The Index Vol. 110 Issue 15

Provost reflects on her first two years, page 5

Students celebrate awards, music with performance

Five Truman swimmers head to nationals, page 13

page 7

Basketball heads to Edwardsville, page 14

Truman State University tmn.truman.edu THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

tmn.truman.edu

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ENROLLMENT EXPECTED City changes TO REMAIN CONSISTENT court system

JESSICA VENVERTLOH Staff Writer

an email to The Index.

Morin said Truman is making plans based on fall 2019 and fall 2020 application data, which has been close to what SEM Works projects for the University.

While Truman is aiming to remain constant next year, the University of Missouri is expecting an increase in enrollment next fall.

The Kirksville municipal court will be dissolved June 1, and operations will be transferred to Missouri’s second judicial circuit court.

Kirksville city manager Mari Macomber said there will be a transitional period in April where they will begin shifting operations to the circuit court. Also, the court fee will increase from $12 to $15.

Kirksville is not the first city to propose this idea.

Randolph County also recently eliminated its municipal courts.

Macomber said the municipal court has always operated at a deficit. She said there was an unwritten policy that the cost of operations for the municipal court should not exceed $50,000, but over the last few years, the cost has exceeded $70,000.

Macomber said other reasons for the decision to dissolve the municipal court included that a municipality the size of Kirksville is not required to have a municipal court, there was legislation passed that put more regulations on municipal courts and the current municipal court clerk is retiring.

See ENROLLMENT page 6

See COURTS page 3

Truman State University sends promotional material and acceptance packages to prospective students when they are admitted. The University is looking at current application numbers and projections to estimate fall 2019 enrollment. Photo illustration by Daniel Degenhardt

Freshman admissions look promising for a steady enrollment RACHEL BECKER Staff Writer

New freshman applications are currently sitting at 3,489 for fall 2019, 2,498 of which have been admitted to Truman State University.

After a 17 percent drop in new student enrollment this year, the University hired an enrollment management consultant and made recruitment and retention some of its top concerns.

While it is still early, 132 transfer students have applied, but only 51 have been accepted.

Regina Morin, vice president for enrollment management, said Truman is seeing a dramatic increase in new international freshman and transfer applications, which is not the national trend.

SEM Works has established a goal for Truman to enroll 1,100 new freshmen and 130 new transfer students for fall

2019. In other words, the goal is to keep enrollment constant in the first year. Morin said based on the number of students admitted and the number projected to still apply, Truman will reach that goal.

“This fall we hope to see traditional levels of [conversion from admitted to enrolled] and as well as traditional levels of retention, which should come in on target with SEM Works projections,” Morin wrote in

Add/drop deadline moving back two weeks JESSICA VENVERTLOH Staff Writer The JED committee’s proposal to move the course drop deadline for students back by two weeks will go into effect the coming semester.

Jonathan Vieker, chair of the JED policies and protocols committee, said in the fall, the committee identified the add/drop policy as possibly contributing to student stress.

The current deadline to drop a course is the 10th week of the semester. The new policy moves it to the 12th week.

He said there were 28 appeals for late drop appeals in the two weeks following the

current deadline in the past semester. The committee will assess the success of the new policy by looking at the number of drops in the two weeks after the new deadline is implemented and comparing it to prior semesters. He said he hopes there are fewer appeals.

Vieker said the idea was discussed in committee before being brought to the registrar and the financial aid offices for consultation. The JED policies and protocols committee then made a recommendation to the provost’s office.

Registrar Nancy Asher said there is typically an increase in course drops close to the major deadlines. She said this new

deadline will help students who are unsure about whether or not to drop a course.

“Maybe they have a test the next week, but it’s after that 10th week,” Asher said. “If they did well on the test, they’d be okay to continue, but if they don’t do well on the test, they should have dropped. So, by giving them a couple more weeks, it gives them a little more flexibility to try to succeed in the course.”

Asher said to implement the new policy, she just has to change the dates of the parts of term in the student information system. She said it is the same process her office is already handling.

JED committee member Joe Slama speaks at the JED Campus Town Hall. The JED committee brought about the initiative to change the course drop deadline. Photo by Caleb Bolin

$1 million donation for plaza TAD BAST Staff Writer

The plaza area is located between the SUB and Pickler Memorial Library. The area will be renovated and adopt a new name by next year. Photo by Daniel Degenhardt

VOLUME 110 ISSUE 15 © 2019

The Sesquicentennial Plaza outside of the Student Union Building is being renamed the Sandra K. Giachino Reavey Sesquicentennial Plaza.

Reavey was a longtime friend of Truman State University, said Director of Development Charles Hunsaker. She then graduated from Truman in 1962 with a Bachelor of Secondary Edu-

cation in business education.

She served for several years on the University Foundation Board of Directors and a regional committee for the “Bright Minds Bright Futures” fundraising campaign.

Additionally, Reavey founded a scholarship in her name, which goes to students from Adair County majoring in business. When Reavey died Jan. 17, 2018, she left a $1 million gift for Truman to be pulled from her estate. Tru-

man is renaming the Sesquicentennial Plaza to honor her gift and her years of service to Truman.

Truman has a strict policy for obtaining naming rights.

To name a project in one’s honor, the honoree is first evaluated based on their giving to the University and their service, both of which Reavey demonstrated.

See PLAZA page 3

The Index

2

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

“Ain’t I a Woman!” takes stage at Truman

Top: “Ain’t I a Woman!” was performed in Ophelia Parrish Feb. 18. The performance is a chamber music theater piece used to celebrate the lives of four significant African American women.

Right: Sojourner Truth, Zora Neale Hurston, Clementine Hunter and Fannie Lou Hamer are the significant historical figures depicted in the performance.

Music elements were inspired by sounds from the Deep South, the Jazz Age and concert music from black composers.

Bottom: The performance was co-sponsored by the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. “Ain’t I a Woman!” was one of the ways in which Truman State University recognized Black History Month. Photos by Mary Van Winkle

Correction: A caption apprearing on page two of the Feb. 28 edition of The Index incorrectly states RaeLynn was the highest-selling female country artist of the year.

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 2/25 Theft reported at the 1700 block of North Centennial Ave. 2/25 Vandalism reported at the 900 block of East Washington St. 2/28 Theft reported at the 500 block of East Filmore St. 3/1 Burglary reported at the 2200 block of North Oak Ln.

3/2 Fourth degree assault reported at the 1000 block of West Hildreth St. 3/2 Illegal alcohol purchase by minor reported at Mulanix St. 3/2 Burglary reported at the 500 block of East Jefferson St. 3/2 Second degree property damage reported at the 900 block of South First St.

3/1 Property damage reported at the 800 block of North Centennial St. 3/2 Possession of drug paraphernalia reported at the 200 block of North Franklin St. 3/1 Fourth degree assault reported at the 1400 block of South Baltimore St. 3/2 Theft reported at the 100 block of East McPherson St. 3/1 Fight reported at the 400 block of East Cottonwood St.

3/2 Drugs/possession of a controlled substance reported at the 1800 block of North Osteopathy

3/1 Second degree property damage reported at the 1300 block of South Baltimore St. 3/3 First degree property damage reported at the 1100 block of Kings Rd. 3/2 Minor visibly intoxicated reported at Missouri Hall 3/4 Theft reported at the 1300 block of South Baltimore St.

The Index

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

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PLAZA| Sesquicentennial Plaza COURTS| City council votes to to be renamed after donor dissolve municipal court

Continued from page 1 The suggested project is forwarded to the Board of Governors and the Leadership of the Foundation Board of Directors for approval. The remodeling project was approved at the Board’s February meeting.

