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Alumni Association doesn’t sell out t-shirts - Oct. 7

Despite low pay, few faculty attend salary meeting – Oct. 7

MU kicking students out of Commuter Parking lots – Oct. 7

MSA Chairpersons Resign – Oct. 2

Faulty sprinkler in Ellis Library soaks part of building – Oct. 1

Police arrest 3 suspects in Columbia Square Townhomes - Sept. 30

State representative pushes for new engineering building – Sept. 29

Students report sexual assault at Les Bourgeois – Sept. 23

MU holds annual ‘International Day’ – Sept. 23

Sustainability major a long way away – Sept. 22

Scoreboard ready for Saturday’s kickoff – Sept. 11

Recycler’s pull-out leaves MU scrambling – Sept. 10

Rollins Dining Hall closing in December – Sept. 9

Click to sign MSA’s Reactor Field petition – Sept. 9

MU students now paying for common lab tests - Sept. 2

Swine flu hits MU - August 31

Taylor Stadium gets facility upgrade – August 30

MU chancellor Deaton wants Bud to can ‘fan cans’ – August 30

Tigers kick QB Blaine Dalton off football team - August 28

MU students complain about new wireless network, e-mail - August 28

MU officials unhappy with new beer cans - August 26

Hitt Street checkpoint leads to 14 arrests / First weekend back means busy weekend for police – August 24

Reynolds Foundation gives $15 million gift to MU journalism institute – August 23

Crumbling MU smokestacks need $3.8 million in repairs - August 23

MU extends athletic director Alden’s contract through 2017 - August 7

MUPD eyes accreditation - August 3

Campus road closures mean twists and turns

Theo Keith / KCOU News / Sept. 11, 2009

COLUMBIA – Crews will open one road but close another this week in the northwest corner of the MU campus.

Workers will open Stewart Road between Fifth and Sixth streets at 12 p.m. Saturday. The north sidewalk will be closed.

Crews will also shut down Fifth Street north of Stewart on Monday morning. The east sidewalk, across the street from the MU power plant, will remain open.

That means southbound drivers must take Sixth to Stewart, make a right turn, then turn left on Fifth and continue south.

It’s a confusing route, but one the university promised when officials said Fifth and Sixth streets would never be closed to traffic at the same time.

Workers have been installing a steam pipe underneath Stewart for more than a year. They’ve finished work there, meaning the road can reopen. But Sixth Street between Stewart and Conley Ave. will remain closed as crews continue pipe work there.

Work won’t move onto Conley until after Homecoming because the parade route travels down the road. The new steam pipe will eventually finish at Maryland Ave.

MU chancellor: Letter to students warning of swine flu

To MU Students:

Novel H1N1 influenza (“swine flu”) is present at MU. The severity appears to be relatively mild, comparable to the seasonal influenza that occurs every winter, and medical intervention is usually not necessary. Following the recommendations of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, MU is no longer testing for novel H1N1 influenza.

Below are guidelines to help you know what to do if you become ill and to help the MU medical community respond to the influenza outbreak in an efficient and safe manner.

If you experience symptoms that you suspect may be novel H1N1 influenza (fever, cough, muscle aches), take the following steps:

· Minimize contact with other students. Stay in your residence hall room, Greek house or apartment.  DO NOT GO TO CLASS.

· Call the Student Health Center (882-7481) or your personal physician. Do NOT go to the Student Health Center, or your personal physician’s office, without CALLING FIRST. This enables timely and efficient care to be provided to those in need and minimizes the spread of influenza to others. If you have extremely severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, you may need treatment at Urgent Care or the Emergency Center.

· The typical illness lasts 5-7 days. Fever and body aches should be managed by taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If symptoms worsen, contact the Student Health Center or your personal physician.  As always, if you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.

· If you have a chronic medical condition, you may be at risk for complications from influenza and should contact the Student Health Center or your personal physician for recommendations.  These problems include lung conditions like asthma, heart problems, kidney, liver or blood disorders (including sickle cell disease), diabetes and other metabolic disorders, immune suppression caused by medications or HIV, pregnancy, and medical conditions that may require long-term aspirin therapy.

