Vol82issue20

M THE MANEATER

The student voice of MU since 1955

www.themaneater.com

Vol. 82, Issue 20

February 17, 2016

Campus

Hoverboard ban may be difficult to enforce Director of Student Life Mark Lucas: “Are the police going to come to track somebody down who’s riding a hoverboard? I have no idea.”

LILY OPPENHEIMER Senior Staff Writer

be more diverse than it currently is.

“Our state is incredibly diverse, and the board should be reflective as a whole,” Walker said.

Walker also said that diversity allows for multiple perspectives and viewpoints, which in turn helps in achieving the board’s goal of successfully governing the university. She cited the upcoming presidential search as an additional reason why diversity is important.

“Research has shown when you have diversity, you have better results,” Walker said. “When developing criteria (for the next UM System president), there are not as many perspectives present when diversity is absent.”

Tracy Mulderig, the student representative to the board, said she believes diverse backgrounds bring multiple viewpoints to the table.

After the campuswide ban on hoverboards, students may not be concerned with the threat of punishment or strict enforcement from the MU Police Department or the Office of Student Conduct.

Self-balancing scooters, also known as hoverboards, were banned beginning Jan. 8 because of the “potential impact on MU campus safety,” an email to students stated.

MUPD relies on individuals to report campus hoverboard violations by filing a report themselves, including specific information such as time, location, suspects involved and a detailed description of the event. Director of Student Life Mark Lucas compared enforcing the hoverboard ban to the smoking policy.

“There’s no smoking allowed on this campus, and everyday when we walk out there’s people smoking in the same areas,” Lucas said. “People ask me, ‘where’s the enforcement for it?’ Well, there is no enforcement. The enforcement is on individual people.”

Lucas said he has asked smokers to put out their cigarettes repeatedly with no cooperation and predicts that the hoverboard ban will follow the same pattern.

“Are the police going to come to track somebody down who’s riding a hoverboard?”

Lucas said. “I have no idea. Everything we do in student conduct is based on receiving reports of violations, from either students, community or police. We don’t go looking for anything or initiate anything.”

Students wanting to file a report or complaint can visit the Office of Student Conduct website and fill out an incident report form.

After a hoverboard violation is reported, the charge is reviewed, and students could be charged with failure to comply with university policy, Office of Student Conduct senior coordinator Julie Drury said.

Drury and MUPD Maj. Brian Weimer both said their departments have received no reports of hoverboard violations.

see curators | Page 12

Edited by Hailey Stolze | hstolze@themaneater.com

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

Curator Phillip Snowden jots down notes during Middleton’s address at the curators meeting Feb. 4 in Reynolds Alumni Center.

representation

Curators enter presidential search with a diversity problem The board has no racial minorities serving on it for the second time since minorities began serving in 1971.

CLAIRE MITZEL Staff Writer Three curators have resigned in the last three months, leaving the UM System Board of Curators with one woman and no racial minorities.

The board’s current composition has sparked a conversation about its lack of diversity.

The board, which was created along with MU in 1839, is in charge of managing the UM System’s four campuses and appointing their chancellors, as well as the UM System president.

The resignations of Ann Covington, Yvonne Sparks and

David Steward — all women or racial minorities — left the board with six members and a noticeable lack of diversity as the search for the next UM System president is about to start. This comes in the middle of discussions about issues of diversity and inclusion in the UM System since the race-based protests

by Concerned Student 1950 and the resignation of UM System President Tim Wolfe in November.

The lack of diversity is nothing new. Since the creation of the board in 1839, 400 of the 426 members, or 93.7 percent, have been white males, according to records obtained

by The Maneater. Only 6.3 percent have been women or minorities.

Current diversity

Former curator Cheryl Walker, one of the three black members who have been chair of the board, said she believes the board should

Suspended professor Melissa Click speaks The woman at the center of a media firestorm speaks out as she tries to rehabilitate her public image after reaching a deal with the city prosector.

page 3

Bound 2 fall in love with Kanye’s new album.

page 17

Ready for the season? No? Read our baseball preview.

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THE MANEATER | ETC. | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

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FEJUPST!UIFNBOFBUFS DPN XXX UIFNBOFBUFS DPN The Maneater is the official student publication of the University of Missouri and operates independently of the university, student government, the School of Journalism and any other campus entity. All text, photos, graphics and other content are property of The Maneater and may not be reproduced without permission.

The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the University of Missouri or the MU Student Publications Board. The first copy of The Maneater is free, each additional copy is 25¢. “He canceled our interview. So I sunshine requsted all of his emails.â€?

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Applications for The Maneater 2016-17 Editor-in-Chief and Business Manager are now open. MU students with a 2.0 GPA and fall enrollment of at least six credit hours is elegible to apply. Applications are due by 5 p.m. March 17. A staff debate and election will be held March 23. Visit www.themaneater.com/applications for more information.

The MANEATER Spring STAFF Want to work with us? themaneater.com/workforus

Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Loutfi

Copy Chief George Roberson

Managing Editor Katherine Knott

Production Manager Christy Prust

News Editors Taylor Blatchford,Waverly Colville, Hailey Stolze

Graphics Manager Jessie Corbin Production Assistant Rachel Kim

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Assistant Photo Editors Alexzandria Churchill, Jessi Dodge, Emily Nevils Assistant News Editors Emily Gallion, Allyson Vasilopulos Assistant Sports Editors Alexzandria Churchill, Tyler Kraft

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NEWS

MU, city and state news for students

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COURTESY OF LACY RUSHIN

Activism

Suspended professor Melissa Click speaks out

Click: “I leaned on the people around me who love me and tried very hard to remember good things about myself and that I was trying to do the right thing.”

KATHERINE KNOTT Managing Editor Melissa Click, an assistant communications professor, was standing with family near the intersection of Ninth Street and University Avenue when members of Concerned Student 1950 stopped the Homecoming parade Oct. 10.

One by one, the 11 students grabbed the megaphone and recited parts of MU’s racial past, from the first time black students

were admitted to when racial slurs were hurled at Missouri Students Association President Payton Head last September.

The crowd at the parade began chanting “M-I-Z, Z-O-U” to drown out the protesters and form their own line between Concerned Student 1950 and then-UM System President Tim Wolfe’s car. At that point, Click joined the demonstrators.

“I felt that they were students who needed support and wanted to be there,” she said in an interview with The Maneater last week. “I felt like standing with them would be something small that I could do to show them that they weren’t alone.

Then others joined me, which was really moving.”

Click is suspended by the UM System Board of Curators pending further investigation for her conduct, which included calling for “muscle” to remove a

student journalist during campus protests on Nov. 9, the day Wolfe resigned.

She said what happened that day was a mistake but that she shouldn’t lose her job over it. She’s worried about the curators’ investigation, and she would like to return to students and her classroom.

Another video of Click from the Homecoming parade was posted last Saturday by the Columbia Missourian.

Taken by a body camera on a Columbia police officer, the video shows Click yelling an expletive at the officers.

Click joined Concerned Student 1950 eight minutes into their demonstration, and the police arrived shortly after.

“The crowd had already been angry and wanted them to move on,” Click said. “The police came, and I’m a white person, and I teach about race, but I’ve never really experienced that kind of hostility directed

at people.”

She thought she could protect the students by standing between them and the police.

“I thought, well, if I stand between the police, who were putting their hands on the students, maybe they won’t push me. And they did,” she said.

The parade was a life-altering moment for her. Afterward, she said she couldn’t go back and watch the parade with her family. Instead, she walked across Francis Quadrangle to Switzler Hall, where she cried.

“Despite what students think of us, faculty members care deeply about their students, even students they don’t know,” Click said.

Click said she has stayed silent since

Click | Page 9

MU donations

Alumni pull $2 million in donations after campus tension last fall Vice Chancellor of Advancement Tom Hiles said the losses came from donors upset about controversial events like Concerned Student 1950 and Planned Parenthood protests.

LILY OPPENHEIMER Senior Staff Writer After students linked arms in celebration of the resignation of former UM System President Tim Wolfe, over 2,000 people called the MU Advancement office asking about the university, according to Vice Chancellor

of Advancement Tom Hiles. Many of these calls weren’t just empty threats.

“Currently Mizzou has lost $2 million in gifts,” Hiles said. “The pledges were made, and now donors are saying that they’re not giving the money.”

Hiles said the reasons for pulled donations varied from the build-up of controversial events last fall, including controversies over MU’s affiliation with Planned Parenthood and the Concerned Student 1950 movement.

Between five and 10 larger donors are zipping up their wallets.

“We track these calls on a heat app, and even though they’re split up between controversies, the most were concerning the

LEAD | Page 9

JENNIFER LEVENS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Adviser Farouk Aregbe to step down from his position after a decade with MSA Aregbe’s last day as MSA advisor will be March 4. He has served in this position for 10 years.

ANDREW FREIN Staff Writer Missouri Students Association adviser Farouk Aregbe announced that he will be stepping down from his position in during an MSA committee meeting Feb. 16. Aregbe, who has fulfilled the role of MSA adviser for the past 10 years, will leave MSA next month to become a manager for Academic Retention Services at MU. “After a decade of working with some of the most amazing students from MSA, STRIPES, Tiger Pantry, Truman’s Closet, MUTV, KCOU and ASUM, it is extremely difficult to leave,” Argebe said in an email.

Aregbe came to MU in 2006 and was MSA’s first official advisor.

During his time in MSA, Aregbe oversaw many different aspects of MU’s undergraduate student government and its auxiliaries and became an integral part of MSA. Despite the fact that he will be leaving after March 4, Aregbe said he doesn’t plan on being “a stranger,” and that he is also looking forward to working with students in a different capacity.

“I find comfort in knowing that my work — though on the north side of Ellis Library — will continue to impact the everyday lives of students,” Aregbe said.

Aregbe said that the details of an interim advisor are still being worked out.

MANEATER FILE PHOTO

Missouri Students Association adviser Farouk Aregbe sits in his office in the basement of Brady Commons in 2006, the year he started. He announced Tuesday that he’s stepping down.

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

THE MANEATER | NEWS | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

MSA special election is underway WAVERLY COLVILLE Student Organizations Editor

Keep up with the MSA special election candidates

HUTCHINSON // ghuman

COURTESY OF HUTCHINSON/GHUMAN

“Collaborate. Advocate. Rebuild.”

MSA presidential candidate Andrew Hutchinson and vice-presidential candidate Lydia Ghuman with their campaign, “Collaborate. Advocate. Rebuild.” Their campaign manager is Delan Ellington.

EARL // schafer

COURTESY OF EARL/SCHAFER

“Empower MU.” MSA presidential candidate Sean Earl and vice-presidential candidate Tori Schafer with their campaign, “Empower MU.” Their campaign manager is Sophia Dieckhaus.

TURNER // evans

COURTESY OF TURNER/EVANS

“Unite mizzou.”

MSA presidential candidate Sam Turner and vice-presidential candidate Clay Evans with their campaign, “Unite Mizzou.” Their campaign manager is Madison McMillian.

Dropped infractions Two slates in the MSA special election were almost issued infractions over the weekend, but neither were carried through.

The first infraction was against Turner and Evans. Turner/Evans announced their candidacy on social media Feb. 3 before the campaigning period began Feb. 15.

BEC Chairwoman Bridget Everson gave them an infraction for campaigning before the starting date.

However, the infraction was later repealed due to an unintent ion al miscommunication.

Turner/ Evans campaign manager Madison McMillian reached out to the BEC for clarification on whether the slate could contact organizations before the campaign period to schedule events during the campaign period Feb. 14.

Under the “Infractions and Penalties” section of the BEC handbook, “campaigning prior to the start of the allowed campaigning period” is listed as one of the possible reasons for an infraction.

Everson said the slate could not contact organizations before the start date. However, after consulting with her vice chairs, they “agreed that they didn’t see anything wrong with this form of

contact.”

Everson emailed the slate 31 minutes later stating that “we have decided that slates are allowed to contact chapters and orgs but are unable to speak with them until campaigning begins.”

The email was never delivered due to a server error, Everson said. She found out the next day that they never got the message.

During this time, Earl and Schafer began contacting organizations. Since the Turner/ Evans slate was under the impression that they could not, this put them at a disadvantage.

Everson got permission from Chief Justice Landen Smith to revoke Turner/Evans’ infraction to compensate for their disadvantage in their delayed contact with organizations.

Earl/Schafer also were issued an infraction because they posted photos to their Empower MU Instagram account about one week before campaigning started.

However, the slate said that their Instagram account was private so no one could see it.

Everson said that since Facebook pages and campaign websites can be set up in advance privately, Instagram will be treated the same way. The infraction was not confirmed.

About the candidates Sean Earl is an electrical engineering major from St. Louis.

He has worked as a leadership adviser for the Department of Residential Life, a Caring for Columbia site leader and an Emerging Leaders Program peer facilitator. Within MSA, he has held the secretary of auxiliaries position since summer 2015.

Tori Schafer is a political science and journalism dual major from Sylvania, Ohio.

Within MSA, she was a senator in the Operations Committee and chairwoman of the Academic Affairs Committee. She also leads the It’s On Us campaign and works for the Department of Student Life and the Student Recreation Complex.

Sam Turner is an agricultural economics major from Bernie, Missouri. He was the Schurz Hall president and the Missouri Future Farmers of America state vice president.

Clay Evans is a agribusiness management major from Lathrop, Missouri. He was the president of

the Lathrop Future Farmers of America Chapter.

