THE STANDARD M I S S O U R I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y
VOLUME 112, ISSUE 2 | THE-STANDARD.ORG The Standard/The Standard Sports
TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2018
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New housing complex booms near campus RONKEIA BATES Staff Reporter @Lyrie_Lyric
Every year, there is something new being built in Springfield that benefits students or the community as a whole. This year, the new addition is the Boomer Town Studio apartments, located on South National Avenue between East Page Street and East Madison Street. This new project came about at the beginning of the last school year and was developed by Entrust
Property Solutions. Boomer Town Studios gives students another option of student living close to campus. These new, fully furnished studio suites opened up at the end of July, allowing students to move in and experience a new style of living. Claire Nichols, a junior exercise and movement science major who lives in Boomer Town Studios, said she wanted to live in these apartments because she likes how close they are to campus. “The idea of still being able to walk to class every day is nice, and it has been great,” Nichols said.
She said there are some other advantages of living there, like new appliances, large closets and a nice-sized bathroom. The apartment also came fully furnished. “I would say, so far, the only disadvantage is u See HOUSING page 8 BRADLEY BALSTERS/ THE STANDARD
Located across the street from the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center, Boomer Town is extremely close to the heart of campus.
Finding a new home
Remembering Georgia NINA TODEA Life Editor @Todea_NinaM She was known for her constant banter, her caring nature and her grandmotherly personality. She hardly ever followed the rules. She loved her job and her family, and she dearly adored the students that she came across, whether once or regularly. Georgia Perkins was full of spunk, described as “different than the rest of us” by her closest colleagues. On Friday, Aug. 24, the Missouri State community was informed, via Twitter, of
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Four members of Alpha Chi Omega pose in a canoe as part of their camping-themed Bid Day festivities. See page 5 for more Bid Day photos.
New victim support counselor offers help to students MADISON BRYAN Staff Reporter @MadisonBryan14 Missouri State University has added a new victim support counselor, Jane Henke, to the Counseling Center on campus. This position focuses on victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking among the Missouri State student population. “We are so fortunate to have this new position here at the MSU Counseling Center,” Rhonda Lesley, director of the Counseling Center, said. Jane Henke, a licensed professional counselor, is a trauma specialist. Henke joined the Missouri State University Counseling Center as the victim services
and advocacy specialist in March 2018. Her position will help serve students impacted by sexual assault, domestic/dating violence and stalking. “I am incredibly passionate about providing care for those who have had their lives disrupted by trauma,” Henke said. “I am especially passionate about working with LGBTQ students, international students, students with disabilities and other historically underrepresented groups, as those students experience interpersonal violence at higher rates and are, sadly, less likely to seek out assistance.” Henke’s new position came to be through the Title IX office on campus by the efforts of Jill Patterson, MSU’s Title IX Coordinator. The new Project HEAL (Help to Eat, Accept and Live) grant was
awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, which is part of the Department of Justice. Project HEAL is a three-year community-wide effort to decrease sexual assault, dating/domestic violence and stalking through prevention, treatment and advocacy. The grant funds a project coordinator, Kunti Bentley, and a therapist, Henke. With treatment, students who have been impacted by these problems will be able to receive help by putting them on the right path to continue on with their everyday lives. “I am so excited and proud that we now have Jane, a therapist with an expertise in working with people who have been traumatized by interpersonal violence,” Patterson said. “It is a feeling of u See SUPPORT, page 2
Photo submitted by Jan Fisk
Georgia Perkins, 74, died Aug. 24.
the unexpected death of the Bear Line evening driver. The news quickly spread across the university campus. u See GEORGIA, page 5
Fondling reported after man slaps student’s buttocks CORTLYNN STARK Editor-in-Chief @Cortlynn_Stark A man in a car slapped a female student’s buttocks as she walked down a Kimbrough Avenue alleyway on the first day of classes, according to a public safety alert issued Wednesday evening. The incident occurred the morning of Aug. 20. According to the public safety alert from the Missouri State University Office of Safety and Transportation, the student was walking in an alleyway between the 600 and 700 block of Kimbrough Avenue, south of John Q. Hammons Student Center. A man driving a silver sedan approached the student, slapped her buttocks and drove off. According to the report, there’s no further suspect description. The Springfield Police Department is investigating the incident. If you have any information, contact the SPD at 417864-1810. You can also report information to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-8477 or online at www.P3tips.com. The alert added the following safety tips: “Trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy or sense something is wrong, call 9-1-1 or the MSU Substation at 417836-5509 for assistance. “Be active in supporting a safe and respectful community. If you see others engaging in disrespectful or inappropriate actions, speak up and get involved, or contact someone else to assist.”
SGA considers bike share program on campus LAYNE STRACENER Staff Reporter @laynestracener Student Government Association will bring a bike share program to campus — if enough students are interested. This program would allow students to rent bikes to ride around campus and downtown. Students would be able to check them out from bike rack stations and pay when they return it to the station. The bike will not lock unless you pay the machine. Student Body President Isaiah Villarreal said he wants to implement the bike share program by the spring or fall semester. “It would be great for sustainability,” Villarreal said. “A program of this size will take a lot of effort and resources, so SGA’s top priority is to ensure students would like to see a program like this.” The initiative is in its early stages. SGA wants students to take
news New residence hall under construction Page 2
a survey online so SGA can receive additional information to begin this project, such as if students would use the bike sharing services, in which areas they would like to see bike rental stations and if they would be willing to pay daily, monthly or yearly fees. In cities offering bike share programs in the United States, the average daily rate is $5, the monthly rate is $25 and the yearly rate is $60, according to the SGA survey. A daily or hourly rate would allow students to rent bikes from time to time. Villarreal said he does not know yet how much it will cost to rent the bikes. “Pricing is up in the air, depending what vendor we choose,” Villarreal said. “It’s imperative students let us know what they are willing to spend so we go with a vendor that will be marketable to students.” The City of Springfield is also looking at a proposal from Springfield Bike Share to bring a similar program to Downtown
Springfield. The nonprofit organization wants to provide Springfield with a membership-based bike sharing program. The goal is to eventually add 20 bike rack stations, but it will start out by bringing five racks downtown in the spring, for a total of 20 bikes, according to the Springfield News-Leader. Freshman Riley Lathrom, stage management and technical design major, said the bike share program is a great idea. She said she would like to see bike rack stations outside the residence halls, library and Plaster Student Union. “I have family in town, so I had to ask to borrow one of their bikes because I didn’t realize how far apart my classes were,” Lathrom said. “I would probably use it, and I think other people would too because I know people who have said they have to sprint to some of their classes.” Senior Trekelia Dillard, fashion design and merchandising u See BIKES, page 2
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