The Index Vol. 112 Issue 5

UCS struggles with staffing

“Science of Happiness,”

page 7

Truman professor publishes 14th book,

page 9

Bulldog basketball gears up for season, page 12

page 6

Truman State University tmn.truman.edu THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

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COVID-19 CASES SURGE ACROSS ADAIR COUNTY KENNEDY COOPER Staff Writer

Over the past few weeks, COVID-19 cases have sharply increased in Adair County. Meanwhile, at Truman State University, cases have remained fairly steady.

As of Nov. 17, there were 168 active cases of COVID-19 and a total of 1013 confirmed cases in Adair County. In response to this increase, the county has added two more contact tracers and is doing contact tracing all seven days of the week. The health department has completed more than 2,400 contact tracing calls.

Adair County is currently in the red zone, according to the White House Coronavirus Task Force report from Nov. 11. A red zone is an area that has reported COVID-19 test positivity rates of higher than 10%. The state of Missouri is also considered a red zone, with more than 245,000 confirmed cases.

“[This pandemic] is very serious for Adair County,” Jim LeBaron, Adair County Health Department administrator, said.

“Everyone needs to protect and keep eachother safe.”

LeBaron said he encourages everyone to wear masks while in public, wash their hands and follow social distancing guidelines.

Even with the large increase of cases throughout Adair County, the amount of cases on Truman’s campus have not spiked recently. As of Nov. 17, there were 25 students and six faculty and staff members with active cases, and 217 recovered cases.

“We actually peaked like three weeks ago, and we’ve gone back down,” Scott Alberts, Faculty Senate president and member of the COVID-19 working group, said. “While we are concerned about the community, we’ve seen that the measures we’ve taken on campus have worked.”

See COVID-19 page 3

Racist posters prompt StuGov lobbies community response for mask mandate RACHEL BECKER, ANAKIN BUSH News Editor, Staff Writer Two posters were found along East Normal Avenue featuring hateful speech, including a racial slur.

This act initiated several responses including a “there is no place for hate at Truman” campaign on campus, a “you belong here” campaign within the community and a senior capstone project from a Truman State University student.

Justin Jones, deputy chief of the Kirksville Police Department, was alerted to the Truman Department of Public Safety.

Jones said his department was limited in what they could do about the signs because it had little information.

“It is a frustration to me,” Jones said. “I can understand and be empathetic, but the student who took the picture of those signs did not want to talk to police. That hindered us in some way to get a time period.”

Jones said some officers canvassed the area where the signs

were reported to be and talked to residents. However, from what the police know, the signs were not breaking any laws, Jones said.

“Had they been used to harass somebody or if someone came forward and said, ‘Hey these signs were put in my yard,’ then they would have been at least a peace disturbance,” Jones said.

The apartments where the signs were placed were at the corner of Mulanix and Normal streets. Jones said in the past, these apartments were filled with students, however, over time, many Congolese residents have moved into the apartments.

He said this is the first time he can remember bigoted posters targeted specifically at Kirksville’s African American community.

Jones said the posters were deplorable and he wishes racist acts like this did not happen in his own community.

“Overall, I think our community is still made up of goodhearted people who will welcome anyone with open arms,” Jones said. “Unfortunately, there

GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Staff Writer

A “You belong here” sign sits in a Kirksville yard. The initiative began in response to racist signage found along East Normal Avenue. Submitted photo are bigoted people everywhere, and Kirksville is no different than any other community.”

Jones said there was an incident similar to this in March of 2019. Typed up fliers were posted on the edge of downtown at A.T. Still University’s campus.

See POSTERS page 5

The Truman State University Student Government lobbied for a county-wide mask mandate throughout the semester but has shifted its focus to improving COVID-19 precautions in local bars and restaurants.

Kiren MacLeod, chair of the External Affairs Committee, said several members of the Student Government first met with the Kirksville City Council, which told them that passing a mask ordinance was not in their jurisdiction.

Instead, they recommended Student government members meet with the Adair County Health Board. MacLeod said the Health Board told students that passing the mask ordinance was not in their jurisdiction either and recommended the students talk with the Adair County Commissioners.

MacLeod said he decided the students should not meet with the County Commissioners because several different people had told him that the Commissioners had rejected a mask mandate several times. MacLeod said while not many city officials support a mask mandate, they individu-

ally support the idea that people should wear masks.

“All of them were in favor of people wearing masks, but they didn’t think that passing a mask ordinance would be the most effective way to get people to wear masks,” Adam Barker, co-chair of the Health, Wellness, and Safety Committee, said. “They were kind of vague as far as that goes, but as a general rule, they wanted people to wear masks but voluntarily.”

Jim LeBaron, Adair County Health Department administrator, said according to state regulations, the Health Board would have the jurisdiction to pass a mandate, but that the Board was not likely to do so without the support of the Kirksville City Council and County Commissioners.

The Student Government members went to the October Health Board meeting, where a mask mandate did not have enough support to get passed. However, LeBaron said there have been about 400 more cases since then. LeBaron said he would be talking to Adair County government and city leaders this week to discuss their next mitigation strategy.

See STUGOV page 3

DPS seeks to improve community relations GENEVIEVE TLUSTOS Staff Writer In response to growing scrutiny of law enforcement and calls for the Truman State University Department of Public Safety to be defunded, Public Safety Director Sara Seifert started a new group called TruAlliance.

The group was created to facilitate communication between the Truman community and the Department of Public Safety. The group’s creation came after a march and candlelight vigil Sept. 28 protesting the killing of Breonna Taylor.

Both students and staff at Truman are a part of the group, with different offices and student groups being represented, including members of the Truman administration, the Kirksville Police

VOLUME 111 ISSUE 5 © 2020

Department and Student Government. TruAlliance meetings, which started Sept. 9, are held every other week via Zoom.

TruAlliance was created with the intent of “establishing proactive communication with student groups on campus, enhancing meaningful discussion about topics of importance to students, providing transparency about processes and procedures, and establishing avenues for proactive, rather than reactive change.”

Seifert explained that since there are about 7,500 people on campus between staff and students and only 10 law enforcement officers, it is imperative students and staff work together to open communication and build trust. She said campus policing is focused around community, so she wanted to help hu-

manize the officers on campus and allow students to know the people behind the badges.

Seifert said one of the themes the group deals with is perception.

She wanted to get the students’ perspectives so DPS could better serve and protect students.

In one meeting, Seifert said a student of color brought to her attention an encounter they had with an officer where he rested his hand on his gun. Seifert said, to her and other officers, it is a simple gesture they do without thinking about it. However, because the student vocalized their concerns, she was able to bring it to the attention of her officers for them to be as non-confrontational and non-threatening as possible.

See DPS page 3

The Department of Public Safety and the Kirksville Police Department teamed up to monitor a student protest this semester. Public Safety Director Sara Seifert started a new group called TruAlliance in an effort to facilitate better communication between DPS and the community. Photo by Anakin Bush

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The Index

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

Campus falls into finals

Top: A student rides a bicycle through campus.

As the semester concludes, the leaves have begun changing colors and falling off trees.

Bottom Left: A single leaf remains on a campus tree. The last day of inperson classes is Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Bottom Right: Juniors Ashly Cichon and Maya Pritchard talk outside of Magruder Hall. While students are not expected back on campus after Thanksgiving break, Truman State University will have a remote finals week starting Dec. 7.

Photos by Bidan Yang

Crime Reports DPS & KPD 11/2 Third degree assault reported at the 300 block of East Porter Street

11/7 Stealing from automotive reported at the 800 block of East Patterson Street

11/3 Shoplifter reported at the 1600 block of South Baltimore Street

11/7 Second degree property damage reported at the 200 block of South Marion Street

11/3 Theft reported at the 400 block of West Northtown Road 11/3 Marijuana reported at the 1400 block North Walnut Street 11/3 Simple assault reported at the 1000 block of North Franklin Street 11/4 Shots fired reported at the 400 block of North Mulanix Street 11/4 Dead body reported at the 1700 block of North Centennial Avenue

11/8 Vehicle property damage reported at the 500 block of South Franklin Street 11/8 Rape reported at the 100 block of East McPhereson Street 11/8 Drug possession reported at the 1900 block of North Osteopathy Street 11/8 Domestic assault and kidnapping reported at the 700 block of North Franklin Street

11/4 Theft reported at the 700 block of Smith Street

11/8 Cocaine possession reported at the 100 block of East Elson Street

11/5 Loud party reported at the 300 block of East Illinois Street

11/8 Weapons offense reported at the 100 block of South Elson Street

11/5 Stealing reported at the 200 block of South Franklin Street

11/9 Third degree assault was reported at the 1400 block of North Walnut Street

11/6 Driving while intoxicated reported at South Elson Street 11/6 Stealing reported at the 700 block of West Potter Avenue 11/6 Stealing reported at the 2100 block of North Baltimore Street 11/7 Second degree property damage reported at the 200 block of East Illinois Street

11/9 Second degree burglary was reported at the 1200 block of South Ann Street 11/9 Loud party was reported at the 1000 block of Monroe Street

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

The Index

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Commencement scheduled for Saturday ANAKIN BUSH Staff Writer Truman State University’s fall commencement is Nov. 21, with the event being modified for COVID-19.

