Vol83issue3

M THE MANEATER

VOL. 83 | ISSUE 3 | SEPT. 7, 2016

with purpose pg. 5

From ethnicity to Greek Life to athletics, here’s what MU would look like in 100 people

pg. 8

Talking Drum uses music to start conversations about diversity and inclusion at MU

pg. 13

J’den Cox reflects on Rio, music and his faith

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THE MANEATER | ETC. | SEPT. 7, 2016

Table of Contents Certified Support

the center of it all

Dumpster Diving

Sparking creativity

MU researchers bring attention to emotional support animals (pg. 4)

What it’s like to have to step into the shoes of Mizzou legend Evan Boehm (pg. 14)

MU art graduate student Kyle Bader talks trash (pg. 6)

Where does the art on the walls of Sparky’s come from? (pg. 10)

This Week’s

Names and Numbers

6 Students in university-run housing who have emotional support animals

M

THE MANEATER

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

55 Michael Marlo, a linguistics professor, is working to compile first official dictionaries of three African languages. Full story online.

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Editor-in-Chief Jared Kaufman Managing Editors Christy Prust, George Roberson Copy Chief Nancy Coleman Production Manager Abby Breda

Online Development Editor Reiker Seiffe MOVE Editor Katie Rosso News Editors Emily Gallion, Kyra Haas, Claire Mitzel

Percentage of students who have a car on campus

The Maneater is the official student publication of the University of Missouri and operates independently of the university, student government, the School of Journalism and any other campus entity. All text, photos, graphics and other content are property of The Maneater and may not be reproduced without permission. The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the University of Missouri or the MU Student Publications Board. The first copy of The Maneater is free, each additional copy is 25¢. “follow her on Instagram @kidathecat’â€?

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Correction: In last week’s correction, we failed to mention which story it was we screwed up on. Please forgive us. It was “Local bands come home for Fall Welcome� from MOVE Magazine on Aug. 24. MOVE Magazine regrets this error, too.

Cover photo by Jessi Dodge and Emily Nevils

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Sports Editor Peter Baugh

Graphics Manager Tori Aerni

Deputy Copy Chief Theo DeRosa

Photo Editor Jessi Dodge

Social Media Manager Jake Chiarelli

Projects Editor Tessa Weinberg

Newsletter Manager Regina Anderson

Copy Editors Nat Kaemmerer, Bailey Sampson, Jeremiah Wooten

Opinion Editor Kasey Carlson

Engagement Specialist Katherine White

Production Assistant Hope Johnson

Assistant Online Development Editor Michael Smith Jr. Adviser Becky Diehl

NEWS

What you need to know on campus

3

Students wait at Speakers Circle for their lunch to be served from Grill-a-Brothers food truck. Grill-a-Brothers was one of two food trucks on campus Friday, offering a variety of dining options. Photo by Jessi Dodge | Photo Editor

food

MSA brings Food Truck Fridays to Speakers Circle The event will host a rotation of 10 food trucks once a week until Nov. 4.

TAMMY KO Reporter Freshman Austin Walker was already tired of repetitive options at campus dining halls. Then, he found a colorful food truck parked at Speakers Circle.

“It’s only been two weeks, and we’re all kind of sick of Rollins and Plaza food, so this is a good alternative,” he said.

The Missouri Students Association and Campus Dining Services collaborated to start Food Truck Friday, a weekly event that will last through the first week of November. Two trucks each week out of 10 will make an appearance

throughout the month, which started with Lilly’s Cantina and Grill-A-Brothers last Friday.

“It really stoked a sense of community and a liveliness on campus that was really welcoming, especially for a freshman like myself,” freshman Mitch Woodson said.

Freshman Emerson Davis agreed the event made Speakers Circle a better place to be.

“Now I had a reason to come out here,” Davis said.

Food Truck Friday is an alternative food option for students who are fed up with campus dining, said Hunter Windholz, an MSA Campus and

Community Relations Committee member. Students cannot use their meal plan to purchase food at the trucks.

CCRC has been working on a project to bring food trucks to campus for several years now.

“Our committees sometimes lose manpower as our academic workloads increase, and some projects get lost at the bottom of our agendas,” Windholz said. “It just takes a new member to come through with the passion for an old project to connect the last of the dots.”

Windholz acknowledged that the dining halls usually have the same food, which tends to drive students to eat

downtown rather than on campus.

That is why Windholz said CCRC brought Food Truck Friday to campus: to give students more diverse food options, save them time on their commute, allow them to socialize with their peers and bring more energy to Speakers Circle.

“I think it’s a really cool thing because we don’t get a lot of different options for food, so it’s nice to have this available to us when it’s easy to walk to because I don’t always want to walk downtown,” freshman Libby Stanford said.

Edited by Emily Gallion egallion@themaneater.com

in memoriam

Tyler Romaker remembered as charismatic, always smiling

THE MANEATER STAFF Members of the MU community came together on social media to share memories and remember senior Tyler Romaker, who died Friday afternoon.

He was 22.

Romaker, a native of Warrenton, Missouri, was a member of the Delta Chi fraternity, Army ROTC and Marching Mizzou.

“Tyler exemplified what it meant to be a Delta Chi,” the fraternity’s Missouri chapter posted on its Facebook page Friday. “He touched so many lives during his time at Mizzou, and he will be missed by many.”

“When I first joined Delta Chi Tyler was always one of the kindest people I came across,” senior and Delta Chi

member Jeremy Wiggins wrote on Facebook on Friday.

Romaker played mellophone and French horn with Marching Mizzou for four years, according to the band’s Facebook page.

“Tyler will always be a part of the M2 family and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his friends, Mizzou ROTC and the brothers of Delta Chi,” Marching Mizzou posted on its Facebook page Saturday morning. “Romaker, thank you for always making us smile.

You will truly be missed.”

Romaker was a cadet in Army ROTC at MU and was due to commission in December, according to a Facebook post from University of Central Missouri’s Army ROTC. “May fond memories of Cadet Tyler

Romaker bring the Tiger Battalion and his family comfort during this hard time in our lives,” MU’s Army ROTC posted on its Facebook page Friday.

