The Maneater Vol. 87 Issue 7

M The Maneater The student voice of MU since 1955 | www.themaneater.com | Vol. 87 Issue 7 | May 5, 2021

DELIVERY

New delivery app, TheGoodz, launches on campus

BY ABBY MILLIGAN University News Reporter

Scan this code to take a deeper dive into the numbers behind CPD’s vehicle stop disparity indices.

MU sophomore Josh Margherita said he believed TheGoodz, a new Columbiabased food and alcohol delivery app, was too good to be true.

That was before he began regularly using the service.

He said the pricing and delivery times have kept him a customer since the new service went live just over a month ago.

“You’re paying normal prices,” Margherita said.

“It’s not jacked up prices or anything. It’s a great way to get what you need.”

He added that the average time he’s had to wait is around 10 minutes.

The company, created by cousins and business partners Landon and Tristan Moore, supplies these products. The service requires a free app and an optional monthly subscription of $9.99.

Customers only pay the subscription fee and price of the products. The delivery drivers are also paid an hourly wage, so there are no added fees for deliveries or tipping. The app offers unlimited deliveries of products like snacks, soft drinks, over-the-counter medications and alcoholic beverages, which the business keeps at their warehouse on Business Loop 70. According to the app, they will offer tobacco and household essentials like toilet paper soon.

Landon Moore, who graduated from MU in 2017 and came up with the idea for TheGoodz, says the unique model is what draws business. TheGoodz owns all their merchandise, which it purchases from wholesalers like PepsiCo. “Since we own our own

See MU Extension on 3

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MU EXTENSION

MU Extension’s LETI grads pull over Black Columbia residents at disproportionate rate

BY ELLIE LIN AND GEOFFREY DEAN

Multimedia Editor and Data Editor

Just 2 miles north from MU lies MU Extension’s Law Enforcement Training Institute. The program trains and graduates a substantial number of officers to the Columbia Police Department. CPD stops Black individuals at disproportionate rates when conducting traffic stops.

Black residents of Columbia were overrepresented by 362% in traffic stops conducted

by LETI officers in 2019.

Racial discrimination in police departments can be measured through disparity indices, a metric created by researchers from University of MissouriSaint Louis. In the context of policing, a disparity index is a proportion of the number of stops concerning a specific

demographic in relation to the actual proportion of said demographic in the population.

Analysis of the 2019 Vehicle Stop Data from the CPD found a correlation between the number of stops made by an individual officer and the racial disparity of an officer’s traffic stops. In other words, the more stops an officer makes, the more racially disproportionate their stops are.

The CPD data provided did not specify the patrol area for the officer, so the stop proportions are compared to the city of Columbia as a whole. The disparity index analysis and z-score analysis were restricted to stops of Columbia residents.

In April 2019, Chief Geoff Jones appointed the Vehicle Stop Committee to address the high disparity index in the 2018 numbers.

The committee has eight members, including John

Worden, who MU employs as the director of the LETI program. The MU News Bureau confirmed that Worden followed university procedures related to conflict of interest disclosures.

Worden is not the only direct link between the MU Extension’s LETI program and the CPD. Independent research found that in 2019, at least 23.4% of the force were confirmed LETI graduates.

Worden confirmed that a “decent percentage” of CPD officers graduated from the LETI program.

Nineteen individual CPD officers are responsible for over 50% of stops, and of those 19 officers, at least eight went to LETI. The 18 officers with the highest disparity indices included eight LETI graduates. The total disparity index for known LETI graduates in 2019 was 3.62.

The CPD as a whole

disproportionately stops its Black residents as well.

Black people made up about 10.9% of Columbia’s population in 2019, yet accounted for almost 38% of the CPD’s traffic stops.

The department-wide disparity index for Black drivers grew from 3.51 in 2019 to 3.53 in 2020. In a March meeting with the committee, Jones said that the total number of stops decreased by about 50%.

The likelihood of racial discrepancies randomly

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THE MANEATER | CONTENTS | M ay 5, 2021

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | M ay 5, 2021

From Delivery on 1

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From MU Extention on 1

product and we own the stuff that we’re moving, we’re able to take the tipping aspect out of it and just act as a traditional gas station, who has their markup on their food and their various other products, and use that instead of the consumer tip,” Landon Moore said.

TheGoodz advertises its service on and offline.

Flyers and stickers with TheGoodz’s brown paper bag logo have been placed by the cousins on lightposts and bathroom stalls across campus.

They also have a growing Instagram following — with 60 posts and more than 700 followers.

Canvassing is another one of the business’ outreach strategies.

A TheGoodz flyer hangs on a glass wall at the bus stop near the MU Student Center on Monday, May 3, 2021 in Columbia. According to their website, the “One day, I was at snack and alcohol delivery company, which launched just over a month ago, has plans to expand throughout college campuses in the Midwest.

Walmart with my friend, | PHOTO BY BRAIDEN WADE and [Landon Moore] was canvassing and handing out flyers and trying to get with their signature brown paper what they’re able to sell, foodpeople to learn more about it,” bag, like they would a snack or and drink-wise,” Margherita Margherita said. “We talked soft drink. said. “More of a wider selection, to him for about 20 minutes, rather than just basic namejust seeing how it all works and The high population of college brand stuff would be nice.” everything.” students made Columbia the ideal starting point for the Landon Moore said the growth Landon Moore primarily cousins and their delivery of product availability will be a oversees TheGoodz’s marketing service, Landon Moore said. As challenge, as the business is still presence, while Tristan the business gains profit and in its first month of operation.

Moore handles deliveries and notoriety, he and Tristan Moore merchandising. hope to expand to other college “Right now, everything that’s towns. on the app comes out of my Tristan Moore said the savings,” Landon Moore said. purchasing and delivery of “Our goals are to get to the other “So we’re slowly expanding, but alcohol was the business’ biggest Midwest college campuses,” we’re hoping by next school year hurdle, since they had to obtain a Landon Moore said. “So right that we’ll be able to have a liquor license to sell it. now we’re really just focusing selection that is larger than any on Mizzou and getting our other liquor store.”

“We’re, in a way, the pioneers secondary location up, because for alcohol delivery out here,” having two locations allows us The pair said above all, the Tristan Moore said.“[The city] to have quicker transit time and Columbia area and their customers was kind of telling us that we’re decrease our labor costs. Then, have and will continue to make learning as they’re learning, we’re hoping in 2022 we can get their challenges, expansion and because they don’t have anything a location opening in Kansas City growth with TheGoodz possible. like this — it was a lengthy and then also at MSU.” process.”

“We appreciate all the support Margherita said he hopes to see we’ve gotten so far, and we When a user purchases a product more product selection soon, as appreciate all the future business that requires an ID, Tristan Moore the business continues to garner we’re going to get,” Tristan said they require the customer to subscriptions and expand into Moore said. have identification ready at the other cities. time of delivery. Tristan Moore Edited by Emmet Jamieson | ejamiesaid they don’t cover the product “Their app is pretty limited in son@themaneater.com

occuring to the degree seen within the CPD is highly improbable. Statistical analysis of the 2019 CPD traffic stop data shows that in a city that is 10.9% Black, the probability of Black individuals accounting for 37.8% of the CPD’s traffic stops by random chance is less than 0.001%.

Jones was unavailable for comment on these figures.

The Vehicle Stop Committee proposed increasing the amount of data collected in the traffic stop form. The aim of this solution is to “document the actions of the officer,” Worden said.

The most recent committee meetings have primarily dealt with updating the vehicle stop form. The department does not collect any information that could be used to identify an officer when tracking traffic stops, Records Custodian Lydia Green said. Instead, the CPD generates a unique officer ID number for each officer and tracks them with those numbers instead of using names.

In cross-referencing traffic stop data from the Boone County Joint Communications Office with traffic stop data received from the CPD, information was missing between the reports in 185 instances.

The most recent data from the

CPD available regarding disparity indices is from 2019. The data found that 189 individual officers filed an incident report for a traffic stop. These 189 officers were responsible for a total of 18,358 reports filed for 15,015 unique stops. The 3,343 report surplus is due to incidents in which two officers were in the car for the same stop.

The BCJC identified 143 individual officers who made traffic stops in 2019, while the CPD identified 189 individual officers –– leaving 46 officers unaccounted for in the BCJC data.

A 2019 memo written by Sgt. Scott Alpers placed the disparity index for the entire department at 2.92. Alpers clarified on a phone call that the number in the memo was a typo, and that the department-wide disparity index for Black drivers in 2019 was actually 3.51. Per the CPD’s publicly available data, the disparity index for data specific to Columbia residents was 3.48.

In the conclusion of the 2019 memo, Sgt. Alpers wrote, “After conducting this analysis, I do not see a need to revise our policy or training requirements related to bias-free policing.”

The 2020 vehicle stop data was due to the attorney general’s office on March 1, 2021. It will be released to the public on June 1, 2021.

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | M ay 5, 2021

Student activist group Mizzou 600 organizes campus-wide protest

BY TEAGAN KING AND ABIGAIL MILLIGAN Student Politics Reporter and University News Reporter

Activist group Mizzou 600 organized a protest on April 29 against the future implementation of the MU Department of Social Justice restructuring plan.

The demonstration started on the steps of Jesse Hall, where speakers began listing the ways the Department of Social Justice had aided them. Two Scan this code to hear the unnamed MU staff members impact of the Social Justice followed the demonstration, Centers on protestors at the stating that their purpose Mizzou 600 protest on April was to ensure the protest 28, 2021. was safe.

Following their beginning chants and opening statements on the steps of Jesse Hall, demonstrators walked inside to continue the protest. The demonstrators continued to chant and give statements regarding the restructuring.

Staff observed the demonstration from the upper level of Jesse Hall.

From inside Jesse, the protest moved to Speakers Circle, where demonstrators announced which employee within their respective departments had made the biggest impact on them. Students shouted the names of several staff members, including Miss V, or Velma Buckner, a coordinator with the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, and Eli Kean, the LGBTQ Resource Center coordinator.

“So how would y’all feel if someone were to tell you we are downsizing [Inclusion, Diversity and Equity] to 15 positions?” one speaker asked while stopped at Speakers Circle. “These people who are working here most likely will be let go because we are not doing an internal hiring process.”

According to their Twitter account, Mizzou 600 is an activist group on campus calling for “600 + hours of disruption until Mizzou shows us that #BlackStudentsMatter.”

The group announced the protest on their Twitter account on April 20 alongside the hashtag #Justice4MUSocialJustice.

The protest occurred three weeks after MU Department of Social Justice staff were informed of plans to restructure the department. Students organized an April 19 protest on MU’s campus to demand that employees not lose their jobs.

According to an April 19 article from the Missourian, the center plans to transition from several independently functioning centers with their own specific staffers, such as coordinators for each center, to more collective functioning to serve across several communities at the same time. The Social Justice Center also plans to evaluate current employees to see where they may fit into the new structure, but if some do not fit, they may lose their jobs.

