M THE MANEATER
The student voice of MU since 1955
www.themaneater.com
Vol. 82, Issue 27
April 13, 2016
education
The Bridge helps educate students on social justice
College of Education Dean Kathryn Chval: “We’re preparing and trying to equip people to work with others that differ from themselves.” MEGAN DOLLAR Reporter
be recognized. The election will determine whether graduate workers support CGW as their future representative in collective bargaining. Then, CGW will look to the courts. Legal battle According to a contract obtained by The Maneater, the UM System has hired law firm McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer, L.C. as outside legal counsel to provide
As the campus conversation on diversity continues to grow, the College of Education decided to create a space for its students to engage in conversations and expand their perspectives on social justice. In August 2015, the college launched a safe space in 220 Townsend Hall, known as The Bridge, to prepare students for a culturally diverse workplace. “The primary goal is to provide a space and an initiative that is geared towards equity, inclusion and diversity for the College of Education and all of its constituents,” said Tajanette Sconyers, one of two graduate assistants who work in The Bridge. The college hopes to fulfill many goals through its services. “We’re preparing and trying to equip people to work with others that differ from themselves,” Acting Dean Kathryn Chval said. The name was inspired by a poem published in The New York Times titled “To Become a Bridge.” The poem, written by a Yale student from Jackson, Mississippi, addresses the challenges faced by an underprivileged student at a privileged university and the emotions his situation evokes. The very first Bridge event involved a discussion focused around the poem, which reads, “For I am a bridge that connects places that are uncomfortable with one another, a bridge that says we won’t treat disadvantaged kids as the other.” The Bridge holds events such as movie screenings, book discussions, one-on-one conversations, research discussions and student discussions concerning topics such as race, gender and disabilities. During these events, students are invited to make themselves at home in the space that was designed to feel similar to a living
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ZOIE BROWN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Excellence and Discovery halls on March 30. Excellence and Respect halls are currently unavailable for the 2016-17 school year, and the floor staff members are not guaranteed their positions.
Housing
Res hall staff positions in limbo ALYSSA BESSASPARIS AND CLAIRE MITZEL of The Maneater Staff After it was announced Friday that students could not select rooms in Excellence and Respect halls for the 2016–17 school year, Department of Residential Life staff members and incoming freshmen have been left with questions about the sudden closures.
The decision to restrict access temporarily to the two residence halls, two days before ROAR opened and students could begin signing up for housing, comes from the expected decline in enrollment of about 1,500 students for the 2016–17 school year. MU spokesman Christian Basi said the decision was made in an effort to save money. Following a meeting on Friday with student staff members in
Respect, Excellence, Responsibility and Discovery halls to announce the restriction, one incoming student staff member said they were not guaranteed their jobs. Basi said that nothing has been finalized yet regarding staffing, but Residential Life is doing everything they can to make sure students keep their jobs. “Some of the effects we won’t see
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Graduate Students
Graduate workers plan for union election Outside counsel to help UM System determine graduate students’ employee status. KYRA HAAS Staff Writer An email sent by the Graduate Professional Council to students last Friday sparked an exchange between
graduate students and interim Chancellor Hank Foley, the latest in the effort to form a graduate worker union. Since September, CGW has collected signatures, campaigned on social media and met with MU and UM System administration regarding unionization and graduate worker issues. In February, Middleton said the administration needed legal clarity on the employee status of graduate students before the union could
‘Let’s Get Loud’ celebrates Pride Month Drag queens, kings and other performers took a packed Stotler Lounge by storm last Saturday. Take a look at our Hopefully you didn’t miss X photo gallery. Ambassadors last Friday. If you did,
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don’t fret. We’ve got a recap.
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Rio is within reach for national champion J’Den Cox.
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THE MANEATER | ETC. | APRIL 13, 2016
Maneater wins Best Overall and Best in State The Maneater won "Best in State" and "Best Overall Newspaper" at the Missouri College Media Association 2015-16 conference in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, over the weekend. Additionally, The Maneater took home awards in several categories, including In-Depth News Reporting and Multimedia Package. The conference also had workshops and panels on topics ranging from copyright law essentials for reporters to social media journalism to a workshop titled, “HELP! I Don’t Want to Be a Journalist.�
M
Overall: Best Overall Newspaper
THE MANEATER
Best in State First place in Sweepstakes
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING WINNERS: The Maneater staff, first place in In-Depth News Reporting
Taylor Blatchford, Tessa Weinberg and Carlie Procell, first place for Multimedia Package Taylor Blatchford, first place in Feature Writing Alec Lewis, Bruno Vernaschi and Will Jarvis, first place in Sports Writing Alana Saad, Carlie Procell and Zach Baker, first place in Investigative Reporting Kennedy Jones, first place in Column Writing Nate Gatter, first place in Sports Column Writing Alexzandria Churchill and Elizabeth Loutfi, first place for Photo Page The Maneater staff, second place in In-Depth News Reporting Taylor Blatchford, second place in News Writing Waverly Colville, Alana Saad and Carlie Procell, second place in Investigative Reporting Peter Baugh, second place in Sports Column Writing Taylor Blatchford and Quinn Malloy, second place in Feature Writing Will Jarvis, second place in Sports Writing Mike Krebs and Kevin Mathein, second place for Sports Photo Page Christy Prust, second place in Page One Design The Maneater editorial board, third place in Editorial Writing Peter Baugh, third place in Sports Writing Jalen Mosby, honorable mention in Column Writing Regina Anderson, honorable mention in Entertainment Review Taylor Blatchford and Carlie Procell, honorable mention for Multimedia Package
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 Opinion Editor Jack Herrick
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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 reprodvuced 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¢. “My dad used to trade illegal animals on the black marketâ€?
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Assistant Photo Editors Alexzandria Churchill, Jessi Dodge, Emily Nevils
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Business Manager Colin Kreager Advertising Reps Jalen Mosby, Maddie Ramsey, Callaghan Schwartz Adviser Becky Diehl
NEWS
MU, city and state news for students
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MANEATER FILE PHOTO
MU students look through clothes at gender-neutral thrift shop ThreadBare on Sept. 1, 2015, in the Student Center. Threadbare is a student-run business through the Missouri Student Unions Entrepreneurial Program.
brief
What to watch for at the curators meeting One significant topic of discussion will be the search for the next UM System president. TAYLOR BLATCHFORD University News Editor The UM System Board of Curators will meet this Thursday and Friday at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. The curators have not yet voted on tuition and fees for the 2016–17 school year, and they will not vote on it this week. UM System spokesman John Fougere said he does not know when the curators will vote to approve tuition and fees. Here are the most important things they’ll discuss: Presidential search qualifications Following public forums held on each of the four UM System campuses, the curators will release a statement on the desired qualifications of the next UM System president following a closed search committee meeting. Chairman and president’s report Board of Curators Chairwoman Pam Henrickson and interim President Mike Middleton will both give reports on the state of the UM System. On Monday, Middleton and Henrickson spoke to members of House Special Committee on Urban Issues about diversity at MU. Degree and renovation approvals The curators will vote on the addition of a new master’s program in Applied Behavioral Analysis at MU. They will also vote on an expansion and renovation project for the MU Teaching Hospital.
Campus
ThreadBare owners share secrets to success ThreadBare will accept applications for new prospective owners. MANYUN ZOU Staff Writer One year ago, four students created the gender-neutral consignment shop ThreadBare with the hope that the Student Center-based business would prosper and influence social views on gender identity. It is now the first Student Unions Entrepreneurial Program business that has been given the chance to stay longer than a year. In ThreadBare’s Instagram post announcing the opportunity, staff said the
store is “on pace” to be the most successful student-run business hosted by the program. Each year, the Student Unions Entrepreneurial Program hosts a contest for students to submit a business plan for rentfree space in the Student Center for one year. This year, ThreadBare will be allowed to reapply for the space, but they will still have to compete for the space against other students’ ideas. “We are super excited,” co-founder Kyle Gunby said. “We think it would be useful if the brand is able to continue for another year so the students wouldn’t have to worry about the startup bump.” Founders Gunby, Allison Fitts, Gabriel Riekhof and Zach Bine are graduating seniors, so students will apply to run ThreadBare. The founders say group work plays a key
role in ThreadBare’s success. Each of the four founders know one another’s strengths, and they work together to make ThreadBare a success. Fitts is responsible for fashion choices, Riekhof takes care of managing operation and Gunby directs marketing decisions. “When we recognize those different strengths, things go super swimmingly,” Gunby said. “When we start asking people to do things out of their range of skills or outside of what they are comfortable with, that is when things being complicated.” Meanwhile, as seniors, none of the four founders can devote all of their efforts into managing the store. They have to deal with their own classes, activities, internships or jobs and social lives.
