Corey Husak

Assignment Editor

Leaping into the future

Leaving a Legacy

Six seniors look to make mark

as baseball playoffs approach

SPORTS, p. 8

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Nathan Weinert

Editor-in-Chief

College

has over

six million

reasons to

celebrate

Hall Foundation

makes $6.5m pledge

continued on page 6

Nathan

Weinert

Editor-in-Chief

continued on page 5

Back off the bench

continued on page 5

T

h

e

H

ILLTO

P

M

O

N

ITO

R

Volume 22, Issue 25

Friday, April 25, 2008

The Student Voice of William Jewell College

CAMPUS:

Sigma Nus contest lack of house, p. 4

ENTERTAINMENT:

Jenkins presents play, p. 7

TALK TO THE AND(Y):

End of the road, p. 7

“I didn’t want people to see me until

I was healthy again so I tried to play

it o. like I was fine."

— Chris Cissell,

Head Soccer Coach

Cissell returns after concussion-related health crisis

As the end of the school year nears,

William Jewell College has more

than six and a half million additional

reasons to celebrate. The College

has announced that the Hall Family

Foundation made a $6.515 million

pledge to the College. It is the largest

single pledge to the College in over

a decade.

The primary focus of the pledge is

Curry Library, as the pledge includes

$6 million for renovations. The pledge

also includes funds for Oxbridge and

collaborative learning experiences.

“We have long appreciated Jewell’s

emphasis on rigorous educational

experiences. This support should help

the College as it develops its focus

on a collaborative and experiential

liberal arts education," Hall Family

Foundation vice president Tracy

Foster said in a release.

College o.cials said the pledge

was tied to William Jewell’s Strategic

Plan.

“As we move toward a

comprehensive campaign that will

allow Jewell to fulfill the mandates

of its Strategic Plan, the Hall Family

Foundation has given us a tremendous

vote of confidence and inspiration for

others to join us as we create the ver y

best experience for our students,"

Dr. Chad Jolly, vice president for

Advancement, said in a release.

The largest portion of the funds is

$6 million for renovations to Curr y

Library. The renovation project,

which is currently in the planning

stages, will transform the 1965-

vintage Library into what Dr. David

Sallee, president of the College

described as “the intellectual engine

for a community of scholars." The

renovation is expected to cost a total

of $13 million.

“We envision our librar y as the

Graduation approaches for the Class of 2008

Since he was five years old Chris Cissell has been a

self-proclaimed soccer nerd.

Now head men’s and women’s soccer coach at William

Jewell College, Cissell used the experience gained in dozens

of seasons—high school, college and professional—to

demonstrate the skills he

wanted his players to learn.

Practices meant fierce

competition on the field.

But eight weeks ago

Cissell was unrecognizable

as a soccer coach. The 2006

NAIA national men’s soccer

Coach of the Year couldn’t

walk without dizziness;

couldn’t check e-mail or

watch television; was unable to go down a staircase.

Repeated concussions had robbed Cissell of his ability

to perform the simplest tasks, but doctors were worried

that he might lose even more of his basic abilities.

Although he had su.ered concussions throughout his

athletic career (and several that were unrelated to soccer),

Cissell’s recent ordeal began in October, when he su.ered

a concussion after a fall. The blow to his head left him

with post concussion syndrome, vertigo and dizziness, but

after just a week away from the team, he returned in time

to coach the Cardinals against Graceland.

While he would be on the sideline for the rest of the

season and postseason—including conference, regional

and national tournaments—this quick recovery came

with a price.

“I tried to come back

too early and didn’t let the

brain injury heal as well

as it should have …with

the brain traumas and

injuries, you have to be

careful and let those heal

all the way, and if you don’t

you’re susceptible to more

injuries," Cissell said.

In January, Cissell

would su.er two more concussions – three grade-three

concussions within a three-month period. In addition

to his other symptoms, during this doctors discovered

that Cissell was su.ering from seizures that were causing

blackouts.

Another academic year has come and

gone at William Jewell College. Members

of this year’s senior class have seen many

changes occur on the Hill and have

collectively matured, grown, adjusted,

planned for the future and battled for

grades, scholarships and championships in

their years here.