At the start of the fall semester, commencement was planned for Dec. 12, but has since been moved to Nov. 21. The final day of in-person classes for the fall 2020 semester is Nov. 24.

The commencement will be split into two smaller ceremonies in Pershing Arena. All graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree will be honored at a 10 a.m. ceremony. All graduates with a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science in Nursing and masters degrees will be honored at a 1:30 p.m. ceremony.

All of the graduate candidates are required to wear a mask and practice social distancing at the ceremony. No guests are allowed at the event, but it will be livestreamed on Truman’s YouTube and Facebook page.

Janet Gooch, executive vice president for academic Graduates walk to their seats during a previous commencement ceremony. This year’s fall commenceaffairs and provost, said commencement will be different ment will be held Saturday with modifications for COVID-19. Photo from TMN Archives this year because of the lack of guests. The ceremony is usually attended by friends and family of the graduates, ceremonies. Graduation materials were distributed prior to at all this year. The COVID precautions in place, she members of the Alumni Association Board, color guard the event so all graduates could get the required materials said, give her peace of mind that the event is as safe and the brass quintet. The platform party will only be six in a socially distanced manner. as possible. Hess said, however, that she planned on people this year, the quintet and soloist will have preAsher said she believes commencement will remain participating in commencement this semester regardrecorded pieces and the color guard will not participate a quality event for all parents and students involved. She less of the COVID-19 precautions. at the events. said she wishes parents could be present, but the UniverHess said she is disappointed that her family won’t be “The pandemic has limited that number of people that sity is offering the virtual options for viewing. able to attend the ceremony, but that she has accepted it. can be present during the event, however we are still able “We have considered every aspect of the ceremony and “I’m fortunate to have my Truman friends, who have to offer an in-person experience for students which I think have tried to set up an event that a Truman graduate can become a form of family, graduating with me or at least they will enjoy,” Gooch said. be excited to participate in and be proud of,” Asher said. in the Kirksville area,” Hess said. “My family across Registrar Nancy Asher said the University is taking Senior Anna Hess said she is proud of how Tru- multiple states will be able to view the ceremony online, many steps to ensure a safe ceremony for everyone in- man is handling commencement this year. Hess said and I’ll be able to celebrate with my family just a few volved. She said the arena is being sanitized between the she thought there was not going to be a ceremony short days afterwards.”

STUGOV| Mask mandate requests lack support needed to pass Continued from page 1 “Now everybody is starting to gather,” Lori Guffey, RN and communicable diseases specialist at the Adair County Health Department, said. “They are starting to gather, everybody’s inside, and so that means that there’s a higher risk there of contracting the virus because everybody is with each other for more than 15 minutes. So with that being said, the masks are probably the best thing that we have right now, it will not curtail it by any means, but it will help prevent the spread to some degree.”

LeBaron said he did not refer Student Government to the County Commissioners, but that it was important for all branches of local government to be involved in something like a mask mandate. The County Commissioners had been very helpful to the Health Department, LeBaron said, and he wanted them involved in the conversation about masks.

Mayor Zac Burden sent an email to the students involved in lobbying for masks. Barker said that in the email, Burden told the students that the City Council could only pass ordinances that corresponded to regulations recommended by the Adair County Health Department or the Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. MacLeod said in the email, Burden also mentioned that even if the mandate

was in the City Council’s jurisdiction, it was not likely the mandate would have enough support to be passed by the City Council. MacLeod also researched the relevant statutes that explained City Council jurisdiction and respectfully disagreed with City Council members’ interpretation.

“It seemed to say in pretty objective terms that when it comes to preventing the spread of infectious diseases, any city council should have the authority to do that,” MacLeod said. “The city claimed that they had talked with their lawyer, and that was not how they saw it. I brought up that statute and they said they would bring that up with their lawyer and get that back to us. They haven’t gotten back to us on that.”

MacLeod said he is waiting on a response from the City Council before lobbying for a mask ordinance.

Instead of focusing on a mask mandate, the students are working on Student Government restaurant and bar certifications. Restaurants can receive a poster if they comply with guidelines that the Student Government has compiled, which include employees staying home if they feel sick, employees washing hands frequently, maintaining a cleaning schedule, and spacing out tables and chairs, among others. If a restaurant has one of these posters, it means that Truman students should feel reasonably safe about eating at the location.

Barker said the student government members worked with the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce and environmental services on the project. Both Barker and MacLeod said the project has been successful and that many businesses have shown interest. The project comes at a time when cases are rising not only in Kirksville, but also throughout the state.

“We need community support now, right now. And that includes students, that includes everybody in the community,” LeBaron said.

As far as working with the city government on these projects, Barker said overall the experience has been positive.

“We really enjoyed getting to talk with the city officials and the leaders here in Kirksville.” Barker said, “They obviously are very dedicated people who really care about their community, and even if there are some disagreements on how things should be handled and even though it’s a chaotic time, they are definitely putting in a lot of work and a lot of time and effort to try to keep their community safe, and I really appreciate their time in working with us.”

MacLeod said he understands how complicated bureaucracy is, and while not everyone he worked with agreed with the idea of a mask mandate, each person was very understanding and polite.

COVID| Cases rise rapidly in Adair County, steadily at Truman

Some businesses in town encourage or mandate masks and social distancing. In the past few weeks Adair County has seen a steep rise in COVID-19 cases, while Truman State University’s rise has continued steadily.

Photo by Emily Collins

Continued from page 1 Alberts described how Truman is using the Swiss Cheese Model, developed by Ian Mackay at the University of Queensland.

The Swiss Cheese Model, Alberts said, shows that each way to prevent COVID-19 has some holes, but when you layer them together the holes cancel out.

Right now, the COVID-19 working group is concerned about students going home for break and bringing the virus back to their families. They are encouraging students to be cautious and try to be as safe as possible.

“Our goal was to stay face to face all semester, and we’ve done it,” Alberts said. “We’re pretty excited that it worked at all. Even 15 or 20 cases is more than you want to see, but we’ve been super successful, and it’s not because my group has been sending out emails, it’s because people are doing the stuff they are supposed to.”

DPS| TruAlliance aims to facilitate communication, humanize DPS Continued from page 1 Seifert was also able to address student concerns by visiting different student groups and explaining the DPS budget and hiring process. She has been making regular posts to different social media platforms in order to explain to students how and why different processes occur within the DPS. Senior AJ Barnum, secretary for the Progressive Student Alliance, regularly attends TruAlliance meetings.

“I really wasn’t expecting much, but I figured why not try, and I think their whole goal with transparency was good, and something that we need more of, so I kind of just wanted to see where they were going to go with that,” Barnum said.

Barnum noted that recent police brutality has created apprehension toward police. Even though Barnum has been able to learn more about the officers themselves and the training they go through, it is not possible to know where the next shooting could be, and Barnum still thinks it could very well take place in Kirksville.

Barnum said during the meetings they discussed the fact that in the 1990s officers did not carry weapons, which changed with the rise of school shootings. While Barnum had not made any calls for police to be defunded, Barnum supported the deweaponization of officers and moving some funding from police officers to mental health professionals.

“Basically the response was just, we’re nice people, and we have training to deal with different situations … I understand where they’re coming from but it’s not enough,” Barnum said.

Though the meetings are informational, Barnum is not sure that the meetings have resulted in any actual change.

During a Nov. 4 meeting, there were nine total participants. The group discussed ways to increase attendance at TruAlliance meetings, ways to increase the number of incidents reported by students, student stress and mental health. Offensive signs recently found near

Truman’s campus were also discussed. what’s happening and how to respond to it.”

