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THE MANEATER
The student voice of MU since 1955
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Vol. 82, Issue 30
MAY 4, 2016
in memoriam
Peyton White remembered as having ‘gentle presence’
The MU freshman, who died April 27, was honored at a vigil over the weekend. +,%#'-##. Staff Writer MANEATER FILE PHOTO
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UM system
-/0')12'3/456'78996:6; Curators, faculty and advisory committee members talk about the flawed hiring process that led to Wolfe’s hiring. Will it be different this time?
!"#$%&'($)*&" Staff Writer “We have to make all 6 million Missourians aware of what we’re doing at the University of Missouri,” then-UM System President Tim Wolfe said in an April 2012 interview shortly after stepping into office. Four years later, it wasn’t just Missouri that was aware of the UM System. On Nov. 9, 2015, Wolfe made
headlines around the world after he stepped down following mounting pressure from student activist group Concerned Student 1950, which demanded his resignation. His resignation came after weeks of protests calling for him to step down, including graduate student Jonathan Butler going on a hunger strike and the Missouri football team refusing to play or practice. The UM System is currently searching for Wolfe’s replacement.
While the last two months of Wolfe’s presidency have been scrutinized extensively by the public, little is known about the presidential search that resulted in his hiring. How did the man who once ran a software company and was unemployed at the time of his hiring — or “funemployed,” as he once called it — become president of Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine Liz---------------erine Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine Lizerine
Wolfe | Page 4
Family and friends gathered for a celebration of life service Tuesday for freshman Peyton White, who died April 27. He was 18. Friends also held a candlelight vigil over the weekend in White’s honor. White graduated from Rock Bridge High School in Columbia and enjoyed playing lacrosse, building computers, creating art and spending time with friends, according to his obituary in the Columbia Daily Tribune. White’s friends shared memories of him on Facebook. “This shattered my heart today,” Halle Kearns, who graduated with White from Rock Bridge, wrote. “RIP sweetheart. Your contagious giggle and gentle presence will forever be remembered by everyone you've encountered. Until we meet again.” MU freshman Tatum Pugh also attended Rock Bridge with White. “The world lost a beautiful soul last night,” Pugh wrote. “I am so happy I had the pleasure of knowing Peyton and having him as one of my friends. He was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met. He will be so deeply and passionately missed by all who knew him. Rest in paradise, Peyton.”
Feedback
Staff open forum addresses budget restraints, job security Vice Chancellor Gary Ward: “We’ve got a dark cloud right now over the institution. We can’t sugarcoat that.” #",..#'<&..#.=#%$. Staff Writer
In a climate of budget constraints and staff unrest, a panel of seven MU administrators fielded questions and concerns from staff regarding job security, career paths and salaries during an open forum April 26, the first open forum for staff members since October. MU faces a projected
freshman enrollment decline of 1,500 for the fall 2016 semester and a $32 million budget shortfall for the 2016– 17 school year. In addition to the cut, the UM System’s state funding will decrease by $3.8 million. For staff, this means raises are unlikely. Staff members are nonacademic employees who
work in administrative, service and operations positions, such as secretaries, supervisors and directors of organizations and departments on campus. “We get significantly more of our general budget from the students’ tuition than we do from the state,” Vice Chancellor of Finance Rhonda Gibler said. “We are going to have a
shortfall in our budget without giving raises.” To tack le budget restraints, Vice Chancellor of Operations Gary Ward said the administration is working on increasing revenue by holding more events at campus facilities.
FORUM | Page 4
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THE MANEATER | ETC. | MAY 4, 1738
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NEWS
MU, city and state news for students
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ZOIE BROWN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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Support
!D(50123405(A79@8(0>(+7?3(/7@?(083(';680( RSVP Center coordinator Danica Wolf: “We need to be on the same page, on the same journey together, to change our culture.” !"#$%&'()*"%+,Staff Writer Friends posed together for pictures as music played in the background. Event staff handed out T-shirts. But this night was serious, too. More than
20 people shared stories of personal collisions with sexual violence, assault and abuse. Several spoke publicly about their experiences for the first time. More than 100 students and community members gathered in Traditions Plaza on Thursday for Take Back the Night, an annual event designed to garner support and strength for survivors of sexual violence. “Our ultimate goal (at the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center) is to put ourselves out of business,” RSVP Center coordinator Danica Wolf said.
“That’s why we’re here, that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing.” After hearing introductions from R S VP Center representatives, attendees marched from Traditions Plaza to Francis Quadrangle and through the Student Center, eventually returning to their starting point. Participants made signs with messages like, “Communication is sexy, consent is mandatory” and “We are not your things.” As the crowd marched, participants chanted, “What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now,” and “Claim our
bodies, claim our right. Take a stand, take back the night.” After the march, participants held battery-powered candles in a vigil for victims and survivors who were unable to attend the event. The candles also provided a transition into Speak Out, where anyone could share their story. Some planned to get on stage, while others said they did not have anything planned. Some spoke of childhood abuse, while others spoke of unwanted encounters from their first year at MU. When anyone emerged on stage, the audience clapped to signal their support for the
speaker. RSVP Center graduate assistant Tim Maness announced on stage during open mic that childhood trauma is not discussed enough in academic settings and communities. According to the Center for Disease Control, 12.3 percent of female rape victims and 27.8 percent of male rape victims were raped before age 10. “If there’s anyone in your life you can think about, if you have any suspicion that they’ve been abused or have any trauma
SPEAK | Page 6
LEadership
LBC exec cabinet aims to serve, strengthen the Black community
President Shelby Anderson: “While our sole purpose is focusing on Black students, encouraging a campus that denies oppression in any form is growth for all minorities.” +,%%(.-/$' Staff Writer
The 2016–17 Legion of Black Collegians executive
cabinet wants to respond to the difficulties Black students faced on campus last semester with their platform “The Bounce Back: Regaining Our Voice.” “Last semester was hard,” LBC President Shelby Anderson said. “It was rough, (with) everyone having to find their place, especially freshmen, because that was their first semester on campus." Anderson designed the platform and chose the other cabinet members with it in mind. She and Vice President Marshall Allen both said they want to focus on developing
a stronger LBC presence on campus and serving the greater Columbia community. “The Legion started with the purpose of making sure that we are the voice of Black students on campus,” Anderson said. “We are still striving (for that). We’re redeveloping what that looks like.” LBC is the only Black student government in the nation. Other schools have Black student organizations and unions, but LBC is the only one that receives university funding. LBC announced the cabinet
via Twitter on April 17. The cabinet consists of Political Chairwoman Ida CampbellJones, Communications Chairwoman Asha Hopton, Activities Chairwoman Andrea Fulgiam, Activities Vice Chairwoman Darica Benton, Financial Chairwoman Naa Amorkor Amartey, Executive Secretary Razia Hutchins and Freshman Action Team Co- Chair women Denajha Phillips and Kelsie Wilkins. One of the cabinet’s main objectives is to re-establish LBC as a political organization. The cabinet plans to educate Black
students about the upcoming presidential election. “I want everybody who can be prepared to be prepared,” Anderson said. “I don’t want people just voting based on what they see on Twitter.” She said in an email that Campbell-Jones and Fulgiam will plan and hold events to educate students about the election. Allen, the previous political chairman, said in an email he will contribute to the efforts. One way the cabinet plans to educate students is
LBC | Page 6
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The Department of Student Affairs is looking to expand the section of The Mizzou Store that sells clothing and other items unaffiliated with MU, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs said. The department is also working to promote dining halls and on-campus living and parking. Professor activism One staff member asked what protections are in place for staff who want to stand with protesting students but fear receiving negative press and losing their jobs. L ast fall, assistant communication professor Melissa Click was fired by the Board of Curators after a video surfaced of her calling for “muscle” to remove a reporter from the Concerned Student 1950 campsite. Assistant Director of Greek Life Janna
THE MANEATER | NEWS | MAY 4, 2016 Basler was also involved in an altercation with a student journalist during which she told him to leave. She was placed on administrative leave for a month. The staff member said that staff have been told not to vocalize their solidarity. “Students have been protesting and staff members have wanted to stand with their students, but have been continually told, ‘Stay in your seats,’” the staff member said. “Faculty have tenure, students are protected under certain free speeches, but in Missouri, you can be fired without reason or if you support the wrong thing.” Administrators tell another story. “As you can tell from a lot of the things that have gone on, if you think it’s a clear line in terms of First Amendment rights, et cetera, it’s not,” said Jatha Sadowski, interim associate vice chancellor of human resource services. “I would say because I work in HR and the grievances and
terminations come through my office, that the notion that when people speak up they are targeted is possibly exaggerated. I have not seen it.” Sadowski said there are staff protections in terms of hourly nonexempt employees, p ro g re s s i ve d i s c i p l i ne , grievance and equity processes. “I’ve been here 23 years,” Sadowski said. “I don’t say everything that I feel on every issue because I do think we try and support the organization or say it in a way that is productive.” Morale and salary concerns In response to a staff member’s question about what Ward, as a leader, is doing to improve employee morale, Ward said his focus is honesty. “We’ve got a dark cloud right now over the institution,” Ward said. “We can’t sugarcoat that. We’ve got some issues: budget issues, cultural issues, we’ve got some issues. What we’ve been trying to do in (the operations division) is to be very open and
honest about those issues and try to communicate with our employees, very candidly, about current issues and future issues and what we are trying to do to address those issues.” In further consideration of budget restraints, Chuck Henson, interim vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity and equity, said that in his division, administrators are “being efficient in the use of resources that (they) understand are precious and scarce.” Henson said the idea is to take advantage of existing structures and merge them together to create the division rather than extend resources to create entirely new structures and jobs. Staff members questioned former Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin’s $459,000 salary, which he retained until May 1, and his immediate tenure in his new position. The transition agreement he signed in November stated that his new position will pay him 75 percent of his current salary.
