That’s the thought crossing a lot of fans’ minds, and with justification. With Benjamin Pister’s previous problems with the law and Ashleigh Curry’s current citation on Jan. 21, Western fans and students should wonder if the discipline of Western athletes is fair.

It sure is consistent, as Athletic Director Kurt McGuffin said, but how many altercations does it take before athletic administrators are willing to cut someone from the team? The appropriate answer isn’t a number though. The appropriate answer would have more to do with the individual and the circumstances. In a lot of cases, this would be true. But, there’s a reason they are called second chances.

We’re not here to pass judgment on any Western athlete. No one knows those individuals better than the athletics staff and their coaches. They make the best decisions based upon the facts they have.

One thing they should consider though, is the image second, third and fourth chances give Western as a whole. Sure, the viability of the team’s season is taken into consideration when making an expulsion decision. A teammate leaving doesn’t just mean losing those valuable assets, but it also means affecting team chemistry.

All things considered, the public image of the university needs to be considered as well. Our athletes are our way of competing with other schools, not just on the court, but off the court as well. They should be the best individuals and make the right decisions.

Does this mean they can’t slip up and make mistakes? Well, they wouldn’t be college students and wouldn’t learn anything if they never made mistakes.

In regards to Curry’s disciplinary action, The Griffon News won’t say whether the decision to let her play was the right or wrong one. We do believe in McGuffin and his ability to balance the well being the athletes. Making the right decision could result in a negative impact on one of these parties.

This won’t be the last time that an athlete makes a mistake and it sure isn’t the first. Our only request is that athletics keeps up as informed as possible along the process. While there may be some shame in letting athletes go, it’s more trouble to let the continue to make mistakes and never learn the harsh lessons.

In Curry’s case, that’s not for us to decide, or any Western fan or student for that matter. We trust that McGuffin and Coach Plett have made the right decision.

If you could only remember one thing about Dr. King, remember that he gave his life to obtain justice for others. His reasoning for enduring assault, arrests and disrespect came from his determination to develop a better future for a more united society where character and personality are more important then color and race. As Dr. King became successful for serving others with peace and respect, certainly we can do the same with our campus and our peers.

Missouri Western students should first be proud of the service and unity established on our campus. Not every school is like our school. From our standing section at every football, basketball and baseball game to our diverse campus organizations that have created a well mixed blend of unity among campus life, our school has created an amazing place for students to feel comfortable, united and respected. Dr. King would be very proud.

Yet, there is more work to be done. This work can and should be done by each and every student. This work involves helping each other out in our classes. Think about how many times you were confused on an assignment or had to miss a few classes. Now think about how many times you needed help to finish an assignment, catch up on work or needed help understanding something. Truth is we have all been there and we all should thank those helpful peers that helped us pass a class which made us another small step closer to graduation. If we continue to help each other out in our classes and academics, we would all be more successful.

Service equals success and success equals service. No one maintains success without knowing how to help others out. Spend just a little more time being useful and available to help others. The reward in return is something better than any ‘A’ you could receive on any exam or paper. Having the feeling that you helped someone become successful assures that you have been an impact to a person’s life. Remember that society remembers greatness not by what a person has done on paper but by how many people a person has touched. Dr. Martin Luther King was an author, activist, global leader and Noble Peace Prize winner. Yet, we don’t remember him for that. We remember him by the millions of people he reached in just one word, sentence or speech. His memory lives on because his words live on and these words motivate us to create a “beautiful symphony of brotherhood” in our school just as he did with our nation. Long live the king.

In 2009, Missouri Western Board of Governors voted in favor of renewing Aramarks contract for up to eight years.  They say that Aramark could provide Western with nearly $3.5 million over that span.  What they fail to mention is the $3.5 million is not coming from Aramark, but from the student’s pockets.

A hotdog, chips and a drink will cost you roughly $5 at our Aramark eateries around campus.  A simple hotdog that cost them roughly .40 cents to prepare cost the students nearly $2.  Their daily specials are $4.00 without a drink.  The options are very limited and often less than appealing.   As a manager of a steakhouse for the last 10 years I got a pretty good idea what they pay for some of their products.  To me it seems they take the cheapest route on virtually every product and in turn charge us a premium price.

Why can’t they offer a few $1 options for college students living on a budget?  If Quick Trip can make money off selling $1 dollar hotdogs and taquitos then why can’t Aramark? I understand they are a business and need to make money but there is a big difference between making money and being greedy.  It feels to me like they are taking advantage of students, especially the ones that cannot leave campus to eat elsewhere.

Why does our administration at Missouri Western continue to let Aramark charge us ridicules prices for low quality food?  Aramark blames rising food cost, which is true and a good excuse, but the food they are serving us is downright disgusting.  We cannot even have a function on school grounds without having to purchase food through Aramark at an extremely higher price than many restaurants in St. Joseph would cater for.  They have us stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I heard that Aramark’s food is so bad that on the first day of Kansas City Chiefs training camp in 2010, the Chiefs organization had their own services from Kansas City brought in because of Aramark’s low quality.  My informant that was working for the Chiefs that day clearly heard a Chiefs player say “This stuff is dog food.”  If it is not good enough for the Chiefs, why is it good enough Western students?

I don’t want Aramark to be replaced necessarily, but I would like them to ask students what they enjoy eating and offer some higher quality products.  Another thing that would be nice is if Aramark could offer students some value priced items.  Not every student has $1300 on a flex card.  If they could do this they would probably see an increase of students eating on campus and that would most likely even out their cost for better products.

Starting the Fall 2011 semester, attendance policies will strictly be a professor’s personal decision. This means that every Missouri Western educator will have to personally develop an attendance policy that they feel is reasonable for students. Though this gives educators more freedom, it can also become problematic. A professor could require students to miss no classes without a valid medical excuse, or simply fail the course. Then students that have a busy schedule, or that work, or that have children will have an extremely difficult time abiding to this policy.

This new policy also means that a student must pay very close attention to the course syllabus. This will now be the only way a student will know how many classes they can miss before he or she actually begins missing them. Students will have to make sure they are printing off their syllabi because professors have stopped printing them off for us. Students will definitely need to think twice before missing the first day of classes. This might only be absence they have; or at least one of the few.

Though Missouri Western have taken a firm step in the right direction involving attendance, professors should take an even bigger step by eliminating their policies. Professors should not be forced to hold students accountable for being in class. Instead of professors holding students accountable, students need to hold themselves accountable. Then, when students graduate and go into the work force, they will understand what self-accountability truly means.

Checking attendance also takes a huge amount of time from class work, especially with courses that have around 50 to 70 students in them. So with a 50 minute class and 10 minute time to take attendance, students are really only getting 40 minutes of actual useful class time.

If any student thinks they could miss numerous classes and still pass, then let them. Ultimately, it will be nobody’s fault but his or her own. Professors have enough responsibility involving class work, lecture, and creating, checking and grading tests and quizzes. Why don’t we take a little stress off of the many things they have to do on a day-to-day basis? Frankly, no student deserves to be at Missouri Western if he or she can’t be in class in a proper manner. We don’t need any professor to tell us that.

Since the arrival of Esther Peralez as Western’s vice president for Student Affairs, several staff veterans have left the employ of Western. There’s no beating around the bush, these people were valuable assets to Western and students loved them. Talk to some students and they might tell you they needed them.

Ellen Kisker, Don Willis and Huey Shi Chew are just three of the people that come to mind. Even though these people worked with different groups of students they all have one thing in common, they worked with them individually and relentlessly.

While the plan to move Student Affairs to a more broad perspective of student development and focus on theories and professional competencies may benefit students, it’s hurting them at the same time. Whether it was helping out with visas, finding non-trads scholarships or staying up late to help set up a concert, these staff members were role models of work ethic.

Every employee at Western is here to make a difference in students’ lives. Whether they are a staff member or a professor, they’re here to mentor and teach in some capacity. The question that needs to be answered is that would Student Affairs rather make a large impact in a few students’ lives or a small impact in a lot of students’ lives?

Sure, it’s important to include everyone, but it’s not like people are getting turned away. Stacey Hersh, a non-trad that worked with Kisker, said that she didn’t just work with non-trads. Any student could use the lounge for support.

It’s understandable that Western doesn’t have the budget to hire someone to focus on all of the individual groups of students, but it’s also a matter of priorities. There are more international students on our campus than there ever has been and maybe they need someone whose sole responsibility is integrating them into American culture. Hands down, non-traditional students are the busiest students on campus. Fifteen credit hours, 20 or 40 hour work week, kids, family, job, house payment—maybe they need someone to cut a little leg work out of the equation for them.

Let’s face it, Western isn’t like any other school in Missouri. Besides the low tuition, our open enrollment policy makes us diverse. Whether you’re coming back to school to retrain your skill sets or Western just happens to be the cheapest 4-year university, you’re here to get a degree, find a job and move on.

For some of us that’s enough, and Student Affairs should respect that. At the same time, students should seize opportunities that Student Affairs offers. While Ellen Kisker was here, she was a resource for non-trads. There are many people like her still here. Need a job; see Mathew Greg. Curious about the different cultures and sub-cultures; see Tay Triggs. Having trouble with stress; visit a counselor.

If the direction that Student Affairs is going is making valuable personnel jump ship, maybe that direction should be reassessed.

On-campus organizations are in full support of Griffon Football. Earlier this week, the Student Government Association bought 300 tickets for students to claim for free. This generous gesture will draw more people to the game against Northwest Missouri State. Because of community support from organizations like SGA, Northwest will most likely face another defeat.

Residential Life is also doing their part in supporting Griffon football. Normally, residents are required to move out on the Friday before Thanksgiving. This year Residential Life has been gracious enough to let resident stays an extra day to support the Griffons in their battle against their rival, the Northwest Bearcats.

Even with a win against Northwest under their belt from two weeks ago, the Griffons still need their fan base to come out and support them. Considering Western has never hosted a playoff game, this gives students an opportunity to see something phenomenal.

With that said, Western has also never won a playoff game. With three chances in the past, last year Western lost to rival Northwest. It won’t take a miracle for the Griffons to beat the Bearcats; they’ve already done it this year. What it will take, though, is community support from students, Western Alum and citizens of St. Joseph.

The Griffon Football team gave us all something to be proud of on Saturday when it beat rival No.3 Northwest Missouri State for the first time in eight years. The Bearcats are the highest ranked team that the Griffons have ever defeated.

The Northwest offense was averaging 56 points-per-game and had looked unstoppable all season long. With the game and possibly the season on the line, the Griffon defense stood tall in the end causing the Bearcats’ high-powered offense to turn the ball over on downs twice in the fourth quarter to seal up a 31-28 victory.

A loss against the Bearcats would have likely kept the Griffons out of the playoffs. The top six teams in Super Region 4 get into the playoffs and Western was ranked No. 7 going into the game. After the win, the team jumped to No. 4. The third and fourth ranked teams will host a playoff game Nov. 19. That means with a win at Fort Hays State this Saturday, a playoff game at Spratt Stadium is likely.

After shouldering some of blame for a 2-2 start, Quarterback Travis Partridge has led the Griffons to six straight wins and put the silencer on any critics. He is the first player to rush for 100 yards against Northwest in 10 years, and is 1-0 as the starter against Western’s biggest rival. The Griffons are ranked No. 17 in the AFCA top 25, and have a record of 8-2 on the season.

The home crowd was one of the keys to victory for the Griffons on Saturday. The visiting stands were completely packed with Northwest supporters, but the deafening Western crowd drowned out any efforts for them to fire up their team. The student section was filled with painted faces and signs showing support for the players, it was evident how badly we wanted our team to win that game. The Griffon players feed off the crowd energy and the opponent is disrupted by it, and it should be everyone’s goal to make Western an impossible place for the opponent to come get a win.

Just hours after the big win, Griffon Volleyball broke a losing streak of their own, defeating Truman for the first time since 2002. After falling behind 4-0 in the fifth set, the Griffons rallied and won 16-14 in an emotional five-set victory on senior night.

Western could be the site of another special day this Saturday when Men’s Basketball Coach Tom Smith will go for his 600th career win against Fontbonne University at the MWSU Field House. He will enter elite company, becoming only the 6oth coach at any level of collegiate basketball to win 600 games. Only 19 other active coaches have won 600 games. This is his 24th year as the coach of the Griffons. This historical win will only happen once, and Coach Smith deserves a packed house for the game. We should all feel privileged at the chance to witness a Hall-of-Famer reach this historical milestone.

With all these special things happening, there is a buzz around campus about Griffon Athletics. It is important that the players, coaches and fans seize this momentum and continue toward the goal of taking Western Athletics to a championship level.

College students, including some Western students, are participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement. With as much as is going on in their lives, how can these students juggle it all?

We are not unemployed. Any traditional college student has a job: getting an education. They are not part of the 99 percent.

The traditional college student has their way paved: parents pay for health insurance, car insurance, gas and sometimes even food. If you want to discuss financial inequality, maybe you should pay for some things, too.

Now, this isn’t the boat that every traditional college student is in or every person in generation Y. There are people in the 18-25 year-old-bracket that do pay their own way, but not all do.

Fortunate students should not waste their time occupying Wall Street, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Mo., or St. Joseph. Your job is to learn and find your place in society.
As Thomas Friedman said at September’s Convocation, Americans must have the work ethic of an immigrant. While protesting or demonstrating has always been branded as an automatic honorable act, in some cases it should be perceived as nothing but laziness.

You want a job when you graduate? Work three internships. You want to enjoy your work? Do something you love. You want to have family security? Start saving for your retirement and children’s college educations now.

College students aren’t lazy, they are just confused. Real laziness gets you kicked out of school. Traditional students just lack an understanding of how the real world operates. Regardless of an education or a diploma, the ideal job may not be waiting for you six months or two years after you graduate.

Have you ever played the board game Life? Did you ever rip up the board when you got a bad roll? Did you steal the other player’s money when they got ahead? No, that’s against the rules. Life is a game about you, not the other players. You can’t change the decisions other people will make, only your own. Why would you want to change their decisions? You’re not learning anything from it and neither are they.

If you want to make change, start with you. Standing outside city halls and financial centers, waving signs about things you don’t fully comprehend doesn’t get you anywhere. What are you achieving from it? There might be some satisfaction that you belong to a group philosophy, but the point of humanity is supposed to be about the individual’s thought. Expand your self, not the herd.

The events were not completely new, but the reality TV theme really boosted its popularity because students could show their creative sides. Some of last year’s competitions were “Yell Like Hell,” “Goofy Griffon” and the parade contest. This year, the competitions went by the same guidelines, but the theme made the competitions more interesting because students could be creative in what TV show they wanted to adopt (for example, the SAAC chose “American Gladiators”). The event names were also changed to TV shows—“Griff My Ride,” “Dancing with the Griffs,” “The Amazing Griff Race” and “Last Griffon Standing,” which also changed the outcome of attendance because students knew what to expect from the events since they have seen the shows.

By coming up with the theme of TV shows, the students were able to relate to the topic and become more involved with the events. The number of organizations participating in the homecoming competitions increased a vast amount, and a lot of it had to do with the interesting theme. In turn, with more organizations joining the fun, the events began to bring in a lot of students and therefore create better unity within the school.

A huge turnout always equals success. Last year, maybe half of the student section of the stadium was filled for the “Goofy Griffon” event. Three comedians came to do stand-up last year. Did you know that? Probably not, because it was a struggle to fill the first two rows in Potter Theater. This year several students and faculty attended “Dancing with the Griffs” and “Last Griffon Standing” with comedian Josh Blue performing afterward. The Fieldhouse was packed with people. That’s not all. Fraternities and sororities, SAAC and other organizations were rooting on their teams during the “Griff my Ride” and “The Amazing Griff Race.” We’re talking screaming and clapping and chanting for fellow Griffs. This just goes to show that this year was way more successful than the last, hands down.

None of these events couldn’t have taken place without the hard work of Western’s new faculty advisor Kathy Kelly and her crew. They had been planning all the activities for homecoming since the summer, and it showed. Faculty members were also impressed with the amount of students that helped clean Potter stage. Only anticipating around 100 people to show, they were blown away when members of the different organizations (around 200) swarmed the area, throwing away unwanted things and tidying up the whole area.

While homecoming was a lot better than last year, there are some things that can improve. The timing of homecoming week could’ve been scheduled better, considering the soccer team had an away game and had to miss on a lot of the events. We were also very fortunate with the weather, considering it’s usually really cold during this time of year.

The competitions were also cool, but they could’ve been more competitive. For example, “The Amazing Griff Race” wasn’t really a race. It was more of a sequence of challenges that each organization had to go through, one at a time. “Minute to Win it” would’ve been a better choice because it is more intense: A team might not get to move on if it doesn’t succeed in the challenge, plus the audience would get to know who the winner was right away. It was interesting to see people cheering for a race when, in reality, the teams were just completing tasks.

Along with the events, some students were “overwhelmed” with the amount of activities this year and were almost relieved when homecoming was over. While students expected the same ol’ same ol’ boring homecoming, they almost had too much on their plate. With that being said, however, they cannot say this next year because they should know what to expect — after this year, homecoming can only get better.

In a city where Missouri Western is such an integral part of the community, it’s no surprise that Western athletes are constantly under the spotlight. On or off the field, these individuals’ actions represent Western in ways that other students’ actions don’t. Then again, this should not be a surprise.

In our culture, all athletes are considered role models. Who they are isn’t limited to how many yards they rush or how many goals they score: Athletes represent who they play for.

When it was discovered that Michael Phelps was using illicit drugs — marijuana — it wasn’t just a matter of drug use. An American gold medalist, someone who represents all of us, was discovered to be disobeying the law. One of America’s finest swimmers and Olympians was a criminal.

Western isn’t a Division I school. The Griffons’ fan-base is students and alum. Our football games aren’t broadcast over national television every week. Regardless, our athletes are still pillars of our community. Thousands of people attend each football game and even more read, watch and cheer. You couldn’t drive anywhere in St. Joseph without seeing Griffon pride somewhere.

In a city where the university plays an integral part in the economy and overall attitude of the community, certain people are closely watched in that community. When these people are responsible for great deeds, ask for no compensation but just ask for them to attend the Griffon football game, that’s a heartwarming story. When Griffon representatives do the opposite and embarrass Western, it is concerning.

Not every athlete should be expected to save babies, but abiding by the rules of the community is a simple request. There are no laws preventing people from embarrassing themselves on social media. On the streets, on the net and on the field, Western athletes are representatives of the black and gold that is on their uniforms. Even when they are not in uniform, they are still Griffons and still athletes.

