CON V ERGING CA MPUS & COMMU NIT Y
NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI
NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
VOL. 115, NO. 2
@THEMISSOURIAN
NATHAN NODA CO-PHOTO EDITOR
Bearcat dining cook Nick Scott serves a plate during the lunch rush at Bearcat Commons Aug. 24. Elior replaced the University’s last dining provider, Sodexo, over the summer.
NW reflects on dining provider switch ANNA BAILEY Managing Editor | @AMBailey16
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orthwest is two weeks into the new semester; however, Elior Collegiate Dining — the new dining services provider — moved in over a month ago. At the end of the spring 2026 semester, University President Lance Tatum announced Sodexo Operations LLC would be leaving Northwest despite its contract not being complete. Just over one month later, Northwest selected Elior as the new provider. The University’s Elior Resident District Manager Al Smith said the company plans to stay at Northwest
for a long time. He said Elior’s goal for the first semester is to assimilate with the campus’ culture and elevate the hospitality services provided, including food, drink and overall standards. “I think we’re doing a phenomenal job,” Smith said. “The team here is dedicated, they’re committed and they’re passionate.” Most of what students, faculty and staff see with campus dining is new, the exceptions being Starbucks in the B.D. Owens Library and Qdoba in the J.W. Jones Student Union. Fresh on campus are Good Habit — an all American style restaurant — in The Station; Roost Chicken Coop, a chicken restaurant; and Buona Napo-
LOCAL DRUNK DRIVING STATISTICS
li, an Italian cuisine restaurant, both in the J.W. Jones Student Union. Also adjusted is the Bearcat Commons, which now offers more allergen-friendly options and “all-you-care-to-enjoy” food options, according to Northwest Dining. Ideally, Smith said the food will continuously be rotated so diners can get everything they need out of what Elior provides. “They can expect a variety of foods from different cuisines, different cultures; our corporate chef has done a phenomenal job with rotation,” Smith said. “Just the overall experience to where nothing would be stagnant. Everything is forever changing.” Northwest is the first campus to
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SEE ELIOR | A4
New Missouri law raises penalties for DWI, adds child support clause LEAH COX News Editor | @byleahcox
SOURCE: SAVEMOLIVES
host Roost Chicken Coop. Smith said the goal of any new restaurant is to give consumers what they are missing in the already provided dining options. He said Elior will do this by continuing to adjust the menu so that it best serves the community. Roost Chicken Coop offers many chicken meals on its menu, one of which being the four-piece chicken nuggets. This item costs $6.95, however, at the McDonald’s in Maryville, this same item costs $4.39. Smith said he has not seen this price difference affect the number of students ordering at Roost Chicken Coop.
A cost comes with every decision made behind the wheel. For people convicted of causing a death while driving under the influence, Missouri lawmakers have added another consequence — drivers could potentially pay years of financial support for children orphaned by drunk driving. Missouri House Bill 1740 went into effect Aug. 28, requiring individuals convicted of driv-
ing while intoxicated to pay child support if their offense caused the death of a child’s parent or guardian, according to the Missouri Senate. Missouri Sen. Mike Bernskoetter sponsored the bill, hoping to help victims’ families. “Requiring someone to pay for child support is just another layer of deterrence, it is also a small act of restitution that in no way makes up for the loss of a life but can in a small way help with the aftermath,” Bernskoetter said in an email to the Missourian.
Bently and Mason’s Law, named after two children whose parents and brother died in a DWI-related crash, allows a surviving parent or guardian to petition for the payments, set by the court. If the convicted person is imprisoned, they have up to one year after release to begin making payments — including past due amounts — until the child turns 18 or 21 depending on the age they were when orphaned.
SEE DWI LAWS | A4
University restores 4-year nursing program, starts fall 2027 semester EMILY KRONE Missourian Reporter | @TheMissourian
Northwest is relaunching its on-campus Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in the fall 2027 semester. Northwest Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Rose Marie Ward presented this proposal in the spring. The Northwest Board of Regents approved the proposal June 18. Ward said bringing back the program can help with the current nursing shortage nationwide. “There’s a huge community need in terms of healthcare, and there’s a shortage of nurses in this area,” Ward said. “The statistics, they say, in the state is that on average people are driving about 30 miles to get to a hospital, and then they have to wait months to get doctors, etcetera, and this program helps provide more nurses to meet that need.” With the present nursing program, students attend the University for two years before going to other universities to complete their bachelor’s degrees. With the relaunch,
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students will have the chance to complete all four years at Northwest. Ward said there is a difference in the first two and the last two years of a B.S. nursing degree, and the timing of this BSN being brought back can benefit Northwest students. “Those first two years of when you’re prenursing, you’re kind of taking general Northwest core classes, and then your last two years of your bachelor’s degree are those nursing classes, and so, you can’t recruit new students to kind of start at the beginning,” Ward said. “You want to recruit students who have already been here for those pre-nursing programs.” Director of Nursing Programs Brooke McAtee said pre-nursing students can apply for the traditional BSN program ahead of their junior year, and they’ll be allowed to attend Northwest as a nursing student if they meet the requirements. Those stipulations will be released at a later date.
SEE NURSING | A4
NATHAN NODA CO-PHOTO EDITOR
Northwest director of nursing programs Brooke McAtee discusses the relaunching of its on-campus Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
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