After an impassioned run, fueled by the idea of what could have been if the Democratic Party had chosen a different candidate in 2016, Bernie Sanders withdrew from the 2020 presidential race. The withdrawal of Sanders clears the way for a general election between, presumptive, Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump.

In a live-streamed speech, Sanders cast his decision in the broader context of the coronavirus. The candidate stated that the resources used to fuel his campaign would be better utilized in the national effort to remediate the impacts of the, still spreading, pandemic. 

“I cannot in good conscience continue to mount a campaign that cannot win and which would interfere with the important work required of all of us in this difficult hour,” Sanders said, adding, “While this campaign is coming to an end, our movement is not.”

The Vermont senator, a democratic socialist, based his 2020 campaign on issues including a single-payer national health insurance platform – a.k.a. Medicare for All – and large-scale national energy sector reform. 

Sanders has been serving in the U.S. Senate since 2007 and, to date, has 100 percent approval ratings from Human Rights Campaign, League of Conservation Voters and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. While Sanders will not be a candidate in this year’s general election, these endorsements – and the liberal policies he proposed – made him a favorite amongst youth voters. 

Biden, the former vice president, can now pursue the Democratic nomination unopposed. However, he has struggled to present any distinct policy plans and, perhaps consequently, is still facing obstacles in regards to mobilizing a broad base of voters for the November election. 

Since Sanders left the race on April 8, reports have emerged that the Biden campaign has sought policy advice from the Vermont native’s team. This may symbolize a, somewhat unexpected, shift to the political left for the traditionally moderate Democrat. 

“I’ll be reaching out to you,’’ Biden wrote in a statement acknowledging the need to draw Sander’s base into his coalition. “You will be heard by me.”

“Together we will defeat Donald Trump. And when we do that, we’ll not only do the hard work of rebuilding this nation — we’ll transform it,” said Biden.

Still, many are skeptical of the candidate. Key criticisms against Biden include eight separate allegations of inappropriate touching, his support of the Hyde amendment which would ban federal funding for most abortions and a public statement made in 2008 where Biden called for a fence to be built along the U.S.’s southern border. 

Despite this, the list of public figures who have endorsed Biden is extensive and growing by the day. Prominent endorsements have come from former President Obama and Democratic senators who were previously in the 2020 Presidential race, including Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. 

Though the campaign cycle has been impacted by the coronavirus spread, it is expected that Biden will be named as the official Democratic nominee at the rescheduled convention during the week of Aug. 17, 2020.

After having to cancel their annual conference due to the stay-at-home order in place, representatives from the Missouri College Media Association announced the 2020 awards for student journalists and publications statewide through a Facebook video livestream April 7. For the second year running, The Hilltop Monitor dominated the ceremony, winning 25 total awards and being recognized as the best small college newspaper in the state with its categories’ “Sweepstakes” award. 

These awards are considered to be among the most prestigious available to student journalists and are granted by the state branch of the College Media Association, the official organization recognizing collegiate newspapers nationwide. 

Divisions for this contest are determined by the number of students enrolled at the institute at the time of judging. This year the Monitor was placed in division three up against Avila University, Culver-Stockton College, Evangel University, Missouri Valley College and Park University. 

A list of awards won by The Hilltop Monitor can be found below: 

Sweepstakes

The Hilltop Monitor Staff, first place

News writing

Archer Wright, third place, “William Jewell College sells air waves for the creation of a 24-hour classical music station”

Maddie McCormick, second place, “New Partnership with Liberty Hospital means better care for injured athletes”

Tavarus Pennington, first place, “Free bus fare for Kansas City residents weighs access vs. affordability” 

Editorial Writing

Kenton Fox, third place, “A case for radical inclusivity” 

Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe and Christina Kirk, second place, “Letter from the Editors: Press freedom and the importance of distinguishing opinions from facts”

Sports Writing

Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe, honorable mention, “Jewell announces addition of powerlifting and CrossFit programs beginning 2020”

In-Depth News Reporting

Kyler Schardein, third place, “National Emergency sparks controversy”

Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe, first place, “Atypical financial approach increases Jewell’s financial flexibility in the long run” 

Investigative Reporting

Maddie McCormick, second place, “Students raise concerns about on-campus housing policy” 

Christina Kirk, Madison Carroll and Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe, first place, “An in-depth look at sexual assault at Jewell in light of recent allegations” 

Column

Jenna Hultgren, second place, “‘Bachelor’ franchise chooses yet another white lead”

