At around 11:10 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23, two cars were seen firing gunshots at each other in Liberty, Missouri. No injuries occurred, but one home was struck by the fire through the front door and several rooms throughout the house.

The rolling gun battle, as many news outlets are calling it, happened on the 600 block of Camelot Drive. This is 2.4 miles away from William Jewell College, a nine minute drive, and is located by Bennett Park. 

Jewell’s very own celebrated basketball coach, Larry Holley, heard the gunshots from his living room with his wife.

“I thought it was fireworks,” said Holley. “I was delayed about 20-25 seconds, I got up and looked out to the cul-de-sac and there was nothing there so went back and sit down and watched TV.” 

The police later showed up at Holley’s door to ask questions about the incident. Police currently do not have any leads and have been asking people on Camelot Drive to send in any video footage that may have been captured by home security cameras, or Ring doorbell devices which film as well. 

The spokesperson for the Liberty Police Department, Captain Andy Hendrick, says that the footage will “Help us identify who were in those cars and license plates and makes and models.”

What does this mean for students at Jewell? With a shooting so close to campus, the safety of the area is brought into question. 

Liberty’s crime index states that the city is safer than 34 percent of others in the United States. With a population of 31,507, there is a violent crime rate of 2.32 per 1000 residents. In the last five years, Liberty’s violent crime rate has increased. 

The chances of one of Jewell’s students becoming a victim of a violent crime is 1-432. However, no other recent shootings have been reported this close to campus. It is now a waiting game to see if the Liberty police find out the perpetrators of this recent gunfight. 

We’ve all heard of the “freshman 15” – those fateful extra pounds that students tack on once they get to college. For a lot of students, the 15 doesn’t end after their first year. Even if you don’t gain weight, it is easy to lose track of a healthy life-style as an over- programmed student. But there are a variety of ways, especially at Jewell, for students to find a healthy balance. 

First and foremost, the problem that we all face is our eating habits. It’s something that affects athletes and non-athletes alike. The struggle with finances, time and will-power can all be detrimental to a college student’s diet. Before you can fix your problems, you first have to find out what your problems are. 

If you are someone who has every minute of every day planned and often forget meals or can’t find time to swing by the caf, meal-prep and setting reminders on your phone to eat are good options. This will help you make sure that when 10 p.m. rolls around you’ve ingested more than just three 20oz Cardinal Grinds. 

If you live off of coffee and have it with every meal, try going for a slimmer option every once in a while. Substituting regular milk with almond, soy or coconut milk are great ways to cut down on some extra fat intake. Also making sure that you’re consuming caffeine at times of the day when you can still have a healthy sleep schedule is important –- with the exception of the occasional all-nighter. 

Eating in the caf can be a struggle when it seems like everything is fried, greasy and covered in cheese. 

When it comes to eating habits, limit the number of times you’re eating out. It goes without saying that while it may be the best option for time and effort, it isn’t the best option when it’s done constantly. Moderation is key, and your stomach – and wallet – will thank you in the long run. 

Another common problem is exercise. If you’re a student athlete you probably don’t have to worry about squeezing that into your schedule. But if you aren’t, and are crunched for time like we all are, there are easier ways than spending time at the gym. 

Of course the facilities in Mathes and the Mabee center are open to all students. If you have time to go get a strenuous workout, go for it. Once a week is better than never. If you only have a certain amount of free-time and want to catch up on a TV show, try watching it while you walk on the treadmill. Chances are you’ll get a lot accomplished without feeling like you’re wasting time. 

And, of course, rest. Making sure you sleep for long enough, but also that your sleeping times are consistent throughout the week is a must. 

Overall, the best way to stay healthy in college is to take care of yourself. Find the ways that work for you, then use them! A healthy body and mind go hand in hand, and you especially need a healthy mind when you’re here at Jewell. 

The R.M.S. Titanic is a well-known ship due to the tragedy surrounding the situation and, of course, because of young Leonardo DiCaprio. But the ship is also known as a vessel for several conspiracy theories in modern popular culture.