“Look back on all the good memories we were able to have and smile at the fact that we were able to share these before he passed away. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Romaker family on this tragic day.”

On Friday, Romaker was riding a 2008 Suzuki motorcycle when he collided with a 2004 Dodge Dakota truck that had failed to yield when turning left at the intersection of Highway 63 North and Stadium Boulevard, according to a news release from the Columbia Police Department. Romaker was wearing a helmet, and the other driver was uninjured.

Photo Courtesy of University of Missouri Army ROTC Facebook

Visitation was held Tuesday and a memorial service took place Wednesday morning at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Warrenton.

Megan Dollar, Olivia Garrett and Nancy Coleman contributed to this report.

Edited by Christy Prust cprust@themaneater.com

4

THE MANEATER | NEWS | SEPT. 7, 2016

MU reintroduces scholarship for Peace Corps fellows Coordinator for Geography Coverdell Fellows Soren Larsen: “They brought so much to our program … when they come here, they have an energy and a passion to make changes here.”

SYLVIA MAEHR Reporter Lebo Moore’s passion for food is what led her to MU. As an on-campus recruiter for MU’s Peace Corps until 2015, Moore’s experiences abroad guided her in achieving the Peace Corps’ third goal: helping Americans better understand the consequences our actions have on other countries.

As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bolivia and Peru, she worked in tight-knit communities, teaching the importance of nutrition and healthy living to locals.

“I think that spending time with primarily women in South America, I gained a reverence for food,” Moore said.

“I learned how much work it takes to produce food on the farm scale and also how to prepare it in the home . . . I came away with an increased respect for the ability to have access to food and be able to eat what I wanted and share it with my friends and family. That led me to study geography within the context of food access and sustainable agriculture.”

After her two years in South America finished in 2014, Moore spent seven months in Zambia working as a manager of a farm that grew vegetables to supplement the diets of patients at a nonprofit pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic.

While she was there, she began to look at graduate degree programs in the U.S. and came across the MU geography department’s Paul D. Coverdell Fellowship.

The Coverdell Fellowship grants returning Peace Corps fellows anywhere from $10,000 to a full tuition waiver to help them complete their graduate education. It was reintroduced to MU this year after having been changed from a campus-wide competition to a program-specific one.

The MU geography department is the first campus department to be reapproved by the Peace Corps to continue the fellowship. The fellowship requires all fellows to intern in “underserved American communities while they complete their studies, allowing them to bring home and expand upon the skills they learned as volunteers,” according to a Peace Corps news release.

Soren Larsen, associate professor of geography and coordinator for Coverdell fellows in the MU geography department, said MU Peace Corps candidates usually approach the geography department with a strong background in volunteering and service.

“This tends to set them up for success in geography because they have spent a tremendous amount of time in developing countries, working closely with the people and places there and managing projects and developing that sensitivity for human-environment interactions,” Larsen said. “So, when they apply to us [under the Coverdell Fellowship], they tend to have exactly what we are looking for for a graduate study in geography.”

During her time in Bolivia, Moore

acquired the appreciation for her environment that Larsen attributes to many Peace Corps returnees.

“Everything is interrelated and connected,” Moore said. “Bolivians operate with the mindset that the ‘pachamama,’ which is Mother Earth, is in everything.

Everything that they do, they think about how it impacts their environment and how it affects other people. That’s really powerful, and it’s a view that we don’t have in the United States.”

The experience that Moore and other fellows bring back with them is what Larsen believes has made MU’s program thrive.

“They brought so much to our program . . . when they come here, they have an energy and a passion to make changes here, which is part of the ‘third goal’ of the Peace Corps,” Larsen said.

Moore’s individual interpretation of Peace Corps’ third goal led her to continue her work with food when she returned to the U.S. “So many of the institutions and policies put up here [in the U.S.] affect the type of food that people grow and have access to around the world,” Moore said. “I think it’s so interrelated to some of the larger issues we are grappling with — climate change, political unrest, racial justice, food justice. All of these things can be so well introduced just by talking about the food that we eat. I see it as a platform for engaging in all sorts of social justice work.”

Daniel Zozaya Brown has been MU’s on-campus recruiter since 2015. After

volunteering with the Peace Corps in Ecuador as a secondary education English teacher, he lived in Mexico for a year. Then, like Moore, he discovered the Coverdell Fellowship at MU. Now, he works to get others involved in the Peace Corps, calling it a “unique, very valuable experience.”

“It is different from studying abroad because studying abroad normally takes place during a short period of time and does not allow the type of cultural immersion that Peace Corps accomplishes,” Zozaya Brown said.

“Peace Corps is also different in the sense that you are working for a government agency, which means that you are a part of a well-structured program that offers student loan deferment, future opportunities, and the chance to make a difference while working abroad.”

Larsen describes the partnership between the Peace Corps and the graduate geography program as having a “natural synergy.” So, when MU as a whole decided to phase out the Coverdell Fellowship, Larsen and the department took the initiative to keep the program alive within their department.

For Larsen, applying as an individual department to work with the Peace Corps was a “no-brainer.”

“Our whole department just thrived,” he said.

Edited by Kyra Haas khaas@themaneater.com

MU researchers bring awareness to emotional support animals ESAs raise ethical and legal questions for clinical psychologists and their clients.

OLIVIA GARRETT Reporter Freshman Laura Sigmund lives in Hatch Hall with her emotional support cat.

An emotional support animal provides “physical assistance, emotional support, calming and other kinds of assistance,” according to the service animals section of MU’s online manual of Business Policy and Procedure.

Any ESA kept in university housing must be approved by the Disability Center. Unlike service animals, which must be either a dog or in some cases a miniature horse, an ESA can be any species and does not require specific training.

This process begins when an individual applies for a disability accommodation on the Disability Center website. Then, the student meets with an access adviser to determine whether keeping an ESA is a reasonable accommodation, Barbara Hammer, director of the Disability Center, said.

Sigmund’s cat is eligible to live in her room because it helps Sigmund deal with anxiety and depression.

“It wasn’t difficult for me to show that I had need,” Sigmund said. “It’s been pretty smooth sailing.”

