April 6, 2017

Features

Opinions

Kirksville recognized as Purple Heart City

Trista Sullivan explains importance of exposing yourself to differing views

Sports

Truman alum discusses basketball from Albania page 10

page 5

page 3

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

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THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT-PRODUCED NEWSPAPER

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Kirksville election results come in

BY Nicolas Telep Staff Writer

Photo by Rachel Fechter/TMN

Brenda Higgins, Director of the Student Health Center and University Counseling Center, sits at the sign-in table at Thursday’s mumps clinic. Higgins worked with the Adair County Health Department to plan this mumps clinic in light of a recent outbreak of the illness in the Kirksville and Truman community.

Campus and city collaborate to combat mumps outbreak

By Rachel Fechter

News Text Editor index.newseditor@gmail.com

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services funded a clinic Thursday, March 30, which allowed 400 students to get a free mumps, measles and rubella vaccine to slow the mumps outbreak that started on Truman State University’s campus in January.

So far, 20 known cases of mumps have been reported on Truman’s campus. However, the University Health Center has seen fewer cases of the mumps this month, an indication the outbreak is already slowing down, Brenda Higgins, Student Health Center and University Counseling Services Director, said.

Higgins and Lori Guffey, Adair County Health Department clinic supervisor, said the clinic’s goal was to slow down the mumps outbreak even further. Higgins said she and Guffey have worked together doing similar clinics for other communicable diseases like the flu, tuberculosis and meningitis.

“The health center always works collaboratively with Adair County Health Department, so they are always aware of any communicable disease,” Higgins said. “[Guffey,] as a communicable disease nurse, gets reports from us on a regular basis and then she communicates with the state health department, and it’s really their determination when it’s appropriate to offer a clinic like this.”

Higgins said it is still unknown why the MMR vaccine, which is supposed to grant lifelong immunity for mumps, has not been as effective, resulting in people with the vaccine still contracting mumps. However, Higgins said the Health Center has seen at Truman that those who have been vaccinated have experienced a milder case than those who have not been vaccinated.

Higgins said she has seen an increase in people opting out of receiving vaccines for themselves or for their children because

of misinformation and false narratives about vaccines which could be a factor in why we’re seeing more mumps cases today.

“I think there’s been a lot of misinformation by individuals, perhaps in the entertainment industry, giving a lot of information and misinformation about immunizations and relationships to autism, things that have been absolutely proven to not be true,” Higgins said. “But when people hear that information, then they’re hesitant to expose their children to a vaccination. It’s basically misinformation that’s out there, because all of the research shows vaccines to be a very safe prevention method, and that’s why we don’t see many cases of the measles and mumps and polio.”

Guffey said fear is also a big driving force and a reason why more people are opting out of getting a vaccination.

“I do think though there has been a lot of information, some of it that’s not very thorough information out, there that people get afraid,” Guffey said. “They talk about side effects of the vaccine and things like that and I think that plays a role. The fear factor that people if they’ve never gotten a vaccine before or don’t know that much about it.”

Walgreens pharmacist James Lyon said Walgreens offered an increased amount of MMR vaccines in recent months because of the mumps outbreak in the Kirksville area and, many of the people coming in have been students. Lyon said despite herd immunity, or the concept that those who don’t get immunized are protected if everyone else does, which many people believe makes them safe from contracting diseases like mumps, it’s still better and safer to get vaccinated.

“It’s not going to 100 percent guarantee you’re not going to get it but if you were to be exposed to it, then your body’s already got those antibodies built up, ready to go, trying to blunt the side effects more or less,” Lyon said.

The two Kirksville City Council seats up for re-election were filled with their incumbents in Tuesday’s municipal election, while the citywide Parks and Recreation half-cent sales tax was approved.

Council members Rick Steele and Jerry Mills retained their seats with Kevin Alm falling short in his bid for one of the open seats. Additionally, the city’s proposed half-cent sales tax, which would go toward funding a new aquatic center among other things, passed at the polls.

Nan Davis, Jeremy Houser and Adam Moore won the three open seats on the Kirksville R-III school board.

The members of Kirksville’s City Council will remain the same for at least the next year as Steele and Mills finished first and second, respectively, in the race, with Alm finishing in third place. Mills, who has served as mayor of Kirksville for the past year, will begin his third threeyear term as a member of the Council.

Mills received 41.9 percent of votes on the 2,187 ballots cast, on which voters were instructed to pick two candidates per ballot. Steele prevailed in his first reelection bid, and will begin his second term on the Council. He received 46.15 percent of the vote. Alm came in third with 400 votes, or 10.83 percent.

The proposed Parks and Recreation sales tax was approved by a large margin, 68.7 percent to 31.3 percent. There were 2,187 votes cast. The tax will be an increase of one-half of one percent to the city’s existing sales tax. Kirksville’s sales tax currently stands at 7.85 percent, according to Assistant City Manager Ashley Young in a presentation about the proposal. With the passage of the new tax, sales tax will increase to 8.35 percent. The city intends to use the increased revenue to fund Parks and Recreation operations exclusively within the city of Kirksville, including maintenance, staffing and programming. Notably, some of the revenue will be used to fund construction of a new aquatic center, which the department estimates would cost between four million and seven million dollars.

In the Kirksville R-III School Board election, Jeremy Houser and Adam Moore were elected to serve threeyear terms on the board. In addition, Nan Davis, incumbent secretary of the school board, won her re-election bid.

