The Index Vol. 109 Issue 5

Truman State University tmn.truman.edu THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 tmn.truman.edu

@TrumanMediaNet TrumanMediaNetwork

FEATURES | Students speak about experience with emotional support animals Page 7

SPORTS | Family night football game hit with unexpected delays Page 14

Family Day 2017

Saturday, Sept. 16 saw thousands of students and their family members arrive in Kirksville.

The longtime tradition included the Red Barn Arts and Crafts Festival, a cookout and the first home football game of the year.

See FAMILY DAY, page 5

Truman explores compensation possibilities

BY SETH WOLFMEYER Editor-in-Chief

Tensions rise over proposal to elminate academic programs

Truman State University started a process to examine and improve personnel compensation, as the University faces concerns from staff and faculty about salaries. The goal is to have a plan by April so it can be included in next year’s budget.

Administration is collecting data to compare Truman’s salaries against those of other competitive organizations, and Truman started forming a committee for staff salary and benefits which will look at that data to create a plan to address those frustrations.

Staff Council Chair Ryan Miller said she has heard multiple complaints from Truman’s staff about compensation, including frustrations from a lack of promotion opportunities and not receiving raises when doing additional or exemplary work. She also said some assistant office staff members have second jobs to help support themselves.

Miller said Truman had staff fill out surveys earlier this year which gave the staff compensation committee information on how to improve staff salary and benefits to match what the University’s current personnel want changed.

Photo by Daniel Degenhardt/TMN Truman State University’s Undergraduate Council meets in the Student Union Building Thursday, Sept. 14. UGC is a subcommittee of Faculty Senate, the body which assists in academic matters regarding the University and acts in an advisory role for the administration.

BY BRENTLY SNEAD Managing Editor

Photo by Bethany Travis/TMN Dave Rector, vice president of administration, finance and planning, speaks about staff compensation at the strategic planning and assesment workshop Aug. 18, 2017.

University President Sue Thomas said it is no secret many people think staff salaries are low, and she said she agrees Truman needs to be more competitive in compensating staff and faculty. Thomas said the main challenges the University is facing are the low likelihood of Truman receiving more state funding and reallocating funds for staff compensation.

“If we want to continue to keep bringing the very best people here for Truman, we need to make sure we’re as competitive as possible,” Thomas said.

See COMPENSATION, page 5

Faculty members recently received an email listing recommended changes to programs at Truman State University which has prompted by some faculty and Janet Gooch, executive vice president of academic affairs and provost, in compliance with a request from the Missouri Department of Higher Education.

Though deans and some faculty members worked alongside Gooch to make the recommendations, Faculty Senate members voiced their frustrations at the meeting Aug. 24 when Gooch reported the recommendations.

Gooch sent a faculty email announcing the changes Aug. 16. Gooch said the MDHE made a request for information on programs with low enrollment as part of their review system for public universities. Gooch said every few years, the University receives a list of programs to discuss and make appropriate suggestions for how to move forward.

Gooch said this year, the University received a list of 27 programs to review, though some the University had not offered in years. She said she worked alongside the deans of each school — who worked with their department chairs and other

faculty members — to make proper recommendations for their programs.

“Essentially, we had to decide, in the context of this information — are we in a position to continue offering these majors on campus?” Gooch said.

Faculty Senate member Stephen Pollard said he was confused about how the recommendations had been made without being discussed within Faculty Senate.

“If it is an ‘academic matter’ to close, no longer offer or inactivate academic programs, then this matter falls within Senate’s deliberative and legislative responsibilities,” Pollard said. “If such closures, etc. ‘affect faculty and academic community,’ they fall within Senate’s advisory responsibilities. I would ask — is it consistent with Board policy to take these actions without consulting Senate?”

Although these changes are considered recommendations, Gooch’s email to the faculty said the University will no longer offer baccalaureate degrees in Russian and art history, though the University will continue to offer courses in those disciplines. The University will also be placing the master’s degree in Biology on inactive status and changing the current athletic training program to an entry-level master’s degree program.

See PROGRAMS, page 3

Legislation requires common curriculum

BY NICOLAS TELEP News Text Editor

Submitted photo The Missouri House of Representatives meets in its chamber in the State Capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri. The House passed Missouri Senate Bill 997 with little opposition, clearing the way for it to become law and requiring a 42 credit-hour block of common core curriculum for all public colleges and universities in Missouri.

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 5 © 2017

The Missouri Department of Higher Education is developing a block of common courses among public colleges and universities to comply with a state law signed last year.

The General Assembly passed the law in May 2016 and former Gov. Jay Nixon signed it the following month.

The law tasks the MDHE with constructing a 42 credit-hour block of classes to be used in all community colleges and public universities in the state of Missouri. The goal of the law — known as Missouri Senate Bill 997 — is to simplify the transfer process for students in the state, especially those transferring from two-year to four-year institutions.

The original bill was introduced Feb. 1, 2016 by Senator David Pearce, a Republican from Warrensburg representing Senate District 26 and Senate Education Committee chair, according to the Missouri Senate website. The bill

passed the state Senate with no opposition and the state House of Representatives with little opposition. The law specifies class topics for the curriculum but not specific courses.

Bridget Thomas, Truman State University’s director of interdisciplinary studies, represents Truman on the Common Curriculum Advisory Committee — a group composed of faculty from public colleges and universities in Missouri which advises the Coordinating Board for Higher Education as it reviews the curriculum. Thomas said the committee is also working with chief academic officers for two- and fouryear schools.

Thomas said the bill specifies a number of areas and competencies that should be included in the curriculum and the committee is using these areas as a starting point. She said a block for transfer purposes already exists within the Code of State Regulations, but the advisory committee has been tasked with revisiting the current block.

See CORE, page 3

The Index

2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

Red Barn Arts and Crafts Festival

Photo by Daniel Degenhardt/TMN

Photo by Samantha Garrett/TMN

Above: Truman State University Illusion Danz performs at the annual Red Barn Arts and Crafts Festival. The Red Barn Festival has been a part of Truman’s Family Day since its inception in 1974.

Though the festival is currently hosted in downtown Kirksville on The Square, it was originally held at Red Barn Park on Truman’s campus, which is where it got its name.

Top Right: Festival participants look at a vendor table of various homemade pottery. The Red Barn Festival includes more than 100 vendors from all over the United States.

Right: People check out arts and crafts booths at the Red Barn Festival. Vendors are selling various items including tea kettles, lanterns, aprons, other clothing and wind chimes. The Red Barn Festival was held on Saturday, September 16. The festival date falls in conjunction with Truman’s Family Day.

Photo by Daniel Degenhardt/TMN

calendar Spirituality and Spaceflight

“Good Kids” Theater Production

University Showcase

Annual Book Sale

Friday, September 22 7 p.m.

September 27-30 8 - 10 p.m.

Saturday, September 23 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

September 27-28 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Former NASA engineer Mike O’Neal will speak in Baldwin Auditorium to talk about spirituality and space travel. The talk will feature stories from O’Neal about how he and other NASA employees have used their spirituality in their experience with space travel.

The event is free admission

The theatre department presents “Good Kids” by Naomi Iizuka. “Good Kids” explores a young girl’s experiences with a sexual encounter gone wrong. Tickets are $5 and are available a week before the production at the theatre department box office in Ophelia Parish. Tickets must be bought in advance.

Prospective students will be visiting campus for the first showcase day of the year. The students can come for various tours and activities. They will tour the campus including residence halls and dining halls.

Prospective students also attend information sessions in the Student Union Building.

Students and members of the community can come to the south side of Pickler Memorial ibrary to for its annual book sale. The library is also taking donations including books, audio tapes, games, sheet music, puzzles, and art pieces. Proceeds will go to library.

staff Serving the University community since 1909 Adviser Don Krause Editor-in-Chief Seth Wolfmeyer Digital Director Ben Cook Managing Editor Brently Snead News Editor (Text) Nicolas Telep News Editor (Multimedia) Brea Parnell Features Editor (Text) Rachel Fechter Sports Editor (Text) Rachel Steinhoff Sports Editor (Multimedia) Jeremy Jacob

Copy Chief MacKenna Palazza Assistant Copy Chief Trevor Hamblin Photo Editor Bethany Travis Design Chief Mariah Radle Distribution Manager Jessica Rose Staff Writers Jase Willhite, Ashley

Murphy, Kennedy Martin, Paul Province, Patrick Pardo, Stephanie Hulett, Brooke Bailey, Curt Wichmer, Kayla Perkins, Spencer Foust, Johanna Burns

Copy Editors Katie Puryear, Bethany Spitzmiller, Ellen Thibodeau, Allyson Lotz, Julianna Foster, Elise Hughes Cartoonists Annie Kintree, August Davis Designers Clarissa Todd, Lawrence Hu, Georgia Gregory, Maddie Kamp Photographers Lawrence Hu, Athena Geldbach, Austin Dellamano, Daniel Degenhardt, Hannah Ahlenius Distribution Representatives Greta Roettechen, Amanda Claywell

The Index

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

3

PROGRAMS | Russian and art history eliminated as majors after calls for cuts from state

CORE | Committee works to create common curriculum to comply with state law

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

Gooch said for now these preliminary suggestions have been made and the discussion for them will come up again — particularly with Faculty Senate — when the state provides feedback for the University.

“I think the process went as it should have,” Gooch said. “I think there was involvement across campus.

It’s a recommendation, and so we really need to wait to hear back.”

Fourteen undergraduate programs were placed on the list of programs to be considered by the University, 10 of which fall in the School of Arts and Letters.

James O’Donnell, Dean of the School of Arts and Letters, said the process requires departments to work together to present the strongest case possible to maintain each program.

“It’s not a brand new idea,” Thomas said. “Transfer has been happening from one state school to another for years and years.”

Thomas said the law was passed in response to a small problem. She said schools are already collaborating to ensure students can transfer credits and aren’t wasting their time and money taking classes that will not count at another institution. For these reasons, she said some see the law as unnecessary.

