THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI
VOL. 111, NO. 21
NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
@THEMISSOURIAN
Equity, students guide Michael Godard’s career SIDNEY LOWRY Managing Editor | @sidney_lowry
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MAKAYLA POLAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The third of the four finalists in the Northwest presidential search to attend campus, Michael Godard, responds to a question from an audience member at the open session Feb. 9 at the Mary Linn Auditorium in the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts.
quity and student achievement — the two main facets of higher education that drives one candidate in the search for Northwest’s 11th president. Michael Godard, provost at Southeast Missouri State University, has experience in both faculty positions and administration. He said that has impacted the way he has interpreted positions throughout his career in higher education. Godard was the third of four presidential candidates to visit campus during the month on Feb. 9, participating in multiple sessions during the day with stakeholder groups and toured campus buildings. He started his education at Castleton University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. Then he completed his master’s degree in exercise physiology from Adelphi University and a doctorate in human bioenergetics from Ball State University. After years of schooling, he never ended up leaving higher education. Godard spent over two decades exclusively teaching before moving to the administrative side of the university, but still is a professor of exercise science at Southeast Missouri State University. He said his teaching background reminds him of what the main goal of a university is in the first place. “I’ve gotten into higher education to mentor students,” Go-
dard said. “… Number one, I understand the challenges and the opportunities that are in front of students, you know, being a first generation college student. But number two, being a faculty member and devoting a you know, the early parts of my career to just teaching and mentoring students. That’s where our focus is. We are here to make sure that you have a successful experience as a student.” Godard has worked in administration in multiple Missouri universities, starting at the University of Central Missouri and then his current institution of Southeast Missouri State. He said spending the last decade working on enrollment management and student success within the state will give him an advantage in the presidential position. “Serving as a provost at a different institution in the state, I think (I have) a firm understanding of what’s needed at an institution like Northwest in Missouri,” he said. “I have those established relationships here, and I’m able to really navigate through potentially what some of those solutions could be when challenges show up for Northwest.” Being a first generation student himself, Godard said underrepresented groups of students are a big priority. He said having diverse faculty and staff helps make minority groups of students feel comfortable.
SEE GODARD | A4
Missouri reaches top ten Northwest announces changes state volunteer rates, local with new dining hall contract organizations give back LAKEN MONTGOMERY News Reporter | @montgomerymiss
Missouri residents were ranked 10th in the nation for contributions to nonprofit organizations, charities and volunteer services Feb. 1 by AmeriCorps. Thom Alvarez, principal of Maryville High School, said volunteering is a huge part of making sure the schools run smoothly. He said without volunteers, the high school wouldn’t be able to participate in half the things that it does. “Volunteers are vital to the school system,” Alvarez said. “When you talk about just our band when they go to band days, it takes at least five or six volunteers to just get everything set up and be able to feed the kids. I don’t know what we would do without the volunteers.” In 2021, over 1.4 million Missouri residents volunteered through organizations that contributed an average of $3.1 billion in economic value. While COVID began making it difficult on businesses and community members, more than 2.4 million people began helping their neighbors out while suffering the effects of the pandemic. “It’s a little more difficult to volunteer in schools, you have to go through a background check and obstacles to be able to work with kids,” Alvarez said. “Sometimes that puts a barrier up, but
we have so many that do it. It’s a testament to our community that they don’t mind some of those little hurdles.” Maryville has many volunteer opportunities that give back to the community, some including Lettuce Dream, New Nodaway Humane Society, Maryville High School, Ministry Center and North Star Advocacy. Lettuce Dream is a social enterprise that provides career and community opportunities and inclusion for people with disabilities. New Nodaway Humane Society seeks volunteers who can help with putting more animals to be adopted and put into homes. The Maryville High School takes volunteers in almost every department, sports and extra-curricular activities to keep activities open. The Ministry Center looks for volunteers that can help in the food pantry or with donations. North Star Advocacy provides direct and indirect volunteer opportunities that allows community members to provide support. In 2022, an estimated 23.2% of Americans, more than 60.7 million people, formally volunteered with organizations between September 2020 and 2021. In total, these volunteers served an estimated 4.1 billion hours with an economic value of $122.9 billion, according to AmeriCorps.
SEE VOLUNTEER | A4
HANNAH CLAYWELL Asst. News Editor | @Hannah_9504
Last semester, the Northwest student body was informed the dining hall contract with Aramark would be coming to an end, announcing a contract with Sodexo Operations LLC Feb. 8. Students should expect some changes coming to campus next academic year. Northwest has agreed to a seven-year contract with Sodexo and an optional two-year renewal. The new contract is bringing many changes to campus, such as restaurant options and meal plans. Forest Village Apartment residents will be required to purchase a meal plan. The available plans will be an all-access plan, 14 swipes per week or 10 swipes per week. Off-campus students will be offered a customizable meal plan. People around campus have varying views on this change like Mooyah employee Christopher Ray, freshman Billie McCoy and sophomore Olivia Dorman. “I mean I’m sad about it because (Mooyah) is the only build your own burger place in town, but it’s not really up to us on what we can do about it,” Ray said. “It’s a new company coming in, and they’re going to be the ones that decide what businesses will be here.” The new restaurant options include a Buffalo Wild Wings To-Go replacing Mooyah and a “ghost kitchen” with MrBeast Burger
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2022-2023 Meal Plan Options On Campus:
• Silver (Base) * 7 days a week
• Gold
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* 7 days a week + $150 Dining Dollars + 5 guest meal passes
• Platnium
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* 7 days a week + $300 Dining Dollars + 8 guest meal passes
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Off Campus:
• 25 Block
* 50 meals/semester
• 75 Block
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$
* 25 meals/semester
• 50 Block
* 75 meals/semester
• Meal Kit Meal Plan
* 30 meals/semester + $180 Dining Dollars + $120 voucher for Home Chef meal kitdelivery service
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2023-2024 Meal Plan Options
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On Campus:
• All-Access Plan • 14 swipes per week • 10 swipes per week
$ $ $ Off Campus:
• “Build Your Own” Plan
* Dining Dollars bincluded included i l with all all Meal * Dining Dollars maymay be be with MealPlan PlanOptions Options
INFOGRAPHIC BY SAVANNAH ATHY-SEDBROOK ASST. DESIGN EDITOR
and Qdoba. A ghost kitchen is a restaurant that prepares online orders for delivery to customers. “I am quite excited,” Dorman said. “I mean, I more prefer Buffalo Wild Wings than what we have right now.” Campus will also now have a Kiwibot, an automated delivery robot, to deliver MrBeast
Burger and Qdoba. Sodexo expects to meet student expectations regarding daily needs, wellbeing and engagement on campus, according to its website. It plans on doing this with improved allyship and communication.
SEE DINING | A4
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