Davis led the six-person race, in which 2,581 ballots were cast and voters were instructed to pick three candidates per ballot. The candidates finishing in the top three spots will become members of the school board. Davis gathered 20.72 percent of votes, while Houser and Moore received 19.91 and 18.61 percent, respectively. The three unsuccessful candidates in the close race were Tarasa Gardner, Matthew Copeland and Kathy Hoppe. Moore, the third-place candidate, had 26 more votes than Gardner, the fourthplace candidate.

Photo by Rachel Fechter/TMN Above: Nurses like this woman from the Adair County Health Department as well as senior nursing students administer the measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations. The Student Health Center and Adair County Health Department have collaborated for clinics like this in the past for other communicable diseases like the flu, tuberculosis and meningitis.

Right: Kirksville Walgreens pharmacist James Lyon weighs in on the recent mumps outbreak. Lyon said the Kirksville Walgreens pharmacy saw an increase in people wanting mumps vaccinations. Lyon said despite the herd immunity people might have against mumps because most people get vaccinated when they are young, getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent mumps and prevent outbreaks like this from happening.

VOLUME 108

ISSUE 22

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Photo by Rachel Fechter/TMN @TrumanMediaNet

© 2017

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THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

Students participate in mental wellness photography project

STUDENT SENATE IN BRIEF

The Senate passed a resolution supporting the installation of a student-accessible printer in Magruder Hall.

The Senate passed an environmental Sustainability Fee Accountability Committee Slate.

The Senate is beginning glass recycling in partnership with residence life April 10.

CITY COUNCIL IN BRIEF

Mayor Jerry Mills read a proclamation designating April 4 as “National Service Recognition Day,” recognizing volunteers in the Kirksville community.

Photo by Hudson Taylor/TMN Senior Elizabeth Barreca shows off one of the displays for the “A Snapshot of Mental Wellness” photography project. Barreca was one of the 23 volunteer participants, and she organized and set up the event.

The Council unanimously authorized the hiring of Kirksville city police officers who reside outside of Adair County during the next six months. Kirksville Police Chief Jim Hughes said the department is feeling the effects of a nationwide shortage of police officers. Hughes said the ability to hire from outside the political boundaries of the county would allow the department to bring more qualified officers, and that the reasonableness of response time regarding any potential hire from outside the county would be examined.

The Council unanimously approved two bids and one contract. One bid is from Willis Bros. Incorporated to construct a storage building for the water division at the Public Works Complex, and the other bid is from Stanton Contracting LLC to complete this year’s designated concrete projects within the city.

NEWS IN BRIEF

County to host rabies clinic for animals

Photo by Hudson Taylor/TMN Senior Matt Barkofske looks at a display at the photo gallery. Students were asked to submit photos demonstrating an aspect of mental wellness. A total of 25 photos were then displayed in a walk-through gallery in the Student Union Building.

The Adair County Health Department and the Adair County Veterinary Clinic are collaborating to host a rabies clinic 1-2 p.m. Saturday, April 8 at the Novinger Fire Station. Rabies vaccinations will be offered for dogs, cats and ferrets.

The vaccines will cost $8 per animal. For more information about the clinic, call the Adair County Health Department at 660-665-8491.

CRIME REPORTS DPS & KPD

Serving the University community since 1909

Staff Editor-in-Chief Austin Hornbostel Managing Editor Johanna Burns News Editor (Text) Rachel Fechter Lifestyle Editor (Text) Austin Hornbostel 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 Samantha Nielsen Staff Writers Stephanie Hulett, Brooke Bailey, Curt Wichmer, Chris Burk, Lesley Reno, Mercy Tee, Kayla Perkins, Nicolas Telep, Kira Hintz, Spencer Foust, Morgan Alexander, Jeremy Jacob, Jessica Shultz, Maddie McDermott, Zackary Irvin Columnists Trevor Hamblin, Korbin Keller, Eboni Miller, Jared Roberts, Trista Sullivan, Ben Wallis Cartoonist Annie Kintree, August Davis Copy Editors Julianna Foster, Megan Gibbons, Trevor Hamblin, Katie Puryear, Ian Madden, Bethany Spitzmiller, MacKenna Palazza, Sarah deVeer, Ellen Thibodeau Designers Clarissa Todd, Lawrence Hu, Mariah Radle, Emily Mollet, Georgia Gregory Photo Editor Damian Soane Photographers Athena Geldbach, Austin Dellamano, Hannah Conner, Hudson Taylor Distribution Manager Kain Kneib Distribution Representatives Jessica Rose, Taylor Libbert Adviser Don Krause

4/4 Theft reported at the 500 block of S. Franklin St.

4/2 Harassment reported at the 300 block of Pfeiffer Ave.

4/4 Theft reported at the 1000 block of E. Washington St.

4/2 Fraud reported at the 1500 block of N. Walnut St.

4/3 Theft reported at the 2100 block of E. Normal Ave.

4/2 Domestic disturbance reported at the 500 block of Meadow Crest Drive

4/3 Theft reported at the 500 block of N. 4/2 Theft reported at the 2200 block of S. Baltimore St. Marion St. 4/3 Domestic disturbance reported at the 4/2 Fight reported at the 2100 block of 500 block of N. High St. Bartlett St. 4/3 Vandalism reported at the 1400 block 3/31 Shoplifting reported at the 2200 block of Crown Drive of N. Baltimore St.

Mark your calendar Global Issues Colloquium 7-9 p.m.

April 6 SUB 3200

Kelly Hayes, a religious studies associate professor from Indiana University, will lead Truman’s next Global Issues Colloquium with a presentation entitled “Intergalactic Space-Time Travelers: Envisioning the New Age in Brazil’s Valley of the Dawn.”

Screening of “Ties That Bind” 5-7 p.m.

April 7 Kirk Building 116

The Interfaith Center will be showing a movie entitled “Ties That Bind,” which follows the struggles of three women in a Ghana village who have each lost a child.