Thomas said because policies for transfer and articulation are developed by administration, they can be misunderstood by faculty who are not as involved with them. She said there was some alarm among faculty when they heard about the law. However, Thomas said it builds upon work that has already been done.

“There’s this sense of ‘the sky is falling,’ but I really don’t think it’s true,” Thomas said. “We’ve been doing this already — we’ve already been working to make sure transfers can happen.”

Janet Gooch, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, said the main objective from Truman’s standpoint was ensuring the credit -hour block will be accepted by Truman for students transferring in as well as having a core set of courses students can transfer from Truman to other universities.

Gooch said faculty is ultimately responsible for deciding on a curriculum which works for Truman students as well as students transferring from two-year institutions. She said the law is primarily focused on simplifying the process for students who transfer to four-year schools from community colleges.

“The state wants what a student does at a twoyear institution to be of the greatest value for students,” Gooch said. “Four-year institutions need to work collaboratively with the two-year institutions so that students can transfer and come to a fouryear institution and try to graduate in two years.”

Gooch said there are many students who would be able to go to Truman but choose instead to go to a twoyear institution for financial reasons. She said Missouri’s A+ Scholarship Program, which allows students to go to a community college for two years free of charge, makes this a responsible fiscal choice for some students.

Gooch said the University wants to identify students who would be successful at Truman and encourage them to attend after they finish their two-year degree. She said Truman has articulation agreements with multiple community colleges in Missouri, including the TruMACC Transition Program, in which students go to Moberly Area Community College with the intention of transferring to Truman.

Gooch said she first heard about the law around February 2017. She said collaboration between two- and four-year schools is a good thing, so students are not penalized for transferring. Gooch said Truman should not lose sight of the curriculum for its own students and not get caught up in thinking about the mandatory 42-hour block.

“I don’t see that the two are mutually exclusive,” Gooch said. “They can be very compatible, us recognizing the coursework from our two-year institutions and providing an experience that we really want for our Truman students.”

“Faculty members in art and Russian, colleagues around campus, and I are disappointed that students in Missouri will have fewer options available to them in the future for pursuing these majors,”

- James O’Donnel, Dean of the School of Arts and Letters O’Donnell said two of their 10 programs — art history and Russian — were designated as being on inactive status. O’Donnell said a program that is listed as inactive is allowed to graduate students currently enrolled in the major, but will not offer the major to future students. Truman is currently one of two universities in the state to offer a Russian major, which means its removal would leave the University of Missouri as the only remaining university to offer degrees in Russian.

“Faculty members in art and Russian, colleagues around campus, and I are disappointed that students in Missouri will have fewer options available to them in the future for pursuing these majors,” O’Donnell said. “In the meantime, the art and Russian faculty have already begun work to determine what courses will continue to be offered in the future so that they can continue to make valuable contributions to the LSP, other majors, minors and disciplines at Truman.”

Gooch said other programs were asked to start looking at ways to improve their number of graduates. She said this is a process that will continue, and she said the University doesn’t want to have to continue to defend programs with low enrollment.

Gooch said the University should receive a report from the state in October which will determine the next steps to be taken.

“It could be that they agree with what we proposed, or they may not agree, or they may agree with some and not agree with others — we just have to wait and see,” Gooch said.

Truman registrar Maggie Herron said many courses from Missouri community colleges have already been articulated. For two-year institutions that send a lot of students and credits to Truman, those credits can be accepted for specific classes into the curriculum through the Banner system.

“There’s this sense of ‘the sky is falling,’ but I really don’t think it’s true. We’ve been doing this already — we’ve already been working to make sure transfers can happen.”

- Bridget Thomas, director of interdsciplinary studies and Truman representative on the Common Curricular Advisory Committee

Herron said currently, if a student comes to Truman with an Associate of Arts degree from a twoyear institution, the degree counts for the completion of essential skills and modes of inquiry for the Liberal Studies Program. She said the interconnecting perspectives requirements are University requirements and must be completed whether a student transfers in with an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree or a 42 credit-hour block.

Herron said it is difficult, but not impossible, for transfer students to finish a bachelor’s degree in four years no matter where they go to school.

She said Truman does a good job helping students finish their degree in a reasonable time frame. She said the ability to finish in four years can depend on the major the student chooses.

“For a student that’s coming in, say, in one of the sciences or communication disorders, one of those where it’s a very structured schedule, it’s a little harder to complete that in four years,” Herron said.

“I think for the folks coming in with a major that’s less structured, they probably can get done.”

Herron said the state and the schools have worked collaboratively for years to give students the ability to transfer between Missouri schools.

She said there is movement to ease the experience of students who must spend a semester away from a four-year institution, for any number of reasons, and study at a community college. Herron said she was on a committee of registrars working to develop a matrix of common courses for schools across the state, which was the precursor to what the current committee is doing now.

Herron said a 42 credit-hour block of transferrable classes already exists, but has not been widely publicized. She said MO SB 997 is attempting to pull together the programs of all the schools in the state and make the curriculum more cohesive, giving transfer students confidence their credits will transfer.

“Times change, people change general ed curriculums,” said Herron. “I think the state’s just trying to stay on top of that in a way to help students.”

Interested in doing a PAID Truman internship?

Then check out Truman’s unique

2018 Missouri Government Internship Program

FOR MORE INFORMATION about the paid internship, contact Dr. Candy Young at cyoung@truman.edu.

• Receive a $2,500 stipend • Earn up to 15 college credit hours • All majors can apply • Requirements include a 2.75 or higher GPA, a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit and a minimum of two semesters completed on the Truman campus

The full-time internship offers a hands-on opportunity to intern at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo., with a public official (legislator or state agency) during the Spring 2018 semester. The program provides an inside look at state government and the political process.

Typical duties include attending meetings and making reports, communicating with constituents, office and computer work, conducting research, assisting with committee hearings, writing speeches, editing printed materials, tracking and summarizing legislation and being on call to help with projects. No special coursework is required prior to the internship. Successful applicants will be of sound character and possess qualities that reflect positively upon themselves and the University.

Interviews will be conducted Oct. 3, 4 & 5.

The application is available online at formbuilder.truman.edu/ web/form_builder2/form_builder.asp?testId=1007.

Applications must be turned in by Sept. 28 to the Public Relations Office, McClain Hall 202.

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The Index

4

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

Be concerned over Equifax leak

BY SETH WOLFMEYER Editor-in-Chief

Many college students have only just started taking control of their finances. It’s no easy task for anyone, but for students trying to manage debt as they put themselves through their education, it’s even harder. Because of this, it can be easy to forget about the bigger things and even become naive about them.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Equifax — one of the largest consumer credit-reporting agencies — had been the victim of a data breach which included the sensitive information of 143 million Americans. In short, if you have a credit score, there’s higher than a 50 percent chance you are one of them.

Typically, when something like this happens, we have the tendency to ignore it while thinking it doesn’t affect us — that this is something that will affect people who have 401(k) plans, mortgages and other grown up stuff. However, the Equifax breach is different and can affect anyone of us.

Putting aside the intense criticism which could be given to Equifax for allowing this to happen, students, staff and faculty need to take responsibility in protecting our finances and identity. It can be easy to become lazy and assume you will not be affected, but the consequences of identity theft are too harmful to ignore.

There are four steps you should take to help protect yourself, according to the New York Times. First, you should set up fraud alerts with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — the major credit-reporting agencies — so you will be informed if anyone applies for credit under your name.

Second, you should look into possibly putting a freeze on your credit to prevent companies which do not already have access to your information from getting to it.

This means if an identity thief tried to set up credit in your name, the company they are using would not be able to access your files.

Third, you really need to check your credit report. This is something you should do even without the Equifax breach. You can go to AnnualCreditReport.com to get a free report from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies every year. It only takes a few minutes to fill out your information and get a report.

Finally, you might want to take advantage of the free year of credit monitoring which Equifax is now offering. There is controversy concerning the fine print in the agreement for the offer which could have prevented you from being involved in a lawsuit against Equifax — though, the company later changed the policy.

We all need to remember that our identities are vulnerable and begin working to protect ourselves. Nobody wants to be the victim of identity theft, and it’s our responsibility to make sure we’re not.

Family is important, life changing and more than just blood relatives

BY JOHANNA BURNS Staff Writer

For a long time, family was something I took for granted — a fact of life that would always be there. Everyone has one. Some of us love our families. Some of us simply put up with them. Others even hate their families. They can be a burden or a boon, large or small, simple or complex. They are what they are. And the older I get, the more I’ve come to recognize the role my own family has played in shaping who I am today.

My own life revolves around my family. I love everything about them. I love how loud and large they are. I love how caring and funny they are. I even love it when we fight. Alright, I’ll admit, I don’t really love it when we fight, but in the past year I’ve come to appreciate those fights as opportunities for growth.

My sisters — all four of them — are my best friends. My parents are the greatest teachers I’ve ever had. Every moment with them — even the painful ones — is a moment I treasure. During the years, my family has grown and spread out.

It’s become harder and harder to stay in touch, but, in the end, my family isn’t something that I can lose — not even through death.

And that’s because I don’t think family is limited to the people who share our blood.

If it were, they would have faded away long

ago. Family is more than your kin. There are the families we’re born into and the families we choose. Throughout time, we make connections with people who take root and grow into something beautiful, something almost indefinable. That’s what I’m here to do today — to try and define family and challenge you to think about what family means in your life.

My family supports me. When I was very young, I didn’t truly understand love — who ever really does? — and often thought the choices my family made reflected their level of love for me. And, in a way, they did. But I confused love and support with letting me do what made me happy, even if it was bad for me. Then one day, a neighborhood friend told me a story of something she had done. I don’t remember what transgression she revealed to me, just that I knew it was incredibly naughty and would never have flown in my house.

When I asked her about it, she proudly and breezily replied, “Oh, my parents love me — They let me do whatever I want.” Confused, I went to my mother.

