April 21 2016

OPINIONS

FEATURES

SPORTS

Shake the Stigma week raises awareness about mental health

Columnist argues adults deserve better animation

see page 5

Experience drives success for Bulldog softball

see page 7

see page 11

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

EXCELLENCE SINCE 1909

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT-PRODUCED NEWSPAPER

tmn.truman.edu

Panhellenic Council changes Greek Week Changes to the Panhellenic Constitution include updated Greek recruitment counselor regulations.

By autumn shepherd Contributing Writer

Damian Soane/TMN

Local small businesses like Hidden Treasures, a consignment and resale shop on The Square, benefit Kirksville’s economy. The Downtown Revitalization Project will aim to update storefronts such as this and attract business.

City leaders implement economic changes Editor’s note: These stories are the final installments of the economic series.

By Emily merkle/staff writer

The Kirksville Chamber of Commerce, along with the Tourism Office and other city departments, sponsor events each year to promote the Kirksville community.

See TOURISM, page 6

By Zackary irvin/staff writer

Kirksville is making big strides in becoming the premier spot for shopping in the Northeast Missouri region with the addition of businesses such as Menards.

See BUSINESS, page 3

VOLUME 107

ISSUE 27

tmn.truman.edu

www.facebook.com/TrumanIndex

Truman State’s Panhellenic Council recently revised the Panhellenic Constitution so the constitution would more closely follow that of the National Panhellenic Council.

Panhellenic President junior Paulie Massey said the Truman Panhellenic Council voted on these changes at a meeting Feb. 28, and they will go into effect for fall formal recruitment. This is the first time the constitution has changed since 2010.

Several of these changes concern Greek recruitment counselors, also known as Gamma Chis. Disaffiliation for Gamma Chis, where the counselors stop associating with their sorority so they can serve as unbiased advisors, will start August 12 — instead of August 1 as in past years — and will last until September 12. While Gamma Chis still will have to keep their social media accounts hidden, they will not be asked to change their account names or profile pictures. Any Gamma Chis who serve on their chapter’s executive board will be allowed to continue communication with other executive board members as long as it is documented.

“We’re really encouraging girls to still talk to people in situations when they need to,” said senior Maddie Gates, vice president of recruitment. “We don’t want people to be scared to be driving home with their little sisters. We just have to know.”

One change in the revised constitution is the restriction of tackling at Yell-In, an event where recruits run down the hill at Red Barn Park to the sorority of their choosing, more commonly referred to as Bid Day. While the Panhellenic Council has not yet reached a decision on what will happen in place of tackling, Massey said it will be an opportunity for a new tradition.

See GREEK WEEK, page 3

Ameren replaces lights

By Mitchell Jordan Contributing Writer

Ameren Missouri has begun switching current Kirksville street lights to energyefficient LEDs. This change will save energy and money, according to Ameren.

Gene Unverfehrt, director of Ameren’s Northeast Missouri division, said the new LEDs are 55-65 percent more energy efficient, which will result in about $1 per month of savings for Ameren Rate 5M customers. Rate 5M customers include municipalities, neighborhoods and individual customers.

“We have about 125,000 affected lights, and we will change them out as we do maintenance on the light,” Unverfehrt said.

Unverfehrt also said plans to change the majority of companyowned lights in the next five years.

Unverfehrt said Ameren the technology and cost have been a focus for the past three years and finally have hit the price point where it became economical for the customers.

Once the change is complete, customers will save a combined total of $1.9 million per year compared to current rates, according to Ameren.

The new LED lights are different from the old high-pressured sodium lights. The LED lights are more reliable and will last three times longer than standard bulbs, according to Ameren. LED lights also will decrease energy generation and cut down on the city’s carbon emissions, according to Ameren’s website.

“The great thing about it … at the end of the five years, the equivalent energy savings will be about the same as taking 5,000 houses off the grid,” Unverfehrt said. @trumanindex

© 2016

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Alpha dogs visit Truman

CITY COUNCIL IN BRIEF

The City Council approved a resolution to submit a TIGER Discretionary Grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The City Council amended ordinances concerning connection fees for city water and sewer mains.

The City Council approved the park master plan for Brashear Park.

The City Council approved a request from the Kirksville Arts Association to use city streets during the Red Barn Arts & Crafts Festival.

The City Council approved the purchase of a pickup truck from Lovegreen Ford.

The City Council approved the purchase of three riding lawn mowers from Edina, Missouri.

The City Council approved the purchase of a compressor from Evergreen Specialty Services.

Damian Soane/TMN Above: A student holds one of the dogs on The Quad for Alpha Sigma Alpha’s Puppy Love For Tally event. The sorority hosted the event to raise money for the Adair County Humane Society. Below Right: Alpha Sigma Alpha members dress the dogs in colorful bandanas. If a dog had a bandana on, that meant it was up for adoption. Below Left: Winnie, one of the dogs up for adoption, pants while eagerly watching Truman students walk by.

STUDENT SENATE IN BRIEF

The Senate approved an amendment to Student Government standing rules.

The Senate approved a resolution to amend the Funds Allotments Council by-laws.

The Senate approved a resolution to amend the FAC constitution with spring 2016 ballot language.

The Senate approved a resolution in opposition of House Bill 2096.

The Senate approved a resolution encouraging the addition of Spanish admissions materials.

The Senate read a resolution to uphold the creation of an LGBTQ resource center.

The Senate read a resolution supporting a tutoring program with Ray Miller Elementary.

The Senate read a resolution honoring the educator and research mentor of the year.

Damian Soane/TMN

Damian Soane/TMN

The Senate approved a resolution for a $900 money motion for a charging station in the SUB.

CRIME REPORTS DPS & KPD

Serving the University community since 1909

Staff

Editor-in-Chief Bethany Boyle Managing Editor Austin Hornbostel News Editor Emily Wichmer Assistant News Editor Johanna Burns Features Editor Katey Stoetzel Assistant Features Editor Emily Ploch Sports Editor Devin Gillespie Assistant Sports Editor Courtney Strait Opinions Editor UmmeKulsoom Arif Copy Chief Rose vonHatten Assistant Copy Chief Molly Thal Design Chief Noah Dayson Staff Writers Emily Merkle, Zack Irvin, Lindell Sconce, Jack Derbak, Rachel Fechter, Brently Snead, Paige Yungermann, Sarah Hicks, Rachel Steinhoff, Curt Wichmer, Jonah Mckeown, Grace Bueckendorf, Taylor Lay, Ingrid Roettgen, Maddie Kamp, Seth Wolfmeyer, Menaie Barton, Heather Brostrom, Matt Ragsdale, Carlen Fidler, Bradley Francka, Roisin Lynch, Sara Murillo, Kasey Harvey, Jessica Howard, Joey Iaguessa, Tim Pickel, Andrew LaMartina, Shelby Frazier, Carolina Benitez, Drue McMichael Cartoonist Anna Kintree, August Davis Copy Editors MacKenna Palazza, Holly Fisher, Julianna Foster, Catherine O’Mara, Megan Gibbons, Trevor Hamblin, Sarah DeWolf, Zack Irvin Designers Clarissa Todd, Trevor Stark, Kara Nord, Samantha Nielsen, Lauren Jin Photo Editor Trevor Stark Photographers Trung Vo, Athena Geldbach, Marissa Billmeyer, MacKenna Palazza, Lindsay St. John, Damian Soane Marketing Manager Josh Gilmore Marketing Representatives Drake Gens, Emily Fitzgerald Adviser Don Krause

4/17 Domestic disturbance reported at 4/16 Harassment reported at the 1000 the 500 block of S. First St. block of E. Pierce St. 4/17 Theft reported at the 1700 block of Kings Road.

4/16 Theft reported at the 1100 block of W. Burton St.

4/17 Domestic disturbance reported at the 0 block of Eastgate Drive.

4/16 Theft reported at the 500 block of N. Baltimore St.

4/17 Domestic disturbance reported at the 0 block of Hawthorn Drive.

4/15 Theft reported at the 1700 block of S. Baltimore St.

4/17 Domestic disturbance reported at Elson Street.

4/15 Fraud reported at the 500 block of N. Baltimore St.

4/16 Suspect arrested for driving while intoxicated at State Highway 6.

4/15 Domestic disturbance reported at the 2100 block of High St.

Mark your calendar Wind Symphony I Concert

Last Lecture With Troy Paino

Wind Symphony I will perform its final concert of the year, “American Stories.” The performance will feature music professor Michael Bump on percussion.

This Student Activities Board-sponsored lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets are required because of limited seating. Tickets are available at the SAB office on the first floor of the Student Union Building.

8 p.m.

April 22 Baldwin Auditorium

7:30 p.m April 27 Baldwin Auditorium

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

BUSINESS | The City works with businesses to make Kirksville a commercial hub Continued from page 1 These economic changes mean a change in dynamic for Kirksville, particularly when it comes to competition between corporations and small businesses. To promote the economic growth of Kirksville, the city looks for ways to help bring businesses to Kirksville.