· You may return to class or work when your temperature has been less than 100 degrees for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.

· Email your professors to notify them that you will be missing class due to illness.

More information, including steps you can take to prevent the spread of influenza, can be found at these Web sites: MU Alert and Flu.gov.

Brady J. Deaton

Despite economy, MU athletic department plunges millions into scoreboards

Theo Keith / KCOU News / July 23, 2009

COLUMBIA — At a time when MU faculty are expected to pay for part of their pensions and MU professors rank near the bottom in public school salaries, the Missouri athletic department is spending $5 million for new scoreboards at the school’s sports venues.

A $3.8 million, high-definition video scoreboard will make its Memorial Stadium debut when the Tigers take the field Sept. 12.

Upgrades to the sound system will also improve fan satisfaction, athletic department officials told The Maneater, MU’s student-run newspaper. The costs to maintain the aging scoreboard and sound system have been growing lately, athletics department spokesperson Chad Moller said.

Crews will also install two other scoreboards this school year at Walton Stadium for MU soccer and Taylor Stadium for MU baseball. Renovations also include new scorers’ tables at Mizzou Arena, Moller told The Maneater.

He also told the newspaper that the scoreboards would eventually pay for themselves through advertising revenue.

The move comes as the university has plunged into budget woes. Construction projects such as Ellis Fischel Cancer Center teetered for months this spring as the state relied on federal stimulus dollars to start building.

An American Association of University Professors report in May showed MU professors’ salaries rank second-worst out of 34 public institutions. MU faculty earn an average of $81,600 per year, according to the report. Only the University of Oregon was worse.

Changes to the UM System’s retirement plan now force employees to pay a percentage of their salary into their pensions. That decision came after the recession battered UM retirement fund investments.

Last fall, the UM System was in limbo over whether its budget would be slashed because of a hefty state budget deficit. Only a Gov. Jay Nixon deal to hold funding steady if universities did not raise tuition or academic fees kept that from happening.

But the athletic department has continued to spend. Last fall, in the midst of an economic crisis, MU signed head football coach Gary Pinkel to a contract extension worth $2.3 million per year through 2015.

The university then inked head basketball coach Mike Anderson to a seven-year extension that would pay him $1.35 million annually, a 40 percent increase.

And now, the $5 million in scoreboard replacements, which athletic department spokesperson Moller calls “an investment property,” thanks to their potential to bring in future advertising revenue. ◊

MU officials have no plan for Reactor as game day nears

Theo Keith / KCOU News / July 9, 2009

COLUMBIA — With the Sept. 12 football home opener against Bowling Green nearing, MU officials still have no plan in place for dealing with Reactor Field safety.

The lot, off Providence Road south of Stadium Blvd., was a black eye for university officials last season. Reports of excessive drinking, littering and unsafe crowds ran rampant around campus.

In October, MU officials began opening the lot closer to game time to try to combat the problem. While they’ve had nine months to get a permanent plan in place, there have been no decisions, according to news reports.

Among the proposed solutions are blocking off all but one entry and exit for closer monitoring, making Reactor a donor lot, and moving tailgaters to another parking lot, according to The Maneater, MU’s student-run newspaper.

Moving tailgaters has failed in the past, namely when the university shuttered the controversial Frat Pit in 2007. That shifted crowds to Reactor, sparking more dangerous behavior only one year later. ◊

MSA: Improving safety off-campus hard to do

Theo Keith / KCOU News / July 9, 2009

COLUMBIA — The Missouri Students Association is finding it difficult to improve safety in Greektown and East Campus because the areas aren’t on the MU campus.

Crime rates on- and off-campus are comparable, according to recent news reports. But residents still complain about their safety.

MSA completes safety walks on campus and in Greektown, but not on East Campus. But the student government may expand the walk to East Campus in the future, Director of Student Services Ryan Senciboy told The Maneater, MU’s student-run newspaper.

