America is currently experiencing an unprecedented wave of mid-decade redistricting. As of September of 2025, eleven states, including Missouri, have made some progress towards redrawing their electoral boundaries for the 2026 elections, and Missouri joins Texas in having officially signed a new district map into law. Barring the potential of a lawsuit overturning the map, many Missouri voters, particularly those around Kansas City, will find themselves in a new electoral district in 2026, and those changes are likely to force Democratic representative Emanuel Cleaver out of his seat. 

Missouri’s Redistricting Plan and House Bill 1

Missouri’s redistricting effort can be found in Missouri House Bill 1 of the 103^rd General Assembly’s second extraordinary session (HB1). HB1 is a lengthy bill, assigning every voting district and county in the state of Missouri to one of eight electoral districts, but the key changes proposed in the bill can be found by comparing the new district map to the prior map, approved for use in 2022. 

Both maps have eight electoral districts, but the shape of several districts, particularly District 5, have been changed. Where District 5 used to contain most of the Kansas City area and nothing else, it now extends several hundred miles into rural (and reliably Republican) central Missouri. The north and south ends of the city have been placed in districts 6 and 4 respectively, which each also cover an extensive region of rural Missouri. The result is that district 5, currently held by long-serving Democrat Emanuel Cleaver II, will now lean Republican, leaving only one Democrat-leaning district in the state.

Governor Mike Kehoe signed HB1 after it cleared the state legislature, officially enshrining the new electoral map into Missouri law. However, its path forward has become fraught. Four lawsuits (at time of writing) have challenged the bill’s legality, with most emphasis being placed on the compactness (or lack thereof) of the new fifth district and the fact that the state constitution does not permit mid-cycle redistricting. Emanuel Cleaver has also promised a lawsuit if HB1 passes, so it is likely that more lawsuits are still to come.

The fate of HB1’s new electoral map will therefore depend on the decisions of several courts, and it is likely that, whatever the outcome of the initial trials, every verdict will be appealed up through the courts. 

The National Rise of Redistricting

Missouri’s redistricting effort is part of a broader effort by both political parties to create new House seats for their respective party for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. President Trump has pushed Republican-led states to create more Republican-leaning districts, concerned that midterm election results will swing against Republicans. In the 23 midterm elections since 1934, the president’s party has lost House seats in all but three elections; Republicans currently hold a six-seat majority with three vacant seats, so any lost seats in the midterms may end the Republican Party’s control of the chamber. 

In response to Republican efforts to gain more seats in Texas, Missouri, and elsewhere, Democratic state governments have proposed their own retaliatory redistricting efforts. California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken the lead in this effort, proposing a new map that would likely swap six currently-red seats to Democrats in 2026. California’s proposition 50 is slated to arrive at the polls in November, with California citizens voting directly on whether to approve the map. Current polling indicates that the California public supports the measure, 51% to 34%, but there is still over a month before votes will be cast. Similar “reactive” redistricting has been planned in other Democratic-led states such as Maryland, but has seen somewhat limited success outside of California.

With both political parties pushing partisan redistricting, a grassroots campaign to limit redistricting has gained steam. Groups such as Common Cause have been fighting to prevent partisan redistricting and leading anti-gerrymandering protests, particularly in Republican-led states such as Indiana. Even in California, opinions are split on Proposition 50’s “reactive” redistricting, with 49% of survey respondents believing Prop 50 to be a bad thing, including 13% of those who are voting for it and 96% of those who oppose it.

Polling in Missouri shows that voters are against House Bill 1’s redistricting plan, though the margins in Missouri are significantly narrower. A Democratic Party poll finds that 48% of Missouri voters oppose the redistricting move, while 37% approve of it. Missouri voters have also attempted to force a statewide referendum on the vote (similar to California’s upcoming Prop 50 vote), which is in the early stages of collecting signatures. Even with Governor Kehoe signing HB1 on September 28th, the array of lawsuits and attempts to demand a popular referendum on redistricting leave the future of Missouri’s congressional district lines murky at best. 

For those interested in redistricting, particularly in Missouri, Jewell and Pi Sigma Alpha will be hosting a panel discussion on gerrymandering on October 15^th at 6:30 pm.

Photo by Briana Tozour via Uplash.