Overall, meetings have been focused on communication Through TruAlliance, Millot said she’s been able to between Truman administration and students, with Seifert learn more about why students might not report issues. asking for student feedback and suggestions.

She said she already knew that sometimes students do not “What I learn every time I’m in those meetings is, want to report an incident because it was too painful to there’s a nuance to observation that I didn’t see, and for me relive or because they thought it was just something they it gives me [a] better perspective on things,” Lauri Millot, were used to. institutional compliance officer and regular TruAlliance However, it was brought to her attention that attendee, said. “I think it just expands my perspective and sometimes students don’t report because they don’t think my horizon on topics.”. the administration would do anything about it. Millot TruAlliance has also been a platform for Millot to explained that because the situations she works with are bring awareness about a new so confidential, students don’t type of discrimination report often get to see how hard she implemented fall 2020 called “I’m committed to hearing the works to address these issues. the Bias-Related Incident Along with discussing Response. Millot said the students’ stories and concerns and to the Bias-Related Incident report, which can be found TruAlliance working with them to make Truman a Response, at Truman’s Title IX, DPS members have also been able and Center for Diversity and safer place to live and learn.” to discuss issues on campus Inclusion websites, allows such as protesting safely. students to anonymously Sara Seifert, Students were able to ask report any encounter that did Public Safety Director questions to Kirksville City not necessarily violate Truman Manager Mari Macomber and policy but did demonstrate police Deputy Chief Justin bias or discrimination.

Jones in order to learn more about city This report is different from others in that it allows rules and regulations. the student to report any kind of bias and is designed to “I’m committed to hearing the students’ stories and allow students to confidentially report an incident without concerns and to working with them to make Truman a fear of retaliation. It requires less investigation than safer place to live and learn,” Seifert said. other reports but instead is a way to compile patterns of Barnum said more students should join TruAlliance to behavior at Truman of bias and discrimination, so the contribute different perspectives and bring about a more administration and students can be aware of the issues and effective conversation. work to address them. The number of bias-related incident While TruAlliance has mainly been by invitation only, response reports will be published.

Seifert said if students want to get involved, they can email “I think [the report is] a great way to identify issues her at sseifert@truman.edu. early, and is a great educational tool … for those who think If students would like to join TruAlliance meetings, it’s not happening on campus, that will teach you that it they can request a Zoom link at Center For Diversity & is,” Millot said. “It will also give us the opportunity to see Inclusion.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

Inclusivity is not political Despite what our current political environment might say, being inclusive is not a political statement. Hate speech does not belong anywhere in meaningful rhetoric and every person with a logical, research-based, intelligent argument belongs at the table responsible for making decisions. Opportunity and education should not be controlled by fear or discrimination.

Now more than ever, institutions need to make a firm decision about where they stand on the issue of equality; making decisions behind closed doors will no longer suffice in today’s climate. Such noncommittal attempts have made way for various Kirkville community members to feel okay with putting racial slurs on their lawns. And while the decisions of the few do not dictate the freedoms of the many, such hateful speech does highlight a glaringly unfixed problem in our community.

As of 2017, Truman’s student population was 79% white, with no other category reaching above 7%. It should also be mentioned that this data comes from DataUSA because the University does not publish readily available statistics about its racial demographics.

While this trend can also be seen in universities throughout Missouri, it is nonetheless a problem that must be addressed immediately. Having a consistently predominantly white population hinders students’ ability to learn about perspectives different than their own.

This lack of diversity also presents issues for the University’s mission of interdisciplinary learning. Without true diversity, students never learn how to communicate with people different from themselves.

We, The Index Editorial Board, believe that people of color belong in Kirksville. This is our community and we expect human decency. We believe that in response to the recent displays of blatant racism and intolerance, Truman needs to commit to increasing diversity and transparency. To start, the University needs to make a public response to the present racism. The University also needs to redistribute its allotted funding for public communication to include areas with lower populations of white students. Along with this more equal spread of information, the University should also increase scholarship opportunities for non-white students. Most importantly, Truman needs to meet each and every demand on the list provided by the Association of Black Collegians as stated on June 17. Some such demands include: • We demand that Truman State University hire more Black faculty, especially for courses surrounding Blackness. We demand that Human Resources immediately express efforts to hire and retain Black faculty and staff. Further, we demand the routine publication of racial demographics for faculty, staff and administration.

• We demand at least one Black counselor and academic advisor on Truman’s campus.

• We demand that University Counseling Services be expanded to better help Black students. UCS employees should undergo anti-bias training. Truman State University should seek to employ more Black staff at UCS. Keeping Truman a predominantly white university allows students and teachers to stay in the ‘white bubble’ of Kirksville — which was 80% white as of 2019 — with harmful repercussions. A lack of representation can allow those with white superiority complexes to never confront their racism, while it simultaneously robs non-white people of inspiring role models.

The University needs to make further efforts to diversify its student body, along with its staff, to allow for more than just white students to feel welcome in Kirkville.

As for the Kirksville community as a whole, we all need to remember that empathy and compassion are not reserved for any particular political party. Being an inclusive person never goes out of style.

Stay tuned for next semester RYAN PIVONEY Editor-in-Chief

Certainly, this has been an unprecedented and challenging semester for most on campus. As we prepare to leave for the first break of the semester, find some time to relax, do something fun, take your mind off school work and find some escape from the overwhelming stress of going to college in a global pandemic.

To assist in this process, check out our latest fun and exciting stories throughout this paper and online at tmn.truman.edu. Whether you’re an enthusiastic television buff, arts and crafts devotee or just want to read about the remarkable efforts around campus, we’ve got you covered.

If you haven’t already, subscribe to The Index email newsletter, which is sent directly to your inbox every Thursday morning. You can sign up on the TMN website.

While there, be sure to check out Dry Ink, The Index podcast that is also published every Thursday. The podcast can also be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Be sure to follow along on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as well.

This is the final issue of The Index for the fall semester, but we’ll be back with more coverage next semester. Provided Truman State University continues inperson instruction throughout the entirety of the spring semester, we will print five issues on the following dates: Issue 6 Thursday, Jan. 21 Issue 7 Thursday, Feb. 11 Issue 8 Thursday, Feb. 25 Issue 9 Thursday, March 25 Issue 10 Thursday, April 15 This schedule is subject to change pending developments in the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will also continue providing coverage between issues with online-exclusive content, as well as the weekly newsletter and podcast.

Our commitment to providing quality reporting on the issues and events that matter most to the Truman community carries on, even with fewer issues than a typical semester. In addition to typical news events, featured content and the return of many sports, the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community and its wide-ranging effects will continue to be an area of focus. We are looking forward to the opportunity to continue providing this coverage next semester.

Break the cycle of break anxiety ERICA LINDSAY Features, Opinions Editor With less than a week until the long-awaited — yet perhaps dreaded — Nov. 24, you’re probably experiencing two conflicting sentiments: relief and apprehension.

Approaching the last day of in-person classes, we can look forward to less chilly walks to class, navigation through crowded areas and masked studying. However, this also means living a life of heightened seclusion for a potentially questionable amount of time.

Most students are stressed about finals, but for many, another source of worry exists over what is to follow. Reminders of COVID-19’s potency continue to emerge and current circumstances bear an eerie similarity to earlier this year. We are inevitably prompted to think back on a time of shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders, pondering what might happen if those measures are to resurface.

If we learned anything from the last holiday “break” this past spring, it’s that we need to take responsibility for both our individual and collective well-being. While it could be difficult, try to envision what lies ahead this holiday season and beyond. What self-care activities will you employ to recharge and reward yourself for a semester well-fought? How might you manage potential for conflict with those you’re cooped up with? What can you do to combat feelings of desolation while away from school?

Another thing we’ve come to understand is that we must cherish the face-to-

face — or mask-to-mask — interactions we have with close family and friends.

This time around, however, it is more important than ever to connect with those afar. Winter is already a typically challenging season to maintain mental health, but recent events have intensified those adversities.

Make an effort to acknowledge the various situations of fellow classmates going forward. Some might be returning to a troubled home life, while others could be unable to see relatives. Pandemic or not, the holidays can be draining. And, no matter the circumstances, isolation has the capacity to bring us all down.