I knew my parents loved me, but there was no way they would ever let me do whatever I wanted.

My mother told me something that is still the wisest thing I’ve ever heard — love doesn’t mean letting someone do what they want., love means looking out for someone’s best interests,

even if they can’t recognize what those interests are in the moment.” This kind of love is the foundation of family. This love moves past the white lies to the harsher truths that nonetheless shape you into a better person.

Family is the bedrock of our strength and the fuel for our growth. Family not only shapes our ideals, but challenges them as well. Most of you probably have someone in your life, maybe a best friend or mentor, that serves as the Jiminy Cricket of your life. They’re your conscience, reminding you of right from wrong and challenging you to make better choices.

They’re the honest encouragers who’ve built their relationship with you on a history of trust and a genuine desire for your happiness. My roommate has never failed to help me honestly look at a situation and give me the tools I need to make the right decisions for myself — and I know I serve her in the same way.

The love that binds a family together comes with a great amount of responsibility. When someone gives you their love, they ask you to help shape the person they will become. But with the greatest love, comes the greatest potential for hurt — this doesn’t mean family should come without conflict. Conflict is a necessary part of any relationship. The trick to family is that there is a balance between conflict and resolution. Often, this is the hardest part of family. We need conflict to

grow in a relationship, but it’s important that pain is always soothed with love — and that needs to come from both sides.

True family recognizes that because your pain is their pain. They don’t love you in spite of your faults — they love you, including your faults. And because of that love, you find the strength to overcome your flaws.

Family is a legacy. The people we let into our lives to share our joy and our grief make up the story of who we are. They leave their marks on our soul and we touch their stories in the same way. Because of that, those stories live on long after the twists and turn of life have separated you. They help shape the foundation of the families that come after you. The dynamics of your family today can influence how the people who live after you build their families. It’s a responsibility that makes my head swim if I let myself think about it too long. But it’s also a reminder that I should seek out the kind of family I want to perpetuate.

That’s the true core of what family means in my eyes. My family isn’t defined by a strict genealogy. That’s simply a small facet of who my family is. My family is the people who I’ve allowed into my life with the understanding that they change who I am. They will be a part of my past, my present and my future, and I will be a part of theirs.

[ Our View ]

Academic changes should involve faculty and students Truman State University recently made a number of changes to programs, including making a recommendation to the state to transfer the art history and Russian majors to inactive status.

While we understand these recommendations were made per request of the Missouri Department of Higher Education, there’s a certain frustration that comes in knowing that few individuals were part of this decision and most faculty and students are only finding out in hindsight.

We, The Index Editorial Board, feel the preliminary suggestions made to the MDHE should have been discussed with Faculty Senate to receive more input from faculty. The Faculty Senate is the body that handles academic matters and plays an advisory role to the administration, according to Faculty Senate policy. If academic matters are under the Faculty Senate’s responsibilities, why were they not fully included in the process?

Truman’s faculty is the most experienced resource when it comes to mak-

ing decisions on the curriculum. They work with students daily and are better able to understand what direction the University should take to give students the best education possible.

Furthermore, why are students not being informed of the current standing of these programs? Someone who has already declared a Russian major can follow through, but what about other students currently attending Truman who might later want to change their major to Russian? There are other programs

EDITORIAL POLICY: The Index is published Thursdays during the academic year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501. The production offices are located in Barnett Hall 1200. We can be reached by phone at 660-785-4449. The Index is a designated public forum, and content of The Index is the responsibility of The Index staff. The editor-in-chief consults with the staff and adviser but ultimately is responsible for all decisions.

Opinions of The Index columnists are not necessarily representative of the opinions of the staff or the newspaper. Our View editorials represent the view of the Editorial Board through a two-thirds majority vote. The Editorial Board consists of the editor-in-chief, managing editor, section editors, copy chief and assistant copy chief. The Index reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space 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.

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Submissions must contain a well-developed theme and cannot exceed 500 words except at the discretion of the opinions editor and/or editor-in-chief. Submission does not guarantee publication. Letters containing personal attacks, libelous attacks or inaccurate information will not be published. All letters to the editor must be typed and submitted by email to index.opinionseditor@gmail.com or online at tmn.truman.edu.

Include the words “letter to the editor” in the subject line of the email. Letters which are not submitted digitally will not be taken in consideration.

available, but shouldn’t we be informed about the academic changes being made?

We understand there is a lack of general student participation in the discussions which shape the University’s future — which is a separate issue students, as a whole, should tackle — but Truman should keep students informed throughout the process, rather than reviewing it afterward.

Contact Submit corrections or contact the editor.

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The Index

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

COMPENSATION | University explores ways to address concerns of low salaries Continued from page 1

Thomas said the University is also forming a committee for faculty compensation — separate from the staff compensation committee — but the two will come together to form one comprehensive plan.

Thomas said the University has never tried to take a complete look at compensation like this before. Because of this, she said the timetable for the committees is still in flux, and they need to decide on a course of action by April.

Thomas said this comprehensive look would affect most staff and faculty, except higher-level positions like deans or vice presidents. She said the salaries of these higher-level positions are raised to keep them competitive for hiring, though the salary and benefits are still comparable to lower-level staff salaries because they are below the median of other organizations.

Dave Rector, vice president for administration, finance and planning, is one of the people responsible for gathering data on compensation from other organizations so the University can find where Truman compares. Rector said Truman needs different data depending on the position because Truman needs to compete with other organizations’ salaries locally, regionally or across the the Midwest.

Rector said the University wants to raise all staff salaries to at least $10 an hour — which only newly-hired custodians and housekeepers are receiving less than. Rector said the University was able to give staff several raises during the past 10 years, but three years had no increase, including last year. The raises add up to a 10.7 percent increase with a $600 raise in 2014. Rector said the University would like to give larger raises, but cuts in state funding have made this difficult.

Rector said people often forget that in addition to salary, Truman has to figure in benefits when calculating compensation costs. He said while they understand salaries are low, the value of the benefits package offered by Truman is fairly high. Rector said by increasing salaries, the costs for benefits would also go up. He said the University could decrease benefits to raise salaries, but it would take away from one area of staff

compensation to increase another. Rector said the University could also cut from other sections of the University budget to free up funds for compensation, but it can be difficult to figure out how much can safely be redistributed.

“If I say, ‘Well, you have to pay for your health insurance, but I’ll give you a raise,’ well, you really haven’t come out ahead, you know,” Rector said. “You just put the money in a different place.”

Staff salary increases for employees with 10 years experience hired Sept. 1, 2008

20092010 20102011 20112012 20122013 20132014 20142015 20152016 20162017 20172018

0.0% 0.0% +2.5% +2.5% +2.0%

5

NEWS IN BRIEF Truman tops U.S. News ranking again Truman State University has been ranked the No. 1 public university in the Midwest regional category and No. 8 in overall Midwestern region by U.S. News and World Report. Truman has achieved this for 21 consecutive years.

Truman was the only Missouri school to crack the Top 10 and was the state’s only public school to get in the Top 85. U.S. News and World Report bases its top institutions on academic excellence, including retention and graduation rate, assessment by peers and counselors, student-to-faculty ratio, and alumni giving rate. University President Sue Thomas said the accolades Truman receives are a direct result of the commitment to excellence from the University community. Truman also earned a spot as U.S. News and World Report’s 2018 Best Value Schools. In the Great Schools, Great Prices section, Truman was the No. 1 public university and No. 2 overall for the Midwestern region.

Transportation Task Force hosts public hearing The fourth meeting of the 21st Century Missouri Transportation System Task Force took place at 1 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Student Union Building. The task force seeks to evaluate the current condition of the state’s transportation system and funding levels. The force then makes recommendations regarding their evaluation to the legislatures. The meeting discussed growing technology in the transportation industry. The Missouri Department of Transportation provided information on road funding, federal transportation discussions, and conditions of the transportation system in northeast and west Missouri.

Nursing students travel abroad Thirteen Truman nursing students traveled to the Philippines May 18 through June 11 to gain clinical experience from patients with a transcultural perspective. The students’ first week in Manila consisted of assisting in nursery and maternal care. All of the participants had the chance to assist in delivering a newborn baby. Students also got to assist with patient care in any unit they wanted including pediatric ICU, neonatal ICU and emergency. The students travelled to Iloilo City where they enrolled in the Transcultural Nursing Program at West Visayas State University. The students will be giving a presentation on the experience at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 in the Student Union Building.

+$600

International studies minor altered

+1.2%

A proposal was brought forth and passed at the Sept. 14 Undergraduate Council meeting to change the International Studies minor to a 15 credit minor rather than a 21 credit minor. Previously, the minor required an intermediate proficiency in foreign language. However, students within the program will no longer have that requirement in future years.

+2.5%

Constitution Day celebration

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A Constitution Day celebration took place at noon Sept. 18 on The Quad.

The event featured staff and faculty from the history department and other departments on campus reading excerpts from the constitution. University President Sue Thomas gave a speech at the event about the constitution and its importance in our lives.

Family Day draws thousands to Kirksville and campus

BY NICOLAS TELEP News Text Editor The long-running tradition of Family Day at Truman State University continued on Saturday with events for students and their families.

The Red Barn Arts and Crafts Festival and the Bulldogs’ first home football game of the season were the centerpieces of the day, which takes place every September.

Heidi Templeton, Truman public relations director, said Family Day has been celebrated annually for her entire 26-year tenure. She said more than 550 tickets were sold for the on-campus cookout alone, and there were thousands more people in town for the Red Barn Festival and on-campus events.

“Families were walking down Franklin Street, up and back,” Templeton

said. “Everybody was smiling and having a good time.”

Templeton said the goal of Family Day is to give parents the opportunity to touch base with their students after their first few weeks of school.

She said Family Day is generally hosted 4-6 weeks after school starts, which is a good time for parents to check how classes are going.

