` Confessions` of a rising star

Transcription

C M Y K
sports:
news:
lifestyles:
SGA shakes up judicial board after finding
it was operating unconstitutionally.
PAGE 4
The newest card-game craze isn’t just an
ESPN thing.
PAGE 12
T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 7 , 2 0 0 4
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
Western makes women’s soccer its 10th
varsity sport.
PAGE 13
PAID
PERMIT NO. 32
St. JOSEPH, MO
V OL . 8 4 N O. 12
M I S S O U R I W E S T E R N S TATE C O L L E G E
Shang to succeed Klostermeyer
“
New Dean of Student
Development finally named
Missouri Western
State College is a
dynamic and
exciting institution.
I am delighted to be
a part of a compre hensive student services program.
Nick Draper
Assistant Editor
After many months of searching Dr. Paul
Shang was hired as the new dean of student
development Thursday at the December
Board of Regents meeting.
Shang, who will begin his new position in
January, is thrilled about working for Missouri
Western.
“I am very excited about the job,” Shang said.
“Missouri Western State College is a dynamic and
exciting institution. I am delighted to be a part of
a comprehensive student services program.”
Shang believes he can bring a lot of experience in the field to Missouri Western.
DR. PAUL SHANG
New Dean of Student Development
“I bring a wealth of knowledge to the table,”
Shang said. “I can’t wait to start.”
J. David Arnold, vice president of academic
and student affairs think Missouri Western
has hired a very knowledgeable person in the
student development field.
“Dr. Shang is a nationally scholar-practitioner in the field of student development,” Arnold
said in a press release. “He brings a wealth of
experience to the position, and we are pleased
he will be joining the academic and student
affairs team.”
Shang replaces Bob Klostermeyer, the acting
dean of student development. Klostermeyer
had held the position from July 1, 2003, after
Don Willis left the position.
Shang was formerly the director of student
and enrollment services at Penn State
Worthington Scranton of Dunmore, Penn. He
has also served as director of student affairs
there. In addition, he has also been the direc-
”
‘Confessions’ of a rising star
a source of inspiration for her in her music
career.
“(My mom) always taught me to go for
my dreams and to work hard,” Kelli said.
“She pushed me when I couldn’t push
myself.”
Bobbi enjoys being the supportive manLauren Epps
ager/mother, but she said that she isn’t sure
News Writer
when to push Kelli and when not to.
“A friend told me that when I want the
career for her more than she does, that’s
when I should stop pushing,” Bobbi said,
Talk about starting from small peas.
Kelli Pyle, a Missouri Western sophomore “but, I think she is pushing me. I’d be glad
originally from St. Joseph, started out to give it up.”
Kelli isn’t quite ready to give up though.
singing in talent shows and doing small
She got her start
gigs. Now she is
in the music indusdoing
bigger
try with producer
things—like openSam Hendrix in
ing for mega-stars
Cameron, Mo., at
Usher and Kanye
She was so shy; she just hunched his studio, the
West.
Patch
Chord.
Kelli
started
over the mic when she sang in
Hendrix
taught
singing when she
Kelli the basics of
was very young but
public. We used to have her
the business and
got serious about it
recording. Then,
when she was 15
practice in front of us ... She
she sang wherever
and told her mothcould
and
er she wanted to wouldn’t unless we faced the wall; she
started
making
sing.
she was too embarrassed.
connections with
“I told mom one
people.
day ‘I want to be a
BOBBI PYLE
“Everything
singer,’ and she
Mother of Western student, singer Kelli Pyle gained on each
has supported me
other,
and
I
ever since,” Pyle
received
more
said.
opportunities from
Kelli’s
mother
all the connections
and
manager,
Bobbi Pyle also recalls the first days of I was getting,” Kelli said.
One of Kelli’s big opportunities was openKelli singing.
“She was so shy; she just hunched over ing for R&B superstar Usher’s after-party
the mic when she sang in public,” Bobbi in Tampa Bay, Fla. She has also been on
said. “We used to have her practice in front MTV, and she sang the National Anthem
of us so that she would get used to singing for Vice President Dick Cheney when he
in front of people. She wouldn’t sing unless came to St. Joseph.
However, behind those great opportuniwe faced the wall; she was too embarties are hard work and a lot of money that
rassed.”
is put in by both Kelli and her mother.
That isn’t the case now.
“It’s hard,” Kelli said. “I try not to look at
Kelli sings all over St. Joseph and is planning to travel so that she can join a promo- it like that though.”
The financial obligations take a large
tional group in Atlanta. Along with being
her manager, Kelli says that her mother is
See Upcoming Star page 5
tor of student affairs divisions at Colorado
State University and the University of Iowa.
His current responsibilities at Penn State
Worthington Scranton include career services
for students, financial aid, judicial affairs,
health services, off campus housing, veterans
affairs, student activities, cultural affairs, personal counseling, student leadership development, disability services and student orientation.
He has been a past president of the
American College Personnel Association
(ACPA) and a member of the editorial board of
ACPA’s Journal
of
College
Student
Development for seven years. Shang won the
Colorado State University Distinguished
Administrative Professional Award.
Shang earned his bachelor of arts degree in
government and philosophy; he earned his
master of arts and doctorate degrees in philosophy from Florida State University.
Western student has spent
time opening for the likes of
Usher, Kanye West
Jennifer Jeffries
News Writer
Recently, Missouri Western students received an email urging them
to write to their representatives in
regards
to
c h a n g i n g
Western’s college
classification to
a university.
The
e-mail
includes a link to
letters to our
senators
and
representatives
that
students
- Bob Hughs
may print out
Student Regent
and sign and
then leave with
their computer lab technician to be
sent over Christmas break.
Missouri
Western’s
Student
“
”
Derek Nelson
and Jay
White walk
towards their
dorm room in
Logan Hall
last week.
The overall
occupancy of
the residence
halls is at 94
percent,
according to
last week’s
Board of
Regents
meeting.
KELLI HOVEY
Staff
Photographer
Regent
initiates
letter
campaign
See Letter Campaign page 6
2
editorial
Submitted Photo
Western sophomore Kelli Pyle sings at a concert for Usher in
Tampa Bay, Fla. Pyle went from singing in talent shows as a
child to performing with R&B superstars Usher and Kanye
West. Pyle dreams of becoming an R&B singer.
Residence Halls not at
full capacity for spring
Ashley Hannah
News Writer
Western needs more students to move
on campus for current residence hall
capacity to be filled.
The residential halls have 945 students
living on campus. The full capacity for the
dorms is 977. This dorm number has not
changed since last year.
Director of Housing and Residential
Life Michael Speros and the Residence
Council have a multi-pronged approach to
try and persuade students to stay on campus.
“One is to our freshman class,” Speros
said. “Two is to entice current students to
remain on campus rather than living off
and three is to bring current off-campus
students back.”
The apartments have four people sharing a common space, while the suites
have eight people sharing a common
space. Although, in both the apartments
and suites there are four people sharing a
bathroom. This setup appeals to some
students on campus.
See Residence Hall Numbers page 8
Progress Continues
• Read about new hall, possible
uses for Commons; Pages 7&8
4,5,6,7,8,9,10
news
lifestyles
11,12
sports
13,14
Tuesday 12/7
High: 49, Low: 31
Mostly Sunny
Wednesday 12/8
High: 55, Low: 40
Thursday 12/9
High: 60, Low: 38
Friday 12/10
High: 60, Low: 26
Saturday 12/11
High: 50 Low: 34
tuesday, december 7, 2004 •page 2
GUEST COMMENTARY
Let’s put the “U” in university
First I want to thank all the students
long road to come to college and our road to
bobhughs success. Discover GOLD is about the
that have given their time to make this
institution a better place. This year stupotential that lies in each of us and the
dents have stepped up to the challenge of
potential that lies in achieving University
getting Missouri Western State College’s
status; You are the U, and we stand on our
status changed to a University. The unimerits.
versity status has been a topic of debate in
Many stories include those that are first
years past.
generation college students; some are secThat is why I am asking YOU to help
ond generation, yet all are important if we
make the U. While serving as your stuare to become a University. I often ask
dent regent for the last half year, I have had
myself as I walk across this beautiful camthe chance to meet many of you. Most have shared pus, if there has ever been a community such as
their story of how and why they chose Western. The ours. Our struggles, hopes and desires have all been
story of Western is the same stories as those that destined to meet right here on Western’s campus.
have been shared with me. It is the story of oppor- This year, the students are in charge of Western’s
tunity, the story of the uncertainty and the story of status process. You may have heard or read by now
triumph.
that we are writing letters to our legislators.
Many students and faculty have asked, “What
I know the stories of many of you, and that is what
makes this year different?” I answer many of them, drives me to serve you the best that I can, and I hope
“outside of political changes; it is the destiny of I do that job well. Now, I need more than your supWestern to enter into University status.” It is the port; I need your letters. Go to the nearest computGold that lies in each of us that has been allowed to er lab and go to the Western Web site. Click on the
be covered for too long. Western, like you and me, Students for University Status link. Type in the
has been told it couldn’t do this and it couldn’t do required fields and print two copies. Then sign them
that.
and leave them at the desk on the way out the door.
Well, Western is operating like a University now, Our goal is to tell every student’s story to the entire
without the name. Our merits include Western’s stu- legislature. Contact me personally, if you want to
dents being accepted into graduate and law schools help beyond the letter drive or if you want to go on
across the nation well above the national average. If the bus trip to Jefferson City in January at
you think about it, the Discover GOLD campaign rgh8406@mwsc.edu.
isn’t just a public relations slogan. It is about us, our
Thank you for being part of the Western story.
FAQ’s
...about university status
•The only reason why I came here was because Missouri Western
had open enrollment. Will Missouri Western still offer open enrollment after achieving university status?
Western has made a commitment to remaining an open enrollment institution. Learning
communities and its recognition in the Foundations of Excellence are part of that commitment. To that, the University status and open enrollment are two separate issues.
•Will becoming a university cause an increase in tuition?
Western, as well as higher education institutions nationwide have had tuition increases. Those increases rise at community colleges and colleges, as well as universities.
Again, administration is committed to providing an excellent and affordable education
to every student. Tuition will rise regardless of university status.
•Will we of fer master degree programs after the name change?
YES. Which means students will not have to look elsewhere to further their educations. Those disciplines in which master programs will be offered will be a reflection
of the needs of the region.
•What’s holding us back from achieving university status?
Depending on the year, there have been several different issues. Yet, Missouri Western
has remained committed to providing a University caliber education to the students during
that time. Western will stand on its own merits in becoming a university.
COMMENTARY
Optimism goes out the window
Should Missouri Western
be a university?
Christy Payne
Senior
"We should be a university. The students
deserve the status and so does the school. We
have the programs; we need the title."
I was willing to be optimistic. I swear, I
truly was.
What else was I left with? A liberal without
a leg to stand on following this last round of
elections, I was willing to give President
Bush and the uber-right-wing Congress the
benefit of the doubt.
If a majority of my fellow Americans made
it so, who am I to question?
I’ll tell you who.
I’m one seriously concerned college student. I’m a girl who makes her way through
this little endeavor I call “life,” not unlike 4.4
million of my peers, and does so relying on
financial aid of some sort to maintain just
basic enrollment here at MWSC.
Following our Thanksgiving break, I had a
reason to be concerned, and it didn’t have
anything to do with the scale.
Congress had sent the new appropriations
bill to the President for his “John Hancock,”
and with that, financial aid was going to suffer.
Just so we’re clear, here’s where optimism
takes its leave.
Granted, I wasn’t thrilled when I read that
Congress had voted not to increase Pell funding last winter, but that’s nothing compared
to the disaster they’re laying at our feet now.
The cuts implied here will affect the most
averaged income families – the undeniably
middle class – who according to this administration are suddenly more suited to cover
the cost of college tuition; a cost that they
have continually needed assistance for previously.
andieschmitt
I wonder how that looked on paper.
Jobs are being outsourced daily. Gas is
pricey. Here comes Christmas. Let’s cut the
Pell Grant program?
I just can’t work that one out in my head.
Maybe I forgot to carry a one somewhere, or
maybe I should have been born a
Republican.
Whatever the case, I just don’t find logic in
choosing to reappropriate such necessary
funds.
Apart from already being comedicly broke,
most collegians wouldn’t even garner that
title, were it not for Pell Grants, work studies and the ever-infamous student loans.