Assistant City Manager Ashley Young said the city tries to attract businesses that fill a particular need, or — in the case of Menards — the businesses contact the city. Once this happens, Young said the process involves presenting the business’ plan to the city and meeting with Brad Selby, codes and planning director, to ensure it follows all codes.

Sometimes variances, or deviations, to these codes are needed for Kirksville to be a viable location for a business to set up shop. As in the case of Menards, the businesses make a request for a variance to a code. To do this, the businesses present before the City Council, which then decides on whether to approve the request or not. Young said if the business is constructing a new building, it also works with engineers to discuss the plans and make sure problems like water runoff and the effects on the surrounding area are solved.

“While it is important to expedite that process, it is also important to protect the citizens and make sure all ordinances are followed,” Young said.

When a rival such as Menards enters the market, it could affect stores like Home Depot and Wal-Mart because of increased competition. Young said this is a great thing for the Kirksville economy.

“While it is important to expedite that process, it is also important to protect the citizens and make sure all ordinances are followed.”

- Assistant City Manager Ashley Young

“If Kirksville has one hardware store and places like Ottumwa, [Iowa,] Quincy, [Illinois,] and Columbia, [Missouri,] have half a dozen, then someone who is remodeling will go to these other places to guarantee they get what they want,” Young said.

Young said not only does this mean the hardware store loses out on a profit, but it has the chance to hurt the Kirksville economy all around.

Young said the overall goal is to make Kirksville a regional and commercial shopping hub, which would bring in many more consumers from surround-

ing areas to spend their money in Kirksville. He said if they come to places like Menards or Wal-Mart for their shopping needs, this means they could also be spending money at restaurants or buying gas in the city, which generates more money for Kirksville. Young said this allows the city to provide more services to the people of Kirksville and make life better overall. The idea behind this is the cluster theory, Young said, where more options lead to more people coming into Kirksville.

To entice businesses such as Menards to Kirksville, the city often supports some costs on a case by case basis. In the case of Menards, there is no funding coming from the city, but Young said the city will help in some cases.

“Typically a developer will request some economic development incentive to help make their projects successful, but it does not guarantee the council will approve it,” Young said.

Young said an example of this is how the group building the new Holiday Inn Express requested a joint chapter 353 property tax abatement. The abatement is available to groups as an incentive to build in blighted areas. The group will not have to pay real property taxes for a limited amount of time.

“They requested this to help offset the cost of the developing the property,” Young said. “And the council agreed to it because the cost did not outweigh the benefits.”

Young said it is important to fill vacant buildings and attract business so more citizens have jobs and the city makes more tax revenue to offer more services to citizens. The city has a vested interest in filling these empty spaces, Young said, and if you go around Kirksville, you can see the process of some of these empty spots being filled. For example, the Dollar Tree is expanding into the old Goody’s building on the north side of town.

In terms of keeping small business alive, Young said the city offers a wide range of help to small business owners.

Through Kirksville, small business owners can seek the help of programs like the Facade Assistance Program. Young said this program helps businesses of all sizes improve or restore their building facades. He said while small businesses are important, it is necessary to promote all business in the Kirksville area to attract people from all around and establish Kirksville as a central hub in the region.

In addition to small businesses and retail and fast food chains, Kirksville supports the economic development of industrial businesses such as KraftHeinz. The Kraft-Heinz project, which is helping keep a substantial amount of jobs in Kirksville, is something Kirksville Regional Economic Development, Inc. sees as a contributing factor to the economic development of the city.

Students give presentations at research conference

Emily Wichmer/TMN

Curtis Wichmer/TMN

Nasharee Thomas presents her research project “Not Visible but Present: Living with Dyslexia” at the student research conference. Classes were cancelled Tuesday so students could attend peer research presentations.

I don’t always advertise, but when I do, I use The Truman Media Network. email us at advertising.trumanmedia@gmail.com Or Call 314-239-0899 515-401-7574 for more info

Damian Soane/TMN Locally owned businesses on The Square, such as Cook’s Jewelry, compete for business with corporations. The city provides financial and logistical support to small businesses and corporations in an effort to make Kirksville a premier shopping area.

K-REDI focuses on making Kirksville a top choice for industrial manufacturers and healthcare institutions to come to. K-REDI was established after there were multiple plant closings and the city decided it needed a change from the Northeast Economic Development group that was already in place.

K-REDI Executive Director Carolyn Chrisman, who has been in charge of KREDI since 2012, said it is K-REDI’s purpose to provide family-supporting jobs to the community. Chrisman said business retention is important to the city and its economic growth.

“The greatest job growth comes from existing business in the community,” Chrisman said. “We continue to want to retain those companies in the community and to see them grow.”

Chrisman also said when it comes to bringing in industries to the Kirksville area, its top attraction is the city's workforce.

“Our workforce is the number one factor for business to come here,” Chrisman said.

Having a quality workforce is something K-REDI focuses on, but Chrisman said the organization also includes things like low taxes and a good water supply. Chrisman said K-REDI’s top priority is providing family-supporting jobs to the community but she said K-REDI only deals with bringing in industrial manufacturers, healthcare institutions, educational opportunities, and agricultural and technology-related companies. Chrisman said sometimes people have a misconception of what K-REDI is meant to do, so if they really want to voice their opinion on why Kirksville needs a Steak’n’Shake, a better option would be to contact the city about it.

The city doesn’t just support corporations but also small businesses. When

small businesses face financial or logistical problems, Kirksville has resources available to help them work through their needs. This is where people like Anastasia Tiedemann, a small business counselor for the Small Business and Technology Development Center, can help.

Tiedemann said the SBTDC helps people start up their own business and helps existing owners manage their businesses. Tiedemann said her office offers many free resources to small business owners.

“We can help them with a business plan, doing their financials, creating a marketing plan and offer different ideas to market their idea,” Tiedemann said.

Tiedemann said one of the most important questions to ask, especially when trying to start up your own business, is how are you different from your competition, and can you make your business different and appealing to consumers.

“It can be a real challenge financially just to get your business off the ground,” Tiedemann said. “But there are loans and microlenders out there to help finance a small business, and depending on the type of business, possibly some grants.''

Tiedemann said with financing being the biggest challenge for small businesses and marketing being the next, it is important to seek out help from counselors like Tiedemann who can find ways to improve your success of business.

“Small business are really the backbone of any economy in any town,” Tiedemann said, “And just because someone has a great idea for a business it is important to figure out how the owner can make their business different and successful in the Kirksville area.”

GREEK WEEK | Changes to Panhellenic Constitution create new traditions Continued from page 1 “It will still be a fun, exciting new tradition that is reminiscent of the old tradition,” Massey said. “It’s an opportunity to start a new tradition that will be less intimidating and more exciting for the potential new members.”

This series of changes also altered the Miss and Mingle event, a party where potential new members could make up for missing a previous event. Formerly, potential new members could miss any number or combination of recruitment events and substitute those missed events with the Miss and Mingle event. After the recent revisions to the Panhellenic constitution, however, Miss and Mingle can only replace open events. Potential new members can still rush if they miss the invite or preference events that take place during the Panhellenic recruitment process.

“We’re flexible, but we want the ability to say that the excuse [for missing a recruitment event] is valid,” Gates said. “It will be up to [Director of Greek Life] Laura [Bates] and [Panhellenic Council Advisor] Lynde [Blakely] what can be made up.”

The council made changes over the course of two months. Massey said she received documents with suggested changes from the previous Panhellenic Council which she presented to the current Panhellenic Council. They realized there were a lot of small things that weren’t lining up with NPC standards. Massey said after a couple of months, they thought the changes were ready to be voted on. Two weeks before the Panhellenic Council voted on the changes, they were sent to each Panhellenic chapter so the delegates could vote accordingly for their respective chapter, she said.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

From the Desk of the Editor Welcoming the Editor-in-Chief

Austin Hornbostel 2016-17 Editor-in-Chief It took me a whopping three days to complete my application process for the Index when I attended Truman Week almost three years ago. I wasn’t nearly as excited about the festivities of Truman Week itself — I’ll admit, I skipped quite a few of the activities on the itinerary that weren’t labeled “ice cream social.”

Nonetheless, there I was — a bright, young college student, who didn’t even have a real idea of what being in a college course was like yet, leaping head-first into a job on the staff of the school newspaper. I like to think I frightened my future coworkers with my enthusiasm when I applied, as I walked into my interview hauling a box full of 30 or so newspapers I’d worked on during high school. I walked out of that interview with that box and a position as a news reporter in tow and never looked back.

Now, it’s my pleasure to say I will serve the Truman State and Kirksville communities as the next editor-in-chief of the Truman State University Index during my final year as a student.

If we haven’t met, here’s a little bit about me.

I’m a soon-to-be senior communication major from Kansas City, Missouri. I’m a fraternity man — a brother of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. I eat way too much Taco Bell, and I’m as big a fan of Truman as you’ll ever meet.

The Index is my life, and it has been for the past three years. I schedule my classes according to my weekly obligations with the newspaper. I spend every Tuesday night in Barnett Hall reading every page and making sure the product we’re giving the community is as refined as possible. I love this newspaper and the opportunities it has afforded me.