But MSA President Jordan Paul disagreed, saying he wanted to focus on Greektown because only MU students live in the area. He also told The Maneater that policing safety in off-campus areas is tricky because the property is in the city’s hands.

To combat safety complaints, MSA will install two Greektown emergency phones by August, with future expansion depending on the phones’ success, MSA has said. ◊

KCOU earns two Communicator Awards

KCOU News / July 7, 2009

COLUMBIA — KCOU 88.1 FM has won two Communicator Awards of Distinction for its coverage of the 2008 general election.

MU’s student radio station earned the awards in the overall newscast and student-produced program categories.

On Nov. 4, 2008, a team of KCOU reporters covered races for Missouri state representative, governor, U.S. representative, and the presidential race. Anchors were on-air for five hours, eventually witnessing the historic election of President Barack Obama.

“These awards provide yet another example of the vast improvements made at KCOU over the last year,” general manager Jonathan Hutcheson said. “I expect KCOU to continue winning more awards for its programming in the future but, for me, these will always be the most special.”

The Communicator Awards are an annual competition honoring the best in the media industry. Thousands of entries vied for distinction in this year’s competition.

KCOU’s news department will feature expanded coverage of the MU campus and Columbia in the fall semester. KCOU will become a hub for up-to-the-minute, live campus news over the air and on the Web. ◊

UPDATE: Nixon to withhold Ellis Fischel funds

Theo Keith / KCOU News / June 25, 2009

JEFFERSON CITY – The Columbia Tribune is reporting that Gov. Jay Nixon has decided to withhold, but not veto, funding for Columbia’s Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.

The funding has been in limbo as Nixon looked to trim the state’s budget.

Nixon suggested that if the economic situation improved, he would release $325 million he withheld, including the Ellis Fischel money. The governor delayed a total of $91.3 million in UM projects.

Last week, the University of Missouri Board of Curators sent a letter to Nixon urging him to spare the center. Columbia’s state representatives said they were disappointed the governor delayed funding, but said it was better than a veto, the Tribune reports.

When Nixon finally releases the money, the cancer center would receive $31.2 million to build a new facility on the MU campus.

Nixon’s veto pen is the latest obstacle Ellis Fischel has eluded. In the spring legislative session, lawmakers inserted and removed funding several times before finally sending the $23 billion state budget to the governor.

Nixon did veto outright $105 million in other projects, including operating funds. That means about 200 state employees will lose their jobs, the Tribune reports.

MU campus thefts put building coordinators on alert

Theo Keith / June 25, 2009

COLUMBIA – A string of recent thefts around the MU campus led MU police to alert building coordinators, according to a police department e-mail.

MU police  suspect the daytime heists are related and have one suspect description, according to the e-mail.

The thief has stolen purses, wallets and laptops from at least four MU buildings in the last week, including Arts and Science, Hulston Hall, the Agriculture Building, and the School of Medicine.

MU police say they’re looking for a black male in his 20s or 30s. A witness said the suspect was wearing a white hat, a white polo shirt and tan or green shorts. Another witness described a similar suspect, but he wasn’t wearing a hat, had short hair and was wearing jeans.

MU police believe the suspect drove off in a silver compact car with a temporary license plate. The suspect used a credit card from a stolen purse to make purchases at Walgreens and Walmart.

Anyone with information should contact MU police at 573-882-7202.

Forsee: State must ‘fulfill its commitment’ to Ellis Fischel

Theo Keith / KCOU News / June 19, 2009

COLUMBIA – At an emergency meeting Friday morning, the University of Missouri Board of Curators voted to oppose a possible Gov. Jay Nixon veto of some spending projects, such as Columbia’s Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.

Nixon is looking to shave $500 million off the state’s $23 billion budget, according a curator quoted in a Columbia Daily Tribune report. This as the state’s tax revenues will fall far more than expected.

The body directed UM President Gary Forsee to tell Nixon that Fischel and other UM projects were necessary and would quickly create jobs.