The remodeling of the plaza will begin this summer. The current step down from the SUB into the plaza will be removed and replaced with a gentle incline. Truman will entirely redo

the fountain, with the water basin filling more easily and more frequently than in the past. The new fountain will be easier to clear of snow in the winter and can be turned off to create more space for student events on the plaza. The project should be completed by the end of summer.

Truman Naming Rights Process

Continued from page 1 Russell Steele, presiding circuit judge for the second judicial circuit, said despite an increased workload, he thinks the efficiency of the court clerk’s office will offset this because of its electronic filing capabilities.

Steele said he does not foresee a significant increase in the cost of the court, but some employees previously employed with the municipal court will likely no longer be needed. “There’s going to be some growing pains and some transitional pains from doing this, I know, but I think all in all, the city has reasons for doing what they’re doing,� Steele said. “They have every right to do it, and so we have to make the best of the situation and do what we need to do to make it work, and I’m confident that we will do that.�

The courthouse is located in downtown Kirksville. As of June 1, the Kirksville municipal court will be dissolved and Missouri’s second judicial circuit court will assume its responsibilities. Photo by Daniel Degenhardt

calendar SPRING BREAK BEGINS MARCH 11 AND CONCLUDES MARCH 15 MARIO KART VIDEO GAME NIGHT 6 TO 8 P.M. MARCH 7 SUB ACTIVITIES ROOM

SAB PRESENTS GAME SHOW SERIES 6 TO 9 P.M. MARCH 18 SUB GEORGIAN ROOMS

KIRKSVILLE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM 6 TO 8 P.M. MARCH 19 A.T. STILL UNIVERSITY

The Student Activities Board is hosting a Mario Kart Wii Tournament. The tournament will be followed by free play on the Wii and Virtual Reality System. Participants can sign up online, and snacks and board games will be provided throughout the event.

The Student Activities Board is hosting the last installment of the game show series March 18. This time, participants will compete in a game similar to “The Price is Right.�

Kirksville Chamber of Commerce is hosting a spring forum for candidates running for Kirksville City Council. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook, and a half-hour meet and greet will take place before the forum.

LEADERSHIP RECOGNITION PROGRAM NOMINATIONS DUE MARCH 20 STUDENT UNION BUILDING

“BIRTHDAY GIRLS: QUEEN VICTORIA AND GEORGE ELIOT AT 200�

5:30 TO 6:30 P.M. MARCH 20 VIOLETTE HALL 1010

OBSERVATORY OPEN HOUSE 7 TO 9 P.M. MARCH 20 UNIVERSITY FARM

The Center for Student Involvement is hosting the Leadership Recognition Program designed to recognize Truman students, advisers and organizations on campus. People and organizations can be recognized for their dedication to peers, campus and the Kirksville community. Applications are online.

Professor emerita of English Linda Seidel will present a lecture on Queen Victoria and novelist George Eliot on the 200th anniversary of their births.

Stargazers, Truman’s astronomy club, is hosting an open house at the Observatory. The event consists of a constellation tour and open telescopes to look at the night sky. The open house occurs on the spring equinox.

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Add/drop deadline change does little to advance cause The Index operates in a system with steady deadlines. There’s stress and chaos, but at the end of the day, the paper must be turned in to the printers so we can operate and inform the public. Likewise, deadlines have to be set for Truman State University to function and get things done in a timely manner.

We, The Index Editorial Board, are glad that changes are being made by the JED committee. We applaud the committee for coming up with creative, inexpensive solutions that we have the resources to implement. The decision to move the add/drop deadline back by two weeks is a clear example that not everything is simply fixed by putting money forth.

With all that said, we also feel this action fails to change anything. Essentially, Truman is moving a deadline to accommodate those who need to drop a class late in the semester, but that is the only thing Truman is doing.

We, The Index Editorial Board, question who this is helping. While we see there were 28 students who had to appeal to drop a class during the two weeks after the deadline last semester, we also question whether that means the deadline was too early, students were unaware of the deadline, or students procrastinated. The 10-week point, the former deadline, is past the midpoint of the semester, and students should have an idea of how they’re doing at that point. Furthermore, is moving the date really going to help students, or are we setting ourselves up for more appeals past the 12-week point?

We also think the decision was made on the false premise that many students are fac-

ing this dilemma. Twenty-eight students out of more than 5,000 make up less than half a percent of the student body.

As stated before, we like seeing the efforts to move ahead and make changes. We support changes that emphasize overall wellness within students, and we are excited to see what other solutions come up. But perhaps it would better serve students to change the free add/drop deadline. While Truman is attempting to relieve students of unnecessary stress, the stress of money still remains.

Moving the add/drop deadline is understandable — we started this discussion with a chat on deadlines and their importance.

Truman obviously has a lot going on, and we aren’t saying to return all the money to students who have to drop classes. Instead, maybe this is when we take a hard look at what students actually need.

Perhaps it isn’t a need to drop but rather a need to be heard. Perhaps it’s a situation that goes unresolved with a professor. Without a full scale of the problem, we cannot make the right judgment.

To be clear, we, The Index Editorial Board, are not anti-mental wellness. We largely support solutions to the problems we experience as a campus, but we also advocate for actions that make a difference rather than simply doing things to say we have done them.

University governance should be more efficient NICOLAS TELEP Digital Director As university students, professors set certain expectations for us regarding how we’re going to behave and work. “Go to class,” “don’t be disruptive,” “do the readings” and “turn in work on time” are some very basic, almost universal expectations. Granted, not every student meets these expectations every time, but it’s safe to say most successful students do so, and those who want to stay on their professors’ good side had better do so.

Enter university governance, specifically Undergraduate Council and Faculty Senate. For years now, these bodies have been trying to approve a plan to revamp Truman State University’s liberal arts curriculum. As The Index reported recently, the plan is now to phase in the new system next school year while other aspects of it are tweaked.

The program was already behind schedule, so this is a bit of a disappointment. There have been some interruptions along the way — massive budget cuts and new curriculum requirements from the state, to name a couple — but for the most part, these two bodies and the many committees involved in this redesign, made up almost entirely of faculty, have failed to meet the standards they would expect students to meet.

For a journalist, Faculty Senate and UGC meetings have become a chore to cover. I can only assume this means they’re even more of a chore for members to attend. I mean no disrespect to all the hardworking professors who give up their time to serve on these committees, but I’m sure many of those same professors would agree with me when I say I’d like to see a bit less bickering, talking in circles and finger-pointing in these meetings. This is unproductive and not what we as a University should expect from our governance. We don’t want Faculty Senate to end up with an approval rating as low as the U.S. Senate.

The Index has run editorials applauding those involved for being patient and cautious and not rushing the new curriculum. The current delay and any more to come go beyond patience and due diligence and become detrimental to the University.

The idea of revamping this curriculum has been around for more than half a decade now, and if the current Liberal Studies Program is really as flawed as some say it is, we don’t have time to wait any longer. Phasing in The Dialogues is a good start, but moving forward, I hope Faculty Senate and UGC hold themselves to standards that at least resemble those they hold their students to.

Stu Gov

Buzz

StuGov updates on upcoming events Hello Students! Great job surviving midterms and the cold simultaneously.

Student Government remains dedicated to exploring the best options for improving the campus in any aspect and post-spring break is our busy season!

Stu Gov has been working to make Mental Health Week a part of our standing rules in order to have future committee chairs embrace a week focused to supporting the wellbeing of the students. Diversity Week, Earth Week, and Student Appreciation Week are all right around the corner so be sure to keep an eye out for tables and posters with more information.