Andrew Hutchinson is a history major from Columbia. He is a founder of One Mic, a nonprofit traveling open-mic event, and works at the Tiger Hotel. He also is a McNair Scholar who researches how gender affects work, identity management and emotional labor. He volunteered at Missouri Boys State last summer and stood with members of Concerned Student 1950 at the MSA Senate meeting that ended with MSA President-elect Haden Gomez’s resignation.

Lydia Ghuman is an English and biology dual major from Cincinnati. She is a student coordinator for Diversity Peer Educators, co-president of the Feminist Student Union, a Tour Team member and a site leader for Mizzou Alternative Breaks.

She is currently the interim Chief Inclusivity Officer for MSA. Edited by George Roberson | groberson@themaneater.com

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

EMILY NEVILS | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Students march through Lowry Mall during a walkout Nov. 5, 2015, to support graduate student Jonathan Butler’s hunger strike. This march was one of several held during the fall semester.

Freshman class most likely to protest in past 50 years, study finds MU students have organized more than a dozen major protests this year.

EMILY GALLION Assistant News Editor A survey of more than 140,000 college students conducted at the start of the fall semester has found that this year’s class of American freshmen is more likely to participate in demonstrations than any other in almost 50 years.

The release of the report comes after a months of protests at MU. As of Feb. 4, more than a dozen demonstrations had been organized by MU students since the beginning of the academic year. In the days following the resignation of former UM President Tim Wolfe, activists from at least 150 colleges organized

protests in solidarity.

Protests during the historic fall semester included the graduate student walkout, protests supporting Planned Parenthood, the Concerned Student 1950 and Racism Lives Here racial equality protests, and the burning of an Islamic State flag.

The activism wasn’t constrained to 2015, either: Concerned Student 1950 returned Feb. 4 to protest in support of Melissa Click and reissue their demands at a UM System Board of Curators meeting.

The annual survey is conducted by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program collected information on mental health, pell grants, religious affiliation and other categories. The study also found that students were drifting farther left politically and identifying as nonreligious more.

Eight-and-a-half percent of freshmen reported in 2015 there was a “very good chance” they would

participate in a protest, up from 5.6 percent in 2014.

The percent is the highest recorded since the study began to record the category in 1967.

The percent of students who said they would likely protest also varied greatly by race, with 16 percent of black students reporting a “very good chance” and 10 percent of Latino students. White students came in at 7.1 percent, and Native Americans at 5.8 percent. All races saw an increase from the previous year.

The study doesn’t give a specific explanation for the increased likelihood, but it does allude to the fact that 96 percent of incoming students witnessed a rise in activism among high school and college students.

“Many of the protests and outcries on college campuses and in communities have occurred in response to local incidents of bias and discrimination and in solidarity with broader, national movements (e.g., Black Lives Matter),” the study stated.

Political involvement of incoming students is increasing The Cooperative Institutional Research Program releases The American Freshman: National Norms survey results every year. The study collects information on the personal beliefs, demographic data and perspectives on college of the incoming freshman class of that year.

This year’s study showed an increase in political involvement from past years’ studies.

Source: “The American Freshman: National Norms” by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program

Graphic by Katherine Knott

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

Diversity officer selection is around the corner The position will oversee a diversity, equity and inclusion task force and develop training programs for system leadership.

KYRA HAAS Reporter Members of the UM System want its first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer to answer some tough questions left in the wake of last fall’s protests on MU’s campus.

The UM System held open forums during the last couple of weeks for the public to ask the final three candidates about how they would handle key issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The final choice is expected to be announced Feb. 28, according to the UM System website.

Questions revolved around how the UM System planned to move forward from last semester’s events, and attendees frequently requested concrete examples of candidates’ ability to lead what one woman called “transformative change.”

Members of Concerned Student 1950 were also in attendance to ask questions related to their demands released last fall.

“Despite negative pushback from state legislators who would rather preserve white supremacy than work to dismantle institutional racism that lives within the capitol, UM System and at Mizzou, what are your plans to make sure that our demands, which were released in October, are met?” Concerned Student 1950 member Maxwell Little said at an open forum last week.

In addition to the open forums,

the three finalists for the position visited MU to meet with a series of UM System and campus leaders and engage in online meetings with each campus. They also met with UM System Board of Curators Chairwoman Pam Henrickson and interim President Mike Middleton.

The new position comes from the Board of Curators’ series of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives established after campus protests and administrative resignations at MU in November.

UM System spokesman John Fougere called the creation of the position “probably the most prominent” initiative on that list.

The chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer will report directly to the president of the UM System and will oversee the diversity, equity and inclusion officers at the four UM System campuses.

“The specific responsibilities will include meeting all of the campus diversity officers in collaboral projects to ensure our entire institution can achieve inclusion in many facets,” Fougere said.

The chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer will also oversee a task force appointed by Middleton, which is already at work to develop a short and long term strategic plans and metrics for the UM System in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion, Fougere said.

Additionally, Fougere added that the officer will put together a training program for leadership in the system, including board members, the UM System president, vice presidents and chancellors.

The three finalists are Paulette Granberry Russell, Kevin McDonald and G. Christine Taylor.

The anticipated appointment date for the position is Feb. 28.

Russell currently serves as the University of Michigan’s

affirmative action officer and a committee member for the university president’s Advisory Committee on Disability Issues.

According to the UM System website, Russell’s office is “responsible for facilitating efforts and collaborating with the various colleges and campus units to develop effective strategies to advance a diverse and inclusive university environment and for assessing the effectiveness of such efforts.”

McDonald is the vice president and associate provost for diversity and inclusion at Rochester Institute of Technology. He previously served as vice president for equity and inclusion at Virginia Tech University from 2005 to 2010.

McDonald’s diversity and inclusion experience includes the “implementation of an academic support structure which has improved the cumulative grade point averages of historically underrepresented students” and “overseeing gap funding which has increased the compositional diversity of RIT faculty,” among other initiatives.

Taylor recently served as the inaugural vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Purdue University and has over 20 years of experience in higher education, according to her page on the UM System website.

“After the events that occurred on the MU campus last fall, the Board of Curators established a series of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to ensure ... we’re a university system that other campuses and universities across the country will eventually look to as a national model in how we address these issues and how we promote such things,” Fougere said.

Edited by Taylor Blatchford | tblatchford@themaneater.com

Rep. Stephen Webber proposes legislation to eliminate gender pay gap The Women’s Foundation and Institute of Public Policy found that women in Missouri receive 71 cents to the male dollar.

LAUREN WORTMAN Staff Writer On average, women in Missouri earn 71 cents to the male dollar, according to a study by the Institute of Public Policy and the Women’s Foundation.

Rep. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, recently introduced legislation to narrow this gap in pay.

House Bill 2370 focuses on directing the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to develop better methods to ensure that companies will compensate employees equally regardless of gender.

It will also require transparency in the compensation practices of companies.

A research partnership between MU and the Women’s Foundation was announced in October 2014 to study five areas: employment and income,

education and childcare, social and economic, health, and leadership and public engagement.

“This research will help us identify potential areas of improvement where the lives of Missouri women and their families can be improved,” said Jacqueline Schumacher, policy analyst for the Institute of Public Policy, when the partnership was announced.

Webber now aims to improve inadequate payment practices outlined in the 2015 study. The best practices to adopt in order to narrow the pay gap, according to the study, are creating more equity-based pay structures and promoting transparency for pay practices.

“We need to be proactive in ensuring women are fairly compensated in the workplace,” Webber said in a news release. “Narrowing the gender pay gap will help businesses and government recruit the best and brightest from across the country, while helping Missouri families make ends meet.”

Weber also referenced a second study by the American Association of University Women done in 2013,

which stated a 22 percent gap in annual earnings between men and women.

HB 2370 is not the first gender equality bill Webber has proposed. In March 2015, Webber introduced House Bill 44, which aimed to correct similar issues to the ones outlined in HB 2370.

Later in December 2015, Gov. Jay Nixon signed executive Order 15-09, which, like Webber’s proposals, aimed to eliminate the pay gap.

“Shortchanging 50 percent of

the workforce is bad for women, it’s bad for families, and it’s bad for our entire economy,” Nixon said. “Equal work deserves equal pay — period. My executive order sends a strong message that Missouri intends to be a leader in creating an economy of opportunity that works for everyone.”

A hearing for the bill has not yet been scheduled.

Edited by Haley Stolze | hstolze@ themaneater.com

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

Middle Eastern studies minor in the works Senior Nadav Soroker: “Learning about different cultures is greatly useful because it gives you a perspective that is not the one you grew up with.”

LILY CUSACK Senior Staff Writer MU could become the third school in the Southeastern Conference with a Middle Eastern studies program, as a minor is in the approval process and gaining traction thanks to support from students and faculty.

Sophomore and former Maneater staffer Isabella Alves and senior Nadav Soroker, along with the help of religious studies professor Nathan Hofer, have been working for the last semester to implement the minor as soon as possible.

“The idea is that for those students who want to go into either graduate school to something related to the Middle East or want to go on to get an internship with the hope of working for the government, an NGO, or a private corporation that does something in the Middle East, this will provide them with some background and a credential to help them in their professional pursuits,” Hofer said.

Alves agrees with Hofer that it would help her in her future international studies.

“Having this minor would definitely help me with graduate school and starting my understanding and research in that region,” Alves said. “The sooner I can start, the better.”

Soroker said the minor would be an opportunity for students to learn about a “really crucial region.”

“Learning about different cultures is greatly useful because it gives you a perspective that is not the one you grew up with,” Soroker said.

The minor would take an interdisciplinary approach, meaning that the 15 hours of required coursework to complete the minor could come from multiple departments.

So far, classes that could be included come from the departments of art history and archeology, classics, English, film studies, geography, Hebrew, history, peace studies, political science and religious studies.

“The minor will require multiple courses from multiple departments, and there are currently on the books a lot of courses that touch on the Middle East from all different kinds of departments in the College of Arts and Science,” Hofer said. “We’re just putting together a framework for what’s already out there.”

Hofer was drafted to support the minor last semester when Alves and Soroker approached him after professor Joseph Hobbs gave them the idea.

“I’d been thinking on it for a while, but hadn’t moved on it yet until some students contacted me and asked me why there’s no minor in Middle Eastern studies, and I said there’s no reason; let’s do it,” Hofer said. “It was really the students who spurred me to action.”

According to the Office of the Provost, for a minor to be approved, a proposal has to be drafted by the professor wanting to implement it. The proposal includes a list of courses the minor would include, any course prerequisites or admission requirements, a funding statement, and any other academic units that would be affected.

This proposal has to be accepted by the department chairs of participating departments, the vice provost for undergraduate studies, the campus undergraduate curriculum committee and, finally, the provost.

Currently, the minor’s proposal is approved by the necessary department chairs, and Hofer hopes that it will be approved by Associate Dean of Arts and Science Theodore Tarkow by the end of this month.

Along with the proposal, Hofer included a petition that Alves and Soroker penned to gain support from the minor “to prove that it was not just an academically worthy minor to have, but also that there was student interest to make it worth their time to do it,”

Soroker said. The petition received over 100 signatures.

Furthermore, the proposal requires little funding as many of the courses that would fall under the minor already exist. Only two of the proposed courses would be new: Religion and History in the Middle East I (Late Antiquity to 1453) and Religion and History in the Middle East II (1453 to Present).

“If it’s revenue-neutral, then there’s no justifiable way to say no to it, at least in my eyes,” Alves said.

The minor also does not include any language requirement as of yet, but in the future, Hebrew and Arabic classes could count toward the minor. MU only offers two semesters of Arabic and Hebrew classes, and each course is five credit hours.

“You only have to take 15 credit hours for a minor, so if you did two language courses in one year, that would be 10 credit hours,” Hofer said. “You practically have the whole

thing doing just that. I’m hoping once we get the framework in place, the minor’s working and enough students show interest that we will generate enough bodies in the classrooms that we can justify expanding the Arabic and Hebrew offerings.”

Of the 14 schools in the SEC, only two have any degrees related to Middle Eastern studies.

The University of Arkansas has a major, and Mississippi State University has a minor.

“It will add another feather in Mizzou’s cap for prospective students who are interested in these kinds of things,” Hofer said. “Mizzou can be a place that they can head to.”

As far as the future of the minor goes, Hofer feels hopeful. But he realizes the process will take some time.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to slowly grow the program, but it will take a while,” Hofer said.

“This is a good first step.”

Edited by Taylor Blatchford | tblatchford@ themaneater.com

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MU is not the only college affected by Yik Yak threats ALLYSON SHERWIN Staff Writer

The recent arrest of an MU student for posting a threat to Yik Yak is revealing a trend at college campuses across the country. In the past year, more than a dozen investigations were launched after threats were made against universities on the anonymous app.

When it comes to combating the problem, administrations at universities have their hands tied.

Because of First Amendment rights, colleges are unable to ban comments that are perceived to be offensive.

Three people have been arrested this year for Yik Yak threats directed at MU students.

On Dec. 14, MU Police Department arrested freshman Nathan Benz after police said he posted that he was going to “bomb” his test, according to an MUPD news release.

This most recent arrest comes after the Nov. 11 arrest of

Missouri University of Science and Technology student Hunter Park.

Police said Park threatened to “shoot every black person.”

Threats of violence posted on Yik Yak is not a problem limited to MU. College campuses nationally are grappling with how to handle illusive threats made against students by anonymous users.