Take caution, athletes, in everything you do. You aren’t just a student. You aren’t just an athlete. You are a Griffon athlete; take all of your actions into consideration because they don’t just reflect who you are, but who we are.

Western may have found one in Kurt McGuffin.

McGuffin was the first of the four finalists to present his case as to why he should control all operations in the department. He expressed interest to come here as he stated throughout the presentation he likes the area and wants his family to live here.

With that said, Western needed to make him their decision.

This campus has grown immensely over the past decade. The change in Western has run parallel with the change of athletic directors. Since 1999, the Griffons have had seven directors of athletics take charge. That’s an average of less than two years per director. Why?

We understand that some circumstances Western can’t control. Having one director in trouble with the law while another succumbs to cancer are two of them, so hiring a strong candidate, one like McGuffin, is smart for Western.

One thing stuck out in the two-week long candidate presentations, and it was in McGuffin’s speech.

He said that he wanted Western to be St. Joseph’s team, not just Western’s. Though each candidate stated their own bold statement, McGuffin was most trusted to produce. He should help promote Western by doing this.

When he was announced as the new AD, McGuffin cited new upgrades in Looney, such as locker rooms, would be a targeted fix. But nothing put McGuffin over the other candidates than his fundraising skills.

McGuffin held a position at Kansas State for more than 10 years. One major part of his success was that the Wichita State graduate did stay at Kansas State that long.

Whoever questions his ability to stay at one job, although they may be right, have to understand each time McGuffin held a different position at Kansas State, he was promoted.

In 2000, McGuffin served under the athletic development program in Manhattan, Kan. He then was promoted in 2005 to the associate director of athletics.

Three years later, he was the senior associate athletic director for external operations. All of those jobs were an upgrade, which proves that the man has not only performed well, but has done an exceptional job and is good enough to have more duties signed to him.

McGuffin has spent the past two years at Colorado, where he implemented a new annual giving program, which produced a $15 million practice facility.

Bill Snyder, head football coach at Kansas State, was born and raised here in St. Joseph, Mo. He submitted his own beliefs about McGuffin. He said that McGuffin is an exceptional man, and that he will do his best to help Western.

Remember, there is no bigger income in college than athletics. Perhaps now, with a great choice in McGuffin, we will be able to see the income flow in on our way to winning championships. Because that was what this was all about; and if it wasn’t, what was the point of the search?

In the past seven years, Western has increased its enrollment by 27 percent. We are a growing and diverse university. Most Western administrators would attribute this to the harsh economy. Layoffs give people the opportunity to retrain or finish their education.

If the economy were the only cause, then why has Western seen a sustained increase? Western’s success has little to do with the economy and more to do with its unspoken mission: the success of the individual student.

The largest classes at Western are never over 200 students. Professors constantly make themselves available to students and are always willing to help. If a student needs personalized attention, there are literally a dozen places they can go. Western is the students’ university.

Sure, many of Western’s students are looking for a second chance. They may be retraining for a new job market or are attempting to get their education despite a rough first try, and Western is a right fit for these students. Coupled with a low tuition, personalized attention is what “second-chance” students need.

Western mimics an American philosophy. For nearly 200 years, America has been a second-chance country. Immigrants from abroad would look for jobs and opportunities in America and, to this day, still do. While the Clock Tower is no Statue of Liberty, and students probably don’t look at it as some sign of independence or freedom, the pride is still there.

Western isn’t a Division 1, big school. You won’t find Western athletic merchandise outside of St. Joseph. As a matter of fact, most people outside of Missouri have probably never heard of Western. It is, by definition, a small school.

Nonetheless, the education its students get is all the same as a big school, if not better. That extra 27 percent of students chose the other black and gold because they wanted a hands-on education. They knew that at the Steven L. Craig School of Business wasn’t just about tests and textbooks; it is about experience in the field. Students who graduate from Western leave with more than degrees. They leave with lines on their resumes.

Sure, the majority of students attend Western because it’s cheap. Western is the one of the cheapest universities in the state, but these penny-saving students didn’t have to go to college at all. They chose Western because someone told them the facts. Western has small, personalized classes. The professors are here to teach you, not to dole out work to teaching assistants. If you want more out of your education, the opportunities are at Western.

So, why are you at Western? Is it because your high school counselor told you that if you have a college degree that you’d make more money or it would be easier to get a job? While that is true, that doesn’t explain why in the last seven years Western’s enrollment has increased substantially. Western students choose Western for one reason: to take control of their education.

If your cheeks just blushed, then they rightly should have. If you laughed or scoffed, perhaps you should reassess you college career. See, the point of Friedman’s speech was that this type of behavior is over. Do you honestly think that Japanese and Chinese students even think about falling asleep during lectures or speeches? Currently, there are more honor students in China and India than there are students in America.

For those of you who didn’t fall asleep during Friedman’s speech, my apologies for the recap, but the sleeping beauties in row 17 obviously didn’t get the memo. It’s over. Americans can no longer ride on the financial backs of past generations. America’s golden era of economic strength and foreign policy power is collapsing. To even make a living in America, you have to shine, not sleep.

It’s not enough to get a degree any more. It’s not enough to work a job any more. It’s not enough to be an American anymore. We have to participate in America. This is the country that invented the Internet. This is the country that invented the microchip. This is the country that invented individual sovereignty. Why would you squander all of that, that which all those that have come before us have given, on an extra 40 minutes of sleep during a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner’s speech?

That power nap you took wasn’t just a slap in the face of our university, but a slap in the face to our country and its history. Do you think that Irish immigrants were able to power nap when they came to America? Do you think German Jewish immigrants attempted to escape Nazi persecution for an extra 40 minutes of sleep? These immigrants worked and preserved with a relentlessness that Friedman believes can revitalize our country.

As citizens of America we are lucky that we don’t have to worry about the basic necessities of life. In parts of the world, people of our generation aren’t staying up all night and enjoying the luxuries of life, they are staying up from hunger or fear. No one should feel guilty for being an American, but instead seize the opportunity and not waste it.

America is an exceptional country, but not when its best and brightest are sleeping on the bleachers of its universities. As students, we can do better. As citizens, we owe it to those who came before us to not waste the dawn of such of young country. An American has the most freedom out of any citizen of any nation in the world; undisputed. But, what’s the point if we’re asleep?

No longer paid for by SGA

One of the main reasons RC was separated from SGA was because many Senators felt that RC didn’t benefit the student body as a whole. While RC was essentially represented by students who lived on campus, it was not limited to simply those students. Most of RC’s money from SGA went toward the programming of on-campus events, usually jointly prepared by Western Activities Council and RC. These events were mainly attended by on-campus students, but were not exclusive.

Now that RHA is receiving its funding from the Residential Life budget, which is an auxiliary budget, those events must be exclusive. Since Residential Life receives its funds from the room and board payments of on-campus students, those events are paid for by only students who live on campus.

Perhaps SGA should have thought about the consequences of excluding so many students out of joint events before proposing and passing a rushed constitution (which was only available for students to read online 48 hours before the vote). The real question that remains is where is the $20,000 that was going toward RC going now. Before, $20,000 was appropriated toward student events targeted at some 1,000 on-campus students. Another $10,000 was allocated toward RC for RA funding, operational funding and scholarships for RC leadership. Essentially, $30,000, which had a purpose last year, is now left purposeless.

The fear that most students should have is that the money will never be used and will roll over into the 2012-2013 budget. This money has the potential to continue to be rolled over.

Maintaining the dorms

With the addition of a new dorm, can Residential Life afford to appropriate $20,000 toward a campus organization? Most likely not. Since maintaining the on-campus housing has been a problem for a while, Western may be adopting the policy of “Build and Abandon,” in which new dorms are built while older ones like Beshears, Logan and Juda are left unmaintained.

While $20,000 would not renovate the old dorms, it could be enough to pay for an extra part-time maintenance employee. Students who live in the dorms should ask the question of what would they rather have: a root beer pong tournament or a new air conditioner? Not to belittle the importance of on campus events, but maintenance should take precedence.

Funding confusion

When any new organization comes to the fore, some disorganization can be excepted. But giving $20,000 to an organization without any solid planning should never happen in the real world. To earn money, it must be shown that you can handle it responsibly. Students should fear that RHA may have the same problem with roll over as past administrations of SGA have had.

To remedy this situation, both SGA and RHA should present solid but separate plans to show students where their money is going. If not for sorting out the funding confusion, but to open a dialogue of what students want.

At least that’s the word from parking services, and we agree. For years now when students have complained they have been rebuffed by the final and only defensible position: There are plenty of parking spaces for every student, faculty and staff to park on campus.

That is rare. Some universities have solved their parking problem by not allowing freshmen to park on campus at all. They are forced to use public transportation. It is a tough policy but it solves the problem.
Many students keep a bicycle on campus to hasten their trip across campus. Missouri Western State University administration could do more to provide bike racks at every building. Students are hesitant to park bicycles without a secure place to attach them. This makes a bicycle a little less appealing.
Then, if bicycles became the norm, there would have to be the inevitable rules. The concern for the safety of pedestrians would keep bicycles restricted to Downs Drive and other roadways. But, walking your bike from Downs Drive to your building and securing it would be easier than trying to find a parking spot close to your building.

It’s a student problem

It may sound unsavory to some, but walking across campus is a viable solution for most students. Eventually students become acclimated to the parking issue, but the whining of new students is something seasoned students tire of easily.
Everyone wants to park in front of their building. Western could never build enough parking spaces to accommodate every student’s wish, and the additional spaces to handle temporary demand would go unused most of the time. It’s not cost effective and students won’t pay for it.
If the cost of parking seems high now, just imagine the price if there were new multi-level parking garages on campus. Plus, security issues increase inside parking structures, so the cost of security and lighting would increase. Students would whine about the stairs, so we all would have to share the cost of elevators.

When does it end?

Students can solve their problem by arriving around 7:30 a.m. when most parking lots are empty. This is not an option for many but it also solves the problem, and you get the parking spot you want. Parking across campus from the building or area you wish you could have and walking without whining works well also. Some students arrive early for their class and drive through the parking lot over and over till some parking spot opens. This works well if you have the time.
The only true solution is changing students’ minds about what is expected of the campus and what is expected of them. The early bird gets the worm. The second mouse gets the cheese. Life isn’t fair. Grow with it. The only way it works is when everyone knows and understands the rules and plays well with each other.

The state appropriation cuts go deeper than they appear.

Part of the problem started years ago when Western’s Board of Governors could have increased tuition but didn’t. Then, when they did increase the tuition 2.98 percent they did not actually charge that increase to students. Western soon became a good value and enrollment hit record numbers.

During that time of growth neither tuition nor state appropriations were increasing. The costs of providing a quality education, however, did continue to rise.  To address the impending train wreck, Western’s Board of Governors approved a modest increase of 6.33 percent. When last semester ended, the combined tuition increase was expected to be 9.31 percent.

That was before the Missouri Department of Higher Education (acting under Gov. Nixon’s concern) began to evaluate Western’s waiver of penalty under the Higher Education Students Funding Act for increasing tuition greater than the Consumer Price Index of 1.5 percent.

Let the cutting begin.

A letter posted on the Missouri Department of Higher Education website from the Commissioner of Higher Education David Russell addressed to Western President Robert Vartabedian said the Governor’s office “expressed concern regarding the magnitude of the tuition increase that Missouri Western students will face in the fall.”

The letter states that Russell seriously contemplated not granting a penalty wavier but, “It is difficult to envision a scenario in which the imposition of a fine would be of benefit to the students… as the loss of additional resources would likely result in diminished services, programs, and/or lower or fewer financial aid awards.”

The letter strongly encourages Dr. Vartabedian to consult with Western’s Board of Governors to lower the tuition increase “to bring it in line with increases adopted by the vast majority of four-year institutions.” The Board of Governors reduced the increase to 8.48 percent.

Apples and Oranges

In comparison to other universities across the nation, Western’s increase in tuition is very reasonable. The nation’s largest public University, Arizona State University, increased its tuition by 48 percent in the 2007-2008 academic year. This year, other large public schools have seen an increase of 40-50 percent.

While Western serves only about 6,000 students, it might be more appropriate to compare out tuition to other Missouri schools. Even with the originally proposed tuition increase (9.5 percent) Western would have remained one of the cheapest institutions in the state.

State cuts and dampening on increases in tuition have forced Western to cut as much as they can. Now our administrators are looking at alternatives for revenue, something that shouldn’t have to be done for a public school. This detracts from the school’s main purpose: education. Western is a learning institution after all, not a business that should have to worry about its funding.

What can students do?

If possible, a large donation to Western would be greatly appreciated. Even if a student can’t afford more money than what they are paying, soliciting donations from community members would benefit everyone’s quality of education. Attending Western will cost students more. No student or administrator wants a lack of quality in their education.

Several members of faculty, staff and administration are gone. Everything has changed, even down to the increase of weeds in the lawn because costs are being cut. Administration, staff, students and faculty are suffering all over campus. Everyone is working harder and smarter to keep standards high amidst the turmoil.

Maybe those students who are registered to vote might consider not voting for politicians who show false concern for your tuition increase. The state cut our funding, which will increase tuition costs. They placed the cost of education more on the student and less on the state. Do they do it because they are concerned about students?

Fortunately, students may take several actions to notify their representatives and government leaders of their frustration. Western’s Student Government has already written several letters to our State leaders. As diligent as they are, our Student Government is only a minority of the students. Imagine if Gov. Nixon were to receive 1,000 letters on his desk from students.

For once, an issue has finally arisen that student can agree upon and unite. Regardless of your age, ethnicity, gender, economic mobility or academic status, the lack funding from the state should appall and anger you as a student. Let that frustration be heard.

Last summer, almost 60,000 fans came to campus to see the Chiefs. The money that was made off the camp wasn’t made off the fans just coming through the gates. It was made off of parking, concessions and other vendors that were selling items at the practices.

The revenue that the camp generated for the community wasn’t as much as some officials predicted that it would, but the exposure and small amount of revenue that the University gets is enormous.

The Griffon Indoor Sports Complex was built specifically for the Chiefs training camp. However, there may be three weeks open for the athletic department to rent out the complex and possibly make up for some of the revenue that would be lost with no training camp, but realistically, it won’t be as much as would be generated with it here.

The exposure that Missouri Western gets with the Chiefs coming here is enormous. It not only helps with national attention on Western, it also helps with getting students into the classrooms as well. If students are looking at colleges to attend and they choose to come to Western because they will have the chance to see the Chiefs training camp, or possibly get an internship with them for the summer, then that should be a success for the school.

When people look at the possibility of training camp not happening, they should realize that the bulk of the money isn’t made off of the camp concessions and merchandise alone. The biggest part that the school profits from is recruitment, both athletically and academically.

The internships that are available with the Chiefs provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for students to work for a professional sports team and put a valuable experience on their resume when they look for a job. Students need to be informed on a back up plan by the athletic department. Right now, many students don’t know what is going to happen if they apply for an internship and the camp is not held at all.

Missouri Western has promoted itself as a hands on learning environment and if we don’t have an opportunity to take part in this, then the students need to be informed so that they, too, can be making arrangements for a back up plan.

The school also provides something unique that not many schools have by hosting training camp. By doing this, it provides something attractive to area high school students and provides an incentive for them to come to Western rather than pay more money and go to MIzzou or UMKC.

If the NFL lockout continues, Missouri Western will have to try and find a way to make up for the lack of exposure that will be brought to the school. These issues aren’t something that can just be shrugged off and taken with a grain of salt and ignored. These are real issues that the school needs to be concerned with and needs to have a more secure backup plan than just hoping that we can get people to rent out the GISC. This isn’t just a money issue, it is an extraordinary opportunity for the students of Missouri Western. The athletic department needs to help keep the students informed on what is going to happen with the training camp situation so that a back up plan can be organized and put into affect This includes the possibility of camp being pushed back and how this will effect class schedules and other things if this is pushed back into the fall semester.

We realize that this isn’t all the athletic department’s fault. We as student’s just need more communication so that we know what is going on and if we need to make back up plans as well.

The best vision for student government to aspire to is one that represents the students — a democracy. While Allison Norris and Jacob Scott should be commended for their ambitions and good intentions, the student body should be mindful of their obligation in the process as well.

On Monday April 18 at 4:00 p.m., Norris and Scott were inaugurated as our president and vice president for SGA.

As Western gets familiar with the new administration of their student government, they should consider the power that the student officials truly wield. SGA oversees a half million dollar budget. If money makes the world go round, then you can certainly demand that student officials can efficiently effect change.

The success of the Norris/Scott administration depends in part on the student’s responsibility to voice their priorities and concerns.

It is the same with SGA. Norris and Scott both gave their wishes and hopes for Western; as Norris said in her previous column, her main goal is to “keep you (meaning students) current on what SGA is accomplishing, what issues we are facing and how you the student can get your voice out there.” This statement is great. Yet, we hope that this statement will be a reality, and not just something used to make a good impression. If Norris and Scott can truly accomplish student concern and getting more students desiring to know what SGA is about, then our campus should have no more complaints for this upcoming year.

Consider it a checks and balances of the powers of government, in this case, student government.  President Vartabedian and the administration serve as the executive branch handing down final decisions with little personal contact with the student body. SGA serves as legislative branch with elected student representatives elected by their own constituents and interest groups. The students fulfill the judicial branch… in the form of a court of public opinion.

The Norris/Scott administration emphasized hearing the voice of students as the cornerstone of their successful campaign.  Now that the votes have been cast and the inauguration is done, the real test will be the results that the incoming SGA administration delivers.

We as a campus must show concern for those presiding over us-which means SGA. Our student body must be attentive of the actions of SGA. This means that SGA must constantly make their procedures professional, constitutional, concise and clear. It’s a checks and balance process.

Measuring the success of our new student representatives will be hard to gauge. As a student body we must first establish our expectations and make them known. Only then can we go about petitioning our elected student representatives to make changes we care about.

We encourage Norris and Scott to go for their goals and establish them on our campus. Get students involved, make students aware and clarify the confused. If they can do this, then our campus will continue to thrive.

While in college, it is your complete responsibility to take advantage of every opportunity possible. Rather it means doing multiple internships, graduating with a major and a minor, staying in school longer to obtain the future you always dreamed of, or being apart of an organization that will help you get the exposure you need, a student must make the proper choices to get them where they need to go. Griffon News is one of those opportunities. We want you to take this opportunity and join the Griffon News.