Rachel Bell. first place, “OCD isn’t about organizing, and you probably don’t have it” 

Sports Column

Robert Hemphill, honorable mention, “Not just a game: The rise of E-Sports” 

Entertainment Review

Audrey Mapes, honorable mention, “‘Captain Marvel’ and empowerment by imperialism”

William Humphrey, third place, “Album Review: ‘Free Spirit’”

Tavarus Pennington, second place, “Hulu’s ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’”

News Photography

Hannah Koehler, honorable mention, “Collections: A visual journey of art through the eyes of Sherry Whetstone-McCall” 

Hannah Koehler, honorable mention, “New policy brings pets to campus”

Feature Photography

Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe, first place, “24-Hour theatre festival wows audiences at Jewell“

Nonpolitical/Entertainment Cartoon

Kitt Wilhelm, third place, “Kitt’s Toons #15”

Kitt Wilhelm, second place, “Kitt’s Toons #13”

Kitt Wilhelm, first place, “Kitt’s Toons #17” 

Information Graphic

Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe, first place, “Students raise concerns about on-campus housing policy”

Website Design
Cassie Hayes and Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe, second place, “The Hilltop Monitor”

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread the global disruption is increasing. Along with other academic institutions worldwide, William Jewell College has engaged in a crisis response strategy intended to keep students, staff and faculty safe while maintaining essential operations and ensuring classes are still offered. 

Below is a timeline of Jewell’s actions, to date, in response to the ongoing pandemic: 

• March 11: 
  • A letter written by Anne Dema, provost, was read to all Jewell students in their classes explaining that a task force had been established and the college was monitoring the situation closely. Students were asked to monitor their emails closely over spring break, March 16-22. 
  • Jewell’s online coronavirus news center was made available for the public to view. 
• March 12: 
  • An email was sent to all students, staff and faculty declaring that Jewell would be moving to online classes until April 5. Co-curricular activities, including inter-collegiate athletics, were also suspended at this time. This email explained that dorms would remain open for students who successfully completed a housing screening form by March 18.
• March 16: 
  • Information regarding the screening process for dorms was emailed to residential students. College residences were scheduled to open March 22 at 2 p.m. 
  • Students who do not have access to wifi at home were invited to complete a form and be sent a hotspot so they may successfully complete the semester remotely. 
• March 17: 
  • President Elizabeth MacLeod Walls emailed all students, faculty and staff to announce that Jewell classes would be hosted online for the remainder of the semester, until May 15. It was stated that campus housing would remain available for students who are screened and who “choose to [return] between now and the end of the academic year.” The email declared it likely that large spring semester events, including Honors Convocation and Parents’ Weekend, will be cancelled.  
• March 18: 
  • The Career Development team announced that all remaining events for the semester would be moved online. 
  • Fitness centers in Mathes and Shumaker Halls were closed until the end of the semester. 
  • Residential living on Jewell’s campus was suspended “immediately” and all students were asked to move off campus “as quickly as possible.” Students with an acute need to remain in the Jewell dorms were allowed to appeal, and their situations were evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 
  • Curry library services announced, via email, the adapted services offered while classes are held online.
• March 19:
  • Landon Jones, Director of Campus Security, emailed all students, staff and faculty with a set of guidelines for activities and work conducted on-campus during the pandemic. 
• March 22: 
  • An email containing information regarding whom to contact at Jewell and for what reasons was sent to students, staff and faculty. The email included information regarding academic resources, counseling services and student life. 
  • The guidelines of the Clay County stay-at-home order were emailed to all students, staff and faculty, and it was explained that, as a higher education institution, Jewell is considered an essential business. Hence, essential employees are allowed to continue coming to the campus to perform essential functions. 
• March 23:
  • Spring break officially ended and Jewell faculty resumed teaching classes, albeit online. 

Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe, senior chemistry and communication major, describes a chaotic two days in Peru before her trip was cut short and she was obliged to either return to the United States or risk being stranded for an indefinite amount of time. 

On March 12 I departed Kansas City for Lima, Peru on the trip of a lifetime to conduct research on electricity access in rural communities. This project was both the culmination of nearly three years of research I have completed in the field of electrification – the first two years through research for my chemistry major and the third through an independent study in business – and my Journey Grant. 

I spent months preparing for this trip – developing relationships with contacts on the ground, training for the high altitude villages I would be spending time in and learning absolutely everything I could about electricity access throughout Latin America. 

