The Index Vol. 111 Issue 10

Fall weather fluctuates dramatically

Homecoming fundraisers give back to community, page 6 Giving thanks by giving back, page 7 Women’s basketball opens season with sweep, page 13

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Truman State University tmn.truman.edu THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

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UCS UTILIZATION INCREASES AS ENROLLMENT DROPS

University Counseling Services Utilization Since 2017 First time Appointments by Month

The Truman State University executive leadership team is developing the next University strategic plan which focuses on community input and metrics for goal measurement.

Truman’s current strategic plan was approved by the Board of Governors in October 2016 and is effective through 2020. The next plan will need to be approved by the Board of Governors in June of 2020 and will be effective from July 2020 through 2025. The executive leadership team held a town hall event Nov. 11 to discuss the new strategic plan.

The new plan establishes three areas of focus: institutional effectiveness/organizational excellence, student success and achievement, and external validation/reputation. Each area is broken down into specific categories for improvement, such as enrollment, campus climate, academic performance and employer satisfaction. Each of these areas is further defined by metrics created for data collection and assessment.

“This is going to allow us to measure our progress on each of these metrics,” University President Sue Thomas said in the town hall meeting. “So how we want to look at this

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is what kind of major comprehensive initiatives can we do to be able to move the needle on each of these metrics.”

Janet Gooch, vice president for academic affairs and provost, said the metrics were developed through the executive leadership team, but a lot of them, such as graduation rates, are required by the state for performance funding. Others are institutional specific, Gooch said, so Truman is interested in employer and alumni satisfaction as well as campus climate.

Gooch said the University hasn’t conducted employer satisfaction and alumni satisfaction surveys since 2012.

The alumni survey was revised in 2012, but has not been re-implemented.

“With different people in the President’s position and the provost position we just kind of lost sight of that for a little bit,” Gooch said. “Now we recognize that, ‘Yeah, that’s been on the shelf too long, let’s get back to that.’”

Gooch said measuring the success of the strategic plan with metrics is new to this strategic plan being developed. One of the relative weaknesses of the last plan, Gooch explained, was that some of the goals weren’t very measurable.

See PLANNING page 3

The town hall was held in Violette Hall. Truman’s current strategic plan was approved by the Board of Governors in October 2016 and is effective through 2020. Photo by Ryan Pivoney

VOLUME 111 ISSUE 10 © 2019

Appointments for Returning Students

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University President presents strategic plan RYAN PIVONEY Editor-in-Chief

had mental health care before, so they are just wanting to continue with the kind of care they have previously received.

She said the industry is doing a better job of diagnosing mental health problems and therefore treating those problems “I think we are seeing impacts of the[Americans with Disabilities Act],” Higgins said. “A number of students in the past who would have not of been successful and made it to the college level can now be successful with the accommodations through the office of student access.

See UCS page 3

Number of Students

University Counseling Services at Truman State University has seen an increase in the utilization of its services, and it is starting to find ways to cope with the increase in students.

“We had a record September,” Joe Hamilton, assistant director of UCS, said. “It was the highest September for first-time student [appointments] ever. That is the highest month we have ever had in our history at UCS.” Hamilton said with more students coming in, it is harder to juggle his administrative responsibilities with his counselor responsibilities. He said it is more stressful on staff to try and manage the demand.

Hamilton said higher utilization is a continuing trend, not only at Truman but across the nation.

“I was actually surprised though,” Hamilton said. “I thought with enrollment going

down so much that our numbers would be not so high.”

Hamilton said UCS had a record number of appointments in October with 603 appointments.

He said the department is in line to see about 800 students using services this semester.

Brenda Higgins, Director of UCS and Student Health Services, attributes the rise utilization to the reduced stigma.

Hamilton said there is a generational trend showing more young people with mental health concerns.

Higgins said more students who are coming to UCS already

Number of Students

RACHEL BEKCER News, Photo Editor

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UCS Secretary, Ann Weidner schedules appointments at her desk. UCS saw a record number of appointments in October.

Photo by Daniel Degenhardt

Ongoing Violette Hall construction affects classes MATT FRANK Staff Writer In late October, construction began in Violette Hall’s basement to replace the chiller unit, which creates cool air in the building. Issues arose when instructors found themselves interrupted while teaching classes by construction noises that made hearing difficult.

The construction is part of a larger project intended to replace two chillers on campus. The first was in the Student Union Building and was replaced near the end of the summer. Truman State University was faced with the option of continuing the project and replacing the Violette chiller right after the construction in the SUB was finished, or waiting until October, Dave Rector, vice president for administration, finance and planning, said.

“We were down to two weeks before the start of the semester, and if they ran into problems, we may not have had any air conditioning in Violette Hall when the students came back,” Rector said. “So the contractor offered to come back in late October for the same price.”

The total cost for the project of replacing the two chillers was around $850,000. This project, while important for maintaining a stable temperature in Violette, caused issues for instructors because of noise in the building.

The Academic Affairs office was tasked with contacting relevant parties to make them aware of the construction in case changes needed to be made to instructors’ plans.

Some instructors expressed their frustration because they were not notified of impending construction and found out about it while teaching.

“The first day the construction affected me was in a Calculus III class in Violette Hall 1148, which is on the northwest side of the building,” Kevin Easley, profes-

sor of mathematics, said. “It sounded like they were running a jackhammer that day, and the noise was so loud that we had to leave the classroom because we could not hear each other. I brought them upstairs to a study area with a whiteboard, and my class sat on a circular sofa, and we continued class there for the day.”

Easley considers himself lucky because he teaches in Violette 1148 after other instructors. The instructors teaching in Violette 1148 prior to Easley had already reserved a new room for their classes to escape the noise, and the room was offered to Easley as well. Because of this he did not have to hear the construction noise again.

One of those instructors was Stephen Quinn, assistant profes-

sor of mathematics. Quinn requested a new room to teach in because he found it impossible to teach with the noise.

“The main issue has been the noises,” Quinn said. “There was banging, drilling and sawing. At times I would have to raise my voice to talk over these noises, and at other times it was too loud, and I could not raise my voice enough and had to pause and wait it out.”

The noise would not happen every day, Quinn said. After a while, the noise became enough of an issue that Quinn decided to have his class permanently moved to a different room in Violette where the noise would not be an issue.

See VIOLETTE page 3

The constuction in Violette Hall started in the summer. It is part of a larger project intended to replace two chillers on campus. Photo by Mary Van Winkle

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The Index

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Macbeth flips the script NATALIE WILSON Copy Editor

The Truman State University theatre department is putting on a production of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” with several twists in store, including a gender swapped cast and greater use of audiovisual effects.

This casting decision fills the practical need for more roles played by women because Truman’s theatre department has more women than men, Director David Goyette said.

One goal of the play is to address the issue of limited female representation in the theatre, especially in more substantial roles, which is also a concern in film and television, Goyette said.

The decision to cast roles regardless of gender was also made to open up a dialogue in the theatre department about casting, gender, identity and how to make compelling choices that resonate with today’s audiences.

“As a theatre department, I think that it’s a part of our duty and mission to be a part of the change to provide those opportunities for female actors to change and improve and grow as performers,” Goyette said.

Lead actors Courtney Klein and Max Richards, who play the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth respectively, both said they thought the gender swapped casting opened up opportunities for actors to play roles they never thought they would be able to play.

Klein said the gender swapped casting motivated actors to push themselves and try new things as they worked to inhabit their roles. Actors were able to branch out and challenge themselves in ways they had not done before.

“You kind of have to break down your barriers and build them up again just trying to break through these characters,” Klein said.

Richards said the play is very political as it’s about what’s occurring in the administration currently running the country. Cameron Smith, the actor playing the role of Ross, said the director of the play is interested in holding up a mirror to society while bringing a modern lens to a classic tale.

Goyette said the goal of the play is to show the tools a tyrannical leader uses to control the masses, and to make people think about the little things they do everyday that either reflect or do not reflect their values.

Richards said he hopes people will come to the play with an open mind, see the diverse group of people involved in the production and see what the department is trying to accomplish through the play.

The cast during the first fight scene of the play. The play ran Nov. 13-15 in James G. Severns Theatre in Ophelia Parrish Building. Photos by Daniel Degenhardt

Top: The characters have a feast. Goyette said though the play attempts to subvert some elements through casting and technology, the script has remained true to the script Shakespeare wrote.

Left to right: Genisis Sanchez, as Malcom, Meredith Murphee as King Duncan and Emma Haines as the captain. The production featured a cast of mostly gender swapped roles, where male actors played female characters and female actors played male characters.

Bottom: Max Richards, playing Lady Macbeth. Smith said, the costumes will be mostly period costumes of the early 1600s Jacobian era when Shakespeare wrote the play.

