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Roo News

The Student News Site of University of Missouri - Kansas City

Roo News

Roo News

Photo by Jazlyn Summers

Aurora Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

I have been involved with Roo News for 2 years, and I am the Editor-in-Chief. I have previously worked as a staff writer and a section editor.  I am a senior communications major and am hoping to work in journalism down the road. In my free time, I love to watch TV and hang out with my friends. 

All content by Aurora Wilson
The intersection, 51st Street and Troost Avenue, where the accident occurred.

UMKC student killed at 51st Street and Troost Avenue on Thursday

Aurora Wilson and Jazlyn Summers
September 27, 2024

  Yuxi Wu, a Conservatory pianist student, was killed on Thursday while riding her scooter across Troost Avenue and 51st Street.    The master's student was struck by a speeding red Ford Focus heading north around noon while crossing a crosswalk. Wu was pronounced dead...

Dr. Like with her new book in her office.

Dean of SSHS explores resilience and how it relates to her own life in her new book

Aurora Wilson and Liv Centa
September 17, 2024

  Dr. Toya Like, a professor of criminal justice and criminology (CJC), wants to challenge common perceptions of victimization and show the resiliency of those who are victimized.   Like, the newly appointed associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences...

SGA members at a Sept. 6 meeting.

UMKC student government says surprise tuition increase felt like a “company memo”

Aurora Wilson, Editor-in-Chief
September 10, 2024

 The Student Government Association (SGA) is urging UMKC leaders to be more transparent about why this year’s 5% undergraduate tuition increase was needed.    In a statement released Tuesday, SGA said it believes the tuition hike, announced in May, was poorly communicated....

A student in front of the Roo statue and a university official.

Students Weigh In at ‘Liberation Zone’ Regarding University Response

Aurora Wilson, Editor-in-Chief
April 30, 2024

  Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organized a ‘Liberation Zone’ on Monday, April 29, to call on UMKC to disclose and divest funds from Israel and Israeli institutions.    During the event, university officials removed tents and told protestors that temporary...

A picture of the posters on the University Walkway.

UMKC Students Received University Pushback at Pro-Palestine Protest

Aurora Wilson and Maisy Blanton
April 29, 2024

  Over 150 students showed up to participate in a protest in solidarity with Palestine and other protests across the nation on Monday.   Around 2 p.m., organizers and students put up tents at the University Walkway, started chants and listened to speakers share their passion...

The social media app is facing concerning legislation.

Opinion: Stop Stressing Over TikTok Being Banned

Aurora Wilson, Lifestyle and Culture Editor
April 11, 2024

  The U.S. House passed a bill on March 13 that would ban the app TikTok across the country if ByteDance does not sell its stake.   With 170 million users nationwide and a majority of those under the age of 18, outcry has stemmed from teens and influencers alike.    Members...

SGA President Ophelia Griffen.

SGA Wants to Build A New Legacy

Aurora Wilson, Roo News Lifestyle and Culture Editor
March 22, 2024

  Last year, SGA caught the attention of the students and faculty – but not for new bills passing or legislation being introduced.      The previous administration faced scandals of resigning senators, unclear leadership and the impeachment of former SGA President...

Courtney Masterson, a restoration ecologist and the Executive Director of Native Lands Restoration Collaborative, sits with their hands in a bucket of seed mix.

UMKC’s Student Environmental Coalition Works to Rehabilitate Kansas Riverbank

Aurora Wilson, Lifestyle and Culture Editor
February 22, 2024

  UMKC’s Student Environmental Coalition (SEC) spent a chilly morning spreading millions of seeds across the Kansas riverbank to help restore the natural species of wildflowers and native grasses.    Around 30 members of the community showed up on Feb. 10 to help Friends...

A Kansas City Police Department squad car sits after the parade.

Some UMKC Students Aren’t Surprised by Chiefs’ Rally Mass Shooting

Aurora Wilson, Lifestyle & Culture Editor
February 17, 2024

  Feelings of exhaustion and a lack of shock echoed around Kansas City on Feb. 14 as the 50th mass shooting of 2024 took place at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade.   Over 80 people, including Liza Lopez-Galvan, died in the first 45 days of the year due to mass shootings...

Coverage of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict has once again raised the discussion of skewed information.

Opinion: The Cost of Disinformation

Aurora Wilson, Lifestyle and Culture Editor
November 9, 2023

  The APA defines disinformation as “false information which is deliberately intended to mislead—intentionally misstating the facts.”   Early into Hamas’ attack on Israel, a headline broke declaring 40 Israeli babies were beheaded at the hands of Hamas soldiers.    Israeli...

The Epperson House is closed to visitors, but can be seen from the distance around campus.

The Spooky History of the Castle on Campus

Aurora Wilson, Lifestyle and Culture Editor
October 31, 2023

  Located at the corner of Cherry and 52 St., the Epperson House looms over UMKC’s campus, haunting students who dare to walk past it.    Construction on the 54-room mansion started in 1919 and cost over $450,000 to build to completion–over $13 million in today’s...