The football game against the Missouri University of Science and Technology Miners was scheduled to start at 7 p.m. that evening but was delayed for more than two hours by lightning. Templeton said the weather was good until about 6:45 p.m. She said families were participating in afternoon activities and attending the Red Barn Festival in great weather, but it was unfortunate that the football game had to be delayed.

Photos by Bethany Travis/TMN Above: A family member of a Truman student, Samantha, celebrates Family Day with her dinosaur balloon animal. Festivities for Family Day included having a balloon artist, a family picnic and the football season opener, as well as other activities throughout the day.

Left: Balloon artist Brian Getz gives Kylie, a Family Day guest, a balloon hat. Getz was present on campus most of the day and made various items for students and their families.

Bottom: One of the highlights of the day was a likeness of Spike the Bulldog made completely out of balloons. Throughout the day, students and their families were told to go and take pictures with the giant Spike balloon sculputre.

The Index

6

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

Missouri Hall Dining Renovations Truman State University and Sodexo are planning a renovation to the Missouri Hall dining area. The renovations re planned to be completed summer 2018 and will be ready for the 2018-2019 school year. The plans include a salad bar and a vegetarian section. There will also be a section called “My Kitchen” which will include interactive seating around the cooking area.

Photos by Nicolas Telep/TMN Top left: Missouri Hall’s dining area is currently set up similar to those in Ryle and Centennial Halls, with a set menu for each meal. The goal in the renovation is to allow more flexibility and offer students more choices.

Middle left: One of Sodexo’s goals in the renovation is to offer more seating in the Missouri Hall dining area. One addition is creating interactive seating where students are able to sit around the cooking area and watch someone prepare their meal.

Above: Sodexo’s plans include detailed sketches of what they want the new dining area to look like. The renovation is planned to cost nearly $2 million.

Bottom left: Sodexo began the planning stages of the renovation, which includes creating blueprints. The new set up should increase the size of the kitchen and will include new appliances.

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The Index 5x5 9/13

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

A Pawsitive OUTLOOK Emotional Support Animals Serve As More Than Just Pets For Truman Students

By Rachel Fechter Features Editor

With close to 25 students living on Truman’s campus this semester with an emotional support animal, curiosities and misconceptions about ESA’s have spread across the Truman community. Some questions about ESA’s revolve around how people can have ESA’s, what purpose they serve, the ethics of having them in certain spaces, and the overall stigmas that surround ESA’s and mental health as a whole.

Director of Residence Life John Gardner said students are allowed to have ESA’s on campus because of a clause within the Fair Housing Act. Gardner said the Fair Housing Act allows students to bring animals if they have an emotional or mental health need. In addition, he said the Fair Housing Act cannot limit where an animal can reside or what kind of animal it can be as long as it is an animal legally allowed within Kirksville city limits. For example, a student could have an emotional support snake but not an emotional support hippopotamus.

Gardner said the process of getting an ESA begins by submitting a request through the Disability Services Office.

After showing proper documentation — including an accommodation letter from an external counseling center and paperwork indicating the animal has received proper vaccinations and medical procedures — the animal gets approved. After approval is granted, Gardner said the student meets with the Office of Residence Life to talk about the logistics of having an animal on campus, and those living on the same floor near the animal are notified via email.

Gardner said there have been instances where some people living on a floor with an ESA have expressed concern because of allergies or phobias, but generally they do not feel concerned once they are informed the ESA will stay in the individual student’s room and is not permitted to go to any other locations of the residence hall except to be taken outside for the bathroom. Gardner added that unlike service animals, ESA’s can only be in certain housing spaces and aren’t allowed in class, the Student Union Building, the Student Recreation Center or the Pikcler Memorial library.

Photo by Rachel Fechter/TMN

Junior Monique Miller and her one year old emotional support dog Milo. Miller said having Milo allows her to deal with symptoms of her PTSD without medication.

“A lot of people just don’t recognize and or understand that mental health is a thing. So when somebody hears ‘Oh, it’s an emotional support animal,’ you get the stereotypical, ‘Oh, you’re a baby. You can’t take care of yourself. You can’t be away from your pet for 30 minutes.”

- Junior Arin Jarmin

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Junior Arin Jarman poses with her emotional support cat Achilles. Jarman has three other cats besides Achilles, including one that is also an emotional support cat where she is from back home.

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Sophomore, Courtney Atwell poses with her emotional support dog, Jazza. Atwell said Jazza — only weighing 12 pounds — makes it a lot easier for her to live in Blanton-Nason-Brewer Hall with her.

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tmn.truman.edu

Gardner encourages students to consider if it would be best for both their own well being as well as the animal’s before getting an ESA. “I really want folks — if they’re thinking about an emotional assistance animal — [to think] is it also good for the animal?” Gardner said.

“If you think about an animal you would choose for that, think about, is there an appropriate animal to choose? Rather than, say, a big dog, would a guinea pig or bunny serve the same purpose for someone?”

Gardner also said there have been times when students have brought emotional support animals to campus and then changed their mind after taking the animal into consideration.

One student who formerly lived in Missouri Hall, junior Monique Miller got her ESA, a dog named Milo, in December 2016. She adopted him when he was a puppy from the Adair County Humane Society and said when she saw him it was instant love.

Miller said Milo helps her with PTSD. “He really just helps me stay out of a dark place,” Miller said. “My brain will start to wander into really bad memories ... I can focus my attention on him rather than having really terrible thoughts. He just makes a really good listener if I’m feeling down.”

Miller said she has to deal with negative attitudes from others in Reslife, a previous roommate and her current landlord for not understanding or hold-

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ing negative stigmas about her and Milo.

Miller said dealing with negative people on campus is ultimately why she now lives off-campus, where she believes both her and Milo are a lot happier.

“I don’t care if you don’t like me, but you’re not going to be rude to my dog,” Miller said. “He means a lot to me. He means more to me than I mean to my own self, if that makes sense … I take care of his safety and everything and that gives me purpose.”

Miller said Milo serves as an alternative option for her as opposed to taking medicine, and Milo is her little burst of joy.

Sophomore Courtney Atwell also has her own burst of joy, a dog named Jazza, as her ESA. Atwell currently lives in Blanton Nason Brewer Hall with Jazza and said she is a very intuitive and loving animal. “... Her main thing is that she provides comfort through depression and anxiety attacks,” Atwell said. “It’s mostly just being able to have someone with me and someone that will cuddle me and will have physical contact with.

That really helps. It’s kind of cool, because she can tell when I’m sad and she’ll bring all her toys to me when I’m sad, which is cool because animals have that thing where they just know.”

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EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS | Truman students weigh in on their experiences with emotional support animals on campus and how they help them cope with mental health issues.

Atwell said one misconception she’s noticed about ESA’s is thinking they have to be trained or a certain kind of animal.

She said as long as an ESA is helping you, it should not matter what animal it is. She also said some believe all ESA’s should be dogs because service animals tend to be dogs, which is also not the case.

Junior Arin Jarman said ESA’s can vary depending on the person, and it’s important for someone getting an ESA to select the right animal for them.

Jarman, who has her cat Achilles as an ESA in West Campus Suites, said she often recommends people start with a fish as an ESA to make sure they feel they can handle how much an ESA alters your life schedule. Jarman also added that people who might not be able to take care of an ESA can benefit from emotional support plants.

Jarman — who has depression, anxiety and PTSD — said cats have always helped her through her emotional struggles and taking care of a cat motivates her to take care of herself.

Jarman said a lot of the stigmas about ESA’s come from those surrounding mental health as a whole.

The Index

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

Submitted Photo

Senior Morgan Grandon poses with her emotional support cat, Diane. Grandon said she ran a 5K race with Diane on her shoulders. man student body for the most part was accepting of her having an ESA. “I was a little worried about people looking at me and going, ‘Oh my God, you’re troubled,’” Grandon said. “But I think people at Truman are pretty ac-

“I think people at Truman are pretty accepting and acknowledging of mental health ... everyone’s been super accommodating and good about it and I think everyone understands that a lot of college kids have poor mental health and animals can be helpful.”

- Senior Morgan Grandon “A lot of people just don’t recognize and or understand that mental health is a thing,” Jarman said. “So when somebody hears, ‘Oh, it’s an emotional support animal’ you get the stereotypical ‘Oh, you’re a baby. You can’t take care of yourself. You can’t be away from your pet for 30 minutes.’”

Jarman said while Achilles has helped her through many dark times, an ESA, or any treatment for mental health, is not supposed to serve as a cure-all but, rather, a stepping stone toward healing.

“Life’s not easy,” Jarman said. “Nothing’s going to be easy. And it’s not going to be easy because you have this animal. Instead of it being easier, it will just be somebody to work through it with you. Companions are important.

And if you don’t have anybody humanwise you can connect with, animals are important.”

Senior Morgan Grandon also has a cat as an ESA living in West Campus Suites named Diane.

Grandon said while she worried she would feel a lot of judgment, the Tru-

Submitted Photo

cepting and acknowledging of mental health … everyone in my dorm is just so excited to have an animal living amongst us. We have neighbors who buy her cat treats. Everyone’s been super accommodating and good about it, and I think everyone understands that a lot of college kids have poor mental health and animals can be helpful.”

Because Grandon had to take a medical withdrawal in the fall 2016 semester, she said Diane has been a friend to her at school when a lot of her close human friends have already left Truman.

“I would say the biggest benefit is just that constant companionship,” Grandon said. “Because I wasn’t here for a semester, a lot of my friends ended up graduating, so a lot of the people I was closest with aren’t on campus anymore, so having an animal helps me out. Having a creature who’s always happy to see you, who’s always pumped that you’re coming back to the dorms makes your life a little easier.”

Jazza, sophmore Courtney Atwell’s ESA, poses for a photo in the front seat of a car. Atwell said Jazza appears to be a mixed between a Chihuahua and some other breed of dog and is about one year old.

Submitted Photo

Achilles, junior Arin Jarman’s ESA, lays on the carpet. Jarman said Achilles will often times follow her every time she gets up and moves to a different room and will meow at her to express any concerns.

