Coach Ben Briney

When describing Patterson’s honors as a Bulldog, Briney explained how Patterson earned the award.

“She did a great job of keeping her errors down last season,” Briney said. “She’s been an [effective blocker] in the middle, one of the best we’ve had here at Truman.

She’s one of the best in the conference — she’s proven that year in and year out. She’s put in the work, and it’s great that she’s being recognized for it.”

Trevor Stark/ Index Top: Senior middle hitter Ali Patterson attacks the ball, opposite two University of Wisonsin-Parkside defenders. Patterson received All-Conference recognition all four years as a Bulldog.

Bottom: Senior hitter Ali Patterson spikes the ball toward two defenders. Patterson was the only Bulldog player named to the GLVC All-Conference team this season.

PRESENTS

Christmas with the Celts 7:30 p.m. • Saturday, Dec. 5 Baldwin Auditorium

Tickets will be available Nov. 16.

Free tickets for students with a Truman ID are available in the Student Activities Board Office.

Free tickets for faculty and staff with a Truman ID are available at the information desk. Both are located in the Student Union Building.

A limited number of general admission tickets are available for $11 each at Edna Campbells in downtown Kirksville and the Truman State University Business Office cashier window in McClain Hall. Tickets may also be purchased online at lyceum.truman.edu.

For more information, call 660.785.4016 or visit the Lyceum website at lyceum.truman.edu.

During most athletic events, viewers usually can predict who will come out on top. Statistics, experts’ projections, hours of game analysis and sometimes even lucky superstitions all contribute to predicting who will win and who will lose — and for the most part, these tactics seem to work. Well, except during one type of game — the David vs. Goliath matchup.

Everyone loves a good David vs. Goliath story in the world of sports. Sports fans still can recall where they were decades after the USA hockey team defeated the Soviet Union to take Olympic gold in one of the biggest sports upsets ever seen. While not every game is this memorable, year in and year out we’ll see a no-name team shock the nation and take down a renowned powerhouse in dramatic fashion. But what makes these competitions so intriguing? How do the no-names of a sport rise to the occasion and defeat dynamos season after season? Well, along with blaming pregame hype, there is some sort of sports magic that surrounds a David vs. Goliath competition.

With media outlets following coaches and star players around like ducks in a line, it’s hard not to notice when a high-ranked team has an upcoming game. Weeks before a contest even takes place, the media is filming practices, interviewing participants and collecting statistics to make predictions and conduct pregame analysis. Usually, collegiate and professional athletes understand how to handle pregame hype and perform up to their potential regardless of the circumstances. This pressure is at its highest during events where there is a heavy favorite and, in some rare cases, leads to catastrophe. This over-coverage, in my opinion, is what causes even the best teams to crack.

Sure, preparation is a major factor in who wins any athletic contest. But in every underdog story, a little something extra has to come into play — something besides the records, the talent level and the size of a team’s fanbase.

During recent weeks we have seen a handful of these David vs. Goliath matchups happen. Most recently, we watched as the University of Northern Iowa, a Div. I-AA institution, defeated the top-ranked basketball team in the country, the University of North Carolina. The UNI Panthers stunned the nation when they took down the UNC Tar H eels 71-67 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Tar Heels’ trip to Cedar Falls was a symbolic homecoming for their AllAmerican senior guard Marcus Paige, who grew up only an hour south in Marion, Iowa. As it turned out, North Carolina had to play without Paige because of a broken hand. Call it luck, magic or coincidence, but I believe the hype around Paige’s homecoming stirred something within the UNI players that led them to victory.

Aside from basketball, David vs. Goliath contests also can be found every college football season. One of the most iconic upsets in college football history happened Sept. 1, 2007, when Appalachian State University came to the University of Michigan. As time expired, Appalachian State blocked a Michigan field goal to win 34-32. Michigan is world-renowned as one of the winningest programs in college football history — so how could the team fall to an FBS opponent during the first game of the season? It’s just the magic of yet another David vs. Goliath game.

The biggest upset in my recent memory comes from the modern-day sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Nov. 14, Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey, an MMA legend, stepped into the octagon to defend her bantamweight title against contender Holly Holm. Rousey, who was undefeated going into the fight, drew more than one million viewers on Pay-PerView. The fight lasted only 59 seconds into the second round before Holm used a head kick to knock out Rousey and claim the championship belt. Holm left viewers at a loss for words as she took down Rousey, who seemed to be untouchable before the fight.

Nine times out of 10, an elite team will prevail against its lowly competition. But as famous basketball coach Adolph Rupp said, that’s why we play the game. On any given day, anybody can beat anybody else. When it comes to the David vs. Goliath matchup, though, I think there’s a little more than just hype involved.

14

Editors’ Picks

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

Trevor Stark/ Index

Austin Hornbostel/ Index

A look at the sports editor and assistant sports editor’s favorite snapshots from fall 2015.

Above: Junior wide receiver Joey Schenck hurdles a defender during a GLVC contest Sept. 19 against the Missouri University of Science and Technology Miners. Schenck finished the game with eight receptions, including one touchdown. The Bulldogs fell to the Miners 10-7. The ‘Dogs finished the season with a 5-6 record.

Top right: Redshirt senior Dwight Sistrunk, Jr. skies for a slam dunk during the second annual Bulldog Madness event Oct. 23 in Pershing Arena. Redshirt junior center Connor Erikson won the dunk contest. The men’s basketball team is now 4-2 and will play tonight at 7:30 p.m. against the Rockhurst University Hawks.

Bottom right: Redshirt freshman quarterback Randy Schroeder evades a defender to make a pass against McKendree University Nov. 14. The Bulldogs finished with 175 total yards on the day and fell to the McKendree Bearcats 31-3. With the loss, the Bulldogs finished the season tied for fourth place in the GLVC standings.

Trevor Stark/ Index

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