The Index Vol. 112 Issue 4

Truman State University tmn.truman.edu THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

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SPRING SCHEDULE responds UNDER REVIEW to COVID Rec Center

GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Staff Writer

The Truman State University Executive Leadership Team will be making a decision during the coming weeks about the spring semester calendar. The main factors being considered for the decision are Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and student and faculty feedback.

A survey was sent out to students, faculty and staff asking them to rank four options. The first option was a typical spring semester with breaks, including spring break. The second option would eliminate spring break, but would start a week later. With the third and fourth options, the semester would start at the same time, but instead of spring break there would be smaller breaks divided throughout the semester, each option having different days off.

Janna Stoskopf, vice president of student affairs, said the data from the survey had not been fully analyzed as of Oct. 16, but there appeared to be differences between the preferences of the faculty and students.

“A lot of the decisions that we make about how to handle things like COVID and decisions about the semester are really done with a lot of intentionality, keeping in mind what the CDC is saying, keeping in mind what other universities are looking at doing and really trying to find what is the right place for us to be and what is in the best interests of our students, which may or may not be the same as what other campuses are doing,” Stoskopf said.

Janet Gooch, vice president for academic affairs and provost, said she hopes a decision will be made soon so students can plan accordingly. She said the decision will most likely be made

within a week or two.

Gooch said the Executive Leadership Team is trying to anticipate and plan for the spring semester without knowing what the COVID-19 situation will be.

However, she said she thinks the situation will be similar to what it has been in the fall semester.

Gooch said it is important that the

spring calendar promotes not only what’s in the best interest of Truman students, but also what’s in the best interest of the world. She mentioned that it was around spring break last year when the pandemic heightened, so students returning from traveling and gathering back on campus was a major concern.

See SPRING page 3

GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Staff Writer There have been several changes in staffing and programming at the Student Recreation Center.

These changes come in addition to the safety measures the Rec Center has been taking since the beginning of the semester. Instead of high-risk intramurals like football and soccer, there will be pickleball, badminton and tennis. Steps are being taken to eliminate shared equipment and to sanitize any equipment that is used. Inside the Recreation Center patrons must wear masks and maintain six feet of social distance.

Staff members clean every half-hour and patrons who use equipment such as ellipticals, treadmills and mats must sanitize them before and after use.

See REC Center page 3

Sophomore Allison Ligschlaeger studies at the Pickler Memorial Library. A survey was sent to the Truman community to see what spring schedule they preferred. Photo by Bidan Yang

Senior Deacon Owens lifts at the Student Rec Center. Students are now required to wear masks at all times.

Photo by Rachel Becker

Fraternities do fall rush online BRITTANY MORROW Staff Writer Truman State University Greek life conducted rushing virtually this year in response to COVID-19.

Previously, Greek fraternity rushing has involved week-long, in-person events, but this year that has changed to five days of virtual meetings.

“Instead of starting off with an in-person assembly and then individual events from each chapter throughout the week, it was instead virtual for the assembly and virtual every day for the

chapters,” Interfraternity Council President Dalton Kaeshoefer said.

Laura Bates, director of the Student Union and campus activities, said the Interfraternity Council originally planned on in-person events with limitations, but as the date came closer for recruitment, it decided on an entirely virtual recruitment.

While the recruitment numbers this year have gone down compared to last year’s numbers, this change was not necessarily affected by the pandemic, Kaeshoefer said.

See GREEK page 3

Local movie theater reopens amid pandemic ANAKIN BUSH Staff Writer Kirksville’s Downtown Cinema 8 movie theater has reopened with limited hours and is now offering retro showings of movies.

Downtown Cinema 8 reduced its hours of operation to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It was previously open throughout the week, but the low amount of customers and lack of new films releasing prompted the reduction of hours. Due to the lack of new movies, the theater is offering retro showings.

Downtown Cinema 8 is currently showing “The Goonies,” “Hocus Pocus” and “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” as their retro movies.

The theater has put COVID-19 precautions in place to allow for reopening.

Movie-goers are told to separate from other groups by at least two seats if in the same row, while leaving an empty row between groups. With these recommendations, only about 33% of the theater is usable. Social distancing and masks are

VOLUME 112 ISSUE 4 © 2020

being recommended by Downtown Cinema 8, but are not required.

After each show, the employees have additional cleaning. Employees write down where people are sitting in the theater and clean around those areas after the film. An overnight cleaning crew cleans the entire theater at night after closing.

Jim Fitzpatrick, manager of Downtown Cinema 8, said COVID-19 has had negative impacts on the film industry overall. With the lack of new films coming out, trying to do retro showings is an attempt to bring in profits.

Fitzpatrick said they got lucky with being able to show “Hocus Pocus” near Halloween.

The movie did well during the first weekend, but slowed down the following weekends.

New release movies, such as “Tenet,” have been underperforming as well.

Fitzpatrick said the film did poorly nationwide, and there is not much Downtown Cinema 8 can do to combat that.

“We can’t do much about it ourselves,” Fitzpatrick said. “We are at the liberty of what film companies will do.”

New movies are not being released regularly, with many blockbusters, such as “Wonder Woman 1984,” being

pushed back. Many theaters across the country remain closed, with some even going out of business.

Downtown Cinema 8 has taken COVID-19 precautions, like recommending masks and only filling to 33% capacity. However, few new movies are coming to the screen. Photo from TMN Archives

The Index

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

Homecoming from home Alumni, students celebrate the annual tradition partially online

Right: Sophomores Emily Smith and Maggie Heart converse at the Homecoming Activities table in the Student Union Building. At this table students could buy Homecoming apparel or donate to philanthropy projects. Photos by Bidan Yang.

Above: Smith gives apparel to freshmen Amanda Maasen and Libbi Kletz. Social distanced events to celebrate Homecoming included a scavenger hunt, a car parade and food drives.

A balloon sculpture of Spike sits in the SUB. The sculpture was bought by the Student Activities Board for photo ops. A virtual 5K was also held during Homecoming week, followed by a livestreamed pep rally at Stokes Stadium.

staff Editor-in-Chief: Ryan Pivoney Managing Editor: Elisabeth Shirk News Editor: Rachel Becker Features, Opinions Editor: Erica Lindsay Copy Chief: Julie Thomassen Digital Director: Francesca Valente Assistant Digital Director: Maddie Harris Designer: Norah Grojean Podcast Editor: Trevor Grandin Photographers: Emily Collins, Bidan Yang

Serving the University community since 1909 Copy Editors: Olivia Sloan, Gillian Burks, Jessica Robinson, Sami Harris, Dusty Davis, Lacy Gorenflo, Brooke Barnes, Leighya McNeely, Lauren Leetch, Finn Banning Sta Writers: Chase Potter, Allison Maschho, Anakin Bush, Brittany Morrow, Savannah Kluesner, Ari Klokic, Genevieve Tlustos, Abigail Prince, Jack Ratliff, Taylor Herndon, Kennedy Cooper, Joey Dougherty, Jenna Manzelli Adviser: Don Krause

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

The Index

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SPRING| Administration polls Truman on spring schedule Continued from page 1 The potential risks of students traveling or leaving campus in general is another factor in deciding the spring semester calendar. However, she said she also understands the difficulties of a semester without breaks.