Being on the Griffon News helps you get exposure as your work will be published and read by thousands of people. It will be something to add to a resume and will help you gain a work experience that is still in a classroom. For Convergent Media, English: Public Relations and English: Journalism majors it is a required course. Yet for Illustration, Animation, Photography, Graphic Design, Speech Communications, English: Literature, Marketing, Business and Communications: Public Relations Majors, it is an opportunity to show your true skills in the field you are choosing for your future.

Though some might say they have no time for a course like this and feel that other opportunities might be a better fit, a student should first consider the specifics. JOU 210 is only a Monday and Wednesday course from 1:00 to 1:50. The assignments include composing stories and/or graphics for the desk of your choice. A student has an opportunity to write on any desk, or multiple desks if they wish. If they continue on the Griffon News, they can apply to be an editor where they will get paid while having the course as well.

If any student has a desire to interview, design, take photos, draw cartoons, communicate with others or be apart of a campus organization that reaches multiple students every week, then they should enroll in JOU 210 and give the newspaper a chance. Every semester the Griffon News looks for new people to bring some different aspect to the newspaper. Whether it’s a different face, a new program, a unique style or all of the above, Griffon News desires something new every semester. Maybe your skills could be exactly what the newspaper is looking for.

Students should always remember that opportunity establishes growth, exposure and an advantage over the average. When it comes to a career, a college degree is a given; most people will have one. Yet, experience will more then likely be the factor that gets the job. So, use Griffon News as a way to get that experience and eventually get that job. So instead of life passing you by, you will be basking in its ambiance.

You would think that the increase in revenue from the Spring Sports Complex along with a higher increase in students bring in more money, yet Western’s growth in size has not led to a further growth in money. Since 1999, Missouri Western has increased from 5,000 students to over 6,000. Our growing rate is the highest among the public universities. Yet, Missouri as a state has been cut 12.2% in education.

Also, Missouri does not increase money for having more students. But, Western wants to continuing striving for a larger size, a more convenient campus, and easier accessibility for students, yet must ask for more dollars to make the vision of better success come true.

It’s as simple as this. If you want better, you pay for it: If you want a steak dinner with all the trimmings, cooked properly in all the right places, you would not go skipping to IHOP. For Western to have the best, it must ask for students to jump on board and bring their wallets with them.
Students should understand that Western is not simply asking for dollars for no reason. It is to keep Western up to date, and a valuable university. A valuable university means a valuable degree from the university, which leads to a valuable career from that degree. Vartabedian even went to student leaders and asked them how they would feel about tuition increase. All of these students agreed to fork over the dollars.

The tuition increase will be $17.61 for credit hour. So for 15 credit hours, the increase will be $264.15. Though the dollar amount is clear, what must be crystal clear is where the exact increase in tuition is going. To make our campus better, and provide a quality university really doesn’t clarify any specifics.
For the Board of Governors to really encourage students to pay these amounts, they are going to have to give up the details. Students understand that Missouri as a state is receiving cuts. Students further understand that costs of growing and expenses are becoming steadily harder for the university to pay. But what’s not understood is where the money is going to due and what the increase will be used for.

We should stand by Western and accept the future burdens being placed on our accounts, even though we know it doesn’t make life any easier. Yet, college is an investment. So, we should just deem this increase as an investment change and hope that somewhere down the line, the pockets getting looser will one day be fatter.

Though the truth is that we only have four and a half weeks until finals, it’s important for students to not slack off at this time. Fooling around with exams and assignments might have worked in high school, but historians did not term the word “college” for no reason; as the Rome originated word stemmed from collegium, which is defined as an educated group of colleagues consistently working together under a common set of rules. Even the ancient Romans knew college wasn’t for slackers.

April 1 marks the final day to withdraw from courses and April 4 marks the first day of fall registration. These dates make the best performance at the end of the semester extremely vital. No one wants to deal with the stress of failing a course at the end of the semester and having to e-mail an advisor to look up a pin to re-adjust a schedule just to take the course again.

Since students have the option to withdraw from courses before possibly failing and ultimately lowering their GPA, they should take advantage of this opportunity.

However, let’s be honest- accepting the fact that a class is going to hinder more than hurt is a sad thing for a student to understand. Yet, it’s better to accept this fact than allow one course to affect an entire college performance. One D or one F can easily turn a 3.0 GPA to a 2.0 or below, which is not worth the studying, class attendance and hard work that a student has put toward his or her grades.

Not everyone can say they have been to college, so students should feel confident just for the simple fact that they are here at Western in the first place. Now, it’s students’ soul responsibilities to do the best they can while being here in school. Doing the best they can means using every opportunity they have to be a successful college student. It means taking all measures, even if it includes getting tutoring, having private meetings with teachers and asking for extra credit.

At this time in the semester, the question students should ask themselves is whether they are giving 100 percent and truly doing the best they can do. If the answer is yes, then students should pat themselves on the back and keep up the good work for the remaining few weeks of school. Yet if the answer is no, then its time to buckle down, focus and improve those grades.

The mid-term mark is just a check point in this imaginary race towards success. Yet, if you’re barely making it while just jogging in the back in the line, then you will never be the winner. The key is using this time to catch up and regain your strength in the race. This way when you win, it will be your turn to hold up that huge golden trophy, which is called a degree.

Starting the Fall 2011 semester, attendance policies will strictly be a professor’s personal decision. This means that every Missouri Western educator will have to personally develop an attendance policy that they feel is reasonable for students. Though this gives educators more freedom, it can also become problematic. A professor could require students to miss no classes without a valid medical excuse, or simply fail the course. Then students that have a busy schedule, or that work, or that have children will have an extremely difficult time abiding to this policy.

This new policy also means that a student must pay very close attention to the course syllabus. This will now be the only way a student will know how many classes they can miss before he or she actually begins missing them. Students will have to make sure they are printing off their syllabi because professors have stopped printing them off for us. Students will definitely need to think twice before missing the first day of classes. This might only be absence they have; or at least one of the few.

Though Missouri Western have taken a firm step in the right direction involving attendance, professors should take an even bigger step by eliminating their policies. Professors should not be forced to hold students accountable for being in class. Instead of professors holding students accountable, students need to hold themselves accountable. Then, when students graduate and go into the work force, they will understand what self-accountability truly means.

Checking attendance also takes a huge amount of time from class work, especially with courses that have around 50 to 70 students in them. So with a 50 minute class and 10 minute time to take attendance, students are really only getting 40 minutes of actual useful class time.

If any student thinks they could miss numerous classes and still pass, then let them. Ultimately, it will be nobody’s fault but his or her own. Professors have enough responsibility involving class work, lecture, and creating, checking and grading tests and quizzes. Why don’t we take a little stress off of the many things they have to do on a day-to-day basis? Frankly, no student deserves to be at Missouri Western if he or she can’t be in class in a proper manner. We don’t need any professor to tell us that.

The ballot on March 7-8 will have two main issues for students to vote on; the tobacco policy, which will ban tobacco products on campus, and a revised version of the constitution.

Let me guess, this is the first time you’ve heard of SGA wanting to change their constitution. Well, it could be because they did it behind closed doors without any real input from the students. For an organization that claims to be the voice of the students, SGA has lousy ears.

Not only did SGA not seek student input through the use of forums, they also didn’t present it properly to their senate. The revised version that is on the front page of the website wasn’t finished until March 2, yet some how senate approved these changes. Since the discussion apparently took place during closed session, there is no way to tell that what the senate approved is actually what the students will be voting on. Since the revised constitution was not released immediately after the February 28 meeting due to further changes, it can be deduced that senate never saw the final version that will appear on the ballot.

While SGA senators and executive board members can attempt to justify that a closed session was necessary for these revisions, these justifications are frivolous. Missouri Sunshine law states that government meetings must be held in open session, unless the members are discussing specific personnel issues regarding a specific individual. The Missouri Sunshine law was established to prevent governments from making decisions without the public knowing and promote transparency.

Part of this makes sense, seeing how the constitution now includes the $50,000 allocation for the Administrative Coordinator of SGA position. If you’re wondering why no one cared ask you if it was okay to use your student fee money to pay for this position, it’s because no one cared. SGA didn’t ask because they don’t care if over $100,000 their budget, which you pay for, gets shifted around without your approval. They would rather shut the students out of their meetings.

So what’s the next step? Fortunately you, the student, can vote whether or not you want this rushed and revised constitution being the document that your student government abides by. Since you probably won’t have time to read the 16-page document or weigh the changes in your mind, vote for other reasons. The fact that they disregarded your voice, when the association prides themselves in being the voice of the student body, is enough of a reason to just vote no.

Vote no on the revised constitution and remind SGA who they are working for.

We understand your outrage. Between new fees, increasing class sizes and now increasing tuition costs, you have a reason to be. But before you start throwing the textbooks out the window, let’s review the facts.

Recently, Gov. Jay Nixon called for a seven percent cut in higher education. This means for Western to retain its quality education the university will have to raise tuition roughly 10 percent. Even though Western still must go through processes to approve the increase in tuition, a tuition raise seems inevitable. Other four-year schools across the state are beginning this same process. Keep in mind though, 10 percent for Western is less than 5.8 percent for most University of Missouri schools.

With that in mind, Missouri Western’s tuition is still one of the lowest in the state. Look at Central Missouri’s tuition, which for 15 hours is around $2,900 for in-state students and Northwest’s tuition is $3,523.35, which is almost $500 more than Western. Even with next year’s increase, Western is still the cheaper deal.

It’s not all about the money though. With most “deals” customers get a cheaper product, but somehow Western offers the caliber of education with the cheapest cost. While the quality has not suffered this year from Nixon’s 2010 cuts, everyone at Western has.

While we are still getting the same education, we’ve had to make bargains; bigger classes, less professors, a cut in operating budgets all over the university

Though the mandated tuition freeze might have put us in a financial woe, since tuition makes up close to 50% of our budget, Nixon was able to ensure us that the students are actually being put first. Scholarship budgets that were once cut are now increasing. Graduate programs are steadily rising, and our population is growing incredibly. The Craig School of Business has also added great features to Western, in addition to all the intern opportunities students have been receiving in every major. With all this in mind, maybe we should just trust Nixon and stay put. A good education is worth paying for, right?

Being a Griffon during this era doesn’t mean beating Northwest dealing with “JuCo, JuCo” from our opponents’ stands. It’s about making the best of a bad situation. As long as you remember that Western administrators have your back, there’s no need to worry about the quality of your education. In return, paying the $200 some extra every semester will help them keep Western gold.

Western’s Griffon Gateway program has helped students integrate into the university courses. Students who had struggled before and would have been turned away at other institutions are given a chance through the Griffon Gateway program. Now this program is expanding.

This expansion now includes more students and is changing the name of the program. Any student without a high school GPA of 3.5 or and ACT score of 21 will be placed in the new Admissions with Conditions program. These conditions include only being allowed to take 11 credit hours and student are required to take Griffon Edge. This program only applies to first semester incoming freshman though.
Considering a 21 ACT is a cutoff point for various universities, this number spears to be very high. It is also out of proportion to the even higher 3.5 GPA. Any student with a GPA that high would surely be able to score above a 21 ACT score. Both of these numbers lack any sort of logic as far as requirements.

Also, up to 11 credit hours is a difficult number to achieve when enrolling, especially when one credit hour must be toward the Griffon Edge course. Trying to fill 10 credit hours means taking only 3-4 real classes.
This number could also affect the amount of financial aid these students will be able to receive. The majority of federal and state aid requires the students to take at least 12 hours to qualify for their aid. Without this aid, new students may seriously consider the alternative, Community College.

A community college would allow the student to take more credit hours and take more relevant classes. The student can transfer in with those hours and circumvent the requirements.
The changes to Griffon Gateway will indeed help students achieve if they even decide to enroll at Missouri Western. Because of this, the new program may harm Western’s enrollment figures and thus hurt the amount of financial aid the university receives.

No doubt, this program was designed to help students but the goal of the program isn’t the problem. The logistics of program may cause Western to lose students and eventually lose touch with its mission of being an open admissions school.

What should Missouri Western do to address the long-standing issue of how to deal with smoking on campus?

Options like smoke shelters or converting the campus to a smoke-free area are both ideas which have been up for discussion. Unfortunately, both of those proposed solutions have been met with student opposition from both sides of the issue. It is difficult from an administrative level to pick a side when defending one student’s rights infringes on that of another student.

Nobody is disputing the fact that smoking has been proven unhealthy to smokers, as well as victims of second hand smoke, but segregation may be the key to finding a compromise.

Cartoon | Brooke Carter

While smoking is not indeed a right, their basic liberty in happiness is still a concern. Every student on campus still deserves the right to have his or her complaints heard and understood as well. Student complaints about second hand smoke and some smokers general lack of respect for other students, is understandable but put yourself in the smokers shoes.

This isn’t a student body problem though. Smokers are constantly complaining about not having a proper place during the winter months to smoke in. While this argument is understandable why should all the students be enablers by building small shelters for them to smoke in.

Nevertheless, we are adults at Missouri Western. The decision to smoke is a personal one, and that right should be respected. That being said, smoking on campus is not a part of that right. It is a privilege. If smokers cannot adhere to the polices outlined, such as not smoking in non-smoking designated areas, then why should their privilege be respected.

At the same time, Student Government and Administrators should enforce these polices. What’s the point of setting them up in the first place if there is not punishment for breaking them?

On the other end, self enforcement is always preferable. Due to smokers not adhering to these polices they soon may face just discrimination.

Why doesn’t Campus Security fine smokers for smoking in the non-smoking areas and use the money to build them a proper smoking shelter. That would Instead some students wish to ban smoking all together If this is the case, how will this be enforced? How can we enforce a new policy when we can’t even enforce the old one?

Due to the lack of a majority of senators, Senate did not vote on the budget during the April 26 meeting. During the summer, Student Affairs—which receives 20 percent of the SGA budget—likely got nervous and induced a vote, which was held via e-mail. There are three problems with this.
• SGA bylaws provide no precedent or provision concerning electronic votes or meetings.
• This meeting was not in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.
• The vote was not ratified as required by Robert’s Rules of Order.

Now, this is not just nitpicking. We’re talking about $400,000. This is more than some small towns in the United States get for a total budget.

Also, the question remains, was the budget properly discussed?

With a budget this large, the deliberations should not be taken so lightly as to have final discussion through e-mail. Furthermore, e-mail deliberation doesn’t allow students to attend the ‘e-meeting’ and listen or voice their concerns about how the money should have been used.

The fact is, the budget SGA is currently working with was improperly passed and is null and void. It would seem pointless to discuss any business at a meeting where the majority of the voting body isn’t present. It is also seems suspiciously convenient that when the closed session occurs, SGA all of a sudden had a quorum.

The SGA constitution outlines that the last meetings of the spring semester are some of the most important meetings of the year. If the budget doesn’t get passed in the last meeting, the constitution states it’s should be passed at the next meeting.

But this amount of roll over shouldn’t have been necessary. Since the April 12 and 19 meetings also lacked quorum, SGA should have been able to alert enough senators by April 26 to be able to hold a quorum. Even then, the last day of classes fell on a Monday, May 3, allowing SGA to hold their “emergency meeting” in the public and in accordance to their constitution as well as Robert’s Rules of Order.

Still, much of the blame lies in the SGA senators and this entire situation should also impress upon the current Senators the important role they play. Showing up to Senate meetings is absolutely vital to the operation of the legislative body. Without a majority, the meeting becomes informal, and at anytime during the meeting a quorum is not held business form that point on becomes null and void.

SGA’s current attendance policy seems to have alleviated this problem but still, quorum was achieved later in the Oct. 25 Senate meeting rather than at the beginning.

But how many students understand the tradition that homecoming is founded in? How well do students remember the, “reason for the season” so to speak?

Commemorating homecoming is about more than updating Facebook albums and having new T-shirts made. Often the deeper meaning of the event is lost in the midst of the homecoming revelry.

Homecoming is about tradition. Once a year the students of past and present converge to “come home” and return to their roots. Alumni return to their Alma Mater to witness what improvements and changes have occurred in the years since their own graduation and matriculation.

Truly, we should all consider Western home. This is the place where we work for our educations and earn our degrees.

Remember the things that make Western home to you.

It’s the fog coming off the fly-fishing pond as you race in the back entrance for your 8 am class. Sometimes it is the soft strains of the theme song to Flash Dance marking the passing hours reminds you that you’re home.

Today’s current students should consider the legacy that they intend to leave to their MWSU successors. Each year we should strive to make this school better than it was the year before. We must maintain high stands, and hold ourselves to them as the standards rise.

With record-high enrollment this year, Western is visibly growing. As the size of the Western family continues to grow concurrently, each student bound together by our ties to our university.

As enrollment increases, the need for on-campus housing has also risen. Western has answered calls for those needs by building more dorms. Looking forward to the future, the SGA and the Greek community have often voiced desires to see a move toward the development of Greek housing on campus. This kind of forward thinking and ambition makes Western your home. Commit yourself to being a Griffon and bleeding black and gold collegiate pride. Experience the things that are not outlined in our general education like friends, memories, traditions and values we hold dear to our hearts.

The real question is though, where is all this money going to?

There are certain fees that must be allocated toward certain expenses, such as the Max Experience, but even this money may not be used properly. At a Student Government Association meeting last month, it was discussed on the floor that hot dogs and sodas are not being served at all the home sporting events.

Also in relation to SGA, it seems that some of their budget, which is generated by the SGA fee, is missing. After several years of student body growth, the SGA budget hasn’t seen any growth in three years. Where has this money gone?

After yet another year of rising fees, The Griffon News demands better communication concerning student money. This money is, for all intents and purposes, student money. Fees, whether enacted by the student body or by Western administration, are allocated from their inception for certain expenses or additions.

Reasons for recent fees enacted this semester have yet to be communicated to students, nor have students seen any actual additions to computer labs. It appears that this fee was enacted only to maintain current technology levels. While this will benefit students, shouldn’t this be something that tuition takes care of?

The fact that The Griffon News is even asking these questions shows that the communication to students about administrative decisions is almost non-existent. An e-mail sent out prior to fall class registration is not considered a channel, it actually more resembles a warning. What’s the point of even sending out an e-mail to students when you’re going to disregard their voice, as demonstrated by overstepping the student body’s vote on the technology and recycling fee.