He is now being paid $344,000 as a tenured faculty member in the department of physics and astronomy and also has other job duties that are currently undefined. Sadowski said Loftin has been overseeing research, and his high salary is contractual from his previous role as chancellor. Despite difficult financial times, Gibler said when MU hires people for high academic positions, the university must offer immediate tenure because those they are looking to hire usually have had it in their previous jobs and are unwilling to forgo it. Sadowski said the Human Resources Development Committee has published information on its website about available career opportunities for staff. In June, the committee hopes to hold informational sessions throughout campus about those opportunities. Edited by Claire Mitzel | cmitzel@themaneater.com
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THE MANEATER | NEWS | MAY 4, 2016
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a four-campus university system? Wolfe’s path to the presidency began with a phone call to him from then-chairman of the board Warren Erdman, who asked him to apply. The board appreciated his passion for the university and his business background. But the advisory committee appointed to assist the curators in hiring the president — made up of faculty, students and staff — only met with Wolfe once. Some members say the curators did not take the committee’s opinions into consideration, according to committee member Max Skidmore, a professor at UM-Kansas City. Moving forward with the 2016 presidential search, they say, they’d like to see more faculty input in the search process to keep from another Tim Wolfe being hired. “Someone like Gary Forsee” After serving as UM System president for three years, Gary Forsee announced in January 2011 that he would be stepping down to take care of his wife, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Upon Forsee’s retirement announcement, Erdman said he didn’t want to speculate on what qualities the board was looking for in candidates. Instead, he wanted to find the “best person,” according to the Columbia Daily Tribune. “I don’t want to go into the process with a set notion, but rather let the process take you to a decision,” Erdman told the Tribune. In March, the board named the 20-person advisor y committee of faculty, staff, students and alumni tasked with giving feedback throughout the search process. Two days later, Greenwood/Asher & Associates was named as the search firm that would assist the UM System in finding candidates. The advisory committee was tasked with assisting the curators in compiling a list of desired qualifications for the next president as well as interviewing the candidates and providing “perceptions on the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate,” according to a UM System statement. The board held listening forums in cities throughout Missouri to receive input from many communities. It was from feedback at these forums, then-curator Craig Van Matre said, that the curators decided it was important for the future president to have a business background. Van Matre said that a majority of those in attendance at the open forums said they wanted “basically someone like Gary Forsee.” Forsee was lauded for his accomplishments during his
tenure as president, including working with Gov. Jay Nixon to keep tuition flat for two years and advocating for greater college access for minorities. Still, some faculty felt that he wasn’t the ideal president: The first system president without a background in higher education, he was a former CEO of Sprint who had spent most of his life in the business world. Judith Haggard, a former curator who served on the board during the 2007 and 2011 presidential searches, said that faculty were “skeptical” of Forsee because of his business background, but he was chosen because the UM System is “a huge business.” In 2011, the board decided to at least consider someone with a business background; the qualifications statement crafted by the board included the mention of wanting someone with “academic, business and political acumen necessary to lead a complex and diverse system.” Other desired traits included having a passion for higher education and being an “effective and compelling” communicator. The 2016 qualifications statement is similar, looking for someone with “the acumen necessary to cultivate key political, civic and business relationships essential to leading a public university system,” and “the ability to communicate effectively across numerous audiences.” It’s not unusual to look for a candidate with a business background, said Jan Greenwood, a partner of Greenwood/Asher. The nature of the job — being the head of a university system that educates tens of thousands of students while also bringing in revenue and managing a $3.1 billion budget — demands both a passion and respect for education and a keen business sense. The president also has to be able to maintain good relations with state politicians. In essence, the UM System
president must successfully handle multiple responsibilities. “I would say that because Gary was so successful, perhaps it encouraged (the search committee) to look more at people with a similar profile; in other words, it wouldn’t be the first time they hired someone outside of higher education,” Greenwood said. With the qualifications statement in hand, the search committee began to look at candidates in an attempt to find the right match for the UM System. Erdman assured the community that the search would be done right. “The appointment of a 20-member advisory board is very important to the process and gives a voice to the many diverse constituents of the university,” Erdman told the Tribune when the advisory committee was announced. Erdman also said during a press conference that advisory committee members were instructed not to talk to the media throughout the search and would be required to sign confidentiality agreements. Because some potential candidates may have been employed and would not want their employers knowing they were applying for a new job, he said, confidentiality was crucial. Charles Davis, who was a journalism professor at the time, criticized closed searches to the Tribune. “Sometimes it’s who didn’t make the cut that is far more interesting,” he told the Tribune. “Was there a minority in the initial pile that ended up becoming president of another large university? If that’s the case, what’s wrong with our search committee process? We’ll never know.” Continued online at themaneater.com
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experience, be there for them,” Maness said. Sophomore Amuche Nwafor said she decided earlier this year that she wanted to try to be selfless in telling her story so that others in her situation could benefit. Nwafor said she was molested multiple times by a family member when she was 4 or 5 years old. Until she was 10 or 11, Nwafor said she did not realize she had experienced sexual abuse. “He called it ‘the game,’” Nwafor said in an interview after the event Thursday. “It’s very demented and sick. He made me believe that we were boyfriend and girlfriend, and we would kiss
&'(
Continued from page 3 by holding campaign watch parties. “The purpose of these events is to watch the debates between the candidates while having transparent discussions about what policies and legislation will benefit us as students and furthermore as Black people,” Allen said. Anderson said the cabinet also hopes to bring in an expert to analyze each candidate’s
THE MANEATER | NEWS | MAY 4, 2016 and do this other stuff.” Take Back the Night was the second time Nwafor shared her story, the first having been Vagina Monologues. Before she read a poem during Take Back the Night, Nwafor said no one in her family knew about what had happened to her. Her desire to not complicate her family situation or upset her mom has kept her story in the dark for years. Like several others at the event, Nwafor said that staff at the RSVP Center and Women’s Center supported her. However, her past has left her struggling with depression and self-harm. In high school, her mom asked her about cuts on her legs. “I had to tell her that I did it, and she couldn’t believe that I would do something like that,” Nwafor said. “I just felt really
bad because it had nothing to do with her, and as a parent, you automatically feel that you’ve done something wrong.” Another student, who requested to remain anonymous, was raped by his former best friend before age 10. His voice shaky, the student said many of his current friends, even his closest friend, do not know that he was raped. When he reflects on his childhood, he has trouble remembering the happy moments. “My childhood became, in my mind, now sexualized and raped,” the student said. “It’s so hard to live with a childhood that’s so blurry.” Frankie Minor, a member of the True North Board of Directors and the director of the MU Department of Residential Life, said he was motivated
to take action to stop sexual violence because of his son and three daughters. During Speak Out, he commented that while sexual violence affects people throughout the gender spectrum, there were few men present at the event. Minor asked that everyone in the audience bring a man with them to next year’s Take Back the Night. “I applaud the men who have taken the time to be here and show support and share their stories,” Minor said. “But I’m tired of this issue being an issue for women to deal with primarily.” Sophomore Katie Williams, the social media coordinator for Stronger Together Against Relationship and Sexual Violence, noted the frightening statistics for sexual violence against college women. According to the Journal
of Adolescent Health, a survey of 480 female students in New York found that one in five women in college are sexually assaulted. “Doing anything that I can to make sure that doesn’t happen to someone, anyone, is what draws me here to this event and issue,” Williams said before the event. Wolf said the painful stories she hears in the RSVP Center sometimes make her feel hopeless, but then she remembers her passion to prevent violence for one more person, she said during her opening remarks. “I’ve been called naive,” Wolf said. “‘That’s a great goal, honey.’ I call it desperately hopeful because that’s where we need to be. We need to be on the same page, on the same journey together, to change our culture.” Edited by Emily Gallion | egallion@themaneater.com
