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ESTABLISHED IN 1908 n www.ColumbiaMissourian.com
Wednesday, June 4, 2008

After 16 months of campaigning, thousands of

MU dorms
delegates and 57 contests, Sen. Barack Obama won a . . . can’t hold
incoming
historic victory students
MU Residential
Life plans to use
apartments close
to campus.
By KATIE DREXLER
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
With a 20 percent increase in
freshman enrollment, MU Resi-
dential Life is experiencing a
shortage in on-campus housing
for the fall semester.
The housing crunch caused
by the record-sized freshman
class has forced the Office of
Residential Life to find a cre-
ative solution: housing students
in two apartment complexes
close to campus. MU freshmen
will occupy apartments in Cam-
pus View and Campus Lodge;
the student apartment blocks
will be known as Tiger Diggs
and Mizzou Quads, respective-
ly.
This is the first time since
2003 that MU could not house
all of its students on campus.
Dormitories at Stephens Col-
Please see housing, page 6A

Supporters of Barack Obama celebrate his clinching of the Democratic nomination for the 2008 presidential election during a
watch party on Tuesday night at The Blue Note.
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Barack Obama
clinched the Democratic presidential nomi-
nation Tuesday, becoming the first black
candidate to lead a major party into a cam-
paign for the White House.
Obama held a victory celebration in St.
Paul, Minn., after he outlasted rival Sen.
Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in a historic cam-
paign that sparked record turnouts in pri-
mary after primary.
Obama campaigned on a message of hope
and change. Clinton touted that she was the
candidate of experience, ready, she said, to
serve in the Oval Office from Day One.
There were relatively few policy differ-
ences and a fair share of controversies as
race, religion and gender became politi-
cal fault lines as the campaigns moved
from coast to coast. After Obama’s strong
Columbians weigh in on the Democratic race
It took six months, cost
millions and never lacked More online
drama. Columbians offer
Hear voters in their own
their thoughts on the
words at ColumbiaMissou-
Democrats’ nominating
rian.com
process. PAGE 6A
More online
To learn more about how primaries work, go
to ColumbiaMissourian.com
Super Tuesday showing, he became the
proverbial front-runner as Clinton tried to
play catch-up in states such as Pennsylva-
nia, Kentucky and West Virginia, and her
campaign stressed the importance of the
popular vote instead of delegates.
Now, with the last primaries completed,
some final questions can be answered.
Q Is the race really over?
A Obama sealed his victory based on pri-
mary elections, state Democratic cau-
City approves
pay-cap raise
for directors
JOHN HOOK/Missourian Higher salaries
could help bring
talent to tough jobs.
cuses and delegates’ public declarations, By KOURTNEY GEERS
as well as support from superdelegates news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
who privately confirmed their intentions. The city can now pay up to
By mid-evening Tuesday, The Associated $155,000 for its next Water and
Press reported that Obama had secured Light director after the Colum-
2,128 delegates, 10 more than the neces- bia City Council amended the
sary 2,118 required, as polls prepared to salary ordinance and raised
close in Montana and South Dakota. the cap on pay for department
heads Monday.
Q Is Sen. Hillary Clinton dropping out of
the race?
The previous top salary allow-
ance was $129,000, but City
Manager Bill Watkins told the
A Clinton delivered an address Tues-
day night conceding that Obama had
reached the necessary delegate count, but
council it was insufficient to
attract a qualified person to run
Water and Light. The amended
told her supporters on the final night of
the primary season that she has not for-
mally bowed out. Clinton pledged to con-
cap did not affect the bottom
of the salary range, which will
remain at $75,483.
tinue to speak out on issues such as health
Please see election, page 6A
The city has been looking
for a Water and Light direc-
tor since December, when Dan
Dasho resigned to take a job in
Michigan. Public Works Direc-
tor John Glascock has held the
position of interim Water and
Light director since Jan. 1.
Consultant Mycoff, Fry &
Prouse LLC, which Watkins
considers the premier recruiter
for public sector industries, is
working on behalf of the city.
According to Watkins, the firm
Please see director, page 6A