But the Curators couldn’t agree with Forsee’s especially harsh words, voting to strip some language from a draft he had circulated. A curator appointed by Nixon called Forsee’s words “adversarial.”

UM officials would not release a copy of Forsee’s draft to the media. But Forsee did say the state has already committed to the projects and “needs to fulfill its commitment,” according to media reports.

The 2010 operating budget contains $31.2 million for a new cancer center, to be located near University Hospital on the MU campus. The project is scheduled for completion in 2012, but Forsee says a Nixon veto would delay or cancel construction. ◊

UPDATE: MU police arrest juvenile for robbery

Theo Keith / KCOU News / June 18, 2009

COLUMBIA – MU police arrested a 15-year-old Wednesday for second degree robbery and first degree trespassing in connection with a Saturday night holdup in the Hitt Street Garage.

Police are still looking for a second suspect they say is a black male between the ages of 16 and 18. The victim described the second assailant as between 5’7″ and 5’9,” with short hair, a black hat, dark blue or black jeans, and a dark blue shirt.

Officials also want to locate a potential witness to the crime. A garage security camera shows a vehicle turning around in the street near the garage just before the robbery. Police believe the driver would provide more details about the second suspect, and police don’t think the driver was involved in the crime.

Below are the security camera photos of the vehicle. Click on the photos for more information.

MU names interim graduate dean

KCOU News / June 17, 2009

COLUMBIA – MU has named George Justice as interim graduate dean, effective July 1.

Justice was previously the graduate school’s associate dean. He replaces Pam Benoit, who is leaving MU for Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where she will be the executive vice president and provost. ◊

MU police looking for two suspected in robbery

Theo Keith / KCOU News / June 14, 2009

COLUMBIA – A female MU student says she was robbed just before 10 p.m. Saturday, and police are looking for two suspects.

Police say the woman was walking near the southwest corner of the Hitt Street Garage when she heard a voice behind her. As she turned, a male teenager ran toward her, punching the woman in the face and causing her to fall. Another male then began hitting her in the head, while one of them grabbed her purse. The two suspects ran toward the Professional Building on University Ave., officials say.

The victim suffered minor injuries but refused medical treatment.

Police say the two male suspects are both black, between the ages of 16 and 18. The victim reported both were between 5’7″ and 5’9″ tall. One had short hair and was wearing a black hat, dark blue or black jeans, and a dark blue shirt. The other had  braids or dreadlocks and was wearing an orange and red button-down shirt with a light colored design near the stomach.

Anyone with information should call Sgt. Shawn Spalding at (573) 882-5928 or (573) 864-8571. ◊

MU to test athletes for sickle cell trait

Theo Keith / KCOU News / June 12, 2009

COLUMBIA – MU will require sickle cell trait tests for all athletes starting this fall.

The disease was a contributing factor in the 2005 death of football player Aaron O’Neal, who collapsed during a practice. Athletic department employees did not have the necessary training to deal with the emergency, according to Associated Press reports.

MU agreed to settle the O’Neal family’s wrongful death lawsuit in February, giving the family $2 million. The lawsuit isn’t the reason for the new required test, the athletic department claims.

Voluntary sickle cell testing has been available since 2006. ◊

Changes coming to football student section

Theo Keith / June 12, 2009

COLUMBIA – Students can expect major changes when they head to Memorial Stadium to watch the Tigers take on Bowling Green on Sept. 12.

The MU athletic department will create a new designated student entrance, change seating to general admission, and narrow the seats.

In previous years, students could enter the stadium through any gate, but now may enter only on the east side.

While students will still see a seat number on their tickets, the days of assigned seats are gone. It’s now first come, first serve. Student organizations will get an opportunity to block out seats for members of their organization. But dorms and Greek chapters will no longer be able to purchase tickets together. Instead, everyone must meet outside the stadium and enter together to sit in a group.

If you thought seating was cosy before, wait until this year — seats themselves will be narrower. Standing up requires less room than sitting down, the athletic department reasoned. The narrower seats will allow more students to sit in the student section instead of on the north end hill.