External Affairs is working to bring the Student Government Body down to Jefferson City to promote the importance of higher education, particularly Truman State University, to our various representatives. Without acknowledgment and funding provided by the State, resources become harder and harder to better the campus. In April, there will be a free dinner to educate students on food-insecurity in Missouri. Keep an eye out for more information!

Every Friday is purple Friday, but once a month there are special events put on by our own Purple Friday subcommittee. After break, there will be lawn games for “goof off day” which will help celebrate the come of a much needed weekend. This will be on the quad on either the 22nd or the 29th, depending on the weather. Later in the semester, rumor has it that there will be an actual bulldog at one of the events. Follow our instagram for updates on all of this madness. @Tsustugov SUBMITTED BY: Rachel Holt

H E A o t D H E A D

University governance should take it slow RYAN PIVONEY Managing Editor Last month, Faculty Senate and Undergraduate Council voted for a phased implementation of The Dialogues, Truman State University’s new liberal arts curriculum. Of course, this means there is still work to be done. Faculty governance has had the idea to revamp the curriculum for a few years now, but it only started planning in summer 2017. This is when a committee working on a new curriculum proposed what would become The Dialogues to governance, and since then it has gone to a full faculty vote.

Faculty Senate and Undergraduate Council have been working to fine-tune every detail.

Now, this might seem like a slow and tedious process, but I think it is perfectly adequate. This is the curriculum we are talking about! It should take more than a couple months to create. As Faculty Senate President Scott Alberts and UGC chair Justin Jarvis both said, a one-year timeline proved to be too ambitious. Even with UGC meeting twice as often as they normally would, there is still work to be done. There are nine committees dedicated to different aspects of The Dialogues, which has many moving parts. So far, Faculty Senate and UGC have passed the Disciplinary and Interconnecting Perspectives and graduation requirements. Governance still needs to complete most of the perspective outcome statements, fine-tune the Truman Symposium, and work out logistics like double-counting and specific courses fitting under the perspectives.

The decision to postpone the full implementation of The Dialogues was the right one. Because this is such a massive undertaking, it is in the best interest of the current students, prospective students and faculty to not pass off a half-baked curriculum. The liberal arts curriculum is what makes Truman unique, so we shouldn’t be rushing the process of what could potentially define our school for years.

While I do agree that governance can take too long to get some policy passed — the repeat and retake policy taking three years was absurd — careful deliberation is exactly what should be expected for something as extensive as The Dialogues. The back-and-forth between faculty representatives from each department is exactly what will make this new curriculum special. Every department has input and everyone’s voice should matter, and while this might slow the process, it makes for a better result. Without faculty governance, who else is going to dedicate their time toward developing a curriculum they would enjoy teaching and students would enjoy learning?

I say, keep up the good work, and I look forward to seeing what comes out of the prolonged process.

The Index

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

5

Provost reflects on her first two years RYAN PIVONEY Managing Editor

Janet Gooch, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, said she has learned a lot about Truman State University as she approaches the two-year mark in her current position.

Since Gooch took office, Truman launched a data science certificate program, modified multiple programs — such as adding a Bachelor of Science in philosophy and religion and combining foreign languages into one degree — and taken up a sweeping liberal arts curriculum change. She oversees all of this as the provost.

She has also overseen efforts to revise Chapter 6 of the Board of Governors policy relating to faculty, hire new faculty and develop more programs.

She said she has gained a broader view of the University as a whole.

“I think as provost I’ve learned a little more about other areas of the University,” Gooch said. “As a member of the Executive Leadership Team and working with the other vice presidents, I’ve learned a lot more about the University as a system and what the other vice presidents do, and how that all comes together to enhance the work of the University.”

Gooch said this has made her approach situations in a more collaborative, systemic and holistic way. She said this is where she has developed most since she assumed her role.

She said she is working toward the goals set out in the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan, especially those closely tied to academic affairs. Within the next two years, the Executive Leadership Team will develop a new plan. Until then, the strategic plan can be updated, but it remains as a guide.

The identified goals are what Gooch said make the University successful because they are tied to the Truman experience.

Gooch said The Dialogues has been a major focus recently as faculty governance pilot the symposium, develop Self and Society seminars, and work on the new curriculum.

“A lot has been accomplished, even though at this point we can’t say we’ve implemented a new curriculum,” Gooch said.

Gooch said she sees her role as facilitating the faculty and deans to be successful in moving the University forward.

In addition to overseeing major academic changes, Gooch also helps with individual program changes.

“There’s little things that have been accomplished,” Gooch said. “That’s not me. That’s the University, that’s the faculty, because really, from the academic affairs standpoint, it’s the faculty that move things. They’re really responsible for these successes.”

Truman has seen a decline in credit hour production, which means the to-

tal number of credit hours taken at the University has The VPAA helps to achieve these goals as part of decreased with the Executive Leadership Team fewer students on campus.

The enrollIntentional Experiences ment and reEnsure learning engagement and personal and tention efforts professional discovery through application to will help to real-world problems. combat this, Institutional Distinctiveness Gooch said.

Advance student learning and institutional Additionaldistinctiveness through the Liberal Arts and ly, she said acaSciences curriculum. demic affairs Extended Reach will be looking Increase substantive learning experiences that serve at what courses are being societal needs by reaching students beyond offered and if the University. enrollment in Organizational Excellence those courses is Promote organizational excellence and solidify adequate. They Truman’s position through a fiscally responsible, can then deterinclusive, sustainable, and healthy campus. mine a strategy to increase enrollment in The full plan can be found at Truman.edu/strategic-plan courses.

With declining credit hour production, this could have repercussions the ebb and flow of interest in differon faculty. Gooch said if a faculty mem- ent programs on campus, Gooch said.

“This is a great place, and great ber resigns or retires, her office thinks about whether that position needs to be things are happening,” Gooch said. “I refilled with a full-time faculty member, really appreciate having the opportuor if it can be covered with a curriculum nity to serve as the provost, and I am very thankful that we have such amazchange or temporary hiring.

Currently, Gooch said she esti- ing students and dedicated faculty and mates that Truman has more than 75 staff. It’s just great to work here.” percent tenure-track faculty. The use of temporary faculty can help cover

Strategic Plan Areas of Focus

news in brief SODEXO PRORATED MEAL PLAN FOR SPRING BREAK

JENNA FISCHER TO GIVE TALK

FORENSICS LOOKS TOWARD NATIONALS

Sodexo will prorate meal plans the week before and the week after Spring Break. Each meal plan will receive two fewer meal swipes the week students return from break. Additionally, campus dining halls will close over break and reopen March 18.

Emmy-nominated actress and Truman State University alumna Jenna Fischer will return to campus in April to speak in the Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series. Fischer graduated from Truman in 1995 and is best known for her role as Pam on the NBC comedy “The Office.” Fischer will also sign copies of her book for a limited time after the presentation. Free tickets for the event are required and can be reserved online.

Truman forensics union finished its regular season in late February, earning 14 state championships at the Missouri Association of Forensics Activities Championship Tournament. The team will now take aim at nationals, which will be hosted in Santa Ana, California, in mid-April.

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The Index

6

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

Course threads proposed to Undergraduate Council JESSICA VENVERTLOH Staff Writer Student Senate proposed an idea for “course threads” at the Feb. 21 Undergraduate Council meeting. The programs would be smaller than a minor and allow students to pursue and explore interests not within their major or minor field.

The course threads program would be interdisciplinary. Students would pick three courses from different disciplines that relate to one specific topic and complete the thread by doing a capstone paper or project that draws connections between the different courses in their thread.