Fees are very different than tuition. Students expect this money to be used for specific things, rather than them being thrown into a budget to be absorbed by other institutional entities. The Griffon News, on behalf of the student body requests a report, to be distributed to students, of the fees students pay and what they have been used for in the past three years.

No student at Western can leave without incurring a fee for various things. Whether a student is a business, art or psychology major they pay a fee that has potential benefits, but at this point is Western’s history, students are losing track of what fees go toward what additions and expenses. At this point, it is quite possible that Western’s fees could get as confusing as the US tax code in the future.

It’s understandable that after losing their director, Ellen Kisker, the students who make use of the Non-Traditional Student Center would naturally be afraid for the future of their center, but when they voiced these concerns, no one responded.

It was only until the group began to organize, with letter writing campaigns, petitions, and peaceful assemblies, that administrators decided to open their ears. Covered in this issue of The Griffon News, President Robert Vartabedian and Chair of the Board of Governors Kylee Strough sat down with Non-trad leadership to finally listen, but that’s not who should be listening.

Mentioned at the meeting, it seems Dean of Student Affairs Esther Paralez has had little communication with the Non-Traditional Student Association, despite the fact that she has the non-trad ListServ, the list containing all the non-trads Western e-mail addresses. Also, it seems that Paralez has yet to visit and take a tour of the non-trad student center since reorganizing their director to manage several student organizations.

What does it say about the future of Student Affairs if other administrators have had to intervene to open communication channels between non-trad leadership and Student Affairs? What other changes is the department planning to make without listening to students and considering all the possible consequences?

No doubt, Western’s Student Affairs was in need of reorganizing, but perhaps the wrong approach is being taken in regards to this situation. Instead of pulling directors away, for reasons yet to be communicated properly to the students directly, why doesn’t Student Affairs assess a situation before making decisions? Had Paralez actually visited the non-trad student center and met with non-trad leadership to further understand the role Kisker played in their lives, maybe this mess wouldn’t be so sticky.

For example, the changes made are supposed to help integrate non-traditional students into student life more, according to administrators. First off, how can 1200 students not be integrated into student life? Yes, there are some non-trads who wish to come to class then go home, but this is obviously because they have responsibilities outside of their academic careers. With such a large population on the student body, how can they not make an impact on Western?

Non-traditional students make Western a special place for many traditional students. They add diversity to the college experience, a diversity that not many other universities have. With such a large population, Western should do as much as possible to accommodate these students, because a large population means a lot of tuition, and seeing as the state is going to further cut Western, it looks as though the university is going to need all the money it can get.

We have to show up for class at least 30 minutes early if we wish to have any hope of finding a parking space.

There are 2,357 general, 113 accessible, and 30 time restricted spaces on campus.

There are more parking passes issued than there are spaces on campus.

You should be able to find a space though according to the logic that students are continuously coming and going.

It is hard to find a parking space on campus but it is possible if you are content with walking for 15 minutes.

Our main concern isn’t the parking spaces on campus; it’s the traffic that surrounds us.

Graphic | Brooke Carter

This money goes to the parking security services department.

We don’t understand why this service needs so much money. Where does it go? What is it used for?

This doesn’t include the money issued by the university.

This money could be used to repair streets or to even extend Mitchell into a three-lane highway or at least to add a few new stoplights to better insure the safety of students.

Mitchell Ave. could easily be made into a three lane road. This would solve a lot of the driving problems on campus.

I’m sure that even if this is your first semester at Missouri Western, you have encountered this problem.

We need to solve the problems surrounding campus. We should save the approximate value of $126,000 for five years and put it towards the fixing of our surrounding roads.

If we fix the problems that surround us, the problems within will be much easier to solve.

This cluster of mass vehicles could possibly cause a head on collision, a small fender bender, or even a student to be hit while walking.

This problem gets much worse when the weather gets bad. In the winter , the lines that separate the parking spaces get covered with snow.

This makes people double park, which in turn gives us even fewer parking spaces.

The university spent a bunch of money on the chiefs training camp, which was a good investment.

They now need to spend a bunch of money on the construction of extra parking lots or the extending of surrounding roads.

Can you think of a better investment than more parking spaces for students?

This investment would benefit most of Missouri Western students and help insure the safety of pedestrians.

The number of students attending Missouri western is increasing each year.

Sooner or later, the university is going to have to face this issue head on and give us some resolution.

Depending on what side of the fence you’re on, the policy can be viewed as positive and negative. Both sides can probably agree that the current policy has been broken ever since the changes to the policy were made in light of the Chiefs Training camp.

Currently the policy allows for alcohol to be sold in two places on campus, neither of which is the dorms, even though there is now a 21-and-up only dorm.

There are several reasons the current policy does not reflect well on Missouri Western. This policy means that having a “dry” campus means that parents believe they can send their kids to school and not worry about binge drinking. Which is great, except that this punishes the students that are 21 and over.

Even though they are of the legal drinking age, those students living in the dorm cannot exercise their privilege willingly.

The other problem is that the policy makes Western look hypocritical. The University is willing to break the policy to sell alcohol to visiting patrons, but the students that pay to go to school here can’t exercise their privileges.

Realistically, the policy can’t be enforced anyway. If prohibition didn’t work in the 1920’s, why would it work here?

Even on a smaller scale, it is impossible to enforce the policy. When the University changes the policy in their favor it sends a hypocritical message to students and essentially stomps on their own policy.

Western obviously believes that the policy it’s self is outdated or they wouldn’t be changing it in the first place.

Perhaps though, the university is slowly repealing the alcohol policy. The next move would be to let alcohol be sold at Griffon sporting events.

If this happens, Western would have no reason not to let 21 and over students’ drink in their dorms. To put it simply, unless the University repeals the policy fully, the selling point will lose its shine and the entire policy itself will reflect very horribly on the University.

What would a parent think of a school that they are giving thousands of dollars to that goes back on its word?

At the moment though, the current policy is a contradiction, which favors the University. Even if Western is having financial trouble, changing a policy to make money should be a last resort. Even then, the change should be a full repeal.

No one wants to make less money. No one feels like they have enough to run things as it is. Everyone else thinks that you are already blowing it bad enough, if you have less next year how will you make ends meet? You will. Somehow, you will find a way to make things work. It is called innovation. It is what make Americans what they are as a people. They rest of the world looks at America and says “Wow, how innovative.”

Just get over the fear of losing a little profit and innovate a way to keep the world running. But the question of where to cut still has not answered. Here are some ideas you might not have considered.

Paying people less tends to make them panic and leave, yet, who wants to quit their job in an uncertain economy? If it is a pay cut, just make sure it is fair and across the board and starts at the top. Any stones unturned will be the rock that causes the wall to tumble.

Maybe something that students really do not care about should be cut. Like the SGA. No one goes to the meetings, that much has already been established. Students really do not care what a select few of politically motivated students decide to spend money on, so why give them such a big budget? In all fairness perhaps the Griffon News should lose a chunk of funding. Much evidence shows that no one is really reading the paper.

Wherever the cuts happen, just know that they are going to happen. When they do, don’t be surprised if you find the cuts came to your slice of pie. After all you are probably too fat anyway.

It is as if the school is going beyond the law and saying they want to have a moral stance on the evils of drinking alcohol. If that is the case for the reasons behind the dry campus then there really is no problem. The problem with this is that recently it was made that alcohol could be served in Spratt Hall to visiting big-wigs and dignitaries that the school is trying to woo themselves into their wallets. Brilliant idea, by the way, serve wine with those boring presentations. It is a proven fact that drunks are much more liberal with their money than sober people.

Though this act could send a message that while the school is morally against adults drinking, it has no problem using a bit of booze to fleece any suckers they can make more comfortable with a few glasses of wine. Really? Isn’t this a date rapist strategy? Why not just slip them a “roofie” and pick their pockets while they are passed out? If this is really about a moral stance the campus is taking against alcohol then shouldn’t no booze on campus mean no booze on campus?

So you say that isn’t the issue at all. It has nothing to do with Missouri Western being run by an anti-alcohol agenda. It is entirely a security issue. If you give the legal drinking age students a dorm they can drink in, how do you keep them from aiding and abetting in the delinquency of minors? Won’t the seniors be bringing up the freshmen into their dorms to have a nip?

If this is really the issue then the argument is over. Legal drinking age students can already provide for their younger peers as it is. No one is suggesting that because they can buy them beers, all 21-year-old students should be segregated at all times from the under 21-year-old students. The apocalypse is not going to be started because legal age students gain the right to kick back in their own living domiciles and crack a cold with their nightly study session.

This year’s student government has been an utter disappointment in representing the student body. While the technology fee was a very close vote, keep in mind that only 608 students voted, out of the 5000+ Western has enrolled. Only 12 percent of the student body thought the issue was worthy enough to vote on.
Now, the voter turnout doesn’t necessarily reflect the validity of the issue on the ballot. Perhaps the Technology fee would have had a positive impact on the campus as whole, but who knows.

Why were there no open forums held about this fee? Where were the e-mails informing the student body about the allegedly archaic technology that Western has now? And why was the recycling fee included with this issue?

These questions were all left in the dark as students cast their votes April 8. The only direct communication that the SGA had with the student body were a few ominous posters and banners posted around campus with vague bullet points. To top it off, more ominous pamphlets were posted in Popplewell discrediting the proposal. What does it say about a proposal when SGA senators are telling students to vote against it?

In the background of the mysterious political battles that shadowed the truth behind Western technology, something was forgotten and lost.

The voter turnout in this case doesn’t reflect the importance of the issue Western faces, but the lack of preparation on the SGA officers’ part. Given that every student uses the technology on campus, the voter turnout should have been higher, but as mentioned before—how many people were informed on this issue.

Any government, whether it is student or federal, must always have a direct line of communication open with the public at all times. The April 9 results reflect the diminishing communications between SGA and the student body.

The Griffon News would like to bring a word of warning to the upcoming SGA officers. Be active in your community and campus. Posters and banners can be interpreted as nothing more than propaganda. Student persuasion takes more than just getting us to vote, but understanding why we are voting.

On Friday, Feb 26, at Berkley, the students had organized dance parties in the streets to protest the budget cuts and tuition hikes that had recently affected the campus. It only took a few hours before the scene turned for the worse the dance parties turned into chaos with broken windows, burning trash bins, and riot police beating people with batons.

Graphic | Robin Ussher

March 4 is now been labeled National Day of Action for Public Education. Smaller less volatile protests were held on campus’ all over the country.

Clearly with this much social unrest there is a problem that cannot be ignored. In a time when our nation’s own leader President Barack Obama has said that “Education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success, it is a prerequisite.” One would think a nation would do all it could to ensure success and opportunity for all those that desire it. But instead budgets are being cut and universities are left wondering how to make ends meet and college drop out rates are rising higher than they were in the sixties and the nineties.

When the tension finally hits the hallowed halls of Missouri Western State University students should be encouraged to voice their dissatisfaction in any way reasonable. Keep in mind that throwing snowballs, punching people, lighting things on fire, smashing windows, and blocking freeways has not proved successful tactics by other school and might well be avoided. The university should be advised that a mob could be building and it might be only a matter of time before they grab the torches and pitchforks.

While it is true that the school could use some new technology to help the teachers bring the lessons to the students with all the tools of the twenty-first century, it was a shifty bit of a shell game that was played by piggy-backing the recycling issue onto the same bill. Shouldn’t the students get a chance to vote on the two separate issues with separate but equal votes?

The real problem with this bill is that it does not take much asking around to find out that the student body is largely uninformed when it comes to understanding the issue at hand.

If the SGA wants to make a move that so directly affects the wallets of the student body, then they should work harder at spreading the word. Because right now, the word is “Boo!”

Boo to the three card monte that was used to trick the people into voting for something they might not have. Boo to the lack of information that was made available. “Yay” can be said for the coming of needed technology, but overall this bill might need recycling.

The current plan consists of a suite with four individual rooms connected by a common area with a kitchenette.

This may or may not bring back the upperclassmen but it is a good progression to attract them.

Housing’s first attempt to bring back the upperclassmen was the “conversion” of Beshears Hall, a suite style dorm, in to an upperclassmen residential hall.

That “conversion” consisted of repurposing the rooms and saying that they are single student rooms.

There are still two beds, two desks and two closets in case Housing wants to turn them back into two persons room.

These rooms were never meant to be a single room dorm room.

This “conversion” was a decent short-term fix to the issue of the upperclassmen housing but it was never a permanent solution.

What is planned for the new hall appears to address that problem, to some extent.

It is not a full-blown traditional apartment that would be expected like the ones at the Broadmoor apartments but it dies addresses to the upperclassmen’s needs better than the other residential halls on campus: a more traditional living style.

There is a problem with the current new residential hall design idea and that is the kitchenette.

In last week’s story about this, Vice President of Student Affairs Esther Peralez stated that the kitchenette would be limited so that it will not take away student away from the campus dining service.

This appeasing of the campus dining service does not serve the upperclassmen well.

By doing this, you force the upperclassmen to use the campus dining service when they may not want to.

Outside of the kitchenette issue, this residential hall is what is needed on campus as long as they remember who this is for and their needs.

This is the time when projects that have been put off all semester long come due. This is the time when all that make up work that has been stacking high needs to be complete. It is the time when reaping what you sow becomes more than just a clichéd metaphor.

For some there are only three weeks left, others it is four, either way with the frantic pace of college life that is really nothing more than a few blinks and yawns and this curtain is coming down. The final scene has began but are all the actors in their places? Are you?

For many students these days, the natural instinct and tendency is to put off for tomorrow what could be done today. Why work so hard when there is still so much fun to be had and still plenty of time to buckle down in the next few weeks? It all goes back to that old fable about ants and grasshoppers. Here is a recap for those of you who don’t remember it. The ants worked hard all autumn to be ready for the coming winter while the grasshopper played. When winter came, it wasn’t such a good time to be a grasshopper. Well, the first snows have fallen on the river valley that encompasses Missouri Western State University.

The problem with procrastinating at this time is that it creates a bottle neck effect of work in your life that could double the stress you have to endure. All of your classes have something that has to be done well at the end and they all usually come due in the same period of time, a time when you should be studying for your final exams. Instead of methodically tackling one project at a time and getting them out of the way most students just wait until the end and then face the Herculean task of academically cleaning the Aegean stables. This is how kids crack.

So this semester, spare yourself the headache. Buckle down now and put your head into the wind as you finish your final yards in this race called education. It doesn’t have to be a mad house; it doesn’t have to be a final sprint. You could just keep up the stride and cruise through the finish line with good marks and your head held high. The choice is yours, just remember that the end is nigh.

You realize that it is just a few days past Veterans Day, and you think of all the soldiers out there and you feel this patriotic fervor wash over you. You want to be a patriot and you want to serve your country. So you decide that you are going to get involved in ROTC. Cool. Considering it was recently released that 75 percent of the nation’s youth could enlist in the service because they were either too fat, too stupid or too criminal, more college kids getting into officers training surely is a great thing. That is, if you’re into it.

The military is not for everyone.

But wait, there is something else you can do. Something just as patriotic. After all, what is more patriotic than the truth? When Superman first leapt onto the scene in 1938 he stood for three things: truth , justice and the American way! Remember what Superman was in his private life? He was Clark Kent: ace reporter for the Daily Planet. He was a journalist. You could be one too.

Talk to your adviser about it. Say, “I want to be a part of the Griffon News team,” because now is the time that you can get involved with the eyes and ears of the university. Now is a time when you can seek out the truth. You can be a part of a team that creates a weekly published college newspaper. You can enjoy the fun of meeting new people and interviewing them. You can get into college activities and take pictures. You can rub shoulders with the power players of the university and ask them uncomfortable questions. You can fight for truth, justice and the American way!

This is a call to arms. If you think those things are still important then find your way to the far side of the second floor of Eder Hall. Find the glass enclosed office with a sign that says: “Don’t feed the animals!” and walk through the door and say I want to join the fight. It is time to make your mark.

Though it may seem early, after midterms every semester, students need to set up times to meet with their advisors to start planning classes for next semester.

It’s really important to have a plan from the beginning. Even freshmen should have a general idea about their future college careers. If you go in to your first advisement knowing what you want your major to be, then it will make the next four to five years easier to plan for. If you still aren’t sure what you want to major in, then make sure to take general education classes that can apply to any degree. Make a goal to have a major chosen before you start your sophomore year. If you wait any longer than that, you may run into issues some seniors are facing now…they hoped to graduate this semester and suddenly there is a class or two they still need.

Also, start thinking about your financial situation. Is all your financial aid set for next semester? You can use the Banner system to check your financial aid status to make sure you have everything prepared for the upcoming semester. You can also use Banner to check if you still owe anything on this semester’s bill, any holds on your account and to find out who your advisor is.

Think ahead, sit down and plan out every class that you can and when you think you want to take them, then meet with your advisor to make sure you have everything straight. That’s what they are there for: to advise you. Oh, and to give you your PIN so you can register for those classes you want to take.

If this were true, then why were there still at least ten cars parked on the grass Monday afternoon? At the beginning of the semester, students were warned to arrive at school 15-30 minutes before their classes begin. This is not necessary because the only way to find a parking spot is to hope to catch someone leaving after their class gets out at 10 minutes until the half or the hour.

The parking lots have been filled with stalker cars. It is almost a guarantee that every student who drives to campus has at one point imitated a buzzard, circling the parking lot of their choice for their prey: a leaving vehicle.

It’s surprising that more accidents have not occurred from the recklessness that these cars exhibit as they race to be the first close enough to a wandering student who has chosen the vehicle they will depart campus in. Some car scenes are similar to old-fashioned western standoffs as two cars approach a victim from opposites sides and the first to turn on their flashers receives the space. What’s fun to see is the disappointment on the faces of both the drivers when the pedestrian keeps walking into another row where a different car is already waiting, and hoping for a lucky break.

Students should get used the stalker cars looming over them as they head through the parking lots, at least until parking solutions are made. Do try to be considerate. Remember if it were you in the car running late for class, you’d get pretty upset at the girl who has to fix her make-up in the rear-view mirror before she leaves her parking stall.

If you are doing just fine in the grades department, then good for you. Don’t bother yourself with reading this. Through your discipline and study habits, you have managed to keep your grades exactly where you want them: bravo. But, there are many students who are now just realizing that half the semester is gone and they still haven’t even figured out what the class is even about.

