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With Election Nearing, RHA Candidates Debate
by Claire Cole / KCOU News / 2.27.12
COLUMBIA – Residence hall capacity, sustainability, and student involvement were the main topics of discussion at the RHA presidential debate Sunday afternoon. The three slates met in Chamber Auditorium in the MU Student Center to present their individual platforms.
The incumbent slate, made up of Chris Rucker and Caleb Krenning, emphasized their previous accomplishments and the their ability to set goals that are realistic and attainable.
“Our whole platform, we’ve looked at things, they’re things that are accomplishable,” Rucker said. “We don’t want to tell you things that we’re not going to accomplish. Our goal—everything is doable. We will accomplish everything.”
RHA slates debated a variety of topics on Sunday.
Rucker and Krenning also made a point throughout the debate to bring up the need to increase sustainability on campus.
“Sustainability is pretty much what we’ve always run on, and that’s what we’re going to continue because it’s a growing problem in today’s society,” Rucker said.
Sustainability measures Rucker and Krenning brought up include drying racks in the residence halls, putting recycling bins in every dorm room, and expanding the bike share program on campus. The two challenging slates, Harvengt/Caszett and Folk/Weber, both include underclassmen that offer less experience, but they hope their passion for RHA will carry them to victory.
Lydia Harvengt and Gage Caszett hope to work on creating a judicial branch of RHA if elected.
“Last semester in committee it was about halfway through the year and it was brought up there was this concept of a judicial branch… that people had been working on in previous years came up. And it sounded pretty awesome to me,” Harvengt said. “So it was something that I decided to get very involved in.”
All candidates stressed the need to increase involvement of residents in RHA matters. Lindsay Weber, vice presidential candidate with Zach Folk, is the hall governments coordinator and wants to increase attendance to regular hall government meetings.
“Obviously, as a new position, it’s been sort of a trial and error thing to really get this sort of going,” Weber said. “So we know how to improve it for next year and the years to come.”
Voting takes place Thursday, March 1.
RHA Looking Into New Website To Report Unruliness in Dorms
by Kate Masters / 02.22.12
Students may soon be able to rat out their rule-breaking peers on campus.
According to Lathrop Hall’s RHA representative, the Residence Halls Association is considering creating a website where the students and staff of Mizzou dorms can file complaints about rule violators and inefficient resident advisors.
The idea for the website was brought up in an RHA committee meeting two weeks ago. Julia Diller said the suggestion was based on complaints heard from residents and staff about the lack of disciplinary action taken toward students who violate residence hall policies.
“We’ve heard complaints from both residents in the halls and the PAs, CAs, and LAs that either the other student-staff aren’t doing their jobs or the hall coordinators themselves aren’t doing their job as far as when kids get written up or when there’s reports filed,” Diller said. “People aren’t following through with the conduct process or there isn’t any disciplinary action taken towards the students that are having these reports and things filed on them.”
RHA plans to allow students to file their own reports on the website. Their complaints would then be e-mailed to the area coordinator of their dorm, who would determine what action to take towards the students or staff mentioned in the report. Hall coordinators could also be written up by staff who feel that they aren’t following through with proper conduct processes.
One important feature of the website is that students will have the option of making their reports anonymous.
“I think making it anonymous will make it easier for students to file complaints because they don’t want to get in trouble, or they don’t want to feel like a tattletale, you know, they don’t want people to look down on them because they’re like, “Oh, you turned our PA in, we love them,” Diller said.
“And you turn them in because they weren’t doing their job, and I think it’s really important for students to have student-staff who are really doing their jobs.”
The RHA said it hopes to link the new page to the current Residential Life website for easier access. They also said they plan to bring in a tech expert within the next few weeks to help create the page.
UM System Tabs Timothy M. Wolfe As 23rd President
by KCOU Staff / 12.13.11
COLUMBIA – University of Missouri System Board of Curators Chairman Warren Erdman announced Tuesday that Timothy M. Wolfe will serve as the system’s 23rd president, ending a year-long search to replace Gary Forsee.