We are the group that sponges off our parents, collects change and works minimumwage gigs that make us feel like kings on
payday.
Even that somewhat-depressing level
would be out of the question if financial aid
wasn’t in the picture.
At one point, I tossed around the idea that
if Congress wanted to ensure the same kind
of votership and turnout that we had been
setting the standard for, that they would
have to close institutions of higher learning
down altogether.
Apparently, they were listening.
The new appropriations bill will cut funding at what appears to be a deceptively small
figure.
However, even a one percent cut will result
in 90,000 people losing Pell, the easiest grant
to get, entirely.
This means that many who would have
made a better life for themselves will choose
the less rigorous educational requirements of
Wal-Mart as opposed to college because
there’s no other way.
As someone who didn’t think college was
going to be a financial possibility, I can tell
you it’s a scary thought.
Let me break it down in a language we can
all get behind.
Tis the season…for letter writing campaigns.
Think of our newly elected or reelected
officials wiling away the hours wishing for a
cause. Now think of yourself, angered by the
unfortunate news of your skimpy award letter writing to that listless congressman or
senator asking them to consider you when
they start trimming the fat next time.
Already bogged down by the need for university status?
Concerned about that cramp in your wrist?
Get yourselves past it and join the letter writing campaign assembled by National Student
Aid Alliance. We have to live actively or life will
happen to us when we aren’t looking.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Housing creating a place for everyone
Chad Roder
Sophomore
“I think it would be good, because it would
bring more attention to St. Joe. It looks better
for the school."
Looking back two years ago, dorm residents would have had a very different tale to
tell.
Just two years ago students moving into to
what they thought would be a new experience, sharing a double occupancy room with
a total stranger, would have likely had the
extra shock of stumbling into a triple occupancy instead.
For those unlucky souls, the news went
from bad to worse. Not only were the conditions cramped, but the reimbursement for
the discomfort was a measly $50.
Perhaps that’s what started turning people
away.
Whatever the cause, today’s Residential
Life offerings look nothing like the bum deal
of yesterday.
Today the halls are actually under capacity, offering residents a little well-appreciated
elbow room, and with even more of it on the
way.
With the opening of the new Commons
Building, the department proved it had
something worth looking forward to in the
soon-to-be completed new residence hall.
Sporting 400 beds, 40 of which will be
reserved as singles, this hall symbolizes a
Ross Martin
Editor-in-Chief
Kristen Sparks
Freshman
“I wouldn’t mind changing to a university. This
is my first semester, so I don’t know that much
about college life. There will be more opportunities for Master’s.”
Nick Draper
Assistant Editor
Andie Schmitt
Opinion Editor
Aimee Pike
News Editor
Rikki Cason
Assistant News Editor
Danny Stooksbury
Sports Editor
Phillip Weaver
Lifestyles Editor
Steffi Harvey
Copy Editor
Tim KC Canton
Graphics Editor
Jess Foster
Contributing Editor
Bob Bergland
Faculty Adviser
Web site: http://www.mwsc.edu/griffonnews
Email: griffonnews@mwsc.edu
viva la revolucion!! viva la left field!! viva la three-man one-y!!
The Griffon News is written and published by students of Missouri Western State College on Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters. The first copy of each
issue is free; additional copies are 50 cents. Content of
this paper is developed independently of the faculty and
administration, or other campus organization or office.
Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas, information and advertising to The Griffon News office, SS/C 221,
4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, Mo. 64507, or by phoning
(816) 271-4412 (advertising and news room). Copy, classified submissions and advertising must be received by
noon Wednesday, the week prior to publication.
Guidelines for letters to the editor:
• All letters to the editor must be typed and double
spaced. Letters must be no longer than 350-400 words
and guest columns no longer than 500 words. Letters and
columns will be edited for style.Please send attachments
in Word or rich text format.
• All letters must include signature and identity verification information, such as phone number. The Griffon
News reserves the right to edit all letters for length and
Associated Press style.
• The Griffon News will not withhold names under any
circumstances. Anonymously submitted letters will not be
published.
• Views expressed on the opinion pages are not necessarily those of The Griffon News staff or Missouri Western
State College.
step in the right direction.
They are finally taking steps towards making homes here on campus as opposed to just
a place to crash for a few months out of the
year.
It’s encouraging.
Many are going to groan about a the new
scholarship requirements that would make
recipients reside on campus.
To those naysayers, we recommend that
you check out the new Residential Life and
what it will have to offer before you pass
judgement.
You might be surprised.
News:
Graphics /
Mark Murray
Photo:
Jennifer
Wade
Jeffries
Williamson
Lauren Epps
Rachel Euchner
Gretchen
Jeremy Weikel
Kunkle
Kelli Hovey
Ashley Hannah
Drew Ames
Nicole Reynolds
Sports:
Lifestyles:
Brett Adkison
Rex Martin
Andy Christie
The Griffon News is a student publication run by students trying to learn about journalism. The Griffon News is committed to
being honest, fair and accurate. If you have any questions, comments or corrections concerning printed material, please call us
at (816) 271-4412 or e-mail griffonnews@mwsc.edu. Any necessary corrections will be made in the next issue on this page.
tuesday, december 7, 2004 • page 3
FOR YOUR
BRING YOUR BOOKS TO
PASSPORT
BOOKSTORE
FOR MORE CASH FOR YOUR BOOKS
4502 MITCHELL
ACROSS FROM MWSC
Board found operating unconstitutionally
Professor
receives
teacher of the
year
Jerry L. Anderson, associate professor of music, recently received the Teacher of the
Year award from the Missouri
Music Teachers Association.
This award is presented annually at the conference of the
Missouri Music Teachers
Association
hosted
by
Missouri Western’s music
department.
This award is given in honor
of outstanding members of the
organization for their contribution to the profession.
Anderson has been the
director of keyboard studies at
Western for more than 32
years. His students constantly earn top ratings at MMTA
auditions, and five are pursuing doctoral degrees in piano.
Anderson has also begun the
Noontime recital series held
at the First Presbyterian
Church.
He has also held the position
of director of music for the
church. Anderson received the
award for the Mayors Award for
Outstanding Arts Educator in
St. Joseph earlier this year.
Miss Missouri
Pageant to be
held this week
The Miss Missouri USA and
Miss Missouri Teen USA
Pageants will be held on Dec.
10 through the 12. The pageant will be at the Music Hall in
Kansas City, Mo. and 119 contestants will participate. The
winners in both competitions
will advance to the Miss USA
Pageant this spring.
The contestants will spend
F r i d a y, touring downtown
Kansas City and rehearsing
for the weekend’s events. On
Saturday, judges get a first
look at each contestant in
their evening gown and swimsuit at the Presentation Show
at 7 p.m. Personal interviews
will take place the following
morning and narrow the field
down to 10 to 15 contestants.
The main event will take
place on Dec. 12. A pre-show
begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by
the competition at 7 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased for
the weekend’s events through
Vanbros Entertainment. If the
event doesn’t sell out they can
be purchased at the music
hall.
Western student Heather
Grom, who recently won the
title of Miss St. Joseph, will
compete in this event for the
title of Miss Missouri USA.
Justice Award
nominations
needed
The Center for Multicultural
Education will hold nominations for the Drum Major of
Justice Award. This is awarded to the Missouri Western and
St. Joseph communities that
are committed to social justice,
multicultural education, service
in the community and academic excellence for student nominees.
One student, one member of
the St. Joseph community, and
one representative of the
Western family, such as a faculty, staff or administrator will
be chosen for 2005.
The award will be given out
on Jan 17, during the Drum
Major for Justice Luncheon.
This luncheon honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., and is a reminder of the
selfless life and service of Dr.
King.
Nominations can be submitted to Karl Bell, Multicultural
Education Director
-- STAFF REPORTS
Because of error judiciary
board’s decision to censure
Fabsits null, void
Mark Murray
News Writer
The Student Government Association has seen i’s
share of challenges this year, and the Nov. 29 meeting was no exception.
On that day, prior to the organization’s regular
weekly meeting, Senator Jeff Knapp brought it to
the attention of SGA Vice President Ben Hultquist
that the judicial board of the Student Senate had
never been approved.
“I was looking through the
Constitution and realized that
the three Senators have to be
elected, and they weren’t,”
Knapp said.
The student constitution
requires that this board must
be nominated and approved by
the Senate. In a move to correct the mistake, Hultquist
- John Fabsits informed the Senate he had
Former SGA made a mistake in the original
Vice President formation
of the judicial
board.
“It was brought to my attention that the judicial
board was operating unconstitutionally,” Hultquist
said. “This was my fault. I made some assumptions
about the board while looking over that section of
the constitution.”
Hultquist then opened the floor for nominations
to the new judicial board. Senators Barbara Black,
Robbie Mitchell and Rebeka Needham, who were
serving on the unconstitutional judicial board, were
automatically nominated. In addition, Senators
Jeff Knapp and Drew Solomon were nominated as
well.
MARK MURRAY/Staff Photographer
SGA President Elijah Haahr (left) and Vice President
Ben Hultquist look over their notes during the Nov. 1
SGA Meeting in the Student Union. At the meeting, former SGA Vice President John Fabsits was censured,
but the judiciary board was operating unconstitutionally, making the decision null and void.
The Senate then voted, by secret ballot, and the
new board was formed. The board retained Robbie
Mitchell and Rebeka Needham. Jeff Knapp became
the third member.
In addition to the three elected Senators to serve
on the board, three executive board members are
also required. Vice-President Hultquist, along with
Director of Clubs and Organizations Danielle
Shoemaker are two of the executive members on
the board. The third executive slot was filled by
Director of Internal Affairs Donnie Lawrence.
Lawrence, however, resigned his position citing
time restraints as the reason.
“With Donnie Lawrence resigning from SGA,
there was an opening for an executive member of
SGA on the board.” Hultquist said. “I asked
Kristen Silcott, who was the only other executive
member that expressed interest in the board, if she
was still interested.”
Silcott, who is director of communications,
accepted the offer, and she was approved.
Due to the original judicial board not having the
approval of the Senate, and therefore operating
unconstitutionally, any decisions made while they
were serving became null.
The only decision that had been made by the judicial board was a censure placed on former SGA
Vice-President John Fabsits.
That decision involved information brought to the
Senate by Black about a possible misallocation of
funds by Fabsits.
Fabsits allegedly allocated funds from the executive budget to fund trophies and furniture for the
Inter-Greek Council.
“They didn’t have furniture that was adequate
enough,” Fabsits said. “I said, ‘Ok, we can do that;
we’re not giving it to you. It’s still our furniture,
and we can still take it whenever we want.’
“We supplied the office with furniture.”
Fabsits stated that it was given on his authority
as vice president, and there was nothing in the constitution stating he could not do so.
The censure, according to Hultquist, was the
equivalent of a slap on the hand.
“The censure is an official reprimand which we
keep on record saying that we feel as an organization, what he did, was wrong,” Hultquist said.
“John Fabsits did something wrong and he
deserves to be punished for it. We also believe that
IGC has an obligation to pay.”
Fabsits contends the furniture was still the property of the SGA and, as a result, nothing unconstitutional had been done.
The decision by the original judicial board concerning this matter was that IGC was to repay half
of the $470 given to them to purchase trophies.
While the censure and the decision involving the
money was dropped as a result of the findings by
Knapp, Hultquist contends all matters brought to
the original judicial board will still be investigated.
This will include revisiting at the accusations
against Fabsits.
Counselors offer advice for coping with finals stress
Nicole Reynolds
News Writer
Denial and procrastination can
often go hand-in-hand at this time of
the year. Students often feel like there
is time.
You figure, “Hey, I still have a week
and a half. No problem, I still have
this week.”
Then, the next thing you know,
those final exams and final projects
are here, and they are due. There is
no way to back away, and the work is
piling. If that wasn’t enough, it is the
fall semester and the holidays are
inescapable. Your mind fills with
stress and anxiety; it’s crunch time,
and you can no longer deny or put it
off.
This is the time of year when a student’s demeanor changes. Instead of
hustling to the next social function or
the next party, many students are
hunkered down in libraries, computer
labs or wherever their study spot of
choice is. The spirit of the campus literally changes.
Dave Brown, Missouri Western
director of counseling, says that he
sees a change in students’ attitudes
shortly after midterms.
