Vol83issue25 by The Maneater Student Newspaper

THE MANEATER

How tennis is doing in SEC play so far (page 12)

APRIL 5, 2017 • THEMANEATER.COM

UM SYSTEM BUDGET CUTS

UM System looks to faculty, program cuts as solution to budget shortfall UM System President Mun Choi announced a timeline Monday for dealing with spending cuts. ZIA KELLY Staff Writer

Staff and nontenure track faculty positions may be cut, and academic programs with low enrollment may

also be at risk as the UM System prepares to deal with a drastic budget shortfall, UM System President Mun Choi said in an email to students, faculty and staff Monday. MU campus officials have until May 10 to release both short- and long-term plans to address these funding cuts. The UM System needs to reduce spending by between 8 and 12 percent in the coming fiscal year, Choi said in the email.

As a response to the potential $57 million in funding cuts from the state in the 2018 fiscal year budget, the UM System will be drafting a plan to accommodate the losses during the next two months — a plan that will be released to the public by June 2, according to the email. He said the administration will not make across-the-board cuts to all programs. Campuses are instructed to prioritize academic programs

with strong performance measures — bringing in grants, prominent placement of graduates, having faculty win awards and get published in journals and national ranking of the programs overall. The email also said campuses should assess programs based on the number of students enrolled and the programs’ retention, graduation and

CUTS | Page 4

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

CENTER, RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCOVERY TO CLOSE NEXT YEAR

Key: CAMPUS LANDMARKS RESIDENCE HALLS

An email from Frankie Minor to student staff said the decision to take the halls offline was due to low freshman enrollment. EMILY GALLION AND ANDREW WITHERS of The Maneater Staff

Center, Responsibility and Discovery residence halls will be “taken offline” next year due to low freshman enrollment, Residential Life Director Frankie Minor said in an email obtained by The Maneater. Minor said in the email that the department still anticipates employing most or all staff members hired. “Historically every year between now and August, various situations occur that result in position openings, e.g. normal attrition and voluntary staff choices, as well as unplanned academic or personal challenges,” the email said. “If necessary, we will offer alternative employment opportunities at comparable compensation to the remaining staff.” If ResLife needs more space after

ROAR, the housing selection process, starts April 10, the department will bring halls back online individually. “This is an early move to try to be as prudent as possible with the resources we have,” MU spokeswoman Liz McCune said. If demand does not increase, that brings the total number of halls that will be offline next year to seven. The department announced in April 2016 it would be closing Respect and Excellence. In December, Residence Halls Association President Matt Bourke confirmed that the department planned to take Schurz and McDavid offline based on decreased anticipated class size. At the time, Minor said in a presentation to RHA Congress that 23.5 percent fewer freshmen than anticipated signed housing contracts. The email Sunday stated that ResLife had “better information”

GRAPHIC BY TORI AERNI

that indicated a need for “additional adjustments.” The halls were selected because their closure will disrupt fewer returning students and the facilities have higher-than-average utility costs, according to the email. “It is much easier to expand our capacity later than to consolidate it

WEEKLY WEATHER WEDNESDAY 51/39

HALLS OFFLINE FOR 2017-18

later,” Minor said in the email. ResLife will also be canceling eight Freshman Interest Groups due to low anticipated demand. The email stated that these eight FIGs were similar to others that will still be available. Edited by Katie Rosso krosso@themaneater.com Weather compiled from Weather Underground

THURSDAY 57/34

FRIDAY 61/42

SATURDAY 76/59

THE MANEATER | NEWS | APRIL 5, 2017 2 MU student Andrew Hutchinson and professor THE Arthur Jago lose City Council bids Tuesday MANEATER The Student Voice of MU since 1955

Vol. 83, Issue 25 ( 4UVEFOU $FOUFS t $PMVNCJB .0 QIPOF t GBY

FEJUPST!UIFNBOFBUFS DPN XXX UIFNBOFBUFS DPN

Twitter: @themaneater Instagram: @themaneater1955 facebook.com/themaneaterMU The Maneater is the official student publication of the University of Missouri and operates independently of the university, student government, the School of Journalism and any other campus entity. All text, photos, graphics and other content are property of The Maneater and may not be reproduced without permission. The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the University of Missouri or the MU Student Publications Board. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sausage tonight, Papa Slammer?â&#x20AC;?

Reporters for The Maneater are required to offer verification of all quotes for each source. If you notice an inaccuracy in one of our stories, please contact us via phone or email.

MANEATER FILE PHOTO

Incumbent Councilman Clyde Ruffin defeated Hutchinson in the First Ward, and Matt Pitzer defeated Jago in the Fifth. SARAH HALLAM Staff Writer

Three MU-affiliated candidates for City Council positions lost in Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s election, but incumbent First Ward Councilman Clyde Ruffin, an MU professor emeritus, was re-elected. Ruffin defeated history and sociology student Andrew Hutchinson and administrative assistant Pat Kelley. The election results were close in the First Ward, which

includes all the students living on MUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campus, Greektown and downtown. Ruffin received 475 votes, or 41.5 percent, and Hutchinson received 352 votes, or 30.7 percent. Kelley obtained 27.8 percent with 319 votes. Matt Pitzer, a portfolio manager for Shelter Insurance, was elected Fifth Ward councilman. Pitzer defeated Arthur Jago, a business management professor at MU. Pitzer won by a wider margin, receiving 1,446 votes (57 percent) to Jagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1,091 votes (43 percent). Both Ruffin and Pitzer will serve a three-year term on the council. As for his agenda for his next term, Ruffin already has ideas in mind. According to the Columbia Missourian, Ruffin plans to continue to push for racial equity in Columbia.

Despite the close election in the First Ward, voter turnout was low, with only 1,146 votes cast. Voter turnout in the Fifth Ward, which covers most of southwest Columbia, was considerably higher, with 2,537 votes in total. Hutchinson earned more individual votes in his 2016 bid for Missouri Students Association president than he earned in his bid for the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Ward seat. Hutchinson won 18 percent of the MSA vote, for a total of approximately 663 votes, just less than double his City Council vote count. However, he earned a higher percentage of votes in the City Council race. Edited by Jared Kaufman and Nancy Coleman jkaufman@themaneater.com, ncoleman@themaneater.com

Editor-in-Chief Jared Kaufman

Graphics Manager Tori Aerni

Managing Editors George Roberson, Katie Rosso

Newsletter Manager Regina Anderson

News Director Emily Gallion Copy Chief Nancy Coleman Engagement Director Jake Chiarelli Online Development Editor Reiker Seiffe Sports Editor Eli Lederman News Editors Kyle LaHucik, Madi McVan MOVE Editors Victoria Cheyne, Bailey Sampson, Katherine White Opinion Editor Kasey Carlson Photo Editor Jessi Dodge

MOVE Social Media Manager Kaelyn Sturgell Sports Social Media Manager Titus Wu Assistant Production Manager Cassie Allen Deputy Copy Chiefs Anna Sirianni, Katherine Stevenson Copy Editors Nat Kaemmerer, Sam Nelson, David Reynolds, Libby Stanford, Jeremiah Wooten Assistant Online Editor Michael Smith Jr. Adviser Becky Diehl

Want to work with us? themaneater.com/workforus

WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE HAVING AN ELECTION OF OUR OWN THE MANEATER EXECUTIVE BOARD DEBATE WILL START AT 4 P.M. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5 IN MIDDLEBUSH 12 IF YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;VE WORKED FOR US THIS SEMESTER, YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE

THE MANEATER

STUDENT VOICE OF MU SINCE 1955

NEWS

In Your Inbox: Continuing coverage of fallout from budget cuts, daily arts and culture recommendations, and sports analysis in The Maneater Daily. Subscribe at bit.ly/ManeaterDaily.