“This semester we’ve heard frequently from faculty and students that it’s been hard to go without breaks, and so certainly that’s a consideration,” Gooch said. “That’s why three of the options did have breaks.”

Stoskopf said she also recognized the difficulty of a semester without breaks.

The way the University condensed the fall semester, along with the stress of not having any breaks, has really impacted students, Stoskopf said.

“I think from a student perspective the closer we can be to normal the bet-

ter, and I think that’s probably true in travel as excessively as a nine day general,” Stoskopf said. “I don’t know break would. if that’s where we’ll land or not, and In making a decision, Stoskopf said it’s the same the Executive dilemma really Leadership Team “I think from a student per- is evaluating the that we had with establishing the pros and cons of a fall semester spective the closer we can semester without schedule.” keeping be to normal the better, and I breaks, Gooch said in mind how the while she knows think that’s probably true in fall semester has the lack of gone. She said breaks or many general.” some of the beneother measures fits of a semester will not comwithout breaks Janna Stoskopf are that students pletely prevent vice president for student affairs are less likely to students from traveling, the travel extensivemessage the ly and a longer spring calendar sends is important. break between semesters, which could She pointed out that weekend breaks allow them to limit activity before redon’t allow students enough time to turning to campus.

The downsides are that students are more stressed, and professors could feel like they are having to teach the same amount of content in less time, even though the number of days of school remain the same as in past semesters. Stoskopf said ultimately there will be people who are unhappy with the decision.

“I hope that when the decision is made, that students, faculty and staff just keep in mind that we’re not interested in angering students or interested in losing students because we made a schedule change that they didn’t like,” Stoskopf said. “We are interested in making sure we can provide a quality education in an environment that safeguards their wellbeing, and that relies on all of us to do our part.”

GREEK| Greek life rush events include pandemic precautions Continued from page 1 “About 20% of the incoming class is about how many we see go through recruitment and we actually still saw close to that number. We had about 60 guys sign up for recruitment, which is pretty close to 20% of the amount of freshman boys that are here this year,” Kaeshoefer said.

Bates said precautionary rules were given by the Interfraternity Council, Truman and the individual inter/national organizations.

Even after rushing , there are still certain regulations the fraternities have to follow.

“There’s going to be a restriction on in-person events, and because of that, there will be an increase in virtual things,” Kaeshoefer said. “Meetings for a lot of chapters are being held alternatively than in the past, whether it be in-person, on campus, in socially distanced rooms or just people doing Zoom meetings for their chapter meetings.”

The fraternities have had no issues following the rules set, Kaeshoefer said.

“It was definitely a really good community effort from all of the fraternities to not have an issue with this and not go against these rules, the Interfraternity Council put out these guidelines for how it needed to be done virtually and the rules for virtual recruitment, and how it should be conducted and the chapters got with it.

They didn’t fight it or anything.” The fraternities had a smooth transition to virtual events, and ran into very few problems with the process, Kaeshoefer added.

Fraternities were asked to social distance during rush events, which ended up mainly online. Even after rush, fraternities were asked to follow IFC gidelines.

Submitted photo

REC Center| Student Recreation Center takes on new regulations amid changing recomendations from CDC Continued from page 1 The Recreation Center has also undergone some changes in staffing this year, as the previous director of campus recreation retired in June. The search process has been underway since July, and if all goes as planned, a new director will be selected

by Jan. 1, 2021.

Janna Stoskopf, vice president for student affairs, is serving as the interim campus recreation director. She said because of COVID-19 and other changes, the search for a new director started later than planned.

There are two students who are a part of the search committee and there will also be an open forum time that students will be able to attend. Candidates will be reviewed by the search committee and an ultimate decision will be made by Stoskopf with the approval of President Sue Thomas.

Stoskopf said there has been a strong pool of candidates, and there is now only a handful of candidates left who will go through the next stages of the process.

There was also a rule change at the Recreation Center in addition to staffing changes. Originally, masks were not required during high intensity workouts, but otherwise required in the Recreation Center. This rule was changed about a week into the academic year, a change Stoskopf said was unpopular, but necessary.

“With the campus-wide policy about masks indoors, there was some concern initially as people are engaged in high-intensity activity, how does the mask affect a person’s ability to breathe easily,” Stoskopf said. “We started with a more lenient [policy], if you’re engaged in high intensity activity, then you didn’t necessarily have to have the mask on, but as soon as the activity stopped, you had to have the mask on. What we observed during the time that we had that in place, is that people were taking advantage of that and not putting the mask on when they were done.”

For those who feel uncomfortable doing high-intensity activity with a mask, Stoskopf recommends mask brackets, which consist of a plastic framework that

Amid other changes this semester, the Student Recreation Center has begun the search for a new director of campus recreation. Janna Stoskopf, vice president for student affairs, said the search began later than planned due to COVID-19. Photo from TMN Archives

goes underneath the mask. Mask brackets allow for more room between the mask and the mouth, allowing the wearer to breathe in without the mask sticking to the mouth. However, Stoskopf does not recommend masks with filters, because filters break up any exhaled droplets and allow them to pass through the mask. She also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends those who have trouble doing high-intensity workouts with a mask go to a location with better ventilation, a location outside away from other people or to choose an activity that requires less intensity.

Eric Vaughn, director of intramural and recreational sports, said the Recreation Center is important to students this year not only as a way to stay healthy and release endorphins, but also as a way to release stress and be with other people.

Stoskopf said the Recreation Center is providing avenues for students to be mindful and address not only physical wellbeing but also the role that nutrition, sleep and financial health fit in to reducing stress and being healthy.

“I think they [the students] certainly need outlets to engage in wellness types of activities,” Stoskopf said. “The Rec Center certainly has the physical component of that. There’s also things on the wellness side that are connected to the Rec Center website that expand to mindfulness and taking time for reflection and being very intentional and conscious about wellbeing and one’s lifestyle. I want us to get into a more broad scope of wellness and I think we’re moving in that direction with some conversations we’ve had recently. I think we’re going to see the development of more of a multi-disciplinary wellness route.”