In some cases, the Disability Center will ask for a recommendation from a mental health professional before approving an ESA, but documentation is not required.

“In our case, or in the case of a landlord, we can’t make a person jump through a lot of hoops to provide us with documentation,” Hammer said.

“We can’t ask a lot of intrusive questions about the nature of their disability.”

MU researchers are currently exploring the ethical and legal ramifications of psychologists certifying that a person needs an ESA. They have already published one article in the journal Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. “... There [are] no guidelines on this and there’s kind of a lack of awareness generally about not only what ESAs are, but also how psychologists are involved in that process,” said Cassie Boness, a graduate student in clinical psychology and co-author of the article.

Boness said while there is research regarding service animals and pets in general, ESAs are a new topic.

“The research that we found trying to answer the question, ‘Is there any evidence of the effectiveness of ESAs?’ is lacking,” Boness said.

Psychologists don’t have clear guidelines, either. “[ESAs] also aren’t supported by the Americans with Disabilities Act, so there’s no regulatory board that looks over the certifications for ESAs,” Boness said.

This is significant because individuals can easily get an ESA certified online without even meeting in-person with a psychologist, Boness said. Clinical psychologists can also certify ESAs.

The researchers recommend that these letters be written only by forensic psychologists, who work at the intersection of psychology and law.

“These letters are in fact formal disability determinations under the law, which makes them a forensic evaluation, from our point of view,” Jeffrey Younggren, clinical professor and lead author of the article, said. “We believe that clinicians shouldn’t even be doing them, first because it’s not a part of their job as a treating therapist, and second because they aren’t really objective about their client’s needs and the impact of that determination.”

Sigmund, who discussed her ESA with her roommate beforehand, said she believes that other individuals who may not have a true need could cheat the system.

“They don’t really understand [the ESA] is for a mental illness, and they just think that I brought my cat because I went through the right system,” Sigmund said. “She actually has a purpose. So I definitely think that if people knew how to get through it, they would definitely abuse the system.”

Currently, six MU students, including Sigmund, have an ESA in universityrun housing. Hammer said this is an increase from four or five years ago, when requests were as rare as one a year.

At MU, ESAs are only allowed in the owner’s room. They are not allowed anywhere else on campus, according to university policy.

Legally, ESAs are protected by the Air

Photo illustration of a cat in a laundry basket.

Photo by Katie Rosso | Photographer

Carrier Access Act and the Fair Housing Act. The balance of the rights of the individual and the rights of the public is fundamental to the debate over ESAs, the researchers said.

“We’re mainly focusing on what types of techniques and assessment instruments should be used to make this evaluation,” Boness said. “We’re trying to think about what are standardized instruments that are familiar to forensic psychologists that would be useful.”

Edited by Claire Mitzel cmitzel@themaneater.com

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MUSIC. OUTINGS. VENUES. EVENTS.

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Tori Aerni | Graphics Manager

Junk to gems: Using trash to create art Grad student Kyle Bader shies away from traditional media, using found objects to create art that “makes people think.”

CASSIE ALLEN Reporter Graduate student Kyle Bader’s art studio is full of bubble wrap, empty packs of cigarettes and old bags of dishwasher detergent.

This isn’t a list of things in Bader’s trash can; these are his art materials.

After coming to MU in fall 2014, Bader settled into a small, white-walled cubicle and began creating art. Like many artists, he does use traditional materials like polyurethane, oil paints, dirty work-gloves and brushes. But what makes him unique is that he also uses random pieces of trash picked up around Columbia to make his art.

“Recently, I passed up a great opportunity for material,” Bader said. “There was the dumpster I biked by every day full of great material, and each time I thought I should drive down here. One day, I biked past and it was gone.”

Various pieces of garbage collected from around the city can be seen glued to the wooden panels Bader uses as foundation for his art.

His inspiration comes from a variety of sources, ranging from German painter Sigmar Polke to graffiti artist Banksy.

Even though Bader said his upbringing was different from some other artists, his goal is still to figure out how to convey a message.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to talk about,” Bader said. “Artists, musicians — they [have] something to say, and I didn’t know what to say because I wasn’t necessarily a struggling person. I grew up with a great childhood. I wasn’t the typical starving artist, but I had respect for the field. I wanted to be a part of the conversation, even if I didn’t know what to say.”

Originally, Bader painted pieces that had a specific theme and used more traditional media, but since coming to MU, his art has taken a turn.

“I’m very interested in the opposition of the power scale, whether it be something of the mundane value to something

more glorified,” Bader said. “I put the things together in the same platform and wonder why we favor one thing over the other. Why does one thing deserve our attention over another? I put that to the test, all on one surface.”

The goal of his art is not to offend, but to make the viewer think.

“Someone may see the glass as half empty, that I’m degrading these people, like Katy Perry or Kanye, and putting them to the same status as trash, but really it’s proposing the question of ‘why?’” Bader said.

“If you don’t initially recognize it as trash, and instead see Katy Perry, someone you may really love, what does it matter? It’s about the viewpoint.”

The message portrayed in his pieces is one of wondering, and of passion. Bader himself has many passions, from learning Spanish

Inside MOVE this week

Graduate student Kyle Bader works on one of his pieces in his Bingham Commons studio Thursday. Photo by Madison Davis | Staff Photographer

and bass to playing lacrosse and watching the Saints.

“Just get to work,” Bader said.

“The problems will never be resolved if you don’t do anything physically.

You can’t just let the ideas float in

your head. If you don’t at least try to put it on the surface, you won’t solve any problems.”

Edited by Katie Rosso krosso@themaneater.com

pg. 8 MU band Talking Drum came together to play music with a message pg. 10 Ever wonder about the art on the walls of Sparky’s and Lakota?

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THE MANEATER | MOVE | SEPT. 7, 2016

Orr Street Studios connects art with the community The nonprofit supports local artists and creates opportunities for the public to get involved with art events.

VICTORIA CHEYNE Reporter Orr Street Studios combines two contrasting worlds: those of engineering and art. The nonprofit organization was opened by building owner and engineer Mark Timberlake in downtown Columbia at 106 Orr St. in January 2007 and received nonprofit status in May 2009, according to its website.