Oct. 3, 2015: A Pennsylvania State University student was arrested for posting his plans to murder “everyone” with an assault rifle. The student was detained, and the university increased security on campus as a precaution.

Oct. 11, 2015: Emily Sakamoto was arrested in connection with a post about “shooting up” Emory University students on the anonymous platform.

“Stay in your rooms,” the post read. “The ones on the quad are the ones who will go first.”

According to police reports, she later admitted to creating the post.

Nov. 2, 2015: A Fresno State

University football player was arrested and held at $20,000 bail in connection with an anonymous threat. Freshman Christian Pryor allegedly posted that he was tired of being ridiculed and ignored, and how he planned to alleviate his frustrations through taking “a headshot at a hot blonde,” with an M4 carbine. The post also included a photo of the university's library.

Nov. 17, 2015: A racially charged “Yak” resulted in campus protests at Lewis and Clark College.

The anonymous threat advocated for slavery and expressed a desire to “hang you ignorant black people.”

Although under investigation, the individual responsible for the post has yet to be taken into custody.

Other universities that have been bombarded by anonymous Yik Yak threats include Charleston Southern University, Western Washington University, Oklahoma State University, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, BYU-Idaho and Syracuse University.

Counseling Center Director David Wallace said that although individual motivation for posting anonymous threats cannot be determined, there may be a common denominator.

“While there is no excuse for issuing threats to others, people who do so likely feel threatened in some way themselves,” Wallace said in an email.

Individuals who post threats may feel threatened by “a variety of possibilities, including mistrust of other people, fear of others who are different from oneself, disagreements with others with no sense of resolution, having a need for control when that isn't possible, and other possibilities as well,” Wallace said.

Wallace said that when this feeling of being threatened is not constructively addressed, it can manifest into the desire to intimidate others.

“Rather than working through the conflict in a constructive way,

the choice goes to a threat, which does bring harm to others because it incites fear even when the threat is not carried out,” Wallace said.

Wallace said users may feel compelled to post threats on the app because the anonymity may make users feel they can issue threats without consequences.

“I am concerned that we encourage each other to find ways to talk constructively about how we feel and discover peaceful ways to work through problems rather than resorting to threats, openly or anonymously,” Wallace said. “Conflict does not have to be violent or threatening; we can work through conflict through open communication, civility and respect; that means everybody wins.”

Edited by Hailey Stolze | hstolze@ themaneater.com

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THE MANEATER | NEWS | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

CLICK

Continued from page 3 November because she didn’t think the video was the biggest story from that week. In addition to Wolfe’s resignation, Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin also stepped down.

She’s talking now, though, a few weeks after cutting a deal with the city prosecutor who charged her with third-degree assault.

“Before (the Nov. 9) video, I feel like I had a decent reputation on campus as being a professor people loved to have classes with,” Click said. “I’ve always tried to go above and beyond to support my students, helping them after they leave MU and keeping in touch with them.”

Click has been teaching at MU for 12 years and has a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts– Amherst. She specializes in studying pop culture and the audiences who consume it.

While on suspension, she’s been finding volunteer faculty members from various departments who can teach her class.

Faculty members organized a walkout on Nov. 9 as a show of support for Concerned Student 1950, who was camping out on

Carnahan Quad, and for graduate student Jonathan Butler, who went on a hunger strike until Wolfe resigned. Click participated in that walkout.

The ensuing interaction with student journalists has been welldocumented in the video and in the media. Click knew that something was up that night. She was getting notifications from her normally quiet Twitter account. But she was at a function for her children, so she couldn’t investigate it.

Initially, she couldn’t believe what was happening.

“There was a lot of sorrow and regret and fear,” she said. “A lot of disappointment with myself, knowing that my behavior in that video isn’t a good representation of me and certainly didn’t represent who I had been that day and who I have been in my 12 years at MU. I was disappointed in myself that the good I had done that day and the good intentions I had brought with me to campus that day weren’t represented in that moment.”

Click had two classes the next day, at 9:30 a.m. and at 12:30 p.m. She taught the first class but canceled the other because of safety concerns. The death threats had started, and she said she didn’t feel safe walking across campus to the

Arts and Science Building.

In her 9:30 a.m. class, she said she addressed the issue head-on, giving her students the option to leave if they didn’t want to be there.

No one left.

In January, more than 100 lawmakers called on MU to fire Click.

Rep. Chuck Bayse, R-Columbia, said at a Feb. 5 town hall that her firing would help soothe anger in Jefferson City.

“She clearly violated that student reporter’s right to be there,” Basye said. “A professor at the university is a role model to young people, and I would say the same thing if it was a police officer doing that. She was across the line, and she shouldn’t be in that position.”

Recently, members of a House budget committee denied the UM System a budget increase, citing the university’s handling of Click as one of the reasons.

“I recognize my mistake, but I was trying to help students that were articulating concerns about the university community,” Click said. “I certainly wasn’t the only faculty member or staff person present. People make mistakes, and I don’t think you should have to lose everything when you make a mistake.”

Click personally apologized to student journalist Mark Schierbecker and issued a statement Nov. 10. She said no one personally

LEAD Continued from page 3

student strikers,” Hiles said.

In October, MU announced the “Our Time to Lead” fundraising campaign, with a goal of raising $1.3 billion in order to invest more in campus institutions and provide more scholarships to students. Even though $2 million in donations were pulled, Hiles said this is a small percentage out of the total $700 million in donations, and that the student aid for next semester won’t decrease.

“Right now, our numbers are holding up, and we’re still tracking our second-best year in history with donations,” Hiles said. “Virtually all of our major donors are staying with us. They were confused and upset by what was happening, but just

asked her to resign.

She said nothing in her life could have prepared her for the past three months.

“I leaned on the people around me who love me and tried very hard to remember good things about myself and that I was trying to do the right thing,” Click said. “I was trying to stand up for students.

Everybody makes mistakes. You can only hope your mistakes aren’t put on YouTube for everybody else to judge. I tried to do the right thing by apologizing personally to the two students involved.”

At the end of January, she faced the third-degree assault charge.

Interim Chancellor Hank Foley said in a press conference that Click wouldn’t lose her job while her application for tenure was pending.

Click said she was reassured by Foley’s statement. Two days later, Foley called her to tell about the suspension.

“That was a week of highs and lows,” she said. “I worry that I can’t be treated fairly anymore because we are not in the context of university policy and procedures anymore.”

The Executive Committee of Faculty Council said in a statement that the curators undermined campus leadership and violated university policy. The American Association of University Professors said the suspension violated due process.

After the release of the second video, Foley publicly reprimanded Click in a statement.

“Her conduct and behavior are appalling, and I am not only disappointed, I am angry, that a member of our faculty acted this way,” Foley said.

Curator David Steelman has been vocal about his issues with Click. In an op-ed to the Washington Post, he wrote that “Professor Click’s actions were at a minimum in reckless disregard of student rights and safety; and they were clearly disrespectful.”

Click said she hasn’t spoken to the curators and doesn’t know when to expect a decision. In the meantime, she asks her critics to not judge her by one moment.

“I acknowledge that I made a mistake and I am sorry for it,” she said. “I also think you can’t dwell on your mistakes forever, and it will just crush your soul.”

Edited by Taylor Blatchford | tblatchford@themaneater.com The Maneater answered questions from the curators’ lawyers regarding their investigation. Click served on the Student Publications Board, which has no editorial control over The Maneater, and Schierbecker once worked for the paper as a photographer. Click resigned from her publications board position Nov. 10.

wanted to hear from us.”

According to previous Maneater reporting, some MU alumni re-examined their campus pride following fall events. Marcia Chatelain, who graduated from MU in 2001, tweeted a photo of a letter she would be sending to MU with a penny taped to the inside, writing it would be her “#lastpenny” donated until the demands from Concerned Student 1950 were met.

Chris Brown, an MU graduate from 1994, was unhappy with the events in the fall, saying that it could be a long time until he decided to donate to MU again.

“I’m pretty irritated with how things have gone,” he said last November.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations Todd McCubbin said the pace of annual donations fell by 19 percent in December.

“We definitely took a bump,”

McCubbin said. “The overall mood of our alumni indicated how we fell in December. After the issues on campus, they’re unsure and uncertain.”

However, January numbers indicated that donations were only 3 percent lower than the expected pace for annual gifts.

“That gives you an idea of the roller coaster we’ve been on, and hopefully we’ll level out,” McCubbin said.

Moving forward, Hiles said he is working around the clock to ensure direct communication with donors and to keep the office stable.

“Not long ago, Chancellor Foley addressed Mizzou, and in that week we had Melissa Click charged with a misdemeanor and the Tim Wolfe email came out bashing former Chancellor Loftin,” Hiles said. “The greatest challenge is the uncertainty.”

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A PLACE FOR FREE EXPRESSION We want to hear your voice.

Submit letters to the editor at: www.themaneater.com/letter-to-the-editor FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

OPINION

EDITORIALS REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OPINION OF THE MANEATER EDITORIAL BOARD

UM Board of Curators needs diversity One glance at the UM System Board of Curators reveals a troubling lack of racial, gender and professional diversity. Of the six current members, there are five white men and only one woman, who is also white. All six curators are lawyers.

In last week’s editorial, we urged the Missouri state legislature not to block new appointments that would fill the three empty seats on the board. While these appointments are undoubtedly pressing, it is still essential that Gov. Jay Nixon and the Missouri General Assembly consider them with diversity in mind.

The board’s lack of racial and gender diversity is obvious and troubling, but its struggle with diversity is goes beyond that. While there is, of course, nothing wrong with having board members with backgrounds in law, it only makes sense that the entirety of the board not come from the same professional background.

House Bill 2179 was recently introduced limiting the number of curators by occupation. If the bill were to pass, no more than two members of the same occupation would be allowed to serve on the board.

While the passage of this bill could be a step toward creating more multi-faceted and diverse curator appointments, the appointments themselves first need to be made by Gov. Nixon and approved by the Missouri legislature. These appointments are urgent, as the board is beginning a presidential search — a process that takes nearly a year to complete.

Earlier this month, the curators approved the composition of the presidential search committee. In the committee, there are nine spots for curators, two for student representatives, two for members of the Intercampus Faculty Council and two for members of the Intercampus Staff Advisory Council. But there are

currently three empty curator seats, and three empty seats on the committee as a result.

This is an opportunity for the board to be pragmatic and adaptable while further including all of the UM System’s stakeholders in this search. Rather than shrink the size of the committee, the board could give an additional seat to each of the three stakeholders: faculty, staff and student. This is particularly important for this search, as every member of the committee will have voting power.

The search for the next UM System president will be one of the most consequential decisions the Board of Curators make in the next several years. Taking steps to include more stakeholders in this decision while also working to increase the diversity of the board itself is in the best interest of the UM System.

THE POLITICAL PUPIL

GOP should let Obama name Justice Scalia’s successor TESS VRBIN Just when it seemed this month in politics couldn’t get wilder, it did.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, became the first woman and first Latino, respectively, to win the Iowa Caucus.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Donald Trump, R-N.Y., became the first Jew and first person with no previous political experience, respectively, to win the New Hampshire primary.

Then on Saturday, before February was even halfway over, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died in his sleep. The court’s conservative majority died with him, leaving the ideology of the court evenly split between liberal and conservative. America barely had time to mourn Scalia before a political fight broke out regarding his succession.

President Barack Obama said he plans to appoint a new justice “in due time.” Article Two of the U.S. Constitution gives the president power to nominate justices, but it also states that the Senate must approve the nomination. Presidents tend to nominate justices whose beliefs align with theirs, and a nomination from the liberal Obama would undoubtedly meet opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate. Because there is no deadline for approval, the senators can block

a nomination for as long as they please, and with Obama’s term ending in less than a year, they might do just that. They could try to make it impossible for Obama to name Scalia’s successor.

Cruz, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who ran for president against Obama in 2008, are among the Republicans who have said the next president should nominate Scalia’s replacement. Cruz has even vowed to filibuster any nomination from Obama. Republicans have said that, with the election coming up, the American people should indirectly choose the new justice via their choice for president. What they really mean is that the Senate should delay confirming a nomination in case the next president is a Republican, which could restore the Supreme Court’s conservative majority.

However, an ideological majority doesn’t guarantee that every decision will adhere to that ideology.

Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage last June, was a 5-4 decision despite the Supreme Court’s conservative majority. Justice Anthony Kennedy was the conservative who sided with the liberals, something he has done before. This factor would make the court’s decisions even more likely to swing to the left if Scalia’s replacement is liberal.

If conservatives try to block Obama’s nominee, they would actually increase the chances of a liberal victory, which could manifest itself in three possible scenarios.

First, the Senate has never taken more than 125

days to confirm a nomination before, and Obama’s term ends in 338 days, almost a year from now.

Leaving a justice seat vacant for that long could lead to a split decision on the cases currently facing the Supreme Court. These cases include affirmative action, labor unions, immigration, abortion and other divisive political issues. A 4-4 split would uphold the decisions of the lower federal courts, which would, thanks to Democratic appointments to these courts in 2015, favor liberals.

Second, Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., want Obama to nominate someone the GOP would normally support but would currently oppose just because they want the next president to make the nomination. If this happens, it would weaken the Republican senators’ claims of bipartisan governing and cast the GOP in a dim light, giving the Democrats a boost during an election year.

Finally, if the Senate manages to prevent a Supreme Court appointment and a Democrat is elected president in November, the Republicans’ efforts will have been for naught, and they will have embarrassed themselves.