Retiring principals enjoy last day Parkade

Five principals, one assistant principal
say bittersweet goodbyes to students.
By KRISTIN LEWIS
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
COLUMBIA — Betsy Baker
plans to spend more time with
her three grandchildren. Vickie
Robb is traveling to England.
Debby Barksdale will teach
elementary education at MU,
and Tarry Parrish will focus
full time on her herd of Black
Angus.
They are among five prin-
cipals and one assistant prin-
cipal retiring this year from
the Columbia Public School
District. For them, Tuesday’s
final day of the school year had
particular meaning.
“It’s always hard to watch the
kids leave,” Betsy Baker said
as she walked around saying
goodbye during an afternoon
kickball game at Parkade Ele-
mentary School. “Most of them
I’ve known since they were pre-
schoolers.”
Baker, who has led Parkade
for 12 years, spent her final
day practically at a jogging
pace as she went from class-
room to classroom thanking the
students for their going-away
gifts.
“When I look at them, I will
think of you,” she said, refer-
ring to her presents. The chil-
dren were excited about her
uncharacteristically royal-blue
Elementary
Principal
Betsy
Baker says
fingernails, a nod to one of
Parkade’s school colors.
keep the lid on the level of noise
and excitement. goodbyes
“They make me joyful every Robb praised the children for after school
day,” Baker said of the chil- quieting down, and she encour- let out for
dren. “They are phenomenal aged them to be kind to each the summer
little people and will be in my other. “We never laugh at each on Tuesday.
heart forever.” other,” she told them. “We show After years
They seemed to feel the same appreciation. Enjoy this, and at Parkade,
way about her. At the students- let’s be kind in our enjoyment.” Baker is
versus-staff game, Baker’s arms One of her most memorable retiring.
were full of children wanting experiences at West Boulevard
“Today has
hugs. She will be succeeded by occurred on her first day as been a lot
Amy Watkins, Assessment for principal four years ago. It was
harder than
Learning coordinator at Rock one of the school’s first writing
Bridge High School. celebrations, during which the I thought,”
At West Boulevard Elemen- children line up their papers Baker said.
tary School, Vickie Robb cheer- on the gym walls and walk M. COLLEEN
MCDEVITT
fully greeted students as they around reading each others’ Missourian
lined up to watch a slideshow work and leaving encouraging
of school pictures from the past comments.
year. She and Assistant Princi- “It was an ‘Aha!’ moment
pal Peter Stiepleman, who will where they saw what great
succeed Robb, teamed up to Please see retirees, page 6A

Actor-director Mel Ferrer dies Outside today Getting it right Index

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Page 6A — WEDNESDAY, June 4, 2008 Columbia Missourian

Director: Two final

candidates would
need $150,000 salary
CONTINUED from page 1a
concluded the current salary
level was “out of whack” and
inadequate to find the neces-
sary replacement.
“When Mr. Dasho left us last
year and we went through the
process of finding a replace-
ment, I said at that time that
we could not, in my estima-
tion, replace that position with
the caliber of person we need,”
Watkins said.
“It’s just the bottom line. Our
consultant felt for the size and
complexity of our operations,
the market would probably
necessitate about a 25 percent
increase in the salary range.”
The consulting firm says the
two final candidates that have
been narrowed down for the
position would require a salary
of around $150,000, Watkins
said.
Not only will this salary
increase help Watkins make a
final choice for the new Water
and Light director, it will serve
as incentive in filling future
openings in positions such as
the one held by retiring Police
Chief Randy Boehm.
During the council’s discus-
sion of the measure, Fred Eaton
represented Water and Light
employees, many of whom
were present at the meeting.
Eaton said they supported the
change but also wanted to lobby
for higher salaries across the
board.
“For the past several years,
we have advised the city man-
Retirees: ‘Today has been a lot
harder than I thought,’ Baker said
agement through a meet-and-
confer process that we have
not been able to hire qualified
union workers because our
compensation packages fall far
below market,” Eaton said in
his statement to the council.
The council noted its con-
cerns about the wages of all
city workers.
“I think the folks in this com-
munity are awfully lucky and
fortunate to have the caliber of
people we have,” Fourth Ward
Councilman Jerry Wade said.
“Our studies continue to show
that we are below market for
a lot of particularly skilled
positions that we have that we
depend on every day to keep our
water running and the lights on
and to work at the Police and
Fire departments.
“We have talked about the
trends of experienced people
retiring or leaving us,” Wade
continued. “Again, we have to
go out into the market and hire
the best people we can. ... Most
of our hirings are at the lowest
level of the (pay) range,” Wade
said.
The council and city manager
hope to address salary prob-
lems at all levels.
“My goal is to move all of our
employees to what I consider to
be higher market range,” Wat-
kins said.