Left: Jarman and Achilles pose for a selfie. Jarman said Achilles is good at calming her when she is upset as well as reminding her to keep a normal routine of sleeping and eating habits.

Bottom Left: Grandon and Diane pose together for a selfie. Grandon said her neighbors in West Campus Suites often will come visit Diane and buy treats for her.

Bottom Right: Junior Monique Miller receives a high five from Milo in her home on Haliburton Street. Miller said while emotional support animals do not need to be trained as a requirement, she is currently trying to give Milo some basic obedience training.

Submitted Photo

Submitted Photo

Photo by Rachel Fechter/TMN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

The Index

9

The Ville, Kirksville escape room — A bamboozling mind puzzle

BY RACHEL FECHTER Features Editor Sometimes it’s good to have your mind explode a little — just a little.

A baking-soda-volcano-science-fair-project explosion — not a nuclear bomb explosion. I would describe the Kirksville escape room, The Ville, as a slight mind explosion — still an explosion, still mind boggling — but in an entertaining way.

I went to the newly-opened escape room in town on a Saturday in late August with my three friends senior, Allyson Lotz and juniors Nick Telep and Paige Karls. We sadly did not escape but were informed by the escape room employee we were only one clue away.

I’m not going to lie, there were some hardships inside that escape room. The timer placed in the room with us was a constant reminder that we needed to stop our dilly-dallying and find another clue. Additionally, at one point someone — I will not point fingers — but someone farted in the escape room, and sadly, just like us, the smell did not escape either. Despite the struggles, I thought our group worked well together and had a blast.

In my opinion, the escape room succeeded in making me have fun. The theme of the room, the way the clues were distributed, and the different hurdles put in place to find the clues took a lot more abstract thought as opposed to the logical, concrete thinking I’ve been told some other escape rooms require.

I learned pretty quickly as we tirelessly worked to decipher the first couple clues, there are four different types of people you can take with you into an escape room — archetypes if you will — and each member of our team fit one of those labels.

First, every group has a leader. For our group, Telep naturally took on that role. Telep had completed escape rooms before and when we got locked inside the room he immediately sprang into action and began to delegate tasks. In his typical Telep fashion, he began surveying the room and already had a game plan and heightened skepticism of anything and everything around us. This escape room was cool because there were a lot of messages hidden inside unsuspecting objects or items. This made Telep’s intuition to not rule out anything as a clue proved helpful but it also proved to be a bit of a distraction. Telep’s type-A personality was instrumental and helped us move from one task to the next, but also made him develop a case of ants in the pants.

The second position in the group is the actual leader. Though, not to devalue Telep’s role in our close but failed attempt to escape because he was very good at looking at things and questioning their meaning. Even though he appeared to be the leader of the group from the outside, I think Lotz was the actual leader.

Lotz was — in a lot of ways — the heart of the team. This escape room had a lot of trial-and-error elements as well as sifting through information. With so much information overload, Lotz always had a plan, and when that plan didn’t work, a plan B, and a plan C, and a plan D — you get it. She was prepared. She wasn’t as easily “shook”— as the youngsters say, like the rest of our team. That is the mark of a good leader. She guided us and encouraged us to try everything, and when we had tried everything to actually try everything. Lotz — in a lot of ways, saved

Submitted Photo

From Left to Right: Senior Allyson Lotz and juniors Nicolas Telep, Paige Karls and Rachel Fechter. We posed for this photo after their failed attempt to get out of The Ville’s escape room.

our booties and had many good ideas.

The third position in the group is the patient, calming force. That was Karls. Like Lotz, she didn’t get frazzled by tasks, but Lotz had a certain intensity about her that Karls lacked. Karls was just there to try her best and have a good time. While the rest of us were stuck in our own thoughts — panicked and trying to make sense of the nonsensical things in front of us, Karls was there as the encouragement for the team — and praising us when we made a discovery or had an impressive feat and pumping us up with a kindly worded pep talk when we felt we’d hit a brick wall. If our group was an Oreo, Telep and Lotz were the cream, Karls was the outer cookies, and I, well, I was the glass of milk off to the side.

That brings me to the fourth and final position in the group — which I took on whole heartedly — the clueless one. I had never done an escape room before, and, while we attempted to look for clues, I was often the one who supplied outlandish and convoluted ideas as to where the clues might be located and what they might mean. I also had a couple derpy moments — my biggest one was when I crouched under a table to look for a clue, exclaimed with excitement that I had discovered said clue, then proceeded to bang my head on the table. While I will admit I likely did not pull my weight on the team, I think I was the comedic relief of the group. My laughable mistakes and ridiculous ideas served as a reminder to the team that yeah, we want to escape, but ultimately the escape room is supposed to be fun.

In my opinion, the escape room succeeded in making me have fun.

The theme of the room, the ways the clues were distributed, and the different hurdles put in place to find the clues took a lot more abstract thought as opposed to the logical, concrete thinking I’ve been told some other escape rooms require. I think this particular escape room also involved paying close attention to details and meticulous studying of different obstacles and objects. In addition, this escape room relied a lot on finding patterns and common themes in the room. Picking out specific commonalities was very helpful in solving the puzzle and getting out.

While I have no prior escape room knowledge to base this experience on, I had a lot of mind boggling, stimulating, energizing fun and definitely look forward to going back and exploring The Ville’s next room. It was a great way to escape my usual Saturday responsibilities, for sure.

Writer weighs in on impact of recent QPR training and seminar

BY JOHANNA BURNS Staff Writer

“Are you thinking about suicide?”

Such a simple question, yet one of the most terrifying I’ve ever had to be willing to ask — this is the basis of Question Persuade Refer training. When I decided to attend the QPRA-Thon University Counseling Services hosted last week, I didn’t expect to learn much.

I can clearly remember the virtual training I went through for my online health quiz. I still have the digital certificate buried somewhere on my computer. But I didn’t account for how beneficial an in-person training session could really be. A lot has changed since I took the virtual training.

When I took my first virtual QPR training session, I approached the process much

the same way I did CPR — as something I should probably have in my tool belt, but hopefully would never use. That was three years ago. Since then, my community has lost several people to suicide, and I know countless people who have depression. The fact is, suicide is a challenge of life I need to be willing to face.

QPR training equips the average person with the mindset and tools they need to become gatekeepers — people who can recognize a crisis and warning signs that someone might be contemplating suicide. The fundamentals of the program are broken down into a simple three- step process designed to be easy to learn, much like other life-saving methods. Brenda Higgins, director of University Counseling Services, who taught the final seminar that I and about 30 other students

and faculty attended, started the seminar with a discussion of the different myths and surprising misconceptions of suicide.

For the most part, I wasn’t surprised with the new information. I’d heard it all before, but this time my mindset was different. In the last year, I’ve watched my campus suffer too many losses. I’ve heard my school’s administration promise to make mental health a priority, and I’ve watched my student body hold them accountable to that promise. I’ve begun to see myself as someone who has just as much power to help a struggling neighbor as I have a responsibility to care for others. For that alone my experience at the QPR training was more impactful.

But because the training was conducted as a public forum added a whole new element to the process. Students and faculty felt free to engage in a

discussion about mental health, their own misconceptions about suicide and the situation here at Truman. Attendants raised questions about how Truman responds to suicides and how faculty can look for warning signs and respond.

Higgins even shared some concerning statistics about Truman’s 2017 depression and suicide statistics as compared to a 2015 national survey.

I walked away from the session with not only the knowledge of how to implement QPR and possibly save a life, but also with the knowledge that mental health concerns are becoming a part of public discussion. Truman has a problem and students and staff are seeking out ways to help be a part of the solution.

The Index

10

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

Questions on The Quad What are some misconceptions about your major?

“I think probably the first one is everyone who’s a Spanish major wants to be a Spanish teacher, which for me is not the case ... I would really like to work with immigrants or refugees ... or intern with a refugee resettlement center.”

Nadine Peterson, senior Spanish major

“... They’re not as academically rigorous as the other majors.

I’m obviously a bit biased but I think they’re wrong about that.

I think it takes a lot of deep seated critical thinking to digest and analyze text, not only in Ian Crane, junior your own native language but English and Spanish major in another language as well.”

“That you have to be super smart or that everyone that majors in math is crazy and that you won’t get anywhere, and there’s nothing you can do with math.”

If you could change Truman’s mascot, what would it be and why?

“I would probably change it to a frog. If you ever walk around Kirksville you can really hear them. They’re singing in the summer and I love that .... they can walk and they can swim … they’re just pretty interdisciplinary animals.”

“That’s a tough one. I think we could change to the squirrels because we have such an abundant crop of squirrels here ..., people could connect it to their real, everyday life more.”

“I don’t know that I would change it. I went to a school that had a mascot as a viking, and that wasn’t really fun. I feel like bulldogs — it’s just cuter, it’s more fun. And purple just goes. It all works.”

Cameron Lashley, freshman Math major

“That the dumb kids take business — I’d say that’s a popular one. Business is easy — I don’t feel like it’s the easiest thing out there.

I feel like any degree at Truman is going to have Jared Dover, sophomore difficult classes.”

Business Administration some major

“...I couldn’t think of anything besides the bulldogs ...,when I think Truman I think bulldogs. I wouldn’t want to think anything else ... One of my friends’ mascots is the chapperhills. Bulldogs are pretty cool compared to that.”

How do you feel about the squirrels on campus?

“I think they’re very annoying but I’ve seen many international students fall in love with them so they’re a nice part of our campus.”

“Ahhhhh! I think they’re wonderful.

When there was an April Fool’s article about there being a squirrel sanctuary here — I want that to be real.”

“The squirrels are fearless honestly. I feel like I walk by one every time I leave my dorm.

They don’t even run away.

That does not happen where I’m from. I’m from St. Charles.

They’re out all the time here.

Where do they even live?”

“I think they’re funny. You kind of walk by them and they kind of stare at you. They take off running when you look at them.

They don’t bother me any.”