If you find yourself in this latter group of people, do not despair. There is still enough time that with hard work and focus, the lowest F can still be converted to a final B. The first step is to admit your troubled state and then seek out the appropriate help, of which Missouri Western State University has many options, that you need to get out of the rut you’re in. Maybe it is as simple as getting a tutor. A tutor can help you get through that complex algebraic formula that is giving you a migraine. A tutor can help you learn different methods of organization that might help you study better and harder. A tutor could just give you the motivation you need to get to your homework instead of wasting another hour screwing around on Facebook.

Maybe this has just been a bad semester for you and being down on your luck has left you too depressed or discouraged to get any work done. In this case, you can seek out one of the school counselors. Perhaps having someone to talk to will get your problems in hand so you are not so overwhelmed. Once in hand, you can use your time to improve those grades that you have been letting slip because you just do not see the point of it all.

It could just be that the only help you need is a few good friends to give you the encouragement you need. If that is the case, then make with montage of learning and kick it into high gear. There is still a half of a semester left to pull things from disaster. You could still turn things around and rough it through the rest of the semester. Just apply yourself. Some hard work and dedication could go a long way in repairing the damage you have done so far. Remember, this race is not over until the finish line.

In front of a record-breaking crowd of over 10,000 fans, the Griffons could not overcome the archrival Northwest Missouri State Bearcats and our perfect season received a huge black eye. The silence was deafening coming out of Spratt Stadium Saturday. How did a team that has thrilled us with breathtaking win after win come up short?

I know our football team was looking to make a statement at home, and it didn’t happen the way they wanted it to be written.

But I guarantee every student who went to that game can walk away with a sense of what sports can be like here. That game was packed with rabid fans that wanted to see nothing more than Western annihilate Northwest. That was impressive by its own merit and it’s happening in other sports.

Volleyball has had a noticeable increase in attendance for most games. Griffon soccer has actually started to build a fan base. Spratt Stadium was a ghost town for soccer games two years ago. Now you can see people holding up signs for their players and actually following the game.

Western once had a huge apathy problem that spread throughout the student body quicker than the newest outbreak of swine flu. I hope this is a sign that this is finally dying out and that students are taking pride and interest in their time at Western. Seeing that many people at Saturday’s game was awe-inspiring, and it is imperative that it continues.

Our school needs this right now.

Chin up guys: football players and fans alike. I know this losing thing is new for us this season, and it is something that we should remember. Think back to how it felt walking out of that stadium Saturday, and now think of everything we can do to make sure that feeling never happens again. I know Coach Partridge is building a plan for Truman State this weekend, and the team is going to take the two hour drive down 36 highway to Kirksville to ruin their homecoming. After that, we host our homecoming versus Central Missouri. The playoffs are still in the picture for the first time since 2006. There is a ton of potential for the rest of this season.

Western fans: it starts now. Go out to those remaining games for every team possible. Plan a road trip, and see this team continue to impress and amaze. It’s going to be worth every minute of it.

If you have not discovered yet this semester, the food court has gone under a major renovation over the summer and it has been for the better for the students and faculty.

Initially, we thought that Aramark winning an extension on their contract with Western last spring was a bad move and that a new company might have brought a better selection. When we got back this fall, we were surprised with the renovations they did with the food court area. With the new additions of the Burger Studio, Caliente and coolers full of pop, water, and other types of drinks, Aramark are redeeming themselves.

Photo | Marty Ayers

Things started to slowly change when Aramark and the school added Quiznos in the fall of 2006 and the student government helped in the cosmetic renovations of the sitting area of the food court. These changes were a good start, but it took three more years for the food court to be a stellar place. However, the wait has been worth it.

One of the knockout hits has been the Burger Studio replacing Grille Works. The biggest difference, it seems, between these two (besides the touch screen order kiosks) is the quality and taste of the food. It is almost at par or above par with most fast food spots in St. Joe.

It seems like there has been this love/hate relationship with Aramark and what they provide to the campus. With the additions they have added in the court, that relationship has improved quite a bit. With the new food court selection, Aramark is proving themselves worthy of the new contract they received last spring.

Now, there might be students rejoicing to the new Missouri Western State University Seasonal Flu and H1N1 Flu Student Policy. The CDC has recommended that, in order combat the spread of the illness, students are encouraged to stay home when they are sick. The big shocker is that a doctor’s note is no longer required for missing class. Students are actually encouraged to “self-identify” their illness. You are expected to e-mail your teachers before the absence occurs.

Graphic | Sara Baum

The funny thing about all of this is that many of the symptoms of H1N1 such as body and head aches, fatigue and sore throats and diarrhea and vomiting can also come from a state common to many college students: a hangover.

The thinking around the Griffon News room is the desire to create an environment where students are not discouraged from missing class if they might be able to spread something nasty. A sort of no pressure atmosphere where sick students are less likely to expose the noninfectious masses just to keep up their GPA.
This move really should be applauded. For once it seems that the administration actually cares more for the well being of the student body than the numbers disaster that this could turn into.

It would really be the poorest form of social ingratitude to abuse this policy. That might be the first temptation. But really? The fact is that the more class you miss, even without an attendance policy, the less likely you are to pass. Why bite the hand that teaches you tricks?

So while you may consider this as the grand opportunity to catch up on some sleep, we encourage you to be strong and keep going to class. After all, you came to college to learn. Now is your time.

The dorms are quickly reaching maximum capacity and we should ask ourselves how long it is going to be until we have to start sending people away. Sorry, folks, you can’t come here to Missouri Western, we just don’t have the room. Why don’t you go check out MU?

Despite the sudden spike in student population, it doesn’t seem that there is much being done in the way of making the campus more accommodating to the new numbers. Are new dorms being built? Are new parking lots being laid out? Are more teachers being hired? Whatever is being done to cope with the multiplying masses doesn’t seem like it is happening fast enough.

These are not those times anymore.

Now Missouri is considering allowing concealed weapons to be carried at public universities. It is a fairly big issue. There are many mixed feelings on this. Here are some possible scerarios that could be the future of Missouri Western State University at least according to ideas around the Griffon News room.

These are not real tales, so try not to get scared.

Johhny Duke was sitting in class on a fine spring day and all was well save for the constant nervous twitch that the upcoming finals had given him. All it took was a single moment when he just snapped a pulled out the .38 special snub nose he was carrying in his sock.

“Screw this place!” Johnny exclaims as he waves the revolver over his head to the chorus of shrieks rising out of his classmates. He levels the barral at the professor and…Bang!

The student behind him has splattered Johnny’s grey matter all of the desk.

This could be the end of the story. Some might say that because there were more people armed in the classroom, that there was a greater chance to resolve the crisis without too much carnage. It is the “Old West” argument, that if the populace is better armed, less people might be inclined to go on a shooting spree. If Johnny had known the student behind was armed as well, he might not have drawn his own heater.

But Johnny wouldn’t have known that, because the issue is not simply about carrying guns in school, it is about concealing them as well.

It is the popular opinion of the Griffon Newsroom that the story wouldn’t stop there. It is believed that in this situation, all chaos would break loose and head straight for the fan.

Johnny’s college sweetheart, distressed from seeing her lover blown away, would whip out her Magnum and let fly three shots in the direction of the student who shot Johnny.

That student would dive for a cover behind a desk while calling on his posse for back up.

Four Holigans armed with semi-automatic glocks burst through the door, barrles ablazing as the class becomes a bloodbath of terror and violence.

By the time campus security shows up, the story is over. The guns are quiet and the moans are loud. The carnage could have been avoided, if Johnny never had the gun on him in the first place.

Despite several missteps, the SGA is now prepared to present a final copy of the constitution to SGA’s senate on March 30. The senators will then vote on whether or not the current copy will go to the ballots for a student vote during the election April 7-8.

The failure to get this constitution on the ballots last fall was a critical error by the SGA.

However the fact that students will finally have the opportunity to vote on this matter of great importance shows that the system is working. Regardless of how the campus came to this crossroad, we will be able to use our vote and fix it.

With this new framework, the SGA will be able to pull up their sleeves and get down to the real work of helping run our campus on behalf of the students they were elected to represent. It is commendable that the current SGA administration persevered through this arduous task and is presenting the students with something that works for them.

Every student has the opportunity to look at the new constitution online at the SGA website and can attend the March 30 meeting to listen to the final issues brought to the table. It is the responsibility of the students approving the constitution to know what they are voting for.

While it is easy to feel removed from student governments actions in your day to day lives, the decisions they make affect your college experience.

It is vital that students exercise this hard earned right on election day because it is, in essence, holding up their end of the democratic process.

Unfortunately with time, passion can fade and once devoted wooing can fall to the wayside. This is most often the point when the two lovers will begin to reevaluate their relationship and if it should continue.

Missouri Western’s long-term relationship with their food service provider Aramark’s was renewed last week despite new competition.

As of last week, Aramark and an alternative company, Sodexo Education were openly courting Western.

The decision was made by a committee comprised of students, faculty and staff to keep Aramark’s services on campus for a period of eight or more years. The decision was influenced by the incentives the company offered in their proposal, which included: $3.5 million in projected commission revenue, capital investments, scholarships and other financial considerations over the course of their contract.

A more pressing issue that students are likely to feel the effects of is the projected annual board rate increases that will accommodate rising food costs.

Despite the fact that students were involved in the process, Missouri Western would have better served the interests of the student body by allowing students to examine what was at stake. Perhaps a presentation, or a date with each company if you will, would have been in the interest of getting to know our potential partner a little bit. After all, choosing a food service provider is a major commitment.

Maybe the companies should have had to put out an elaborate feast, accented with soft music and candlelight. It could have been the start of something really special.
But a decision has been made, and Western is content to stay with their faithful partner. It’s been good so far, so Western students should be grateful that the relationship is still intact and the decision has been made to “stay together for the kids.”

The relationship with Aramark is strong, though not perfect. As with most relationships there is room for improvement and growth, but hopefully that will come in time.

And maybe a little bit of healthy competition has been good for them too. They may be more inclined to fight for Western’s affection in the future.

With tough economic times, it is predicted that in the coming years, more and more people will flock to colleges to better their state of living. In his most recent address to Congress, President Barack Obama said, “A good education is no longer a pathway to opportunity. It is a prerequisite.” It should be assumed that more and more people will be seeking Missouri Western when it comes to seeking that good education.

We should make sure that as a university we make the right moves to deal with this growth. It can present a number of problems in the quality of learning that the school can offer.

Often all we consider is the quickest possible fix. We create Band-Aids for wounds that won’t heal. When we are already spending so much money on other things, no one really wants

By Marty Ayers and Charlene Divino

to consider building new student housing or hiring new full-time professors. So we seek any other way to cover the problem.

Hiring new tenure-track professors is a no-brainer when you consider the possible coming growth of our university, especially when you consider how much this Chiefs deal could mean to campus recruitment.

If we keep getting bigger, are we just going to increase class size? That will be like shooting off our foot to free ourselves form the line of fire. Many people only go to our school because of the excellent student-to-teacher ratio. Besides, maxing out your professors like that is going to lead to stressed out tenured professors who can’t easily be fired and an ever rotating door of adjuncts who end up taking the money and running the moment they are let free.

Right now we are hunting shark out at sea and someone is realizing that, like Roy Scheider’s character in Jaws, “We’re going to need a bigger boat.” More students mean more of everything like more technology, more buildings and more employees, and all that costs more money. We are already spending so much. But at times money can come from unexpected places, like the City of St. Joseph kicking in with their latest gift to the Chiefs project. We are going to have to spend money, and hopefully smart money that helps us grow without collapsing on ourselves.

Do your exams make you nervous? Is your boyfriend pressuring you to do something you are not sure you are ready for?

Are you worried that you cannot make ends meet?

Does the workload got you down?

Feel stressed out and ready to crack?

Can’t beat your meth habit alone?

Feel like going on a killing spree?

Do you feel like killing yourself?

Do you need someone to talk to?

After the Virginia Tech massacre, it is apparent how stressful campus life can be and how dangerous an unbalanced student can be. It should be a no-brainer that all people need someone to talk to every now and then. Lucky for you, Missouri Western offers great people to talk to.

It is a shame really when you consider that not everyone uses the student counseling that is available to them. All students at Missouri Western State University have counseling services available to them. Make no mistake, the counseling center at our school sees it’s fair share of students.

But to consider that all people have problems, and problems are often handled better when they are talked about; considering that every student has already paid for the services, it makes no sense that every student here on campus has not seen a counselor at least once.

It is not hard to get in touch with someone to talk to here on campus. Go to Eder Hall and swing to the side that is not filled with language devotees, walk past the non-traditional student center and keep going until you see a giraffe in the window. Then you are in the right place. Now ask to make an appointment with a counselor. It is that easy. Don’t you feel silly now for taking so long to reach out?

The truth is that everyone, every now and then, could use someone to talk to. Sometimes the simple act of airing your troubles out can be the first step to punching your problems in the face. Sometimes it is nice to have an impartial person who can help you put things in perspective. Also, there is the fact that you have already paid for it, so you might as well go out and get to see what your money is worth.

After all, we are here at this university to learn. We can learn academics, and we can learn about ourselves and the world around us. There is a Chinese proverb that says a single conversation with a wise man is better than then years of study. Maybe it is time you started taking advantage of your education?

Something about the magic of Valentine’s Day makes college students regress to the romantic maturity of high-school students. Maybe our hormones are more susceptible to the lure of lacy negligees, candy and expensive dates, but year after year we shell out the cash in hopes of capturing love that will last longer than a dozen roses.

If everybody found somebody to love and hold as they celebrated Valentine’s Day, it would be different. But that isn’t realistic; the flip side of all this romantic sentiment is the countless lonely hearts that will find themselves driven to distraction as they wallow in bitterness, jealousy or loneliness. Meanwhile, the priorities for school work and studying fall by the wayside in favor of the more pressing issues of the heart.

Valentine’s Day is expensive and time-consuming, but it’s also one of the most profitable holidays of the year. Consider the theory that buying poorly manufactured stuffed animals is not a genuine testament of love. It’s just crap and clutter. Imagine how depressing it would be if all the abandoned Valentine’s Day stuffed animals congregated to tell their stories of love and loss.
Love is not limited to the one holiday a year. The focus concentrated on a single holiday exaggerates the value of a single day. You can fall in love any day you want to; just because there is a holiday doesn’t mean it is the only day you have free will to seek love or affection.
Obsessing about how your Valentine’s Day will be spent is futile; it won’t change the course of fate or destiny. Even if you can guaranty a lifetime of happiness with your soul-mate based on this one day, it’s really just another day.
So don’t spend this Valentine’s Day thinking about how you will, or won’t, be spending this day. You’re enrolled in college and fate has already set you on a positive course. Don’t deviate from it just to pursue a fleeting interest, focus on a degree first. As the Supremes famously said, “You can’t hurry love.”

These are some of the stereotypes that Americans once touted as fact. Not theory, but completely accepted fact.

In less than a century all of that has changed. From the first steps of suffrage to the great strides of feminism and today’s race for the White House, American society has been a model for the advancement of women.

Unfortunately, there is still more to be accomplished.

As the inequalities between the sexes lessen, the goal of equality becomes harder to define. People become less confident about what it is they’re trying to achieve.

In this year’s political arena there have been two prominent women, bringing into question if gender still matters in present-day America.

Sarah Palin is the second woman to ever accept a nomination of a major party in a bid for the White House. In the few weeks since her acceptance she has brought questions of gender equality to the forefront of politics.

Can women be smart and pretty?

Even the media has exposed its own bias for pretty. This is a visual culture and Sarah Palin is not exactly visually offensive. Entirely too much discussion is devoted to Palin’s exterior and that should be insulting. Not to Palin, but to you the viewer. The implication is that a person’s façade is paramount in popular culture.
Even though equality in education has become a priority in American culture, the consequences of previous generations continues its legacy.

Traditionally math was considered a man’s subject. Women were not capable of the same endeavors as men. The uncontested bias prohibited women from enrolling in law school, medical school or countless other possibilities. This generation is fortunate to have equal opportunities for personal advancement.

When examining the composition of the male to female ratio of faculty here at Missouri Western, there is still a gender gap.

There are 81 male members of the faculty and 67 female members. With only a discrepancy of 14 the divide seems minimal.

The arrangement of the genders within departments is surprising when examined.

In the Computer Science, Math, & Physics department there are 16 men and five women employed.

In the English, Foreign Languages, & Journalism there are 10 men employed and 26 women.

Of the nine faculty members there are only males in the History, Philosophy, & Geography department.

It is evidence of residual gender bias rather than sexism at Missouri Western.

This is the consequence of stereotypes imposed on students about which disciplines they are best suited for based on gender.

Every department’s administrative assistant is a woman. Again, it’s probably nothing to do with sexism but who applies for the job. Mostly women.

Since Americans will probably not come to a consensus on when the sexes are equal, people tend to gauge progress by momentous events.

But the answer is subjective, largely influenced by each individual’s personal life experience. But all that really means is that everybody won’t begin just agreeing no matter what landmark events occur.

It is eerie. A hall that was once alive with motion and sound has now become barren, and students wonder if they shouldn’t rename Blum Union, the Great Western Desert. The recent relocation of the furniture in Blum Union has caused students across the campus to ask serious questions about the intent of the university.

People might wonder if there is some sinister intent behind those in power deploying such strange means of Feng-shui, or if the students are being pun­hed for some undisclosed offense committed to the student union itself. There are many questions that should be asked.

At the surface of the problem, the answer is quite simple and relatively insignificant. They cleared out the furniture in Blum because it was worn-out and needed to be replaced. The campus will soon be equipped with high- top tables and bar stool type chairs, much like the entrance of Eder Hall. There is no reason in that explanation for any students to be alarmed, if that is indeed the truth.

But then the next question that must be asked is; why was the furniture moved before the new furniture has arrived? The previous chairs and couches were not dangerous to students, sure-there was no need to smuggle it all out the area like a thief in the night. So that makes the timing of the move something that the average student might consider suspicious. Why now?

The next question that should then be examined; What is else is going on campus around this same time frame? An easy answer many students have begun to assume is that in the latter part of the Spring semester, Missouri Western State University is visited by many potential customers: prospective students. In essence, the university is in the spotlight.

This is where the pickle is for most of students involved or affected by the sudden starkness of their former hang-out.

They feel like the university is saying that students using the right to peaceful assembly doesn’t look good for the university’s bottom line. The students feel like the university is saying that it is ashamed of its students.

All of these things are questions the students are asking and points of concern that should be dealt with.