“That seems to be the first realization that, ‘Oh my gosh, this semester
is happening and it’s going to have an
ending, I may not like the way it
turns out.’ So really we see a change
in student’s demeanor and attitude
about the time mid-terms come out,”
Brown said.
With the approaching finals week,
those feelings are intensified. There is
no more dodging or evading. Students
cannot get away from these feelings
and that leads to stress and anxiety.
Non-traditional students are in a
unique place different from what a
traditional student experiences on
campus during finals week. When you
are years away from your last test,
finals week can be brutal, especially
calendar of events
the fall semester, when many nontrads find themselves dealing with
finals, holidays, work and family
responsibilities.
“I know non-trads are trying to prepare their family for Christmas, children’s programs, the holiday tournaments that the kids participate in,”
Ellen Kisker, director of Missouri
Western’s non-traditional students
and special needs department, said.
“There’s just so many additional
things at home, and then you add on
finals; it’s just so very stressful.”
Then, when finals are added in,
many non-trads want the good grades
so bad that it can often heighten
stress and anxiety.
“If you take a first semester non-trad
student and just the regular tests is
enough to put them over the edge, but
then you put them in a final situation
where they are really wanting the good
grades,” Kisker said. “They’ve worked
so hard all semester. They don’t want
to blow it at the very end.”
Not just non-trads, but all students
feel the pressure to make that last
“good impression.”
“It boils down to this is my last
opportunity to have an influence on
my grades either positively or negatively, and that’s very stressful,”
Brown said. “It’s very tense.”
During this stressful time, conversation around campus often changes.
It might start off with cordial greetings, but it always comes back to the
impending work.
Both Brown and Kisker noted several additional concerns voiced during
this time.
“Well, obviously the big one is time
management – just needing to get
everything done and on time –
because as you may well know, people
have a tendency to procrastinate,”
Brown said. “So, as you get closer to
the end of the semester, it’s like the
walls kind of close in on you, and it’s
like you can’t say to your self, ‘Well,
I’ll do that next week.’”
campus crime report
West Campus
Looney Fieldhouse.
Wednesday, December 8
• Women’s Basketball vs.
Morningside at 7 p.m. at home.
Sunday, December 19
Friday, December 10
• St. Joseph community choir
concert at 3 p.m. at Cathedral of
St. Joseph. Tickets available at
the door.
• Last day of classes for the Fall
Semester.
Monday, December 20
Saturday, December 11
• Women’s Basketball vs.
Incarnate Word at 5 p.m. in San
Antonio, Texas.
• Men’s Basketball vs. NebraskaOmaha at 4 p.m. in Omaha, Neb.
Saturday, December 11 to
Friday, December 17
• St. Joseph Community Choir
Concert at 7:30 p.m. at
Cathedral. Tickets available at
the door.
• Final Exams.
Tuesday, December 21
Sunday, December 12 to
Thursday, December 16
• Final Grades Due.
100 ft.
1.
Suspicious Vehicle
November 17, 2004, S. 50th Street
Friday, December 24
Officer conducted a search of a suspicious vehicle. The vehicle was occupied by two juveniles and one adult. In
the vehicle, officers found a small amount of marijuana and an Asian style assault rifle. The driver was arrested, and the two juveniles were taken to juvenile detention.
• Library stays open until midnight for finals
• Campus closes until Jan. 3.
2.
Friday, December 17
Wednesday, December 29
Officers received complaints that a male person was looking into several vehicles in a parking lot. The suspect
was not located.
• Residence Halls close at 6 p.m.
for break.
• Men’s Basketball vs. Washburn
at 7:30 in Topeka, Kan.
3.
Saturday, December 18
• Women's Basketball vs.
Washburn at 5:30 p.m. in Topeka,
Kan.
An intern saw a male next to a vehicle with a removed gas cap. Afemale told the intern that she was the owner
and left in the vehicle.
Monday, January 3
4.
• Winter session begins
December 18 – January 13.
Men’s Basketball vs. St. Mary’s
at 6:30 p.m. in Las Vegas.
• Commencement Reception at
1:30-3 p.m. in the Nelle Blum
Student Union, Forest Hoff room.
• Commencement ceremony
begins at 4 p.m. in the M.O.
• Campus reopens
Suspicious Person
November 19, 2004, 11:30 a.m.
Suspicious Person
November 20, 2004 1:20 a.m.
Assault
November 20, 2004, 1:00 a.m.
Officers received information that a female has been assaulted. She was taken to Heartland Hospital for observation. The officer located the suspect and arrested him for assault.
Monday, January 18
5.
• Spring Semester begins
Assault
November 22, 2004, 4525 Downs Drive
A female student reported to officers about being assaulted by a female she knew. The victim and a witness wrote
statements and a report was filed.
Administrators also serve as professors
Some administrative
members help students
by teaching classes
Lauren Epps
News Writer
Not only do the Missouri Western
administrators make decisions for
the students, but several of them
have also been in the classroom as
instructors.
Dr. J. David Arnold, vice president
of academic and student affairs; Dr.
Jeanne Daffron, assistant vice presi dent of academic and student affairs;
and Bob Klostermeyer, acting dean
of student development are all
administrators who have spent time
teaching students at Missouri
Western.
Last semester, Arnold taught
Psychology 220, Health Psychology
for the second time. Arnold has also
taught psychology at other universities.
Arnold isn’t allowed to teach often
at Western because his schedule
doesn’t permit him to teach as well
as administrate. When he can,
Arnold enjoys teaching the health
psychology class and says that students enjoy it as well.
“Students have a lot of interest in
the class and can use the information to apply to their own lives,”
Arnold said. “I love to teach. I am an
administrator because I like to help
colleges get better.”
He also added that students find
the class interesting because not
only do they learn how to manage
stress, but to be
able to handle it
as well.
The challenge
for Arnold with
the class is the
diversity of his
audience.
“There
are
sophomores, juniors and seniors
- J. David Arnold
in the class,”
VP of Academic and
Arnold
said.
Student Affairs
“Some are more
advanced than
others. There are different background levels – it is a very diverse
group.”
Daffron, who has worked with
Independent Study for the honors
students, encourages administrators
to get into the classrooms.
“It’s a great experience, and it feels
good to be around the students,”
Daffron said.
Daffron sees great benefits from
being in the classroom while admin-
istrating. She believes that having a
relationship with the students is
rewarding.
“There are opportunities on a daily
basis to learn,” Daffron said. “We get
to interact with students. They are
neat people to be around.”
Daffron said that the biggest benefit of being an instructor is having
that contact with
the students and
seeing the students
benefit.
Daffron explains
some of the differences in being
a teacher and
a d m i n i s t r a t o r.
As a teacher, the
focus is on the
- Jeanne Daffron
student only and
Asst.VP of Academic
as an adminisand Student Affairs
trator, the focus
is on the system
as a whole.
“The focus is on the student—bottom line,” Daffron said. “I ask ‘How
can I help them become better at
learning and understanding content?’ For administration, the focus
is on the system and how the system
benefits the students. There is more
responsibility of the total experience.”
All in all, Daffron says that teaching is a valuable experience and
encourages administrators to do it.
“It’s difficult and takes careful
planning, but worth the trouble,”
Daffron said.
Daffron received the awards for
Outstanding Honors Faculty for
2003-04, which she was honored to
receive.
Klostermeyer started out as an
instructor
at
Western and said
yes when he was
asked to step
into the dean of
student development position on
an interim basis.
He is going back
to the classroom
and is going to
instruct
both -Bob Klostermeyer
sections of the Acting Dean of Student
Development
Intro to Civil
Law class (LAT
101). The intro to law class is a practical course for students that combine practical skill with theory. As
with
Daffron
and
Arnold,
Klostermeyer looks forward to working closely with students.
“I do that now, but it is better in
classrooms,” Klostermeyer said.
He also believes that going back to
the classroom provides a greater
opportunity for student- teacher contact and mentoring.
Klostermeyer said that the main
difference between being an administrator and instructor are the
opportunities
for
teachable
moments and that they aren’t as frequent as they would be in a classroom setting.
“The satisfaction of educational
moments, provides growth for both
people at a more personal level,”
Klostermeyer said.
In administration, Klostermeyer
said he is more restricted from
students and doesn’t get to work
as closely with them as he would
like.
Klostermeyer has met quite a few
students during his time as acting
dean of student development and
had some comments on the students
he has come into contact with.
“I have been doing this job for a
year and a half. I have met some of
the brightest, engaging students
who have accepted leadership roles.
For that, this has been an undeniably pleasing job,” he said.
For the students he met through
poor choices, he believes that each of
them can say he was fair, and that
they learned something through
their experience with him.
“I never viewed this job as punitive, rather let’s take away something educational,” Klostermeyer
said.
continued from front:
Upcoming Star
chunk of their money. Bobbi has a full-time job and
also volunteers at an animal shelter along with managing Kelli’s career. She finds the music industry
frustrating.
“It’s hard to even get your foot in the door,” Bobbi said.
The hard work and payoffs are like winning the
lottery, so many play and lose; then again very few
win big.
“For every Britney Spears, there are so many trying to get there; there are so many good people,”
Bobbi said. “The biggest challenge is finding trustworthy people who aren’t out to get the money, but
actually care about the people trying to make it in.”
Bobbi also commented that it was tough going
from local events and getting so much praise and
encouragement, then going out into the industry and
being told that Kelli shouldn’t quit her day job.
“A lot of people try to make her think she won’t
make it,” Bobbi said.
Kelli feels lucky to be where she is, but balancing
school, work and relationships are rough.
“I get to do so many things,” Kelli said. “I feel
lucky. I get opportunities to travel and sing.”
But on the other hand …
“It’s rough with school and a career,” Kelli said. “I
have to travel for two weeks, and teachers don’t like
it, but I am just trying to balance everything out.”
Being an R&B singer, Kelli says she faces some
opposition while trying to fit into the mold of the
female R&B singer.
“With me being white and going into the R&B/ Hip
Hop industry, it is challenging to fit the criteria,”
Kelli said. “I feel that pressure to fit in, and I have to
show that I have what it takes to make it. I love hiphop music.”
Along with loving the music, Kelli also has a hand
in everything she does musically.
“I have a hand in everything, which gives the audience a piece of me,” Kelli said. “I’d hate to not write
my music. I want to write songs that people can
relate to.”
Kelli’s musical inspiration is Christina Aguilera
because she thinks she has the best voice in the
industry and shows passion when she is singing.
Kelli also admires India Arie for the way she
writes and makes words fit into the music while
playing her own music. Kelli also plays the piano
and writes some of her own music.
Pyle sings at
Usher’s afterparty concert in
Florida. Pyle has
aspirations to be
a star in the
music industry.
She sites
Christina Aguilera
and India Arie as
inspirations. She
thinks Aguilera's
voice is the best
in the industry
and also says she
is very passionate
when she sings.
In addition to
singing, Pyle also
plays the piano
and writes her
own music.
Submitted Photo
‘Operation Keeping in Touch’ launched
Students and professor develop
program that sends care packages to
Western students overseas
Aimee Pike
News Editor
With finals on their way, many students are facing the completion of huge class projects. One class, however, is working on
a project that will not only affect the students taking the class,
but many other Western students as well.
Western counselor Tim Crowley and his class CED229 “Life,
Leadership and Success” have designed a project to show
their support for Western students currently overseas. Their
project entails creating three care packages to send overseas.
These packages will include a variety of items including beef
jerky, chewing gum, books and copies of The Griffon News.
Crowley said that the idea came after the class watched the
movie Pay it Forward. The class was instructed to create a project for the class that would make a difference.
“It doesn’t take a lot of effort to make a difference in the lives
of others,” Crowley said. “Kindness matters.”
With this idea in mind, the class divided into groups to come
up with various ideas for this project. One group including students Diane Anderson, Roxann Lininger and Natalie McQuinnCampbell created the idea for the care packages called
“Operation Keeping in Touch.”
“
Crowley said that the groups were also instructed to come up
with three reasons for their projects and the benefits that
would come with them.
“Their three reasons were to show students that they are not
forgotten, to show them that they are appreciated for what they
are doing and to keep them in touch with campus life,” Crowley
said.
According to Crowley, the benefits the group came up with for
“Operation Keeping in Touch” were: to “give students a sense of
patriotism, to show that all people can contribute in a small
way” and to show the students overseas that “we are watching
over their loved ones and protecting them.”
Anderson said that they had discovered that a number of
Western students have had to leave mid-semester to serve our
country.