Undergraduate Council chair Justin Jarvis said he thinks this is a great idea and there is a lot of excitement from faculty governance about it, but there are still many logistical aspects that need to be figured out.

“I’m hoping that the students keep pushing on it,” Jarvis said. “I know that it will be supported, just not immediately.”

Jarvis said he hopes the idea could be implemented by fall 2020, but the council currently has a backlog of projects and has been busy with the implementation of The Dialogues curriculum. He said he does not think the Undergraduate Council will look at the proposal until next fall.

Katie Alexander, Student Government academic affairs committee chair, said over the past summer she was looking for project ideas, and when looking at other schools’ curricula, she found the course threads program at the University of California-Berkeley.

Alexander said she thought this

program would be good for students who have niche areas of interest outside of their majors, and it allows them to explore those interests in a recognizable way that will appear on their diploma. She said minors can be difficult for students to do either because they can take a lot of courses to complete, or the minor might be too broad for a student’s interests.

She first presented the idea to Janet Gooch, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, during one of their meetings. She said she then met with interdisciplinary studies director Bridget Thomas, who was also receptive to the idea.

Thomas helped to iron out some of the details, and Alexander said she then presented a small proposal to the interdisciplinary committee. The committee helped to further refine the proposal, and Alexander brought the bigger proposal to the Undergraduate Council.

Alexander said she hopes to speak with more faculty about the idea, and she hopes there can be a faculty committee formed by the end of the school year to look at the proposal.

“I think anything that can give us more distinctiveness as a liberal arts institution is important because we really stand out from other universities in Missouri and in the region, and sometimes that’s not super clear with our curriculum,” Alexander said.

Rebecca Egger, associate director of the Townsend Center for the Humanities at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley, the center that originally created the program, said Berkeley’s course threads program began in

2007. The program is now handled collaboratively by university departments and the Townsend Center.

Berkeley currently offers 10 course threads. Students must complete three courses within the thread in at least two different disciplines and then give a presentation at a symposium to receive a course thread certificate.

Egger said the program is highly regarded at the university. She said the program is structured around students’ academic interests and is a great way for students to create a focus in their undergraduate experience without the level of commitment needed for a minor.

Course Threads Process

Pick Thread Topic

Take 3 courses in different disciplines

Student Senate presented the course threads idea to Undergraduate Council at its last meeting. The interdisciplinary program received positive response from UGC. Photo

by Ryan Pivoney

complete capstone project or paper

ENROLLMENT| Truman expects similar enrollment numbers for fall 2019, based on admissions and projections Continued from page 1 “Applications for next fall are up nearly 6 percent, and if the numbers hold, we’re expecting a class of approximately 5,000, indicating another healthy increase for the second consecutive year,” said Kim Humphrey, interim vice provost for enrollment management and strategic development at the University of Missouri.

Morin said most of the Missouri state schools are down in enrollment, except for the University of Missouri.

Morin attributes the lower application numbers at Truman to many factors, including the shrinking numbers of high school graduates, a decline in the interest for liberal arts in general and its rural location discouraging Generation Z. She said most state schools are feeling the effects of the demographic shifts in the Midwest.

“The largest population growing the fastest is the Hispanic population,” Morin said. “The ACT data indicate that a Latino student will go only 21 miles on aver-

age — many will go further than that — but on average they are going to stay pretty close to home. We do not have a sizable Latino population within 21 miles of Kirksville, so I think that is an added challenge for us.”

Morin said Truman is doing many things to improve the yield of the accepted students this year.

For instance, Morin said a marketing company was working to refresh Truman’s brand in a way that will resonate with Generation Z. The Truman Access Grant was expanded to help more students pay for tuition. An additional showcase was added in April, the first weekday showcase, as well as new swag bags for alumni who tour Truman with a potential student.

“We need to try and yield an even higher percentage of students to try and land where we were last year,” Morin said. “That is what all of the colleges all across the country are doing right now.”

life

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

7

Students celebrate awards, music with performance TRAVIS MAIDEN Staff Writer

With wind and string harmonies echoing through the halls, Truman State University’s music department held its annual Gold Medal Concert in Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall March 2 with Sam McClure as conductor leading Truman’s Symphony Orchestra, featuring four soloists who won the Gold Medal competition.

The Gold Medal competition invited all members of the music department to compete against one another in their respective sections, woodwinds against woodwinds, strings against strings.

Normally, there are three winners; however, this competition produced four winners, including soprano Allison Holloway, who was the first soloist of the night.

Holloway has been singing since she was 5 when she participated in church choir and then vocal lessons through middle school. She began to take singing more seriously the older she became, performing classical pieces since high school. She soared to new heights as she continued onward to Truman to work toward bachelor’s degrees in vocal performance and sociology.

Holloway almost didn’t attend Truman. With her eyes set on Butler University in Indianapolis, she continued to receive invitations to join Truman’s music program. When she finally visited, it was like she already belonged.

“I stepped on campus and it was kind of that movie moment I’ve been waiting for,” Holloway said. “The sun was shining, The Quad was beautiful. People were hammocking and throwing frisbees. It was so perfect. I met some of the music faculty and everyone was so nice. I didn’t feel like just a number.”

With hopes to continue onward to earn a master’s in vocal performance and pedagogy and then a doctorate, Holloway wants to become a voice professor and would love to perform for a while.

She said the stage is a place where everything can disappear for just a brief moment.

“When you’re on stage, every emotion that’s a part of you is shown and you don’t see the audience,” Holloway said. “You’re just up there doing what you’re supposed to be doing … but there’s another part of you that just sings and can’t believe you get to tell the story to an audience.”

Holloway said the performance went very well and

VOLUME 110

ISSUE 15

was blessed to have been able to perform with such talented musicians. With a smile and bow to the audience, Holloway finished her performance of “Sposa son disprezzata” and received a round of applause. Then, violinist Adam Barker stepped to the stage with his violin.

Barker picked up the instrument at age 6 as an extracurricular activity that slowly grew into a deep affection for the arts when he turned 14. His self-motivation began to take form when he started taking private lessons and practicing as part of school curriculum.

A huge inspiration to Barker was a group called “The Piano Guys,” a group that takes different genres of music and rearranges them as classical music.

“I mean, it’s just another reason I love them,” Barker said. “I can see that they love the music they brought, and

yet; however, he is sure no matter what he will be doing, he will still be involved with music.

As Barker finished his solo, the orchestra continued to play before saxophonist Jichen Zhang came to the stage.

Zhang began playing the saxophone at age 12.

Urged by his father, he continued through high school where he discovered his love for the saxophone and decided to chase a career in music. After completing his undergraduate degree in China at Yantai University, he came to Truman as Soprano Allison Holloway performs a graduate student to con- her solo. Holloway said she hopes to tinue his pursuit of music continue her education in graduate education. With hopes of school and one day become a voice receiving his doctorate at professor. Photo by Daniel Degenhardt the University of Iowa, he plans to return to China and Chang began playing the piteach saxophone or music the- ano in her living room at age 4. Starting as curiosity and ory.

“Right blossoming into a passion of now, every expression, Chang continued year we have on as a pianist through homea lot of op- schooling in Kirksville. p o r t u n i t i e s Chang said during high to perform school, Truman music profeson the stage, sor Lok Ng was an inspiration. so gradually “I remember this one conit becomes a cert, she played [Sergei] routine job,” Rachmaninoff[’s ‘Piano ConZhang said. certo No. 2 in C minor’] with “I just enjoy the orchestra, and I mean, I the feeling on was absolutely enamored with the stage. I it,” Chang said. “I just wanted enjoy expressing the music to to be like her in every way pospeople and express the joy to sible.”

Currently, Chang has a pripeople to pass it on.”