Surely there is no shame felt by the university for vast and varied student body, we couldn’t be attending a mere money making machine of a school that sees it current students as nothing more than a nuisance, could we?

It was probably some level of bureau­cratic procedure that led to the gap of time that led to the absence of furniture, it still leaves many questions.

 If the furniture was worn-out, why move it to the food court where it still being used?

Why was property bought with student money moved without ever consulting the students who bore the financial burden of buying those chairs?

But it should not be ignored that this one simple thing created a rustle that has moved across the campus. The student body has begun to twitch and the question on everyone’s mind is: where is my couch?

Yung Joc was one of the best new hip-hop artists of 2006 and he has two chart toppers under his belt. On his Myspace.com page he self describes his style “I make fun music but don’t get it twisted,” says Joc. “I’m a hustler. That’s why I’m in the position I’m at.”  It seems WAC knows how to hustle as well in scoring such talent for their spring concert on April 10 at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.

The hard work and social networking that must have went into the works of engaging these artists to come perform for WAC’s annual spring concert must have been tough to do, but WAC has pulled it off in a commendable job of providing the students to a truly spectacular show. Don Willis, director of student engagement, and Janell Banks, president of WAC, should be acknowledged for their effort in the work that brought Yung Joc and Rick Ross to a show that students attend for free as long as they provide their student IDs.

While it still would have been nice to have had greater advanced notice so students would have had more time to plan their lives around the show and also given more time for publicity and ticket sales, it is nice to see that WAC was able to provide big in the entertainment factor of this little city. Students should make sure they take advantage of this opportunity to see such big-ticket performers. Remember, it was your money that WAC used to make this show possible. If you paid your student fees then you have already paid for your admission. It would be just silly not to use the service that you paid for.

Western’s Activities Council, or WAC as they might be better known to the student body of Missouri Western State University has yet to officially announce who will be playing for the University’s spring concert. This can be looked at from many different angles. Certainly it is now spring and students in the past knew by this time who was going to be entertaining them for the spring concert. They may even have attended spring concerts that took place by this time late in the year.  The fact that there is only six weeks left in the semester and there has yet to even be an announcement could encourage one to wonder just exactly what is going on?

What’s the hold up?

First instinct could be to assume that the problem lies in some level of incompetence in the organization. But that could be a false assumption.  Janell Banks, President of WAC, offers her explanation as to the lateness of the announcement of the spring concert as evidence of how hard WAC is working to bring quality entertainment to the student body.

“The reason we have not announced yet, is that there were some details that we wanted to put in order” Banks said.
 “But everything is good. We will announce pretty soon but it is just that we wanted to find a concert more suitable for our students. We have heard some complaints about some things that have gone on in past concerts, so we wanted to make sure that we got a legitimate concert that our students would enjoy and have fun at, one that they deserve. We had an artist picked and we kind of found out through different agencies that this was not the best artist to pick; this artist was not very friendly to the students, no meet and greet, no hello. We wanted to get artists that we knew would put on a nice show. We actually got two artists, instead of one. So we went out to find a better concert.”

This is all well and good that WAC so badly wants to give the students what they deserve, but it does raise a question; don’t the students deserve a spring concert that is timely? Many students can appreciate being given more time to polish of a research paper by a professor so that it will really end up as an excellent paper, but students are given deadlines for a reason. Perhaps WAC should be given a deadline?

It is easier to snag the big names if the search for talent starts earlier. This late in the semester many students have their schedules full of the events that will occupy their time for the rest of the year, like spring dances and making graduation plans, and now they have to wait to schedule in when the spring show will even perform. Starting late also creates difficulty in advertising, promotion of ticket sales and creation of a demand to see the quality performer it took WAC so long to land.

Many students that attend Missouri Western State University could use a little help when it comes to putting up the necessary out-of -pocket costs for everything that goes with attending a university. There are books to be purchased,  athletic and student activity fees, parking permits and  pens and pencils to acquire. To top it all off, tuition and living expenses along with mounting costs of college becomes almost painful. Luckily for the students there is financial aid.
Too bad many students do not take the initiative to take advantage of such opportunities. The process of filling out a FAFSA online is really quite simple and after the initial set up process, it really does not take that long to keep it updated. There is money out there in the form of grants, loans and scholarships. All of the above can be helpful if you have a thirst for learning at the university level but do not have the pocket book to match those academic desires.

Maybe the U.S. hasn’t adopted the policy of free universities for citizens like many European countries and Australia, but there has been a great deal of work done by the government to make money available to those who really need it to go to school.  These programs exist to help students secure a future and any smart student would be wise to take advantage of them. At Missouri Western there is a courteous and knowledgeable staff that is ready to help anyone who makes through their door. The online tools of the FAFSA save pages and pages of work that might have been required before the explosion of the computer age. If there is a problem, call the financial aid office and a friendly voice can quickly trouble shoot the problematic puzzle and process can advance to the next step. It is not very hard to get money to go to school these days. Students are either just too uninformed or lazy and apathetic to follow through with the process.

We, at the Griffon Newspaper editorial staff , frown upon such bad choices and behavior as failing to take advantage of such an opportunity.  Doing something to acquire money for your education is as simple as stealing candy from a baby or blowing a safe with dynamite. Not doing something because of ignorance or laziness is simply not good character. The money is there in that big safe. Just imagine that the finical aid office and FAFSA are your safe cracking tools. So get cracking and do it before March 1st because that is the cut off date. After that, it will be too late.

It is understandable that no business wants to close unnecessarily for any amount of time. It is heartening to know that Missouri Western  is more than just a business, it is a university that keeps its staff and students well being close to the heart of the matter. It is not a money driven machine that sees only the numbers that drive it’s bottom line. Missouri Western has shown that it sees the risks that its people would have taken by venturing out on to the roads that cold breezy morning. Missouri Western has shown a soft side of it’s soul. It was a really good call.

There should also be a tip of the hat to Missouri Western’s maintenance staff. Despite the mounting snow and blizzard like conditions, staff and students were able to return to campus in just one day to parking lots that had been fully plowed  and sidewalks cleared of any trace of a slippery hazard. It is nice to know that we have such a capable and hard working maintenance staff. It was another plus to see that they had also managed to even pay attention to the small details, like carving a walk way through the mountains of plowed up snow that separate the two sides of the parking lots.

We at the Griffon News Editorial staff want to give a round of applause to all involved with the decisions that declare a snow day and to all those who still came to work to maintain the roads and walkways on which we amble about on our ways to and fro. Good decisions were made and good work was done. It really does seem like Missouri Western really is just getting better and better.

Our editorial “Have some respect” printed Oct. 30 pointed out a series of events that have occurred recently that are, frankly, embarrassing to the university student body — our mistake was wording the editorial in such a way that it appeared we were blaming all problems on the entire campus minority population.

That was wrong of us.

Ironically, the words of that editorial have also been embarrassing to the university.

Tay Triggs was right when she said this wasn’t a race issue; it is a student issue. Bad behavior isn’t confined to one race or minority; we’re all guilty of it at one time or another. It was a mistake on our part to link this behavior with race or to insinuate that the behavior of a small group of students is representative of a wider population of students.

Our normal process, during the week-long preparation cycle of the Griffon News, includes a conference among the student editors on the ‘staff’ editorial issue and what stance should be taken on the issue chosen. That discussion is held between Wednesday and Friday and the person writing the editorial has it on the page by Sunday’s deadline. It is then reviewed by at least two other editors during the evening deadline process.

The Oct. 30 issue didn’t function this way. Due to a college media convention in Washington D.C. the previous week, several editors were away and there was no usual editorial board meeting and no topic or stance decided upon before the Sunday deadline workday. The process did not go through the same review steps and the ‘staff’ editorial was instead written by a single writer with insufficient feedback.

It was completed after midnight Sunday, after most of the editors had already left. Because of that, our first apology goes out to the editors and staff who were not even aware of the topic of the editorial, much less its content, but who were implicated because the “Staff editorial” label was used.

But more importantly, we want to apologize to the campus community.

While we do apologize, we recognize that an apology is not enough.  We recognize our mistake and encourage readers of all backgrounds to take us to task.  We hope the 500-word editorial printed last week will be countered by 5,000 or more words in this and future editions.

We hope that in the end, some good can come from our mistake.

Through the written responses of those we have offended, we hope that not only the newspaper but the campus community as a whole can learn that racism should not and cannot be tolerated on this campus. 

Through these responses people will think much more carefully about their words and actions, and the thoughts and attitudes which underlie those words and actions

We hope that from this bad situation that good can arise for everyone involved.

From a huge fight during one of their functions, to disrespectful behavior during the convocation, to vandalism and foul behavior in the student union, we here at the Griffon News, have to question why you are even in college.

It is not every minority student that sits in the SU that are causing problems, most students are here to learn and take the benefits they are given seriously, but the group of students that don’t have respect for this campus are causing a huge problem.

Maybe it is just a lack of maturity or lack of campus involvement.

There aren’t many nontrad students sitting on the couches yelling ‘hey bitch’across the student union to their fellow rolly backpacker, or many football players writing names on the computers.

Missouri Western is not the bathroom stall of a bar. We are a University; one that has spent a substantial amount of money giving us a student union that
we can be proud of, one that prospective students can think is beautiful, one where current students can relax. Maybe most students don’t remember the seventies looking furniture and the weird walls that used to make up the lobby of the SU. It wasn’t pretty, but lets destroy the nice things we do have to be cool and act like we are in high school.

If you are still in a high school mind set, go home. This is a place of learning. Where students who actually want a future and a good job come to improve
their life; it is not a place to just hang out with your friends and be stupid. If you’re wanting to do just that, find somewhere else to do it, maybe your hometown is a good place, where you’re not paying $5,000 a semester, or getting scholarships that people who actually want to be here could use.

During last Tuesday’s convocation, a scuffle broke out in the middle of Sam Donaldson’s speech because a student didn’t want to get off her cell phone when a
teacher asked her to. Not only did she put up a fight, other male students had to get involved, causing a huge ruckus that could be heard all the way to the stage.

We know that unless you are interested in politics or journalism, the convocation can sometimes be boring and many classes require you to go. But the faculty
doesn’t do that so they can sit around laughing because they are torturing their students, they do it so you’ll learn. Falling asleep and being stretched out on the bleachers while someone tries to educate you, is one of the rudest things imaginable. You obviously don’t want to be in school, so once again go home.

Tay Triggs has begun a campaign to talk to students about their behavior, trying very hard to try and not make this just a minority issue, and she is right in saying that this is definitely not just a black issue.

But the students who show no pride in Western have no place at this campus. A university is not a place for vandalism, constant vulgarity or fights.

 

This is the new home of our Law Enforcement Academy, several commu­nity arts classes, and will soon host credit courses related to urban develop­ment thanks to a grant application from the City of Saint Joseph. It looks as if Western is taking the initiative and reaching out into the community at last!

Face it, Saint Joseph is a “college town” by our mere presence. It’s not a college town by attitude. Western doesn’t enjoy the backing of the community the way Northwest does. Having a presence downtown, and embracing the area is a good first step to building that bridge to the commu­nity that we so desperately need to foster a true “col­lege town.”

Our presence might do some quantifiable good, according to Dr. Christopher Shove, director of the Western Institute.

“We plan on students (in the upcoming urban devel­opment major) working closely with the city for the historical preservation and development of downtown,” Shove said.

Applied learning at its finest: students will do field surveys on historic buildings to put them on the National Register of Historic Places.

Shove also looks to make the Downtown University Center a local hotspot as a meeting place for artists as well as a training ground for future police officers. The goal was to use the cen­ter to revitalize downtown St. Joseph by embracing public safety, to increase social activity and to add to the economy.

A grand vision indeed—we hope to see more soon.

The fuel manufacturers want to know too. Are you buying into the movement?   

Are you going to jump on the bandwagon too?

I was “green” before it became a trend, and before it subsequently became an exclusive club that you can buy a Prius to gain admission to.

Growing up I was always environmentally aware. It’s almost something indoctrinated from birth with in my native California. The impact of a population of about two million people in my hometown of Oakland magnified the effects of pollution in a tangible way.

The night sky takes on an eerie red cast from the ever present smog, and light pollution has wiped away the evidence of stars.

As a teenager we began experiencing power shortages in the summer. Power grids were overtaxed from the exertion of powering millions of Californians. It was the beginning of rolling blackouts, a practice of intentionally engineered power outages caused by insufficient resources to meet high demands. On the hottest of summer days we would be without power for hours at a time.

It was terrifying to confront our own society’s mass over consumption.   

Having never lived outside of California, I imagined the rest of the country in the same predicament as us.

It was easy to buy into even the most sensational of doomsday predictions.

I always felt an urgency to change the world, which is admittedly a lofty ambition. But I like to believe that the basis for all great change is the acceptance of one’s personal responsibility in the matter.

I was excited for the advent of the green movement. I thought that it denoted a shift in the perspective of the greater whole. Finally, we were having open discussions about what we intended to do to fix the problems we were creating.

Then came the mass market onslaught of green living accessories.  

Suddenly, being green became less about changing our ways, but seeking the external quick fix. We are going to buy ourselves a new environment with new cars and organic snack food. Being green is becoming just another trend, a fad that people will shed with the next season’s clothing. Even the movement’s coined title is annoyingly cheesy.

We are never going to make a difference until we accept the fact that it may require personal sacrifice. The necessities of the modern American life exceed that of many other cultures. We are a culture of excess.

It will open your mind and broaden your horizons.

Education is so much more powerful than ignorance.

Educate yourself socially. 

Facilities Director Lonnie Johnson says we should be able to recycle newsprint and magazines in the near future.

Bravo!

Just in case you didn’t catch last week’s story in The Griffon News, this all got started over the summer by Annette Wright, library assistant, and Victoria Sample, Biology Lab Coordinator.
 
The ladies helped spearhead the program by forming an ad-hoc committee and presenting  a campus-wise paper recycling proposal to University President, James Scanlon. He backed it with some funding.

That was followed by support from the SGA as well.

We want to applaud the efforts of all these people. This is a fabulous program and it can lead to Western doing good far into the future.

For now though, don’t put the following into those bins: hanging file folders, newspapers, shredded paper, magazines and catalogs, food contaminated paper, candy wrappers, corrougated cardboard, metal, plastic, styrofoam, photographs and other non paper items.

So could the offices who regularly shred paper and forms  stop shredding and recyle instead?
We love that Western is making a good start on the program. What we’d like to see as we seem to be in competition with Northwest Missouri State on several other fronts -is a recycling program which does more than theirs.

It’s a goal.

But please, pretty please with sugar on top, get the newsprint thing up and running asap.
 
With our readership program scattering newsprint far and wide across campus, it would be nice to have a way to get rid of the clutter once it’s no longer being read.

And you really should see the amount of magazines that funnel through the residence halls every summer when students aren’t around to get their mail. If recycling those can make some difference somewhere we could do a lot of good.

So  hats off for a good start. But please, let’s not wait another decade before moving to the next step.

The firm hired to assist in the search for Missouri Western State University’s next president has begun its work and we’d like to submit some ideas to Dr. Allen E. Koenig, senior consultant with R.H. Perry & Associates (RHPA) and to Patt Lilly, vice chair of the Board of Governors and chair of the search committee.

Things to keep in mind when searching for a new president:

-Be open to women and minorities; be accessible to students as well as your staff and faculty.
 
We’d like to see you once in awhile and feel like we know our president.

-Be ready to address the gap between facets of the student body, like those who live on campus and those who commute or nontraditional students versus the traditional.

The two groups need to be dealt with in different ways. Get people on and off campus to enjoy all of the things that this school has to offer. The more people Missouri Western get involved in campus activities, the more school pride each student will have in the university.
-You need to be able to unite the student body.

-Once that is done, it’s time to move towards building a bridge between the university population and the population of St. Joseph.

Western may be within the city limits of St. Joseph, but St. Joseph could not be called a college town. The community doesn’t support the school much and the school doesn’t do enough to get others interested in what happens around the campus.

We as a campus community need to be part of the community as a whole, and it will take us reaching out first to succeed in getting the community support that schools like Northwest enjoy.

I understand that Northwest is smaller than St. Joseph and there is more to do around this area, but there is no reason why people in this community can’t get excited about campus events in the same way.

 It’s a short enough list, but it’s long on the effort and smarts that will be required to see that list accomplished. So please find us someone who can do the job that best represents us, the students and always has ideas of improving what this school has to offer.

Well the S.S. Missouri Western saw some rats go over the side this summer.

The roster of departures reads: Stan Sweeney, director of student engagement;   Mark Linder, athletic director; Jeff Wilson, director of student employment; Paul Shang, dean of student development; Tim Crowley, counselor and Brett King, director of sports information. 

There’s a right way and a wrong way
Staff

One departure we knew about before the end of the last semester when Dr. James Scanlon announced in May that he would be departing  June 30, 2008.

That was classy.

Giving us a year’s notice, made sure we had the chance to find the best candidate possible and make whatever preparations are required for such a change. 
There was none of this two weeks’ notice before the start of football season, or worse still, sneaking out in the middle of summer.

At least we aren’t Missouri Southern State. Their president Dr. Julio S. Leon resigned Aug. 17 after 15 years—effective immediately.

Lovely.

The other issue here is whether or not it was the employee leaving that was the non-class act or whether it was the administration.

If the powers that be had, oh, we don’t know, sent out a mass e-mail to advise returning students that several familiar faces were gone then we’d have been prepared. This seems like it would’ve been useful in the case of the dean of Student Development.

Not telling us several familiar faces were leaving wasn’t the best way to do things.

No matter where the fault lies, however, the fact remains that it could’ve been managed better.

So the question is, how do we view this?

Are the rats abandoning ship and we should all prepare to drown?

Or is the way being cleared for new blood and a new future?

We’ve considered both and even though we seem to be hearing about more problems university-wise than we had in the past—we’ll take the rosier of those two futures thanks.

We wish nothing but the best to those who’ve opted to leave the Griffon family. We’re sure they will succeed wherever they go—like we’re sure we will succeed.

We have our new university status.

We have new funding promised from the state and now we have plenty of open offices available for new talent.

As to the future, bring it on!

When you come into campus via Faraon like we’ve had to do all summer, there is a lovely sign here, just as some people might normally turn left to get into the student union parking lot entrance 50 feet away. No Left Turn.

So technically, to get into that lot one must drive all the way around the campus to park there.