Even if a Republican becomes president, the first two scenarios could happen within the next 338 days.

The Republican senators should allow Obama to nominate Scalia’s successor instead of wasting their time trying to keep a liberal appointee out of the Supreme Court. Fighting a nomination could do their party more harm than good.

themaneater.com/workforus

KENNEDY JONES

Last Wednesday during full Senate, the MSA unanimously passed the Special Election BEC Handbook. Since the new handbook has intentional vagueness to reduce loopholes and opportunities for cheating, it will require more trust in the BEC’s performance.

The Board of Elections Commissioners was faced with many issues during the last Missouri Students Association election in regards to the slates’ misconduct. Once the Gomez/Hanner slate resigned as a result of screenshots showing they would have been disqualified prior to being elected, it was clear that a handbook reform was needed in order to make the upcoming special election more fair. So a new handbook was written and passed with any prior ambiguity removed and replaced with stricter outlines such as the definition of obstruction and the definition of a slate.

The new handbook also addressed the infraction section, which is partly to blame for the success Gomez/Hanner had before the truth arose, by purposely writing it with ambiguity. For example, the old handbook had a major and minor infraction system that gave room for slates to violate the handbook but still continue the race, but the new handbook erased the major and minor infractions, and now all infractions are simply infractions. This means that the BEC has the final ruling on what disciplinary action will be taken for infractions on a case-by-case basis.

the big-eyed believer

HUNTER BASSLER

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Life is meaningless, and the universe is indifferent to mankind. Since most people are taught that there is someone, or something, behind the cosmic curtain running the show, dictating every action we make to be right or wrong, this statement can come as a bit of a shock. We all want to know why we are here and how the universe works. Well, according to existentialists, that’s a pointless pursuit.

To existentialists, there’s no one behind the curtain and we are merely organisms spinning on a blue rock through space.

So, what then? What are we to do? Albert Camus, an Algerian philosopher, states that there are three possibilities when faced with this realization. The first possibility is that we can deny this statement by putting our faith in religion. We can view this meaningless life as a part of God’s larger plan. But Camus saw this as a harmful way of thinking because it distracts us from the world in which we actually live.

The second possibility is what Camus viewed to be the only truly serious philosophical problem: suicide.

When faced with the meaninglessness of life, why not just kill yourself? It comes to the same thing in the end, right? Camus sees this possibility and says hell no. To Camus, suicide is a coward’s way out.

Instead, Camus points out a third possibility. He urges us to accept what he calls “the absurd,” and his school of thought, absurdism. The absurd, in philosophy, refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life, and the human inability to find any. In this context, “absurd” does not mean “logically impossible,” but

rather that it is humanly impossible to comprehend any true meaning.

In Camus’ famous essay, The Myth of Sisyphus, he demonstrates this possibility. The character Sisyphus went against the Gods’ orders and chained up Death so humans could live forever. As punishment, the Gods condemned Sisyphus to roll a boulder up a mountain everyday and then watch it roll back down, pointlessly, forever. Sounds like it sucks, right? But for some reason, Sisyphus remained happy. When faced with such a futile task, how could one stay positive and not get angry, annoyed or depressed?

When faced with the utter hopelessness of his life, he revels in the absurd nature of his existence. Sisyphus knows it doesn’t matter. He realizes that his options are either to get pissed when the boulder inevitably rolls back down or chill out and not let it bother him.

Camus urges us to be like Sisyphus. Ultimately the act of rolling a boulder up a mountain is exhausting, work-filled and futile, but it would only be sad and depressing if Sisyphus kept trying to find meaning in his pointless task. When we realize the pointlessness of life, we shouldn’t deny it or kill ourselves because of existential angst, but rather accept the absurdity of life. By embracing the absurd, we are committing an act of revolution against the absence of meaning in life.

This draws a close to my series of existential columns, and there is no better way to end it than with my favorite philosopher: Camus. Unlike all of the other bleak and somewhat depressing existentialists like Sartre and Nietzsche, Camus is a breath of fresh air. He states not just that there is no meaning, but also provides a way to positively cope with it. We must accept the absurd, not because we hope we’re wrong, but because we know we are right.

In the end, living is way better than not.

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How to embrace the absurdity of life

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Tune into 88.1 FM at 4-5 p.m. every Sunday

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When thinking about the issues that MU had because of the Gomez/Hanner slate, this new infraction system seems well done, and it is. However, more trust and power is being put in the BEC, and as an intelligent, well-informed student body, we must question how this shift in power will affect us.

We must not allow the solution to former mistakes become our future difficulties. Although the BEC will have the power to stop cheating slates from gaining misplaced success before the point Gomez/Hanner reached, will the BEC use that power to the best of its ability? The BEC still made basic guidelines for how to respond to the first few infractions of a slate despite the immediacy of its ability to remove any slate for any reasonable suspicion of misconduct.

The idea that the BEC still has an attitude that allows looking past a few infractions and has the privilege of ambiguity worries me.

MSA wanted a solution for the loopholes Gomez/ Hanner found, so the BEC responded with more freedom for itself to handle misconduct appropriately, which is a feasible solution at this time. However, there may come a time when the BEC will not be giving proper penalties for the severity of the infractions they rule on, and it will be perfectly ok since there is no strict distinction between what penalties will be given to certain infractions. The new handbook has gifted the BEC with the chance to under or over penalize.

The ambiguity of the new handbook may be a temporary solution, but in the long-term, it has the ability to become an issue where the BEC will not have proper precaution against infractions, and the MU student government will find itself in the same situation yet again.

ELANE EDWARDS

There is a community of people who believe that being black is just an "accidental case of pigmentation," that it isn't a part of your identity at all. This same community tends to wish that people didn't look at them and see black. They wish people looked at them and just saw people. Well, I'm here to tell you that's a crock of bull. There will never be a day anytime soon when someone looks at you and doesn't see that you’re black. Our mothers always told us not to judge a book by its cover, but we can all attest that not judging a book by its cover is virtually impossible.

I can’t deny that when I meet someone new, the first thing I account for is their race. And I'm almost positive that this is what everyone else does involuntarily.

Society has conditioned us to notice different races and, if it hadn't, maybe fewer innocent black people would die each year from police brutality. I can promise that if those officers could recognize anything else about the suspects before their race, half of the brutal deaths of black people would have been avoided.

Your race is your identity because that's what everyone else notices about you first. If you were to look at me before an introduction, what could you see about me other than my race? My outfit could probably give an insight to my personality, but nothing you'd get out of judging my outfit could really tell you something about me. You know what you'd be able to see before I begin to speak? I'm black. You can say that I have light brown skin and extremely curly hair, but the only thing you would get out of that is that I'm black.

I believe that if you're black and wish that being black wasn't a part of your identity, then maybe some self-love should be prescribed to you. Because wishing that people didn't see you as what you are is both unrealistic and slightly self-loathing. You will never hear a white person wish that people didn't see them as white, because white people know and benefit from white privilege.

You should never deny or disregard blackness as part of your identity because no one else will. If you want to deny blackness, don't be surprised when no one else denies your blackness. When you run into a racist situation, don't be surprised that person never gets the memo that you denied your blackness. And when a black person looks at you and says something that translates to you as "you understand because you're black," don't be surprised that they never get the memo that you denied your blackness, either.

Being black will always be a part of your identity, so embrace it or live in misery.

M

M

New handbook’s ambiguity could be a problem for BEC

Is being black a part of your identity?

M

M

Sweet Scrutiny

the kaleidoscope view

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11

THE MANEATER | OPINION | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

12

THE MANEATER | NEWS | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

Board of Curators with a diversity problem enters presidential search

After three recent resignations, the board has no racial minorities serving on it for the second time since minorities began serving in 1971.

Since the board’s creation in 1839, 26 of its 426 total members have been either female or black.

Staff Writer

Three curators have resigned in the last three months, leaving the UM System Board of Curators with one woman and no racial minorities. The board’s current composition has sparked a conversation about its lack of diversity.

The board, which was created along with MU in 1839, is in charge of managing the UM System’s four campuses and appointing their chancellors, as well as the UM System president.

The resignations of Ann Covington, Yvonne Sparks and David Steward — all women or racial minorities — left the board with six members and a noticeable lack of diversity as the search for the next UM System president is about to start.

This comes in the middle of discussions about issues of diversity and inclusion in the UM System since the race-based protests by Concerned Student 1950 and the resignation of UM System President Tim Wolfe in November.

The lack of diversity is nothing new. Since the creation of the board in 1839, 400 of the 426 members, or 93.7 percent, have been white males, according to records obtained by The Maneater. Only 6.3 percent have been women or minorities.

The UM System Board of Curators has existed since 1839. Here’s a breakdown of the diversity throughout the board’s history.

total curators

women (5.4 %)

first female curator appointed Since women began serving: 18.3 percent of total curators have been women

white men (93.7 %)

black members (2.6 %)

first black curator appointed Since the first black curator: 14.3 percent of total curators have been black Jessie Corbin | Graphics Manager Source: UM System archives

Lincoln University Board of Curators: 8 members: 1 woman, 5 black members (note: HBCU) Missouri Southern State University Board of Governors: 8 members: 2 women, no black members

CLAIRE MITZEL

A Homogeneous History

Harris-Stowe State University Board of Regents: 6 members: 3 women, 3 black members (note: HBCU)

Diversity Across the State All public schools in Missouri are run by a governing board.

Here’s a look at their diversity.

Missouri State University Board of Governors: 9 members: 3 women, 1 black member Missouri Western University Board of Governors: 7 members: 2 women, 2 black members

Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents: 6 members: 1 woman, 1 black member Truman State University Board of Governors: 9 members: 5 women, 1 black member

University of Central Missouri Board of Curators: 7 members: 2 women, 1 black member

Northwest Missouri State University Board of Regents: 8 members; 1 woman, no black members Jessie Corbin | Graphics Manager Source: Colleges’ governing boards websites

CURRENT BoarD Members Current diversity

A vacancy problem

Former curator Cheryl Walker, one of the three black members who have been chair of the board, said she believes the board should be more diverse than it currently is.

“Our state is incredibly diverse, and the board should be reflective as a whole,” Walker said.

Walker also said that diversity allows for multiple perspectives and viewpoints, which in turn helps in achieving the board’s goal of successfully governing the university. She cited the upcoming presidential search as an additional reason why diversity is important.

“Research has shown when you have diversity, you have better results,” Walker said. “When developing criteria (for the next UM System president), there are not as many perspectives present when diversity is absent.”

Tracy Mulderig, the student representative to the board, said she believes diverse backgrounds bring multiple viewpoints to the table.

“The underrepresentation of minorities and over-representation of attorneys on the board is unfortunate,” Mulderig said in an email. “Our decision-making ability is improved when board members bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives to the table.”

Since women first began serving on the board, 18.3 percent of the 126 total members appointed have been women. Since the first black member was appointed, 14.3 percent of the total 77 members have been black.

Currently, the board has a more homogeneous governing board than the majority of other public universities in both Missouri and the SEC. For example, of the Missouri State Board of Governors’ nine members, three are women and one is black. Missouri Southern State University’s Board of Governors are all white, but three of the eight are women.

Craig Van Matre, a white former curator, said diversity can be a thorny subject.

“If you’ve got two candidates, one white and one black, equal candidates, I think the politician would prefer the black candidate to get the job because it would make it seem more fair,” Van Matre said.

He said, however, that some would be unhappy if they believed a candidate got the job because of their race.

The board has no racial minorities serving on it for the second time since minorities began serving in 1971. The first occurred after Walker’s term ended in 2009 and Wayne Goode, a white man, was appointed. Walker said the district she represents, the 1st Congressional District, which encompasses St. Louis and much of northern St. Louis County, has historically had a black curator as a result of the demographics of the district.

“Not only was it the first time there was no black curator on the board, it was also the first time in recent history for the 1st Congressional District that a black (curator) wasn’t serving,” Walker said.

At the time of Walker’s departure from the board, the board had the exact situation the current board does: one woman on the board and no minorities. Despite the unusual occurrence, she said, she doesn’t recall it getting any public attention.

Additionally, there are some who believe that diversity should be expanded in other ways.

Van Matre believes that the board needs to be representative of other careers aside from attorneys, who currently make up the whole board. He said that most of the issues the board dealt with were economic issues, not legal issues.

House Bill 2179 was recently introduced to limit the number of a certain occupation being represented on the board. Under the provisions of HB 2179, no more than two members of the same occupation would be able to serve on the board in order to increase occupational diversity.

Walker said that while she agrees the board could be more diverse, she questions limiting an occupation.

“Is diversity as far as how you feed yourself important to address, but not the lack of gender and ethnic diversity?” Walker asked.

Not only is the board lacking on the diversity front but also in the number of curators in general. The three vacancies — one-third of the total number of curators — come at a time when the board is about to start the presidential search.

Mulderig said serving on the board is a large time commitment for the curators, who volunteer their time, and will likely increase with the search.

“The curators dedicate countless hours each week to their board duties,” Mulderig said. “Unfortunately, it is difficult to balance the board duties with other important roles and responsibilities. Both Steward and Yvonne have demanding jobs, which can make scheduling additional meetings challenging.”

Members of the board are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, serving six years. Since 2007, the board has seen 17 curators appointed. Nine of them have resigned or had their appointments withdrawn.

Despite the current vacancies, members of the Senate say they will not fill the seats until Gov. Jay Nixon is out of office, something that is seen by some as a power move to punish the UM System following protests by Concerned Student 1950.