Graduation festivities will begin at 9

a.m. on Saturday, May 3 with Baccalaureate

in Gano. Rev. Dr. Vernon Howard, Jr.,

’86, will deliver a message entitled “One

Thing." Howard is currently serving

as associate pastor of St. James United

Methodist Church. His book, The Way

of the Eagle: Charting Your Path to High

Place in Christ, was published in 2004 and

places an emphasis on individual spiritual

formation and discipleship.

A distinctive change in the graduation

obser vances will be in the graduates’ regalia.

Starting this year, graduates will have

“bachelor hoods" added to their formal

dress robes for the ceremony. According to

Susan Arbo, director of Ceremonies and

Signature Events, this was the idea of Dr.

Ruth Edwards, professor of nursing, to

of

Class

2008

Graduation 2008

May 3, 2008

Baccalaureate: 9 a.m., Gano.

Guest speaker: Rev. Dr. Vernon Howard

Faculty Reception: 10 - 11:30 a.m.,

President’s House

Walk Around the Quad: 1:30 p.m.

Commencement: 2 p.m., Mabee Center.

Keynote speaker: Bill Snyder

•

•

•

•

All photos by Kyle Rivas

Head men’s and women’s soccer coach Chris Cissell su.ered three concussions

in between October and January. While the concussions forced him to take

extensive bed rest, he is now back at work and thankful for the support of the

College community.

Kyle Rivas / Hilltop Monitor

The Hilltop Monitor

Friday, April 25, 2008 • Volume 22 • Issue 25

Copyright © 2008. All Rights Reserved

Th e Hilltop Monitor is published by the students of William Jewell College, Liberty, Mo.

Subscriptions are available for $30.00 per year. Entered as First Class matter Sept. 27, 1911, in the post

o. ce of Liberty, MO 64068, under the act of March 3, 1880. Editorial comment does not necessarily

re. ect the views and policies of the College.

Editorial sta. :

Nathan Weinert, Editor-in-Chief • Danielle Mills, Managing Editor

Rebekah Bouas, Assistant Editor • Kyle Rivas, Photo Editor • Jonathan Entzminger, Sports Editor

Corey Husak, Assignment Editor • Ashley Billinger, Copy Editor • Caitlin Tejeda, Copy Editor

Mark Davis, Cartoonist

Sta. writers and photographers:

Ashton Botts, Kristina Brase, Chris Carr, Andy Kirk, Jesus Lopez, Maura Metcalf-Kelly,

Ajanta Raman, Courtney Roberts, Trisha Stan, Sara Valladares, Alison Ward

Contact The Hilltop Monitor

Letters to the editor, story suggestions, ad inquiries, subscription re-

quests, or other correspondence can be sent to the following addresses:

e-mail: monitor@william.jewell.edu

phone: (816) 781-7700, ext. 5426

mail: WJC Box 1016, 500 College Hill, Liberty, MO 64068

website: http://www.thehilltopmonitor.com

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

April 25, 2008

. . . from the staff

Let us know

what you think

Letters to the Editor

monitor@william.

jewell.edu

Nathan Weinert

Editor-in-Chief

G

reat T

houghts

Famous Last W

ords

2

O

PINION

Danielle Mills

Managing Editor

The Hilltop Monitor

Th e Monitor is a member of the

Associated Collegiate Press and the

Missouri Collegiate Media Association

Chris Carr

Staff Writer

I wish...

I’m tempted to make my last

column one giant list of shoutouts,

Senate-style. I could thank all the

people who have made the last four

years such a great experience—Dr.

Rick Winslow, Dr. Andy Pratt, Shelly

King, Sharon Carey, the cafeteria

sta. and the land beaver. A limit of

900 words means this isn’t a feasible

option, however, so, to everyone who

has made the last four years such a

great experience, thanks in advance.

On Aug. 27, 2004, as I moved into

Eaton on one of the hottest days of

my life, I was excited about the years

ahead and couldn’t wait to see what

they would bring.

With eight days remaining in my

William Jewell career, I feel much

the same way. Although I’m sad for

my time here to come to an end, I’m

excited about what the next the years

ahead will bring—both for myself

and for the College. (Perhaps actually

fi nding employment and coming up

with a life plan I can stick with. OK—

I may be just dreaming here.)

My time at Jewell has been great.