“Between 9/11 and now approximately 45 students have put
college on hold to serve our country,” Crowley said. “This does
not count the students who knew ahead of time and did not
enroll or that withdrew before the cutoff date.”
Even though many Western students are currently stationed
overseas, the group could only get three names because of the
Privacy Act. According to the United States Department of
Justice Web site, http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/04_7_1.html, the
Privacy Act protects the disclosure of personal information
without granted permission.
Even though the class could only get three names, they do not
feel that the project means less. Actually, Anderson feels that
overall the idea of the care packages is a great lesson.
“I think people think this (the war) is so far away, but
when you realize how many people have had to quit college,
it changes your view,” Anderson said. “I am sure a lot of people know people overseas. It really makes you appreciate
them.”
Anderson said that they planned on sending these care packages in time for Christmas, but with time constraints they will
not be received until after the holiday.
“We were hoping to send for Christmas, but we are not going
to now,” Anderson said. “We hope to send the packages by next
Friday.”
Anderson also said that even though the donations are part
of the class assignment, outside donations are more than welcome and to contact Crowley before Friday.
bring more international students to Missouri Western and
thus expose St. Joseph to more diversity.
Lastly, the proclamation suggests that the bachelor’s degree
of today is what the high school diploma was a few years ago in
terms of employment considerations. This is a very large part
of the benefit of Western becoming a university and offering
master’s programs.
There are other aspects students need to consider before signing the petitions, however. The first is cost.
“I think that it should stay the way it is. My biggest concern
is that if it becomes a university, the price will go up,” said
Angie Paulson, a non-traditional student.
Hughs has other ideas.
“Tuition increases have been going on since I have been here.
In fact, it has nearly doubled,” Hughs said. “Regardless of
whether we advance to university status, tuition will rise, just
like any other institution. Tuition at all institutions has gone
up at comparable rates. So community colleges, state colleges
and universities have all had increases. However, alumni support may give us a greater pool of scholarships (if university
status is achieved).”
The students who actually go for the master’s degrees are the
ones who are supposed to foot the extra cost.
“As far as will tuition rise if we offer master’s programs—
those students that pursue those degrees pay those extra costs.
For instance, CMSU’s undergrad tuition is $78 and graduate is
$222. This is not an easy point to communicate,” Hughs said.
Another issue is whether or not open admission will still be
Western’s policy. Universities notoriously have tougher admission requirements than colleges, raising concern to Western
students. Hughs maintains that the two issues are not related.
“Open admission and university status are two different
issues,” Hughs said. “The commitment of this institution in
improving the first year experience is exemplified in the
Foundations of Excellence recognition. In addition we are one
of a few institutions to commit to the Learning Communities
model. So open admissions is a separate issue.
“It is my personal opinion that we are honest with our students. We say you can come here, and if you make the grade
you can stay and we have programs that can help you. The rest
is up to you.”
Another concern is whether Western’s professors are qualified to teach at a university.
“Eighty percent of Western’s faculty hold terminal degrees in
their areas of study,” Hughs said.
A terminal degree is defined as the highest degree possible
for the job.
“Having 20 percent (of the faculty) not having the highest
degree in their field is acceptable,” Hughs said. “All faculty are
encouraged by the college to seek further education in their field.”
Several students are not encouraged by the financial implications.
“If the cost will rise, then I’m against it because many people
can’t afford to go anywhere else,” said Western freshman Emily
Church.
Some are undecided.
“I don’t want the cost to go up, but changing to a university
could be good because a degree from a university looks better
than a degree from a college does,” said freshman David
Calton.
Students want to know whether they will have to pay for the
extra benefit of having “University” tacked onto their diplomas.
Most students agree that the bottom line is that they need to
know the ballpark cost increase before they can make a decision.
Fortunately, according to the proclamation, costs associated
with changing the name of the school are expected to be “minimal.” In regards to this matter, Hughs stands by his previous
statements.
“While this is an institutional decision, tuition increases are
hard to predict. Just having university status does not mean
that tuition will increase,” Hughs said. “As for as how much
when it does because at some point all prices go up, that’s like
asking a weather man how much it will rain next year and
when it will rain.
I think people think this (the war) is so far
away, but when you realize how many people
have had to quit college, it changes your view. I
am sure a lot of people know people overseas. It
really makes you appreciate them.
”
DIANE ANDERSON
Western Student
Letter Campaign
Regent, Bob Hughs has spearheaded the project.
“The e-mail is the first stage in a campaign to get the students’ voices heard,” Hughs said.
Missouri Western has been trying to become a university
since the 1980s. However, it has been the last three years that
the campaign has become aggressive.
“Missouri Western has met the criteria other universities
operate under. However there isn’t a list that says ‘You do all of
these and you become a university,’” Hughs said. “That has
been where the struggles have been.”
According to www.wikipedia.org, an online encyclopedia, “the
usual practice in America today is to call an institution made
up of several faculties and granting a range of higher degrees a
‘university’; a smaller institution only granting bachelor’s or
associate’s degrees is called a ‘college.’”
Thus, Hughs points out, changing the college to a university
would mean new opportunities for students.
“A university is better because of the doors it opens for students—access to job opportunities, research money and access
to more scholarships,” Hughs said. “It also brings an alignment
to other institutions. Out of all the states that border Missouri,
only one still operates with colleges. We will also have the
opportunity to offer master’s degree programs in areas that this
region needs.
“Western is a campus that is ready to grow and has the land
to do it.”
In an official proclamation that was recently released, other
benefits are pointed out.
“As a university, Western (will) be better able to meet the
workforce needs of the region and the number of Western graduates aspiring to graduate programs is likely to increase,” the
proclamation reads. “Both of these outcomes will contribute to
the economic vitality of the region, state, and nation.
“The demands of the new economy require even greater participation in higher education. In the states with the fastest
growing economies, the regional four-year campuses are universities. As universities, institutions are able to have greater
impact on the economies of their communities, regions and
states.”
The proclamation also points out that university status will
Check us out onthe Web
www.mwsc.edu/griffonnews
KELLI HOVEY/Staff Photographer and Submitted Graphic
The photo at left shows the current construction progress of the front portion of the new residence hall. Overall, the residence hall is 60 percent complete and should be ready for students to move in on Aug. 1, 2005. The new
hall will have 400 beds and will feature an additional place for students to congregate. At right is an artists rendition of what the front part of the new residence hall is supposed to look like.
New RH offers more for students
New building should not
be hard to fill, but filling
every dorm creates challenge
Nick Draper
Assistant Editor
Missouri Western’s new residence hall
should be ready for students at the start of the
next school year, and school officials see no
problem filling it.
Michael Speros, director of housing and residential life, thinks the lure of a new building
will cause students to want to live there, as
well as the addition of new learning communities.
“The new residence hall will not be very difficult to fill,” Speros said. “I think returning
students will want to be assigned in there;
and, we’ll have new freshmen learning communities in there.”
However, it may be difficult for the entire
residential complex to be full next year. Speros
is not sure if every residence hall, not just the
new hall, will be full in the fall semester.
“I think that will be the challenge,” Speros
said. “You can’t bring in 400 new freshmen
when the classrooms can’t handle 400 new
freshmen.”
In order to fill every residence hall next year
other groups, not just incoming freshmen, will
have to be approached about staying on campus, or coming back to campus in terms of students that have moved off campus after previous semesters.
“They (admissions) may be looking at 50100 new freshmen,” Speros said. “If that’s the
case, then we need to find 300 returning students or off campus students that would want
to stay. Those that typically move off their
junior year (we need to) figure out a way to
keep them here, and those that have already
moved off, how can we entice them back on
campus.”
With the possibility of additional students
Submitted Graphic
The contractor’s blueprints show how one of the dorm rooms in the new residence hall will be constructed. This
room calls for four people to share a bathroom and displays how a room can be arranged.
on campus, there has been talk by the Public
Safety Department about adding new officers.
“This has certainly been discussed and will
be discussed further as we get closer to the
completion of the facility,” said Jonathan
Kelley, director of public safety.
A characteristic of the new residence hall
will be specific floors for certain groups.
“We’re looking at a transfer floor and we’re
trying to do some learning communities and
some theme floors,” Speros said. “Some of
those (theme) floors are a junior-senior floor, a
music floor and an honors floor.”
The new residence hall will also feature
rooms that are not currently at Missouri
Western.
“With the new building we are going to have
single rooms that may entice some students
that moved off campus to gain more privacy
they can (come back to campus and still have
privacy),” Speros said. “We are going to have
about 40 single rooms.”
The new building itself will feature many
different rooms on each floor, such as study
areas, a laundry room and a kitchenette area.
That differs from the suites where there is only
one laundry room for all of Logan, Juda and
Beshears Halls. There is also only one kitchenette area, located in Logan Hall, for all of the
suites.
A new residence hall coordinator will be
hired to run the building, and at least 10 new
residential assistants will be hired as well.
With the 10 new RAs being hired, there will be
45 students assigned to one RA. The housing
department would like to have 30 students
assigned to one RA, but cost requirements prohibit that, Speros said.
Except
for
Freshmen
Learning
Communities, returning students will get the
first option to move into the new hall. A schedule will be devised during renewal week that
will allow students to stay in their current
room, move to a different room in the same
building or move to another building altogether.
Approximately 60 percent of the building has
been completed, according to Lonnie Johnson,
director of facilities.
“The contract calls for 638 days of construction time,” Johnson said. “To date, 387 days, or
60.7 percent of schedule, (has been completed).”
The official opening date for the residence hall is Aug. 1, 2005. There have been
delays in the project, but things are back
on track.
“The weather at the beginning of the project
caused several days of delay, but as of now the
project is still on schedule,” Johnson said.
In addition to the new building, there will be
340 new parking spaces installed.
Scholarship policy requires students to live on campus
Nick Draper
Assistant Editor
For the fall semester of 2005, Missouri Western will
require all incoming freshmen students and transfer students receiving over $2,500 per semester in scholarships
from Missouri Western to live on campus .
This new policy does not affect current students receiving
over the stated amount and also does not apply to students
receiving federal grants, scholarships or work study compensation, said Angela Beam, director of financial aid.
According to the financial aid information page on the
Missouri Western web site, students who receive more than
$2,500 but choose not to live in the residence halls will only
receive the cap of $2,500.
Beam sees this new policy as a way that Missouri Western
can further the educational experience of students deciding to
attend the college.
“I feel this is a positive move for the school to have students
live on campus and also provide funding for students to succeed,” Beam said.
The Financial Aid Department is not sure how many incoming freshmen or transfer students will be affected by this policy in the fall.
The purpose of the policy stems from a part of the Strategic
Plan focusing on student recruitment. The policy will aid
Missouri Western in recruiting specific types of students.
“Scholarship programs are designed to help a campus bring
the mix of students they want to campus,” said Missouri
Western President James Scanlon.
Research has shown that students living on campus are more
involved and active in aspects of college life, and this policy will
aid in that department.
“It (the policy) has to do with what the
national research tells us about student
success,” Scanlon said. “It tells us about
class attendance, retention, graduation
rates, student involvement in activities
on campus and attendance at campusrelated events. If students live on campus, all of those things are much more
likely.”
Athletic Director Mark Linder is not sure
how this policy will affect new athletes.
- James Scanlon
“I am hesitant to comment on the Missouri Western State
affect it will have on the department
College President
since it is a new policy,” Linder said.
“ O b v i o u s l y, we will need to talk to
prospective students about the many advantages there
are in living on campus and getting involved in campus
life.”
The policy was created after the Strategic Plan was instituted, then went to the Fellowship Committee, which is a
committee involved in enrollment management. The
Fellowship Committee approved the policy and sent it to
the president’s cabinet. The president’s cabinet then
approved and instituted the policy months ago, according
to Scanlon.
This policy is being used as a marketing tool to attract students to Missouri Western, and a financial aid description
sheet has been attached to all application packets that
incoming freshmen and transfer students must fill out, Beam
said.
One scholarship that will be available for incoming freshmen
that will require them to live on campus is the Golden Griffon
Scholarship. This scholarship is for incoming freshmen who
rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class, have a
minimum GPA of 3.5 for all high school coursework, have a
composite ACT score of 27 or above, and have shown evidence
of involvement in extracurricular activities and community
service. Applicants are required to submit two essays and complete a personal interview, according to the financial aid
description page on the Missouri Western Web site.