Occasionally there is a Public Safety officer on hand to light up and flag down those awful malcontents that flaunt the sign and turn left anyway.

Most of the time though, they have better things to do.

So what’s with the sign?

“It’s a temporary measure,” said Buildings Supervisor Brian Harrah. “A way to control the traffic flow while the main entrances to the campus are closed. Also, if one person wanted to turn left, they could hold the line up until we have a traffic jam all the way back to Faraon. This is a way to keep traffic moving.”

Calls to Campus Safety Director Jon Kelly were not returned for comment.

We understand why it’s not enforced. It’s a silly waste of officers time and effort to sit there all day, every day doing traffic stops.

What worries us is that people who need to be in the Student Union will cut through Lot H in order to circumvent the need to drive all the way around campus.

If those drivers aren’t careful, that could be the site of more traffic problems, from fender benders to full on multi car accidents. The people who cut through the lot will likely be those in a hurry and that doesn’t bode well for traffic safety.

So students, watch yourself. With the new year starting, it’s likely that officers will be on hand to enforce the new sign. And in case you haven’t heard, ticket prices are fairly hefty around here. No matter how silly it seems, don’t risk it.

For most students, graduation is more of an illusion or a mirage. Something that is dangled in front of your face, yet after four or five years of school, it still seems you’re no closer to achieving it than when you were a freshman. Whether it is because of switching majors, money issues, or just life, many factors arise that make graduating in four years an impossible task.

I have had many friends who have become these people. Friends who have been in school non-stop since they graduated in 2001. Others who have changed their major so many times that they are looking to graduate in 2010, and they graduated high
school in 2003.

I began college in the fall of 2002. After going to Northwest, dropping out, coming here, becoming a double major, dropping one major, 5 ½ years later, I am finally in my last semester (knock on wood, cause things could still go wrong).

However, looking back, there were several steps I could have taken that would have knocked off a semester or two from my college career.

One of my major mistakes was checking to see if I was actually declared. Coming from Northwest, I assumed that since I was a declared Journalism major there, that I was a declared English/Journalism major here. Nope, didn’t work that way.

Since that realization, I have been trying to have classes count from the requirements when I thought I was declared, it’s a long, unnecessary process. Also, make sure that if any classes are being transferred in, that they actually get counted, don’t wait until the semester before you’re suppose to graduate.

Keep your own record of the classes you have and haven’t taken, paying attention to which classes are only offered on certain semesters, certain years. Some core major classes are only offered once every two or four years.

Also, when you first come out of high school, a lot of students are still burnt out. Many have bad first semesters. I know I did. But in the long run, if I had actually tried my first few semesters, I would have easily been graduated already and had a little better GPA. This does actually still matter, especially if you join a sorority or fraternity.

Finally, I know underclassmen usually aren’t completely sure what they want to do in life. Many students take extra random classes to find out what they are passionate about. If you are clueless about your future, that’s a good way to go. But if you have any sense of what you want to do the rest of your life, don’t take to many random classes. When you are about to graduate or are reaching those few semesters before graduation, you look back and think, why did I take 30 hrs of art classes. It’s not like I was good enough to make any money that way, it was just a hobby, now I have been in college a year longer because of it…

The starting quarterback position for the football team is still up in the air. The competition is between Barron Bradshaw and Drew Newhart. Both are good athletes and neither quarterback has made this an easy decision for the
football coaching staff.

Drew Newhart is a local product from Cameron, Missouri were he was the quarterback of the state championship teams for Cameron. He is listed at 6’0” 185 pounds.

Barron Bradshaw is an instate product from St.. Louis, Missouri. He is known for his great arm strength. He is listed at 6’2” 196 pounds.

As I stated before Bradshaw’s biggest strength is his arm strength and his leadership ability.Newhart’s strengths are his mobility and he is a little quicker than Bradshaw. The race between the two quarterbacks is dead even. Both quarterbacks are well liked by their teammates and show great leadership skills.

This year could also end up like last year and both quarterbacks could see playing time. Either way they go I believe either quarterback can be successful and lead the Griffons to great success.

Putting together a depth chart is like putting a puzzle together.Each piece has to fit together. Starters from last year’s team leaving gave opportunities to players to grab a starting spot.

Another position for opportunity is the wide receiver position. With Jarrett Brooks departure it has opened up for guys to step up into a bigger role. Players that could fill this role are Andrew Mead, Joey Harris, Anthony Anderson and Zach Sharp.

For the team to be successful this upcoming season young guys are going to have to step up and be playmakers. Young guys like Andrew Gilmore, Kendall Davis, Demarcus Trotter and Thomas Hodges. The team maybe young, but they are athletic and have a strong core of senior leadership.

The mix of young guys and returning players is what makes this team interesting. Watching this team this year will be exciting. It will be interesting to see how the team adapts to the new coordinators and also see how the new starters adapt
to their new roles. No matter what the outcomes of the games this team will be young and exciting to watch this season.

Or perhaps you’ve been having trouble sleeping lately.

Yeah, it’s going around.

Unfortunately, there’s no vaccine for the Finals bug, and the cruel irony is, the more you allow yourself to stress out, the more cause for stress you have. Negativity is a sure way to drain yourself, physically as well as mentally, during a week that demands students perform at their peak in these areas.

For that reason, it is essential for us to stay positive in our approach to finals week, as well as do what we can to take care of ourselves.

There are many ways we can keep our minds and bodies ready and able to survive this last push at school, but often you will see students doing the exact opposite.

It is important to structure your time. Procrastination costs you valuable time and forces cramming, which is also an issue.

It is recommended that students study no more than two hours at a time. Any more than that and you stop retaining the information you’re so desperately trying to hold on to.

Structure your time, and study the hardest things first.

People tend to remember the things they study first and last the best.

That’s another reason to take breaks during study time. You tend to be a little fuzzy on the stuff you studied in the middle.

Another common mistake students make is loading up on caffeine.

If you’re downing energy drinks at 3 o’clock in the morning, your mind is not operating at optimal performance, and the likelihood is that it won’t be for your test tomorrow, either. Put down the espresso and get some sleep!

A rested mind and body is more likely to remember the things you actually did have time to study.

That means don’t go out and party this week. Stay at home and skip the hangover.

Also, be sure you’re eating regular meals, and try to avoid the greasy stuff. It just bogs you down.

There are many pieces of advice given to college students to help with finals, but it all comes down to being good to yourself.

It makes no sense that you would abuse your mind and body for days on end and they would reward you by performing their best.

Treat your body well, and it will return the favor.

Self-portraits and videos of the killer have flooded the Internet and splashed across television screens worldwide.

We have worn ribbons and joined Facebook groups in memory to mourn the victims, all the while wondering why.

As we move forward in time, we will heal. But before we become too complacent, let us remember who we are.

Or rather, who we are not.

We are not students in a high-security facility with thorough background checks of incoming students.

That may not even be a feasible solution given budgets and time restraints.

We currently only have the same kind of e-mail system in place as Va. Tech, along with a few police cars with public address capabilities and a plan in the form of a phone tree.

There are plenty of loopholes in the security on this, or any campus. But we must remember that security usually comes at the price of fewer liberties. Choosing between the two is never easy. It wasn’t after Columbine or 9/11, and it won’t be now.

The only way to be completely safe from negative outside influences would be to spend our lives in solitary confinement. There is a certain amount of risk that comes with the liberty and rights we hold so dear.

That being said, you never really know if you’re safe.

How well do you know your suitemate?

How about your lab partner?

Or the kid in your class that never says a word?

Let us not be lulled into a false sense of security. St. Joseph is not immune to evil, nor are we immortal. The powers that be have a responsibility to do everything possible to keep us safe and alert us if there should be danger. Virginia Tech was a wake-up call showing the importance of immediate communication between school administrators and students.

Also, as individuals, we have accountability for our own well-being, as well as the safety of others. Many stories emerged from this tragedy of people who had that extra moment to think and acted in ways  that saved lives — some losing theirs in the process.

No matter how dire the situation may seem, there is always something that can be done.

It’s easy to point out what could be better and whine about things you have no influence on. It’s human nature.

But the fact is, there are some areas where Western really excels, and it would do the student body good to take notice. There are some reasons to be proud of our university.

Among those reasons is our excellent applied learning program, and the multitude of opportunities do get our hands dirty in our field of study.

Students at Missouri Western really have a leg up on the competition when it comes to getting marketable experience. From The Mochila Review to internships, from research projects with professors to study abroad opportunities, students here are given a variety of opportunities not afforded to students at every college.

The administration has wisely made it a goal to involve every student in some sort of hands-on learning experience before the individual graduates.

Western is not satisfied with having students who are simply able to sit through lectures and regurgitate memorized facts.

We are to be experienced, knowledgeable graduates, ready for anything the post-graduation world might throw at us.

That is the goal, anyway. Finding ways to keep students involved in the world around them instead of buried in books is a testament to the dedication to continual improvement of the opportunities offered here.

Gov. Matt Blunt has wooed us with whispers of increased financial aid for the needy college student, and he’s making it happen.

Blunt has a vision to help Missourians keep and enjoy the money we’ve earned, “…by giving every child in Missouri an education that will serve as the first rung on a ladder to achieving their own prosperity and a bright future.”

Blunt’s recent scholarship initiatives have the potential to take a good education from a dream to a reality for many students who would otherwise lack the finances to attend college.

For example, his Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative will provide another $25 million for student scholarships, which will increase the total for need-based scholarships from $27.5 million to $72.5 million.

Recently, the Governor talked to Missouri Western about the new Access Missouri scholarships that he is trying to set in stone for us. Access would sky rocket financial aid to include over eight times the number of students currently benefiting.

The citizens of this wonderful country are used to empty promises from teachers, bosses, parents and politicians, and how refreshing to see a change!

It’s nice to have someone representing our state who cares about students in St. Joseph.

For that reason, many students will now be able to attend Missouri Western on scholarships when they may not have the greatest GPA.

Thank you Gov. Blunt for using your authority to make life better for the little guys.

Well, one motivation for students to read is in jeopardy thanks to critics now speaking out. Pizza Hut’s Book It! program has found itself under fire as of late, being accused of using teachers as corporate advertisers and worsening childhood obesity.

“In the name of education, it promotes junk food consumption to a captive audience… and undermines parents by positioning family visits to Pizza Hut as an integral component of raising literate children,” said Susan Linn, a Harvard psychologist and co-founder of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

While, yes, childhood obesity is a serious problem that necessitates action, could a reading program such as Book It! be to blame?

Yes, Pizza Hut does push its product via the program. It’s easy to see when you consider that a fourth grade student is not going to drive himself to pick up his pizza. His parents are bringing him and will often buy something for the rest of the family. Those in favor of the program see families eating together at all as a positive thing. Families today rarely have time to share a meal together, so when they do it should be encouraged, no matter where they’re eating.

Critics, on the other hand, say that Book It! creates an atmosphere that pressures parents to feed their kids junk food. Everyone has a legitimate concern regarding this issue, but could we be missing the point completely?

When was the last time you heard of a child becoming obese from having a personal pizza every month? If the kid has an otherwise healthy diet, it’s not going to happen unless there’s some medical problem.

Americans love to play the victim and parents especially have a tendency to blame The Man for little Junior’s biting, dishonesty problem, swearing or obesity.

Sure, institutions influence us all tremendously, but our families should influence us more.

We live in an imperfect world full of imperfect people and our youth will be somewhat tainted because of it. That’s just life. But if parents will take the time to play an active role in their kids’ lives, some of the damage could be minimized.

It’s true, Book It! encourages kids to eat high-calorie food in small quantities once a month. But don’t point your finger at Pizza Hut. At least the kids are reading. No, point the finger at the parents who don’t have the wisdom to teach the kids how to care for their bodies. If a child doesn’t have that foundation, then when they are presented with an opportunity like a pizza party, it won’t be a big deal because a body that’s treated well in general can handle the kind of abuse pizza is. Now go make your kid a salad.

Judy Shepard saw the truth up close and personal when her son was beaten to death out of hatred for his lifestyle.

She’s seen it, and she’s doing something about it.

Judy travels the country speaking on “The Legacy of Matthew Shepard,” in order to empower people to put a stop to discrimination and to help “Erase the Hate.”

Sometimes it takes hearing a story like the Shepard’s to realize how deeply hatred and prejudice is embedded in much of America.

So often you see people making gross generalizations or using stereotypes to judge others who are different.

People who are different endure stares and mockeries, seemingly the price to be paid for individuality.

We can express ourselves, but only in certain, socially acceptable ways.

If one should stray from those ways, the individual risks being ostracized, labeled, overlooked or, in Matthew’s case and many others, killed.

Oh yes, Western. Discrimination is alive and well in our country.

In our town.

On our campus.

Some of you reading this have felt firsthand the effects of hatred in those around you.

Some of you are afraid of what you do not understand and do everything you can to stay away from that which is different.

Some of you know that you are a homophobe, a racist, a bigot, but would never admit it.

Some of you have the audacity to wear your ignorance on your sleeve.

Some of you have no idea what this column is about because you refuse to acknowledge the truth. Discrimination is like a rumor you refuse to verify.

Will you dare to open your eyes and see it?

Even more scary: when you do recognize it, will you dare do something about it?

Or will you sit idly by?

Let us learn to see the injustice and prejudice that is all around us and do what we can to erase it.

As the human race, we should be working together to conquer difficulties, not creating difficulties by fighting each other.

All people, be they gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or straight, is special, unique and deserving of respect and dignity from all humankind.

No matter what you were taught, how you feel or what your friends think, do the right thing.

Love the guy that sits next to you in chemistry.

Love the girl in accounting.

As Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young would have it, “love the one you’re with.”

Whoever is standing in front of you at any given moment, that’s the one you’re to love and respect.

And only a two-faced individual will act any differently when the person you were treating well turns her back.

If we all start loving the one we’re with, hatred will start dying and people will stop.

So, when you sit down this paper, start finding ways to respect people. You may find respect coming right back to you.

Would you ever lie to a person to get them into bed?

Would you be less than honest about your job, family, possessions or health?

Three out of 10 men and one out of 10 women reading this article have lied about something in order to seduce the opposite sex, according to The New England Journal of Medicine.

Sixty-eight percent of men and 59 percent of women have been involved with more than one person their current partner doesn’t know about.

One in five Americans is infected with a sexually transmitted disease, and 80 percent of those individuals experience no noticeable symptoms.

At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives.

Now, are you sure you’re free of STDs?

It’s a scary question, but the hope is to open your eyes. Medicine has come so far, and we have all kinds of treatments for various STDs.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV), (you know, the one that 50 percent of us will acquire at some point?) in some cases can cause cancer in infected women and girls.

Now before you start panicking, take a deep breath.

You’re only a doctor’s visit away from peace of mind, or being brought back to health.

The best way to keep yourself from getting a bad report from the Doc is to take a proactive role in your health.

For women to stave off cervical cancer that can be caused by HPV, they can receive the vaccine called Gardasil.

Unfortunately, Gardasil is not yet covered by insurance, and it will cost you a pretty penny. It’s $130 per shot, and the treatment consists of three shots in a span of six months. If you have $390 just sitting around, that works out just fine…but what about the rest of us?

Thirty thousand girls and women in Missouri will be able to receive the vaccination at no charge, thanks to an $11 million grant from The Missouri Foundation for Health to keep women free of cervical cancer.

If you would like more information on HPV, the vaccine, its availability or your eligibility to receive the vaccine for free, contact your primary care provider.

And remember, the only one who can protect you…is you!

Be responsible and take care of your body.

The majority of us will graduate with about $10,000 of loans, and many will have more oppressing financial burdens than that.

The idea of the “poor college student” is fairly embedded in the American psyche, but when those poor students graduate, their debt load makes them poor college graduates, which is a little more troublesome.

Cars, computers, homes, education… we feel that these are all necessities, but we tend to have an extremely nonchalant approach to taking out loans and paying with credit
cards.

If we do realize what a financial mess we are creating, we generally feel there’s nothing we can do about it and ignore it as long as possible.

We make minimum payments on our credit cards and wait to pay off our student loans until we graduate, and it’s absolutely necessary.

The common mistakes we make and shrug off as a typical part of growing up can cost us big time in the long run.

Your credit score is one of the most important assets (or hindrances) to a young person who is ready to build her life.

Buying a house or a wedding gown will almost, without fail, require you to have a decent credit score.

So, for the sake of your future, start paying on your student loans now, even if you don’t have to.

Make sure you make any payments on time. Take an active role in controlling your finances now, and in the future, or you’ll likely find them controlling you.

The similarity is that we the students are not as involved with the major decision making around campus that students are affected by.

For instance, the SGA has roughly $500,000 of the student’s money at its disposal. It would behoove the students to be as active as possible in the decision-making process that affects them. SGA has put out a call for more student senators to participate in the governing process.

This is an obvious cry for help. The student government needs help and the opinions of those who are under it.

Poor attendance, and lack of people willing to participate to get the job done, has crippled our governing body.

How can ideas become reality when no one is investing in the idea?

Our student government could be so much better and stronger if the students would participate in it and help with the many committees that are designed to take care of the student body.

The student government needs a diversity of people with different opinions and ideas.

Otherwise, there is a tiny group of people making decisions for the approximately 5,000 students that attend Western and give money to the SGA. Is this fair that someone who doesn’t represent your ideas make decisions in regard to how the students are governed and what is done with the half million that is budgeted each semester?

It is far past time for Missouri Western students to step it up in a big way. When the student government is calling out for help, it is imperative that the least we do is go to the meetings and ask, “What can I do?” Just being a warm body sitting at a table does no good. Active participation is key and desperately needed for an effective government that is represented by the students.

Also, students complain about the lack of events around campus that they want to go to; however, they refuse to join the one organization that provides the majority of campus events. CAB should have the most people in it to help and organize the campus events.

Recall the days of yore (for a few of you), when Sylvester Brandon was SGA president and the campus changed. CAB hosted Hoobastank, and the students were pleased with the government and the events that were held for them.

This can happen again with help from a student body that cares about leaving a legacy and not just obtaining a degree or seeing how many parties they can attend.

In short, get involved Missouri Western.

In the near future, new graduate programs will be in place as an option for the students.

There will be a Master’s Degree in Applied Science, which will boast three different branches: chemistry, human factors and usability testing and information technology management.

Since officially becoming a University, Missouri Western has taken even greater strides to improve the environment and education it provides.

We’ve got snazzy new benches in the hallways, we’ve got a Quizno’s and now we’re proud to show off our newest babies: graduate programs.