The incentive to arrive early will curb tailgating abuses that have spiraled out of control in recent years. MU has closed Frat Pit and will open the Reactor Park lot closer to game time. The athletic department is considering making the lot only open to donors. ◊

More rooms, please

Theo Keith / KCOU News / June 12, 2009

COLUMBIA – In April, MU Residential Life said “No thanks” to to Campus Lodge when it didn’t renew its Mizzou Quads rooms for next school year.

But recently, they’ve reversed that position, opening up spaces after realizing there weren’t enough rooms available elsewhere. Residential Life had signed on in April to nearly 400 rooms at Campus View, which they call Tiger Diggs.

Last year, Mizzou Quads students complained about the lack of transportation between the apartment complex and the MU campus. Residential Life officials worked out the kinks by late in the year, but the extra costs meant the department lost money last year.

To try to break even, rates are going up for students living in Mizzou Quads and Tiger Diggs, department officials said. ◊

MU softball bows out of College World Series

KCOU News / May 30, 2009

OKLAHOMA CITY – The MU Tigers softball team was the only unseeded team in the Women’s College World Series, and was the first team to drop out of the tournament, falling Saturday to No. 6 Georgia, 5-2.

The loss came two days after losing the opening-round game to Arizona State, 7-3. It caps a season in which the Tigers won a school-record 50 games and the Big 12 Tournament Championship.

UPDATE: MU softball wins regional

KCOU News / May 16, 2009

COLUMBIA – The Missouri Tigers softball team beat DePaul, 1-0, to win the NCAA Midwest regional final. MU advances to the Super Regional for the second straight year. With the victory, the team also set a school record with 48 wins this season.

The Tigers defeated Bradley, 2-1, in the semifinal and Illinois, 5-1, in the first round to advance to the final. It took two days to beat Illinois, as strong storms suspended the game Friday evening. At the time, Illinois was leading, 1-0.◊

First MU student confirmed with swine flu

Theo Keith / KCOU News / May 11, 2009 / Audio

COLUMBIA – An MU student has been confirmed with swine flu, but he is now in China, his home country.

The 30-year-old student with the last name Bao left the MU campus Thursday to fly back to China.

On the last leg of his trip, he began experiencing symptoms of the flu. Chinese health officials later confirmed he had swine flu. It’s the first confirmed case on the Chinese mainland, and officials have quarantined at least 63 passengers on his flight.

MU health officials are determining whether additional action is necessary, according to a university press release.◊

Tigers softball wins Big 12 tourney

Theo Keith / KCOU News / May 10, 2009

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Missouri Tigers have won the Big 12 tournament softball title after not allowing a single run in three games.

The Tigers beat regular-season champion Oklahoma, 5-0, to win the tournament. Chelsea Thomas allowed just two hits in the victory. MU beat Oklahoma State, 10-0, and Baylor, 1-0, to advance to the championship game.

The Tigers will play Illinois at University Field in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The first pitch is set for 5 p.m. Friday.

It’s the softball team’s second conference tournament title in its history, and the seventh for an MU sports team. Three of those have come this school year, with the women’s soccer team winning the Big 12 tournament last fall and men’s basketball taking the title in March.◊

KCOU confirms new executive staff

KCOU News / May 3, 2009

COLUMBIA – KCOU has filled six of its 2009-2010 executive staff positions. The outgoing staff confirmed General Manager-elect Jonathan Hutcheson’s choices for program, news, sports, business, music and promotions director positions.

“I look forward to the upcoming year,” Hutcheson said. “We have a lot of plans for major changes and improvements to the station, and we have the perfect staff in place to carry those out.”

Greg Winegar will become KCOU’s next program director, the second-highest position at the station. Winegar, an MU sophomore, formerly served as the station’s music director. He was the program director for one year at WLTL in La Grange, Ill., and also served as the station’s music director for one year. He previously worked at 9FM and WCPT in Chicago. Winegar is entering his seventh year on the radio airwaves.