The Index

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

11

Men’s soccer split — ‘Dogs beat Cardinals, lose to Hawks

Facing their third Top 25 opponent of the season ­— No. 7 Rockhurst University — the Bulldogs fell to 2-5 overall, 1-3 in conference play.

Photos by Rachel Steinhoff/TMN

Top left: The Bulldog defense traps a header in the backfield against a Hawk forward. The Hawks were ranked No. 7 in Div. II heading into Sunday’s match and remain undefeated.

Top right: Redshirt junior defender Brian Kane fights through two Hawk defenders in Sunday’s match. The Hawks shutout the ‘Dogs to capture their fourth shutout win of the season.

Left: Redshirt junior defender Ben Nivala elevates for a header over Rockhurst University forward Umoh Ufot. Rockhurst currenly leads the conference with a 5-0 record.

Record-breaking scorecards for golf

By Brooke Bailey Staff Writer

Last weekend, almost hours away from Kirksville in Big Rapids, Michigan, Truman State University’s women’s golf team started its fall season by breaking records.

After they were ranked to finish last of the 11 teams in attendance, junior Brooke Kelley said it really lit a fire under the players, and they took the ranking personally.

The Bulldogs used this motivation to score a record-worthy 308 and finish the day in second place.

“A lot of the teams hadn’t heard of Truman so it was nice to show them what we’re all about,” Kelley said. “It was the kind of day we’ve all been putting countless hours working toward.”

Junior Peyton Sandfort said they didn’t even know they broke the record until after the round on the bus when Head Coach Clint Fitzpatrick started looking up previous years’ scores. The previous day-low of 311 was almost 10 years ago in the 20072008 fall season.

A few personal bests were also shot during the day. Kelley, senior Stephanie Hulett and sophomore Lindsey Repp all shot their two-day lows, and senior Nicolle Barmettler shot her 18-hole low.

A good sign for the ‘Dogs is the course that brought about re-

cord performances — Ferris State University’s Katke Golf Course is also the new site for spring regionals. Barmettler said she likes the change of course because the amount of fairways helps set players up to score. She said a personal goal for her this season is to become more consistent and take advantage of her birdie opportunities. Barmettler said a major goal for the ‘Dogs this season is to make it to the regional tournaments in the spring and continue to finish Top 5 at the remainder of the meets in the fall.

Barmettler said the team can now shoot to break its own records in the future.

The ‘Dogs placed fifth out of the 11 teams at the meet — two of which were from the GLVC. They placed five strokes in front of Southern Indiana University, who beat Truman at the conference meet last season.

Repp said moving forward and improving won’t mean a change of routine, just putting the time in during practice. Repp said though it’s always important to do well at the conference competition tournaments, she is really looking forward to the Bellevue Fall Invitational Oct. 2-3 because it is Barmettler’s home course.

Repp said she expects Barmettler to thrive in her hometown.

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Out with the old, in with the new Golf sets personal and team records at Ferris State Fall Preview

Team Score 308 36-Hole Personal Records Junior Brooke Kelley 164 Senior Stephanie Hulett 159 Sophomore Lindsey Repp 160 18-Hole Personal Record Senior Nicolle Barmettler 72

Tennis rebuilds with young roster

By Patrick Pardo Staff Writer Coming off the 2016-2017 season — where it went 2-14 — the Truman State University tennis team began a rebuilding process for this year. After losing six members between the men’s and women’s teams, the Bulldogs’ roster welcomed many new faces with the hopes of turning their record around.

The new women’s team members are freshmen Kayla Peterson, Morgan Eby, Angelina Partenheimer, Alexandra Rogers, Rachel Barnhouse and Kyra Peper. The new men’s team freshmen are Jack Miller, Grant Burton, Arpit Sahoo, Matt Thiele and Curtis Null.

Rogers graduated from Liberty High School and plans on filling the absence of the graduating women by holding team’s No. 3 spot, junior Griffin Turnage said.

Rogers had a 2-0 record compared to similarly-ranked recruits.

Sahoo graduated from Richwood High School, participated in two sectional championship teams and previously made it to the State tournament.

“It’s been a good few weeks of seeing our competition,” Turnage said. “We’ve been seeing what the new freshmen can do.”

Turnage said he is impressed by the freshmen’s skill and how they fit in. He said he is looking forward to seeing what Sahoo can provide the team.

Turnage said the team will have to play without junior Gavin Hatter because he transferred. Hatter was poised to be in the No. 1 spot for singles and doubles. Last year, he had a 3-2 conference record in doubles with his partner Paul Province and a singles record of 4-5.

Sophomore Nick Thiele said the assistance of graduate student Ryan Bunselmeyer has kept the team composed and focused.

“We are grateful to have help from [Bunselmeyer] who has returned for a year and is acting as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams,” Thiele said. “He has been setting up drills for us, and it’s just nice to have that senior leadership still present.”

Last year, Bunselmeyer finished his senior season at the number one spot for both singles and doubles for the Bulldogs.

Junior Maura Dunn said the work the team has been doing in practice and the length of their schedule this fall season should prepare them for the spring season.

“The new members are doing great, and they are really meshing well with the team and contributing to our wins,” Dunn said. “We are traveling a lot for tournaments this fall and expecting to be placing and getting a lot of wins — mostly just for exposure, though, to prepare us for the spring.”

Last weekend’s Quincy Tournament consisted of competitive matches all around, with senior Paul Province winning his flight at the No. 1 slot in singles and senior Lindsey Schlichting coming in second for her No.1 slot in singles. The Bulldogs have one tournament and four more matches for their brief fall season.

They will have the William Woods Doubles Tournament Sept. 30 in Fulton, Missouri, and their first home match at 3 p.m. Oct. 3 against Missouri Valley College.

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The Index

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

DELAY | Unexpected conditions send football into early morning

Photo by Rachel Steinhoff/TMN Defensive lineman Sam Reeves connects on his first of two quarterback sacks Saturday. Reeves was named Truman Athletics’ Newcomer of the Year last year after recording 10.5 sacks and 55 tackles on the season.

FOOTBALL | Bulldog football took its first home loss Saturday against Missouri S&T despite solid individual performances.

Continued from page 14 “Personal accomplishments don’t really mean anything in college football,” Mikeworth said.

“In high school you wanted to see your name in the paper and be that guy, but in college you just want to win. [Football] is one of the greatest team sports out there, and if we lose, it doesn’t matter how well you played — you’re still going to feel horrible.”

Mikeworth said despite his disappointment, he attributes his personal record breaking performance to the theme of the night — military appreciation.

In addition to being a three-year starting linebacker, Mikeworth serves as an ROTC cadet. He said he feels

Photo by Kennedy Martin/TMN #33, redshirt junior Justin Mikeworth makes a tackle with help of a teammate. Mikeworth led Truman with his career-high 16 tackles.

blessed to be a part of both the football team and ROTC as a well-rounded college experience.

Mikeworth said this game meant playing for something bigger than himself and his team. He said he was ready to give everything he had to show appreciation for those who have served and currently serve this country. He plans to serve as an officer in the army after graduation.

In spite of the unexpected 0-3 start to the season, Mikeworth said he thinks the team will continue to move forward and bring everything they have into next week’s game. He said Lt. Colonel Utt gave the Bulldogs’s weekly pregame speech the Friday night about never giving up — with the speech in mind Mikeworth said the team isn’t going to give up, but will take their failures and use them as motivation to propel them forward for Saturday’s game against Lincoln University.

Despite Truman’s defensive efforts, the Miners’ offensive performance led them to victory while the ‘Dogs couldn’t quite connect offensively.

Barr didn’t enter the game until the third quarter, but said he still thinks he and his offense need to execute better on the field to lighten the defense’s load.

“Offensively, we struggled stringing together positive plays,” Barr said. “As a unit, we have to be able to execute at a much higher level at each position with more consistency in order to keep our defense off the field.”

Barr said he has to do a better job of putting the team into the right play. He said he and the offense will seek to fix their execution throughout the week to achieve better results this Saturday.

Barr said he is looking forward to implementing adjustments for next week. He plans on starting and playing Saturday to avoid another loss and possibly lead a morale-boosting win.

The Bulldogs take on Lincoln University of Missouri at 2 p.m. Saturday in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Continued from page 14 White said travel arrangements and hotel rooms also played a huge factor in the decision. Family weekend caused all Kirksville lodging to be full, and traveling teams require a lot of operation and planning. White said they had determined to play the game no matter what because of the referees and the weekly GLVC game schedule — and they did.

The game was underway, and the clock neared midnight instead of the usual 10 p.m. final buzzer.

Among the many distractions of the delay, no one remembered the stadium lights timing system. The lights are normally set to stay lit from 6:15-11:45 p.m. for night games, so in the middle of an S&T drive, the game went dark.

White said he had never thought they would be playing into Sunday morning but, he said as soon as it went dark, his staff immediately knew what had happened. After another 10-minute delay to heat the lights back up, the seemingly-never-ending game drew to a close.

“We were grateful for the crowd that stuck it out,” White said. “We feel bad it happened on family night, which is the biggest night of the year, and it really put a bind on the whole operation. With the storm hitting 30 minutes before game time, it was hard selling tickets or deciding on refunds, but our staff followed conference policies … Everyone did a great job, it’s just an unfortunate situation.”

Photo by Kennedy Martin/TMN A Truman reciever competes with a Missouri S&T corner for a slot pass in the second quarter.

CHAMPIONSHIP | The Truman Athletic Department prepares to host the 2017 GLVC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 21 at Kirksville Country Club.

Continued from page 14 With the course in the friendly confines of Kirksville, Wollmering said he hopes to see a large Truman fan base, but the timing of the meet means most of campus may be cleared for fall break. While that could make numbers a little disappointing along the race, Wollmering said logistically, the student break falls conveniently for opening up campus, hotel rooms and parking spaces for the championship. For instance, over 400 people will be flooding the student Union Building Friday evening for the Sodexo-provided championship banquet.