What I appreciate most about Truman is opportunities like this students are given outside of the classroom. The reason I chose to go here instead of larger schools with more traditionally acclaimed journalism programs was because I knew there would be no laundry list of course requirements for me to complete before I could get firsthand journalistic experience, nor would there be a wait list of older students ahead of me to take all of the newspaper jobs for my first few years of school.

Whenever I speak to prospective students at a showcase day, I always urge them to get involved as soon as possible, and I suggest student Index readers do the same if they haven’t already.

My experience at the Index has been invaluable. I recently nailed down an internship for this summer, and it’s all thanks to the experience I’ve gained working as a reporter and editor for this publication. I owe a lot to my freshman year editors, alumnus John Brooks and senior Dan Mika, and the past two editors-in-chief, alumnus Bob Overmann and senior Bethany Boyle. I’ve learned the tools of the trade, and I’m ready to give this newspaper everything I have for the next year.

So, as I prepare for my fourth and final year at Truman, I’ll also prepare to be the best leader of this publication I can be. I hope to be as transparent as possible so I can best serve Truman’s student body and Kirksville citizens, and I hope to look back a year from now and be proud of the job I have done.

Letter to the Index 4/12/16 I am writing to express my disappointment in the Index coverage of the recent municipal election on April 5. If a Kirksville resident relied on the Index, the first indication that there even was an election would have been last week’s superficial report on the two winning candidates. In past years, our newspaper has done an excellent job of informing the community about all the candidates and what each stands for. There is always a candidates’ forum two weeks before the election, in which each candidate gives a prepared statement and then answers questions from the press.

The forum was not mentioned in the Index this year. In the past, Index reporters have interviewed candidates to pose questions relevant to students.

Not this year.

Is it important for students to know about the candidates for Kirksville city council? Decisions made on city council affect students’ daily lives in ways that they may not be aware of without responsible coverage in student media. For instance, three years ago a fierce battle was fought in this town to pass a human rights ordinance that made discrimination in housing and workplace on grounds of sexual orientation illegal. This improves the lives of all LGBT students who rent

apartments or take jobs in town, not to mention making Kirksville a more enlightened place to live for us all. How many current students were aware that one of the city councilman who was up for re-election for a second term this year was the person who refused to let this issue die back in 2013 after it failed on the first vote? Perhaps if they had known, a few more might have turned out to vote.

Very few knew and few voted. Glen Moritz lost his seat by 43 votes (one percent of the vote). In light of full disclosure, this loss hits close to home, as Glen is my husband, so I am well aware of how hard he fought for equal rights in Kirksville.

The bigger picture, however, is not a personal one; it is an issue of civic awareness. We need to have a voice in selecting those who will govern, not just nationally, but locally. And to have a voice, we need a press that investigates and informs.

The Index did not just fall down on the job for the students, but for the whole Kirksville community.

Many local residents who cannot afford the high Kirksville Daily Express subscription rates rely for their news on picking up a free copy of the Index at Hy-Vee and other places around town. Index reporters: you have a civic role. You are more important than you seem to realize!

Sally West Professor of History

Austin Hornbostel is a senior communication major from Kansas City, Mo.

Contact

EDITORIAL POLICY: The Index is published Thursdays during the academic year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501.

The production offices are located in Barnett Hall. We can be reached by phone at 660-785-4449. The Index is a designated public forum, and content of the Index is the responsibility of the Index staff. The editor-in-chief consults with the staff and adviser but ultimately is responsible for all decisions.

Opinions of Index columnists are not necessarily representative of the opinions of the staff or the newspaper. Our View editorials represent the view of the Editorial Board through a majority vote. The Editorial Board consists of the editor-in-chief, managing editor and opinions editor. The Index reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limitations, repetitive subject matter, libelous content or any other reason the editor-in-chief deems appropriate. Submitted material includes advertisements and letters to the editor.

Submit corrections or contact the editor. index.editor@gmail.com

LETTER POLICY: The Index welcomes letters to the editor from the University community. Letters to the editor are due by noon the Monday

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

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

AROUND THE

QUAD Do you think Truman fosters a more collaborative environment?

John Murry Freshman I believe that Truman does foster a creative environment. I mean, that’s part of the experience of going to a liberal arts college.

For more, check out ATQ on TMN Digital at tmn.truman.edu

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Adults deserve tasteful, not crude, animation Trevor Hamblin The trailer for Seth Rogen’s “Sausage Party” came out last month, and once I saw it I knew nothing good could come of it. For those who haven’t seen it — and believe me, you have been blessed if you haven’t — it’s, simply put, a raunchy, inappropriate parody of Pixar that relies on the juxtaposition of a children’s cartoon with jokes exclusively meant for adults. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the entire script was leaked to WikiLeaks, so early internet critics could tear apart the entire movie. But the movie itself isn’t what upsets me the most. For some reason, “Sausage Party” has decided to contribute to a myth that has forever haunted animation — that animation is only for children, unless it is wildly inappropriate, sexual and filled with politically incorrect jokes. But it doesn’t need to be like that.

Children’s cartoons like “Adventure Time” or “Avatar: The Last Airbender” are smartly written and tackle complex plots and complicated issues. They have sophisticated characters where no one is just a punchline and manage to convey deep themes and ideas to their audiences. But somehow, cartoons like these are still just for kids. Adult cartoons should be complex and tell stories that can only be told through animation because the style is better for conveying impossible events or emotional responses. Cartoons for adults should allow characters to mature and be as good as any drama for adults.

Instead, adult cartoons are in the realm of shows like “Family Guy” or “South Park.” I’m not commenting on the quality of the shows — that’d be another topic entirely — but rather they are part of the only cartoons that are deemed adult-oriented. And in many cases, the quality of the animation of these shows is nothing compared to that of shows for kids. Here, we have the same kinds of things happening in “adult” cartoons — death,

It’s okay to ask for help

Lesley Reno Freedom and independence are widely celebrated concepts of our generation. We are obsessed with doing everything by ourselves to feed the expectation that we don’t need anyone or help from anybody. I am not ashamed to admit I have fallen prey to this expectation, but as I continue to mature I have found there are times where I need help, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. For example, last semester I was having issues with college algebra. Math has never been my strong suit, and I thought if I asked for help I would be belittled for not knowing how to do the math. Because I didn’t ask for help, I had to drop out of the class and retake it this semester. Fortunately, I learned from my mistake and asked a friend for help. Not once did she make fun of me or talk to me as though I was beneath her. She explained the process in a way I could understand, and as a result, I am now passing math. If I had asked for her help last semester, I would have saved money and time. In most cases the benefits of asking for help outweigh what you

think the negatives are going to be.

If you saw a loved one struggling with something, what would you do? If your roommate or best friend was stressed to the point where they couldn’t sleep or eat, would you offer to help? Most people, or at least I, would offer to help in any way possible. It is so easy and natural to offer a hand, a shoulder or a listening ear to a loved one who we see struggling. If it is so easy to offer help, why is it so hard to seek and accept help?

It can be difficult to ask for help because of the twisted outlook on independence many people have. We feel like we are giving up control if we ask for help, and because of that we feel weak. It can feel as though we just admitted defeat. Asking for help makes us feel vulnerable. It opens us up to questions like, “Are you ok?” and “What’s wrong?” I hate to feel that I can’t hold my own, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Allowing yourself to feel vulnerable and reach out to others when you need help is a strength — not a weakness. It is normal to not understand everything, or feel anxious or upset, and you should not feel ashamed of this fact. There is always going to be someone out there to help you and no one will think less of you for asking for help. You are allowed to ask for help with schoolwork. You are allowed to ask for help when you are feeling stressed. You are allowed to ask for help when you are feeling anxious or depressed. The bottom line is — you are allowed to ask for help.

Lesley Reno is a freshman communication major from Renick, Mo.

sex and drugs, combined and repeated indefinitely — and it’s done with the same kinds of repetitive animation.

Cartoons like “Archer,” which operates like an animated TV dramedy, rely mostly on these themes.

I’m not saying we can’t have those kinds of cartoons.

Could we stand to have less of them? Probably. The main problem here is they are the only shows targeted towards adult audiences, because for some reason no one is willing to take animation seriously as an art style, despite the fact animation is the most grueling kind of art you can possibly do. For traditional animation, one has to draw and redraw and repose and redraw in a near-endless loop until it matches what one needs. And then they do it again for the next character, rinse and repeat. Then you have backgrounds to consider, props to move — and what about drawing animals or vehicles? CGI animation has a different set of problems. You have to create the model, create a texture, apply the texture, develop a movement rig, make sure the physics are working, then do this for every single model. And that’s before you even get anything moving.

Animation is another medium to tell a story, just like film or literature. But for some reason it is one of the least-respected mediums, to the point where the Oscar committee for “Best Animated Feature” doesn’t even watch all of the nominations. This means they don’t even do their job because they consider it beneath them. That was the case for the 2014 Oscar nominations, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Of the seven Oscar voters the Hollywood Reporter spoke with, four abstained from voting because they hadn’t seen all the animated features, and the other three voted for “Frozen” without even talking about the other options, thus not doing their job.