The staff confirmed Theo Keith as KCOU’s news director. Keith, also an MU sophomore, will shift from his duties as the station’s business director. He is a State Capitol bureau reporter for Newsradio 1120 KMOX in St. Louis and a Web content editor for KOMU-TV. Keith formerly worked as a staff reporter at his hometown newspaper, The Saginaw (Mich.) News.

Max Reiss will be KCOU’s next sports director. Reiss is currently the State Capitol bureau editor and lead reporter for Newsradio 1120 KMOX in St. Louis. He is also a reporter for KOMU-TV. Reiss covered the 2008 Democratic National Convention for WINS-AM radio in New York and has also worked for KBIA News.

Taking Keith’s place is Chase Rother, a freshman business student at MU. Rother was previously on the station’s business staff.

Kyle McDonald will take over as music director. The MU freshman currently serves as the station’s production manager. McDonald has previously done production and promotions work for several bands, including his own.

The staff also confirmed Leanne Butkovic as promotions director, a position the MU freshman currently holds. She was formerly the entertainment editor at her high school newspaper.

“We’ll be returning to the airwaves (around June 1),” Hutcheson said. “It’s a very exciting time, and we’re looking forward to once again being a very valuable media outlet to students.”

Hutcheson will take the top leadership role May 16, and enters his sixth year in college radio. The MU journalism master’s and law student has been the station’s program director for the past year and chief engineer for two years. He will continue to oversee the technical aspects of the station. Hutcheson formerly served as the general manager at KASC, Arizona State University’s student radio station. He was also the music director for two years in Tempe.

Hutcheson succeeds graduating senior John Dobson, who has been the station’s general manager for the past year.

KCOU 88.1 FM has been the University of Missouri’s student radio station since 1963. It streams live online at kcou.fm.◊

Six Tigers chosen in NFL Draft

Theo Keith / KCOU News / April 26, 2009

COLUMBIA – Teams selected six Missouri Tigers in the 2009 NFL Draft over the weekend. The players:

• Jeremy Maclin, Wide Receiver – Philadelphia Eagles (First round, 19th overall)
• Ziggy Hood, Defensive Lineman – Pittsburgh Steelers (First round, 32nd overall)
• William Moore, Strong Safety – Atlanta Falcons (Second round)
• Chase Coffman, Tight End – Cincinnati Bengals (Third round)
• Colin Brown, Offensive Lineman – Kansas City Chiefs (Fifth round)
• Stryker Sulak, Defensive End – Oakland Raiders (Sixth round)

Quarterback Chase Daniel signed a free agent contract with the Washington Redskins after he wasn’t chosen in the draft.◊

Mo. House cuts stimulus money for MU

Theo Keith / KCOU News / April 24, 2009 / Audio

JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri House of Representatives slashed the amount of money lawmakers had previously earmarked for the MU campus.

Only two projects remain after legislators drafted House Bill 22 to spend about $2 billion of federal stimulus money.

The university will receive $31 million to build a new Ellis Fischel Cancer Center on campus, plus $13 million for renovations at the Mid-Missouri Mental Health Center.

But $20 million that Rep. Chris Kelly, a Columbia Democrat, pushed for in Monday’s House Budget Committee hearing wasn’t in the reworked bill. The money would have paid for maintenance and repairs on the MU campus. Kelly has said the plan would have created jobs.

The University of Missouri had asked for $341 million of federal funds, but it will get only a small portion of that.

House Republican leaders, concerned that spending has gotten out of control, want to use $1 billion in stimulus money to give Missourians a tax cut.

The plan would reduce the state income tax to 5.5 percent, down from 6 percent. The move would save the average taxpayer about $500. The tax cut has until the May 8 deadline to get through the General Assembly and onto the governor’s desk.◊

Pay-as-you-go lab fees at Student Health Center

Theo Keith / KCOU News / April 21, 2009

COLUMBIA – Students who use the MU Student Health Center the most will have to pay the most starting in July.

Director Susan Even told the MSA Operations Committee on Tuesday that students will pay for many lab tests when they take them, not through the current health fee.