Stoskopf said the Recreation Center staff is open to suggestions. Students can communicate ideas through the suggestion boxes in the Recreation Center, or they can email recadmin@truman.edu.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

Student well-being should come first Truman State University’s decision to resume in-person operations this semester has been met with a variety of sentiments among students and staff. Some think it was necessary to regain a sense of interaction, while others argue the risk exceeds potential reward — and many lie somewhere in between. Nevertheless, administrators ultimately deemed on-site instruction to be worth uncertain possibilities. Despite our institution’s determination to proceed with current plans, the debate still remains: Should we have transitioned to an online format by now?

Reported active cases have fluctuated on campus, but within surrounding areas, those numbers are witnessing an alarming increase. Just last week, Adair County reached an all-time high of 17 infected individuals in one day, over 500 total cases and over 1,600 contact traces since March.

Truman stated its commitment to “making it happen” in its fall 2020 plan, listing numerous COVID-19 resources for members of the University, but neglected stating a case limit specifying when an outbreak would warrant remote work. As cases keep rising without definitive adjustment plans from the University, students and staff are left to wonder what it is that should be happening.

These challenges aren’t unique to our school. Amid a global pandemic, colleges and universities worldwide have faced immense dilemmas in devising and adapting educational settings to meet safety standards this fall. What makes this a distinct struggle for Truman, however, is the surrounding circumstances.

COVID-19 appeared during a time of relative desperation for the University: following multiple national news scandals in 2019, multiple years of enrollment decreases and a looming budget crisis, Truman was eager to draw prospective students through strategic means. The aim to provide a more differentiated image was made clear with new dorm offerings, reduced student restrictions and the unveiling of new promotional material only two weeks before shutting down for the semester.

As many higher education entities across the country revealed their intentions to continue remote learning through the fall, perhaps another distinguishing opportunity presented itself.

Although other factors were likely considered, the growing incentive to restore funding and build student interest prompts many to wonder whether this gamble was implemented by design.

We, The Index Editorial Board, understand that there are several considerations contributing to decisions on course structure, but believe the most important motivation should be student well-being. With the illness now infiltrating several realms of college life, students and staff are placed in a tough position to choose between maintaining academic achievement or their health.

Most goals have evolved in some way over the past seven months. Sacrifices must constantly be made in order to preserve the lives of ourselves as well as those around us. The situation has changed our definitions of success as individuals — but what about institutions?

As priorities reluctantly change for all affected, a university should be no exception.

A lower case total in comparison to other major universities is frequently cited as a testament to the school’s triumph, and administrators have regularly applauded the safety efforts of students and staff to make this happen. It is necessary to acknowledge, however, that any number of cases is too many if they could have been avoided.

Truman’s mission to provide mask-to-mask learning opportunities is a respectable objective, but should not be its end game. The idea of success as an academic establishment needs to revolve not around a quantitative measure of cases or days spent on campus, but rather the more qualitative aspect of overall health. Yes, learning is important and so is engagement — but neither of those are fully possible with a heightened risk of illness.

Numbers might provide a general understanding of the situation, but there are faces behind those figures. How many are worth the pursuits of an entity? Minimizing in-person demands during this time is not a failure, but willingly placing individuals at danger for sake of image or pride reveals both weakness and naivety. Going forward, we hope the University recognizes the gravity of their choices and subsequent broader impacts.

Don’t feed campus squirrels JACK RATLIFF Staff Writer The squirrels on campus here at Truman State University are widely beloved. They provide an endless source of entertainment and happiness to all who come into contact with them. Seeing squirrels dart across the sidewalks right in front of me, or watching them stop eating to eye me inquisitively, never fails to make me smile. I am not the only one to share this love of our Truman squirrels, as I see countless people admire them daily.

As much as I love interacting with the squirrels, I have concluded in the recent weeks that we must stop feeding them. I know that this opinion is highly unpopular, but for the sake of Truman’s students, as well as the squirrels themselves, we must stop feeding the squirrels.

Last year, there were several instances where I saw half-eaten Chickfil-A fries or nuggets in the grass, likely fed to the squirrels by a wellmeaning student. Unfortunately, Chick-fil-A is not part of a squirrel’s natural diet, and it is unlikely that they will enjoy it as much as humans do. Their bodies cannot process human food, and as such, feeding them our food could make them sick. I’m sure the student that fed the squirrels meant no harm, but it is still important to care for the health of our squirrels. If you do decide to feed the squirrels, please feed them healthy foods like acorns, pecans or some fruit.

“The benefit of eating fruit for squirrels is that it gives them a major sugar-boost and provides lots of energy to keep scrambling around,” Whatdosquirrelseat.org explains.

So, next time you want to feed the squirrels, pack a healthy snack for the both of you to enjoy!

Students should also avoid feeding the squirrels at Truman because squirrels are wild animals that can bite. Since squirrels have eyes on the sides of their heads, they can’t see right in front of their nose. Anyone who has tried to feed a squirrel has likely seen this in action, as they will not see food right in front of them. As a result, squirrels can often accidentally bite people who try to feed them, mistaking a finger for food.

While squirrels rarely bite humans, it is still important to be careful when interacting with them. However friendly and domesticated they might seem, we should always remember that they are wild animals who will bite if they feel threatened or cornered. If a squirrel bites you, it is important to wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water, and if the bite is severe enough, go to the nearest emergency room. If you get bitten by a squirrel and have not had a tetanus shot in the last 10 years, you should get one. If the squirrel appeared to be sick, it would be wise to get a rabies vaccine as well.

The Truman State University squirrels are incredible creatures and deserve every bit of the love and admiration they receive. However, it is important to give them the same respect they give us, and be careful when interacting with them. It would be better for students to avoid feeding the squirrels, but if you do, here are a few quick tips: • Always place the food in your palm with your hand flat to avoid getting inadvertently bitten.

• Feed the squirrels healthy, natural foods instead of human food.

• Enjoy your time around the squirrels!

They are wonderful residents of Truman’s campus and we need to make sure that they enjoy our presence as much as we enjoy theirs.

Letter to the Editor| Everyone should participate in the composing process Every year, American households waste more than 294 million tons of organic matter. Most of us pitch this matter into the trash, where it goes to a landfill, sealed in a plastic bag, where it decomposes. When this matter decomposes poisonous gases are created. In short, we turn our kitchen scraps into poisons!

Composting is a great way to solve that problem! Compost is a mixture of various decaying organic substances used for fertilizing soil. There are many different items that are compostable. Some compostable items are vegetable peelings, fruit waste, teabags, plant prunings, grass cuttings, dead leaves, paper and dryer sheets. Almost all food waste is compostable. Composting is an important process that helps us eliminate food waste. This is not the only benefit either! Benefits include improved soil structure as well as providing a balanced source of nutrients to the plants we grow. These plants eventually grow and end up on our plates!

