The Index Vol. 110 Issue 14 by Truman State University Index

Grab the free poster inside this week’s issue and cheer on the Bulldogs tonight in Pershing Arena!

New repeat and retake policy approved, page 4 Exclusive interview with RaeLynn, page 7 Truman wrestling rounds out season, page 12

Truman State University tmn.truman.edu THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

Faculty Senate votes to phase in Dialogues

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@TrumanMediaNet

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TRUMAN HIRES SME MARKETING FIRM

RYAN PIVONEY Managing Editor

The Dialogues will be phased into implementation after a vote by Truman State University’s Faculty Senate and Undergraduate Council last week. For the 2019-20 school year, the existing Liberal Studies Program will remain in effect while the Self & Society Seminar is implemented as a graduation requirement and the one-credit Truman Days is removed. Truman will still conduct Truman Days, but it no longer has the four-hour component it previously had. The Personal WellBeing Essential Skill will also be replaced by a campus-wide wellness initiative. The bill states The Dialogues will be in full swing for the 2020-21 school year. Faculty Senate President Scott Alberts said after meeting with University administration, listening to Student Government’s concerns and considering the falling enrollment, he thought it would be best to implement only the completed portions of the new curriculum. This leaves the Disciplinary and Interconnecting Perspectives and Truman Symposium among the changes that will be put into place later. Truman opted to change its curriculum with a faculty vote last spring. The Dialogues, the new curriculum, is supposed to allow more freedom in choosing courses while also aligning with the state’s CORE 42 requirement. Faculty Senate and UGC have been working to develop the different Perspectives and demands of The Dialogues since last year. Alberts said he called the joint session with UGC because both groups had been having discussions about postponing or phasing in the new curriculum, so it made more sense to have this discussion together. See DIALOGUES page 4

The Dialogues Vote Undergraduate Council Yes: 24 No: 1 Abstained: 2 Faculty Senate Yes: 22 No: 0 Abstained: 2

Truman State University has hired SME, a marketing consulting firm, to lead it through a rebranding campaign. The current Truman brand and identity are about 8 years old. Photo by Daniel Degenhardt

Truman hires consultant to address image, brand and identity TAD BAST Staff Writer

SME will work with Truman State University to revamp its image, branding and identity. SME Branding is a marketing consulting firm which specializes in sports, entertainment and higher education. University President Sue Thomas said universities across the United States have become more competitive in recruiting students, so marketing has become espe-

cially important. She said the current Truman brand is about 8 years old, so it is about time for a change. “Truman is a wonderful institution that does lots of great things,” Thomas said. “We haven’t had a real focus on marketing before, and in this kind of really highly competitive environment, I think it puts us at a significant disadvantage to not let the world know who Truman is.” After recent work with the Atlanta Braves, the Kentucky Derby and universities across the nation, SME was chosen

from 14 companies to work with Truman on a new brand. In an email statement, Dave Rector, vice president for administration, finance and planning, said the contract with SME cost the University $294,500, $150,000 of which is covered by a donation to the Truman State University Foundation specifically for this project. He said he anticipated the expense when planning the budget this year. See SME page 4

SAB brings student favorite to campus RYAN PIVONEY Managing Editor Hunter Hayes and RaeLynn performed at the Student Activities Board’s latest concert after receiving the most survey votes last fall. SAB sent a concert interest survey to students last semester, listing artists instead of genres like it had in past years. Students were able to vote for their top choices, and the top three were Hunter Hayes, AJR and Blackbear. The Spring Concert sold 1,093 tickets, the second lowest in four years. SAB President Megan Neveau said the lower ticket sales were likely the

result of polarized opinions about the country genre, among other things. She said they did take polarization into account when considering the slate, but there were enough factors to justify it as the right decision. “We’re really confident in the concert because you can look up the survey results online, but like, Hunter Hayes was the number one pick,” Neveau said. “We contracted Hunter Hayes because that is directly what the students told us, so we’re really excited. It’s a different genre than we’ve had in the past many years, and we think it’s important to hit different audiences on campus.” See SAB page 4

Hunter Hayes performs at the Big Concert Feb. 23. Photo by Mary Van Winkle

Thomas gives State of the University address RYAN PIVONEY Managing Editor In the State of the University address, Truman State University President Sue Thomas provided an update on the interconnected issues the University faced for the past year. Thomas spoke about Truman’s budget, academic initiatives, faculty and staff compensation, mental health, and enrollment and retention. She said she tried to keep the topics broad and relevant to what most people are talking about on campus. “That’s what landed me on the idea of kind of combining [Joshua Fish’s] video with what’s going on in society,” Thomas said. “Here’s the factual information, how people perceive it, interpret it — those kinds of things can differ, but here’s the factual information on areas that I think are really important to the University.”

Thomas said she had to keep the number of issues she talked about to a sizable number because of the time constraint of the speech. In her section on the University budget, Thomas said Truman should be reallocating funds to priorities. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has recommended a flat appropriation with an additional $271,191 for the MoExcels Workforce Initiative, and an extra $2 million for maintenance and repairs. Thomas also reviewed the $400 tuition and fee increases over the past four years. In addition, she said only a portion of the total budget from the Pursue the Future Campaign is undesignated. Thomas also talked about Truman’s decreasing enrollment and retention rates. She said Truman no longer has the highest retention rate in Missouri because Truman’s has dropped 6 percent in four years. Thomas said everyone in the Truman community

should help with recruitment and retention. “If Truman’s going to end up in the very best place it can be, it’s up to all of us to contribute to that effort,” Thomas said. “People can contribute differently, but it’s the idea that we’re all Truman and we are all responsible for getting Truman to where we want to be.” Thomas said the collective action behind the “one more” idea could have a large impact on University efforts. Truman faculty and staff received a salary increase of 3 percent for fiscal year 2019 after not receiving one the previous year. Thomas said Truman’s non-tenure faculty compensation is lower than average. She also said the University’s decision to opt in to the minimum wage increase will have a domino effect on existing salaries, and they are planning those increases now. See ADDRESS page 4

The Index

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

SAB hosts Hunter Hayes and RaeLynn

Left: The Student Activities Board hosted Hunter Hayes and RaeLynn for the Spring Concert. The Feb. 23 concert sold 1,093 tickets. Photo by Mary Van Winkle

Right: RaeLynn was the special guest at the concert. She was a contestant on The Voice in Season 2. She also was the highest-selling female country artist of last year. Photo by Mary Van Winkle

Top: Hunter Hayes is a Grammynominated artist best known for “Wanted,” “I Want Crazy” and “Yesterday’s Song.” Hayes was the students’ top choice, according to the SAB concert survey sent to students last fall. Photo by Mary Van Winkle

staff Serving the University community since 1909 Editor-in-Chief: Brently Snead Managing Editor: Ryan Pivoney Digital Director: Nicolas Telep Opinions Editor: Elisabeth Shirk Features Editor: Elisabeth Shirk Copy Chief: Allyson Lotz Design Chief: Emmett Divendal Photo Editor: Daniel Degenhardt Distribution Manager: Tyler Hanson Cartoonists: Annie Kintree Designers: Georgia Gregory, Jake Bertish Photographers: Kara Mackenzie, Mary Van Winkle, Caleb Bolin Copy Editors: Elise Hughes, Cara Quinn, Jenna Faulkner, Jessica Robinson, Emma Gottfried, Katie Puryear, Julie Mickael Staff Writers: Travis Maiden, Gordon McPherson, Lexi Mueller, Aura Martin, Jessica Venvertloh, Allison Maschhoff, Isabelle Cenatiempo, Brea Schorn, Rachel Becker, Curt Wichmer, Chad Myers, Tad Bast, Liz Lovesee Adviser: Don Krause

Crime Reports DPS & KPD 2/15 First degree property damage reported at the 20 block of Devlin Pl.

2/21 Shoplifter reported at the 2200 block of North Baltimore St.

2/17 Possession of drug paraphernalia and drugs possession of 10 grams or less reported at the 800 block of North Franklin St.