With the movie “Sausage Party” coming out, it will be even longer before animation for adults can or will be taken seriously. I just can’t help but be sad about the cruel irony of animation — frankly, kids are getting higher quality shows with deeper and more complex stories and characters. They are tackling tough issues and doing so in style. But shows like “Family Guy” or “South Park” just make shallow jokes about people and issues — or sex, drugs, and violence — for shock value. Maybe one day adults will get more tasteful animation.

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

Do you think Truman fosters a more collaborative environment?

Tony Anderson Sophomore I’ve had a lot of opportunities, and I’m only a sophomore, for like poster design, even though it’s not really my area of expertise.

For more, check out ATQ on TMN Digital at tmn.truman.edu

Aim for health, not just for wealth Wyatt Beckman The U.S. has been, and will continue to be, the global poster child for freedom. The topic seems to show up in political and presidential conversations as frequently as selfies on social media. The very essence of Americana is based on honoring this value — to live in a place where everything you can imagine is supposed to be within reach if you’re willing to work hard enough. This is why we have laws, publicly funded basic education and social welfare programs — to give everyone a fair shot at accomplishing their own personal American dream.

Somewhere over the years, however, between running from white-haired red coats and running with touch screen watches, we began to take a of a core aspect of the American dream for granted — our health.

To say the U.S. is a healthy country is a bit of stretch.

Ask any European about their image of an American and it’s likely to include an obese Wal-Mart shopper riding a motorized shopping cart. While none of us have a “right to health” as plainly laid out as our freedom of speech or freedom of religion, our very “life, liberty, and the pursuit

of happiness” is dependent on the collective and individual health of the nation. Despite the undeniable and indispensable value of health in fostering a prosperous and just society, far too often we fail to fully recognize and invest in ensuring this unwritten freedom for our citizens.

This isn’t to say that fostering health is easy — quite the contrary. Any public nutrition program, warning or tax on harmful products, workplace safety laws or parental leave allowances will always disproportionately benefit some segment of the population over another. The task for those who work for the greater good of society, our elected leaders, is to pick policies and interventions that benefit the most people while harming the least. When it comes to health-centered decisions, this often equates to balancing economic viability with empowering individuals to attain and maintain good health. Often this balance is not achieved, and we quietly decrease the individual’s freedom to be well in the name of saving money and increasing profits, a trade-off that robs us of the potential contributions healthy citizens would have provided.

The examples are numerous.

We make sure our kids get a “balanced meal” at school lunches, but force schools to rely on profits from junkfood-selling vending machines to balance the budget.

We have national campaigns to get kids more active, yet increasingly direct funding away from physical education to “more important” subjects. We tell mothers that breastfeeding is the best nutrition source for newborns, but fail to provide the necessary workplace support or maternity leave to make it possible. We tell people to drink more water, but react slowly or not at all when entire communities are poisoned from lead contamination. We recommend eating more fruits and vegetables, but do noth-

ing to make that feasible for the single parent working paycheck to paycheck. We eventually stop dreaming of a long healthy life and instead accept a societally imposed rule that only some of us can be healthy — that health is not an indispensable resource we should be free to foster, but rather reserved for a privileged few.

As we move closer to the presidential election in November, we will continue to hear about foreign policy, education reform and our crumbling infrastructure — all immensely important challenges facing our country — but if any presidential candidate truly wants “a future to believe in” or to “make America great again,” we must start seeing health as one of society’s most valuable resources. Healthcare reform, while necessary, is not enough. Relying on healthcare reform to change our nation’s health is like jumping a car every time you need to travel instead of buying a new battery — getting a new battery can be expensive and they seem to weigh more every time you pick one up, but you and your car will be much happier if you do.

The American dream is sick, but I believe the very values that push us to ensure all of our treasured freedoms also can empower our journey towards a healthier nation. The pride we take in being a country of boundless opportunity — in the freedom to make our dreams a reality — should drive us to create a new paradigm.

It is time for “the land of the free and the home of the brave” to be brave enough to fight for our collective and individual freedom to live a healthy American dream.

Wyatt Beckman is a junior health science major from Ness City, Kan.

6

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

TOURISM | Kirksville events provide entertainment for citizens and financial support and services for businesses Continued from page 1 These events provide entertainment for residents and visitors, and they help support local businesses.

Sandra Williams, Executive Director of the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit organization that aims to support local businesses and promote the overall economic welfare of the city. Williams said the Chamber works with various sizes of businesses with employment ranging from one employee to almost 500 employees. Williams said one way the Chamber helps promote businesses is by providing referrals. She said people can call the Chamber and explain what service they are looking for, and the Chamber can refer them to a local business that fits their needs.

Williams said the Chamber also works to provide opportunities for businesses to get their names out in the community during town events. Williams said some of the Chamber-sponsored events serve as fundraisers, while others give community members something fun to do while promoting local businesses. Williams said these events include the annual golf tournament where businesses can set up stands, a silent auction and trivia night sponsored by local businesses, and the New Student Welcome in September where local businesses welcome Truman State, A.T. Still University and Moberly Area Community College students to town.

Williams said the Chamber also networks for local businesses. Williams said this includes promoting National Small Business Week and Small Business Saturday, which falls after Black Friday.

Kirksville Tourism Director Debi Boughton said the Tourism Office organizes several events throughout the year, some of which draw people from out of town, and even out of state, to Kirksville.

Boughton said the next big event will be the Art Walk, which kicks off with the Summer on The Square concert series. Boughton said this event helps promote local and regional artists and serves as something fun for the Kirksville community to do.

Boughton said the Tourism Office partners with the city to host a Fourth of July celebration including a pancake breakfast, movies, presentations and fireworks. Boughton said other annual events include a bike race, a golf tournament, a half-marathon, a tractor pull, the Scottish Highland Games and the Miss Kirksville pageant.

Boughton said the Northeast Missouri Fair and the Red Barn Arts Festival bring in large crowds from outside of the community. Boughton said some people travel from two or three states away to come to the fair.

Boughton said deer season and turkey season, while not planned events, also draw people to Kirksville. She said the arrival of the hunters has a positive impact on the Kirksville economy. Boughton said the people who come for hunting seasons camp or stay in hotels, buy groceries, and shop for leisure, all of which brings money to local Kirksville businesses.

Boughton said another big event is Bacon Fest. With the removal of Kirksville’s bacon line, Boughton said the event will continue but will no longer be called Bacon Fest.

She said the new event still will be sponsored by Kraft and will be a street festival with a food drive for local food pantries. Boughton said the new event name has not yet been released.

“Creating an environment, a smalltown feel that is welcoming and attractive and excites people and makes them feel at home, is something that is ultimately a goal of this program.”

- Assistant City Manager Ashley Young

Boughton said the Tourism Office advertises on Facebook, TV, print, radio and Trip Advisor to bring people to the events. She said depending on the event, the Tourism Office tries to advertise to a group with specific interests.

The City of Kirksville plans to launch a Downtown Revitalization Program this spring to make improvements to the downtown district with the hopes of attracting people to the area.

This program will be funded by money from the Downtown Tax Increment Financing Plan.

Assistant City Manager Ashley Young said the Tax Increment Finance district and a downtown improvement plan formed in 1999. Young said 100 percent of the property tax increase from the base year of the TIF and 50 percent of the sales tax increase from the base year go into an

account used only in accordance with the downtown improvement plan and in the TIF district, which is the central downtown business district. Young said people use money from this account for public parking lots, pedestrian lights and a court house revitalization, among other projects.

Young said the goal of this program is to improve the public infrastructure and increase property value. He said for eight out of 10 years prior to the TIF’s establishment property value in the downtown district declined. Young said around 2002 or 2003, values began to increase and are approximately 64 percent higher today than they were prior to the TIF. Young said the Downtown Revitalization Program will pay 75 percent of the cost for updates to the facade — which includes windows, awnings and signage — of businesses in the district. Young said property owners will be responsible for the remaining 25 percent, which can total no less than $2,000. He said the program will pay 100 percent of the cost to improve city infrastructure around the buildings, which includes sidewalks, curbs and pedestrian lights.

“Creating an environment, a small-town feel that is welcoming and attractive and excites people and makes them feel at home, is something that is ultimately a goal of this program,” Young said.

Young said this program aims to improve the appearaence of the downtown area in hopes of making it more attractive for businesses and people going to the district to shop or attend events.

Young said the downtown district had a rough economic time in 2014 when Kirlin’s Hallmark closed on The Square. Young said the city tried to find someone to purchase and take over that business, but the corporate owners were not interested in remaining in Kirksville. He said even though Kirlin’s Hallmark left, many new businesses have opened on The Square since then.

“I think the entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and well in downtown Kirksville,” Young said. “People understand that downtown Kirksville is still important to our economy and can be even more important with more small business and with, hopefully, the success of this program as well.”

Young said the city wants to start the pilot project for this program this spring and hopes to finish sometime this year. Young said the pilot areas are the south side of The Square between Franklin and Elson streets and on Elson Street between Washington and McPherson streets.