Timberlake partnered with local artist and sculptor Chris Teeter, who helped transform the undeveloped space into what it is now. Teeter constructed massive sliding doors, each with its own unique artwork and meaning, for each individual studio. Ultimately, Teeter realized Timberlake’s vision for the studios, and transformed three rundown metal warehouses into innovative spaces for local artists to create and display their work.

In addition to promoting art and creativity within the community, Orr Street Studios shows rotating exhibitions and participates in a variety of events with the goal of directly connecting Columbia to its artists and their work, according to its website. These include Seeing Visions/Hearing Voices, North Village Arts District First Fridays and Second Saturday for Kids.

Resident artist Marie-Josée Brown got a personal studio with OSS in 2010 and has thrived there since. She is inspired by her surroundings, specifically “atmosphere and light,” and conveys the striking beauty of those through her paintings of CoMo’s landscape. Not only is her artwork representing the community, but because of OSS and its efforts, it is also actively connecting with the community. “[Art] inspires a community from its core,” Brown said in an email. “Its

Orr Street Studios, a nonprofit art studio located in North Village Arts District, was created as a space to encourage interaction between artists and the community. Photo by Lacey Paul | Photographer

ingenuity becomes contagious as well as an integral part of the common growth.”

This firm belief in the essentiality of art complements her appreciation of all nonprofits, not exclusively OSS, and the support and opportunities they generate for both artists and the public. These organizations have also helped Brown achieve a personal goal for her artwork.

“I’d definitely love to share my work with the community here, potentially through murals and various projects,” Brown said. “I’ve been fortunate to share my work with amazing companies and individuals locally; my goal is to keep the

momentum.”

Former MU professor Catherine Parke, now an adjunct instructor at Moberly Area Community College-Columbia, moved into OSS when it first opened.

Parke said in an email that her “vocation is teaching” and her “avocation is art.”

This contributes to her perspective on the vitality of art in the community.

“In a nutshell, bringing out the best in each of us individually and bringing out the best of one another is, I believe, the defining feature of all the arts,” Parke said in an email. “And this is why they are essential in daily life.”

The concept of a nonprofit that determines OSS’s mission and “behavior” is in part what makes it such a special environment, Parke said.

“This nonprofit status embodies the ‘art in daily life’ concept that is beautiful, vigorous and defines kind of a semipermeable, osmotic membrane between ‘Orr’ and the community,” Parke said in an email. “[It’s] not a separation or a boundary, but a transit or transition between.”

Edited by Katie Rosso krosso@themaneater.com

Downtown watch

STAFF MOVE Editor: Katie Rosso Writers Brooke Collier Hannah Simon Lyndsay Hughley Mackenzie Wallace Michelle Lumpkins Michaela Flores Nat Kaemmerer Victoria Cheyne Videographer Hunter Bassler Ad rep Sally Cochran Columnists Allyson Rudolph Alycia Washington Ben Jarzombek Bianca Rodriguez Cassandra Allen Cassidy Hall Emmalee Wilkins Grant Sharples Jack Cronin Kristyna Kresic Victoria Lewis

Let’s be friends: Twitter: @MOVEManeater MOVE.themaneater.com

My House CoMo, a nightclub and sports bar hybrid with a rooftop lounge, is set to open sometime in September. They’ve started training their bartenders, so stay tuned for an “innovative experience.”

Ugly Mugg is a new coffee shop that sells more than just lattes and mochas — they sell cold alcoholic drinks infused with nitrogen (to cool them down), including caramel and double chocolate “hot” chocolate. These drinks are specifically created by Ugly Mugg, so you won’t find these creations anywhere else.

Move recommends Relax with a film Wet Hot American Summer is playing at Rose Music Hall’s Brew ‘n’ View outdoor movie night Sept.

7. The film is a satirical romantic comedy about the last day at summer camp and has become a cult flick for many. On campus, Central Intelligence, a comedy starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart, is playing for $1 at 7 p.m. Sept. 9 and 9:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in Wrench Auditorium.

Create some art You can make paper flowers at Mizzou Crafternoons from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 9. If you’re the type of person who accidentally kills your real plants, paper flowers could be just what you need. On Sept. 10, The Craft Studio is holding an afternoon where MU students can paint canvases for $10. If you haven’t yet fully decked out your dorm or apartment, this is a good chance to chill with friends make some great art.

Plan out Roots N Blues The Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival added a bunch of new people to their lineup: G. Love & Special Sauce, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Rayland Baxter, Music Maker Blues Revue, Chump Change, The Flood Brothers, The Fried Crawdaddies, The Oversight Committee, Brad Cunningham Band and Broadway Blues. You better start planning out your Roots N Blues schedule, because the weekend (Sept. 30 – Oct. 2) is coming up quickly.

Guitar Lessons available in your room. ______

Learn your favorite songs! ______ Call (704) 607-3277

8

THE MANEATER | MOVE | SEPT. 7, 2016

Talking Drum plays for change VICTORIA CHEYNE

the community, and music could effectively serve as the catalyst for this. When she proposed the idea to the members, they Up close, Talking Drum is a self- readily agreed.

“I immediately said yes,” Cullen said in described “scrappy group” of diverse, soft-spoken, pared-down musicians. But an email. “If I can be a part of something see the group perform, and you will be that helps bring peace and understanding transported. Talking Drum combines its to my fellow students, count me in.”

The thought of being a player in members’ musical talents with a shared the transformative process, physically passion for social justice. They will onstage demonstrating unity between compel you to open your mind and your students, was an appealing factor to band ears, because they’re creatively getting members. The group is racially diverse, tough conversations started through the but not intentionally. universal medium of music.

“It just so happens that that’s who they The band is composed of Jacob are,” Shonekan said. “They’re a wonderful Somerscales (drummer), Doug Blakely spectrum of the American landscape.” (keyboardist), Zach Zito (guitarist), Another reason some members felt Taylor Cullen (singer/songwriter/ compelled to join was to reverse what guitarist), Kenyatta Woods (vocalist), they saw as the wrongs of media coverage Kennedy Moore (vocalist) and Amanda last year.

Bongiovanni (rapper/singer/songwriter).