2/21 Possession of marijuana/synthetic cannabinoid of 10 grams or less reported at Missouri Hall

2/17 Theft reported at the 2200 block of North Baltimore St. 2/17 Theft reported at the 1500 block of George St. 2/18 Theft reported at the 500 block of North Baltimore St. 2/19 Theft reported at the 2400 block of North Baltimore St. 2/20 Theft reported at the 100 block of East McPherson St. 2/20 First degree property damage reported at the 200 block of East Jefferson St. 2/20 Possession of marijuana reported at the 1300 block of South Baltimore St. 2/21 Second degree property damage reported at the 1900 block of North New St. 2/21 Theft reported at the 1700 block of South Baltimore St. 2/21 Theft reported at the 1600 block of South Baltimore St. 2/21 Theft reported at the 500 block of South Baltimore St.

2/21 Theft reported at the 900 block of East Normal Ave. 2/21 Delivery of a controlled substance, drugs/possession of controlled substance and felony possession of a firearm reported at the 1200 block of North Green St. 2/22 Vandalism reported at Ryle Hall 2/22 Burglary reported at the 500 block of West Elizabeth St. 2/22 Vandalism reported at the 2100 block of South High St. 2/23 DWI and minor visibly intoxicated reported at East Harrison St. 2/23 Shoplifter reported at the 2100 block of South Baltimore St. 2/23 Third degree assault reported at the 300 block of South Cottage Grove Ave. 2/24 DWI reported at Filmore St. 2/24 Theft reported at the 2200 block of North Baltimore St. 2/24 Theft reported at the 100 block of East McPherson St.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

Editorial Board responds to State of the University address The State of the University address was delivered Feb. 14 by Truman State University President Sue Thomas. In the address, Thomas discussed the current state of society and the critical culture surrounding Truman. She talked about what it means to be a liberal arts university and gave updates on the University budget, enrollment and retention, academics, faculty and staff compensation, and mental health over the past year. We, The Index Editorial Board, commend the University administration’s efforts to be transparent with the Truman community. As reporters, we found it a relief to learn there was no information shared that we had not already reported on, but we also found it frustrating there was nothing new. Thomas said one of her goals with the address was to present factual information to the Truman community, which is a valuable effort. We, The Index Editorial Board, found a large part of the message troubling. The idea of adding responsibility to a community often overworked and already stressed, while also saying we should address the Typical Truman Student mentality, is problematic. “Nobody’s too busy,” Thomas said. “It’s just a matter of priorities.” The Typical Truman Student, which Thomas said requires a cultural change led by students, is based on the mentality of adding just a little more and doing just a little more, and that’s the issue. For those who might not understand what we mean by “one more,” it was a phrase repeated throughout the address in relation to what members of the Truman community could do to address the enrollment and retention issue. The repeated “one more” phrase is a dangerous mentality to perpetuate in a community struggling with a need to be perfect. Additionally, we find it difficult to justify pushing enrollment and retention responsibilities to faculty and staff when they are compensated less than the average colleague in their field. We, The Index Editorial Board, also think the “one more” mentality is a slippery slope to pushing members of the Truman community to continually do more. Finally, we, The Index Editorial Board, believe to receive useful, constructive criticism, Truman needs to show action and progress. While we agree unhelpful criticism doesn’t further the University in achieving its mission, constructive criticism needs a basis in action, which is hard to see in some of the areas discussed. We respect the call for constructive criticism, and we wholeheartedly agree, but only if Truman is willing to listen and make changes moving forward.

Truman can do more to celebrate Black History Month on campus

ELISABETH SHIRK Features, Opinions Editor This week, the features section of The Index presents an article about Truman State University events honoring Black History Month. I would like to commend the Association of Black Collegians, the Women’s Resource Center, the Interdisciplinary Studies program, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and any other group to whom this might apply for their efforts in recognizing Black History Month at Truman. Perhaps I would have been able to schedule my attendance at one or more of these events had I known about them before receiving the article on my desk. The truth is I was disappointed by the lack of acknowledgment of Black History Month by Truman as a whole. On campus there are three main ways to advertise an event: chalking the sidewalks, putting posters on bulletin boards and submitting your event to Truman Today. Although there were some events going on around campus, they were not represented well by

any of these means of advertising. Of the Truman Today emails I received on Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25, there was only one direct link to an event celebrating black history: “Visiting Musicians to Celebrate African-American Women.” The email acknowledging this event was sent on the day of the event, Feb. 18. The visual forms of advertising around campus for Black History Month seemed to be sparse as well. The only acknowledgments I saw while walking around campus this month were a few posters hung on crowded bulletin boards. Those bulletin boards highlight the difficulty in making Black History Month events stand out among the plethora of other events on campus. In addition to the unfortunate advertising circumstances that campus organizations faced, there have been no public statements (to my knowledge) from our University administrators about Black History Month. Our administrators are often also our University’s most prominent representatives, and I would have appreciated some statement from them to show that we, as a University, proudly acknowledge this important part of our country’s history. I hope when February comes around again next year, we will do a better job at honoring the lives — the struggles, triumphs and cultures — of black men and women.

Stu Gov

Buzz

Student Government’s goal is to represent the best interests of their constituents, the students of Truman State University. Student Government is at its best when the students participate and run in elections. Elections are quickly approaching, and we are looking for new representatives to help improve the university. If you are looking to become more involved around campus and get the chance to really make a difference, consider running for a student senator position. The election process includes: April 1- Petitions to run are made available in the Student Government office April 2- Information session at 8pm April 3- Information session at 4:30pm April 8- Active campaigning begins April 10- Presidential Debate at 5pm in the SUB Alumni Room April 12- Petitions are due at 4pm to the CSI office April 15- Elections begin April 18- Elections end at 10am and results are read in the SUB HUB at 12pm Even if you have no interest in being a member of Student Government, voting in elections is the best way to make sure that your voice is heard. More information will continue to be advertised and published as elections get closer. If you have any questions, or want more information, you can contact the Elections Administrator, Hannah Wissler (hew6677@truman.edu). Submitted by Hannah Wissler EDITORIAL POLICY: The Index is published Thursdays during the academic year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501. 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The Index

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

New repeat and retake policy approved JESSICA VENVERTLOH Staff Writer

A new repeat and retake policy that allows students to retake non-repeatable courses no matter what grade they received during the first attempt will go into effect this upcoming semester. However, the course will only count for credit and satisfy degree and graduation requirements once. Truman State University’s Faculty Senate recently approved the new policy regarding both non-repeatable and repeatable courses. When retaking repeatable courses, all attempts will be considered when calculating GPA, and all attempts can be counted for credit. A student can petition the registrar to replace a repeatable course grade with a higher grade if both attempts covered the same topic or if the student received a D or F. In the case of receiving a D or F, credit earned for the course will only be counted once. Registrar Nancy Asher said students should still be aware that both course attempt grades will appear on their transcript, but only the highest grade will be used in GPA calculation. She said other schools and programs might recalculate the student’s GPA based on

both attempt grades. Political science professor John Quinn originally brought the new policy idea to Faculty Senate. He said he first came up with the idea of a new repeat and retake policy when advising students and working with students in the McNair Program. Under the old policy, both attempt grades were considered when calculating GPA, and Quinn said this hurt students who struggled in certain areas. Quinn said Truman’s liberal arts mission encourages students to step outside their comfort zone and try courses from various fields, but the old policy created a bad incentive structure for people to work on their weaknesses. He said the new policy should make it more comfortable for people to try something they don’t feel they’re very good at. “Here at Truman, we’re all about measurement,” Quinn said. “Under our current policy, I thought to myself, ‘What is it we’re measuring?’ We’re not measuring learning. We’re measuring attempts at learning. I think we should measure what students learn, not how long they struggled in their learning.” When writing the proposal, Quinn said he first spoke with people in his department, where they made suggestions and changes to the policy. After

SAB| Hunter Hayes and RaeLynn were contracted after receiving the most votes in the student survey sent last fall

