2018 - 2019 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
INSIDE MISSOURI’S TRUEST DAUGHTER VOL. 85 ISSUE 11 | OCTOBER 31, 2018 | THEMANEATER.COM
2018-2019 BASKETBALL PREVIEW WEDNESDAY OCT. 31, 2018
The stories that shaped Sophie Cunningham She’s one of the most celebrated athletes and eminent personalities in MU history. Now comes her final ride. BENNETT DURANDO
Sports Editor
The driveway of Sophie Cunningham's childhood home is a mountain amid mid-Missouri flatlands. The steep slope in west Columbia ascends to a humble brick house. Above the garage door, one brick is unique, a white rectangle surrounded by red. Sophie and her older sister, Lindsey, played basketball on the elevated driveway. There was a suitable slab of concrete in the back, but they wanted their neighbors to see their skills. Their only problem: The driveway was too steep for a hoop. Sophie Cunningham has sacrificed plenty for basketball on her way to becoming one of the most prolific athletes in MU history. As she tips off her final season as a Missouri Tiger, the memories that shaped one of Columbia’s most eminent personalities stand out more than ever. At 8 years old, Sophie made a sacrifice in the pursuit of presentation, not basketball prowess. She didn’t know it then, but it would work out for the benefit of both. Playing in the driveway meant sacrificing a basket for a brick. The lone white block became a makeshift target for shots heaved up by the Cunningham sisters. Due to the steepness of the driveway, it was similar to shooting uphill at a 12-foot basket that was also less than half the size of a normal hoop. “So unrealistic, but so fun,” Sophie says. That also made it tougher to tell whether shots were good or not. “You can imagine the fights we had,” Lindsey says. “It hit the brick!” “No, it didn't!” “ Yes it did!” The sight was a peculiar one for neighbors, but it achieved the sisters’ goal. People frequently stopped to catch up with them. One of those neighbors was Missouri men’s basketball coach Mike Anderson. On his way to and from his home at the end of the cul-de-sac, he would pull over and roll down the window. He reminded the Cunninghams almost every time: “Someday, having that small of a target and shooting uphill is gonna pay off, girls.” Sophie knew what Anderson did for a living, but she didn’t think of him as anything more than an ordinary neighbor. “We were like, ‘Yeah, whatever,’” she says. *** While shooting three-pointers at a Missouri practice before her senior season, Sophie hones in on one spot, the right wing, and sinks 11 straight. She doesn’t envision a brick while shooting, but she says her past in the driveway always plays a role in the present, whether consciously or not. It’s Oct. 19, the Friday before Sophie’s last Homecoming as an MU student. In the next 24 hours, several fans will approach her at a Missouri volleyball game. She’ll ride a Bird scooter through the Homecoming parade, then be introduced as the “mayor of Columbia” before the Mizzou Madness preseason scrimmage. But for now, she’s focused on practice, staying in the present. It’s an approach she’s adopted from Lindsey, who played on Missouri’s team from 2012-13 to 2016-17.
“So many people kind of lockup because they want it so bad, and they can’t play free because they get caught up in it being their last go-around, and I've seen that,” Lindsey says. “Having known that, I told myself I'm just gonna play and then when it hits me, it’s gonna hit me a lot harder.” Lindsey wasn’t prepared for the heartbreak when Missouri was eliminated by Florida State in the NCAA Tournament her senior year, but she doesn’t regret the mentality. Sophie is prepared to live with it too. She dives to the floor time after time in practice, saving each ball from trickling out of bounds. Sophie’s mother, Paula, is one in a line of impressed spectators. *** Paula Cunningham is a seventh-year Missouri forward Sophie Cunningham looks at the hoop before a free throw attempt in the second senior. quarter of Missouri’s 70-48 exhibition win over Missouri Western on Monday, Oct. 30, 2018. Cun“It’s horrible; this ningham, spent time as a kid shooting baskets at a white brick on the side of her home instead of is my last year,” she a hoop. | PHOTO BY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR ADAM COLE says. Then she realizes what she just said and in basketball and volleyball and even kicking for rolls her eyes. “My last year.” Rock Bridge High’s football team. But she was Lindsey’s MU career started in the 2012-13 predestined for basketball, and no other sport season and lasted five years, one as a redshirt. gave her the same bond with her family, with her Sophie’s tenure has overlapped with two of those mother. seasons. This is the last for Paula as a “MIZZOU Paula may not coach, but she’s always on call. MOM,” as the T-shirt reads. Whenever Sophie wants to get extra shots up at Like practically everyone else in her family, Mizzou Arena – usually well after dark – mom Paula played basketball growing up, and she hurries over to be her late-night rebounder. It sees similarities between Sophie and herself. happens two or three times a month, but this is the Jim Marshall, a retired high school basketball final year for that tradition. Sophie could just as coach who coached Paula and her sister at North easily use the shooting gun that regurgitates every Callaway High, says Sophie’s competitiveness shot back to her, but she finds it harder to hold a mirrors that of her mother. “All of the kids on conversation about life with the machine. Sophie’s teams want to do better because they want to impress her.” *** The entire family has been involved in Sophie’s athletic growth to some degree, even her Sophie appears pensive observing from the grandparents. They still live on Primus Farm east of Columbia, 2,500 acres that have been in Paula’s sideline while five of her teammates practice running Missouri’s offense against the scout team. side of the family for generations. As basketball became a more serious part of Coach Robin Pingeton stops them to reposition Sophie’s life, escapades on the farm offered relief people. Sophie doesn’t like what she sees. “Can I say something real quick?” she interjects. from the sport. In a revised version of playing catch with a softball, Sophie’s grandmother, “Maw- All heads in the gym turn. Sophie explains that Maw,” sat in a lawn chair and didn’t move for any the location of various players on the floor will throws. An errant toss meant an embarrassing inherently remain incorrect unless the ball is chase, so Sophie learned accuracy quickly like repositioned first. “If we’re holding the ball in the Paula did when Maw-Maw played the same game corner, no one’s moving weak side,” she says. “If the ball is on the wing, it creates more movement with her a generation earlier. Sophie says those other activities have off the ball.” When the scrimmage expands to full-court contributed to her success. When her middle school club coach, Gary Brown, wanted to provide between the Tigers and the scout team later, his team with a good example of work ethic, he Sophie isn’t happy with the opponents’ efforts. turned to Sophie, privately asking: “Are you a gym “Pick up your scout game!” she yells. At a timeout rat? Are you in the gym all the time?” He never moments later, the team breaks into two huddles. shared Sophie’s response with the rest of the team: Pingeton spearheads one, Sophie the other. “Actually, I like going to the pool.” Sophie was a multi-sport athlete, specializing ***
T H E M A N E AT E R WEDNESDAY OCT. 31, 2018
Grace Berg knows not to cross coach Cunningham. The freshman says Sophie is “like the second coach” for Missouri, and Pingeton says Cunningham has been that way since arriving on campus. Marshall praises her positivity that’s necessary for leadership. “Her smile, all the time – she could be down by 10 and there was a smile, or get called for a ridiculous foul and there’s a smile,” he says. Sure enough, in a game against top-ranked Incarnate Word her senior year, Sophie fouled out late in regulation on a call she took exception to. All she could do was take over coaching from the bench. The Bruins lost in overtime. “She fouled out, but does she just let that be the end of it? No, she continues to be a positive person for teammates,” Rock Bridge coach Jill Nagel says. “She’s gonna do whatever needs to be done within the framework of the rules of the game in order to try and win.” That doesn’t always mean scoring a basket. Sophie knows that. Once, after a Missouri win in which Sophie scored one point, her family mocked her by each holding up one finger as she approached their section. She shrugged it off. “Never once during four years did she ask me how many points she scored, or how many assists or rebounds or anything,” Nagel says. “That doesn't matter.” That’s the kind of mentality that makes Sophie an example to high schoolers locally and across the globe. A top recruit from Australia is considering Missouri and planning to visit soon, all because Sophie is one of her top role models. Sophie’s cousin, Mary Primus, is a sophomore on the Rock Bridge basketball team. She can’t count the number of times a peer has approached her at school asking about Sophie. “She’s almost like a mythical icon,” Nagel says. *** Sophie’s path to Missouri may have been as predestined as her basketball playing career. With her family’s history – her mother, father, aunt, uncle and grandfather all played sports at MU – the hometown school was “all she ever knew,” Marshall says. Sophie was committed to the Tigers before she ever played a high school game. Paula was driving home from work one evening when a post-eighth-grade Sophie called and told her she was about to call Pingeton and commit. “You wait and let’s talk about it as a family one more time,” Paula replied, not wanting her exuberant daughter to rush into anything. “Hold your horses, chill out, let me get home and let’s talk one more time.” When Paula got home, Sophie was on the phone. Paula asked who was on the other end, but she already knew. Sophie silently mouthed back: “Coach P. I just committed to Mizzou.” Other schools still tried to grab Sophie’s attention after her commitment. She didn’t even open the letters. “None. No. Mhm. ‘Oh, cool, Tennessee,’” she says, making a tossing gesture. All of her letters over the years were discarded into the same bin and never touched again. “I knew where I wanted to be.” *** Sophie starts to get frustrated at practice when she airmails a pass over Lauren Aldridge and out of bounds. Sophie has an incredulous look on her face, but she knows it’s her fault. She turns the ball over again two possessions later, then resigns to her coach’s perch on the sideline for a moment. *** There haven’t been many mental roadblocks in Sophie’s career, her family will attest, but not even Missouri’s season-ending loss to Florida Gulf
Coast had the same psychological effect as another demon her junior year: social media. Missouri split its season series with defending national champion South Carolina, as the home team won both games. When the Tigers went to South Carolina, Sophie was greeted with jeers every time she touched the ball throughout the 40 minutes. She had excelled in Missouri’s earlier win against the Gamecocks, but some perceived her competitive style of play as dirty. Paula calls it “the extra.” “If you're on her team and you're a Mizzou fan, you like the extra, because it gets people pumped up,” Paula says. “But if you're not on her team, the extra gets under your skin.” South Carolina’s response was to get back under Sophie’s skin. The trash talk didn’t stop after the game, and Sophie was consumed by negative comments on Twitter. Her best means of connection to fans had turned against her, and it was just too hard to look away from the bad stuff. Lindsey took note and convinced Sophie to delete the Twitter application for a while. Then Lindsey went to work on another project. “There comes a point where enough is enough, and even the strongest people are gonna be hurt by that,” Lindsey With the help of about 40 people in the Cunningham and Primus families, Lindsey secretly compiled a booklet of compliments for Sophie. Each of the 40 contributed a kind paragraph and accompanying photo. Lindsey had a clear message: “Unless it’s people in this book that are critiquing you, you don't need to worry about anything else outside of that.” Coming from a family whose relationship with Sophie is largely shaped by sarcastic banter – roundly teasing her for that one-point game comes to mind – the genuine compliments were especially meaningful, and they made for an especially emotional recovery. Sophie’s contagious smile, the one Jim Marshall so warmly describes, had become a mask. After unplugging and receiving the pick-me-up, she was able to put the smile back on and mean it. Senior season is days away and the smile is still there. *** After practice, Sophie and her parents are watching the MU volleyball game together. Sophie fondly remembers her volleyball days, chats about preseason college hoops and tells Paula and Jim about plans to prepare with friends later that night for her final Homecoming the next day. She and her parents joke about Paula’s on-call nights coming to rebound for Sophie at the arena. Dad used to do the same from time to time, but not so much anymore. “Yeah, well Mom’s not working in the sun all day!” Jim retorts. Half a dozen fans approach Sophie in her seat throughout the first two sets. They ask how she’s doing or crack a joke. Sophie doesn’t know everyone’s names, but she recognizes close to everyone and always laughs along. Soon, she’ll be sticking around after her own games to greet long lines of fans, sign autographs and snap selfies. The mayor of Columbia has stayed as long as 2 1/2 hours after games to make sure she gets to every waiting fan, because what is a public official if not accessible? “The event staff, bless their hearts, I know they're just looking after her,” Lindsey says. “But they said, ‘Hey, we’ll cut the line off,’ and she’ll say, ‘No, its fine, go home early but I’m gonna stay and meet every last person.’” This season also represents the last go-around for having those conversations. As the college season gets closer, it becomes harder for the family not to think about Sophie’s likely future in the WNBA. Paula says it’s inevitable because they have to learn the logistics of compliance and figuring out an agent. It makes the whole “staying