Wolfe, who graduated from MU’s Trulaske College of Business, has more than 30 years of business experience, including a stint with IBM.
Forsee stepped down last January to tend to his ill wife. General counsel Steve Owens replaced him on an interim basis, and he will revert to his old duties when Wolfe takes over in mid-February.
Wolfe is a native of Columbia and graduated from Rock Bridge High School, where he led his football team to a state title as the quarterback.
College Algebra Poses Challenge for MU Students
Kapser wasn’t the only one who bowed out early. Statistics obtained from the registrar’s office show that the drop rate of College Algebra far exceeds that of similarly basic undergraduate courses. For the current fall semester, two hundred sixty-seven (267) students dropped the class without a grade.
“The material we do in class I understand completely. I can keep up. I know what I’m doing. It’s pretty easy,” Wilson said. “Then, I go home to MyMathLab, and I go to do the homework and it’s the material, but at an advanced level that only someone in a higher math like would be able to handle.”
History Lesson: Potential Admissions Impact of SEC
by Reid Foster / 10.25.2011
With the University of Missouri expected to soon join the Southeastern Conference, most of the attention seems to be placed on how well the Tigers’ sports teams will adjust to their new competition.
However, one overlooked aspect of the realignment is the impact it may have on the MU demographics.
In switching from the Big 12 to the SEC, there could be a noticeable rise in students coming from southeastern states. MU registrar officials would not comment or speculate on a possible change in admissions, but a little history lesson may provide a few answers. For example, since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996– when four Texas schools joined forces with the former Big Eight– Missouri’s admissions from the state of Texas has tripled.
In talking to students from the campuses of the University of Missouri, University of Texas, University of Mississippi, University of Kentucky, University of Alabama, University of South Carolina, and the University of Georgia, the perception is that Missouri is much farther away from SEC schools than Big 12 schools. However, Fayetteville, Arkansas is merely 4 hours away from Columbia, Missouri– that’s a short trip compared to the 4 and half hours it takes to get to Manhattan, Ks., or the 5 hours it takes to get to Ames, Iowa. Or how about the eight hours it takes to get to Norman, Ok. from Columbia?
In fact, the only Big 12 city closer to MU than Fayetteville is Lawrence, KS. Despite this, there are significantly more people at Mizzou from the states of Iowa and Oklahoma than from Arkansas per the 2010 Fall University Registrar, even though all three states bear similar overall populations and Arkansas’ border with Missouri is much more significant than Oklahoma’s. Missouri also shares a border with both Tennessee and Kentucky.
Furthermore, Austin, Tx., is farther away from Columbia than Athens, Ga., one of the westernmost SEC cities. However, if you added up the number of students from SEC states at the University of Missouri, it wouldn’t equal half the number of students that hail from the state of Texas alone. Mizzou hasn’t always been littered with students from Texas, though. Again it’s more of a recent phenomenon. When the Big Eight Conference and the Southwest Conference merged in 1996, it was the first time that Missouri was in the same conference as schools from the state of Texas. Since that time, the amount of students at Mizzou from Texas has tripled, while no other states have even come to close to reaching that type of increase.
Could that tidbit help predict the future? Perhaps. But until the move becomes official, we’ll have to rely on speculation for now.
MSA Hoping To Build on Homecoming Tailgate
by Joe Chee / 10.21.2011
COLUMBIA – The EndZone tailgating space had a full lot last Saturday for the Homecoming game against Iowa State.
According to MSA President Eric Woods, as many as 300 to 500 tailgaters were present. Whether or not The EndZone will yield those numbers again before tomorrow’s Oklahoma State game, though, seems doubtful.
“I understand it was homecoming, and it was the hundredth homecoming, so obviously I’m not sure we can emulate that at the next game,” Woods said. “But I’d like to see that momentum keep up to a certain extent.”
MSA re-branded The EndZone as a “new event” this year in place of last year’s “The Jungle,” which had lackluster attendance in 2010. Woods said MSA had added its own “spin” for this year’s student tailgating program.