“If you weren’t here, you had absolutely Professor Stephanie Shonekan, now no idea what it was really like,” Zito the manager of Talking Drum, approached said. “The media would take it and find Somerscales with the idea to form the whatever would get clicks and views, and band in early 2016 and relied on him to under-report.” select members, who all ended up being The band met for the first time in April students in one of Shonekan’s classes. to brainstorm, with its name and song In addition to her role with the band, selection still up in the air.

Shonekan is an associate professor of “We wanted to play music that was ethnomusicology and the chairwoman of recognizable, something that ‘hits home’ the black studies department. for people, and something that people Shonekan said members needed to can attach themselves to,” Somerscales have a heart for social justice just as said. “[We wanted to play songs] that have much as musical talent. This is why the a social message or relevance that carry band includes only seven members and between generations.” seldom grows.

The band’s signature mash-up is “We wanted people with heart and “What’s Going On?” by Marvin Gaye and soul and a good spirit,” Somerscales said. “Imagine” by John Lennon. Both are “People who would bring something songs that highlight peace, camaraderie unique to the table.” and worldwide unity, and both were Shonekan had the idea of Talking Drum recorded and released in 1971, indicating long before Citizenship@Mizzou, the that two people of different cultures new-student inclusivity training session experienced the same social issues. at which the group first performed in Through these songs, the band capitalizes August; it just happened to be a prime on the common ground between differing opportunity. The events that transpired people, no matter where they are from or on campus last fall, specifically those what they have endured. pertaining to race as well as graduate The band’s name also needed to convey students’ healthcare being temporarily themes of unity and communion that dissolved, served as a call-to-action for would be illustrated through song choice.

Shonekan, who sought to use music as the “We wanted a name that is reflective of means for change. what we do,” Shonekan said.

She believes there was room for When “Talking Drum” was suggested improvement in communication within by Shonekan, it was immediately adopted Reporter

About the band

Talking Drum

Although musical talent was not the premier requirement for members or the main focus of the band as a whole, each member is gifted and discovered their passion and talents differently.

Majors and minors, as well as career aspirations, vary widely throughout the group and don’t all pertain to music.

Kennedy Moore, vocalist Moore’s father is a musician for his career. This served as an inspiration and gateway to the industry for her.

Moore said in an email that she “doesn’t intend to pursue music,” but will always want to sing if or when the opportunity arises.

Kenyatta woods, vocalist

Zach Zito, guitarist

Woods’ mother was youth choir director at his church.

Woods said he is “working on branding and marketing some of [his] finished but unreleased work,” also hopes to make career out of music.

Zito’s father is a musician.

Zito said he wants to pursue PR or artist management if he doesn’t end up playing music.

Jacob somerscales, drummer Somerscales was inspired by the rock-star drummer in “School of Rock.”

He said his goal is to pursue a career related to music. He said he’s not picky and would love to join the industry as a performer, producer, or as a “music marketing force.”

The student band uses music to start taboo conversations within the community.

by the group through an informal vote.

According to Shonekan, the talking drum is a traditional part of West African music, primarily in Nigerian Yoruba culture. It is a small drum, and each part of it has a unique tone. The drummer manipulates strings that are connected to these various parts to create the ideal sound.

“The idea is that the drum sends messages, like it can talk,” Shonekan said.

“That’s kind of what we do; we want our music to send messages and create conversation.”

With members’ musical upbringings ranging from self-taught to classically trained, chords and keys were to be worked out in addition to the band title and song selection.

“Sometimes we would just have to take it by ear,” Zito said. “But that’s music.”

Talking Drum’s goal is different than that of most bands. Its mission is to spur conversation about modern racial injustice, ethnic differences and gender inequality. According to Blakely, it’s about “discovery” and “losing preconceived notions” in order to learn something from someone else.

“Being in Talking Drum is not just about playing music that helps convey the right message,” Bongiovanni said in an email. “It’s about being a part of something bigger than yourself and using your voice to help empower the new generation to stand up for themselves and to talk things out.”

Band members were unsure of how their performance would be perceived.

Using music as what Zito called “a tool for social issues” was no novel concept, but it was uncharted territory in this environment and in direct response to events that had taken place on our turf. “ We wanted people to feel uncomfortable, because that’s how you grow,” Somerscales said.

Shonekan had a different idea of how the content and presentation would be received.

“We’re a Research I institution,” Shonekan said. “I worried that perhaps my colleagues would think we were in some ways diluting the intent of the program [by using music to transmit ideas].”

Citizenship@Mizzou, including Talking Drum, immediately received positive responses from both students and faculty, and the program has already been requested by two different universities.

Shonekan personally received feedback she said was very uplifting.

“Folks are loving on them,” Shonekan said.

Through the experiences of playing for audiences, Talking Drum’s members gained new and profound perspectives about music and cultural connections.

“Music is a valuable tool that can be used to ease the tension in taboo topics that need to be talked about,” Woods said.

“Without it or something that serves the same purpose, many students or people in general would be unwilling to listen or participate in the conversation.”

Cullen gained a different perspective from her experience with Talking Drum.

“I learned to look beyond myself,” she said. “My opinions and views are not shared by everyone, but that’s okay.”

The racial issues and tensions at MU that received national attention last year are not exclusive to this university.

“I’m actually glad the way things came out, because I think it needed to be exposed,” Blakely said. “I’m glad that Mizzou is a place that could start that and kind of force us to think about this.

It’s an issue that is definitely not over anywhere.”

Shonekan said that further change is the responsibility of all members of the Missouri family.

“You can’t just put people in a room and say, ‘get along,’ because once we leave we’re gonna hate each other, ” Shonekan said. “Talking Drum just put into place some steps that will get us a little bit [closer] to utopia, but it’s up to you to do the work.”

The band will be performing on campus at Citizenship make-up sessions in October and November and at the Black Studies Fall Conference at 2 p.m. on Oct. 15 at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center.

Edited by Katie Rosso krosso@themaneater.com

Amanda bongiovanni, rapper/ singer/ songwriter Bongiovanni’s path to the same endpoint was less defined; she had no distinct inspiration or entrance into music, but just “always loved to sing and write.”