Th anks to experiences provided by the

College, I’ve seen the world (or at least

more of it than a kid from Winfi eld,

Kan., should ever have a right to have

seen by 21). I visited the Great Wall

(and it snowed!), I’ve stood where the

Prime Minister stands during Prime

Minister’s questions at Westminster,

and I’ve met members of terrorist

organizations and two Nobel Peace

Priz e winners.

I’ve attended class on three

continents, heard Dr. Lois Anne

Harris perform the Alma Mater as a

cardinal and written approximately

150,000 words for the Monitor. Really,

not a bad four years.

Th e thing that excites me the most

as I leave William Jewell is the feeling

that this College will be even better in

the years to come.

Th e commitment to service at

this institution is second to none.

Th e leadership of the College is

outstanding, and the addition of new

blood to the Administrative Cabinet

has provided an infusion of energy. Th e

faculty is a group of excellent teachers

who are passionate about what they

do and determined to provide the best

possible experience for their students.

Th e Strategic Plan holds promise and

potential.

In so many ways, this isn’t the same

college I started at four years ago. If

the Magic Eight ball had said that

the amendment to the Student Bill

of Rights would pass by a 30 percent

margin during my time here, I’d have

said don’t count on it. As a fi rst-year it

felt like we were pushing the envelope

when we discussed whether or not

we’d ever have a non-Christian faculty

member, yet after two years with a

Jewish faculty member the College is a

better place with even more possibility.

As we ate cafeteria food we wondered

if we’d ever learn to appreciate it or if

the grease would get us fi rst, yet after

hundreds of scones and a dramatically

improved menu cafeteria fod is

something I’ll actually miss.

Th is was a good college four years

ago. It’s a really good college now, and

if the College stays on the path it’s on,

in future years it’ll be a great college.

At the same time, one issue looms

larger on the horizon than any other.

Th e College needs to face the

reality that socioeconomic issues

will be the next great challenge we

face. Perhaps more than challenges

of academic freedom or questions of

religious identity, the way we respond

to fi nancial need and growing chasms

between those with and those without

will defi ne what sort of institution this

is and what sort of people we are.

Th is College is a great value.

Period. You’re not going to fi nd a more

high-quality, life-changing college

experience at a better price. At the

same time, it’s not cheap—not even

close.

Let ’s momentarily set aside the

annual hikes in tuition and fees.

William Jewell prides itself on the

non-classroom experiences it provides.

Whether it’s the opportunity to study

abroad or intern in Washington or

participate in Pryor or Emerging

Leaders, we talk a lot about how we’re

a College where the best learning

happens in experiences that take you

far from campus.

William Jewell is currently looking

to expand many of those options,

through new interterm options,

additional study abroad locations and

other ways. Th ese changes promise to

make an education at William Jewell

an even better experience.

Th e costs of these experiences

come on top of increases in tuition

and fees that may easily approach 40

percent over four years. For students

who can barely a. ord the College to

begin with, these opportunities are

often beyond reach. It’s great to add

programs, but if there’s a class of

students at the College who are going

to be froz en out, it’s disingenuous and

a disservice to recruit students based

on that promise.

No student should be unable to

a. ord a William Jewell education or

unable to a. ord all the opportunities

that it provides. Th is College has to

make sure that students aren’t left out

as prospective students or during their

time at William Jewell. Th is, more

than anything, will show who we are

and what we want to be.

Last week, I wrote that this is a

great place to be a student journalist.

You’re encouraged to confront the

tough issues, given the f reedom to do

so and excellence is expected.

Th e same could be said for the

entire College. I’m proud to be a

Cardinal, and in ten years I think I’ll

be even more proud of my soon-to-be

alma mater.

Th anks, William Jewell.

Nathan Weinert can be reached at

weinertn@william.jewell.edu.

Well, this is it. It’s the fi nal one.

My fi nal fi nal thoughts, if you will.

Th e end.

I cannot begin to count the

number of times I started to write

this column, the last one I’ ll ever

write for the Monitor. Actually,

like many editors before me, I was

hoping that something huge would

rock the campus this week so that

I could write about the e vent’s

impact on the College instead of

the customary end-of-the-year

tears and jubilation.

Last night (and early this

morning) was the last time I will

work into the wee hours of the

morning, in the bowels of Brown

Hall, putting together the Monitor.