A number of scholarships for freshmen and transfer students
do not offer over $2,500 in scholarship aid, but some students
can receive more than one scholarship.
The financial aid page on Missouri Western’s Web site
(www.mwsc.edu/finaid) lists all scholarships that the college
offers as well as tips when applying for aid. The page also provides specific guidelines outlining who is eligible for each type
of scholarship.
Commons events under review
sustain a level of student activity and build
student life better (with buildings like the
Commons Building) and that is what we are
trying to do here.”
Some students may have been surprised
that the Commons Building does not offer certain entertainment opportunities at the
moment.
Nick Draper
“I think students had an idea that it was
Assistant Editor
going to be more of a hang out, union type
atmosphere (with games and pool tables),”
Speros said. “I think at this point there is some
While the construction process for the surprise that those types of equipment is not
Commons Building has long been finished, are here.”
Western student Natalie Bailey feels that
work is still being done to utilize the full potenthere should be more of the programming that
tial of the building.
Both Michael Speros, director of housing and the Housing Department and Residence
residential life, and Noah Haahr, residence Council is working on.
“Generally, I think we need more games and
council president, are trying to develop programs and equipment that students can take fun activities for the students because this is
supposed to be a place for us to hang out,”
advantage of.
“We do have a plasma screen TV that we are Natalie Bailey said.
The building appears to
waiting (to be delivered),”
be empty most of the time,
Speros said. “Then we are
according to Western stugoing to have two video
dent Alicia Falter.
projectors with Internet
I don’t think as many
access into the conference
I am hoping to create a
people are using it as
room, and we will have
laptops that are hooked up coffeehouse type atmosphere they thought,” Falter
said. “Because when I
to that, but we are not
sure if they will be checked on Friday nights. The other come up here there are
not that many people
out or not. We are also
things we are trying
here, except for buying
looking at other programfood. No one really hangs
ming that we might offer
accomplish is to get a
out here.”
such
as
an
every
common meeting place for
This is not to say that
Wednesday night open mic
students do not approve of
karaoke night.”
students to do homework the building.
Haarh sees unlimited
“It does give us a neat
potential for the new
and talk about issues
place to hang out and do
building.
that...concern students.
homework if you want to,
“The potential for the
or be social,” Bailey said.
building has not been
NOAH HAARH
The Residence Council is
reached as of yet,” Haarh
Residence
Council
President trying to build a casual
said. “Honestly, I see the
atmosphere
that
will
sky as the limit for what
attract students to the
could be done with the new
building.
Commons Building. The
“I am hoping to create a
new building is most deficoffeehouse type atmosphere on Friday
nitely an asset to the student body.”
The purpose of the Commons Building is to nights,” Haarh said. “The other things we are
give students, particularly the students living trying to accomplish is to get a common meetin Logan, Juda and Beshears Halls, a place to ing place for students to do homework and to
talk about issues that really do concern stucongregate.
“If you can put it in a nutshell, then the dents.”
The new building could be a capable marketvision was a common space where students
could come and gather,” Speros said. “Now, ing tool for new students.
“I think it has the potential to do that if we
whether that’s for social interaction or
whether that’s for programming, I think it figure a way to do some things to attract stuwas for both. We just need to figure out ways dents,” Speros said. “I think we need figure out
to utilize it to that potential, and that’s what a way to make the building come alive socially.”
the challenge is.”
Falter also sees the possibility of the
President James Scanlon feels that, with
the addition of the Commons Building, the Commons Building to appeal to new stucampus is moving towards a more residential dents.
“It is more appealing to incoming students,”
feel.
“It’s a great facility, and I hope that students Falter said. “They look and say ‘oh, look what
get a lot of use out of it,” Scanlon said. “You can they have.’”
RC is discussing what types
of programming will be
offered at the new building
“
”
Top: Western student Carolyn
Ruegge orders a
beverage from the
new coffee shop
inside the
Commons
Building. The
building may feature a karaoke
night next semester as well as other
theme nights.
Right: Jennifer
Logan purchases
some items from
the convenience
store located in
the Commons
Building. Different
kinds of food and
household products is available
for purchase.
KELLI HOVEY
Staff Photographer
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
Missouri Western students show their holiday spirit by decorating their dorm room windows with Christmas trees and stockings. The campus was
given a temporary feel of a “white Christmas” last week as a couple of snow showers dusted the St. Joseph area. In addition to the residence halls,
several classrooms and campus offices have been decorated as well.
(Photo by Rachel Euchner --Staff Photographer)
Case Still Pending
“I have truly enjoyed living on
campus,” Western senior Dewanda
Weeks said. “I have lived on campus for three years and have had a
blast.”
Weeks said that she had very
mixed feelings about living on campus in a one bedroom dorm, which
will be featured in the new residence hall.
“If I knew the person, then I
would want to live with them,”
Weeks said. “But, if I didn’t know
the person then I would want to
live on my own.”
Some students on the other hand
seem to have different views for
the dorms. Some of the freshmen
think they are very out dated for
the year 2004.
“Campus life is okay,” Western
student Marcella Dehghani said. “I
don’t like this school, so I don’t
really like anything about it. I
would probably like it at another
school.”
She is rooming with one of her
best friends in the dorm.
“Having a roommate, even
though she’s my best friend, gets
annoying at times because I am an
only child and am use to having
privacy,” Dehghani said. “If I had
an apartment style dorm for just
me, I’d probably take it.”
However, having a dorm room
all to yourself, you might get
bored and want all your friends to
be near you. This would allow you
to still hang out and have parties
with everyone you know. When
the new dorms are available be
sure you really know that you
want to live either in the apartments, suits or the new one bedroom dorm.
Many students are leaving
because they are homesick or going
on to bigger and brighter things.
Federal funds for students in jeopardy
Andie Schmitt
What students stand to lose
Opinions Editor
It looks like the turkey wasn’t the only thing
being carved up over Thanksgiving.
Just prior to the holiday weekend, Congress
officially
wrapped
up
the
Omnibus
Appropriations bill for the next fiscal year; the
repercussions of which could be cutting into
the pockets of students who receive financial
aid as soon as next fall.
The appropriations bill calls for an immediate
budgetary cut to Title IV financial aid programs.
According to the National Association of
Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), included under the umbrella of Title IV
programs are the Federal Pell Grants, the
Federal
Supplemental
Educational
Opportunity Grants and lastly the Federal
Work Study Programs.
“Across-the-board cuts on already level-funded programs erode the ability of students to get
the grants, work study and loans they need to
pay for college,” said Elizabeth B. Guerard,
NASFAA
Assistant
Director
for
Communications.
For most students, Pell Grants and work studies aren’t new themes — they’re a way of life.
Western Senior Pamela Gonzalez has been
taking advantage of Pell Grants each semester
of her academic career and credits them with
her ability to matriculate in the first place.
“I have no doubt that I wouldn’t have been
able to even consider college without them,”
Gonzalez aid.
That’s likely not an uncommon answer given
• Federal Pell Grant - this type of grant does not have
to be repaid. Generally, Pell Grants are awarded
only to undergraduate students who have not
earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. For
many students, Pell Grants provide a foundation of
financial aid to which other aid may be added.
• Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant - this
is for undergraduates with exceptional financial
need – that is, students with the lowest Expected
Family Contributions (EFCs) and gives priority to students who have Federal Pell Grants. It does not have
to be repaid.
• Federal Work Study - the Federal Work Study
Program provides jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to
earn money to help pay educational expenses. The
program encourages community service work and
work related to your course of study.
DID
YOU
KNOW
?
According to www.NASFAA.org
that the Department of Education estimates
that 4.4 million students utilize the base funding that Pell Grants provide in a given academic year. According to NASFAA’s Web site,
as many as 1.2 million could be making up the
difference next fall.
In a previous interview, Director of Financial
Aid Angela Beam had estimated, that at
Missouri Western, as many as 60 percent
received some type of aid in fall of 2003.
Beam was unavailable to clarify that statistic for the fall of 2004.
Though this round fiscal belt-tightening only
cuts about one percent of the overall funds and
that may not sound like much now, Brian
Fitzgerald, staff director for the Advisory
Committee on Student Financial Assistance
(ACSFA) said that it’s more detrimental than
many would assume.
“The new guidelines allow the Department of
Education (DOE) to revise the calculation for
federal college aid in a way that would reduce
the average allocation for the need-based
grants by about $300 for an estimated 1 million students,” Fitzgerald said. “In addition,
nearly 90,000 students now receiving Pell
Grants would be cut off entirely.”
Those revisions would most dramatically
influence families in the income bracket of $35
to 40,000 annually, according to the ACSFA.
That’s not the only issue at hand.
Congress not only reduced Title IV program
funding, but also voted to reject a proposal that
would have funded $33 million to the proposed
Enhanced Pell Grant program, which would
made available an additional $1,000 in funding for students who finish at the top of their
high school class.
Many students are just hearing about this
issue as their pin numbers arrive from D.O.E.,
while others have been aware and fighting it
for months.
The National Student Aid Alliance (NSAA)
represents a large majority of that group. They
are comprised of a coalition of more than 60
organizations representing colleges, students,
and parents. In an attempt to curtail Congress
the organization sent an inundation of requests
to reconsider the bill to both the House and the
Senate on Nov. 9, but to no avail.
Though they haven’t given up the fight, they
know the outlook is grim. The bill was sent to
President George W. Bush, who in February of
2003 voted not to increase Pell funding. That
veto was the second of its kind from the Bush
Administration.
Speaker visits campus to talk about study abroad programs
Gretchen Kunkle
News Writer
Dr. Tim Holian, associate professor
of German, invited Dr. Greg
Redding, associate professor of
German and chair of foreign languages at Wabash College, to come
speak to students about the advantages of studying abroad.
“We brought an outsider in to talk,
because sometimes it is good to hear
it from someone that you don’t
know.” Holian said. “An outsider
brings credibility.”
Students from French, English
and Spanish classes were encouraged to come to the lecture. Redding
talked about his first experience in
Germany when studying abroad and
how it changed his life.
“The only reason why I went
abroad was because I knew some people who have.” Redding said. “ When
I came back I went and changed my
Chemistry major to a minor and my
German minor to my major.”
Also, there were a few students there
that have already studied abroad before,
who also shared their experiences.
Western senior Melina Paden was
one of the students that have already
studied abroad. She talked about
how awesome her trip was to France.
“I just thought that I was going to
go and be alone, but I met some people that I will never forget and now
they are my best friends,” Paden said.
France isn’t the only country that
students can go to. Redding talked
about all of the different counties
where students could go study. He
also shared some ideas on how they
could get financial help if necessary,
which is why Holian chose Redding.
“I picked Redding to come because
I know his background of studying
abroad and he is a very energetic
person that keeps your attention,”
Holian said. “He has three things
that I was looking for: experience,
knowledge and good communication
skills.”
Western senior Corey Wood
attended the lecture and is planning
on studying abroad in Bamberg,
Germany, for his history major.
“I found Dr. Redding’s lecture pretty interesting and I’m seriously
thinking about going next year,”
Wood said.
Wood, along with other students,
came to the meeting to help get some
answers to questions that they had,
so that they could make the decision
rather to go or not.
“I have always thought about it,
but not seriously,” Wood said. “He
said a lot that I needed to hear, but
my mind was already made up.”
Redding talked about the different
programs for going abroad.
“You get a whole range of experiences that you don’t get in the classroom,” Holian said.
Paden went abroad to study
French some more.
“I wanted to actually say that I
could speak French and to be able to
actually do it,” Paden said.
Textbook Buyback
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$
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Alcohol a factor in acquaintance rapes
Typically sexual assaults
occurring at college involve
the abuse of alcohol
Kathy Crawford
Guest Writer
Alcohol is a factor in the majority of acquaintance rape cases involving college students,
according to the National Center for Victims of
Crime (NCVC).
Although Missouri Western Director of
Public Safety Jonathan Kelley would not comment on whether or not alcohol was involved
in the four alleged sexual incidents reported
this fall at Western, Director of Residential
Life Michael Speros agrees that alcohol is a
prevalent factor with the crime of acquaintance rape on college campuses in the United
States.
“I can only say that acquaintance rapes on
campuses typically involve some level of alcohol usage, but it is not the only factor,” Speros
said.