ADMINISTRATION

Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky named new law school dean Lidsky, the 17th School of Law dean, will be the first woman to serve in the position. OLIVIA GARRETT Staff Writer

The School of Law named Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky as its next dean on Monday. Lidsky, who will be the school’s first female dean, will begin her new role on July 1. “I am thrilled and honored to join Mizzou Law as it continues its rise into the top tier of law schools in the country,” Lidsky said in a news release. “I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the law school’s amazing faculty, staff, and alumni, and to have the support of a state land-grant university devoted to teaching and research excellence.” As School of Law dean, Lidsky will be responsible for hiring, strategic planning and budgets, developmental activities and “building a climate of excellence in all aspects of the university’s academic mission,” according to an MU News Bureau release. Lidsky is currently the associate dean for graduate and non-J.D. programs at the University of

Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky PHOTO COURTESY OF MU SCHOOL OF LAW

Florida and has previously worked as associate dean for international programs and faculty development, according to the news release. “Over a career spanning 25 years, Professor Lidsky has distinguished herself through her scholarship, teaching excellence, leadership and passion for legal education,” Provost Garnett Stokes said in a press release. Lidsky has taught courses on torts, First Amendment law, mass media law, jurisprudence, social media and cyber law. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and political

science from Texas A&M University and her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. She also studied as a Fulbright Scholar at Cambridge University and clerked for Judge Joseph T. Sneed on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. “She has a clear passion for the rich tradition of legal education and innovative ideas that will foster Mizzou Law’s success in the changing legal education environment,” Kristofer Hagglund, chair of the search committee and dean of the MU School of Health Professions, said in a news release. “She is devoted to the ideals of providing an excellent and affordable education to the future legal leaders of Missouri and the region.” Lidsky is replacing interim Dean Kenneth Dean, who took on the role after former Dean Gary Myers stepped down in May 2016. Dean had previously served as the senior associate provost and the School of Law’s associate dean for 20 years. Dean has also served as interim dean three times, according to previous Maneater reporting. Edited by Kyle LaHucik klahucik@themaneater.com

PHOTO FEATURE

Nani Jude, right, helps cover a woman’s head with a hijab. The Asian Affairs Center hosted Multicultural Hour - Malaysia Cultural Event, to teach attendees about Malaysian culture and to introduce them to elements of Malaysian food, dance and language. JULIA HANSEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Briefing MADI MCVAN AND EMILY GALLION of The Maneater Staff

Foley to leave MU for NYIT Interim Chancellor Hank Foley announced in an email to students that starting June 1, he will be the president of the New York Institute of Technology. His last day at MU will be May 3. Foley was appointed interim chancellor in November 2015 following R. Bowen Loftin’s resignation amid criticism of his handling of campus issues. Before then, Foley served as senior vice chancellor for research and graduate studies for one year and executive vice president for academic affairs for two years. NYIT is a private university in New York with enrollment of over 12,000 students, according to the university’s website. The institute’s previous president, Edward Guiliano, stepped down in September 2016 after serving for 16 years. Foley will be the university’s fourth president. Civil Rights Act interpreted to include LGBTQ protections The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ employees from workplace discrimination, according to a ruling Tuesday in Chicago by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. This is the first time that a federal appellate court has ruled that the definition of word “sex” as used in Title XII of the Civil Rights Act includes sexual orientation and gender identity. “In this case, we have been asked to take a fresh look at our position in light of developments at the Supreme Court extending over two decades,” the decision states. “We have done so, and we conclude today that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a form of sex discrimination.” The ruling overrides a decision made by an Atlanta appellate court three weeks prior, which ruled that discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation is not protected by the Civil Rights Act. The court made the decision on a case in which Indiana teacher Kimberly Hively sued Ivy Tech Community College, claiming that they did not hire her because she is a lesbian. The court ruled in favor of Hively, stating in the decision that “the court has arrogated to itself the power to create a new protected category under Title VII.” City Council establishes Drinking Water Planning Work Group The Columbia City Council created a Drinking Water Planning Work Group on Monday to work with a consultant to determine if the city needs to change the way it treats its drinking water. The group will report to the Water and Light Advisory Board and make recommendations regarding the proposed McBaine Water Treatment Plant expansion. According to reporting by the Columbia Daily Tribune, the treatment plant needs $18 million in renovations, money which may come from a proposed water bond issue on the 2018 ballot. The council also approved a contract with Carollo Engineers to update a 2012 preliminary design report for the expansion of the McBaine Water Treatment Plant, according to the Tribune. Edited by Nancy Coleman ncoleman@themaneater.com

$40

M M

@TheManeater

M M

we are maneaters

M M

Hello word humans

M In addition to state government funding cuts, a decreasing source of revenue stems from declining freshman enrollment. Declining enrollment has also led to the temporary closing of several residence halls on campus.

job placement rates. Student, faculty and staff diversity was also listed as a factor for prioritizing programs. UM System campuses became aware of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

CUTS

Continued from page 1

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

4 THE MANEATER | NEWS | APRIL 5, 2017

budget cuts in January, when Gov. Eric Greitens released his proposed budget for the 2018 fiscal year, which will take effect on July 1. Since then, the Office of the Chancellor has announced two new committees that will address campus financial issues surrounding capital investments and allocation of funds. However, members are still being selected for both committees, and plans for the 2018 fiscal year are due in just over a month. After plans are reviewed by groups on campus, they will be submitted to Choi by May 19, and by May 26, he will review the plans with leaders from each university. Edited by Kyle LaHucik klahucik@themaneater.com

THE MANEATER | NEWS | APRIL 5, 2017 PHOTO ESSAY

When in Vegas... BY BAILEY VALADEZ • STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

With summer rapidly approaching, everyone is looking for things to do and places to go in their time away from school. The U.K., large U.S. cities and tropical locales all seem to be hot spots for college students during summer. One such popular place for people of drinking age to enjoy is Las Vegas. However, everything in Vegas that includes alcohol can be done without alcohol just the same. Check out these images for some of my top “When in Vegas” recommendations.