As of now, the MU Department of Social Justice consists of five departments: Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, LGBTQ Resource Center, Multicultural Center, Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center and Women’s Center.

After the April 19 protest, Maurice Gipson, vice chancellor of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity at MU, released a statement to “dispel rumors” regarding potential closure of the social justice centers. However, a lack of additional details left students and community members in the dark.

Landon Brickey, president of the Missouri Students Association, attended the protest. Though not part of Mizzou 600, he said he came to the protest to support their mission. Brickey said he thought most students were still confused about the plan and that the university should improve their response to this problem.

MU student Taylor Estraca said she also felt the university should have handled the plan differently, and that they should not have scheduled it to take place over the summer, when students would not be on campus to voice their concerns.

“They make a lot of decisions that directly impact students without including students in those decisions,” Estraca said.

Following the demonstration, Christian Basi, the director of the MU News Bureau, stated that the Office of Student Accountability and Support would evaluate the actions of the protestors.

Basi said that students were “disruptive” when they entered Jesse Hall and the Student Center. He said that “information from that will be referred to the student accountability office” to decide whether participants will face any punishments.

The speakers also led chants outside Jesse Hall, having protestors repeat phrases like “they say inclusion, we say collusion; they say diversity, we say adversity,” and “Hey hey, ho ho, Russell and Gipson have got to go.”

Dr. B. Sherrance Russell serves as the assistant vice

A University of Missouri student holds a sign reading “save our centers” over her head during a protest on Thursday, April 29, 2021 at the MU campus in Columbia. The sign refers to MU’s Social Justice Centers, which the university recently announced it would be restructuring. | PHOTO BY OLIVIA ANDERSON

A University of Missouri student holds a jar reading “For Donald” on Thursday, April 29, 2021 outside the Gaines/ Oldham Black Culture Center in Columbia. Students were able to drop off notes for Student Support Specialist Donald D. Gilliam at the end of the protest as well as in other jars for different Social Justice Center coordinators. | PHOTO BY

A sign reading “Hey Miz! LGBT+ & BIPOC safety is not expendable” sits on the stairs of Jesse Hall during a protest on Thursday, April 29, 2021 at the MU campus in Columbia.

chancellor of Student Diversity Initiatives.

“Don’t forget it was the coordinators of the [Gaines/ Oldham Black Culture Center] who provided meals when students ran out of money on their Tiger Plan,” one speaker said.

The protest then arrived at the Student Center, passing through the first floor before heading to the basement outside of the Multicultural Center and the Women’s Center, where several police officers observed protestors.

While in the basement, one of the protest speakers referenced how the employees who are successful in their positions will be rehired, but that this may not be true regarding the marginalized employees in director positions.

The speakers went on to criticize the language the university used to discuss the plan, saying it was misleading to make it sound like the centers would not be downsized.

A student who used the LGBTQ Resource Center came forward to share positive experiences they had with the center.

“I would’ve dropped out if I didn’t have this. What’s the point of having anything here if you don’t want to retain students, if you don’t care about us like that?” they said.

Another student said the social justice centers “have been there for me when Mizzou has failed me time and time again.”

Other students shared concerns over how the center is run like a business as well as personal connections they had to specific staff members.

“If it wasn’t for Velma Buckner and Donald Gilliam, I would’ve not been here. I would’ve had no reason to stay,” one student said.

The demonstrators then marched down Rollins Street on their way to their final destination, the doors of the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center.

“This is going to be a time where we’re going to take all those times that we have, all those times we remember from the coordinators and the social justice centers and write down on these little slips of paper what they mean to you,” a speaker said as the demonstration ended.

Protesters concluded their participation by writing the names of coordinators, employees and memories they have of them on slips of paper and placing them in a box.

“The fight doesn’t stop here. This was one protest.

Protesting is one of those things that unfortunately doesn’t change things quickly,” one demonstrator said as the protest concluded and protestors placed the papers in boxes. ”It might not change anything, but at least it shows that we stand with our coordinators. Please keep sending emails to Russell and Gipson.”

| PHOTO BY BRAIDEN WADE

BRAIDEN WADE

Edited by Namratha Prasad nprasad@themaneater.com

ONLINE THIS WEEK:

5

A guide to tackling desserts in Columbia

BY RYAN WILSON

Ragtag Cinema launches first year of Science on Screen, a series that fuses movies with scientific questions

BY ELIZABETH DERNER

MOVIE

MUSIC

Despite criticism, Lil Nas X assumes his rightful throne The “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” rapper descends into hell in his new music video but has ascended to stardom in the music industry.

BY ANNA KOCHMAN MOVE Angles Staff Writer

GRAPHIC BY AVA HORTON

‘Synchronic’ uses typical sci-fi trope and manages to make it original “Synchronic” brings hope for a genre that uses recycled tropes and unintentionally reminds us to stay away from drugs.

BY DOMINIQUE HODGE MOVE Angles Staff Writer

The sci-fi genre can be genuinely entertaining with its out-of-the-box concepts like time travel or other dimensions that inspire audiences to think about the possibilities science can bring.

Yet, sci-fi films can become predictable and unoriginal. How many space creature movies can you make without them being exact replicas?

“Synchronic” plays into the stereotype only to shock audiences with a masterful ending.

The purpose of sci-fi is to excite audiences and make people think about the possibilities of science. Space travel, spectacular creatures and other dimensions are common topics and elements used to show this. Accuracy is a give or take, but the joy and excitement give these films purpose.

“Synchronic” is a sci-fi film that follows two New Orleans paramedics and the series of mysterious deaths and injuries following the consumption of the designer drug “synchronic.”

Paramedics Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan), are mutually disturbed to find these gruesome scenes in such a short time.

The only connecting thread Steve discovers is a synchronic wrapper. Quickly chalking it off as a bad drug trip, Steve buys every pill in the city in hopes the incidents stop.

Following the disappearance of Dennis’ daughter, Steve realizes the true unintended effect of the drug. It challenges reality and time itself.

This discovery leads Steve to question whether the drug is the true culprit behind Dennis’ daughter’s disappearance. With the last synchronic pills in existence, Steve begins digging.

This jumpstarts the film’s plot and takes us on a wild ride through the most recycled concept in sci-fi: time-travel. “Synchronic” uses this to its advantage by seemingly abiding by the formula in the beginning, before switching it up completely.

After all, a pill being a tool for time travel is a creative and exceptional plot device.

Steve’s character is one of the best elements of the film. His strength holds the audience in bizarre and difficult moments. However, his humor always soothes the tension when the mind bending becomes too much. The performance by Mackie is commendable and just another thing to enjoy about this movie.

See Movie on 7

Picture this: Lil Nas X, rapper and social media sensation, slides down a pole into a glamorous, hypersexual version of hell as Fox News pundits watch in horror.

That’s the power of his new single and music video, “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” which features the rapper twerking in Satan’s lap.

“MONTERO” itself is a poppy hip-hop ode to a former love. It’s sweet, catchy and overtly gay, which is unheard of in the hip-hop scene. The music video, by contrast, subverts traditional Christian themes like the Garden of Eden and original sin with sensual, stylized imagery. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 26 and has been smashing records and drawing criticism ever since.

After working to promote his debut single “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X rose to fame like a phoenix from the ashes of homophobia, racism and widespread criticism.

It would have been easy to quit making music amid the backlash.

Instead, Lil Nas X weaponized conservative hatred, turning it into a social media machine that garnered followers and streams. Take, for example, social media reactions to “MONTERO.” Far-right online personality Kaitlin Bennett engaged with Lil Nas X on Twitter after the music video’s release, asking him “Do you still see your dad?” Lil Nas X, responded with “Yep and i might f--- yours.”

Known for his witty online presence, Lil Nas X is not one to lose a Twitter fight. He responded to online hate from South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and conservative political commentator Candace Owens.

He cultivates an obsessive following from both his loyal fandom and from conservatives who can’t stop talking about him. The genius of the rapper’s social media machine is that it gets its fuel from its biggest critics, raking in comments and quote tweets from naysayers who unwittingly boost Lil Nas X’s posts by engaging with them.

Where has this taken him? Well, to the very top of the music industry. He continues to capitalize on the success of “MONTERO” with the release of highly controversial “Satan Shoes” and a browser game called “Twerk Hero,” which is exactly what it sounds like.

Though Lil Nas X has yet to even release a full album, he’s basking in the glory of fame and fandom. And let’s be clear: he deserves it. Though his presence on Twitter indicates that he’s not offended by hate, racism and homophobia, no 22-year-old should have to deal with the sheer amount of hatred he’s received.

At the heart of Lil Nas X’s Twitter discourse is a real, genuine personality that hasn’t been marred by fame.

Alongside the release of “MONTERO,” Lil Nas X posted a letter to his younger self, Montero Hill — his real name. “[P]eople will be angry, they will say i’m pushing an agenda. but the truth is, i am. the agenda to make people stay the f--- out of other people’s lives and stop dictating who they should be,” reads the post. Lil Nas X foresaw the backlash that would arise from his song, but saw the necessity of releasing it anyway — and he’s checking a lot of boxes off that agenda.

Edited by Chloe Konrad ckonrad@themaneater.com

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THE MANEATER | MOVE | M ay 5, 2021

7

Columbia’s True/False Film Festival opens its doors with new COVID-19 guidelines to keep attendees safe True/False Film Festival continues this summer with indoor and outdoor showings, while still maintaining social distancing and other safety precautions.

BY CHARLIE RECCHIA

MOVE Culture Reporter

The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined the meaning of the word “festival.” Where there were once crowds gathered for days of music and sun, a more spread-out and isolated experience remains, which is the exact approach the True/ False Film Festival in Columbia is taking.

True/False Film Festival is an annual event held in Columbia that focuses on documentary and nonfiction filmmaking.

Run by the Ragtag Film Society, the festival starts May 5 and

From Movie on 5 “Synchronic” is a sci-fi film that follows two New Orleans paramedics and a series of mysterious deaths and injuries following the consumption of the designer drug “synchronic.”

Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan), the two paramedics, are mutually disturbed to find these gruesome scenes in such a short time. The only similarity across the board Steve discovers is a synchronic wrapper.

Quickly chalking it off as a bad drug trip, Steve buys every pill in the city in hopes for these incidents to stop.

concludes May 9.

Kanchan Hans, MU freshman and volunteer with the festival, is not concerned about how well the festival staff will adapt to these new operations.

“The people who have been running it have been running it for a really long time. They have a plan in mind,” Hans said.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, True/False staff created rules that follow guidance from public health officials.

One of the biggest changes this year is the move of some screenings to outdoor venues, while indoor locations seat fewer attendees.

“We will be using

Ragtag Cinema, which is our arthouse cinema here in downtown that will be functioning just how it is now with a reduced capacity, physical distancing while sitting and individuals wearing masks,” Carly Love, the operations director for the Ragtag Film Society said. “We will have a drive-in location out at the Columbia Expo Center.”