If you’re looking for a good sports city and atmosphere, Kansas City is your place to be. It’s host to four major professional sports teams across three different sports: baseball, football and soccer. This article aims to be a survey of Kansas City sports, highlighting each team and providing a little history for each.

Chiefs Kingdom: Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are the oldest professional sports team in Kansas City, although they weren’t established in Kansas City. Our beloved Chiefs were established in 1960 as the Dallas Texans by then-American Football League (AFL) founder Lamar Hunt.

A minor tangent about the AFL: The AFL was created as an alternative to the NFL by Lamar Hunt. To avoid a talent war, the AFL merged with the NFL to create one league in June 1966. The AFL became the American Football Conference (AFC), whose title still bears Mr. Hunt’s name. The first AFL-NFL championship in 1967, amusingly called the World Championship, kicked off what would become the Super Bowl era.

In 1963, the Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City and rebranded as the Kansas City Chiefs. Since then, they’ve won six league titles (four Super Bowls and two AFL championships, before the AFL and the NFL merged) and are currently one of the best teams in the league. Under the leadership of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes II and head coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs have won their division for nine straight years, the AFC championship game for five of the last six years, and three Super Bowls.

On first arrival in Kansas City, they played at the Municipal Stadium on E. 22nd Street and Brooklyn Avenue. In 1972, the team moved to Arrowhead Stadium in Jackson County, where they have played for the last fifty years.

Across from Arrowhead is the second team we’ll encounter on this tour of KC sports: Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals.

The Boys Are Playing Some Ball: Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals inhabit Kauffman Stadium (in the same sports complex as Arrowhead), named after entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing M. Kauffman. (His family foundation also contributed significantly to Kauffman Gardens and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, both located in downtown KC.) Like the Chiefs, the Royals also played in Municipal Stadium until 1972.

The Kansas City Royals are currently in-season. As of the time of writing, they place third in the American League Central, trailing the Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers. The Royals haven’t seen as much success as the Chiefs. They’ve only won the World Series twice, in 1985 and 2015. Since that win in 2015, the Royals have only made the playoffs once.

That said, the Royals are looking to turn things around this year and build on their AL playoff appearance last season. Stars like Bobby Witt Jr. (#7) have garnered significant attention; Witt Jr. was selected as a starting shortstop on the US national baseball team. Last year, KC Royals ace Cole Ragans (#55) was named to an All-Star team, and the Royals hope he can continue to deliver.

The Other Midwestern Football: Sporting KC

Sporting KC came to Kansas City in 1996 as the Kansas City Wiz, creating electric football from the second they landed in Kansas City. A decade and a half of KC Wiz brought an MLS Cup (2000), a US Open Cup (2004), and a dramatic victory against Manchester United in 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium; Man Utd. would go on to win the English Premier League that year.

In late 2010, the Wizards rebranded as Sporting KC and opened their own stadium, Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, although they’ve kept elements of the Wiz heritage ever since. Six years of MLS playoff appearances through 2017 have been followed by what the Sporting website politely calls a “dip in form.” Although the team is third last in Major League Soccer, they’ve won two of their last three matches against St. Louis and San José.

Making a Splash: KC Current

The Kansas City Current are KC’s newest addition to professional sports, playing in the NWSL – the National Women’s Soccer League. In Dec. 2020, the NWSL awarded an expansion franchise to Kansas City, and the city was up for the challenge. KC Current owners constructed CPKC Stadium for the club, the first stadium in the world specifically created for a women’s professional sports team.

While some may be tempted to write off the Current due to a rocky start in 2021-23 (where they had two seasons placing in the bottom three), the Current have made waves in the league ever since. They qualified for the 2024 playoffs as the #4 seed and made it to the semifinals, losing to top-seed and eventual NWSL champions Orlando Pride.

The Current have substantial talent on their side, including 2024 Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga (#6), whose 20 goals last year set an all-time NWSL record. This year, the Current have only allowed one goal this season and won their first five regular season matches, the only team in the league to do so. Their only loss came to the North Carolina Courage on Apr. 26, 3-2.

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Whether you prefer watching boys in blue or exploring #TealTown, Kansas City knows how to bring the energy to its local sports teams. At home, away, and at the stadium, there is always a KC sports team for you to discover.

On Dec. 5, 2024, the administration of William Jewell College sent a letter to Jewell students informing the Cardinal community that the College would be declaring financial exigency. 