The movie is part of the Interfaith Center’s spirituality week.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

Expose yourself to opinions you oppose

Trista Sullivan For those of you who were unable to attend the March 23 lecture by Richard Wolff, I wish I could turn back time and give you all the opportunity to do so.

Wolff presented a criticism of capitalism in the event “Curing Capitalism Through Democracy: a Radical Analysis of the Global Economic Crisis.” This was the third presentation of the four-part Global Issues Colloquium series for this semester. While I am in the Global Issues Colloquium class, which is overseen by history professor Marc Becker, I have always been a huge fan of the GIC. The GIC that got me hooked on the program was the first one I ever attended, during my sophomore year when philosophy professor Mark Appold’s students, who attended the study abroad trip in the Middle East, presented their research and experience abroad and over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I must say that I now have a new favorite GIC experience, and that is with Wolff.

Wolff was extremely credible with his “pedigrees” from Harvard, Yale and Stanford, and his approach to covering the issues of capitalism was accessible and easy to understand. As a student of sociology and a self-proclaimed Marxist, I can admit to the sometimes difficult language and interpretation of Marx’s conversations. I admired Wolff’s ability to communicate these large topics so effectively. One statement Wolff made was that throughout all his education as an economist, he was never required to read anything of Karl Marx.

I found this to be so strange, but not unbelievable. As a student of sociology here at Truman State University, I was required to learn about Marx in my coursework.

We briefly learned about Marx as one of the “fathers of sociology” in my intro class to the major, but it wasn’t until I took Sociological Theory my junior year that I was required to read excerpts from more of his works, including “The Communist Manifesto” and “Capital.” I am so thankful I had the opportunity to discuss Marx in a scholarly environment. Though I had great interest in Marx previous to this experience, I still had the opportunity to continue learning about his work and hear criticisms of it from my peers and professors.

Whether you are a lefitst, rightist, marxist, communist, liberal, democrat, libertarian, conservative or have a different political orientation, studying and understanding different schools of thought is incredibly valuable to your education. After Wolff’s talk, students, community members and faculty spent an additional hour and a half discussing the talk, asking questions and explaining their own ideologies and perspectives of the many topics Wolff discussed. I spent a half hour in a conversation with students from across the political spectrum, accompanied by economics professor David Gillette, where we debated and discussed social mobility, social class and capitalism as a whole.

Though sometimes we strongly disagreed with each other, the conversation was incredibly rewarding. I am thankful for Wolff’s time and the conversations it led to. He gave us a foundation, a jumping off point, to have better dialogue with one another.

As a senior, I am in a very reflective and contemplative state regarding my last four years here. I realize how much I’ve grown and how much room I’ve been given to do so. The morning after Wolff’s speech I had the opportunity, along with a number of other students, to have breakfast with him and continue the conversations from the night before. At one point during this breakfast, Wolff asked us about our political organizing and activism in the community, and inquired about the politics of our administration. I then thought back on the experiences of so many other organizers I am connected with across the nation, and how combative, aggressive and obstinate the administrations of those universities are when students attempt to organize on campus. I am thankful for the space I have been able to be a part of and make changes in here at Truman. I am thankful for the opportunities we are given, such as those that Appold’s students, all that attended Wolff’s talk, and those who are allowed the space to pursue their interests, passions and goals here at Truman are given.

What I want to leave you with today is two challenges. One — attend an event or lecture, take a class or join an organization regarding something wildly different from what you believe. Do not be there to argue, but be there to listen and to attempt to understand another perspective. Two — take your passions and your goals and create a space in which you can better reach those goals, and in which other people can come in and share in that with you. This is the time in our lives where we have the freedoms and opportunities to do these things. So please, try and expand your horizons while it is still accessible, convenient and uplifting.

Dear Stephanie, I enjoyed reading your article in the Index about the positive influence your wonderful father has played — and continues to play — in your life. His support of your interest in sports is truly admirable. It made me think of my own father, who died over 30 years ago. Having grown up with three older brothers, I might not have been so lucky, but my father always considered my participation in sports, especially basketball, just as important as my brothers’. I remember him making sure I always had a turn when our family played “4 Horses” or “Around the World” in the backyard. Growing up in Nebraska, where college football is practically a religion, he would alternate taking my brothers and me to Nebraska football games. I remember feeling very special when just my dad and I drove to Lincoln to watch the Huskers play!

In reflection, I think my father and your father have taught their daughters valuable lessons — first, that we are important and loved and, second, that sports are available to both men and women, that we don’t have to take a backseat to any boy. In a way, I think our fathers are the best feminists of all because they supported their daughters unconditionally, whatever their interest.

Girls’ basketball came to my high school a year after I graduated, so I never got to participate in high school basketball, but I know that had I been on the team, my dad would have cheered me in the stands just as your father cheers you.

If I could meet your father, I would shake his hand and congratulate him for being such a wonderful father. You are truly a fortunate daughter. My guess is that he would say that he is the lucky one for having such a special daughter! Thank you for writing about him, Stephanie. It helped me to look back and appreciate my own father again.

Sincerely, Rebecca Green Retired Spanish Lecturer

Trista Sullivan is a senior sociology major from St. Louis, Mo.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

Election Season Timeline

Monday April 10

Tuesday April 18

Active campaigning begins at 7:30 a.m.

Elections begin at 8 a.m. in the SUB or at vote.truman.edu

Monday April 3

Wednesday April 12

Thursday April 20

Petitions available in the Student Senate office

Informational meeting at 8 p.m. outside the Senate office

Elections end at 6 p.m.

Election results announced at 8 p.m.