campaign and plans. She said it is important students know exactly who they are choosing to lead the country while they are starting their careers or attending graduate school. She also intends to educate students about intersectionality, the overlapping of various identities such as gender and sexual orientation, in the Black community. Another major platform goal is to unite the student body with the city through community service. Allen and Anderson both emphasized the importance of helping Columbia’s Black youth. “By being representatives of
Mizzou, the Black community here will see that there are students who believe in giving back, who understand what it is like to be told that they will never make it to higher education (and) who know what it's like to not have endless amounts of opportunities,” Allen said. “They will understand that we are here for them just as much as we are here for ourselves.” Each cabinet member has different plans for connecting with the student body. Hopton plans to use social media to unite the Black community. Hutchins, who is in charge of LBC’s weekly newsletter, wants to make it appealing and
exciting to all students regardless of skin color. Amartey, who is in charge of the organization’s finances, hopes to co-program with LBC’s umbrella organizations, such as LBC Gospel Choir, the MU chapters of NAACP and the National Association of Black Journalists, and most of the fraternities and sororities in the National Pan-Hellenic Council. She said co-programming did not happen enough over the past year. “If we do want to work on strengthening our voice and being an advocate, we can’t do it alone,” Amartey said in an email. “We need to help our umbrella organizations,
and we need their help too.” Anderson wants LBC to be a home, a government and a business for others just like it is for her. She also wants to make it clear to the MU faculty and administration that while Black students can hold protests, they can also have discussions with university leaders about policies. “While our sole purpose is focusing on Black students, encouraging a campus that denies oppression in any form is growth for all minorities,” Anderson said. Edited by Emily Gallion | egallion@themaneater.com
The key to your entertainment
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EMIL LIPPE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPH
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*+,--+%./0123%,-+4,1%+2%5261+261%72849:/0 Street pianos are back for a second summer season. !"!#$!%&!''"()% Staff Writer Drawing inspiration from the cover art of one of her favorite rappers, senior Lucy Mulvihill painted a giraffe wearing headphones on the side panels of a new Columbia street piano. The giraffe, as well as ivy and scenes of space, represent different aspects of her life. Last summer, the Columbia Piano Technicians Guild brought two pianos to the
MOVE MOVE Editor: Beat Writers Amanda Battmer, Anna Maples, Bianca Rodriquez, Grant Sharples
streets of downtown Columbia. The donated instruments were placed outside Teller’s on East Broadway and The Heidelberg on Ninth Street. Though complaints from neighbors caused the pianos’ run to end a week earlier than planned, the instruments are returning for a second summer season. This time around, the pianos will change locations every month out of respect for business and property owners. The rotation will also allow the music to reach new audiences. Eventually, there will be two, but for now there’s only one in commission. The first of the season’s pianos appeared outside of the
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Katie Rosso Columnists Regina Anderson, Stephanie Hamann, Jack Howland, Gabby Velasquez, Katherine White
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Fine Arts Building on April 13 as part of a celebration for the pianos’ return. This newly donated instrument was painted by Mulvihill, who jumped at the opportunity to become involved in the project after hearing the music school was looking for an artist. “I didn't plan what I was going to draw beforehand, and I only had about four days to paint it, so I basically just dove head-first into the project not knowing what the end result would be,” Mulvihill says. “It's more fun that way.” The piano’s front panels and legs are covered in painted ivy because of the plant’s presence
at Mulvihill’s childhood home. The rest of the piano is a night sky with planets and stars because of her interest in astronomy. The giraffes cover the sides. “The giraffes also both have the state of Missouri hidden in their spots, but I'm almost positive that nobody has noticed,” Mulvihill says in an email. “It's sort of a Where's Waldo.” Mulvihill’s favorite aspect of her involvement was simply contributing to the project’s overall goal. The street piano project takes pianos that would otherwise be thrown away and gives them another chance. “Music and art bring people
together,” Mulvihill says. “We need more of both in this world. Simply put, the pianos bring people joy. I think that it's important to smile at the little things in life, so I wanted to leave Columbia knowing I did something that would make people happy.” The people of Columbia have already celebrated the pianos’ return by cranking out tunes daily to people who walk on Lowry Mall. The piano is set to move to The Heidelberg on May 6 to officially kick off the downtown rotation. Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com
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THE MANEATER | MOVE | MAY 4, 2015
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Whether you want a fancy sit-down meal or a quick stop between classes, MOVE’s got you covered. !"#$%&'($"!)*+%&,' University News Editor When I was in elementary school, my family often went out to dinner at American chain restaurant Boston Market. Every single time, my kids meal order was the same: mac and cheese with a side of mac and cheese. Against my parents’ advice, I also typically replaced the standard cornbread side with — you guessed it — mac and cheese. Years later and a few states away, I’ve expanded my palate significantly, but my love for the classic dish remains. I still think about mac and cheese far more than the average person should, and I eat it at least once or twice a week. At a restaurant or at home, there’s no food more comforting than some creamy pasta that tastes like childhood. After nearly two years in Columbia, I’ve been able to create a pretty comprehensive mental catalogue of the best mac and cheese around town. No matter your budget or preferences, CoMo has the perfect dish for you. Room 38 If you want to enjoy a modern vibe while eating some seriously classy mac and cheese, look no further than Room 38. This is the priciest option, but treating yourself to a fancy version of a classic meal in an upscale restaurant is worth it. Lobster
mac and cheese might sound a little strange, but it’s unbelievably creamy. The lobster is subtle, and its buttery flavor complements the shell noodles without overpowering the cheese sauce. Although the dish doesn’t look that filling, the richness of the pasta/lobster combination and a delectable sauce easily make it a full meal on its own. Your friends might be eating lobster bites or salmon skewers, but you’re eating lobster AND mac and cheese together, so who’s the real winner here? Price: $9.50 for an entree Location: 38 N. Eighth St. Noodles and Company Conveniently located on the edge of downtown right across from the J-School, Noodles is definitely the closest mac and cheese to campus. The chain restaurant uses classic elbow macaroni with a light cheese sauce and shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese on top, which melts together into a deliciously gooey mess when stirred. For some extra protein, try adding the parmesancrusted chicken breast. The small size makes a great snack, and the regular is definitely filling enough to be its own meal. The close location and reasonable prices make Noodles perfect for a snack in between classes. Price: $4.49 for small, $5.89 for regular Location: 406 S. Ninth St. or 21 Conley Road Glenn’s Cafe If you want a sit-down meal that won’t break the bank, Glenn’s mac and cheese is simple
with a fancy presentation. The penne noodles are unusual for mac and cheese, they have a white cheddar sauce and are served in an adorable silver dish. This recipe hits the spot as comfort food away from home. Glenn’s only offers mac and cheese as a side dish, but it’s nearly filling enough to stand on its own. Its flavor isn’t as strong or dynamic as some of the other options, so try pairing it with a savory or salty appetizer — and Glenn’s has plenty of those, from potato wedges to fried pickles — to bring out the creaminess. Price: $5 for a side Location: 29 S. Eighth St. Panera Panera (or Saint Louis Bread Company, depending on where you’re from) is a chain that isn’t unique to Columbia, but its mac and cheese is still a good option because of its versatility. The round shell macaroni in a white cheddar sauce is filling and savory without being too rich or heavy. The large bowl is the perfect size to fill any mac and cheese lover’s craving, and the small option makes an excellent side to any meal — Panera has so many other salad, sandwich or soup options that it’s easy to find a complement to your pasta. If (or when) you want to eat your carbs inside some more carbs, get your mac in a bread bowl. Panera is the farthest from campus, but if you’re at the mall or headed to the highway, it’s a great quick stop. Price: $4.99 for small, $5.99 in a bread bowl, $7.99 for large Location: 100 Brickton
Road, Columbia Mall or 3709 S. Providence Road Grocery store If you’re sticking to a budget but still want some mac and cheese, the classic Kraft blue box is always a good fallback. Don’t be afraid to look beyond the “original” flavor and try something new. My personal favorites are the threecheese or thick and creamy varieties; they’re still similar to the original flavor but just different enough to make you forget you’re eating cheese that