Zhang performed “Sunshine vate studio of her own teachOver Tashkurgan” by Chinese ing violin and piano students. composer Chen Gang. Written After Truman, she plans to for violin, Zhang performed pursue her master’s in perforthe piece on the saxophone. mance and hopes to continue Zhang said it has never been teaching her own private stuplayed in the United States on dio or at a university. saxophone, and it was very With butterflies in her important to him to perform stomach, Chang went on to flawlessly. He had been prac- play Dmitri Shostakovich’s ticing nearly every day since “Piano Concerto No. 2 in last semester. Donning ornate, F major.” Having practiced traditional Chinese clothing since June and rehearsed at the performance, Zhang with the orchestra for only a played a rendition alongside week and a half, their hard work paid off with a successthe orchestra.

“I think I’m the first Chi- ful performance. nese in this competition, and “The piece, it’s kind of the I hope as a Chinese, I can do epitome of me as a pianist bereally good or express more cause it’s very energetic and Chinese music to the U.S.,” powerful,” Chang said. “That’s Zhang said. “I want to bring something I really love is speed more music back to China, and power on the piano.” kind of like a deliverer or fu- After Chang finished, the sion. Absorb both cultures orchestra played an extravaand do something like fu- gant song to close. As the night came to an end, the orsion.”

As Zhang and the orchestra chestra stood, and the soloists finished the performance and came to the front of the stage exchanged handshakes, the to take a bow. orchestra made room for pianist Grace Chang and her piano.

“When you’re on stage, every emotion that’s a part of you is shown...”

Allison Holloway, soprano they didn’t care if anyone was watching or not. They’re out there playing away, and just seeing their drive and how music helps them express themselves was such a cool thing. It helped me realize I really wanted that myself.”

Barker said his performance wasn’t as perfect as he hoped, but he was happy with the result. Mere minutes before his performance, he was filled with nerves. With an entire orchestra on his heels and months of practice under his belt, uneasiness crept to his fingers. As Barker’s time came, he realized he should just do the best he can and walked proudly onto the stage and played Antonín Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A minor, movement 3.

“I think music is such a wonderful thing,” Barker said. “I don’t think it’s something we completely understand as people, but somehow just hearing sounds put together in certain ways really can just resonate with people across all cultures throughout all of history.”

With many avenues open to him, Barker said he doesn’t know what he will pursue as a career just

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The Index

8

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

Soup kitchen, thrift store support community CHAD MYERS Staff Writer It’s icy on Thanksgiving Day in Kirksville, Missouri, and there’s a line winding around a small white building. People from different walks of life hold up a plate to get a home-cooked meal and sit down, talking amiably with their neighbors.

Everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a meal and find a sense of comfort, regardless of their past.

This was made possible by the Community Mission, located at 402 North Elson St. Community Mission is an organization run by managers Ron and Debra Fischer and receives much of its revenue from its thrift store proceeds that pay for meal preparations across the street at its soup kitchen. The store is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and serves lunch Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Debra Fischer said the main purpose of Community Mission is to help the Kirksville community. During the winter months, they give away blankets and warm attire like hats, gloves and boots.

“Once it gets in your blood, it’s there,” Debra Fischer said. “You see the looks on the people’s faces, it just grabs your heart. It’s wonderful.”

The Fischers took over the Community Mission in October 2017 and have devoted their time to giving people a fresh start, whether it be giving furniture, pans and kitchenware to a family whose house burnt down, or providing a warm meal as Kirksville becomes ensheathed in a layer of ice.

The soup kitchen feeds people daily and is strictly run by its thrift store proceeds and donations from local businesses and the community. They strive to make all food from scratch and to create a well-balanced meal for the public.

To support Community Mission, several Kirksville businesses like Walmart, Aldi and Hy-Vee help by contributing food, such as extra produce or baked goods. Several of the churches in the area also help support the Community Mission through donations as well as volunteering their time.

“Hy-Vee gives us bread, cakes, and we share it with the public,” Debra Fischer said. “We use what we can for the kitchen to help feed people and pass the blessings on further to help feed people.”

Ron Fischer is a retired preacher and advocates for serving people both physically and spiritually. The Community Mission is a Christian organization and serves as a safe area for the community to come together. Before he serves the food, he gives a short sermon to tell people about God.

TOP <5>

Community Mission is an organization housed within two buildings, one for its thrift store and one for its soup kitchen. Much of the organization’s revenue is generated from the thrift store and used to operate the soup kitchen. Photo by Chad Myers The Community Mission typically serves around 60 people a day, but the cold weather has made it more difficult for families to travel because of the ice. During the holidays, the Mission will help anywhere between 100-200 people daily.

Last year, they had around 175 people come in for Christmas.

“Here it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor,” Debra Fischer said. “Everybody comes in, they joke, they laugh, they talk, they visit. That’s what makes your heart happy.”

INEXPENSIVE SPRING BREAK ACTIVITIES

From The Index Archives, edited by features editor Elisabeth Shirk

3 READ A BOOK

If you enjoy reading for fun, there is bound to be at least one book that you have not had the chance to read amid your classes and other responsibilities at college.

1 CREATE SOMETHING

4 EXPLORE SOMEPLACE NEW

2 EXPLORE LOCAL STORES

BOWLING OR 5 GO ROLLER SKATING

In college, we so often get stuck writing papers, planning projects or preparing speeches for our classes that we don’t get a lot of time to create something for ourselves.

If you enjoy writing, painting, crafting or doing something else creative, Spring Break can provide some downtime to indulge in those activities.

With all the spring cleaning going on, there’s sure to be some great deals on quality vintage pieces. Don’t need any new clothes? Check out some antique stores or a local bookstore.

If you’re feeling envious of all the beach photos popping up on Facebook, take a drive and see if you can find an exciting new locale. I always love stumbling into cute new cafes or undiscovered lookout points.

Check out your local bowling lanes or skate rink.

They often have discount nights where you can bowl a couple games with your friends on the cheap.

BOLD lifestyles

Gallery owners bring art to The Square AURA MARTIN Staff Writer A pharmacist from Hy-Vee makes her own quilts. A police officer shoots pictures of sunrises and sunsets over the lake in Thousand Hills. An antique dealer designs her own jewelry from vintage beads and stones that she reclaims from antique pieces. Those are just some of the people whose work has been displayed at Gallery 104, an art shop and gallery on The Square in downtown Kirksville.

Five new owners took over Gallery 104 on July 1, 2018. The new owners are Joanna Marshall, Sharon Pritchard, Trish Hill Bellington, Evelyn Carlson and Teri Crandall.

Pritchard said she helped the former owner, Colleen Wagner, with arranging the artwork on the walls. At the time, the former owner was preparing to close shop, so Pritchard and the other four owners, who were retired and knew each other, banded together and purchased Gallery 104.

Pritchard said artists have been coming to the gallery hoping to display their handiwork. If she and the other owners like the artwork, then they will charge the artist $70 per month to rent an 8-by-8 space on the wall. Pritchard said the pieces have to be originals.

Bellington said the art on display, in the beginning, was pretty conventional and mainly included wall art such as oil paintings and photography.

She said there was not as much variety, so the new owners wanted to expand and bring in different types of art. The gallery now features over 20 local and

Gallery visitors hold up scarves they made during a scarf-dying workshop at the gallery. Gallery 104 hosts many art workshops throughout the week for multiple skill levels. Submitted photo regional artists, including artists from Iowa and the Kansas City area. In addition to oil paintings, acrylics, watercolors and photography, Gallery 104 also displays jewelry, ceramics, baskets, wood carvings and sculptures. There is also wool for sale made by a woman who raises her own sheep and does all the cleaning and hand-dyes them.