ABOVE: Container Park, created in 2013, offers retail shops, dining hotspots and live entertainment as well as art galleries and murals. RIGHT: The Forum Shops at Caesars open doors for shoppers to find souvenirs, high-end splurges and everyday necessities. FAR RIGHT: Downtown Las Vegas stands tall with the “High Roller” ferris wheel, which offers riders an aerial view of The Strip.

PHOTO ESSAY

Spring breaking on the tracks BY LANE BURDETTE • STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

This year’s spring break marked a new experience for me: a train trip across the continental U.S. Traveling by train across deserts and mountains through sun and snow, these images document the journey I made through state after state moving from west to east, before returning to Mizzou. These are only a few of the memorable moments from my trip down the tracks.

A latte to look forward to: Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin Robbins store opens on Elm Street All your favorite snacks are now in one place. NAT KAEMMERER Senior Staff Writer

Perk up, caffeine lovers. A combination Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin Robbins opened at 821 Elm St., first for a soft opening March 28 and officially Tuesday. “[March 28] around 1 p.m. we unlocked the doors,” Dunkin’ Donuts multiunit leader Joshua Palmer said. “We didn’t announce anything, we just let people in.” The store has been open unofficially all week as a result of construction being done early. “It’s been very busy, with a lot of college students,” Palmer said. Dunkin’ Donuts already had another Columbia location at 3100 S. Providence Road, which is harder to get to for students and residents without cars. “Our first location is doing excellent, and we want to expand to make Dunkin'/ Baskin more accessible to the community,” local franchisee Anup Thakkar said in an email. “We have put tremendous effort in

Donuts sit in the display case at Columbia’s new downtown Dunkin’ Donuts. The store opened on Tuesday, April 4. JULIA HANSEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER designing our downtown location to cater to the specific needs of the area.” Monday, the day before the grand opening, students were already taking advantage of the new space and studying at tables around the store. Most tables are close to power outlets, and the store

offers free Wi-Fi. “We wanted to make it a place for college kids to help you have a nice place to study,” Palmer said. Palmer is from Dunkin’ Donuts’ corporate operation and is in town to help with the setup of the downtown location. “There are a lot of

parties involved in the process of setting up the restaurant,” Thakkar said in an email. “These include the franchise, construction company, architects and others. I worked with Origin Construction in the development of this second location, and they have done

a fantastic job understanding the franchise requirements.” To promote the grand opening, the store will be using print advertising, a costumed character, travel mug giveaways, couponing and a news release, Thakkar said in an email. “We’re doing a lot more [free] sampling,” manager Stephanie Knedler said. “We want to draw attention to what we have to offer and give customers a chance to try something they usually don’t.” They are also trying to get more people to sign up for DDPerks, Knedler said. DDPerks is an app that allows customers to earn points toward drinks, order ahead and keep track of past orders. Knedler is keeping an eye on crowd sizes to best schedule employees. The store is currently still hiring. Caffeine-lovers can stop downtown and check out the latest coffee option, complete with a Baskin Robbins inside. The downtown location is open Sunday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. “I’m excited to be downtown,” Knedler said. “It’s a new adventure for us.” Edited by Katherine White kwhite@themaneater.com

Journalism professor restores photo gallery of hometown under segregation Berkley Hudson, along with four childhood friends, opened up the first exhibit in Columbia to showcase his 30-year-old project. HANNAH SIMON Staff Writer

When journalism professor Berkley Hudson was growing up in segregated Columbus, Mississippi, photographer O.N. Pruitt recorded life in the town with his camera. Now, after a 30-year research and curation process, Hudson is bringing the 142,000-photo

collection taken by Pruitt and his assistant, Calvin Shanks, to MU. A portion of the collection, titled “Possum Town,” is showcased at the McDougall Center Gallery in Lee Hills Hall and the Reynolds Journalism Institute until May 5 and was shown at Ragtag Cinema until Tuesday. The project was spearheaded by five childhood friends who grew up in Columbus: Hudson, brothers Mark and David Gooch, Birney Imes and Jim Carnes. Pruitt, whose life spanned from 1891 to 1967, was a photographer in Columbus. During his career, he captured life events, both gruesome

and beautiful, from lynchings to baptisms. In 1960, Pruitt handed off his business to Shanks. It was not until Mark Gooch started his own project on a street called Catfish Alley in Columbus that the group discovered the variety of the photos. “It started out when I was doing oral histories about a street called Catfish Alley,” professional photographer Mark Gooch said. “That was where black and white in Columbus met. It’s a commercial area, and it has great history. It’s just one block, so I was looking for pictures that would illustrate Catfish Alley.” He visited Pruitt’s old studio to find Pruitt’s

pictures of Catfish Alley, only to discover that the negatives of the photographs were in decaying condition. When he shared his findings with his childhood friends, the men decided to do something about it. They saw the negatives as their responsibility. Upon finding the negatives, the group went to Shanks, who was planning to make the pictures into calendars, but Shanks refused their offer to purchase the photos. It was not until 13 years later in 1987, after Shanks’ family had sold the photos to new handler Billy Frates, that the group purchased them. “We bought them, and then a friend of mine came

up and said, ‘Do you know about the secret negatives?’ and we were like, ‘No, we didn’t know,’” Mark Gooch said. “So, we found another person that had the more sensitive negatives, you know the lynchings and the hangings, so we had to make a different deal with him.” Though Pruitt captured racially charged, sensitive moments in history, his pictures remain objective. Both white and black were equal under the lens and in the studio. But Pruitt’s photographs reveal the racial segregation of their time, Hudson said. “I would encourage you to

PHOTO | Page 10

THE MANEATER | MOVE MAGAZINE | APRIL 5, 2017

MOVE’s guide to April concerts in Columbia From Mizzou Arena to Rose Music Hall, Columbia has the perfect place for every music lover to catch a live show.

Tennis, The Greeting Committee Rose Music Hall April 8, 8:30 p.m.

by Gracie Sands

Kristin Chenoweth Missouri Theatre April 27, 7 p.m.

Sponsored by KCOU, you will not want to miss the show featuring Tennis of Denver and The Greeting Committee of Kansas City. The concert at Rose Music Hall will be indie-pop-oriented, with both bands having an upbeat, pop sound that should make for an entertaining show full of energy. Touring off of its latest release, Yours Conditionally, Tennis will be playing brand-new material while sticking to its same old-school, lo-fi sound.

If you love musical theater, this concert is a dream come true. Kristin Chenoweth is a Tony-Award-winning actress who has been seen in everything from film to television to Broadway. You might know her as Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked, or for her role in the Fox series Glee. But above all, you know her for her voice. Chenoweth will be bringing her talents to the Missouri Theatre to perform unforgettable songs from Wicked and the Great American Songbook.

Chris Stapleton Mizzou Arena April 27, 7 p.m.