Thursday April 13

Sunday April 23

Filing deadline. Petitions due in the CSI Complex before 5 p.m.

First Meeting

Friday April 7 Informational meeting at 7 p.m. outside the Senate office

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Leasing Office

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manager@

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Source: Truman State Student Government

5

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

BY MADDIE MCDERMOTT Staff Writer

The City of Kirksville recently showed its respect for citizens, past and present, who were injured or killed while serving their country.

The Kirksville City Council hosted a ceremony March 20 at the Kirksville City Council meeting in which the Adair County Commissioners designated Adair County and the City of Kirksville a Purple Heart city and county. There are plaques displayed around town recognizing Kirksville’s Purple Heart title.

James Varejcka, national Purple Heart Trail coordinator, said several steps must be completed to be established with Purple Heart recognition.

The first step is to draft a proclamation on behalf of the city explaining its merit.

John Bircher, national spokesman for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, said the Purple Heart is the oldest military honor.

The Purple Heart originated in 1782 as the Badge of Military Merit and was created by General George Washington to award and recognize deserving military service. The medal went obsolete for some time until 1932, when it was revamped by General Douglas Macarthur to most specifically honor veterans wounded or killed in combat.

Bircher said the Purple Heart was originally awarded by General George Washington in the continental army Aug. 7, 1782. Since then, Aug. 7 has been recognized as Purple Heart Day. “[Washington] wanted some type of declaration that would recognize the bravery of the common soldier,” Bircher said. “[Becoming a Purple Heart City is something] done by the city themselves, a way for the city to pay their respect to the sons and daughters of the city that gave their life or were wounded in combat for freedom,” Bircher said. “There is no honoring of the

city. The honor is to pay honor to the sons and daughters who serve their country — something that those of us who are Purple Heart recipients very much appreciate.”

Along with sharing the honor of the Purple Heart, Bircher said he and his veteran brothers within the Purple Heart community also work to serve other veterans.

“It is a fraternal organization as well as a service organization,” Bircher said. “We all have similar combat experiences. It is a healing process to be able to meet and talk with people with the same sort of experiences. It is a veteran service organization much like the American Legion of Disabled Veterans. The Military Order of the Purple Heart is unique in that it is the only one composed of Purple Heart Recipients.”

Freshman Allee Marshall has a brother who is a Purple Heart recipient.

“The Purple Heart is incredibly important because not only does it recognize those in the military, but rather those who have been wounded or killed in action,” Marshall said. “These extra circumstances can be incredibly tolling on those soldiers and their families, so the extra recognition and appreciation for these men and women is very special.”

Marshall said Kirksville becoming a Purple Heart City is a step in the right direction in supporting those at home and overseas who have gone through these struggles and should be commended for their dedication to this country.

In Missouri, Branson was the first city to become a Purple Heart City followed

by Battlefield, Forsyth, Columbia, Springfield, St. Louis, Arnold, and St. Robert, just to name a few. To learn more about the honor and history of the Purple Heart and Purple Heart Cities and Counties, visit purpleheart.org or mophmissouri.com.

“There is no honoring of the city. The honor is to pay honor to the sons and daughters who serve their country — something that those of us who are Purple Heart recipients very much appreciate.”

-John Bircher, national spokesman for the

Military Order of the Purple Heart

VOLUME 108

ISSUE 22

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@TrumanMediaNet

© 2017

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THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

REACTING TO MAGAZINES Index news editor reminisces on favorite magazine The New Yorker

BY RACHEL FECHTER

News Text Editor index.neweditor@gmail.com

My favorite part of the week is racing down five flights of stairs with avid anticipation and opening my mailbox to find the latest issue of The New Yorker neatly rolled up inside. Or on my off weeks — when I forget to be an adult and check the mail, finding two weeks’ worth of issues overflowing on my desk for me to be pleasantly surprised by and then push off my responsibilities to binge read.

The New Yorker has been my favorite magazine for about a year now. It started with my mom signing me up for a subscription. She had the tangible copies of the magazine sent to my residence hall and got the digital copies on her Kindle. Together we’d read and report our thoughts back to each other on that week’s issue.

I’d heard about The New Yorker before I started reading it. I thought of it as that enigmatic media that meant you’d made it big if you got your short story or poem published in it. A level of mysticism and elitism surrounded it. Then I picked up a copy and realized while the hype surrounding it by it was warranted, the writing was not only intended for elite writers, academics and celebrities of New York City but for anyone, including a lowly plebeian from Missouri like me.

The New Yorker is my favorite magazine because they tell compelling, true and relatable stories in addition to short stories and poems every week that make me feel up-to-date with the world around me.

When a reader first grabs a copy of The New Yorker they are greeted with an eye-catching cover. The cover usually contains vibrant aesthetics, making a political or artistic statement about content within the magazine. For example, a week after the 2016 presidential election results revealed President Donald Trump would take office, The New Yorker’s cover featured a brick wall running up the entire front cover, slightly covering the title of the magazine. Inside were many articles questioning what the future would be like with a Trump presidency. Some

of my other favorite covers this year have included a cover depicting a political cartoon form of Donald Trump as a beauty pageant contestant — sassy tiara and all — a reverent portrait of Martin Luther King Jr, an AfricanAmerican Rosie the Riveter, and a cover that had the title written in Russian with Donald Trump depicted as a butterfly and Vladimir Putin watching him closely with a magnifying glass.

Eye-catching covers are just the tip of the iceberg.

The quality writing within The New Yorker never fails to impress me.