was originally yellow powder. Annie’s Homegrown brand provides healthier organic options, and the Shells and White Cheddar is a highlight. If you’re feeling creative, find a recipe for homemade mac, or try making mac and cheese bites or fried mac and cheese balls. The possibilities are endless, and it’s mac and cheese, so you can’t really go wrong. Price: About $1.50 per box Location: Around Columbia Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com
LIBBY MOELLER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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THE MANEATER | MOVE | MAY 4, 2016
COURTESY OF RODRIGO DÍAZ
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place and filmed these one-shot music videos,” Oscroft says. Even though their music is exclusively made on a laptop, the band performs all their music live. Each show brings a new interpretation of their music based on their setting. “It’s much heavier than the record and a more intense listening experience,” Oscroft says. “The entire thing is a giant release of energy.” Columbia is the penultimate stop on their tour, but the band is planning another U.S. tour in October. More albums are definitely on the way, Oscroft says. Making music comes naturally and the four have no intention of stopping anytime soon. “It’s not a thought; it’s the only thing that we do and that we want to do,” Oscroft says. “It’s pretty one-track mind when you’re creative. We’re always creating.” Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com
Follow us on Twitter @TheManeater
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MOTHXR happened like a piece of art: The creation of a band, their songs and music videos unplanned — yet the pattern falls into place. Singer Penn Badgley (yes, Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl), bassist and producer Jimmy Giannopoulos, guitarist Simon Oscroft and keyboardist Darren Will were friends in Brooklyn before creating MOTHXR. They didn’t intend to create a band together; they just wanted to create music. The four friends rented an apartment through Airbnb in Los Angeles and created five songs in five days with just a
scenario they’re in and absorb it. We don’t have a desired reaction.” The first track on the album, “Impossible,” is one that sticks out to Oscroft as one that solidified the band’s unique sound. It’s the first song they created together. “We found the sound instantly,” Oscroft says. “Once we finished that song, we had opened up the doors and filtered everything that was flowing through.” The band does everything itself. From writing and producing their own songs to directing their own shoots, there’s no part of the creative process that the band isn’t in control of. The foursome will be releasing a new music video every week for the next 11 weeks. These videos were filmed during their European tour by, unsurprisingly, spontaneous road trips. “We just by pulled the van over on the side of the road anywhere we were inspired or in a strange city or strange
M
Student Organizations Editor
until every band member is satisfied with the song. “It’s like a recipe,” Oscroft says. “You can’t see in the beginning how it’s going to end up. Once the whole thing comes together, then we spend time thinking about it, but not too much. We like to write very spontaneously and fluidly. It’s just throwing paint at a canvas and trying to create a symmetry between all the shapes and colors and hopefully it will be a recognizable image by the end of it.” MOTHXR’s sound has been described as “slinky, falsettoslick cut full of cinematic synths and a strutting, palm muted guitar line” by Noisey, Vice’s music website, and “sex music” by the Huffington Post. The music is meant to make people feel something, but what in particular is up for interpretation. “As long as it provokes feeling or a thought, it could be considered an art,” Oscroft says. “We want people to put it on during their day in whatever
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!"#$%&'()*&#+&&$
laptop. The sound came naturally for them, despite having no expectations besides keeping it “minimal,” Oscroft says. “There wasn’t any thought behind it,” Oscroft says. “We write music without intention to become conventionally successful. There’s no hidden marketing messages or writing to fit in. It still is and always was from the beginning just a project for fun to feel creatively inspired, and this is what came out and people seem to be liking it, so that’s nice.” Their first album, Centerfold, was released in February. They finished their European tour in March and will play at 9:30 p.m. May 6 at Rose Music Hall with POLIÇA. They build their songs one layer at a time. First, they start with a programmed drum beat. They feel out the vibe and act on their instinct, adding more instruments on top of the beat. Badgley writes most of the lyrics, while the other three contribute. No song is finished
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Guitarist Simon Oscroft: “We want people to put (the album) on during their day in whatever scenario they’re in and absorb it.”
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THE MANEATER | MOVE | MAY 4, 2016
!"#$%&'#$%())&#*+$,-.+*$/%$0/$0(.)"-12*$,#.%/.1-)3# make it seem like they have in order to rake in the cash from actual hard-working listeners. The best part was how scarily similar his song was to a real stadium country song. It also included one of the best lyrics of the night: “Y’all motherf--ers want a key change?” 4) The opening Bo walked out in a blackand-gold Mizzou sweatshirt, garnering cheers from the audience, and then almost immediately said that the shirt cost too much money: “For $45, this better lick my ass. I can feel the letters on the inside!” (When he took it off later, he responded to cheers by saying, “Don’t objectify me.”) Also, one of my favorite jokes of the show was uttered before Bo even came on stage — a computerized voice (that fans will recognize from “what.”) said: “The world is not a happy place. Guy Fieri owns two functioning restaurants.”
45!6789:7 ;69!7 COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
45!6789:7 ;69!7 There is arguably no better comedian for a college campus than the young, ironic, musically talented Bo Burnham. He has no filter but isn’t obnoxious, he isn’t afraid to touch on politically incorrect topics but doesn’t come off as offensive (providing a lot of feminist and anti-racism critique), and he taps into the self-deprecating nature of college students. Last Friday, the comedian came to MU to perform his
“Make Happy” show, and now I can’t wait until June 3 when a recording from his tour makes its way to Netflix so I can watch a “Make Happy” show all over again. 1) Calling out the security guards Hands down, one of the funniest (if not the funniest) parts of Bo’s show was him calling out the Department of Student Activities staff flanking the stage. It started in his opening when he remarked that the guy who was supposed to protect him from being killed
onstage looked pretty casual about it. After learning his name was Colton, Bo speculated his parents wanted him to “be an approachable cowboy” when they chose his name. It was great “Is this scripted or not?” humor at the expense of others that everyone loves, and it never got old, even in the encore. 2) “Straight White Male” Bo performed one of his best comedy songs to date, “Straight White Male,” about the struggles of, uh, straight white males. For example, “three trips
to the mall and zero khakis in my size” and “the churches never made me feel ashamed of who I am, but I get emails from Netflix that Gmail doesn’t mark as spam.” The lyrics were clever, funny and very, very real. 3) “Pandering” Another great musical act in the show was a parody song about how wealthy “stadium country” artists pander to people who actually work hard. While these millionaires have never worked a day out in the field, they use phrases like “dirt roads” and “blue jeans” to
5) Audience engagements During a break from the scripted acts, the lights in Jesse Auditorium turned on, Bo wandered into the crowd and had some fun engaging with the audience and ad-libbing jokes about their majors. He said to a choral direction major, “How are you going to direct them if pollution is killing them all?” He called on my friend (I went with a group of journalism majors) and after learning that I was writing about the show for the paper, he looked me in the eye and said: “F--- your paper. Online media is taking your job,” and then, “Please like me.” It’s OK, Bo. I like you. Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@ themaneater.com
The student is now the teacher: Mangosteen band plays like a pro <7== 85:>5?? Before ever y show, Mangosteen band members like to take a swig from a bottle of the similarly named juice, Snapple’s Peach Mangosteen. No, they don’t have an advertising deal with Snapple. They are by no means big enough for that. But they will be. The alternative soul band played Thursday night at The Social Room, along with Grapevine Fires and Soul Glo. From the time the first notes hit, the audience was jamming to a young band with a complicated style and soul beyond their years. Vocalist and drummer Spencer Westphalen says that the band’s intense sound comes from the players’ shared roots in jazz. Keyboard player Michael Miller, guitarist Colby Johnson, bassist Grant Flakne and Westphalen met at MU’s School of Music. “All of it has a very common root in jazz,” Westphalen says of Mangosteen. “We all come from very different backgrounds, but overall it’s groovy, it’s funky, it’s
very lively.” Mangosteen’s sound is smooth and transcendental, reminiscent of Pink Floyd or Hall and Oates. Mangosteen covered the latter band’s “I Can’t Go For That” expertly. Crowd members were drawn from the bar to join in the dancing and swaying Mangosteen generated. At times, audience members were standing on benches to get a better view of Miller and Johnson, ripping extraordinary solos on the keyboard and guitar. Although Thursday night’s emphasis was on headliner Mangosteen, the theme of local music was upheld by the first two openers. For Grapevine Fires band member Damon Mitchell, the most important aspect of their intimate and acoustic performance is the songwriting. “We would like to bring back the craftsmanship the music from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s had,” Mitchell says. That step back in time to borrow old beats and styles to create a new sound is what made the show great. It’s what