Kristen Chenoweth COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMMONS

All of the country lovers out there, this one’s for you. Chris Stapleton rose to fame almost instantly after the release of his 2015 album, Traveler. Between the sweet lyrics and raw rock vocals featured on the album, almost everyone can find something in the album to connect with. Based in Nashville, Stapleton sings about “Tennessee Whiskey” and the back country roads while incorporating his blues and southern rock influences throughout the tracks. Stapleton will be playing one of the largest venues Columbia has to offer, and his huge sound is sure to fill the entire room.

Freshman vocal performance major brings killer voice to St. Louis band CAROLINE WATKINS Staff Writer

In addition to his velvety smooth voice and scruffy appearance, freshman Sam Elfanbaum’s persona is as equally charismatic as it is low-key. You can tell that he is just as comfortable in a Sunday interview at Kaldi’s as he is jamming out on stage. He is the epitome of a young rocker. Elfanbaum was introduced to music at an early age. He credits his family with fueling his passion for singing and playing instruments. “I was in a ‘feel the keyboard’ class when I was two, and then I took piano lessons for five years,” Elfanbaum said. “I was always singing … and my dad was a musician.” Elfanbaum also plays the ukulele and guitar and dabbles in bass. He hopes to become a professional musician someday, but until then, he is studying vocal performance at MU. At the end of his sophomore year of high school, Elfanbaum and his best friends decided to form a band after casually playing together for several years. The band, later named Phuzz, started going to open mic nights. The jazzy rock group was eventually hired out for a three-hour Friday night gig by the same venue that hosted the open mic nights. “It was really fun, so we just decided to go from there,” Elfanbaum said. In addition to Elfanbaum on bass and vocals, other members of the band include Drew Brodsky on drums, Phoebe Lieberman on guitar and vocals and Leo Diamant on keyboards. The band gathers inspiration from several genres when it comes to generating its unique sound. “We all love Jason Mraz, lyrically we try to make ourselves sound like him; we used to play a lot of Twenty One Pilots songs,” Elfanbaum said. “Recently, we have been going away from that and are focusing on rock, jazzy and hip-hop [sounds].” The band’s name was inspired by an effects pedal called a fuzz pedal, famously

used by rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix. In the band’s song “Sunny Days,” the band members decided to put the guitar pedal on a bass to achieve a more “crunchy sound,” Elfanbaum said. Lieberman decided the effect was emblematic of the band’s sound and would double nicely as the group’s name. Even though the band is currently separated at different colleges, the band has not taken a hiatus. On Christmas, Phuzz released its EP, Sunny Days, which features three original tracks written by Lieberman and Elfanbaum. Elfanbaum’s voice is featured on the band’s song “Dr. Good,” while Lieberman takes lead vocals on the other two songs, “Forlorn” and “Sunny Days.” Phuzz’s full-length album is coming out next summer; it will be available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Prime and Apple Music to buy and stream. The band is currently aiming to land a gig at The Blue Note this summer, among other venues in Missouri, Illinois and potentially Colorado. However, plans are still tentative considering a majority of the band members attend different schools. Elfanbaum’s musical talents are not exclusive to singing and playing with Phuzz. In addition to performing with his band, Elfanbaum also enjoys singing jazz, and occasionally sings jazz solos. If he is performing by himself, he enjoys throwing in a few jazz standards in his setlist, like “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Autumn Leaves.” In a time when hip-hop and pop music dominate mainstream media, Elfanbaum is disheartened that not as many people his age appreciate jazz music. “Especially when people are soloing, it’s something you can’t replicate, really,” Elfanbaum said. With his passion for jazz and rock, in the next few years, Elfanbaum could be either be the next Seb from La La Land or the next Jason Mraz. But for now, he’s comfortable sticking with being Sam Elfanbaum from Phuzz. Edited by Katherine White kwhite@themaneater.com

MOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVE MOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVE MOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVE MOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVE MOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVE

THE MANEATER | OPINION | APRIL 5, 2017

COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS

Three more halls to close in 2017

Responsibility

MANEATER FILE PHOTO

Center, Discovery and Responsibility are now also closing for the 2017-2018 school year.

When you walk into your first dorm room on move-in day freshman year, it’s hard to imagine building a life inside the four lifeless cinder block walls. The closet is tiny. The mattress is a slab of granite. You can’t move an inch without bumping into your roommate, who hasn’t fully convinced you yet that they aren’t actually an axe murderer. But in the next few weeks, the four cinder block walls begin to become your own. You put some life into the walls with posters. You make the most of the doll-sized closet, add a cozy mattress pad to make the bed less rock-like, and even your roommate starts to seem like a normal human being. Residence halls have a bad rep, but the dorm we’re stuck in for freshman year is where we make our first long-lasting college memories. It’s where we meet our closest friends for the next four years, and it’s where we start to figure out who we are. For current students and alumni alike, hearing about the closing of the residence halls some of us spent our first months of college in brings back all of these memories and evokes a flood of emotions. But as freshman enrollment continues to decline, the number of halls temporarily closing keeps rising. This week, the Department of Residential Life announced three more residence halls that would be taken offline for the 2017-2018 school year: Center, Discovery and Responsibility. These halls won’t be the only ones standing empty — Schurz and McDavid will also be taken offline for next year, and the already-closed Respect and Responsibility halls will remain inactive a second year. Laws and Lathrop halls, which are currently undergoing scheduled demolition, were also taken offline earlier than expected. Residential Life Director Frankie Minor’s announcement this week brings the total number of empty halls to seven, which collectively could house about 1,500 students, according to the Associated Press. We heard from former residents of these halls about their first-year dorm experiences, from students who were freshmen last year to alumni who were freshmen before most of the current freshman class was born. Between the swimming pools and egg rolls to just literally setting stuff on fire, here are their memories.

McDavid

LANE BURDETTE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

“Meeting my best friend at McDavid! Also, that one time I performed an interpretative dance to ‘I’ll make a man out of you.’”

— @Knott_Katherine, Twitter “McDavid was divided into four houses when I lived there. I lived in Marmaduke house. It was primarily a dorm for electrical engineering students although some of us business majors were allowed in...lol. So many memories but a few that stand out were the swimming pool created in the shower on the top floor with plexiglass that held about 4 foot of water before breaking and flooding one of the houses. Another memory is when the police were called and while they were investigating something their lights on top of the car were removed. They drove away and didn’t notice them gone. When they came back the lights were sitting on the sidewalk just waiting for them. Finally, the famous or infamous tradition of streaking around the Francis Quadrangle during the first snowfall of the semester. Wonderful memories that last a lifetime!!!”