BARE | Page 7
Retention
MU sees long game in AAU improvements Budget cuts will make it difficult to support research and teaching areas that affect MU’s AAU status, MU spokesman Christian Basi said. KYRA HAAS Staff Writer At a general faculty meeting in April 2014, then-Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin urged Faculty Council to consider the face of the university in 50 years. “Why can’t we be the aspirational land grant (university)?” Loftin said in a Mizzou Weekly article. At the time, Loftin was addressing faculty’s qualms about the planned 2 percent budget reallocations for the next four years, starting
with the 2014–15 school year, that would fund MU’s Strategic Operating Plan. The plan was later extended two years and named Mizzou 2020. One focus of the plan is a set of initiatives to improve MU’s Association of American Universities metrics and overall standing. Two years later, improving MU’s standing in the AAU is still a long-term game. With the change in leadership at both a university and system level, active work on Mizzou 2020 has slowed considerably and “taken a backseat to other important issues,” said associate professor Dennis Miller, Mizzou 2020 Evaluation Committee chairman. MU is facing a $32 million budget shortfall for the next fiscal year in the face of declining enrollment. The AAU is a group of 62 top research universities across the U.S. and Canada. AAU status indicates to experts across the country that the university engages in quality research
and is important when recruiting faculty, MU spokesman Christian Basi said in email. Loftin and former UM System President Tim Wolfe’s goal was to improve MU’s AAU ranking from 32nd out of 34 public universities to 28th by 2018, according to Columbia Daily Tribune reporting. The AAU does not publicly publish its rankings; however, Loftin and Wolfe divulged MU’s ranking in relation to the long-term goals of the university. “Chancellor Foley and President Middleton are in a situation where with the things that happened on campus last fall, our funding priorities had to change a bit,” Miller said. “The impact of our relationship with Jefferson City and the impact of decreased enrollment for the fall will have an impact on what the campus can do with its resources.” However, MU’s designation as an AAU
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STAFF Continued from page 1
until they actually happen,” said a ResLife student staff member familiar with the situation. “Since Discovery, Excellence, Responsibility and Respect have always operated as one complex, it will be interesting to see the challenges or what would change now that only half of the complex will be operating.” Currently the four-building complex shares one practice room, which is located in Excellence and would have to be moved, the staff member said.
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advice and representation related to labor relations. The hourly billing rate for Michael Kaemmerer is $330 per hour, and for other attorneys in the firm it ranges from $175 to $285 per hour, according to the contract. “I believe, if my math is correct, that before lunch, he makes as much as I do in a week,” CGW co-chairman Eric Scott said. “And you know, I actually teach students at the University of Missouri. It’s very troubling to me that they have this contract with Mr. Kaemmerer in the first place. … We’ve heard that there are probably going to be layoffs or that there are vulnerable nontenured faculty and staff being laid off or having their workloads increased. At the same time there’s a lot of crying poor, system HR is paying for this lawyer whose job is primarily to obstruct our constitutional rights.” Scott said Kaemmerer sat in on “a number of conversations” with the administration under the pretense of being in town and deciding to stop by. On April 9, CGW became officially affiliated with the Missouri National Education Association and plans to file a lawsuit to get a legal determination on their employee status. UM System spokesman John Fougere did not comment on the UM System’s hiring of outside legal counsel.
BRIDGE Continued from page 1
room, with couches, chairs and ottomans. The Bridge provides a comfortable, safe environment for students to open up and discuss what are usually uncomfortable conversation topics. Chval also utilizes The Bridge as an opportunity to interact with students and give them a chance to share personal experiences or concerns. Chval hosts a monthly event titled “Real Talk & Cookies with Kathryn” in The Bridge where education students are invited to
THE MANEATER | NEWS | APRIL 13, 2016 Residential Life hired fewer desk attendants this year after eliminating the desk supervisor position, the staff member said. However, they did not hire less floor staff, so now they are telling the new hirees that they may not have jobs in the fall. They could be reassigned to new positions within the department. Overall, the staff member said the biggest effect of Respect and Excellence closing are a loss of facilities such as kitchens and laundry rooms that are shared between the complex of four buildings. Incoming freshman Luke Olive said he has friends who currently live in Laws, Lathrop, Respect and
Foley exchange Any vote to unionize will not be recognized by the university, Foley said in an April 8 email to graduate students in response to GPC’s email about the upcoming election. “It is surprising, and disappointing, that at the same time MU administration has responded to graduate student requests for improved communication that this announcement was made without any consultation with us,” Foley said. On April 6, the Coalition of Graduate Workers emailed interim Chancellor Hank Foley, interim UM System President Mike Middleton, the UM System Board of Curators and dozens of top UM System and MU administrators to notify them of the planned graduate worker union authorization election on April 18–19. On April 8, the Graduate Professional Council emailed graduate students about the upcoming election and encouraging them to vote. GPC passed a resolution affirming graduate workers' right to unionize, but it does not have an official position on whether they should do so, Director of Communications for GPC Matt McCune told The Maneater in February. Foley said in his email that GPC leadership did not mention plans to hold the union authorization vote in a meeting the day before CGW sent their email. His email incorrectly attributed the unionization efforts to GPC.
stop by for an hour and speak with Chval about any issues they may be facing and any solutions they may have. The Research Discussion Series invites students and faculty to review faculty research on diversity, inclusion, social justice and marginalization and discuss their findings. The Bridge also welcomes students in to speak with other students, faculty and staff about anything diversity-related. Multiple weekly discussions are held as part of the Research Discussion Series, Book Discussion Series and Student Discussion Series. Anyone can
Excellence, and he would have considered living in one of them. He now plans on living in South. “Mizzou’s done an outstanding job handling (the events of last fall) and keeping people informed and making changes,” Olive said. “I expect Mizzou to be right back where they left off in like one to two years.” Basi previously told The Maneater that MU had anticipated the enrollment decline due to smaller high school class sizes, but last semester’s events also had an impact. Interim Chancellor Hank Foley estimated that last fall’s events caused a decline of at least 600 students. Basi said it is more cost-
effective to close some halls and have maximum occupancy in the ones that are open rather than keeping all of the halls open but having many vacancies. On-campus housing priority is given to first-time college students, but transfer students and upperclassmen are also being offered on-campus housing due to a smaller than usual projected incoming freshman class, according to the ResLife website. “That’s one of the reasons why we are restricting access, because we’re wanting to make sure we’re being good stewards of the money that the students will be giving us to live in the residential halls,” Basi said.
Excellence and Respect were chosen because they have some maintenance issues, such as leaky shower floors, Basi said. “It’s not a safety issue; it’s not a big problem, but to go in and fix it, it’s invasive,” Basi said. “If we don’t need to use those halls, we could go in those halls and do those repairs.” He said the maintenance is a possibility within the next year if the halls are closed, but nothing has been officially planned or announced. Edited by Taylor Blatchford | tblatchford@themaneater.com
“The decision to unionize carries both significant pros and cons for our graduate students, and we feel it is in your best interest to be fully educated on the ramifications of unionization,” he said. “Should graduate student leaders decide to proceed with such a vote at this time despite the lack of consultation with MU administration, and should such a vote indicate that graduate students would like to pursue a union, university leadership will begin an educational campaign to ensure that all graduate students impacted by this decision will be knowledgeable about what this means at the University of Missouri.” The Forum on Graduate Rights, of which CGW is an extension, responded to Foley’s email that day, saying the assertion that there was a “lack of consultation with MU administration” was “blatantly false.” “It also demeans the autonomy of GPC, undermines shared governance, and implies that graduate student employees are unable to discern for themselves the value of the options available to achieve the improvements previously articulated via the FGR Demands,” the statement read. Foley, GPC and CGW met later that day to go over his email, according a memo provided by GPC.