“I will tell you that we're not going to appoint any curators until the new governor in January," Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard said at a press event on Feb. 4. "It's apparent to me that no one's in charge (of MU). So we'll be in charge."

Van Matre said that the governor appoints people who they think have interest in the university system. He said he doesn’t recall there being this much difficulty in appointing people in years past.

“In the past, the appointments by a governor were routinely approved as long as they met the requirements,” Van Matre said. “As far as I know, just during the past four years or so has there been a problem confirming them.”

Current chairwoman Pam Henrickson said in an email that despite the vacancies, the board remains committed to their mission.

“We are always disappointed when a curator is unable to fulfill his or her term, but understand that the current demands on our curators can make it difficult to serve,” Henrickson said. “It is important to note that we still have individuals on the board who care passionately about the University of Missouri System.”

Walker called the refusal of the Senate to confirm any appointments “highly unfortunate” and said that not only will the four campuses suffer, but so will all constituents throughout the state.

“Why should the rest of the students, faculty and staff of the UM System and the citizens of Missouri be punished?” Walker said. “The notion that we could be at a standstill for the entirety of 2016 feels like punishment.”

Van Matre said the vacancies will mean more work for the curators who all have jobs.

Despite the lack of diversity on the board, Mulderig believes it is unfair to undermine the curators.

“Board members are making countless sacrifices to step up and serve this university,” Mulderig said in an email. “It is the responsibility of the governor and the state Senate to shape the demographic and professional makeup of the board. I truly believe that to board is eager to welcome the new perspectives of future appointees. Now we wait and see.”

Edited by Taylor Blatchford | tblatchford@themanater.com

David Steelman

Pam Hendrickson

Phillip Snowden

Maurice Graham

John Phillips

Donald cupps JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

14

THE KEY TO YOUR ENTERTAINMENT

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

A Bismuth crystal sits in the Heart, Body, & Soul shop north of MU’s campus Feb. 16.

Bismuth is typically lab-rown and is rarely found naturally in its elemental form.

Good vibes

Spiritual journeys begin at Heart, Body, & Soul This center of conscious living brings metaphysical products, classes, events and more to the people of CoMo. AMANDA BATTMER Reporter Last October, Heart, Body, & Soul opened its doors to spirit seekers, fellow travelers and anyone else interested in spiritual or self-discovery paths in Columbia. The shop is designed to offer a judgment-free zone for people from all backgrounds and belief systems to come together, talk, learn and grow with one

MOVE

another.

The shop sells a wide variety of books, herbal teas, incense, essential oils and shelves of other products to offer outlets and information on spiritual journeys and religious beliefs. What sets Heart, Body, & Soul apart from other metaphysical stores in the area is that it truly is a center for conscious living. The store is home to classes, drum circles, tarot readings and book clubs. You can check out the center’s monthly calendar here.

Among the items found within Heart, Body, & Soul’s welcoming walls is its jewelry. All of their jewelry is made of precious or semi-precious stones possessing metaphysical properties.

STAFF

MOVE Editors: Katie Rosso & Elana Williams Beat Writers Amanda Battmer, Anna Maples, Bianca Rodriquez, Grant Sharples

Columnists Regina Anderson, Stephanie Hamann, Jack Howland, Gabby Velasquez, Katherine White

Let’s be friends:

Twitter: @MOVEManeater MOVE.themaneater.com

On one of the store’s several display tables, customers can find an impressive collection of natural stones, geometric crystals and other sparkly treasures meant to bring different qualities to those who carry them around (often in a medicine bag or just a pocket).

“Crystals are used in lasers to focus energy,” co-owner Cat Kelly says. “That’s what they do in science because they draw in and hone energy and focus them, and so you can use crystal energy in your own life to do the same thing.”

Among some of the shop’s most popular offerings are Reiki classes, crystal healing, astrological workshops and readings, psychic readings and Tai Chi.

The idea for the store came out of a six-person book club that Kelly and her co-owner (and MU graduate) Deborah Carney were both part of. Last summer, Kelly and Carney’s 40-year friendship turned into a business partnership when both women decided they wanted to start something new together. Kelly said the book club helped define what exactly this would be.

“It was really about opening up and being real with people and talking about the things that you don’t talk about in everyday life,” Kelly says. “It’s hard to have conversations with people about the things we talk about (in the store).

SOUL | Page 14

Letter from the editors Welcome to the new MOVE. We’re MOVEing forward. When MOVE started 13 years ago, no one ever actually explained what we are and what we do. We’re your sassy and entertaining arts and culture guide of The Maneater.

From the beginning, MOVE wrote about the things you want to read. In our very first issue March 8, 2002, we covered Columbia restaurant El Rancho and weird Oregon band you’ve never heard of Audio Learning Center. This week, we wrote about local store Heart, Body & Soul and how to incorporate ballet essentials into your everyday look. Sometimes you need a guide, so that’s where MOVE comes in.

We have our annual special section guides to music, food, True/False, holiday gifts and Valentine’s Day. But while we do guide you during those special times, we’re also here to guide you the other 360 days of the year, too.

We’ve got your back when you can’t figure out what to get your stoner best friend for their birthday or don’t know how to celebrate Thanksgiving in a dorm room. We watch things so you don’t have to, read books when you don’t have time to and listen to all the newest music so you only listen to the best.

On top of our sweet new logo, we’re revitalizing our content and our social media presence to become more interactive with readers. Follow us @ movemaneater on Instagram and Twitter to keep up with all of our latest stories and shenanigans.

Basically, MOVE has you covered when it comes to everything arts and culture.

Keep on rockin’ MOVErs, and we’ll be your guide.

Lots of love from your editors,

Katie and Elana

15

THE MANEATER | MOVE | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

‘Zoolander 2’ is entertaining but shallow Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson defeat fashion crooks (and do other stuff good, too).

STEPHANIE HAMANN Fifteen years after directing and starring in “Zoolander,” Ben Stiller is back with “Zoolander 2” alongside familiar faces like Will Ferrell as Mugatu and Owen Wilson as Hansel.

Of course he also returns with some familiar faces of his own, like Magnum and Blue Steel. **Warning: spoilers ahead.** The movie recaps the nowtragic life of model Derek Zoolander. When the Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can’t Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too collapses, Derek’s wife Matilda (Christine Taylor) dies and shortly afterward Derek’s son, Derek Zoolander Jr. (Cyrus Arnold) is taken from him on account of his questionable parenting skills. After years in

obscurity, Derek and Hansel are in Rome, where Interpol worker Valentina (Penelope Cruz) asks for their help in solving the murders of Justin Bieber and other pop stars. Shortly after Derek reconnects with his son at an orphanage, Derek Jr. is abducted, and Derek, Hansel and Valentina must save him.

“Zoolander 2” has the same sense of goofiness as its predecessor. Like “Zoolander,” the second installment mocks the fashion industry with overthe-top humor and the help of appearances by designers, actors and singers. Celebrities in the film include Billy Zane, Anna Wintour, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Sting.

Derek and Hansel are a ridiculous duo whose absentmindedness never fails to entertain. Both men think their glory days as models are over. Besides Derek’s disgrace, Hansel suffers from a facial disfigurement obtained from the collapse of the Derek Zoolander Center. The so-called disfigurement that Hansel says ruined his career is a tiny scar. When Hansel

tests whether Magnum, one of Derek’s signature looks, still has the power to stop a flying object, the experiment ends with Derek being hit repeatedly in the face. Since the two men left fashion, the industry has seen changes like the rise of All, an androgynous supermodel played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alexanya Atoz (Kristen Wiig), a new fashion mogul with a ridiculous accent. Meanwhile, Mugatu is in prison, but not an ordinary prison one specifically for fashion criminals, like MC Hammer (whose crime was Hammer pants). Derek and Hansel hope they can break back into modeling, and Derek believes that by doing so he can prove his worth as a father.

Although not all of the film’s attempts to be funny succeed, “Zoolander 2” is nothing if not entertaining. Its corniness is its best asset, and it is enjoyable seeing random celebrities throughout the movie in bizarre contexts. Stiller and Wilson’s antics keep “Zoolander 2” fastpaced, while Cruz provides some sophistication.

veteran and recent graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, is in charge as a first-time director.

“We get the privilege of gender-bending ,” Brescia says. “Egeus is a woman and a mother. Lysander is a woman. It tightens the stakes of the conflict, challenges the conventions of the time, and makes the story still relevant today.”

By casting “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with many gender-bent roles, Brescia is attempting to help a new group of people relate to Shakespeare in a more direct way than before. She wants the story of young lovers to reach beyond the borders of gender and sexuality.

“The most important quote is, ‘The course of true love never did run smooth,’” Brescia says. “For students young love is messy, ever-changing and

surprising.”

After starring in several lead roles on Broadway, including Elphaba in “Wicked” and Donna in “Mamma Mia!,” Brescia decided to go back to school for her MFA and begin to foray into directing.

“She’s a great role model because she represents this female strength in an industry that can be challenging to women,” Emily Chatterson, who plays Titania, says. “We really owe a lot to her.”

Since the school currently has fewer than 1,000 students, its different departments use each other’s expertise to produce their many artistic productions.

The digital filmmaking, fashion design, dance, visual arts and musical theatre departments have a very collaborative relationship, Brescia says.

“The environment is so

COURTESY OF ROTTEN TOMATOES

Derek Jr. is completely unlike his father, and he is intelligent unlike nearly everyone else.

When Derek attempts to bond with his far-removed son, the results are awkward and even dangerous, but the father-son subplot is a new avenue that gives the story just enough

depth. Packed with satire, “Zoolander 2” makes fun of everyone and everything related to fashion and entertainment.

Seeing Stiller and Wilson try to go from not-so-supermodels back to icons makes this movie a hilariously shallow comedy.

lifting,” Chatterson says. “I think it really shows in our productions.”

Stephens also prides itself on being an environment for female empowerment in education.

“People come here for a reason,” Chatterson says. “It’s a lot harder especially now to get women to want to come to a women’s college. I am surrounded by people just as passionate and driven about this industry as I am.”

In her program of study, Chatterson was required to take a class specifically for acting in the work of Shakespeare, but

her practice is far from over. “(Brescia) would have all the actors involved sit down at the table and talk through each scene to understand what every word meant,” Chatterson says.

“A lot of these words we don’t use any more.”

Brescia says “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a digestible length for newcomers to Shakespeare’s work.

“People who have never seen Shakespeare before find it very clear,” Brescia says.

Tickets for future Stephens College productions can be purchased online at the Stephens College Box Office.

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ challenges gender norms The production at Stephen’s College casts female actors in traditionally male roles.

ANNA MAPLES Reporter Stephens College’s recent production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a celebration of both the 400th anniversary of the playwright’s death and also the mission of the nearby women’s college.

Since mostly females attend the college, the theatre department often casts community members and professors in traditionally male roles. In this production, however, a different technique was used to fill several of the male roles.

Lisa Brescia, a Broadway

COURTESY OF REBBECA KLINE

COURTESY OF REBBECA KLINE

16

THE MANEATER | MOVE | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

What to know about the 2016 Grammys This year’s Grammy Awards had it all: snubs, surprises, great performances and flops.

KATHERINE WHITE Staff Writer Every year, award shows leave viewers a little more perplexed. From the surprise Beck Album of the Year win last February (which I refer to as The Notorious Beyonce Snub) to the confusing genre classifications (since when was Florence and The Machine’s “Ship To Wreck” pop?), the Grammys never cease to deliver a full platter of confusion, surprise and general WTF. Whether you’re looking to catch up so you can fake your way through conversations this week or are simply trying to figure out if you dreamed the entire ceremony, MOVE’s got your back with this recap from the show.

Snubs and surprises

The hot gossip While Adele looked amazing, the musical side of her performance was less than perfect. “All I Ask” is already difficult to perform, but technical difficulties and pitchy notes certainly didn’t help.

Another gossip-worthy moment was Swift’s acceptance speech, which was equal parts inspiring and salty. The pop star had every reason to be bitter: Kanye West’s recent single “Famous” includes the lyric, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that bitch famous,” in reference to his infamous “Imma let you finish” rant from the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

T-Swift’s response? “As the first woman to win album of the year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there: There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame," Swift said. "But if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you’re going, you’ll look around and you’ll know it was you and the people who love you who put you there and that will be the greatest feeling in the world.”

This speech was one of the better parts of the ceremony, and it will

COURTESY OF EVA RINALDI

certainly be a conversation starter this week.

Performances to catch up on One of the best performances of the night was Lamar’s, which showcased both social commentary and his topnotch rap skill. Another great hiphop performance was a bit different: The cast of “Hamilton” performed their opening number via live stream.

“Hamilton” creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda rapped his acceptance speech for Best Musical Theatre Album, another “performance” worth watching. Other performances worth catching up on include Lady Gaga’s David Bowie tribute, which received mixed responses, Taylor Swift’s opening if you know a Swift fan (they will surely be talking about it), and Alabama Shakes’ simply fun and musical time on the stage.

times throughout the night? Whether it was worth it to watch was already questionable from the beginning, thanks to it being scheduled on a Monday.

Hollywood Vampires’ performance reminded us that if you wear a bloodcovered pirate shirt while playing rock music, you definitely look like you’re trying too hard.