— Paul Becker, Facebook

THE MANEATER | OPINION | APRIL 5, 2017

Discovery “I met my best friend on move in day [in Discovery]. … We were assigned as suite mates and I didn’t really know her at all going into move-in day. We went through recruitment together and just grew super close since it was just [the] two of us in our suite for half the week. … Having the double suite with living room was nice because Bailey (my friend) and I decorated it together and it was a nice common area for us to all hang out. I also loved the long hallways and enjoyed getting to know all the people on my floor”

— Mia Carter

COURTESY OF CAMERON FLATT

Schurz

LANE BURDETTE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

“Schurz reopened my freshman year (not sure how long it had been closed). I remember playing frogger (as someone else mentioned) to cross the road to eat. They let us paint our hallway...if I remember right, we painted an underwater theme in our wing. Sophomore year Hatch reopened, along with the dining hall, and a snack bar downstairs. I lived off baked potatoes and egg rolls Sophomore year.”

Center

MANEATER FILE PHOTO

“CENTER IS CLOSING?!” — Cameron Thomas, former Center student staff member

— Jennifer Scholes, Facebook “the time 2 dudes snuck a full sized Christmas tree into their room inside Schurz”

— @SeraaMariee, Twitter

“I lived in Schurz the last semester before it was remodeled, so there was no air conditioning in the rooms. On hot nights, people would sleep in the lounges because they had air conditioning! It was a great first residence hall and the people I met there are still friends a decade later.”

— Keri Smith, Facebook

“I lived in Schurz first semester freshman year back in 97. It was certainly memorable. The guys in the room next to us had a couple of pot plants growing in their closet. I remember a couch being thrown off the roof. And then the last day of finals we set the fire alarm off when we (geniuses that we were) lit our syllabi on fire in a trash can. I could go on.”

— Jeremy Price, Facebook

“So sad! Many good memories. I have to admit when they added a bridge to cross College I was a little sad for all those college students who wouldn’t get the pleasure of playing Frogger with oncoming traffic.”

— Melissa McAllister Kessler, Facebook

THE MANEATER | MOVE MAGAZINE | APRIL 5, 2017

PHOTO

PHOTO FEATURE

Continued from page 6

slow down, slow down and look at pictures and look at how they speak to you,” said Hudson, who serves as a chair on Faculty Council’s Race Relations Committee. “It could be argued that Jonathan Butler made the same argument, that African Americans, students of color, are treated as secondclass citizens. Now there’s a lot of complexity to that argument, but it behooves us to think about, ‘How come?’ So, I think these photographs open up doorways to history, culture, identity and race relations.” Both Mark Gooch and Hudson believed that Columbus was a peaceful town — they were kept blissfully unaware of the fact that 19 lynchings were recorded in their county alone. “It shocked me,” Mark Gooch said. “It’s like you’ve been lied to all this time. I thought I lived in a peaceful community when it was anything but a peaceful community.” A specific photo that Hudson notes is a photo of Sylvester Harris, a black man living in Columbus, standing with his mule in front of the house he was previously in danger of losing in 1934. It took Hudson 10 years to find the story behind the picture. “So [Harris] was going to lose his house during the Depression,” Hudson said. “I just used to take that picture around town and show it to everybody and ask them if they knew who this guy was or this mule. This was before Google.” Hudson searched for the story by rifling through old newspapers. “I just looked at every page, and then I got to 1934,” Hudson said. “That’s how I found out what his name was. I got to 1934 and [the picture] was on the front page of the local newspaper.” Hudson knew the man’s name was Sylvester Harris and that Harris called President Franklin Roosevelt in hopes of saving his house during the Great Depression. Unsatisfied with this small bit of information, Hudson continued his search. Finally, a Columbus politician led Hudson to the Harris family farm, which was saved by the president. There, Hudson

met descendants of Harris, who didn’t know much about their ancestor other than the fact that they were living on the farm that the president had saved. From a torn-out article given to Hudson at the farm, Hudson was led to many other published articles. “It was like one page, and it was about Sylvester Harris, and it said Brown v. Board of Education was in the story, so I knew that was May 1954,” Hudson said. “So I knew wherever this appeared, it was after May 1954. The typeface looked like Ebony Magazine … So I went to Ellis Library and I started with Ebony Magazine’s May 1954, and then I moved forward.” From his findings in the bound volumes, Hudson was able to find different articles on Harris from newspapers from all over the country, including the New York Times and the New York Herald Tribune. The project was a major undertaking. Hudson, Carnes and Imes all looked to find the stories behind the photos — Hudson said he conducted around 50 interviews. David Gooch works in financial investment and focused more on the legal and financial aspects of the project. Mark Gooch was the handler of the negatives until they were moved from his studio in Birmingham, Alabama, to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to keep the photos safe. “First thing is save the negatives, then we wanted to at some point have an exhibit, so this is 30 years ago for the exhibit,” Mark Gooch said. “Then we thought it would be nice to have a book, and then we thought it would be nice to have some way to give back to the community. We were gonna buy the negatives, but they really belonged to the community. The pictures, the images. And then the last thing that we wanted to do was find a permanent home, you know, just realizing our own mortality. We wanted to find a place, an institution that would protect them and take care of them.” Edited by Katherine White kwhite@themaneater.com

Freshman Byron Smith sets up recording equipment in his dorm room. Originally from Chicago, Smith started rapping at age 9 but only became serious about his work a year ago. One of the ways he advertises his SoundCloud, BY_773, is by handing out and posting stickers around campus. SOPHIE NEDELCO | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

THE MANEATER | MOVE MAGAZINE | APRIL 5, 2017 G#’S MUSICAL RADAR

Local Natives talks about mixing politics and music

Vocalist Kelcey Ayer said the band’s latest album “stands as a symbol of hope for change and a better future.” GRANT SHARPLES MOVE Columnist

Grant Sharples is a sophomore who writes about music for MOVE Magazine. With its 2010 debut record, Gorilla Manor, Local Natives established itself as an up-and-coming indie rock band that fans should know. Two albums later, the Los Angeles quintet, which performed at The Blue Note on Tuesday, released Sunlit Youth in 2016. The album is more experimental in terms of music and more political in terms of lyrical content. Vocalist Kelcey Ayer said that the group needed to make a statement about the modern political climate.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

He said the band’s previous two records were more introspective and personal, and that’s how Sunlit Youth differentiates itself from the other records. “I think it’s just kind of a combination of us becoming more confident and comfortable in our own skin,” Ayer said. “It’s our third record, and we’re starting to put less importance on our own personal problems.” Ayer said that because everyone in the band is starting to enter their thirties, he believes it’s difficult to ignore what’s going on in

politics. He said that aging is a process that fosters a greater sense of awareness. Ayer thinks more artists are going to infuse politics into their music in the President Trump era. He finds it hard to think about anything but the current political state and said more artists will feel the need to express their opinions through music. “I think [the election of Trump] is going to awaken a mass of artists and creative people to express their frustrations and their sadness and their passion,” Ayer said. “I think we’re just going to

U Centre Eggstravaganza APRIL 13TH | 3PM-6PM | FREE CHICK-FIL-A

+ giveaways every half hour!

get a ton of stuff coming out.” Not only is Sunlit Youth far more political than Local Natives’ previous LPs, but the creative process behind it was also different. Ayer said that with this record, the band members had more time to focus on writing individually. Ayer said he and vocalist Taylor Rice would write songs in their own time and then show them to the rest of the band later. This is unlike the writing process for Gorilla Manor and Hummingbird, which were

written collectively with all band members present. The band also wrote more songs for this record. “Before, we would write 15 songs for a 12-song album and there would be like eight months of banging our heads against the wall trying to write something in the room,” Ayer said. “But this time we wrote around 50 songs, and it was really easy to be able to choose what people were into.” Out of the 50 songs the band wrote for the album, 12 made the final cut. Ayer’s personal favorite, “Everything All at Once,” was almost cut from the final tracklist. He said that it’s a song he brought to the band and insisted that it be on the record. Overall, Ayer said Sunlit Youth stands as a symbol of hope for change and a better future. “The fight is never over,” Ayer said. “It’s an ongoing thing where we just keep moving the needle little by little, but I think as long as we’re moving, then we’re succeeding.”