Three of the owners are also artists who showcase their work in the gallery.

Carlson said she does portrait work of people and pets, and she paints landscapes. Bellington is a watercolor artist, and Marshall does pottery and painting.

There is a reception the first Friday of every month where people are wel-

come to come in and mingle and look at the pieces on display. Pritchard said she likes to focus on mixing as many different art pieces as possible and not worry about changing it every month. She finds it fun to pair different objects together so they look nice instead of confining artwork by the same person in one corner. She said it also makes it more interesting for the viewer to see work by different artists come together.

In addition to displaying artwork, Gallery 104 hosts classes and workshops. On the third Thursday of every month, Gallery 104 has wine and painting nights called “A Toast to Art.” It also

hosts workshop classes, usually on Saturdays, that are more advanced than the wine and painting classes, Marshall said. One such workshop will be held March 23 and will cover pour painting. Pour painting is painting without a brush where acrylic paints of various colors are combined in a cup and then poured onto a canvas in layers. The results are abstract designs, and it was a workshop that was held before to great success, Marshall said.

“We are also going to have silk scarf painting and basket-making workshops this spring,” Marshall said. “Those are the only ones we know for sure we are having in the next few months.”

Most of the objects in the gallery are for sale. Some of them are several hundreds of dollars, but there are also inexpensive pieces. Marshall said there is affordable jewelry for sale, and the biggest sellers in the store are the cards which range from $5-10 each.

She said all the cards contain original art by the painters.

Bellington wants people in Kirksville to know that they can be a part of supporting art in the community.

“I think that the presence of art and creative energy in Kirksville and the surrounding community is important,” Bellington said. “It just brings a whole different dimension to the lives of people and helps us to appreciate the finer things in life and beauty — and the things that are created.”

The gallery is free and open to the public Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Registration for classes and workshops can be done online at the Gallery 104 website.

The Index

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

9

“Alita” bedazzles and that’s about it GORDON MCPHERSON Staff Writer “Alita: Battle Angel,” based on the Japanese manga “Battle Angel Alita,” showcases breathtaking visuals and memorable action sequences, but it also takes itself way too seriously. For every imaginative flourish, there are scenes of unintentional hilarity — but this tonal inconsistency isn’t necessarily to the film’s detriment.

The year is 2563. Earth has been devastated after The Fall — a poorly explained war with class division consequences. In a grimy, crime-ridden metropolis called Iron City, Ido, played

by Christoph Waltz, finds the head of a disembodied cyborg named Alita, played by Rosa Salazar, and takes her under his wing. Unfortunately, motioncaptured Alita doesn’t remember any of her past, but she can decapitate cyborgs pretty easily from the get-go.

The e s r u C of

Alita is eventually hunted by bounty hunters and overlords, led by a miscast Mahershala Ali, who will stop at nothing to disassemble her. She also falls in love with slick-haired pretty boy Hugo, played by Keean Johnson, in a romance that snugly fits in with other young adult cringe fests. As Alita learns more about her past and herself, often during violent confrontations, she fights for the survival of her newfound family and the future of Iron City.

Suffice to say, viewers shouldn’t watch “Alita: Battle Angel” for a compelling story, well-written dialogue or memorable characters. They should, on the other hand, tune in for the staggeringly detailed worldbuilding and visceral, well-choreographed action.

It’s wonderful how advanced visual effects have become nowadays. Though relying heavily on CGI and borrowing much from the “Blade Runner” films, Robert Rodriguez crafts an impres-

sive world of cyborgs, thieves, powerhungry ganglords, empowered female characters and high-stakes roller derby.

It’s a pleasure just to see what bizarre sight will come next.

Salazar also gives a highly emotive, convincing performance as Alita. Though still residing in the uncanny valley, the impressive wizardry bringing Alita to life is impossible to dismiss, even though her character’s depth leaves much to be desired.

The film’s central themes, including the differences between humans and cyborgs and the consequences of wealth disparity, aren’t anything science-fiction fans haven’t seen before, and Alita herself doesn’t have the personality or edge to stand out as especially memorable.

At least the action sequences, filled with smooth camerawork, wild acrobatics and over the top weapons, are satisfying. There’s always something new

up Rodriguez’s sleeve, even occasionally shocking violence. In fact, “Alita: Battle Angel” is entirely worth seeing in theaters for this visual bombast alone.

Everything else be damned.

The dialogue, full of technical babble, painful cliches and jaw-droppingly braindead remarks, is nevertheless amusing, and occasionally laugh-outloud hilarious, all the way through. The actors, especially Waltz, deliver their lines with a straight-faced seriousness that’s difficult to take seriously. The film’s “romantic” moments also fall flat — why does Alita care so much about pretty boy Hugo in the first place?

It’s therefore surprising that I enjoyed “Alita: Battle Angel” from start to finish. Rodriguez’s colorful vision of the future is quite the sight to behold, even though most storytelling elements appear scavenged from numerous other, better sciencefiction works.

s l e a r h a Bri Mic

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 II: Once Aislinn had stopped sobbing, the four of them sat down in the small apartment living room. She tucked a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear, looked at Briar and said, “You know how cartoons and novels and movies all claim that there is a quote, unquote, ‘person of death?’ Well, there is and he’s not exactly a person and I know this because I can see him. I saw him today.

I watched you touch him.”

She proceeded to tell him about how it had all started with her grandfather’s death when she was 11 years old. She told him about every time she had seen Death — there had been five sightings — but she did not tell him what the creature looked like.

After Aislinn, Asuka told Briar that she could smell Death’s approach. She was holding her camera in her lap, its aquamarine strap laid across her knees.

“I take a photo for every person I smell him on,” she whispered. “He must visit a person for a while before he takes their life. Usually I start smelling it about two months before the person dies. He leaves some sort of trace on them and it only smells more rotten as their end draws near.”

Finally, Dushan tried to explain the sound of Death. His stoic expression didn’t falter as he spoke.

“I first heard it when I was in seventh grade. We moved in across the street from a hospital. Must have been some cruel joke fate was playing on me.

When I first heard it, I didn’t know how to describe it. It’s like screaming and crying and sometimes there’s a sense of designated understanding. There’s tiptoeing and stomping all at once as Death approaches and then this blaring moment of finality and then it’s over.

Every time it’s a little bit different; every person’s soul reacts a little bit different-

ly. But those steps are always the same.”

Briar had not moved once since Aislinn had begun the conversation. He was staring at the ground. He didn’t know how to react to all of this. How does one properly react when it turns out the girl you’ve just met (and really like) is part of some strange supernatural family?

When Briar finally looked up, Dushan said, “That’s why we stick together. Because if we didn’t have each other, if we didn’t have people who understood, we’d all go insane.”

Briar thought about that comment a lot. He thought about it later that night in his apartment. He thought about it over the next few months and he thought about it a lot after everything fell apart.

Up until everything fell apart, he thought he was now a part of this strange family. He thought perhaps he could find a home with them.

But things fell apart. Six months later, after time’s gravitational pull had pushed Aislinn and Briar deeper into love, a piece of their happiness died. It was a beautiful day, the kind of day that begs to be photographed and used as a backdrop. The sun was shining, the sidewalks were filled with people and everyone seemed happy to be alive.

Dushan and Asuka had opened all the windows in the apartment and were playing music from a speaker. Perched in the kitchen window, Asuka was taking photo after photo, thankful that no one in them smelled like Death. Everything reeked of life.

Aislinn and Briar were in the park across the street. They were on a park bench; they often went there to talk and watch people walking by. It was a beautifully normal day. And then it wasn’t.