Accompanying this declaration, Jewell’s administration launched a new webpage, “Reimagine Jewell.” The webpage informed students, alumni and donors of the challenges the College has faced and the College’s plan to address these difficulties.

The full letter to students can be read here. It noted, in relevant part, that:

“The College has implemented a variety of strategic cost-cutting measures to achieve efficiencies. These included asset sales, savings on what we purchase, operational cost cuts, deferral of non-essential maintenance expense, and most recently, a reduction in administrative staff. Additional immediate cost-saving measures must be implemented to balance our budget and ensure Jewell’s future success.

Following extensive analysis and thoughtful deliberation, the William Jewell College Board of Trustees has voted to declare financial exigency, an intentional step toward creating financial stability and securing the path forward for the College. In doing so, the Board is deploying an important tool that enables reallocation of resources, restructuring of academic programs, scholarships and significant reductions in force. [Jewell] will transition out of the financial exigency period in less than one year after efficiencies are being achieved according to plan.” [emphasis added]

In a press release, Bill Gautreaux, chair of Jewell’s Board of Trustees, said that as is, “the cost of program delivery is not sustainable. It is essential that we confront that inefficiency and build a solid foundation for future growth.” Interim President Susan Chambers described current conditions as a “challenging time,” but added that she was “collectively dedicated to the preservation of Jewell for the long term.”

What is financial exigency?

William Jewell College defines financial exigency in accordance with guidelines published by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). According to the College’s Faculty Handbook, a state of financial exigency may be declared by the Board of Trustees when “an imminent financial crisis threatens the survival of the institution as a whole and that [financial crisis] cannot be alleviated by less drastic means” (§4.8, p. 48).

Jewell also has the ability to declare financial hardship, which differs from financial exigency in that “financial stability,” not the institution’s survival, is under threat. Jewell may declare financial hardship when it may not meet accreditation or federal standards, experiences a multi-year budget shortfall, or restructures a program due to “declining enrollments or excessive financial drain” (§4.9, pp. 48-9).

By declaring financial exigency, then, the Board clarified the urgency of the crisis Jewell is facing. This crisis threatens Jewell’s survival, not merely its financial stability.

How is the College administration addressing this?

Declaring financial exigency enables Jewell to take substantial steps to cut expenses.

Academically, the College may choose to restructure or remove certain academic programs. “Reimagine Jewell” noted that “many changes [to Jewell’s academic programs] will be welcomed, but some will impact programs, services and traditions that, while valuable, do not have sufficient aggregate demand to continue in their current state.” 

Financial exigency also enables the College to eliminate the positions of faculty members with tenure; exigency is one of the few conditions under which Jewell may do so (Faculty Handbook, §5.10.1). Moreover, Jewell is not obligated to continue academic programs that it has been offering, and a reduction in faculty caused by budget cuts may render certain programs inoperable.

Athletically, programs will continue through at least the end of spring. Jewell stated that athletic programs will “continue as planned for spring as well while we complete the work developing a more viable athletic aid strategy, and a sustainable and strategic fundraising plan.” Jewell plans to provide more details about the future of athletic programs in early 2025.

Administratively, Jewell seeks to increase revenue via summer programs or other uses of its facilities, while decreasing expenses in energy consumption and technology infrastructure.

Other impacts on College functions

Despite this declaration of financial exigency, the College claims to prioritize “as little disruption to the student experience as possible” and that the College is “committed to supporting [students] during this time.” 

Finally, Jewell’s search for a new president has been paused during this time, and Interim President Susan Chambers will continue to serve until a new president and other long-term leadership are found.

Photo by Drew Hastings via Uplash.

“Falcon’s Flight,” a product of the Liechtensteiner manufacturer Intamin, has been advertised as the longest, fastest, and tallest roller coaster in the world. First announced by Six Flags on Aug. 26, 2019, the record-breaking coaster is currently under construction and projected to open by 2025 as part of the Six Flags Qiddiya grand opening in Saudi Arabia. 

The 3D rendering of “Falcon’s Flight” features three separate LSM launches, 4.2 kilometers (2.6 miles) of track, a top speed of 251 kilometers per hour (156 miles per hour) and a 640 foot drop. For reference, the average roller coaster is only 610 to 914 meters (2,000 to 3,000 feet, less than a mile) in length, 24 to 46 meters (80 to 150 feet) in height, and reaches a top speed of 64 to 97 kilometers per hour (40 to 60 miles per hour), paling in comparison by every metric to the ambitious blueprints for “Falcon’s Flight.”