The festival moved to the spring instead of the usual winter dates to make room for the distanced, outdoor viewings.

Another change to the festival’s protocol is how the “Q” system is handled. True/False uses the system as a

way to admit viewers when reservations are restricted or no tickets are available. Typically, an individual receives a number when they use the Q. However, with COVID-19, this process has a slightly different purpose.

“The Q hasn’t changed in the way that it functions,” Love said.

“The one difference is that the Q number is good for a pod, so not every person has to have a Q.” A “pod” is a designated seating area for a group of people who want to sit together to watch an outdoor showing.

In other words, instead of a Q being good for one individual seat, a

Q is now good for one small area for a group of people, while also maintaining distance.

Although the pandemic is preventing large gatherings, with smaller crowds and all of the necessary health precautions considered, the Ragtag Film Society decided that the show must go on.

“Virtual film-watching is not the kind of filmwatching that we think is best. We still want people to experience film together instead of just in their homes,” Barbie Banks, one of the co-custodians of Ragtag Film Society, said.

“It’s gonna be a much smaller crowd, which is probably the biggest

thing people are going to be surprised about.”

Even with a pandemic hanging over Columbia, Ragtag Film Society still finds a way to bring in-person art into the current isolated world.

Stacie Pottinger, the director of Development and Communications for Ragtag Film Society, welcomes anyone looking for a safe in-person activity this summer.

“It is going to be a great time,” Pottinger said.

“We cut the capacity way down, and we still have plenty of tickets available for people to come see films. Don’t think you’re too late.”

After Dennis’ daughter disappears, Steve realizes the true unintended effect of the drug: it challenges reality and time itself.

This discovery leads Steve to question whether the drug is the true culprit behind Dennis’ daughter’s disappearance. With the last synchronic pills in existence, Steve begins digging.

This jumpstarts the film’s plot and takes us on a wild ride through the most recycled concept in sci-fi: time travel.

“Synchronic” uses this to its advantage by seemingly abiding by the formula in the beginning before switching it up completely. After all,

using a pill as a tool for time travel is a creative and exceptional plot device.

Steve’s character is one of the best elements of the film. His strength and intelligence holds the audience in bizarre and difficult moments.

But his humor always soothes the tension when the mind bending becomes too much. The performance by Mackie is commendable and just another thing to enjoy about this movie.

“Synchronic” truly messes with the mind through the spectacular visuals and bizarre places it takes us. Whether it be to a swamp with a looming conquistador or a prehistoric blizzard, the effect and execution

is marvelous.

The graphics, breaks in time and recurring pictures of plot pieces give off the classic sci-fi feel.

The audience gets to truly experience the story closely because of the attention to detail.

Another method “Synchronic” employs to capture attention is the manipulation of time. Throughout the film, there are scenes that move a single hair slower or faster to make the atmosphere seem unsteady. The flow of movements demonstrate this as well with the way they are set up to flow in time with one another.

The artistry and attention to detail like the after effects of the

blizzard scene, as well as the plot, transcend “Synchronic” above many other sci-fi films.

The film is genuinely good in every aspect, which is a rarity when it comes to the genre. The film begins on a rocky start, with visuals that seem to be too much and can be off-putting.

But the film does deliver besides that.

As far as the ending goes, it ties the story firmly and completely.

There is no graceless cliffhanger or unsatisfying conclusion that has no loyalty to the story. The buildup to the ultimate conclusion left no true standard or expectation. The story could have ended in an abundance of ways, yet

the ending was graceful and a true close.

“Synchronic” is a quality example of what sci-fi has to offer. The visuals, plot and strong world building sets it apart from many sci-fi movies, especially those regarding time travel.

This film genuinely excited me about time travel again considering how many films like this have let me down. “ S y n c h r o n i c ” demonstrates that what sci-fi really needs is to erase the formulas and stick to the world of building and creativity.

Edited by Shannon Worley sworley@themaneater.com

Edited by Chloe Konrad ckonrad@themaneater.com

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OBJECTIVITY

Why objectivity in journalism does more harm than good to marginalized communities

BY GABRIEL LEVI Guest Columnist

The objectivity conversation is to journalists as garlic is to vampires: deadly.

Instead of tackling the conversation headon, journalists tend to silently make a decision on objectivity and hope no one asks them about it. So, today, I am going to be journalism’s worst nightmare, because I’m going to talk about objectivity and why it is the bane of my existence.

To talk about objectivity, we have to talk about its origins. Back in the day before Beyonce’s internet, journalism used to be a lot more partisan, meaning journalism used to be openly biased. Newspapers would support political parties and use their influence to sway the public’s opinion.

To fix this issue, a bunch of old white guys decided, ‘Hey! We need to set some standards for journalism so we can be taken seriously.’

Thus, objectivity (amongst many other things) was born.

They defined objectivity in journalism as reporting without bias and making sure to represent both sides of an issue fairly.

Over time, an ‘expert’ approach to journalism emerged where some people believed you had to have certain qualifications and training in order to understand and uphold journalism standards, such as objectivity.

Therein lies the first issue with objectivity. Even in its (very simplified, I will admit) origins, objectivity has always been something inaccessible to a lot of people. The standards for journalism were created with rich white men who could afford an education in mind. And in today’s world, this mentality simply

won’t make the cut.

In today’s world, I would hope we all have a little more understanding of this big idea I like to call ‘systemic racism.’ For those who don’t know, systemic racism explicitly states that all ‘systems’ in America such as housing, jobs, education, etc. are all biased against people of color.

oppressed, which goes against everything a journalist should be. A journalist should not be a stenographer who presents both sides of an issue ‘fairly,’ when common sense tells us it’s not a fair issue. A journalist should be an active voice for the people, using their voice to side with the people being harmed at all times.

reported during the news in my daily life.

To be objective about that is to have the privilege to say, ‘I can take a step back from this’ when others do not have that luxury.

So when journalists preach objectivity, they need to check their privilege, because some of us can’t be objective when our wellbeing is at stake.

People of color have always had the short end of the education system’s stick.

Black Americans were legally kept out of “white” schools until the late 1900s, and we still see the effects of this today.

Talented young Black kids don’t have access to top-grade education because of something white people tend to think we resolved years ago.

To clarify, I am not saying to lose the reporting aspect of our jobs. We should always seek to inform. However, sometimes siding with the people is as simple as word choice.

On the other side of the argument, some journalists argue that without objectivity, there is no difference between a journalist and a common person, because journalism loses its standards.

In an extreme example, last summer I watched in horror on social media as Derek Chauvin forced his knee on George Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes. Through video evidence, I saw a murder happen right before my eyes.

I don’t think there should be a difference.

The only difference between a journalist and a common person is a couple journalism classes and a platform.

News flash: we didn’t!

The education system holding people of color back from top-grade education means many people who look like me will never have the opportunity to study and learn how to use objectivity. Therefore, objectivity as a whole becomes inaccessible and racially biased towards white people.

So, I must ask, why uphold a standard set by men who didn’t even want to see people like me in this field?

The answer is: we shouldn’t. In this modern society, the lines between the oppressor and the oppressed are clearer than ever. Simply put, in most situations, there is a right and a wrong, and sometimes not making a choice is choosing the wrong side.

By upholding objectivity, journalists tend to side with the oppressor rather than the

Instead of news outlets supporting Black people during that traumatic experience by at least calling it murder by name, news outlets went for less biased words like “incident” or “alleged” when I saw it right in front of my face.

That was a big slap in the face because news outlets were telling my community that what we saw was a lie. We didn’t see a murder, we saw an ‘incident,’ and that only made a cruel summer even worse.

The second issue with objectivity is the sense of privilege it accompanies.

For people of color and marginalized communities, we don’t get to strip ourselves of these identities for the news.

No matter if the story runs, at the end of the day, I am still a Black, queer person living in America who faces the threats

To even assume there is a difference makes journalism pretentious, and once again inhibits us from doing our primary jobs: representing the people. Doing away with objectivity puts journalists and average citizens on a level playing field, which is more important than upholding outdated journalism standards.

When it comes to objectivity, journalists need to decide what side of history they want to be on. In 20 years, when history books recount the events of the past few years, I can sleep peacefully knowing I stood with my people against all odds.

For those who so vehemently uphold objectivity, can you say the same?

Edited by Cayli Yanagida | cyanagida@themaneater.com

THE MANEATER | OPINION | M ay 5, 2021

9

FATPHOBIA

Letter to the Editor: (Blank)phobia — fatphobia rooted in The Mizzou Store After weeks of political unrest on a national and local scale, objectivity in journalism has once again become the forefront of discussion.

BY DYLAN BRITTON (Blank)phobia is nothing new, but rather something that has existed at MU for years. From serving only wealthy white men for its first three decades, to the complete and intentional exclusion of Black students on campus for 111 years, it’s clear MU consistently picks and chooses which communities to serve.

Still wondering what the _(Blank)_ is? Don’t worry; feel free to fill in the blank anyway you choose, and it will still make sense. For this piece, the _(Blank)_, and MU, are filled with fatphobia.

Today, they once again decided to fuel the fire that is (Blank)phobia through the fatphobia streaming from The Mizzou Store.

Imagine this: You are a newly admitted freshman and it’s your first week on campus. You’re eager to finally be a Tiger and join a diverse community. Filled with excitement, you and some friends decide to visit The Mizzou Store in the Student Center, determined to fill your closet with as much MU gear as possible.

After quite a while shopping, you and your friends reconvene and they ask, “Hey, are you not getting any shirts?”

Out of embarrassment you simply say, “I couldn’t decide,” but in reality there was nothing your size.

You, of course, don’t want to admit that. After separating from your friend group to save some embarrassment, you dig through piles and piles of clothing to realize that there is nothing there for you, that you’re not their “target demographic” or their “average consumer” and that you don’t belong in this store. Imagine putting your heart and soul into a community you love so much, yet not even getting to represent the M-I-Z. This is what I go through.

As a plus-size student, I can confidently say I have never felt more alienated by a community so adamant about making their students feel welcomed than when I step into The Mizzou Store. The university boasts its “explicit” goals for diversity and inclusion, yet they always seem to forget

University of Missouri t-shirts sit folded on a shelf in The Mizzou Store on Thursday, April 22, 2021 at the MU Student Center in Columbia.

| PHOTO BY LILY DOZIER

one specific factor: size.

The Mizzou Store is a perfect microcosm for fatphobia on college campuses in America — a microcosm where, if you don’t wear an XS to XXL, you aren’t welcome. Everyone knows the iconic “Mizzou” t-shirts as a staple for every MU student’s closet. They can’t be a staple in mine.

The store’s website describes the shirts as this: “Nothing beats a classic!

This simple Mizzou tee is the perfect base for any outfit. It’s sure to please all Tigers - past, present, and future.”

It’s sure to please _all_ Tigers? Well, they must not be talking about me.

If you’re not aware of what this t-shirt looks like, I’ll describe it. For $12.99, you can purchase this one-color shirt with the word “Mizzou” on the front. No picture. Nothing on the back. Just “Mizzou” in white letters.