Continued from page 1 Big Concert Event chair Rebecca Gramlich said the committee started their search for this year’s talent in April 2018. She said the process starts with consulting industry professionals, such as talent agents, who help determine which artists are popular around St. Louis, Kansas City and Kirksville, and who would be willing to perform at a college and within the SAB budget. SAB then sent out the survey with 16 artists to choose from. Neveau said in past years, the survey only included genres, but this year students could choose which artist they preferred. She said this is more difficult because prices can change or an artist might decide to no longer play at colleges, but they have already created an expectation that this artist might appear. Gramlich said the committee used the survey results from September to create a slate, an order in which it would make an offer to performers. She said this year’s slate took a fivehour meeting to create. “We can’t technically say the order [of the slate],” Gramlich said. “But I can say that Hunter Hayes was the number one on the student survey, like the most popular choice, and that reflected in where he was placed offer-wise.” Gramlich said this year the pro- Ticket sales for the past four concerts are shown above. cess took about a Hunter Hayes and RaeLynn had the second lowest ticket year, but time for sales in four years. planning varies depending on the size and popularity of the act. Gramlich said she thinks it’s important for SAB to provide students with this kind of entertainment on campus because other performances of this size and quality are at least an hour and a half away. Neveau said because of contract restrictions, she could not disclose how much SAB paid Hunter Hayes and RaeLynn to perform, but the total event budget was $120,000. She said the motion that contains the slate also stipulated that the budget was the same no matter who performed. The total SAB budget decreased this year because of the lower enrollment. What was a $271,350 budget last school year is now $259,000. Neveau said this smaller budget mainly affects the Final Blowout at the end of the year, which will now be funded with money not spent by other committees throughout the year. Gramlich said she thinks it is an effective use of the SAB budget because its surveys indicate that a majority of students prefer one large concert as opposed to multiple smaller ones. “SAB works almost all their planning off of how students answer the student survey,” Gramlich said. “So, we’ve been doing bigger — one big concert the past couple years because that student survey has been consistently saying we want one big concert.”

SAB Concert Ticket Sales

Hunter Hayes & RaeLynn Fetty Wap & D.R.A.M.

1093

1553

Timeflies & Bowling for Soup

1054

Andy Grammer & Ben Rector

1383

ADDRESS| University President talks budget, enrollment, academics, faculty compensation and campus mental health in State of the University Continued from page 1 “I think administration is wellengaged in [moving the University forward],” Thomas said. “Part of the discussion I think in the AllUniversity [Meeting] is it’s not just the administration that needs to be engaged in this process. It needs to be all of us.” On academics, Thomas said the University’s credit hour production is decreasing because enrollment is declining, four-year graduation rates are up and new students are bringing in more hours. There are a number of academic initiatives including The Dialogues, Truman’s new liberal arts curriculum, and the MoExcels programs. Thomas also reported on students’ mental health based on the Healthy Minds Study conducted last year. The study indicates Truman students are abnormal-

ly prone to suicide ideation, but comparable to other universities in just about every other area surveyed. She said the University and JED committee are working to address the issue with a number of initiatives, but students should be leading the way to change the Typical Truman Student attitude. Thomas said there is not a single deadline for when the University hopes to resolve the issues discussed in the address. “Individual projects have deadlines that we should expect to see that work done, but I would say in terms of the campus moving forward, there’s no deadline,” Thomas said. “That will always be something that we are absolutely working on.”

Faculty Senate passed a new repeat and retake policy at its latest meeting, which allows students to retake courses regardless of the grade originally received. The policy has been progressing through faculty governance for about three years. Photo by Ryan Pivoney that, the proposal went through the Undergraduate Council and was then approved by the Faculty Senate. He said it took three years to get the proposal through all levels of governance. He said students supported the policy and wrote a letter in favor of it.

Quinn said the policy passed by Faculty Senate was more generous than what he originally had in mind. The original proposal only allowed grade replacement for D’s and F’s, but the policy that passed allows retakes for any grade earned.

DIALOGUES| A full implementation of The Dialogues was delayed until fall 2020, some parts are moving forward Continued from page 1 This also sped up the process of passing initiatives through both assemblies. There was also a deadline, Alberts said, because the registrar would need time to finalize the official catalog, no matter what faculty governance decided. The course catalog deadline, by which available courses and requirements have to be established, is late March. “I think it really was just crunch time,” Alberts said. “We needed to decide we were either going to phase in some of this or we’re going to have to really kind of reallocate resources to make sure we get the stuff done on time.” Alberts said this optimism allowed Faculty Senate and UGC to accomplish more than they might have without the one-year deadline. For example, the Truman Symposium committee might decide to run another pilot test based on what they learned from the one conducted last fall. Reworking the curriculum also allowed Truman to adapt to the CORE 42 recommendation sooner than anticipated, he said. “Even, I think, the initial idea that we could do it this fast was maybe just a little optimistic for us,” Alberts said. UGC chair Justin Jarvis brought a motion to UGC in its Nov. 8 meeting to delay the implementation of The Dialogues entirely by one year, but the group strongly opposed it. “It’s good to have optimism, and I didn’t want to stand in the way of it at UGC either,” Jarvis said. “I’m like, ‘J eez, if everyone is that excited about this, well, like, let’s do it.’ That gave us the motivation to go to two-a-month meetings.” This decision to phase implementation of The Dialogues creates three different catalogs students might be under, depending on when they are admitted to Truman. There will be the current LSP catalog, the transitional one with parts of each curriculum and The Dialogues catalog. Students can choose to adopt a newer catalog, and Alberts said this will not put them behind because the classes should still fit graduation and major requirements. Jarvis said faculty governance realized there was still a lot to do as it got further along in the process. Student Government also passed a resolution asking faculty governance to slow down by delaying the imple-

mentation, which Jarvis said many faculty members paid attention to. Alberts said faculty heavily considered the student input because students are best fit to determine if something is working or not. “I really switched just in the last few weeks,” Alberts said. “I was sort of — and again I was chair of the Symposium committee — and one of my motivations was that if it’s really true that the students didn’t have a great experience, if it’s really true that Student Government isn’t helping us … and I think that’s one of the things that really convinced me is that we really need everyone to be pulling for this.” Alberts said he is not concerned about a continual postponing of The Dialogues because there is excitement for the new curriculum. Jarvis also said he does not think the new curriculum will be in development past next year. “I personally don’t see it getting pushed off again because it has gotten pushed off a couple of times, but it never really got started those other couple of times,” Jarvis said. “This is completely different. We are like three-fourths the way into it.” Jarvis said he hopes the new deadline doesn’t slow progress and UGC will continue to meet twice every month to work on The Dialogues. University President Sue Thomas said she thought the vote to phase in The Dialogues and the discussion leading up to it was a testament to the commitment faculty have for the new curriculum. “I thought it was a very powerful, impressive discussion by the faculty,” Thomas said. “And thinking about where’s the best to land to do the very best job they could with the new curriculum. So, I thought it was wonderful.” Thomas said she thinks a phased implementation makes the most sense given what faculty governance has accomplished and what still needs to be done. She said this decision in no way diminishes the work they have done, but with more time, Faculty Senate and UGC can address every aspect as they wish to. “We went into this process wanting to talk about how Truman can distinguish itself,” Thomas said. “How it can excite students about what goes on here at Truman. All of that contributes to enrollment.”

SME| Truman has hired SME to lead it through a rebranding campaign

Continued from page 1 Keaton Wagner was recently hired as the new marketing coordinator and will be working closely with SME Branding. A rebrand is a marketing strategy that aims to change how the target market receives a company. These new strategies might include updating logos and messages, among others. “Your brand is the academic adviser you talk to on the phone,” Wagner said. “It’s your interactions with your professor, your first time on campus. It’s every interaction or thought you have about the institution.” After visiting the campus and conducting phone interviews with on- and off-campus leadership ear-

lier this semester, SME will return to campus March 4 to survey several focus groups. Current students, staff and locals will make up the 14 focus groups. SME will then interpret all of the data gathered to get a comprehensive look at how different groups perceive the Truman brand, both within Kirksville and beyond. Truman will work closely with SME and SEM Works, Truman’s enrollment management consultant, to make changes based on the data. The three will work together to put together different options for logos, messages and other design elements to be completed by the end of the summer.