Adair County reflects on past accomplishments and future goals

By Zackary Irvin Staff Writer

As part of the Government in Focus series, the City of Kirksville hosted the annual State of the County address.

Much like the State of the City address hosted earlier this year, representatives from the departments of Adair County came together to discuss their major successes of last

year and goals for this year.

This included speeches from the Sheriff's Office, the Commissioner's Office, the Health Department, the ambulance district, the water district, Senate Bill 40 Developmental Disability board, the director of the county library and the director of Twin Pines Adult Care Center.

The city met many goals during 2015 and set others

for the current year. This included road repairs from rainfall and erosion, building a brand new inclusion park, the progression of a state of the art Twin Pines building, and the health department's success in flu vaccine distribution.

For the SB 40 Development Disability board, Executive Director Deb Wohlers announced the ground breaking ceremony

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of their new inclusion park near the YMCA. Wohlers also said Representative Nate Walker is working to pass a bill making all SB 40 groups a political group.

Jim LeBaron, Adair County health department administrator, said the Health Department hosted a successful drive thru flu vaccination event, allowing them to vaccinate 1,256 people. LeBaron also ad-

dressed the recent Zika virus scare and said Adair County has had zero cases and expects to hear from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about a vaccine in the fall.

The citizens of Adair County can expect an increase in quality when it comes to the ambulance district. Larry Burton, presenting for the Adair County ambulance district,

said it is always improving its standards to obtain accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services.

Jamie Livingston, Adair County Library Director, said the library will continue to have its summer reading programs, and it received a grant to obtain large-print books and audio material to better accommodate everyone.

7

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Mastering Mental Health:

Students host mental health first aid training

BY RACHEL FECHTER Staff Writer

“If anxiety has taught me anything, it’s that I’m not alone. There are others out there who share my desire to sucker punch our anxiety so it knows it doesn’t control us.”

This quote was posted on the Shake the Stigma Facebook page as part of the Truman Speaks Out event, one of the many events that happened during Shake the Stigma Week April 11-16.

Seniors Katie Larabee, Dominique Boesch, Laura Kim and Jenny Lowe said they decided to do their senior capstone project about mental health and spearheaded this week for the first time ever on Truman State’s campus.

The week started with a Treat Yo Self kickoff event on The Quad with performances

by Truman a capella groups Minor Detail and Sweet Nothings. Joe Hamilton, assistant director of University Counseling Services, spoke about combatting mental health stigmas.

Another event was a showing of “Inside Out,” as well as screenings for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder in the Student Union Building. Other events included Yoga on The Quad and two sessions of mental health first aid training, a tutorial for students to learn how to approach and help people with mental health disorders.

Larabee said while only 20 Truman students were allowed to go to the training because of limited resources, more than 75 reached out and asked to take the class. Larabee said this shows how important mental health is to Truman

students. Larabee said while doing research for the project, she discovered not only are people interested in taking mental health training classes but there is also a desire from students to seek assistance for their mental disorders.

“UCS is under represented,” Larabee said.

“I have recently learned they have over 600 clients, and they’re only staffed enough to provide services for under 600. For a while I knew people who couldn’t get in for threeplus weeks. To accept the fact you want to get help for your problem and when you’re told you have to wait a month or so that’s hard, especially if it’s an emergency.”

Lou Ann Gilchrist, vice president of Student Affairs, taught the mental health first aid training. Gilchrist said she has a background in mental health because she used to be the UCS director and taught counseling at Truman before that, which made her qualified to teach the class.

Gilchrist said the class especially benefited college students. She said some mental illnesses and symptoms do not appear until late teens to early adulthood. This could cause confusion for students who might not understand what is happening.

“There’s many reasons for mental health first aid training,” Gilchrist said. “Part of it is to reduce the stigma, so it’s important and appropriate that it would go along with [Shake the Stigma Week]. But mental health first aid goes beyond the reduction of stigma to give people an understanding of what causes mental illness and how they can assist someone experiencing symptoms of mental illness.”

Boesch said the class was beneficial for Truman students because it helped them help their peers. Boesch said all four of the women involved with the project invested about 50 hours planning events and researching for their mental health awareness capstone project. Boesch and Larabee said they found out in their research that USC will hire a new case manager and counselor next year and 49 percent of Truman students had anxiety in the past year.

“Mental health first aid is something anyone can benefit from because if you have some sort of mental health issue or crisis you’re probably going to go to your friends first,” Boesch said.

“The more people trained, the more and better help someone can get.”

Boesch said she feels passionate about mental health awareness because she often has anxiety. Boesch said showing people they can talk openly about mental health is important to her. She said she also plans to pursue a career in occupational therapy, and having good mental health and thinking positively has a profound impact on someone’s recovery process.

Kim said she also feels strongly about the subject of mental health and thinks talking about it will reduce the stigma. She said the media tend to portray mental illness as crazy or violent.

“I personally think everyone has mental health issues at some point in their life, and this is not only a particular group of people — it’s everywhere,” Kim said. “It’s time to allow people to speak and to hear their stories.”

Submitted photo Students participate in yoga on The Quad for Shake the Stigma Week. The purpose of the event was to help students relax and have a positive outlook. The week was part of a capstone project by a group of health science students.

VOLUME 107

ISSUE 27

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@trumanindex

© 2016

8

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Truman hosts first Social Justice Leadership Summit

BY PAIGE YUNGERMANN Staff Writer

Last weekend, the Multicultural Affairs Center hosted Truman State’s first Social Justice Leadership Summit. University students and faculty from across the Midwest attended the summit.

It included a documentary screening and various sessions, with the goal of educating participants about issues related to social justice, particularly issues that impact minorities.

Carol Bennett, assistant dean of Multicultural Affairs, said while the summit went well, the turnout was not what she anticipated. She said about 90 people registered for the summit, but about 70 people attended.

Of those in attendance, Bennett said most were from out of state. She said about six universities from Kansas, Iowa and Illinois attended the summit.

“It’s great that Truman is getting it’s name out, but I wanted it to be more impactful to Truman students,” Bennett said.

Despite the turnout, Bennett said the summit will take place again next year and possibly become an annual event. She said a low turnout is expected for the first year. She also said she hopes students and faculty from other universities who attended will tell their peers about the summit so more people from outside Truman will attend next year.

Bennett said she has plans to improve advertising next year, which hopefully will increase turnout. She said one idea is to first speak to faculty members about the summit and get them to promote it to students.

Bennett said other plans for next year include fundraising so the summit can include a keynote speaker. She said

having a big-name speaker might increase participation in the summit.

“Our world is becoming more diverse, rapidly, and you will encounter someone that is different from you, whether it’s lifestyle, race, regional differences.”

-Carol Bennett, Assistant dean of Multicultural Affairs

Bennett said Friday the summit featured an opening reception and a screening of the documentary “Out in the Night.”

She said the film is about how America’s legal system treated four LGBT people.

Bennett said Saturday, the summit consisted of various workshops about social justice issues, representation of minorities in the media and Marxism, and classism.

Bennett said the idea for the summit came from her communicating with Blair Doroshwalther, the director of “Out in the Night,” about a year ago. Bennett said she decided to show the film at Truman, and that idea snowballed into a summit.

One advantage of the summit is it prepares Truman students for attending and presenting at future professional conferences, Bennett said.

She said the summit is also important because everyone will work with people who are different from them during their lives.

Lyceum Series changes venues

BY RACHEL FECHTER Staff Writer

Because of the renovations to Baldwin Hall, some old Truman State traditions will require changes as well.

The Kohlenberg Lyceum Series — which has been hosting cultural and artistic events for the Kirksville community for more than 100 years — will have to either change venues for its shows or cancel all of its programs next year.

Public Relations Director Heidi Templeton said the renovations will impact the Lyceum’s ability to bring in certain performances because it won’t have access to Baldwin Auditorium. Templeton said the renovations will cause Truman to evaluate the performances it hosts, and the performances probably will have to be smaller than before.

Templeton said finding a place to meet the needs of the usual big turnouts of the Lyceum events will be difficult.

Templeton said the seating availability and number of tickets is going to be less than it has been in the past because of the renovations. Templeton said she will work to help those who are interested in attending the Lyceum shows understand they will have to plan ahead when buying tickets because there won’t be as many available.

Templeton said she hopes the Kirksville community will be flexible and understanding as the Lyceum maneuvers through the challenges of losing its key facility for events.

“The community [knows] in the long run the benefit of having updated classrooms and air conditioning is certainly something that will be understandable if [Baldwin Auditorium] is offline for a year,” Templeton said. “I know they’ll be disappointed, but we do ask for everyone’s patience as we’re figuring this out.”

Lyceum Co-chair Winston Vanderhoof said Baldwin Auditorium is a beautiful

“Our world is becoming more diverse, rapidly, and you will encounter someone that is different from you, whether it’s lifestyle, race, regional differences,” Bennett said.

“At the college level, it’s great to learn how to deal with those differences and maybe become free of your biases.”

Jerad Green, Multicultural Affairs program coordinator, said he thinks the summit accomplished its goals, and he looks forward to next year’s summit.