Tour by April 13th & receive your

GOLDEN TICKET Enter to win $1,000! PROUD SPONSOR OF MIZZOU® ATHLETICS

Apply online today at

UCENTREONTURNER.COM

Leasing Center: 114 S 9th St, #101 Community: 625 S Fourth St 573.514.7782

Renderings, date, & prizes subject to change. Actual prizes may vary. While supplies last. See office for details.

SPORTS

Online this week: Updates on Mizzou softball, baseball, tennis, and track and field

A Missouri tennis player goes up for a serve during the Mississippi State match April 14, 2016. The Tigers ended with a team loss 4-1. EMILY NEVILS | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

TENNIS

Missouri tennis continues to struggle in SEC play The Tigers have now lost seven straight conference matches. TOBY LOWE Staff Writer

Missouri women’s tennis entered two weekend matches looking to rekindle some of the brilliant play that brought it much success early in the season. Since a fierce start to the season, the Tigers have gone cold as conference play has brought tougher

opponents. The Tigers came into the weekend having dropped five straight matches, and the schedule brought no relief as they faced No. 5 Vanderbilt and No. 11 Kentucky. The Tigers’ struggles continued as they fell 6-1 on Friday to the Commodores and 4-1 on Sunday to the Wildcats. Doubles competition, once a strong point for the Tigers, has now become a liability. Mizzou failed to clinch the doubles point again on Friday, dropping the matches in the No. 2 and No. 3 positions by wide margins.

Not only did Vanderbilt enter singles play up 1-0, but the team also came in with two of the top 12 singles players in the nation, according to the ITA weekly rankings. Mizzou would have to elevate its play just to stay in the match. The outmatched Tigers continued to struggle. Junior Amina Ismail was defeated in straight sets 6-1, 6-3. Senior Cassidy Spearman struggled with her ranked opponent, falling 6-4, 6-2. Shortly thereafter, junior Clare Raley fell 6-1, 6-4, giving Vanderbilt a 4-0 lead.

After agreeing to play out the remaining matches, freshman Tate Schroeder was the lone bright spot as she continued her dominance, picking up her 12th singles win of the season. She prevailed 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 in a super tiebreak. Bea Machado Santos battled hard against Astra Sharma, the nation’s No. 5 ranked singles player, but was ultimately defeated in straight sets 7-5, 6-4. The Tigers finished off the weekend

SETS | Page 15

GYMNASTICS

Mizzou breaks program records, earns best finish since 2010 CHELSEA ROEMER Staff Writer

The final chance for the Missouri gymnastics program to be represented at the NCAA Championship meet rested on the shoulders of Britney Ward. In her sophomore season, she was a crucial cog in the Tigers’ success and shined in her routine on the beam. Despite giving another stellar performance in her event, Ward fell just one-fourth of a point short of tying for the event title and qualifying for the championships. This meant the 2017 season was officially over for Mizzou. Though the season was cut shorter

than intended, Missouri gymnastics headed home with several highlights to build off of for the 2018 season. The Tigers finished an outstanding season, placing third as a team at the Gainesville NCAA Regional. The Tigers just missed out on the top two at the regional, keeping them from advancing to the national championship. Despite missing out on nationals, the program broke many records, and many athletes earned high honors this season. After a strong start to the season, which saw the Tigers open with five consecutive wins, Missouri shot into the top ten in the country, rising

2018 | Page 15

The MU gymnastics team runs onto the mat before a home meet. JULIA HANSEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

THE MANEATER | SPORTS | APRIL 5, 2017

Mizzou guards K.J. Walton and Frankie Hughes will transfer Mizzou Athletics announced Hughes and Walton’s decisions in a statement Tuesday. NICK KELLY Staff Writer

The Missouri men’s basketball roster shakeup

continues. Sophomore guard K.J. Walton and freshman guard Frankie Hughes have decided to transfer, per a statement from Mizzou Athletics. Walton has two seasons of eligibility remaining, and Hughes has three. “We wish K.J. and Frankie the best in their future academic and athletic pursuits,” head coach Cuonzo

Men’s golf gearing up for Tiger Invitational GARRETT JONES Staff Writer

Missouri men’s golf is getting ready to host its only home tournament of the season, the Tiger Invitational at The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia from April 10-11. Since the beginning of the season in August, the team has competed in eight tournaments, all away from Columbia. This has involved a significant amount of travel time, which has a major effect on a tournament weekend’s progression and the practice rounds that accompany it. For multiple reasons, the team is especially excited to take part and host in its only home tournament of the 2016-17 season. “I know we are all excited to sleep in our own beds for once and show off just how good Old Hawthorne is to the rest of the country,” assistant coach Grant Milner said. Despite not needing to make travel plans, there’s a lot to think about for the Tigers staff. Missouri is responsible for the planning and execution of the weekend-long tournament. “We basically run the tournament, from setting up the golf course, to providing meals and lodging for the teams coming to Columbia,” Milner said. “As the tournament director along with the help of the Missouri golf association, we hope to put on one of the best college tournaments in the country.” Putting together a college golf tournament is no easy process, and the Tigers staff will have some assistance from the Missouri Golf Association, a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to “promote the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf,” according to its website. “It takes a lot to make that happen, and we are very grateful to have the MGA as well as the staff at Old Hawthorne on our side,” Milner said. “You never realize just how much goes into putting on a college golf

tournament until you actually do it, so I'm fortunate to have such great people to work alongside and make my job as easy as possible.” Every NCAA team is allowed to host one tournament a year. Last year, Missouri did not host a tournament. “Playing at home is different than most tournaments because you only host once a year,” Milner said. “In fact, we haven't played a tournament at Old Hawthorne since 2014.” That 2014 tournament was the NCAA Columbia Regional, in which the Tigers finished third out of 14 teams. Senior Euan Walker is the only starter from that tournament who is still on the team. Playing at home is something junior Hayden Buckley has never done. It will give him a chance to trust everything the team has been working on, he said. “Mizzou has been my home for the past two and a half years now,” Buckley said. “I’ve created so many relationships that have impacted me as a person as well as a player. Getting to play for those people that mean so much to me, letting them see all the hard work we’ve been putting in, will definitely make it all so worth it.” The 2016-17 season has been a successful campaign, highlighted by a tournament win at the Turning StoneTiger Intercollegiate in September. The Tigers’ success has helped them climb all the way to No. 26 in the Golfstatresults.com relative rankings. Next week, fans are encouraged to take part in that success. “People don't realize the role they play in bringing us comfort and helping us play our best,” Buckley added. “Most of the time people only see results. Now they have a chance to be there and experience something that we’ve put so much into.” Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com

Martin said in the statement. “We will support both of them as much as possible, and assist in their transitions to the best of our ability.” Walton and Hughes’ exodus marks the first since the hiring of coach Cuonzo Martin in March.