I ne ver imagined the fi rst time I

walked into the o. ce my fi rst-year

that this paper would become such

an integral part of my life. For four

years – three as an editor – I have

had the same schedule: Monday is

the dinner meeting, Wednesday is

work night and the story assignment

meeting, Th ursday is super work

night and Friday morning a brand

new issue of this paper hits the

stands. After so much routine, I’m

not sure I’ll know what to do with

myself.

It’s weird to think that I will

actually have time to watch Th e

O. ce and 30 Rock on the night

they originally air rather than on

the Internet the next day. Heck,

I might even start watching Grey’s

Anatomy just because I can.

Two o’clock in the morning

will again become a fi gment of my

imagination. On Friday mornings

I’ ll actually wake up rested and I

won’t be able to pack my lunch using

the bags under my eyes. What will I

really do with all this additional free

time. Five letters, but really only

one is necessary: Zzzzzz… I realize

that this may make me seem kind of

boring, but hey—I’ve got four years

of sleep on Th ursday night to catch

up on. I’m forever going to blame

Monitor-induced sleep depravation

for stunting my growth and leaving

me stuck at 5’3" forever. When I

reach for the stars I’ll always start

seven inches farther away than the

average person.

I won’t wake up on Friday

morning jittery with a stomachache

after drinking too much Diet Dr

Pepper and eating junk food all night.

Well, it might happen, but I won’t be

able to blame it on the Monitor any

longer.

Th ursday evenings will no longer

be spent counting words and cursing

because stories are too short. Th is

practice will come in handy, however,

as I pursue a career in communication.

Hopefully the counting and cursing

will come much earlier in the day.

I am defi nitely going to miss the

work we have done, the pranks we

have pulled and all the fun we have

had over the years. As cheesy as it

sounds, my college career would

have been drastically di. erent, most

likely for the worse, if it were not for

the Monitor. Th rough working on

the paper I’ve met many of my best

friends and formed relationships that

would not have happened otherwise.

It is interesting to see how a diverse

group of people can bond over s’mores

. avored ice cream at midnight.

If it were not for the Monitor, I

would not have had the opportunity

to get to know the College

administration and I’m sure I would

not be nearly as interested in why and

how the College does what it does.

As I prepare to graduate, I am

excited. I am excited to move on to

the next part of my life, prepared by

a truly excellent education and armed

with many wonderful memories.

-30-

Danielle Mills can be reached at

millse@william.jewell.edu.

Having the opportunity to write

the last sta. editorial for the 2007-

08 school year, I supposed the

assignement would be easy. I have

been here for four years. Th ere had to

be one thing that I could rant about

for about fi ve hundred words. But, as

I fi nally sat down to write this stor y

at 3:22 a.m. this morning, I realized

that I have no more words, just

wishes. You tr y and live a life of no

regrets, but here at the end of things,

I can’t help but think about how, if I

knew then what I know now, I might

do things di. erently:

I wish…I hadn’t procrastinated

so much my fi rst year. It set a bad

precedent.

I wish…I’d been more fi rm in

making my overseas credits count

toward my CTI.

I wish…I had taken Arabic over

the summer a long time ago.

I wish…I’d taken my classes more

seriously and had less emphasis on

student groups.

I wish…I had let those CSM

people know I never needed that

prayer room anyway.

I wish…I had gone on a mission

trip.

I wish…I spent more time just

sitting out on the Quad.

I wish…I had played on an

intramural sports team.

I wish…I had savored my last

Christmas Dinner at William Jewell

a little longer.

I wish…I had actually taken a part

in sledding down Browning Bowl on

my food tray.

I wish…I had had the courage to

be honest with my brothers from the

beginning.

I wish…I had gone to Chapel

more often and heard more of Dr.

Pratt’s awesome prayers.

I wish…I had taken a class with

Dr. Sperry and had the privilege of

calling her the Sperrinator.

I wish…I recorded each of the

jokes Drs. Epley, Hatcher, Holiman

and Webb ever said in class.

I wish…I could have Dr. Chatlos

back for one more class.

I wish…I could let Dr. Armstrong

know how thankful I am for all that

he’s done for me.

I wish…I could have made the

last Letter to the Editor author feel

respected.

I wish…diversity was as cut and

dry as he made it out to be.

I wish…I didn’t feel like I let

you all down in not doing enough

regarding diversity.

I wish…PEACE Allies had the

same treatment and standards as

other groups.