life

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

Art gallery highlights Truman, worldly art AURA MARTIN Staff Writer

Dreamwork: New Work by ceramicists Leah Bowring, Emily Nickel and Alexander Thierry Alexander Thierry, 2010 Truman State University alum, joined his former classmates Leah Bowring and Emily Nickel in a showcase of their ceramic artwork alongside their former teacher and mentor, Wynne Wilbur. “It’s an honor to be showing work with [Wilbur],” Thierry said. “And it’s a great experience to be back with people I was in school with.” Heidi Cook, Truman gallery director, wanted to bring back Wilbur’s former students to showcase their work alongside hers. The exhibition, located in the Main Gallery, is called Dreamwork. Bowring is interested in fantasy, Nickel explores meditation and Thierry works with memory. Cook said what links Bowring’s, Nickel’s and Thierry’s works are the ways in which they thought to present the mind. Thierry said the biggest influence on his ceramic work is memory and the loss of family tradition. Many of the pieces in his collection feature chairs. Thierry said chairs are a placeholder for a person, or the idea of a person. They also serve as a placeholder for a collective emotion or feeling, such as someone not being there. He also said those pieces are not functional, such as standing somewhat crooked or having pieces broken off. Thierry said that was a deliberate choice to show what a chair was, what it is and where it could be. Thierry said his favorite piece from his collection is the table, which represents the remnants of Sunday meals, which reflects the loss of tradition and decay. “The progressional loss of my grandparents and tradition is really what sparked and motivated the making of all that artwork,” Thierry said. He said one can learn a lot from clay because, though fragile, clay in a fired state has permanence and meaning. “I try to tell that story,” Thierry said. “I try to say that memory is a thing. It makes us who we are and as soon as we start losing that memory we become a different person. I think that’s the biggest thing about my work.” Dreamwork: New Work by ceramicists Leah Bowring, Emily Nickel and Alexander Thierry will be on display until March 1.

Gallery visitors Joanna Marshall and Mark Berlinger stand in front of a pot made by ceramicist Leah Bowring. Bowring’s work was showcased alongside her former classmates Emily Nickel and Alexander Thierry in an exhibit titled “Dreamwork.” Photo by Aura Martin

Retrospective Wynne Wilbur, Truman State University ceramics professor, first interacted with clay when she was in high school. She said she wasn’t making great work then, but felt like it was something she had to keep doing when she started college. “I made a pact with myself that if I don’t really improve, then I’ll find another major,” Wilbur said with a smile. “But I kept getting better, so I just stuck with it.” The Retrospective exhibition in the University Art Main Gallery reflects Wilbur’s 45 years of experience with ceramics, and she will be retiring at the end of this year. Over the years, she has saved the most significant pieces that stood for major improvements of her skills. The pieces currently on display, which include pots, plates and vases, are in chronological order, including works from high school and throughout her teaching career at Truman. The blue- and brown-lidded vessels in the gallery represent the first technical advancement she made with ceramics. The lidded jars are fired in a special kiln, and at the end of firing, salt is thrown in that vaporizes and attaches itself to the clay. All the bumpiness on the surfaces of her jars is actually salt, Wilbur said. While at Emporia State University, she also worked with porcelain and transparent glazes and liked making pots with handles and feet, as seen with her footed earthenware bowls from the ’90s. In graduate school, she liked exploring form. She was interested in the interplay between images of fruit and vegetables on vessels, such as the Lidded Cherry pot and Peapot, that could contain consumable things. Another important artistic change was when she started painting on the surfaces of her pots, something she continued during her teaching career at Truman. Recently she has been exploring wildflowers because she spent a lot of time in Colorado, where she is planning on retiring. “Clay is just a remarkably versatile medium,” Wilbur said. “There is just so much that you can do with clay and I’m really proud of what I have done over my career.” Retrospective will be on display until March 1.

Top: Gallery visitors Kalven Duncan, Lindsey Dunnagan and Stephen Poindexter talk to one another among an art exhibit titled “Retrospective.” This exhibit features the work of ceramics professor Wynne Wilbur. Photo by Daniel Degenhardt Bottom: Two ceramic pots made by Wilbur. Wilbur said these particular vessels represent the first technical advancement she made with ceramics. Photo by Aura Martin

Claiming Country: Western Desert Painting from the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection Heidi Cook, Truman State University gallery director, wanted to bring some nonWestern art to campus and the greater Northeast Missouri community. Part of the reason she wanted this exhibition was that Truman is located in Northeast Missouri and there is not much exposure to non-Western art. “There’s not a lot of other places that display contemporary and historical art at the caliber we do in this region,” Cook said. “So I thought this was a really great opportunity if we could loan this work from the Kluge-Ruhe collection.” In collaboration with the University of Virginia, she was able to borrow some of the aboriginal art from the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection that is currently on display at Truman in the Charlyn Gallery. The exhibition has eight pieces in it, and each of those works were created by different artists. Most of them were done in the 21st century. All of the pieces are done by artists who work in the western desert region of Australia. The artists include Pansy Napangardi, Makinti Napanangka, Weaver Jack, Harry Tjutjuna, Kathleen Petyarre, Tjumpo Tjapanangka and Paddy Japaljarri Sims. One of Cook’s favorite pieces is “Thorny Devil Lizard Dreaming” by Kathleen Petyarre. Cook said it is really abstract, just dots against a backdrop, which is a common form of art in western Australia called dot painting. She said although many of the pieces appear abstract, they often correlate to dreaming and creation, which become stories that people pass down from generation to generation, like the aboriginals did. “The creation of the landscapes and the way that creationary beings interacted with the landscape are important to these people,” Cook said. Cook said these aboriginal art pieces are wonderful because they operate on multiple levels. She also hopes people will take the time to read the texts that accompany the exhibition to learn more about aboriginal artwork. “These abstract depictions of beliefs and stories are really important for explaining how aboriginal people relate to their landscapes, the places where they grew up and the places where they often continue to live,” Cook said. Claiming Country: Western Desert Painting from the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection will be on display until March 22. VOLUME 110

ISSUE 14

tmn.truman.edu

Gallery visitors Paul Parker and Christine Harker look at one of the paintings in the “Claiming Country” exhibit. All of the pieces in this exhibit were done by artists in the western desert region of Australia. Photo by Daniel Degenhardt

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The Index

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

Student organizations celebrate black history

hopefully be able to share with the community. As Black History Month comes to an end, Rice said it’s important to never forget and always continue to celebrate. February 1 marked the beginning of Black “You can really only do so much,” Rice said. “A History Month, a time when we recognize the thing that was brought up to me while we were black men and women who made a difference talking in the center was that although it is imporin the past, present and future of our nation and tant to celebrate during February, it’s also importhe world for their accomplishments and deeptant to remember all the other months as well.” rooted history. Several organizations across TruAs the Women’s Resource Center celebrated man State University’s campus have been celethe black women of the past through tabling, a brating and reminding everyone never to forget production called “Ain’t I a Woman!” celebrated the past in their own ways. them through performing. The Association of Black Collegians hosted Truman’s Interdisciplinary Studies program several events over the span of a week dubbed and Center for Diversity and Inclusion partnered “Everything Is Love.” With events such as Black up to bring “Ain’t I a Woman!”, a performance History Month Brunch, A Family Affair: Kickoff centering on the lives of four African-American Jam and Love Thyself: Vision Board Workshop, women, to Truman’s campus Feb. 18. With em“Everything Is Love” week was full of reminders phatic performances and storytelling from the of affection for one another and themselves. actors, the event was likely to strike a chord in Aspiring to celebrate Black History Month, love and representation among all black stu- The Women’s Resource Center recognized black women in his- the audience’s hearts. Interdisciplinary Studies director Bridget dents on Truman’s campus, ABC President Joy tory at its tabling event Feb. 13-15. People who stopped by Johnson said “Everything Is Love” has been talk- the table could read up on the lives and accomplishments of Thomas said the production was riveting and really moved her. The stories were breathtaking and ed about since their first meeting of the semester these women. Photo by Travis Maiden were able to bring a room full of people together. and took about two months to put together. The Women’s Resource Center set up a table in “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to bring “I think these types of events are important because they promote diversity and inclusion,” Johnson the Student Union Building to feature several of the it to Truman,” Thomas said. “Because you can hear said. “And they create safe spaces for everyone to come most empowering black women throughout history a story, you can read a biography … but to actually from Feb. 13-15. The table included bookmarks with be confronted with the person telling her story is to learn about Black History Month and black love.” Johnson said Black History Month is important the history and pictures of women to showcase their really effective.” Thomas had gotten several affirmative responses because it creates an environment where people many accomplishments. Allison Rice, staff coordinator for the center, said after passing the idea to others in July 2018. Several are willing to learn about black people and culture. Johnson noted it is important to realize that the center puts on different events or advertisements organizations came together to help donate props black history is far more than slavery and Martin to celebrate women and men throughout the year. and ideas to the event. Thomas said it is important to remember the past Luther King Jr. It’s a beautiful collection of culture Rice said a particular member of its diversity commitand people that span for generations that live on tee was very passionate about making the table, and so it isn’t repeated. She said the story of Fannie Lou it was a large, collective effort. Hamer, a women’s rights and civil rights activist from even today. As Rice continued to work with the committee, it the 1900s, should be known to make sure everyone Johnson said the week was very successful even after having to reschedule a few events because opened her eyes to people who were different from understands where society has been and where they of weather. As ABC held its week full of love and her and those she might not have heard about. Rice wish to venture in the future. It’s essential to always warmth, the Women’s Resource Center made plans to said being able to research and learn more about remember those of the past who helped push the way these women was a blessing that the center will to a brighter tomorrow. present the incredible past of black women. TRAVIS MAIDEN Staff Writer