The unionization effort began after graduate workers were informed 13 hours before their health insurance coverage
period ended that it would not be renewed. The insurance was quickly reinstated in response to protests, but the event brought other graduate issues to the forefront, such as the lack of quality child care and housing. In early September, CGW announced plans to hold a union card drive, which sought to collect a plurality of graduate worker signatures in support of holding a union election. In December, CGW members met with university officials and informed them of the success of their drive and their desire to unionize. They met several times over the next two months. “We said, ‘We want to work together with you on an election,’” Scott said. “And they asked us to give them until mid-February.” In a Feb. 10 news release issued after an unpublicized meeting with CGW, UM System and university leadership responded to graduate workers’ desire to unionize by raising a question of legality under the Missouri Constitution. “We believe that the university needs clarity on the graduate students’ legal right to organize, as there is no legal precedent or clarity in current Missouri law to make that determination,” Middleton said in the release. The Missouri Constitution does not clarify if graduate workers are employees, and while employees have the right to unionize under Article 1, Section 29, students do not. UM System spokesman John Fougere said in an email the university supports MU’s efforts in
working with graduate students to find common ground. For the union to move forward as the representative of graduate workers, CGW needs both the support of graduate workers and the administration. The election is following the appropriate protocols to officially indicate whether graduate workers support unionization. In March, graduate student Ginny Chadwick, the former First Ward city councilwoman, withdrew her bid for Southern Boone County Commissioner after her supervisor told her she would have to either resign her position or take a leave of absence because of Regulation 350.020 on Labor Union Recognition in the UM System’s Collected Rules and Regulations. "The holding of any elective full-time office in local, county, state or the Federal government is forbidden while the person is serving on the University staff," the rule states. The wording in the section of the bylaws is set to change “staff” to “employee” and “he” to “he or she” in July. “In terms of virtually all the paperwork, we get treated as employees,” Scott said. “With Ginny Chadwick’s desire to run for a full-time office, she got treated as an employee. Pretty much the only thing where they have chosen to say, ‘Well, we just don’t know’ is the question of our unionization.’” Edited by Taylor Blatchford | tblatchford@themaneater.com
make a one-on-one appointment or simply stop by and start a conversation with one of the graduate assistants. “As a function of attending Bridge events, students will be able to learn … and gain cultural sensitivity,” Sconyers said. The Bridge was created as a safe space for students to come and decompress from any marginalized situations they have experienced or witnessed on or off campus. Chval emphasized that The Bridge was not created to only hold conversations on race. While race does play a big factor in marginalization, Chval
noted that students can also be marginalized based on gender, sexual orientation, disability and other factors and she wants all students to feel included in the conversation. Conversations about creating the space began in fall 2014, Sconyers said. The idea was presented to Chval in a graduate student focus group meeting. A student suggested that a space be created where students could come together and engage in difficult dialogues, Chval said. “I asked them to make a list of verbs. They came up with: learn, take risks, interact with people
that differ from themselves and engage in difficult dialogues about things that typically aren’t talked about,” Chval said. With students’ input in mind, Chval and others in the college began constructing The Bridge. The Bridge is hosting “Challenging the Culture of Cruelty: Understanding and Defeating Race and Class Inequality in America” with speaker and diversity author Tim Wise on Monday, May 9 at Jesse Auditorium. Edited by Taylor Blatchford | tblatchford@themaneater.com
The road to unionization
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THE MANEATER | NEWS | APRIL 13, 2016
Res halls vs. downtown housing: What’s the better deal?
RASHI GUPTA Reporter
Brookside Downtown: 206 S. Tenth St. PROXIMITY TO CAMPUS: 7–10 MINUTES
All Brookside apartments come fully furnished, and utility packages are offered so that tenants can pay their utilities with their rent instead of having to pay the City of Columbia separately.
Brookside midtown: east walnut street
Brookside Downtown has six different buildings: 1102 E. Locust St. & 1118 E. Locust St.: These buildings offer two and four bedrooms. 120 S. Tenth St.: This building offers only a four-bedroom apartment. 220 S. Tenth St.: This building offers two and four bedrooms. 260 S. Tenth St.: This building houses the leasing office and offers two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. 825 Elm St.: This building offers four-bedroom apartments.
TODD APARTMENTS: 601 s. fifth st. PROXIMITY TO CAMPUS: ON CAMPUS
PROXIMITY TO CAMPUS: 13 MINUTES Brookside Midtown offers students either two-bedroom or four-bedroom options. They have two different types of two-bedroom apartments: one that is 1,517 square feet, and another that is 1,113 square feet. They have three different types of four-bedroom apartments: one that’s 1,606 square feet, one that’s 1,472 square feet and one that’s 1,771 square feet.
Todd Apartments offers two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments as well as four-bedroom, two-story townhomes. The apartments come fully furnished, and all bedrooms come with a private bathroom. Utilities are included in the rent price.
Pricing starts at the mid $800s+ – – – –
Parking: Todd offers parking permits that are $125 per month. There is metered parking around the building and a metered parking lot across the street. There are also two parking garages less than two blocks away from the building: Turner Avenue Parking Garage and Conley Avenue Parking Garage. Parking passes can be purchased at the parking office in the Turner Avenue Garage.
Two-bedroom apartments range from 833–851 square feet. Three-bedroom apartments are 1,182 square feet. Four-bedroom apartments range from 1,358–1,407 square feet. The townhomes are 1,538 square feet and are two stories high.
District Flats offers one-, two- and four-bedroom apartments. Utilities are included in the rent, but there is a certain credit given, and if tenants surpass the credit amount, they have to pay the difference.
District flats: 127 e. eighth St. PROXIMITY TO CAMPUS: 5–7 MINUTES One bedroom: 567 square feet | $1,360+ Two bedroom/2 bath: 884 square feet | $999+ Four bedroom: 1,365 square feet | $915+
Parking: District Flats offers parking permits at $140 per month. The parking garage is elevator accessible and is heated. There is also metered city parking available around the building.
university place: 1205 university ave.
PROXIMITY TO CAMPUS: ON CAMPUS University Place offers two- and three-bedroom apartments that include all utilities in the rent price.
the lofts: 308 s. NINTH st & 1009 e. broadway PROXIMITY TO CAMPUS: 6-8 MINUTES The Lofts on Ninth offer one- and two-bedroom apartments. One-bedroom apartments range from 603–639 square feet and two bedroom apartments range from 927–1074 square feet. Cable and internet are included in the rent price, but the tenant pays the City of Columbia directly for utilities (electricity and water) every month.
residence halls College avenue: 1300 e. rollins st.
Two-bedroom apartment: 720 square feet – One-year lease: $490 private room/$275 shared – 10-month lease: $540 private/$305 shared
Parking: Tenants can park at the Hitt Street Garage, which is operated by MU (these parking passes can be purchased at the Turner Avenue parking garage). Another option for parking is the City of Columbia
defoe-graham: 901 hitt st. CENTRAL CAMPUS
EAST CAMPUS – College Avenue has only suite-style living. – Each room is furnished with a bunkable bed, mattress, desk, desk chair, a set of drawers and a three-drawer dresser. – This hall is a short walk to Plaza 900, Baja Grill and Emporium, a small grocery store, where residents can grab a bite to go or a cup of coffee. Emporium and Baja Grill are both open late. Price: Single: $9,300 per year Double: $7,640 per year
Page design by Christy Prust
– Defoe-Graham has two types of rooms: traditional style dorms and suite style dorms. – Each traditional room is furnished with a bed, mattress, desk, chair, bookcase, onedrawer pedestal and three-drawer dresser. – Each student in s suite style is given a medium loft bed, a mattress, three-drawer mobile pedestal, a desk, chair and a bookcase. – This hall is open over breaks. Price: Single: $8,405 per year Double: $6,695 per year
Parking: University Place offers a parking pass that is $225 per semester and is located in the back of the building. There is also metered parking around the building.
Parking garages at Tenth and Cherry streets or Eighth and Cherry streets, which are just two blocks away from The Lofts. Parking passes can purchased at 701 E. Broadway at the third floor.
mark twain: 515 s. FIFth st. WEST CAMPUS
– Mark Twain has only suite-style living. - A double bed suite is two rooms, which each have two beds in it, share a bathroom. - Each student is given a medium loft bed, a mattress, three-drawer mobile pedestal, a desk, chair and a bookcase. – Nearby attractions include: Peace Park, the MKT trail, and downtown Columbia. – The Mark on Fifth is a dining hall is attached to the residence hall. Price: Single: $9,300 per year Double: $7,640 per year
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Loud’ THE MANEATER | NEWS | APRIL 13, 2016
‘Let’s Get
JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR
Fantasy Reign accepts a tip from a fan as she walks off of the stage.
JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR
Sean Ornery pops his suspenders during his performance.
JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR
Booty Allen goes up to audience members during his performance to get them hyped.
JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR
All of the performers in the “Let’s Get Loud” drag show line up on stage to get one final round of applause from the audience.
JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR
Cassie Antares performs a dance with a prop gun.
JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR
Veronika Versace, the host of the show, collects a tip from a fan during her performance.
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THE MANEATER | NEWS | APRIL 13, 2016
BARE Continued from page 3
From time to time, one of them has to ask for a break from the store management, and the rest of team needs to keep the business operating. “If you have 40 challenges, then it is a lot easier to face 10 on your own than 40 of them on your own,” Riekhof said. “We wouldn’t be successful if the team wasn’t here supporting each other the entire time.” Normally, the management team
AAU
Continued from page 3 member is unlikely to change because of short-term budget cuts. “AAU status would not be directly affected by any cuts to our budget,” Basi said. “However, in the long term, it could be difficult to maintain some of the areas that support our high quality research and teaching.” The AAU’s metrics are in two phases, and members must continually improve them to remain competitive. They emphasize competitive federal research support, faculty awards and membership in national academies, among other indicators that value certain types of faculty and research. Professor John Boyer is a member of the National Academy
will communicate with each other using text or social media messages. When they face major problems, they will have a group meeting and sit down together to discuss possible solutions. And it is not uncommon for them to encounter challenges. “Each week has its new sets of challenges,” Fitts said in email. “We just take each challenges as it comes and learn from it.” Although the financial mission is completed, the social mission is still in efforts. All the clothing in ThreadBare is gender-neutral and affordable. Everything is less than $15 before tax.
“Our job here is not to stuff an ideology down somebody’s throat,” Gunby said. “What we want to do by being here (is) being a place where people can come in and be comfortable. We want to be a conversation starter.” The founders know it is hard to make social changes about gender empowerment, but they feel people have been open-minded. “The fact that we are profitable means we are supported by the community,” Riekhof said. “The fact that we are supported by the community means that they are validating the idea that we have of a gender-neutral thrift store.”
As one of the more loyal customers of ThreadBare, former Missouri Students Association President Payton Head felt the same way. “I believe that ThreadBare is so successful because of its mission of inclusivity,” Head said in an email. “They work so diligently to make sure that every person who occupies that space feels welcome and has something they can connect with. If ThreadBare stays in the Student Center, the new owners are free to run the store as they want with two restrictions: first, the original founders get the ownership of the brand; second,
the store’s general theme should remain gender-neutral and the price of commodities should consider affordability for students. Student Unions decide what business will occupy the space around the finals week. But no matter which business is chosen, the four founders have gained a lot from this experience. “I have learned lessons, made memories and fostered new friendships in a tiny little store in the Student Center, which is pretty great,” Fitts said. Edited by Waverly Colville | wcolville@themaneater.com
of Sciences, and his hiring in 2014 improved MU’s membership standing score in the AAU by 12.5 percent, according to previous Maneater reporting. Boyer said AAU membership influenced his decision to come to the university, but ultimately it was the “highly interactive faculty and students, whom I have known and admired for most of my career,” who drew him here. Still, Boyer believes MU’s AAU status is the source of the success of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group, a community of MU faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows and professionals researching in the field of plant biology. “There may be a feedback with the AAU attracting more committed students, the IPG gaining recognition because of them and in turn attracting better students,” Boyer said in an email. “It is amazing
to see the positions of responsibility attained by many IPG students and an honor to be part of it!” Being a member of the AAU allows MU administrators to sit at the table with other AAU member schools and discuss common campus issues, as well as work together, to get more federal funding. “We are deeply affected by federal funds in terms of grants we’re able to get, what our graduate students are able to do work on, what our professors are able to do work on and the products of that research that we produce,” said graduate student Kaitlin Steen, who interned with the AAU last summer. Steen is the executive director of the Associated Students of the University of Missouri, a student lobbying group. She believes that, beyond federal funding, the AAU is important for the future of MU’s research quality and overall reputation. “Our membership in the AAU is extremely important to the future of the University of Missouri and our reputation on a national stage and international stage in terms of the research we are able to produce,” Steen said. Membership in the AAU also allows for research collaboration among the member universities, a recent example being a sexual assault report survey released last year. Mizzou 2020’s goal is to advise the UM System on how MU can
better reflect AAU ideals, even though some faculty believe the AAU metrics leave out certain departments and research areas, as some are weighted heavier than others. In 2012, the University of Nebraska was voted out of the AAU in part because of its strong focus on agricultural reseach, which is not valued highly in the AAU, according to Columbia Missourian reporting. “The strategic goals of Mizzou 2020 will improve the stature of the university overall,” Miller said. “It emphasizes what the university wants to do, where we want to put our resources. We want to put our resources into student engagement, we want to put our resources into improving our research capabilities,
our research outlook, we want to put our priorities into improving the economic development of the state.” As the executive director of ASUM, Steen has been privy to the ongoing conversations about MU’s budget throughout the legislative session. She believes the outlook is better than originally thought, but regardless of cuts, status within the AAU should remain a priority. “We should still put effort toward improving our status within the AAU, in conjunction with other issues on campus, but that definitely shouldn’t be something that goes away,” Steen said. Edited by Taylor Blatchford | tblatchford@themaneater.com
8
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
Next UM System president must prioritize communication As the UM System presidential search committee continues evaluating different candidates in light of the four public forums held at each UM System campus, they need to prioritize an applicant with strong communication skills. Most of the turmoil and administrative failings from last semester stemmed from a simple failure to communicate. Many students, faculty and staff felt strongly that their administration was not listening to them. Remedying this disconnect between our administration and campus is the most important task the next system president will face. For our current administration, an immediate opportunity to start listening comes with holding forums to gather public opinion for the search. These forums are an essential step in this process, and it’s of paramount importance that the search committee take this feedback into consideration. For the next UM System president, actively listening to constituents should take multiple forms. It starts with a willingness to communicate in constructive and productive ways. It means facilitating the type of meaningful dialogue that would have prevented the controversies of last semester in
the first place. Social media presence is also essential in improving this communication. The next system president is going to need to be more of a public figure than has been the case in the past. The events from last semester created this expectation and it doesn’t appear as if it’s going to change any time in the near future. A strong social media presence is essential here. The poorly received social media presence from former Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin will not suffice, nor will the radio silence from former UM System President Tim Wolfe. These qualities work to better the UM System in the long run. Consistently maintaining good communication and relationships throughout the system prevents crises from happening in the first place, but that doesn’t mean that the next system president doesn’t need to be adept at crisis management. On the contrary, this person must be exceptional at handling controversies where every word and every action count. In these moments, the next UM System president must use their position as a public figure to handle the situation. Prompt responses to racially charged incidents are essential and must demonstrate an
actual understanding of the issues in question. Transparency in their decision-making process is also an essential aspect of the next system president’s crisis management strategy. All that being said, the prevailing strategy of the next UM System president must be proactive versus reactive. An understanding and prioritization of shared governance on the part of the UM System president is another quality we feel is essential from the next person to hold the office. We don’t expect or want someone to be appointed to the office on a platform of yielding all decision-making to students and faculty. This person must have their own vision for their time in office. It’s pointless to attempt to pinpoint exactly where we want the next UM System president to come from, be it business, government or education. But, above all, we know that this person must be driven by a genuine and authentic passion higher education. We want a leader with an integral desire to fix the problems of the past nine months who works in tandem with their own vision for the future of the system — all balanced with stakeholder input.