The mononucleosis and strep throat tests will cost $20 to $25, while pregnancy tests will cost $10, she said. These services now are covered through the health fee, which adds $92.78 per semester to students’ tuition. Students still must pay the fee in the fall, but it will go toward other expenses.

“We want to start charging students who use the health center for the things they’re using it for,” Even said.

The center gets 85 percent of its operating budget from the health charge, but MU officials want to move away from relying on the fee. MU is the only Big 12 university that includes lab costs in student tuition, Even said.◊

Mo. House passes higher education funding

Theo Keith / KCOU News / April 16, 2009

JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri House passed a $700 million higher education bond plan Thursday. The bonds would fund projects on the MU campus and at other Missouri colleges and universities. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Kelly, a Columbia Democrat, passed 131-28.

The bonds would allow construction of the new Ellis Fischel Cancer Center near University Hospital on the MU campus. Gov. Jay Nixon cut that project along with several other higher education construction plans in January because of funding problems. The Lafferre Hall renovation on the MU campus would also receive funding.

The bond bill now moves to the Senate. If it passes that body, Missourians will vote on the bill in the November 2010 election. Gov. Jay Nixon could move that election up as early as this August.◊

MU Election Results

Theo Keith / KCOU News / April 8, 2009

COLUMBIA – MU students overwhelmingly voted to include a gender identity non-discrimination clause in the Missouri Students Association constitution. The ballot initiative received 82 percent of the votes cast. The clause prohibits discrimination against gender non-conforming students.

Students, by a 61 percent to 39 percent vote, chose not to move Reading Day to Thursday and begin exam week on a Friday. Instead, exam week will remain the way it currently is.

The election drew 2,780 voters to the online poll, less than 10 percent of MU’s 30,000 student population.

Below are the complete Missouri Students Association Senate election results, with the winners in red. Candidates listed in purple are tied, and the other 17 elected senators from the College of Arts and Science will elect either Morgan Halane or Seth Jarboe in a run-off.

MSA Senate

College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources: Danielle Bellis, Ashley Davidson

College of Arts and Science: Dan Cook, Douglas Cowing, Andrew Ellis, Caitlin Hanson, Sheela Lal, Blake Lawrence, Sean Nahlik, Macy Pruitt, Abhi Sivasailam, Vundzonny Smith, Claire Stuckel, Eliot Thomas, Josh Travis, Iavora Vlaytcheva, Rebecca Vogler, Samantha Ware, Evan Wood // Morgan Halane, Seth Jarboe // Micaela Harris, Bruce Levine, Jacob Lucas, Paso Milak, Sean Rowland, Patrick Wolff

College of Engineering: Zak Clayton, Drew Crismon, Sarah Danner, Andrew Mikusch // Michael Patzius

School of Health Professions: Lisa Grelle

School of Journalism: John Henry, Laureen Kattan, Alex Rozier, Erica Zucco // David Conway, Alex Holley, Jasmin James, Tom Nagel, Max Walker

Trulaske College of Business: Jonathan Cleair, Taha Hameduddin, Max Holter, John Hughes, Michelle Horan, Courtney Mundell, Ryan Sheridan

Anderson, MU reach agreement

Theo Keith / KCOU News / March 31, 2009

COLUMBIA – The University of Missouri Board of Curators has approved basketball coach Mike Anderson’s new seven-year contract, which will pay Anderson $1.35 million annually. Anderson signed the deal on Tuesday. He had been making $850,000 per year.

Anderson turned down a $2.1 million, multi-year deal from the University of Georgia on Tuesday to stay in Columbia, according to ESPN.com. He was also a potential candidate for the job at Memphis if their coach, John Calipari, left for Kentucky. Wednesday, Calipari did sign on as the Wildcats’ new coach.

Anderson led the Tigers to the Elite Eight in this year’s NCAA Tournament, the school’s first tournament appearance since 2003. Missouri also won the Big 12 tournament championship this season, Anderson’s third year with the team.◊