“The Wolves” hits the stage Right: The cast of “The Wolves” dramatically gaze off stage. Truman State University Theatre Department put on the play Feb. 20-23. Bottom: The characters of “The Wolves,” a bunch of girls who play on the same indoor soccer team, chat with one another as they get ready for their game. The all-female cast tried to mimic the manner in which female teen athletes talk to their teammates. Photos by Daniel Degenhardt

“Velvet Buzzsaw” calls out Gordon McPherson

This movie gets 2.5/5 art critics GORDON MCPHERSON Staff Writer I hope I won’t perish like the art snobs of Dan Gilroy’s “Velvet Buzzsaw.” I write these reviews out of love for the art of film, not to tear people down. Just don’t read my “Mute” review. I’ve changed my mind. The film centers around a pretentious group of artists, critics and gallery owners in modern day Los Angeles. Among this fine crop of people is critic Morf Vandewalt — what a name — played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Accompanying him is gallery owner Rhodora Haze, played by Rene Russo, and art curator Gretchen, played by Toni Collette. Josephina, a shady gallery employee played by Zawe Ashton, also joins the party, as does John Malkovich, for some reason. After “Bird Box,” I’ve had enough of him for a while. When Josephina finds a huge collection of paintings by her dead neighbor, Ventril Dease, the ensuing battle for the paintings leads to all hell breaking loose. Art gets its glorious revenge, and viewers get their bloodlust satiated. “Velvet Buzzsaw” is a weird film, no doubt about

it. There’s much to appreciate about Gilroy’s satirical takedown of the contemporary art world, but there’s also, ironically, much to critique. What finally emerges is a film containing moments of brilliance, but also scenes of excruciating boredom. At least the film’s central message is strong. Art should be appreciated for its own sake, not solely for marketability and monetary gain — ahem, Michael Bay. From the first scene onwards, Gilroy paints characters enveloped in greed and stupidity. These characters defame, threaten and harass each other to get rich — overlooking the value and craft of the art they supposedly base their lives around. While effectively establishing all the characters — yes, every single one — as morally deplorable, Gilroy also robs the film of any emotional impact. Seeing these characters spout art jargon and heinous insults at each other is entertaining, but only to a certain point. They’re bad people, obviously, I get it. About an hour in, I couldn’t care less about their well-being. Where Gilroy’s 2014 masterpiece “Nightcrawler,” also starring Gyllenhaal and Russo, succeeded as a twisted character study, the scattershot approach of “Velvet Buzzsaw” undermines any individual

characters’ depth. If the film had focused solely on Vandewalt, rather than several different characters, perhaps I’d care more. Gyllenhaal himself gives quite a performance, hamming it up to accentuate the plot’s ridiculousness. While “Velvet Buzzsaw” wastes too much time with greed-fueled conversations early on, the film shines when the characters’ sins are punished. The numerous gory kills don’t elicit gasps, but guffaws. One kill in particular, involving an amputation, “the Sphere” and small children playing in the aftermath, is unforgettable. Gilroy embraces the film’s slasher genre potential, serving up a delicious platter of over-the-top carnage. There’s also a number of surprisingly suspenseful sequences, enhanced by Robert Elswit’s exacting cinematography — full of slow zooms and steady camerawork. Karmic justice, devoted acting and a relevant message don’t overshadow the film’s meandering nature, however. Unless viewers are prepared to slog through over an hour of unsympathetic characters being unsympathetic, “Velvet Buzzsaw” doesn’t warrant a viewing.

The Index

BOLD lifestyles

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

Country singer performs at Truman me it was kind of in my blood and I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else. But when I decided that it was gonna be my career, I was like 16 years old, which I guess is still pretty young, but that’s when I decided that I was going to solely focus on music. It was really the only thing I was good at, besides making people laugh.”

So if you weren’t doing music, you would probably be doing comedy or something? “Heck yeah I would be a comedian. Or I would do hair. I would definitely be in the creative field, just in another way. But don’t trust me cutPhoto by Mary Van Winkle ting hair. I would suck, but if I went to school for it I think I would be Racheal Lynn Woodward, better pretty good.” known by her stage name RaeLynn, visited Truman State University Feb. What did you learn from your 23 to perform on the same stage as experience on “The Voice?” Hunter Hayes as part of a Student “The biggest thing that I learned Activities Board sponsored event. Rae- was how to do interviews, because I Lynn began her rise to fame in 2012 as was 17 on the show and I never had a contestant on the reality show “The any experience doing anything like Voice,” a competition for singers. Since that. Learning how to do choreogleaving “The Voice,” RaeLynn has re- raphy on stage, what it was like to leased one studio album titled “Wild- work with a real band. The only band Horse.” I had ever worked with was my band at church, so to have real musicians When did you know that music that knew what they were doing was was what you wanted to do? really cool. And just the experience “I grew up around a really musi- you get from being on television, getcal family in Baytown, Texas, so for ting critiqued every week, and bet-

TOP [ 5 ]

movies overlooked at the oscars

By Disgruntled Film Critic Gordon McPherson

1 “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

Yep, you saw this one coming. Have academy voters no souls? What blasphemy is this? Any credibility the Oscars had is gone. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is a ilm that’s important for humanity’s future.

2 “Sorry to Bother You”

As readers of The Index are well aware, I absolutely adore “Sorry to Bother You.” In fact, I’ve seen it nine times. Perhaps the staggering creativity and originality proved too much for the narrow-minded academy.

The e s r u C of

tering yourself — that was all really great experience.”

When you left “The Voice,” how did you take that experience, which was likely disappointing, and turn it into a successful career? “Being on ‘The Voice’ is already like a win. There’s so many stages you have to go through just to get on the show. I think there were 120 people that they actually fly out [to be on the show]. So think about the thousands and thousands of people who audition and you’re one of the 120 that they pick to actually be on the show. So when you think of it that way, there’s only one person who is going to win and you can’t be upset if that’s not you. That’s one way I always kind of looked at it: if I win, great, but if I don’t, I’m still a winner because I made it onto the show and a lot of people don’t even get that far. Going in with that mindset really helped me, and of course it was hard, but it was a really awesome experience and going through that little bit of rejection really struck a fire in me to prove myself even more.” I read that you were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. How do you manage that when you are on tour and performing? “A lot of just checking my blood and everybody around me always

has a snack or orange juice if something ever happens, if my blood sugar drops. My main thing with having Type 1 diabetes is you always have to keep everyone around you aware about the disease you have. I think that’s the biggest thing where a lot of diabetics don’t want to tell people about their disease, but it’s important to tell people, because what if I passed out and the person around me doesn’t know? So I think educating people around you is the most important thing.” How do you make time for friends and family when you’re on tour? “I’ll bring them on the road with me, or FaceTime is a big thing. I’ve missed a lot of birthday parties and significant things in my friends’ and family’s lives, but they understand with the career that I’m in. I have an alarm on my phone that reminds me to call my dad at least once a week. Little things like that to remind you that it’s important to check on those relationships.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. The interview was conducted by Elisabeth

3 “Blindspotting”

“Blindspotting” is so searing, so ambitious and so well made, I’m baf led it received no love at the Oscars. “BlacKkKlansman” is a wonderful ilm, but “Blindspotting” takes an even more incisive look at modern-day race relations.

4 “First Man”

Sure, perhaps Damien Chazelle’s “First Man” is a bit bloated, but it’s still incredible. By focusing on Neil Armstrong’s personal life, Chazelle infuses palpable emotion into a story most viewers are familiar with. Also, the melancholic soundtrack is pure bliss.