The Big-Eyed Believer
Religious liberty bills are causing trouble HUNTER BASSLER Ever since the legalization of same-sex marriage, some states have been trying to find a way to oppress the LGBTQ population. Many state legislators, including in Missouri, have been pushing “religious freedom bills,” which give protection to organizations and individuals who refuse to provide services to LGBTQ persons, citing their religious beliefs. As stated in my earlier column speaking on Missouri’s own bill, these bills do nothing but promote bigotry and discrimination. If, God forbid, Missouri passes this bill, it would make us look like a state stuck in the past. While this was just a theory when I wrote the column, it has turned out to be true. At least in Mississippi’s case. Under the newly passed
Mississippi bill titled “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act”, Mississippians have the outrageous powers to decide “whether or not to hire, terminate or discipline an individual whose conduct or religious beliefs are inconsistent” with their beliefs. In addition to those hateful strengths, professionals in medicine and therapy will legally be allowed to refuse “treatments, counseling or surgeries related to sex reassignment or gender identity transitioning” and “psychological, counseling or fertility services” to people who live contrary to how the professionals believe they should be living. On April 6, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, was so outraged by the passing of the bill that he banned all nonessential travel to Mississippi. The governor stated that all requests for statefunded or state-sponsored travel to
any state that has permitted any kind of discrimination law will be rejected, effectively cutting off Mississippi from New York. Cuomo said these laws are “a sad, hateful injustice against the LGBT community” and will not reinstate this travel until the law is repealed. While New York is the first state to take such a harsh stance, I’m sure there will be harsher repercussions, and they will not be the last to enact measures of this kind. This is even further justification of why Missouri needs to block its own “religious liberty” bill. The last thing this state needs to do is create economic and social problems by isolating itself from other states. If Missouri state legislators want to pass the bill because they don’t see the moral issues of it, I can only hope they use Mississippi as an example and block it for fear of what may happen to their own state.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Not an employee? My teaching record says otherwise I am a teaching assistant and graduate instructor for the Department of History who loves my job and the University of Missouri. I have amazing students who make my work rewarding and an incredibly supportive department and adviser. Every day, I am gaining work experience that will help me secure a job in an ever-shrinking market. And while I do love teaching Mizzou’s undergraduate students, I do not love the labor exploitation that comes with it. When I agreed to come to MU, my letter of offer (in effect, my contract) granted me a stipend based on my labor as a teaching assistant. But at times, when it benefits the UM System, I am not considered to be an employee and lose the subsequent labor rights and protections afforded other university employees. Because the system claims that I am a graduate student only, and not a worker as well, I am underpaid, once lost my health insurance subsidy (and could again), and am not treated as an equal partner with a say in my working conditions. My work and the work of my colleagues is vital to our university. In the Department of History, each graduate student teaches about 100 students per semester in discussion sections. Professors, postdoctoral fellows and senior graduate students teach survey lecture courses ranging in size from 50 to 300 students. Without accompanying discussion sections, most students would have little personal interaction with instructors. My colleagues and I also do almost all of the grading in these courses. Without the labor of grad student workers like me, our department and numerous others could not function. Specifically, I instruct, lead discussion sections, respond to emails, answer questions, make appointments, hold office hours, and recommend books. I help students figure out how to manage their time, take notes, and study for exams. In my six years at Mizzou, I have graded the quizzes, exams, reflection papers and essays of over 500 students. I am motivated by my passion for history and my students, not my poverty-wage stipend but I do work for Mizzou and the UM System should recognize me as such and pay me the living wage that I have earned. While the university has promised that we will have a stipend increase next year and a health insurance subsidy for one more year, promises can be (and have been) easily broken. The security of the graduate employee population rests on a union-negotiated contract that guarantees our rights and secure benefits for ourselves and future generations of graduate employees. Sarah Lirley McCune Teaching Assistant and PhD Candidate Department of History, University of Missouri sel46d@mail.missouri.edu
9 The key to your entertainment
JENNIFER LEVIN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Sam Harris, the lead singer, guitarist and saxophone player for X Ambassadors, gives it his all on the stage of Jesse Auditorium. The crowd roared with excitement as the alternative rockers from New York performed at MU.
Concerts
X Ambassadors brim with soul and passion There wasn’t a single song that fans couldn’t dance to at the alternative group’s concert. GRANT SHARPLES Staff Writer Alternative soul rockers X Ambassadors put on a spectacle of a performance at Jesse Auditorium. From the first pulsating rhythms of “Loveless,” fans knew that they were in for a treat. The high energy was established right at the beginning of the set and lasted through the following 11 songs. Lead vocalist Sam Harris’ natural charisma was difficult not to love. Throughout the entire performance, Harris had the crowd in the palm of his hand,
MOVE MOVE Editor: Beat Writers Amanda Battmer, Anna Maples, Bianca Rodriquez, Grant Sharples
channeling his energy and passionate nature to the audience through his soulful voice and layered saxophone harmonies. There wasn’t a single song that fans couldn’t dance to. Another highlight of their performance was the exceptional musicianship displayed by all four of the band members. Perhaps most notable was Casey Harris’ impressive keyboard skills. In between tracks, Harris would play arpeggiated chords with stunning dexterity and quickness. He demonstrated a wealth of knowledge for his instrument, proving himself to be a true virtuoso. In addition to Harris’s magnificent piano performance, lead guitarist Noah Feldshuh’s solos, while scarce, were equally remarkable. Leading into “Jungle,” Feldshuh improvised a guitar solo with pitch shifter and distortion
STAFF
Katherine Rosso Columnists Regina Anderson, Stephanie Hamann, Jack Howland, Gabby Velasquez, Katherine White
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effects, an unexpected combination to hear at an indie rock show. Feldshuh and vocalist Sam Harris each took a turn soloing on the guitar to transition out of the song. The Harris brothers were surely the most noteworthy members of the band. They conveyed their love of music to the audience through their passion and stage presence. While Casey’s outstanding keyboard performance was an example of his emotion in itself, the way he felt the music was truly genuine. He exemplified music in its rawest form, as if it were right at his fingertips. His playing was phenomenal, but it was how he felt the keyboard that was even more phenomenal. Casey has been blind since birth. Perhaps his ailment allows him to focus more on the music being made around him,
and he simply doesn’t care about how he might look while expressing himself. Sam exhibited the same kind of soul and passion of the band’s music. He was constantly dancing around the stage, occasionally making direct eye contact with audience members and singing to them. His energy and charisma were engaging. If a fan was at the back of the room, his charm and stage presence would make that fan feel as if they were in the front row. X Ambassadors has a deep understanding of the music they make, and they succeeded in communicating that to the audience. They know how to engage their fans and make them feel like they are a vital element of the show. Edited by Katherine Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com
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THE MANEATER | MOVE | APRIL 13, 2016
The Front Bottoms perform with raw emotion Indie-emo quartet performed for a soldout crowd Saturday at The Blue Note. GRANT SHARPLES Staff Writer The moment Front Bottoms lead vocalist Brian Sella walked onto the stage, the entire audience shifted forward as far as humanly possible to shrink the distance between the band and itself. The crowd knew every single lyric to every single song. It is undoubtedly one of the most passionate fanbases I have ever witnessed at a concert. I found myself in the heat of the crowd, about two or three songs in, surrounded by sweaty fans belting every heartfelt lyric. It was amazing to see firsthand the sincere love the fans have for this band. The Front Bottoms is a fourpiece band that draws from indie rock, emo, punk rock and folk to create their own unique style.