If you’re unable to find one that’s in your size on the main page (well, if it’s even in stock), make sure to check the “Extended Sizes” page, which screams: “Don’t worry! You can get it in white or grey in the ‘extended size’ of a 3XL!” For an institution that

boasts one of its core values of _excellence_, the alienation and disregard of plus-size people is not excellence, but a joke.

For all of those people who say, ‘Well, why don’t you ask them about it?’

— I don’t need to because I’ve been told the answer to that question my entire life. They’ll say it’s not in demand. They’ll say it costs too much to manufacture.

They’ll say the vendor they order from doesn’t offer extended sizes of a 3XL to a 5XL. None of these excuses are logical. For a university with a steady enrollment of over 30,000 students, their family members and the over 330,000 alumni of the institution, you cannot tell me there is no demand. With an estimated systemwide budget of $3.2 billion, you can’t tell me providing plus size options for $10-20 t-shirts isn’t financially feasible.

Fatphobia at MU doesn’t stop at The Mizzou Store’s checkout line: it invades every aspect of this campus.

From the irrefutable systemic expulsion of plussize people in Greek Life we all know exists, to the tiny lecture hall seats or the awkwardness caused by

desks even the smallest of students have experienced, fatphobia is running rampant. Let’s not forget the university-published signs encouraging students to avoid using the elevators as a COVID-19 precaution, because that’s fatphobia too. It’s being the only one in the friend groups to ride the elevator when MU places caps on riders and passive-aggressively encourages you to “use the stairs.”

As an MU student involved in everything from student government to political organizations, I even feel alienated by my own organizations that push for inclusion on campus.

The embarrassment I feel when filling out a t-shirt order form and realizing it’s not fill-in-the-blank or doesn’t have an “other” option is crippling. It’s disappointing that I have to select a size knowing it won’t fit because I am too afraid and embarrassed to ask if they can order a size not included in the checkboxes.

Simply put, MU’s goals for diversity and inclusion are not diverse or inclusive at all. They’re performative.

This speaks to systemic issues so much bigger

than the size of a t-shirt, but rather the intentional alienation experienced by countless students on campus.

How can MU truly want every Tiger to feel like a member of a family of 30,000 if they can’t even wear the same style of clothing?

MU must finally start putting out the fires the administration constantly fuels.

These are the kinds of conversations the administration must be having with students, and these conversations are so much bigger than expanding t-shirt sizes.

It’s the tearing down of women’s history on our campus; it’s the faux feelings of inclusion ushered towards Black students; it’s the “unintentional” complete exclusion of Asian American students within the MU Diversity Awards; it’s the efforts that are performative because the MU administration isn’t here to serve their students.

Rather than promoting diversity and inclusion, they are sustaining exclusion and oppression.

This is not a “friendly reminder” to the administration to do something about

underrepresented communities on campus.

It’s a demand.

The administration must be having these conversations with students.

The administration must end the performative goals for diversity, equity and inclusion.

The administration must systematically change the toxic atmosphere of alienation it has sustained for far too long, because I think — no, I _know_ I speak for all students when I say: We are fed up.

When it comes down to it, it seems like academia is always in the pursuit of being what I call (Blank) phobic because when I consider it, I can’t think of any community MU and its administration actually serve other than cisgendered, heterosexual, white and athletic men.

Sincerely tired of the act, Dylan Britton Edited by Sofi Zeman szeman@themaneater.com, Cayli Yanagida cyanagida@themaneater. com and Sarah Rubinstein srubinstein@themaneater. com

Maneater

Sports

ONLINE THIS WEEK: Missouri softball falls short in final inning after six shutout innings against Florida

BY CALEB LOGUE

Missouri’s newest basketball commit, Sean Durugordon, enters with chip on shoulder

BY MASON ARNESON

VOLLEYBALL

Kylie DeBerg finds her voice in leadership, on and off the court The two-time AllAmerican reflects on her season of leadership and prepares for her last dance in Omaha.

BY EDEN RUTHERFORD

Volleyball Beat Reporter When the SEC announced a spring schedule, senior outside hitter Kylie DeBerg had to make a difficult decision.

The Hudson, Iowa, native was on track to graduate this past December and quickly transfer to LSU in the spring to pursue a beach volleyball career while studying for her masters’ degree.

Despite having the ability to opt out of the spring, DeBerg knew that she wouldn’t have the closure of saying a proper goodbye to her career at Missouri.

“Once I knew that we were going to get [the season] back, there was no reason to opt out,” DeBerg said. “I still have my two [years] to play beach and now we’re going to the tournament.”

It’s been over a year since the senior has experienced a normal volleyball season.

COVID-19 tests, quarantining and travel precautions posed challenges to leading her team in a time of uncertainty, and she quickly realized these new protocols were not going away any time soon.

On March 11, 2020, the day that University of Missouri officials canceled classes for the remainder of the week and moved all learning to online thereafter, DeBerg began to doubt the potential of her senior season.

“I was sitting in my bed about to get up and get ready for afternoon practice until they sent the text out that everything

was canceled,” DeBerg said. “As a team, we were hoping that we would come back [to practice] after a week, then that became two weeks, and that turned into the whole summer.”

While the 2020-21 SEC volleyball season was in question and campus facilities remained closed throughout the summer, the Tigers still found a way to prepare.

The team was able to lift together at Athletes Performance Institute and practice inside a gym at The Crossing, a church in Columbia.

“It wasn’t really much different,” DeBerg said.

“We got to lift and practice together every day for most of the summer.”

This provided the opportunity for the senior to master her craft: attacking.

DeBerg has always been a force on Missouri’s front row, all the way from hammering the ball to break an opponent’s block to slamming down overpasses right on the ten-foot line.

This year, however, she vowed to be just as good of an attacker in the back row as in the front row. “[I needed] to not be stupid with [my swing],” DeBerg said. “[I needed] to give it to the setter instead of hitting it ten feet out of bounds if I know that I’m not in a good position to kill the ball.”

Her preparation from the summer was evident throughout this season, especially when it came to battling higher-ranked teams, such as No. 8 Florida. During a midMarch matchup, the Gators’ strong serving posed difficulties for Missouri’s back row to set up a successful attack.

However, DeBerg made her presence felt in the back row when a set to the pipe was the best offensive option. It kept the Tigers at bay with Florida despite a

University of Missouri senior Kylie Deberg hits the ball over the net during a volleyball game against Texas A&M at Hearnes Center on Saturday, March 21, 2020 in Columbia. Deberg had the choice to graduate in December and play beach volleyball at LSU, but decided to stay at MU and finish her final spring season instead.

| PHOTO BY LILY DOZIER

series loss.

The structure of summer training may have been the same, but a change of location provided a more intimate social environment where Missouri came together early on and DeBerg envisioned her season as a leader.

“I don’t like talking a lot on the court,” DeBerg said.

“Alyssa [Munlyn] was the vocal leader my junior year and when she graduated, I knew that was going to fall on me because I’m on the court the entire game.”

The senior admitted that it took her a while to step out of her comfort zone, but she believes that it has improved her leadership skills and allowed her teammates to see her more as a friend.

One common interaction that came to DeBerg’s mind was her relationship with sophomore outside hitter Anna Dixon. The offensive

duo tends to learn from each other’s mistakes.

After hitting three balls that landed out of bounce against LSU, Dixon became flustered and walked away from the net grudgingly, her hands fisted at her sides.

Missouri called a time out to regroup, and DeBerg pulled her teammate off to the side and mimicked her arm swing to show how to correct hers from veering off the designated target.

“I see a lot of myself in Anna [Dixon],” DeBerg said. “We both like to hit the ball more than tip, and having the same experiences my sophomore year I have been able to talk her through [her approach].”

It’s not only what an athlete does in a game, but what they do and how they act outside of their athletic realm can make them a standout leader. Outside of volleyball, work, school

and balancing a social life, DeBerg makes it a priority to support a community that continually supports her.

Since 2018, she has worked with Columbia elementary schools, Tiger Pantry and the United Way. Her actions would not go unnoticed.

It was a normal Friday afternoon working at the Athletes Performance Institute on March 26 for DeBerg — until she received a notification from her Twitter feed. “@kyliedeberg12 is 1-of10 finalist for this season’s Senior CLASS Award,” the post from Missouri volleyball’s Twitter account read.

“It was a really big surprise,” DeBerg said. “I didn’t even know that I was up for [the award].”

The Senior CLASS Award recognizes studentathletes within the NCAA Division I for their hard

work and dedication over the course of their tenure.

They are evaluated based on athletic performance, academic success and community outreach.

Over her three-year career with Missouri, she has accumulated over 1,300 kills, two Dean’s List honors and over 40 hours of community service.

“Kylie has been a joy to coach since she stepped foot on campus,” coach Joshua Taylor said.

“She works hard on the court, in the classroom and the community. She is very deserving of this recognition.”

The winner for this award is to be decided by fans, media and coaches’ votes and will be announced during the NCAA tournament.

Edited by Jack Soble jsoble@themaneater.com

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THE MANEATER | SPORTS | M ay 5, 2021

A look ahead: Missouri football’s best recruiting class since 2015 contains plenty of potential stars Transfers and highly-touted freshmen make up a group of fresh faces.

BY PARKER GILLAM Reporter

Coach Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri football program landed the 28th best recruiting class in the country in 2021, which included many high-profile transfers. With multiple key losses from the 2020 roster, some of those newcomers will be able to make an immediate impact this coming fall.

Five of these fresh faces will be counted upon to fill holes left by departed stars.

Blaze Alldredge | Senior | Transfer from Rice | Linebacker | College Stats (3 seasons): 214 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss (TFL), 2 interceptions.

A largely unheralded recruit out of high school, Blaze Alldredge made a major impact during his time at Rice. The 6-foot2-inch, 210-pound linebacker specializes in wreaking havoc in the backfield and was second in the nation in tackles for loss in 2019. That season also included Alldredge eclipsing the 100 total tackle mark, proving that he is a productive performer.

To cap off his career at Rice, peers voted Alldredge as the Most Valuable Player on the team in 2020. With star linebacker Nick Bolton off to the NFL, there is a void left at the LB spot. Enter Alldredge, an experienced senior capable of coming in and taking over a leadership role within the defense. The learning curve coming from the C-USA to the SEC will be steep, but Alldredge’s physicality and football IQ should help make it a smooth transition.

Mookie Cooper | Freshman | Transfer from Ohio State | Wide Receiver (WR) | 2019 High School Stats: 29 catches, 869 yards, 9 touchdowns, 224 rushing yards.

hands. Cooper has “play-maker” written all over him, and it is safe to assume that Drinkwitz and Bazelak will be getting him the ball in space as much as possible.