Flipping through the magazine, I stumble across The Mail. This section gives avid readers a chance to express their opinion on something they disagreed with written in a past issue. The New Yorker always puts The Mail at the beginning of the magazine as a way to symbolically show not everything they say is gospel — a lot of intelligent people disagree with them, and that’s okay. In addition, The Mail that runs in the magazine is a criticism about the writing itself and not libellous, unfounded or accusatory attacks. The Mail depicts readers who have pondered the subject they are carefully criticizing with a genuine interest of voicing their opinion to the public.

As I continue flipping through, I get a chance to glance at city life in New York City, noting the different restaurants, theater productions and musical performances gaining notoriety. I can also stay updated on different books, movies and TV shows I might be overlooking that I should check out.

Then comes my favorite section, The Talk of The Town. This section of The New Yorker generally contains relatively short news and opinions pieces which start with an intriguing punch, contain an informative or inspiring middle and conclude with a mic droppable ending. My favorite part about this section is the sheer randomness of what can be found. One minute you’re reading a column about Donald Trump’s latest scandal, and the next minute you’re reading about Gwyneth Paltrow’s cosmetic line and then your eyes leap across the page again and you’re reading about the Philadelphia Weekly’s Mighty Writers program. It’s a grab bag of accessible and brief information I eagerly pore over each week.

Often, The Financial Page comes next. These stories, while daunting for a person like me who struggled

through a high school summer of personal finance, are almost always easy to understand and provide the proper amount of context to help a person comprehend the current financial state being addressed in the article.

Usually within the middle of the magazine is the Shouts & Murmurs section, which never fails to make me laugh like a squawking seal. The Shouts & Murmurs section contains one short satirical story written in the style of the famous satirical news website The Onion.

Next are the profiles and longer, in-depth stories.

These articles are almost always worth the long read.

These, like The Talk of The Town, can be about a wide range of topics. Sometimes these stories explore environmental and scientific topics that can make a person like me — who only seems to be able to remember the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell — have a better understanding of what is happening in fields of medicine, ecology and technology. Other times The New Yorker will shine a spotlight on hard - hitting subjects like police brutality or drug abuse. Then there are the stories like the one about the hippie philosophy professor from Tufts University filled with angst and sitting in the woods pondering life — this was a real story, and it was awesome.

The magazine concludes with book, movie and TV show reviews — giving me more ways to put off responsibilities and consume media praised by my favorite magazine.

The New Yorker has enriched my life. The most relaxing part of my week is flipping through its glossy pages, reading an article or two, and forgetting about the pressures and stress of everyday life for a moment.

The New Yorker has taught me everyone can inform themselves about the world around them, and you don’t have to be a scholar with multiple PhDs to be able to have an opinion and join a deep, meaningful, civically engaged discussion about something you care about.

That’s why I, a journalism student in Kirksville, Missouri, aspire to someday write for The New Yorker. Not just because their magazine has gained great notoriety and fame throughout the years, but because they are unafraid to tell the stories hidden and forgotten in the crevices of our society. The New Yorker is always there each week to remind me to write with passion and zeal.

30

Now accepting scholarship applications for 2017-18 Application deadline May 5

Earn credit at STLCC this summer

noyce.truman.edu

Enroll at PATHTOSTLCC.COM

7

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

EVENTS SAB Coffeehouse

“The Pillowman”

8-9 p.m. April 11 8-10 p.m. April 6-8 Black Box Theatre, Ophelia Parrish SUB Hub

TOP

The Truman State theatre department presents a production of “The Pillowman,” directed by senior theatre major Eva Trunzo. Tickets are free and available at the box office in the OP main lobby.

Cakes. The first episode of every season brings its own kind of charm. The audience gets to meet each baker and assess their skill level. The real question is, who will be left standing at the end of the season? What better recipe to test their skills than basic cakes?

1 2

7-10 p.m. April 12-13 Blanton-Nason-Brewer Basement

Jenny Teator, a pop-rock artist from Columbia, Missouri, will perform for students in the SUB Hub. Admission is free and the event will include free snacks.

Episodes of the Great British Baking Show

Bread. Every season includes some type of bread challenge, but the best ones are the episodes where the bakers must create some type of decorative loaf. Season 3 episode 3 contestant Paul’s lion sculpture was magnificent enough to bring judge Paul Hollywood to his knees.

Can You Escape Truman?

Lambda Alpha Epsilon, Omicron Delta Kappa, and the BNB Service Hall are partnering to host an escape room. The cost is $25 per team, and each team is limited to six members.

3 4 5

Biscuits and Traybakes. The disconnect between British and American cooking is never more stark than when they talk about biscuits.

When the British talk of biscuits, they really mean a thin cookie — the crispier the better. In season 2 epsiode 5, the bakers created showstopping biscuit towers.

Victorian. In season 3 episode 7, the bakers try their hand at Victorianera foods like game pie. The best part of this episode isn’t the bizarre nature of Victorian cuisine but the hilarious facial expressions of the bakers — particularly Nadyia’s — as they navigate their way through centuries-old recipes.

Chocolate. In season 3 episode 9, chocolate lovers everywhere gasped in delight at the massive amounts of cocoa goodness. As seasons progress, audiences see how each baker grows in skill and innovation, and never is this more true than in the chocolate episode.

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8

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

Photo submitted by Truman Athletics Fans cheer for their Bulldogs in the opening game against Midwestern State University last season. Stokes Stadium is set to open next season after the spring renovations are completed. The team will play their first home game against Missouri University of Science and Technology Sept. 16.

Rain stalls spring ball amidst stadium updates

‘Dogs develop young talent

BY CURT WICHMER

Staying at the top means training like you’re at the bottom. Bulldog football finished 8-3 last season and was crowned with a co-conference championship. This spring, the ‘Dogs refocus to develop young players into experienced returners who will pass down the winning ways. Defensive Coordinator Kellen Nesbitt said the players have even bigger goals for next season, but are currently looking to last season as a building block for the fall.