Bongiovanni, who currently markets for The Social Room, Roxy’s and The Penguin piano bar, intends to pursue music as well. Her stage name is Ravs, and she is opening for Chris Webby at The Blue Note on September 30.

Taylor Cullen, Singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Cullen “found her passion” when she heard Danny Gokey sing “Jesus Take the Wheel” on American Idol.

She hopes to continue her music — she has recorded a six-song EP and three singles — as well as to pursue a career in nursing.

doug blakely, keyboardist Blakely was “forced into piano lessons by his parents at age five,” but started enjoying playing after he got involved in his school band and received “a positive reaction from others,” and became good enough to play the music he enjoyed.

He hopes to become a doctor.

ALL PHOTOS BY: ALESSANDRO COMAI

10

THE MANEATER | MOVE | SEPT. 7, 2016

James J. Froese’s “Sioux on White Horse” hangs in Lakota Coffee on Ninth Street.

Photo by Lacey Paul | Photographer

Collection of wall art found in Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream on Ninth Street.

Photo by Lacey Paul | Photographer

Columbia’s local businesses provide a place for art to live Both the nature-based art at Lakota and the just-plain-weird art at Sparky’s are meant to offer a space for open expression.

NAT KAEMMERER Senior Staff Writer Downtown Columbia is filled with art. Whether it’s painted on the sewer covers in the streets, thriving in the North Village Arts District, filling up the Columbia Art League or just hanging out in local landmarks, art is absolutely everywhere.

Local shops and restaurants make Columbians aware of local artists.

Paintings are displayed in some iconic places downtown, giving flair to the walls and making the town unique.

In Lakota Coffee and Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream, the types of art differ. Lakota hangs up paintings, drawings and photographs from artists around Columbia, while Sparky’s collects art from many people who would not call themselves artists at all.

Lakota Lakota, the beautifully warm coffee shop on Ninth Street, barely has any open space on its walls. It is decorated with both permanent art hung by Lakota and temporary art from artists who come in looking for a place to hang it, General Manager Andrew DuCharme said.

“Right now, we have four different artists,” DuCharme said. “They emailed us or came in and asked if we do local art. We let them usually have three to four months, depending on the waiting list.”

Different artists each have their own section of wall, displaying a bit of their

work in their own corner between the permanent paintings.

“The town has a lot of artists,” DuCharme said. “They flock to local places.”

One section showcases a local artist who passed away in 2012. James J. Froese’s family began cataloguing his wealth of work after his death.

“After Dad died, the family agreed to get his art out there,” his daughter Sarah Froese said. “A year after his passing, we had a show at the [Boone County Historical Society], and being Columbians, we liked to provide to the local community. Lakota was one of the places where we chose to have Dad’s artwork placed.”

James’ art differs wildly from piece to piece. It’s clear that he had a long history of making art and finding various forms to express himself and his messages.

“My father was a very eclectic man,” Sarah said. “The best way to explain his art is that he was a creative genius. He learned how to do it all and he worked on his art every day.”

His paintings and drawings go well with Lakota’s heavy wooden tables and chairs that appear to be made from trees, as well as its permanent paintings of desert scenes. James’ paintings are very evocative of Native American tribes and cultures and focus heavily on nature.

“My father had a lot of belief in Native American tribes, and he really believed in how the Native Americans utilized nature and that those things had meaning,” Sarah said. “He had a fierce belief that America had done the

Native Americans wrong, so his work was often a nod to them saying that we did not treat you well.”

One, titled “Sioux on White Horse,” features bright yellows, blues and pinks with a distinct Southwestern feel.

Another, titled “The Time Travelers,” is so different from the first that it looks like it was painted by a different artist.

Next time you’re in Lakota for a study session or a quick cup of coffee, look up at the walls around you. It’s worth it to appreciate a local artist’s hard work in your local coffee shop.

Sparky’s Sparky’s has more art than they can put on the walls. Paintings are leaned up against the walls in the hallway headed toward the back, and every square inch of wall space is taken up with photos.

The art in there is weird, in a good way.

A sign outside the store describes them as “beautiful failures.”

A portrait of Admiral Ackbar gazes out over the store. Two wrestlers stand in front of Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana stand. A guy and a bunny pose side by side. It makes you wonder where the hell it came from.

So where did it come from?

“I usually get it from eBay or antique malls, but increasingly it happens that people just give us stuff,” owner Scott Southwick said.

The paintings have only been around since 2010. Before then, Southwick only displayed the crochet animals that can be seen in the front windows and one of the freezers near the register.

“I’ve never bought any of the crochet animals,” Southwick said. “My friend Rich, an Emmy-award winning archival researcher, spent a lot of time in junk shops and would give them to me. People now just drop them off. It’s a collection that maintains itself.”

Now the two collections of oddball paintings and unique crochet animals reside side by side in the ice cream shop.

“There are three types of art in Sparky’s,” Southwick said. “There’s naive art, or beginner’s art; then there’s a small group of known folk artists who have a more recognizable style; and then there’s this kind of self-aware art, [from] artists [who are] knowingly using tropes of thrift store or naive art.”

One of the folk artists is Myrtice West, an Alabama native who paints strange scenes, often with Jesus and Biblical figures. Three of her paintings are inside Sparky’s, with one resting against a wall, one hanging behind the counter and one in the front window.

As for the “self-aware” art, it’s mostly just really unusual stuff. There’s a guy who adds robots to cheap paintings, Southwick said. One of his is hanging above the menu. The painting of Larry Bird and Skeletor by Jake Fyfe hangs above the menu and actually went viral with mentions all over the internet.

“There are things hidden in here with artists who really know what they’re doing, and then there’s just chaos,” Southwick said.

Edited by Katie Rosso krosso@themaneater.com

OPINION

11

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

Submit letters to the editor at: www.themaneater.com/letter-to-the-editor FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY THE MANEATER COLUMNISTS DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINIONS OF THE MANEATER EDITORIAL BOARD

college life

The tenacious typist

Monolingual Americans stunt globalism Homesickness is JESSIE STALEY

Foreign language education in the U.S. is severely insufficient.