Continuing the same theme of keeping talent at home, Drinkwitz managed to land Mookie Cooper after he entered the transfer portal in December. The St. Louis product was highly sought after coming

Dominic Lovett | Freshman | 4-star recruit | Wide Receiver (WR) | 2019 High School Stats: 74 catches, 1,549 yards, 17 TDs.

out of high school, as he held offers from Alabama, Ohio State, USC and Texas among many other programs. Cooper committed to Ohio State but received little playing time in 2020 due to a star-studded cast of wideouts ahead of him.

The four-star receiver opted to come back to his home state to play, and the Tigers could not be happier. Connor Bazelak needs more weapons to work with on the outside, and Cooper is as explosive as they come. What pops out in his high school tape is how much of a vertical threat he is. Cooper boasts elite speed and a great build, which allows him to run past defenders and easily evade tacklers in the open field. With great hands and route-running ability, Cooper has almost no weaknesses in his game.

The only concern: his height. Standing at 5-foot-9-inches, he is a smaller receiver.

This means he will have to make up for the height disparity with speed and the ability to make magic happen with the ball in his

In addition to Cooper, Missouri added another receiver to help out its quarterback in Dominic Lovett. The four-star prospect originally committed to Arizona State before flipping to Missouri. Lovett, a graduate of East St. Louis High School, is another undersized wide-out (5-foot-10inch, 175 pounds) that will need to work on adding weight to consistently hang with SEC defensive backs.

Still, Lovett’s upside is immense. He makes a living off beating defensive backs off the line of scrimmage, which is a great skill that many high school products struggle with. He has big-play ability every time he is on the field, as his acceleration and speed coming out of cuts is elite. On top of that, he capped off his high school career with a 14-0 season and an Illinois state championship.

Lovett is a winner. The frame is a concern, but with time in the weight room and conditioning program, Lovett should fill out to become a solid SEC wide

receiver. He will get his chances in his freshman campaign to show what he is capable of.

Jadarrius Perkins | Freshman | 3-star JUCO recruit | Cornerback (CB) | Junior College Stats: 32 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 7 pass breakups, 1 interception.

Defensive back was a major point of emphasis in the 2021 class after the departure of so many seniors, and Drinkwitz signed five players to bolster the secondary. Headlining that group is junior college transfer Jaddarrius Perkins.

Perkins attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 2019 and 2020 and originally committed to Oregon before he flipped to Missouri. His 6-foot-2-inches, 185-pound frame is ideal for a college corner. Perkins’ coverage skills are above average and he has a high ceiling to live up to as he works at the D-I level.

The junior will likely be thrown into the fire this season with so many holes to fill in the secondary, so he may suffer through some rough patches in his first year. Still, if he takes strides in his development each year, expect there to be many flashes of Perkins showing he can be an NFL prospect.

Edited by Kyle Pinnell kpinnell@themaneater.com

Travion Ford | Freshman | 4-star recruit | Defensive End (DE) | 2018 High School Stats (Last full season): 82 total tackles, 17 sacks, 4 forced fumbles.

Drinkwitz made it a priority to keep homegrown talent in-state, and in his first full recruiting cycle, he did just that, as the gem of the Tigers’ 2021 recruiting class hails from Missouri. Travion Ford, a highly-touted prospect out of St. Louis, held offers from Alabama, Louisville, Arizona State and Illinois.

At 6 foot-, 4 inches, Ford is a lean defensive end with great length, which allows him to potentially play in a hybrid DE/LB role. The Tigers lacked a dominant pass rusher last season, but Ford could change that in year one. He has a great skill set and athletic ability, but the biggest factor in his development will be how he improves his body. A 6-foot-4, 232-pound frame can get beat up in the trenches, especially in the SEC, so Ford needs to work in the weight room to build his frame.

Missouri has a legacy of producing elite pass rushers; names such as Michael Sam, Shane Ray, Markus Golden and Aldon Smith come to mind. Travion Ford could be next in line.

University of Missouri freshman Mookie Cooper dodges a teammate during football practice at the Missouri Athletic Training Center on Saturday, March 6, 2021 in Columbia. Cooper, a transfer from Ohio State University, received little playing time in 202o and entered the transfer portal in December. | PHOTO BY ANNA GRIFFIN

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THE MANEATER | F un

and

G ame s | M ay 5, 2021

ET CETERA HOROSCOPES May 2021

CROSSWORD

YOUR BIRTHDAY TODAY (5/5): You will receive lots of love and energy from your friends and family for the rest of the month. Take note of the new people who enter your life and those who leave it. You will travel to far away places in the near future.

BY ABBY STETINA Fun and Games Editor TAURUS (April 20 — May 20) — This is your time to shine. Make the most of the energizing New Moon in Taurus by starting a project or creating memories with friends. Grab a coffee with your crush.

GEMINI (May 21 — June 20) — That project that’s been in the back of your mind? Make it a reality. You’re ready. Be logical in your goals and expectations but don’t be afraid to reach for the stars.

CANCER (June 21 —July 22) — It’s time to look into the unknown within yourself and your work. Reflect on all you’ve accomplished and apply it to the present. The wisdom you hold is the key to future success.

LEO (July 23 — Aug. 22) — Reach out to people in your community. The knowledge you possess will be useful to them. Have courage, as you may find yourself leading the crowd.

Accept the support of your friends.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 —Sept. 22) — You are more adept than you know. Focus during finals, then let yourself take a break. Step back and find perspective. Be on the path for truth. Ellis Library is the place to be during this time.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 — Oct. 23) — Your obligations will be cleared by the end of the month.

Take time to find other passions to fill the empty spaces. Reach out to your forgotten friends and try a new experience together.

Might I suggest roller skating around the Quad?

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 —Nov. 22) — Now is the time for action and taking brave risks. Apply for that position, try that new sport, buy that plane ticket. Let your hair down and try something new. Don’t turn down an exciting adventure.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 — Dec. 21) — Your glow is unimaginably bright. Snap lots of photos to remember this moment, as you look glorious. Share your sunshine with a family member who may need it more than you do.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 — Jan. 19) — Just like a piece of art, if you look too closely at your decisions you will see the minute errors. Take a step back and marvel at the beauty. Do not linger on the blemishes but revel in the feeling. Relax and breathe.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 — Feb. 19) — You may be feeling restless and held back. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Nourish your psyche with self care and love. A warm cup of chai from Lakota does wonders.

PISCES (Feb. 20 — March 20) — Rifts within your group of friends will start to make sense. Build the bridge between right and wrong. Let positivity in and flush negativity out. Don’t forget that, at the end of the day, you come first.

ARIES (March 21 — April 19) — Sit up straight, drink plenty of water and get some rest. This may be a trying time for you, but I believe that you will pull through. Call on friends for support. Bright rays of sunlight are on the horizon.

Check The Maneater’s website on 5/6 for the answers!

COMICS A blast from the past: The Maneater revives five comic strips from Volumes 41 and 42, made in 1985.

As seen in Vol. 42, Issue 16 on Oct. 25, 1985.

As seen in Vol. 42, Issue 6 on Sept. 20, 1985.

As seen in Vol. 42, Issue 25 on Dec. 6, 1985.

As seen in Vol. 42, Issue 12 on Oct. 11, 1985.

As seen in Vol. 41, Issue 26 on May 7, 1985.

The Maneater THE MANEATER | M i z z o u i n R e v i e w | M ay 5, 2021

Mizzou in Review 2020-21 Vol. 87, Issue 7 | May 5, 2021 www.themaneater.com

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THE MANEATER | M i z z o u i n R e v i e w | M ay 5, 2021

Our year in news AUGUST

Aug. 18: COVID-19 cases halt gatherings on fraternity property, inperson recruitment.

BY ELI HOFF, KIRUBEL MESFIN AND BEN PFEIFER

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 3: Hundreds of MU students march in solidarity with Mizzou Black Student Athlete Association

BY LILY DOZIER

Sept. 11: In a July Zoom meeting of Student Affairs staff, administration laid out a set of expectations for staff, discussing dissent and the possibility of student protests. BY ELI HOFF, KIRUBEL

MESFIN AND BEN PFEIFER

OCTOBER Oct. 21: Returning MU resident advisors experience a different year in the dorms, including new policies and updated job expectations.

BY MAGGIE TROVATO

NOVEMBER

Nov. 17: The task force cannot

recommend removal of the statue but must consider Jefferson’s “seminal accomplishments and his history as a slave owner.”

BY ELI HOFF

FEBRUARY Feb. 19: Memorial Union sprinkler pipe bursts due to cold weather.

BY EMMET JAMIESON

Feb. 27: New CAFNR lab honors Henry Kirklin, the first Black MU instructor. BY RYAN BARICH

MARCH

March 1: The two slates, Renew

Mizzou and Ready to Roar, advocated for their candidacies and discussed their approaches on COVID-19, sexual assault prevention, inclusiveness and other issues.

BY EMMET JAMIESON AND NAMRATHA PRASAD

March 4: The university’s first women’s dorm and a 19th-century building are among those set for demolition in the near future.

BY ELI HOFF

APRIL

April 13: Data from a CPD analysis

shows that CPD officers use force against Black residents at a rate five times larger than their proportion of the Columbia population. BY GEOFFREY

DEAN AND ELLIE LIN

STUDENT POLITICS

From Thomas Jefferson to Twitter: moments that defined MU this year Administration demonstrated a tendency to suppress student concerns about COVID19 and racism on campus.

BY JOY MAZUR

Student Politics Editor 2020-21

The 2020-21 school year challenged students academically, physically, mentally, emotionally and politically. Despite elections, protests and remote learning, MU still strived to succeed and achieve some semblance of normalcy. However, COVID19 and racism on campus challenged the university.

A summer of Black Lives Matter protests demanding an end to police brutality and justice for the murder of George Floyd led students into a school year already fraught with tension from the pandemic.

Several student groups formed to call out racism at MU and demand change.

Perhaps the most prominent were #StillConcerned and Mizzou 600. #StillConcerned issued a list of seven demands, which The Maneater supported in an August editorial. These demands were: award tenure to Dr. Ashley Woodson, create a racial accountability board led by students and faculty, reinstate Kathryn Chval as Dean of the College of Education, remove UM System President and MU Chancellor Mun Choi from all leadership positions within the UM System, undo system changes combining

UM System President and MU Chancellor, memorialize Gus T. Ridgel on the MU campus and remove the Thomas Jefferson statue from campus.

MU met none of these demands, the Thomas Jefferson statue being the most contentious of all of them. The Jefferson Club, a group of donors, funded the Thomas Jefferson statue. It was installed on Francis Quadrangle in 2001.

“Mizzou has no room for a racist slave owner on our campus, in the Quad, where thousands of Black students pass by everyday,” MU sophomore Roman Leapheart wrote in a petition calling for the removal of the statue.

Members of Mizzou 600, another student activist group, were referred to MU’s Office of Student Accountability and Support in October after protesting the statue in Jesse Hall. MU officials said the group disrupted orderly conduct, therefore violating university

guidelines regarding protests.

During their protest, Mizzou 600 called for MU to remove the statue and Thomas Jefferson’s tombstone, create a scholarship fund for Black students in social justice work, create a scholars’ board for Black students and have Choi participate in diversity mentoring. MU met none of these demands.