5 “First Reformed”

The disturbing beauty of Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed” shouldn’t be dismissed. The ilm tackles relevant themes and contains one of the best ilm performances of the decade with Ethan Hawke’s Ernst Toller. How did Hawke get snubbed? There’s no acceptable explanation.

s l e a r Bria Mich

by llison A hoff h c s a M

It is time for a new adventure. Another story in another world that looks very much like ours, and perhaps is. Now, throughout time there have been people who have known Death, in one way or another. I speak of the person of Death, not the natural phenomenon. One generation of these cursed, or perhaps gifted, people had a unique experience in that they all found each other, and they saw how their abilities could interact. Theirs is a story of fear and love and heartbreak and learning. Theirs is a story of Death. And, of course, it is also a story of death. To catch up on The Curse of Briar Michaels, check out tmn.truman.edu. Part I: Everyone has an opinion about death. There has never been one view on the natural expiration of a human life that every living being has been on board with. Some choose to see it as the end, others believe it to be a beginning. Some believe we only die once, others see death as a point on an everrepeating cycle. Yes, everyone has an opinion about death. But not everyone has a relationship with Death. Most people live their whole life (or lives) blissfully unaware of his existence. They talk about their opinions and their beliefs and they never pause to notice, or even consider the possibility of, the shadowy figure that accompanies each expiration. There have been people throughout time who have noticed. People with certain gifts or curses or sixth senses. They know the real story. They know death is the work of a being. They pop up every once in a while. Most of them live their whole lives unaware that they are not completely unique. But sometimes, they find each other. Dushan, Asuka, Aislinn and Briar may have had much better lives if they had never found each other, but such was their fate. And please, don’t question me about fate right

now. That’s another debate for another story. Right now, let us focus upon these four. Dushan could hear Death: its footsteps as it approached, the ripping apart of body and soul. He could hear it through walls and over the general cacophony of life. It was a sound that made him feel cold, and yet he described it as the sincerest sound he had ever heard. There was no dishonesty in it. It spoke a truth that no one could deny: everything, and everyone, comes to an end. Asuka could smell Death. She knew nearly a month in advance that a person’s life was beginning to spoil. She said it was a scent that was rotten and nostalgic and something else she could not quite put her finger on. Like some foreign spice that was only used in some particular recipe. The scent tasted like copper and reminded her that we all had a finite number of days. Aislinn saw Death’s true form — a horrific ghost slipping between ignorant humans. That was the only description she ever gave anyone. She refused to depict the creature for anyone, even those who had curses of their own. But whenever she saw the ghastly figure, she froze and stared and goosebumps rose up upon her chilled skin.

The fourth member of this band of cursed souls was different from the rest. Briar could touch Death. While the others had struggled to cope with their abilities their entire lives, Briar had lived unaware. Dushan, Asuka and Aislinn had become friends as teenagers. They graduated from high school, got an apartment in the heart of Chicago and did their best to live normal lives. Two years later, Aislinn became the first of them to fall in love. Briar Michaels had been an unforeseen addition to their lives. He was outgoing and vibrant. He had deep green eyes and messy brown curls. And he was an outsider. Dushan, Asuka and Aislinn did their best to avoid close relationships with outsiders, but Aislinn seemed unable to stay away from Briar. It was as if they had a special bond. No one realized how deep that bond went until one day, as Aislinn and Briar were walking down a busy sidewalk, Aislinn stopped suddenly. Briar was confused. He didn’t know what was causing the petrified look in Aislinn’s eyes. Without fully meaning to, Aislinn pointed toward a man a few feet ahead of them. Well, Briar thought she was pointing at the man. Hoping to find a way to understand what had Aislinn so terrified, Briar reached out toward the man. Suddenly his hand came into

contact with something full of contradictions. His hand appeared to be touching nothing but air, but he could feel something solid against his fingers. It was silky and bumpy, cold as ice and hot as flame. He didn’t know what it was, but it was worthy of the fear on Aislinn’s face. Briar screamed. The noise snapped Aislinn out of her daze just as Death moved out of Briar’s reach. The man ahead of them on the sidewalk dropped to the concrete and Death disappeared. Slowly beginning to realize what had happened, Aislinn grabbed Briar’s arm and pulled him away from the growing commotion. Briar was still stunned and sirens were now blaring and Aislinn was doing everything in her power to keep the growing number of tears in her eyes from streaming down her face. She was doing everything in her power to make it back to the apartment before she fell apart. When she got there, she called Dushan and Asuka into the living room. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they were fully aware someone had died, but they did not know what had really happened. Briar was finally regaining his senses. He managed to choke out the words, “What happened?” That afternoon, life got a little more complicated for all of them.

The Index

Ouestions ?

Michael Moore, senior

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

the

Emily Keefe, sophomore

Ouad ?

Nana Yaw Ohemeng, senior

Question 1: In your opinion, what is the best way to make a positive difference in your community? “Just being inclusive, being a positive influence even if it is just simple optimism. That makes a difference.”

“I would say the first step is to find out what your community needs and go from there. I think you also need to have compassion behind it.”

“You just have to be nice to people. Once you show that you are nice, people will tend to not focus on stereotypes. They will focus on who you are as a person.”

Question 2: What is the most recent goal you have made for yourself? “My goal is to start working out regularly. I keep telling myself when it’s done being icy death outside that I will start going to the rec.”

“To start making goals for myself, if that makes sense. I’ve been the kind of person who just kind of goes through life off script, and I have found that making goals and completing them is very self-rewarding.”

“To graduate. That is my most recent goal and that will happen.”

Question 3: Who is one figure in black history that you admire and why? “Janelle Monáe, the music artist. She is just unapologetically herself and her music is based around current issues. I admire that.”

“I adore Maya Angelou. I love her poetry and everything she is about. I am a big fan of poetry, and she is such a great trailblazer.”

“Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, because he fought for independence for Ghana, but he also helped a lot of African countries to be independent and focus on selfgovernment. My second choice would be Bob Marley, who spread a lot of good messages through his music.”

PRESENTS

Havana Cuba All-Stars 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21, 2019 Baldwin Auditorium

General admission tickets are $10 (includes tax) and can be purchased at the Truman cashier window in McClain Hall, at Edna Campbells in downtown Kirksville or online at lyceum.truman.edu.

Questions regarding the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series can be directed to the Truman State University Public Relations Office at pr@truman.edu or (660) 785-4016.

The Index

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

march 02

Women’s Basketball

Track and Field

vs. Lewis University 1 p.m.

NCAA Championships

Men’s Basketball vs. Lewis University 3 p.m.

vs. California at Clermont, Florida 9 a.m.

Women’s Tennis

Baseball

Softball

vs. Principia College at St. Louis, Missouri 5 p.m.

vs. Illinois Springfield Noon

Women’s Tennis

vs. Principia College at Grinnell, Iowa 12:30 p.m.

vs. Greenville University at St. Louis, Missouri 5 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

Softball

vs. Dominican College at Clermont, Florida 1:30 p.m.

Baseball

Softball

at University of Central Missouri 2 p.m.

vs. Illinois Springfield 3 p.m.

Softball

at Grinnell, Iowa 4 p.m.

at University of Central Missouri 4 p.m.

07 Women’s Basketball GLVC Tournament

Men’s Basketball

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Basketball GLVC Tournament

Men’s Basketball GLVC Tournament

Baseball

vs. Illinois Springfield Noon

08 Women’s Basketball GLVC Tournament

Men’s Basketball GLVC Tournament

NCAA Championships

Softball

vs. Cedarville at Clermont, Florida 1:15 p.m.

Softball

vs. Seton Hill at Clermont, Florida 3:30 p.m.

Softball

Golf

at MSU Texas Invitational TBD

GLVC Tournament

Men’s Basketball GLVC Tournament

Golf

at Jennies Invitational TBD

Baseball

vs. William Jewell 2 p.m.

Softball

Baseball

vs. Missouri Western State University 3 p.m.

Softball

vs. Urbana in Clermont, Florida 5 p.m.

Men’s &Women’s Swimming

NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

Softball

vs. Southwest Baptist 2 p.m.