One recent study found that 75 percent of
males and 50 percent of females had been
drinking when a sexual assault occurred,
according to the NCVC. However, some organizations believe this number could be higher
due to the lack of studies specifically related to
college women who are raped when they are
intoxicated, according to the Department of
Society, Human Development and Health,
Harvard School of Public Health. Alcohol is drugs, as “chemical substances for the purpose
“almost a hallmark of campus life” for college of rendering a victim passive, submissive,
students, according to the NCVC.
unwilling or unable to resist unwanted sexual
Despite the fact that Missouri Western has advances.” And, alcohol can make prosecution
policies in place that
of this crime difficult,
strictly prohibit the
causing police and
possession of alcohol
prosecutors to someon campus, Speros
times be reluctant to
doesn’t feel this fact
pursue
the
case,
has much of an effect
according
to
the
I can only say that
on the crime
of
NCVC. Social stanacquaintance rapes on
acquaintance rape.
dards are stacked
“The policy in and of
against drunkenness,
itself does not have campuses typically
and the woman is
any
impact
(on
often blamed if she’s
acquaintance
rape) involve some level of
been drinking when
since students contin- alcohol usage, but it is
she’s been raped.
ue to drink even on
P r o s e c u t i o n
dry campuses,” Speros not the only factor.
becomes even more
said. “Drinking seems
difficult if the woman
to be a rite of passage
is
unconscious
MICHAEL SPEROS
on most campuses in
because she can’t
Director of Housing and Residential Life
the United States.”
recall everything that
That rite of passage
happened, points out
presents some campus
Missouri
We s t e r n
community problems.
student
Regina
Alcohol use, someRoller. Because contimes heavy, appears to be widespread and sent cannot be given if a person is unconpossibly the most profound health issue among scious, having sex with that person may be
college students, according to the Harvard considered sexual assault, according to
report. Furthermore, alcohol is the most com- Missouri statute.
mon chemical substance used in drug-facilitatThe statute is somewhat open to interpretaed rape, according to Missouri Partners in tion, according to Linda Nickle, Executive
Prevention and Wellness Resource Center at Director of the Missouri Coalition Against
the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Sexual Assault (MoCASA), and that interpreThis organization defines drugs used to facil- tation can affect what charges are brought
itate rape, more commonly called date-rape against a defendant in cases where the defen-
“
”
dant is unconscious.
Unconsciousness is the result of the depressant effects of alcohol, according to BACCHUS
& GAMMA Peer Education Network (B & G),
the largest student health organization in the
world. The chemical slows down blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. In addition,
alcohol can affect perception and change feelings, according to ETR Associates, a not-forprofit publisher of health education resources.
Because alcohol can lower self-control, someone may act on aggressive, angry feelings,
which can lead to rape. Rape, or any sexual
assault, is an act of violence and not an act of
sex, according to Detective Trenny Wilson of
the St. Joseph Police Department Family
Crimes Unit.
Furthermore, potential victims who are
drinking may become less aware of danger
signals, allowing themselves to end up in
risky situations, according to ETR. The difficulties and complications that arise when
alcohol is involved in acquaintance rape,
along with the prevalence of alcohol use on
college campuses, make responsible drinking
for those who choose to drink an important
factor in reducing the frequency of acquaintance rape. Understanding that alcohol is a
chemical that affects the body and the brain
is the first step to responsible drinking,
according to B & G. The organization offers
the following advice.
“Be extra careful of getting into sexual situations when you’ve been drinking. Alcohol
abuse sometimes leads people into sexual situations they might have avoided if they were
sober.”
Western, campuses nationwide combat sex crimes
Kathy Crawford
Guest Writer
Consent. Seems like a simple enough concept. You want something, you say so. And if
you don’t want something, you say that, too.
This notion is as primeval as human communication itself, but communication can be complicated in modern culture.
Headlines attest to this.
Legal problems for the likes of Kobe Bryant
involving accusations of rape based on failed
communication between acquaintances give
society reason to contemplate. Then there was
the well-publicized scandal at the University
of Colorado involving accusations of rape by
football players. And at Missouri Western, four
accusations involving sexual assault or misconduct were made this fall.
However, Missouri Western is not the only college campus to deal with this problem. One in
four or five college women were a victim of rape or
an attempted rape in 2000 according to the U.S.
Department of Justice. Furthermore, the CDC
reports that eight out of 10 women who become
victims are acquainted with their attacker.
The National Center for Victims of Crime
(NCVC) defines acquaintance rape as a crime
where some level of acquaintance is present
during a nonconsensual sexual encounter—an
act carried out by way of “violence, threats,
coercion, manipulation, pressure or tricks.”
Date rape is only one type of acquaintance
rape, although it is the most prevalent.
Defining what acquaintance rape is, as well
as other types of sex crimes, has been simplified in most jurisdictions by the term sexual
assault. One reason for the change is so that
various levels of coercion can be covered.
However, according to the Missouri Coalition
Against Sexual Assault (MoCASA), only 16
percent of all rapes are reported to the police.
“I would report it because I’d be angry,”
Western student Pam Downs said.
Anger is one of the symptoms felt by a victim
of acquaintance rape.
Furthermore, it is a
any reason, consent
social myth that the vichas ceased. In the state
Misconceptions involving
tim knowing her attackof Missouri, forcing
acquaintance rape
er somehow makes the
someone to continue is
crime less traumatizing
the crime of rape.
for the victim, according
Missouri
also has laws
There are several misconceptions
to the NCVC. The trauin place to protect indiabout acquaintance rape that stem
ma caused by acquainviduals who are unable
from social myths associated with the
tance rape is no less
to give their consent:
crime. A common thought is that the
severe than the trauma
children, individuals
victim of the crime is somehow responassociated with rape by
who are mentally incasible. The following are some of the misa stranger. About onepacitated, and anyone
conceptions.
third of the victims sufwho is given a drug
fer from posttraumatic
without their knowlstress disorder. The
edge or consent..
• The man pays for their date
symptoms can include
Missouri law makes
• The two parties have had sex before
sleeping and eating dishaving sex with some• The woman flirts provocatively or flirts
orders,
nervousness,
one under these circumwith him
fatigue,
withdrawal
stances the crime of
• The victim engages in “heavy petfrom society and disforcible rape. Also, the
ting” and then calls the sexual activity
trust of others. Some
notion that a sexual
to a halt
victims suffer for many
offender is not responsi•
The sexual offender is oversexed or
years from these sympble for his actions
unable to control his sexual desires
toms.
because he is oversexed
• The woman is drunk or high and the
Another social myth
and unable to control
that is associated with
his desires doesn’t stand
male takes advantage of her
this crime is that the
up to the research. A
victim is somehow
study conducted in 2001
responsible, that she
by Duke University and
owes her male acquainthe
University
of
tance sex in certain cirMassachusetts
indicumstances such as:
cates that most rapists
• The man pays for
do not commit this
their date;
crime to satisfy a sexual
• The two parties have had sex before.
urge. They do it because they think they are enti• The victim dresses provocatively or flirts tled to it. They also enjoy humiliating someone
with him.
else and desire to control them.
• The victim engages in “heavy petting” and
Missouri Western Diversity and Women’s
then calls the sexual activity to a halt.
Issues Counselor Dr. Vincenza Marash, who is
• The sexual offender is oversexed or unable to a certified rape crisis counselor agrees, “I think
control his sexual desires.
in every rape there are elements of power and
• The woman is drunk or high and the male
control,” Marash said.
takes advantage of her.
As far as the way women choose to dress,
MoCASAaddresses some of these myths. For sometimes women dress up just because it’s
example, if at anytime during a sexual fun. They’ve done it since they were children.
encounter one of the parties wants to stop for It doesn’t mean they’re looking for sex neces-
DID YOU
KNOW
It’s not too
late, sign up
for JOU210
today and be
on our staff.
?
sarily. Women shouldn’t be restricted by fear
when they are choosing their clothing that
they will be sexually assaulted, according to
MoCASA.
“Women have certain rights. I think, for
example, that women have a right to dress the
way they want,” Marash said.
However, sophomore Deborah Smith can see
where a man sometimes would get the wrong idea.
“I do believe that women can give the wrong
message to men, although that is no excuse for
the man to take advantage of that woman,”
Smith said. “For men with an overactive sex
drive, or a need for control, things can be taken
in the wrong way.”
Perception is affected by the cultural messages we receive. The web site for the Butler
County Rape Crisis Program in Oxford, Ohio,
clarifies this with guidelines for rape prevention that were developed by the Planned
Parenthood Association. Part of the suggestions for men encourages them to be aware of
the cultural messages they have received and
to recognize that they “are under considerable
pressure to be sexually active.”
“Men can be confused about the kinds of
behavior that are appropriate in relationships
with women, so we need more open dialogues
around sexuality,” Marash said.
After repeated attempts, no males would
comment for this story.
In October a program geared toward educating
students about sexual assault entitled “When no
means no” was held at Missouri Western. It was
co-sponsored by Residential Life, Western Public
Safety, St. Joseph YWCA and the St. Joseph
Police Pepartment. More events of this nature
are being planned, according to Director of
Residential Life Michael Speros.
Speros believes the Missouri Western campus and halls are as safe as any other campus.
He has this advice for students:
”I encourage students to lock their suite and
room doors as they would their car doors or
when they are at home. And if it doesn’t feel
right, it probably isn’t, so think before you act.”
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Apartments
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LIVESTRONG
Ashley Hannah
Subtle yellow bands are creating a not-so subtle national
trend behind the star power of cyclist Lance Armstrong
News Writer
Those little yellow wristbands are
not just a trend; they are part of a support system for cancer survivors.
The Lance Armstrong foundation
believes that knowledge is power. The
yellow LiveStrong wristbands represent a program that understands that
cancer is more than a medical experience. The foundation offers a complete
approach to aid survivors to live strong
through the physical, emotional and
practical challenges of survivorship.
Survivorship begins at diagnosis, the
moment that your battle with cancer
begins. A survivor is anyone battling or
who has battled cancer. A survivor
diagnosed a spouse, a child, a parent, a
friend or any caregiver.
Mike Mitchell is not a cancer survivor, but he does have a live strong
story.
“I wear it because it reminds me of
what you have to go through in life. I
was a miracle baby, being born three
months early. I thought it was a good
thing, because of the non-profit organization. I also wear a Nike basket ball
one too,” Mitchell said.
Many students are wearing yellow
across the nation. Not only are elementary students wearing them—look
around campus and see the yellow.
Even famous people wear them too,
like President Bush, Sen. John Kerry
and
Armstrong’s
girlfriend
Sheryl
Crow.
The “Wear Yellow
Live Strong” campaign is more than
22 million strong- so
strong that the $1
silicone
rubber
bracelets are hard
to find.
“I am only one of
more than 10 million
Americans
living with and
beyond cancer,
so there are at
least 10 million reasons why
I wear
m
y
LiveStrong
wristband everyday,” said Lance
Armstrong in a
November
13
Washington Times
article.
The bracelets are sold at
Nike locations, Nike Town outlets,
Discovery Channel stores,
eBay and online toy stores.
The foundation sells about
150 thousand wristbands
everyday on its web site,
which warns of a three to
four- week wait for the
bracelets.
Not only is there yellow, but also blue,
pink, purple, and
even glow-inthe-dark.
There
a r e
even
some
Web
sites
that sell
ones that you make yourself. You can pick the color
or colors and put anything
on it like best friend to
savage or even your high
school.
“Panhellenic ball was
raising money for breast
cancer. My aunt died
from this type of cancer. I
think its really good for a
great cause, it no longer becomes
a cause more of a fashion statement,”
Jeff Knapp said.
Many people have been following
bicycle racing in recent years and hoping that Armstrong wins. They read
the paper, watch the television and get
the scoop from the Internet. The
younger population got the trend
before the older population did. Once
everyone knew what the yellow stood
for it was bound to be a big hit.
Not everyone likes the yellow
bracelets or Armstrong for that matter.
Joygantic had an idea for his own little
LiveStrong pun. They are black and
they say LiveWrong.
“I mentioned previously that I was
hatching a plan. Though I’m generally
a pro-Lance Armstrong, anti-cancer
kind of guy,” Joygantic said. ”There’s
been something about the ubiquity of
the whole wear yellow ‘cultural phenomenon’ that’s gotten under my
skin.”
“LiveWrong means living right. It
means living how you want, embracing
the absurd and carving your own
path.”