This semester has been an especially tough one, but it can be even tougher to transition from constant deadlines to little structure. A stressful semester followed by more strain can make next year’s prospects feel even more daunting.

Now is the time to break this cycle.

Remember that doing nothing for a while is completely okay, and doing lots of things to pass time is also okay. Personal care looks different for everyone, so we should be mindful of that for ourselves and others. Furthermore, this break is well-earned — be sure to make the most of it in ways that optimize health and peace.

Between studying and other end-of-the-semester tasks these next couple days, appreciate those you are surrounded by before parting ways: study with a classmate, get coffee with a friend or maybe have a potluck with roommates.

Since this might be the last time you see those familiar faces for a while, try to make a plan for continuing those connections remotely. Keep in mind that loneliness tends to feed off of itself, so look to maintain necessary social ties while also keeping yourself and others accountable for wellness efforts.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

POSTERS| Community creates messages of inclusivity Continued from page 1 “Kirksville has a thriving immigrant population which has enriched the experience of everyone who calls this place home,” a written statement from the College Democrats said. “We are welcoming to people of all nations, all faiths and all cultures because we know our diversity is our strength. It is time to come together once again to combat this abhorrent extremist ideology, which is rooted in cowardice and hate.”

The signs in 2019 also initiated the start of the Truman campaign “There is no place for hate at Truman,” and the most recent signs started a wave of community members posting “you belong here” signs in response.

Chetanae Ellison, a senior art and psychology major at Truman, found the posters, posted them to her social media and then took them down. She is now using them in her senior capstone to create awareness and dialogue about hate towards people of color.

Ellison refused to give any of her information to the police or be a part of the investigation. She said that was for her own safety.

“I don’t know who is in the police department, and I don’t feel like I can trust them with who I am and where I live and how involved I am with this,” Ellison said. “Unfortunately, that could end my life and that is the reality of it. It is anxiety due to what has happened to my people in the past.”

Ellison said the presence of the sign worried her, and she never wants to put her own safety at risk. She said people could want to get rid of her and she didn’t feel comfortable asking the police for protection.

She said she doesn’t know who made those signs or who they might be affiliated with, so she opted out of the investigation for her own safety.

Ellison said she was on her way to Ophelia Parrish to work on a project when she came across the posters. She said she was in disbelief and it was the most blatant form of hate she had seen in person.

Ellison said she felt shocked, upset and her jaw dropped. She explained that the posters made her think about who she was and what she wanted to do as an artist.

Ellison said her community has worked so hard to get in a position where people of color are not second class citizens, but the climate of today has pushed back the progress.

She said racism has always existed, but now that people do not experience any criminal or social repercussions, people are more ok with sharing bigotted ideals.

“I have been here for four and a half years,” Ellison said. “Throughout those

Chetenae Ellison, a senior art and psychology major, made art from racist signage she found along Normal Avenue.

Her piece explores facets of Black experience and traumas like sexualization, dehumanization and disconnection from their ancestors. Submitted Photo years, I have personally seen blatantly racist things. They are subliminal racist things like I only understand because I know the context of it all.”

She mentioned a truck with confederate flags that drives around town and through campus as an example.

Ellison said to her, that is racist, but she understands there are some people who do not really know what it means.

“I cannot say with 100% [certainty] that it is a racist act towards me, but this poster?

That is,” Ellison said.

Ellison said she doesn’t believe Kirksville is getting away from these ideals.

“These mindsets do not show up overnight,” Ellison said. “People are being raised this way, especially in this small town with little exposure to different cultures.”

Ellison’s capstone project is a selfportrait of her meditating, with her hair weaving in and out of the posters, along with two other panels depicting life as a black woman.

She said the message of her capstone project is partially awareness.

“I am aware, my community is aware it has been happening for years now, but I feel like a lot of students and people are oblivious to how racist it is in the town because it doesn’t affect them,” Ellison said. “I wanted to start a conversation about that.”

She said she also wants to give other people of color some kind of guidance on how to handle situations like this emotionally, which is through meditation and grounding yourself.

The hate speech, she said, no longer triggers her because she has a deeper understanding. Her capstone is all about meditating and getting over initial reactions.

“Deep inside, I want to destroy it,” Ellison said. “I don’t want it to exist. Since it is hatred, I don’t want that to exist. We have to tune ourselves enough to fight it. Hate is going to exist, no matter how angry you are at it. You cannot give it the power to make us angry.”

Ellison said the posters cannot be destroyed because they are useful for teaching others.

Her piece explores facets of Black experience and traumas like sexualization, dehumanization and disconnection from their ancestors.

Lauri Millot, Title IX Coordinator and Institutional Compliance Officer, said the sign was reported to her by various sources.

Students, staff and the Bias-Related Incident Response website. The Bias-Related Incident Response seeks to support students, respond in an educational and preventative manner and inform the Truman community about reported bias incidents.

Millot said she thinks it is possible the sign was intentionally placed in an area where it would be easily visible by large numbers of people. The event could be related to other incidents in the past, which is something that is being considered, Millot said.

Millot said incidents of this type are unacceptable. She explained that they can cause emotional, psychological or physical harm to students of color and allies. Millot said she thinks preventing incidents of this type is hard, but prevention starts with education and difficult conversations.

“Everyone has attitudes, biases and blind spots, yet I truly believe individuals have the ability to change,” Millot said. “Hateful conduct cannot be tolerated and when we see it or hear it, we need to call it out.”

Bertha Thomas, diversity and inclusion consultant at Truman, said it is reassuring to have a positive response to an event like this. She said it can bring a community together if people are upset it happened and feel that it was inappropriate. At a Kirksville City Council meeting Nov. 2, Mayor Zac Burden condemned the actions and pledged his support to the people of color community in Kirksville.

“You need to break it down to rebuild,” Ellison said. “Love trumps all.”

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6

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

UCS struggles with staffing TREVOR GRANDIN Podcast Editor Truman State University Counseling Services is struggling with a staffing deficit at a time when the number of students seeking treatment has remained steady.

Earlier this semester, the lack of counselors and office staff required UCS to put students on a waitlist.

Joe Hamilton, assistant director of UCS, said students were required to wait upwards of two to three weeks until they were contacted to schedule an appointment.

“It’s not just that we don’t have space, but we don’t have anyone to contact them,” Hamilton said. “It’s just a perfect storm.”

At the beginning of the semester, the former UCS secretary, Ann Weidner, retired after having been with the counseling center since its establishment in 1992. Because of this departure, many auxiliary workers have been brought in to fill the secretary position whenever possible.

“She worked here for many, many, many years and took care of all of us as well as the students,” Brenda Higgins, associate vice president for Student Health and Wellness, said.

The secretary position was recently filled, adding a much needed member to the UCS administrative team, however, many counselor positions remain open.

Higgins explained that two counselors resigned over the summer, one recently returned from maternity leave, and another is only working half days because of access to childcare during the pandemic.

“This is the smallest staff we’ve ever had in our history,” Hamilton said. “Right now [we have] about three and a half altogether and that’s even smaller than when we started in 1992.”

Hamilton said, although UCS isn’t any busier than it usually is, he’s been constantly busy with sessions, calling people back or responding to inquiries.

“I’m really just working all the time,” Hamilton said.

Although the search for more counselors has started, UCS has found little success in hiring. One of the factors that make it hard to attract dedicated counselors is pay. Hamilton said pay is disclosed to the applicant after they have been deemed qualified for the position and this is the reason many end up dropping out. Higgins said both the counselors that left during the summer took better paying positions elsewhere.

Hamilton said UCS hasn’t stayed competitive with other institutions in terms of compensation.

This understaffing not only affects the care that UCS is able to provide, but also those that utilize it.

Senior Lydia Helfrich explained how frustrating waiting so long for a counseling appointment can be.

“My issue is by the time I get in, I normally feel like either I’ve forgotten why I called or I’ve just decided to figure it out myself,” Helfrich said. “I feel like once I actually finally get there, it doesn’t help as much because I have such a long wait period.”

Junior Alexis Morkisz had some of the same concerns as Helfrich.

After calling and expressing interest in an appointment, Morkisz waited a little more than a week before receiving a call to schedule. She was then required to wait approximately one more week for her scheduled session.

“The day before I wrote a list of stuff that I wanted to talk about,” Morkisz said. “I was like, ‘Okay, this is what I had originally called for. I want to make sure that I still cover it and remember all the details of what had happened.’”