I wish…Student Senate meant

more to the general student body.

I wish... I knew American Sign

Language to fully converse with my

friend Whitney Riney.

I wish…I didn’t feel so old when

around the fi rst-years.

I wish…I trusted my Euro-

American friends enough to travel

down south with them.

I wish…I could o. er my sympathy

to people who mentioned rape on the

Post Secrets.

I wish…Los Compas catered

Friday night dinner, including the

Monster Margaritas.

I wish…Male Capris would catch

on here in Middle America.

I wish…Facebook did not rule my

life or turn people into creepers.

I wish…I could lose 15 lbs. and

keep it o. for longer than a trip to

Chipotle.

I wish…I could show you my

Blogspot.

I wish…I knew all of the answers.

I wish…you all happiness, success

and the meaning of a true friendship.

I wish…I wish…I wish…

Chris Carr can be reached at

car rc@william.jewell.edu.

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Tea Time with Trisha

by Trisha Stan

April 25, 2008

3

P

ERSPECTIVES

The Hilltop Monitor

“

ENDINGS

"

Except in movies, endings should

never be happy, I have decided. When

an ending is happy, the experience that

is ending must have been somehow

unhappy, if you are glad that it is

ending. Since I think you should try

to have experiences that are mostly

happy, their endings cannot be.

Endings should be bittersweet.

Bitter because it’s over but sweet

because it happened. Of course, they

may also be sweet because it is just

time for them to end or because your

happy activity was so much work that

it is a bit of a relief to have a break.

Apparently, I have problems

understanding the “sweet" part of

endings. I hate them. I weep at the

closure of every year, every activity

and every day. Alright, I may be

exaggerating a bit, but I do feel at

least a twinge of sorrow ever y time

something ends, even a happy movie.

I actually did cry at every New Year’s

Eve “celebration" through high school.

New Year’s was a devastatingly

unhappy holiday for me, because I

missed the point of the “New" part

and only could focus on that the old

year was ending.

I have a problem called inertia—I

resist change. I am always so happy

wherever I am that I cannot imagine

myself happier somewhere else, so

why would I want to take the gamble

that something new will be as good or

better than something I know I love.

Never mind the fact that experience

tells me that I tend to make good

decisions that put me in happy places

and the fact that I tend to be happy

pretty nearly anywhere I find myself

that is not Southwest Kansas.

New things are scary, in an exciting

way that draws you in and tempts you

with adventure, like pirates—scary but

oh so attractive! Luckily, my hatred

of endings is balanced by my love of

beginnings, or I would never be able

to do anything. As it is, I am very good

at starting things and not so great at

finishing them. Such is life.

As you at William Jewell are

preparing to end the school year, or

even your career at Jewell, I am dealing

with a very di.erent sort of ending—

the end of Spring Break. While you are

preparing final papers and graduation

parties, I am embarking on my last

term at Cambridge. Term o.cially

started yesterday.

Spring Break is one thing that

always ends too soon. Usually, one

week is not enough to recover from the

stress of the first half of the semester

or to do any thing particularly exciting.

Cambridge had the brilliant idea, like

they do, to extend Spring Break into

five whole weeks. If one week is good,

five should be better, right. Apparently,

Cambridge has not accepted the

wisdom of the phrase “too much of a

good thing," because before the break

I had problems imagining what I

could possibly do to fill all that time

with no classes, little homework, and

no place to stay. Somehow it sounded

like a good idea to backpack around

Eastern Europe.

Nearly six weeks ago, when I began

my epic jaunt around Eastern Europe

(and Ireland), I was sure that I would

be ecstatic five and a half weeks later

when the break ended and I returned

to Cambridge and proper hygiene.

Honestly, I dreaded a five-week

Spring Break. I mean, I’m so happy

and content at Cambridge, why would

I want to pick up and move to a new

place every few days in obscure parts

of the continent with nothing but

what I can carry on my back. How is

that a good gamble.