excellent musicians have been doing since the beginning of music, and will continue to do as different trends develop. Mangosteen is at the brim of an incredible music trend, and Columbia residents would be
smart to get in on it before it’s too cool. “I imagine one day, if we ever make it far enough, that some future 40-year-old is gonna be telling his son, ‘Yeah, man, I saw ‘The Steen’ back in the
day,’” Westphalen says. Mango ste en’s f irst single, “She’s a Lady,” will be released on Spotify and iTunes on May 6. Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com
COURTESY OF PATRICK CUNNINGHAM
OPINION
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& ' ()*+ ! " #$ % “In this new role, (Henson) has made significant progress as we work toward a more inclusive and welcoming environment at Mizzou … I would like to personally thank professor Henson for laying the groundwork for this new division at MU.” — Interim Chancellor Hank Foley on Chuck Henson stepping down as interim vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity and equity
“Music and art bring people together. We need more of both in this world. Simply put, the pianos bring people joy. I think that it's important to smile at the little things in life, so I wanted to leave Columbia knowing I did something that would make people happy.” — Senior Lucy Mulvihill on painting the new street piano
“By being representatives of Mizzou, the Black community here will see that there are students who believe in giving back, who understand what it is like to be told that they will never make it to higher education (and) who know what it's like to not have endless amounts of opportunities. They will understand that we are here for them just as much as we are here for ourselves.” — Marshall Allen, Legion of Black Collegians vice president on helping Black youth in Columbia CAMERON THOMAS//GRAPHICS MANAGER
,-./'012'3-4156278'9:562-750;' 30'<"'=>70'3'?>@@A.-BC A Maneater editorial from May 5, 2006, shows that minority students today are facing the same challenges as students 10 years ago. We wonder what the Missouri Students Association diversity assistant is doing right now. Maybe working to add diversity as the fifth MU value. Maybe talking to someone about how great it is to be diverse. Certainly, though, she’s probably avoiding the questions that are at the root of minority relations at this university. What can university administrators do to make MU a comfortable place for minority college students? Why, in 2006, do minorities still feel out of place at MU? In 2005, the Legion of Black Collegians announced its demands to MU, listing the steps it wanted MU to take to make the university a more accommodating place.
It’s been a little more than a year, and the university has accomplished one of these goals. Civil rights pioneer Lloyd Gaines will get an honorary law degree. It’s noble, but purely symbolic. Countless minority students might not even attend our university because they just don’t feel at home. This has to stop. Diversity must move from a buzzword to a fact. The first step is simple: Stop talking about it. Start getting it done. The diversity assistant position embodies the attitude that our student government has toward its favorite buzzword. Add another layer of effort: subtract more meaning from the principle. University officials often seem receptive to change. That’s great, but it’s not enough. The school needs to better represent itself to minority high school students in the state.
It needs to let them know that everyone is welcome at the school, and it needs to make that as true a possible. A black studies major, one of LBC’s better demands, is a good start. It would only cost $100,000 — a few million dollars less than some coaches stand to make each year in bonuses. Another simple proposition is naming one of the campus’s new buildings after a prominent black person. MU could look to a bizarrely named resident hall, such as Discovery or Excellence, as a place to start, or one of the new residence halls about to open in the fall. It’s not hard to get along. For a university’s community, it’s the best way to learn. Diversity, right now, is a symbol. The best words point to something tangible. MU should make diversity real.
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The big-eyed believer
Technology is the god of the modern day The new form of worship has begun to spread throughout the world, gaining followers by the millions. !"#$%&' ()**+%&
There has been an emergence of a new religion across the U.S. and the world. Billions have taken this religion along with their alreadyheld beliefs, practicing both side by side. Most people spend hours every day worshiping and praising this religion’s idols. This new and fastsweeping religion that we are all a part of is the religion of technology, where people worship the new gods of the internet and the television. Neil Gaiman’s novel “American Gods” demonstrates this idea of America’s “new gods” perfectly. The central premise of the book
is that gods exist because people believe in them, a concept labeled as “thoughtform.” The “old gods,” among the likes of Odin, Ra, Anubis and Anansi, are powerless because no one worships them any longer. Instead, internet and media now rule the country due to people worshiping them instead. According to a study conducted by ZenithOptimedia, Americans spend an average of 8.2 hours a day consuming some kind of media. We spend a surprising amount of time sitting in front of the altar of television alone, clocking in at an average of 2.8 hours a day, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. No religion can correctly claim to have the same level of time commitment and devotion as we currently have toward technology. In the past, we would challenge a neighboring province to a fight to the death because they believed in a different deity or had specified times of prayer for whatever god we believed in. Now, instead, we gather around the television to root for
our favorite sports team to beat an opposing team. Instead of reading any kind of scripture, we constantly are reading and checking our cell phones. Rather than striving to be the kind of people we think our believed god wants us to be or praising a deity, we instead praise ourselves can produce an unlimited amount of personas over the internet, showing an “us” that we want others to perceive. In an age in which we are perpetually surrounded by information, it’s no wonder that we congregate around our newly found idols such as cell phones, televisions and computers, that provide us with unlimited information. I’m not stating that I believe that the internet and media have become personified gods as in Gaiman’s novel, but I do believe that we have begun to value these new objects of worship over the gods of old. They have taken a hold on our lives to the point where some of us couldn’t live without the technology. We’ve become addicted to the worship of new gods. The worst part is that we aren’t even aware of it.
T heManeater.com
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Wrestling
&70:95?1A%?1%*?2T%-./01%$23%:97?>0:%M27%A708910:: Cox: “I don’t how to do things halfway. Go out, do your best, have fun and wrestle. I’m not going there to try and take third.” !))#%*+,#*( Staff Writer J’den Cox grew up around the Missouri wrestling room, accompanying his older brothers, who were part of the Columbia Youth Wrestling Club. Cox wasn’t allowed in the actual wrestling room at 4 years old, so he passed the time
reading books in coach Brian Smith’s office. That’s where their bond was born — in an office, 18 years ago, with the young boy reading Junie B. Jones. “I would just come in and see this little fat kid reading books and thought he probably sat on his butt all the time,” Smith said in a press conference last week. “But he would just sit there and we would have these little talks, and I knew he was bright for his age.” Cox wasn’t there because he wanted to be; he had to go because his family was involved in the wrestling club and he couldn’t be home alone. One day, however, he stepped onto
the mat and started to wrestle. “He started wrestling and I watched him and I would be like, ‘this kid is manhandling all these poor little kids,’” Smith said. That’s when Smith knew Cox would develop into a special wrestler. Smith hasn’t been disappointed. Cox, now a junior, is Olympics-bound and going for the gold. “I don’t how to do things halfway,” Cox said. “Go out, do your best, have fun and wrestle. That’s what I think when I win. I’m not going there to try and take third.” The road to the Olympics started with a 33–1 season record as a Tiger, topped off
with a national title in the 197pound weight class. It was Cox’s second national title, and this year it qualified him for the U.S. Olympic Trials, held in Iowa City, Iowa. He won the 86-kilogram freestyle division as the ninth seed April 10, which sent him to the World Games Qualifying Tournament in Mongolia. He needed to place top three in his weight to qualify for the Olympics; he won the tournament April 24. “I told everybody that it’d be an honor to represent the country, and it is,” Cox said. “I don’t take it as just representing Team USA on the mat, I take it as representing them walking
down the street, when I go to class, every way in my life. I take it with a lot of pride and I won’t waste the opportunity.” Cox won’t have to worry about wasting the opportunity, since he’ll have plenty of chances to wrestle on Team USA before even going to the Olympics. An outdoor dual against Iran is up first on May 19 in Times Square in New York. He’ll head to Colorado Springs for two weeks after that for a training camp at the Olympic Training Center. The World Cup will be next in Inglewood, California, on June 11–12. The tournament
COX | Page 16
Basketball
Norm Stewart: A man who defines Missouri sports UNC coach Roy Williams: “The toughness that you saw in Norm, his team adopted that.” !"#$%"#&'( Sports Editor When men’s basketball coach Kim Anderson goes to McDonald’s and orders two
sausage biscuits and an iced tea and they ask the name for his order, he says, “Norm.” That, along with hundreds of anecdotes like it, were on display Sunday night as the SEC Storied film titled just that — “Norm” — aired on the SEC Network. The hourlong film took the viewer through the career of Norm Stewart, the hall-of-fame former Missouri basketball coach.