Administration and other students argued that the statue should stay. Meetings between MU administrative employees and students eventually produced the 16-person Taskforce for Contextualization of Thomas Jefferson.

A February recommendation from the committee proposed the installation of a sign next to the statue. The sign would detail the history of Thomas Jefferson and acknowledge his ownership of slaves and relationship with Sally Hemings. There is currently no sign.

MU did, however, take action to protect the Thomas

THE MANEATER | M i z z o u i n R e v i e w | M ay 5, 2021

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Over 100 students gathered outside Jesse Hall for a protest organized by the Black Student Athlete Association on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 at the Frances Quadrangle in Columbia. This protest was the first of multiple that occurred throughout the 2020-2021 school year with a focus on social justice. PHOTO BY LILY DOZIER

Jefferson tombstone. The outdoor monument features the original obelisk and a reproduction of Jefferson’s plaque and has been on campus since 1885.

MU spent $20,000 to encase the tombstone in a clear acrylic case. MU spokesperson Christian Basi said the expenses were not funded by tuition or state appropriations.

Students rallied on Twitter — many felt that MU cared more about the statue than the concerns of their Black students.

“Going as Thomas Jefferson for Halloween so maybe Mizzou will care about me for once,” popular parody account University of Misery tweeted in late October.

The Jefferson tombstone was not the only university expenditure students contested. The pandemic posed particular challenges to

students returning to campus for the fall.

To prepare for a particularly complex semester, MU launched their #MaskUpMizzou campaign.

This included paying a marketing firm $10,000 for a month-long social media campaign that sponsored five MU students, each with around 1,000 Instagram followers. These students posted photos urging others to wear masks and familiarize themselves with the MU Renewal Plan.

Some students again took to social media to question and mock the campaign. Students raised questions over whether MU’s response to COVID-19 was appropriate.

According to MU’s Show Me Renewal webpage, there were 228 reported active cases on Aug. 25. By Sept.

5, reported cases peaked at

683. Throughout the fall semester, students reported that they had trouble meeting requirements to get tested, and quarantined students complained about insufficient meals.

Concerns about COVID-19 came to a head when Choi blocked students on Twitter on Sept. 9. Some blocked students tagged his private account in complaints about MU’s COVID-19 response, while others never mentioned him. The university argued he was justified to do so because it was his personal account.

Within the same day, Choi unblocked students after lawyer and MU alumnus Christopher Bennett threatened to sue MU for violating the First Amendment’s guarantee to freedom of speech. He argued that Choi could not block students because it was his

only account and he used it in a professional capacity.

In a Sept. 14 letter addressed to Choi, 15 faculty members from the School of Journalism expressed disappointment in administrative actions.

“Already, a few colleagues and students have confided that they fear that speaking out will put their jobs or scholarships at risk,” the faculty wrote.

On March 3, Landon Brickey and Emily Smith were voted Missouri Students Association president and vice president.

Key points of their campaign platform included support for faculty and students of color and COVID-19 health and well-being. In an Instagram post, they stated their support of “free and open speech to administrators.”

They will certainly face a challenge. This past school year left students and faculty

alike with the feeling that MU was not listening to their concerns and thoughts.

Twitter became a valuable outlet for students to vent frustrations and communicate with others, and handfuls of groups formed throughout the year to protest and voice concerns. Despite massive outcry, MU seems to not have learned from their mistakes.

Although MU has shown a willingness to meet with students and faculty to discuss school issues, they have yet to meet student demands and communication is lacking. If MU truly wants to improve relations with its community, it must show more willingness to actively listen to its population and seek solutions together.

Edited by Nicholas Chen nchen@themaneater.com

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THE MANEATER | M i z z o u i n R e v i e w | M ay 5, 2021

CULTURE

A silent fight: using art as a platform to speak out against injustices From the steps of Jesse Hall to the classroom, MU students employed creative outlets to reach wider audiences when advocating for social change during the 2020-2021 school year

movement has been very prominent recently, and there has been a lot of killings and shootings with police brutality. I feel like with that, there are a lot of misconceptions of Black people, and I wanted to challenge those misconceptions with art and show a different image than what you might see in

BY SHANNON WORLEY popular media,” Carbin said.

MOVE Culture Editor 2021-22 In each image, Carbin addressed a stereotype Warning: This story contains quotes surrounding Black culture. with slurs and sexual assault.

The first image features a Black woman in a crown crying.

The 2020-21 school year This challenged the idea that was like no other. Masks and Black women lack sympathy social distancing mandates and are undesirable. The brought sharp adjustments to second image depicts a Black the routines man and woman of many MU to exemplify students, but the peace and the social power that often c l i m a t e accompanies c a u s e d Black unity. even more The third disruption to photo shows a student lives man holding on campus. a butterfly to A summer combat the filled with mindset that chants of Black men are “I can’t aggressive or breathe” violent. from Black VADS was held —Raelyn Stecker virtually on the Lives Matter p r o t e s t s MU library’s left many students reeling website, and had a live exhibit with feelings of anger, hurt from March 17 through April and sadness. When school 25. Pieces featured a variety resumed in August, some of topics, but Carbin wanted students took physical action to use his art to address the and joined groups like the relevant issue of racism.

Mizzou Black Student Athlete “I think art is an important Association and Mizzou medium for social change.

600 to protest the systemic Different things work for racism at MU and across the different people. There are country. Other students took different ways for social a different approach and used change. Art for me works,” art, music and literature to Carbin said. “Trying to use voice their concerns. images or something beautiful One of these students, like art is very palatable. It’s Darreon Carbin, is a sophomore a common thing that a lot of majoring in art and film. people like, so if protesting As an art student, Carbin and physical action isn’t your participated in the Visual Art thing, art might be,” Carbin and Design Showcase. His said. piece was titled “Challenging A recent issue that erupted Misconceptions of the Dark across MU campus is the Complexion” and restructuring of the MU featured three Department of Social photos.

Justice. Mizzou 600 “The Black organized a protest on Lives Matter April 29 to speak out against the

“SPEAKING OUT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE IS...SCARY AND INTIMIDATING. BUT ONCE I WAS ACTUALLY DOING IT, I REALIZED IT WAS ALSO EMPOWERING.”

plan. Among the protesters individuals and emphasized context requires resistance. was freshman Raelyn Stecker. the importance of other The experience of oppression As a member of the LGBTQ+ platforms. is painful and one of the community, female and “Historically, art and most important ways you a victim of sexual violence literature have brought a lot navigate through that painful on campus, the proposed of light to the experience changes upset Stecker. After suffering that is through experiencing discrimination people are various forms on campus because of her going through of resistance. identities, she was ready for a and I think Music does a change in the way things are we need to lot to help folks run. However, the proposed look to that. think about plan was a step in the wrong These books the ways that direction. are written they can resist “I have been called a dyke. I from a spot oppression,” have been called a fag. I have of pain and McCowan said. been called so many other by someone By having things on Mizzou’s campus. who is being her students We might not be experiencing affected by create this the immense discrimination these issues,” group playlist, people experienced in the Stecker said.

M c C o w a n —Darreon Carbin hoped to help 60s, but there is still so much “If we truly hatred and so much to work give attention them better on,” Stecker said. to these platforms and have understand what it is like At the protest, Stecker discourse and discussion to face various forms of joined her peers in sharing about it, non-minority oppression and empower her experiences with groups will be better able to them when facing these discrimination on campus, understand. It’s important to situations. This could have and emphasized the boost the voices of people that been done through a film or importance of are actually book, but McCowan credited the diversity being affected. music as something that all centers.

Nothing is individuals can relate to, “It was going to be making it easier for students terrifying at done unless we to develop their sociopolitical first. Speaking listen to those views. in front of who are being “Music is an expression people is not my h a r m e d , ” right from the artists’ favorite thing.

Stecker said. experiences. I think that as It’s scary and A s s i s t a n t folks create art like music, intimidating. r e s e a r c h it's often a critique of what's But once I was p r o f e s s o r happening, and so in that actually doing K r i s t i n way it furthers movements, it it, I realized M c C o w a n sustains movements. Because it was also also realizes it brought in the folks that empowering,” the value of listen to it and broadens the —Kristin McCowan different art reach of understanding of Stecker said. “I have talked to mediums in whatever it is we're critiquing my friends and complained social justice movements. or expressing about,” about the parts of Mizzou As a part of her Social and McCowan said.

I don’t like, but there has Economic Justice course, Amidst the discourse on never been any weight to it. McCowan had her students campus this year, students But now, since I spoke, I have create a playlist for and staff turned to art to been contacted for interviews sociopolitical development. express themselves. Although and it makes me feel like Her students teamed up in most cases their concerns there was weight and people to create a collaborative were non-verbal, their voices want to hear what I have to playlist, including songs from were heard loud and clear. say,” Stecker said.

Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, J. Edited by Lauren Hubbard While the protest reached a Cole and more. Although the lhubbard@themaneater.com wide audience and resonated assignment differed from with many, Stecker was the normal projects in the unimpressed with MU’s writing intensive, McCowan response. She recognized found this one to hold just as that protests may not be the much value. b e s t way to “I think it is extremely reach a l l valuable for students to understand that existing in an oppressive

“THERE ARE A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS OF BLACK PEOPLE, AND I WANT TO CHALLENGE THOSE MISCONCEPTIONS WITH ART.”

“I THINK THAT AS FOLKS CREATE ART LIKE MUSIC, IT’S OFTEN A CRITIQUE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING, AND SO IN THAT WAY IT FURTHERS MOVEMENTS.”

GRAPHIC BY

BY AVA AVA HORTON GRAPHC HORTON

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THE MANEATER | M i z z o u i n R e v i e w | M ay 5, 2021 ANGLES

Our school year in music, movies and media Through the chaos of college during a pandemic, pop culture comforted MU students.

BY ANNA KOCHMAN DOMINIQUE HODGE MOVE Angles Writers &

ELISE MULLIGAN

MOVE Angles Editor 2021-22

Warning: This story mentions rape.

MUSIC

For a lot of MU students, the 2020-21 academic year might be forgettable. Days on Zoom classes turned into nights spent in dorm rooms, and weeks often blended together.

But through it all, there was music. It started with TikTok trends early in the pandemic — remember “Coffee” by beabadoobee and “Chinese New Year”

by SALES? By the fall semester, a number of artists released music inspired by the pandemic. With seemingly endless time on their hands, MU students listened to it all. Let’s break it down.

August/September: At the beginning of the year, campus rode on the high of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s cultural phenomenon, “WAP.” Despite a pervasive sense of fear of contracting COVID19, students blasted the song (not to mention Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage”) from private spaces like apartment balconies and in residence halls.

An honorable mention goes

Facing a pandemic in the midst of a chaotic year shocked MU’s student body in ways they never experienced before. A mysterious virus with fatal risks spread rapidly and forced a worldwide standstill. Promising projects, gatherings and face-to-face with loved ones were placed

to Ava Max’s earworm “Kings and Queens,” an upbeat club song that might’ve played at bars downtown if not for the pandemic.