Crime Reports staff Serving the University community since 1909 Editor-in-Chief: Ryan Pivoney Managing Editor: Elisabeth Shirk News Editor: Rachel Becker Sports Editor: Chase Potter Features, Opinions Editor: Erica Lindsay Copy Chief: Cara Quinn Design Chief: Emmett Divendal Photo Editor: Rachel Becker Designers: Jake Bertish Photographers: Caleb Bolin, Kara Mackenzie, Daniel Degenhardt, Bidan Yang, Emily Johnson, Mary Van Winkle Copy Editors: Kayla Lewis, Luke Jacobi, Emile Hummel, Jessica Robinson, Maddie Lee, Sami Harris Staff Writers: Gordon McPherson, Allison Maschhoff, Brittany Conley, Erica Schamel, Matthew Frank, Josie Wagner Adviser: Don Krause

DPS & KPD 11/5 Motor fuel theft reported at the 2200 block of North Baltimore St. 11/6 Public intoxication reported at the 200 block of South Haliburton St.

11/14 Escape from custody under arrest for felony, three warrants reported at the 200 block of South High St. 11/14 Theft reported at the 600 block of North Baltimore St.

11/6 Theft reported at the 100 block of West Washington St.

11/14 Dead body reported at the 800 block of West Gardner St.

11/6 Fourth degree assault, second offense reported at the 700 block of Smith St.

11/15 Simple assault reported at the 2100 block of North Baltimore St.

11/6 Weapons offense reported at the 500 block of North Marion St.

11/15 Third degree assault reported at the 1000 block of East Cottonwood St.

11/8 Theft reported at the 700 block of North Franklin St.

11/16 Burglary reported at the 800 block of West Gardner St.

11/8 Third degree assault reported at the 200 block of Monte Carlo Rd.

11/16 Loud party reported at the 1100 block of Country Club Dr.

11/8 Theft reported at the 1400 block of Queens Ct.

11/16 Burglary reported at the 600 block of South First St.

11/8 Theft reported at the 1600 North Baltimore St.

11/16 Theft reported at the 700 block of North Franklin St.

11/9 Visibly intoxicated minor reported at the 1200 block of North Baltimore St.

11/16 Theft reported at the 2100 block of Somerset Dr.

11/10 Driving while intoxicated, suspicious activity reported at the 400 block of East Jefferson St. 11/10 Third degree assault reported at the 600 block of North Franklin St. 11/12 Second degree property damage reported at the 700 block of West Link St. 11/14 Alarm, panic, out of control juvenile reported at the 1400 block of South Boundary St.

11/16 Fight reported at the 500 block of North Franklin St. 11/17 Loud party reported at the 1300 block of East Washington St. 11/17 Motor vehicle theft reported at Broadview 11/17 Motor vehicle theft, theft of controlled substance, property damage in the first degree reported at the 700 block of North Osteopathy St.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

The Index

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UCS| Counseling Services discusses how to cope with increased appointments Continued from Page 1 It means people who may have not been able to have even gotten to college now can and can be successful in college with those kinds of supports.”

Higgins said those factors together created a storm for college counseling services across the country.

Hamilton said an advertisement for a psychology position was posted in September, the psychologist would work parttime at A.T. Still Univesity and at Truman. However, Higgins said they have not received an application for the position.

“That has been pretty frustrating to us,” Higgins said. “I think that part of the reason for that is because our posting was a little late for the academic year. A lot of people who were looking for jobs in academia probably already had them, we were really hoping that if we posted something in September we would have someone by January… but that is not looking good.”

Higgins said nation-wide there is a shortage of higher-level mental health providers, like psychologists and psychiatrists, so enticing someone to Kirksville is not an easy task.

Higgins said UCS is going to continue looking to hire a psychologist. She also said that

having another person on staff would have been helpful, especially since it would have been someone with a little higher level of expertise.

While the position would not have been crucial, it would have been beneficial Higgins said.

“Am I disappointed we do not have more people to help treat our students? Yes,” Higgins said. “but we are doing ok. The President has expressed interest in what our numbers are and wait times … so I think we have interest all the way up to the President in supporting students and their mental health, so that’s a good thing.”

Higgins said the department has done well this semester despite the lack of staff.

“We have not had a waiting list this semester and right now is our busiest time,” Higgins said.

“Students right now are experiencing the longest wait that we have had all year long, it always get busier at the end of the year.”

There has not been a waiting list for appointments for several years, Higgins said. At the moment students are not waiting to schedule appointments, but their appointments might be two or three weeks out from when the schedule them, Higgins said, which is the longest they have had in a while.

Higgins explained that if there is an emergency UCS will always see a student immediately.

Hamilton said that UCS is going to talk as a whole staff about what changes need to be made, to cope with the higher utilization trend.

“There are multiple ways of changing our delivery model to accommodate the students,” Higgins said. “We are trying to be open-minded and meet it headon before we have a problem.

If we don’t have the additional staff we want to meet that need, if we add staff that will just be a bonus” Hamilton said that the department has to work with the resources it has because it never knows what the staffing is going to look like.

He said it can either hire more people or change its processes to meet the growing demand.

“If our staffing remains the same, hopefully it won’t because hopefully, we can hire a psychologist,” Hamilton said. “We are definitely going to have to look at our current service model and make some adjustments.”

Hamilton said February will be UCS’ highest month for the spring semester but overall numbers of new students coming in the spring will be lower.

The University Counseling Services saw a record number of appointments in October. Over Thanksgiving break it plans to have an all-staff meeting about how to better cope with the increaing numbers. Photo by Daniel Degenhardt

CONSTRUCTION| Construction in Violette Hall has started to impact lectures in the building Continued from Page 1 The noise has been reported in Violette rooms in the 1100 wing, so by moving classes away from there during construction times, the noise has had less of an impact.

Having not been made aware of the construction, there are some instructors that do not even fully know what is being done that has caused disruptions to their classes.

“I understand they are doing construction work to

The Academic Affairs office was tasked with contacting instructors about the constuction. Some instructors expressed their frustration because they were not notified of impending construction and found out about it while teaching. Photo by Mary Van Winkle

improve the campus, but I could not say what they are improving, other than something called a chiller,” Quinn said. “I understand they have to do work. I am a little frustrated they are doing it during the semester and disrupting my class. I don’t remember seeing anything letting me know this was going to happen.”

The construction is nearing an end, and should be finished in about a week or so, Rector said.

PLANNING| Three areas of focus are outlined in new strategic plan “It really is a form of assessment for an institution — a time to set goals and be visionary and then create a plan, a strat-

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egy, so that everybody knows how we’re going to get where we want to be,” Gooch said.

University President Sue Thomas presenting the strategic plan in a town hall. The town hall was held Nov. 11 in Violette Hall. Photo by Ryan Pivoney

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campus, Thomas said, those might be set aside to focus on what will make the most impact on the metrics.

In addition to the metrics, Thomas said the new strategic plan could include a second Strategic Planning and Assessment Workshop day to keep faculty and staff informed about University data and progress on the strategic plan. She said this second SPAW day would allow the University to stay more focused on the plan.

Gooch said the strategic plan is important because it gives the University the opportunity to think through what it can accomplish and how it will get there in about five years.

Truman has to have a strategic plan for its accreditation with the state, but Gooch said it is also a valuable exercise.

OI

ministration, Gooch explained.

While they have always allowed for feedback, Gooch said the approach the administration is using this time is to be as inclusive as possible from the start.

“We’re very interested in what the faculty and staff think our priorities should be and where we need to really focus our attention moving forward,” Gooch said.

Gooch said input is important because Truman needs institutional buy-in from the different areas of campus so that everyone feels invested in the plan and carrying it out.

Thomas said the University community should be thinking about how to operate differently to improve the defined metrics. While there are some important initiatives on

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Continued from Page 1 She said some metrics can be more qualitative than quantitative, which makes the metric groups important for defining what those metrics are.

Gooch pointed to the campus climate section as one area that remains unclear in the strategic plan. She said there are a couple measurements for campus climate across the University, but there needs to be more time spent determining what exactly to look at in this area.

“Some of these metrics we have nailed — we know exactly how we’re going to get the data, we know exactly how we’re going to get the metric,” Gooch said. “On others, we’re not so clear.”

The process behind the creation of the strategic plan can differ depending on the ad-

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Stu Gov

UCS efforts need to be more proactive Despite dwindling enrollment numbers, University Counseling Services continues to experience increasing numbers. UCS has steadily responded to the influx with measures to develop greater support and efficiency. At a time of particular urgency, however, those in need are enduring excessive delays.

We, The Index Editorial Board, believe the steps being taken by UCS are important but overdue. Though forward movement is promising, persistent lack of staffing, resources and availability abandons the very public it aims to serve. If Truman State University wants to improve upon its mental health initiatives, it must become more proactive.

Uncertainties are of course inevitable in any realm of work. When faced with unforeseen adversity, adjustments must be made quickly and accordingly. Amid several instances of crisis over the past few years, however, Truman has consistently failed to meet demand.