So you may be asking yourself, how does composting work? Once our food scraps collect in a composting bin, the organic material is transformed into compost through microorganisms, enzymes and fungi. To keep it simple, these

organisms help organic material decompose into what we know as compost.

The optimal environment is key for a fast composting process. Optimal conditions include having a proper balance of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and water.

You may not realize it, but composting is almost everywhere you look! At Truman State University, you can find composting bins behind Centennial and Ryle halls. In our dining halls, everything that is sent back as food waste is composted. After all of the waste has properly composted, it is taken to the Communiversity garden or the University Farm. The farm then uses the food that our compost helped grow and sends it back into our dining halls.

Overall, composting is a key part of managing food waste within the environment. Not only does composting help us remove waste, but it also helps in the growth of new plants. Be sure that you are doing your part in helping to save the environment. After all, composting is a great way to do so!

SUBMITTED BY: Dominic Schrader and Hayden Shay

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5

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

Students urged to vote in Nov. election KENNEDY COOPER Staff Writer

Phi Beta Sigma and Student Government have been working to host voter registration drives for Truman State University students.

These voter registration drives have been taking place every Tuesday outside the Student Union Building, starting Aug. 25. Each drive has had virtual options available, like a QR code linked to the website.

“We’ve had about 15 [new voters] registered every time, but that might be a low estimate because some people take the papers and leave,” Daniel Terry, president of the Mu Tau Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc, said.

At these voter registration drives students were able to register to vote, request an absentee ballot and update their voter registration.

When election day comes on Nov. 3, students who live on-campus and are registered to vote in Kirksville will be eligible to vote in the SUB from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Students who live off campus and are registered to vote in Kirksville will need to vote at their assigned polling place, which can be found by calling the County Clerk’s office.

“We always encourage you to give us a call if you have any questions,” Adair County Clerk Sandy Collop said.

Students who are registered in their hometown may contact their local election authority to request an absentee ballot.

The last day to register to vote in the November election was Oct. 7.

When voting in person, students need to bring some form of identification, such as a driver’s license, voter registration or student ID. Collop said the County Clerk’s office has made a significant effort to make voting safe.

“We have purchased sneeze guards and we have masks for our poll workers,” Collop said. “We have hand sanitizer, and we have styluses that they sign the polls with, and we have to sanitize those markers that they mark the ballots with, so those are cleaned constantly throughout the day so everybody has a fresh stylus and a fresh pen to work with when they’re voting.”

Students who live on campus can vote in the Student Union Building on Nov. 3.

Off-campus students must vote at their polling place designated by their address.

Photo from TMN Archive

OAF reccomends to defund Collegiate Readership Program TREVOR GRANDIN Contributing Writer During the 2019-20 school year, the student body voted on a resolution to defund the Collegiate Readership Program and halt the delivery of national newspapers to Truman State University’s campus.

The CRP has had a long battle with the Organization Activities Fee review committee and Student Government that started in 2013. The OAF review committee is a Student Government-appointed group that recommends changes to the funding of certain programs and organizations. During the 2013-14 academic year, the committee decreased the fee allotted to the CRP from the Student Activities Fee, citing a surplus of money saved as the reason.

The budget was slashed again during the 2016-17 meeting of the OAF. The fee allotted to the CRP was decreased from $3.75 to $1.50. Again, the reason for the decrease was a surplus of money. The committee intended to run off the surplus until the next OAF review could reevaluate the CRP. By the time these decreases in fee allotment were in place and the 2019-20 OAF review committee met for discussion, the CRP was running a deficit and was in danger of exhausting its funds by fall 2020.

Student Government President Katie Alexander explained that with the current funding that the CRP was receiving, there would only be about a month’s worth of newspapers delivered for the fall 2020 semester.

“So with the $1.50 that students would have been spending on [the CRP] this year, we would have had about a month of printed newspapers,” Alexander said. “We decided to recommend seizing the funding of the program because if we asked students to fund it, there would be almost no service for them for the year, so that would be a waste of their money.”

This scenario is based upon the idea that the CRP would’ve continued to receive the unsustainable $1.50 it had been allotted.

Adam Barker, Student Government representative for the 2019-20 OAF review committee, said lack of funding was not the only reason for the CRP’s recommendation for termination.

A survey was emailed to all students during the spring 2020 semester that included questions asking about their familiarity with the CRP. Barker said the important part of the survey was the question of whether or not students would be more likely to utilize an online news service rather than a physical one, with 78.3% responding yes.

When asked their opinion about the statement, “I feel that it is important to continue the Collegiate Readership Program,” more students agree than disagree. Twenty-eight percent of students said that they somewhat or strongly disagreed and forty-two percent said that they somewhat or strongly agreed, leaving out the twenty-nine percent that had no opinion.

It’s important to understand that the Student Government passed a resolution during the 2018-19 school year, Barker explained, recommending the movement from physical newspapers to an online news source.

In spring 2020, students voted on the defunding of the

The Organization Activities Fee Review Committee recommended to cut the CRP from the activities fee. Student Government said it will look into an online option. Photo by Rachel Becker CRP. Two hundred and eighty-six people voted for this measure in total, a little over 5% of the student population, with 197 votes in favor of the defunding and 89 votes against.

Assuming all of the 2019-20 Student Government members, with a population of around 30, voted within this election while following their own recommendations for defunding, 10% of the vote was already locked in support of defunding.

Although the ballot measure to defund the CRP was added, there was no measure to enact any kind of online alternative. According to the OAF resolution recommending the defunding, there was not enough time to “adequately gauge student interest and opinion regarding an online-based subscription.”

Gavin Arnold, the student-at-large for the 2019-20 OAF review committee, said there was a lot more to be evaluated about the online CRP alternative than what the OAF committee was able to accomplish.

“We just wanted to give more time for a proper evaluation to occur — to see how many students would use an online program and what that would cost,” Arnold said.

Based on research done by the 2019-20 OAF committee, the amount needed for both undergraduate and graduate students to receive an online subscription to the New York Times would cost $15,114.40/year or $2.67/student.

The implementation of an online news source is not completely new to Truman’s campus. In 2015 “The Buzz,” an app that combined the news of USA Today and The Index, was introduced and quickly scrapped the next year due to lack of interest and awareness.

After “The Buzz” was shut down, the 2017 OAF committee recognized the time and resources that were put into the app by TMN yet declined to allot the funds from “The Buzz” to the organization, citing that the fee is “not to supplement a lack of funding in the Communication Department.”

Changes have been made to the OAF review counsel starting this year and a review will now happen every year instead of every 3 years. Barker said this allows the committee to spend more time and attention on individual programs. “[This year] it’s going to be talking more about the project-based fees that go towards different projects and policies on Truman’s campus,” Barker said. “We’re not focusing on the organizations this year which I think is going to help.”