You know how this story will turn

out. Rushing out of Cambridge at the

last minute, I found myself in Ireland,

a happily rainy place. What could

possibly be better than Irish accents,

rain, wind, green things, cli.s, castles,

rocks and St. Patrick’s Day. The

answer is Romania—more castles, in

mountains and the friendliest people

in Europe. What could possibly be

better than that. The rest of the trip, of

course, as I found my self continuously

delighted with Hungarian baths,

Slovakian mountains, holocaust

memorials, five hour Operas, Balkan

junk food, Dalmation costal waters

and Bosnia in general. By the end of

the break, I was so happy travelling

that I couldn’t imagine myself ever

happy stuck in one place for more

than four days, and couldn’t bear to

end the trip.

But all good things must someday

come to an end, a fact that I am

beginning to embrace, especially when

the end means that I have my own

room again and a decent shower.

And now, I must come to grips

with another ending: that of this

column. I’ve enjoyed sharing with you

my thoughts, stories, and complaints

about life overseas, and while I don’t

have to deal with the end of my

overseas study for over a month, this

overseas column must be my last.

I think that overseas columns are

supposed to end with deep insights

about the nature of the world or life

or sage advice for getting the most out

of an experience. But I can’t think of

anything to say that has not already

been most eloquently expressed by

Robert Frost or motivational posters.

What I’ve learned this year could

fill volumes, but it would be mostly

personal revelations and musings

about the growing up I have done

that would be entirely uninteresting

to everyone except may be my mom. I

could also fill a few highly hyperlinked

websites with tips on living abroad

and travelling, but that is not the sort

of wisdom that is appropriate for the

profound revelations that should end

this column.

What have I learned from the

English and from Cambridge. That

a cup of tea can solve any problem.

That “herb" has an “ h," and there’s

no such thing as a silent “h." That

pubs really are a second home. That

building a diverse community of the

best scholars from around the world

is probably the best way to have one

of the best universities in the world.

That Nutella is good on everything.

What have I learned from

travelling. That it’s expensive. That

it’s worth it. That it’s not about

seeing the top 10 attractions in every

city but about the experience and the

people. That you can never have too

many socks. That travel really is the

chance and experience of a lifetime.

That there is no such thing as too

much gelato, especially when it is

$0.70 in Bosnia. That Robert Frost

discovered a piece of profound truth

in the yellow woods.

Taking the road less traveled

does make all the di.erence. On

our break, the two countries that

were the hardest to get to, the least

touristy, were by far the most fun,

fascinating and rewarding. In life,

doing something a little bit di.erent

not only makes you more interesting,

but more fulfilled. Overcoming my

inertia problem and trying something

new and di.erent ensures that I

always will have plenty of bittersweet

endings to savor.

I wish the same for you. May your

upcoming and future endings be

especially bittersweet.

THE END.

Trisha Stan is spending the year

studying at Cambridge University in

England. She can be reached at

stant@william.jewell.edu.

Letters to the Editor

What Diversity.

Being a Caucasian, heterosexual male that is brought up in a Christian

household in the United States of America is a piece of William Jewell College’s

diversity, but take a closer look at the environment and makeup of the student and

faculty population at Jewel. What is so diverse about that. What doesn’t Jewell

teach about the Caucasian, heterosexual male from a Christian background.

Does not ever y American History book focus mainly on the Revolutionary War

and the dispute between colonial Whites and the British. Does anyone ever

critically learn about other faiths and religions before they go to college. Don’t

forget that William Jewell is historically Baptist, and correct me if I’m wrong but

I believe the mission statement promises “spiritual growth within a community

inspired by Christian ideals." I do not think William Jewell should necessarily

revoke their dedication to the Christian religion, but I find it ignorant to think

that Jewell doesn’t present this “generally accepted belief."

With that in mind, I am having a di.cult time accepting that the college

years are your most vulnerable. I guess I always thought that was high school,

with peer pressure and all. College is where people find out who they really are,

without being forced to think one way or another, being allowed to look at what

they believe and comparing it to what they are being presented. Disallowing

this would be a waste of a college degree.

My main point of writing this is in response to a letter to the editor published

on April 11, where the author understandably points out that if one wants to be

equal to the majority, they should not be awarded or praised for being di.erent.