A woman screamed as a thief ran off with her purse.

Then there was a gunshot.

Women in history

The screaming died.

Before it stopped, though, everyone in the park looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a middle-aged woman slumped on a park bench. Her sky-blue blouse had a red stain in the center. The stain was growing.

Everyone else saw a woman and blood. Then they saw flashing lights and cop cars. Then they saw cops and then people with stretchers. And then it was over.

But Aislinn saw a ghastly and crooked creature. Its slow, heavy steps were taking it away from the park bench. No one else noticed the shadowy creature carrying a transparent version of the woman away from the scene.

Except Briar.

To Aislinn’s horror, Briar stepped in front of her, his arm reached out. She could only see half of his face, but she could not miss how pale he became as Death brushed past them and his body briefly came into contact with Briar’s fingertips. Suddenly, Aislinn knew what Dushan and Asuka saw every time they watched her see Death. She knew how Briar must have felt that day on the sidewalk months ago.

It was the worst thing she had ever experienced. Briar had frozen and she felt a piece of her heart rip apart from the core. Here was the man she loved and here was the most awful thing he could feel and she had caused it.

She was the only reason he had been exposed.

The park emptied quickly. More sirens came. Briar snapped out of his daze. He reached for Aislinn’s hand, told her they should get out of there. He didn’t understand why there was guilt mixed into the horror in her blue eyes.

When they got back to the apartment, Dushan had his hands over his ears. Aislinn silently walked up to him, Across 1. She is a human rights activist from Pakistan and the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

6. She was the first computer programmer.

12. She was a faculty member and librarian of First District Normal School, now Truman State University.

13. She was one of the most famous rulers in history and was the inspiration for one of William Shakespeare’s plays.

14. She is the first female justice to be confirmed to the Supreme Court.

15. She is one of the most decorated athletes in tennis with 23 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals.

18. She has written numerous classic novels, such as Mrs. Dalloway, critiquing societal expectations through an innovative stream-of-consciousness writing style.

19. She stars in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and is one of a select few to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting with two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.

Down

Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com

2. She was a Mexican artist known for “Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird.”

took his hands in hers and said, “It’s over. He’s gone.”

Asuka was still in the kitchen window. She was staring at her photos of happiness. She was wondering how she had missed the scent. She was trying to find the woman who had died.

Briar hung back from the others, just inside the doorway. He wasn’t sure how he fit into this ritual. He hadn’t been dealing with all of this nearly as long as they had. Honestly, he didn’t have to deal with it. He didn’t have to reach out to the creature. He didn’t know why he had. While the others would never fully escape their curses, Briar could.

He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t wanted to.

On the other hand, Aislinn knew Briar could be removed from the horrors.

Aislinn was cursed. Dushan and Asuka were cursed. They had all known this for a long time; they had made their peace. But Aislinn also knew something else: Briar didn’t have to be.

She held onto Dushan’s hands a little longer than she would have normally.

Tears were welling up in her eyes and she needed strength. She needed to center herself. Because she knew what she had to do. And she knew, if given the option, she would have rather stared at Death for a solid 15 minutes than have the conversation she was about to have.

Briar may have wanted a home with all of them. He may have wanted to be a part of their world. But Aislinn believed she knew better; Aislinn knew she was cursed. She was cursed and Briar didn’t have to be and as long as they all stayed together, he would be.

So things needed to fall apart. And she had to be the one to tear everything they had built to shreds.

She supposed that was what love was.

3. She was the first woman to complete a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

4. She is well-known for her TV show and book club that discuss social and personal issues.

5. She was a Shoshone woman, widely recognized for being a guide on the Lewis and Clark expedition.

7. She has won the most acting awards in Oscars history.

8. She is the patroness of soldiers and France and was executed by burning at the stake.

9. She was an English chemist who contributed to our understanding of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite.

10. She instigated the Montgomery bus boycott, one of the most famous mass movements against racism in history.

11. She was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics for her work on radioactivity.

14. She was the author of the book “The Second Sex” and became known for her influence on feminist existentialism and feminist theory.

16. She transformed the role of the First Lady of the United States by using her position as a platform for her social activism.

17. She is one of the first Native American women to hold a seat in Congress.

The Index

10

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

Ouestions ?

on

Brian Hennessy, freshman

the

Mary Fletcher, junior

Ouad ?

Christopher Unger, sophomore

Question 1: What’s been your favorite event at Truman since you’ve been here?

“I’d have to say as a freshman definitely Truman Week. That was definitely the most fun that I had. I guess it was mainly socializing with people I’ve never met with before and stuff. It was really cool.”

“I think Oktoberfest is always fun because there’s lots of food items, which is something I really gravitate towards.”

“I haven’t gone to many thus far, but the Chinese New Year event was certainly interesting, if nothing else.”

Question 2: What’s the first thing you want to do when the weather gets warmer?

“Dude, I want to wear shorts. Like I’ve not worn shorts in so long.

It’s my favorite thing because, you know, the air on your legs and everything, it’s great. I miss wearing shorts a lot.”

“My roommate got me a hammock, so I wouldn’t mind hammocking and trying that out.”

“Not have to dress so heavily.”

Question 3: What are your plans for Spring Break?

“I was going to go out of town and visit one of my friends in Europe, but that ended up not working out, so I’m going to just go home and hang out with family.”

“Going to California to see my brother.”

“I’m going home. I’m going to spend my time at home just relaxing.”

30

PRESENTS

Havana Cuba All-Stars 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 21, 2019 Baldwin Auditorium

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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.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

The Index

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MEN’S BASKETBALL| The GLVC Tournament starts today, team is seeded at No. 8 and facing No. 1 Lewis University Continued from page 14 Saturday’s game resembled Thursday early on as the Flyers took the lead, doubling Truman’s score at one time. While the men attempted to get close, Lewis handled the ball throughout much of the afternoon.

Truman had 20 turnovers in the game and allowed Lewis to finish with a field goal percent of 55.8 compared to the Bulldogs’ 39.2.

Truman will rematch Lewis University this afternoon in Edwardsville, Illinois. The results of this game will decide how far Truman goes in the tournament.

Right: The senior members of the men’s basketball team gather with their families and coaches on Senior Day, March 2. Saturday was the last game of the season in Pershing Arena. Photos by Kara Mackenzie

No. 40 forward Cade McKnight goes up at the tip at the March 2 game against Lewis University. McKnight was the lead scorer for the ‘Dogs Saturday at 23.

Guard Brodric Thomas goes up against a Lewis player during Saturday’s game.

Thomas scored a total of 15 points throughout the game and had a season high of steals.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL| After a tough loss, women recover and defeat Lewis University Continued from page 14 The Bulldogs will start play in the GLVC Tournament Friday night against Maryville University.

The last time the team met the Saints, it ended in an 85-78 defeat.

The Bulldogs are hoping to redeem themselves and move play forward.

“I think we feel good [about this game],” Eagan said. “We are pretty healthy and feel good about our depth. I like that we get to open with Maryville. I think there is a fire in our kids since we lost to them earlier this year. Three games in three days, this late in the year, anything is possible!”

Eagan said she is hoping for some success at the tournament and that the team will be able to at least hit win number 23, which would be a new record for the women’s basketball program at Truman.

The women’s basketball team had five senior players on the court Saturday against Lewis University.

Each senior saw playing time in the game, and it resulted in a 89-67 win.

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Renting for 2019-2020: White Apartments and other great locations. Two to Four bedrooms. Visit www.