Yet when the day of my departure arrived, I was nervous. 

On the eve of my flight the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus to be a pandemic and, seemingly in response, President Trump announced a new policy barring individuals from European countries to travel to the United States. 

I took these announcements seriously, but I was healthy, and I judged the risks of my trip to be minimal. At the time there were only five known cases of the virus in Peru, and each of these was far from where I would be staying. I had no idea how quickly things would change. 

Things were seemingly fine when I boarded my flight. Yet during the approximately 12 hours that I was traveling – and offline – chaos erupted. When my flight touched down in Lima we were told that “new regulations” had been implemented “a few hours ago.” Without explanation we were whisked off the plane and greeted by a crowd of individuals covered from head to toe in personal protective equipment (PPE) who promptly recorded the temperatures of every person departing the plane. 

It wasn’t until after this experience that I managed to reconnect to Wi-Fi and learned that in the time I was on the flight a state of emergency had been issued over Kansas City, several countries around the world had closed their borders and the number of recorded COVID-19 cases and deaths had increased dramatically. 

Despite the news, after exiting the airport things were eerily normal. The streets were busy and people were calm, there was not a single mask in sight. However, the next day when I began exploring Lima it became clear that people were concerned about the threat of the coronavirus. Many of the touristic areas were empty and store owners expressed concerns about rapidly decreasing sales volumes. 

On my second day in Peru I heard rumors that the airports were going to close in 30 hours. Though I couldn’t find anything official to corroborate these claims, locals I interacted with were warning me that if I didn’t leave soon I could get stuck in Lima – according to their friend’s cousin’s brother who works at the airport and was told to prepare for a few months of unemployment. 

At first I dismissed these rumors, but after hearing the same claim a dozen times from a dozen different people I started to believe that there might be some truth to them. The next morning I was scheduled to fly to Cusco and meet a guide who would travel with me to several rural communities on, and around, Machu Picchu. I decided to catch that flight and hear from that guide before deciding whether to return to the United States or continue with my trip.

However, the pandemonium increased overnight. When I arrived back at Lima airport it was apparent that people were panicked, and I could see large groups of airline staff in full PPE outfits walking through every terminal. 

I called my travel agent who advised me to be cautious but agreed that I could go to Cusco and reevaluate the situation from there. I had a bad feeling but went through security and boarded the flight regardless. After sitting on the tarmac for 40 minutes we received word that the flight had been canceled, much like many other domestic flights that day.  

Again I called my travel agent, unsure whether to reboard onto the new flight we were being offered later that day. Frantically she advised me that if I wanted to leave Peru I would have to do it “NOW.” Every single flight before the rumored airport closures was filling up, and the opportunity to return to the states was rapidly shrinking. 

I was shocked, I had no idea how quickly the situation would devolve, but I was also very fortunate to have a travel agent who was diligently monitoring the flights available for me. With a lot of luck I was able to secure the second-to-last available seat on the last flight out of Peru that evening. 

I spent my final few hours on the ground exploring downtown Lima, and was struck by how quickly the city seemed to be emptying out. When I returned to the airport that evening it was startling how many people seemed to be desperately trying to leave Peru. The lines to check-in for flights were extending out of the doors, and people were frantically scrambling to be the first in the queue at the ticketing counters. Luckily I boarded my flight without any issues. 

Within a few hours of my flight departing the Peruvian government announced that all flights in, and out, of the country would be immediately halted, and domestic travel would be greatly restricted. Dozens of families were stranded, including tourists from Ireland and Japan, and the United States is currently sparring with the national government over repatriation flights. 

If I had not secured a seat on the flight that I did, it is unlikely I would have been able to return from Peru for at least several weeks. 

At the end of the day, I was extremely lucky. I was able to leave and I had a safe place to return to. I am immensely grateful for those things, but at the same time I am filled with regret for the people I left behind. The rural communities I was set to conduct research in are extremely reliant on income from tourism, and the loss of revenue they are facing will be devastating. 

The work that I was doing was in a genuine effort to help communities which do not share in the luxuries we – in more developed nations – largely take for granted, like electricity. And yet, ironically, it was that same privilege that allowed me leave while so many others were forced to stay. 

This pandemic is exposing vast inequities in our institutional structures, internationally and domestically. I hope we use this time to reevaluate these systems and, when this is all over, we are able to establish new normals and rebuild our societies to be more fair, even and equitable for every person in every place.