Cunningham, who committed to the Tigers in eighth grade, has ascended the ranks to become one of the most prolific athletes in MU history.| PHOTO BY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR ADAM COLE
present” mindset a little harder, but talking to fans is another way for Sophie to do that. At the very least, it takes her mind off all the “lasts.” “The basketball team, the University of Missouri and the city of Columbia are going to lose their greatest ambassador,” Marshall says. Sophie hopes that celebrity hasn’t changed her. Even if it has, there are some cardinal traits that she knows can’t go away: her good heart, for one, and her loyalty to the mid-Missouri community that cheered her on at MU, at Rock Bridge and in her driveway while shooting at a brick. Mizzou immortality is imminent. “This blue-collar community, it represents us,” Sophie says. “We represent each other. I owe everything to them.” Back at the volleyball game, Sophie lays her head on her father’s shoulder and hugs him. There’s still one set left, but her friends have arrived. “I’m sorry,” Sophie says. “I have to go soon.” Edited by Adam Cole acole@themaneater.com
2018-2019 BASKETBALL PREVIEW WEDNESDAY OCT. 31, 2018
Sterk, Rau, others reflect on wild ride that was Missouri men’s basketball’s ‘17-18 season The Tigers were put through the ringer during last year’s season as seemingly one thing after another went wrong on and off the court. BEN RAMIREZ CAROLINE STIEFBOLD
Staff Writers
Even for MU Athletic Director Jim Sterk, there was an element of mystery when it happened. Michael Porter Jr., the No. 1 freshman recruit in the country, inexplicably exited without return two minutes into Missouri’s 201718 season. After months of build-up around the team, the star who had brought excitement back to Missouri men’s basketball was nothing more than a question mark. “It was pretty fuzzy with me too as far as what happened exactly,” Sterk said a year later. “I was aware as I could be at that point.” Cuonzo Martin’s first season at the helm of Missouri was filled with fuzziness. It was filled with a continuous flow of lost assets and thrown-away games. It was filled with every imaginable obstacle. When it was all over in March, it had revived the program in unimaginable ways. “It was a roller coaster, but really exciting,” former point guard Brett Rau said. “The whole year was a really fun ride.” Making sense of that roller coaster still isn’t easy, but the perspective of an administrator (Sterk), a player (Rau), a reporter (Dave Matter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch MU athletics beat writer) and a fan (sophomore Rileigh Maddock) may help the task as Missouri prepares for a strong follow-up effort in 2018-19. It all started in the 2016-17 effort, a third straight losing season (8-24, 2-16 SEC) that forced Kim Anderson out and brought Martin in. With Martin’s roots in East St. Louis and experience leading Division I programs Missouri State, Tennessee and California, Sterk thought he was “a perfect fit” for Missouri. Martin started by adding several assistants to his staff, including Michael Porter Sr. Enter Junior. It all happened more than six months before opening night. Porter Jr. had initially committed to play at Washington. After Washington coach Lorenzo Romar was fired in March, Porter Jr. decommitted from Washington, where his father had previously been an assistant coach. After Porter Sr. joined Martin’s coaching staff, the possibility of Porter Jr. returning home to Columbia came into the picture. Porter Jr. eventually committed to play at Missouri in April. “[Martin] was positive on the personal side, and on the basketball side it had a huge impact,” Sterk said. The Columbia native Porter Jr. brought brother Jontay along, joining
two sisters and an aunt already involved in the women’s team. Porter Jr. made his long-awaited debut at Mizzou Arena against Iowa State in front of a sold out crowd of 15,061. “It was a long time coming for a lot of fans that had gone through the three or four years of things being really down,” Matter said. That crowd was greeted with two consecutive rebounds and a put back layup from Porter. The place was shaking. The Missouri bench could only marvel at the scene. “It was the start of the revive of the program,” Rau said. But after two minutes on the court, Porter Jr. joined Rau on the bench. His disappearance led to two hours of speculation among the 15,061 at the arena, and weeks of it from fans and media afterward. “When [Porter Jr.] left the game, as a fan, it was really saddening, obviously because he was hurt, but also because everyone had gotten really excited about Mizzou basketball when he arrived,” Maddock said. The speculation ended when Porter Jr. was declared out for the season on Nov. 21. Back surgery would keep him out for three to four months. His career at Missouri, all too short, seemed over. That didn’t mean it was over for the rest of the roster, though. “That group was able to bounce back and recover from it really well,” Matter said. “The fans were more panicked; the team was fine. They went went out on a mission to prove that they didn’t need Michael to have a good season.” With senior Jordan Barnett and graduate transfer Kassius Robertson leading the way and freshmen Jeremiah Tilmon and Jontay Porter making a name for themselves, the Tigers went 10-3 in non-conference play, with losses to Utah, then-No. 11 West Virginia and Illinois in the annual Braggin’ Rights Game. Still, the losses seemed to outweigh the wins in remembrance. Helping players escape that mindset, Rau said, was what Martin excelled at. “He definitely has rubbed off on all of us,” Rau said. “Everything from life to basketball. He’s just all around a great coach and really wants the best for all of us and will do anything for that to happen.” The Tigers started SEC play 4-5, losing heartbreakers to Florida and Arkansas. Losing late leads became a theme between those and the West Virginia collapse, and losing players didn’t make things any easier. Two of Martin’s early backcourt recruits, C.J. Roberts and Blake Harris, transferred in a matter of weeks. Junior guard Terrence Phillips came under investigation from MU’s Title IX office for various sexual misconduct allegations, and not long after, he was no longer part of the program. “Nothing seemed to be going in our favor. One thing after another just kept happening. What was supposed to be such an amazing season really started to seem hellish,” Maddock said. It was not until John Calipari’s Kentucky powerhouse came to
Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. watched his three-point attempt go into the hoop in the Showdown for Relief exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2018. Porter Jr., one of the top prospects in the nation, was expected to lead Missouri to prominence in the SEC last year, but after injuring his back in the season opener, his Missouri career consisted of just three games for the Tigers. | PHOTO BY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR ADAM COLE
Columbia that the trend of the season began to shift. The Wildcats (No. 21 at the time) came to Missouri in early February, and Missouri filled Mizzou Arena for a 69-60 upset. It was Missouri’s first-ever victory over Kentucky. “There was just pure joy,” Rau said. “Beating a perennial powerhouse, that kind of gives the fans and gives us [the feeling] that this thing is going in the right direction. It gives you a lot of confidence in yourself, your teammates and the program. That was a special moment.” The Tigers picked up another big win at home over Mississippi State. After losing to the Bulldogs on the road earlier in the season, Missouri lost a late 12-point lead but won 89-85 in overtime on a late Kevin Puryear three. “That game was such a rollercoaster,” Maddock said. “We were up big and then all of the sudden Mississippi State forces us to go to overtime. When Puryear hit that three to put us ahead in OT it was crazy. That win was huge, especially since we had lost to them earlier in the season.” Through it all, the opportunity opened for a Porter Jr. return. “It really kept us excited and on edge for the rest of the season,” Maddock said. The fans got the moment they were waiting for when he was cleared to play for the first time in a postseason setting. Missouri finished the regular season with a 10-8 conference record, heading to the SEC Tournament in St. Louis as the No. 5 seed. With an NCAA bid all but sealed and lower stakes in the impending secondround game, the chance was golden for Porter Jr. to get his tryout. Again No. 12 seed Georgia, he played 23 minutes, but the Tigers were upset by the Bulldogs 60-62.
“All the fans were so excited to see him back on the court, and to lose such a close game in the tournament was devastating,” Maddock said. After its short time in the SEC Tournament, Missouri headed into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 8 seed in the west region. The week before the first round of the Tournament, Barnett was arrested for DWI. He was ineligible for the game against Florida State. With only eight available players, Missouri went to Nashville, Tennessee, short-handed and without its second leading scorer in Barnett. The injured Porter Jr. and the walk-on Rau were thrown suddenly into important minutes. In Porter Jr.’s second game back from injury, the freshman contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. It wouldn’t be enough. Missouri lost to Florida State 67-54 in a game that fell flat in a matter of minutes. The Tigers finished the season 20-13. Sterk, Matter and others will attest the positives will be remembered more than the team’s sour ending. “I mean we were selling out games with [Porter Jr.] not even playing too,” Rau said. The team was able to adapt without its star recruit and place fifth in an improved SEC. “I think it’s a testament to the team and the coaches,” Sterk said. “They fought through adversity. I was really proud of them for doing that.” It all led to the Tigers’ first NCAA Tournament berth since 2013. “[Last season was] what the standard at Missouri was for a really long time, making Hearnes Center and Mizzou Arena a tough place to play,” Matter said. “And last season it got back to that.” Edited by Bennett Durando bdurando@themaneater.com
M THE MANEATER The student voice of MU since 1955
Vol. 85, Issue 11
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Oct. 31, 2018
STUDENT LIFE
International Humans of MU: students adjust to university academics, culture The four students hail from India, Canada, France and Singapore. ADELE DU
Staff writer
Nearly 7 percent of MU’s student population is made up of international students. This week, I sat down with four students from this student body and asked for their stories of studying in the U.S. Tejas Adak (Pune, India), mechanical engineering, firstyear graduate student “The US is known for [teaching] practical experience, while back in India, they emphasize on technical learning. A lot of class grades are based on the final exam which we take at the end of the semester. If you fail the exam, you can’t pass the class. In India, depending on what major you choose, you go to different colleges in that particular field. “The campus is huge compared to the college I went back in Pune. I used to live with my parents and biked to school everyday. The college was very close to my house. And each college has their own individual campuses located on different parts of town. “My professors helped me a lot understanding my struggles
Tejas Adak, from Pune, India, is majoring in mechanical engineering at MU. | PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHER BULAT SCHAMILOGLU
in language. He highlighted the necessary information on the textbook to help me better preparing for the upcoming exam. The concept of open-book exam was new for me too, we never had this [form of exam] back home. “Pune is densely populated. You can always see many people walking on the street. While in the United States, you can hardly see anyone
on campus on weekends. And it was strange to me when vehicles, even big buses, stopped for me when I crossed the street. I was surprised that in here the first preference was given to the pedestrians.” Molly Gowans (Victoria, Canada) pre-occupational therapy, freshman
PETS
“I lived in Canada for the past five years. I called it home because that’s kind of how I feel. But before that, I lived in Dubai for 11 years. [Prior to that], I lived in England for a year. And I was born in Brunei [which is] close to Malaysia. “I decided to come to America because I swim. It’s hard to do swimming and school at the same time in Canada. Well, people do it. But I like the way they work it here — they really balance it well. My parents both supported it, although they would love if I was given the same option back in Canada. “I started swimming in Dubai. I only started because there were a lot of pools there, and my parents wanted me to learn how to swim. I guess I just didn’t stop. “I am the only international freshman [on the swim team]. For the upperclassmen though, we have girls from Scotland, Aruba, Peru and Brazil. And there have been people from Canada and Germany before. A lot of people come [here] for swimming. “In five years, I should have my bachelor’s degree and hopefully I will be in [the process of getting] my master’s degree. I love it here, so it would be amazing if I could continue to do something [at MU]. As for swimming, I am loving it. And I don’t
HUMAN | Page 8
AWARENESS
MU veterinary medicine faculty create Halloween pet safety guide
Women’s Center celebrates self-care,
The faculty suggested making sure your pets are inside and they avoid eating chocolate.