October/November: Though Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” came out in July 2020, it arguably gained popularity as the campus leaves changed colors and Missouri’s temperatures fell matching the folksy, autumnal energy of Swift’s eighth studio album. Miley Cyrus’ live cover of Blondie’s classic “Heart of Glass” took MU by storm after its late September release — a perfect rock anthem for singing along to in the car.

December: Cyrus kept her hold on pop fans through the month of December with her album “Plastic Hearts.”

Though most students did not return to MU after Thanksgiving break, they continued streaming remixes of old Christmas songs and new ones alike (re: Lil Nas X’s “Holiday”).

January/February: The Weeknd’s 2020 album “After Hours” regained steam just in time for

GRAPHIC GRAPHC BY GEOFFREY DEAN

on hold. The daunting pause on our society instilled fear that the world would never be the same.

In a haze of uncertainty, who would have thought that even a pandemic couldn’t keep the entertainment industry still?

In innovative and unprecedented ways, artists

his Super Bowl halftime performance, alongside the Kansas City Chiefs’ (albeit disappointing) appearance.

During the bitter February cold, we took solace in Olivia Rodrigo’s overwhelmingly sad debut single “drivers license.”

March/April: As the school year winds down, the music industry gears up for warmer weather.

Candidates for song of the summer include Dua Lipa’s endlessly catchy “Levitating,” Beach Bunny’s hit “Cloud 9” or TikTok’s wildcard 70s anthem, “More Than a Woman,” by the Bee Gees.

Through the lowest lows of a school year marred by few social activities, popular music (often guided by trends on TikTok) provided an escape for the student body. The unique sound of our campus continues to evolve daily.

MOVIES

While movie theaters took a hit during the pandemic closures, streaming services flourished and movies continued to be released

figured out how to entertain at a distance. Production of new music, television shows and films continued as safely as possible for the sake of audiences everywhere.

Creators were determined to provide the much-needed escape of entertainment.

Rather than wallowing in

the uncertainty, the industry chose to provide the security and joy only films, music and other entertainment gives us.

We at MOVE Angles chose to appreciate and showcase the best of the best in music and film from the school year.

GRAPHIC BY AVA HORTON

on both fronts. In September, heartthrob Tom Holland took on a gritty role in “The Devil All the Time” with Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgård, Eliza Scanlen and the rest of the star-studded cast.

The film debuted on Netflix with a twisted, disturbing storyline of humanity at its worst.

The same month, the sci-fi action movie “Tenet’’ premiered in theaters, starring John David Washington as a time-manipulating CIA operative alongside Pattinson.

Clearly, Pattinson has come a long way since “Twilight.”

September also marked the start of Disney’s domination in the film world, when they pumped out three of the year’s major movies of this year. The first was a more historicallyaccurate and live-action remake of “Mulan.” The company then turned back to animation with December’s widelypopular “Soul,” a story about a jazz musician voiced by Jamie Foxx.

Later, “Raya and the Last Dragon” gave viewers the first Southeast Asian Disney princess in March 2021, but not without controversy over a lack

of Southeast Asian voice actors and a meltingpot view of different cultures, taking a dash of inspiration from each country and shoving it under the same umbrella in the film.

If MU students needed another reason to be anxious in September, the Netflix documentary, “The Social Dilemma,” explored how technology controls the public with an immense amount of influence. The autumn months also saw Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron Cohen tell the stories from the 1968 Democratic National Convention uprising in “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

On Christmas, the revenge genre of film decided to get into the holiday spirit with the release of “Promising Young Woman.” Carey Mulligan played a vengeful woman who pretends to be drunk to lure potential rapists into her grasp. Another strong female lead hit the superhero universe as Patty Jenkins returned to direct “Wonder Woman 1984.”

An explosion of movies came out in February 2021, including the haunting documentary “Framing Britney

GRAPHC

BY AVA HORTON

Spears” about the pop singer’s downfall and court battles.

Also, “Malcolm and Marie,” in true pandemic fashion, had a two-person cast of Zendaya and John David Washington portray a complicated relationship. Plus, Sia made the horrendous mistake to release her film “Music,” an offensive depiction of autism that achieved a pathetic 8% on Rotten Tomatoes.

This year came to a close with the 93rd Academy Awards on April 25. Highlights included “Nomadland” winning best picture, Daniel Kaluuya as best supporting actor for “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and best lead actor going to Anthony Hopkins instead of the anticipated winner Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in 2020.

All things considered, the year was not bad for Hollywood in a pandemic.

Edited by Elise Mulligan emulligan@themaneater.com

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THE MANEATER | M i z z o u i n R e v i e w | M ay 5, 2021

SOFI SAYS

COLUMN: The good, the bad and what we should learn from the 2020-2021 school year Looking back at a school year unlike any other: here’s what we’ve learned about our university, our country and their priorities.

BY SOFI ZEMAN

Opinions Editor 2020-21

In a whirlwind of a year, we’ve witnessed hatred, political upheaval, death and extreme isolation.

During this same time, we’ve also been able to observe newfound community, activism and an opportunity to learn from each other.

The 2020-21 school year has been far from typical. In the wake of our experiences, good or bad, here are some things to take note of moving forward.

WE CAN DO MORE THAN RAISE AWARENESS

A shocking number of racial injustices and horrific hate crimes sparked activism in the U.S. In the last year, millions of people nationwide have put themselves at risk in pursuit of justice.

MU’s campus is no stranger to activism.

Groups like Mizzou Is Still Concerned voiced their concerns regarding MU’s ties to both historic and active racism, and published a list of demands for MU Administration to address. Following a series of anti-Asian hate crimes, opinion guest columnists-turnedManeater-editors Namratha Prasad and Cayli Yanagida shared their personal experiences with racism throughout their lives and at MU. As a result of worldwide protests and action, the fight for equality on a variety of planes is arguably stronger than it has been in years.

Activism, like last summer’s protests for the Black Lives Matter movement, isn’t something that should

die out over time — this is something we need to fuel.

The serious issues of racism and social inequality within our country have received a spotlight, and there’s no going back. In a perfect world, people wouldn’t have to go to the streets to call for action from major institutions, but we aren’t living in one.

This country is in dire need of change. There’s more that each of us can do besides raising awareness.

It is every person’s responsibility to actively work to eradicate institutionalized hatred.

People who don’t feel safe protesting can do their part every day.

Call out racist, sexist, homophobic or ableist people. Educate those who are misinformed, and correct them for any falsely-based, preconceived notions they may have.

Whatever it is, do something.

Stay concerned.

A NEW DOESN’T COUNTRY

PRESIDENCY “FIX” A

If we’ve learned anything in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s presidency, it’s that the damage it has done to the U.S. will take generations to mend.

In the words of Maneater columnist Noah Wright: “...the Trump era did not end with the loss of the White House, it merely entered a new phase.

Trump loyalists are now the opposition group, a group that will only grow larger and more powerful if the Biden administration achieves its goal of returning to status quo politics.”

From an insurrection in the U.S. Capitol to the only vote against anti-Asian hate crime legislation being from Missouri, it’s clear the “Trump era” will have some long-standing negative effects in this country, and it’s important to prepare ourselves for that.

UNSEEN PRIVILEGE IS HARMFUL

This one goes without saying, but it is especially important to remember. Not every person has faced notable adversity in life, and with that comes extreme privilege.

The refusal to accept said privilege is offensive to people of color, women, survivors of sexual assault, trans or nonbinary people and others who have spent generations trying to gain bare-minimum levels of representation.

Don’t contribute to the continuance of the rich, historically white mentality that every person in America is given equal opportunity in life, because it’s simply not true.

It’s important to not only recognize privilege, but to use it for good in any way possible.

Rather than tearing others down, use any and all economic, social or political platforms to lift them up. Underrepresented communities need their voices shared as accurately as possible, and more inclusive legislation is vital.

Bailout funds, rehabilitation programs and social justice organizations can thrive with proper funding. Reach out to state legislators, call for action, donate where you can and please, use the privilege you have to help rather than hate.

A prime example of harmful privilege is forcing the angle of objectivity in journalism.

“For people of color and marginalized communities, we don’t get to strip ourselves of these identities for the news. No matter if the story runs, at the end

of the day, I am still a Black, queer person living in America who faces threats reported during the news in my daily life,” Maneater columnist Gabriel Levi shared in their recent column, “Why objectivity in journalism does more harm than good to marginalized communities.”

IT’S IMPERATIVE TO CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER, NOW MORE THAN EVER To be frank, this year was scary and extremely isolating at times. As Jamie Holcomb and Cela Migan addressed in their column “MU must expand COVID-19 mental health services,” the pandemic has prompted or worsened mental health issues among people of all ages, especially college students.

Life is hard; it’s important now more

than ever to care for each other. Keep friends and family close if possible. Check in on loved ones regularly.

Help people you don’t know; it’s likely they are also struggling.

Not all strangers stay strangers for long.

“Mental illnesses are as serious as a physical ailment like a broken arm and should be treated with the same level of attentiveness.

They require diligence, care, support from others, therapy for rehabilitation, checkups and patience,” Cela Migan said in her column “Discussing mental health is a must for students.”

What the world will look like in the transition to post-COVID-19 life remains unknown, so don’t face it alone.

Edited by Sarah Rubinstein srubinstein@themaneater. com

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THE MANEATER | M i z z o u i n R e v i e w | M ay 5, 2021 MI-AGAIN

COLUMN: Wood walks through his and HarlAn’s history

Cris Wood (left) sits at Traditions Plaza with his dog, Harlan, on Monday, April 19, 2021. When Wood and Harlan came into sight, students gathered at Traditions started calling Harlan’s name and smiles erupted across their faces. | PHOTO BY AMY SCHAFFER

The duo are a Columbia staple and inspire students and residents alike to take more walks and enjoy the outdoors.

BY CELA MIGAN Columnist

A Speakers Circle regular and honorary MU mascot, Harlan, age 9, regularly strolls across campus. His owner, Cris Wood, 64, accompanies him.

While many people recognize the dog, they often don’t know the man walking the dog.

Although COVID-19 may have changed the way campus looks in, one constant and shining beacon through it all has been seeing Wood and Harlan. Wood and Harlan made their regular rounds on campus long before the pandemic popularized taking outdoor walks. The two are guaranteed to make people’s days — students often make a beeline to Harlan on their way to class.

Harlan is instantly recognizable as his large, white, fluffy self. Wood, on the other hand, often wears a baseball cap, worn t-shirt and cargo shorts.

Born in Savannah, Georgia, Wood considers himself a naturalized Missourian.

“It’s been pretty fun, being able to take a dog on campus [and] feel like you’re doing something for people without

really doing anything,” Wood said. “He eats [the attention] up. Sometimes he’ll start barking here, trying to get people to come over.”