“It’s a kind of friendly low-stress tailgating environment where we provide amenities such as food, games, music, tents, chairs, “ Woods said. “So it’s essentially a spot where we provide things for tailgating that a lot of students might not have.”
Even with the new name, attendance is experiencing a slow climb.
“Our first game was a little rough because it was labor day weekend, and it was an 11 o’clock game, so, the numbers were not as we had anticipated,” Woods said.
The next game, however, doubled the number of tailgaters. Woods also thinks that homecoming accomplished the goal of getting the word out about The Endzone.
“I feel like people have been made aware of the space since they’ve seen or experienced it during homecoming, and I’ve heard a lot more people asking me how they can get a spot, what they need to do, who they should talk to, what they should bring, does it cost anything, what are the rules,” Woods said.
Water Main Breaks Outside MU Student Center; Fire Alarm Also Evacuates Building
by Peter Kampschroeder / 10.13.2011
COLUMBIA – A water main broke outside of the MU Student Center just after 4:30 p.m. Thursday during the erection of a tent for a College of Agriculture homecoming event.
A fire alarm sounded in the student center shortly after the break, but MU spokesperson Michelle Froese said she did not know if the two events were related. The alarm forced the evacuation of hundreds of students in the building for several minutes.
“I’m not sure about the fire alarm,” Froese. “It may have something to do with the water main breaking.”
Froese said staff quickly shut off water supply to the building, but she said the problem has been fixed. Staff has since restored water to the facility. Restaurants also temporarily closed, but Froese said they have also reopened.
The site is now cordoned off to prevent students from tracking mud into the building.
“We should be good to go,” Froese said. “[Just] don’t walk on the grass right now. It’s a little muddy.”
Meet the MSA Candidates: Bruer/Cartee Ticket
by Ryan Walker / 10.13.2011
COLUMBIA- Everett Bruer and Lexie Cartee are running for MSA President and Vice President with the slogan “Mizzou for You.”
“I don’t think student organizations and students in general are going to appreciate the president coming out to talk to them whenever he needs votes,” Bruer said.
Cartee, a sophomore, is younger then most candidates, but believes her involvement Greek Life, Tour Team, and MSA Senate give her sufficient credentials.
“A lot of it is seeing what the students want,” Cartee said. “I think anyone of any age could do that.”
On their agenda is improving sustainability efforts and combining student tools such as GPA Calculator, Syllabus, and Class Registration into a single program. The ticket also wants to look into a safe ride program for getting students back to their Res Halls during the week.
“Lexie and I are very committed to making sure we improve on Eric Woods’ administration,” Bruer added.
MU Professor Suing City of Pittsburgh
by Jeremy Brant
COLUMBIA – MU English professor Karen Piper is suing the city of Pittsburgh for damages in an incident with a Long Range Acoustic Device.
Piper visited in 2009 in the midst of writing her book about the IMF and the World Bank, and she came across the G20 Economic Summit protests. As she observed the protesters, she says police hit her with the LRAD.
Piper is seeking damages for more than $1,500 in medical expenses and for lost income. She’s finishing her book now, but says she would likely have finished it much earlier if she hadn’t had the medical problems.
Dr. Piper claims she was trying to get out of the way when the police said they would begin to use tear gas on the protesters.
After a few months of dealing with the pain and hearing about other incidents at the protest, Piper says she finally contacted the ACLU and issued a formal complaint against the city.
The Pittsburgh Police Department could not be reached for comment.
Profiling the MSA Presidential Candidates: Billingsley/Kooi
by Ryan Walker / 10.6.2011
KCOU’s Ryan Walker will profile each MSA Presidential candidate in the coming weeks. Here’s the first installment of that series:
“Combined Xavier and I have more experience then any other slate that is running,” Kooi said. “And I think that is going to give us a lot of benefits.”
Billingsley is currently an MSA Senator and once served as Chief of Staff, while Kooi said she’s a member of multiple student organizations, including the Mizzou Tour Team and Summer Welcome.
Woods: MSA Senate Not Full Yet, but Interest Improving
by Joe Chee / 10.6.2011
COLUMBIA – Elections in the Missouri Students Association Senate last semester left 21 seats vacant, but President Eric Woods said involvement level has improved this fall.