With the help of many different organizations on MU’s campus, the Women’s Center held a week-long event full of activities.
EMILY WOLF
Staff Writer
Halloween is a fun, carefree holiday for many people across America, but for their pets, it can often be a nightmare. Hazards such as candy, loud noises and scary costumes can cause harm to pets. Two MU faculty members from the College of Veterinary Medicine published tips and important information to keep local pets safe and sound. “The best way to avoid pet injuries at Halloween is
to make preparations and take general precautions,” Elizabeth Easley, a clinical instructor with the Small Animal and Emergency Critical Care Section, said in a news brief. Preparations can include desensitizing your pet to any costumes you’d like to put on them in advance, as well as stocking anti-anxiety medication if you have a pet who becomes nervous with the constant ringing of the doorbell, according to the brief. “Keep your pets indoors in a safe place,” Easley said in the brief. “Make sure that dogs and cats can’t dart out the front door when you open it for trick-or-treaters. If a dog gets frightened and runs out of the house, it could be hit by a car, which might necessitate coming in for an emergency visit or, potentially, a hospital stay or
even surgery.” Tim Evans, associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and Toxicology Section head of the CVM’s Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, also warned about the dangers that chocolate can cause pets in the brief. He cautioned that dark chocolate, cocoa powder and baker’s chocolate are the most dangerous, while white chocolate is the least. “Every year at Halloween, I get at least one call from somebody where a dog has died or is very sick and they wonder if the animal got into enough chocolate to harm it,” Evans said. “It doesn’t take very much.” Evans explained that while large animals eating a small amount of chocolate might not be a problem, issues
PET | Page 8
body love with Love Your Body Week
CLAIRE WILKINS TANNER BUBECK
Reporters
This year marks the Women’s Center’s 15th year hosting the Love Your Body Week. While the event began as a national day on Oct. 18, the Women’s Center decided to hold Love Your Body Week the week after Homecoming and made it a seven-day celebration. “Love Your Body is actually a national day, put on by the National Organization for Women,
or the NOW organization,” Danielle Palamo, coordinator of the Women’s Center, said. “We’ve got lots of activities and giveaways and the big event now is the festival, where we have just a bunch of resources on campus come and promote self-positivity.” One of the focus events of the week, the Love Your Body Festival, was held on Oct. 25 and brought many diverse people and organizations to Lowry Mall to celebrate self and body love. “I think it’s exciting that so many organizations are taking [the Love Your Body Week] seriously and that it’s being broadcasted and it’s a social norm now,” Alaina Vacante, member of the Women’s Leadership Conference, said. “You should love yourself. That is such an important thing to be
CARE | Page 8
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T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | OCTOBER 31, 2018
INSIDE THIS
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Marching Mizzou brings tight-knit spirit to energize the crowd.
Meet four students from India, Singapore, France and Canada. THE MANEATER The Student Voice of MU since 1955
Vol. 85, Issue 11 G210 Student Center • Columbia, MO 65211 573.882.5500 (phone) • 573.882.5550 (fax) editors@themaneater.com www.themaneater.com
Twitter: @themaneater Instagram: @themaneater Snapchat: @the.maneater facebook.com/themaneaterMU The Maneater is the official student publication of the University of Missouri and operates independently of the university, student government, the School of Journalism and any other campus entity. All text, photos, graphics and other content are property of The Maneater and may not be reproduced without permission. The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the University of Missouri or the MU Student Publications Board. “I would literally sign a lease right now for some cake.”
Reporters for The Maneater are required to offer verification of all quotes for each source. If you notice an inaccuracy in one of our stories, please contact us via phone or email. Editor-in-Chief Skyler Rossi Managing Editor Stephi Smith Production Coordinator Corey Hadfield Copy Chiefs Kaitlyn Hoevelmann Anne Clinkenbeard News Editors Morgan Smith Caitlyn Rosen
MOVE Editors Alexandra Sharp Siena DeBolt Visuals Director Hannah Kirchwehm Designers Sara Marquardt Elizabeth Ustinov Emily Mann Isaiah Valdivia Marisa Whitaker Mia Scaturro Sara Stroup
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Social Media Editor
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Opinion Editor Tatyana Monnay
Madi Winfield
Online this week: Read more about the latest MU trends, the upcoming election and more at themaneater.com. ELECTION
How to order an absentee ballot for midterm elections The process isn’t too confusing when given the right resources. BEN SCOTT
Reporter
Hundreds of absentee ballots were rejected in Gwinnett County, Georgia due to a number of issues, the main one being signature mismatches, according to CNN. However, with a federal judge’s recent proposal saying government officials cannot void any ballots because of these mismatches, voters will hopefully be given notices about possible rejection if any problems arise, urging them to resolve the issue within three days of the Election Day. For people registered to vote who can’t physically go to their polling station on Election Day, voting with an absentee ballot is the best
option. According to the Pew R e s e a r c h Center, over 23.3 million Americans voted via a b s e n t e e ballot in the 2016 election, so obtaining one isn’t out of the ordinary. What is an absentee ballot? An absentee ballot allows people to vote on a paper ballot and mail it to their respective e l e c t i o n offices. It’s used for when people are unable to physically go to their polling place. There’s still enough time
state, there’s a general p r o c e s s p e o p l e s h o u l d follow. How can I get an absentee ballot? Voters can get a ballot either t h r o u g h ordering one online or going to their home county’s election office and asking for one there. in GRAPHIC BY DESIGNER EMILY MANN Going person is by far the before Election Day to order easiest process, as they’ll a ballot, receive, fill out and give a step-by-step guide mail it. While the process and answer any general slightly differs from state to questions.
The Briefing: A look at some proposals for midterm elections Missouri citizens will have the opportunity to vote on several propositions and amendments in the midterm elections Nov. 6. CAITLYN ROSEN
Student Politics Editor Outside of voting for senators and state representatives, Missouri residents will be voting on several propositions and constitutional amendments during the midterm elections on Nov. 6. Here’s a preview of a few of those propositions and amendments: Clean Missouri Initiative The first proposed constitutional amendment, known as the Clean Missouri Initiative, calls for a changed process for redrawing state legislative districts. The current process has two commissions responsible for redistricting. There
is a commission for state and House districts. The state district consists of five Democrats and five Republicans, and the House district consists of eight Democrats and eight Republicans. This change would create a non-partisan state demographer who will “acquire appropriate information to develop procedures in preparation for drawing legislative redistricting maps on the basis of each federal census for presentation to the house apportionment commission and the senatorial apportionment commission,” according to the bill. The amendment also proposes to change limits on campaign contributions and establish a limit on gifts that state legislators can accept from paid lobbyists. The current campaign contribution limit for Missouri Senate and House member elections is $2,600. If passed, the amendment would lower these limits to $2,500 for Senate members, $2,000 for House members and make gifts costing over
$5 illegal. The final provision of the amendment calls for legislative records and proceedings to be made open to the public. Medical Marijuana Bills There are three proposals related to the legalization of medical marijuana. Proposition C, Constitutional Amendment No. 3 and Constitutional Amendment No. 2 all propose the allowance of the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The key difference between these three proposals is the differing tax rates and the use of those funds, according to the proposal’s respective ballot summaries. Prop. C proposes a 2 percent tax on the retail sale of medical marijuana and the use of the funds from this tax for veterans’ services, drug treatment, early childhood education and public safety in cities with a medical marijuana facility.
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Voters can’t go to the Boone County Clerk’s office to obtain one if they aren’t registered to vote in Boone County. To get a ballot in person, voters must go to their home county’s clerk office. Googling a state’s name followed by “absentee voting” and whittling down the search results to the state government’s page is another option. From then on, simply follow the government’s directions. However, that process can be a bit confusing, as many government websites lead to endless redirects — also, the rules and procedures for absentee voting are often muddled under small text and outdated website design. An easier solution For the sake of time and ease, go to www.vote.org and click on the absentee
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POLITICS
Why Trump is coming to Columbia Trump is holding a rally in the historically liberal-leaning Missouri town. With the midterms approaching, his visit isn’t as surprising as many think. BEN SCOTT
Reporter
President Donald Trump is coming to the Columbia Regional Airport for a rally centered around endorsing Josh Hawley, the Republican candidate running against Claire McCaskill, the incumbent senator. Many people question the Nov. 1 event, mainly because of the location, Columbia, for its historical liberal slant and journalism — Trump often criticizes both topics in his tweets and speeches. However, at further glance, there are a few reasons for Trump choosing to anchor in Columbia as part of his mid-term rally campaign, the most prominent reason being the midterm election. Trump has held 15 rallies
since Oct. 1, with 11 more planned leading up to Election Day, according to The Hill. Historically, after a president’s first midterm, if Congress is held by the president’s party, the majority often switches. Trump aims to avoid this trend as it has affected many recent presidents, including Obama, Bush, Clinton and Reagan. Starting in August, he has planned out the most ambitious midterm campaign strategy for his party when compared to previous presidents and their midterm strategies, The Hill reported. Ray Bozarth, the executive director of Missouri’s Republican Party, gave more insight into the party’s reasoning for rallying in Columbia. “The city of Columbia and the University of Missouri have always been huge volunteer bases for Republicans,” Bozarth said in an interview with The Columbia Tribune. “It is not just the city of Columbia, it is the Columbia-Jefferson City market, which is very Republican as a market.” Boone County was one of
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T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | OCTOBER 31, 2018
HUMAN Continued from page 3 think see myself not loving it in five years. I think if I am still improving, willing to improve, and love it, then I will continue to swim.” Zikry Koh (Singapore) respiratory therapy, sophomore “Singapore is a densely populated city, the pace is a lot faster. You rarely get times when people say hi to each other. I found people working in service sectors here are generally more friendly, even if you are just walking in to check on stuff. In Singapore, the salesperson tends to judge you on whether you [look like] you are going to buy the product or not. “There aren’t any courses offered in [respiratory therapy] because in Singapore it’s a new thing and they don’t have any course curriculum set up for it yet. I was going to Ohio State University, but because of my National Service, I didn’t have the time to do my TOEFL and SAT, and Mizzou does not require it. Also majority of the scholars in my program chose Mizzou, so I decided to go with where the majority went. “[After finishing my service], I only had six days
PET
Continued from page 5 can arise with increased consumption. “When we talk about toxicology, the dosage makes the poison,” he said. According to intake statistics from the Central Missouri Humane Society, 113 stray animals were picked up in October of 2016 and 91 were picked up in 2017. October intake rates were the highest of all fall and winter months in both years.