Everybody knows that Western has a morale problem amongst its students.

We like to complain about everything we see wrong.

We like to play armchair quarterback and say how we’d do it differently. Better.

However, when you consider the funding and resources this University has, we made the most of what we have…and that’s something we can be proud of.

So congratulations, Missouri Western, on another step in the name of progress.

Keep up the good work!

It’s a good reason to celebrate, right?

One should think so.

However, it could very well be that a glaring problem is lurking in the details of this change.

Our university will be out an unexpected $240,000 for the next two semesters combined.

The question of the hour is, “Where will that huge chunk of money be coming from?”

Will students’ hours be cut?

Will students’ jobs be eliminated?

Will students’ tuition increase?

It’s difficult to say, since there were seemingly no preparations made to deal with the increase.

Western’s administration has said that they are trying to scoop up the surplus from different departments across the campus.

That’s a good idea, but it’s hard to imagine $240,000 just lying around on this campus.

It is fairly certain that we, the student body, will in some way pay for this blessing we have received.

Missouri Western does have a reserve account, created for just such a situation, however apparently that’s not being looked at as an option.

Why would they not tap into the reserve? It’s not fair that students should suffer because of legislature that was meant to help us?

Administration, please do everything in your power to keep from cutting our hours and jobs.

And you know very well that we wouldn’t like another tuition increase.

We know this financial challenge was unexpected, but that’s why you’ve been putting our money in reserve.

The days are beginning to lengthen, we’ll have new classes and challenges, we’ll meet new people and hopefully make new friends.

Nature will awake and all creatures will shed their winter coats, although we humans never got to wear ours much because of the unseasonably warm winter we’ve had.

It almost didn’t seem like Christmas without the earmuffs and mittens, but the holidays have come and gone regardless of the Missouri weather.

Many people suffer from seasonal depression during the winter, no doubt from the lack of sunlight, but the climax of the holidays surely plays into it also.

We are so excited for months before Christmas, and then in a matter of 24 hours, it’s over.

The excitement is gone.

Sure, we have fun new toys to play with, but there are no more surprises to be had, no more decorating to be done, no more Christmas cards to write.

That which lies before us now is not holiday cheer.

It is potential.

Every Jan. 1, humanity is given a chance to try again.

We all love to set New Year’s resolutions, but please be careful.

Try to set achievable goals for yourself.

Look at yourself honestly, examine your past behavior, and ask yourself what improvements you can realistically achieve.

Without taking a moment for self-analysis before declaring you will lose 100 pounds in 12 months, you are setting yourself up for not only failure, but likely disappointment and perhaps depression.

So embrace the changes of the new year.

Embrace the changes in you.

Just be wise in dealing with yourself.

We’ve got work to do, people to see, presents to wrap, cookies to bake, and all in a matter of weeks.

Yikes.

Every year it happens the same way: we piddle around for 11 and a half months, putting off the inevitable, pretending it won’t come, and then it does.

And then it’s the shocker of shockers: Christmas is here and, no, I’m not ready for it.

Even in this relatively small town, life seems to scream by faster and faster as we approach the ever-looming December 25.

In a panic, we grab our credit cards and go to work.

It’s easy to focus on the to-do list and forget what you’re doing it all for.

It’s not about what great presents you get.

It’s not whether your house has the coolest light display.

It’s not about how much you spend on others.

Charlie Brown cried out for someone who could tell him what Christmas was all about, and we probably need a reminder too.

This time of year, the holidays, Christmas is all about love.

Christmas is sitting with your family around a fire, laughing about years past.

Christmas is sneaking around keeping your surprises secret.

Christmas is going through the hassle of putting up a Christmas tree, knowing full well your cat will knock it down within the hour.

Christmas is loving and being loved.

So, yes, shop to your heart’s content.

Go to the early morning sales, bake the cookies, visit family and laugh with friends.

Just remember what this time means to you.

Resist the lure of obligation and remember that it’s all about love or it’s not worth doing.

There are times to be dutiful, but give yourself a rest.

Make the effort to live from your heart.

It is the day of family, football and pumpkin pie.

It is the day that puts the usual gluttony of the American people to shame.

It is, of course, Thanksgiving.

Yes, children, pack up your dirty laundry and get ready for Mom’s home cooking.

Be careful, though, in the hubbub of the holidays not to forget why we’re celebrating.

A great majority of the world wishes we had what we have here in America.

We take so many things for granted here.

Of Americans falling under the label of “poor” according to the Census Bureau, 46 percent own their own homes.

Seventy-six percent have air conditioning.

He has more average living space than the norm in Paris, London, Vienna and Athens, to name just a few places.

Seventy-five percent of “poor” households own a car, while 30 percent own at least two.

Sixty-two percent of this country’s “impoverished” get cable or satellite reception.

When one considers that more than 1 billion people right now live on less than $1 a day…

When one considers that every day, over 16,000 children die from hunger…

When one considers that in the year 2000, nearly a billion people were illiterate…

One cannot help but be thankful.

Let’s make the most of this Thanksgiving.

Jim Talent and Claire McCaskill are engaged in a nasty catfight for U.S. Senate. If you want to find out what issues they plan to support, don’t pay attention to their campaign ads or websites.

Voters have to self-educate themselves about what the issues at hand are and what will affect them and their children.

Those who are smart know this and will seek out the truth or at least an educated stance on stem cell research, minimum wage and tobacco tax issues from different sources other than the candidates. Unfortunately, the majority of the voting body will not base their votes on real facts, but rather what they have heard from a friend or a political ad. This is not a comforting thought for people who have researched the topics and issues that we will vote on today.

Knowing that the power is in the hands of the uneducated is enough to make anyone’s stomach turn. Therefore, we do not just encourage students to vote, but rather to know what they are voting on and the possible repercussions that will ensue and later affect them and the next generation. The stem cell debate is the hottest topic and has been the leader in political  ads this voting year. The ads are misleading and the ones against stem cell research depict the exploitation of women and allude to the fact that stem cell research will cause the senseless murder of innocent babies. Also, voting in favor of stem cell research will not instantly heal the afflicted.

It is no longer enough to just vote. Missouri Western, vote intelligently, there is still time.

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Her eye-opening account of Muslim life in American culture was received by a record breaking crowd of 150 students in the Fulkerson center.

Her testimony of the average life of the Muslim women made it apparent that we understand so little about our neighbors, our doctors; the very educated women living all around us.

We’d love to be able to say that every human is the same. We all get equal treatment, and we all have the same goals and motivations.

We believe this, and we are, in fact, the stereotypical “ugly American.”

Every human is not the same.

People cannot be categorized and filtered through our neat little cubby holes and cubicles.

Regardless of race, age, gender or culture, every person on this planet is unique and special.

Each of us has our own dreams, our own past, our own future.

Stereotypes evolve through repetitive experiences with the same kind of person, so sometimes stereotypes can be accurate.

Sometimes they are not.

There’s a chance that you fit your nationality’s stereotype, but then again, don’t you deserve the chance to show your uniqueness?

Aren’t other people missing out if they don’t give you a chance? It’s likely.

So let’s grow up and see past the petty into the depth of people around us.

Who knows, they may offer us the same kindness.

For instance, we now have a Quizno’s on campus, and the food court stays open longer for those late-night eaters.

Also, Western has received a substantial increase in financial aid to help students pay for their education.

Lastly, the university established the Griffon Gateway Program to aid students who might struggle during their first year of college.

Western deserves applause for the increased efforts to please the ones who are spending their hard-earned dollars for a good education.

However, there is always room to improve. Western is not as disabled-friendly as it could be.

The university needs to make an effort to guarantee that they meet all of the students needs, especially the disabled.

Many of the buildings around Western’s campus have only one disabled-accessible entrance.

The other doors around the campus are heavy and cumbersome.

Also, the sidewalks during the winter need to be cleared off and salted as soon a possible for those who have to get around in a wheelchair.

The sidewalks are hard enough to walk up, and every year it is a certainty that some students will slip and fall when walking from Blum Union to Murphy or Eder Hall.

Perhaps heated sidewalks or a shuttle vehicle could help students get to their destinations safely.

Also, instead of the disabled-accessible buttons at those entries, use a motion sensor that is close to the ground so that those in wheelchairs don’t have to wheel over to the button, push it, wheel back and hope that the door doesn’t close before they get through.

The older water fountains around campus are not easy for our disabled students to access. There is no bar to push to get the water, and they are high up, making it impossible for a person of short stature or in a wheelchair to get a drink of water.

Being more conscientious of the special needs of the students will make Western an even more comfortable, easy access place to live, learn and have fun.

After all, they’ve been there; done that – got the degrees to prove it.

Because they know how difficult it is and that it is harder on some than others, Missouri Western has established policy and programs to give incoming freshmen the greatest chance
at success.

The newly established Griffon Gateway Program is another step in that direction.

Unless your degree requires a high level of math, most likely you dread the required college-level math courses.

And many students need developmental math before they even attempt the required courses.

The GGP allows students who have struggled through high school an opportunity to approach college life, with all its changes in cadence and personal responsibility, at a slower

pace.

Keeping these students at part-time status gives them a better chance to finish their developmental classes and gives them an opportunity to prove to themselves that they have the

personal drive it takes to succeed at a university.

It also makes the university look better to the state because the state only considers retention and graduation rates for first time, full-time freshmen. And GGP students are not full-time

students.

As The Griffon News reported in the Oct. 3 issue, that same part-time status puts an end to an important pact between its students and their parents.

If a parent can no longer claim their student on their federal income tax, the financial backlash is substantial in terms of tax credits, as well as medical insurance coverage, tuition
reimbursement and other benefits offered to a dependent by a parent’s employer.

This oversight was no doubt inadvertent and can be remedied.

For example, the university could make policy that the GGP students are in fact full-time, and the IRS will allow parents to claim them as a dependent.

However, if the university does declare GGP students as full-time, that will also cause the state to look at the GGP freshmen’s retention and graduation rates, which may not reflect

positively on the university.

On the one hand, the university’s image, which is unarguably important, is at stake if GGP students are considered full time.

On the other hand, many of the very students who need the financial support of their parents are put at an economic disadvantage by the program in its current state.

The university is at a crossroad. It’s time to ante up. How the university handles this dilemma with the GGP will tell a great deal about its priorities.

In all likelihood, it was when you were walking to class today.

It seems that those who are thrill seekers should just walk on the crosswalks around this campus. The likeliness of a sensation of a car coming so close to your body that you can feel the

vibrations of the engine are high.

What is with the maniac drivers on this campus?

Instead of arriving to campus five minutes before class in hopes of quickly finding a parking spot- which we know is unlikely – leave home ten minutes earlier. Doing this might save

someone from catching a glimpse at that light at the end of the tunnel when you scare them close to death with your speeding car.

You know those big, thick white lines that run from one side of the street to the other? That is what is known as a crosswalk.

If you see a pedestrian walking across one such crosswalk, by law you are required to stop and let them pass. Do not rev your engine and creep closer to them while they are walking,

that is rude.

Even if they are just about to step off the curb, common courtesy would dictate that you stop and wait the entire eight seconds till they cross.

Yes, eight seconds is an eternity in the fast-paced life of today, but seriously. Do it. The only excuse a person would have for not stopping at a crosswalk would be if they were simply

going too fast to slow down… but wait!

That would explain those pesky speed limit signs all over campus!

Yes, many of us do come fairly close to observing the speed limit around here, but it only takes one hurried student who isn’t paying attention for someone to get hurt.

Amongst the groaning and gnashing of teeth and questioning whether to sell appendages to pay to go to school are worth the hassle, keep in mind that Western’s funding is not a bottomless well.

With the state funding Western less and less as the years go by, who is to pick up the slack? The students have to foot the bill through fees and tuition increases.

Also keep in mind that Western has bills to pay. Employees need to be paid. Health costs are not on the decrease and the campus needs to be maintained and updated from time to time.

On the other side, if anyone asks what students are getting as a benefit from this increase they can log onto the financial aid Web site and peruse through the mountains of scholarships available to them. Financial aid at Western has increased dramatically over the past three years without a raise in tuition. With this increased tuition, more students will be able to receive funding from the school. Not everyone is a beneficiary, but this is fair for those students who do not have the financial support to pay for college.

If looking at a bill from Missouri Western this semester compared to last semester induces bouts of dizziness, just think that everyone is doing their part to help those who are less fortunate. Think of it as a philanthropic venture and possibly a self-investment.

Students should not just moan and groan about tuition going on the rise again. They should ask why it is rising and who are the beneficiaries of this increase before blindly cursing the administration and jumping to uninformed conclusions. Dig deeper tuition payers, Western is still one of the least expensive universities in Missouri.

Mmm, toasty!

In place of Montague’s Deli, a Quiznos has been opened, and it seems as though the student body has welcomed the change.

Although Quiznos is more expensive than the deli it replaced, you will often find a rather lengthy line of hungry students waiting for a toasted sub.

In addition to the many improvements the Student Government Association has made to the Blum Union, Quiznos is welcomed with open arms and smiles of gratitude.

The beauty of the Quiznos menu is that there is something for every diet.

They’ve got everything from the healthiest of salads to calorie-packed concoctions on white bread.

Students can choose from a plethora of delicious sauces and fresh vegetables.

For the finicky eaters among us, all of the subs are totally customizable.

This new addition goes well with the renovation of the seating area of the food court, which now has a bit of a stage tucked away in the corner.

With Missouri Western’s university status has come changes that make our school more attractive, and bringing in a well-known name in fast food is just one such change.

Nothing’s worse than getting out of a stressful class or just finishing with a big test to find a $25 parking ticket on the windshield of your car.

Most students who choose to live off campus or those nontraditional types have a hard enough time arriving 30 minutes early just to find a parking spot.

Dealing with a parking ticket should not be one of those stressful aspects of college life.

The parking meter maids of the Western campus are a special kind of breed. They seem to be hiding around every corner just waiting to give a poor unsuspecting student a ticket.

Tickets are being issued everywhere from the normal no parking permit to parking the wrong way in a spot.

Other violations include students parking in the so-called unloading dock or visitor parking for no more than three minutes.

The most unnerving element about this whole ordeal is that some students come out to find that their car has been ticketed not only one time, but layered with two.

Now let’s say a student has business to take care of that will only take a matter of minutes.

Does the student either: a.) park in the unloading dock b.) risk parking in a visitor spot or c.) park on the other side of campus?

Option three seems to be the safest decision, but should such a minor errand be subject to a $25 punishment?

Yes, parking security is a necessity on our campus. The question is to what degree should they rule?

Boundaries and limitations are a key ingredient to a successful coexistence between students and authority.

This is true for all aspects of campus life. Now it is our job as a whole to develop a solution in order to create a happy medium.

First off, we will start off with a little background history. At the end of the fall 2005 semester I decided to switch my major from construction engineering (don’t ask) to journalism because I had a dream of becoming the next Monday night football girl; just like a certain woman some of you may remember.

After only one semester as a sports writer I landed the position of the sports editor of the Griffon News. Little do you know, I was the only person able to take on the role as Mrs. Sports Editor.

Now I am not looking at it as a bad thing. I absolutely believe this opportunity is a positive step towards my dreams, but I have to be 100 percent honest, I was petrified at the idea of being in charge of a school newspaper’s sports section. It’s quite silly if you think about it; because I don’t know even now how many students actually read the school paper.

Readers or not it scared me.

Sept. 10 was the first time I laid out a page from top to bottom. When I say “layout a page,” I mean from the box surrounding the golf article to the bylines under Andrew Mead scoring a touchdown. That is lot of pressure on me.

Just to let all of my readers know, I spent 12 hours in the newsroom critiquing and perfecting every last detail of that page.

However, as we all find out some time in our own life, none of us are perfect. I would like to take a moment and admit I am not perfect. And if anyone knows me beyond my first name, they already know that.

I am reminded of a certain Spiderman quote; “Peter: with great power comes great responsibility.”

Yes I know it sounds pretty goofy, but honestly that’s how I feel. I want to be the first to confess I am not the world’s best speller (thanks to my mama), and I don’t know everything there is to know about sports. So bare with me people! P.S. Go Griffons!!!

Or, at least those of us enrolled in 100-level classes do.

The new attendance policy states that a student can have about two weeks of unexcused absences before midterms, after which the professor is required to report their name to the Registrar’s Office and the student is automatically withdrawn from the class.

This has the potential to affect one’s financial aid and status as a full- or part-time student.

Many students are unhappy with the new rule, pointing out the fact that we are paying for the classes… shouldn’t we be able to choose whether or not we attend?

If we flunk because of poor attendance, we pay the price, not Missouri Western, right?

Well, that’s not the absolute truth.

It’s true, the University still gets our money if we fail a class.

However, the more students we have failing, the worse our academic standards look, and the less attractive we are as a school.

Also, it is amusing that students are finding it unfair that they would be required to go to class.

If you don’t want to attend classes, what is it you’d say you do here?

Yes, there are many enjoyable activities and interesting people around campus, but this isn’t the Country Club.

This is college.

The new attendance policy isn’t very pleasant for the student body, but it is a much needed kick in the pants for those who have the capability to excel but lack the motivation, a demographic that is seemingly prevalent around here.

So even though the new policy is a pain for students, especially the ones with kids or full-time jobs, overall it should be a great thing for Missouri Western’s reputation, and therefore its graduates.

Kudos to those who put the good of students above being popular with us.

We all know you’ve got at least one pair of lucky underwear stashed in the recesses of your sock drawer.

Well, dear students, the time has come to dig them out and don them again, for football season is upon us!

Yes, rejoice, for now is the time of tail-gating, face paint, over-priced team paraphernalia and some of the funniest commercials known to man.

All the fans out there understand the seasonal depression that comes with the off-season. When the last second runs out on the Super Bowl game, a sense of disappointment settles over the nation.

It’s much like the day after Christmas, except the sorrow that is the day after the Super Bowl is only deepened by a great percentage of the country being hung over, and lacking any gifts to show for it.

However, as we inch ever closer to the Next Season Marker, our hearts find the strength to beat again as anticipation grows.

We excitedly engage in know-it-all chatter about coaching changes, draft picks, injuries and whether or not this will be “the year” that the Chiefs reward our never-ending optimism.

It’s hard to predict these things.

However, there is one thing that can be stated without a shadow of a doubt: it’s football season, and sports fanatics everywhere rejoice at the thought.

So enjoy it while it’s here, because the offseason always lurks in the distance.