It may sound unconventional and odd, but it’s a formula that works surprisingly well. Their success with this genre-defying style is exemplified by their extremely loyal and passionate fanbase. It was difficult not to fall in love with Sella’s quirky demeanor. His witty lyricism accurately represents his awkward yet admirable personality. His lyrics are reminiscent of the random thoughts you would have while trying to fall asleep. For example, the song “The Beers” boasts the following lyric: “I will remember that summer / As the summer I was taking steroids / Because you like a man with muscles.” Sella also did a wonderful job of engaging the crowd. This was mostly done with amusing commentary in between songs. He regaled the audience with a story of how he went to the costume shop Gotcha! Earlier that day and how the cashier who checked him out, Amanda, was in the crowd that night. He also caught word that it
M COURTESY OF LAURA LUZ
was an audience member’s 21st birthday, so he let the fan borrow what he called a traditional “English birthday hat,” a large hot pink hat that looked like a tutu. In all honesty, I had not heard of The Front Bottoms until I
saw that they were playing at The Blue Note in early April. With that being said, I knew some of the songs and lyrics, but not all of them, like the majority of the people in the venue. I may not have been nearly as familiar with the band
as most people in the room, but I had an amazing time. It was one of the most energetic concerts I have been to in a while, and it was truly a fun experience. Edited by Katherine Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com
listen to this
The Lumineers’ sophomore album perfect for springtime The Lumineers’ album is a little homogenous but quite lovely overall. KATHERINE WHITE
In 2012, beloved folk rock group Fleet Foxes went on hiatus and disappeared the same year “The Lumineers” was released. This passing of the baton brought a new age of folk fans, who jammed to Mumford & Sons’ banjo strums and clapped along to “Ho Hey.” These fans have waited four years for new music from The Lumineers, and their sophomore album “Cleopatra” delivers. With atmospheric and bittersweet tracks that rely on guitar and vocals, spring is the perfect time of year for this record to be released and for you to give it a listen. It is clear from the first track, “Sleep on the Floor,” that The Lumineers are back and
here to stay in the folk genre. The simple bass drum beat, lyrics about “leaving this town” and a melody that reminds one of being in the mountains combine to make a great opener to an album of purely folk rock. The general feeling of the album is wonderful for a Fleet Foxes lover like myself: songs that feel like you’re hearing them live even though you’re listening through headphones, the simple and acoustic instrumentalization, an overall bittersweet tone. Something else you’ll realize pretty early in the album is that if you’re not a big folk rock fan, just a simple “Ho Hey” lover, you’re not going to want the whole album. Overall, the album is pretty homogenous. This might be expected from a folk record with simple instrumentation, but The Lumineers’ first album had more standout tracks. “Submarines” brought in an upbeat feel with heavy percussion, and “Stubborn Love” had a loveable and catchy melody. “Ho Hey” was clearly a
hit, selling over 4 million copies in its first year. The first single off “Cleopatra,” “Ophelia,” could join the ranks of other standout radio hits from “The Lumineers.” It has everyone’s favorites: claps, stomps and tambourines. It’s also a bittersweet love song referencing one of British literature’s most well-known characters. Most importantly (in terms of chart-topping potential), it has a fun-to-sing and memorable chorus. While the other tracks on the album are still great, none have the same radio power that this track carries. “Cleopatra” will likely please old fans, but it might not attract many new ones. “Angela” is another song that rises above the others on the album. It starts out incredibly cute, with soft guitar and calming vocals. It makes me feel like I’m spending a happy, warm spring morning in the grass. “In the Light,” the following track, continues the cute trend with frankly adorable piano and a backing guitar that reminds
me of a favorite song of mine, “Death and All His Friends” by Coldplay. While the album has a lovely springtime vibe, it has an intriguing and also eerie tendency to have surprisingly dark lyrics to accompany soft and sweet folk music. In the title track “Cleopatra,” one of the more upbeat and rockinfluenced songs, lead singer Wesley Schultz sings: “I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life / And when I die alone … I’ll be on time.” In “Gun Song,” unexpectedly soft for a song with “gun” in the title, the lyrics “I don’t have a sweetheart yet, but if I did I’d break my neck” are as spooky as they get. The last few tracks on the album are perfect for those who enjoy studying or sleeping to light acoustics. “Gale Song,” “Long Way from Home,” “Sick in the Head” and “My Eyes” all made me feel like I should head to the library or take a nap. A sleepy tone takes over for the bittersweet tone of the first half of the album, and it’s a
great way to slow down as the album reaches its close. That close happens to be perfect. “Cleopatra” ends on a short, piano-only instrumental called “Patience.” It’s emotional and quite lovely. I appreciate any album with a good instrumental or some well-done piano, but “Patience” exceeds in being a great way to finish the overall experience of listening to “Cleopatra.” “Cleopatra” makes me miss Fleet Foxes because it reminds me how much I love good folk records. Maybe the album doesn’t have as many standout tracks or radio-ready charttoppers as The Lumineers’ first album, but it does create a great album experience. It’s perfect for spring, for being transported to another place, for studying, for sleeping and for dreaming. MOVE gives “Cleopatra” 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Edited by Katherine Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com
TheManeater.com TheManeater.com TheManeater.com
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THE MANEATER | MOVE | APRIL 13, 2016
Here’s what it’s like to see ‘Hamilton’ in the flesh
Some things in life actually live up to the hype. ANNA MAPLES Staff Writer
Around three hours before curtain for “Hamilton,” while back in our hotel room, my mom looked at me with nervous eyes. “I should probably go ahead and tell you this, so if you get upset, you can get it over with.” I nodded for her to go on, thinking that a pet had died, or maybe a friend of hers was sick. “Just so you know, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s not going to be in the show tonight,” she said, regretfully. “He’s on vacation.” I considered her words for a split second, and easily decided, “It doesn’t matter. I’m so excited to be going, and I can’t bring myself to be upset.” After another moment, I continued, “But Leslie Odom Jr. is still going to be on, right?” We looked it up, he was set to appear, and that was that. W hen George Washington’s understudy appeared in the leaflets of the Playbill, we cared even less. We were still one of the lucky few. We had tickets to see “Hamilton.” The feel of the present-day Richard Rodgers Theatre is unlike any other Broadway experience I’ve ever had. The front row tickets are raffled off daily to a select few, who only have to pay $10 for a seat. Everyone in the row behind them likely paid upward of $2,000 for the privilege. To put it simply, everyone in the
audience either wanted to be there incredibly badly or has more money than they know what to do with. They sing the score word-for-word at the stage door. They inflate the show with a good five minutes of applause, not counting the curtain call. I went into “Hamilton” knowing the cast recording by heart. I’m so glad that I did, because the staging of the show is so inspired that I was beyond entertained and amazed focusing on the way the director and choreographer had interpreted the musical. There was one moment during “What Comes Next?” — the first reprise of King George III’s British pop breakup song to the Founding Fathers — where the now-departed Jonathan Groff sang: “They say the price of my war’s not a price that they’re willing to pay. Insane! You cheat with the French, now I’m fighting with France and with Spain.” At the end of the next line, “I’m so blue,” the distinguished figure stomps his high-heeled slipper on the ground and shakes his head toward the lighting booth. The magenta lights switched on command to a sullen blue. I lived. Another moment that has really stuck with me happens during Hamilton’s calm before the storm in Act II, “Hurricane.” There is a moment in the score where the notes start to hang. It sounds like time has momentarily slowed down. In this instant, the ensemble positions itself and the pieces of set and props to surround Hamilton, forming the eye of the hurricane. It resembled something out of the tornado scene in “The Wizard of Oz” placed on pause, but it also made me
want to cry in pure awe of the artistry. The most impressive moment of the night was easily “Satisfied,” a song that is incredibly ambitious and equally as successful. “Satisfied” lets the audience in on the thought process of Angelica Schuyler, Hamilton’s eventual sister-in-law, who decides in a split second that neither she nor Hamilton will be ultimately fulfilled in a relationship. This doesn’t mean that she isn’t tempted to keep Hamilton for herself because she says: “So this is what it feels like to match wits/With someone at your level! What the hell is the catch? It’s/The feeling of freedom, of seein’ the light/It’s Ben Franklin with a key and a kite! You see it, right?” She decides to introduce him to her siste Eliza instead, and then immediately regrets her decision to give up on the only man she has ever met who could match her wit and intelligence. All of the choreography from “Helpless,” Eliza’s account of the night when she and Angelica first met Hamilton, and the song immediately preceding “Satisfied,” is reversed onstage like it’s in the world’s smoothest VHS player. Throughout most of the song, Angelica stands center stage to rap lyrics that are, according to Miranda: “some of the most intricate I’ve ever written. I can’t even rap them, but Renee Elise Goldsberry, who plays Angelica — that’s her conversational speed.” While the entire scene is repeating around her, Angelica floats above it all. As evidenced by the ultimately incomparable pace and depth of her inner monologue, she is the smartest person in the room but can’t bring
herself to show it. But still, Miranda was on vacation. Yet, I don’t have complaints about Javier Munoz, Miranda’s standby who played the title character. Anyone who listens to musical theater cast albums as obsessively as I do understands the feeling of knowing the score of a show a hair too well while watching the live production. There can be a gaping lack of surprise or a strange disconnect when an actor’s voice is different from an original cast member. Muñoz’s Hamilton isn’t a carbon copy of Miranda’s, but what he lacks in puppy dog eyes and comfort in the role, he makes up with an extra edge of sex appeal. I haven’t been able to describe this better than The New York Times, which said, “Mr. Muñoz’s Hamilton palpably tries harder than Mr. Miranda’s does — except when he’s courting the ladies. Then he’s a natural, and when other characters describe him as a tomcat, you know exactly what they mean.” If you find yourself in New York any time soon, and are lucky enough to snag “Hamilton” tickets, don’t be disappointed to find a few replacements in the cast. Don’t worry if you can’t see yourself making it to the show for several years, or even a decade: “Hamilton” is here to stay. If a silly jukebox musical rom com featuring the music of a mediocre ’70s Swedish pop group can run for 14 years on Broadway, not to mention touring productions, Hamilton will still be here for you to experience when you are ready. Edited by Katherine Rosso | krosso@ themaneater.com
Back to school, back to reality. Spend all your money on spring break? It’s ok, we understand. That’s why we’re giving away a
$500 Visa Gift Card to one lucky person who tours The Reserve! But hurry, this offer ends soon! Cetain restrictions apply, see leasing associate for details. While supplies last.