Of course, what’s a confusing Grammy Awards ceremony without an equally perplexing ending? Pitbull, a relatively irrelevant artist compared to other performers of the night, appeared with women dressed in what can only be described as sexy cab Halloween costumes to sing “El Taxi.” And because that just wasn’t enough, the notoriously misogynist Robin Thicke joined him on the stage (and the world turned off their televisions).

All in all, while the 2016 Grammys had its high points, it was one of the most perplexing award shows in recent history. Hopefully, next year a 2012esque Adele sweep as “25” hits Grammy qualification will save us all from confusion.

M M M M MM M M M M MM M M M M M MM M M M M M M MM M M M M MM M M MM M M M M MM M M M MM M M M M MM M M M M MM M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M MM M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M MM M M M M M MM M M M M M M M MM M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M MM M M M M M MM M M M M M MM M M M M M M MM M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M M MM M M M M M M MM M M M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M MM M M M M M M MM M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M MM M M M M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M MM M M M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M MM M M M M M M M M M

Competitive music nerds everywhere were faced with the fact that their predictions were likely way off. Out of my predictions for the winners of the “top four” categories — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist — the only one I correctly guessed was Record (which was probably because I chose three possible winners, oops).

The Grammys snubbed an industryimpacting, genre-bending hip-hop album for the second year in the row when “1989” by Taylor Swift won Album of the Year over Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly.” This confusing surprise win makes the fact that “Blank Space” didn’t win Song or Record of the

Year even more perplexing. “Uptown Funk” definitely left its mark as one of the best pop songs of 2015, but “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran did not feel like Song of the Year, especially against “Blank Space,” arguably the best song from Swift’s album. Lastly, Meghan Trainor, who doesn’t feel so new anymore, won best new artist over other lesser-known but talented nominees.

What you don’t want to catch up on

Is it the Grammys if you don’t ask yourself why you’re watching it several

Make your outfit ‘en pointe’ with these ballet essentials You’ll be stage-ready with these awesome ballet-inspired pieces.

REGINA ANDERSON Columnist

Ballet and fashion have always gone hand-in-hand.

The New York City Ballet is known for its fashion collaborations.

In 2012, Valentino worked with Peter Martins, the ballet masterin-chief at NYCB, to create costumes for the Fall Gala.

Just last year, NYCB dancers performed original work from Justin Peck, a rising choreographer, at New York Fashion Week.

Yuan Yuan Tan from the San Francisco Ballet was the face of Gap jeans a few years ago. Most

recently, Yulia Yanina Couture Spring Summer 2016, a line that premiered at Paris Fashion Week in January, was inspired by the graceful tutus and lines of ballet dancers.

Even without famous designers, the costuming for companies like NYCB is art. (If you ever want to waste time, look at the NYCB Costumes playlist on their YouTube channel. It’s incredible.)

There is just something magical about ballet and fashion together. These two things are just meant to be. The beauty and grace of the ballet world can be translated into your own wardrobe with these simple items.

“tutu,” they tend to think of the classical tutu which sticks straight out and looks almost like a tulle table around a ballerina’s body. While fun, those are incredibly impractical for everyday life. Fear not, though! Another type of tutu is the romantic tutu, which hangs like a normal skirt, and is often times seen in productions of the ballet Giselle. Tulle skirts emulate this lovely look and make you stage-ready. Charlotte Russe has a pretty tulle skirt for $26.99.

Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA)

Tulle skirts Tutus are a ballet staple.

When people hear the word

Meets Sundays, 2:00pm (one hour) Rm CLC 113 MO United Methodist Church 204 S. 9th street, Columbia, MO For more information, contact: Chad L at chad12stepssaa@gmail.com Or call 573-­823-­0226

Ballet flats Pointe shoes are essential for a prima ballerina. The right shoe is everything, as with any outfit. The ballerinas at NYCB go through almost a pair a day.

Some even sew new ones for each performance. The shoes are handmade and created specifically to a dancer’s measurements. Ballet flats are always a great way to get the soft ballet shoe look, but Jessica Simpson’s Mandalaye look exactly like a pair of pointe shoes, with the elastics

and everything. They’re a bit expensive, but you can always treat yourself.

A bun The cheapest and easiest way to look like a ballerina. Dancers need their hair out of their face for all the turns, jumps and partnering they do, and a bun does just that. Buns don’t have to be boring though. Do a braid into a low bun or do what I like to call a “cinnamon” bun. There are plenty of tutorials online to help you get creative.

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THE MANEATER | MOVE | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

COURTESY OF SUPER 45

Kanye’s holy album is wholly genius It’s not the best album ever, but it’s a Kanye album.

BRUNO VERNASCHI Senior Staff Writer From the moment you throw on Kanye West’s “The Life of Pablo,” you know what you’re getting yourself into. It’s a Kanye album. There’s absolutely no possibility of it being a bust. Sure, there’s a chance you won’t fully grasp it, and it’ll take some time for you to understand the beauty behind it (see: “808s & Heartbreak,” “Yeezus”), but no matter what, at the end of the day, a Kanye album is a Kanye album and should be considered as such.

Like most people, when this album was announced, I was anxious to see the finished product. I turned on Twitter notifications to assure myself that I wouldn’t miss any of Kanye’s ludicrous rants or his seemingly countless name changes for “Pablo.” Last Thursday, I went ahead and splurged on a Tidal membership so I could watch Kanye plug his laptop in for the thousands of people at Madison Square Garden. And when, after hours and hours of more waiting and nonstop Twitter refreshes, Kanye failed to deliver on his promised release date, I toughed it out and went on with my week. Well, if you consider going through every single one of Ye’s other six albums moving on.

Then we got that Saturday Night Live performance.

That weird, questionable, totally over-embellished and unorganized — yet downright beautiful — SNL performance of lead track “Ultralight Beam.” A sample of a 4-year-old preaching accompanied by an organ and The-Dream’s silky smooth voice opens up the performance.

And then, it happens. My realization that this album, whenever it finally comes out, will be just as fantastic as I hope. After Kelly Price kills her part, Chance The Rapper comes out and delivers what I now maintain is the best verse of the whole album. As he

impeccably spits “Tryna snap photos of familia / My daughter look just like Sia, you can’t see her,” you hear Kanye let out an excited “Woo!” into his microphone.

He continues: “I made Sunday Candy, I’m never going to hell / I met Kanye West, I’m never going to fail,” and he points at his fellow Chicago rapper. First time watching this: goosebumps. Second time watching this: goosebumps. Third time? Goosebumps. It’s incredible, despite the fact that Kanye, who goes on to awkwardly lie on the ground as if he’s being born again, looks like he’s totally unprepared for any of it. But, performance aside, it’s safe to say “Ultralight Beam” is one of the best songs on this album, and Chance’s verse is to “Pablo” what Nicki Minaj’s verse in “Monster” is to “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”

Kanye’s Twitter activity over the course of this production has been genius. I mean, the guy’s a total asshole, from tweeting out that he owns Wiz Khalifa’s son to “BILL COSBY INNOCENT,” but that doesn’t take away from the unparalleled manner in which he chose to make his audience attached to — and a part of — the album’s creation.

When Kanye tweeted out that this was going to be “the album of life,” meaning the best of all time, I didn’t know what to think, but I was intrigued. When he said this was going to be a gospel album, I wasn’t sure what to think, but I was curious. When he very publicly bounced around the name and tracklist of the work without any sense of self-control, I didn’t know what to think, but I was getting sick of it, and that made me become even more anxious for its release.

Certainly, this isn’t the best album ever. It doesn’t keep that promise. It’s great, and it’s got a piece of every single other Kanye album, but it’s not even his best album.

A gospel album? Yeezy’s never been afraid to talk about religion and faith, and this takes it to a whole other level, jam-packed with religious references. From comparing him and wife Kim Kardashian to Joseph and Mary in “Wolves,” to the voice of an uncredited vocalist thanking and praising God in “Low Lights” (an extended introduction to “Highlights”), to almost

explicitly saying that the album’s “Pablo” is based on Paul the Apostle, the overtones are impossible to miss.

But the difference between a gospel album by Kanye and a gospel album by, say, Whitney Houston is that this is Kanye West: an uncensored, narcissistic rapper with a messiah complex. And, in this album, like most, he uses the image he has given off to the rest of the world wholly to his advantage, with lyrics like those found in “I Love Kanye” and the unapologetic braggadocio found in “Feedback.” The combination of religion and self has always been in your face with every Kanye album, but “Pablo,” combined with the heavy “family, friends and love” themes, feels different.

On a few occasions in “Pablo,” Kanye shoots for a Steve Jobs comparison. In “Feedback,” he raps, “Awesome, Steve Jobs mixed with Steve Austin,” and in “No More Parties in L.A.,” it’s “When I get on my Steve Jobs, somebody gon’ get fired.” In fact, Kanye’s been compared to not only Jobs, but Walt Disney and Michelangelo, and this album embodies the real reasons why these are not too far from the truth.

All three of these figures, in their lifetimes, did exactly what Kanye did when producing “Pablo”: They all spearheaded, and were the face of their final products, but they didn’t do all of the work.

Apple wouldn’t be Apple without Steve Wozniak, Disney wouldn’t be Disney without Ub Iwerks and Michelangelo wouldn’t have created his masterpieces without the help of the artists he hired to fulfill his vision. “Pablo” is a Kanye work, but the features in it are what makes it so phenomenal. From Chance and Post Malone to newly discovered Brooklyn rapper Desiigner to the Weeknd, Rihanna, Sia and even the surprise of Andre 3000 and Max B, this is a team, composed and led by Kanye West, that created the genius that is “TLOP.” This album isn’t the best of all time. But even the worst of Kanye West’s albums (and this isn’t one) are well-made, intricate and, for lack of a better term, genius.

MOVE gives “The Life of Pablo” 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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THE MANEATER | MOVE | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

Q&A with indie rock band Mothers GRANT SHARPLES

Fans stopped by Cafe Berlin this past Sunday to check out the Athens, Georgia-based indie rock quartet, Mothers.

Their debut album, “When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired,” comes out Feb. 26. I recently spoke with drummer Matthew Anderegg about the upcoming release, their source of inspiration, touring with Of Montreal and the band’s origins and creative process.

How did the four of you guys meet?

We met through playing in different bands throughout Athens, just playing shows together. We’ve all been in several different projects throughout the last five years.

We all moved to Athens for college with the exception of our bass player, Patrick (Morales), so that was the other thing; seeing people around campus sometimes.

What inspired you guys to start making music together?

Well, (vocalist) Kristine (Leschper) was performing under the name Mothers as a solo artist for almost two years before we made it a group. Me and Kristine had become friends in the months leading up to that and realized we had a lot of common tastes, especially in bands and complicated music.

We started playing together a little bit and then we started recording, just me and Kristine at a home studio-ish kind of thing we had. We would record Kristine performing a song she had written, then we would start overdubbing parts and trying a ton of different things and not keeping a lot of them, but just experimenting. We worked like

that for a little while and then it came to a point where we realized that one of these songs we were working on really needed drums, so we started practicing with me playing drums and Drew Kirby playing guitar, and that’s kind of how it started. It was a long process of just figuring out how the band should sound, but we were mostly inspired to get together by a common taste.

What are some of the bands and influences on your guys’ sound?

Me and Kristine both like the band Hella a lot. That was one of the first things we bonded over, which you can’t necessarily hear in our music, but you can a little bit. We had both been fans of (math rock bands) for a while. We definitely wanted to bring an element of that into the writing process, and also stuff like Built to Spill and a lot of quieter, pretty music too (such as) Connie Converse.

I can definitely see the math rock influence. You guys will sometimes play around with odd time signatures and complex rhythms. What was the creative process behind making the debut album?

A good chunk of those songs were finished and completed as solo songs before we added any other instruments to them.

“It Hurts Until It Doesn’t” for instance, was a song that (Kristine) had been playing for a while, and we just tried adding extra instruments to it and it worked out. That song’s really simple; that wasn’t really the complicated stuff. I guess the more complicated, time signature passages are written usually with the drums. The drums are a big part of how the rhythm comes out. That’s also just sometimes the easiest way if you want to write music like that. The drums are a good vantage point for working in that realm, at least for adjusting

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

A band member plays the violin on Valentine’s Day at Cafe Berlin. The band Mothers would play afterward.

the rhythmic parts of it.

You guys also toured with Of Montreal. What was that like?

It was great. It was a really awesome experience and a great opportunity. We all really like that band. The shows were great, and we got to see them play every night, and their live show is quite the spectacle, so it was pretty inspiring.

Where does the name of your debut record, “When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired” stem from?

Kristine spent a little bit of time right after she graduated college studying under a painter in France. Somewhere on that trip, she found this book and she started cutting it up. It has a French translation and an English translation, and the English translations are really simple and beautiful.

That’s actually a sentence from that book. We like how it’s a

SOUL

Continued from page 14

From people talking about past life stuff to chakras and energy work, and struggling with this or whatever; there should be resources for all of those things.”

Among the original members of Kelly and Carney’s book club was Mary Cruise. Cruise was included in the beginnings of Heart, Body, & Soul and now works as an acupuncture apprentice, massage therapist and Tai Chi and Reiki master.

“When you do things that are rather tactile, whether it’s movement or massage or acupuncture, I think it’s a way to get a body awareness,” Cruise says. “It gives (the person being healed) an opportunity to be a part of it. That’s a visceral way of getting in touch with this kind of healing. I think it’s very natural, but at the same time you have to connect to it.”

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

very plain statement that also implies more things if you want it to. It’s also just a simple statement about the human condition and the exhausting process of life.