The Lance Armstrong Foundation
is based on the idea that in fighting
c a n c e r, “knowledge is power, and
attitude is everything.” The foundation’s mission is achieved through
four key program areas: education,
advocacy, public health and research.
For more information on the Lance
Armstrong Foundation and the
LiveStrong
wristbands,
go
to
www..org.
COMMENTARY
Armstrong doesn’t get deserved recognition
It is very possible that Lance
Armstrong is the most inspirational story that no one in
Hollywood would believe, even
if it were a script.
How can any man win the
Tour de France, one of professional sports most grueling
competitions, after finding out
you have cancer in your testicles, lungs and brain. He didn’t only win it once; he has
won it six times in a row,
something no one in the history of the event has ever done
before.
Armstrong’s story is so unre-
al he is constantly facing allegations of steroid use because
of how incredible and unreal
his story is. He has been tested for steroids time and time
again and never once has a
test come back positive.
Lance has shown people that
if you work hard and don’t sit
around and feel sorry for yourself, you can accomplish things
that were never thought possible.
But, he doesn’t just worry
about himself and where he
can make a few dollars by
endorsing
some
product,
everyone has a Livestrong
the Oscar for best cameo, I’m
don’t more than likely want
one, even presidential candidate John Kerry could be seen
sporting one while he was on
the campaign trail.
The proceeds from those stylish golden bands of genius go
Lance is helping other people to cancer research. Lance
go through what he has Armstrong isn’t just an athlete
and humanitarian he is a bona
already conquered.
You can probably walk down fied triple threat.
Maybe you’ve heard of a litthe street and within a minute
or two see someone with one of tle film called Dodgeball
those yellow bands on their where Armstrong made his big
wrist. It seems like almost screen debut. I heard he won
As Vince Vaughn decides to
quit his dodgeball team, he
meets Lance in the airport,
and Armstrong tells him how
he thought about quitting once
when he found out he had cancer in his lungs, brain, and testicles, at the same time. Lance
goes on to say he understands
that whatever is causing
Vaughn to quit must be a good
reason.
Lance Armstrong should be
an inspiration to us all and I
know he already is to me.
rexmartinn bracelet and the people that not sure though.
Could you be the next ...
Miss Northwest / Miss Maryville?
Pageant officials are recruiting now!
The Miss Northwest/Miss Maryville Scholarship Pageant is a preliminary for Miss Missouri for Miss
America. Entrants must be: young ladies between the ages of 17 and 24, must live and go to school or
work in the state of Missouri, and must never been married. The competition will be just like Miss
America, complete with interview, talent, evening wear, and swimwear competitions. Winners will receive
$500 from the pageant board and a $500 fee waiver if they are students enrolled at Missouri Western
State College or Northwest Missouri State University. The Pageant will be January 15, 2004 at Maryville,
Missouri. Application deadline is December 30, 2003.
Interested candidates can contact MWSC Alumni Kendell Misemer at
kgmise@grm.net or by phone at 660-448-2626, or the pageant director Marilyn Hamm
at hamm@asde.net or by phone at 660-582-8030.
It’s the craze that’s sweeping the nation ... and St. Joseph
Jared Herrin
Guest Writer
I just made an ace-high flush off the
flop, and I have to keep my mouth shut.
If I even blink funny the fish I’m sitting with will know that I have pocket
hearts. I bet small, hoping to slow-roll
them into playing.
The next two cards are turned, and
I’m in trouble. There are two pair sitting on the board, 3s and kings.
Here’s what I know: my ace-high
flush will beat a lot of hands. But,
what I don’t know is if the guy across
from me has the other king, making a
full house, which is one of the hands
that my flush won’t beat.
I decide to go all in.
He follows.
Moments later I’m whining and crying like a whipped schoolboy.
The game that ruined my night is a
variation of regular poker called Texas
Hold ‘em, and it has started taking over
poker tables across the country. The
rules for Hold ‘em are fairly simple and
can be learned quickly, which adds to
the appeal for novices and experienced
players as well.
To start the game, players are dealt
two cards face down, which is followed
by a round of betting. After betting,
five community cards are dealt face
up, first in a group of three, called the
flop, then one more, called the turn,
and finally the last card is turned,
called the river. These five community
cards are available for all the players
to use to make the best five-card
hand.
Between the flop, turn and river,
players bet or fold. After all betting is
completed, each remaining player’s two
pocket cards are revealed, and the
player with the best hand wins.
Simple, right?
But, there are variations on the
game, most of which deal with how
players can bet. For instance, some
people set a maximum amount that can
be bet per round, while others have no
maximum amount per round.
This second type, called No Limit
Texas Hold ‘em, is the kind that is
played on the increasingly popular
World Series of Poker (WSOP) television
show
airing
on
ESPN.
Professionals and amateurs alike
view this annual poker tournament
as the ultimate prize in Texas Hold
’em.
The World Series itself reflects the
increase in popularity of the sport, as it
started off with only 52 players in 1982
and has grown to 7,595 in 2002. Last
y e a r’s winner, Greg "Fossilman"
“
Technically, (holding poker
games at your house) is
illegal, but it’s like someone
running two miles over the
speed limit -- it’s illegal, but
it doesn’t hurt anyone. It
happens all the time, but (law
enforcement) has more
important things to worry
about, if we don’t, we need to
start getting out more.
SGT. D AVE MILLER
Member of Missouri Gaming Commission
”
Raymer, took home a pot of five million
dollars, the largest pot in the history of
the WSOP … not a bad paycheck for a
silly game of cards.
The buy-in for the WSOP is ten thousand dollars, but if you’re like most college students, you can’t scrape up that
kind of dough through plasma donations alone. But not to worry, there is
an easy way into the tournament right
here in St. Joseph. Area bars have
begun hosting free Hold ‘em tournaments on almost every night of the
week.
One group of tournaments takes
place every Monday through Thursday
at Uncle D’s, Bottoms Up, and Rear
Vi e w. The tournaments, which are
sponsored by barpoker.com, are also
hosted in cities around Missouri and
culminate in a state-wide tournament
comprised of the top 240 players. The
winner of the state tournament gets
free buy-in at the WSOP.
The 240 players are ranked using a
system that awards points based on
placement in each round. While the
tournaments are free to enter, players
must be 21 years of age.
Jeremy Leer, manager of Uncle D’s,
located at the corner of Messanie and
36 Street, doesn’t mind having hordes
of wannabe poker players in his midst.
It’s good for business.
"People usually don’t come out after
the weekend," Leer says. "The tourna-
Page Design by TIM KC CANTON
- Graphics Editor
ments help bring people in on Monday
nights."
While the tournaments are free and
legal, not everyone who wants to try
their hand at the game is old enough to
enter.
So what do these youngsters do?
Break the law and host their own tournament.
That’s right, gambling in your own
home is illegal, but it’s also fun. Most
college students have been involved in
or been present at a small-stakes poker
game someone has hosted in their
home or dorm, and every one of these
people are lawbreakers, according to
Sgt. Dave Miller, a member of the
Missouri Gaming Commission. But
don’t worry, you probably won’t go to
jail.
"Technically, it’s illegal," said Miller,
who has been a member of the Missouri
Highway Patrol for 28 years, "but it’s
like someone running two miles over
the speed limit – it’s illegal, but it doesn’t hurt anyone."
While he isn’t advocating that people
start hosting a "Mega-Millions" poker
tournament in their basement, he
believes that you probably won’t get in
trouble for having a small tournament.
"It happens all the time," Miller said,
"but (law enforcement) has more
important things to worry about, and if
we don’t, we need to start getting out
more."
Miller feels that people won’t get in
trouble for gambling in their homes,
as long as they use "restraint and selfcontrol," which means don’t go betting
your college tuition or your girlfriend
because you think your deuces will
hold up. That’s what bingo night is
for.
But does this leniency towards do-ityourself casinoing extend as far as the
residence halls on campus? Not according to the MWSC student handbook,
which states, "gambling is also prohibited on college property or at any college supervised function."
Vague, but still precise enough to
mean that if you bet the scrilla, you’re
busted. But don’t worry, there are ways
around everything.
"As long as you’re not playing for
money, you’re going to be okay," said
Residence Council President Noah
Haahr.
So, there you go. No money equals no
punishment, but it also vicariously
equals no hard-earned trip to get
Arby’s Low-Carbies if you win. Life just
isn’t fair.
Western lands 13 on
MIAA honor roll
football & volleyball
Women rolling early
Women undefeated after 5
games under Keister’s watch
Andy Christie
Sports Writer
The Missouri Western football and volleyball
teams combined to place 13 student-athletes
on the MIAA honor roll as based on the following criteria: 1) Student athletes must have a
cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above; 2) The student-athlete must have at least two terms of
attendance at the member school, excluding
summers sessions; 3) The student athlete
must be a sophomore, junior, or senior in athletic eligibility; 4) Student-athletes inactive due
to redshirt or hardship qualifications are not
eligible.
Volleyball
Marian Broderick, junior, Math.
Shelly Chiles, senior, Exercise Science.
Theresa Hand, junior, Computer Science.
Melissa Malone, sophomore, Marketing.
Football
Greg Carbin, sophomore, Graphic Design
Chris Cummings, sophomore, Biology.
Andy Davis, junior, Criminal Justice.
Mike Hill, senior, Construction Engineering.
Scorpio Horn, junior, Business.
Brian Jardes, senior, Finance.
Steven Lacy, junior, Construction Engineering.
Jake Lovely, senior, Construction Engineering.
Ben Vanderau, senior, Construction Engineering.
The Missouri Western women came out on
fire from the 3-point line in last Tuesday’s 8851 win against the Grand View Vikings at
MWSC Fieldhouse.
Sophomore forward Tera Petersen and junior forward Brandi Rodgers combined for a 5
of 5 night from beyond the arc in the first 10
minutes of the game. The two helped push
Western past Grand View and its stifling zone
defense, and the Griffons never looked back.
“I definitely was feeling the stroke,” Rodgers
said. “We like to shoot 3s to help bring them
out of their zone.”
Western’s defense started out slow, giving
up six quick points, but the Griffons still
seemed confident due to the lack of defense
from Grand View.
“I figured we’d see a lot of zone tonight;
that’s just the way it goes,” Western coach
Josh Keister said. “Because of the zone we’re
going to see a lot of 3(-point) opportunities.”
Grand View had its final lead of the night
with the score 6-3, and before they could build
on that, Western senior point guard Eldra
Paixao created one of her five steals on the
night and drove down the court with a lay-up to
close the Vikings’ lead to one. The steal and
score started a 21-5 run that included Petersen
and Rodgers’s stellar 3-point performance and
some fast pace offense that helped the Griffons
push way out front at 29-13.
“I thought Brandi played well and helped open
up the inside,” Keister said. “She can stroke the
3s; she’s a better shooter than we thought.”
MIAA football to be
represented in
national title game
The strength of the MIAA conference is being
proven once again.
This time it’s No. 1 Pittsburg State (14-0, 9-0 in
the MIAA) who that is has battled its way to the
Division II National Championship Game in
Florence, Ala.
The Gorillas earned their berth by barreling
past No. 14 North Dakota 31-19 in last
Saturday’s national semifinal.
Senior quarterback Neal Philpot unleashed a
full arsenal attack. He threw for three touchdowns and scrambled for 122 yards on the
ground.
North Dakota’s sophomore quarterback Chris
Belmore had a very respectable day, completing
19 of 31 passes for 264 yards, but in the end
wasn’t able to keep up the Gorilla offense which
now holds NCAA all-division records for scoring
(806 points) and total offense (8,605 yards).
Pittsburg State will make its fourth title game
appearance in school history, but just the first
appearance by an MIAA school since
Northwest Missouri State won the national title
in 1999.
The Gorillas will meet Valdosta State (12-1)
this Sunday.
Min. $6.00 Purchase
Limit 1 Expires in 30 Days
Min. $6.00 Purchase
With nine minutes left in the first half the
only aspect of Grand View’s game that the
Griffons really needed to worry about was the
play of Cody Schechinger. She went 5 of 6 in the
first half and had 11 points and two rebounds.
“I thought our team came out to a slow start
defensively,” Keister said. “Schechinger
scored her first three buckets.”
The Griffons defense played better after
that, holding Schechinger scoreless in the second half and forcing five turnovers from
Grand View’s leading scorer.