The Titanic sank April 14-15, 1912 after hitting an iceberg – a startling revelation, as the public had heard since its creation that it was “unsinkable.” A total of 1,517 passengers and crew members died in the event, meaning that only 42 percent of total people on board survived. This great loss caused a huge change in people’s attitudes regarding lifeboats and preventative measures for sea-travel, as the Titanic only had 20 lifeboats on board – just enough to save half of the passengers. But this great loss also left many with questions about what actually happened.

One of the most well-known conspiracies surrounding the R.M.S. Titanic is that it never actually sank. This is a favorite when it comes to conspiracy theories: the moon landing never happened, 9/11 was a hoax, etc. However this one differs, as people believe that a ship sank, it’s just a question of which one.

Believers testify that the White Star Line, the institution responsible for the Titanic, switched the ship with their other ship, the R.M.S. Olympic. It is said that the Olympic was damaged on a voyage in 1911, and therefore, White Star Line came to a difficult situation, as they allegedly thought that the ship was too damaged to be recovered or to be profited off of. Therefore, the conspiracy is that the company switched the two ships, passing off the Olympic as the Titanic, a seemingly harmless switch at the time, which eventually proved to be deadly.

Proof for this varies from claims that the Titanic could then be deliberately sunk for an insurance payout in order to avoid threats to the company’s financial standing the damage of the Olympic caused, to the idea that not much needed to be done and that the two ships were remarkably similar.

The Titanic cost $7.5 million and was only insured for $5 million, meaning that it was under-insured. Furthermore the White Star Line actually insured their own ships.

“Were there a conspiracy, one would expect that the insurance policy would have been changed to cover the entire value of the ship,” stated historian Mark Chirnside. “As it was, White Star could only expect to recoup two-thirds of the ship’s value.”

With regards to the ships being easy to switch, even changing the names would have been difficult – if not impossible with the time frame. The names were not simply painted on but actually engraved into the plates – a half inch deep. Changing this would have required a total switch of the plates, not to mention the other physical aspects that would have needed to be altered. These claims are based on their similarity when seen at a macro scale, but several things do not add up with this conspiracy theory when looked at more closely.

They also differed in ways that passengers would have been able to note. The Titanic had a large dining room and cafe that was specifically unique to the ship. The ship was actually changed based on feedback from the Olympic and was made to be a better, more luxurious version. Steel plates were also added on to the Olympic’s engine bedplates. In 1911 when the Titanic was under inspection, no such plates were found or reported.

This “switch” theory first came into the spotlight in 1996 when Robert Gardiner and Dan Van Der Vat published “The Riddle of the Titanic.” It quickly became a bestseller in Japan, Germany, Italy and England. With the introduction of the internet into modern culture, the theory has spread and created further discourse. Yet Gardiner himself, while still believing certain aspects of his theory, admits that a full switch was not possible.

Gardiner created an epilogue, “Grave Doubts,” where he recants previous statements and goes into detail about how the ship at the bottom of the Atlantic must be the Titanic. In this testimonial, Gardiner then gives an explanation for why society creates these other realities to believe so strongly in.

“A conspiracy theory arises after a disaster because many people find it impossible to believe such a tragedy could just happen. Indeed for some a conspiracy theory is a psychological necessity, to help them come to terms with a shocking event,” Gardiner wrote.

It’s a difficult thing to believe that so many lives could be lost in such a quick event, especially one where few had any control. With conspiracies such as the “switch” theory, people find solace in knowing that it was the fault of something or someone – not just a “freak accident.”

While questions may arise about the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic and what exactly led up to her fateful demise it is a sure thing that it was a tragedy that has been assured to never happen again. We may not be able to determine when a ship hits an iceberg, but we can make sure that safety measures are put into place, and Titanic showed the world the importance of that – whether or not you believe that it was the Titanic that sank.

