Smokers endanger not only themselves, but the health of all those around them.

SMASH – Students of Missouri State Against Smoking Hazards – hopes to minimize those risks through anti-smoking advocacy.

“Everyone knows there are hazards of smoking, but some don’t understand that there are just as many with second-hand smoke,” said Sarah Durnbaugh, graduate student in public health and advisor for SMASH.

According to a 2006 Surgeon General’s report, secondhand smoke contains hundreds of toxic chemicals and even short term exposure can cause adverse affects, while long term exposure can prompt heart disease or lung cancer.

“We would like to see Missouri State have a stronger tobacco policy that is just simple and fair so that we can create a healthier campus and environment for everybody,” Durnbaugh said, adding that smoking can trigger allergic reactions in some students causing a disruption in learning.

She believes the main flaw in the current tobacco policy is a lack of enforcement to contain smoking to designated areas. She would also be in support of recent talks of a campus smoking ban.

“Whatever provides a healthier campus is ideal,” she said.

SMASH was founded in 2007 and is funded by a grant. It is a division of the Ozark Public Health Institute. SMASH not only distributes information about the dangers of secondhand smoke, but also provides assistance for students looking to quit smoking.

“The goal of SMASH is really not to hinder the rights of people, but to be respectful of other people on campus,” Durnbaugh said.

To get more information on SMASH, go to www.facebook.com/smash.msu.

Missouri State University has student organizations to suit every taste and interest. But what if you have a taste for, well…beer?

It may not be a university sponsored club (for various legal reasons) but the “Unofficial MSU Beer Club” is a place for beer enthusiasts to gather and share in the hops and good times.

“Beer club is all about beer advocates,” said club president Kyle Snow. “I pretty much consider myself a beer connoisseur. So anyone who likes to try different beer…we come here and every week  try one new beer.”

Snow says that the club remains rather exclusive, and, in many ways is more about the social aspect more than the beer. 

“We try to keep it a little smaller and try to find people that we either know or people that I’m sure aren’t just coming just for the alcohol,” Snow said.

Most of the members have their own special nicknames, such as DJ, known as “Durr.” Snow always says that he wishes to be referred to as “Kimmich,” embracing his deep Irish lineage.

Of course, don’t underestimate the beer club by any means. They are serious about what they do.
Snow proudly pulled out his beer rating chart. “You write down the name of the beer, where it’s made, and then rate it on a scale of 1 to 10,” he said.

Listed on the chart are the names of several beers that the club had already taste tested, including Souza, Smithwicks, Sam Adams Irish Ale, and Mueller unfiltered wheat.

When asked about where he would like the “Unofficial MSU Beer Club” go in the near future, Snow says that he really wants to keep it simple and stick to the basics. “One thing I would like to see for the club, if I’m still here to see it, would be endorsement by the university as an official student organization, because I think what we do is pretty legit.”

Either way, it doesn’t look like the beer club will turn skunky anytime soon.

You probably have some questions about the newspaper in your hand (or the website you are reading from).

Like, what is this? What’s the point? Why should I read it?

Well, I’ll try and answer those as best I can if you just give me a few moments.

First of all, this is not the sort of newspaper that you see twelve copies of in your neighbor’s yard back home or in vending machines for a handful of pocket change nobody ever has, but the kind of newspaper that’s free and isn’t about obscure people or strangers who you don’t know or care about.

This is a newspaper made by students at Missouri State for everyone who is a part of MSU. It’s about your fellow students, your teachers, school activities and other happenings that might affect your life as an MSU student.

And the twice-a-month publication is completely independent from the university, meaning it has the freedom to cover controversial topics without the conflicts of interest inherent in official student newspapers.

We are not even an official student organization and we do not receive any funding from the university.

Second, what’s the point?

I had to ask our editor about this. Zach Becker is a graduate student from Great Bend, Kans., working towards his Master’s of Business Administration degree.

He feels that there’s a need for another newspaper on campus, because it is difficult for one news organization to cover all facets of life on a large university.

“The more options people have for their news, the better it is for students,” he said.

Zach’s wife, Jenny, an MBA student from Ellsworth, Kans., is serving as the publisher of the paper, handling most of the business aspects of the publication.

She also has “the final say as wife of the editor,” she remarked half-jokingly.

Jenny shares Zach’s view of providing students more options when it comes to campus coverage.