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recognized, that there’s not a cookie cutter beautiful.” With events like a dance party and the Love Your Body Festival, all of which focus on self-empowerment and acceptance, Love Your Body Week has become a favorite event for many students. “I’m always inspired by people who want to uplift and empower other people and I was immediately drawn to this for that reason alone,” sophomore Caitlyn Ross said. “ I love the genuineness in this event because it’s not just about attracting a ton of people, it’s about impacting the people who do show up.” College can be a difficult time for students to find self and body love, as it poses many challenges like mental health that can cause a
before I flew off to Columbia. It really sucked because in the past two years, I rarely had time to spend time with my family and friends. “National service is conscription. We have to give two years of our time to serve in the military. For me, it’s a transition from civilian to soldier. I went in with a mindset to just improve my skills in terms of managing people and other stuff. It was an interesting experience. You get tough training and you learn a lot about yourself. Because in tough situations, you learn things like resilience and camaraderie. It’s something you can apply in the future, even if it’s not relevant to your [present] life.” Emmanuelle Tahane (Bondy, France) health science, sophomore “I am from Bondy, in the suburbs of Paris. I started playing basketball when I was like seven because my older sister played professional basketball. I grew up going to her games. She really influenced me to be a professional basketball player just like her. “After I finished high school in France, I had the opportunity to play professionally. Some scouts approached me and told me I had the opportunity to play basketball in universities in
the United States. I know in the United States, I can play basketball in high level doing academics at the same time. But in France, I’d have to do online school, because the schedule would be so tough that I [wouldn’t] have time to go to the university. “I picked Mizzou over other schools [mainly] because of Coach Pingeton. I really liked her coaching style and her kindness. And I love the family atmosphere here. “Being the only international player in the team, my freshman year was hard because I didn’t really know any of the girls’ habits and their culture. But now, I am more comfortable with everything. “I am better at listening and reading in English than speaking. Although I started learning English in middle school, I feel like I still have a lot more to learn [to this day]. I was very proud when I ended up with a 3.7 GPA last year because I didn’t really know the language very well. “If I get drafted by a WNBA team, I might stay here for the summer because the basketball season isn’t all year-round. I might go back home to play in France or anywhere else in Europe if I don’t get picked.” Edited by Morgan Smith mosmith@themaneater.com
While stray intake increases aren’t linked specifically to Halloween, the Central Missouri Humane Society encourages pet owners to keep a close eye on their pets during the holiday. “If you are taking your pet with you as part of trickor-treating, make sure they stay on a leash and that they have a collar with their identification,” Easley said in the brief. “Make sure their identification is correct with your current address and phone number, so if they do happen to get away from you, it’s easier to get them back.” Identification can
also come in the form of microchips, which are offered at veterinary offices and by the Central Missouri Humane Society. “If a member of the public finds a stray animal on Halloween, they may bring the pet to our shelter before 6 p.m. to be scanned for a microchip and/or dropped off with us while we try to locate an owner,” Michelle Casey, associate director of CMHS, said. “Boone County residents can always call Animal Control at 573-4491888 if they find a stray pet after business hours.” Edited by Morgan Smith mosmith@themaneater.com
decrease in self-appreciation among students. For Palomo, this is one of the issues Love Your Body Week hopes to help students with. “This is important because, especially right now in college, people see different things, different ways that people are portrayed,” Palomo said. “There’s a lot of stereotypes of how you should look and act and be in college and so this is just a really great way to combat that. Love Your Body Week is not only an important event for the Women’s Center, but organizations like the LGBTQ Resource Center and the MU Sustainability Office said body love and self-care are important issues as well. “It’s also very important for our representation to be here because often LGBTQ+ people are told that we’re not normal or that we’re not attractive, and even in our own community there are
just different standards,” Nathaniel Hartman, a member of the LGBTQ Resource Center, said. “Especially from cis straight people, they’re bad standards, so we just wanted to be here to make sure that population knew they were loved too.” Not only does Love Your Body Week focus on the mental aspects of self and body love, but the Women’s Center also emphasized healthy, self-care habits that help students continue to feel appreciated during their college careers. “I was at their self-care event the other day where they were making face masks and giving people feminine products and contraception,” Ross said. “The event I went to on Wednesday was perfect because it was really just about connecting women to self-care habits.” Edited by Caitlyn Rosen crosen@themaneater.com
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ballot tab. The site will ask general information questions so it can direct voters toward their state’s absentee website. It’s also recommended to scroll down on that page, look under the “jump directly to your state” section, and click on that state’s link.
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Continued from page 7 Constitutional Amendment No. 3 proposes a 15 percent tax on the retail sale of medical marijuana and for that money to fund a state research institute that will conduct research with the purpose of developing cures and treatments for incurable diseases or medical conditions. Constitutional Amendment No. 2 proposes a 4 percent tax on the retail of medical marijuana and the use of funds from these taxes for military veterans and to administer the program to license,
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only four Missouri counties won by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, the three other countries being St. Louis County, St. Louis City and Jackson. In order to mitigate the possible Democratcontrolled congress, Trump is targeting Democratic Senate seats susceptible to change. In Trump’s remaining 11 rallies, he is going to four of the five states where a Democratic seat is considered a toss-up, as rated by The New York Times, with McCaskill’s seat being included. To maintain control of the Senate, Republicans must keep their losses to only one seat, so by targeting these unsteady seats, Trump theoretically increases the Republicans’ chances of maintaining a Senate majority. McCaskill also hails from Columbia, she attended Hickman High School and MU, giving another possible reason why Trump organized a rally in Columbia.
They’ll give the state’s specific information regarding absentee voting, such as standards and deadlines. They’ll also give a link to the state’s website about absentee voting. From there, the process widely differs from state to state, but the government websites do give ample direction on where to go. Is there still enough time? The answer varies from state to state, as the deadline for casting absentee ballots is different certify and regulate marijuana and its facilities. Minimum Wage Proposal Proposition B proposes increasing the state minimum wage to $12 by 2023. The current minimum wage is $7.85. Prop. B would increase it to $8.60 and then an increase of 85 cents per year until 2023. Fuel Tax Proposition D calls for funding state law enforcement (such as highway patrol) by increasing the motor fuel tax by two and a half cents per With Trump campaigning in the town that McCaskill considers home, his political strategy is further shown, even more so evidenced by him targeting Democrat-owned Senate seats in Republican states. Having Hawley win the race would be a big victory for the republicans’ efforts in maintaining their majority in the Senate. “There is great anger in our Country caused in part by inaccurate, and even fraudulent, reporting of the news. The Fake News Media, the true Enemy of the People, m u s t stop the open & obvious hostility & report the news
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for each state. Most states require absentee ballots to arrive by Election Day or a day before. For Missouri, the absentee ballot deadline is Election Day. The last day to request a ballot is Oct. 31, the Wednesday before Election Day. It takes about two days for the office to send the ballot and two days to receive the ballot. Voters can go to the election office to vote in-person up until the day before the election. Edited by Caitlyn Rosen crosen@themaneater.com
gallon annually for four years beginning July 1, 2019, according to the ballot summary. It will also establish the Emergency State Freight Bottleneck Fund. A bottleneck is defined as a place in the road where traffic cannot pass easily, like improperly paved roads and potholes, according to Longman Dictionary. If passed, this will generate at least $288 million annually to the State Road Fund going toward state law enforcement and $123 million annually to local governments for road construction and maintenance. Edited by Skyler Rossi srossi@themaneater.com accurately & fairly,” Trump said in an Oct. 29 tweet. Trump often criticizes the press for what he said is unfair coverage of his administration. Such statements have caused controversy in the political atmosphere, which has further caused a political divide between Democrats and Republicans, according to the Pew Research Center. Edited by Caitlyn Rosen crosen@themaneater.com
10 MARCHING BAND
Visual performances add original depth to Marching Mizzou Marching Mizzou’s Golden Girls, twirlers and Color Guard provide a dynamic aspect to MU football halftime performances. JANAE MCKENZIE
Staff Writer
Marching alongside the instrumentalists, the dancers, twirlers and flag-bearers of the ensemble emphasize the performative aspect of Marching Mizzou. They provide a colorful and active visual component to halftime shows, often drawing the eye of the audience. The Golden Girls perform choreographed routines in synchronization with each other and the musical accompaniment of the band. They also rehearse alongside the band, practicing their dances complete with ponytails and enthusiasm, hard work shining behind their wide smiles. Clad in golden dresses, the Golden Girls occasionally change their costumes to suit the theme of the performance. The girls turned pink for the band’s Grease-themed performance at the Sept. 22 home game, paying homage to the movie’s Pink Ladies.