If you guys weren’t making music, what do you think you guys would be doing?

Kristine would definitely be doing visual art. She’s done a lot of that in the past and she’s really talented, so I’m sure she would be doing that. I don’t really know what I would do besides play music, maybe record music. That’s pretty much all I do. I would say the same for Drew, our guitar player. He’s an avid recording guy, and our bass player would probably be doing something like arts and crafts. He’s a really handy dude.

Mothers is a really interesting name for a band. Where’d you guys come up with it?

Cruise has been doing Tai Chi, a gentle, stress-relieving martial art form, for about 15 years, and through that she learned about Reiki. Reiki is a healing technique centered on the idea that the therapist can focus certain energies in a patient’s body through touch in order to activate the body’s natural healing processes.

Later, Cruise got involved with massage therapy and now studies acupuncture.

“I get to bring eastern philosophy into a western society; that’s what I think is wonderful about (my job),” Cruise says.

Heart, Body, & Soul encourages its customers and other individuals to take the first steps toward discovering whatever way the divine seems to speak to them by talking about it with people who share similar traditions or beliefs and learning from those who don’t.

“I think life is about relationships,” Kelly says. “It really is. It’s about connecting

Kristine came up with it a long time ago, before we were involved. I think it seems to carry a lot of gravity as a simple, one-word band name. It’s pretty vague too, but I prefer to explain it as a reference to the creative process.

What is it about your sound that you feel makes it so unique?

I don’t know if I feel like it is quite unique, but Kristine’s voice I think, if anything (makes it unique). I have a hard time calling it unique, but her voice and her lyrics are probably the most defining elements of Mothers. The way the music works around those things is really important, and the kinds of songs she writes are really important too. The very linear style (and) minimal chord progressions are really important elements too. The thing that we strive for is a stark minimalism that maybe doesn’t say as much as it implies musically. with other people and I think there’s something in all of us that calls to or is filled by the mystery of the divine, however that’s defined by people. I think there are many paths to the mountaintop and it doesn’t really matter which you choose as long as you’re not hurting people along the way and as long as it’s pointing you to the direction of something greater than yourself.”

On Feb. 26, Heart, Body, & Soul will be hosting a “medicine jam night,” an evening that focuses on the idea that music is medicine, centering on a group of musicians playing tunes from different traditions. The evening’s setlist will include Peruvian chants, modern day spiritual songs and everything in between.

This month, the store will also introduce a free “coffee and conversation” every Saturday morning, where anyone can show up to chat or listen about a topic of the day.

SPORTS

THE BEST SOURCE FOR MU SPORTS

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MANEATER FILE PHOTO

Missouri baseball head coach Tim Jamieson watches his team take the lead against Le Moyne on Saturday at Taylor Stadium. Saturday marked Jamieson’s 550th career win.

BASEBALL

MU baseball preps for season opener JASON LOWENTHAL Senior Staff Writer When the NCAA Baseball Tournament 64-team field was announced last season, Missouri found itself in the first four out, a disappointing end to the season.

Inevitably, coach Tim Jamieson, set to begin his 22nd year at the helm of the program, began his first media session of the season with the words “one game.”

Mizzou has not reached the postseason since 2012, but a talented core of young players shifted the program’s mentality last season. Throw in veteran leaders like Ryan Howard and Zach Lavy and the Tigers are primed to hang another banner in the McArtor Baseball Facility.

Here’s our full season preview of what 2016 has in store for the Tigers:

Biggest strength: Mizzou’s postseason hopes dwindle in the hands of their two big guns at the top of the rotation. Sophomore Tanner Houck, recently named the nation’s No. 1 2017 draft prospect by Perfect Game and Baseball America, is set to be the team’s Saturday night starter, preceded

by Reggie McClain on Fridays. Questions were brewing regarding who would get the nod on Fridays, but Jamieson said he plans on keeping the rotation the same.

“Tanner and Reggie have both been great,” Jamieson said. “They’re both comfortable pitching on their days.”

Although Houck and McClain provide a formidable 1-2 punch, the Tigers do have some issues in trying to find a third starter. Austin Tribby likely has the edge to start the season, but nothing is set in stone. Tribby, who primarily served as a reliever last season, stepped into a slot in the starting rotation for

the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League this past summer.

“I think that was an opportunity for him to expand what he does as a pitcher,” Jamieson said. “Tribby competes, so he’s never going to give the ball away.”

Providing some stiff competition to Tribby for that third spot will be southpaw Michael Plassmeyer. The freshman from St. Louis has improved his velocity considerably since stepping foot on campus, but is not yet near where he has to be to eat up quality innings for Mizzou. He’ll get some looks during non-conference play, but his role is still up in the air.

Point being, the Tigers will go as far as Houck and McClain take them.

Biggest weakness: Jamieson admitted that the bullpen, a major strength of the team last season, will be the major question mark this year. Breckin Williams (13 SV, 1.98

ERA) and Andrew Schwaab (52.0 IP, 3.81 ERA) were the hallmarks of the pen last year, but are both now playing in the minors. John Miles (42.0 IP) is also gone. Tribby is making the transition to a starting role, leaving a weak bullpen. If Plassmeyer pans out, it is very possible Tribby could return to the pen, which would help immensely, but that is far from a guarantee.

Freshman Grant Macciocchi is expected to replace Williams, but it’s unclear how well his arsenal will fare against SEC-caliber hitters. Other potential impact relievers include 6-foot-7 flamethrower Bryce Montes de Oca, who could be a real weapon if he finds his location, as well as projectable right-hander Liam Carter and redshirt sophomores Cole Bartlett and Ryan Lee.

ball | Page 23

WRESTLING

Blaise Butler focuses on being a role model on and off the mat ANNE ROGERS Staff Writer Blaise Butler was born into wrestling. The 174-pound Missouri redshirt senior credits his father for starting him and his two brothers as wrestlers by signing them up for youth camps when they were young.

Butler has wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps since then, and since his father wrestled at Amherst College, Butler decided he would pursue wrestling in college as well. When he graduated from Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, Illinois, he moved to Virginia and wrestled four years

for the University of Virginia, where he believes he grew both intellectually and physically as a wrestler.

“I think I was still pretty raw going into college, I mean I had talent and athleticism, but I was still a pretty young student of the sport,” Butler said. “I think just my wrestling IQ grew so much, and I really put a lot more time in training and studying the sport, so I made the jump from athletic and a decent wrestler to someone who really knows what he’s doing.”

Butler said his relationship with his father and brothers helps him succeed as an individual and as a wrestler.

Butler’s younger brother, Alex, is a freshman on the Missouri wrestling team and is part of the reason why he even looked at Missouri for graduate school in the first place.

Grateful for his father’s support and advice, Butler has always tried to follow in his footsteps. He sees his dad as a role model and believes that everything he says to Butler and his brothers is to make them better athletes and people.

“He really wants the best for us, whether that’s school or athletics, he just wants us to give 100 percent all the time in everything that we do and

BUTLER | Page 23

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

Missouri 174-pounder Blaise Butler takes on No. 19 Matt Reed from Oklahoma Jan. 30 in Hearnes Center. Butler went on to pin Reed in the first period.

20

THE MANEATER | SPORTS | FEBRURAY 17, 2016

Baseball will have big opportunities in 2016 The Tigers play their first game Feb. 19.

PETER BAUGH Features Projects Editor Tanner Houck knows what it’s like to make an impact as a first-year player. The sophomore pitcher had a 3.49 earned run average in 2015 and was a consensus freshman All-American.

Going into his second season, he has advice for new members of the Missouri baseball team.

“Don’t skip out on your reps,” Houck said. “If you can, get more. If you can push yourself, that’s what you need to do.”

The Tigers have a number of first-year players who could contribute in 2016. Coach Tim Jamieson said that Ian Nelson and Connor Brumfield — both freshmen — will compete for the starting job at second base.

Nelson played for Timberland High School in Wentzville and was named an Honorable Mention All-American by Perfect Game in 2015. Brumfield is a Columbia native and earned all-state honors for Rock Bridge High School.

Jamieson has high hopes for the hometown prospect.

“He’s a guy with a skill set that has a chance to play at our level, and now it’s just him believing in himself,” Jamieson said. “He’s going to contribute this year.”

An intriguing member of the Tigers’ freshman class is Marquise Doherty. The outfielder was drafted in the 15th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Kansas City Royals. Doherty also plays football for Missouri and redshirted his freshman year.

Coming off of football season, Doherty struggled adjusting back to baseball. Now, with the first game of the season just a week away, the outfielder is showing signs of potential.

“Going into the year, you really don’t know what to expect from him,” Jamieson said. “I still don’t know for

MANEATER FILE PHOTO

Missouri Tigers outfielder Trey Harris (6) jogs to home base Sunday, May 3, 2015, at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Mo. The baseball team had its best season in the SEC but failed to make the NCAA tournament.

sure, but I have seen pretty good improvement from him over the last couple of weeks.”

In terms of pitching, the Tigers will look for big contributions from St. Louis native Mike Plassmeyer.

The freshman left-hander will have the opportunity to start games for Missouri and will also get chances out of the bullpen.

Plassmeyer’s velocity is currently around 86 mph, but his coach said that is not what makes him a strong pitcher.

“He changes speeds, he’s got great command, great poise,” Jamieson said. “He’s going to throw harder as he gets older, but his velocity is not the key to his

success right now.”

Freshmen pitcher Grant Macciocchi and corner infielder Brian Sharp could also earn playing time for the Tigers in 2016. Macciocchi has dealt with shoulder pains but could serve as the Tigers’ closer when he resumes throwing. Sharp is a Liberty, Missouri, native.

Junior shortstop Ryan Howard feels that the team’s freshmen will have plenty of opportunities to contribute in 2016.

“We’re going to need everybody on our team,” he said. “Everyone is going to have a chance to step in and play a big role for us.”

Missouri’s pitching staff holds key to season success Houck and McClain look to continue where they left off.

TYLER KRAFT Assistant Sports Editor Sophomore pitcher Tanner Houck is confident.

As the No. 1 prospect in the 2017 MLB Draft, as well as Missouri’s lone consensus 2016 All-American and Team USA’s ace, he has every right to be. Now he is stepping up to his next challenge: leading the Missouri baseball team to a postseason regional berth.

“I feel really confident and everybody in that locker room does too,” Houck said. “I feel like we’ve worked our tails off all off season.”

Missouri enters the 2016 season with a formidable starting rotation, returning its top two starters in Houck and redshirt senior Reggie McClain.

The two posted a combined 3.53 ERA while also racking up 171 combined strikeouts.

“That’s a great thing to have,” Houck said. “Having two returning starters is huge. (We) did really well last year, and our defense is pretty much the same as last year too, so I think all those contributing components give us a chance to be successful as a team.”

Another component that will help Houck be successful this upcoming season is his demeanor. For all that he brings to the table, Houck’s teammates and coaches are most impressed with his competitiveness and drive.

“He’s a bulldog, and he’s not scared of any hitter or any stage, and he’s not going to back down,” junior shortstop

Ryan Howard said. “He was a freshman last year, and he came out there and acted like he was a fourth-year, fifthyear senior. That’s just how he is. He trusts his stuff and that plays for him.

I’m expecting huge things for him again this year.”

Despite having two dominant pitchers heading his rotation, coach Tim Jamieson is hesitant to label his pitching staff as one of the best in the Southeastern Conference.

“Florida has a really good combination,” Jamieson said. “Vanderbilt is going to have good arms. LSU has got the (Alex) Lange kid back from last year. In our league, you’re going to face really good guys on Friday and Saturday, and you’re going to face really good bullpens, so I don’t look at it as an advantage over other SEC teams.”

As good as Missouri’s top two starters are, the third position is still up in the air. Senior Austin Tribby and freshman Michael Plassmeyer are the two pitchers competing for the spot.

Tribby, while experienced, has mainly worked out of the bullpen for the Tigers.

He gained starting experience this past summer in the Cape Cod League, where he was named to the West All-Star team.

Despite possibly needing Tribby in the starting rotation, Jamieson may be forced to keep him in the bullpen, as potential freshman closer Grant Macciocchi has had issues with shoulder tenderness recently.

“Tribby may have to spend a little bit of time in the bullpen to give it some experience at first,” Jamieson said.

“Tribby might pitch out of the bullpen on Friday and Saturday, and if we need

MANEATER FILE PHOTO

The Tigers’ Lake Dabney pitches to a Missouri State player during the baseball game on April 21, 2015, in Taylor Stadium.

him to pitch, he can start on Sunday. His value is there because of his experience as both a reliever and a starter.”

Plassmeyer is on the other side of the equation.

Plassmeyer graduated from DeSmet Jesuit High School in St. Louis in 2015, where he earned the honor of being the No. 4-ranked left-handed pitcher in the state. Despite not being a fireball pitcher, Plassmeyer finds success through the more practicable factors of pitching.

“He can really pitch,” Jamieson said. “He changes speeds, he has great command and great poise. He’ll throw harder as he gets older, but his velocity is not the key to his success right now.”

A bigger enigma than Missouri’s third starting spot is its bullpen. The relievers lost Andrew Schwaab and possibly

Tribby, leaving the bullpen relatively thin and inexperienced.

“That’s probably the biggest question mark that we have,” Jamieson said.

“Cole Bartlett is probably the more experienced guy.”

The good news for Jamieson’s Tigers is that his starting rotation should provide his bullpen with a solid cushion.