In some systems, children are taught the same material year after year until they get to high school and have the opportunity to take advanced classes. Some curriculums require a certain language in elementary to middle school; others have multiple language options; immersion schools teach foreign language before they teach English.

There is no uniformity.

Sometimes there seems to be a lack of effort. The inadequacy of foreign language education in the U.S. is not only a waste of students’ time, but it also restricts American globalization and societal acceptance of diversity.

This past summer, I worked as a Starbucks barista in the kiosk of a Hen House Market. The Starbucks kiosk directly faces the produce

section. I quickly noticed that nearly all of the produce department employees are Latino and most of them consistently ordered a beverage before or after their shift.

Many of them do not speak English or have difficulty speaking English, so they would have another employee translate their order. They do this because none of the Starbucks employees, including myself, spoke Spanish. I never considered my foreign language education — or lack thereof — as something to be valued until then.

My required Spanish classes started in kindergarten and ended after two years of required foreign language in high school. After all those years, I do not speak fluent Spanish. In fact, I do not speak Spanish at all.

Most of my friends are in the same situation. We all went to the same schools and received the same education. It is reasonable to expect us to be bilingual by now, but we are not.

Despite taking about 11 years of Spanish, my brother actually became

fluent in Spanish while working at a fast food restaurant. The only people I knew in school to be multilingual either went to a foreign charter school or were children of immigrants.

According to 2007 Census data, about 20 percent of the American population is bilingual.

Approximately half of the European population was multilingual in 2005.

Around 43 percent of the world’s population is bilingual. For a nation that prides itself on its economic, militaristic and political power, our cultural globalism is significantly hindered.

Despite our constant influx of immigrants, native-born Americans are sadly unaware of their neighbors’ culture and language. This breeds societal isolation due to an inability to communicate and understand each other. If the American foreign language educational system would rise to the level of its international associates, there would be less cultural isolation within American borders and between countries. It’s time for the U.S. to play catch-up. ¡Vámonos!

the fifth lap

Put down the phone and start talking to each other KURTIS DUNLAP

In 2007, Apple sold 72 million iPhones. That number has increased every year since, and during the first fiscal quarter of 2016 alone, they sold just over 74 million. There is no denying that technology has become a major factor in our lives. We are told that technology should make communicating easier, but what has happened is the exact opposite.

One misconception about technology is that just because our phones, laptops and tablets allow faster communication, we are inherently better communicators.

Yes, technology makes it easier to communicate, but we are starting to lack the basic skills that actual human interaction entails.

In Geoffrey Tumlin’s book “Stop Talking, Start Communicating,” he talks about how society has grown too reliant on technology when it comes to communicating. “The digital communication revolution has encouraged us to expect way

too much from our digital devices and far too little from each other,” he writes. The next time you go out to lunch or dinner with friends, just take a look around the restaurant, or even your own table, at the number of people who are on their phones.

You would be amazed at how many people can’t put their devices aside for 30 minutes to enjoy the company they are with.

Ask yourself: When was the last time you actually went up to someone’s door and knocked or rang the doorbell? For me, it has to be sometime back in high school, which was over four years ago. We have become so attached to our devices that instead of knocking we just text the person we’re meeting or picking up, “Here.” We don’t even call people anymore. Everything can be solved by a simple text message or Snapchat.

Take a look at how dating has changed in the past 10 years. We have apps like Tinder, Bumble and Grindr that take all the human interaction out of meeting people for the first time. A lot of times before we even actually meet someone in person, we have been “talking” to them long enough to “think” we know them.

Very rarely do we actually meet

someone new, in person, for the first time anymore.

“Facebook me” or “follow me on Instagram” have become phrases that carry too much weight in our daily lives. We ‘friend’ people on social media and then we think we get to know that person through their online persona. Just because you are friends on Facebook or follow each other on Instagram doesn’t mean you genuinely know that person.

Sitting down with someone for lunch or a drink and actually having a face-to-face conversation is how you really get to know someone.

“Consciously or not, we've quickly downshifted our expectations for our interpersonal conversations and focused too much on our devices,” Tumlin writes.

Technology can be used as a great tool to keep in touch with people and share things in your life that you think others would enjoy, but using it to create relationships and foster new ones is hindering our ability to communicate with one another.

Instead of Facebook stalking your next date, try something new. Set a time and place, and go into it with an open mind. You may be surprised at what happens if you leave technology at the door.

Follow us on Twitter @ManeaterOpinion

about the anxiety of independence EMMETT FERGUSON

It’s been almost three weeks here at MU, and everyone is starting to settle in. Schedules are becoming routine, people are finding their niches, and the first load of laundry is hopefully getting done. Regardless of how normalized your days are becoming, there is still the creeping nostalgia of more familiar times.

Homesickness is notoriously common for college students, especially in this first month.

Everyone misses something or someone.

Parents, significant others and, the real harbinger of tears, pets. But what is actually missed is not the people or animals associated with home. What people really miss is the feeling associated with home.

Home brings with it a natural sense of security.

At home you have a routine, a time and a place for everything. Home life is a vast, inescapable doldrum of comforting normality. You never really have to worry about what will happen tomorrow while at home because it’s either already planned out, or someone else is in charge of making that decision for you.

At college, you have a choice. You don’t have to go to class, do your homework or even wake up before noon. You have choices, and this is a terrifying prospect. It’s the first time most kids are making their decisions without any aid or advice, and therefore the first time they are solely liable for the outcomes of these decisions. This daunting responsibility can cause quite a bit of stress.

For example, think of someone who never calls home. They say they hate their parents, they’re so excited to be away from home, and they’re never going back. They may be experiencing reaction formation. This is when someone subconsciously transforms thoughts or emotions that they can’t handle into their opposites. In actuality, they may just really miss home. They might be dying to hear their parents’ voices again. They just don’t know how to deal with the fact that the independence they’ve craved since the awkward onset of puberty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

When someone wants to snuggle with the teddy bear they haven’t touched in years, eat the home-cooked meals they once dreaded or just get a hug from their mom, they are undergoing a process called regression. Regression is when someone reverts back to an earlier psychological stage because they can’t handle their current situation in a mature mindset. They yearn for simpler times when stress didn’t revolve around homework, social conflicts and crippling debt, but instead Little League, crushes and the ceremonial sprouting of your first armpit hair.