September witnessed a record high of first time UCS appointments. The department is holding regular staff meetings to discuss a new direction, but progress has been slow. A psychologist position requested in 2018 was only recently posted as a job opening this fall, leading to staffing shortages and subsequent scheduling delays. Students looking for as-

sistance remain on up to three week waiting lists.

As media practitioners, we know the value of timeliness. We also know that preparation starts with planning ahead. Stories and layouts are often developed well in advance to account for potential contingencies. With something as crucial as student wellness, it is not unreasonable to expect similar effort from our University.

The upward trend in UCS usage, though perhaps indicative of rising stress levels on campus, also signals an encouraging decline in the stigma around seeking help. Greater utilization of these services is largely a good thing. We want to see more students reach out in times of trouble, but we also hope Truman will pay more attention to the higher traffic so that adequate treatment can be offered.

While past lapses are irrevocable, they provide insight for future decisions. With that in mind, Truman can correct missteps and improve outlooks if resources are allocated appropriately — and promptly. As students start to take greater responsibility for addressing their mental health concerns, maybe it is time for Truman to do the same.

All of the residence halls on campus are unique and special

Buzz

StuGov encourages students to be civically engaged With the 2020 general election still almost a year out, it can seem like there are not many ways to be civically engaged. However, there are many ways to have your opinions voiced and to stay active through Kirksville’s local government.

Student Government’s external affairs committee works to connect students with the City of Kirksville. As part of our efforts to do so this year, we have been attending a variety of meetings to stay informed and to ensure Truman students’ voices are heard in deliberations.

Members of our committee attend Kirksville City Council meetings to stay up-to-date with proposed legislations and to bring those legislations to Student Government to gather feedback from students.

Some of our members also attend Main Street Kirksville committee meetings, in which the revitalization of Kirksville’s downtown area is discussed.

Recently, the committee has worked on the renovation of storefronts and facades for businesses on Kirksville’s historic square.

In December, the committee plans to have a variety of holiday events to get the community to come out to the downtown shops and support their local businesses. Be on the lookout for those events!

Kirksville City Council meets every other Monday in the City Hall Council Chambers. If you are interested in getting more involved in TrumanKirksville relations such as these, or have ideas about how Student Government could further develop these relationships, reach out to chair Emily Smith at ems7485@truman.edu to learn more.

Have a great Thanksgiving break, Bulldogs!

SUBMITTED BY: Emily Smith External Affairs Committee Chair

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The Index

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

THANKSGIVING BREAK Classes will not take place Nov. 25-29. Truman State University offices will be closed Nov. 27-29.

25 NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER

HOLIDAY CLASSIC FILMS 7-9 P.M. CURTAIN CALL COMMUNITY THEATRE

The Curtain Call Community Theatre’s Holiday Classic Films series continues with a screening of “The Bishop’s Wife.”

Admission is $5 and concessions will be available.

COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER 11 A.M. TO 1 P.M. CORNERSTONE CHURCH

The Kirksville Cornerstone Church is sponsoring a free Thanksgiving dinner for anyone interested.

02 DECEMBER

28 NOVEMBER

ENGLISH AND LINGUISTICS SENIOR SEMINAR CAPSTONE CONFERENCE 8:30 A.M. - 3:45 P.M. SUB GEORGIAN ROOMS

Students majoring in English will present their capstone presentations over a variety of topics. Keynote speaker Conor Gearin, a Truman alumnus and co-host of the podcast “Biogenesis,” will be giving a presentation.

SAB GINGERBREAD HOUSE MAKING 3-5 P.M. SUB GEORGIAN ROOMS

This Student Activities Board-sponsored event involves a competition to build the best gingerbread house. Those interested can participate either individually or in teams. Hot chocolate will be available.

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05 DECEMBER

SAB PRESENTS: HOLIDAY LIGHTS 7-8:30 P.M. KIRK MEMORIAL

Truman’s Student Activities Board is hosting this annual event featuring acapella performances, food, drinks, lights and more.

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news in brief New Police officer hired at Truman State University’s Department of Public Safety Slater Kelley began his duties Nov. 4, 2019. He graduated from Moberly Area Community College’s Law Enforcement Training Center Academy.

He then worked in the Adair County Sheriff ’s Office before moving to DPS.

City Council in brief Retaining wall to be replaced Kirksville City Council approved for a block of retaining wall along First and Fillmore Streets to be removed and replaced. There will be an allocation of municipal funds for the removal and replacement of the retaining wall, and concrete stamping in the amount of $34,870 for 2019 and $22,865 for 2020.

Reappointments awarded City Council approved the reappointments of five city worker positions. First, they approved Anna Grace to the Kirksville Historic Preservation Commission. Secondly, they approved Jim Baumgartner to another five-year term on the Board of Adjustment expiring in June 2024. They also approved John Gillum to the Kirksville Housing Authority.

Lastly, they reappointed Tony Fajkus and Daniel Joyner to the Tax Increment Financing Commission for another four-year term of which both would expire in October 2023.

UGC in brief Dean searches Two candidates for the school of business vitisted campus. While a third canidate was scheduled for a visit to campus this week but was unable to come.

This meeting might be rescheduled. There were two candidates for the School of Arts and Letters.

Interdisciplinary study The UGC committee has a list of 30 classes that haven’t been taught in five years. It sent out the list to see which courses to keep or make inactive. The committee will look at ways to revitalize the courses on the list.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Homecoming fundraisers give back to community ERICA SCHAMEL Staff Writer

Truman State University’s 76th Homecoming Celebration raised $15,420.63 and a car load of supplies for local charities this year.

Last Homecoming, Truman tried to make it an all-inclusive campus event by not limiting activities to only sororities and fraternities. This year, Truman’s celebration emphasized bringing the Truman community together.

The four categories of involvement in fundraising at the event were celebration, spike, white and purple.

The winner in the purple category for larger organizations was the orange team, which consisted of Cardinal Key, Delta Zeta and Tau Kappa Epsilon. Sigma Alpha won the white brackett for smaller organizations.

Lauren Kreutz, who participated on the orange team and Zach Plunkett, who was a member of the blue team were Homecoming royalty.

The 2019 Homecoming philanthropies were the Kirksville Child Development Center and AM Housing. Homecoming Director Courtey Atwell said

previous philanthropies were one local and one national, but the Homecoming team decided this year that it wanted to focus on local philanthropies.

Truman gave all donations to KCDC, while supplies from the hygiene product drive were dropped off at 215 North High Street where AM Housing offers transitional housing to those in need.

“Since we are trying to be inclusive to the whole community, we are trying to get everybody involved, even people who are not students,” Atwell said.

Atwell said they’re looking for faculty, staff and Kirksville residents to get involved.

The KCDC’s roots are definitely with Truman, KCDC Director Katy Korte said.

KCDC was started by a group of parents and Korte who was teaching at Truman’s Child Development Center when it closed down in May 2006.

KCDC mainly gets involved with the Kirksville community through Truman, Korte said.

Korte also said KCDC works with Truman’s nursing students and education practicum, and they collaborate with different organizations to raise aware-

ness of the needs of young children in the community.

KCDC’s website says it’s educational philosophy is that kids learn and grow best through open-ended, child-directed play.

This foundation encourages each child’s intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth.

Madeline Nash, KCDC Board of Directors member, said it’s important to recognize that the office setting that’s been created in schools isn’t productive in teaching kids how to use their bodies and space, as well as helping them learn how to use their eyes to track things.

KCDC received $15,420.63 from this year’s Homecoming philanthropy efforts. Currently their No. 1 priority is to get a zipline for the children, Nash said.

“That [zipline] moves us toward those goals of helping them track their body and space and helping them track the world around them and be able to foster resilience,” Nash said.

They will also be spending the money on equipment to go with science, technology, engineering and mathematics light tables, Korte said.

“Being able to play with things

like light and really understand light and the world and like experiment with those kinds of things that sort of you know create a three year old version of a hypothesis and test that hypothesis so that when you’re actually in your chem lab,” Nash said.

This was KCDC’s first time being a philanthropy for Truman’s Homecoming. Nash said she thinks Homecoming has had a pretty big impact on the KCDC community since it got the news from the Homecoming committee that they were one of the philanthropies.

“It feels like this year there’s maybe a bigger sense of community among the families and the parents and that there’s maybe a stronger sense of connection with each other,” Nash said.

Nash said she thinks having strong evident support from the Truman community strengthened the Homecoming theme of “better together” and helped KCDC get on board to celebrate and be excited about what it does.

Homecoming also donated to AM Housing, whose long term goal is to have a homeless shelter for anybody to use said fundraising chair for

AM Housing Jimmy Clemens.

Community members and students dropped off items at its location on North High Street during Homecoming week, in addition to students dropping off a car load of supplies for Homecoming, Clemens said.

Some of AM Housing’s tenants sorted through the supplies and found clothes to wear, Clemens said.

“So some of the supplies have already helped our tenants which is awesome,” Clemens said.

“Then the other of those supplies were sold during our garage sale … and so we got hundreds of dollars from that garage sale and I think about $400.”