Indeed, Harlan’s deep bark — rare as it may be — reverberates through Speakers Circle and makes his presence known. For MU students who have a dog back home, petting Harlan brings them a rush of endorphins over their dog love for the time being.

Even MU gets in on the Harlan love, paying homage to him at the beginning of the school year in the form of a 6-foot-long social distancing sticker. When the sticker wore away due to snow ploughs, MU created a traveling sign in the form of Harlan so that students could use his image as a photo-op.

Further cementing his role at MU, tour guides explicitly mention Harlan while giving tours to prospective students.

Wood doesn’t receive nearly as much attention or pets, but enjoys speaking to others, learning where they’re from and a bit about them.

The uncommon spelling of Wood’s first name comes from his parents, who named him and his siblings variations of other family members’

names. Cris is derived from Curtis, without the “u” or “t.” Harlan’s name comes from the Patty Loveless song, “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.”

“So that’s how we named Harlan,” Wood said. “And the one before, Harry, I thought that was tongue-in-cheek. It was really H-A-R-R-Y, but … it sounds like he’s a super hairy dog.”

Students used to see two polar bears walking around campus, but Harry, a Great Pyrenees as well, passed away in 2016. The popular Instagram account @harry_and_harlan includes the names of the two dogs.

Wood runs the account, frequently posting pictures of Harlan posing with his admirers around Columbia.

When not walking, Wood spends time outdoors, reading, watching TV and doing tile work. Every year in September and early October, Wood and company travel north to Copper Harbor, Michigan, where the locals know Harlan as “the polar bear dog.” “[I] just fell in love with it,” Wood said. “You can go up on a mountain. It’s 700 feet above the lake and you can get that whole giant lake.

It’s just like being at the ocean, except no tide — and the water’s fresh. So the dog can drink it and there’s no sharks. There’s lamprey eels, but they never bothered people.”

Another spot Wood enjoys visiting is Duluth, Minnesota, for its proximity to a lake, sloping hills and hippie appeal.

“So the years we go up there, the [people say], ‘Oh, the polar bear dog is here,’” Wood said. “And they’re all excited. It’s pretty funny.

That’s what happens all the time. People are all excited because I got the giant dog with me. It makes you meet and talk to people that you’d never talk [to], like even just talking to me if I didn’t have a dog.”

When talking with the people who come up to pet Harlan, Wood makes casual conversation and learns about them. Harlan often receives gifts, be it bacon from Broadway Diner or sunglasses from a passerby.

“Harlan hasn’t gotten one pair of sunglasses this year, but he’s got a box [of them],” Wood said. “Oh, yeah, he’ll wear them ... and then a whole lot of falsetto starts going on. … That’s another

one that cracks me up — it’s a dog, they don’t talk baby talk.”

Although he typically sports a fluffy coat, Harlan got shaved on May 4. It makes him cooler for the summer and makes his hair less likely to get tangled. Wood describes the consistency of brushing Harlan’s drool-soaked fur as like “cream ranch.”

The approaching heat of summer won’t stop Wood and Harlan from walking, but just shorten the duration of their walks.

“Somebody said it — could have been Mark Twain — but, ‘walk your dog every day whether you have one or not,’” Wood said. “So yeah, just go walk.”

Owning a Great Pyrenees — or any dog for that matter — certainly improves a walk, but isn’t required. Going on a solo walk or one with friends grants reprieve from screens and the confines of the rooms we’ve become familiar with this past year. More walks also equal more opportunities to spot and potentially pet a dog in the neighborhood.

Edited by Sofi Zeman szeman@themaneater.com

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THE MANEATER | M i z z o u i n R e v i e w | M ay 5, 2021

SPORTS

ten moments that defined a wild 20202021 Missouri sports season tinyurl.com/wbb-record On senior day at Mizzou Arena, Missouri women’s basketball (9-13, 5-9 SEC) exploded for 18 3-pointers in 28 attempts against the Florida Gators.

Senior forward Shannon Dufficy and guard Shug Dickson went a combined 8-10 from beyond the arc, and the Tigers, who just couldn’t miss, cruised to a 96-80 victory ­— their first home SEC win of the season.

Sarah Fuller kicks her way into history at Faurot Field on Nov. 28, 2020.

COURTESY OF SEC MEDIA PORTAL

MISSOURI FANS WITNESS COLLEGE FOOTBALL HISTORY AT FAUROT FIELD

MISSOURI FOOTBALL’S LASTMINUTE GOAL LINE STAND SEALS UPSET WIN AGAINST LSU Our coverage:

tinyurl.com/fb-FirstWin When the SEC scheduled both Alabama and LSU as Missouri’s conference crossover opponents, many outside coach Eli Drinkwitz’s program believed the Tigers were in for two guaranteed losses. While Missouri fell victim to the Crimson Tide, the eventual national champions, they pulled off a shocking upset against the Tigers from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Up 45-41, the game came down to four consecutive stops at the 1-yard line in the final seconds. On fourth down, safety Joshuah Bledsoe batted down a pass intended for LSU receiver Terrace Marshall Jr., and the Tigers celebrated an early statement win of the Drinkwitz era.

MISSOURI MEN’S BASKETBALL GOES UNDEFEATED IN NONCONFERENCE PLAY

Our coverage: tinyurl.com/mbb-roundtable Missouri men’s basketball dispelled talk of being an SEC bottom feeder early in the 2020-21 season with an undefeated non-conference slate, which included five victories against March Madness-caliber teams and two ranked wins.

After knocking off No. 21 Oregon in a wire-to-wire outing, the Tigers bested No. 6 Illinois in the Braggin’ Rights game for a third consecutive year.

The early wins propelled the veteran squad into the AP Top 25, where they remained until late February.

run, these are just 10 of the many moments that Missouri sports fans will remember for years to come.

Our coverage: tinyurl.com/gymnastics-to-sixth After an up-and-down season, Missouri gymnastics earned the final spot in the conference championships and finished in sixth place, a new program high.

Just two weeks after posting the second-best beam score in program history, the Tigers totalled 196.125 for a season-high and their highest-ever team score at the SEC championships.

Sophomore Sienna Schreiber picked up a 9.925 on the beam, good for the best score of the entire first session of the meet, and tied for fifth on the event.

Our coverage:

COURTESY OF SEC MEDIA PORTAL

In a collegiate sports year unlike any other, Missouri’s athletic

programs left fans unforgettable moments.

From a wild goalline stand, to a program-defining top-10 win and memorable home

MISSOURI GYMNASTICS FINISHES A PROGRAM-BEST SIXTH IN THE SEC

MISSOURI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SETS A PROGRAM RECORD IN HOT SHOOTING NIGHT AGAINST FLORIDA

Joshuah Bledsoe knocks the ball away from Terrace Marshall Jr. to seal Missouri's win over LSU on Oct. 10, 2020.

BY THE MANEATER SPORTS STAFF

Our coverage: tinyurl.com/SarahFullerAtFaurot Those at Faurot Field to take in Missouri’s 41-0 win against Vanderbilt in late November also happened to witness history after senior kicker Sarah Fuller became the first female to suit up and play in a Power 5 college football game.

The Commodores called upon the soccer team’s star goalkeeper after a majority of its kickers had to quarantine due to COVID-19. Fuller never attempted a field goal as the Tigers shut out Vanderbilt, but she did make history with a squib kick to open the second half.

Fuller went on to make a field goal in the Commodores’ next game against Tennessee, but she first entered the books in Columbia.

MISSOURI SOCCER COACH BRYAN BLITZ REACHES 250 WINS AND RETIRES AFTER 25 YEARS WITH THE PROGRAM

Our coverage: tinyurl.com/Blitz-retirement As Missouri soccer’s season came to a close, and after posting a record of 6-5-3, head coach Bryan Blitz stepped down from his role.

Blitz, the program’s first and only head coach, wrapped up his head coaching career just short of 254 wins at MU. The coach cited his desire to spend more time with his family as his primary reasoning.

As the only NCAA soccer coach in MU’s history, the team will look to fill a massive hole in the heart of the program.

PHOTO BY ANNA GRIFFIN

MBSAA HOSTS #MIZZOU4CHANGE MARCH TO CALL FOR RACIAL JUSTICE

Our coverage: tinyurl.com/Mizzou4Change The Mizzou Black Student Athlete Association hosted a march for racial justice on the evening of Sept. 3, 2020. Hundreds of students joined the athlete-led march and witnessed powerful testimony from Missouri athletes who shared their experiences.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in all-black attire and sat in Memorial Stadium to pay tribute to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin and many more.

MISSOURI WRESTLING WINS THE MAC (AGAIN) AND REJOINS THE BIG 12

MITCHELL SMITH’S CLUTCH BLOCK HELPS MISSOURI MEN’S BASKETBALL CLINCH TOP-10 WIN AGAINST ALABAMA

Our coverage: tinyurl.com/mbb-BeatingBama Senior forward Mitchell Smith’s block served as the climax of the 2020-21 Missouri men’s basketball campaign, and what a climax it was.

As Alabama senior forward Herbert “Herb” Jones caught the ball on the block, he pump faked to shake senior guard Dru Smith. When he got the shot up, Mitchell Smith stood in perfect position to swat the ball off the backboard, which secured the Tigers’ third top-10 victory of the season.

While the moment will be remembered for years, as the Tigers vaulted into the AP Top 10 for the first time since 2012, the buildup to the block foretold what the remainder of the season entailed for Missouri.

Coach Cuonzo Martin’s team went 3-7 to close the year.

MSBAA’s march ended at Faurot Field, where a moment of silence occurred as well as speeches from student athletes

COURTESY OF MIZZOU ATHLETICS

MISSOURI SOFTBALL SENIOR KATHERINE KADLEC LAUNCHES GAME-ENDING SINGLE FOR HER FIRST COLLEGIATE HIT Our coverage:

tinyurl.com/sb-Kadlec Redshirt junior bullpen catcher Katherine Kadlec stepped to the plate in an early-season matchup against Middle Tennessee State without ever recording a collegiate hit. Then, coach Larissa Anderson sent her to the plate, and she hit a walkoff single to earn a run-rule victory for the Tigers.

Kadlec’s hit further cemented a family legacy at MU, as her grandfather was John ‘Mr. Mizzou’ Kadlec, who was involved with the football program as both a coach and broadcaster for nearly two decades.

Our coverage: tinyurl.com/Wrestling-wins-MAC Missouri wrestling won its ninth straight MAC championship to cap off a perfect 10-0 regular season.

During the championship, the Tigers set a new MAC team record of 188.5 points, while head coach Brian Smith took home MAC co-coach of the year.

After finishing seventh in the NCAA championships, freshmen Keegan O’Toole, Rocky Elam and junior Brock Mauller were named All-Americans.

The team surprised fans at the end of the season after it announced its decision to rejoin the Big 12 next year.

With plenty of young talent, there is ample room for growth, especially for a team whose next goal is to bring the Big 12 title back to Columbia.

Edited by Nicholas Chen nchen@themaneater.com