The twirlers, of which there are only three, create their own routines for the shows, often acting on their own accord. Senior Lindsey McCormick, one of the twirlers, has been twirling since the age of five. Many of her past competitive routines serve as inspiration for the routines she develops for MU games. By far, McCormick’s favorite part of twirling for Marching Mizzou is the feeling of delight that game day brings. “Of course, I love to practice and to be with the members of such a large, diverse organization on campus, but game days are amazing, especially just walking out on the field for pregame and the band starting to play the fanfare,” McCormick explained. “I just still get an adrenaline rush, like the same exact feeling I had freshman year.” The Color Guard, led by captain Jasmyne Tyler, are the flag-bearers on the field. They move in time to the music and, fittingly, add a flash of color to the performance. The flag spinning, throwing and catching requires acute hand-eye coordination, fine-tuned over hours of practice with bright yellow flags. Tyler, who has been spinning for seven years, choreographs routines and works with technique, making sure the members all look the same when performing. Her dedication to the work is
amplified by the relationship she has with the other color guard members. From her role as a leader, she encourages them the way a parent would encourage their child, ensuring their wellbeing and happiness but also pushing them to realize their full potential. “When I was in color guard, I always wanted to be better than I was,” Tyler said. “I always leaned on people that were strong spinners and that were a bit more critical of me because I felt that they knew what I was capable of more than I did. So now that I'm in this leadership role with all these other girls, I've tried to make sure that I am not only hard on them so that they know they are capable, but also encouraging and just [being] a mentor for them so that they continue to love the sport.” Regardless of the absence of sheet music and instruments to play, these dancers, twirlers and spinners provide a unique visual aspect to halftime performances, keeping audiences engaged and engrossed in the music. Despite the several little branches within the organization, they are able to connect with everyone involved and grow together as artists. Edited by Alexandra Sharp asharp@themaneater.com
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VIDEO GAMES
Sony allows PS4 users to play Fortnite with Xbox, Switch In late September, Sony announced a cross platform beta test with Fortnite. ALEX WILSON
Staff Writer
Fortnite is no doubt popular amongst gamers and non-gamers alike. Epic Games’ concept of battle royale struck a chord with many children, adults, casual gamers and hardcore players. No one foresaw the huge boom in its popularity nor the level of integration the game was going to have in the current console generation, specifically Xbox, PS4 and most recently, the Nintendo Switch. The first port from PC was a mobile version of the game that went to IOS and Android. Soon after, Fortnite was ported to the PS4, Xbox and Nintendo Switch platforms where crossplay was briefly spoken of before being dismissed. Originally, PS4, PC and Mobile had abnormal compatibility rules. For example, if you were in a game with a friend on PC, you would only play against PC players even if you, yourself, had a PS4 or the mobile version. There was little server diversity between platforms. Eventually, Epic Games ported Fortnite to Xbox and the Nintendo Switch where the companies agreed to Epic Games’ policy of crossplay. This allows for players to be connected on whatever system they play with. This was not the case for Sony. Sony denied crossplay to users, claiming that its console was best. During an interview with the Press Association in The Independent, Sony’s President Kenichiro Yoshida said that their policy on crossplay would remain closed and unwavering. “On cross-platform, our way of thinking is always that PlayStation is the best place to play,” Yoshida said in the interview. “Fortnite, I believe,
partnered with PS4, is the best experience for users. That’s our belief.” Sony went so far as to lock the accounts of PlayStation users, not allowing them to sign into their Fortnite a c c o u n t s anywhere else once they had played Fortnite on the PS4. Luckily for the MU gaming community, that ban has been lifted. In Epic Games’ “Fortnite” can now be played between Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo consoles. | COURTESY late September, OF FLICKR Sony announced a cross platform beta test with something PS4 doesn’t. The decision is complex Fortnite. This eventually lifted the crossplay ban and there is no one way to know for sure without on the platform, finally allowing users to play a candid statement free of any corporate speak. together. All that is known is that the gaming community is This is a change in ideology for Sony and for once, in a long time, united together in console is a backpedal from their previous stance on and game, with fortnite to thank. PlayStation exclusivity, according to PlayStation’s Alongside large ramifications for crossplay in official blog. Although it is true that PlayStation the future, this has just as large implications has been known for its dedication to a solely PlayStation experience, there is nothing unique for the console war as a whole. With all four of gaming’s biggest platforms onboard, PC included, about its decision to allow crossplay. The decision, many gamers believe, is based community discussion speculates what the future around the idea that by allowing crossplay on holds. Edited by Alexandra Sharp the platform, the community rooted in PS4 will not begin to favor another console that offers asharp@themaneater.com
STUDENT LIFE
MU graduate discusses debut novel at Skylark Bookshop Joanna Luloff spoke about her inspirations at Skylark Bookshop on Oct. 25. BEN WICHE
Reporter
Joanna Luloff, author and MU alumna, spoke with Alexandra Socarides, MU English department chair, about her debut novel “Remind Me Again What Happened” at Skylark Bookshop on Oct. 25. The event was free and open to the public. To start the evening, store owner Alex George gave a short introduction. “Inviting Jo was one of the first things that came to mind when we opened the store,” George said. “We’ve been planning this talk for about two months.” He then introduced the two speakers, who were both seated in the raised display area in front of the store’s windows. This provided a good stage for those inside to see the reading, but also allowed people walking outside to see the event. To start the event, Luloff gave a reading from her novel. In the selected passage, the main character, Clare, falls to the floor and notices, in intimate detail, her surroundings. She eventually gains new insight into how her friends really feel about her. The crowd seemed engaged in the reading as they applauded enthusiastically. Socarides, an old colleague and friend of the author, then began interviewing Luloff. “[Luloff] and I have known each other for 30 years,” Socarides said. “We met at Camp Walt Whitman in New Hampshire in 1988. I love her compassion for people in great pain and attention
to the beauty of language.” When asked about her inspiration, Luloff had many. “My inspirations were [the works of] W.G. Sebald and Alek Hemon’s ‘The Lazarus Project,’” Luloff said. “Also this one conversation I had with my mom… where she would talk about photographs with a clarity that she didn’t have for recent events.” This focus on photography comes up with the many photographs that are incorporated into the novel. Many of them were taken from Luloff’s own grandparents, while a few were found in thrift stores and a few she took herself. The relation between “Remind Me Again What Happened” and Columbia is detailed. The novel started as a draft of Luloff’s dissertation that she wrote while in MU’s Graduate English Program. For Luloff, the constraints placed upon her by that program actually helped her work efficiently. “The fact that while you’re a Ph.D. student here you have to teach, meant that whenever I found time, I learned to grab it,” Luloff said. “I was surrounded by writers...and I was always in conversation with people who were doing amazing things.” At the end of the event, the floor was opened up for a Q&A session, but most audience members only offered their gratitude toward Luloff or asked for clarification on what she had said in the interview. The event ended and a few people went up to get autographs, a few went to purchase the book and many stood around chatting about the event. “It was interesting,” sophomore Kelly Schoessling said. “I didn’t know anything about this beforehand, but it’s always cool to see
Joanna Luloff autographs a fan’s copy of her new novel “Remind Me Again What Happened” on Oct. 25, 2018, at Skylark Bookshop. | PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHER LILLY ANNA BRINSON
someone who’s gone through the program.” That mood was shared by most of the audience, who enjoyed seeing a local author succeed professionally and come back to her roots. Skylark Bookshop will be hosting more authors, including Meena Nayak on Nov. 2 and Donald Quist on Nov. 8. Edited by Alexandra Sharp asharp@themaneater.com
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MOVIES
‘Burning’ is patient, masterful exploration of anger Lee Chang-dong is back with a beautifully-shot, slow-burn mystery thriller.
years). While “Burning” is based on a 1983 short story by Japanese author Haruki Murakami, Lee’s use of slow-burn elevates his character studies and entrancing, ambiguous storytelling into a masterful study of ABBY MONTEIL 21st century anger and longing. Columnist We open on Jong-su (Ah-In Yoo), who is forced to give up his partThis review contains spoilers for time jobs in Seoul, South Korea to “Burning.” look after his family’s rural farm after his father is imprisoned for In the past few years alone, many assaulting a government official. He films have centered around rage — dreams of being a William Faulknerat our society, at people we know esque novelist, but his life parallels and love, at our circumstances, at the Faulkner’s Depression-era ourselves. While many are well-made protagonists much more than the and serve as entry points to larger author himself — Jong-su’s world cultural discussions, it can become is an austere one whose silence exhaustive and repetitive to watch is punctuated by the cries of his them fall into a more contemporary livestock and the North Korean “think-piece” format at the risk of propaganda messages that reach his crafting more thoughtful, enduring home. art. One day, he unexpectedly reunites Enter Lee Chang-dong’s new with his former classmate Hae-mi mystery thriller, “Burning.” (exquisite newcomer Jong-seo Jeon) Despite what its title might who asks him to watch her cat while suggest, the film simmers — through she travels to Kenya. She is making its story, through its nearly two ends meet in the city, too, as she and a half hour run-time and even dances and hawks lottery prizes at through its production process (the an outdoor market. However, her feature was the auteur’s first in eight world is alight with possibility and yearning — Hae-mi dreams of seeing the world and scrambling past her workingclass roots. In an early scene, she describes the philosophy of “Little Hunger” (one’s basic n e e d s ) v e r s u s “ G r e a t Hunger” (the desire to find greater meaning in one’s life). Although H a e - m i l e a v e s before their burgeoning romance can turn into anything more, Jongsu is also introduced to the idea that Sign up at he really can make orgsync.com/137228/forms something more of himself.
EVERY STUDENT’S PATH THROUGH #MIZZOU IS DIFFERENT, SO SHOW YOURS THROUGH THE MIZZOULIFE INSTRAGRAM TAKEOVER.