Barker said if anyone has any opinions on the CRP or Student Government matters in general, they should contact a Student Government representative.

“We are more than willing to listen and talk with you to make your voice heard,” Barker said.

6

The Index

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

Kirksville already going to the polls RYAN PIVONEY AND ELISABETH SHIRK Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor As Nov. 3 approaches, the Adair County Clerk’s Office is expecting a high voter turnout with voters preparing to cast inperson, absentee and mail-in ballots.

As of Oct. 20, 1,378 people have voted early at the Adair County Annex Building, 866 absentee ballots have been sent out via mail, and 85 mail-in ballots have been requested and sent out.

Adair County Clerk Sandy Collop said the County Clerk’s Office has been extremely busy this election cycle. She said her office has already received 696 of the mailed absentee ballots and 42 of the mail-in ballots back.

“Right now we’re just about where we were four years ago, but our numbers are growing everyday,” Collop said.

Collop said the County Clerk’s Office has been tracking requests for mailin and absentee ballots, sending them out, then logging them back in whenever they are mailed back. Those ballots will be counted first on election day.

“I think we’re going to have excep-

tional turnout,” Collop said. “I’m guessing it’s going to be one of the biggest I’ve ever seen since I’ve been in office.”

Collop said she fully expects to have all ballots counted and results released the night of Nov. 3 despite the likely higher turnout.

Collop explained the increase in turnout might be a result of people paying more attention to news media and current events. She said Adair County has many newly registered voters ready to participate in this election.

“Last week we had two people who were 80 that came in and registered to vote — and they’ve never been registered in their life, but now they have decided that it’s time that they start participating in the voting process,” Collop said.

Collop said many younger voters have registered for the first time this election as well.

Freshman Henry Young cast his first vote this election and chose the absentee ballot to vote in St. Charles County, where he’s from. Young said the absentee process was fairly easy but could be confusing and lengthy.

“I could see how some people would be almost discouraged from voting just

The Annex Building is set up like a usual polling location and equipped with the same COVID-19 precautions voters can expect to see on election day. Voting is on Nov. 3 untill 7p.m. Photo from TMN Archive

because of how long the process is, but it’s important,” Young said.

Young explained he made voting a top priority this year and, even if he was still living in his hometown, he probably would have requested an absentee ballot because of the pandemic.

To get registered and request his ballot, Young said he started by Googling “How do I vote?” This search led him to vote.com where he filled out some personal information. Then the site mailed him registration papers, which he filled out and sent to the elections office in St. Charles County. When the office was able to send out ballots, Young said he received his right away.

The voting process wasn’t all smooth sailing though. Young said he initially forgot to have his ballot notorized.

“I passed the instruction of having somebody sign for you, so I had gone to turn in the absentee ballot,” Young said.

“Three days later in the mail, there was the absentee ballot back with a sticky note on it saying, ‘You have to get this notarized.’”

Young was able to correct this error and successfully cast his ballot. He said his motivation to vote has been everpresent, but the option of absentee and mail-in have made him more confident in his decision to participate in the process.

In Adair Country, Collop said the use of the Annex Building for early absen-

tee voting is new this year. Previously, absentee voting was conducted at the Courthouse in the County Clerk’s Office, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, there isn’t enough space in the office to conduct the process as usual.

The Annex Building is set up like a usual polling location and equipped with the same COVID-19 precautions voters can expect to see on election day. Nov. 3, in person voters can expect a fresh stylus to sign in and a new pen to mark the ballot. Plexiglass panels were also installed between poll workers and voters.

Collop said the funding for these COVID-19 precautions came from the Missouri Secretary of State’s office in the form of a grant provided to every county in the state. The amount each county received was based on the number of residents that voted in the 2016 election, so Adair County received around $22,000.

Collop said the entirety of this grant has been used to purchase new equipment, hire more workers and provide COVID-19 precautions at polling locations.

Collop said any additional costs will be covered by the County but hopes that it will be reimbursed by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. All polling locations close at 7 p.m.

Nov. 3. Voters in line at a polling location at 7 p.m. will still be permitted to vote.

BOOlife

F

AL L into DIY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

7

Spice up the season with these quick, simple decor projects SAVANNAH KLUESNER Staff Writer

W

hile fall DIY projects are fun every year, this year it seems especially enticing to find something to do. With that in mind, here are a few simple, budget friendly projects that require little effort, but make perfect fall decorations for any college apartment or dorm room.

Candy corn Jack-o-lanterns

Leaf garland This garland is easy to make and pretty to hang. Although this project takes a bit more time, it’s a decoration that can be left up through Thanksgiving and is a great accent piece for windows or doors.

What you will need: • colored construction paper • tissue paper • glitter/glitter glue • scissors

This incredibly simple project requires very little time commitment and makes a cute Halloween decoration for your desk or countertop.

With just a little bit of candy corn and a mason jar, you can create a friendly Halloween buddy to put alongside your carved pumpkins or other spooky decor.

What you will need: • candy corn • a jar • a permanent marker • ribbon (optional) • scissors (optional)

• yarn

Steps:

• a pencil

1. Fill a jar with candy corn. Make sure that you have poured enough candy corn for the jar to appear full, but not so much as to keep the lid from closing properly.

2. Wrap the ribbon around the top of the jar. The length and color is your personal preference. But, be sure that the ribbon is long enough to curl, but not too long to maneuver.

3. Carefully wrap the ribbon around the blade of a pair of scissors. Slowly pull the blade toward you allowing the ribbon to slip between your finger and the blade.

This will curl the ribbon.

4. Draw a face on your pumpkin using a permanent marker. Silly, scary, or downright cooky — it’s up to you!

• nutpick (optional) • hole punch (optional)

Steps: 1. Draw the shape of a leaf out on construction paper. You can draw by hand, as shown here, or buy a cheap stencil.

2. Cut out the leaf from the paper and trace its shape onto construction paper of the same color.

3. Repeat step 2 for as many leaves as you desire (I did five of each color). Cut out the leaf shapes that you have traced.

4. Draw the shape of a leaf out on construction paper (a different color from the first). You can use the same shape or choose a different shape.

5. Cut out the leaf from the paper and trace its shape onto construction paper of the same color.

6. Repeat step 4 for as many leaves as you desire and cut out the leaf shapes that you have traced.

7. Complete the drawing, tracing and cutting of leaves for as many colors as you would like on different colors of construction paper (I chose three colors for fifteen total leaves).