The $400 that was collected from the garage sale will be used to fix up the current property AM Housing has, such as window repairs, bedding and furniture.

Atwell said the involvement category system for Homecoming makes it easier to get the word out and makes the process more accessible for those who might not be in an organization.

Atwell said that she’s excited to see where Homecoming goes next year.

Food Pack Program available for students MATT FRANK Staff Writer The Truman State University Food Pack Program is a service on campus through which students can go to the SERVE Center and receive packs of food.

The program is meant to help students who are struggling to make ends meet or experiencing food insecurity.

The program is run out of the SERVE Center, with a committee comprised of students, faculty and staff.

The Food Pack Program began as a class project of Casey Cook’s which she then took to J.d Smiser, Director of Office of Citizenship and Community Standards. Together they developed a plan to address food insecurity on campus, Brian

Ott, assistant professor of sociology and Food Pack committee member, said.

“The committee spoke with people from the Pantry for Adair County, and they helped us in organizing the idea of the food pack program,” Ott said.

“Smiser runs the SERVE Center and said that it is a place that could be utilized as a point of distribution for this program.”

The food comes from the Pantry for Adair County, and the committee has recently been made aware that they can add food that has been donated to them to the packs, which will allow for the packs to become a little larger than what they already are, Ott said. Collections for the program will begin during the Big Week of Giving, with some of

the collections going directly to the food pack program, and the rest going to the Pantry for Adair County.

The packs are currently able to feed one person for a day or two, with a vegetarian option available. This service is open to any student who brings their student ID to the SERVE Center, which is located on the first floor of the Student Union Building. All food packs given out are logged along with the people receiving the food. The information is then given to the Pantry for Adair County, so they can report how many people in the community they are serving, because the food comes from them. PAC also gives food to Adair County residents up to twice a month.

“The committee has been

finding that, for a lot of students, they can’t make it to and from the Pantry for Adair County for any number of reasons,” Ott said. “One of them being, if a student goes there and gets a wagon full of food, they often don’t have a way to transport it.”

The ultimate goal is to have a food pantry on campus. If that is achieved then the service might expand to offer other items, like basic toiletries, Ott said.

“We are able to give out two food packs a month to a student, and only one per week,” Mollie Lamzik SERVE Center worker said. “We do also offer a third and fourth emergency food packs to students who are in need of them. We have them fill out a small form and

approve it to give them the extra packs. The third and fourth packs can still only be received once a week.”

The Food Pack Program has help from all across campus, including faculty members, Student Government, the SERVE Center and various other offices to help students who find themselves food insecure. One of those members is Kathleen Placke, food pantry committee Student Government designee.

“This has been a project that Student Government has wanted to start for a while, but Casey Cook already began the project,” Placke said.

life f

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

7

Giving thanks by giving back

Turkeys are being collected at the Pantry for Adair County on South Halliburton Street. 120 of these will be distributed to randomly selected clients.

Photo by Elisabeth Shirk

Local services extend season of appreciation community. Tina Abernathy, manager of The While the season might bring goodwill and asCrossing Thrift Store, cites food, clothes and sistance to these organizations, they continue to blankets as prime requests during this time of seek volunteers year-round. Managers concede the year. Despite these timely needs, Aberna- that volunteer work is often at the core of what Shelves are stocked, packages are sorted, and thy said that the store’s mission is no different. keeps nonprofits alive. baskets are collected. As many get ready for a restful break, local volunteer organizations dili- “We have a small food pantry and we do try “Volunteers come in and they help sort clothes, gently coordinate arrangements for the subse- and help out people who are without anything, they help hang clothes, they help reorganize and especially in the cold weather,” Abernathy ex- clean — they just do so much,” Abernathy said. “We quent weeks.

To most college students, Thanksgiving is a plained. “We’re always willing to help with that. have a lot of really good volunteers, and we get a lot of good students that come in and time of relaxation from daily stresses. For other But we don’t really change our help. We have Truman students Kirksville inhabitants, however, the holiday sea- format, because we are giving all son can bring more concern than comfort. Kirks- year long. We do price toys a little “Volunteers come in and that get class credit for volunteer hours. Then we have people that ville service organizations are especially aware bit cheaper during the holidays, they help sort clothes, just come in and volunteer. They of food insecurity and have steadily adjusted though.”

Because Thanksgiving closely they help hang clothes, don’t get anything out of it except their offerings to prepare for the higher demand. for the time they spend here and “I think [the holidays] greatly increase dona- precedes Christmas and other tions,” Sheila Swafford, Pantry for Adair County December holidays, Abernathy they help reorganize how they get to communicate manager, said. “There are more organizations said preparations for more win- and clean — they just with those in need.”

The Pantry for Adair County is and groups that look for a project to do, so they ter based needs, such as gifts and available for donation pickup or do physical collections and make those dona- warm items, becomes crucial at do so much,” this time as well. tions into food pantries.”

Tina Abernathy, drop off Tuesday 4-6 p.m. as well With greater cold weather inWednesday and Friday 1-3 Because school is often the main source of Thrift Store Manager as p.m. The Crossing Thrift Store is nourishment for students, Swafford said this flow, those working at service open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. need is notable for children specifically. Fami- sites recognize the importance lies are frequent returners for this reason, but of seasonal cheer for volunteer motivations. As to 8 p.m. and stocks clothing, food, books, and similar the pantry reaches out to singles and veterans as shortages peak, store administrators are cogni- items. The Truman SERVE center is open during norwell. Providing a sustainable Thanksgiving is a zant of their heightened opportunity to provide mal business hours and accepts collections daily. for the community. priority for all.

“We serve over 400 households a month, which “We usually get more [contributions around is about 1,080 people in those 400 households,” Thanksgiving],” Abernathy added. “We’re staySwafford disclosed. “We will be giving away tur- ing very full all the time, but people are very keys — we have about 120 of those. We will be generous at this time of year.” selecting randomly from our client list to donate Although it is clear that the surrounding community is in need of support, a perthose turkeys back to the pantries.”

Thrift stores might be popular shopping ven- haps invisible scarcity lies on camues among some, but they also serve as nec- pus itself. Truman State University essary resources for other members of the provides for Kirksville’s food-insecure families and students via the SERVE center, an exigency that is further emphasized approaching breaks like these.

SERVE staff member Mollie Lamzik noted that Truman is a generous campus, both because of service organizations and student sentiments. That philanthropy becomes further highlighted around this part of the semester.

The center is hosting its annual Big Week of Giving Nov. 18-23, planning to complete a food drive and collect turkey baskets for Kirksville’s food insecure citizens. Coordinators hope to generate excitement and knowledge regarding their contributions.

“I feel like a lot of people aren’t really aware all the time of what we do, which is why our different events throughout the year are very imporContainers are piled onto shelves for pickup at tant for the SERVE center,” Lamzik the Pantry for Adair County. The nonprofit serves said. “Those things kind of make peoover 400 households per month. Photo by Erica ple more aware that they have this resource available to them.”

Lindsay ERICA LINDSAY Staff Writer

VOLUME 111

ISSUE 10

tmn.truman.edu

www.facebook.com/TrumanMediaNetwork

@TrumanMediaNet

© 2019

8

TOP

The Index

[5]

AMERICAN THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS

s

3. Breaking the wishbone

My sister and I have broken the wishbone together for as long as I can remember and it hasn’t stopped as we’ve gotten older. It fuels our sibling rivalry in a way that doesn’t annoy our parents. If I win, I will make a wish and if I don’t, I will just have to beat her when we play cards together.

Elisabeth Shirk, holiday tradition aficionado

1. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

macy

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

One of my favorite things about waking up on Thanksgiving morning is walking into the living room and seeing the parade on TV. It always brings a great energy to the house while we work together to get everything ready for the arrival of more family.

Z

Z

Z

2. Playing games with family

4. Taking a post-turkey nap

We all know that feeling after eating a lot of food: the feeling of wanting to lie down on the couch and take a hearty nap. That nap is some of the best sleep that I get throughout the year and, therefore, must be on this list of best Thanksgiving traditions.

5. Pardoning the turkey

Every family has its own traditions outside of the Thanksgiving meal and playing games is a common one.

For my family, playing cards really brings us all together. For others it’s board games, a football scrimmage or something specific to their family. Whatever the game, waiting on the food is much more bearable with some friendly competition.

Every year, the President of the United States receives two turkeys and has to choose one turkey to pardon from Thanksgiving dinner, and every year I wish he would pardon both. This particular tradition is so bizarre that it just makes me smile, and that’s what makes the holidays great.

Fall weather fluctuates dramatically

Far Left: Sun shines through trees outside Blanton-Nason-Brewer Hall as temperatures rise. Rapid weather changes leave winter dusting vulnerable to melting. Photo by Erica Lindsay Top Right: Arctic breeze is no match for Autumn trees. Orange hues remain vibrant on campus after snowy conditions. Photo by Bidan Yang

Bottom Right: Wintery mixes light up the night. Evening snow showers brighten Stokes Stadium in early November. Photo by Rachel Becker

“Doctor Sleep” shines decently This movie gets 3.5/5 shots of whiskey.