“Burning,” directed by Lee Chang-dong, is a mystery thriller based on a Japanese short story from 1983. | COURTESY OF IMDB
Three weeks later, Hae-mi returns with the wealthy, confident Ben (Steven Yeun of “The Walking Dead”) in tow, throwing a wrench into Jong-su’s aspirations. Played with languorous, unsettling charm in a definitive career turn for Yeun, the Gatsby-like older man eases the film into its later acts with calculated, lavish dread. When Jong-su asks Ben what he does to earn such a privileged lifestyle, he simply replies, “I play.” Ben’s detached interest in Hae-mi (and, by extension, Jong-su) becomes more alarming when he reveals that he enjoys regularly setting abandoned greenhouses on fire. After letting his jealousy over Hae-mi and Ben’s relationship get the best of him, Jongsu finds that his friend has vanished. The dread and unease surrounding Hae-mi’s disappearance serve as the fuel that drives “Burning” through its intensifying second half, as we join the protagonist in his search to find out what really happened to her. Is Ben’s cool, unbothered nature and collection of working class women’s trinkets and affections a sign of something darker lurking underneath? Does Hae-mi’s credit card debt and possible lies about owning a cat and falling down a well as a child speak to greater troubles in her life that made her run away? Viewers expecting a clean answer to the film’s mystery might initially be disappointed by the time “Burning”
reaches its chillingly explosive climax. However, in the dread-filled, maddeningly ambiguous second act, Lee demonstrates his directorial prowess as he subtly ricochets the tension and brings the story’s themes into relief. With Hae-mi gone, Jongsu’s idolization of her and what she could represent are gone, forcing him into a desperate search that renders him a much more active and unpredictable main character. As he learns more about her unreliability and imperfections, Jong-su’s focus shifts to Ben. If the young mogul had a malicious role in Hae-mi’s disappearance, his privileged lifestyle and large circle of engaging friends does not have to change (while our protagonist remains trapped in working-class mundanity). In this way, Lee is able to create a fully-realized portrait of masculine millennial anger, class conflicts and our often futile attempts to rationalize events beyond our control. Jong-su doesn’t receive easy answers about the mysteries shaping his life, but the slowly unfurling puzzle leaves indelible marks on his own behavior. And, in a time where so much contemporary art seems to commodify and simplify the social factors that shape our everyday lives, maybe the most pointed cultural criticism is a slow-burn. Edited by Siena DeBolt sdebolt@themaneater.com
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FESTIVALS
Citizen Jane Film Festival brings filmmakers, filmlovers together to celebrate women in film industry Over the years, the internationally-known Citizen Jane Film Festival has strengthened the community of women in film. MEGAN RUBENSTEIN
Columnist
Women are wildly unrepresented in the film industry — the Citizen Jane Film Festival aims to change that. Founded at Stephens College in 2005, Citizen Jane “celebrates independent film by independent women” through “education, connection and artistic/unique experiences,” according to their website. Such experiences include a film series, filmmaking camp and, of course, the internationally-known film festival. The Citizen Jane Film Festival is a major event for the city of Columbia, and has grown larger each and every year. This year, the event will take place Nov. 1-4. Citizen Jane started out 13 years ago as a lecture series and digital filmmaking program, planned largely in part by Stephens College students. It was also the students who came up
with the name. The next year, Stephens College hosted the “Fem Film Women’s Symposium,” and the success of the female-centered event sparked the idea of making Citizen Jane into a feminist film festival. Ultimately, in 2008, the Citizen Jane Film Festival was born. It showcased films by female filmmakers, and even attracted Academy Award-nominee “Trouble the Water.” The next year, the festival returned and attendance spiked up 50 percent. Such an increase in attendance signified that Citizen Jane meant something to people, and that it was not going anywhere. The city of Columbia, as well as filmmakers and festival-goers from all over the world, have continued to support Citizen Jane over the past 11 years. Well known directors, producers and screenwriters have brought their films to the festival, such as Christine Vachon and Lena Dunham. From beginners to professionals, Citizen Jane is the place for women filmmakers to be. The festival builds a community of female artists with a common goal, no matter their experience level. The festival shows female-driven films, holds panel discussions with
The 11th annual Citizen Jane Film Festival is returning to Columbia, Missouri Nov. 1-4. | COURTESY OF FLICKR
filmmakers and hosts a summit that aims to spark discussion over ways to empower women in the film industry. Each event is female-centered, truly making the event what I would call a feminist film festival. Citizen Jane is more than just a film festival. It is a movement
that empowers and supports talented women who deserve equality and success in a male-dominated field. Year by year, Citizen Jane is bridging the gender equality gap in the film industry. Edited by Siena DeBolt sdebolt@themaneater.com
TELEVISION
Five Halloween TV episodes you need to rewatch Add these specials to your watchlist. ABBY MONTEIL
Columnist
Halloween movies are a great way to get in the mood for the spookiest time of the year, but what happened to celebrating the countless TV shows that have created specials based around the holiday? Whether you’re looking for horror or a nostalgic family classic, check out these episodes for a quick dose of Halloween spirit. “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” —“The Ghost in Suite 613” (Season 1, Episode 19) If you’re feeling nostalgic for your Disney Channel days, this “Suite Life of Zack and Cody” episode will do the trick. When they learn about the potential existence of a ghost in an abandoned hotel suite, Zack (Dylan Sprouse), Cody (Cole Sprouse), Maddie (Ashley Tisdale), London (Brenda Song) and Esteban (Adrian R’Mante) place a bet on who will be able to spend a night there. As far as kids’ shows go, “The Ghost in Suite 613” holds up especially well — gags like Esteban being put on hold during a seance land just as well upon rewatch as an adult. “Community” — “Epidemiology” (Season 2,
”The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” a Disney Channel original show, aired “The Ghost in Suite 613,” a Halloween episode, in the show’s first season. | COURTESY OF HALLOWEENSPECIALSWIKIA
Episode 6) If a sitcom episode featuring a zombie outbreak set to the songs of ABBA doesn’t sound appealing to you in 2018, then I don’t know what to tell you. In this delightfully quirky episode, the study group finds themselves at a Halloween party where bad taco truck meat is causing people to turn into zombies. After this summer’s “Mamma Mia!” renaissance, watching people transform from monsters into college students while “Fernando” plays is the perfect way to get ready for a spooky night out. ”Stranger Things” — “Trick or Treat, Freak” (Season 2, Episode 2) After debuting in summer 2016 and inspiring a deluge of
Demogorgons and Elevens (Millie Bobby Brown) that Halloween, “Stranger Things” capitalized on its nostalgic creepiness and rolled out more episodes the following October. In an ambitious second season that was notorious for overstuffing itself with nostalgia and fan service more than once, this episode harkens back to the wide-eyed ‘80s pulp of the show’s first act. As the townies of Hawkins prepare for Halloween and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) struggles with visions of a mysterious monster in the otherworldly Upside Down, we’re given poignant insights into our favorite characters’ lives since we left them almost a year earlier. Plus, who could resist Eleven’s ghost costume, or the montage of the boys’ “Ghostbusters” outfits?
“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” — “HalloVeen” (Season 5, Episode 4) Decoy corgis! A proposal! Since its first season, the police precinct’s competition to win their annual Halloween heist and be named “amazing detective slash genius” has become a quintessential part of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” The fifth, and ostensibly the best Halloween installment in the series, serves as a perfectly paced reminder of the puckish relationships and running jokes that have sustained the show over the years. “HalloVeen” gives each character a time to shine, culminating in a sweet moment between the two romantic leads. ”Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” — “Chapter Two: The Dark Baptism” (Season 1, Episode 2) Halloween itself has a special significance in Netflix’s dark young adult reimagining of the hit ‘90s comedy, “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.” When half-human, half-witch Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) turns 16 on Oct. 31, she is expected to leave her human friends behind to train as a witch after her “dark baptism.” Her two worlds come to a head for the first time in this episode, a fun showcase of the series’ Gialloesque horror aspirations. Edited by Siena DeBolt sdebolt@themaneater.com
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EDITORIAL: The Maneater endorses Claire McCaskill for Senate this midterm election McCaskill shows that she stands with students. In a red state, Columbia may be the blue light at the end of the tunnel for the Democratic party. Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill has been in the Senate for almost 12 years and kept the blue light shining for Missouri. During a time when party ties have become ever so important, The Maneater Editorial Board endorses McCaskill in the upcoming midterm elections. Republican challenger Josh Hawley, current attorney general and two-time Ivy-league graduate, criticized the higher education system for “giving students worthless degrees and indoctrinating them in far-left thinking,” according to the Columbia Daily Tribune. Hawley also criticized the massive student debt crisis. This is simply not true. Colleges and universities are not conspiring in a secret tunnel on all the ways they can manipulate their students into radical liberalism. On another note, four-year college degrees are not useless. If Hawley were to follow his own logic, than he would not have attended Stanford University, Yale University or taught law at MU. If Hawley is against the money spent on higher education, will he work to reduce the already limited funding public Missouri universities and colleges receive? A decrease in government funding will ultimately lead to an increase in tuition and room and board rates, which doesn’t excite students. However, the rising student debt is concerning. On this issue, McCaskill stands clear. She is in support of Elizabeth Warren’s student loan proposal, which plans to allow those with remaining student loans to refinance their loan at the interest rate offered to federal borrowers in the 2016-17 school year. McCaskill is also in favor of increasing Pell grants, which would benefit lower income students the most. While McCaskill is clear with her stance on the issue, what remains unclear is what she has done to fix the problem. It seems for now, she has been all talk – holding meetings and discussions with concerned parents and frustrated students. Hopefully, if she is reelected, McCaskill will use what she learned on the campaign trail to foster initiatives to tackle this problem. McCaskill has proved effective at spearheading initiatives that have affected the nation in the past, such as reforming military sexual assault cases and recovery plans for American personnel who are prisoners of war or missing in action. However, in her nearly 12 years as senator it is unclear that she has done as much as she could to improve the lives of her constituents. This isn’t saying much, considering Congress has not been extremely effective in the past couple
Senator Claire McCaskill leads a hearing on government programs. | COURTESY OF FLICKR
years. Although this doesn’t mean that Hawley is the next-best choice for Missouri – especially for female residents. Hawley regarded Roe v. Wade as “one of the most unjust decisions” in U.S. judicial history. Hawley does not provide reasoning for why he believes this, but if he follows the standard Republican reasoning, than it’s because abortion does not align with his religious views. In addition to this view, Hawley does not believe that taxes should fund Planned Parenthood – contraceptives and abortion procedures, specifically. McCaskill supports Planned Parenthood, government funding of contraceptives and abortions. Contraceptives, like birth control and condoms, are what will help decrease abortions. Having contraceptives funded by the government can ensure that they will be cheap enough and accessible to those who need it. If a couple can’t afford to buy birth control, what makes Hawley believe that couples can afford to raise a child? While Hawley is younger, his ideals are oldfashioned, outdated and in some cases unclear.
Neither candidate has a clear stance on climate change or Environmental Protection Agency regulations. McCaskill claims she is in favor of some EPA regulations, but has not supported key regulations that, if implemented, would largely and positively affect the environment. Another important issue on the November ballot is the potential minimum wage increase. McCaskill stands clear, where Hawley stays silent – once again. Increasing the minimum wage is worth it, but it has its pitfalls. Smaller businesses could be negatively affected, as could Missouri’s employment rate. Now that employers will be paying more for their employees, they will probably be more selective during their hiring process and reduce the number of employees they hire. Also, the timing is not ideal. The Federal Reserve is looking to increase interest rates, which will slow down an already slower economy if the minimum wage is increased. The midterm election is on Nov. 6. Read our editorial from last week on the importance of voting.
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MOVING WITH MO
COLUMN: Your CliftonStrengths Test ‘talent’ results aren’t talents at all You have more than just your CliftonStrengths Test “talents.” MAUREEN DUNNE
Columnist
Maureen Dunne is a freshman journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about student life for The Maneater.
The last thing I wanted to be told during my first month of college is that I am “talented.” Yet, after taking the mandatory CliftonStrengths for Students personality test, I and the other 499 freshmen in my J-1010 class were not only informed of our individual “talents,” but also told to build upon them for our career and major interests. I was horrified! Although the results of the test were intended to empower us, its wording seemed to constrain each person to only having certain preexisting “talents.” The way in which the results of the CliftonStrengths test are presented is extremely important because it can affect the way individuals view themselves and their abilities. The wording of the CliftonStrengths test results are dangerous because they minimize the impact of hard work by referring to one’s developed skills and personality traits as inherent “talents.” This implies that every skill a person has developed over the course of his or her lifetime was inherent, thereby negating its actual source: the continued effort put into the development of that skill. The word “talent” has certain connotations, none of which are constructive. Defined as the “natural endowments of a person,” it is most commonly used to mislabel many developed skills and abilities. For example, professional athletes are often described as being “talented,” although a more appropriate description would be “hard-working.” Michael Jordan, one of the best basketball players in the history of the NBA, did not make the varsity basketball team his sophomore year of high school. He hadn’t yet developed the skills he needed to rise to that team yet, but wasted no time practicing and working to develop them. Basketball didn’t come naturally to him, but through thousands of hours of practice, he became the athlete he is revered as today. Had Michael Jordan believed that he had an
unchangeable amount of ability, would he have seen the value in doing the work to get him where he is today? Labeling hard-earned skills as “talents” is damaging because it belief minimizes the power of potential, practice and effort and instead context promotes the false notion that humans are born with a certain set of unchangeable skills or includer learner intelligence. In his “Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” philosopher John strategic Locke asserts that every human achiever being is born into the world with a developer focus blank mind, or tabula rasa, which futuristic is then imprinted upon by learning maximizer and experience. It makes sense: no baby is born knowing how to GRAPHIC BY DESIGNER MARISA WHITAKER speak, walk or play basketball, but develops these abilities over Just like in infancy, freshmen are again entering a lifetime. Why do we then think of ourselves or others as a whole new world and period of rapid growth having natural abilities when we all started out in and development. Again, our minds are tabula rasas, and instead of relying on the false and this world not knowing anything? Thinking that people are born with inherent limiting notion of preexisting “talent” for this new abilities is extremely damaging. Telling children beginning, we need to focus on our potential to they have innate talent instead of acknowledging develop new abilities just as we have developed the effort taken to develop those skills has the ones we have gathered thus far. However, the CliftonStrengths test has an damaging consequences down the road according to decades of research conducted by Carol Dweck, opportunity to be a valuable tool to increase self awareness and personal growth. The test a psychologist at Stanford University. Children constantly praised as smart or talented should be outlining our capabilities to grow and grow up believing that they have a fixed amount improve every aspect of ourselves: to empower of skill, whereas children praised as hard workers our potential and not box us in with “talents” we are given a recipe for success and are able to apply have previously developed. Rather than referring to learned abilities as “talents,” the test results it to many areas of their lives. Children praised for their effort develop a should provide recognition for the effort behind growth mindset. From an early age, they are each of these developed abilities to foster a growth more adaptable to learning and know that hard mindset and provide inspiration to develop further work can fix future challenges they may face. abilities. This new period in our lives should be faced However, children raised thinking they have inherent talents are victims of the fixed mindset. without false notions of inherent “talents,” but People with a fixed mindset believe that learning armed with the comfort of being able to develop and effort contribute nothing to achievement new skills and improve the old ones. You have and fear learning and growth. As established by much more potential than your CliftonStrengths Dweck’s research, people with a growth mindset test results let on. Don’t be afraid to work hard are more adaptable and are more successful later and use it. in life than those with a fixed mindset.