8. Once you have cut out each of your leaves, trace their shape on tissue paper of the same or a similar color.

9. Cut out each of the leaves that you have traced on the tissue paper.

10. Once you have cut out your leaves, crinkle them up to create texture.

11. Paste the tissue paper leaves onto the corresponding construction paper leaves.

12. Repeat steps 8-11 for as many layers of tissue paper as you want (I did two layers of tissue paper on one side and one layer of tissue paper on the other).

13. Use glitter glue or glitter to create veins in each of your leaves. You can use the same color as the body of the leaf, as I did, or you can choose a different color.

14. Once the glue has dried, create a hole in the top of your leaf (where the stem is). I used a nutpick to create a hole that was large enough to string yarn through, but small enough to prevent the leaves from sliding. You could also use a hole punch or a pencil to puncture the paper.

15. Cut a piece of yarn of desired length. String the yarn through the holes in the leaves and tie knots in each end of the yarn to keep the leaves from slipping off the ends.

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The Index

8

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

FALLIN’ ON A BUDGET| Continue crafting, frugally Steps: 1. Choose a metal hanger with a thin, easily bendable wire.

Start by straightening the tighter curves of the hanger (near the top and at the ends) so the whole wire is easier to twist.

2. Twist the hanger into the shape of a pumpkin.

Place the hanger on a piece of newspaper or scrap paper so you do not get glue on your surface. Create a thin layer of glue around the circumference of the

PUMPKIN ON A HANGER

hanger.

3. Place a sheet of tissue paper over the glue on the hanger. Allow it to dry.

4. When the glue has dried, cut the excess tissue paper from around the hanger.

I used scissors, but you could also use an Exact-O knife.

What you will need:

5. Flip over the hanger. Spread glue over the wire and place a sheet of tissue paper over the glued wire.

• a hanger

6. Allow the glue to dry, then cut away the excess tissue paper.

• tissue paper

on the window and allow the sun to shine through, use only a few sheets. If you

• markers • scissors

7. Repeat steps 7-8 as many times as desired. If you want to hang your pumpkin would prefer a more opaque pumpkin, use more sheets.

8. Once you have finished gluing sheets of tissue paper to your pumpkin, use a marker to draw lines on the pumpkin to create dimensions and color

• liquid glue

in the stem.

• glitter (optional)

10. Sprinkle glitter on these lines and allow to dry.

9. Trace a thin line of glue around the lines that you drew on your pumpkin.

Autumn shows its Tru-colors

Top Left: An eager squirrel bites into an acorn around crisp leaves on The Quad. These curious creatures are abundant across campus this time of year. Photos by Emily Collins

Top Right: The famous Red Barn sits among soon-to-be fall foliage.

Leaves began to change during the second week of October, appearing to transform within mere days.

Bottom Right: Trees display vibrant new colors in wake of the fall season. During their transition these leaves can show various hues, sometimes even multiple per leaf.

Looking for safe seasonal activities?

SAVANNAH KLUESNER Staff Writer & fall fanatic

COVID-19 has definitely changed the way we think about most of our social activities. While we can’t gather in huge crowds or throw giant parties to celebrate the season, there are plenty of sociallydistanced activities to enjoy this fall — just don’t forget your mask!

• Jump into a leaf pile

• Go through a corn maze:

COVID-19 doesn’t stop the falling of the leaves, and it won’t stop you from playing in them! If you enjoyed jumping into piles of leaves as a kid, grab a rake — or use your hands — and make yourself a pile.

You’re never too old to enjoy the simple things in life.

Corn mazes aren’t just for kids! Purposefully becoming lost is a universal appeal.

Urban Gardens; Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze in Kirksville and Jackson Country Connection in La Plata are some local attractions that will stretch your mental muscles as you try to escape.

• Go to an orchard or pumpkin patch

• Enjoy the crisp fall air

One of the best parts of fall is the produce that comes into season as the leaves change color. Take a trip to a local pumpkin patch or orchard! There are several local farms near Kirksville, including Urban Gardens; Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze in Kirksville, Jackson Country Connection in La Plata and West Orchards in Macon.

Sometimes the simplest pleasures are the most satisfying. With autumn weather comes clean, fresh air, so be sure to take advantage by getting out for a walk with a friend, your coziest sweater and your favorite tunes. Taking a break from the bustle of the semester with a peaceful walk is a great way to recharge your mental batteries.

• Roast s’mores

• Throw a pumpkin painting party

Although you can’t have a big bonfire party like in falls past, grab your roommates, your masks and some s’more fixings and head to Thousand Hills State Park to make use of their grills. Warm your fingers, your marshmallows and your spirits around a tiny fire with a small group of friends.

The best part of finding the perfect pumpkin, whether at the local orchard or from the grocery store, is decorating it. Head outside with some friends for a sociallydistanced pumpkin party, or paint and carve over Zoom. However you show off your art skills, be sure to display that pumpkin proudly.

The Index

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

TOP {

by Jack Ratliff, metal maniac extraordinaire

5}

9

Albums for beginner metalheads

5. Metallica’s Black Album The fifth studio album from Metallica was their most commercial up to that date, with songs neatly trimmed to ensure maximum radio airplay.

Straightforward rockers like “Enter Sandman,” “Sad But True” and “Wherever I May Roam” provide the required headbanging content, while slower ballads like “Nothing Else Matters” and “The Unforgiven” balance the album. This album is great because it has something to satisfy the beginner metalhead, as well as the veteran.

Recommended Song: “Sad But True”

4. “Paranoid” - Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are the pioneers of metal, so it is no surprise that they are on this list. This album introduced the world to metal, with its single “Paranoid” reaching No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album opens with the thunderous “War Pigs,” a critique of politicians and top military leaders during the Vietnam War. “Paranoid” also boasts “Iron Man,” a phenomenal song including one of the most iconic riffs in metal history. If you have never listened to metal before, this album is the best place to start.

2. “Rage Against the Machine” - Rage Against the Machine If you enjoy activism and politics, this album is the one for you. Every minute of this album’s 52-minute runtime is spent lashing out at oppressive political systems. Released in 1992, many of the lyrics are still applicable today. This album should be listened to in its entirety, because the repetition of phrases and lyrics across multiple songs makes it feel less like an album, and more like the soundtrack to a movement. This album is truly exceptional, and its political messages may give you a new perspective.

Recommended Song: “Freedom”

1. “Master of Reality” - Black Sabbath

Recommended Song: “War Pigs”

3. “British Steel” - Judas Priest The fifth studio album from Judas Priest helped usher in a new era of metal, dominating the airwaves and becoming the de facto sound of the 1980s.

Popular tracks like “Breaking the Law,” “United” and “Living After Midnight” gained massive airplay and are still fan favorites today. This album will be very palatable for those who have never listened to metal before. British Steel is one of my personal favorites to blare from my car speakers with the windows rolled down. The music is heavy enough to satisfy metalheads, but has enough of a pop influence to get stuck in your head.