GORDON MCPHERSON Staff Writer

“Doctor Sleep” is a thrilling — although campy — return to the devilish universe of “The Shining.”

40 years after the horrific events that transpired in the idyllic Overlook Hotel, Danny Torrance, played by Ewan McGregor, is an alcoholic haunted by the ghosts of his past. When Torrance communicates with a young girl named Abra, played by Kyliegh Curran, who shares his psychic ability to “shine,” they must work together to vanquish a gang of hipster vampires who want to vape their souls. Along the way, they must confront Torrance’s own tormented history.

First off, let me clarify a few things. No, I have not read Stephen King’s novelized versions of “Doctor Sleep” nor “The Shining.” I do, however, hold Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film adaptation close to my heart.

Kubrick’s “The Shining” never fails to send chills down my spine and traumatize me for days on end after each viewing. His detached approach to the material lends the film an aura of mysterious malevolence, perfectly complementing Jack Torrance’s descent into insanity.

Director Mike Flanagan’s “Doctor Sleep,” on the other hand, does away with much of Kubrick’s anti-sentimentality and deliberate pacing. Flanagan opts for a faster paced, more character-driven story that tackles poignant themes without the unsettling atmosphere and ambiguity that rendered Kubrick’s film a horror classic.

Ewan McGregor stars in “Doctor Sleep,” an adaptation of Stephen King’s sequel to his novel, The Shining. Movie Critic Gordon McPherson gives this Photo by Warner Brothers Pictures

film a watered down 3.5/5 shots of whiskey.

As a result, “Doctor Sleep” emerges as somewhat of a mixed bag.

Flanagan’s film sacrifices the major strengths of “The Shining” to infuse the proceedings with more character development, surreal action sequences, exposition-dumping and heavy-handed morals.

Nevertheless, “Doctor Sleep” remains highly watchable from start to finish, largely due to some emotionally impactful sequences and Flanagan’s eye for striking camerawork.

If anything, the film presents a successful continuation of Danny’s character arc. Plagued by addiction and emotional repression, Danny is a satisfyingly flawed and complex character who illustrates the film’s overarching themes of redemption, coping with trauma and remaining true to oneself — themes which Kubrick sidelined in “The Shining.” McGregor effectively conveys Danny’s suffering and personal growth, more so through his mannerisms than his dialogue, further illustrating his acting range beyond his iconic “Star Wars” role.

Danny’s bond with Abra feeds into both the film’s strengths and weaknesses. Suffice to say, without spoiling too much, their scenes together are sometimes reminiscent of a disturbing, blood-soaked superhero film — perhaps straying too far from the film’s horror roots.

Indeed, Flanagan’s attempts at horror set pieces are hit-or-miss.

Scenes involving the vampire cult,

led by the empowered but heavily sexualized Rose The Hat, played

by Rebecca Ferguson, are drenched in both shock value and occasional unintentional hilarity. While Rose’s motivations are understandable to an extent — something which could not be said about other recent horror villains — Flanagan leans too heavily into her character’s supernatural aspects. Combined with her often laughable dialogue, Rose The Hat comes across as more comical than threatening. The other members of the cult are barely worth noting, not given enough depth to make them intriguing or beyond generic.

Even so, Flanagan’s camerawork throughout the film, especially during heightened reality sequences, is eyepopping. Scenes are often basked in moody, tonal lighting, with deep shadows and an omnipresent fog hanging over the characters. Flanagan even adopts some of Kubrick’s trademark steadicam style in a few nostalgic sequences later in the film — the nostalgia heightened by the film’s marvelously Kubrickian soundtrack.

Like “It Chapter Two,” “Doctor Sleep” is nearly three hours long. Regardless of the length, one wishes he would have slowed down a bit to emphasize certain emotional scenes and shots.

While “Doctor Sleep” likely won’t be remembered as a cinematic landmark, the film still proves viscerally entertaining without lasting side effects.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

The Index

9

Not what you might expect

Writing Center seeks to end its stigmas KIRA HINTZ Contributing Writer The Writing Center is encouraging students to feel comfortable and confident in making and attending appointments, receiving peer-to-peer feedback and developing the confidence to ask for help.

The fall 2019 hiring process has given the WC 34 consultants, which is the largest amount of consultants the center has had to date. Writing consultants are hired from across campus, so there are consultants available for a variety of majors. Each hired student specializes in a certain major or has experience in several areas. There are currently consultants available for history, math, biology, spanish, psychology and communication disorders. Students are not just limited to bringing in essays — capstones, lab reports, creative writing, personal statements and citations can also be reviewed.

Writing Center Director David Leaton said over the course of a year, 1-out-of-5 students visit the WC. International students schedule appointments the most, making up 30% of consultations since 2014. He said these students usually need help with reading and understanding the mechanics of grammar, along with the difficulties of writing in a different language.

While students can be required to visit the Writing Center by a professor, Leaton said being forced to attend might not always make a student feel enthusiastic or invested in the session. Leaton said students can also procrastinate visiting the WC because they think they don’t need the help and then run out of time to schedule a visit.

A reason why some students might not attend is because there can be a stigma behind asking for help at the university level, Leaton said.

“There’s always a stigma and I think it’s probably starting to go away, but cultural change is so slow,” Leaton said. “It doesn’t happen at the speed of a single lifetime or a college experience of four years. But slowly over the years people are getting the idea that it doesn’t mean that I suck at writing if I go and get help.

Yes, the Writing Center helps. But in some cases we confirm. In some cases we just give more confidence because the writing is working well.”

Writing consultant Jacob Colangelo said evaluation anxiety could also be a reason some students might not use the WC as a resource. Although grades are not given by consultants, Colangelo said the concept of having another individual break down a paper in front of a student can understandably come off as

a scary and anxious experience. He said he doesn’t think there’s a problem with people thinking less of anyone that attends the WC. Leaton said he trains all of the consultants to not destroy a student’s self-confidence but rather to help the student realize they have the capability to write excellent papers.

Colangelo said he doesn’t think students being busy is an issue that affects WC attendance, but that there can be an incorrect perspective behind its purpose as a resource.

“I think people in general just need a better idea of what we do and why it’s helpful for everybody to come and get consultations with your writing and to take a look at what issues you might personally have as a writer because that can differ from everyone else,” Colangelo said. “Everyone has their own unique things they need to work on or struggle with and get better at.”

Christopher Outzen, director of forensics and communication instructor, said he started to implement Writing Center visits into his classes because he believes it’s important for papers to be looked over by more than just the instructor. While the WC can work as a fresh pair of eyes, Outzen said consultants can also help recognize or work through writing patterns or problems that students might experience. He said he has seen changes in students’ writing beyond what he would typically see if they hadn’t used the WC. Outzen said a typical misconception about the WC that students might have is that it only functions as a proofreading service. The WC is really a place where students go to hone their skills, and checking their work can be a part of that, Outzen said.

Leaton said a student only works with one consultant at a time. He said getting help from a student at the WC can be a less stressful experience than approaching a professor because there is not a gap of authority to worry about.

“When you’re talking to a fellow student, you’re talking to someone who’s going through the same struggles as you,” Leaton said. “These students, in particular, are trained to not try to be the authority in the room but just to be the reader. That’s who you want. It’s not intimidating. It’s not overbearing. The consultation is just good conversation about what you’re trying to accomplish with your writing.”

Leaton said he thinks even English majors should be visiting the WC all the time because they should understand what getting feedback can mean. He said their reluctance could be related to feeling like they’re going up against the

The Writing Center is located on the first floor of the Kirk Building. Writing Center Director David Leaton said there is always a stigma about asking for help from the Writing Center but he thinks it’s slowly going away.

Photo by Kira Hintz rest of the English majors and having to prove they belong in the major. Additionally, not all students have to be English majors or be taking English major classes to get help at the WC. Outzen said the amount of comments made by a professor on a paper can sometimes be easily dismissed by a student as the professor being too critical.

On the other hand, hearing constructive criticism from peers can be more effective because students can understand and relate to each other through their shared experience at Truman, Outzen said.

“It’s helpful to me as a professor to have another person, someone who’s closer to a peer status with these students,” Outzen said. “It results in papers that are less about nitpicking and trying to help improve writing mechanics. Truman students have interesting thoughts and that’s exciting, and the more I get to see that unobstructed by writing issues the better the reading experience is and the more I feel like I get to know who our students are.”

One of the ways the WC tries to reach out to students is by having consultants visit classes. Leaton said consultants will give five to eight minute presentations to writing-heavy classes like Writing as Critical Thinking or Self and Society seminars to explain the importance of getting feedback from a reader before turning a pa-

per in. Something most college students haven’t experienced yet, Leaton said, is having a trained, experienced writer look at their work.