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The Index

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THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

THIS WEEK IN SPORTS Thursday, March 7

Friday, March 8

Men’s Basketball

Saturday, March 9

Women’s Basketball

vs. Lewis University at Edwardsville, Illinois 2:30 p.m.

Softball

vs. Maryville at Edwardsville, Illinois 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 9

Friday, March 8

Men’s, Women’s Basketball GLVC Tournament

Softball

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

Softball

Baseball

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

Golf

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

at MSU Invitational TBD

Baseball

vs. Illinois Springfield 3 p.m.

vs. Sioux Falls at Clermont, Florida 1:30 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

Softball

vs. Grinnell at Grinnell, Iowa 4 p.m.

Softball

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

Monday, March 11

Softball

vs. Southern Connecticut State at Clermont, Florida 3:45 p.m.

Sunday, March 10

vs. Illinois Springfield Noon

Men’s, Women’s Basketball

Men’s Tennis

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

GLVC Tournament

Baseball

vs. Illinois Springfield Noon

Tune into tmn.truman.edu for a full list of events and to see updated scores.

ATHLETE o f

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w e e k

Guard Cade McKnight pulled in a large portion of Truman men’s basketball’s points Saturday, putting up 23 points of the Bulldogs’ 58-point total on the night. Despite the fact this is only his second season, the Grinnell Community Senior High School graduate played for 32 minutes Saturday, sinking 8 of 10 field goals and making 7 free throws. Though they took a loss, McKnight and the Bulldogs will have an opportunity to settle the score during Thursday’s rematch with Lewis University at the GLVC Tournament.

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Email Bethany Spitzmiller at editor@detoursmagazine.com

30

The Index

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

13

Truman sends five to NCAA Championships Four women, one man will swim at nationals BRENTLY SNEAD Editor-in-Chief Truman State University will send five swimmers to the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship over Spring Break.

During the GLVC Swimming and Diving Championships, two individuals and one relay team qualified for nationals.

Sam Heveroh is the lone senior and the only member of the men’s team who qualified. Heveroh will compete in four separate events including the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke.

Joining Heveroh in the trip to nationals are Natalie Galluzzo, Lauren Massot, Maggie Hickey and Kaylee Sisson. Galluzzo will participate in the 200 individual medley, 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke individually.

In addition, Galluzzo will team up with Massot, Hickey and Sisson to take on the 400 medley.

The championship will start Wednesday, March 13 and continue through March 16 in Indianapolis.

Kaylee Sisson Junior

Maggie Hickey Junior

Lauren Massot Junior

Natalie Galluzzo Sophomore

Sam Heveroh Senior

After delays, baseball starts home play Saturday BRENTLY SNEAD Editor-in-Chief

Baseball will have its home opener this weekend against the University of Illinois Springfield.

The team has struggled throughout its non-conference play as it is currently on an eight-game losing streak. The season started with a series against Harding University in which the team struggled to make contact with the ball.

After going 0-4 opening weekend, the team received a weekend off because of weather. In late February, the team traveled to southern Indiana where the Truman State University Bulldogs took part in a tournament, finishing 0-3.

Since then, the team has only matched up against the University of

Central Missouri, which was the team’s second highest scoring game, but it still fell 12-5.

A home opener was initially on the schedule last week, however, the teams did not meet because of cold temperatures.

Instead, this weekend will serve as the ’Dogs’ home opener and will kick off GLVC play against a team that is currently sitting at 8-0-1.

The Bulldogs finished last in the coaches’ preseason poll of GLVC teams and has been outscored 84-16 in the season’s first eight matchups. The team has been shut out twice and has only scored more than one run in three games.

Catcher Jake Schneider returns a pitch during a game in the spring 2018 season at Bulldog Baseball Park. Despite having previous games scheduled to play at home, the Bulldogs will have their home opener tomorrow afternoon. Photo by Kara Mackenzie

14

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

BASKETBALL HEADS TO EDWARDSVILLE

Forward Rachel Edmundson (left) and guard Taurin Hughes (right) carry the ball down for their respective teams. Edmundson and Hughes are seniors and have been key players throughout the basketball season. Each will get a shot with their team at the GLVC Championship Tournament this weekend as the women’s team enter ranked fourth in the conference and the men’s team go in at No. 8. Photos by Kara Mackenzie

Women defeat Lewis University, Men’s team falls to UIndy, Lewis, head to GLVC Championship will enter the GLVC play today ranked at No. 4 ranked eighth BRENTLY SNEAD Editor-in-Chief

Senior members of the women’s basketball team won their last game of the regular season in Pershing Arena Saturday.

The team has five seniors — Mackenzie Jerks, Brooke Bailey, Taylor Koper, Rachel Edmundson and Rachel Steinhoff — who will be leaving at the end of the season. The seniors were recognized and had playing time in Saturday’s game against the nationally ranked Lewis University Flyers.

The Bulldogs were coming off a loss to the University of Indianapolis, a team they had defeated earlier

in the season. After falling 75-70 to the Greyhounds, the Bulldogs made a quick recovery to beat Lewis by more than 20 points.

Head coach Amy Eagan said the team will use these two games as a learning experience as they head to the GLVC Tournament this weekend at No. 4.

“I think the biggest key is that if we all show up, prep and follow game plan, we are capable of beating anyone, such as Lewis,” Eagan said.

“And if we do not show up, know prep and follow, we are also capable of losing to anyone, such as Indy.”

See WOMEN’S BASKETBALL page 11

BRENTLY SNEAD Editor-in-Chief

The men’s basketball team will play its first game of the GLVC Championship Tournament today after two tough losses.

The Truman State University Bulldogs played the University of Indianapolis and Lewis University last week, both of which resulted in losses. The weekend wasn’t all bad, however, as Truman received its bid to the GLVC tournament when University of Illinois Springfield lost last Thursday.

Truman will be entering the tournament today ranked No. 8.

The defeat Thursday against UIn-

dy ended a three-game home winning streak for the team, resulting in the most at-home losses in five seasons.

The Greyhounds took the lead early on in the game and Truman struggled to keep up. In the end, the Bulldogs fell 84-77.

Saturday, Truman celebrated senior day and recognized four senior members of the men’s basketball team: Jacob Socha, Taurin Hughes, Nathan Messer and Jack Green. The Bulldogs took on No. 19 nationally ranked Lewis University and fell short 79-58.

See MEN’S BASKETBALL page 11

Softball goes 3-0, prepares for Florida tournament NICOLAS TELEP Digital Director

Outfielder Christa Reisinger practices batting during the afternoon of March 5. The softball team is currently 3-0, and it has a total of 19 runs so far this season. Photo by Daniel Degenhardt VOLUME 110

ISSUE 15

tmn.truman.edu

After Tuesday’s games against the University of Central Missouri were canceled because of inclement weather, the softball team next travels to Florida to play in a national event.

Softball started its season at the Music City Invitational, which was hosted by Trevecca Nazarene University. The team went 3-0 at the tournament and scored a total of 19 runs over the weekend.

Since then, the ’Dogs have been struggling to play as the weather calls for game cancellations. In addition, head coach Erin Brown announced that she will be resigning at the end of the season.

Nonetheless, the team

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looks to move forward as they travel to Florida.

The Bulldogs will play eight games in central Florida as part of The Spring Games, an event in Central Florida hosted by CFX Athletics. The annual monthlong event draws almost 400 college softball teams from across the country to the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida. All of the Bulldogs’ opponents are fellow Div. II teams, beginning with Cedarville University Friday.

The last time the Truman softball team travelled to The Spring Games in 2017, it won seven of its eight games. This season, the team has won its first three non-conference games and begins GLVC play Saturday, March 16, at home against Rockhurst University.

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