Walton, an Indianapolis native, played two seasons for the Tigers under former coach Kim Anderson. In his sophomore season in 201617, Walton averaged 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Walton started seven games as a freshman in which

he averaged 5.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Hughes,

Cleveland

native, averaged 7.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in his freshman season.

Edited by Eli Lederman

elederman@themaneater.com

THE MANEATER | SPORTS | APRIL 5, 2017

GET ON MY LAVELL

EMIL LIPPE | SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

With Porter Jr., Mizzou can add even more to recruiting class The Tigers already have the best player in the nation, and now they look to add the rest of the pieces. BRENDAN LAVELL Sports Columnist

Brendan Lavell writes about men’s basketball for The Maneater.

On March 24, nine days after the hiring of head coach Cuonzo Martin, 15 days after the Mizzou basketball team lost its final game of the Kim Anderson era and 38 months after the team’s last true road game win, the No. 1 basketball recruit in the class of 2017 announced that he was committing to Missouri. For a player of Michael Porter Jr.’s caliber to join a program as previously hopeless as Mizzou was completely unprecedented, and it’s exactly what Mizzou needed. Where there was once apathy and pessimism, there is now an optimistic and enthusiastic fan base itching to watch a sure-fire NBA lottery pick grace the court at Mizzou Arena. The question now isn’t about when Mizzou will return to relevance — having the projected first overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft on your roster will take care of that — it’s

about what Mizzou’s ceiling will be next season. The addition of Porter ensures at least some improvement, especially when coupled with a veteran core of players that remains almost completely intact from last year. But the best way for Mizzou to ensure further improvement next season is by adding more recruits to this class. The addition of Porter Jr. will give Martin a lot of fuel with which to feed his recruiting pitch, and Martin has already proven himself a very capable recruiter. While at Cal, Martin convinced eventual third overall NBA draft pick Jaylen Brown to cross the country from Georgia to play for the Golden Bears, who haven’t made the Elite Eight since 1960. Four-star point guard C.J. Roberts reaffirmed his commitment to Mizzou on Monday, joining Porter Jr. as the only other player in the Tigers’ 2017 recruiting class so far. In his quest to field a contending team next year, Martin may pursue some other top players: Jontay Porter This one is a no-brainer. If Porter Jr. followed his dad, Michael Porter Sr., back to Columbia and onto the Mizzou basketball team, then it makes sense that Porter Jr.’s brother would join them both. Jontay Porter, a 6-foot-9 power forward, is a top-40 player in the class of 2018, but he may reclassify to this year’s class to join his brother as a Tiger right away. He was originally committed to play

for his godfather, Lorenzo Romar, at Washington (where his dad was an assistant and his brother was signed), but reopened his recruitment when Romar was fired. Expect him to suit up for the Tigers eventually, whether it be this year or next. Kevin Knox Kevin Knox, a 6-foot-8 small forward from Tampa, Florida, is ESPN’s No. 7 player in this year’s class. Knox was also a McDonald’s All-American and was apparently heavily recruited by Porter Jr. (a fellow All-American himself) in the days leading up to the All-American game. Porter Jr. evidently caught Knox’s attention, because Knox announced Saturday that he will be using his fifth and final official visit to travel to Columbia. Duke is the heavy favorite to land Knox, but it wouldn’t be a complete shock if the Tigers, or more accurately Porter Jr., somehow lured Knox to play at Mizzou. Blake Harris Blake Harris is a four-star point guard who is currently ESPN’s No. 99 recruit in the 2017 class. The Chapel Hill, North Carolina native, like the Porter brothers, was signed to play for Washington before Romar’s firing. On Thursday, Harris released a top-five list of Connecticut, North Carolina State, Michigan State, Rutgers and Missouri. He has not taken any official visits yet, but he will take his first at Mizzou on April 8 along with Knox. Michigan State is

considered the favorite for now, but Mizzou and North Carolina State are right in the thick of the race. Mark Smith Mark Smith, a 6-foot-5 point guard, is a former Mizzou baseball commit. He switched to basketball after an injury and has risen quickly on the recruiting scene. Martin had already offered Smith a scholarship while at Cal, and Smith is interested in Mizzou. However, Michigan State recently offered Smith, and he responded pretty quickly with a plan to make an official visit there. Though the Spartans are the favorite to land Smith, Mizzou and Illinois lead the rest of the pack. Mizzou’s ceiling next year will be determined by how many, or which, of these players (along with a few other Martin targets) the Tigers manage to bring in. Hypothetically, if Mizzou somehow landed all of them, they would instantly have a top-five recruiting class in the nation, and would probably start the year among the nation’s top 25. In the most likely scenario, Jontay Porter will reclassify to join his brother, and Harris will follow as well. Knox or Smith are longer shots, and it would ultimately be a surprise if either landed in Columbia. Even without their talents, this recruiting class will be more than enough to raise the Tigers’ expectations from that of an SEC bottom-dweller to an NCAA tournament team. Finally, Tigers fans have hope — something they’ve been waiting three years for.