KEEPING UP WITH KYLEIGH
COLUMN: Shower shoes are in. Foot fungus is not. Going barefoot in communal showers makes you the perfect target for bacteria and dangerous biofilms. KYLEIGH POLSTON
Columnist
Kyleigh Polston is a freshman journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about student life for The Maneater. My sister and I don’t agree on a lot of things. In fact, it’s rare when we do, but there is one topic we can wholeheartedly agree on: the importance of wearing shower shoes. When living at home you always know, for the most part, who and what has been in your shower. There hasn’t ever been a whole lot of concern for sanitation in a place like our own showers, so we all just go
barefoot without a care in the world. As we make our way through this semester, thousands of students are finally settling into MU’s residence halls, most of which are communitystyle living. Each floor in an average community residence hall houses approximately 52 students, all of who share three community style bathrooms. These communal spaces raise students’ risk for a variety of fungal or bacterial infections. Your showers may soon become home to biofilms that can lead to infections, and the warm and wet environment that is a communal bathroom creates the perfect breeding ground. Now, you may be wondering what a biofilm actually is. Biofilms are a buildup of one or more different types of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, that are attached to a hydrated polymeric surface. They can form on a plethora of different surfaces, ranging from implanted medical devices and ponds to your teeth. The common theme among these surfaces is simple: they’re wet.
Wet environments, such as the one in your communal shower, act as an energy source for the growth of different bacteria, fungi and protists, according to a 2007 article published in Microbe Magazine. The growth of these biofilms is where the real problems start coming in, because they can lead to the indirect transmission of fungal and bacterial infections such as athlete’s foot or strains of staph. Most people don’t realize or understand the risks of bacteria being transmitted through their feet because there aren’t any obvious ways into your body, but it’s more risky than you think. Bacteria and fungi can gain access to your body through small cuts on your feet that you didn’t know were there, or even small cracks or lesions caused by dry skin. One of the most common fungal infections is athlete’s foot, and, contrary to popular belief, athletes are not the only ones to get it. In fact, showers in residence halls are becoming one of the most common ways to contract athlete’s foot. This fungal infection usually
begins by affecting the bottom of your feet and the areas between your toes. If this infection is left untreated, it can get nasty and spread to different areas of your body. It can be treated by over-the-counter medicine, or in more extreme cases prescription-strength medication. Multiple strains of staph can also be transmitted by a type of bacteria that can be found in biofilms and is very contagious through direct and indirect contact. The difference is that staph is not as easily treatable with medications if it isn’t caught quick enough in advance. It is highly resistant to antibiotics and there have been reported cases of football players dying after contracting it from their locker room showers. This is not to say that everyone who goes barefoot in a communal shower will come down with athlete’s foot or a staph infection. It’s to help you understand that the risk is there and it’s your responsibility to understand and protect your body against harmful bacteria that may be lurking in your shower.
Online this week: Basketball freshmen previews, gameday coverage and more at themaneater.com BASKETBALL
St. Louis high school coaches speak on Cuonzo Martin’s recruiting efforts in city The St. Louis area has been a struggle for the Tigers’ recruiting over the years, but Cuonzo Martin and his staff have sought to change that trend. OWEN KRUCOFF
Senior Staff Writer
It’s no secret that Missouri men’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin is familiar with the St. Louis area. Born in the city and raised just across the Mississippi River in East St. Louis, Illinois, he came to Columbia last year attempting to shorten the 120 or so miles of Interstate 70 and bring St. Louis’ top basketball talent to Mizzou Arena. In the 2016-17 season, the program’s last under coach Kim Anderson, just two players on the roster hailed from the St. Louis area. With Martin’s second season at the helm fast approaching, his home area’s influence can already be seen on the court. The team now has five active players from the St. Louis area, all of whom are freshmen or sophomores. A sixth, Mario McKinney, committed in September to joining the team for the 2019-20 season. “I’ve been around the basketball scene for a long time, and you’ve never really heard of the head coach of Mizzou actually being around and having a presence in the city,” Bryan Turner, coach of the men’s basketball team at St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis, said. “You can actually tell that he’s around and knows what’s going on.” Turner, who has been on the staff at St. Mary’s since 2014, said Martin’s involvement in the St. Louis community is part of what makes him stand out as a recruiter. “Recently within the last two years, [Martin has] done a lot of satellite camps and camps that basically have been around the YMCA and certain parts of St. Louis that other coaches haven’t really touched base with,” Turner said. Jay Blossom, who has coached at Webster Groves High School since 1999, also emphasized Martin’s presence in town as a recruiting strength. “Recruiting is all about relationships,” Blossom said. “I think [Martin is] good at forming them. I know he’s made an effort, I know he’s spoken at a lot of different clinics and fundraiser-type deals in St. Louis. He makes his presence known.” Getting involved in a community can be a group effort. Martin and assistant coach Chris Hollender have each worked hard to raise awareness of Mizzou, according to Michael Potsou, the coach at Whitfield School in St. Louis. “[Martin] and coach Hollender have really made the trek several times back and forth between Columbia and St. Louis, and there’s definitely more of a buzz around the program in this area,” Potsou said. One of Martin’s first tasks as the Tigers’ new coach was to approach Potsou and his fourstar prospect, Torrence Watson. Potsou said that shortly after taking the job, Martin reached out to him and Watson, expressing his interest in bringing Watson to Columbia. He soon made an
Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin high fives freshman guard Christian Guess during introductions at Mizzou Madness on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Martin, who hails from East St. Louis, Illinois, has been a recruiting presence in the St. Louis community since joining the Tigers. | PHOTO BY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR ADAM COLE
official scholarship offer to the then-junior. During the summer that followed, Watson committed to Ohio State before de-committing and signing with Missouri in September 2017. Martin’s personality also stood out to coaches as a strong feature of his recruitment efforts. “I think one of the main reasons why the [St. Louis] interest [in Mizzou] has risen is not only because of coach Martin’s background and reputation as an excellent coach and human being, but it’s also the little things that he has done to make himself visible in the area,” Potsou said. That reputation can help Martin make connections with coaches and their programs in addition to the prospects themselves. “Any time I have any questions about certain things, he’s always given me great advice when it comes to not just basketball, but life,” Turner said. “I think that’s huge for me as a coach to be able to express that to high school players.” Potsou notes that these qualities can make an impression on prospects’ families as well. “[Martin is] really able to get the most out of his players,” he said. “I think that’s an attractive thing for a lot of athletes when they’re making that decision and for their families, too, that they’re going to be not only in good hands on the floor, but also looked after by him and the rest of his coaching staff as a human being.” As Martin seeks to bring St. Louis’ best to Columbia, making long-lasting connections with programs rather than just players can be useful for long-term success. “He needs to at least have the elite players, every year in every class, at least considering Mizzou,” Turner said. “And even if he doesn’t
get those kids, the program and his name is still ringing out there ... if you know that the program and the coach came in for that 2019 kid, then it’s a chance that the name is still ringing amongst the underclass.” Besides local programs such as Missouri, University of Illinois and Saint Louis University, the St. Louis area often sees its top talent recruited by national, big-name programs. Within the past year, five-star prospect Courtney Ramey of Webster Groves signed with Texas and EJ Liddell of Belleville West High School committed to Ohio State. Both were pursued by Martin and his staff. “You’re not going to win every battle, but you hope that if you do a good enough job, the high school coach and the AAU coaches trust you and appreciate you, and if you lose one kid you’ll maybe come back and get the next kid,” Blossom said. From a coaching style perspective, Turner points out that Martin’s ability to evolve based on the players he has at his disposal could make him stand out to recruits in another way. “He seems as like a players’ coach,” Turner said. “You may get some coaches that have a system, and [are] just bent on having the system the way that they want, but I think a lot of times [Martin is] making adjustments to the players that he’s getting, and even some of the players that he’s trying to go out for ... I think for prospects around St. Louis, they look at that as their game can possibly translate to a Mizzou-caliber type of basketball.” Edited by Adam Cole acole@themaneater.com
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BASKETBALL
Robin Pingeton builds successful programs due to trust in others Robin Pingeton has won 482 total games in 21 years as a head coach, and has built great relationships along the way. LUCAS SMITH
Reporter
Missouri coach Robin Pingeton took to the podium for media day looking cool, calm and collected. Entering her ninth season at the helm, she is “ready for regular season games to begin and to see what this group of kids can do.” She’s built a successful program at Missouri, but she didn’t inherit that program. She didn’t inherit much at Illinois State either. Or St. Ambrose. But she built each program into a powerhouse. Every program has its ups and downs. When a program dips into losing ways, it looks for a head coach to take the reins and bring back the program. Robin Pingeton is one of those coaches that brings struggling programs into national ranks. Pingeton was the head coach at St. Ambrose – her alma mater – and Illinois State prior to taking the helm at Missouri. In eight seasons at St. Ambrose, she won 192 games, never winning fewer than 19 in a season. Then, a promotion. Another rung up on the ladder, this time at Illinois State, an NCAA program in shambles at the time. Leanna Bordner, deputy athletics director at Illinois State, was looking for a “rising star” to turn the program around. “It was an important hire for us,” said Bordner. “We needed to hire a coach to get us back on track in winning ways.” The program had won eight or less games each season in the five years before the hire, and just 11 the year before that. Given her track record at St. Ambrose, Pingeton was on the short list for that pivotal hire, and she took the job. She brought along with her Randy Norton, now the head coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. “Robin and I really talked the X’s and O’s of basketball a lot,” Norton said. “We collaborated well, and we both really liked the motion offense.” This motion offense turned the Illinois State program around, earning Pingeton Missouri Valley Coach of the Year honors following the 2003-04 campaign, her first year at the helm. She nearly doubled the win total from the previous season, winning 13 games compared to seven the year before. In the next six seasons, the Redbirds turned into a national powerhouse, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2008. It all started in building a “championship culture,” Norton said. “We both came from championship backgrounds so that was the culture we wanted to build.” Pingeton and her staff did this by building relationships with the players they recruited, looking at skills both on and off the court. Norton remembers looking for players with “high character, toughness and