Not everyone at Truman has the same background in English, which can make the WC a valuable resource to have on campus, Outzen said.

Colangelo said the WC has tried to reach out to the larger student body by putting up posters and having professors talk to their students. The WC would like to project an image that is honest to what they do, but it can be difficult trying to communicate with the larger student body since consultants cannot sit down with every student unless they choose to come in, Colangelo said.

A possible solution to this, Colangelo said, could be trying to build a bridge between the WC, the professors and the students so there can be a more unified sense of support for one another.

“It’s about helping students realize that college is one big community and we’re all here to help each other get through the difficulties of being a college student,” Colangelo said. “A lot of students question their sense of belonging. ‘Do I really belong here? Am I really a college person?’ That’s something that needs to be helped and students need to realize ‘Yes, you belong here because you made it here.’”

Storytime with

Allison

Playing the license plate game ALLISON MASCHHOFF Staff Writer There’s nothing quite like a four hour road trip with your new exboyfriend. As we drove in silence and sulked, I kept telling myself that this was only a reminder from above that breaking up with Tristan had been a good idea. Yes, everything is a blessing in disguise. I thought maybe if I told myself enough times, it would start feeling true.

Here’s what no one tells you about following your boyfriend to an out-of-state university: after you break up with him, he’ll still be your only ride home for Thanksgiving break. Sure, everybody said it was a bad idea. Sure, everybody said we wouldn’t last the first semester.

But no one had warned me about Thanksgiving. That would’ve actually been helpful!

Really, what I should have done, is waited to decide he was an idiot until after I had bought a car.

I sighed. Oh well. At least it was almost Black Friday. I wasn’t sure if that applied to cars, but maybe it did. If there was a good enough sale, I could buy a car and only have to live through this four hour nightmare once.

“What are you sighing about?”

Tristan said, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Nothing, sorry,” I mumbled.

“What?”

I held back a groan. There had to be a way to make all of this more bearable. I thought for a moment.

“Why don’t we play a game?”

“I’ve already played a game with you, and it didn’t go so well.”

“Oh, don’t get all metaphorical. I just want to play some sort of dumb driving game. Like finding things that start with each letter, or I Spy or the license plate game.” Anything to stop the seething silence.

He sighed dramatically. “Fine. License plate game.”

I nodded and turned myself toward the passenger window. “Missouri doesn’t count because we’re there.”

“Well, we’re only an hour from Illinois, so that shouldn’t count either.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

I rolled my eyes. I don’t know what he was fine-ing. He was the one who was getting his way!

I watched helplessly as dozens of Missouri license plates rushed past my window. Come on, come on . . . finally! “I see Indiana! Red Toyota.”

Tristan glanced toward me. “I see it.” He gestured with his head toward the other side of the highway. “I just saw a Colorado go by in the other direction.”

I grinned. “Wanna know something I recently learned about Colorado?”

“No.” “Come on! It’s fun!”

“What class did you learn it in?”

“Intro to chem.”

“Then I doubt it’s fun.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with chemistry! If anything it’s . . . statistics.”

“You do remember that I’m an English major, right? Statistics isn’t my idea of fun either.”

“Oh, I remember, Mr. Metaphor,” I mumbled.

“Not helping your case.”

“I’m just going to tell you anyway.”

He groaned.

“Colorado is one of sixteen states whose abbreviation is also the abbreviation of a chemical element on the periodic table.” I grinned.

He scoffed. “That was your fun fact?”

“Yep!” “What am I supposed to do with that?”

“I don’t know. Live a more informed life.”

He gave me a look, lips pursed and eyes humorless.

I shrugged. “Oh! There’s one from New York! Wonder what they’re doing in Missouri.”

Tristan mumbled, “Probably not playing the freaking license plate game with their ex-girlfriend like a couple of middle schoolers.”

“I heard that!”

“Good!” A pause. “There’s Iowa.”

Against my better judgment, I smiled. I then groaned dramatically, just in case he’d seen it. Wouldn’t want to give any wrong impressions — I still thought he was an idiot. But maybe this drive would help us build a bridge over the chasm of history and frustration and pain between us. I didn’t really want to cross over it again in any permanent sort of way, but it’d be nice for it to be there. It’d be nice to not hate the one person on campus who was from home, who knew me from before we all became our college selves.

I turned on the radio, keeping the volume low enough that we could still play the game. A bright green semi whizzed past us. I said, “That one was from Nebraska.”

“Nice,” Tristan said.

The silence we settled into as we waited for the next state suddenly felt much less suffocating.

The Index

10

Ouestions ?

on

Harrison Kessler, senior

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

the

Ouad ?

Will Sills, senior

Caleb Hughes, junior

Question 1: What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

“Ham.”

“Not to sound all cliché, but I would say probably the turkey.

Okay, if you want I guess a more interesting answer, my grandma makes handmade ice cream sometimes … and it is to die for.”

“I feel bad for admitting this, but cranberry sauce.”

Question 2: What is something you are thankful for?

“Friends.”

“I would say my health.

Good bodily health, good mental health.”

“My dog. It’s a Havanese, so basically an off-brand Shih Tzu.”

Question 3: If you were a holiday dessert, what would you be and why?

“I’m not sure. Maybe Neapolitan ice cream, because I do a lot of things.”

“Eggnog. Here’s why. I’m popular amongst some, and others really aren’t a fan. I’m very divisive.”

“A fruit cake, because most people don’t like me.”

Follow us on Instagram @Ktrm_fm

The Index

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

SEASON STATS FOOTBALL Overall Conference Home Away Neutral

9-2

5-2

5-0 4-2

0-0

VOLLEYBALL Overall

Conference Home Away Neutral

14 - 17

7-8

4-3 3-6

7-8

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Placings

Score

2nd/2, 2nd/15, 6th/11, 1st/8, 9th/14, 22nd/31

30, 47, 171, 21, 245, 656

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY Placings

Score

1st/2, 1st/11, 4th/11, 1st/6, 9th/14, 21st/32

23, 31, 109, 15, 194, 622

MEN’S SWIMMING Overall

Score

3-4

72, 80, 128, 56, 98, 112, 222

WOMEN'S SWIMMING Overall

Score

7-0

115, 179.50, 146, 121, 109, 258, 237

WOMEN'S SOCCER Overall

Conference

Home

Away

Neutral

11

Men’s basketball drops three in a row ERICA SCHAMEL Staff Writer

This past weekend the Truman State University men’s basketball team lost to both Grand Valley State University and Davenport University.

In the first half against GVSU, Truman scored 34 points to GVSU’s 42 points. The second half was a lot closer with Truman scoring 42 points, one less than GVSU, but in the end Truman fell by a score of 76-85.

Assistant coach Austin McBeth, who coached his first game against nationally ranked University of Findlay on Nov. 8, said he thought the team did better at shooting three-pointers this weekend than it has previously, however it’s not where it needs to be.

On Saturday the Bulldogs were down by six after the first half against Davenport University. The team continued to lag behind in the second half, losing 75-85.

McBeth said the biggest difference between these past two games was the way the team fought back against GVSU. “The last four minutes of the first half and probably the first six or seven minutes of the second half was probably the best basketball I’ve seen us play the entire season,” McBeth said.

McBeth said the team didn’t have the same kind of willingness and ability to fight at Davenport University than they did at GVSU. McBeth said guards Brodric Thomas and Hunter Strait stood out in the weekend games.

“I think there’s a lot to learn from last weekend,” Thomas said. “We keep show-

ing glimpses of how great we really can be, but we just need to keep it consistent and bring the same mentality every game for the whole game.”

McBeth also said he thought Strait made some big time shots against Grand Valley State University and made some tough shots against Davenport University when the team needed him to.

Strait said he thinks the team played a good 30 minutes at Davenport University, but during the last ten minutes of the game the team had a lot of mental lapses that allowed the other team to pull away from them.

The Bulldogs’ record for the season is now 1-3. McBeth said he thinks the season so far is underwhelming, but not a failure.

“I think that we’re still a good team and I think that we have the potential to do some really good things come conference play but it’s just been disappointing not necessarily because our record is 1-3 ... but just because I think that we had a very good chance to beat Cedarville,” said McBeth.

McBeth said he’s hoping with the team’s three losses so far in the season that the players don’t quit and instead learn from them. He said at the end of the day the team gets better when they play really tough teams.

Tonight, the Bulldogs play against Missouri Southern State University, who are ranked tenth in the country.

Leading up to tonight’s game, McBeth said he thinks for him this week is about giving the team some encouragement and a boost to get locked back in and move forward with a positive mindset.

10 - 7 - 1 10 - 5 - 0 7 - 2 - 0 3 - 5 - 1 0 - 0 - 0

MEN’S BASKETBALL Overall

1-3

Conference Home Away Neutral

0-0

0-0 1-2

0-1

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Overall

2-1

Conference Home Away Neutral

0-0

0-1 0-0

2-0 Brodric Thomas beats his defender to the paint. Thomas has led the team in scoring so far this season. Photo by Jake Wendel

FOOTBALL | Truman advances to America’s Crossroads Bowl, finishes regular season 9-2 Continued from page 14 The December matchup is the first meeting between the two teams, and is one of only five Div. II bowl games this postseason.