THE MANEATER | SPORTS | APRIL 5, 2017

2018 outlook bright for high-flying Missouri gymnastics team continued from page 12 as high as No. 6 nationally, according to the College Gymnastics Association. On Feb. 10, the Tigers broke a team vault record with a 49.425 against Lindenwood and Southeast Missouri. Despite the promising start, Missouri struggled to take on the treacherous competition in the Southeastern Conference. The team lost four of its first five meets to open conference play. Despite the struggles, many members of the team gained confidence through the losses. “We don’t focus as much on the wins and losses; we focus more on the process,” Ward said in a press conference. “We are focused on what improvements we can make between here and now.” The team built on that confidence by closing out the regular season with two SEC wins in the final two weekends

of the regular season. On consecutive weekends at Hearnes Center, the Tigers defeated Auburn 197.200195.350 and No. 12 Kentucky on Senior Night 197.150196.925. The Tigers finished the regular season ranked No. 15 in the nation, the highest final ranking for the program since 2010. The team achieved the third, fourth and seventh highest scores in program history and claimed three wins in the SEC. Next, Missouri traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, for the SEC Championships, where the Tigers finished in seventh place behind a number of highly ranked teams, including No. 1 Louisiana State, No. 3 Florida and No. 4 Alabama. During the meet, junior Becca Schugel and Ward were selected to the all-SEC Team. Schugel was selected for her dominant floor routine and Ward for her stellar

performance on the beam. The Tigers’ performance earned them a trip to the NCAA Gainesville Regional Meet on April 1. The regional appearance marked the program’s third consecutive NCAA regional appearance and the 27th overall. The Tigers competed against the No. 1-seeded Florida, No. 2-seeded Georgia, No. 4-seeded New Hampshire, No. 5-seeded Penn State and No. 6-seeded North Carolina. The Tigers finished with a total score of 196.100, tying the second-highest regional score in program history. Florida took first place with a 197.125, and Georgia placed second with a 196.775 to advance to the NCAA Championships. “We knew it was going to be tough coming in here being the third seed,” Welker said in a news release. “We’ve seen Florida and Georgia all year long and we know they’re good teams and we were going to

have one of our better meets to knock them off.” Mizzou started the meet with a bye in the first rotation. In the second rotation, the Tigers showed off their floor routines, earning a 49.025 in the event. Junior Kennedi Harris scored a team-best 9.875 for her 10th score of 9.875 or higher this season. Sophomores Madeleine Huber and Brooke Kelly both posted scores of 9.8. In the third rotation, on vault, the Tigers earned a score of 49.075. Ward dominated the event with a 9.875 and Aspen Tucker earned a 9.850. Both Harris and sophomore Xarria Lewis contributed scores of 9.8, a season high for Lewis. Bars were next up for the fourth rotation, where four Tigers scored a 9.825 or higher. Schugel, Kelly and junior Shauna Miller all earned a 9.850, and Huber scored a 9.825. Ward contributed to the score with 9.75. The meet concluded with

the fifth rotation on the beam, where Ward led the pack. She earned a 9.875, tying for third overall in the event and only 0.25 away from a spot at the national championships. “I thought we performed well today,” Welker said in a news release. “I liked that we came out and attacked our first event. It got us off to a nice solid start, which was something we were focusing on” With just two outgoing seniors, Missouri will return with over 85 percent of its roster next season and will look to build upon what was one of the program’s most successful seasons to date. With sophomore Morgan Porter returning from injury, and the potential growth of rising stars Tucker and Ward, the Tigers should be well-equipped for 2018. Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com

Want to win a national championship? Ask a blue blood team COLE BOLLINGER Sports Columnist

Cole Bollinger writes about professional sports for The Maneater.

When it comes to postseason sports tournaments, March Madness is one of the most anticipated. What other postseason competition can make people who don’t watch a single regular-season game feel so invested in who wins? March Madness constantly provides the chance of something crazy or unexpected happening. People cheer for the underdogs like their lives depend on it, because who doesn’t want Lehigh beating Duke, right? Those upsets are what makes the tournament so exciting, even for the people who couldn’t care less about college basketball for the other 11 months of the year. People point to the parity and unpredictability of the tournament as reasons they get so into it. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who went to Portland for college, picked

SETS

Continued from page 12

in Lexington, Kentucky, to face the No. 11 Kentucky Wildcats. After falling behind quickly in doubles with a loss at the No. 3 position, the Tigers secured their greatest achievement of the weekend. Santos and Ismail, again competing in the No. 1 position, pulled off a stunning

Gonzaga to win the title before the tournament started, and he credited it to the amount of parity in today’s college basketball. "I think it's changed dramatically since I was in college, when we were definitely mid-to-low-major," Spoelstra told the Associated Press. "We were low-major. They were midmajor. I think there's so much parity now in college basketball, and I think the Final Four is reflective of that this year." But, what if there isn’t as much parity in college basketball as it seems? Sure, Butler and VCU have made runs to the Final Four in recent years, and sure, three teams made the Final Four this year for the first time this year. But what about the other team in the Final Four? You know, the team that won it on Monday night? Oh, that’s right; it’s North Carolina, one of the perennial powers in the sport. While there can be parity in the Final Four in any given year, the national champion usually comes from a select group of teams, a group that outsiders could only wish to someday join — 2.8 percent of the teams in college basketball have won

29 of the last 40 championships. In my book, there are ten programs that are above the rest and make up a group of “blue bloods,” separated into two tiers. In tier one, you have UCLA, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke and Kansas, and in tier two, you have Indiana, Louisville, Connecticut, Michigan State and Syracuse. The blue bloods have won 29 of the last 40 championships. Tier one alone has won 17 championships. While some people claim that parity is higher than it ever has been in college basketball, the blue bloods are putting more of a stranglehold on the most coveted trophy. In the last 20 years, 16 of the national championships have come from one of the blue blood programs. They’ve won nine of the last 10 national championships. I’m not seeing much parity anymore. But this may be a good thing. Sure, it would have been awesome if Butler’s Gordon Hayward had hit the half-court shot at the buzzer to beat Duke in 2010. I mean who wouldn’t have loved that? But, in most years, it’s better if the best programs are playing for the championship.

upset, beating the nation’s No. 4-ranked pairing 6-2. Missouri, however, was unable to capitalize on the upset, as the No. 2 pairing of Schroeder and Spearman was defeated 6-3. Schroeder tried to give the Tigers life in singles play. She picked up yet another victory 6-1, 6-2, cutting the Wildcats’ lead in half with Mizzou still trailing 2-1. It wouldn’t be enough, however, as Ismail and Spearman continued to struggle,

each succumbing to defeat as Kentucky secured the match win 4-1. Missouri will compete in its final home matches this weekend as Tennessee visits Columbia on Friday with first serve scheduled for 5 p.m. The Georgia Bulldogs will be the final home match of the season for the Tigers, with first serve scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com

Look at 2011 as an example. That Final Four had two blue bloods in Kentucky and Connecticut in a big-time battle. Those are the kind of teams that are used to being on the sport’s biggest stage. On the other side? An eighth seed in Butler and the No. 11-seeded VCU were battling for a spot in the national championship game. Sure, it was nice to see them win games early on, but then they took up half of the Final Four and shot very poorly from the floor. Butler then advanced to play Connecticut in what may have been the worst national championship game in recent memory, with UConn prevailing 53-41. While it was fun for Butler and VCU to have their fun early

on, there was a huge talent disparity in the title game. The randomness of the tournament got those two teams to the Final Four, but the blue bloods still prevailed. I hope that there comes a time that anyone can win in any given year. But for now, the power programs are in control of the sport, and the rest of the teams are just trying to keep up. They are blue bloods for a reason, right? Anyone can go on a magnificent run to make the Elite Eight or Final Four, but if you want to win the whole thing, leave it to the blue bloods. They have it taken care of. Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com