NORM | Page 16
PHOTO COURTESY OF ESPN
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Evan Boehm, Connor McGovern and Kentrell Brothers were all selected in the NFL Draft. !"#$%&'%()! Assistant Sports Editor Three former Missouri Tigers fulfilled lifelong dreams on Saturday. It wasn’t until the fourth
round of the NFL Draft that a Missouri football player was picked. The first was the school’s leader in career starts. Former center Evan Boehm was selected with the 30th pick of the fourth round by the Arizona Cardinals. He is expected to compete for the starting center spot with current Cardinals center A.Q. Shipley. Fellow lineman Connor McGovern was selected 16 picks later by the Denver Broncos.
McGovern, who established himself as one of the strongest players in the draft by benching 225 pounds 33 times, will look to help fill the void left by fourtime Pro Bowler Ryan Clady. With the selection of both Boehm and McGovern, Missouri has sent four offensive linemen to the NFL in the past three seasons. Along with Boehm and McGovern, former linemen Justin Britt and Mitch Morse started on the 2013 offensive line for the Tigers.
In perhaps one of the more surprising picks in the draft, former senior linebacker Kentrell Brothers was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 23rd pick of the fifth round. Brothers finished his senior season as the nation’s leader in tackles (152), was first-team all-SEC and was a first-team All-American. But Brothers was one of the final All-American linebackers to be picked. Before the NFL Combine, Brothers was expected to be
sophomore Tanner Houck and redshirt senior Reggie McClain, things could get interesting in a hurry. They’ll have to take it one step at a time, but here is the Tigers’ roadmap to the postseason:
sweep. The Bulldogs have swept only one home series against Oregon this season and lost just one home series in 2016, a sweep from No. 2 Texas A&M.
the bottom two teams in the conference fail to qualify. However, this does not necessarily mean the last place teams in each division. If two teams from either division finish with the two worst records in the conference, those are the two teams that will miss out. Winning the series against Georgia would go a long way to helping Mizzou qualify for the conference tournament. It would give the Tigers tiebreakers over all of the other four teams competing for the final spots in Hoover.
picked in the second or third rounds. But after running only a 4.82-second 40-yard dash while already being considered undersized, Brothers’ stock took a major hit. Brothers will most likely play behind current Vikings linebackers Eric Kendricks and Chad Greenway for his inaugural season in Minnesota. While Boehm, McGovern and Brothers were the only three Tigers selected in the draft, three other former Missouri players have a chance to impress on NFL rosters. Shortly after the draft ended, former defensive back Kenya Dennis signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent. Dennis recorded 35 tackles during his senior year in 2015 as well as one interception. Former kicker Andrew Baggett also earned a tryout with the Browns. Baggett hit 16 of his 20 attempts last season and was named the most valuable player in the NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl. Former running back Russell Hansbrough signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hansbrough was poised for a breakout year in his senior season in 2015 but was injured on Missouri’s first drive of the season. Meanwhile, former defensive back Ian Simon has yet to sign with a team. He recorded 46 tackles and two interceptions during his senior season. Edited by Peter Baugh | pbaugh@themaneater.com
Missouri baseball: Outlook on the SEC Tournament The Tigers have missed just one conference tournament since 2002. 7(893&#9:$3!;(# Senior Staff Writer Missouri’s postseason hopes took a major upswing this past weekend after the Tigers (24–21, 7–14 SEC) completed a sweep of visiting Tennessee (24– 21, 6–15 SEC). Mizzou entered the weekend series in dead last in the conference and on the outside of the Southeastern Conference Tour nament picture. The bottom two teams in the conference fail to qualify for the tournament, which will take place May 24–29 at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. Unfortunately for the Tigers, their path to NCAA regionals is a difficult one. It would likely require them to win eight of their final nine conference games, plus a pair of wins in the SEC Tournament. However, if the Tigers can get to Hoover with a fresh 1-2 punch of
Mizzou must avoid being swept for the remainder of its SEC schedule Currently, the Tigers sit one game ahead of Tennessee in the SEC standings. That lead essentially is doubled, however, since Mizzou owns the tiebreaker over the Volunteers. That puts the team in a good spot to avoid the basement of the conference. With series remaining against No. 4 Mississippi State (30–14–1, 12–9 SEC) and Kentucky (27–17, 11–10 SEC), there is plenty of room for the Tigers to drop back in the standings. To avoid doing so, Mizzou must make sure it does not get swept in the home stretch. Their next conference series on the road against Mississippi State will be critical, and it is the most likely spot for a
The Tigers must come away with a series win over Georgia Around the SEC this past weekend, a lot of results went in Mizzou’s favor. First and foremost, the Tigers took care of their own business against Tennessee, catapulting them out of the basement of the SEC Eastern Division. On top of that, Sunday losses by Arkansas, Auburn and Georgia moved the Tigers from 14th (last place) to 10th in the conference. Since Mizzou already holds the tiebreakers over Arkansas and Auburn, Georgia’s loss was the most significant because the two teams have yet to meet this season. The Tigers and Bulldogs will face one another at Taylor Stadium for a three-game weekend series, beginning at 6 p.m. May 13. At the moment, both teams have 7–14 conference records. The structure of the SEC Tournament dictates that
Added bonus: Arkansas and Auburn finish below or even with Mizzou in their conference records Although Mizzou is in a good spot to finish ahead of Tennessee and controls its own destiny against Georgia, its tournament outlook isn’t clearcut. If the Tigers were to drop the series at home against Georgia, it wouldn’t mark the end of the season. Added to the Tigers’ list of scoreboard-watching would be Arkansas and Auburn, both
of whom are level with Mizzou with 7–14 marks in conference. Mizzou picked up key series victories over Arkansas and Auburn in April to help put it back in the conference tournament picture. Taking two of three on the road from then-No. 15 Arkansas is still arguably the Tigers’ most notable positive this season. Fortunately for the Tigers, they played a front-loaded SEC slate. The teams they are in competition with, including Arkansas and Auburn, are getting into the meat of their schedules at the most critical point in the season. Auburn enters May with series against No. 4 Mississippi State and No. 7 Vanderbilt still on its schedule. Meanwhile, Arkansas doesn’t have it much easier with series against Mississippi State and No. 13 LSU still to come. If both Arkansas and Auburn finish even with or below Mizzou in the SEC, the Tigers will qualify for the conference tournament, regardless of what happens against Georgia. Edited by Peter Baugh | pbaugh@themaneater.com
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JORDAN KODNER | PHOTO EDITOR
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+,-./&01.1,2-34.-53&430&6-778&9:71,& ;<3.=>&?5<,31:&.5&@-A->-53&B&4.C71.-D>& Hunt is one of two athletes playing on both the baseball and football team. !"#$%&'"()$** Reporter Tyler Hunt packed his bags. The next morning he would leave for Meramec Community College to play baseball, giving up his dream of playing football for Missouri. That is, until the phone rang. “‘You’re gonna show up for two-a-days,’” Carol Hunt, Tyler’s mother recounted. “‘You’re a preferred walk on.’” He made the decision immediately, but he still called his parents, Carol and Ronald, for advice. “What do you think I should do?” Carol remembers him asking. “Well, that’s your call — only you can make that call,” Carol and Ronald mirrored each other’s statements. “Well, my decision’s made then, no question. I’m going to MU to play football,” she said Tyler told her. In two phone calls, Tyler gave up stability, a full-ride scholarship and the possibility of going pro for uncertainty. His baseball career appeared to be over.