Housing: Enrollment up 20
percent since last year
CONTINUED from page 1a
lege held the student overflow
that year.
MU will also keep Cramer
Hall open instead of using it
to house offices displaced by
the construction on Brady Com-
mons. Those offices have found
temporary locations elsewhere
on campus.
While exact enrollment num-
bers are not yet known, about
5,800 freshmen admissions
applications and deposits have
been submitted. That number
is 20 percent higher than it was
this time last year, admissions
representative Drew Elmore
said. Although these numbers
will change, the discrepancy
should not be large, because
the national enrollment dead-
line was May 1. Residential Life
won’t be able to say exactly how
many people will be living in
campus housing until closer to
August.
The overflow apartments at
Tiger Diggs and Mizzou Quads
will help make up the differ-
ence.
“We had several criteria when
we were looking at housing
options,” Christian Basi of the
MU News Bureau said. “Rooms
needed to be furnished; it need-
ed to be close to campus and
have a shuttle.”
Both locations are less than
two miles away from MU. Tiger
Diggs, at Campus View, is at 301
Campus View Drive and Miz-
zou Quads, at Campus Lodge,
is at 2900 Old 63 S. Campus
shuttles are offered at both com-
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEB BARKSDALE
plexes every 30 minutes, but ABOVE: Deb Barksdale stands amid a flurry of cards from her students.
Residential Life is negotiating
to increase the frequency of BELOW: Vickie Robb and Miyana Smith look through a yearbook the student made with pictures of her friends and teachers.
BROOKE FLETCHER/Missourian
shuttles.
Both Mizzou Quads and Tiger
Diggs will be set up similar to
traditional residence halls with
student and professional staff
members living among resi-
dents.
“Safety of students is our No.
1 priority, and we are examin-
ing this issue to ensure student
safety,” Basi said.
Students living in the off-cam- NYLE LINDA TARRY
pus facilities will be subject to KLINGINSMITH KLOPFENSTEIN PARISH
all the rules and policies of Resi-
Principal at Jef- Principal at Assistant prin-
dential Life. In line with MU cipal at Lange
ferson Junior Benton Ele-
rules, alcohol will not be permit-
High School mentary School Middle School
ted in rooms that are part of
Tiger Diggs and Mizzou Quads,
even though the buildings are
not technically on campus.
The rest of the Campus View
and Campus Lodge complexes
will still be traditional apart-
ments, which are not regulated
by MU Residential Life.
CONTINUED from page 1a zone of waterlogged sponges and scram- she said.
Residential Life fees will pay authors they could be,” Robb recalled. bling students. She laughed when she saw Parrish will spend a lot of time on her
for the rent and utilities. Prices
After the slideshow, Robb teared up as a teacher with a towel hanging out of his 140-acre farm that is home to 50 head of
are expected to be $4,550 per
a pair of fifth-grade girls read a poem hat. registered Black Angus cattle. She also
year for Tiger Diggs and $5,300
per year for Mizzou Quads. On- titled, “We Won’t Go,” expressing how the “It takes a special teacher to teach mid- has her car dealer’s license and plans
teachers and staff at their new middle dle school, it really does,” said Parrish, to attend automobile auctions to buy for
campus rates range from $3,670
to $6,570. schools won’t understand what it was like who has been assistant principal at Lange other people.
to be at West Boulevard. for five years. “You still have to have a
Basi said rooms in Tiger Diggs She spent Tuesday watching students
and Mizzou Quads will be first Other principals retiring this year little kid in you.” participate in “Play Day.” As they rotated
offered to sophomores, juniors from Columbia Public Schools are: Debby Parrish, who will be succeeded by Con- among the game stations, she surveyed
and seniors who are planning to Barksdale, Benton Elementary School; nie Dewey, a math teacher from Gentry their soaked forms.
return to campus housing. Linda Klopfenstein, Midway Heights Ele- Middle School, has taught every grade “This is a good ending to a last day,”
Basi said Residential Life is mentary School; and Nyle Klinginsmith, from kindergarten to college in her 33- Parrish said. “Everybody’s having a good
not looking to make Tiger Diggs Jefferson Junior High School. year career. The thing she most looks for- time.”
and Mizzou Quads permanent At Lange Middle School, Assistant Prin- ward to is not waking up at 5:15 a.m. Missourian reporters Elise Catchings and Deidra
campus housing. cipal Tarry Parrish walked through a war “Seven-thirty would be a nice number,” Holder contributed to this article.