Wide receiver Spencer Newell has had the chance to learn underneath this season’s senior class for three years. In his time here he has seen multiple records broken, historic winning seasons and sub .500 seasons, all of which have helped craft the culture on the sidelines over his tenure with the team. “[The seniors] have really built a class act, hard working foundation for our program in the years to come,” Newell said. “They came in and won the conference, and the middle two years didn’t go the way we wanted, but they battled, came to work everyday and this year showed that their hard work finally paid off.”

Senior linebacker Eric Yakle takes an interception against McKendree University. That was Yakle’s first interception so far this season. Photo by Kara Mackenzie

This season the Bulldogs have been led by a number of seniors on both sides of the ball. This weekend’s game put the accumulation of their hard work on full display. Senior quarterback and four-year starter Jaden Barr finished the game as Truman’s new all-time leader in total offense with 9,076 career yards, passing current Bulldog hall of famer Eric Howe. This only adds to Barr’s decorated career as a member of the Truman football team. In Barr’s career as a Bulldog he has led Truman to a conference title in his freshman season, been a part of the ’Dogs only nine-win season of this millenium, and now will be under center for Truman’s first bowl game in almost 40 years.

In addition to Barr’s record-setting day, Jordan Salima finished the game with 216 rushing yards, 20 receiving yards and a rushing touchdown. Salima not only set his career high for rushing yards in his last regular season game as a Bulldog, he also eclipsed the 1,000 rushing yard mark for the second time in his four year career with Truman. Salima ranks second all-time for carries and top ten in both rushing yards and all-purpose yards.

The impact of this season’s senior class could also be seen on the defensive side of the ball last Saturday. Senior defensive back Jordan Siegel came up with an interception in the Bulldog endzone while the Knights were threatening to cut Truman’s lead to three before half. Defensive standout Sam Reeves finished his career in the purple and black by adding onto his record sack total. Reeves broke the Truman career record in the ’Dogs first game of the season and has added on eight more sacks to tighten his grip on the top spot.

From high scoring wins, to heartbreaking last-second losses, this team has been through it all in what has been one of the Bulldogs’ more dramatic seasons in recent memory. With only one game left to play, senior defensive lineman Jake Floyd says that this final game is the most important of this season. “[This game] means everything,” Floyd said. “Our squad has a chance to make our mark in the history books.”

The Bulldogs have accomplished more than most teams in Truman history this season, as only six teams in Bulldog history have qualified for the postseason, but like they have done all year, the Bulldogs are only focused on victory this week to send their seniors off with a win.

The Index

12

UPCOMING EVENTS Basketball • • • •

Men’s

Vs Missouri Southern State University at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 At Washburn University at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29 At Newman University at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30 Vs Quincy University at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Women’s

• Vs Avila University at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 • At Drury Thanksgiving Classic vs Northern Michigan University at 7:45 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 29

• At Drury Thanksgiving Classic vs University of Central Missouri at 7:45 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 30

• Vs Quincy University at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3 Swimming • At Mizzou Invite at TBA Tuesday, Nov. 19 to Thursday, Nov. 21

SOCCER| Women’s soccer loses in GLVC tournament RUNNING| Cross Country season Continued from page 14 She said the game was back and forth comes to a close and even somewhat physical, but in the end Bellarmine came out on top.

“It was pretty heartbreaking,” Kurzban said. “I can’t really describe that feeling … especially from where we started to where we finished, we were all hoping to be in Indiana.”

Overall, the season was fairly up and down, Kurzban said, until the team figured it out in the middle of the season.

Despite the slow start, the Bulldogs won eight of their last nine games.

Cannon said he was happy with the second half of the season and after those first eight games the team seemed to adjust to become a better competitor.

“Once we figured a few things out, we were a different team,” Cannon said. “I am very proud of the team for finding a way to fight back from a slow start and finish fourth in the GLVC and earn a home game for the first round.”

Cannon said the team will work on starting the season stronger and scoring more goals for next season.

Kurzban said the team will be training and becoming a more tight-knit group in the off-season, hoping to create a strong team for next fall. With five seniors, Kurzban said the younger players will step up and make a difference in the future.

“There will obviously be things the group will miss, but definitely going forward they’re going to be good leaders and good teammates,” Kurzban said.

Forward Maggie Beem celebrates with a teammate after a goal earlier this season. This was Beem’s only goal of the season. Photo by Kara Mckenzie.

Midfielder Hanna Liljegren pushes the ball upfield. All seven of Liljegren’s shots this season were on goal. Photo by Kara Mckenzie

Continued from page 14 “I think it was a good experience because a lot of the meets this season we haven’t had as much competition to run with, we haven’t had a lot of people to track down in the last mile and I felt like we did a good job of racing against people,” Bostick said.

Junior Tom Cormier, who led the Bulldogs for the men with a 103rd placing and 34:24 runtime, said he thought the meet went well, despite the course terrain still being muddy from the last meet.

He said the course was so muddy that one of the turns was made wider to accommodate the runners.

“A lot more people, definitely some fast times, faster people, a lot of people to run with,” Cormier said. “There are some very high-end individuals that come from other conferences that we’ve never raced before — or at least never have had direct competition with.”

Schwegler said the season had some ups and downs, but both the men’s and women’s teams were good to work with this season.

Cormier said the men’s team showed improvement throughout the season, despite it being somewhat of a lull recruiting season.

For next season, Bostick said she hopes the women’s team will place higher in the GLVC and that the team will have fewer injuries throughout the season.

Cormier said next year the men’s team will be looking to expand and incorporate more runners on the team. He said he hopes the team continues to work together to improve next season, and while the team packs well when running, he hopes new team members will continue doing that.

VOLLEYBALL| Volleyball finishes season with senior day win Continued from page 14 “It’s a big senior class, not just with the number of people, but what they’ve done for the program, all of them, in the time that they’ve been here,” Briney said.

With seven freshmen from this season and four new players recently signed on for next year, the Bulldogs are looking at a young 2020 roster.

Quick learning is going to be key for a young team, Briney explained. While not making it to the GLVC Tournament this season was disappointing, he said that sometimes the season just doesn’t go how they plan and now the team needs to focus on coming back with the right attitude and work ethic.

“The big thing for the returners going into next year is, ‘What do I need to do to make myself better, to make this team better and to not be in the same situation again?’” Briney said.

Above: Truman volleyball players celebrate a point in their win over Southern Indiana. The Bulldogs won their final two games of the season. Photos by Kara Mckenzie.

Right: Outside hitter Ellie Kaat splits a block. Kaat led the team with 14 kills against the Eagles.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

The Index

13

ATHLETE o f

t h e

w e e k

In the Bulldogs’ first two games this season, sophomore guard Hunter Strait was averaging 11.5 points per game but was shooting just 8% from three-point range. The sharpshooter found his rhythm this weekend in Michigan where he shot 50% from three over the Bulldogs two-game stretch, and averaged 16 ppg. In the first game of the weekend, Strait put up a seasonhigh 18 points and shot 44% from deep to go along with four assists. In the second game of the long road trip, Strait again was on fire from behind the arc, going 60% with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Hunter Strait

Women’s basketball opens season with weekend sweep CHASE POTTER Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team opened its regular season last weekend on the road against its first National Collegiate Athletic Association Div. II opponents of the year.

After starting their 2019-20 campaign with two NCAA Division I exhibition games, the Bulldogs finally tipped off their regular season of play in Quincy, Illinois.

The Bulldogs attended a three-conference tournament representing teams from the Great Lakes Valley Conference, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The Bulldogs are beginning their first season in seven years without Amy Eagan, the program’s all-time winningest head coach. The transition happened just days before the Bulldogs were set to begin practice, and has been difficult for both the coaching staff and the players. Bulldog forward and 2018-19 GLVC freshman of the year Maddie Re believes that despite the adverse start, the Bulldogs have found a way to adjust and focus on winning games.

“We were very caught off guard and frustrated for a little bit, but we all know that life goes on and that we couldn’t throw a pity party for ourselves,” Re said. “For the most part, our fundamentals and expectations on and off the court have stayed the same, just with little tweaks here and there, which has helped a lot because it’s not like a whole new coaching staff came in.”

Ahead of the regular season tip-off, Re said the team’s exhibition games made it clear to the staff that they had some fine tuning to do before they were ready to compete for a win. However, Re was confident in the team’s ability to pull together despite the distractions she and the team have encountered early in their season.

The Bulldogs’ first game of the season came against former GLVC opponent, the University of Wisconsin-

Parkside. In this game, Re’s confidence proved valid as the Bulldogs handled their business. After earning a two point advantage at the half, the Bulldogs found themselves in a tie game entering the fourth quarter.