The secretary position at University Counseling Services was recently filled. Previously, the position was filled

by Ann Weidner, who was with UCS since its establishment in 1992. Photo from TMN Archives

UCS is taking many steps to mitigate the pressure currently put on the organization. Higgins explained that there are three part-time counselors that are stepping in when necessary.

UCS also offered an educational group for those on the waiting list and unable to immediately access individual sessions. The group focuses on coping skills for depression and anxiety.

“I feel terrible that people are waiting so long to get in, but, you know, we just don’t have the staff to keep up with the demand,” Hamilton said.

With crucial reductions in staffing, UCS had to establish wait lists for students seeking services. Brenda Higgins, associate vice president for Student Health and Wellness, said UCS is taking steps to mitigate the pressure of an increased workload. Photo from TMN Archives

life

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

7

Campus workshop examines “Science of Happiness” TAYLOR HERNDON Staff Writer Fill in the blank: “If I had ___, then I’d be happy.”

What was the answer? Money? Love? A career? People, especially young adults with such an uncertain path, often have a hard time finding true peace and happiness within themselves. That is where Adam Campbell comes in. For the past four weeks, several Truman State University students participated in his class, “The Science of Happiness,” where attendees learned how to reflect on themselves and give both internal and external gratitude.

“This has been a passion of mine for 20-25 years,” Campbell said. “Kind of this idea of understanding your life’s purpose, even if it is unknown, and having the courage to follow it through.”

Campbell explained how strange habits of the mind can bring suffering. Citing a Yale study from 2013, Campbell said college students who are saturated with social media show higher risk for depression.

The research found that over 50% of Yale students went to seek mental help from their facility on campus. Campbell saw these kinds of studies and said he wanted to work with students because this is a very fragile time for them in terms of forming identity, purpose and direction.

The seminar was intended to make students think more about what brings them joy and what can truly provide emotional peace. During the pandemic and this challenging semester, many students have faced new or continuing depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.

“My main goal for this seminar is to help students realize how often what they are seeking for happiness is bringing them suffering and stress,” Campbell said. “We keep thinking that if we get these things that we want that it will bring us happiness, but there are studies that show that they don’t.

My hope is to show that there are a lot of students who are stressed right now, and the reasons are not always obvious.”

Campbell described the process of cultivating happiness as a shift in habits and patterns. By seeking different goals that bring a different sense of fulfillment, Campbell said it is possible to find a permanent sense of happiness, peace and tranquility that is accessible over time through certain practices and ways of being.

Adam also encouraged participants to increase personal happiness and excitement by doing something nice for others and taking risks, among other activities in the class.

“My hope is to help students take a step back from the college experience that sucks you in, pulls you through and then spits you back out on the other side and says, ‘Good luck,’” Campbell said.

Campbell asked the participants to think about what is really meaningful to them, rather than what school or career they would like to start next. Because Campbell knew those concerns tend to be on the minds of many college students, he wanted to focus on reorienting their goals toward a greater pursuit.

Campbell also emphasized the impact of cultural stories and whether the way people are living their lives right now line up with what they claim is really important to them.

“They don’t actually realize that there is a lot of dissonance,” Campbell explained. “We don’t realize that there are things that are important to us that aren’t being fed or met. We don’t realize that we are ingesting cultural stories that are pulling us out of our sense of authenticity instead of strengthening it … my hope for students in this class is that there can be a shift toward that authentic expression, formation and directionality of what will become a life well lived, instead of an accidental life that is pieced together that has a lot of stress, confusion and dissonance to it.”

Campbell also stated that being able to sit back and think about what makes one happy to get maximum fulfillment is good for students who feel as though they are just going through the motions and not truly living.

Senior Jordan Gregory, a seminar participant, explained that the seminar has helped him battle depression and reevaluate priorities.

“I learned that big ideas such as wealth and love will only bring me happiness for so long, until I return to the space of wanting the next big thing,” Gregory said.

He said he also learned that he should be seeking satisfaction and fulfillment in other areas outside of his career and love life. Gregory said that there are deeper forms of happiness than just success and marriage, and that this seminar is a great way to learn more about them.

“I would definitely recommend this class to my peers,” Gregory said. “I think that this is a super important topic that should be discussed. I wish it was more prevalent in the curriculum of the University, but since it is not, I think that this is a great option.”

Although this semester’s seminar has already passed, students interested in attending the seminar can take part next semester. Prospective participants can contact Campbell at adamcampbell@mailbox.org.

STARTING OCTOBER 8 THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS, THE ART OF CONTEMPLATION

Over the past generation, a new branch of science has emerged – positive psychology – studying what truly brings happiness into our lives. News flash: It is not what you think! This workshop will investigate the latest discoveries in human behavior and neuroscience to explore what makes us happy (and what doesn’t!), and how these findings are pointing to the necessity of the spiritual path. We will explore the essence of this path and the wealth of transformative practices it offers, both through universal mindfulness practices and Christian contemplative practices. This workshop is for all students who have “My everhope struggled with anxiety, felt that there must for students be more to life, have earnestly “a path,” or who have felt in thisbeen class seeking is that there disenchantment with the religious in which they were raised. can be atradition shift toward that authentic expression, formation and diInstructor: Adam Campbell isrectionality a spiritual of director, what world traveler, and passionate educator on the unconventional path authenticity.

He has taught classes on will of become a mindfulness and meditation, positive psychology, the hero’s journey, infinity, music life well lived, inas a social tool, and regenerative design. He is grateful to Truman for inviting him stead of an accidento offer the class he wishes he could have taken in college! tal life that is pieced together that has a lot of stress, confusionDepartment and Co-sponsored by the Philosophy and Religion and the JED committee. dissonance to it.”

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

DIY ORNAMENTS SAVANNAH KLUESNER Staff Writer

Personalized Ornament

If you celebrate Christmas, you might already be thinking about giving gifts safely. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, these ornaments make great wintertime decorations, as well as a great winter break activity. Give a personalized gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or for no occasion at all, or keep these cute decorations for yourself!

Snowman Ornament

Blizzard Ornament

This simple ornament idea takes very little time and effort to create, but the end result is a cute snowman buddy for your tree or for a decoration that can be used long after the holiday season.

This ornament is another low-commitment, easy project, but this snowstorm-in-a-globe makes a great decoration for your tree or desk that can be used even after the holidays are over.

What you will need: Glass or plastic ornament bulb, white tissue paper or cotton balls, pipe cleaner, multicolored pom-poms, permanent markers, and glue

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Fill your ornament bulb with cotton balls or crinkled white tissue paper and replace the top of the ornament.

Cut pipe cleaner to desired length and glue each end to a pom-pom. Hot glue works best for this project, but any type of glue will work - just be sure to add enough pressure and hold the items together long enough to ensure they will stick.

Cover the inside of the pom-poms (the sides with the pipe cleaner attached) with glue and press each into one side of the ornament bulb.

Hold for at least thirty seconds.

Using permanent markers, draw your Snowman’s face on the bulb.

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This ornament makes a perfect gift for friends and family members. Personalize it for each recipient with a variety of fillings and colors!

What you will need: Ornament bulb, glitter, glitter glue, beads (optional), small objects to personalize for recipient (optional), ribbon

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Fill the bottom of your ornament bulb with glitter in the color(s) of your choice. The amount of glitter used is up to individual preference, but a good rule of thumb is to use enough so that the glitter could fill your palm.

Replace the top on the ornament and spread the glitter by rotating the ornament in a circular motion.

Continue until there is a thin layer of glitter on the inside of the plastic or glass but some glitter still remains in the bottom of the ornament.

Remove the top of the ornament and use beads in the color of your choice to fill it. Again, the amount is up to personal preference. I used approximately two and a half handfuls of each color of bead.

As an optional step, you can also fill your ornament with beads and other small objects that remind you of the recipient of the ornament or which you know they like. For example, in this ornament, I used beads that had words on them, as well as bees and ladybugs.

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TOP [5]

by Joey Dougherty, professional viewer

What you will need: Ornament bulb, liquid glue, silver or white glitter, cotton balls, glitter-tipped pom-poms (optional)

3.

Use the liquid glue to create trails of glue on the inside of the ornament bulb. Make sure there are at least two trails of glue, but not so much that it begins to run.