Green said next year, he wants to start planning sooner to make the event run more smoothly. For example, he said the summit took place in different areas of Truman’s campus and at A.T. Still University. Next year, he said he wants to make sure the entire summit can take place in the same area. He said he also wants to increase participation, with a focus on Truman students.

Green said any time a group or organization hosts an event for the first time, there are bound to be some issues. He said the MAC had a great group this year, though, and are excited to host the event again next year.

History professor Marc Becker said he attended the summit because he thinks social justice is important.

Becker said his favorite part of the summit was the screening of “Out in the Night.”

He said he plans to attend the conference next year.

“I think Carol Bennett and Jerad Green should really be congratulated for pulling together such a compelling conference and bringing in people from a wide area,” Becker said. “It was really a good opportunity for us to share our ideas with other people in the area.”

space, and trying to plan events at venues like Pershing Arena, Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall and even Stokes Stadium is going to be a challenge because of time availability and space.

Vanderhoof said the Lyceum will have difficulties with planning future shows because of Baldwin Hall’s renovation.

He said the Lyceum is looking at different venues and what would be available for planning its shows. Vanderhoof said scheduling a venue location and time is limited because other student organizations that host events in Baldwin Hall also are looking for new locations.

Vanderhoof said while it will be difficult to find venues for events, he hopes the ongoing tradition of the Lyceum can continue.

“The performances we bring are a vital tradition at Truman because the mission is a little different than the Student Activities Board since we also have the community to take into account,” Vanderhoof said. “I think it’s something that needs to keep going.”

Lyceum Co-chair Zac Burden said the Lyceum series — originally a YMCA speaker series the University encouraged students to attend — has hosted its events in Baldwin Hall for a long time.

Burden said its closure will have a significant impact on the series.

Burden said Baldwin Hall’s renovations are the first time the Lyceum and other organizations have faced losing one of the few facilities that can house their events. He said the experience has made him fully appreciate its value to the institution.

“We work hard to bring in shows that we hope the community will appreciate and enjoy getting to see,” Burden said. “Whether or not we get to do that next year, whenever we have a series, we look forward to welcoming everybody back into the Lyceum Series to appreciate and celebrate great art here in Kirksville.”

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For more information, contact: The Missouri Job Center (660) 785-2400 or the Kirksville Area Chamber of Commerce (660) 665-3766.

This event recognizes the Show-Me Heroes Program.

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Chemistry society shows magic behind science 9

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

BY JESSICA HOWARD Staff Writer

The American Chemical Society of Truman State hosted its annual Musical Demo Show last weekend outside Magruder Hall. The event took place 3-5 p.m.

Sunday and featured a variety of chemical reactions aimed to delight Kirksville's children.

Senior Emily Leddin and junior Morgan Grandon, the ACS Musical Demo co-chairs, were in charge of organizing the event and said they spent the last year planning Sunday's show. Leddin said they started planning as soon as the last musical demo ended, making a list of all of the skits they thought worked and wanted to do the following year. Before their freshman year, Leddin said there was a binder that explained everything they had to do to get ready for the event, but they did not find the binder until too recently to really use it. However, Leddin said this setback might have been more helpful than harmful.

"We realized we were almost better off doing it without the binder," Leddin said. "We sought out all of the things we needed to do to get this ready. We wrote a script which had never been done before ... It was kind of one of those things where we were able to do all of this without following the way people had been doing it. We kind of made our own way of doing it."

Leddin said more than 50 people from the community attended the event, making it one of the best turnouts she's seen. Leddin said she was happy with how the show turned out, with only one segment, "Iodine Clock," failing to deliver a chemical reaction. Leddin said she did not think only one faulty experiment was a bad thing, as only hours earlier the entire event was changed when ACS was forced to move the musical demo outdoors after discovering it was 87 degrees in Magruder Hall.

Between last year and this year, Leddin said ACS changed many things to better the show, but she said she hopes next year’s organizers have back-up plans to prevent chemical flops from happening and having to go outdoors, where the environment is uncontrollable, because Magruder Hall is too hot.

This year, the event included skits like "Iodine Clock," "Teddy Bear Picnic," "The Dragon Hunt," "Giant Bubble," "Dueling Chemists" and "Elephant Toothpaste," a skit Grandon said is a fan favorite with children. Each of the skits was geared toward children, with "The Dragon Hunt" and "Giant Bubble" allowing children to participate by speaking into an Erlenmeyer flask to prove they were not a dragon or standing in a small pool of bubble solution as ACS members enclosed them inside a large bubble.

Another aspect of the event was the music.

Grandon said they engaged the children more using music from Harry Potter and a poem Grandon recited.

Grandon said while the idea of a musical demo seemed different at first, music served an important role in the event.

"I think as an inherent nature, chemists are really awkward, and if you're around people who don't

Submitted Photo Sophomore Patrick Sullivan watches as junior Kyle Angle mix chemicals April 17 at the American Chemical Society Musical Demo Show. This is the second time ACS has hosted a musical demo. understand the chemistry as well, it can be even more awkward," Grandon said.

Grandon said she thinks the chemistry performed takes away the awkward feelings because it’s more of a performance than a demonstration. She said she thinks it gets the kids more excited than just presenting a solution.

Grandon said part of chemistry is accepting that sometimes the reaction you want will not occur and the best thing to do when something happens, or doesn't happen, is just move on.

"You just shrug and you do the next one, really," Grandon said. "They're kids, and unless you make it a big deal that you messed up, they'll be a little confused about why nothing cool happened but they'll just roll with it and say, 'Okay, but that next one was cool.'"

Grandon said the impact the event has on the community is the focus. Grandon said ACS hosting the event annually starts a tradition of Truman encouraging children in the community to get involved in the sciences.

"We want everyone in the Kirksville area to get to see how cool [science] is," Grandon said. "Because I think there is a kind of stigma, especially in smaller towns, where not as many people want to go into science. So we try to do outreach, to get people to say hey, they did science and that was really cool. It's a good way to get kids to come to Truman, see ACS and see what we do."

Submitted Photo Junior Morgan Grandon, co-chair of the event, performs April 17 at the American Chemical Society Musical Demo Show. Grandon said she performed several music pieces and recited a poem.

10

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Taste of Truman

EVENTS

with Laura Seaman

Re-Create Art Show 6-10 p.m. April 22 The Aquadome This art show will feature art made from recyclable materials to raise awareness about environmentalism.

SAB Presents: The Final Blowout 2-6 p.m. April 23 The Quad

TOP

The Final Blowout will feature live music from Kangaroo Knife Fight and other local bands, a rock wall, a bungee pod jump, free food and more. The event is free with a student ID and $5 for general admission.

Crockpot Blueberry Cobbler Directions: • Pour blueberries, brown sugar, cinnamon and corn starch into a bowl and mix gently to avoid smashing the blueberries. Pour mixture into a crockpot and spread it evenly throughout.

• Open biscuit dough and cut each biscuit into quarters. Spread the quarters of dough over the top of the blueberry mixture until it is completely covered.

• Let it cook in the crockpot for three hours on high. Turn it down to warm, then serve.

Serve with or without ice cream.

Ingredients: • 6 cups blueberries • 1/2 cup brown sugar • 1 tablespoon cinnamon • 2 tablespoons corn starch • 1 can biscuit dough • Optional: vanilla ice cream Courtesy of “Tasty”

Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies

1

“Captain America: The Winter Solider” didn’t feel like any superhero movie we had seen to that point. The second Captain America movie was more of a political thriller that resembled the Cold War more than anything else, as Cap tries to navigate a new world he no longer understands.

2

Director James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” isjust as off-beat as its characters. A talking raccoon, a walking tree, a green-skinned assassin, a destroyer and a self-proclaimed Star Lord make up the band of anti-heros who are tasked with saving the galaxy from destruction.

3

The MCU kicked off with the 2008 release of “Iron Man,” starring Robert Downey Jr. The film was incredibly successful in making a superhero movie that was light hearted and carried emotional weight. The film also proved that not every superhero needs a secret identity.

4

Director Joss Whedon was the perfect person to bring the Avengers together for the first time onscreen with 2012’s “The Avengers.” The chemistry between the characters and the connections with the other MCU films worked perfectly, proving just how well the MCU could work.

5

“Captain America: The First Avenger” might not be the first film you think of when you think of the best Marvel movies. But the film’s ability to tell a meaningful story while also setting up the beginnings of S.H.I.E.L.D. made for a great, if subtle, beginning to Steve Rogers/Captain America’s story.

“Unbreakable” season 2 just as quirky and dark as ever

BY KATEY STOETZEL

Features Editor index.featureseditor@gmail.com

Season two of Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" starts much the same way season one did — off-beat and a little rocky. But once it finds its footing a couple of episodes in, the show about a young woman moving on from the 15 years she spent in an underground bunker is just as moving, hilarious and dark as its first season.

Ellie Kemper plays Kimmy Schmidt with the same sort of gusto and sunshine-y disposition from season one. But underneath Kimmy's cheerfulness, there's also a darkness that exists from her time in the bunker. While season one certainly did a good job with not shying away from the ramifications that come with the main character being the victim of a 15-year-long kidnapping, season two delves much deeper into Kimmy's emotions about her past. Kemper once again expertly handles the two sides of her character with ease, often transitioning smoothly from cheerful to angry in an instant.