Softball

Baseball

vs. Southwest Baptist 4 p.m.

vs. William Jewell Noon vs. William Jewell 3 p.m.

Men’s & Women’s Tennis

at Quincy University 11 a.m.

Baseball

15 Men’s &Women’s Swimming

NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

at Lindenwood University TBD

Softball

Track and Field

at Lewis University Noon

at Hastings College TBD

Softball

Men’s & Women’s Tennis

at Lewis Universtiy 2 p.m.

vs. William Jewell College 11 a.m.

Baseball

Men’s &Women’s Swimming

NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

Baseball

at Southern Indiana Noon

Softball

at Southern Indiana 2 p.m.

Softball

vs. Rockhurst University Noon

Softball

Baseball

vs. McKendree University Noon

Softball

vs. Rockhurst University 2 p.m.

at Indianapolis 1 p.m.

Baseball

at Missouri S&T 3 p.m.

Softball

vs. McKendree University 3 p.m.

Softball

vs. Missouri Western State University Noon

Track and Field

vs. McKendree University Noon

at Indianapolis 11 a.m.

Baseball

vs. Rockhurst University 2 p.m.

Men’s & Women’s Tennis

at Missouri S&T Noon

at MSU Texas Invitational TBD

at Washington University Distance Carnival TBD

Men’s & Women’s Tennis

vs. Sioux Falls in Clermont, Florida 1:30 p.m. vs. Southern Connecticut State in Clermont, Florida 3:45 p.m.

Track and Field

vs. Missouri Valley College 3 p.m.

Men’s &Women’s Swimming

Softball

at William Jewell College 2 p.m.

Baseball

Golf

Women’s Basketball

Softball

vs. Indiana in Clermont, Florida 2:45 p.m.

vs. William Jewell Noon

Track and Field

NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

GLVC Tournament

Baseball

at Rockhurst University Noon

Baseball

at Rockhurst University 3 p.m.

31 Softball

at Bellarmine 11 a.m.

Golf

Softball

at Jennies Invitational TBD

at Bellarmine 1 p.m.

Baseball

at Missouri S&T Noon

at Rockhurst University 3 p.m.

The Index

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

TENNIS| Tennis will begin GLVC play in March, men’s team preparing for alumni weekend Continued from page 12 Meanwhile, on Saturday, Feb. 2, the men were several hours away in Evansville, Indiana, playing University of Southern Indiana. The Screaming Eagles, undefeated so far this season, took every match of the meet to land a 7-0 sweep of the ’Dogs. Nick Thiele put up the Bulldogs’ highest numbers on the scoreboard that day. He fought in the longest singles match of the men’s meet despite losing in two sets, and he was the only Bulldog to win more than two games in a singles set. He and his brother Matt Thiele also had the best Truman doubles performance of the day with their 6-3 loss. Thiele said he felt the meet went as well as it could have for the men’s first spring outing, and

TRACK| Track and field finished sixth in indoor championships, preparing for outdoor season Continued from page 12 Farrales said in addition to having a successful meet individually, it was great having so many teammates qualify and perform well. “The conference championship is always an exciting event,” Farrales said. “This is the meet that we’ve been building up to all indoor season long. The men’s team did better than any indoor conference meet that I’ve been to, and the women also had a great showing.” The women received two bronze finishes Sunday from Gemma Saathoff and Cassidy Smestad. Saathoff finished the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:21.24, and Smestad placed in shot put with a mark of 44-11.50. Though this competition finished up the indoor season, the teams will now turn and focus on the impending outdoor season. The teams will travel to their first meet March 29 at the Washington University Distance Carnival in St. Louis. They will also be preparing to host the GLVC Championships come May.

he had the same concerns Rassel had with adjusting to different playing surfaces. He also noted that the GLVC is one of the strongest conferences in the nation for tennis, USI included, but the Bulldogs are most focused on their conference rivals: William Jewell College and Quincy University. The men are also gearing up for their first ever Alumni Weekend at the end of March. The team will face William Jewell and Rockhurst University that weekend, but the event is also a significant fundraising opportunity for the team. After the men’s tennis team was cut from the Truman Athletics budget last May, the team secured $15,000 of initial funding to compete this season, but it needs $300,000 more to establish an endowment fund for the team and keep its place on campus. Thiele said he thinks the gravity of this event has

prompted a mentality shift in the men’s team. “I actually just talked to 170 alumni this last weekend,” Thiele said. “It’s exciting, and I think that it’s definitely in the back of all the players’ minds, especially this semester, getting ready. All the alumni are going to come back to school for the first time ever. [It’s a] ‘we need to look good’ type deal.” The ’Dogs have one more non-conference road trip per team before Spring Break. Women’s tennis will play Principia College and Greenville University in a doubleheader Saturday in St. Louis. Men’s tennis will head to Grinnell, Iowa, next Saturday for its own doubleheader against Principia and Grinnell College.

WRESTLING| Despite a rocky start, wrestling competed through the season, dropped possibility of nationals

Continued from page 12 Williard, though only a true freshman, went 2-2 against top competitors at the NCAA regionals, but he missed a spot at nationals. Williard said he has the drive to compete and the confidence that given the right amount of work and training, he could make the trip to nationals next season. Naturally, however, the removal of Truman wrestling would make this difficult. “It was frustrating seeing a guy I beat twice during the season make the finals and qualify for nationals,” Williard said. “I would love to keep wrestling here at Truman State next year, but unfortunately the odds of us having a team next year don’t look so good. I feel like I have so much more to give to the sport, and if I had a couple more years to wrestle at Truman, I could be on top of the podium at nationals… I am leaning towards Truman but am considering transferring to another school if we don’t have wrestling next year.” Truman State University wrestler Sam Reeves is Williard said the team wanted to qualify at recognized in a match earlier this season. Though least one athlete for nationals and bring SchutReeves is a senior and will be moving on, younger ter to nationals one last time, but unfortunatemembers of the wrestling team will be forced to ly it fell short. Despite this, Williard said the decide whether they want to stay at Truman or team has a lot to be proud of, as coming totransfer to continue their wrestling careers. Photo by gether and raising the money required to have Truman Athletics the season was an accomplishment. “It was definitely tough knowing that we would need to raise a lot of money in order to have a wrestling team next year,” Williard said. “But as a team we learned to overcome this adversity. Life is full of obstacles and hardships, and this was just one obstacle that we had to overcome.”

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Forward Rachel Edmundson led the Bulldogs Saturday when they trampled Quincy University 79-56. Bringing Truman’s record to 21-5, Edmundson drove in 18 points, leading the `Dogs in scoring and landing 5 of 7 field goals. Edmundson also made four free throws and landed four three-pointers during her 21 minutes of playtime.

Rachel Edmundson

The Index

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

Men’s basketball 9-7 after win against Quincy

Softball has best start since 2013

BRENTLY SNEAD Editor-in-Chief

Coming off a win against Quincy University, a rivalry sweep for the season, men’s basketball is preparing for its final weekend in regular season. Truman State University traveled to Quincy after a tough loss to Rockhurst University Feb. 16. Truman faced Quincy at home early in February and came out on top 85-57. This weekend served as a chance for the team to bring home another win against the Quincy Hawks. Saturday, the ’Dogs experienced its best field goal percentage of the season, .648, and scored 48 points in the first half and 44 in the second for a final score of 92-76. “We feel great about the win at Quincy,” head coach Jeff Horner said. “Any time we can get a win on the road in the GLVC this year we are happy. There is a lot of parity in the league, so every night is a battle.” The team fell behind once early in the game but quickly recovered to create a large gap between the two teams. Saturday’s win put the men’s basketball team at 14-12 overall with a 9-7 conference record. Despite pulling off a win this weekend, the men’s basketball team has struggled throughout the season with large losing streaks of 4-5 games at a

NICOLAS TELEP Digital Director The women’s softball doubleheader scheduled for Saturday at home against Winona State University was canceled in response to bad weather forecasts, so the Bulldogs will travel to Warrensburg next Tuesday to play two games against the University of Central Missouri Mules. The softball team is off to its best start since 2013, winning its first three matchups at the Music City Invitational tournament in Tennessee. The series in Warrensburg will be the team’s last before heading to Central Florida March 8-12 to play eight games against opponents from around the country at the National Training Center. “I think everyone’s a little bit more excited to play,” pitcher Lauren Dale said. “Everyone’s eager to play and is ready.” Dale said many members of the team are sad they won’t get to play against more opponents this weekend, but she said she is excited to play in Florida. She said they went 7-1 the last time the team played at the NTC, and it will be good to play outside and in nice weather. In the first three wins of the season, the Bulldogs outscored opponents 19-8, and two players — Dale and center fielder Christa Reisinger — received awards from the GLVC. The team plays its first conference series against Rockhurst University March 16, a game which will also serve as Truman’s home opener in light of the cancellation of this weekend’s doubleheader.