Fill the inside of the ornament with glitter. The amount is up to you, but be sure it is enough to coat the inside of the ornament.

Replace the ornament top and rotate the ornament in your hand until there is a thick layer of glue on the entire inner surface.

After the glue has dried, fill the inside of the ornament with cotton balls. I have also filled mine with glitter-tipped white pom-poms, but this addition is optional. The cotton balls should fill the ornament.

4.

Replace the top of the ornament and shake the beads around so all varieties can be easily seen.

Cut a length of ribbon in a color of your choice and tie it in a knot beneath the lip of the top of the ornament.

After you have tied a knot in the ribbon, tie it again to create a bow.

Using glitter glue, write the name or initials of the recipient of the ornament on the outside of the glass or plastic. Be sure the text can easily fit without needing to rotate the ornament and that the placement of the name is directly beneath the bow that you have tied. Although shorter names will usually fit well on the front, for longer names, initials might be easiest.

Bingeworthy TV shows for quarantine or winter break

With winter break rapidly approaching — slow down, we’ve still got finals! — and the idea of quarantine still on so many minds, the concept of vegging out with a good TV show in the coming weeks is most welcome. I’ve compiled a list of my own personal choices for bingeworthy series, all of which I have binged myself. My goal is to present a diverse mix in terms of length, audience, medium and genre.

3. “Dark” (2017 - 2020) Where to Watch: Netflix “Dark” portrays the strange events of the small German town Winden after the disappearance of two young children. The story focuses specifically on the drama between four families. Jonas Kahnwald, son of a recently deceased father, embarks on a journey through time, leading him into the mysterious cave system on the edge of town and into past and future versions of Winden, all in an effort to find the missing children and unlock the town’s darkest secrets.

5. “The End of the F***ing World” (2017 - 2019) Where to watch: Netflix

2. “Chernobyl” (2019) Where to Watch: HBO Max

Morbid comedy series “The End of the F***ing World,” based on the comic series of the same name, is one of Netflix’s best. The story follows social outcasts James and Alyssa as they endeavor to reunite with Alyssa’s father in their travels across England. Along the way, the two teens grow closer as they battle past traumas and personal demons. Stuffed to the seams with dark humor and witty dialogue, the show is endlessly charming and brutally funny.

“Chernobyl” stands at the pinnacle of what historical fiction can be, chronicling the events leading up to and following the 1986 nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl Reactor in the Soviet Union.

The five-part story incorporates a mix of real-life scientists and politicians, as well as fictional characters in their efforts to prevent further disaster.

One of the story’s central themes is choosing the protection of people over the propaganda of politics — a universal and undoubtedly timeless message. In all, it’s a frighteningly real story told in a most impactful manner.

4. “Mr. Robot” (2015 - 2019) Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video Sam Esmail’s groundbreaking series “Mr. Robot” follows Elliot Alderson, an unstable New Yorker who by day works a desk job for a cybersecurity firm, but by night serves as a vigilante hacker. Alderson is drawn into the underworld of high-profile hacking by a mysterious man called Mr. Robot, who takes the young Alderson under his wing as the secret hacking group “fsociety” plots to stage their most daring hack yet — an attack on the megacorporation E Corp. Esmail provides an untraditional series that is breathlessly tense and always original, experimenting with daring film techniques that often elevate the production to art status.

1. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005 - 2008) Where to watch: Netflix Yes, it’s worth the hype. In the midst of quarantine and on the verge of summer vacation, Nickelodeon’s revered series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” arrived on Netflix. The show follows Aang, the next elemental bender in the Avatar cycle, on his journey to master all four elements — air, water, earth and fire — and defeat the villainous Fire Lord Ozai by summer’s end. The animated series is nearly perfect, at no point stooping to the level of mindlessness stereotypically associated with children’s media. If you haven’t jumped on the “Avatar” bandwagon yet, now is the time — you won’t regret it.

The Index

BOLD • lifestyles

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

9

Truman professor publishes 14th book ARI KLOKIC & ERICA LINDSAY Staff Writer & Features, Opinions Editor Joe Benevento, a Truman State University creative writing professor, just came out with a new fiction book called “Kiss of the Moonflower.” It is the third installment of the Capelli Brothers series, but it can be read as a standalone novel if you have not read the other books in the series. “Kiss of the Moonflower” follows two brothers, Tony and Mike Capelli, as they venture to Missouri to find Tony’s love interest, Veronica, as Tony has lost contact with her during her sabbatical to Missouri. In the novel, Benevento brings to life the scenery of Kirksville and surrounding areas as his two New Yorker characters see it for the first time.

It is a book packed with both mystery and humor. We sat down with Benevento to talk about his book and his writing process.

I know you’re from Queens and you graduated from NYU. Why did you choose a university in the Midwest as opposed to the Northeast (to teach)?

“My fiance at the time became my first wife. She wanted to study plant ecology.

She is a scientist, and she didn’t think New York was the best place to do that. So that’s why we looked towards the midwest. I personally didn’t know what I wanted to do after I graduated. I never planned to be a professor and didn’t didn’t think about going to graduate school … I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be a singer, but obviously it wasn’t happening yet so I thought I’d go to graduate school … We wound up at Ohio State for our masters and Michigan State [University] for our PhDs, but that was all her doing. Years later, when I got this job and later when we got divorced, I thought I was gonna get out of here, but I began to like it more and more. My present wife, we’ve been married almost 30 years now.

It’s a lot of years ago. She’s from this area, so we stayed in the Midwest. I’ve been here at Truman now for 37 years.”

Does your children’s upbringing or your own inspire your work?

“The poetry is, and I’ve written lots of poems over the years about my kids. You can’t go a book of my poems without seeing three, four or five poems about one kid or another. They haven’t played much of a part in the fiction. This novel now, “Kiss of the Moonflower,” is the first time I’ve combined both aspects of my life. There’s some scenes set in Kirksville. I don’t call it Kirksville, but a town like Kirksville. Much of it takes place in the intentional communities or communes.

There’s intentional communities in Missouri.

Missouri has laxed laws on housing and homeschooling, so they’re able to raise their kids and have their homes the way they want to. There’s a place just outside of La Plata that was called the Possibility Alliance where they had a group of 20-30 people all living and working together. They didn’t use electricity.

They didn’t use cars… regular flush toilets, but compost toilets. They have moved in the last year or two. Maria, my oldest, got really interested in these places. When she was an undergraduate in Creighton University, she actually got a summer grant to study them and to write a paper about them. She spent a week at the Possibility Alliance. I wound up spend-

ing a day with her at the Possibility Alliance when she was there. I just got really interested and somehow came up with the idea that this is a way I can get my two New York guys to where I’ve been living all these years. They come to try to find this woman who has been studying these intentional communities.”

I heard there’s mention of a messed up version of pizza that we (Kirksville) have…

“That’s funny too because John Wichmann is the fella who owns Pagliai’s Pizza and he’s a really good friend of mine. We’ve been neighbors twice, and for a long time.

There is a scene that’s set there that you’ll recognize as Pagliai’s, although I named it Tornatore’s in the book to borrow Matt’s name, the spanish professor. I like Pagliai’s pizza. It’s not New York pizza but for Kirksville I think it’s not bad at all. I prefer it to Dominoes or any of the other places. What I did in the book was I pretended that the new manager was trying to push an Imo’s style pizza — thin crust — That’s what they really hate, but they do like the Ronza or Palonza.

But when they first taste that Imo’s style pizza, the one brother is practically ready to fall on the floor. I actually emailed John [Wichmann] and his wife Shawn and said this book is coming out and there’s going to be a chapter in the pizzeria — don’t get offended. And he replied saying, ‘Don’t be silly…’ I found out he actually has the St. Louis style pizza on his menu, but nobody ever orders it.”

Why writing? Specifically, was there someone who encouraged your writing or was it something you just enjoyed doing?

“Well, I’ve enjoyed it for a long time. The first time I tried to write were songs. Then, in fourth grade, Mrs. Kiernan, she assigned us poems. I wrote one, and she really liked it. She didn’t believe I wrote it. She thought my parents helped, and I was like, ‘Have you met my parents?’ She really loved it. I still remember the poem. The funny thing about it is the poem’s in iambic pentameter for the most part. I’ve never heard of the word in fourth grade, but when she encouraged me I thought maybe I could be a writer.