The Kansas City Repertory Theater is located on UMKC's campus and has a variety of shows throughout the year.

UMKC Student Flourishes in “Cyrano de Bergerac”

Aurora Wilson, Lifestyle and Culture Editor
September 25, 2023

Dri Hernaez, a third-year MFA acting candidate at UMKC, didn’t expect to find a career in acting, but KC Rep Spencer Theater helped her grasp her lifelong dreams.    Hernaez began her education in Hawaii, pursuing elementary education, while doing small shows for her...

UMKC Counseling Services, located on Oak St., are available to all students.

Opinion: Hating Therapy Won’t Solve the Problem

Aurora Wilson, L&C Editor
September 25, 2023

  As conversations regarding mental health have risen in relevance, the push for people to go to therapy has too. With outspoken celebrities and politicians, a modern, positive narrative about going to seek treatment, one of acceptance, appeared.   Arguments against seeking...

During her career as an English teahcer, Sheila Honig won Sosland Teaching Awards and the Dean’s Teaching Award.

UMKC Community Honors Late Professor Sheila Honig

Aurora Wilson, Staff Writer
April 12, 2023

  Professor Sheila Honig, the longest-standing English professor at UMKC, taught for over 40 years and left her mark on thousands of students.    The Missouri native passed away on Feb. 9, 2023, due to a stroke earlier in the week, according to the obituary.   She...

Photo of Lexi Nardini taken by Natalie Nichole Photos.

Local Florist Blooms in KC

Aurora Wilson, Staff Writer
April 12, 2023

  The owner of Love, Lilacs, Lexi Nardini, is chasing her dreams and fostering love, one petal at a time.    Nardini, who started Love, Lilacs in 2023, has seen her company bloom into a thriving business with creating and organizing floral arrangements for large corporate...

Photo by Kenzie Eklund/RooNews.

Season 27 of “The Bachelor” is Almost Over and This is How it Will End…I Think.

Aurora Wilson, Staff Writer
March 26, 2023

  If you have been following season 27 of "The Bachelor", it is no secret that Zach Shallcross has made some questionable decisions during his time as the Bachelor.    From sending home women who bring up concerns in the name of avoiding drama to doing rose ceremonies...

It's been a busy week of campaigning, but UMKC is finally welcoming their new student government leaders.

SGA Election Results

Aurora Wilson, Staff Writer
March 24, 2023

  Ophelia Griffin is the new Student Government Association (SGA) president.    Griffin, a communications major, is elated to be taking over as president after yearlong tension within SGA and her predecessor, Tim Nyguen.   “I am feeling so excited. A huge weight...

Students participate in Operation Beautiful for Every Body is Beautiful Week.

Operation Beautiful is Spreading Positivity to UMKC

Aurora Wilson, Staff Writer
March 2, 2023

  Vibrant and characterful post-it notes filled the Miller Nichols Library this week for Operation Beautiful, an event hosted by the UMKC Women’s Center for Every Body is Beautiful Week (EBIB).   Students had the opportunity to write positive messages and spread them...

Many foreign language classes take place in the same classroom on the second floor of Scofield Hall

Foreign Language Requirement removed from School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Aurora Wilson, Staff Writer
March 1, 2023

  Despite protests from foreign language professors, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences no longer requires foreign language classes to complete its degree programs.      Faculty outside of the foreign language department voted on the removal, which went into...

Planned Parenthood offers a variety of services and helps people learn about their reproductive health.

Opinion: America is Failing Its Mothers

Aurora Wilson, Staff Writer
February 20, 2023

  It took three children’s deaths to bring national attention to postpartum care in America.    On Jan. 24,  Lindsay Clancy killed all three of her children and then attempted to end her life. Clancy survived the fall from a second-story window but is now permanently...

At their first meeting of the year, Girl Gains discussed how to make a good workout playlist.

Girl Gains is Connecting with Women Across Campus

Aurora Wilson, Staff Writer
February 14, 2023

  As a weight lifter, junior Makena Martinez didn’t have much use for the comments: “You’re getting too big.”   “You don't want to look like a man!” or her favorite, “That body type isn't feminine or attractive.”    In response to these and other demeaning...

Photo by Aurora Wilson/RooNews

Review: “Kaleidoscope” A Netflix Original

Aurora Wilson, Staff Writer
January 30, 2023

  Netflix’s new original series “Kaleidoscope” follows a group of seven criminals who come together to pull off the extraordinary task of stealing $7 billion from the world’s most highly guarded vault.   The show features all the great aspects of a well-rounded...

The Olsen Performing Arts Center needs improvements, according to students.

Students Voice Concerns about the Olsen Performing Arts Center

Aurora Wilson, Staff Writer
December 6, 2022

  Vocal education major Elizabeth Watzke has strived for excellence throughout her time in the UMKC Conservatory but is beginning to question the state of the program.    Watzke, a sophomore originally from Omaha, Nebraska, participated in choir throughout high school and...

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