“If Reggie struggles on Friday, which he didn’t do much last year, we will have to use some of the bullpen,” Jamieson said. “Tanner doesn’t use very much of the bullpen on Saturday.”

Missouri knows that its backbone will be its pitching staff. To be successful in 2016, the Tigers will need their entire staff to function in top gear.

“We’re going to have to turn to them, and I’m confident that they’re going to be able to get it done,” Howard said.

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THE MANEATER | SPORTS | FEBRUARY 17, 2016 The Lewis Lead

‘Rally for Rhyan’ was a win for everyone Brad Loos: “This is a little girl that, of the 10,000 here, 9,500 probably have never met her. And for them to come here and give their time and their money and their support, that says something about the type of people that we have in mid-Missouri, and that’s very special.”

ALEC LEWIS The twinkle in Kim Anderson’s eye spoke the loudest as he choked up in the postgame press conference.

Looking down at the podium as he sat silent next to senior forward Ryan Rosburg and freshman forward Kevin Puryear, Anderson was overcome by emotion enough to tear up.

The tears were a glimmer of happiness.

They were a glimmer of hope. They were a glimmer of accomplishment.

Saturday, Feb. 13, was one of the brighter days in the 2015-16 Missouri men’s basketball season for Anderson,

for the team and for fans. Mizzou won a basketball game for the first time in over a month. Yes, that was significant, but that’s not what made the day special.

Saturday was about Rhyan Loos, the 5-year-old daughter of Missouri men’s basketball assistant coach Brad Loos, and her battle with cancer.

“I think this is a meaningful day for a lot of reasons,” Anderson said. “I want to thank the athletic department and everybody who made today possible.”

Rhyan Loos is one of 15,000 kids to be diagnosed with cancer each year.

Since her diagnosis of stage 4 bone cancer in October, the “Rally for Rhyan” cause has become a movement across the college landscape thanks to support from the athletics department.

To extend that support, the university allowed all fans general admission to the game against Tennessee for the price of a donation of their choice, while all students could attend the contest for free. Ultimately, over $50,000 was raised, and the support for a cause that everyone could relate to was impressive, to say the least.

And for Mizzou basketball, “impressive” in any stretch has been far-fetched. The team is 10-16, and the program has dealt with suspensions and self-imposed penalties. But on a day like

Saturday, something bigger materialized at Mizzou Arena.

“You couldn’t have scripted this day any better than how it went today,” Brad Loos said postgame. “We had no idea what was going to transpire and in my wildest imagination, this would have been unbelievable. The way it turned out was amazing and I couldn’t have asked for any more.”

There were so many moments that will be etched in memory for many of those in attendance.

It was the passion in Brad’s voice at halftime with his daughter by his side as he said, “When you picked a fight with Rhyan Loos, you messed with the wrong little girl.”

It was the unity in a snapshot of freshman point guard Terrence Phillips giving the game ball to Rhyan postgame.

It was the money, the support and the awareness generated that made it such a special day.

“What does this say about this community?” Brad said. “What does this say about this athletic department?

What does this say about everyone in mid-Missouri? How special is this? This is a little girl that, of the 10,000 here, 9,500 probably have never met her. And for them to come here and give their time and their money and their support,

that says something about the type of people that we have in mid-Missouri, and that’s very special.”

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death for kids in the U.S. Think about that — an unavoidable illness is the leading cause of death for America’s future students, teachers, doctors or businessmen.

You know it sucks, and I know it too.

You know someone who’s been afflicted with it, as do I. But you know what Saturday showed? Both you and I can do something about it.

Stuart Scott, the ESPN anchor who died from cancer at age 49, once said, “Every day, I am reminded that our life's journey is really about the people who touch us."

Wearing the gold and black “Rally for Rhyan” bracelet, Anderson looked up from the podium and seemed to gather himself. His deep voice filled the air, but the emotion never left. His journey as the Missouri men’s basketball coach will continue tomorrow as will yours in whatever you do.

But you’ll be reminded of the little 5-year-old girl that touched and will continue to touch the heart of the entire fanbase in her fight against cancer.

JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR

Missouri basketball team wins big in the #RallyForRhyan game against Tennessee on Feb. 13 in Mizzou Arena.

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THE MANEATER | SPORTS | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

How Mizzou can finish strong this season Coach Robin Pingeton: “In the SEC, every night is a dogfight.”

ZACH STONER Reporter Many fans could not have predicted the success seen this season of Missouri women’s basketball. This team, having achieved a record-breaking 13–0 start, boasting two of the top freshmen in the country and having won 20 games in a season for the first time in recent memory, has overachieved in the highest manner.

Sure, there have been bumps in the road, but considering where this program was only a decade ago, the Tigers should be proud of their accomplished season. So what’s next for the Tigers? Only three games are left before the Tigers play in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, which they have not won since 1994.

So how could it be done this year? How could the Tigers produce their best results in the following games to produce a possible fifth- or even fourth-seed birth in the conference tournament?

ALEXZANDRIA CHURCHILL | PHOTOGRAPHER

Within the final seconds of the third quarter, freshman Sophie Cunningham sinks a buzzer beater three-pointer to extend the Tigers’ momentum into the final quarter. However, the boost wouldn’t be enough for Missouri as they fell to the Bulldogs 65-50.

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Stars must align The Tigers will definitely need some help if they

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Eliminate turnovers It starts with eliminating turnovers, a bug that has plagued the Tigers throughout the season. In their most recent home win against the Arkansas Razorbacks, a team that defeated the Tigers earlier in the season, Mizzou only accounted for two turnovers in the entire first half. The score at halftime was 42–17. During their worst stretch of the season, backto-back losses to Georgia and Mississippi State, the Tigers had 42 combined turnovers.

“We’re just trying to put a whole game together,” freshman Sophie Cunningham said following her team’s turnover-ridden game against Georgia. “A whole 40 minutes. First half and second half. We just have to lock arms and get going.”

As stated before, turnovers cost points and ultimately games. If the Tigers can avoid those mistakes and move the ball as they did against Arkansas, the Tigers have a good chance of finishing in the top five in the conference.

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wish to finish in a top-four spot. Some key losses early in the season trounced any hope of putting their destiny in the Tigers’ hands. Fortunately, there are opportunities that await to be seized. As it stands, it looks as if Texas A&M, Mississippi State and South Carolina will all end the season as the top three of the conference respectively; however, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee all have mountains to climb before the season ends.

Auburn must take on Missouri; Florida still has two very tough road games against Georgia and LSU; Georgia must face South Carolina; and Tennessee still has to face Georgia at the end of the season.

“In the SEC, every night is a dogfight,” Pingeton said.

As it stands, the Tigers have a very good chance of ending the season as a fifth seed in the tournament and an outside chance of ending fourth.

Time will tell the Tigers’ fate, but as the year stands, they still have had one of the best seasons in program history.

The Tigers travel to face Auburn on Feb. 21.

Move the ball The Tigers are deadliest when they have the ball moving quickly and efficiently. Again, against Arkansas, Mizzou assisted on all 16 baskets in the first half of play, totaling 22 assists on the night.

Against No. 22 Florida earlier in the season, the Tigers accumulated 16 assists on 26 baskets made. And in their home win against No. 14 Mississippi State, the Tigers accumulated 19 assists on 25 baskets.

“In the last couple of games, our shot selection and our ball movement have been more of what we are accustomed to (than what) we have seen in the nonconference,” coach Robin Pingeton said after her team’s performance against Arkansas. “It’s a performance that we can just build off of.”

Simply put, when the Tigers move the ball at the lightning pace that they often can, they’re one of the best teams in the league.

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THE MANEATER | SPORTS | FEBRUARY 17, 2016

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desperately, a team that’s young and inexperienced.”

Sophomore Willie Miklus, Missouri’s 184-pound starter, often trains with Butler in practice. Miklus is grateful to have Butler as a partner, and he believes he’s learned how to be faster and how to hand fight better in matches because of him.

Miklus is also appreciative of Butler’s voice of reason and work ethic, noting how as a master’s student, Butler knows what he is doing and is a guy that the team can look up to.

“He has a really good sense of humor and a great work ethic, he just puts his head down and works really hard and does what the coaches ask and then some,” Miklus said. “So he really brings kind of a quiet leadership of ‘I’m going to do my work and no one is going to outwork me.’”

Butler is grateful for his training partners, as well, mentioning many younger athletes who he believes will emerge as great wrestlers in the coming years. The depth that Missouri has on its team has helped Butler become a

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legacy he wants to leave in the Missouri wrestling room.

Butler says he does not want to be solely remembered for his statistics, but more of the impact he made on the younger wrestlers in the room.

“I want to be a guy that when I come back to the room everyone looks up to and wants to wrestle with,” Butler said. “I don’t really care as much about my face on the wall as much as I care about being a role model, and that would be enough for me.”

Butler certainly seems to be leaving an impact on his coaches and teammates, as most of them cite the quiet leadership and determination he brings to practice and to matches.

“We lost a lot of seniors last year that were some great leaders, so having him step in and being committed to his schoolwork as well as being committed in here is great,” Smith said. “He does it in a quiet way, and we needed that.

Having a guy that’s new fit in and respond to the team that well and have that leadership is something the team needed

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try to stay away from things that are going to hold us back,” Butler said. “I really feel that everything he says is for the good of us and will eventually help us.”

During his run with the Cavaliers, Butler gave 100 percent all of the time and it paid off. He started three seasons and won an ACC championship at 157 pounds as a sophomore.

When he graduated, instead of staying in Charlottesville and wrestling for his fifth year, he decided to move to Missouri to pursue a graduate degree in business and compete for the Missouri wrestling team as a fifth-year senior.

The decision to move was a career move and Butler stresses that he does not regret his decision to wrestle for Virginia those four years. That being said, he has enjoyed his year at Missouri and is looking forward to the championship season that is coming up right around the corner. With a 11-2

dual meet record and No. 5 ranking, Butler looks to the NCAA Championships in March with high hopes. Coach Brian Smith is also excited about Butler’s tournament chances since Butler can help the team win a trophy as well.

“He’s right there with the best guys in the country, he’s beaten some of the best, we’ve lost some tough matches but he’s healthy and wrestling great at the same time,” Smith said. “He’s bringing that to the program, he’s giving the program the chance to win a team trophy.”

Butler said his biggest achievement on paper would be his ACC Championship at Virginia; however, he believes he has attained greater accomplishments during his five years as a college wrestler.

“I feel like I’ve beaten a lot better guys than I beat that year and won that championship,” Butler said. “There’s been a lot of personal accomplishments that I don’t write down on my resume but that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

One of those accomplishments is the

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Continued from page 19

X-factor:

“I want to have a great year.

I want to go to the postseason and this is a team that has the capability to do it. We have to get over the hump.” – coach Tim Jamieson “We’ve got all the pieces to the puzzle. It’s just putting the puzzle together. We know what we’re capable of. For us, it’s taking it one game at a time and hopefully we get a couple

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Plassmeyer certainly has the biggest potential impact as a freshman, but he’s not the only one. Ian Nelson and Connor Brumfield will likely see extended time on the field, especially during nonconference play. Although Brumfield is listed as an outfielder, Jamieson said he would get a look at second base. Brett Peel, now a graduate assistant with the team, was a leader among the infield group

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Impact freshmen:

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Continued from page 19

team’s leadoff hitter this year, replacing Peel, leaving power hole in the heart of the order.

If Benes can remain healthy and return to form, the lineup will look much more fluid.

Shane Benes, who missed most of last season following a re-injury of his torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, could provide a monumental boost to Mizzou’s offensive attack this season.

“Shane looks a lot more like the guy we recruited,” Jamieson said. “He’s healthy. He’s strong.

He’s just a little behind with his baseball instincts because he hasn’t played for a while.”

With a 6-foot-2, 204-pound frame, Benes’ power potential is off the charts, which could pay huge dividends to a lineup that lacks power in the middle of the order. Howard, according to Jamieson, is set to be the

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last season.

“Brumfield got there by default,” Jamieson said.

“We were just so thin in the infield, and he was the most likely candidate. He embraced it and got better and better offensively and he’s a guy with the skill set that gives him a chance to play at our level.”

Brian Sharp, a two-way player from Liberty, Missouri, could also see the field during the season.

“Brian wears the cage out,” Howard said. “He’s in there all the time and is a hard-working guy. When he gets his chance, he’ll be ready.”

On preseason expectations:

banners up here. That’s my goal and my plan.” – shortstop Ryan Howard “I feel really confident.

Everybody in that locker room does too. We feel that we’ve worked our tails off all offseason and put in hours of preparation coming into next week.” – starting pitcher Tanner Houck Projected record: Overall: 36-22. SEC: 18-12.

First game: The Tigers kick off the season Feb. 19 against Seton Hall in Fort Myers, Florida.

stronger athlete in the practice room and on the mat when it comes to meets.

“Having tough training partners not only helps you become better technically but helps build confidence too,” Butler said. “It makes the weekend a little easier when you’re wrestling tough guys who may not be as good as your training partners.”

As the end of the season and graduation nears closer every day, Butler is unsure of his future as a wrestler. He does not plan on wrestling after graduation right now but he says that perspective might change depending on how the national tournament ends.

“It’s going to depend on how I feel after the year ends, obviously the goal is to win a national title but I don’t know how I would respond to that at the moment,” Butler said.

“I think I would be perfectly fine with retiring after winning a national championship. I guess we’ll see how I feel in two months.”

Edited by Tyler Kraft | tkraft@ themaneater.com

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