an ability to pursue excellence in the classroom.” “With the c l a s s r o o m excellence came the high basketball IQ of our players,” Norton said. According to Randy Kindred, a sports reporter at The Pantagraph, a newspaper based in Normal, Illinois, that’s something ISU misses the most about Pingeton. “She brought high level talent,” Kindred said. “Robin brought winning and stability to ISU that they really needed. ISU was in really bad shape when she arrived. Five years of really bad records, and just couldn’t get the attendance. They needed someone to energize the program.” A f t e r amassing 144 wins Missouri coach Robin Pingeton looks to her team after calling a timeout in the fourth quarter of Missouri’s 70-48 ex– which is second hibition win over Missouri Western on Monday, Oct. 30, 2018. Pingeton, who had previous stints at Illinois State and most of all time her alma mater, St. Ambrose, has found success in all of her coaching stops by building relationships with recruits at ISU – Pingeton and making an impact in the community. | PHOTO BY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR ADAM COLE came to MU. “We made sure her last two jobs – implementing a success,” Kindred said. “She’s a to leave ISU in the right spot before championship culture on and off the great people person with a great moving on,” Norton said. “We both court and building relationships that personality.” had made great relationships that last a lifetime. Bordner sees that as a Even some current Mizzou players made it hard to leave. It was a heck large part of Pingeton’s legacy. commented on how Pingeton went of a lot of fun!” “She always had her door open,” above and beyond for them more Since Pingeton’s departure to Bordner said. “She relates to a wide than other coaches in the recruiting Mizzou, Illinois State has continued range of people, and the biggest and coaching process. to struggle. “Coach [Pingeton] wanted me and “No one could really bring in the thing she does is trusts people.” Pingeton’s ability to develop these the team to follow the core values talent she did,” Kindred said. “It’s relationships and bring in the best from the beginning,” junior Amber been sad to see the program without on-court athletes with off-court Smith said. Robin, both before and after. She talents has allowed her to always be Freshman Grace Berg, fresh just had a perception of the program a winner. off of the recruiting process, also that was different and won a lot of She and her staff preach having remembered how Pingeton built trust games.” players out in the community helping with her. Bordner echoed those sentiments, others, which causes people to care “She showed me how much of a saying it was tough to see her go. “Robin left a legacy of ‘it can be more about coming to the games. This family program it is here,” Berg said. done, it will be done,’” Bordner said. is in large part why attendance jumps “She’s a mother figure that cares “That meant a lot to her, she left the with each of her programs. Missouri’s about us all, I love it here so much.” Pingeton’s ability to acquire talent program in better shape than it was attendance rose into the top half of the SEC last year, including a on and off the court has lead to when she found it, and that’s a huge matchup with Tennessee where the success in every stage of her career. success. I am forever thankful to crowd reached 7,989 fans. It was She’s even made lasting impacts on have her has a friend.” the most-attended game for Missouri her staff, as Norton continues to While Missouri wasn’t in quite as women’s basketball ever, according implement the championship formula bad of shape as Illinois State was, to the Columbia Daily Tribune. they put in place at ISU in his current the Tigers weren’t anywhere near an Pingeton would have players “out position at UAB. elite level. “We both love to teach kids how to Aside from a 23-win season in in hospitals, bringing cookies to police, helping at nursing homes, play ball and to win games and win 2005-2006, the Tigers didn’t have retirement homes, anywhere they at life,” he said. “It’s about building another 20-win season in the nine could help,” Norton said. good relationships based in trust.” years before Pingeton’s arrival. “Sure we wanted to win Trust is a key part of life and, for However, the number that needed changing at the time was Missouri’s championships,” Norton said, “but Pingeton, it’s a key part of coaching. record in conference. The Tigers won we also wanted to give back to our Bordner sums it up, saying, “Robin worked hard for everything she’s less than six conference games a year communities.” Kindred expanded on that, saying gotten. It’s her trust in others and her in the four years before her hire. In eight seasons at Mizzou, Pingeton “they helped a lot” with other local ability to lead that allows her to be has already amassed 147 wins and organizations and foundations like the so successful.” While Bordner was giving praise led the Tigers to three consecutive Special Olympics and area elementary NCAA Tournament berths. She schools, which encouraged parents to to Pingeton for her ability to build relationships in trust, Pingeton was brought to Mizzou to turn the bring their families to the games. “Robin, her staff and her players herself tweeted “Truth is at the heart program around, and she has done just that by doing what she’s done at went above and beyond off court of every great relationship.”
T H E M A N E AT E R WEDNESDAY OCT. 31, 2018
BASKETBALL
‘Too premature’ to decide whether Jontay Porter returns for redshirt sophomore 2019 season Just as Jontay prepared to take the spotlight, a combo of ligament tears benched him in typical Porter fashion, leaving him and Missouri to contemplate his next move. EMILY LEIKER
Staff Writer
After Mizzou Madness, Jontay Porter talked about how good his body felt and had been operating in the offseason. Less than 24 hours later, on Sunday, Oct. 21, news broke that the sophomore forward had torn his ACL and MCL during a scrimmage against Southern Illinois. Now, it seems unlikely that Missouri will be seeing Jontay take the court anytime soon, if ever again. “It was hard to hear [he was injured],” Lorenzo Romar, a close friend of the Porter family, said. “His dad called and told me. It was just tough because he had gotten himself in such great shape and he was about to have a great year. It’s tough.” The ex-player and current Pepperdine coach believes it may be a little too early for Jontay to start debating his options for next year. “Right now, I don’t know if he plans on going back to Missouri another year or entering the draft,” Romar said. “In a cut-and-dry situation, if your ultimate goal is just to get into the NBA, then you go to the NBA. If you are still enjoying college, then maybe you stay another year. That’d be up to each individual and what their goals are.” The storyline is all too familiar for Missouri and the Porter family, who watched not only Michael, but also Bri and Cierra suffer injuries while members of the women’s program. Bri, the oldest of the eight Porter children, played for two seasons under Missouri coach Robin Pingeton before tearing her left ACL prior to the 2016-2017 season and ending her playing career. AShe has torn ACLs five times. Cierra announced her medical retirement from basketball in June due to lingering knee problems, opting out of her senior year of eligibility. Even with optimal recovery time for ACL injuries averaging around six months, that would put Jontay, the lottery pick apparent, at an April 2019 return to the court, just a short month before the 2019 NBA Combine. The storyline for this season was obviously different prior to Jontay’s injury. It revolved around a young, quiet player who had always resided comfortably in the shadow of his older brother. This season was going to be his first chance to take the spotlight for himself. “I think Jontay’s gonna go down as the Porter we should’ve been talking about all along,” Ben Frederickson, a sports columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and a Missouri alumnus, had said. Frederickson, Romar, other reporters, high school coaches and even Jontay himself would tell you the 18-year-old has always been the quiet one. Compared to his older brother, Michael, the difference in personality was far more striking than their supposed difference in talent. Jeremy Osborne, coach at Father Tolton Catholic High School, noticed this as soon as the pair of brothers started playing for him. Jontay easily blended in while his brother took the spotlight, and neither of them had a problem with the roles
they played. “All of the attention that Michael was getting made it kind of easy for [Jontay] to slide in and do his thing,” Osborne said. “[Jontay is] kind of an introverted person as is.” The same p r i n c i p l e carried across the country to Seattle, where Jontay and Michael spent the 2016-17 season playing at Nathan Hale under ex-NBA star Brandon Roy. “Jontay was always the quiet one,” Jayda Evans, the prep sports writer for The Seattle Missouri forward Jontay Porter jumps to block a pass from Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham in the ShowTimes, said of down for Relief exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2018. Porter, expected to be the stalwart of the ‘18-19 her interactions men’s basketball squad, tore his right ACL and MCL in a secret scrimmage and is now out for the season. with the young | PHOTO BY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR ADAM COLE player. Even last year, when Michael played 53 minutes across three On Oct. 20 at Mizzou Madness, the basketball games due to herniated disks in his back, Jontay program preview event, Porter effortlessly sunk a still managed to stay moderately under the radar three-pointer during the Hot Shot competition as while recording 326 points and playing in all 33 well as dunking on his fellow teammates during games. He received SEC co-sixth man of the year their scrimmage. He was set to be the main and SEC all-freshman honors for leading Missouri attraction at Mizzou Arena all season long before in both rebounding and shots blocked. Jontay’s heading to the 2019 draft, even despite his own defensive play had always been his strong suit, comment that he has “a jolly personality, but not and one of his defining features when compared an alpha dog one.” “[Jontay] looked really good there,” Frederickson to Michael, Osborne said. “[Michael and Jontay are] entirely different said of Porter’s performance at Mizzou Madness. players,” Romar said. He was the coach at “At times in the past he’d had some tendinitis Washington and had the Porters lined up to go issues with his knee that I think kept him kind of to school there when Michael Sr. was an assistant grounded but that seemed to be much better. It coach on the Huskies’ staff. But his firing from was really cruel what happened.” Osborne, Frederickson and Romar all agreed: Washington paved the way for both to end up back Jontay was going to be a lottery pick at the end in Missouri. “[People] wanted to put Jontay in this Michael Porter Jr. box. That wasn’t his game. of the season. However, Frederickson now has concerns about We used to joke, Mike Sr. and I, that people were Jontay’s future how the Porter family’s medical sleeping on Jontay.” Going into the 2018-2019 season, this certainly history may look to NBA scouts. “Some guys come back from knee injuries and seemed to be the case. With Michael off to the NBA it’s as if it never happened,” Frederickson said. as a member of the Denver Nuggets, the spotlight at Missouri was left behind for Jontay, who had “Some guys come back and even after their body opted out of declaring for the draft alongside his is healed it’s more of a mental block than it is brother even after participating in the combine. anything. You look at the family and they’ve had He was the only Porter left at Missouri besides his a hard time staying healthy at what should be the father after the school had seen four between both peaks of their careers. I would have to think NBA it’s men’s and women’s rosters during the previous teams are going to be wondering about that as well.” season. For now, Missouri must settle into a waiting Just two weeks ago, the sophomore was representing the team alongside coach Cuonzo game, both for the official start of the season as Martin and senior forward Kevin Puryear at well as for updates on Jontay’s health. It’s a game SEC Tipoff on Oct. 17. Jontay was named to the Missouri is all too familiar with. Edited by Bennett Durando media’s preseason second team All-SEC. Missouri was No. 9 in the preseason media-voted standings. bdurando@themaneater.com
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