Once again, the impact of Black Sabbath on metal cannot be understated.

This album essentially created metal as we know it today, with Tony Iommi downtuning his guitar to create the heavy sound we associate with metal. This is one of my favorite albums, if not my favorite album of all time. Every aspect of the record is perfect, with Iommi’s down-tuned riffs combining with Geezer Butler’s rich bass to create a deep, thick and sludgy sound. Bill Ward is excellent on the drums and Ozzy Osbourne’s vocals are otherworldly. Master of Reality cemented Black Sabbath as the greatest metal band of all time, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Recommended Song: “Into the Void”

Recommended Song: “Living After Midnight”

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is a Halloween treat unlike any other JOEY DOUGHERTY Staff Writer On Sept. 4, the latest film from Charlie Kaufman arrived on Netflix — an adaptation of Iain Reid’s novel “I’m Thinking of Ending Things.” Kaufman is the acclaimed creator of such classics as “Being John Malkovich” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

Despite being quite favorable among critics and audiences alike, many viewers across the board were put off by the film’s tone and general occurrences, especially in the latter half of its narrative. While I share several of their grievances, I find the film’s editing and cinematography exemplary, and believe Kaufman’s adapted screenplay is worthy of any accolade.

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things” follows a young couple — student physicist Jake and his often daydreaming, unnamed girlfriend — en route to the remote homestead of Jake’s parents. It’s snowing outside as a vaguely threatening blizzard rolls in and the female protagonist, whom I’ll call the young woman, expresses concern for the mounting snowfall, but Jake reassures her that if push comes to shove, he’s got chains in the trunk.

The film’s first 20 minutes or so follow these two in the throes of an often awkward conversation stuffed with acutely meandering dialogue. They jump from topic to topic, rifling through the mundane and profound, sharing laughs and prolonged silences. Intercutting this dialogue is the young woman’s sobering narration, an abundance of voiceover that serves her introvertedness, consistently leading the viewer down dreamy, somber paths before being pulled back to earth by Jake’s fruitless conversation starters. Much of her inner monologue is riddled with self-conflict and self-doubt as she questions her relationship with Jake, their journey to his parents’ farm and, most importantly, her own perceived worth. She opens the

film with the morose statement, “I’m thinking of ending things,” and treats the phrase like a mantra, repeating it a number of times throughout.

Though many viewers may find this extended dialogue a tad boring, I find it both simple in its mechanics and complex in its presentation, a kind of writerly beauty surfacing in that paradox.

At this point in Kaufman’s narrative, I was fully on board. Once the couple arrived at the parents’ farm, however, I grew utterly stunned at how ruthlessly tense the film became.

From the moment the couple gets out of the car, you can tell that something, or rather, several things, are amiss in some way. The barn door is ajar, beyond which lies a shadowy interior, abandoned and decrepit, a shutter swings open despite the lack of a driving wind and Jake’s mother watches her son and the young woman from an upstairs window, waving at them incessantly.

Moving into the house, Jake’s parents treat the couple to dinner. This scene begins the film’s torturous thematic build of emotional tension and general unease. The mother tries desperately to seem welcoming — cracking jokes, poking fun at Jake with hints of past embarrassments and generally composing herself in a very animated way. The father, a man of soft tones and a most peculiar accent, expresses interest in the young woman’s knack for painting, but becomes hopelessly confused at her quite simple explanations of approach and technique.

While these traits are not strictly uncanny in and of themselves, their juxtaposition with some starkly contrasting moments certainly uneases the viewer. The mother’s allusions to Jake’s childhood are met with tableslamming outbursts from Jake and at the drop of a hat, her welcoming gestures are swapped out for ominous sentiments and cold stares. In a more visceral fashion, the young woman’s attempts to explain her art to the tonedeaf father jarringly cuts to a shot of the man’s exposed toenail, ripped off at the cuticle. The protagonist herself cannot escape the weirdness and by dinner’s end has told several contradicting stories of how she and Jake met without realizing it.

To avoid spoilers I cannot delve too deeply into further moments, but the uncanniness on display at dinner can serve as a kind of template for the overall tone of the film’s final two-thirds. Kaufman provides a truly jarring experience because of both his directorial capability and distinctive prowess behind the camera. The way scenes are shot and edited contributes to this sensation, often forcibly cutting from shot to shot. For instance, every time the family dog, Jimmy, is mentioned, he appears in the shot immediately following, before completely vanishing from a scene’s context. “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is filled with many such oddities and the result is a constant intensity that builds moment to moment.

“By the close of its twohour-plus runtime, Charlie Kaufman’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” left me exhausted and genuinely shaken.”

Joey Dougherty, Staff Writer

This design is not without its flaws, however. Despite gorgeous cinematography and masterful dialogue, the film’s numerous strange events build in such a way that they, regardless of their impact, overwhelm the viewer.

What results by the time the credits roll is utter chaos akin only to a descent into madness. Perhaps this mad spiral is by design, as it will easily take another viewing or two before the pieces fall concretely into place.

Filming techniques aside, what works best in “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is the strength of its small cast. Jesse Plemons as Jake is every bit as awkward as the character demands, and Toni Collette as his mother echoes her acting chops from Ari Aster’s 2018 horror hit, “Hereditary.” Most notable, though, is Jessie Buckley, who effortlessly impresses as the young woman, at times witty and charmingly awkward, while at others strong and boldly resolute. Hers is some of the best acting I’ve seen in recent memory and I would be appalled if the Academy turns a blind eye when award season arrives.

By the close of its two-hour-plus runtime, Charlie Kaufman’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” left me exhausted and genuinely shaken. Though certain storytelling decisions begin to collapse by the film’s halfway point — a narrative steeped in layered symbolism offering little relief — there’s no doubt that Kaufman has crafted an unconventional thriller marked with shades of horror.

The intensity introduced upon the characters’ arrival to the farm never lets up, suggestive of a rising temperature that doesn’t quite reach boiling point.

Impeccable actors opposite the impressive script make for tirelessly captivating scenes — though I acknowledge that lengthy dialogues and inner monologues are not everyone’s proverbial cup of tea. In all, I recommend “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” especially for those whose Halloween movie night seeks psychological torture over mindless gorefest.

The Index

10

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

In Perspective Narratives from the campus community

How do you plan on safely celebrating Halloween?

Olivia Richter, freshman

Allison Beaton, freshman

“My roommate and I, and a friend that we spend a lot of time with, are going to dress up as the Powerpuff Girls and sit around and watch some spooky movies in our room. We aren’t going to go anywhere or do much of anything, we are just going to eat a lot of candy. We aren’t going to watch anything too scary, because I am a weenie, like ‘Charlie Brown’ or ‘Coraline.’ My favorite candy is Twix bars, and I am going to be Bubbles!”