ReserveAtColumbia.com | 2500 Old Highway 63 S., Columbia, MO 65201 | 573.256.7344
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THE BEST SOURCE FOR MU SPORTS
SPORTS
COURTESY OF SHANE EPPING.
J’den Cox looks to Missouri fans in the audience and punctuates a win by pin against Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr, a No. 3 seed, in the semifinals of the NCAA Wrestling Tournament on March 18 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Wrestling
J’den Cox sets sights on Rio Olympics
Cox: “I’ve done so much and gone through so much, and I knew I could really accomplish this goal if I tried and put my heart into it.” CHASE LYNN Staff Writer Following the 2015 world wrestling tournament in September, four-time NCAA national champion Kyle Dake of Cornell announced he’d be competing in the 86-kilogram weight class in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials as opposed to his previous weight of 74 kilograms.
Although he blamed body growth for the sudden weight change, it's not hard to conclude that this move likely dodged three-time world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs. Little did he know what stood before him in Missouri junior wrestler J’Den Cox. He earned a trip Iowa City, Iowa, after winning an individual NCAA title at the tournament in March. Initially, Cox was predicted to wrestle at 97 kilograms but surprisingly dropped down to 86 kilograms. “(Losing weight) wasn’t too tough,” Cox said. “I actually lost 8 pounds in 15 minutes. Once I got it done, it was done.” Cox entered the tournament as the
No. 9 seed and faced former Oklahoma State wrestler Clayton Foster in the first round of the tournament. Cox led 5–3 as time expired in the first period, but Foster, despite being out of bounds, foot swept Cox, launching him into the air and landing him on his head. Cox quickly grabbed the back of his head and rolled around on the mat before slowly getting up. Foster had just poked the bear. “I was mostly frustrated with myself, I wasn’t moving,” Cox said. “But my coaches did a great job of talking to me, and I came out cooler in the second period.” Trailing 5–7 with just 10 seconds left, Cox got a takedown, which gave him the victory 7–7 by critical point because he
scored last with a higher move. The next opponent was Jake Herbert, who was an Olympian in 2012. Cox would prove to be far too much for the top-seeded Herbert as he recorded three takedowns and two pushouts, breezing past Herbert 8–1 into the semifinals. Interestingly enough, Mizzou’s last Olympian was Ben Askren in 2008. He’s one of the few who predicted Cox to win the 86-kilogram bracket to begin the weekend. In Askren’s senior campaign at Mizzou, he earned his second national title at 174 pounds, defeating Keith Gavin. Coincidentally, Gavin was Cox’s
Rio | Page 15
Baseball
Freshman pitcher earns his place in starting rotation
Michael Plassmeyer has not allowed a run in his last two starts. TYLER KRAFT Assistant Sports Editor For the first half of the season, Sundays were enigmas for the Missouri baseball team. The first two games of each weekend series were reserved for redshirt senior Reggie McClain and sophomore Tanner Houck, two of the most dominant pitchers in the Southeastern Conference. Sunday games, however, have been a clear question mark. Missouri’s pitching inconsistency has plagued the the team, giving it a 2–4 record on Sundays while allowing an average of 7.33 runs to cross the
plate per game. That was until freshman pitcher Michael Plassmeyer stepped up. Plassmeyer’s ascent began when coach Tim Jamieson struggled to name a starter in the Tigers’ third game against then-No. 15 Arkansas two weeks ago. “When we were at Arkansas last weekend, I didn’t know who I was going to start until probably an hour and a half before the game,” Jamieson said. “We were going to staff the game. We were going to go a guy an inning and since (Plassmeyer) had started before, we let him go out there and throw the first inning.” What happened next caught Jamieson completely by surprise. “It was so good,” Jamieson said. “His velocity was up to 92 miles an hour and the highest he’s been before that
Pitch | Page 15
JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR
Michael Plassmeyer sends a pitch toward home plate at Taylor Stadium on March 15. Missouri lost to Southeast Missouri State 7–2.
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THE MANEATER | SPORTS | APRIL 13, 2016
What to watch for in the Black and Gold game Missouri will look to return to relevance after a 5–7 record in 2015. TYLER KRAFT Assistant Sports Editor Missouri football’s annual Black and Gold scrimmage Saturday will provide a glimpse of what fans can expect heading into next season. Barry Odom and his staff know they are under pressure to improve upon the team’s dismal 5–7 2015 performance. Here are four things to watch out for when the Tigers take the field: Drew Lock Most Missouri fans gave freshman Quarterback Drew Lock a pass for last season’s lackluster performance. After all, Lock took over following Maty Mauk’s suspension and had to throw to an inexperienced receiving corps. He was under tremendous pressure from opposing defenses almost every down and part of a football team who boycotted. But Lock is coming into this year knowing that the starting position is his to lose, and he has had all offseason to work with his offense. There will be no more excuses for the No. 6 quarterback from the 2015 recruiting class. This season, Lock is working with Josh Heupel, a former Heisman runner-up and the former offensive coordinator for quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Landry Jones at Oklahoma. Lock will also benefit from having redshirt senior Chris Black, a graduate transfer from Alabama, running out of the slot while redshirt sophomore J’Mon Moore and sophomore Nate Brown are expected to grow in their second season as starters. Meanwhile, redshirt junior Sean Culkin and redshirt sophomore Jason Reese return at the tight end position. The turnaround from being the Southeastern Conference’s worst offense must start at the quarterback position, and all eyes will be on Lock to see if he is the man to do it. Receivers It often seemed that there were no open receivers for Lock to throw to last season. That is expected to change this season with the addition of Black and the return of Moore, Brown, Culkin and Reese. Heupel’s offense calls for shorter routes so that the quarterback can get the ball out quicker. That is a drastic switch from last season’s offense, in which long out routes and deep routes were the staple of Missouri’s passing attack. Shorter routes often make it easier for receivers to create space. They give defensive backs less time to recover and create traffic that confuses defenses. This strategy
MANEATER FILE PHOTO
Missouri Tigers quarterback Drew Lock (3) celebrates with fans Oct. 3, 2015, against South Carolina. The annual Black and Gold spring game is at 5 p.m. Saturday.
should give Lock more options to throw to. An outlier to watch in the Heupel offense is redshirt freshman wide receiver Justin Smith. Smith stands at 6-foot-7, the tallest player on Missouri’s roster. Although Smith did not play last season, the former Georgia high school all-state receiver showcases abnormal speed for his size and has obvious physical ability. Add that to the growth in experience with the other wideouts, and Heupel should have a lot to work with. Offensive Line Missouri returns only redshirt sophomore Nate Crawford to an offensive line that was repeatedly torched by SEC defenses last season, making it one of the biggest question marks on the team. The good thing is that this group opposes one of the SEC’s best defensive lines in the country each practice. Even with that, though, it will be interesting to see if the offensive line’s performance improves under Heupel. The Tigers’ line struggled in all aspects of blocking last season, most notably in the run game. Missouri averaged only 115 rushing yards per game and scored the ball on the ground only five times during its 2015 campaign. The Missouri offensive line will face possibly its toughest opponent of the season in Missouri’s defense. However, the test will give Missouri fans a good idea of whether they will be watching the same dismal performance of last season or if the line has figured itself out.