Selma Barbosa, Western’s senior forward
and leading scorer this year, didn’t see her
first field goal until the last 4 minutes of the
first half. But, including an assist, Barbosa
was involved in 11 of the Griffons’ 15 final
points of the half giving Western a 51-26 lead.
The second half was more Griffon domination. After opening up with a 10-5 run, the
Griffons were sitting at a comfortable 61-31
lead with 14 minutes left in the game.
The pace of the second half was much slower due to a higher percentage of fouls from
both teams. The amount of fouls jumped from
a total of 10 in the first half to 23 in the second.
Three of Western’s players ended up in double figures in scoring on the night including
Barbosa with 17 points, Paixao with 19 and
Rodgers with 12. All but one Western player
had two or more points in the win.
• Western 55, Winona St. 42
The Western women continued their stellar
play during the first period of Friday’s battle
with Winona State at the Holiday Inn
Express/Jennies Classic in Warrensburg, Mo.
The Griffons blew by the Warriors to take a
37-14 lead in the first half, and held out in the
second to take the win.
Most of the Griffons found a way to score, but
the team was led by senior guard Carly Lee
with 10 points. Lee also snared seven rebounds.
The outcome pushed the Griffons to an overall record of 4-0 as they went into a Saturday
matchup with Lincoln University.
• Western 65, Lincoln 44
Good teams are supposed to beat bad teams
convincingly, and that's just what the Griffons
did on Saturday, rolling by Lincoln to keep
their record unscathed at 5-0.
The Blue Tigers kept the game close at certain points. After moving ahead by 13 early,
the Griffons’ shots went flat, and the Tigers
managed to claw their way back into the
game, tying the score at 23-23 with two minutes remaining in the first half.
In the second half the Griffon got their mark
back. They scored the first two buckets of the
second half and never looked back.
KELLI HOVEY/Staff Photographer
ABOVE: Western senior forward Selma Barbosa
shoots a free throw during last Tuesday’s 88-51
win over Grand Valley. LEFT: Barbosa wrestles
for a loose ball during the same game against
Grand Valley.
Western beginning women’s soccer in Fall ’05
Danny Stooksbury
Sports Editor
It won’t be so tough to find a
good kicker at Missouri Western
next Fall.
At the Dec. 2 meeting of the
Board of Regents, it was
announced
that
Missouri
Western will start a women’s soccer program beginning in 2005.
The addition to came to help
Western be in compliance of the
NCAA’s requirement for its participants to offer a minimum of
10 sports.
Missouri Western Athletic
Director Mark Linder said
women’s soccer was just the best
fit.
“We had three guiding principals that went into the decision,”
Linder said. “One was geographical.
The
community
has
expressed a growing interest in
the sport of soccer. Two was the
proximity of competition. There is
already a good foundation of
teams in the MIAA which compete in women’s soccer.
“Our operational dollar goes a lot further if
we don’t have to travel as much. And lastly,
was the balancing of
the NCAA requirements to have 10
sports with our responsibilities under Title IX.”
Missouri Western was the
final MIAA institution to meet
the new NCAA Division II minimum passed in 2002.
At that time the Griffons had
Min. $6.00 Purchase
just eight sports, with its most
recent addition of women’s tennis.
Western’s first response to the
new requirements was the addition of women’s golf.
While the golf team had early
success, primarily on the back
of star Taira Roth, the
tennis team has struggled
until
very
recently. Linder said
that he believes the
s c h o o l ’s
commitment, including hiring a full-time coach,
will help lead the way
to a competitive team
very quickly.
“In golf and tennis, it really
helps if you have the other gend e r,” Linder said. “It helps
recruiting and knowledge of the
sport. I believe if we were to add
a men’s tennis team you would
see them have success rather
quickly. Since soccer is more of
a team sport, I think it can
stand alone. I expect to see a
team that can compete rather
soon.”
The school has officially
announced its vacancy for a head
coach. Linder said the department began gathering resumes
immediately after the announcement and will begin reviewing
them on Dec. 10.
The Athletic department is
expected to make a decision
quickly. The new coach will have
just a matter of months to put
together an entire team before
the squad will play a full MIAA
seasons.
Min. $6.00 Purchase
Due to low student and faculty participation in the
‘Name the Griffon’ voting, no official announcement
will be made until a later date.
Last Stop: MWSC
St. Joseph
St. Louis
Demarius Bolds gives Griffons early
production after transferring to team
Danny Stooksbury
Sports Editor
Following last year’s disappointing season
the Missouri Western men’s basketball team
knew it had the talent to be a good team, but
they seemed to be missing something.
Over the summer, men’s coach Tom Smith
had a couple of positions to fill on the team
when he took a look at Demarius Bolds.
Bolds was on his way out of St. Louis
Community College-Florissant Valley, and
was looking for a place to continue his basketball career.
“Missouri Western was one of the first
schools to contact me,” Bolds said. “It seemed
like they had a lot of interest in me. They
brought me up for a visit, and I guess I just
liked what I saw and the people seemed to be
good so this is came.”
Last year Bolds was named first team NJCAA
All-Region, first team all-conference and coMVP at SLCCFV, as their leading scorer.
Right out of the gate, Bolds has provided
instant offense for the Griffons. He led the
team with 18 points in Western’s season opening victory over Northeastern State (Okla.)
56-55.
Five days later, he led the team once again
with 20 points in a 78-65 win against Lincoln
University (Mo.), 78-65. Smith said that
Bolds brings something important to the
Griffons team: diligence.
“He started out 2-for-5, but those were two
steals,” Smith said. “The other three were
really bad shots. There was no rhythm, and I
thought he was going to struggle. But he ends
up getting a nice, quiet 20.”
This season he has spent more time on the
court than any other Griffon at just under 27
minutes per game. He also leads the team in
assists with 3.0 per game and is second on the
team in scoring at 12.3 per contest.
But statistics don’t show what Bolds is most
proud of. He said what is most important is
that the team carries its accomplishments in
practice over into games. Primarily, that
means playing good defense when nobody’s
watching and doing it again in front of a
crowd.
As a team, the Griffons have forced their
opponents to turn the ball over almost 20
times per game, thanks largely to Bolds’ 13
steals through the first six games.
“We think that we can play with anybody,”
Bolds said. “We’ve been playing outstanding
defense, and as long as we can keep doing
that, we will be in every game. We still need
to score points, but defense is going to take us
where we want to be.”
So far the Griffons are off to a good start at
5-1 in their pre-conference schedule. Bolds
says that the team talked a lot about leadership heading into the season.
“I try to help out some,” Bolds said. “I’m a
pretty quite guy; I don’t like to talk too much.
So I try to lead by the way I play.”
“Our three leaders on the team this year are
Langston (Grady), Vernon (Buckle) and
Tyrice (Mitchell). They’re the guys that have
to get after people.”
The Griffons have just three more non-conference games before they kick off MIAA
action against the No. 5 team in the country,
Washburn, Dec. 29 in Topeka, Kan. But it
seems to take more than a national ranking
to intimidate Bolds.
“I guess there are some pretty good teams
in the conference, but we aren’t thinking
about that,” Bolds said. “It really doesn’t matter who we’re playing, if we just go out and
keep working hard on defense and stay
patient on offense, we’ll be alright.”
Bolds and the rest of the Griffons next travel to take on Nebraska-Omaha in Omaha,
Neb. on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Selma Barbosa brings big presence to
Western, all the way from Brazil
Andy Christie
Sports Writer
Senior Selma Barbosa is Missouri Western’s
newest forward, and despite hailing from
South America, she won’t be joining Western’s
newly announced soccer team.
Barbosa is a native of Barretos, Brazil,
where the sport that strikes the most interest
to its population is the same sport that is
most popular throughout the continent of
South America.
The sport of futbol or to Americans, soccer.
But, Barbosa’s interests were always aimed
at a backboard with a hoop instead of a rectangle frame with a net. For that reason alone
Barbosa and her coach in Barretos knew that
she needed to take her passion to the United
States.
“In Brazil, the sponsors are looking mainly
for soccer players,” Barbosa said. “Here in
America, it’s the basketball country.”
Barbosa’s coach in Brazil had connections
with a coach in Oklahoma at Bacone Junior
College in Muskogee, Okla. Bacone’s coach
told Barbosa that he was willing to give her a
scholarship if she was willing to come to the
United States. Barbosa agreed.
“I’ve been in the United States for five
years,” Barbosa said. “I wanted to come here
especially for basketball and to get a good
education.”
While attending two years at Bacone,
Barbosa put up high numbers on the court,
including an average of 23 points per game
and 9.2 rebounds. Those numbers earned
Barbosa second team National Junior College
Athletic Association All-American honors.
Because junior colleges offer only two-year
educational programs, Barbosa moved on to
Fort Hays State in Fort Hays, Kan., where
her numbers stayed high on the court.
But Barbosa only played the 2001-2002 sea-
son at Fort Hays where she averaged 17.2
points and 6.9 rebounds per game. She
earned first team All-Rocky Mountain
Athletic Conference honors.
Western women’s basketball coach Josh
Keister saw Barbosa play at Fort Hays State
and was intrigued with her style, so intrigued
that he began calling Barbosa trying to
recruit her to Western before other schools
did.
“The choice was either Western or
Washburn,” Barbosa said. “But I thought that
the program here at Western was better
because I really liked the school, the staff and
the players.”
When Barbosa arrived at Missouri Western
she had to sit out the 2003-2004 season, but it
didn’t seem to mess up her physical game as
much as it messed with her focus.
“The only thing that bothered me about sitting out last season was that I needed to get
mentally tougher,” Barbosa said. “For basketball, that’s been the hard part for me.”
Western senior point guard Eldra Paixao
has made Barbosa’s transition a little easier.
Paixao is also from Brazil and has given
Barbosa that comfort level needed in order to
help regain the focus she lost.
“Eldra’s my best friend,” Barbosa said.
“She’s like my sister.”
Paixao transferred to Western last year
straight from Brazil. The two have taken to
each other off the court and on the court as
well. One can tell when watching the two play
that the connection they share have upped
each other’s game. Barbosa’s numbers this
year are already back to normal with an average points per game of 16, first on the team,
along with being first on the team in
rebounds.
“Selma plays a huge role on our basketball
team,” Keister said. “She definitely gives us a
scoring presence.”
Western men slam Rockhurst
Staff Report
KELLI HOVEY/Staff Photographer
Western senior Fred Battles slams the ball during a game last week
at MWSC Fieldhouse.
Western got over its phobia of beating
Rockhurst to take an 88-82 win last
Tuesday at MWSC Fieldhouse.
The Griffons had lost to the small
Kansas City school five straight times,
including a 79-71 loss just three days
earlier.
In the previous game, it was the
Griffons who scored only 21 first-half
points in their loss. But Tuesday was a
completely different start for the
Griffons, who kept up a fast pace and
forged a 50-28 halftime edge with the
help of a more tenacious defense than the
one they displayed at Rockhurst on
Saturday night.
Western (4-1) forced 16 turnovers by
halftime and recorded nine steals in the
first 20 minutes.
However, Rockhurst (2-5) caught fire in
the second half.
Terrence Dobson compiled 22 points,
and Joel Sobanski finished with 21 to
bring Rockhurst back early in the second
half. The onslaught continued, and the
Hawks locked up the score at 73-73 with
4 minutes, 35 seconds remaining.
But in the end, the Griffons found their
rhythm once again to close out the win.
Langston Grady led Western with 16
points, while Demarius Bolds added 15.
Western finished at 59.3 percent, cooling somewhat from their first-half pace of
65.6 percent. Rockhurst, meanwhile, shot
57.4 percent from the field overall,
including 14 of 21 from behind the arc.
In the two games combined, the
Griffons allowed Rockhust to score over
160 points.
“They’re a good shooting team,” Grady said
of Rockhurst. “I think we kind of slacked off
defensively in the second half, thinking we
had the game won. We can’t do that.”
Grady’s leadership was likely the difference in the game for the Griffons.
While Western as a team struggled
through a second-half cold spell and
Rockhurst was hitting everything it
touched, Grady seemed to try to take
matters into his own hands, getting
aggressive on offense and driving down
the lane repeatedly.
“At that point, I felt like I had to do
what my strengths were and try to get
some (free-throw) shots,” Grady said.
“Too bad I couldn’t hit them. But, I wanted to make sure my team stayed aggressive, and I thought maybe if they saw me
being aggressive, they would stay that
way, too.”

` Confessions` of a rising star

Transcription

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