Wollmering said each visiting team pays for their dinner, leaving Truman in charge of only minor finances. By not having to travel from Kirksville and lodge elsewhere, the athletic department can use that saved money for other hosting operations.

“No doubt, obviously we love to host as much stuff as we can,” Wollmering said. “Geographically, it’s tough, because with 13 teams and lodging, we’re not always able to do it.”

Senior women’s leader Michaela Hylen said she thinks being prepared for the terrain will be Truman’s biggest advantage of the day. She said her team consistently trains on hills as a part of their workout regime, but thinks some other teams might be caught off-guard by the country club’s hills.

Hylen said she thinks it will be a great opportunity for Truman students and Kirksville residents to

come out and see a high-intensity race and said she hopes to see a lot of fellow Bulldogs to make the race truly feel like a home race. She also admitted the larger crowd adds to the nerves of an already high-anxiety day.

“It’s kind of comforting, because we’ll know the course, but it’s also kind of terrifying because it’s a lot of pressure,” Hylen said. “There will probably be way more people here that we know than we’re used to coming to our conference meet, and the course here is going to be a lot tougher than years past.”

To train for this ultimate competition, the ‘Dogs will have two more meets, increasing mileage to build up to the women’s 6K and men’s 8K at the championship. Upon kicking off their competitive season Aug. 31, the Bulldog men and women have competed in two meets, taking home team and individual titles. Hylen leads the ‘Dogs in this category, finishing first in each of the first two races, now looking to follow in footsteps of 2016 alumna Laura Tarantino and make it three straight individual wins next weekend.

“We have a really strong team of girls — definitely much more of a pack than the last few years which is awesome,” Hylen said. “For the past few weeks, our next two runners have been coming off injuries, so that kind of leaves me out in the open to try to push myself on my own.

I’m usually good about being able to push and

motivate myself, but it’s definitely weird being in Laura’s position. Usually, I was just behind her in workouts and always chasing her, whereas now they’re all chasing me. It’s just an interesting dynamic.”

“It’s kind of comforting, because we’ll know the course, but it’s also kind of terrifying because it’s a lot of pressure.”

- Senior Michaela Hylen

Hylen won the Lindenwood Dual by more than 30 seconds on opening weekend and pulled a tense back-and-forth sprint to finish last weekend at the Central Methodist University Eagle Invite.

She said she thinks the team on both the men’s and women’s side can have their best GLVC finishes this year and make major improvements in times from last season.

The ‘Dogs will travel to Nashville, Tennessee., Saturday, Sept. 3 to compete in the Div. II Showcase Invitational at Trevecca Nazarene University. Fans hoping to check out this year’s team can catch the Bulldogs for their first and only home meet of the season Saturday, Oct. 21, at the GLVC Championship meet at Kirksville.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

The Index

13

Boxing’s popularity is rooted in long, global history Staff writer discusses the roles advertising and personality play in generating the attention around multimillion dollar fights.

Photo by Rachel Steinhoff/TMN Redshirt junior defender Laura Ney tracks a ball in Sunday’s match. The Truman defense posted two shutouts this weekend, first against William Jewell College and then against Rockhurst University.

Bulldog net goes without goals

By Jase Willhite Staff Writer

The Truman State University women’s soccer team won the weekend after a rocky start to the season defeating William Jewell College 1-0 and Rockhurst University 4-0.

The Bulldogs season started 0-2-2 with both ties going into two overtimes. While this could discourage most teams, Head Coach Mike Cannon said the ‘Dogs did not let it get their spirits down and were ready to turn it around last week.

“We came off an improved performance against [University of] Illinois-Springfield and we had two home games against two undefeated teams,” Cannon said. “We had a good week of practice.”

Cannon said the Bulldogs’ collective toughness and teamwork moved them forward, with great performances coming from the team as a whole — from the new freshmen to the seasoned veterans. He said senior midfielder Allison Lockett’s performance during the Rockhurst game last Sunday stands out.

Lockett had a pair of goals along with an assist that

ultimately earned her the GLVC Offensive Player of the Week award.

“It feels good to get the award, but it wouldn’t have happened without my teammates and all the hard work that they put in as well,” Lockett said. “We were struggling at first, but the team really started to click this weekend after a great week of practice.”

Senior Megan Oostendorp said offense is not the only factor that wins games, as the ‘Dogs defense stepped up and showed its tenacity this weekend, allowing zero goals to be scored on its home field.

Oostendorp said the ‘Dogs can’t get too complacent.

She said they want to get better as they prepare for traveling.

“As a team, we will work on consistently passing to each other’s feet and shooting,” Oostendorp said. “These are things that we have been working on the last few weeks and have improved on with each game.”

The ‘Dogs look to keep improving and add to their win total as they play the Drury University Panthers at 5 p.m.

Sept. 22 in Springfield, Missouri. They will then play the Missouri University of Science and Technology Miners at noon Sept. 23 in Rolla, Missouri.

Leaders emerge in vacancy of head coach

By Ashley Murphy Staff Writer The Truman State University men’s and women’s swim teams are gearing up for another successful year in the pool despite setbacks at the beginning of the year. Competition starts soon and the swimmers are ready to face some of the best swimmers in Div. II with their eyes set on the national stage.

The loss of the team’s former head coach, Ed Pretre, has been one of the major issues two weeks before the first practice. After leading the swim program at Truman for six years, Pretre left to pursue an assistant coaching position at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

The search for a new head coach is nearing its close, and the team hopes to have the position filled by the end of September. The application closed September 9 with a total of 10 applicants. Senior Kortney Betz said the team participates in the interview process.

“They’re gonna be coming in and coaching us — they’re not gonna be coaching the athletic department,” Betz said. “So it’s really nice that they’re giving us the opportunity to sit and chat with them and see if they would work well here.”

Betz said there were some conflicting feelings — happiness, anger, sadness — when the team found out.

“As a senior, I thought it could go one of two ways,” Betz said. “It can destroy the team, or everyone can rise above it and come through together — and that’s definitely what we’re doing.

Nobody is complaining about that whatsoever.”

Betz said the swimmers went to Pretre’s home when he returned to Kirksville in the fall to say their last goodbyes. She said Pretre deserves gratitude for his accomplishments. Betz said the team is excited to see what he does in the future, and she said Pretre is still in contact with the team.

Betz said the team is hoping for a coach who is approachable and knows how to coach a wide variety of swimmers.

Betz said the Bulldogs were also without a pool and track recently. Because the track was being renovated and the pool was broken because of chemical issues, the swim team had to get creative with their workouts.

“We went out to Thousand Hills [State Park] and did a practice,” Betz said. “It was good team bonding because we don’t swim at Thousand Hills for every practice, so that was fun.”

Betz said the team ran around campus and at the gym to compensate for not having a track.

Senior Will Shanel said swimming is a sport where anyone can make an impact. He said the incoming class will be key in adding to the team dynamic, and he said they all bring something different to the table. Shanel said the freshmen stepping up now will help the team down the road.

The Bulldogs will face talented competition this year in the conference. The men are looking to win against William Jewell College and Lewis University again — tough opponents in recent years who have since fallen to the Bulldogs. Their goal this year is to overtake the University of Indianapolis, who took third place before the Bulldogs in the conference tournament last year.

On the women’s side, the rivalry between the Truman Bulldogs and the Drury University Pan-

thers continues as both are top contenders for the GLVC championship. The women’s swim team was crowned champions in 2016, and Drury took the title in 2017.

Assistant Coach Jerod Simek has been on Truman’s coaching staff for two years since obtaining his undergraduate degree as a student athlete here. During his swimming career, Simek was a nine-time honorable mention All-American. He currently is responsible for all coaching duties until a selection for a head coach is made.

“I’ve felt like with the past two years of being the assistant here — and having swam here as well — I know pretty much how everything runs,” Simek said. “I know what the team needs and what they don’t, so it hasn’t been too much of a shock for them. The whole transition has been really good so far.”

Simek said the team has made up for the lack of facilities by running some practices at the Kirksville Aquatic Center and by doing more land activities like ultimate frisbee.

“As a senior, I thought it could go one of two ways. It can destroy the team, or everyone can rise above it and come through together — and that’s definitely what we’re doing.

Nobody is complaining about that whatsoever.”

- Senior Kortney Betz on the search for a head coach

Simek said all of the seniors have been stepping into leadership roles which will play a key part in the team’s success. He said the men’s senior captains will be Shanel, Derek Mielke and Jeff Cavanaugh while the women’s senior captains will be Betz, Jasmine Roghair and Libby Opfer.

“Everyone within our senior class has been good about stepping in, and every single person plays their own little role, whether that is through talking or leading by example,” Simek said. “Some people are better in the pool, some are better out of the pool with being leaders, so we have that good balance.”

Simek said the Bulldogs have a lot of swimmers with diverse skills, which he said translates into a team with a lot of depth and potential. Simek said some of that depth comes from the incoming freshmen and transfer student athletes, and he said all of the newcomers have a chance to step into impact roles this year.

Freshmen women added to the roster this year are Natalie Galluzo, Annika Hofer, Allison Garrett, Ginny Schranck and Maddie Wilson. Sophomore Megan Mensinger transferred to Truman after swimming at New York University. Freshmen added to the men’s roster are Austin Bell, Mark Franz, Jack McCormick, Jack McKenzie, Keegan Miller, Jake O’Bryan and Shane Williams.

“That drive, that passion and that motivation is a huge thing I’m seeing right now, and it’s very nice to see as an alumni,” Simek said.

The team will see its first action in the Bulldog Alumni Meet at 8:30 a.m. this Saturday in Pershing Natatorium.

By Curt wichmer Staff Writer On Aug. 26, millions of viewers turned their attention to the two most popular fighters of their generation. Whether watching it in-person or online, the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Connor McGregor even drew international viewers in what might be the most-viewed fight in all of history.

The sheer amount of attention generated before the event calls back to another famous fight — Mayweather’s 2015 match against Manny Pacquiao. In fact, if we look back at boxing’s past, we see many famous fights.

