NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI
NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
VOL. 109, NO. 25
@THEMISSOURIAN
Men win regional title with comeback OT thriller JON WALKER Sports Editor | @ByJonWalker
ABERDEEN, S.D. — There stood Ben McCollum, on the edge of the southeast corner of Don Meyer Court in Wachs Arena. The Northwest men’s basketball coach was leaning against a security rope while someone was holding an iPhone up to his face. He had just finished coaching the Bearcats through the trials and tribulations of the Central Region Tournament. McCollum rattled off at least a handful of names while talking to his family, who called him via FaceTime from Maryville, Missouri. He made sure to say something to most of the people on the call, but specifically his two sons and daughter. He couldn’t stay too long, though. “How about the celebration?” McCollum said to his phone in the aftermath of the final game of the Central Region Tournament. “Love you guys. We’re about to go cut down the nets.” McCollum was calling his family to celebrate the Bearcats’ 91-86 overtime win against top-seeded Northern State Tuesday evening, which punched Northwest’s ticket to the Elite Eight for the third time in the last five seasons.
SEE CHAMPS | A9
JON WALKER | NW MISSOURIAN
Northwest men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum swings the net in the air after cutting it down following the Bearcats’ 91-86 win over Northern State in the Central Region Tournament Championship March 16 in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The win punched Northwest’s ticket to the Elite Eight for the third time in five seasons.
Tuition, fees could increase for 2022-23 year Jasinski
withdraws candidacy for Mankato president
SIDNEY LOWRY News Reporter | @sidney_lowry
University officials proposed an increase in tuition and fees, along with room and board, for the 2022-23 academic year. If the measure passes, students who are Missouri residents could expect to pay around $25 more per credit hour before financial aid. For Missouri residents, the first option in the proposed measure includes an increase of 3.9%, around $702, for an average of 28 credit hours in 2022. Vice President of Finance and Administration Stacy Carrick mentioned that though these prices are going up, so would financial aid per student. After aid, the increase would be around $449 per student. For a Missouri-nonresidential student — any student who is a nontaxpayer in Missouri — it would be around $830 more for 28 credit hours and then $470 after aid for one year. Carrick and Vice President of Student Affairs Matt Baker presented these new proposals for increases in bills to the Student Senate March 9. The numbers Carrick presented were if these increases were im-
ANDREW WEGLEY Managing Editor | @andrewwegley
lic service. For much of his life, this desire to serve has been for one community: Maryville. The 29-year-old certified public accountant is homegrown. Merrill has spent nearly his entire life in the small town at the center of Nodaway County, receiving diplomas as both a Spoofhound and a Bearcat. As a Spoofhound, Merrill was heavily involved in extracurriculars. The former state champion wrestler, band member and football player, among other things, was used to having his schedule filled with obligations.
Northwest President John Jasinski, who was among five finalists to replace the outgoing president at Minnesota State University-Mankato, will likely stay put in Maryville for the next academic year. The Minnesota State Board of Trustees on Wednesday tabbed Edward Inch, a provost and vice president of academic affairs at California State University, as the next leader of MSU-Mankato. Though Jasinski was listed along with three other finalists on Mankato’s presidential search webpage, Northwest Communication Manager Mark Hornickel said in an email to The Missourian that Jasinski withdrew his candidacy from consideration in early March. Though Mankato noted on its webpage that finalist Sandra Haynes withdrew her candidacy, it made no such designation for Jasinski. Jasinski’s withdrawal and the appointment of Inch — who will replace Mankato’s longtime president Richard Davenport — indicates Jasinski will remain at Northwest, where he has served as president since 2009. The decision for MSU came after a monthslong nationwide search, which dwindled 72 initial candidates down to five finalists, which included Jasinski, Inch, Haynes, Debra Larson of California StateChico and Mrinal Mugdh Varma of Auburn University. “It is appropriate for me to explore new horizons at this time as I am quite optimistic about where Northwest is at in its life cycle,” Jasinski said in a February statement.
SEE MERRILL | A8
SEE JASINSKI | A8
MARYANN JOHNSON | NW MISSOURIAN
Public Relations Co-Chair Alexis Van Winkle briefs the Student Senate on upcoming events around campus. For the 2022-23 academic year, there may be a $25 increase per class for Missouri-resident students.
plemented in the 2022 fiscal year, though she strongly supports spreading the fee increase over two years to not impact student affordability and ensure welfare of the University. She will propose a two-year plan to the Northwest Board of Regents. “If I put my blinders on as a fi-
nance person, I would say put it all on one year because there is a financial impact on the University,” Carrick said. “At the same time, if there is an affordability challenge and students don’t come at all, then we have to find that balance.” If the increase was spread out over
two years for Missouri-resident students, their tuition would be an estimated $406 more for the 2022 fiscal year and then $296 more the following year, plus any Consumer Price Index changes for the 2023 year.
SEE TUTION | A8
CITY ELECTION 2021
Dannen Merrill is running to serve his hometown NATHAN ENGLISH Reporter | @nathan_3nglish
ADDALYNN BRADBURY | NW MISSOURIAN
City Council candidate Dannen Merrill pushes a sign into the ground outside his home to promote the upcoming election in April. Merrill was pushed to run because of his desire to serve and experience in finances and accounting.
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Sitting at a corner table in Board Game Cafe as the large rectangular windows displayed rows of small businesses at his back, Dannen Merrill spoke of the importance of supporting them. For Merrill, the desire to serve and his experience in finances and accounting pushed him to run for a City Council seat this April. The second youngest of seven children, Merrill said serving his community was imbued in him from a very young age. He and his four brothers are all Eagle Scouts, and the majority of his family has spent most of their careers in pub-
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