William Jewell College athletics has seemingly had a rough year dealing with coaching situations, leading to a very confused student population. Questions have naturally come to light as to why – and with good reason. Jewell has received new coaches this year in several different sports and is having to say goodbye to coaches in several others.

Tom Eisenhauer, Director of Athletics, spoke to Hilltop about these situations, of both the old coaches, and the new.

Doug Elly, head tennis coach for both men’s and women’s tennis, started at Jewell this February. Prior to this, he was working for a private organization in Florida. Spending most of his life in Springfield, Missouri, allowed him to actually have connections with some of the current tennis players, which is a large part of why he was hired, along with his many other qualifications.

“He’s done a great job with those kids, [I’m] really glad he’s a part of our staff,” Eisenhauer said of Elly.

Jewell football also welcomed a new coach this season. Chuck Lliteras, Interim Head Football Coach, filled in after the departure of another coach. Lliteras has over 25 years of experience with head coaching and is in the Missouri Football Coaches Hall of Fame. He will retain this position at least until the end of the 2019 season.

Other sports this year, however, have had to deal with more challenging obstacles. Jewell’s swimming team had a rough start to the school year, as the previous coach left the weekend of first-year move in, during orientation.

This was a difficult time of year to be searching for a new coach, as Eisenhauer explains. Dan Szuba, after consideration, was felt to be the best candidate and was asked to step in to be Head Coach of both men’s and women’s swim. Szuba was only expecting to hold the position of assistant coach this past season.

Unfortunately, after this season Szuba has decided to pursue other opportunities outside of the Jewell community.

“He did a great job with the kids, worked incredibly hard,” Eisenhauer speaks of Szuba. “I’ve got nothing but good things to say about [him].”

Now, Jewell athletics is currently searching for a new coach for the upcoming season in the fall. A search committee has been comprised of four faculty and athletic staff members and has already met several times. They are expected to be narrowing the candidate pool down soon and will begin phone interviews quickly after.

Men’s soccer is also dealing with a resignation – one that happened at the end of their season. With the decision of the past season’s coach to step down, a team similar to the one for swim coaches has been formed, in order to discover the best coach for the upcoming season. The group has already convened and has narrowed the candidate pool to eight which they will be conducting phone interviews.

Jewell’s community also had to say goodbye to another great coach, Larry Holley, who retired this year. It is anticipated that a decision should be made this week in regards to the upcoming season’s coach.

With these many resignations, some speculations have come to the surface of coaches being fired for various reasons – including due to athlete interference. Eisenhauer also addressed these allegations, speaking of how students fill out a comprehensive survey of their experience where they evaluate the athletic programs at the end of each playing season. This includes evaluations of their head coach, assistant coach, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, compliance and any other sides of the program that affect the athlete.

“We want to determine: what is the level of satisfaction, where are there areas that we can improve, what are the things that we’re doing well, then we can celebrate those,” Eisenhauer said. “[The evaluations] influence the decisions we make, but I wouldn’t go so far to say there are athletes trying to get their coaches fired.”

It is also important to keep in mind that coach turnover is frequent in collegiate athletics in the United States.

“Now here [at Jewell], that’s a little bit of a shock to our culture, to experience that… I mean, you look at Larry Holley, who’s been here 40 years, Jill Slominski our head women’s basketball coach who’s been here 23 years, Mike Stockton, who’s been here 19 or 20 years, we’ve got Dustin Combs who’s somewhere between 10 and 13 years,” Eisenhauer said. “And so we have this history of some of our coaches staying here really long, but when you look at the industry as a whole, coaches move around a lot, it’s just the name of the game.”

It seems that while Jewell has had a rough year for coaching on the outside, that several different factors played into why the community suffered from different resignations. And while this may seem odd, it is a natural occurrence in the world of collegiate sports.

What is certain, is that coaches are a valued part of the Jewell community.

Eisenhauer emphasizes, “We are committed to identifying the best coaches for our institution… so when a coach resigns we’re committed to a process that’s very inclusive, very collaborative, because we are asking this person to join the Jewell community, and not just be a coach.”