Defensive Backs While Kentrell Brothers is a major loss to one of the SEC’s top defenses, Missouri’s secondary suffered the most losses when it came to graduating players. The Tigers will need to replace both Kenya Dennis and Ian Simon, two of Missouri’s top defensive performers on the 2015 team. While both redshirt sophomore Anthony Sherrils and junior Aarion Penton should have similar production to last season, the other two starting positions do not have any clear front-runners. The most experienced secondary players are redshirt junior cornerback John Gibson and sophomore safety Thomas Wilson. However, both players did not see significant playing time in the 2015 season and neither started a game. Freshman Cam Hilton, who was featured as a slot receiver in last season’s offense but came to Missouri as a defensive back, was switched back to the defensive side of the ball for spring practices. Hilton’s athletic ability gives him as good a chance as any to start on Missouri’s depleted defensive back corps. The Black and Gold game will kick off 5 p.m. Saturday at Faurot Field. Mizzou fans will get the chance to see the newlook offense, defense and what kinds of improvements the players have made this spring. Edited by Alec Lewis | alewis@themaneater.com
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THE MANEATER | SPORTS | APRIL 13, 2016
Buckley, men’s golf prepare for SEC Tournament ALEC LEWIS Sports Editor Hayden Buckley says he was under recruited, and through two seasons, so too does his performance. The sophomore golfer and the Missouri men’s golf team will travel to St. Simons Island, Georgia, on Wednesday to play in the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Sea Island Golf Club. For Buckley, this will be his first crack at the conference’s biggest stage, something he’s been looking forward to since joining the Tigers out of high school. “When it came down to my decision, it was Mizzou and Rice, and it really wasn’t a hard decision,” Buckley said. “I knew the SEC Tournament was huge and knew I’d get to play friends back home and play the best competition in the country, and the SEC name definitely has a lot of weight.” Everything in golf these days seems to be going younger — PGA Tour star Jordan Spieth and the youth movement that’s followed him — and Missouri’s 2015–16 roster fits that mold.
Of those starting for Mizzou in Georgia, only two have played the golf course that will host all 14 SEC teams come Thursday. Buckley isn’t one of those, but he has turned in five top-20 individual performances and has been the only Tiger to remain in the lineup all season. What’s propelled him to this level? “His work ethic,” assistant coach Grant Milner said. And has this surprised the coaching staff? “A little bit,” Milner said. “For him, as a sophomore, to step up the way that he has and lead us in scoring all year has been really impressive,” Milner said. “It’s just a testament to his work ethic. I wish we had 12 Hayden Buckleys. We’d be better off if we did for sure.” Junior golfer and Swedennative Linus Lilliedahl attested to that. “Hayden is incredible,” Lilliedahl said. “He always posts some really low scores and has been doing that throughout the season, so it’s key to have a player like him. He’s been evolving and growing really good as a golfer this season, and it’s great to have him around.” The Tigers began the season by winning the Turning Stone Invitational in Verona, New York, for the fourth straight
EMIL LIPPE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Golf bags line up during practice on April 11 at The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia, Mo.
season, but they have failed to place in the top three in their eight events since. But in a year that serves as a step to the rebuild that firstyear assistant Milner and coach Mark Leroux are attempting to accomplish, the Tigers are peaking at the right time. “We’ve been playing our best golf of the season and we’re going into a tournament where everybody is in front of us, so we’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Milner
said. “A lot of teams are there and showing up saying, ‘We don’t want to lose to Missouri,’ and we are kind of in an attack mindset, so I feel really good.” The team leaves Columbia on Wednesday and have a quick turnaround before the tournament begins on Friday. Although the stage is big and the competition is steep, “the course is tough,” Milner said. Fortunately, though, Mizzou will play a one-day practice round Thursday to prepare to play on the golf club rated No. 1 in the U.S. among the "World's 50 Best Golf Hotels" by Golf Digest Index.
“I think this course really sets up for me,” Buckley said. “It’s a ball-striker’s course, and my ball-striking has been really good this year. I’ve been waiting on my putting and short game to come around, so I think I’m kind of due for a good few days.” And as much as swing is an advantage for Buckley, so too is his mental game heading into the weekend. “I’m pretty confident and telling myself that things are going to work out (this week),” Buckley said. Edited by Theo DeRosa | tderosa@themaneater.com
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Assistant coach Grant Milner: “I wish we had 12 Hayden Buckleys.”
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THE MANEATER | SPORTS | APRIL 13, 2016
RIO
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semifinal opponent in this qualifying. Just like Askren, Cox defeated Gavin 3–1, propelling him into the finals against Dake. Cox faced Dake in a best-ofthree series Sunday night in front of 11,000 fans in Carver-
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upsets in wrestling, becoming the 2016 U.S. Olympic trials champion at 86 kilograms. “I think the more I’m not supposed to win, the more I just don’t care,” Cox said. “I’ve done so much and gone through so much, and I knew I could really accomplish this goal if I tried and put my heart into it.” Although the majority of the winners at each weight class
received automatic bids to the 2016 Olympic games, the U.S. has not yet given a bid for the Olympics at 86 kilograms. Cox will now wrestle April 22–24 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in the Olympic World Qualifier Tournament. The top three wrestlers at 86 kilograms will advance to the 2016 Summer Olympics. If Cox fails to place in the top three
in Mongolia, he’ll have one last chance in May to qualify for Rio by placing within the top two at the another “last-chance” tournament in Istanbul. “I’ll think about all of that when it comes,” Cox said. “I know there’s going to be a lot more training.” Edited by Alec Lewis | alewis@ themaneater.com
struck out five batters, only allowed three hits and didn’t allow a run in 5.2 innings of work. “I really committed to just attacking the zone and throwing strikes and letting them put the ball in play and letting the defense make the play,” Plassmeyer said. Missouri went on to win the game 4–3, marking its second straight SEC series victory. Both series wins originated from the left arm of Plassmeyer. Only a few weeks ago, Plassmeyer’s dominance over the SEC would have seemed improbable. The freshman held the team’s highest ERA at 5.90 and had only struck out 10 batters in almost 23 innings of work. “Before, I was trying to be a little too perfect,” Plassmeyer
said. “I felt like I was kind of giving hitters a little too much respect.” Now, Plassmeyer has found his groove and has not given up a run in his last 9.1 innings on the mound. He has tied his strikeout numbers from the first half of the season in only two games and looks to have secured his spot as Missouri’s permanent Sunday starter. “He’s came out and shown that he can pitch,” sophomore catcher Brett Bond said. “He’s got a spot on Sunday.” Much of Plassmeyer’s success has come from a growth in confidence. The freshman is now throwing his secondary pitches more consistently and is keeping opposing batters off balance as a result. “It’s confidence,” Jamieson said. “Before, he was a little
timid ,and when you are timid, you don’t cut loose. The thing he did (Sunday) really well is he came inside on the right handed hitters. He can really pitch. I think it’s just a matter of his confidence level right now than it has been any other time.” Plassmeyer’s securing of the Sunday spot helps the Tigers with more than just giving them a consistent starter on Sundays. It also gives the Missouri bullpen the much needed arm of senior pitcher Austin Tribby. Tribby, who split starts with Plassmeyer on Sunday games earlier this season, was primarily a relief pitcher before the start of this season. Tribby came into the season as one of the only Tigers pitchers with experience pitching out of the
bullpen. “We knew we needed to move Tribby to the bullpen,” Jamieson said. “We can keep Tribby in the pen and start (Plassmeyer) and that makes our staff a little bit better.” Plassmeyer’s surge into the starting rotation gives a Tiger pitching staff that has been riding solely on the arms of McClain and Houck a much needed boost. Jamieson and his team hope that it can give them the ability to reach a much sought after regional birth. “It’s huge because not everybody in the league has that,” Jamieson said. “To be able to go into Sunday knowing that you can control the game a little bit.” Edited by Alec Lewis | alewis@ themaneater.com
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is 88. He just kept his velocity (and) kept making pitches, so we kept him out there and I didn’t expect that.” While Plassmeyer pitched only 3.2 innings, he struck out five Razorbacks and didn’t allow a run. His performance earned him the win as Missouri won 10–1 and picked up its first SEC series win of the season. Last Sunday, Jamieson threw Plassmeyer out on the mound for another rubber match. This time, the freshman faced Auburn, the SEC’s premier offense. Plassmeyer’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. The left-hander
Hawkeye Arena. Thanks to three takedowns, Cox dominated Dake in the first match, winning 8–1, but Dake wouldn’t go away that easily. He defeated Cox in the second match, 5–3. In the third and final match, Cox recorded an early takedown, giving him a 2–0 lead heading into the second and final period. Ultimately prevailing, Cox pulled off one of the biggest
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