“We graduated some good seniors, but to be able to turn it over to some really young guys who also have experience is a good feeling,” Nesbitt said. “We just have to trust the process and keep working, and you have to think we have a chance to at least get close to where we were.”

From a defensive standpoint, the Bulldogs suffered as some key members have been rehabbing injuries this winter and into the beginning of spring. Nesbitt said there are four to five defensive linemen out right now with injuries. All players are expected to make a full recovery in time for fall. This has allowed some younger players to get more experience and attention than they normally would have with all players healthy.

Junior Isaiah Hinton, one of the defensive linemen who is injured, is expected to return soon. He has had two surgeries this offseason because of a shoulder injury and a finger injury from the fall.

“Having a lot of the starters out definitely has its positives in that more guys are able to get reps and gain experience during spring ball because learning through the regular season can be difficult,” Hinton said. “Somebody who is getting extra reps now is going to play an important role of us winning a championship next season.”

Nesbitt said there are still quite a few younger players who are coming back from playing more than 100 snaps for them last fall including redshirt freshmen

Staff Writer

They say April showers bring May flowers, but so far this month, the only thing the rain has brought is scheduling issues for Truman State University football. The Bulldogs had to improvise the location of their spring training exercises because of the recent downpour and Stokes Stadium renovations.

Dave Rector, vice president of administration and finance, said despite the rain, the construction at Stokes Stadium is progressing right on schedule. He said the construction team’s efficiency does so well when the weather does permit, that the project can afford a little rain delay. Rector said the renovations began largely because the track was not up to NCAA standards — which prevented Truman from being a regular host of track meets — and to increase the size of the field to accommodate soccer matches. He said the updates to the stadium are coming at a convenient time because the field’s turf — which typically lasts about 10 years — is in its ninth year.

The plan to renovate the stadium was developed two years ago with the support of Truman’s Athletics, particularly Tim Schwegler, track and field head coach, and football Head Coach Gregg Nesbitt.

Rector said the stadium is scheduled to be finished in July, in time for football to start up in the fall.

In the meantime, Truman football has had to adapt to the construction. The situation has not been helped by the weather. Nesbitt said, the team had originally planned to practice on Truman’s rugby field, but with the seemingly never-ending downpour, use of the grass field has become unfeasible. Nesbitt said though the team’s original plan to use the rugby field is momentarily falling through, Kirksville High School has offered to let Truman use its turf field for night practices.

“We were supposed to have four practices in at this point, but obviously with this inclement weather and the facilities, it’s

been a slow start,” Nesbitt said. “What we did get though was pretty solid, and a nice start — I think the kids were really happy to get out of the weight room and get to the field. Kirksville High School has been really generous to us in general, and we may wind up there for a practice or two.

For this week, we’ll play things by ear.”

Nesbitt said one thing the weather will not change is the substance and approach of the team’s spring program.

“This process is all about finding the 20 toughest guys on each side of the ball,” Nesbitt said. He said everyone starts with a clean slate, whether they’re a returner or a new addition to the team. Nesbitt noted habits are easier to make than they are to break, and he said the same principle will apply to the team as it tries to establish good habits early before the season officially starts.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jaden Barr said at its core, spring ball is about individual improvement on the little things and an overall focus on becoming more cohesive as a team. Barr said while it is comfortable to focus on things it is already good at, to really improve, the team must work on the less fun and more frustrating aspects of the game — the areas in which they struggle.

When explaining what could be improved, Barr said last season the special teams put in the extra effort and gave the offense an excellent starting position time and time again. He said this season, he and the rest of the offense will make the effort to capitalize on the special teams’ field positioning more often.

“We’ve been watching a lot of film over the off season, and we missed a couple big plays on the field last year,” Barr said. “If we can start to capitalize a bit more on that, we can come away with a lot more points, and really take that next step to becoming a better football team. That’s really what spring ball is about — it’s attention to details, and being great at the little things.

That’s the difference between a team going 5-6 and a team going 9-2 or 11-0.”

BY STEPHANIE HULETT Staff Writer

Sam Reeves and Bryan Edwards, and freshmen Jordan Siegel and Lawrence Woods. Nesbitt said mixing these younger guys with some experienced upperclassmen creates great depth for the squad.

On the other side of the ball, offense is focusing on developing their younger players as well. Offensive Coordinator Jason Killday said the wide receiver position for 2017 will only have two seniors — Kyle Spratt and Jordan Jorgenson.

Killday said this is a good opportunity for these men to step up into a leadership role. They know the offensive system and they are running through the third install with them, so they will know what to do and how to do it. With the younger receivers, Killday said they will be focusing on fundamentals — emphasizing a difference between knowing your route and executing the route.

“Anybody can draw it on a card and do it, but now you got to go do it and get open against off man, press man, zone, all the different [defensive] looks you’re going to get,” Killday said. “They all require just a little difference in the way you set it up.”

Along with the returning seniors, there are a couple freshmen who saw the field in the fall. Killday said they redshirted five freshmen, so this is the first opportunity to see what they can do within the system. Killday said the freshmen will use the spring season to develop by repping routes on air, one-on-one, seven-onseven, and on-team — all opportunities to show the coaching staff what they can do.

Killday and Nesbitt agreed it is a good feeling to have such young players mixed in with some experienced players because it gives the squad dimension. Killday said the talent and skill is there, but now it is up to the players to execute.

“It’s a little bit of a blessing and a curse,” Killday said. “Potential is always the word everyone uses. Potentially, we could be pretty good. They know they have the ability to get it done. Now they got to go do it.”