Forward Cade McKnight goes up for a basket in the Feb. 9 game against Quincy University. The Bulldogs will return home this weekend to finish off the regular season. Photo by Kara Mackenzie time. Horner said he’s hoping these last two games can result in wins and the team can make a run for the GLVC Championship Tournament. The men’s team will first face the University of Indianapolis tonight. In their last meeting, Truman fell 83-79. The Bulldogs started their game against the Greyhounds ahead but couldn’t hold on to the lead. “The first time we played Indianapolis, we were 3-0, and I think guys started to think we could just show up and

get a win,” Horner said. “We have really buckled down lately, and on Thursday we want to win, and we have to win to assure ourselves a spot in the conference tournament.” Men’s basketball will round out its regular season Saturday at home against Lewis University for Senior Day. Truman met Lewis early in the new year and experienced defeat 75-66. Horner said he is hoping the team shows up ready to play, and he hopes they can send the seniors out on a good note.

gram’s history. Eagan said she hopes that with all the built up momentum, the team is able to finish strong. “With all the firsts [the players] have already accomplished, I just want them to finish it,” Eagan said. “Technically the most wins in school history is 22, so I would love to beat that and to make the NCAA tourney.” In addition, Eagan said the team is continually trying to improve its game. Though they are continuing their normal routine of practice and weights, they are finding things that need to get better and work on those as needed. “We are not just getting through, but still working to improve,” Eagan said. “The area we have been working most to improve has been our one-on-one defense. Playing with

our feet has to get better.” The Bulldogs will return to Pershing Arena this weekend to finish up the season, first with a game against the University of Indianapolis tonight followed by a faceoff against the Lewis University Flyers. The last time Truman met UIndy the Bulldogs came out on top in a 73-51 win, and they will be looking to do it again. Saturday’s game appears to be a tougher match as the ’Dogs will look for redemption against Lewis during Senior Day after a tough 86-56 loss in January. “I thought in our last game against Lewis, we quit when it got tough,” Eagan said. “I’m hoping we battle ‘til the end this time.”

Women’s basketball sets goal to break more records BRENTLY SNEAD Editor-in-Chief

After a win against Quincy University, women’s basketball will be finishing regular season play this weekend against the University of Indianapolis and Lewis University. Truman State University traveled to Quincy, Illinois, Saturday to face a team the Bulldogs beat 65-46 just a few weeks ago at home. The team entered the matchup looking for a sweep and achieved it easily in a 79-56 win, putting the Bulldogs at 21-5 overall and 12-4 in the GLVC. This season has marked a big year, as the team is one of few to make more than 20 wins and head coach Amy Eagan became the winningest coach in the pro-

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019

TRUMAN WRESTLING ROUNDS OUT SEASON

Truman State University wrestler Sam Reeves took fourth at the GLVC Wrestling Championships where Truman had the opportunity to win a bid to nationals. The team has termed this year the “Alamo season” after the team was eliminated in the face of budget cuts last year. Photo by Truman Athletics

After being cut, wrestling was able to compete, finished season short of nationals CURT WICHMER Staff Writer Following tight competition at Saturday’s NCAA regionals meet, wrestling closed its season in St. Charles, Missouri, after failing to qualify for nationals. Despite a hard fight, Sam Reeves lost an overtime match against Jared McKindley of Lindenwood University. Fighting hard is certainly not a new concept for these Bulldogs. This past season, the existence of the Truman

State University wrestling team was in jeopardy because of athletic department budget cuts last May. After extensive fundraising efforts and alumni donations, the team raised the $75,000 necessary for its 2018-2019 season. However, Truman Athletics is requesting a $2 million endowment for the continued operation of the team into future seasons, a figure which the team’s head coach said is unlikely to be reached. With what might be wres-

tling’s final season at an end, head coach Dave Schutter said each athlete performed admirably given the disadvantageous circumstances each of them faced. Schutter said despite numerous setbacks, such as a 10-teammate cap imposed by the athletic department, fewer training partners and more crowded traveling conditions than in prior years, the team fought hard and never quit. “The team was short [in number] this year, and more training partners could’ve

changed a lot,” Schutter said. “I applaud those boys for hanging in there and sticking it out. It really speaks to their character. It was a tough year for our guys. They went in there and never gave up.” In light of Truman cutting funding for its wrestling program, Central Methodist University announced Feb. 12 that it will be opening programs for both men’s and women’s wrestling. Schutter said CMU is likely looking to fill a gap left behind by Truman wrestling. Schutter also

said this program is likely to pull wrestlers who otherwise could have gone to Truman. Zach Williard, a freshman on Truman’s wrestling team, said the circumstances around this wrestling season drove him to work harder every day and give his all in what might be his final wrestling season. However, he said wrestling’s questionable future at Truman has left him torn between staying or pursuing his athletics. See WRESTLING page 10

Track and field wraps up Tennis prepares indoor season for GLVC play BRENTLY SNEAD Editor-in-Chief

The men’s and women’s track and field teams finished middle of the row in the GLVC Indoor Track and Field Championships. The event, which covered two days, was held in Indianapolis at the University of Indianapolis. Leaving Saturday, both the men’s and women’s teams were sitting in sixth place. The women’s team then finished Sunday with 40 points and the men with 47, helping them to hold

on to their sixth place finish out of 11 teams. Truman State University also brought home two champions — Elijah Farrales in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.82 and Brandon Hackamack in the triple jump with a distance of 46-11.75. Farrales was also a member of the 4x400 relay team alongside Eddie Barrett, Mitch Henderson and Kyle Kubernat, a team that received a silver medal. Farrales said while he obviously worked hard to domi-

nate in the 400-meter dash and there’s excitement surrounding that, there was a lot of celebration the 4x400. “Nothing quite compares to the hype of the 4x400 relay,” Farrales said. “The 4x4 is the last event of the meet, and everyone is always cheering on their teams. Being a part of a relay carry means that everyone has to do their part, but that makes success all the more satisfying.” See TRACK page 10

Elijah Farrales takes part in the April 2018 meet at Gardner Track. Farrales proved to be successful at the GLVC Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend as he brought home a first and a second place finish. Photo by Truman Athletics VOLUME 110

ISSUE 14

tmn.truman.edu

ALLYSON LOTZ Copy Chief

Men’s and women’s tennis started the spring legs of their seasons Feb. 1-2 with four total team losses, but that’s not slowing them down as they prepare for conference play to start in late March. Only the women played Friday, Feb. 1, facing Southwest Minnesota State University and Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri. The Truman State University Bulldogs took half of the wins in their 4-2 meet against the Mustangs, while the Griffons swept them 4-0 later in the afternoon. The next morning, Newman University also made quick order of the ’Dogs with a 4-0 sweep. Finessa Rassel produced half of Truman’s wins against the Mustangs, taking the No. 4 singles match after an extended third set ended 10-6. She also won several games in her singles match against the Griffons, but her second set ended prematurely at 4-3 once MWSU secured its fourth and final match point to end the meet. Rassel said she felt the meet was a good spring opener for the team, especially

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considering the adjustments everyone had to make in real time on the tennis courts. The tennis teams practice in the Pershing Building during the winter, and the hardwood floors make tennis balls bounce faster than they would off of more traditional court surfaces like asphalt or concrete. While Rassel said this can have its benefits, she also hopes the weather warms up so the Bulldogs can practice on the Truman Tennis Courts, which would give them a playing experience more akin to their competition experiences. In addition, Rassel expressed a lot of confidence in this year’s tennis teams as they head into GLVC play. She said she felt this spring start was stronger than their fall start, and she thinks that’s a good omen for the rest of the season. “We have a really good team dynamic this year especially,” Rassel said. “We’ve been working a lot harder at practice and incorporating a lot more fitness.”

See TENNIS page 10

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