While the bunker makes an appearance quite a few times in flashbacks of Kimmy and the other Mole Women — the nickname given to the victims by the media — season two is more about Kimmy not just moving on from her past, but accepting what happened.

Enter Andrea — played by series creator Tina Fey — an

alcoholic psychologist Kimmy meets during her job as an Uber driver. Between Kimmy's adventures with drunk Andrea and sober Andrea, Kimmy eventually learns how to confront her anger about what happened to her.

Kimmy's not the only one trying to move on — Jacqueline, played by Jane Krakowski, has to figure out life post-marriage to a rich husband. No longer rich, Jacqueline gets Kimmy's help in learning how to be her own person, which allows her to improve her relationship with her son and build a better friendship with Kimmy.

This also leads to a showdown with guest star Anna Camp's character, Deirdre Robespierre, who's at the top of the elite New York socialites.

Titus Andromedon, played by Tituss Burgess, finds himself moving on as well — that is, moving on from one night stands to a healthy relationship with construction worker Mikey Politano. Burgess is just as fantastic as he was in season one, and though there is no season two version of "Peeno Noir," Titus bursts into song plenty of times.

The story of Lillian, played by Carol Kane, is more about acceptance, as she desperately works to save her neighborhood from being taken over by hipsters. For most of the season, Lillian is either giving Titus and Kimmy life advice or protesting various restaurants and construction sites the so-called hipsters are changing.

We also get to catch up with a couple of the other Mole Women — Gretchen Chalker and Cyndee Pokorny — who aren't quite adjusting to life outside the bunker as well as Kimmy. Gretchen has joined another cult and Cyndee, in an effort to quickly move on with her life, is getting married to a gay man. But what's great about Kimmy's interactions with the two is how much Gretchen and Cyndee are a reflection of Kimmy's own way of dealing with things. They might not go about it the same way, but the three are incredibly similar.

Nestled inbetween all these stories are fantastic guest appearances. Some are subtle, some aren't, but they all are used to great comedic effect. Keep your eyes out for Camp, Fey, Fred Armisen, Joshua Jackson, Jon Hamm, Lisa Kudrow and Jeff Goldblum.

As I mentioned, season two gets off to a slow start with the first episode, "Kimmy Goes Roller Skating!" The episode jumps around in its narrative structure and takes a while to get its footing. But the following episodes find their groove, and the final episodes of the season are some of the best of the show.

The overarching theme of the season is change and learning how to deal with it. "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" uses its off-beat humor to tell a touching and hilarious story about accepting the past and moving on.

The show already has been picked up for a third season.

You can watch all 27 episodes on Netflix. Grade — B+

SPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

@trumanathletics

tmn.truman.edu

11

Last Week’s Scores Baseball 4/16

Missouri S&T L 7-0, L 4-3

4/17

Missouri S&T L 3-1, W 4-3

Softball 4/16 Southern Indiana W 1-0, L 8-3

Bellarmine L 4-1, W 4-3

4/17

Upcoming Events

Athena Geldbach/Index

Softball vets set the standard

Baseball 4/23 Noon and 3 p.m. vs. UMSL 4/24 Noon and 3 p.m. vs. UMSL

BY RACHEL STEINHOFF/STAFF WRITER

With an experienced head coach and a number of senior leaders, the Truman State softball team will look to finish strong after two home splits during senior day weekend.

See SOFTBALL, page 14

Men’s & Women’s Track & Field 4/21- 23

Kansas Relays Lawrence, KS

Golf 4/22

GLVC Championships Waterloo, IL

Softball 4/23 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. vs. Indianapolis

Athena Geldbach/Index Top: Junior catcher Lex Van Nostrand prepares to return the ball to the pitcher. Above: Senior pitcher Kelsea Dorsey throws a pitch to the plate. The Bulldogs will conclude their 2016 regular season on the road this weekend, facing the University of Indianapolis Saturday and Saint Joseph’s College Sunday.

4/24 Noon and 2 p.m.

vs. Saint Joseph’s

vs. Bellarmine

P L AY E R

Cassidy Smestad, Fr. Freshman thrower Cassidy Smestad took first place in the shot put event during the Jim Duncan Invitational in Des Moines, Iowa Saturday. Smestad set an NCAA Provisional record in the process with a personal best mark of 46-02.75. The mark puts Smestad at the top of the GLVC in the event.

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ISSUE 27

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© 2016

12

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Reporter says no to politics in athletics split NFL fans along a political divide, but this is hardly the first time the NFL has been involved in political discussion.

Bob Costas, host of NBC’s Sunday Night Football, is one example of a sportscaster dabbling in politics.

Following the 2012 suicide of Jovan Belcher, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker, Costas spent a portion of the following week’s pregame giving a monologue in which he demanded federal gun control. The following year, Costas spent another pregame talking about the racist undertones of the Washington Redskins’ name and asked for the issue to be rectified. Costas’ comments made headlines and appeared on news websites such as the Washington Post and USA Today.

Reactions to Costas’ words ranged from approving to annoyed, but regardless of whether one agrees with Costas or not, it does raise a question for all fans of football — should political discussion be broadcast in the NFL? In the past few months, ESPN also has had its fair share of political opinions. Renowned NFL Coach Mike Ditka has stated his political point of view on multiple occasions. During several ESPN interviews, Ditka criticized President Barack Obama’s methods of leading the United States. Additionally, Ditka

BY CURT WICHMER Staff Writer

In recent NFL news, Sean Payton, head coach of the New Orleans Saints, made a public statement about the Louisiana Legislature. In a USA Today sports interview, Payton mentioned the shooting death of former Saints defensive end Will Smith and asked for gun control laws to set greater restrictions on the availability of firearms to the general public. Payton’s comments have

Coaches reflect on time spent at Truman

BY TIM PICKEL

Staff Writer

Every year, Truman State’s athletic programs go through the ritual of saying goodbye to senior students and hello to newcomers. Less common, but arguably more impactful, is when coaches decide to join or leave these programs. While not committed to four-year terms like the athletes, many coaches grow during their time in these programs just as much as the athletes they coach, and the programs can leave lasting impacts on their lives.

Cathy Monroe, former associate head softball coach, and Jeramey Dockery, football defensive line coach, are two examples of individuals who have used Truman Athletics as a stepping stone in their coaching careers.

Monroe served as a softball coach at Truman for nine seasons before landing the head coaching position at the Missouri University of Science & Technology last offseason.

She spent seven years at Truman as an assistant and the last two as an associate head coach. Monroe said going from assistant coaching to head coaching can be a tough endeavor, but because of circumstances last spring, Monroe said she was able to get a taste for it before getting her first full-time gig.

“I was somewhat prepared for [head coaching] because my last year at Truman, Erin Brown, the current head coach, had her second child early in our spring season and was comfortable giving me more responsibilities while she was out for a brief time,” Monroe said.

Monroe said such an experience was valuable and made the transition to coaching at Missouri S&T much

easier for her. But Monroe said it has not left her without challenges. Monroe said one of the challenges as a head coach is feeling more responsible for the outcome of a game. Aside from that, Monroe said her biggest challenge is lacking a full-time assistant coach at Missouri S&T. While Monroe said it was difficult to leave Truman behind after forming many long-standing relationships with the coaching staff, colleagues and players, she said it always has been a career goal to become a head coach. She said she hopes to make Missouri S&T competitive in the GLVC and, ultimately, the NCAA, and she said her position at Missouri S&T won’t be just about the team’s record.

“Outside of wins and losses, I take great pride in the opportunity to develop, challenge and empower young women to make a difference in the world,” Monroe said.

Monroe is not alone in making the most of the Truman coaching experience. Dockery was a player and student assistant for Truman during his five years of school here. After graduating and leaving Truman football, he coached the defensive line at Southwest Minnesota State University, but after a season of coaching for the Mustangs, he returned to Truman to coach the same position.

Dockery said the main reason he came back to Truman was to help develop and push the program he played for to win a conference championship. He said coaching at the school he played for drives him to help the players on this team realize that goal.

Dockery said he greatly appreciated and always will remember his time at Southwest Minnesota and the connections it has provided him in the coaching world.

I don’t always advertise, but when I do, I use The Truman Media Network. email us at advertising.trumanmedia@gmail.com Or Call 314-239-0899 515-401-7574 for more info

mentioned his personal support of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. In this aspect, NBC and ESPN have very different policies. A memo issued in January to all of the sports network staff told them to “Refrain from political editorializing, personal attacks or ‘drive-by’ comments regarding the candidates and their campaigns — including but not limited to on platforms such as Twitter or other social media,” according to espn.com.

I tend to agree with ESPN’s “no political endorsing” policy. An individual using a major television network to promote their political views could lead to a lot of problems for the network. We often have heard the phrase, “The views of an individual do not necessarily reflect the views of the group,” and the same applies to a major company.

Naturally, the opinions of society are divided when it comes to politics, and the last thing a sports network wants is to alienate a portion of its audience.