The Spring 2011 elections filled just 50 of 71 seats, but Woods said he’s stepped up promotional activities to spur interest. He said he has made promotions a priority, on the same focal plane as other community project and issues like the Columbia Transit System.
With these activities, he said he has noticed an increase in student emails and more hits to MSA’s official website.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to get people involved, but this year I’ve actually really been encouraged by the amount of interest that we’ve seen,” Woods said. “Kind of more like a ‘we should go to them, and not wait for them to come to us’ mentality, and I really think that’s helping our visibility.”
New senators cannot legally join until next March, though, so MSA is stuck with 50 Senators for now. Woods said he’s happy with that number for now, but he’s still trying to find as many participants as possible.
“[We are] always working on outreach efforts, [but] we’ve hit that hard this semester, in terms of reaching out, getting information, getting feedback, and trying to figure out what we can do to improve our services,” Woods said.
Matlin Visits MU for Ability Week
by Peter Kampschroeder
A sizable crowd of both deaf and hearing attendees listened to actress Marlee Matlin speak through an interpreter at Jesse Auditorium Tuesday, marking the headline event of the school’s “Ability Week.”
Actress Marlee Matlin (right) spoke to a large crowd at Jesse Auditorium Tuesday, marking one of the more notable events during "Ability Week." (photo by Peter Kampschroeder)
Matlin, who won an Academy Award in 1986 for her role on Children of a Lesser God, spoke on the barriers faced by her as “an actress who just happens to be deaf.” Afterward, she took pictures with a group of students from the School for The Deaf, and she later signed copies of her book for waiting fans.
Deaf members of the audience were able to communicate to Matlin through sign language, and they participated in a question-and-answer session after her speech with an interpreter.
Ability Week runs through Friday.
Task Force Meets to Fix Bus System
by Carson Cornelius
Play the Story: Task Force Meets to Fix Bus System
COLUMBIA – Hoping to fix a bus system that operated at a $1.5 million loss last year, a diverse committee met Tuesday to discuss solutions.
Mayor Bob McDavid, citizens, and student representatives from the University of Missouri, Stephens College, and Columbia College made up the task force. They proposed several solutions, including the redrawing of routes, restructuring of the transit board, and the extension of running hours. The committee also proposed raising student fees to purchase 40 new black and gold buses, and to help cover the costs of ridership.
McDavid said it was necessary to cater the system to students, since they make up 75 percent of riders. At the meeting, the committee cited student-centric problems like long wait times and inconvenient routes.
The only firm decision made was the placement of GPS tracking on all buses. The information will be available on the internet, and should be up and running by early 2012.
MU Curators: Deaton has power to explore conference options
by Drew Brackett/Zach Wills/Matt Noonan/Danny Spewak
REACTION: Sports Director Drew Brackett and Matt Noonan
ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri Board of Curators voted unanimously Tuesday to give chancellor Brady Deaton the authority to leave the Big 12 Conference, shunning the league’s offer for a long-term commitment.
Deaton, who also announced he would step down from his post as the chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors, did not shy away from the possibility of joining a new conference. READ MORE
Oct. 4, 2011
City Council Rescinds Police Board Approval After Learning of Arrest
by Danny Spewak, News Director
Oct. 4, 2011
Description of Monday’s events by Gary Kespohl
Click here for radio story
COLUMBIA – The city council unknowingly appointed an accused child molester to the Citizens Police Review Board Monday, but it later decided to vacate the position after a council member’s Internet search revealed the criminal charge. READ MORE
CAMPUS NEWS
TRIBUNE: MU Blood Drive Looking to Set Record (Click here to donate)
LOCAL HEADLINES
TRIBUNE: Robberies on par with past years
MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS
House Votes in Favor of Bill Banning Funeral Protests
Missouri Legislation Would Prevent Walkouts Like in Wisconsin and Indiana
Republican Senate Leaders Put Off Vote on Extending Unemployment Benefits
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