The Rangers hit two free throws late in the game to cut the Bulldog lead to just four. With the end of the game in sight, Truman finally began to flex its muscles and pull away. Forward Mackenzie Bray scored five of the ’Dogs next seven points as the team went on a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 14 with just a minute left. Truman would hold onto the lead and walk away with its first win of the season with a score of 82-71. Sophomore guard Katey Klucking impressed in her first start as a Bulldog. Klucking put up a team high of 22 points in 32 minutes played, on an incredible 63% from the threepoint line, accounting for all five of the team’s three pointers in the game.

In the second game, the Bulldogs matched up against GMAC foe Ursuline College. Ursuline entered the game 1-0 after beating Truman’s GLVC rival Quincy University on a buzzer-beater just days before. Despite its opponent gaining momentum over the weekend, Truman ended the first half with a five point lead over the Arrows. After pushing the lead to eight after the third quarter, the Bulldog defense locked down and allowed just 11 points in the fourth quarter, carrying them to a 87-75 road victory to move the team to 2-0. Klucking again led the way for the Bulldogs with 21 points in just 23 minutes and five rebounds. Re chipped in six points, eight total rebounds and an impressive five offensive rebounds. The Bulldog’s biggest advantage was in the paint where they scored 50 of their 87 points compared to the Arrows’ 30 points. This was in large part due to the play of the Bulldog forwards and centers, who Re believes will play a significant role in the success of the team this season.

“I believe the strength of this team is our athleticism,” Re said. “We are pretty experienced in the post position

Katey Klucking attacks her defender on the three-point line. Klucking has been the Bulldogs’ highest scorer through three games. Photo by Kara Mackenzie.

and young at the guards, which is the opposite of how it’s been in previous years. Our guards are talented but I think our [tall] girls can shine this year.”

After a strong performance at the tri-conference tournament, Truman returned to Pershing Arena to welcome the Augustana University Vikings. Truman’s post players led the charge with 20 combined points and 21 combined rebounds from Re and fellow starter Katie Jaseckas. However, the depth of the Vikings proved to be too much for the Bulldogs to handle. The Vikings’ bench outscored the Bulldog’s 26-12 in the game, and helped the Vikings defeat the Bulldogs for the first time this season with a score of 83-62.

Now sitting at 2-1, the Bulldogs still have four nonconference games to play before they hit the heart of their GLVC schedule in early January. For now, the Bulldogs have turned their attention to the Avila University Eagles who will come to Pershing Arena on Friday night.

The Eagles are a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and are home to 2018 Truman alumna Remy Davenport, who is an assistant coach with the Eagles. Avila is 2-0 entering the week of Friday’s game, but have not yet faced an NCAA Div. II opponent.

The Bulldogs are hungry, as they will be looking to capture new head coach Theo Dean’s first career home win.

Maddie Re scores over her defender. Re led the team in offensive rebounds in the teams first home game. Photo by Kara Mackenzie.

14

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

SENIORS CARRY ’DOGS INTO POSTSEASON

Senior running back Jordan Salima scored three touchdowns in the Senior Day game against McKendree University. With a 9-2 overall record, the Bulldogs secured a spot in the America’s Crossroads Bowl against Ohio Dominican University. Photo by Kara Mackenzie

Bulldogs qualify for bowl game after record-breaking win CHASE POTTER Sports Editor

Over the weekend the Truman State University football team traveled to Urbana, Ohio, to complete its regular season against Urbana University. The Blue Knights entered the game 7-3 overall and were the Bulldogs’ fifth opponent this season with a winning record.

The Bulldogs got on the board early with a 26-yard field goal by placekicker

Josh Scheiderer to give them the first lead of the game. Later in the opening half, the first touchdown of the game came off the hand of Truman quarterback Jaden Barr and found Monty Sharpe II, as the Bulldogs took a 10-0 lead at halftime.

Late in the third quarter the Blue Knights cut the lead to just six after their first score of the game came on a 42 yard bomb from Urbana quarterback Izzy Sanders to Jesse Bray, the longest scoring play of the game. Entering the fourth quarter with

a 13-7 lead, the Bulldogs needed to hold on to finish the 2019 season with nine wins for the first time in over 25 years. With just six minutes left in the game, the Bulldogs finally pulled away from the Knights with back to back scores. First, running back Jordan Salima scampered into the endzone with a three-yard touchdown run, followed by the third and final field goal of the day for Scheiderer. After another late touchdown pass for the Knights, Truman held onto it’s lead as the clock hit zero to give the Bull-

Volleyball closes season with victories ELISABETH SHIRK Managing Editor The Truman State University volleyball team ended its season over the weekend with two wins at home and a celebration of the team’s seniors.

The Bulldogs swept McKendree University in three straight sets Friday and celebrated Senior Day Saturday with a 3-1 win against the University of Southern Indiana. Despite going 2-0 in its last games, the team’s overall conference record of 7-8 did not qualify for the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

“During the season, with the other losses, we had put ourselves in a position where we needed to rely on other teams in the conference — on whether they won or lost — and so it didn’t work out in our favor,” opposite hitter Jocelynn Livingston said.

Among the seniors honored during Senior Day were Livingston, defensive specialist Elle Renault, defensive special-

ist Meg Gasper, libero Lauren Wacker and middle hitter Ambria Whitlock.

Livingston said the entire Senior Day still feels surreal because even though she’d watched Senior Day for the past three years, she never envisioned herself being in the same place as those past seniors.

“It hit a little bit when they gave me my jersey and were going through my career highlights,” Livingston said. “It’s bittersweet, but I’m ready to move on to the next chapter of my life.”

Livingston isn’t the only one looking forward. Head coach Ben Briney said he expects the team to come back in January hungry for success and ready to get to work.

Briney also confessed that he is going to miss the seniors from this year and their passion for Truman volleyball.

See VOLLEYBALL page 12

Isabel Kurzban controls the ball.

Kurzban led the team in shots and shots on goal. Photo by Kara Mackenzie.

The women’s soccer team finished its season after falling 1-0 to Bellarmine University in a quarterfinal match of the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament.

The Truman State University Bulldogs ended with a 10-7-1 overall record and a 10-5 conference record. The team clinched the fourth seed in the GLVC bracket after a four-game winning streak.

The Bulldogs and the Knights each had seven shots throughout the game, only two were on goal for Truman while Bellarmine had four on goal.

“It was a battle for sure,” defender Isabel Kurzban said. “With Bellarmine we knew going in that they were going to be a really good team. They have a lot of really athletic players — definite-

Cross country closes out its season RYAN PIVONEY Editor-in-Chief

Middle hitter Ambria Whitlock records one of her six blocks. Whitlock played her last game as a Bulldog on Saturday. Photo by Kara Mackenzie

Women’s soccer loses home battle RYAN PIVONEY Editor-in-Chief

dogs their final regular season victory with a score of 24-14.

Now that the regular season is behind them, the Bulldogs are 9-2 overall and have earned a spot in the America’s Crossroads Bowl in early December. The Bulldogs will be pitted against Ohio Dominican University, who finished the season 7-2 overall and second in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference behind Div. II playoff team Tiffin University.

See FOOTBALL page 11

ly a possession team — and we knew we had struggled against them in the past, so it was definitely tough.”

Head coach Mike Cannon said the team played well against Bellarmine, keeping the game even and limiting Bellarmine’s control of the ball.

“We played well in our last game, much better than we did against them in late September down at Stokes [Stadium],” Cannon said. “It was a very even game with very few chances for either team. We possessed the ball much better this time as we have the second half of the season overall. The game could have easily gone the other way.”

Kurzban said once the team got to the playoffs, the expectation was to play every game like it was the last and leave it all out on the field.

See SOCCER page 12

The Truman State University cross country teams finished their seasons at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Midwest Regional meet with the men taking 22nd out of 31 with 656 points and the women taking 21st out of 32 with 622 points.

There were three conferences competing in the NCAA Midwest Regional, making it one of the largest meets Truman has competed in all season. The men placed ninth among the Great Lakes Valley Conference schools that competed and the women took eighth — one place higher than their showing at the GLVC Championships.

“We competed better than the last meet and I was happy with that,” head coach Tim Schwegler said. “A couple individuals didn’t have their best day, but that is [the] sport.”

Sophomore Madeline Bostick, who led the Bulldogs for the women coming in 107th place, said the last meet of the season went well because the team was competing better than it had in the previous meet. With a time of 23:21, Bostick broke her personal record for the 6K. Bostick said she credits the better performance to nicer weather and the excitement of the larger meet. Despite beating her personal record, Bostick said she had higher expectations.

“I had a little bit bigger goals in mind for myself and I wanted to place a little higher than I did,” Bostick said. “But it was a really tough regional and I’m still happy with the way everything went.”

Bostick said the competition was tough, with seven nationally ranked teams running against the Bulldogs.

See RUNNING page 11

VOLUME 111

ISSUE 10

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