September 29 2016

Features

Opinions

Truman mourns the loss of two students who committed suicide.

Korbin Keller explains why video games are a form of art.

Sports

Football shuts out Lincoln University 37-0

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

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THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT-PRODUCED NEWSPAPER

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Commencement ceremony changes

By Emily Merkle Staff Writer

Submitted Photo Matt Null worked as a CNN executive producer the last three years of his life before dying of a heart attack while on a trip to Europe. Prior to working at CNN, Null spent some time at Fox News and other local news channels like KTVO.

Truman alum Matt Null dies abroad

By Rachel Fechter

News Text Editor index.newseditor@gmail.com

“What I like to tell myself, and it sounds crazy, is that his heart was just too big for his little body.”

This was one of the many praises Kirksville citizen Derick Garr had to say about his good friend, Matt.

Truman alumnus Matt Null, former employee of KTVO and Fox News, and most recently an executive producer at CNN, died of a heart attack Aug. 15 while vacationing in Barcelona, Spain.

Garr said back in the early 2000s he was working at KTVO and had just come out as gay when Null, who at the time was majoring in communication and media studies at Truman State University, reached out to him online asking if he wanted to talk and hang out.

Garr said Null was an active and proud member of the LGBTQ community who gave him the confidence he needed to fully embrace who he was.

Garr said Null also served as a mentor for him throughout his early years as a young adult.

“When you were friends with Matt it was like you were always sitting at the cool table,” Garr said. “Being a person from here that doesn’t go to Truman, he made sure I was involved in everything that had to do with Truman that I could be involved with. He wanted to make sure I was there for National Coming Out Day. He wanted to make sure I was there for all the Prism dances. He would see somebody and want to care so much for them and include them in everything. He, without even trying, made you feel special.”

Garr said even though Null’s career took him across the country to Minnesota, Ohio, California, Florida and eventually New York, he still kept in close contact with many of his Truman and Kirksville friends. Garr said Null always made an effort to check in with them while still making new friends and impacting the lives of new people everywhere he went.

“You could talk to Matt and instead of trying to fix you, he just wanted to listen and see what your story was and

what you had going on,” Garr said. “I feel fortunate because Matt was such a good friend of mine, and I feel bad because I wish there were more Matts out there. It didn’t matter who you were.

You were included. You were one of his friends. He was proud of who he was and he wanted you to be proud of who you were. He wanted to make sure that you knew it was going to be okay. That’s what I needed. That’s what a lot of people needed.”

Garr said the last time he talked to Null, Null told him about his plans to go on a trip to Europe. Garr said the death still feels surreal, and he is still waiting to hear how the trip went.

Garr said the little things, like the way Null would hug his loved ones, showed just how much he cared for them.

“When Matt hugged you it wasn’t the casual, put your arms around you and pat your back,” Garr said. “He would almost lift you up and hug you because that’s just the kind of person he was.

You were family when you were with Matt. It’s rough knowing he only had 34 years, but the redeeming factor in all of that is how many people he touched. If I can take that in turn and help even one person feel comfortable — ­ feel more confident ­­— then I’ll know that Matt’s life wasn’t in vain.”

In addition to creating strong bonds with others, Null was part of a monumental movement in the communication department and Truman Media Network, according to Elizabeth Clark, Dean of Social and Cultural Studies, and the former Communication Department Chair when Null attended Truman.

Clark said while she worked in the communication department she was the adviser for Truman’s TV station, which Null was a field reporter for, and she also had him in one of her classes.

“He was typically in good spirits,” Clark said. “He was somebody who liked to joke. He was quick to smile. My sense was that he was the person in the class who others could rely on. Not necessarily the person who was out front, but if they needed help from someone, if they needed support from someone, Matt was a person they could rely on to pitch in.”

Submitted Photo Null was a member of the LGBTQ community. Money will be donated to the Ali Forney Center, which aims to help homeless LGBTQ youth, in Null’s name.

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Clark said Null was involved with TMN during 2004 and was one of the students who traveled to St. Louis to get live coverage of the elections that year, which was the first time TMN had ever gotten coverage of elections or created converged media over multiple platforms.

“He came through in a group of students who were all very hard workers,” Clark said. “They were exposed to the kind of experience they had not had before, they rose to the occasion, did meaningful work and they focused on some pretty hard hitting issues in terms of the elections, so I think he was characteristic of that very good group of students he came through with.”

Clark said Null was a strong part of TMN’s roots and helped make TMN what it is today.

“It is always rewarding for me to see the kind of work that our students do when they leave here and to see what kinds of impact they’re able to make on the world because of their involvement in the media and bringing important information to the public,” Clark said. “Knowing how well he was doing, knowing he was on an upward trajectory in his career, what I have regrets about is not being able to see where he would have been able to go beyond where he already is.”

In addition to what Null gave to his loved ones and his school, Null’s mother and sister are setting up a charity in his name that is going to raise money for PAWS NYC, a charity that helps disabled and other vulnerable pet owners care for their pets, like the way Null cared for his Shiba Inu, Glitter. His family is also raising money for The Ali Forney Center, which advocates for New York’s homeless gay youth, according to youcaring.com.

Christine Romans, CNN Morning Show Anchor, said on the show that Null was a rising star at CNN. “When terrible things happen around the world, he is the one who brings it to you with calm and fairness,” Romans said. “He is someone who really made a difference in the world through his job.”

May 2017 commencement will take place in Pershing Arena because of upcoming construction on Stokes Stadium.

Because Pershing accommodates fewer people, commencement will occur in three ceremonies, divided by those earning a bachelor of arts, bachelor of science and masters degree. While commencement normally runs from 2-4 p.m., this year the first ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. May 13, and the third ceremony will end around 6 p.m.

Registrar Maggie Herron said Pershing was selected because it is the next biggest venue in Kirksville that can fit large numbers of people. Herron said her office usually anticipates about 1,000 graduates and assumes each graduate will bring a minimum of four people.

Herron said in addition to the graduates and their families, seating must also be allotted for the orchestra and people working the event. Herron said Pershing is not large enough to accommodate the anticipated number.

Herron said having three separate ceremonies made sense because her office did not want to limit the number of guests graduates can bring, and hosting multiple ceremonies prevented having to limit how many people could come.

Herron said she analyzed Testing and Assessments to look at the number of people receiving each degree, including Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and master’s degrees.

Herron said getting everyone in and out will be a challenge. She said her office is working with the Department of Public Safety, the University president and the provost to figure out how to get attendees out of Pershing after the first ceremony while allowing plenty of time for attendees to the next ceremony to get seated. She said parking logistics will also be addressed.

“Our ultimate goal is to make sure [the graduates] and their families walk away from the day feeling happy and good about what they’ve accomplished here at Truman,” Herron said.

Professor Mark Smith said he and professor David Price act as co-executive producers of graduation ceremonies. Smith said students help to livestream and record the ceremony. Smith said Pershing is a more confined space than Stokes, and camera placement could be difficult, so as not to obstruct anyone’s view of the ceremony or walkways. Smith said he initially thought audio could be a problem, but he has found a solution. He said it is possible to tap the camera audio into the public address system in Pershing to get a better audio quality. Smith said three ceremonies will make for a long day for the students helping to film graduation, but he thinks it is a great experience for students to have.

Public Relations Director Heidi Templeton said she will put out press releases and articles in Truman Today to explain the logistics of commencement. Templeton said one of the perks of being a small school is the ability to communicate with everyone. Templeton said she wants people to understand that while three ceremonies might seem complicated, the intention is to allow graduates to bring everyone they want to bring to their ceremony.