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9

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

Photo submitted by Seth Jackson Jackson takes in the view of a mountain range near Shkoder, Albania. When he is not busy with the daily grind as a professional basketball player, Jackson capitalizes on opportunities to see the land and people of his host country.

JACKSON | After playing his final season as a Bulldog in 2015, Truman alumnus Seth Jackson writes back to share his journey of becoming a professional basketball player abroad.

Continued from page 10 In Bulgaria, I went to a well-established, talented, veteran-led basketball team with great coaching. Adjusting to a professional level of play and learning to avoid getting knocked to the ground by our 6’11”, 275 lb centers came slowly through somewhat of a transition period.

In Albania, however, I arrived on a team lacking leadership and overall knowledge of the game.

Even though I’m a relatively young guy on the team, I was aware of many moments of confusion between the Albanian players and newly arrived American imports in terms of what strategies and styles we should use. It’s one thing for players to get confused, but it’s also a challenge when your head coach barely speaks English. Needless to say, I missed Coach Foster!

Photo submitted by Seth Jackson Reporters surround alumnus Jackson as news breaks of his arrival. He is wrapping up his first season in Albania.

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Getting to play at this level is the result of disciplined work and a lot of support from family, friends, coaches and many others who are involved in or support your athletic programs.

I used to obsess over getting to this point since the summer before my junior year. I would lie in bed for hours on summer nights not being able to sleep, just wishing I could get to where I am now — a professional in the sport I love. Once I arrived, I immediately saw how challenging this career path is. Language barriers, going months without seeing friends and family and at times lacking an outlet to have fun or relieve stress can really get to you. Being overseas actually gave me a great deal of respect for the international students at Truman. Those students go through the same things I do on a daily basis, and I commend them for traveling thousands of miles from home to further their education.

While my time hasn’t been the vacation or glamorous lifestyle people often believe it is, I’ve had many unforgettable encounters and made memories I’ll have forever. I’ve gotten the chance to once again play in front of packed arenas with the most wild fans you would ever see and explore beautiful mountain ranges unlike any other place I’ve witnessed. Those experiences make you feel as though the struggles you go through are worth it in the end.

As tough as the last couple of years have been — making a hard decision to leave my first season early and return to school and even waiting months for a new job, not knowing if I would play again — it all taught me a valuable lesson. As much as your desire to succeed revolves around ultimately meeting an end goal, a lot of times the most memorable and important parts are the experiences you conquer and lessons you learn on your way. I have grown so much just from opening my mind to new cultures, actively listening, learning and discovering more about myself and what I truly desire. As much as I love playing, I feel as though now one of my greatest impacts involved with this game will be to teach others how to play and enjoy it in ways others taught me. I plan to begin this part of my mission by returning to Kirksville this summer and putting on a youth camp with assitant women’s coach Theo Dean in late June to interact with and teach the kids in the area. These experiences are moments that I’ll forever be grateful for, and I’m lucky that a round ball gave me the opportunity to learn, see the world and more importantly, give back to the sport and others who have a passion for it like I do.

From here, I have more ambition and goals that are driving me, but the road to them is one I’ve yet to figure out. What I can say though is that I’ll be enjoying every minute of this new path, no matter where it takes me.

Being his footsteps to follow in

BY BROOKE BAILEY Staff Writer

Siblings grow up watching you, idolizing you and attempting to mimic your every move. Then, one day, the thing you’ve dreaded for so long happens — your younger sibling surpasses you.

Basketball is the sport my little brother and I have been playing together for as long as I can remember, and he is finally better than me.

Despite him being five years younger, the age gap never stopped us from being competitive in sports. For a long time, I took advantage of being older, stronger and taller than him — it was my key to beating him in a game of one-on-one.

Even with the age difference, he always came to my basketball practices when I was in middle and high school, jumping in on drills with my team.

This was something I wasn’t able to do when I was his age. I didn’t have an older sibling interested in the same sport as me to follow along and practice with.

This is something my family jokes about — the older sibling is always the test run, the guinea pig. I started playing Amateur Athletic Union travel basketball in seventh grade, but my brother started in fourth grade because my parents already knew how it all worked — the earlier you started traveling the better. They knew to take him to camps. They had more connections to have the gym opened for him so he could work on his game. It helps that he is 6’2” as a sophomore in high school with the ability to dunk, while I’m a 5’6” junior in college. Conversations around my hometown and high school are no longer “that’s Brooke Bailey’s little brother, right?” Now it has changed to “You’re Beau Bailey’s sister, right?”

I know, I know — I sound bitter, but I’m not. I take pride in knowing I taught him a lot of what he knows about basketball. I couldn’t be more excited to see his future unfold, and I am incredibly proud to be Beau’s older sister and number one fan.

SPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

@trumanathletics

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tmn.truman.edu

Reisenger, Priest emerge as dominant pair at the plate for Bulldogs

BY JEREMY JACOB Staff Writer

The lineups for the Truman State University softball and baseball teams feature a great depth of talent. In particular, sophomore outfielder Christa Reisinger and senior third baseman Jason Priest have excelled for their respective teams.

Reisinger leads her team and ranks first in the GLVC in batting average with .512 and 88 total bases and second in on-base percentage with .576.

Priest leads his team in the aforementioned categories, but also leads his team in RBIs with 31.

Each is accustomed to operating in different spots in the lineup — Reisinger in the leadoff spot and Priest in the middle of the order. Their duties and mindsets usually differ during the course of the game, but they both believe the players that precede and follow them in the order contribute to their success.