He wouldn’t be playing quarterback at Missouri; he’d have to work his way up from a low-tier depth chart position and fight to earn a spot on the team. But Tyler Hunt was OK with this. As a senior, Hunt broke out as a running back on the Tigers’ football team, and he was voted most inspirational player by his teammates. “He’s always been very competitive, very driven,” Carol said. “He’s spent a whole lot of time focusing on what he needed to do.” Now, three and a half years after deciding to play football over baseball — three and half years away from the game — Hunt has returned to the diamond for his last semester in the country’s toughest conference as a walk-on. Walking on to one sport at a Southeastern Conference school is hard enough. Hunt did it twice. Although Mizzou Athletics has not given media access to Hunt this baseball season, The Maneater talked to coaches, family and teammates about the senior’s journey. Athlete in the Making Hunt’s desire for athletic success began long before his freshman year at Missouri. He and his older brother Jared used to watch their father play semi-professional football
for teams like the Kansas City Bulldogs and the Jefferson City Jaguars. Hunt would watch, study and mirror his dad. Apparent from a young age, Hunt’s drive to improve his game frequently set him apart from his peers. Starting around fourth grade, Hunt was competing two years above his age group, playing quarterback and pitching for Jared's teams. In sixth grade, one of Hunt’s little league coaches told the players that drinking soda was unhealthy and could hinder their athletic ability. “He hasn’t drank soda since,” Carol said. Lance Massey, Hunt’s head baseball coach and offensive coordinator in football at Westran High School noticed his talent and drive as early as eighth grade. “You always knew he had athletic ability,” he said. “He always had a real good arm in baseball. Even as a little leaguer, he had what we would call a ‘plus arm.’” Massey frequently reiterated three words when describing Hunt: grit, determination and will. Once he got to high school, Hunt expanded his focus, running track along with playing basketball, football and baseball. “He loved all sports for sure,
but football tended to be his first love,” Carol said. Hunt started at quarterback all four years at Westran High School, earning the nickname “T-B-T,” or Tyler Brett Tebow, for famous quarterbacks Brett Favre and Tim Tebow. In 2007, the freshman-heavy Westran Hornets went a measly 1–9 under Hunt. Despite the team’s record, he still wracked up 1,700 all-purpose yards. The next year, the team returned 18 starters, including both Hunt brothers. After a 25–12 loss to North Shelby in the season opener, Westran regrouped. The Hornets went a combined 16–6 during Hunt’s sophomore and junior campaigns. From the gridiron to the diamond, Hunt’s success continued. After his junior football season, Hunt consistently clocked in about 91 mph during baseball workouts, according to Massey. That’s when the professional scouts arrived. “His best baseball year was his junior year,” Massey said. In the team’s season opener against Brunswick High School, Hunt fanned 12 batters in just four innings of work. He finished his junior season with 394 career strikeouts and seemed well on his way to break the state record of 458. After receiving all-district
and all-conference honors at quarterback and linebacker his sophomore and junior seasons, Hunt entered his senior season with a lot of hype. The 6-foot, 210-pound quarterback who refused to shy away from contact led the Hornets to a 12–0 regular season. In those games, the Hornets outscored their opponents 553–62. “There are a couple games that stick out during (Hunt’s) career, both during his senior year, probably, where the thing that made him special and gave him the ability to compete at the next level was his determination,” Massey said. “Nobody was going to tell him he couldn’t do what he was doing, and he was going to figure out a way to get it done.” One of those games came against Missouri’s top-ranked Class 1 football team, Valle Catholic. “ He s i n g l e - h a nd e d l y carried us against a State Championship-caliber team,” Massey said. “Not that his teammates weren’t a part of it, but offensively, he really carried the load that day.” With 195 yards rushing on 33 attempts, Hunt and his unbeaten Hornets were able to hold off the No. 1 team, 21–14. In the State quarterfinals, Westran faced South Shelby, a team that included two Division I-bound linemen.
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Back to the Diamond Now, after three and a half years away from the sport, Hunt has tried to climb the ranks of Missouri baseball during his final semester. “It started about three years ago,” baseball coach Tim Jamieson said of his conversations with Hunt. “He’s talked to us on several occasions, but he always had to fight to earn a spot on the football team. He’s still got some ways to go, but he’s getting a little bit better and he’s got a good arm — he just hasn’t gotten a lot of experience.” For a stretch in the middle of his senior football season, Hunt did not receive much playing time. Jared said that this was when his brother began seriously considering baseball. Jamieson had wanted Tyler to begin pitching workouts and long toss before the offseason began, but his status on the football team prevented this
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from happening. “I know that hurt him transitioning-wise due to his arm not being quite up to par … unlike if he had been able to take those extra workouts prior to the season,” Jared said. Now, he has had to prove himself on the field for the second time. “After coaching him in both baseball and football, I expected him to try to do this probably for the last two years,” Massey said. “This did not surprise me.” Although his usage on the mound and from the bullpen has been limited, his family and teammates seem to be behind his journey. “He’s the guy you want to have the ball when a play needs to be made,” Jared said. “When we were in high school, I played center field and there were a lot of times I could’ve just taken my glove off and not played when he was on the mound.” Sophomore pitcher Tanner Houck said before the season began that he hopes the team gets to see more of Hunt on the mound. “He’s a competitor,” he said. “He’s the same way I am. He came in, and he’s been doing really good things for us, so we hope to be able to use him a lot this year, and he can really help this program.” On March 11, Hunt got his chance against Youngstown State. In the bottom of the ninth inning with an 8–1 lead, the Tigers sent Hunt in to close the game out. First baseman Zach Lavy handed Hunt the ball and directed his eyes toward the Jumbotron. “Welcome to the show,” he said. Hunt was pulled after pitching only 0.1 innings, giving up three walks and two earned runs. After the game, though, Lavy still seemed upbeat about Hunt’s ability. “I grew up playing against him in little league from like
10 to 14,” he said. “For him to get here and actually get an appearance, even if he struggled a little bit, I mean, you heard the bench go nuts. He works his butt off, and it pays off for him to be here.” After the game, Hunt tweeted once more. “There is no feeling like being on the mound,” he said. “I can’t explain how bad I’ve missed it. It’s good to be officially back #welcometotheshow.” With 14 games left in the regular season, there’s still time for Hunt to make more appearances from the bullpen. Growing up in Huntsville, Missouri, population 1,564, Hunt wanted to play football for Missouri. But, by the end of his time in high school, it appeared as if baseball was his best shot at collegiate athletics. In the end, through grit, determination and will, he found a way to do both. Edited by Tessa Weinberg | tweinberg@themaneater.com
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make a tackle just as Tyler Hunt lowered his shoulder. One spin and it was all over. Leaving Stewart at the 47-yard line, Hunt trudged past seven other white jerseys before senior Andrew Adams took him down at the UConn 5-yard line. Hunt’s 51-yard reception came just two games after nabbing Drew Lock’s first career touchdown pass against SEMO. Hunt had two catches in two games with 128 yards receiving. After the game against UConn on Sept. 19, Hunt took to social media. “Feel very disrespected... FEWDM,” he tweeted. For everyone who doubted him. By the time Hunt’s senior football season was over, there weren’t many doubters left. “I wouldn’t have been able to overcome all the adversity thrown at me if it wasn’t for all the support and love everyone has shown me,” Hunt tweeted after walking off of Faurot Field for the last time as a player.