Updates about the commencement can be found on the registrar’s website.

Submitted Photo Null poses with his dog Glitter. Money will be donated to PAWS NY, an organization that helps disabled pet owners care for their pets, in Null’s name.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Approval for Mark Twain Transmission Line fails

NEWS IN BRIEF

Student Senate looks for fee review committee members The Student Senate is looking for four students to join the Organizational Activities Fee Review Committee. The committee meets every three years to review several student-initiated fees and the Student Activities Fee. The committee will be auditing more than $500,000 of student fees and talking with the student population about how the fees are being used. The committee will then publish a report about its findings at the end of the school year. Student Government President JJ Dorrell said he wants the student population to be aware of the committee and be aware of the process that will occur over the next year.

Nursing Department receives grant

Photo submitted by Nate Walker

Photo submitted by Nate Walker Top: Protesters stand outside Adair County Courthouse Sept. 20 to protest the Mark Twain Transmission Line.

Ameren Transmission Company said the project would be a 345,000 volt transmission line that would run about 100 miles. Left: Signs outside the court indicated the protestors unhappiness and thanked Representative Nate Walker. Walker, who was against the line, spoke during the hearing between the Adair County Commissioners and Ameren. Bottom Left: A sign stands in the courthouse yard stating their displeasure with the transmission line.

The line would have gone through Adair County, and Ameren claimed imminent domain to gain land in the county. Bottom Right: The county commissoners listen to Ameren and the citizens who attended the hearing.

The commissoners voted against allowing the line to go through Kirksville and Adair County.

Truman’s Nursing Department received a grant from the Missouri Board of Nursing and the Department of Higher Education. Truman was one of eight Missouri universities to receive a grant for its nursing department. The grants awarded from $57,000 to $150,000 and altogether were worth about $1 million. The grant Truman received was worth $150,000. The Missouri Board of Nursing created this grant in order to increase the amount of nurses in Missouri and can be used by universities to add and retain faculty positions, provide scholarships, develop accelerated graduate programs, expand technology usage and develop new clinical partnerships.

FAFSA changes submission date to October The Free Application for Federal Student Aid changed the date students can submit their application starting Oct. 1, 2016 rather than waiting until Jan. 1, 2017. The change also included altering the tax return information that a student would need to submit. Students will be required to submit their or their parents’ 2015 income and tax information. The changes were made so it would be easier for students to submit their application because students’ tax and income forms will already be filled out and students will be able to know how much their families are expected to contribute for next year.

STUDENT SENATE IN BRIEF

The Senate passed a resolution designating the new constitution and standing rules of Student Government.

Photo submitted by Nate Walker

Photo submitted by Nate Walker

The Senate approved the 2016-17 budget.

CRIME REPORTS DPS & KPD

Serving the University community since 1909

Staff 9/26 Theft reported at the 1200 block of Walnut St. Editor-in-Chief Austin Hornbostel Text Flow Editor Johanna Burns News Editor (Text) Rachel Fechter News Editor (Multimedia) Aerin Johnson Lifestyle Editor (Text) Courtney Kauffman Lifestyle Editor (Multimedia) Brently Snead Sports Editor (Text) Rachel Steinhoff Sports Editor (Multimedia) Seth Wolfmeyer Opinions Editor Will Chaney Copy Chief Megan Robison Assistant Copy Chief Molly Thal Design Chief Noah Dayson Staff Writers Emily Merkle, Clayton Berry, Stephanie Hulett, Brooke Bailey, Curt Wichmer, Caroline Kiser, Chris Burk, Lesley Reno, Lindell Sconce, Mercy Tee Cartoonist Anna Kintree, August Davis Copy Editors Julianna Foster, Megan Gibbons, Trevor Hamblin, Katie Puryear, Ian Madden, Bethany Spitzmiller Designers Clarissa Todd, Samantha Nielsen, Lawrence Hu Photo Editor Lindsay St. John Photographers Trung Vo, Athena Geldbach, Marissa Billmeyer, Damian Soane, Austin Dellamano, Hannah Conner Distribution Manager Emily Merkle Distribution Representatives Andy Jones, Johnathan Self Adviser Don Krause

9/24 Fraud reported at the 1700 block of Baltimore St.

9/26 Assault reported at the 1500 block 9/23 Harassment reported at the 1700 of Harrison St. block of Centennial Ave. 9/26 Theft reported at the 1400 block of Downing St.

9/23 Domestic disturbance reported at the 1700 block of Centennial Ave.

9/25 Hit and run reported at the 100 9/23 Theft reported at the 2100 block of block of Jefferson St. Shepherd Ave. 9/25 Fight reported at the 1300 block of Harrison St.

9/20 Theft reported at the 1300 block of Florence St.

9/25 Vandalism reported at the 400 block of Jamison St.

9/20 Theft reported at the 1300 block of High St.

Mark your calendar Red Barn Arts and Crafts Festival 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 1 The Sqaure

The Kirksville Art Association will host the Red Barn Arts and Crafts Festival this Saturday. There will be more than 100 booths at the festival for those interested to shop and look through.

Family Day Barbecue 5-6:30 p.m.

Oct. 1 The Mall

Truman students and their families can attend the Family Day barbecue. Those interested in attending must purchase their tickets in advance. Tickets are $8.75 for adults and $4.50 for children 8 and younger. Students who have a meal plan can use a meal for the barbecue.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

[ Our View ] Graduation is a major event in most students’ lives and is a day of celebrating hard-earned achievements, but the upcoming May 2017 ceremonies seem to be causing more concern and confusion than excitement among students.

“If you are planning on graduating in May 2017 please read,” was the first line of an email sent by the Registrar’s Office Sept. 14 addressing a change in the May 2017 commencement ceremonies. The email went on to explain that because Stokes Stadium — the usual location of graduation — will be undergoing major renovations between January and August 2017, the commencement ceremonies will instead take place in Pershing Arena. Though we, the Truman Media Network Editorial Board, recognize a decision had to be made in a timely manner regarding the change in venue, we think the issue could have been addressed in a more detailed manner.

The email said more information about the ceremonies will not be sent out until mid-March 2017 and asked students to contact the Registrar’s Office with questions or to request more information about the change. We, the Truman Media Network Editorial Board, have exactly that — a list of questions.

The email indicates tickets are not needed by those attending the ceremonies, but it does not say how they plan to address the issue of the limited seating Pershing offers. Where will those who come later sit when all the seats in the arena are filled? Will there be standing room? Will that standing room be enough? Will there be enough accommodations for the older attendees and handicapped? We, the Truman Media Network Editorial Board, find it difficult to feel comfortable with this decision when no logistical information about the new ceremonies has been provided, and there is none coming out any time soon. Not having more specific details until March 2017 will also make arranging lodging difficult for those coming to Kirksville for the ceremonies, not to mention the stress it will put on students who plan to send out graduation announcements.

The announcement also fails to address the issue of breaking up the ceremonies into different sessions, a consequence of the inability to fit everyone into Pershing at once. Though the email did include a rough schedule for the ceremonies — which divides graduation into three sections depending on degree — it did not address when those who have a double major should plan to attend. If, say, a student is earning their BA in English and their BS in accounting, do they attend the 9-11 a.m. session for BAs, the 1-3 p.m. session for BSs in accounting, or both? It seems students will have to wait until March to know the answer. The breaking up of ceremonies would make it more difficult for students to attend the ceremonies of their fellow students and friends, not to mention the extra logistical planning those attending the ceremonies will need to do.

Setting aside the time and space issues, what we, the Truman Media Network Editorial Board, found most frustrating about the situation was the apparent lack of student input in the change of location. All information students have received so far seems very out of touch with the situation and includes many steps students have to take to learn more. The vagueness of information adds stress to students already focused on planning their futures after graduation. The change in location was approved by the Board of Governors and the President’s Office, but we, the Truman Media Network Editorial Board, think there should have been more opportunity for student input — even just a forum or poll of possible new locations for the ceremonies. We encourage students to reach out to the Registrar’s Office to address issues and concerns they have about the ceremonies, but more so we encourage students to ask for an opportunity to give their input on the new location for the ceremonies in May — a location where all students can graduate together and all family members and friends can gather to support them without limitations. Graduation is an event for students to celebrate their achievements, and we believe they deserve the right to be included in decisions about the celebration.

Video games are a form of art

Korbin Keller I have explored the misty mountains of foreign lands.

I have launched into the stars and seen locations that no other human will ever see. I have flown over rooftops as a winged vigilante, and I have fought for and against the salvation of mankind.

All from the comfort of my couch.

Through the newest and most high-tech medium in art, I have been able to explore worlds and embark on epic journeys.

All thanks to the video game industry.

Video games are becoming one of the hottest market commodities. Many eagerly await the announcement of the next big title to their favorite franchise or scour online for a sleeper hit they might have overlooked.

However, video games have often been overlooked as an artistic medium, or even labeled as a menace to society. Gamers are often portrayed as socially awkward recluses. Starting in the 1990s, media focused on the graphic violence featured in most video games. Going forward, the only time that video games are covered in the news is when another shocking segment is featured in one.

But games are so much more than just mindless pieces of violence. In most traditional art forms such as plays, books and movies, the audience only acts as an observer. They are locked onto a track of narrative — only able to watch events unfold, unable to interact with them. Meanwhile, video games make the audience participants in the story.

A story can only unfold as long as a player contin-

ues. In some cases, a player’s choices throughout a game define the story. In cases such as the “Mass Effect” game series, a player’s choices not only ring throughout an entire game, but echo through an entire series, such that 100+ hours of gameplay are defined by a player’s choices.

Video games require players to constantly question their own actions as well, making them thoughtprovoking actions. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” had players actually participate in massacring a civilian population in an airport to gain the trust of a terrorist cell who might have access to weapons of mass destruction. Other art forms can ask thoughtprovoking questions on their audiences, but few force these choices on their audience.

Video games can create entire universes, worlds and folklore to be explored. Designers must be able to imagine and create fantastic setting, video game acting has become more intense and lifelike with the use of motion capture, video game scores can be moving and powerful beyond compare. Video games are math turned into an art form, coding brought to life. In the game “Far Cry: Primal,” developers created multiple, guttural languages to capture how pre-historic humans would communicate with one another. For example, the recent video game “No Man’s Sky” is a game so huge that it will never be completely explored. It contains 18 quintillion planets in a fully realized universe. Each of them can be visited, but some never will be.

Video games are a fully realized modern art form.

Like other media, there are examples of dishonorable flops and disgusting entries. However, given the scale, scope and capabilities to build entire worlds, video games will be the future of storytelling.

Korbin Keller is a junior political science major from O’Fallon, Mo.

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.

Contact 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, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Alpha Kappa Psi hosts vigil to mourn victims of police brutality

Eboni Miller/TMN Alpha Kappa Psi, a predominately black social fraternity, stands in a circle inside the fountain in front of the Student Union Building with candles at their feet to have a moment of silence for those who have died because of police brutality. Before the vigil began, the group blasted rap songs inspired by police brutality from speakers in front of the SUB.

Eboni Miller/TMN An estimated 20 students showed up at the Alpha Kappa Psi vigil. The vigil lasted about 25 minutes. During the vigil, the names of the black people who have died because of police brutality were all listed to commemorate their lost lives.

Fordyce speaks at Farm

By Clayton Berry Staff Writer

Emily Harrison, Truman State University junior and agriculture business major, invited Richard Fordyce, Missouri Department of Agriculture director, to the University Farm Sept. 26 to give the director first-hand experience with various student projects in Truman’s agriculture program.

Fordyce first toured the Farm’s facilities to see the projects, then he gave a speech in the University Farm Multipurpose Room about Missouri’s current agricultural agenda to an audience of Truman students, staff, local residents and members of the Adair-Schuyler County Farm Bureau. State Senator Brian Munzlinger and State Representative Nate Walker also participated in the event and talked with Fordyce and members of the audience following the speech.

Harrison said she thinks Truman’s agriculture department has been working on a lot of important projects that not many people outside of Truman’s community

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know about. She said she was a communications intern for Fordyce during the summer and talked with him about Truman’s agriculture program. She said she invited him to see some of their projects so he could find ways for Missouri’s agricultural department to potentially work closer with Truman’s agriculture department.

Harrison said Fordyce seemed particularly interested in a student project involving probiotics research for cattle — as well as an equine-assisted therapy project which she said was a joint effort between Truman’s agriculture department and Truman’s University Counseling Services. Harrison said she was impressed with how many people showed up to her event, and said she was grateful for the support from Truman’s agriculture department, the Public Relations Office, the President’s Office and Fordyce.

“I think it helped people learn a little bit more about us,” said Harrison. “Fordyce knew we existed, but I think this was a way for him to get to know us and for us to get to know him. Whenever I had this crazy idea, I didn’t think it would get this big, and I’m thankful that it did, and thankful for all the support around Truman.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Keeping the Conversation Going

BY AUSTIN HORNBOSTEL Editor-In-Chief index.editor@gmail.com

There’s something about waiting for doctor’s appointments or health check-ups that always make me nervous.

Maybe it has something to do with all the paperwork, or maybe it’s the silence that permeates the room as I sit waiting to get called back. It could be a by-product of getting sick a lot as a kid, that feeling of dread as I wait for the inevitable. That familiar nervous feeling came flooding back to me Friday as I sat, feeling too small for my chair, while waiting for my very first appointment at University Counseling Services.

I’d scheduled a mental health screening. On paper, I was feeling stressed out and wanted to try to find some ways to alleviate those feelings. Beneath the surface, I was curious — was my stress a valid enough reason to schedule an appointment like this? Was I even experiencing too much stress to begin with?

The short answer is I wasn’t as stressed as I thought I was, but I’m glad I followed through. One of the forms I’d filled out resulted in a percentile score for various categories of mental well-being, and in some categories I had the best scores UCS assistant director Joe Hamilton said he had ever seen. I was feeling good even before finding this out — I was able to talk through many of the potential stressors for me from the past few years and onward. I walked out of UCS feeling significantly better than I did before my appointment.

As a whole, I really think it’s important for students to keep a careful watch of their mental health, even if only to alleviate the stress of getting ready to graduate or starting a new chapter at Truman State University. I was worried my concerns wouldn’t be as worthy of the time and care to address, but I think I was wrong. There are a lot of resources for us here at Truman — regardless of what’s going on in our lives — and there are ways that each of us can embrace them.

Truman STATE UNIVERSITY STATE DEPARTMENT DEPRESSION RANKING DURING THE PAST FOUR YEARS

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out of

9 out of 21 2013 TH

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Student Affairs Lou Ann Gilchrist, vice president for Student Affairs, said statistics indicate the possibility 20-25 percent of VOLUME 108

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The survey assesses 21 schools, including the University of missouri, maryville university, southeast missouri state university, columbia college and drury university, among others.

University Counseling Services UCS offers more than just free mental health screenings. Hamilton said UCS also facilitates individual student counseling and group relationship counseling. He said they also do outreach to campus groups — this service provides advice for stress management, similar to what brought me to UCS and general mental health.

Hamilton said UCS also offers consultations and a crisis line in serious situations.

Granted, it doesn’t seem like students aren’t aware of these services, as UCS has seen a recent uptick in visits, Hamilton said.

“In August, we did have a record month,” Hamilton said. “We had more students come in for services in August than in any month in the history of counseling services being on Truman’s campus.”

Hamilton said there’s a sort of generational gap that contributes to how students today are exposed to ways to care for their mental health. He said the students of today have grown up seeing commercials for various medications that help with common mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, and he said this contributes to how they view mental health.

“I think it helps students see it as a health issue and that it’s something that’s treatable, like any health issue,” Hamilton said. “I definitely think that — while there is still maybe some students who are uncomfortable talking about mental health issues or seeking counseling or medication — overall just with the current generation of college students, they’re much more open to talking about mental health issues and supporting one another.”

Hamilton said despite this trend, there still seems to be a stigma among some people surrounding mental health. He said UCS sometimes sees students whose families didn’t support them seeking counseling, though they might have been struggling with symptoms of depression or anxiety.

Hamilton said UCS would prefer to see people address issues of mental health sooner rather than later, but he said it should be something a student has been struggling with for a longer period.

“Everyone has bad days or has a stressful day now and then, so if you have those kinds of experiences and you seem to be managing them okay, then you don’t necessarily need to come to counseling,” Hamilton said. “But if it’s something that’s ongoing, if it disrupts your daily functioning, if you’re having trouble getting out of bed or keeping up with your daily hygiene, not going to class because of how you’re feeling, not being able to keep up with your homework, those kinds of things. If it’s affecting your relationships with other people, those would be reasons to seek support.”

Hamilton also provided some statewide rankings through the Missouri Assessment of College Health Behaviors, which places Truman’s depression rate around the top half of the rankings from 2012-2015.

21 2014

TH

Source: Missouri Assessment of College Health Behaviors our student population, at any given time, will experience symptoms that lead to a mental illness diagnosis.

Gilchrist said there’s evidence mental illness has three causes that all work together — a genetic predisposition for some types of mental illness, environmental stressors and the personality of an individual.

Gilchrist said in the event students are suffering with a mental illness, the University has some “safety nets” in place to help students. She said there is a new academic leave policy, which allows students to take up to a year off of school for personal or professional reasons, all while keeping Truman scholarships for that time.

“If you need to go home to get treatment for any kind of a medical condition, including one that would qualify for a mental health issue, you can do that, and we just make it a little easier for you to come back,” Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist said the University also provides annual programming through UCS, giving first-year students bystander training.

Gilchrist said managing mental health is different for everyone. She said especially when dealing with grief, people react in different ways — they might want some space to be emotional and isolate themselves, while others might want to go to class and get their minds off things.

“That’s why one size just doesn’t fit all,” Gilchrist said.

“And again, it depends on the relationship. There can be people that had encounters with people that they’ve lost that don’t feel the same loss that another person might feel with very similar encounters. You can’t tell one person, ‘Well, you really ought to be upset,’ and the other person, ‘You ought to be less upset.’ Grief just doesn’t work that way.”

Residence Life Residence Life director John Gardner said Residence Life staff undertakes a lot of training dealing with identifying what to look for in mental health situations.

Gardner said this can result in a broad variety of things Residence Life staff might see, from students just feeling anxious to students feeling suicidal or engaging in nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior.

“What our job is a lot of times is being the eyes and ears and kind of identifying where those situations might be occurring, and then trying to get the student connected with the appropriate resource,” Gardner said. “We are not mental health professionals, but we are people that help folks get connected with those resources.”

Gardner said in crisis situations, it’s typical for student Residence Life staff to be informed first, who then communicate with hall directors or community coordinators.

These staff members then talk with the student, asking a series of questions about how they’re feeling at that time.

Gardner said the goal is to assess whether the student is experiencing a mental health crisis and if that is the case, Residence Life will transfer the situation to UCS. Gardner said UCS can handle most situations, but every case is different. He said in cases where Residence Life is worried about a student’s safety, they will instead send that student to the hospital.

tmn.truman.edu

Greek Life Damon Pee, Greek Life Program Advisor for Organizational Engagement and Leadership, said there was a strong call from students and the administration following the deaths of students Alex Mullins and Jake Hughes asking for some response regarding mental health awareness. Pee said Greek Life responded by forming a mental health committee made up of students involved with Greek Life. During September, the committee brainstormed both about different mental health issues affecting either men or women and mental health issues that can affect everyone.

“We’re trying to frame [this] conversation that, when you talk about physical health, people often think of like bodybuilders and of people being really strong or fit and active,” Pee said. “I think one of the philosophical foundations of what we’re trying to do is frame that mental health conversation as what are the positive things that we can focus on?

What are the strategies that we can utilize to prevent ourselves from being in a situation where we might become depressed, or whatever that mental health issue is?”

Pee said Greek Life will host Strike Out the Stigma Oct. 3, which will kick off the programming the mental health committee has been brainstorming.

Then, Pee said the goal is to continue to host events either weekly or biweekly for the rest of the semester. After that, he said Greek Life will look into resources it can use to sustain the programs. He said this would include securing grant money and bringing in additional resources to possibly train people on peer counseling and positive psychology.

Pee said mental health is a prevalent topic that impacts the Truman community every day. Despite this, Pee said student engagement with topics like these work differently today because of social media.

“If having an open house in a physical place isn’t necessarily a way that is impactful for our students, then we need to change our programming,” Pee said. “We need to change how we’re doing things, and I think our students have voiced that there’s different opportunities and different ways we can do that. It’s really taking a look at what we’re doing and planning to meet [students] in those arenas.”

Pee said Greek Life community members aren’t the only students affected by the loss of student members of Greek Life during the past few years. Pee said it’s obvious people want to become active participants in the conversation about mental health, but it’s up to students who aren’t as involved to step up.

“You can only do so much from behind your screen,” Pee said. “It’s great that there’s people promoting, sharing those stories through their respective social media pipelines. But when there are actual physical programming things going on — come support. I think spending some time within the community interacting with one another is going to be far more beneficial than interacting in a virtual space.”

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Community remembers students Alexander “Alex” Mullins

BY BRENTLY SNEAD

Lifestyles Multimediaa Editor index.featureseditor@gmail.com

“Above all, Alex cared about how other people felt more than himself,” Chris Stilwell said. “If you were one of his friends, you knew it, because he would sacrifice a lot to come through for you or help you out when you needed him.”

Two weeks before classes started, Alex Mullins took his life shortly after returning to Kirksville.

Mullins graduated from North Kansas City High School with an International Baccalaureate Diploma during 2014, and was a junior business major at Truman State University and a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda.

Melissa Bottorff, Mullins’ mother, said Mullins was a sociable, gregarious person who was kind-hearted and cared deeply for those around him.

Bottorff said Mullins danced and sang his way through life. She said he was much like Finn from the hit TV show “Glee” in the sense that he was an athlete, but he wanted everyone to feel included.

“He just walked up to people and talked to them and made friends with them,” Bottorff said.

Though Mullins’ outgoing personality was something everyone knew and loved about him, Bottorff said a lot of people have told her what they will miss most about Mullins was that he gave the best hugs. Bottorff said Mullins’ hugs were genuine and people knew he cared for them.

Bottorff said her realization of how much he cared about others occurred when he was younger.

“He was probably in elementary or middle school and I said, ‘He is one of the best people with one of the biggest hearts,’” Bottorff said. “He just was one of the most genuinehearted people. And he never lost that piece [of himself].”

Bottorff said Mullins was a joker, who often told one-liners that only half made sense to those around him,

but still made everyone laugh. She said he danced to the beat of his own drum and he would have random outbursts to express his joy and other feelings — that is just who he was.

Despite his crazy times, Bottorff said Mullins had a strong work ethic and was committed to the organizations he was involved with.

Nicolette Popa, Mullins’ close friend, said his dedication, particularly to those around him, was part of what made him so lovable.

“Through all walks of life, he was always there to help out and be there for anyone he knew and would go out of his way to make sure you were happy,” Popa said.

Popa said she met Mullins when they were in seventh grade, and the day they met he was instantly her best friend. She said from then on, she was able to watch him grow as a person and as a friend.

Popa said despite going to separate high schools, their friendship remained strong and intact.

“It doesn’t matter if it was him telling a stupid joke that made you

laugh so hard you cried, or you were crying because he let out a really bad fart that smelled terrible,” Popa said.

“Either way, you couldn’t be around him for five minutes without laughing.”

Popa said after graduation, she got married and he went to college, but he was still a great support to her — particularly on her wedding day. She said Mullins was able to keep her nerves down and her spirits up. Mullins was also an escort in Popa’s wedding, she said.

Popa said Mullins loved everyone around him, and everyone around him loved Mullins.

“Alex was, and has always been, the most genuine guy I know,” Popa said.

“Alex was genuine, he was intelligent and he was my best friend.”

Junior Chris Stilwell said he met Mullins during high school through annoying their chemistry teacher, and since then they had been friends and attended Truman together.

Stilwell also said he felt that Mullins had a sincere personality, but Mullins also always made people laugh and you never knew what was going to come out of his mouth.

Submitted Photo Junior Tommy Lona, Alex Mullins’ friend, and Mullins eating Mullins’ favorite food — pizza. Melissa Bottorff, Mullins’ mother, said he wanted to include everyone.

Submitted Photo Mullins and his dog take a break to snuggle. Melissa Bottorff, Mullins’ mother, said he was a kind-hearted person who cared deeply for others.

Mullins had recently attended a friend’s wedding when he decided to get everyone there out onto the dance floor because he loved to dance, Stilwell said. “[Mullins] decided he would go out to the middle and dance to get people excited — so, he was out there and he ended up doing the splits and people went crazy,” Stilwell said. “He was telling me this all while he was limping. Then he says, ‘It went so well the first time. I figured I should do it again — I shouldn’t have, I definitely pulled something.’”

Stilwell said after finishing his story, Mullins pulled up his shorts and his thigh was heavily bruised dark purple and black. Stilwell said despite limping, Mullins just smiled and said he was just happy he got everyone up and dancing.

“He made people laugh and feel better,” Stilwell said. “He never showed any sort of sadness himself because he always made sure to make others feel more positive when he was around them.”

Jacob “Jake” Hughes

BY BRENTLY SNEAD

Lifestyles Multimediaa Editor index.featureseditor@gmail.com

“To people who have met him once, heard stories, or that knew him best, they know that the only way to describe him is to say that he was completely himself — he is Jake,” graduate student Paige Howard said.

Jake Allen Hughes would have celebrated his 20th birthday Sept. 23, but on Aug. 27 Hughes took his own life.

Hughes was a sophomore psychology major who had an interest in art and was the secretary of his fraternity, Alpha Kappa Lambda.

Karen Hughes, Jake’s mother, said he was an outgoing individual who was comfortable in his own skin, and though he could be impulsive, everyone knew Jake for his kindness and his desire to make everyone feel included.

“It was kind of a gift that he could reach out to people so easily — it didn’t matter if it was adults or kids, he has always been able to speak with people, even when he was younger,” Karen said.

Karen said throughout Jake’s life and since his death, she has heard many stories about his kindness for others and the way he was able to serve people.

Karen said one story she heard was from a mother who had Jake as her server at the Pizza Hut where he worked during the summer. The mother had her children with her, and told Karen that Jake was so delightful, she and her children remained in the restaurant for an extended amount of time, Karen said, long enough that her husband questioned their whereabouts when they arrived home.

Karen said Jake’s giving personality was evident in high school as well.

“At the end of high school, he and another friend did an elaborate event where they handed out lemonade to the students,” Karen said. “There had been some other students who had pulled a rather destructive senior prank that caused some damage, and he didn’t want the senior class to be remembered for something negative, and so they did the lemonade event.”

Although these occurrences were later in Jake’s life, Karen said his kindness was part of him from an early age.

Thomas Bevan, Jake’s best friend since third grade, said if Jake hadn’t been so kind they would not have been as close.

Bevan said the two met in third grade when Bevan was new to the school district.

Although he and Jake sat next to each other in class, the two became close after Jake’s ninth birthday party. Bevan said they were all playing at Jake’s house when another kid talked him into stealing $5 from Jake because Jake had been gloating about how much

Submitted Photo Kenna Hughes, Jake Hughes’ older sister, and Jake show their goofy side posing for Snapchat. Karen Hughes, Jake’s mother, said he was outgoing.

Submitted Photo Thomas Bevan, Jake’s best friend, and Jake hang out. Bevan said he and Jake became friends in third grade after having to give back $5 Bevan had stolen. money he had. Later that night, he said his father received a phone call from Jake’s parents about the incident.

“We were over there that night, and I gave Jacob his money back, and I said I was truly sorry and apologized to his parents,” Bevan said. “In that instant, Jacob truly forgave me and then we went upstairs to play Legos. That one act of forgiveness has had so many consequences. I have traveled miles and miles to see Jacob — it’s crazy to think that because I stole $5 from Jacob, we became inseparable to one another.”

Bevan said Jake’s birthday changed their lives and led to them being more than just friends but instead, brothers.

Bevan said in grade school they would meet at the pencil sharpener just to talk, which is why it was so difficult when Jake moved to St. Louis in fifth grade. Bevan said it was the second worst news he received in his entire life.

“In that instant, I hated [St. Louis] — he wasn’t even gone yet but I hated that place,” Bevan said. “But, even though we didn’t live in the same place, we were still active best friends. We went through countless vacations together.”

Bevan said one memory they reminisced about together happened after Jake’s move. During sixth grade, Bevan’s father surprised him with a trip to St. Louis, where he surprised Jake. Bevan said the second he and Jake got together, they hugged and it was like no time had passed.

Bevan said Jake was one of the happiest people he knew who loved everybody around him, and everybody loved him.

“Ask anybody who knew Jacob, and they’ll say he was kind, he was funny, he always thought of others before himself,” Bevan said. “And I got to see him mold into that person.”

One student at Truman who was directly impacted by Jake’s kindness was graduate student Paige Howard.

Howard said she met Jake when he was a freshman and she was a senior, and though they were in different stages of their lives, they had an understanding of each other that was almost unmatchable.

“I spent most of my hours since I met Jake with him doing everything and nothing at the same time,” Howard said. “I will never be able to put into words how much he meant to me, because no words will do him justice. He made me feel understood, appreciated, supported, respected and loved. It amazes me that someone like Jake could even exist.”

Howard said her favorite memories are not extraordinary, but instead the simple moments spent with Jake. Howard said she cherished lazy days and nights during the past year with Jake, times when they could have complete silence and be perfectly content. Howard said she cherished the nights she would get off work late and he would check on her, or the times she’d be having a bad night and he would show up with a barbecue chicken pizza.

Howard said she sees she is not the only person who Jake impacted with his caring personality, and that since their loss, it is amazing to see everyone band together.

“I know that Jake would want everyone that knew him to live our best lives for him, and that’s enough to keep moving forward,” Howard said. “I, and many others, are going to do our best to continue to spread the love that he shared with us to everyone else in our lives. Jake’s life will forever be a positive influence on everyone he touched, and continues to touch in the future.”

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

BOLD lifestyles Meet Michelle davidson

BY COURTNEY KAUFFMAN Lifestyles Text Editor index.featureseditor@gmail.com

Michelle Davidson graduated from Minot State University with a B.A. in psychology and B.A. in communication with a concentration in theater. She has her MFA in Theater Technology: Costume Design from the University of South Dakota.

She teaches costume design, basic costuming, stage makeup and senior seminar at Truman State University.

TOP

What got you interested in theater?

I wanted to be an actor — that’s how I got in theater. I thought, “I’m a decent enough actor,” but I’m 4’10” and that means I get to play little old ladies, maids and kooky best friends. It broke my heart. I realized actors have to have guts.

Actors go through their entire lives being told something is physically not right with them and that type of rejection was not something I could face the rest of my life. But I love theater and I realized I’ve been drawing fashion and costumes and sewing almost my entire life, so I turned my focus, and I actually like it more than acting. You get a lot of the same

in-depth figuring out what the play means, who these people are, without actually putting myself out there. I love working with actors, and I love watching people discover their characters, and I love what my costume can do to help with that.

How did you end up at Truman State University?

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of money to be made in Minot doing theater and I found there wasn’t anybody there who could teach me more about costuming than I knew already, so I went to grad school in South Dakota. After I got my degree, my first job was at the University of Nevada, Reno, and I worked there for four years. After a death in the family, I decided I couldn’t stay in Reno alone, and a job came open at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks — I taught there for eight years.

I started to feel I had grown out of that job and I took a year off in Oceanside, California. About halfway through that year, I started missing my students. Truman was at the top of my list — I fought to be here, and I’m happy to be here.

What are your current projects?

We just opened “The Wake of Jamey Foster.” Our student lab production, “The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls,” is all student produced [and in process]. The next show is “Seussical.”

Next semester we’re doing “Woman in Black.” The last show is “King Charles III” — it’s a slightly future play in the idea that Queen Elizabeth has just died and Charles gets to be king and the problems with that turnover. It’s pretty timely, I think.

What’s the process of creating costumes?

You start with the text, and I start talking about the people in plays as if they’re real life people I know, and I want to know what they have in their closet. It may not be an obvious costume, but we all wear a costume every day trying to say something. So that’s what I ask myself, “What are they trying to say? Who are they? What do their clothes say about them?” We also use clothes to hide ourselves, and

Well-Known Movie Lines

1 2

“My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” But you do know you’ll get a great film in “Forrest Gump.”

“May the Force be with you” from “Star Wars.” Because who wants to wish someone luck the normal way?

you also have to ask, “Is this person who they are or are they hiding?” Then, “What is the whole play trying to say?” I’d say if you were trying to dress someone as Michelle, you’d probably get some skinny jeans and a nerdy t-shirt, but if that’s not the story in the play, then that’s not what you want to say because the play doesn’t want to know I like “Supernatural.” It’s this balancing act. In a play, you don’t have wasted characters — everybody who walks onstage has a reason for being there — so it is my job to let the audience know what that reason is. And sometimes it’s my job to hide that reason from the audience.

What’s your favorite creation?

I think it changes. I helped make a harness — never actually seen by the audience — so we could hang an actor [which] was very interesting. Two years ago we did “Into the Woods.” We had the witch change on stage. We made this very beautiful gown and we pulled all of it up and attached it at her neck — she had a mask over her face so she was the old ugly witch and this hood that came down and enveloped the dress. We made the bulk of dress go into the front of her then tied that up. When it was time for the change she just pulled her mask off and untied [the front], it all fell down and she was the beautiful witch. I was very proud of that — it was something that worked every time.

Do you have any advice for those interested in theater?

Come over! Seriously. We always want help in the shops.

I always have candy and coffee up here. We sit around and talk. I think people in the arts, you expose a lot of yourself, and I think that creates a very nurturing group. We talk about not undervaluing what we do, and I think that’s important no matter what you do. If you want to be involved in theatre, come play with us, we want you over here. Then we will seduce you over to the dark side.

3 4 5

It’s “Elementary, my dear Watson,” that this phrase be included in our list from “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.”

“Here’s Johnny!” from “The Shining.” Probably one of the best lines from a classic thriller film ever and one we sometimes use just to enter a room with a laugh.

“I’m the king of the world!” from “Titanic.” Admit it — we’ve all climbed to a high place just to scream this.

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8

THURSDAY, September 29, 2016

Volleyball splits home debut

BY BROOKE BAILEY Staff Writer

After 11 straight games on the road, the Truman State University volleyball team finally made its home debut last weekend. The action started in Pershing Arena Friday night, with the ‘Dogs defeating Southern Indiana 3 sets to 1.

Senior Kayla Bastian and freshman Claire Viviano each had 14 kills, and sophomore Savvy Hughes led the way with 43 assists. The team had a quick turnaround playing the Bellarmine University Knights for a Saturday afternoon match. The ‘Dogs dropped game two of the homestand 3-1 against Bellarmine, bringing the Bulldogs’ record to 3-10 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

Senior hitter Lacey Hill said it was a huge relief to play at home surrounded by loving fans after being away for 11 matches, only winning two during the stretch.

Originally picked to finish third in preseason GLVC rankings, Truman currently falls lower than expected, in the middle of the conference standings. Hill said the early struggles mean there is much room for improvement. Hill said after the split games this weekend, the team has acknowledged the key parts which are

necessary to improve upon as a team to take back control in the conference. She said this team has the full potential to be number one in this conference, it just has to play to its full potential.

Senior middle hitter Bailey O’ drobinak said improving from here means Truman players must take advantage and get wins over the weaker conference teams they know they should beat. O’drobinak said by defeating the teams it matches up with well, the team can ensure that when it comes to the end of the season it has done all it can to determine if it will make postseason play.

Bastian, often a leader in kills, has 878 career kills after a weekend of 23 in two games. With less than 125 kills to 1000, she would be the 17th Bulldog to do so in school history.

“My main goal when I step on the court is to do my best to help our team win,” Bastian said. “If the 1000 kills happens in the process that would be great, but our team’s success is my number one priority.”

Next up, the ‘Dogs remain on their home court to host Rockhurst University and William Jewell College for two more conference games. Truman will play Rockhurst at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, followed by William Jewell at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1.

Photo by Rachel Steinhoff/ TMN Truman volleyball players celebrate a point during the second set of Friday night’s home match against the University of Southern Indiana. The Bulldogs defeated the Screaming Eagles 3 sets to 1 to pick up their third win of the season and second win in GLVC play. The Bulldogs’ record sits at 3-10 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

MLS can bring “football” back to St. Louis

Staff Writer

Though the trade terms of the St. Louis Rams’ move back to LA are shady at best, the fact of the matter is the Rams have moved, and nothing can change that.

Instead of stressing the details, the city of St. Louis should be asking itself how to move forward. Many

tor turnout. Despite the popularity of football, the Rams struggled to fill the stands, often failing to reach even 75 percent of the stadium’s capacity. If St. Louis wants any chance at a soccer team, it will need better turnout than the Rams previously brought to the Edward Jones Dome.

Nation-wide, football is generally more popular than soccer, but St. Louis is an exception. According to Fox 2 News reports, St. Louis hosted an international soccer match between Liverpool and A.S. Roma in August. Though the game was hosted in the Edward Jones Dome, the Rams’ former stadium, nearly all of the 67,000 seats in the venue were packed. This high turnout came not only out of curiosity for a sport hardly seen in St. Louis, but also because of the city’s ethnic background.

St. Louis has one of the highest concentrations of ethnic Italians in

the country and the largest concentration of ethnic Bosnians outside of Europe. Each of these ethnic groups are avid fans of soccer abroad, and routinely fill the stands to cheer on their teams, according to Bleacher Report. If even half that population carries the same passion for soccer through the immigration process, attendance for a St. Louis professional team is in good shape. Between both native and foreign interest in soccer, St. Louis boasts a background in the sport that looks promising in terms of supporting a major league team.

After hosting an international soccer game to a full house of almost 67,000 spectators, St. Louis has shown it can generate enough interest for at least one game. Hopefully the city will continue to fill the seats at future international games, and show Major League Soccer it deserves to bring “football” back to St. Louis.

T R U M A N S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

SCHOOL OF ARTS & LETTERS

Calendar

OCTOBER 2016

October

BY CURT WICHMER

have suggested the city could attract a Major League Soccer expansion, but the suggestion is always undermined by the uncertainty of support and success of a professional soccer team in St. Louis.

According to a Fox 2 News story from April, Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, visited the city of St. Louis with a group of potential investors. Not much else about his visit is included in the story, except for his statement that St. Louis, along with Sacramento, is one of two frontrunners for a Major League Soccer expansion team.

Another successful sports franchise in St. Louis would mean greater overall profits for the city, but to win the bid for the soccer franchise, St. Louis must prove itself to be a better prospective soccer town than Sacramento.

The major issue that plagued the Rams in St. Louis was low specta-

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Orchestra Concert

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Wind Symphony I & II Concert

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8 p.m.

Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall 8 p.m.

Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall

Brass Choir Fall Concert

8 p.m.

Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall

For•Words: Novelist Andrew Bynom reading from The Executioner’s Race 4 p.m.

Del & Norma Robison Planetarium

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58 18 5

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New Horizons Music Festival 9 & 10:30 p.m.

Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall

New Horizons Music Festival 4-5:30 & 7 p.m.

Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall

Public reception Fact or Fiction and I, too, an America: Photographs from Kansas City’s Fast Food Workers 5-6:30 p.m.

University Art Gallery & Side Gallery

5 22

Faculty recital: Brian Kubin, cello and Michael Bunchman, piano 8 p.m.

Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall

5 24

For•Words: Jack Smith, Reading from his new novel Being TBA Del & Norma Robison Planetarium FOR MORE INFORMATION, check out: https://www.facebook.com/trumansal/

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Tarantino runs to third consecutive win

BY RACHEL STEINHOFF Sports Text Editor tsusportseditor@gmail.com

Three races. Three wins.

And just over three weeks until senior Laura Tarantino gets to run for redemption at the GLVC Championships.

Tarantino picked up her third straight victory this weekend at the Div. II Showcase at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. After victories at the Lindenwood Dual and UIS Invitational to kick off the season, Tarantino led 111 competitors across the finish line in Nashville.

Fourteen schools from all over the country participated in the showcase event, with Tarantino’s performance, followed by Junior Michaela Hylen’s 6th place run, granting Truman State University a 2nd place team medal. The Bulldogs finished with 81 points, following the first place team, Bloomsburg University, who tallied 76. Tarantino said the meet was a great experience on a beauti-

ful course and a fun camaraderie builder for all the Div. II schools competing.

Tarantino did not have time to make friends, however, as she ran the 5K in a dominating time of 18:46.9, 11.5 seconds faster than the second place individual.

Tarantino said she expected improvement but has been happily surprised with what she has been able to do the last few weeks. Racing against the clock rather than other runners can be a challenge, Tarantino said. She also said she ran to win, but despite a big lead, she said her winning time did not match up with what she personally considers a fast time.

“I’m my greatest competitor and critic,” Tarantino said. “I’m always racing myself, so even when someone is not with me I’m still thinking about my time and working to push myself. I do think that’s harder, because I love the motivation of being competitive with other people. I really look forward to some of the bigger races because I really want to run faster times than I have been.”

Bigger races are coming for her and the rest of the Bulldog men’s and women’s cross country teams. The women will run their first 6K of the season Sept.

8 at the Jackling Jocks Invite at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. The ‘Dogs will get one weekend off, then it will be time for the GLVC Championships, also hosted at the Missouri S&T golf course.

Tarantino said the women’s team hopes to finish top 5 in the GLVC but will have to stick together more as a team to move up in the ranks. Tarantino said the conference is tough from top to bottom, but she thinks her team can hang in the top half.

Personally, Tarantino said she has just started to think about individual goals for the conference meet. Tarantino said she is focusing on this week of training and pushing through a lot of mileage, but now she will do so with an all-conference goal in mind.

“I guess the number that has been floating through my head the last few days is top 10, top 5,” Tarantino said. “Really just with

how things have gone for me the past two years, I’ve just felt disappointed with how I’ve raced under the pressure at conference.

I was 16th my sophomore year, one spot from all-conference.

Now I know I’m in shape to be there in that top 15, and that’s the goal, just run my race and see what happens. I feel like I still have a lot left this season. I feel like I haven’t let myself see my full potential yet.”

Tarantino said she feels less nervous about the conference meet this year despite the persisting power of her opponents in the GLVC. This season, the GLVC remains a power conference with two teams in the top 25 nationally.

The University of Southern Indiana came in 6th this week while Lewis took 23rd. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside also received votes in the national polls.

Tarantino currently has the 6th best 4K time in the conference.

Head Coach Tim Schwegler said Laura has been doing a great job of controlling the races and sticking to effective race tactics.

Schwegler said Tarantino won the last race by pulling away in the final 1200, but she will be challenged even further at upcoming meets.

Schwegler said he thinks Tarantino will reach her all-conference goal and hopes to see her land a spot on what he called one of the toughest all-region teams in the nation. Further down the road, Schwegler said he could see her having a shot at nationals with the shape she is in.

“She’s really fit right now, so that’s kind of exciting,” Schwegler said. “Now we’re waiting for her mind to catch up to her fitness, and it should really be an interesting season. She’s getting there though — mentally, she’s improving every race. She’s starting to believe she can run with anybody right now.”

Both the men’s and women’s teams will race back-to-back meets at the Missouri S&T golf course. The ‘Dogs will get their first taste of the course Saturday, Oct. 8, and will then return for the conference meet Saturday, Oct. 22.

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10

‘Dogs shut out Lincoln

Photo by Rachel Steinhoff/ TMN Truman football fans get up on their feet and cheer for the first of five Bulldog touchdowns in Saturday’s home game against Lincoln University. The Truman offense put up 389 total yards, while the defense posted its first shutout.

BY CAROLINE KISER Staff Writer The Truman State University Bulldogs took a win Saturday, defeating the Lincoln University Blue Tigers 370. This is Truman’s first shut-out win since 2013.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jaden Barr completed 16-of-24 passes for 148 yards. Freshman running back Jordan Salima also contributed to the offense, earning his first 100-yard rushing game with 125 yards on 20 carries, and he caught eight passes for 53 yards. Salima was named GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week last week and repeated conference awards this week as GLVC Offensive Player of the Week.

The Bulldogs had 241 yards of rushing after being held to -11 yards in the first quarter. Junior defensive back Richard Neboh had the longest play of the night with a 73-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Special teams also played a part in the success against the Blue Tigers, and once again, a Bulldog received recognition for the performance. Sophomore punter Brock Rohler earned the title of GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week, with all five of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line, including four inside the 10. One of those punts led to a safety for Bulldog defense.

Bulldog defense held the Blue Tigers to 197 total yards on offense. Senior Austin Zoda, junior Isaiah Hinton and sophomore Kade Young led the ‘Dogs with six tackles each. Saturday’s game

moved Zoda into the Truman career top 20 in tackles with 266 tackles.

The Bulldogs improved their record to 3-1, with one of the most anticipated matches of the season right around the corner. The Bulldogs will face four-time defending league champions University of Indianapolis Saturday for Family Day. UIndy was picked to win the conference in pre-season polls, but after a 0-3 start, the Greyhounds picked up their first win of the season Saturday against Kentucky Wesleyan. Truman, however, is 0-3 alltime against Indianapolis.

“Uncharacteristically [UIndy] hasn’t started off as well,” head coach Gregg Nesbitt said. “In terms of conference, Indy is still the team to beat. They can’t afford another conference loss. They’re actually chasing us and SBU early in the conference race.”

Currently, Truman is standing in second place in the GLVC with a 3-1 record and 2-0 in conference. Southwest Baptist is holding first with a 4-0 record and 2-0 in conference.

With the early struggles of the University of Indianapolis, a window of opportunity is appearing for Truman and other GLVC schools in the race for the conference crown.

As a senior captain, the strategy is simple for Zoda.

“At the end of the day we control our own destiny, and if we keep winning it doesn’t matter who else wins or loses,” Zoda said.

The ‘Dogs now head into a crucial and tough stretch of schedule. Following the University of Indianapolis, Tru-

man will go on the road to play current conference leader Southwest Baptist University. The week after that, the ‘Dogs get a shot at nationally-ranked Grand Valley State.

Zoda said his team recognizes the importance of this stretch and he said he thinks his team has prepared for a challenge like this.

“The next couple of weeks are going to be critical games with [the University of Indianapolis] and No. 3 ranked Grand Valley State,” Zoda said. “Everyone on our team knows this stretch is important to get us where we want to go, but if you ask anyone they will just say we need to take it one game at a time and not overlook anyone.”

Just in time for some crucial matches, the ‘Dogs welcome the return of a piece of the offensive receiving corp. Sophomore Brass Woods III returns to practice this week after suffering a broken wrist earlier in the season. Woods was third on the team in catches last year with 14 for 131 yards. It is unclear whether or not Woods will play this weekend.

The Bulldogs are not focused on uncontrollable elements like injuries, however. Sophomore running back Malique Robbins said the team is taking it day by day and the players are trying not to worry about anyone but themselves.

“With the season rankings and the way our conference is playing right now, everything is up for grabs,” Robbins said.

“At this point you never know what to expect week to week, so for us as a team we must play one week at a time and continue to improve collectively.”

Swimming hosts alumni meet

BY STEPHANIE HULETT Staff Writer Truman State University’s swimming teams hosted their annual alumni meet Sept. 23 and their intrasquad meet the following day, marking the end of a week long stretch of athletic challenges to prepare the team for the season.

Alumnus Ben DeVilbiss returned after graduating last spring. DeVilbiss said he still swims a few times a week, but was in shock after having to sprint and race again.

“It’s great to come back and to see the team,” DeVilbiss said. “It’s fun. It’s a good opportunity to just come back and see where the team is going, see what they are doing and see if it’s still in good hands.”

Assistant Coach Jerod Simek said this year had nearly 100 percent attendance from the previous graduating class and a total of 14 returning alumni, compared to last year’s attendance of four alumni. Simek said this has become a tradition, and the alumni are making an effort to make it as successful as it used to be.

“It started just to kind of get our alumni a little more involved, and it’s been going for probably around the last 15-20 years,” Simek said. “It’s a nice little tradition and more of like a fun meet for alumni to come back and see the team and see what they are all about and what to expect for the year.”

The Bulldogs now look ahead to Oct. 7, when they will travel to the University of Missouri to race in the Show-Me Showdown. There will be about eight teams on both the men’s and women’s side, providing a good gauge to see where the team is and what needs to be improved or what is working well before conference meets start.

“With it being our first official meet, we want to just see where everyone is at and what are the things they do well and what are the things that may need a little more work on so that way [Head Coach] Ed [Pretre] and I are able to tailor our workouts towards those needs as we get into the next four or five meets,” Simek said.

A few returning swimmers — juniors Nikki Sisson and Will Shanel and senior

Evyn Spencer — earned Pre-season AllAmerican honors. Simek said these individuals will be high-impact athletes for Truman this year, along with junior Jamie Fitzpatrick and seniors Hannah Nicks and Alison Strickler.

The women were GLVC Champions last season and ranked 12th in the nation.

Simek said the goal is to crack the top 5 this year and, if not, secure the top 10. On the men’s side, Simek said he sees great potential for this season.

“There were a lot of men who were very close to nationals, but we are hoping to get a few more individual men to go this year, if not some relays,” Simek said.

“The 800 free relay has a shot with some of the people we have brought in and what we feel they can step up with, so we are hoping we have more of a presence at nationals on the men’s side this year,” Until now, Simek said the swimmers have been conditioning their bodies into swim shape, and now they are able to work on speed. Workouts consist of dry land and pool workouts.

The alumni meet was part of a week of season preparation for the Bulldogs called the “Mafia Wars.” Simek said the week is

Brock Rohler Sophomore punter Brock Rohler received recognition as the GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week. All five of Rohler’s punts were downed inside the 20yard line during Saturday’s game against Lincoln University. One punt was downed at the one-yard line, leading to a defensive safety for Truman.

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full of physical competitions like a two-mile run, pull-up competition and more. The swim teams split into two halves, purple and white, and they could either win all the physical competitions to win the entire week or win a combination of the physical tests and intrasquad meet in order to win.

He said the meet is worth 45 percent of the total points and the other events are worth a total of 55 percent.

The purple team pulled off the victory from the week and managed to win the intrasquad meet to count toward its total score. Freshman Kaylee Sisson said she enjoyed the week and said each team is still very supportive of one another.

“It’s really fun,” Sisson said. “I‘ve never done anything like Mafia Wars before, and it’s fun to be one team, but also split into two and have friendly competition.

Even if we are doing a set where we are racing each other, purple team will still cheer for white team and vice versa because we are all still one team and we all have one goal in mind.”

The ‘Dogs have just over two weeks to shape up for season. The Show-Me Showdown will take place 1 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.

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