Reisinger leads off softball’s offensive attack

Reisinger said she has been leading off games since her sophomore year of high school. Her career as a student-athlete has given her experience in various lineups. Regardless, she said the goal of a leadoff hitter should be the same.

“My main focus is to try to get on [base], so that gives us a chance to score,” Reisinger said.

While Reisinger doesn’t monitor statistics often, she said a high on-base percentage is a key indicator for a good leadoff hitter. She said having a plan every time she

steps up to the plate allows her to focus on the short-term goal of reaching first base.

She said she has to face a different pitcher almost every game and become familiar with their arsenal on the fly.

Reisinger said seeing multiple pitches from a new pitcher helps her settle down and focus on the pitches she can hit instead of ones designed to fool her. She said this can also help her teammates because they’re able to see a larger sample size than just the warm-up pitches. She said repetition is important to her and the team’s success.

“I really like working in the cage to get a feel for my swing,” Reisinger said.

Softball Head Coach Erin Brown has watched Reisinger since she was a freshman at Troy Buchanan High School in Troy, Missouri. Brown said everything about Reisinger in those days impressed her. Convincing her to attend Truman was easier when she knew about Reisinger’s interest in agriculture, and Brown introduced Truman’s agriculture business program to Reisinger.

Now that Reisinger is in the middle of her second season as a Bulldog — and receiving the most at-bats in the order — Brown said the team is benefitting from her skillset. She said Reisinger is a total package in the sense that she is able to bunt for hits, swing away to drive balls in the gaps and run well on the basepaths.

She said all these facets add up to a talented leadoff hitter.

“It sets the tone for your team, so having a strong leadoff hitter is important,” Brown said.

Brown said Reisinger keeps the defense on its toes because it is difficult to determine what Reisinger is going to do to reach

base. She said the defense’s unease doesn’t cease when she does reach base because Reisinger is then focused on her long-term goal of coming around to score. Brown said Reisinger is adept at stealing bases because she leads the team and GLVC in that category with 25, but it is just as dangerous when running from first to third, pressuring the defense to make mistakes.

Brown said teams might eventually realize Reisinger is too much to handle at the plate and opt to intentionally walk or pitch around her. She said it’s beneficial for the following hitters to be in the zone to turn a decision like this into Bulldog runs.

Priest a threat at the plate

Priest said he initially wasn’t going to attend Truman after verbally committing to play at Illinois State University during his sophomore campaign at Illinois Central College. He said the reputable academics, along with the baseball program’s recent success at the Division II College World Series, made the final decision simple.

Priest said he was primarily a catcher when Truman recruited him, but there were plans to move him to third base. He said he played quite a few games at third when he was in high school but only a couple innings in college. Nevertheless, he said the transition didn’t bother him too much because he was used to balls coming at him quickly as catcher.

Priest said he has always been strong, and it has kept him in the middle of lineups for the entirety of his career. He said having years worth of opportunities cer-

Jackson finds personal growth in journey to professional basketball abroad

BY SETH JACKSON Guest Columnist Small town Kirksville, Missouri, was an important place to me the entire five to six years I was there, and even though I’ve gotten the chance to travel the world a little bit, you’d be surprised how much I miss that town.

My time as a Bulldog is full of fond memories of life and basketball, and wearing the purple and white allowed me to develop relationships with people that are like family to me now. I’m writing you all as a second-year professional basketball player, currently playing in Shkoder, Albania, for the Vllaznia

Shkodra professional basketball team. This is my second year signing with a club in Eastern Europe — last year I was with BC Balkan in Botevgrad, Bulgaria — and if any of you are familiar with the culture and lifestyle in the Balkans, then you know it’s like living in two totally different worlds.

Even a game like basketball, with a common set of rules and regulations, is played and taught differently depending on what region of the world you are from. The difference in style of play and competition between these last two years has been like night and day.

See JACKSON, page 9

ATHLETE

.583 last week to lead the ‘Dogs against GLVC opponent Missouri University of Science and Technology. Van Nostrand drove in 11 runs for the Bulldogs in their four-game sweep, including a two-run home run and a grand slam.

tmn.truman.edu

“One guy can’t have success without the guy before him or the guy after him,” Davis said.

Jackson makes his way to the court wearing a Vllaznia Shkodra jersey. Jackson dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player while he was at Truman and saw his dream come true for a second time in a new contract with the Albanian club.

Senior catcher Lex Van Nostrand hit a monumental

ISSUE 22

Baseball Head Coach Dan Davis said there was no doubt in his mind that Priest could be a run producer. Davis said he kept Priest in the fourth spot every day last season because he believed in his ability.

He said he eventually moved Priest down in the order, but he hasn’t moved him out of the fifth spot at all this season.

Davis said Priest is laying off breaking balls and looks more relaxed at the plate.

He said it’s important to treat every at-bat as the same and the batter should try to pick out a pitch he can handle.

While Priest provides great value as a run producer, Davis said he also has value in the clubhouse as a leader and teammate people can rally around. He said Priest has done an excellent job at third base since they moved him there.

Priest’s contributions notwithstanding, Davis said he still thinks the players around Priest put the senior and the team in a good position to succeed.

Photo submitted by Seth Jackson

Lex Van Nostrand

VOLUME 108

tainly helped him become familiar with hitting with runners on base. Last year, former Bulldog catcher Joey Gardner helped him develop a consistent mindset and mantra when digging into the box in those situations.

“I’m the man for the job, and there’s nobody better in this situation than I am,” Priest said.

Priest said he takes a certain level of cockiness — but not arrogance — up with him to the plate. He said this instills confidence in him and stresses he needs to be selectively aggressive.

“It’s always credit to the guys in front of you,” Priest said.

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