I personally think keeping politics out of the NFL is for the best. The reason the NFL exists is to provide a contest between teams that will entertain an audience — bringing politics of any kind to the table will only serve to alienate viewers and reduce network profits. There are very few subjects we as a society can all agree on, but can we at least agree on keeping politics out of football?

Joseph Wright/ Index (2013)

Above: Jeramey Dockery (no. 95), defensive line coach and former Truman State football player, lines up for the coin toss. Dockery played for the Bulldogs before working on the staff at Southwest Minnesota State University, and is now back at Truman as a coach.

“I now know guys coaching all over the country from the D-I level to high school, and can call on them for advice and to talk ball," Dockery said. "Some of the things I do now are because of the group of guys I coached with at Southwest.”

Having the ability to pursue his two passions — coaching football and strength and conditioning — was another big reason why Dockery said he decided to return to his alma mater. Dockery said he is proud to continue the program’s excellence beyond his playing years and said he has a strong level of commitment to Bulldog football.

Both Dockery and Monroe said they are thankful for the experience they acquired while coaching in Bulldog athletics and appreciate Truman's role in helping them shape their futures.

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13

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

‘Dogs get cuts for colon cancer Senior Michalina Tomczak

Senior Kasey Gassensmith

Submitted photos

BY MENAIE BARTON Staff Writer

Senior center Michalina Tomczak and senior guard Kasey Gassensmith shaved their heads to raise awareness about colon cancer April 10. Gassensmith donated her locks to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, and the two raised more than $1,500 for Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation.

Colon cancer, also called colorectal cancer, is the third most common cancer in men and women, and also is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. Research by the American Cancer Society has shown that incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer are higher in African-Americans than in Caucasians.

The Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for colorectal cancer, according to the foundation’s website. The website states until a cure is found, the Chris4Life Cancer Foundation is committed to improving the treatment experience for patients and caregivers and raising awareness about colon cancer.

Tomczak said she also is committed to raising awareness for the cause because colon cancer research is a very personal topic for her. Tomczak said her father was diagnosed with colon cancer in October 2012 and died from the disease April 22, 2013.

Tomczak said she always had considered shaving her head but gained the courage to do so following her father’s death.

“There’s many ways to keep them around, even when they’re gone,” Tomczak said. “You can still honor them and keep them in your life. They can still impact your life even if they aren’t right there with you.”

This was Tomczak’s first time shaving her head, and she said it probably will be her last. Tomczak said Gassensmith’s support, along with that of the Truman State community and her teammates, encouraged her to shave her head. Tomczak said in addition to moral support and encouragement, many people have helped with her efforts to raise money.

Tomczak also encouraged anyone considering

“There’s many ways to keep them around, even when they’re gone.

You can still honor them and keep them in your life. They can still impact your life even if they aren’t right there with you.”

- Senior center Michalina Tomczak

shaving their head to do so.

“Hair is just hair,” Tomczak said. “When I shaved it, I felt no different. I looked in the mirror and still saw myself. Nothing had changed. Hair is not essential to happiness. It will grow back, and it’s not the end of the world. I’m more confident than I was

before. It increased my self-esteem. It’s empowering and freeing.”

Although Gassensmith does not have a personal connection to colon cancer, she said she shaved her head in support of Tomczak’s cause. Gassensmith said because the disease was such a big part of Tomczak’s life, she wanted to support Tomczak throughout the entire process.

Gassensmith said she feels great about donating her hair. She said this is not the first time she has donated her hair, but it is the first time she has completely shaved it. She said she always donates at least 10 inches and is proud to give what she can to the cause.

Gassensmith said donating hair is a great way to raise awareness and also a way to stand with those who do not have any other choice but to shave their head.

Gassensmith said she hopes others besides herself and Tomczak will jump in and help by donating hair, contributing money or simply supporting those facing cancer.

Gassensmith said though shaving your head is a big change, donating your hair is a small sacrifice that helps many people.

“Your hair’s going to grow back,” Gassensmith said. “It’s not a big deal. You have the chance to change someone’s life. I think it’s worth it.”

Currently, the GoFundMe fundraiser Tomczak is sponsoring is still open for more donations.

Gassensmith said Tomczak’s goal was to raise $1,000 — they have surpassed this goal, but both girls agreed that every dollar counts toward research efforts. People interested in donating can visit gofundme.com/ban3r2jg.

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

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

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

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

14

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

SOFTBALL l Through senior experience and a strong presence at the head coaching position, the Truman State softball team has had a successful 2016 season and has the opportunity to make a deep run in the GLVC tournament.

Athena Geldbach/ Index

Truman softball players line up in the dugout and cheer on their teammates during a game. The Bulldogs are currently 27-13 overall and 19-7 in conference play. Their next games are this weekend against No. 1-ranked University of Indianapolis Saturday and Saint Joseph’s College Sunday.

BY RACHEL STEINHOFF

Staff Reporter

In her 10 seasons of leading the Truman State softball program, Head Coach Erin Brown has seen her share of the ups and downs of Bulldog softball. After four years donning the Truman uniform herself, Brown eventually returned to the Truman Softball Field to take the program into her own hands.

Over time, Brown said she’s seen the program and the game itself change several times. As a player, Brown said the team’s success as three-time regional finalists stemmed from her head coach, Kristy Schroeder.

Several years later when she became head coach, Brown said she initially struggled to assert herself in that leadership position.

“I think that when I first came, there were some things I should have addressed that I didn’t,” Brown said. “Waiting to address those things made it take a little longer to get the program back to where it was.”

Brown said she’s learned to address the problem areas of the team, and she expects more from her players now than she ever has before. She said her coaching philosophy now revolves around the idea that there is a consequence for not meeting standards.

Brown said before, the situation would have to get really bad before she stepped up and did something about it, but now, she has raised the standards for attitude and effort. She said these changes have really benefitted the team.

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Brown led her team to two straight NCAA tournament appearances and a 10140 record since the start of the 2014 season.

Brown said the last three seasons have been her most successful — success Brown said she did not build on her own.

Brown said her athlete’s attitude and work ethic are the driving force of the program’s improvement. She said much of this mentality is the product of her senior players.

“I don’t have enough time or words to talk about [the senior players],” Brown said. “The seniors have been so crucial to our program. When they came, we weren’t very good. We were still building.

They have really left their mark and legacy on this team and are leaving the program better than when they came in. ... Anything from the type of attitude and effort we have on the field to just really being good teammates and being all-in for the team has improved so much in their time here.”

With one last chance to make their mark on Truman softball, the senior players look to finish the 2016 season with their third consecutive national tournament appearance.

Senior pitcher Kelsea Dorsey said she feels fortunate for the overall growth of the team in her time at Truman and sees the success as a result of the united family mindset the team encompasses.

Dorsey said her teammates play for each other, and win and lose as a team. She said the players don’t play selfishly, are constantly picking each other up and are there for each other on and off the field.

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Dorsey said the coaching staff’s faith and encouragement has had a major impact on her as a player and on the team she has become a part of.

Last weekend, the seniors and the rest of the Bulldog softball team took to their home field for the last time with doubleheader action against the University of Southern Indiana and two games against Bellarmine University.

Dorsey said she kept the emotions of senior day in check by focusing on putting all her effort into the game for the team, but she said the feeling of approaching the end of her career is becoming a reality.

“I don’t have enough time or words to talk about [the senior players]. The seniors have been so crucial to our program.”

-Head Coach Erin Brown

“It’s bittersweet knowing that today and this season in general is the last time I will ever lace up my cleats and pitch one last time from the mound I have called home the past five years,” Dorsey said.

The ‘Dogs took game one of the Southern Indiana series 1-0, led by senior pitcher Kindra Henze. Dorsey took a loss in game two, however, as the Screaming

Eagles pulled away late to an 8-3 victory.

Sophomore outfielder Riley Cook led Truman with two hits in the second game and three total hits on the day.

Sunday’s senior day brought another split for the purple and white. After losing the first game 4-1, the Bulldogs rallied back during the weekend closer to defeat Bellarmine 4-3 in 8 innings. To set the stage for senior day heroics, sophomore first baseman Ashley Murphy singled to start the final inning.

Senior third baseman Cate Simon hit a sacrifice bunt to move the pinch runner, junior Valerie Schmidt, to scoring position at second base. Finally, in her last at-bat at Truman Softball Field, senior third baseman Whitney Richardson delivered a walk-off base hit that scored the final run of the 2016 regular home season. Henze earned the complete-game win, and Cook once again led the ‘Dogs with a 3-3 performance at the plate.

Freshman outfielder Christa Reisinger tallied three hits and two stolen bases.

Reisinger currently leads the team in batting average and stolen bases. She said the coaching staff has challenged her to step into a bigger role, and said she credits Brown for having high expectations while maintaining positivity when things aren’t clicking for the team.

The Bulldogs have improved to 2613 on the season, and now are preparing for their final regular-season road trip.

Truman will play Saturday 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. against the University of Indianapolis in Indianapolis and at noon and 2 p.m.

Sunday against Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana.