The Maneater: Vol 87, Issue 3

M The Maneater The student voice of MU since 1955 | www.themaneater.com | Vol. 87 Issue 3 | Nov. 4, 2020

MU WORKERS

ELECTION

Job expectations change for resident advisors due to COVID-19

Editorial: GRAPHIC BY JACOB LAGESSE

MAGGIE TROVATO

University News Reporter

Resident advisors at MU face an unfamiliar situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With changes to dorm life and their job expectations, returning RAs are experiencing an unusual semester on campus.

What’s new what isn’t)

The Maneater Editorial Board’s 2020 ballot

ELI HOFF

Managing Editor

CAITLIN DANBORN Editor-In-Chief

SOFI ZEMAN Opinions Editor

Hoping to write an article about the potential refounding of the Mizzou FarmHouse fraternity, Haas finished what she believed to be a successful interview. Based on an email

When RAs came back to campus this year, a few notable things had changed: locked lounges, when possible, taped-off chairs and signs telling residents to not sit in certain areas.

Even with these changes, RAs are expected to create a community within the dorms this semester.

“Res Life wants us to … help our residents out as much as possible with getting them involved at Mizzou, making them feel comfortable [and] helping them feel that this is their home and this is where they’re meant to be,” the first RA interviewed, who preferred to remain anonymous, said.

To do this, the Department of Residential Life and RAs have had to get creative. “[Residential life] has encouraged us to do [things] like trivia nights over Zoom or [play] Kahoot! over Zoom,” the third anonymous RA said. “They’ve thrown out the idea of doing things outside, but it’s kind of hard to do that because, at least in my dorm, there’s not a designated outside area for socializing that would accommodate a whole floor of, like, forty residents.”

RAs are now required to have office hours over Zoom, where residents can chat with their RAs. “I’ve been doing it, and I

See jSAFE on 4

See RA on 5

The Maneater Editorial Board has developed a fully researched, comprehensive guide to the 2020 ballot for the state of Missouri, accompanied by our endorsements on proposed initiatives and candidates.

Given the tumultuousness of this election year and the permanent change it’s prompted, we feel it’s imperative that Missourians understand what they’re voting for.

See Editorial on 9

TECH

MU students create an app to help journalists report online harassment

CAYLI YANAGIDA

University News Reporter

MU freshman EJ Haas had just finished the interview when she realized one of her sources thought she was a man.

(and

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | N ovember 4, 2020

in this

Issue

5 TECH

7 MOVIES

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.

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.

G210 Student Center, Columbia, MO 65211 Phone: 573.882.5500 Fax: 573.882.5550 Email: editors@themaneater.com Website: www.themaneater.com Twitter: @themaneater Instagram: @themaneater Facebook: themaneaterMU “Gun Grabbing, baby rippers.”

Editor-in-Chief Caitlin Danborn

Managing Editor Eli Hoff

Production Manager Heeral Patel

Social Media Manager Catherine Stallings

Student Politics Editor Joy Mazur

University News Editor Lucy Caile

MOVE Angles Editor George Frey

Sports Editor Jack Soble

MOVE Culture Editor Sophie Stephens

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | N ovember 4, 2020

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STUDENT ACTIVISM

Student criticizes MU in viral TikToks

MU student Connor Clary speaks on using TikTok as an awareness platform while attending school during a pandemic.

ALEJANDRA VARGAS Reporter

MU junior Connor Clary uses his popularity on the social media app TikTok, where he goes by the username @ dinonuggets.jpg, to bring awareness to both MU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about racism. His ongoing popular series called “An open letter to my university that has been open during a pandemic” has garnered attention from hundreds of thousands of viewers. Several of Clary’s videos went viral earlier in the year, such as a video about his sister feeding him M&Ms as “happy pills” with over 1.5 million views.

He began gaining TikTok popularity toward the beginning of the summer with his commentary on pop culture and now has over 164,000 followers and over 10 million likes.

Outside of MU-related content, Clary’s TikTok account revolves around politics, LGBTQ issues, pop culture and miscellaneous original content.

Clary said he decided to speak about MU students’ concerns regarding COVID-19 and the Thomas Jefferson statue due to his significant audience in Columbia. His videos soon gained popularity on a much larger scale.

“People seemed surprised by the lack of effort put in by the university to stop the spread of COVID,” Clary said. “I get a lot of comments from people that are shocked, but I also get

a lot of messages from people literally worried for my safety at this university.”

Clary himself has expressed concerns about MU’s pandemic management. After having close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, he recently revealed in a TikTok Live that he had trouble getting his own test due to Boone County’s doctor order mandate.

“My view of the university has become substantially more negative… before I assumed that the university would take precautions to help protect students… like testing,” Clary said. “So, it’s been shocking to me to return to this university with so little precautions being taken or so little effort being put into even just testing students that were positive.”

MU has continued to refine the Show Me Renewal Dashboard throughout the school year by adding more detailed statistics, as well as more strictly enforcing social distancing on campus by removing seating at various locations around campus. At the time of publication, MU has begun to enforce the Campus Clear app, which tracks symptoms and clears students for access to certain campus buildings.

Clary criticized the university for putting the greater city of Columbia at risk.

“We live in a community that extends outside of just the university students … if

GRAPHIC BY HEERAL PATEL

we’re spreading out to the community, it indicates that the university never cared about the community and they just care about controlling it,” Clary said.

When asked what MU could do to better handle the pandemic, Clary said if MU was determined to stay open, it would need to follow what other universities are doing and test students regularly.

At the time of publication, MU offers tests to students who show symptoms, but has not adopted campus-wide testing for every student on campus.

This practice differs from that of the nearby the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which has tested their students twice a week since the academic year began. The university reported a peak positivity rate of nearly 3% in late August, a vast difference from MU’s peak of nearly 45% at the

same time.

Clary also made a TikTok about the Thomas Jefferson statue and the surrounding controversy about removing it, which has almost 38,000 views to date.

Clary said that an anonymous MU employee asked him to share a presentation given to faculty and administration following the decision to not remove the Thomas Jefferson statue from campus.

Chancellor and UM System President Mun Choi has faced backlash over the decision.

Clary’s video pointed out that Chancellor Choi had told staff who disagreed that “it’s time to look for another job.”

“The statue was put up in 2001, and the idea that it’s protecting history is ridiculous because it’s so new. Their handling of it is disregarding the way students are speaking about it,” Clary said. “The rhetoric seems to be that they are preventing a repeat of

2015, and that doesn’t make sense because the protests in 2015 could have been handled differently.”

In 2015, MU saw mass protests over racial discrimination on campus.

After the months-long protests, UM System President Tim Wolfe and MU Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin resigned.

Clary said MU alumni contacted him to discuss the 2015 protests. He said numerous alumni claimed they are “disappointed the university hasn’t learned [its] lesson other than to show face.”

Clary continues to gain a following from his viral TikToks about politics, the LGBT community and other topics. As long as MU students have concerns, dinonuggets. jpg will make sure they have a platform.

Edited by Joy Mazur jmazur@themaneater.com

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | N ovembe r 4, 2020

Reynolds Journalism Institute’s Interim Director of Innovation thought of a way to help women journalists report online harassment. Now, the app jSafe is available for all journalists to use.

From jSAFE on 1 logging the harassment of the idea for the jSafe from her source, Haas and keeping it app, she partnered realized he thought she somewhere safe.” with MU engineering was a male student and Everyone w h o professor Fang Wang tried to recruit her to a experiences online and MU engineering fraternity. harassment can use the students, who were able Haas, who recently app. However, Duncan to bring the project to changed her name from said it was created for life. Duncan said she ‘Ella’ to ‘EJ’, said DOWNLOAD: jSafe is currently availible for free on her online the awpp store. The app is compatable with iPhone experiences w i t h iOS 9.0, iPod touch iOS 9.0 and macOS 11 or later sources are more productive and positive women journalists, who met with MU students now that sources don’t are usually targeted through Zoom to go over know her gender. As a more due to misogyny. the app and finalize it. woman, Haas said she Throughout the years, “We would look at felt like she wasn’t taken Duncan said her place what they built, give as seriously as her male as a journalist has been them feedback, talk counterparts. questioned because she about usability, figure Realizing the struggles is a woman, especially out bugs- [the students] female journalists face in when she worked in fields were always pleasant the industry, Kathleen like sports journalism. to work with, they took Duncan, the Reynolds “When I went out feedback really well, Journalism Institute to photograph sports and they worked really interim director of games, I’d have guys on hard. I think they created innovation, thought the sidelines asking me something great for us of the idea for the app if I even know what’s that I hope will benefit a jSafe, which journalists going on,” Duncan said. lot of journalists.” can use to report online “I hate to say it, but Haas said the concept of harassment and provide [harassment] is part of the app is a fantastic idea people with resources to being a female journalist for aiding all journalists, deal with abuse. in the field, no matter but she also raised some As someone who where you are.” concerns about a user’s online trolls personally Duncan said social need to have an account attacked, Duncan said she media has made it easier in order to use the app. attended a conference to attack journalists.

“I would be afraid with other women and “Even though social of not reporting journalists of color who platforms have advanced anonymously,” Haas have experienced online and have given us a lot of said. “In my experience, abuse. There, she was opportunities to connect reporting harassment able to talk about her with our communities, has oftentimes been personal experiences. they have also provided more of an ordeal than “We all had tips about a way for journalists to the abuse itself. I would how we dealt with be harassed, shamed not want to have to go [harassment],” Duncan and attacked in many through the procedures said, “but there wasn’t different ways,” Duncan and the requirements of a resource that anyone said. a justice system to have recommended for After Duncan thought someone looked into.”

A technological world has made it easier for journalists to become a target for hatred, but Duncan hopes jSafe will be able to help change

that.

“It becomes commonplace to where you’re almost used to it,” Duncan said. “It just becomes part of the job,

and I hope that someday, that’s not true.”

Edited by Lucy Caile lcaile@themaneater.com

WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK WEAR A MASK

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | N ovembe r 4, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed aspects of the Department of Residential Life’s resident advisor job. This includes the enforcement of new policies as well as changes to communication with residents.

From RA on 1

haven’t had a single resident get on there,” the second anonymous RA said.

While some expectations have remained, the requirements for programming have relaxed.

In past years, RAs would need to meet programming quotas by holding a certain number of events in a certain amount of time.

“This year, that’s been kind of vague, maybe even nonexistent,” the second RA said.

“They’re encouraging us to do programming through Zoom, but they don’t have any sort of quota.”

The second RA said that Residential Life also enforces quotas for interacting with dorm residents. Last year, RAs needed to know the names and room numbers of 80% of the residents on their floor by the end of October, and Residential Life surveyed residents to determine if 95% of them knew their RAs’ names.

“I believe there are similar quotas this year, but I don’t know that they’re being enforced as strictly,” the second RA said via email.

The second RA’s hall coordinator has been accommodating to RAs who might not reach all of those goals because of this year’s circumstances.

“I have the good fortune of having a really understanding, really good hall coordinator,” the second RA said. “He’s said multiple times, ‘My very first priority is to make sure that you guys are safe and healthy.’”

According to MU Spokesperson Liz McCune, RAs do not have to conduct health and safety checks in residents’ rooms this semester in order to limit in-person contact.

The first RA said that RAs are also no longer responsible for cleaning up messes, such as vomit in the hallway. In the past, they were supposed to clean up as much as possible and tape it off with caution tape until the cleaning staff could clean it. Now, it should

be left for the cleaning staff.

RAs are now also expected to enforce MU’s COVID-19 policies and report residents who don’t follow them. Those policies include a ban on visitors in dorms and a mask mandate in public spaces.

What Residential Life is doing to protect RAs

Both RAs and residents had to sign an addendum related to COVID-19 with their housing and dining contracts this year.

In order to address the effects of the pandemic on RAs, MU has sent out emails frequently this year advertising MU’s mental health services.

In terms of supplies, RAs received masks and sanitizing wipes at the beginning of the semester.

“We got everything that every other Mizzou student got,” the third RA said. “We were actually told to go ourselves and pick up our safety kits, just like the ones in the Student Center that they have right now.”

The third RA also teaches a freshman interest group.

The RA expected to get a face shield for the class, like MU professors were given. Instead, they received a disposable, clear face mask that “fogs up really quickly.”

“I’ve had to just wear my cloth mask, which I know can be problematic for students who are deaf or hard of hearing because they might need my lips to try and understand what I’m saying,” the third RA said. “But Mizzou hasn’t provided me with an alternative to that.”

According to McCune, RAs who need different accommodations in regards to personal protective equipment should reach out to FIG Academic Director Dr. Jerry Frank. The RAs who don’t feel safe teaching their FIG in person have the option to teach remotely. At least one RA has opted to do so this semester.

Before the semester started, RAs were concerned about

not having enough remote options. During their training week, RAs were told that, due to a lack of Welcome Week leaders, they would have to assist with in-person events during Welcome Week.

This included attending Citizenship@Mizzou, tours of campus and the Tiger Walk.

“It just felt very rushed,” the third RA said. “We didn’t have a lot of time to adapt to these new things that they wanted us to do. It seemed like they were trying to take everything from Summer Welcome and cram it into this one week, and then also make us be Summer Welcome leaders. I was like, ‘I didn’t sign up for that.’ I’m an RA, not a Summer Welcome leader.”

Multiple RAs were upset about these expectations, which caused Residential Life to hold a Zoom meeting where RAs could voice their concerns to the director of Residential Life. After the meeting, Residential Life sent out an email saying that RAs wouldn’t be required to do anything in person and could volunteer to be a Welcome Week leader if they wanted to.

“The concern with Welcome Week has been addressed,” McCune said. “Many RAs volunteered to support Welcome Week nonetheless.”

While that issue was resolved, some RAs are still unhappy with Residential Life’s actions this year.

“They make us do things that seem like they would expose us to the virus and then, through massive protests or outcry from the other RAs, they revoke those decisions,” the fourth anonymous RA said.

“And then they say, ‘For the betterment of everyone’s well being, we’re deciding not to do this.’ But in actuality, they’re not really giving us much to go off.”

In response, McCune said, “It is an individual decision about the level of risk one is willing to accept related to their employment responsibilities.

Those currently employed

chose to retain their employment in a densely populated environment, and that comes with risk. Due to that risk, we had some RAs resign prior to the start of the semester.”

The second RA is unhappy with Residential Life’s policies regarding media.

“They also have these weird rules about talking to like the press or media,” the second RA said. “That’s why I’m requesting to be anonymous.

I don’t want that to come back on me. But that’s also kind of a weird thing too. We always brag about how we’re the number one journalism school, but [they] want to silence a portion of the community. You need to get permission and ask for permits and only talk about certain things. I don’t know all the details, but it’s definitely kind of shady when you think about it.”

According to McCune, the media policy is the same across all campus jobs.

If an RA were to get COVID-19

Once an MU student on campus, which includes RAs, has tested positive for COVID19, MU’s Care Team will help them through the quarantine process. According to McCune, RAs may quarantine in the same spaces set aside for dorm residents provided by MU. “I’ve heard... [Mizzou] really tries to push [residents and RAs with COVID-19] to go home first,” the first RA said.

“It would be my opinion and my inference as why they’re pushing us to go home first is so they could possibly save money and a space for someone else in the quarantine location.”

McCune said that this was not true.

“We have contracted for the space and are paying for it whether it is used or not,” McCune said. “Furthermore, the decision on where to isolate or quarantine is a personal one and will depend on individual circumstances.

Certainly, the option of going home is part of the discussion.

Some factors students must consider is their own mental health, where their families live and whether they have a safe place to go. Students should consider isolating at home with family only if they have a safe place to do so (and won’t put others at risk).

While RAs were not originally notified of COVID-19 cases in their residence halls, MU has changed that policy. According to McCune, RAs will begin being notified of COVID-19 cases in their dorm soon.

Are the dorms safe?

| PHOTO BY CARSON LEE

The fourth RA, who lives in one of the smaller residence halls on campus, feels safe in their hall. That is not because of the policies that MU and Residential Life have put in place, but because of the residents in the dorm.

“A lot of my residents stay

inside their rooms,” the fourth RA said. “They’re very cooperative with the maskwearing policy. If I catch someone not wearing a mask, I say, ‘Just put on a mask next time.’ Next time I see them, they’re doing it.”

For the first RA, some of the policies only partially address the issues. While there is a “no visitors” policy in the dorms, residents still usually have some sort of contact with people outside their hall.

“The fact [is] that we all come back to one location where there are about 60 of us per floor, and we’re all living in close proximity,” The first RA said. “I feel like there is a higher risk by living in the dorms than if you were to live off campus.”

There are more safety concerns outside of the dorms for the third RA. “When I am in a public area, such as the dining halls, I don’t feel as safe,” the third RA said. “A week or two after the semester started, Mizzou realized that students were sitting together and eating together without masks on, which is a way that COVID19 can spread. So, they put stickers on the tables that said ‘one person only.’ Students are not following those stickers.

So, the problem of potential spreading is still very much prevalent.”

MU has made multiple changes in attempts to keep students safe during the pandemic. The first RA thinks that they are doing everything that they can for the RAs and residents in Residential Life.

“People are still going to find a way to complain or think that Mizzou could do more,” the first RA said. “But I think for all of us, this is a brand new thing that we’ve never had to experience before and deal with.”

The second RA believes MU is not doing enough when it comes to COVID-19 testing.

“You need to actually have symptoms or have a doctor’s note to get tested,” the second RA said. “I think that’s ridiculous. Anyone who wants to be tested should be able to be tested.”

In response, McCune said, “Our testing and tracing strategies have been developed by university medical and infectious disease experts. … As is true for all Boone County residents, a health care provider must issue orders before a test can be administered.”

While the fourth RA believes there are problems with how MU and Residential Life is handling the COVID-19 pandemic, they can’t think of exactly what they would change.

“It’s difficult to think of a solution,” the fourth RA said.

“But I think that [should] rest in the hands of the authorities more than [us].”

Edited by Lucy Cail lcaile@themaneater.com

ON CAMPUS

Out on a WIM: Mizzou Women in Media rebuilds to increase membership WIM revamped its constitution and organizational motivations in order to better suit the priorities of members.

BELLA KOSTOLNI MOVE Reporter

Mizzou Women in Media has followed the same pattern since it was founded in 2015: Attendance spikes after fall kickoff each year before tapering off. By the end of 2019, only three members apart from the executive board consistently attended meetings.

WIM is an organization geared toward women in fields such as journalism, strategic communication, digital storytelling, theater and other industries relating to the media. WIM seeks to inform its members about opportunities available to them in the media fields and provide them with information to help them succeed in their professional careers.

Jessica Blake, one of WIM’s co-presidents, noticed the downward trend. Like many other social organizations on campus, WIM hosted game nights and get-to-know-you events. While organization leaders were pleased with the large turnout at fall kickoff, they noticed participation

dropped off as they scheduled subsequent events.

“The leadership team had lost its cohesion and its unity,” Blake said. “As a result, we had much lower attendance.”

With their faculty advisor, the WIM executive board concluded they would suspend activities at the start of the spring 2020 semester to rewrite the organization’s constitution.

Throughout this process, WIM remained an active organization in the eyes of the university. Executive board members met regularly to refine the purpose of the club and revamp its administration.

Avery Wecksler, WIM’s other co-president, said she knew WIM had a promising future.

“I joined Women in Media because I felt like it was an organization that had a lot of potential,” Wecksler said.

“When I joined it wasn’t as strong as I thought it could be, and I’m the kind of person that when I see something that’s broken and needs fixing, I like to fix [it].”

Wecksler and Blake led WIM’s revamping.

They started with leadership roles and, with the consent of the other board members, established themselves as co-presidents. The president and vice president’s duties overlapped significantly, so this change streamlined the

organization’s leadership. To Wecksler and Blake, they said it only made sense to eliminate the sense of supremacy that accompanies those titles.

Now, the co-presidents take on responsibilities of equal importance. Blake handles the marketing and social side of the club while Wecksler manages other logistics — mostly event planning and scheduling.

After leadership roles were settled, the executive board focused their attention on rediscovering WIM’s purpose.

Blake and Wecksler agreed that the original constitution needed improvement. After analyzing trends within the organization regarding types of meetings and attendance, a solution became clear to the executives: WIM needed to focus on professional development rather than social activities.

Communications Chair Megan Rubenstein recognized the need to spotlight professional development at meetings.

“Our events were focused too much on social-type events rather than events where people can really learn important information,” Rubenstein said.

Now, WIM meets monthly over Zoom.

After the organization’s kickoff event, WIM hosted a resume building workshop. In October, the

club hosted a meeting geared toward finding an internship.

The next meeting, which is scheduled to happen on Nov. 19, will offer tips on mastering virtual interviews.

Rubenstein and the other executive board members said they are pleased with this year’s turnout. She noted that about 20 to 25 people attend each meeting.

In December, WIM plans to meet virtually to discuss anti-racism in the media. This PHOTO FROM @MIZZOUWIM ON TWITTER event comes as part of the organization’s initiative careers.

Some students to highlight inclusion and connect with their mentor for diversity. strictly professional advice Despite changes to the while others cultivate more organization’s structure and personal relationships. constitution, WIM has left its The co-presidents said about popular mentorship program 40 students applied for the intact. mentorship program this The mentorship program year. All of them have been was created by WIM’s matched with a mentor. founders and serves to Looking forward, the WIM match current members co-presidents said they with MU alumnae and other will continue to adapt to its professionals currently members’ needs and interests. working in different media The executive board members industries. WIM members said the organization is fill out an application to be constantly evolving, and matched with a mentor. Once Blake is optimistic WIM will pairs are created, it’s up to continue to thrive under its the mentors and mentees structural changes. to connect with each other.

Edited by Sophie Stephens Blake said students can use sstephens@themaneater.com this program in a variety of ways to benefit their future

MUSIC

Review: Comedy band Ninja Sex Party drops new album “The Prophecy” Ninja Sex Party’s newest album continues the record of successful comedy albums.

CATHERINE POLO MOVE Culture Reporter

Ninja Sex Party’s eighth studio album, “The Prophecy” is a 12-song adventure through various relatable experiences like first dates, bringing a girl home for the first time, missing an ex and trying to sleep. Formed in 2009, singer Dan Avidan and keyboardist Brian Wecht have produced seven LPs over the years, consisting of four original and three cover albums.

Released on Oct. 16, “The Prophecy” opens up with “Intro (The),” a short message from the band’s characters Danny Sexbang and Ninja Brian welcoming fans to their fifth original album. The song gives

the feeling of a Renaissance festival but ends with a rocking guitar solo, which sets the pace for the rest of the album.

“The Mystic Crystal” is a seven-movement song that takes the listener through the classic damsel in distress trope, complete with magic portals and cliffs that cause erectile dysfunction. The song consists of both fast-paced rock and slower sections that help convey the road of adventure. While having a Dungeons & Dragons journey vibe, it pokes fun at stereotypical quests and ends on a satisfying and sweet message.

If regular lullabies aren’t getting you to bed anymore, “It’s Bedtime” is everything you could want in a heavy metal version of the childhood tunes. Avidan’s

beautiful vocals ease us into the song before being thrown into a fast-moving combination of jackhammers, screaming and saxophone, which strangely mesh well. This rock anthem will do anything but put you to sleep.

“The Decision Part 2: Ten Years Later” comes as a call back to their song “The Decision” from their first album “NSFW.” The track is a look back at the music they have produced over the years in between the albums.

It is a polished compilation of references and callbacks that one can’t help but sing along to.

If you’ve been longing for a 1970s disco tune, then “Welcome to My Parents’ House” is an absolute must. The catchy beat is well-mixed with the teen frustration of bringing home a

date and having your parents interrupt. The beat will make you nostalgic for the old days, while also reminding you of the days when teenage angst made you get in an argument with your parents in front of your crush.

“Wondering Tonight” is a balance between a relatable song about heartbreak and sucking genitalia. The beautiful vocal performance draws in the listener and then unexpectedly throws them into the chorus where it talks about wondering “Who you’re slamming hard tonight.” It is a fun take on the things that cross one’s mind after their significant other leaves them unexpectedly.

The final song, “Outro (Prophecy),” is a satisfying wrap-up, as listeners are

congratulated for making it to the end of the album. Listeners revel as the mood is brought back to the medieval feels the album started with. They are then inducted into the “league of champions” with the one and only “final triumphant chord.”

There is a reason “The Prophecy” charted as well as it did. Each song is unique, entertaining and manages to keep people dancing and singing along all the way through.

In a time where there are so much uncertainty and stress in the world, it’s nice to have something fun to keep up good spirits.

Edited by George Frey gfrey@themaneater.com

THE MANEATER | MOVE | N ovember 4, 2020

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MOVIES

Four horror films that highlight Black experiences in America

With Halloween just around the corner, more people than usual are tuning into horror movies.

While the genre consists of many Halloween favorites, horror movies have a complicated history with the Black community.

The intersection of race and the horror genre has drawn more attention in recent years.

“Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror,” a 2019 documentary based on a book by Robin Means Coleman, dives into the history of Black Americans in horror films.

In an article for The Conversation, Coleman wrote that Black actors often appeared as objects of violence and ridicule in past

“Night of the Living Dead” (1968)

This horror classic follows a group of individuals trying to survive the night in a farmhouse as zombies terrorize the town. Although this film doesn’t explicitly address race and is by a white director, Rozier believes that the casting of Duane Jones, a Black man, to play the hero of the film had major implications for its time.

Rozier said it was the first time he saw what a “hero shot,” a shot where the camera is low and showcases the subject as a gallant, heroic figure, used for a Black man.

The film ends with Ben, Jones’ character, exiting the farmhouse after surviving the night, only to be shot by a white policeman who mistakes him for a zombie.

“That film on the surface is just a simple z o m b i e thriller, but it is a wrenching parable about the terrifying experience of being Black in the American South,” Rozier said.

ES SE

MOVE Culture Assisant Editor

While films like Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” and “Us” have helped horror be more inclusive, many more movies paved the way for Peele and other Black directors.

For readers looking to view some influential horror films that provide insight on race relations this Halloween, Rozier and George offer a few recommendations.

LAG

ANGELINA EDWARDS

horror films. Viewers may also be familiar with the trope of the Black character being the first to die in older horror movies.

Amir George, filmmaker and programmer at True/False Film Fest, said that to end these harmful tropes, more filmmakers who are Black, indigenous and people of color need the power to make films in which they feel properly represented.

While the horror genre has exploited Black actors and silenced Black filmmakers, Christian Rozier, an assistant professor in the School of Visual Studies at MU, says that we are currently in a renaissance of horror films that intersect with race.

“At this moment in 2020, the conventions of the horror genre might be the most appropriate story structure for grappling with where we are right now in terms of race relations in this country today,” Rozier said.

GR AP HIC SB YJ AC OB

These horror films can provide some insight about issues regarding race.

“Tales from Hood” (1995) Both

Rozier

the and

George cite “Tales from the Hood” as a notable piece of work that addresses the intersection of race and horror stories.

The film follows the journey of three teenagers who arrive at a funeral home to purchase drugs from its eccentric owner.

The owner takes the teenagers through the mortuary and tells four stories, each relating to a dead body in the funeral home. Each story examines different issues faced by Black Americans.

George recalls a scene from one of the stories where a racist white politician moved his office to a house located on a former plantation.

The politician proceeded to be attacked by dolls possessed by the spirits of former slaves.

“It has served as an inspiration for a lot of the more recent examples of race on screen that we’ve seen in the past few years,” Rozier said.

“Ganja (1973)

&

Hess”

This film follows the story of a Black anthropologist, Dr. Hess Green, who is stabbed by his assistant with a ceremonial dagger of an ancient African tribe and becomes a vampire.

“Ganja & Hess” is known for its experimental nature and its use of vampirism as an allegory for addiction.

Bill Gunn, a Black filmmaker, wrote and directed the film and was expected to make a typical vampire flick.

“Gunn was hired to make a blood-saturated exploitation movie; instead he offered up a slow, meditative, and dreamlike exploration of addiction and identity,” film critic Nathan Rabin

a

white woman.

T h e

wrote in an article for the A.V. Club.

At the time of release, the film was harshly reviewed by American critics and re-cut by its producers to satisfy its original narrative.

“This movie could have changed the scope of how we see Black people in horror movies, but American critics chose to disregard it and shun it so it could not have its proper success at the time that it came out,” George said.

For George, “Ganja & Hess” is the most significant movie about race in relation to horror films and has been influential to many Black filmmakers in the genre.

The film has slowly gained recognition as a cult classic and has even seen a remake from famed director Spike Lee.

“Candyman” (1992)

This film, based on a short story by Clive Barker, is about a graduate student who is completing research on urban legends and folklore. One of these urban legends is the Candyman, a ghost who was the son of a former slave and was lynched for his relationship with

Candyman’s ashes were spread on land that would later become the projects of downtown Chicago.

While the original film is not by a Black director, Rozier said the film still addresses important themes such as urban displacement and the long-term effects of slavery.

“It’s an incredibly complex allegory about how inextricably linked white exploitation and Black pain are with each other both in the past and in the immediate present,” Rozier said.

“It overlays all that stuff with the complexities of urban planning, policies around redlining and segregation of cities.”

A remake of “Candyman” is set to be released in 2021, this time with a Black female director, Nia DaCosta, as well as production and screenplay from Peele and a few others.

For readers looking to watch a few horror flicks this Halloween, it might be worth the time to indulge in a story that tackles race and is inclusive of the Black experience.

Edited by Sophie Stephens sstephens@themaneater. com

Maneater

Opinions

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE Submit a letter to the editor by emailing letters@themaneater.com

Opinions expressed by The Maneater columnists do not represent the opinions of the Maneater Editorial Board.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Maneater Editorial Board.

NOAH NOTICES

CE-LA VIE

Column: Speak

now or forever hold your peace

BY CELA MIGAN Columnist

Cela is a sophomore journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about daily life for The Maneater.

“I’m speaking.”

continue to fight against tear gas and brutality from local and state law enforcement.

To begin righting the wrongs of the past and present, the U.S. must recognize its role in the oppression of Indigenous people throughout North America. It’s not enough to rename Columbus Day or get rid of racist mascots (actions that are decades overdue).

The systems of white supremacy must be destroyed, namely the prison industrial complex and the corporate destruction of Indigenous environments.

The prison system has oppressed minority groups in the U.S. since its inception. We must end these violent means of addressing social issues, and build a society that doesn’t use police and prison cells to advance white supremacy. In a Medium article published on Oct. 6, Angela Davis, civil rights leader and revolutionary intellectual, affirms that “both policing and punishment are firmly rooted in racism — attempts to control Indigenous, Black, and Latino populations following colonization and slavery”.

Slavery, Jim Crow and Indigenous removal never left the U.S. It was rebranded. Abolition is the only path forward to undoing the systemic racism the U.S. is built on.

Any discussion of climate action

A simple but effective sentence that not only asserts power but conveys confidence and conviction. Senator Kamala Harris said “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking,” during the 2020 Vice Presidential Debate for herself and womankind.

Historically, women have had to edit their language to accommodate a male audience and sound more masculine and respectable. At the same time, when they try to emulate masculine speech patterns they have been criticized for speaking with the same candor, tone and volume. Whether it be female politicians being “too emotional” or the female rappers on WAP being “too explicit,” hypocrisy proliferates all fields and governs the language deemed appropriate for women.

During the Brett Kavanaugh Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, the difference between Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s behavior showcased the hypocrisy surrounding male and female speech. While Kavanaugh later described his hearing as “emotional,” and raised his voice several times, Ford calmly answered every question.

Kavanaugh was given lenience for his behavior during the trial, citing the stressfulness of the hearing affecting his behavior.

If Ford had acted the same way, her testimony would have been regarded as “overly-emotional” and therefore a discredit to her character.

Ford’s careful control of her voice and conduct is not unusual.

To appeal to a broader audience, women have gone so far as to professionally train their voices for public speaking. Democratic Debate coach Christine Jahnke advised female candidates to “very purposefully slow your pace and lower the tone a bit, because that will add meaning or gravitas to whatever it is you’re talking about,” according to a New Yorker article.

Jahnke referenced Harris’s communication skills during a 2019 Democratic Debate to her trainees although Harris was never a client. Jahnke identified Harris’s slow pace and use of pauses to add drama as effective communication

See Land on 10

See Speak on 10

GRAPHIC BY JACOB LAGESSE

Column: MU is on stolen land it’s time to pay up

BY NOAH WRIGHT Columnist

We are on stolen land. Through centuries of violent colonization and broken treaties, western countries like the so-called United States captured Indigenous land. This grand theft continues today and will continue to happen unless systems of white supremacy are demolished and reparations are paid.

MU prides itself as a land-grant university. President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act in 1862, which took 11 million acres of seized Indigenous land and sold it to 52 universities across the nation. A two-year study

by High Country News calculated the impact of the Morrill Act, and called the land grants a “massive wealth transfer masquerading as a donation”.

The land MU sits on was ceded to the U.S. in two treaties with the Osage Nation, signed in 1808 and 1825. The Osage, deceived by the terms of the negotiations, gave up all rights to hunt on the land which was sold to the U.S. for an estimated $700.

In 1872 the Osage were forced to relocate to a reservation in modernday Osage County, Oklahoma.

The U.S. government signed 370 treaties with Indigenous people; a majority were later ignored or broken by the expanding U.S. The impact of genocide and broken treaties continue to this day.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2014 28% of all self-identified Native Americans live in poverty. As a result, Indigenous peoples suffer from an astonishing lack of housing, education and healthcare compared to their white counterparts.

These inequities, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, are tragic.

The Navajo Nation experienced the worst per-capita COVID-19 outbreak in America during the spring and summer. In addition to a lack of healthcare access, the Navajo Nation experiences severe food insecurity.

While their land spreads some 27,000 square miles, there are only 13 grocery stores. Carpooling and other practices that stem from underlying poverty allowed COVID-19 to spread rapidly in the area.

Indigenous people continue to face state violence. A study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculated that Indigenous Americans face an incarceration rate 38% higher than the national average. In addition, the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice report that Indigenous people are more likely than any other racial group to be killed by the police.

The U.S. government is stealing Native land to this day, using its federal power to cut up Indigenous land for energy projects. In 2016, the Dakota Access pipeline was met with protests by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. This conflict has not yet been resolved, and Indigenous protestors

9

THE MANEATER | OPINIONS | N ovem b e r 4, 2020 From Editorial on 1

The official Maneater Editorial Board endorsements for Missouri’s 2020 election.

CANDIDATES

MEASURES Governor Mike Parson Republican Party

As MU students bear the brunt of Mike Parson’s nearly nonexistent COVID19 response and cuts to higher education funding, The Maneater endorses Nicole Galloway for governor.

Missouri’s race for governor is gaining national attention as one of the more competitive governor’s races, as national groups like the Democratic Governors’ Association and the Republican Governors’ Association have both spent upward of $10 million on ads in the state.

Incumbent Governor Mike Parson was sworn into office in June 2018 after the resignation of then-Governor Eric

Greitens.

Parson’s blatant disregard for science in his handling of the coronavirus pandemic is cause enough to not re-elect him.

Parson appeared at multiple events over the summer without a mask and has refused to institute a state-wide mask order — one of the most basic actions he could take to curb the spread of COVID-19. His dismissive comments about students going back to school showed a disregard for Missouri’s students and continued a troubling narrative of individual responsibility surrounding COVID-19.

Even Parson himself

United States Representative District 4 Vicky Hartzler Republican Party

Following years of outdated policy, we at The Maneater endorse Lindsey Simmons to replace Vicky Hartzler as District 4’s congressional representative.

Simmons, an attorney from Hallsville, Missouri, is a first-time candidate who can bring an outside perspective to Congress as representative.

When asked in an interview with KSHBTV what role the federal government should play in COVID-19 relief, Simmons stressed the importance of government financial support and increased contact tracing. Hartzler declined to respond.

This year, Hartzler voted against a stimulus intended to give Missouri constituents additional financial aid amid struggles from COVID-19 closures.

However, Hartzler personally applied for and received a federally funded PPP loan to support her own small business to recover from COVID-19, according to The Kansas City Star.

Hartzler has no trouble accepting federal funding herself but won’t allow it to help those in desperate need of financial aid or healthcare.

Hartzler has represented Missouri Congressional District 4 since 2011. In her time of service, Hartzler

Lindsey Simmons Democratic Party

has been active in passing legislation, such as the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which she lists as one of her major accomplishments on her website.

In 2017, Hartzler proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that blocks military funding for service member hormone therapy and gender reassignment services. Hartzler argued that funding transgender healthcare was costly and shouldn’t come out of the military budget.

Luckily, the proposal was denied in the House of Representatives.

“We should treat all people with respect and dignity. Transgender troops should not be forbidden from military service,” Simmons said in the KSHB-TV interview when asked about protecting the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination regarding healthcare.

An extremely outdated and exclusive mindset is dangerous for an influential politician such as Hartzler to have and is a direct threat to transgender rights.

It’s time for a change of mindset and representation in District 4. Lindsey Simmons can give this to the state of Missouri.

State of Missouri Constitutional Amendment No. 3

Nicole Galloway Democratic Party contracting COVID-19 wasn’t enough for him to change his tone regarding the state’s mishandling of the virus.

Beyond his overt lack of a response to COVID19, Parson also opposes Medicaid expansion and is against abortion. When pandemic budget cuts came around, Parson hit education the hardest. He cut $123 million from K-12 education funding and $27.9 million from higher education funding. UM System President and MU Chancellor Mun Choi has frequently scapegoated the state’s budget cuts for the university’s lack of mass testing.

State Auditor Nicole Galloway was appointed

in 2015 and re-elected in 2018 to a second term.

Galloway is the only elected Democrat in the state. During her time as state auditor, Galloway was commended for applying high ethical standards to elected officials across party lines. She has also said that, if elected, she would implement a muchneeded statewide mask ordinance and work to expand Medicaid and education funding.

It is clear that Galloway cares about the issues affecting both Missourians and MU students the most: education funding, healthcare and COVID-19 response, among others.

State Senator District 19 Caleb Rowden Republican Party The race between former state representative Judy Baker and current state Senate majority leader Caleb Rowden has been contentious, at least in advertising. “Rowden Lies” signs have popped up around Columbia, and advertisements questioning Baker’s healthcare-focused political record and ethics have hit the airwaves.

Rowden has dominated fundraising, raising and spending more than twice as much as his opponent as of Oct. 15.

Much of his funding, however, comes from larger PAC donations while Baker’s comes from individual donors.

Baker has prioritized health care and Missouri’s COVID-19 response priorities, cost-free vaccinations and treatment, advocacy for additional unemployment solutions and Medicaid expansion — which voters

Editor’s Note:

Judy Baker Democratic Party supported on the August ballot.

Rowden has praised Missouri’s COVID-19 response and opposed both Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act. He has, however, established a record of funding MU and pledged to continue that trend.

Baker has not made education funding a campaign priority, and Rowden’s campaign has used her voting record against education funding bills in advertisements.

As MU continues to receive less money from the state, Rowden’s promises of funding are an undeniable positive for students.

Baker’s health care plan, however, constitutes a greater benefit.

The Maneater endorses Baker but hopes she will consider her opponent’s stance on higher education funding and support MU’s endeavors in academia and the community.

Although the election is over, we felt it was important to inform our readers about the issues on the ballot this year. Regardless of the outcome of the election, we sincerely hope that our readers took the time to inform themselves on the issues and candidates at stake, and to get out and vote. The political process won’t be over when the polls close on Tuesday night and we encourage readers to continue to engage in politics beyond voting every four years.

Proposed by the 100th General Assembly (Second Regular Session) (SS 3 SJR 38) Vote “No” on Amendment 3 to encourage uncorrupt, competitive races in the state of Missouri.

Amendment 3 has been a focal point for controversy in the Missouri general election. To revert the district-drawing process to its pre-2018 structure, this measure veils a progerrymandering initiative behind legislative donation limits. The amendment can be read in full on the official 2020 sample ballot.

This amendment aims to repeal Clean Missouri’s 2018 plan to alter the way congressional districts are drawn in Missouri.

The Clean Missouri initiative, named Amendment 1 in the 2018 general election, moved the responsibility of redrawing districts following the 2020 Census from the state legislature to a nonpartisan demographer.

Its ultimate goal was to limit gerrymandering, when districts are drawn to unfairly advantage or disadvantage political parties or voting blocs.

Amendment 3 will return the responsibility of redistricting to the state legislature under the false pretense that Clean Missouri gives an unfair advantage to Missouri Democrats in future elections.

Major supporting organizations like the Missouri Farm Bureau argue that Amendment No. 3, not the Clean Missouri Amendment, will protect Missouri elections from gerrymandering. It’s worth noting that the Bureau website does not list any actual solution, aside from maintaining the basic legal criteria for district drawing.

What this means for Missouri if passed 1. Legislation intended to maintain fairness in elections and foster representative congressional districts will be repealed in the state of Missouri.

2. The potential for political gerrymandering in Missouri will increase, and there will be no nonpartisan presence to prevent this from happening.

Removing partisanship from the redistricting process is the only way to truly ensure districts are fair.

10

THE MANEATER | OPINIONS | N ovem b e r 4, 2020

The University of Missouri operates on land stolen from the Osage. Reparations need to be made at a federal and local level.

From Land on 8 that does not include Indigenous leadership is flawed. The U.S. empire must immediately halt the seizure of Indigenous land and remove the fossil fuel infrastructure destroying our planet. Native Americans fought for the protection of their environment for centuries, and it is evident that they were far better stewards of it.

Indigenous people called for land reparations for years, and the debate is now garnering mainstream attention. Most Americans may immediately dismiss these demands, but this is due to a lack of understanding of what land reparations would look like. Groups like the Lakota Law Project are

not asking for a financial settlement when they call for “Land Back,” but for the return of specific land to their rightful stewards.

Federal land can be given back to their rightful owners quickly, and descendants of European settlers can contribute to direct mutual aid funds that assist Indigenous communities.

It is not a question of culpability. The truth is that America will never be able to make up for the horrific crimes of the past. We can, however, acknowledge this dark history and give back some of the wealth we acquired from it.

The U.S. must honor the treaties signed with Indigenous groups throughout history. In July, the Supreme Court ruled

that some 3 million acres of land in Oklahoma rightfully belongs to Native Americans.

The ruling was one of jurisdiction, Indigenous people affected by it will now be prosecuted by the federal government instead of the state of Oklahoma. This change honors the treaties made with Indigenous groups in the area by affirming that their reservation is under federal protection.

This is a step in the right direction, but the government needs to cede legal ownership of Indigenous lands to their rightful owners. Not only is this the moral thing to do, but it’s essential for humanity’s fight against climate change and the only path toward justice.

For economic equality,

investments into Indigenous health care, education and housing are necessary. This can be accomplished by guaranteeing all Americans universal health care, and direct federal investment into Indigenous communities.

MU must reckon with its own history. It would be idealistic to think the current UM System administration would grant land back to the Osage. However, meaningful reparations can be accomplished in other ways: scholarships for Indigenous students, reparations paid to the Osage and a public acknowledgment by the University that properly contextualizes MU’s role in operating on violently seized land.

Consider joining Four Directions, MU’s Native

student-led organization for Indigenous peoples and allies. Contribute directly to mutual aid funds for Indigenous peoples and study the history of our communities with a critical lens. Our ability to attend MU is due to the pain and suffering of many, therefore we all have a duty to end the oppression that continues to this day.

As part of our commitment to social justice initiatives, we at The Maneater encourage you to consider making a donation to Indigenous Mutual Aid, an organization committed to decolonization and assisting Indigenous communities as they battle the COVID-19 pandemic. . The link to donate is https://www.indigenousmutualaid. org/donate/ Edited by Sofi Zeman szeman@themaneater.com

Women should not have to change their voices and edit their language to suit a male audience.

From Speak on 8 practices to command the stage.

Women should not have to change an essential part of themselves — their voice — to appeal to a male audience. Interpersonally, women communicate very effectively but are often not in positions of power.

Therefore, they must appeal to a male audience often in power. When voice training, women can change their pace and tone, but female speaking patterns go much deeper than that.

Deborah Tannen, professor of linguistics at Georgetown University, writes about how the language of everyday conversation affects relationships. Her research highlights linguistic style, referring to the person’s speaking pattern features including “directness or indirectness, pacing and pausing, word choice, and the use of such elements as jokes, figures of speech, stories, questions and apologies.” Linguistic styles also act as indicators for how that meaning is interpreted.

According to Tannen’s research, when women speak in groups they share anecdotes and seek to emphasize ways they are familiar. For men, when they speak in groups they grapple for leadership through giving orders, telling stories or telling jokes. Women also tend to downplay their certainty when speaking.

Men minimize their doubts, causing their language to be more assertive. Women edit their language with “just, like, I think, maybe, sort of,” and preface their questions with “I’m sorry.” Their linguistic style reflects a passivity and unwillingness to step on toes.

Ladies, it may seem frivolous, but take the time to count the “I’m sorrys,

Senator Kamala Harris, Democratic vice presidential nominee, speaks during the vice presidential debate.

| COURTESY OF KIM RAFF/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES likes, justs and maybes.”

Then, consciously work to eliminate them. Doing this will convey conviction, certainty and confidence.

However, the impetus to change should not be placed wholly on women. It’s up to people, namely men, in places of power to learn more about linguistics and the various ways women communicate to understand them better.

The disconnect in linguistics causes many men to overlook women because they misinterpret what the woman is trying to say. A woman waiting for her turn to speak may seem passive, but to her, waiting for everyone to get their turn to speak is polite and considerate. Interjecting voice may come across as bossy and an imposition.

Tannen also identifies that women constantly seek to

affirm their connections in interactions, which is why they will seek approval and acceptance from friends and peers.

“In the social structure of the peer groups in which they grow up, boys are indeed looking for opportunities to put others down and take the one-up position for themselves,” Tannen says.

“In contrast, one of the rituals girls learn is taking the one-down position but assuming that the other person will recognize the ritual nature of the selfdenigration and pull them back up.”

Therefore, when a girl asks if she looks fat, the correct answer is always “NO” and should be followed up with “you’re perfect” (but this in no way is meant to insinuate that being fat and perfect are mutually exclusive). She looks to her peers for an

answer she already knows.

Similarly, many women ask for advice looking for empathy and connection, not a solution.

Still, women are not completely at fault for their linguistic style. It’s a combination of societal and structural forces that teach them from a very young age how they must speak in order to form relationships.

It doesn’t help that they’re met with hypocrisy at every turn.

Women can’t seem to catch a break when speaking. In an article for The Cut, Tannen says women are penalized for speaking indirectly and for speaking directly.

“When women talk in ways that are common among women, and are seen as ineffective or underestimated, they’re told it’s their fault for talking that way,” Tannen said.

“But if they talk in ways that are associated with authority, and are seen as too aggressive, then that, too, is their fault when people react negatively.”

So what to do when linguistic style works counterintuitively?

Keep speaking. Take more time and make less self-edits because it is deserved. I’m talking WAP, WAP, WAP; Women Against Patriarchy In pursuit of racial and social equity, The Maneater encourages its readers to donate to Girls for Gender Equity. This organization “acts as a catalyst for change to improve gender and race relations and socio-economic conditions for our most vulnerable youth and communities of color.” Donate at: https://www.ggenyc.org/donate/ Edited by Sofi Zeman szeman@themaneater.com

MASK UP.

Maneater

Sports

ONLINE THIS WEEK: AAfter two consecutive Missouri wins, Florida gives the Tigers a reality check in a 41-17 win.

BY KYLE PINNELL Soccer coach Bryan Blitz hits 250 wins as Missouri topples Kentucky 4-1.

BY JOSHUA RENEAU

BASEBALL

Staying on the diamond: Missouri baseball student managers prove pivotal for team success MATTHEW NEWKIRK Sports Reporter

In 2018, Adam Busack heard the words no baseball player ever wants to hear.

“You’ll never play again.”

Busack, a freshman from Denver, became another kid whose dreams on the diamond were dashed by injury.

But as he watched his team from the dugout, wearing a brace that stretched from his ankle to his thigh, he quickly realized that not being able to play couldn’t keep him away from the game.

“I was still going with the team to every game,” Busack said. “We only had one coach that year, and so by default, I was doing all the managing responsibilities.”

After committing to study sports journalism at MU, Busack used his connections to make his way to Taylor Stadium as the newest student manager for the Tigers.

On the field, student managers are given mundane tasks — keeping the books, running machines in the batting cages or helping pitchers warm up in the bullpen.

While these tasks are important, managers will tell you the real value of their work is how they connect with the team. Busack said junior Chase Harmon and senior David Latlip are role models for both the student managers and the players. “[It’s] just because we have such a high pedigree of people that have been around the block and really know what they’re talking about,” Busack said. “It makes everyone that’s around the Adam Busack stands in the dugout at Taylor Stadium on Nov. 3, 2020. |PHOTO BY MATTHEW NEWKIRK

See Baseball on 13

SOCCER

Sickness, surgery and Missouri soccer’s search for starting goalkeeper

BY JOSHUA RENEAU Writer

Molly Poletto was running on her treadmill when the text came in.

In her first year as goalkeeper coach for the Missouri women’s soccer team, she had expected challenges, but nothing like this.

“McKenna has appendicitis,” the text read.

Poletto turned up the treadmill.

Another goalkeeper down.

“I was like, I cannot believe this,” she said.

Missouri would have to finish the season with two goalkeepers who hadn’t played a game since high school.

“Normally, players get injured; goalkeepers get injured,” Poletto said. “But this was definitely the first time in my coaching career where we had some more major medical issues happen.”

The consecutive injuries of Peyton Bauman and McKenna Sheehan ushered in the saga that was the 2019 season for the Missouri women’s soccer team. *** Coming into the season, Peyton Bauman, a redshirt sophomore, was excited to see the field for Missouri as their starting goalkeeper. After waiting two seasons, she finally started a game.

In her first 11 games, she logged 1,012 minutes of on-field action, but shortly after the team’s Sep. 26th match against Florida, Bauman began to feel very ill.

Attempting to push through the temporary setback, she went on to play against Georgia just a few days later. After allowing three goals against Georgia, coach Bryan Blitz subbed Bauman out.

Something was wrong.

After a trip to urgent care and a few days in the hospital, Bauman was diagnosed with viral meningitis.

The virus took a heavy toll on Bauman and eventually led to a return to her home state of Texas

towards the end of the month. She was medically retired by the coaching staff in consultation with her doctors in January.

With Bauman out, Missouri’s freshman backup, McKenna Sheehan, had to step into the starting goalkeeper role just before one of the most important games of the season: a bout against No. 7 South Carolina.

Sheehan was able to keep the game close, only allowing one goal to the heavily favored Gamecocks. Though Missouri lost the game, hopes were high for the new goalkeeper.

Her three-game starting streak culminated in a shutout win over See Soccer on 13

13

THE MANEATER | S ports | N ovembe r 4, 2020

With dreams of playing big-league ball dashed, the managers combine their major and hobbies in the hopes to keep baseball in their future.

From Baseball on 12

program better by ethos.”

As a result of NCAA baseball’s postponement in March 2020, all of last year’s ballplayers gained an extra year of eligibility. That means 2021’s team will be the largest group of players on Missouri’s baseball roster.

Busack said memorizing all those names has made his integration into the team more difficult.

“When you’re meeting all these new players, they all have masks on, and it’s so hard to put names to faces, especially because there are so many guys around the program this year,” Busack said.

Despite these challenges, Busack feels that he’s found a home at Taylor Stadium.

“I feel like I belong here, I really do,” Busack said. *** Both Harmon and Latlip find themselves in the position of many student managers — they know they can’t play college ball, but they want to remain close to the game for their career.

That’s why many of them have chosen a degree path that could set them up for a job with a big league club.

“I’m a dietetic student here, and I want to be a nutritionist for an NFL or MLB team,” Harmon said. “It’s a very far goal, but I think it’s doable.

The time that I’ve put in and

the connections that I’ve made here will really help me out in the future.”

Latlip, a transfer student, is keeping his options open for his future as well. As a coach and hitting instructor in his hometown of Kansas City, Mo., he has worked with players of all ages — from seven-yearolds to D1 prospects.

While Latlip says coaching could be in his future, his degree could also point him in another direction. “[I’m getting a] degree in economics, and I’m really into statistics,” Latlip said. “I’m learning more and more of that every day. That, along with my baseball experience, could open a door for a front office job. That’s one of the

roads I could go down, and there’s a lot.”

Missouri’s baseball program has a long history of student managers landing highprofile positions.

Using their connections in the sport, head coach Steve Bieser, pitching coach Fred Corral and Jae Fadde, director of baseball operations, have sent former student managers to teams like the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals.

As someone searching for a job himself, Harmon wants the freshman managers to know that they don’t have to walk away from the diamond to follow a career.

“I want them to understand that they can do something

with baseball, as well, if they put their heart to it,” said Harmon.

The Tigers went 11-5 in nonconference play to begin the 2020 season, playing their final game of the season on March 11 before college sports were eventually canceled for the remainder of the spring.

After such a strong start, Harmon said the club has only one goal for this year.

“We’re going to go to Omaha, and we’re going to win it all,” Harmon said. “If you don’t have that mindset, I don’t know why you’d be playing.

Omaha is everything.”

Edited by Jack Soble jsoble@themaneater.com

Missouri goalkeeper Isabella Alessio greets teammates before the Tigers’ home win over Kentucky on Nov. 1, 2020.

After a 2019 season full of turnover at the back, the Tigers have plenty of keepers this year.

From Soccer on 12 Tennessee for Missouri’s first conference win of the season.

But four days later, Sheehan found herself in an operating room undergoing emergency surgery.

Missouri was out another goalkeeper.

“After the Tennessee game I started having a really bad stomachache,” Sheehan said.

“I told my athletic trainer that I thought it was food poisoning at first. But it got progressively worse, and I went to the hospital and they said, ‘Oh yeah, we have to do surgery in a few hours.’”

Sheehan had appendicitis and eventually had her appendix removed, sidelining her for the rest of the season.

With its two top goalkeepers out for the season, Missouri needed a new starter.

Enter Gillian Schulte.

She wasn’t necessarily a stranger to the team. The year before, Schulte, an electrical engineering major at MU, received a call from John Hawks, her former high school assistant coach and the director of operations for Missouri soccer. With just one goalkeeper on the roster, Hawks asked Schulte

to practice with the team for spring training alongside Bauman.

Then, less than a year later, Missouri was back to just one goalkeeper on the roster.

This time, that goalkeeper was Schulte.

In her first official game since a high school match three years prior, Schulte started in net. The game, at home against Alabama, saw Schulte make the first save of her collegiate career.

She was the lone goalkeeper to see the field in Missouri’s final three games of the season. Shulte finished the season with 12 saves under her belt.

As a walk-on inheriting the starting job in the final moments of the season, Schulte found herself in a very unique — and oftentimes stressful — position.

“I worked through it with my teammates and coaches and really just talked to a lot of people, and they helped manage my stress and stay positive about it,” Schulte said. “I feel like if this would have happened on any other team, it would have been much more stressful. [Blitz] was so supportive with it

and would tell me that I was helping the team out no matter how well I was doing.”

The team also brought freshman Megan Moll, a member of the softball team, onto the roster for the final two weeks to act as a backup as well. *** Coming off of a nightmarish year for the team’s keepers, Missouri had no choice but to look to the future and plan for the 2020 season. In May, Blitz and the Tigers added transfer Isabella Alessio, a goalkeeper from the University of South Dakota, to the roster.

Sophia Worth, a freshman from Denver, also joined Mizzou for the 2020 season.

Coming into the season, having four goalkeepers — Sheehan, Alessio, Schulte and Worth — at the ready felt like a blessing to Missouri.

“We have a super competitive group with the four,” Poletto said. “It’s a great training group, and they’re all progressing from where they were when they first came in. We’ll probably travel with two, and that’ll be super fluid — just like our entire lineup. I think it keeps

|COURTESY OF MARQUES BROWNLEE

everyone competitive.”

With four keepers, three of whom have college game experience, Blitz has plenty of options. “[Alessio] is probably the most experienced goalkeeper just based on the season last year,” he said. “Any of those four can play. We’re rotating right now, and it’ll be a dogfight until the very very end. That’s a luxury compared to what we had last year, and they probably don’t like that, but I love it.”

In Bauman’s eyes, leadership appears to be one of the key factors in winning the starting spot.

“The biggest thing is having a voice out there and being that commanding goalkeeper presence,” she said. “We have that young back line right now and a three-back [formation], so you need that commanding leadership role in the back to organize them.”

The 3-4-3 formation she references, played an important role in the first two games Missouri played this season. In this setup, the weak-side midfielder drops back to help defend against the attack.

Missouri also showed an effective use of man-marking in a win over Vanderbilt, a tactical concept that relies on near-constant defensive movement. A goalkeeper’s communication plays an important role in both systems’ success.

More than halfway into the 2020 season, Missouri has started two of its goalkeepers.

The season opener against South Carolina saw both Alessio and Sheehan play, Missouri’s upset win over Vanderbilt featured Sheehan, and Alessio has received the nod in all three games since.

While it looks like Alessio has her hands on the starting job for now, illness and injury represent threats to the position that could once again test Missouri’s depth in net, specifically in the midst of a global pandemic.

“We have to be flexible,” Coach Poletto said. “Who knows when a test is going to come back positive.”

Amidst the goalkeeper uncertainty and questions regarding the current season, one thing is indisputable: Missouri will never again take the goalkeeper position for granted.

14

THE MANEATER | SPORTS | N ovemb er 4, 2020

FOOTBALL

‘Time for your Tigers’: When Missouri football summoned homecoming magic in 2010 win over No. 1 Oklahoma With the eyes of college football on Columbia, the Tigers delivered a homecoming performance for the ages in a 36-27 win against the Sooners.

BY KYLE PINNELL Writer

Hello, Mizzou. We’re talking to you. It is time for your Tigers to show me, show you, show the world that you are ready to stand up finally to Oklahoma and step forward as a serious contender and earn the respect you have been denied for decades.

— Chris Fowler, ESPN *** Thousands of screaming fans, engulfed in gold, raised signs and waved flags as Fowler set the scene for a busy day ahead in college football.

A reported crowd of 18,000 crammed in front of the columns outside of Jesse Hall that morning to watch ESPN’s College GameDay program in person as it visited Columbia for the first — and to date, only — time.

The show kicked off Oct. 23, 2010’s college football coverage, which was set to conclude with

that night’s marquee matchup between BCS No. 1-ranked Oklahoma and No. 11-ranked Missouri. The previous two weeks ended with the top team in the country — first Alabama, then Ohio State — being upset. Could Missouri make it three straight weeks by taking down the Sooners on its 99th annual homecoming game?

Energy continued to build throughout the morning, and when ESPN analyst Lee Corso picked up the Tigers’ black and gold helmet during his gameprediction segment, an already fervent crowd of Missouri fans started to buzz.

But instead of putting the helmet on, Corso threw it back onto the desk and grabbed the Sooners’ mascot head.

In a move meant to generate fan reaction, the teasing selection clip made its way into the Tigers’ locker room as another piece of bulletin board material.

“I felt like I was tricked and made fun of,” Missouri receiver Jerrell Jackson said. “That put a fire in my belt, and I know some players were talking about it [before the game] also.”

Missouri alumnus

Seth Rosner tuned into Gameday from the nearby Extended Stay Hotel. In years past, Rosner and his wife Katie — also an MU grad — may have been at the columns before sunrise, but they weren’t in 2010.

Instead, they spent the morning caring for their three-monthold daughter, Rebecca, in advance of her first homecoming game.

“I have very vivid memories of sitting in the hotel room, waking up early, turning on the television and watching with a lot of pride at what my university and our football program had become,” Rosner said.

Rosner’s connection to MU runs deep. He helped start the “Tiger’s Lair” student section as an undergrad back in 1995. Missouri, mascot, Truman the Tiger, attended his wedding.

Prior to the 2020 season, Rosner missed just two home games in 25 years.

But unlike most regular season games, homecoming is an annual holiday for the Rosner family. Every year, they take their children out of school on Friday to make the drive along I-70 from St. Charles to Columbia. An annual picture beneath the columns acts as a

yearly growth chart.

The Rosner family arrived at Lot P around 10 a.m., where they spent their entire day tailgating with family and close friends. As the morning gave way to afternoon, they watched as the surrounding area slowly sprung to life.

“It was a great buildup to the day,” Rosner said.

“It was just one of those things where you loved how well the university was portrayed that morning. You enjoyed your time all through the late morning and the afternoon with friends, family and alumni … Just that experience each year is really special for us.”

Around 6:15 p.m., fans began to filter from their parking lot tailgates through the gates of Faurot Field. Sets of extra bleachers brought in and placed in the north and south end zones quickly filled, bringing the official attendance to 71,004 fans in a stadium with a listed capacity of just 62,621.

“You couldn’t see the Rock M,” Jackson said.

“Everything was filled to capacity, and of course, just the energy was loud and crazy. To this day, I think that was one of the most exciting places I have ever been.”

Those who were in Columbia that night recall the palpable feeling of excitement in the air at Faurot. As pregame festivities concluded and kickoff loomed, the place was ready to explode. All it needed was one electric play.

“That experience, those memories, start right at kickoff,” Rosner said. *** McGaffie across the 25, gets to the 28 to the 30, a seam to the 35! Trying to outrun the kicker. He gets to midfield, and he may go! McGaffie to the 40, left side to the 30, to the 20, to the 10, to the five, to the house. Touchdown Missouri! No flags! Gahn McGaffie! — Mike Kelly, KTGR voice of the Missouri Tigers *** Visualization played a significant role in receiver Gahn McGaffie’s game day routine. On the bus from the hotel, he envisioned running his routes to perfection.

During warmups, he visualized celebrating a touchdown in the back of the end zone. And before

running through the tunnel into a pulsating sea of gold, he pictured himself returning a kickoff for a touchdown.

Missouri players knew coming into the game that if the Tigers won the coin toss, they would be receiving the opening kickoff. As one of the largest home crowds in program history roared, McGaffie jogged out onto the field, blood pumping.

Oklahoma kicker Patrick O’Hara sent a ball spiraling endover-end towards the north end zone. The ball bounced five yards in front of McGaffie who picked it up and started to accelerate.

“Me being the type of player I am, I know how to set up certain blocks to make people shift a certain way,” McGaffie said. “So when I caught the ball, I veered off to the right — even though I was already on the right to begin with — which made everyone shift to the right. By the time I pick the ball up from the ground, all the blocks are pretty much set up for me to dart through the middle, and then the rest

THE MANEATER | SPORTS | N ovemb er 4, 2020

15

Edge rusher Aldon Smith celebrates with fans after Missouri’s upset win over No. 1 Oklahoma on Oct. 23, 2010

PHOTO BY SHANE EPPING is history.”

Jackson was huddled up on the sideline with the offense when he glanced up at the video monitor.

He couldn’t suppress his disbelief as McGaffie emerged from a crowd of defenders near midfield.

The mass of fans shifted in excitement along the bleachers, forcing Rosner’s wife and daughter to quickly sit down and get out of the way.

“It just gives you the idea of how packed that stadium was and how vibrant and energetic that it was,” Rosner said. “She just had to get out of the way of the celebration of one of the great plays in [Missouri’s] history.”

On the field, McGaffie had nothing but daylight in front of him as he crossed the 50. With his eyes locked on the end zone, all he could think about was cutting off defenders’ angles and not getting caught by the kicker.

O’Hara couldn’t keep up.

As he crossed the goal line and stopped to savor the moment in the back

of the end zone, McGaffie endured what he called one of the biggest tackles of his life, as linebacker Jeff Gettys completely knocked the wind out of the five-foot-ten receiver. Sprawled on his back, McGaffie took it all in — from the reverberating roar of the crowd so loud that he couldn’t hear anything being yelled in front of him to teammates rushing over from the sidelines to mob him.

When he reflects back on that image today, he credits the blocker that cleared a path throughout the entire run: his best friend and roommate, Robert Steeples.

“I always tell him that I am forever grateful for that block that pretty much helped me run into the end zone without being touched,” McGaffie said. “To have that experience [not] just with the team but also with one of my best friends made that moment even better and more special.”

The opening return instilled even more confidence in a team that

didn’t need much of it.

Players had confidence in quarterback Blaine Gabbert to outduel Oklahoma gunslinger Landry Jones. They knew that their defense could lock down a dynamic Sooners attack that fielded DeMarco Murray, Ryan Broyles and Kenny Stills.

“They had all those guys, and they were not able to dominate like they had been previously playing any team before us,” McGaffie said. “Just knowing what we had [on defense] and the game plan that we had for them and seeing it executed at a high level is the best to watch.”

Missouri’s stingy defense kept the Tigers in the game until the beginning of the fourth quarter, when the offense put the game away for good. *** Gabbert takes the snap.

Pressure up the middle, now throws a seam pattern. Jackson at the 17! Spins off a defender.

To the ten, to the five, to the house. Touchdown Missouri! – Kelly ***

The play was called “Deuce X Switch,” a switch concept specifically designed for Jackson to run a bend route. In this play, coach Gary Pinkel wanted Jackson to run straight down the field, and if there were two safeties high, he would need to run in between them.

Gabbert found him with a perfectly-placed pass into a tight window.

“Once that ball was snapped, Blaine did a good job of hitting me where only I could catch the ball,” Jackson said.

“I caught the ball with the intention of taking the hit and going to the ground. That momentum going downward versus [the defender’s] momentum hitting me up put me back on my feet, and I took it to the house.”

The Oklahoma defense, which spent the entire night chirping at the Missouri offense, could offer no retaliation as the Tigers took a 26-21 lead — one that proved to be insurmountable.

As the offense jogged to the sidelines, fewer than 13 minutes separated

the Tigers from a thrilling upset win on homecoming — a result ripe for a field storming. *** As time continued to tick away, an equipment manager began to shout a vital message to those along the Missouri sideline; if fans stormed the field, players would need to keep their helmets on or risk a fine.

When the final whistle sounded, players began to celebrate, but as students spilled onto the field, the only thing Jackson could think about was keeping his helmet on.

“Of course I was excited that we won, but I was holding my helmet so hard,” Jackson said.

“I’m already a broke college student, I can’t take a $400- or $500buck fine. I remember really holding my helmet and playing tug-of-war with it during the whole storming [of the field].”

From his seat near the south end zone 60 rows above the field, Rosner celebrated the win by taking it all in.

He reminisced about his time as a student at MU

when he stormed the field after a win against Kansas in 1996; he still has a piece of the goal post from that game.

With his wife and infant daughter in the stands alongside him, he watched current students experience what he did back in the ‘90s.

“You just get to a different point in your life and you enjoy experiencing it,” Rosner said. “Not through the eyes of the students but just watching them savor [the win] and thinking back to your own college experience.”

Missouri is a football program often overlooked in the national conversation, a program occasionally shoved to alternate networks to make way for a “better” game. But for one day in October 2010, the Tigers were the talk of the college football world.

Edited by Jack Soble jsoble@themaneater.com

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