“I am hanging out with my volleyball team. We get tested all the time, so we know that we are being safe and smart about it. We are still dressing up of course, and still having a good time together knowing that we are all safe and healthy. We don’t have any set plans yet, but we will probably just hang out at someone’s apartment or house. We will be hanging out as a team because we are basically family.

My favorite candy is Reese’s, and my roommates are maybe dressing up as Sonic workers, with the rollerblades and everything. If that does not work out, we may just be different animals.”

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The Index

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

11

Campus Rec Center offers new intramural and recreational sports GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Staff Writer In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Student Recreation Center has been offering new activities to promote safe recreational and intramural activities.

Traditionally, the Rec Center has offered team sports and activities in which students can participate. This semester, that mission might look different for participants.

Eric Vaughn, director of intramural and recreational sports, said while planning he has been focusing on finding ways to incorporate major sports like basketball or soccer in a smaller setting so people still have a way to exercise. Recreation Center staff have been proposing ideas for different programs than previous years, such as online sports or challenges instead of games. This has meant that more communication and marketing is necessary for the newly introduced sports, along with more collaboration with other offices for ideas to engage the student population.

Vaughn said participation is down this year, partly due to students’ confusion about what sports are currently offered at the Recreation Center and the way they will be conducted. Stoskopf said attendance could also be down because of nicer weather, meaning more students can do outside activities, or Recreation Center occupancy limits and students’ reluctance to congregate in the Recreation Center.

Vaughn said this year there are 158 teams signed up for intramurals and 201 unique participants,

Senior Sarah Early provides a basketball to Corey Linkous, a member of the Student Recreation Center staff, last semester. This semester, the Rec Center is offering a variety of activities but limiting the use of shared equipment, making most team sports unavailable. Photos by Bidan Yang which are people who were only counted once but were on multiple teams. Last fall there were 284 teams and 842 unique participants. However,

Junior Kelly Tobin exercised in the Rec Center last semester. The Rec Center is still in operation this semester and COVID-19 precautions are in place.

Vaughn said this year’s tennis league and virtual running league have been successful. The virtual running league has about 45 participants and there were 700 running submissions in the spring.

Senior Kylie Ostermeyer, intramural program assistant and intramural official at the Rec Center, said the intramural office has added online sports and video games, like Call of Duty and Fantasy Football, this year. Stoskopf said she thinks esports have the potential to bring in a lot of students who otherwise might not be involved in campus recreation.

Ostermeyer said the Recreation Center will still have around the same amount of sports, just different types than in past years. For example, instead of high-risk intramurals like football and soccer, there will be pickleball, badminton and tennis. There will also be more specialized events and more variety of activities. Exercise at the Recreation Center this year has been more individualized, with many people doing their own workouts rather than coming together to play a group sport.

Ostermeyer said she has had no issues enforcing the guidelines. If a person’s mask is not covering their entire mouth and nose, they are usually willing to put it on correctly. Ostermeyer said she thinks people are compliant in following the guidelines because they want to stay on campus.

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12

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

MAKING A COMEBACK

GLVC announces schedules for postponed fall sports RYAN PIVONEY Editor-in-Chief The Great Lakes Valley Conference has released the spring schedules for volleyball, football, and men’s and women’s soccer, while also approving the men’s and women’s basketball schedule this season.

The GLVC postponed most fall sports this semester because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout October, the conference has announced new decisions that permit Truman State University Athletics to compete.

The GLVC approved both men’s and women’s basketball seasons and announced that practice for both teams could start Oct. 15. Under the newly created schedule, each team in the GLVC will play a 22game, conference-only season and be divided into one of three five-team divisions. Truman is in the Central Division with Lindenwood University, Maryville University, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Quincy University.

“After discussing a number of scheduling parameters for the season, we are pleased to be able to proceed with our basketball schedules this year,” GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich said. “As we have done with all of our sports thus far, we will continue to do our due diligence in reviewing the testing guidelines put forth by the NCAA Sport Science Institute, as the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fans remains our top priority.”

Each men’s and women’s basketball team in the GLVC will play 11 home games and 11 away games under the new schedule.

Spectators, however, are still prohibited at GLVC basketball games.

Truman’s volleyball team has also been granted the ability to play and will kick off its season Jan. 29 against Maryville University.

Like basketball, the GLVC split the volleyball teams into three divisions of five teams.

Truman is again in a division with Lindenwood, Maryville, UMSL and Quincy. The Bulldogs will play 18 matches this season, but will only have 13 competition dates, as five consist of three teams meeting for a round-robin.

“The tri-match/pod format within this schedule is unique to the spring season and has allowed us to increase the number of competition opportunities for our student-athletes while also addressing the need to address cost-containment measures for our teams,” Naumovich said. “Although the results from these matches won’t factor into qualifying for the GLVC Volleyball Tournament Championship, they are a nice addition to a truncated season.”

The conference has yet to announce the qualification procedure for the GLVC Tournament, which is scheduled for April 15-17.

Bulldog football is also slated to start its conference-only season this spring, but with a dramatically reduced schedule. The team will play a total of four games, starting with a scrimmage and possibly concluding with a championship weekend.

Truman football will face off in a scrimmage against McKendree University March 27 before battling Southwest Baptist University on April 3 and hosting William Jewell College the next weekend. The ’Dogs will then head to University of Missouri Sci-

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ence & Technology for their final conference game.

“Our guys are excited to potentially be moving in a positive direction from a competitive standpoint,” Head Football Coach Gregg Nesbitt wrote in a statement to The Index. “It has been difficult for our young competitors at the Div. II level as they have watched surrounding states roll out junior high and high school sports/football, along with collegiate football both at the NAIA level and NCAA Div. I level. The good news nationally is it appears no significant outbreaks with respect to COVID have been attributed to [the] sport thus far. Our guys are excited about mentally regaining a small sense of normalcy through competition and the opportunity to participate for a GLVC Championship this spring!”

The GLVC has split the football teams into two divisions: east and west. Truman is in the west division with Missouri S&T, William Jewell and Southwest Baptist. Quincy, McKendree, Indianapolis and Lindenwood make up the east division. The top seeds from each division will face off for the GLVC Championship.

Men’s and women’s soccer will also see play this spring, starting with matches against Missouri S&T Feb. 26. Both teams will play 14 matches — once against every other competitor in the conference — culminating in a conference tournament April 23-25 at Lindenwood. There will not, however, be an NCAA Championship for either team. Qualifying procedures for the conference tournament will be announced later.

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