More on the election

Residents weigh in on Democratic nomination
By MISSOURIAN STAFF process. Although attitudes varied, each person
Election: After Obama’s nomination
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com had a clear opinion about the process — whether CONTINUED from page 1a lawmakers that she knew the their support behind Obama.
Historic. Infuriating. Fair. Interesting. Impor- it was positive or negative. The Missourian asked care and the economy. But for delegate math was not in her

Q
tant. Juvenile. these residents about their thoughts and feelings all intents and purposes, two favor but that she wanted to After a fractious nomina-
These are all words that voters in Columbia about the race that finally appears to be coming senior officials said earlier take time to determine how
used to describe the 2008 Democratic nomination to an end. tion process, will the Dem-
Tuesday, her campaign is to leave the race in a way that
over. would help the party. Aides to ocratic Party be able to come
Obama said he and Clinton had together by November?

Q So what about specula-

tion over whether Clinton
will become Obama’s running
not spoken about the prospect
of her joining the ticket.
A Both Obama and Clinton
appear to be striking a con-
mate?
Q What are the superdel-
egates doing?
ciliatory tone as the nominat-

A While Obama’s victory had ing process comes to a close.

“There’s the good “It always gets
aspects of it, and to mudslinging,
there’s the bad especially in the last
aspects of it. A lot of months. In October,
the press that gets there’s going to be lots
thrown around is just of mudslinging. I never
filler ... How relevant thought about it that
is this really to the much. It’s just part
candidacy of this of the race, the way
individual?” things go.”
Tyler Koch, 20 John Cupp, 49
An MU student who follows A resident who thinks that
primaries and elections voters should expect friction
among candidates in any
election.
“It reminds me of junior
high. Otto von Bismarck
said people who obey
the law and like sausage
shouldn’t watch either
one of them being made.
That occurs to me over
and over again in this
campaign, and I’m like,
‘Yuck! Is this politics?’”
DeeDee Folkerts, 35
An Independent who will
vote Democratic despite her
frustration with the style of
campaigning.
been widely assumed for
weeks, Clinton’s declaration
of interest in becoming his
ticketmate was wholly unex-
pected. Clinton told colleagues
“It’s bringing out Tuesday that she would con-
what people really sider joining Obama as his
running mate. In fact, she is
think and really
withholding formal departure
believe, and they’re
to use her remaining leverage
giving their true, to press for a spot on the
honest opinions. So ticket.
in a sense, it’s been She said she was willing
a good thing.” to become the vice presiden-
tial nominee if it would help
Lance Paten, 27
the Democrats win the White
A Republican who is
House, according to one par-
still closely following the
ticipant of a conference call
Democratic primary.
with other New York lawmak-
ers. Clinton told her fellow
A
On Tuesday, another 18
superdelegates confirmed
their intention to support
Obama’s bid for the White
House. One of those delegates
came from Missouri. State
Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal
declared that she had a hard
time choosing between Clin-
ton and Obama but decided
that Obama’s ability to engage
and inspire the voters was
key.
The Illinois senator now has
six of Missouri’s 16 superdel-
egates, while Clinton has five.
Late Tuesday night, Attorney
General Jay Nixon and Secre-
tary of State Robin Carnahan
announced they would throw
On Monday, Obama said he has
asked Clinton for a meeting
on her terms “once the dust”
settles from the race. While
campaigning in Michigan, he
said, “Senator Clinton has run
an outstanding race, she is an
outstanding public servant,
and she and I will be working
together in November.”
Meanwhile, Clinton campaign
chairman Terry McAuliffe said
Sen. Clinton “will congratulate
him and call him the nominee.”
Clinton officials also said they
would not contest the seating of
Michigan delegates at the con-
vention in Denver this August.