“I want this paper to appeal to all students on campus,” she said. “I want to get at the essence of what it means to be a student at Missouri State.”

Zach’s goal is to listen to the “heartbeat of campus” and create an open forum that gives students the chance to easily contribute and participate in the MSU community.

He also wants to create a more graphically oriented format to the paper than what is seen in The Standard, with larger photos, more in depth features and more varied content.

So why should you read The Underground?

Because it’s about you!

Zach says this paper isn’t going to be just topical news coverage or a repeat of stories you’ll see in the other paper.

Instead, its focus is telling “the story within the story. What’s really happening on campus.”

And he has experience doing this.

Zach and Jenny previously started a similar independent student newspaper called The Edge at their undergraduate college, Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kans. During that time, The Edge won many awards from the Kansas Associated Collegiate Press, and Zach himself was named First Runner-Up Kansas Collegiate Journalist of the Year in 2007.
They operated that paper successfully for several years before moving on to Missouri State.

Zach sets the bar high for The Underground staff, aiming to cover all stories with “honesty, accuracy, integrity, fairness, and public service.”

By doing this, we’ll prove to students we can be a trusted voice on MSU. That way, our investigative stories and coverage of controversial subjects can be fair and accurate.

The Underground is entirely student run; written by students, communicated via email, produced on a PC in the Beckers’ apartment and printed at Nowata Printing Company in Springfield. It is distributed at the college and at local businesses.

It’s a very flexible system that allows for maximum student involvement, independent from the university.

The paper is funded entirely by advertising and is a sole proprietorship owned by Zach and Jenny.

Once you know all of this, the newspaper in your hand becomes more than just another piece of paper.

It’s an opportunity for you to be involved in your school community.

The Underground is actively seeking student volunteers.

Time commitments are entirely up to the individual student and the paper works around your schedule.

There are plans to include new and unique content, from a faith page for all students’ beliefs, to sports commentary and intramural sports coverage, as well as video and audio content available online.

If you have a story or a voice to be heard, The Underground will give you a chance to make that happen.

Being a part of the Missouri State University Pistol Team may involve a little more than simply aiming at targets and pulling a trigger.

For Matthew Rottler, the club president and a senior in business management at Missouri State, shooting can be exhausting. “Shooting (is) the most challenging thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “It’s 90 percent mental.”

With the challenge, though, can come much success. Unbeknownst to many, the pistol team has been a sports organization on campus since the 1970s. They are consistently invited to the national competition, placing in the top 10 schools in the nation consecutively for the past 13 years.

Rottler heads the team, but no official coach guides them from year to year. “It’s all self-taught,” he explained. “We teach each other.” Each member passes on their knowledge to the next, therefore maintaining the pistol team through shared student experience and example.

One member in particular, the only girl on the team, had never shot a gun before joining. With a little practice and some guidance, Alex Griffeth quickly advanced to win the national competition a couple of years ago with 574 points out of 600 points, eventually competing internationally and even trying out for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

With sectionals just over two weeks away, the team continues to practice twice a week.
According to Rottler, this year is a “pivotal year to make it” because of all the new members. Many of the previous top members have graduated, so the new crew needs a chance to establish their records.

No reason to worry, though, because the guys are keeping up with the pressure. The team has already proven successful in the two home matches against Texas A & M University and North Georgia University, some placing first individually and others among the top five. They continue to compete with various schools, including “all the big shots,” as Rottler put it, shooting against the Army, Navy, Marines and other tough competitors.

As a team of eight members, they each bring a unique flair to the group with their talents and individual reasons for enjoying shooting.
“I like it because you have to push yourself,” said David Nicholson, freshman criminology and psychology major. “You can’t blame anybody else for messing up your shots.”

A little friendly competition even entered the air when Nicholson talked about club president Rottler.

“Beating Matt (Rottler is) the No. 1 goal of everybody,” Nicholson said with a smile, while the rest of the team laughed in agreement.
The team welcomes new members, inviting anyone interested to come shoot on club days in the Hammons Student Center basement, no matter the extent of their experience.

“Just learn to shoot,” Rottler encourages. “We do have a good time.”

Last year brought an impressive turn-out, and over half of the participants were female. Most, like Griffeth, had never shot a gun before.

Although the open shoots have not been officially scheduled yet, they will take place once or twice a month.

For more information, contact Matthew Rottler at Rottler316@missouristate.edu.