I loved Edgar Allen Poe, so I used to write scary stories. I would tell stories on the stoops of Queens at night to my friends… made a joke nickname of Edgar Allen Joe. After that, I wanted to be a writer.”

Has your writing technique changed throughout the years?

“The interesting thing was I thought I was a good writer in high school. Most of my poems had lots of rhyme. Then, I went to college and entered some contests and didn’t win them … couldn’t even get into a creative writing class, back then you had to give them a sample of your writing before they let you in. So I thought, ‘Gosh, I guess I’m not actually a good writer.’ I had to reassess and think it through. Only through graduate school and reading good writers and understanding what good writing was, it wasn’t all bombastic diction, and rhyme, I got a little better. By the time I was about ready to graduate with my PhD, I got a few poems published. After my first year here, I got my first story published. I came here not as a creative writer. I came here to teach composition and literature mostly. I made myself into a creative writing professor by getting a lot of publications. I teach a mys-

tery course. I teach a Latinx literature course, and I teach American literature sometimes. I teach the more advanced courses in creative writing.”

Do you have any rituals or things you do before sitting down to write or as you write?

“No. Before I had children, I wrote a lot at night and when I was younger I would stay up late. Once I started having kids and gotten older, I don’t stay up late.

Now, I mostly write fiction right here in my office on the computer. I still write poems longhand at first, but for fiction I mostly write from this computer, so I gotta be in here. I put in like 3-4 hours a day at most. This, “Kiss of the Moonflower,” is my 14th book, but it never feels like I’m totally dedicated to writing like some people are. When I come here, I gotta have a plan, like, ‘Okay, today I’m working on chapter six and I gotta get from here to here.’ If it doesn’t quite work, I do it next time.”

Do you have a journal to keep ideas and thoughts in?

“These mystery novels are purely fiction. My first couple of novels were based on life experiences. My first novel “Plumbing in Harlem” was based on me working as a plumber’s helper in Harlem while I was home because my mother had liver cancer and I thought that was the last summer I could spend with her.

That’s the story of how she actually beat liver cancer and lived for another thirty years more … it’s fiction, but a lot of the stuff is stuff that actually happened. But the three mystery novels, none of that actually happened … I have to make up murders, I have to make up suspects and all that stuff. So, the last three novels have been totally made up, but they have some truth. I see myself in the main character, and I’m pretty comfortable with how New Yorkers would perceive smalltown Missouri. The first two [Capelli Brothers novels] are very involved with church stuff so I did a lot of research.”

How was the majority of your time spent, writing the premise and plot or editing?

“Majority of it was spent writing the plot.

I did a lot of research for this one too. Moonflower is the name for flowers that bloom at night. Particularly, the moonflower I’m writing about is Datura, which is the kind of plant that has several species. Datura is a highly hallucinogenic and dangerous substance if any part of that plant is taken — seeds, stem, etcetera. Datura has been used for hundreds of years. Native American’s use it in their spirit walk ceremonies … part of the witches brew. This is poisonous but also can send you on some real trips. These are all things that I researched and came up with the idea [in the book] that in one of these intentional communities, somebody has been growing a bunch of this Datura with the idea in mind to try to make it less lethal but still give you the trip without endangering your life. The thing about Datura is… you can’t separate dreams from reality. You absolutely feel like what is happening while you are tripping is actually happening.”

Though Benevento is known for his works of prose and poetry, he is more than a writer. He is also a professor, advisor and father.

Claire Benevento, one of his children, mentioned that her father sometimes shares novel ideas to their family before they surface. For his latest novel, Benevento discussed his brainstorming process with them for input.

“He talked about it with us a lot, because … in some ways it’s based on my older sister’s experience in communities like this,” Claire Benevento said. “Before he started writing, he talked about the idea of setting his next novel in that area.”

Claire Benevento is also a senior creative writing major at Truman. She explained that her own upbringing in a house of books and writing has influenced her own path in life, as she plans on getting an MFA in creative writing.

Those who have had Benevento in class or as an advisor also commended his impact on their academic and professional endeavors. Senior Arik Holmes said Benevento’s analytical perspective has changed the way he approaches literature.

“He’s really attentive,” Holmes said.

“He’s really good at finding similarities in how authors approach their work — things I would never really think of. It’s been really interesting to be a student of his because I have a different lens that I look at literature with.”

Benevento has also helped many find their own style of writing through his method of instruction. Because he has experience in the craft, Benevento is able to provide vision for aspiring writers.

Holmes expressed that he often incorporates his writing strategies into class time and coursework.

“He’s a very technical writer,” Holmes explained. “I think that’s definitely an attribute that affects his teaching style, in a good way. When it comes to thinking about literature and kind of getting a lot of these complex concepts kind of mapped for his students, he’s helped me as a writer myself.”

“Kiss of the Moonflower” is available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Those interested in learning more about Dr. Benevento and his work can visit authorjoebenevento. com/bio.

Graduates: don’t do drugs ALLISON MASCHHOFF Staff Writer The man walked onto the stage with a stiff sort of respectability. He was old, at least 80, and his black suit was at this point more of a charcoal. Just like him, it had seen better days. There was a slight limp to his step and hardly any hair on his head. Wireframe glasses sat perched on his nose and I imagined the lenses being half an inch thick. When he reached the microphone, he cleared his throat.

“Thank you, so much, for having me,” he began, putting so much emphasis on the words “so much” that you could almost hear the commas he no doubt had written on the piece of paper wobbling in his hands. Seriously, this guy was supposed to be the exciting speaker they brought in to convince us to be better humans and grow into mature adults as we prepared to leave the hallowed halls of Johnston-Brown High School?

He paused to cough. Then he started up again. “I once sat where you are sitting today. A member of the first graduating class of this prestigious academy, I spent my 17th year taking many of the same classes you are taking now.”

Then something amazing happened, or at least that’s what we all believed: he went off-script. A dazed look came over his face and he said, “Don’t you find that phrase interesting? ‘My 17th year.’ It’s straight out of some old stuffy novel and it’s said as if it’s the simplest sentence in the world. But what does it truly mean? During your 17th year on this planet, you are still 16 years old.

Your 17th birthday marks the completion of that year, not its beginning. But the words make us think of a 17 year old, don’t they?

“The notion gets even more fascinating when you consider that age is a cultural phenomenon. Not in the strictest sense, of course. My biology makes it clear that I am much older than all of you. Rather, I am speaking of the way in which we conceptualize and calculate our age as being a

cultural sort of endeavor. Did you know that your age would be different had you been born the exact same day but in South Korea? Allow me to explain.

“In South Korea, a baby is one year old the day it is born. As I understand it, a person’s age does not then continue to be changed on their birthday, but rather on the first day of the new year. Everyone’s age changes at once. January first comes around and every single person in the country, regardless of their actual birthday, adds a candle to the cake, so to speak. Therefore, it is entirely possible that a child born seven days prior could be considered two years old. It’s fascinating, really. Reminds us that time is a law of nature that we have managed to also make our own as humans. Gravity is what it is, the color of the sky is not in our control, but time! Perhaps mankind’s greater feat in subduing the Earth is making time so much our own that many believe it to be wholly manmade.”

Honestly, the auditorium was dead silent.

I mean, you could have heard a pin drop.

It went from snickers about this place somehow being a “prestigious academy” to mindblown, this-dude-is kind-of-ontosomething, never-saw-that-coming silence. I could hear my mom’s voice echoing in my mind, telling me not to judge a book by its cover. This guy might as well have been the walking advertisement.

As if suddenly reminded looking down at his paper, he said, “Oh, well, where was I? Oh, yes.” Then he looked back up, stared at the crowd in a way that kind of made it feel like he was making eye contact with all of us and none of us, and said, “Smoking is bad for you. We smoked when we were students here, look at us now. Don’t do drugs.

Thank you for having me. Goodnight.”

Then he walked away, not acknowledging that it was ten in the morning or that the assembly was supposed to last another thirty minutes, leaving 200two hundred high school juniors and seniors dumbfounded in a way most teachers only dreamed of accomplishing.

The Index

10

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

In Perspective Narratives from the campus community

What are you thankful for?

Roger Markl,

Brayden Foust,

junior

junior

“I’d like to think I’m thankful for most of the things I have in life at the moment: a job, a supportive family and great friends. However, as it stands currently there are two things I am the most thankful for — my mom and my girlfriend. My mom being there for me during my darkest days and my girlfriend getting me off my keister to have some fun every once and awhile. Both are reminders that I have a good life and it could always be worse!”