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High School Heartbreak The game, held at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, proved to be a barn-burner. With 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 14, Westran blocked what would have been the gamewinning field goal, sending the game into overtime. The game seemed all but over when Hunt crossed into the end zone for a 14-yard score, leaving Valle Catholic with one more chance. The Warriors trudged down the field against Westran’s other wise impenetrable defense. E v e n t u a l l y, quarterback Alex Stoll was able to toss up a 23-yard touchdown pass to Jared Bruns. 21–20, Westran with the lead. After some deliberation, Valle Catholic elected to go for the 2-point conversion, and Stoll hit Bruns again for the overtime game-winner. 22–21. Tyler Hunt collapsed. Carol Hunt said it was one of the first times she’s seen her son cry after a game. “It was pretty heartbreaking,” Carol Hunt said. “After the football game, he (could) hardly walk out of the locker room because he was just … you knew he had given it his all. He had worked his entire career to get to that point. That’s what you … it’s what you work for, to get to the state game, and he worked so hard for so many years, and it was just one of the biggest letdowns, of course, losing in overtime. “That was heartbreaking for a parent.” After the season came even more heartbreak in the form of waiting rooms and doctor visits. Tyler had torn his ulnar collateral ligament sometime during the playoffs, playing through the injury in the State Championship. Deciding to forgo Tommy John surgery and let his elbow heal naturally, Hunt wouldn’t be able to play his senior year of baseball. The strikeout record. The scouts. The possibility of going pro. All gone. Despite all this, Tyler decided
to stay on the team as captain and watched from the dugout. “I think it was a little bit later on when I recognized just how much it really impacted him as far as it really, really hurt him,” Carol said. Contrary to what the doctors said, Tyler was able to pitch his final few games at Westran and worked on improving his game with a Kansas City travel team during the summer. “ Tyler ’s strong-willed,” Ronald Hunt said. “If he gets his mind set on something, he’s going to do it.” He was prepared for collegiate athletics, wherever it would be. The Next Level As a redshirt freshman, Tyler got his feet wet during the season opener against Southeastern Louisiana. One carry. One yard. Then, in his sophomore year, Hunt appeared in 13 games, mainly in special teams situations, and collected three tackles. The 2013 Missouri Tigers finished the season 12–2 as SEC Eastern Division Champions. The summer before his junior year, the trajectory of Hunt’s career changed for the better. Gary Pinkel offered him a one-year scholarship. In spite of the uncertainty of whether he’d be on scholarship for his senior year, Hunt and his family appreciated the recognition so many felt he deserved. “Everyone was ecstatic,” Jared Hunt said. “We had been praying since his freshman year he would (be offered a scholarship). (It’s) been a longtime goal. And financially, as a family, it was a blessing from God. And the satisfaction of knowing the hard work had finally paid off like we knew it would.” Tyler appeared in 13 games his junior season, returning four kicks for 78 total yards, rushing twice for nine yards and making eight tackles on special teams. He and the Tigers repeated as SEC Eastern Division Champions with an 11–3 record. During his senior year, Tyler significantly improved his numbers. He led the team in singlegame receiving yards, longest reception and yards-perreception. He also rushed 42 times for 195 yards, third on the team in both categories, and averaged 4.4 yards-percarry. His performance earned him a spot on the Burlsworth Trophy Watch List. The award honors the nation’s top player who began his career as a walkon. Hunt’s highlight reel play came in the third game of the year against UConn. Hunt, wearing a black jersey emblazoned with the number 35, came rolling down the field toward Huskies linebacker Graham Stewart. At the 48-yard line, Stewart bent his knees and tried to
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The game remained tied at six through the first half. Then Hunt took over. “Tyler pretty much willed his way into the end zone for our last touchdown on a drive that a lot of high school kids didn’t have the ability to do,” Massey said. He repeated those same three words: grit, determination, will. “The further out that I get from that game, the more I appreciate the fact that we won and the extraordinary effort that Tyler showed,” Massey said. After a win in State Semifinals, the still-unbeaten and top-ranked Westran Hornets headed into the Class I State Championship game against a team they knew well: Valle Catholic.
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Continued from page 12 features the world’s top eight freestyle teams. Less than a month later, he’ll travel with his new team to Dortmund, Germany, for the Grand Prix from July 2–3. Finally, the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 5. “You have all of the world’s greats in one room doing the sport you’ve done for a lifetime,” Cox said. “There’s so much different culture and language and people all there for one thing. This is just a sport that is so intense and takes so much, and through all the craziness and wins and
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In the film, there’s a scene in Booches featuring burgers and pool tables. There are images of the Columns. And Stewart wouldn’t have it any other way — he’s as Missouri as it gets. “You know what the nicest compliment you can get is from someone in Missouri?” Stewart says in the film. “‘Well, (you’re) pretty good.’” I’m not from Missouri, so I feel comfortable saying that Stewart was more than pretty good. He was great. Stewart was great on the court — 731 wins, six Big 8 tournament titles, 16 NCAA
THE MANEATER | SPORTS | MAY 4, 2016 losses, you just have to call it beautiful.” Smith isn’t going to bet against Cox when he watches his athlete face the toughest competition in the world. Cox is the aggressor in every match, always shooting and able to take his opponent down with his quickness. “A lot of people are not used to wrestling like that,” Smith said. “He has that confidence, and he has the athleticism. He has the tools, and the great thing now is he has three months to prepare. He’s going to be training at a high level with USA (Wrestling) and all of his new teammates, who are pretty high-level guys that are going to be showing him tricks and how to compete. That experience is only going to
grow.” Being with a new team doesn’t mean that Cox has forgotten about his Missouri team, who are still training and competing on the fourth floor of Hearnes Center. In fact, Cox feels a little strange not being with them. “I’m doing all this stuff for the Olympics, but the team is upstairs lifting and everything,” he said. “It’s just weird being away from the team while they’re still going through the normal grind. It almost doesn’t feel right.” Even then, though, on a week-to-week basis, Cox makes it a point to let them know their importance. “I make sure every time I come back from things like this,
I let them know that without my team I don’t know where I’d be in any aspect,” Cox said. “As much as wrestling is an individual sport, there’s so much team aspect. And really the team is what makes the individual. So to have that support and love and bond with these guys is awesome and very important, and it has helped me to push myself to be where I am right now.” Cox has had the dream of going to the Olympics since before he was a wrestler at Hickman High School, and he’s shared that goal with Smith throughout the years. Seeing Cox wrestle in Rio will mean a lot to Smith. “I’ve watched guys win gold medals from the USA the
past two Olympics, and it’s an amazing feeling,” Smith said. “There’s nothing like it, and if I can watch one of my athletes do it, it would be off the charts.” Smith knows that the talent he sees in Cox on and off the mat will transfer well to the USA team. “When I handed him over to them I felt like I was handing my son over to them because I’ve known this kid forever,” Smith said. “I told them this kid is special and you’ll know that after this tournament in Mongolia. And of course I texted (USA men’s wrestling coach) Bill Zadick afterwards, and he said ‘Yeah, we have a special one here.’” Edited by Alec Lewis | alewis@ themaneater.com
tournament appearances and two Elite Eight appearances — but he was even better off of it. Stewart is the founder of the Coaches vs. Cancer foundation, one that has raised more than $100 million as it “empowers coaches, their teams, and communities to join the fight against cancer by participating in awareness efforts, advocacy programs, and fundraising activities,” something driven by his own battle with colon cancer. “How many guys can end up having their legacy being Coaches vs. Cancer and helping raise over 100 million dollars as opposed to winning 700 games and being a hall-of-famer?” current Kansas coach Bill Self asked in the film.
Just one. It’s often hard to appreciate things in the moment. For many Missouri fans, I’d bet Stewart’s coaching tenure is one of those things. Growing up in Shelbyville, Missouri, where the film begins, Stewart played both baseball and basketball. During his senior year, his high school basketball team lost the state championship — a game and a moment that’s stuck with him to this day. “Coach Kessler took us out of the game because we were being beaten badly, so we sat down (at the end of the game) and I had my head down,” Stewart says in the film. “And he came by, and he said, ‘You put your head up, and don’t you ever put
it down.’” During his 32-year history at Missouri, Stewart never seemed to. He was confident in his style of play, he was confident in his players, and he was confident against even, yes, Kansas. And that confidence rubbed off. “His teams were very fundamentally sound, very disciplined, they took the right shots on the offensive end and competed like crazy on the defensive end,” current North Carolina and former Kansas coach Roy Williams said in the film. “The toughness that you saw in Norm, his team adopted that.” Former players Jon Sunvold, John Brown, Gary Link, Anthony Peeler, Derrick
Chievous and Anderson were fantastic in the film. Each story and each of Stewart’s teaching points groomed them into the men they are today. “I think, the biggest thing he taught me was how to survive,” Anderson said. “When you get knocked down, (he taught me) to get back up.” Today’s Missouri basketball team is laced with Stewart’s presence. Anderson is the coach, Link is the radio commentator and Sunvold’s kids attend the school. “Who else is Missouri?” Chievous said towards the end of the film. “It’s taken a long time to answer that. “(Norm) is Missouri.” Edited by George Roberson | groberson@themaneater.com