I understand this idea, as for many years I felt the same way until I finally came

to terms with myself and my own situation: a Caucasian, homosexual male,

brought up in a Christian household. I don’t feel like I should be rewarded or

praised for being gay, nor do I feel entitled to any special privileges. But I do

think you should try to understand me. I do think I have the right to express

who I am without any disgust coming from anyone. This week you may have

noticed the pictures of gay, lesbian, and straight couples hanging all around the

Union. I bet some of you were disgusted, I even heard some people say “that’s

not normal" in reference to two guys kissing, or someone else saying “instead of

PEACE Week it should be called DEATH Week." How accepting of diversity

is that. That is exactly why those pictures are hanging up - to help you realize

that there is no such thing as “equal" yet on this campus, if not all people (shape,

size, sexuality, race, ethnicity, etc.) are considered normal.

The one thing that really makes me mad is something that I wish I never

heard. I don’t think I have ever begged for more attention for being gay or done

anything in particular to be the recipient of demeaning words. But just the

other week, around the time of the said published letter-to-the-editor, I heard

certain words coming from the windows of the fraternity house next door,

saying something like “(insert my name here) is a little faggot, and you two

must be his butt buddies." This was said in reference to two of my fraternity

brothers who were wrestling on our back lawn. I can’t begin to explain how I

felt after hearing those words come from a member of a fraternity of which I

consider some of my good friends and I work with closely on a daily basis. I

can’t help but feel some sort of loss of respect after hearing those words used

in such a malicious manner, and not even to my face, but where they felt safe

from my ears.

If you are still reading this, I bet some of you have muttered the words

“faggot," “ hippie," or “that’s gay." That is unfortunate. I am not calling you a

bigot, I just want you to understand that it is not about praise and awards. It is

about wanting to be considered “normal."

Alex Hart, junior international business major

To the William Jewell College Community :

Last fall when I left this place it was hard. While I was here I had this

mental image, this dream of me graduating and walking around the Quad. A

year afterward it is happening. It has been an amazingly inspiring experience

that I went through, and it is through people’s help and support that I made it.

I dedicate this success to them.

I would like to thank again every person who helped me come back to this

special place. It felt great to be back on the Hill. Thank you all for the warm

welcomes and the great time I had this year. It was the mark that the College

left in me that made me work hard to come back, and now that mark has

become part of me. All the members of this community have enriched my

mind and my heart, and I thank you all for this.

I am a person who is always thirsty for knowledge. I place a great value on

education and I feel that every day is an education. At Jewell, I realized that

I am asking more questions instead of finding answers and what I thought I

solidly knew was brought into question. It is the critical thinking that will grow

with me, questions will endlessly tickle my brain, but I know how to find roads

that might lead to answers.

It is ironic how things work, taking my Christian faith and the faith that

God is present in the choices we make. When I was in limbo in Athens, I was

afraid, insecure, with a heaving pressure on my heart. I had no clue that where

I thought was the middle of nowhere would be the place where I would meet

the greatest people and have some of my most constructive experiences. I wish

I’d have known this place at the beginning at my college career. I would have

spent more time, more great times here, but yet the previous stages of my life

are what led me to here. It’s amazing how things work!

This experience has built me a lot. My idea of being successful had nothing

to do with depression and hard times. I envisioned the future as bright, but now

I cope with the elevations and depressions of life and I tend to catch as many

positive moments as possible. I believe in phases and distinctive education is

the golden ladder where I bravely and persistently try to climb an Everest of

my own.

Dreams do come true, dear fellow seniors. Whenever we finish the walk

around the Quad, go out and be who you want to be and if you trip, stand up

and fight again. Jewell has given us powerful weapons. If you need help, call for

it and you will find help. Take action rather than reaction. And lastly, those of

you who will remain, this place will enrich your mind and being. It will move

you to a higher level. Invest in it, live it, and enjoy it.

Thank you all and I wish you the best of luck,

Roy Abdo, senior business administration major

A Look Back:

Over the last four years, Hilltop Monitor cartoonists have turned their eyes on

many of the biggest issues facing the College. A look back at their take:

Credits (from left): Brit Mager (Dec. 3, 2004), Kar is Rosell (Feb. 10,

2006), Erin Thess (Feb. 16, 2007), Mark Davis (Feb. 22, 2008)

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Honduras trip to become

College-wide collaboration

April 25, 2008

4

C

AMPUS

The Hilltop Monitor

Danielle Mills

Managing Editor

10 receive Hall Enrichment Grants

Ashley Billinger

Copy Editor

Sigma Nus express concerns about housing situation

Caitlin Tejeda

Copy Editor

In the near future, students from

all disciplines within the William

Jewell College community will have

the o