“This project is daunting and requires many engineers and designers to make it work safely and provide enjoyment for many riders,” said Dr. Blane Baker, professor of engineering and physics at William Jewell College, in an interview with The Hilltop Monitor. “Working collaboratively is important. In my view, the design team would consist of a diverse group with expertise in design, safety, crisis management and public relations.”

The new amusement park Six Flags Qiddiya, home of “Falcon’s Flight,” will be part of the ongoing development of a project called Qiddiya City. Qiddiya City is being constructed near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and will play a key role in the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative – an effort by the Saudi Arabian government to reduce the country’s reliance on oil by promoting new tourism and entertainment efforts, such as amusement rides like “Falcon’s Flight.” Oct. 9, 2024, Bloomberg reported that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Projects have reached $1.3 Trillion in value. 

For many years, Saudi Arabia has garnered negative attention from the rest of the world due to an abysmal record of human rights violations. This largely stems from a theocratic government, in which the public practice of any religion other than Sunni Islam is illegal and punishable by detainment, torture, and in the case of atheism or agnosticism, even the death penalty. LGBT+ individuals are heavily persecuted and subject to exemplary punishment, such as a 27-year-old man whose identity is unknown who was sentenced to 500 lashes and a fine of 50,000 riyals (equivalent to approx. $13,000 USD) for the crime of homosexuality. To add to the list of examples, male guardianship over women in Saudi Arabia was codified in 2022 and the kingdom has faced backlash over the state-sanctioned murder of independent journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, after having criticized Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in The Washington Post.

For these reasons along with an abundance of other concerns, many have critiqued Vision 2030 as not only a way to diversify the country’s economy but to distract from its failure to rectify these concerns. While LGBT+ Saudi Arabians are forced into exile, Saudi Arabia notes on their official government that the kingdom welcomes LGBT+ tourists wishing to visit, clarifying that travelers will not be required to disclose such information. Many critics have taken notice of this contradiction in standards, such as Pakistani journalist, Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, who characterized the hypocritical measure as “a grotesque insult to the local gay community.”

Due to the extreme and ambitious nature of the record breaking roller coaster, “Falcon’s Flight,” many coaster enthusiasts have debated whether the ride will live up to the standards it has promised to meet – or whether it will even be built at all. For many, the coaster was merely wishful thinking until photos of the construction process began to surface earlier this year.

“The viability of the coaster will depend on regular inspections and the ability to carefully monitor sensors installed along the track,” weighed in Dr. Baker. “Drones and other modern technology could be very useful for monitoring the performance of the coaster and how riders are doing. Protocols must be in place to keep coaster staff vigilant and ready to respond to problems. The absence of welds in the track should eliminate problems with welds cracking.” 

If or when Six Flags Qiddiya opens its doors, American consumers are largely split on how this will impact their spending patterns at local Six Flags parks. Following their merger with Cedar Fair on July 1, 2024, Six Flags owns a total of 42 amusement parks across 17 states, along with locations in both Canada and Mexico. This includes one park local to our campus and publication: Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri. 

The Hilltop Monitor conducted a series of anonymous online surveys asking students whether Six Flags’ involvement in Saudi Arabia’s 2024 would impact their willingness to support local amusement parks owned by Six Flags. 60 randomly-selected students representing a variety of departments and academic backgrounds volunteered to complete our survey. 30 percent of students answered that Six Flags’ partnership with the Saudi government would influence whether they would spend money at Six Flags parks such as Worlds of Fun in the future, of which 15 percent noted strong influence. 25 percent noted that this would not impact their decision. Another 25 percent noted they would not have planned to visit the amusement park for reasons unrelated to the partnership, while the remaining 20 percent stated that they would need more information to make a decision. 
Though the future of “Falcon’s Flight” and Flags Qiddiya is rather unclear, the record-breaking coaster continues to stir controversy and spark discourse regarding ethical challenges and the plausibility of the park delivering on its bold promises. Updates can be tracked on the official website for Six Flags Qiddiya. As of the time of publication, an official opening date is yet to be posted to the site.