Whether it’s this year’s Mayweather vs. McGregor, 1975’s Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, or even 1997’s Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield — the “Bite Fight” — time and time again boxing succeeds in drawing large audiences and revenues.

When we look back hundreds or even thousands of years, we see societies with popular combat sports. Ancient Rome had its gladiators, Turkey and Eastern Europe had wrestling and feudal Japan had kendo. The question is whether today’s popularity of combat sports can be explained by people’s enjoyment of raw power.

When discussing boxing, the Bleacher Report’s Ralph Longo said its appeal is on an international scale. Particularly in Latin America and Europe, boxing matches draw tens of thousands of fans, many of which come prepared for their own fight against fans of the opposing boxer. Boxing’s popularity even spills into the Philippines. Fights featuring Pacquiao are often accompanied by Philippine businesses shutting their doors — to the point where fight day practically becomes a national holiday.

Perpetuating its international popularity, boxing does an effective job at drumming up interest in future fights that other sports can’t quite match. Before the Mayweather-McGregor fight, there were countless opportunities for each athlete to give a preview on the fight’s result, opponent’s expectations and fight’s duration. Not one of these opportunities at showmanship was missed by either athlete — they each used charisma or pride to draw more attention and interest to the event. The result was a pay-per-view turnout that matched or surpassed viewership of major American sporting events like the Super Bowl and the World Series — largely as a result of boxing’s aggressive advertising habits.

Advertising shows another element of boxing’s popularity — its personality. Before each fight, both boxers give you an idea of their attitudes, quirks and personalities. Prior to the Mayweather-McGregor fight, interviews showcased McGregor’s cocky attitude and trashtalking, while Mayweather acted composed and tactful. The different personalities establish distinct fanbases based on preference — some fans liked Mayweather for his professionalism and history, while others liked McGregor for his tenacity and underdog status.

Because it is an individual sport rather than a team sport, all the focus is on each boxer before, during and after the match. Each fighter — regardless of nationality or background — is able to develop a cult following through interviews and advertisements. Compare boxing’s personalities to that of a team sport like football — you’d be hard-pressed to find a football fan who knows the name of every player involved in the last Denver BroncosKansas City Chiefs game. Boxing is simpler because your full attention is on two athletes rather than 70.

Boxing’s history shows the duel between fighters and personality maintains its popularity.

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Miners run away with delayed home opener

After a nearly 3-hour rain delay, the Missouri University of Science and Technology Miners won 27-11 in the Bulldogs’ home opener to bring the ‘Dogs to 0-3

Photo by Rachel Steinhoff/ TMN Miners junior wide receiver Braxton Graham scores his second touchdown of the night on a 5-yard pass.

Truman State University kept the Miners to 13 points in the first half — all of them credited to Graham.

BY KENNEDY MARTIN Staff Writer

The Truman State University Bulldogs dropped Saturday’s home opener to the Missouri University of Science and Technology with a score of 27-11. Despite the loss, inclimate weather and unexpected delays

made the evening an interesting one for fans.

Fans and players took cover under the newly-renovated Stokes Stadium from a thunderstorm 10 minutes before the 7 p.m. start time and couldn’t take their seats or the field until nearly 9:30 p.m. Midway through the game, another unexpected event occurred

Submitted Photo Dark clouds roll over an empty field at Stokes Stadium. Players and coaches were removed from the playing surface about 20 minutes before kickoff.

when the stadium lights suddenly blacked out, delaying the game another 15 minutes. Following the first half, an injured sophomore quarterback Jaden Barr unexpectedly took the field despite not having practiced all week.

Regardless of the unforeseen events, the defending conference co-champions leave week three of 2017 winless, 0-3 overall, 0-1 in conference play.

Leading up to the game, Defensive Coordinator Kellen Nesbitt said execution would be the biggest deciding factor for the offense and defense. Nesbitt said he knew the defense had to step up against the high-powered offense of Missouri S&T — an offense enforced by 6-foot-4-inch 260-pound senior quarterback Tyler Swart and junior wide receiver Braxton Graham.

Nesbitt said his team would have to manage Swart and get hands on him through the pass rush. Swart hit the ground four times Saturday night from quarterback sacks, and the ‘Dogs limited him to 218 passing yards, nearly 100 fewer yards than his average of 315 per game for the 2017 season thus far.

Redshirt junior linebacker Justin Mikeworth led the Bulldogs with a game-high 16 tackles, followed by nine take-downs from sophomore linebacker Bryan Edwards. Mikeworth finished with a careerhigh 22 tackle plays, including solos and assists, which is two away from the current school record.

See FOOTBALL, page 12

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

Sunday morning football finisher

BY RACHEL STEINHOFF Sports Text Editor

At 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, players and fans finally exited Stokes Stadium after a 27-11 loss to the Missouri University of Science and Technology Miners. The Family Day matchup was scheduled to kick off about three hours earlier, but the lightningstreaked skies had other plans. Players eventually emerged from the locker rooms for a brief warmup as remaining fans flowed back into Stokes Stadium to dry off a seat.

It was deja vu for Athletics Information Director Kevin White. White said the last delayed game was in 2009 during the home opener against the Miners — coincidentally, the last year the turf was replaced. That year, the turf had not been finished in time, and the game was relocated to Central Methodist University, where it was eventually canceled and rescheduled as the last game of the 2009 season. This time, the freshly-placed turf was put to use — regardless of the wait.

White said that lightning must be at clear an 8 mile radius for 30 minutes before athletes are permitted on the playing surface, according to Great Lakes Valley Conference policy. He said the conference invested money in an app to detect any lightning strike within eight miles of the stadium — each strike automatically resets the timer. White said they were two minutes away from starting when a strike on the edge of the perimeter reset the timer.

He said despite the frustrations, conference policy and safety were the main concerns of the night.

“We really weren’t in a position to call the game because we don’t know when we would have played them again,” White said. “Div. II doesn’t have a bye week so, unless you just have an open date, you don’t have much flexibility.”

See DELAY, page 12

SEPTEMBER

FRIDAY

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Women’s Volleyball 7 p.m. in Quincy, Ill. Vs. Quincy University Men’s Soccer 7:30 p.m. in Springfield, Mo. Vs. Drury University Women’s Soccer 5 p.m. in Springfield, Mo. Vs. Drury University

SATURDAY

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Women’s Volleyball 3 p.m. in Kirksville, Mo. Vs. McKendree University Swimming TBA in Kirksville, Mo. At Bulldog Alumni Meet Cross Country TBA in Nashville, Tenn.

At Division II Showcase Invitational Football ter than the other schools, and avoid- 2 p.m. in Jefferson City, Mo. ing traveling, sleeping in your own Vs. Lincoln University of Missouri bed — all that is a good thing.”

Director of Athletics Jerry SUNDAY Wollmering said the conference plays a hand in organizing the operation, but the actual arrangement of the course and small details of the week- Men’s Soccer end will be Truman’s responsibilities. 2:30 p.m. in Rolla, Mo. Wollmering said Truman brings in an Vs. Missouri University of Science and outside timing company to adminis- Techonology ter the official race times, but with Women’s Golf only two races to schedule and the TBA in Maryville, Mo. GLVC taking care of merchandise, At Bearcat Fall Classic Truman Athletics already feels well Women’s Soccer prepared to put on the event. The 12 p.m. in Rolla, Mo. biggest responsibility for Truman — Vs. Missouri University of Science and designing the actual course.

Wollmering said Schwegler and Technology Director of Athletics Communication Kevin White walked the grounds and MONDAY came up with a route that would feature two 3K loops for the women and an additional 2K detour for the men Women’s Golf to bring their race to the standard 8K. TBA in Maryville, Mo. “It should be a good spectator At Bearcact Fall Classic course,” Wollmering said. “Sometimes in cross country you don’t know. WEDNESDAY They take off and disappear into the woods, and you’ll only see them for about one minute of a 20-minute Women’s Volleyball run. Doing this type of loop should 7 p.m. in Rolla, Mo. make this very spectator-friendly for Vs. Missouri University of Science and the championship.” technology See CHAMPIONSHIP, page 12

Truman to host GLVC Cross Country Championships

BY RACHEL STEINHOFF Sports Text Editor Call it home course advantage or call it a meticulous planning process for the Truman State University Department of Athletics. On Aug. 29, the GLVC announced Truman cross country and the Kirksville Country Club as the event hosts for the 2017 GLVC championship race. There’s just less than six weeks left until race day Oct. 21, but preparation for the championship event begins now.

Head Coach Tim Schwegler said Truman last hosted the conference championship meet in 2007 when the Bulldogs competed as part of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Schwegler said the athletic department has an understanding for how to host the meet, but the GLVC event will require a larger operation than that of the past. In fact, he said Truman was selected to host this year because several other schools passed because of financial restraints and the depth of planning involved.

“In the GLVC, there is a lot to hosting something like this,” Schwegler said.

“There’s a banquet the night before, a lot of teams, and the way the conference works, the GLVC does not restrict the number of runners each team can VOLUME 109

ISSUE 5

enter. It’s going to be a big race, and those things create some logistic things that will need to be handled.”

Where the MIAA championship race qualifies runners to compete from each school, roughly 80-90 men and women, the GLVC places no restriction on the number of participants. With 14 women’s schools and 13 men’s schools in the conference, Schwegler said the course can expect to see at least 150 female and 140 male participants.

He said Truman is responsible for helping teams with hotel arrangements, which— despite the addition of new hotels in Kirksville— still displaces two teams to Macon on race weekend. On his end, Schwegler said marking the course to be big enough to contain the capacity of runners will be a major consideration.

Schwegler said the team is familiar with the ground of the country club and should feel comfortable, but as far as test runs go, the Bulldogs won’t actually see the course fully constructed until the Thursday before the meet, just four days prior to the race.

“It has the advantage that we don’t have to travel,” Schwegler said. “We will get to run it, but not until a couple days before when we actually start marking it. We will know it bettmn.truman.edu

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