“I’m thankful for my family, friends and their safety in the middle of a pandemic. I’m also thankful for masks, Dr. Fauci and the Democratic voters, especially in Pennsylvania.”

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

The Index

11

Kirksville High School football finishes season without outbreak ABBY HOBOLD Contributing Writer

The Kirksville High School football team completed an 11-game season Nov. 6. After implementing a multitude of safety precautions for players and fans, the team did not see any cases of COVID-19. Submitted photo

This season the Kirksville High School football team had to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions while allowing students to play.

Kirksville High School is in Div. IV of the North Central Missouri Conference. The season started Aug. 28 and ended Nov. 6, 2020. With about 55 students on the team, they won six games and lost five. The team is currently ranked No. 28 out of 57 teams in the division, and No. 154 out of 326 teams in Missouri.

Before each practice, players answered questions about any possible recent exposure to the virus and had their temperature taken.

Students were then required to wear face masks unless running a drill, and were required to stay six feet apart from each other. Varsity and junior varsity teams were split into position groups. Each group had its own equipment that had to be wiped down with disinfectant after every use by students or coaches. Students were asked to bring their personal equipment home to clean as well.

Players were also required to wear masks and social distance during games unless they were playing on the field. While the team traveled, each student had an assigned seat on the bus, had to wear a mask and had to have the windows down.

All teams were told to not shake hands before or after any game to reduce the spread of the virus. These rules were developed by the superintendents, athletic directors and each school’s health department.

Kirksville High School also implemented an attendance rule to restrict how many fans could be in attendance. This rule had three phases —­ orange, yellow and green. For each phase, players received a certain amount of tickets they could give to family or friends to see the game. Orange meant each player only got two tickets, yellow gave each player four tickets and green allowed anyone to be in attendance with no tickets required. At each

phase, all fans had to wear a mask and social distance from each other.

For the entirety of the season, the team stayed on orange.

John McConnell, a fan of the football team since 1968 when he started covering the team for KTVO, said students and their parents were good about sharing unused tickets so as many people could come as possible. The concession stand was open, but offered a limited menu.

First Year Coach Kevin Krietemeyer said there was no team bonding this season outside of practice because everyone was afraid that one player might get sick, which would force the team into quarantine.

The Kirksville High School football team did not have any students test positive for the virus during the 2020 season. Krietemeyer said it seems like the students enjoyed the season, despite the necessary precautions “Did they hate being scared they may get the whole team sick if they did something wrong or even something they could not control? Yes,” Krietemeyer said. “Were they tired of constantly worrying about their classmates being around them and losing their season ‘cause of someone else’s behavior outside of the classroom? Yes.” Schools in the NCMC Conference decided once a team had a player test positive, the entire team was not allowed to play for two weeks, even if the infected student tested negative sooner than that. Teams with an active case were not allowed to play even if other students tested negative with the infected student in quarantine.

Although the team lost this season, Krietemeyer said that it was a good season for them. McConnell added that the students understood what they had to do to keep playing this season, along with parents and fans who wanted to support the team.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

BULLDOG BASKETBALL GEARS UP FOR SEASON

Men’s team looks Women’s team to continue last adjusts to new season’s success challenges RYAN PIVONEY Editor-in-Chief

STEVEN FINDLEY JR Contributing Writer

The Truman State University men’s basketball team is set to play its first game of the season Friday, Nov. 27 against the Lewis University Flyers.

The Great Lakes Valley Conference granted men’s and women’s basketball a 22-game winter season against conference opponents only. Practice began Oct. 15.

Last season, the Bulldogs secured their first GLVC Tournament title with a one point win over the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Before heading to the NCAA Div. II Tournament, the season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, the Bulldogs are heading into their first game since March.

Austin McBeth, assistant men’s basketball coach, said nobody on the team has had to isolate or quarantine this semester, so the team has been able to practice as usual.

With many returners, McBeth said, practice has been productive.

“The main thing I’ve noticed during practice is how much having veterans on our team has helped in this unprecedented season,” McBeth said. “We have several new guys in our program this year, and our returners have done a good job getting them up to speed and leading by example.”

The men’s team has five new players this season, and McBeth said each new addition is impressive for different reasons and provides depth to the team. He said some of these newcomers will see play on the court this season.

Guard Elijah Hazekamp, a redshirt sophomore, said preparations for this season have been intense, with practice occurring five or six times each week.

Hazekamp said he expects the team to compete well this season as it balances new faces with the experience of veteran players.

McBeth explained that the team has been focused on defense this season.

“I would hope that our fans would see us hang our hat on the defensive end,” McBeth said. “Coach Horner has always prioritized defense above anything else, and it showed last year during our championship run. Another thing we hope our fans see this year is how hard we play. We know there’s no substitution for effort, and it’s something we always want to bring every time we step on the floor.”

Although the GLVC has not permitted spectators at games, live streams and recordings of games are available through the GLVC Sports Network.

Hazekamp said the team has also been thinking about how to safely compete amid the coronavirus pandemic so it can have a complete season.

“There has to be some sort of concern in the back of our mind,” Hazekamp said. “We really want to play, but we also want to be as safe as possible. As of right now, we’re just preparing as if we are going to play.”

With the overarching influence of COVID-19 persistent this year, many organizations like the NCAA have had to adjust accordingly to remain operational.

Katey Klucking, a junior guard for Truman State University women’s basketball team, said the pandemic has affected many student athletes’ routines.

“As a college athlete your life is strictly based around a schedule and COVID-19 has thrown our schedules all out of sorts ever since the spring,” Klucking said.

Klucking also acknowledged the difficulty of selfworkouts, as gyms in her hometown of Columbia, Missouri, were shutting down and a basketball court was nearly impossible to find for a reasonable daily rental price.

Since the team came back together, the Bulldogs have been trying to prepare for the upcoming season.

“We started to get back into the flow of things,” Klucking said. “Team practices and weight lifting together allowed us to rebuild our team chemistry.”

Team chemistry will play a large part in keeping the team together during the tough season under new guidelines.

This season will begin under the no-fans protocol, which means athletes, like Klucking, might have to play the entire season without support from family or friends in the stands.

“Playing in an empty gym is pretty boring, and that crowd energy that we get from Pershing will be immensely missed,” Klucking said. “We just have to bring that energy from ourselves to every single game this season.”

Theo Dean, head women’s basketball coach, is entering his second season on top, and said he is looking to propel the program to new heights.

Dean shares his frustrations about the COVID-19 protocols with other coaches in the nation.

“I think the biggest challenge was my players having to find ways to access facilities to workout on their own this offseason,” Dean said. “Players had to be flexible and creative in the ways they worked out, including outdoor exercises.”

Players on the team who reside in states around the country were also of concern to Dean, because some small towns could not provide proper facilities.

While players faced this challenge, weekly COVID testing and masked practices were also put into effect as the team came back together this fall.

“Playing basketball in a mask is terrible, and our players had to suffer through the first few weeks of practice with them on,” Dean explained.

Outside of the player-affected protocols, the season itself has been reshaped by the GLVC into a conference-only schedule divided up into divisions. Truman will participate in the Central Division this year.

Dean said he thinks this season will take even more mental toughness than previous seasons, as each game is not promised, placing more intensity between teams when they are played.

Junior center Allison Thomas faced an offseason during a pandemic, but also an offseason of rehabilitation from her ACL injury last season.

“I chose to stay in Kirksville over the summer to have access to a physical therapist with so many being unavailable in my hometown,” the Kansas City native said. “Having access to a physical therapist and their equipment was crucial to my recovery this offseason.”

Thomas said she understands the importance of being healthy for the season, and expressed positive sentiments about her progress as she is projected to be ready by the first game.

“The biggest team challenge has definitely been working through COVID protocols and staying healthy so that we can take the court again,” Thomas said.

A lack of fans in the stands is also an unpleasant factor for the junior center, but she said she still recognizes the need for the team to bring high energy levels to each game this season.

Forward Alex McQuinn scores in a game last season. The Bulldogs will begin play Nov. 27. Photo from TMN Archives VOLUME 112

ISSUE 5

Forward Maddie Re attempts a layup in a game last season. The women’s basketball team has faced a number of challenges leading up to this season, many of which stem from COVID-19 safety precautions. Photo from TMN Archives

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