Homesickness is not necessarily about missing home. It’s about missing the sense of security that home provides and coming to terms with newfound independence. College is exciting. It’s the mark of adulthood and independence. Free from curfews and the totalitarian regime of parents, new students are excited to make their own choices, but few take into account what that really entails.

SPORTS

THE BEST SOURCE FOR MU SPORTS

13

MU senior and two-time national champion J’den Cox wraps himself in an American flag. Photo Courtesy of Shane Epping

WRESTLING

Music, faith and family: Who is J’den Cox off the mat?

Cox: “I am who I am because I have a heart to do what’s right and to do good and be the best that I can be.”

PETER BAUGH Sports Editor While Cathy Cox was pregnant with her third child, she turned on the television to watch an episode of “Star Trek.”

As she watched, one character stood out: a pale man with dark hair, dressed in a red shirt with buttons, who had arrived on planet Barkon IV. His name was Jayden.

Cathy Cox liked the name.

On March 3, 1995, in Columbia, she gave birth to a baby boy: J’den Michael Tbory Cox. In “Star Trek,” Jayden — more commonly known as Data — was a robot. His attempts at humor were often unsuccessful, and he was unable to feel emotion at the beginning of his life.

He seldom discussed religion. Data was fact-based, not faith-based.

J’den lives his life a little differently than his namesake. The Missouri wrestler is candid and makes people around him laugh. He feeds off emotion, and he is not afraid to show his feelings.

After winning a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, he sobbed tears of joy.

Students at Missouri associate J’den with athletic dominance. He’s known for his Olympic medal and NCAA Championships — his abilities on the wrestling mat.

But there is more to J’den Cox than

meets the eye. He is a Renaissance man living in the modern day. He wrestles with his faith as much as he wrestles with his competitors. He loves his family and he loves his school.

J’den Cox is a hometown kid who made it big. J’den Cox is unapologetically who he is.

Living to his own rhythm When he was in seventh grade, Nathan Briner approached his friend J’den Cox, an eighth grader at the time, at a youth group trip in Fayette, Missouri. There was a talent show at the end of the trip, and Briner had just learned how to play “Dust in the Wind” on the guitar.

“I was really shy and didn’t think I could sing at all,” Briner remembers.

He asked J’den to perform with him.

Briner’s friend didn’t hesitate. Thanks to Cathy’s love of music, singing had always been a part of J’den’s life.

The two friends stayed up all night practicing, adding in their own twists to the song.

“He was very encouraging,” Briner said. “He kept trying to get me to sing it.”

The morning after they performed, the two boys sat in front of the church passing a guitar back and forth. They took turns strumming and belting out songs.

Briner remembers feeling a connection.

“When you’re kids growing up, you’re

not quite into things like music yet,” he said. “You’re just kind of running around and not committing to anything.

But we were getting to the age where we realized I had a specific interest in music, and he was realizing he had an interest in wanting to do that as well.”

While competing for Hickman High School a year later, J’den won his first of four state wrestling titles. After losing just three matches as a freshman, he went undefeated the rest of his high school career to finish with a career record of 205-3.

Although he was dedicating significant time to athletics — he was also an All-State linebacker for Hickman — J’den made time for music.

“It gives him an outlet and something else to look forward to,” Cathy said.

“He’s not just stuck with one vein or one avenue that he has to go down, he has other things that he can do to unwind at the end of the day.”

Briner said J’den has natural musical abilities. Whenever the two hang out, they often sing or bounce musical ideas off each other.

“In some ways, I think if he really pursued music, he would be just as big in music as he is on the wrestling stage,” Briner said. “He’s very talented, and I just always appreciated his lyrical and melodic approach to songwriting. It’s very simple and to the point.”

Although his musical skills aren’t as well-known as his athletic abilities, he has gained attention for his work. There

are two YouTube videos of J’den singing that both have over 10,000 views: a cover of Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself ” and an original song about MU titled “One More.”

Last October, he performed “One More” at a university fundraising event.

Midway through his performance, J’den stopped singing. He strummed his guitar and spoke directly to the audience. “[The university is about] the people on your right, the people on your left, that have come from hundreds of thousands of miles away, or even just down the street like me, to follow a dream, to create something for themselves,” he said to the rhythm.

“And it’s not always going to be easy.

Sometimes you’ve got to give everything you have to get everything you want.

And I know what that feels like.”

J’den knows what it is like to give his all. The senior pursued his dreams to Rio and back, and he still has goals he is working toward.

For the music-loving J’den, it’s only fitting that he put these thoughts into a song.

“Wrestling with his faith” J’den Cox’s Twitter bio is short, simple and to the point.

“Listen within yourself and you might hear God. 2016 Olympian,” it read as of

COX | Page 14

14

THE MANEATER | SPORTS | SEPT. 7, 2016

Bailey attempts to fill Boehm’s shoes at center Quarterback Drew Lock: “Sam has kind of been my protector around the place so far.”

TYLER KRAFT Assistant Sports Editor Coming into the 2016 season, Missouri’s offensive line was a faceless enigma.

The group only had three combined starts, all of which came from right guard Alec Abeln. The line was also missing former center Evan Boehm, the player who had been the vocal leader of the group the past four years.

Boehm came from a football powerhouse in Lee’s Summit West High School and was the No. 42 recruit in the country, according to ESPN.com. Over his four years at Mizzou, he racked up 52 straight starts and became the team’s undisputed leader.

But that was then, and this is now.

Now, Boehm is playing for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

Now, Missouri’s center is not a highly touted recruit coming out of a big football high school.

Instead, he is coming out of a small town in southwest Missouri that boasts a population of 4,508, only about twice the size of Boehm’s high school.

Samson Bailey is very much

COX

Continued from page 13

“Listen within yourself and you might hear God. 2016 Olympian,” it read as of his return from the Rio Olympics.

It’s fitting that he put the paraphrased Maya Angelou quote in front of his own accomplishments. For Cox, faith comes first.

“More than anything, J’den will tell you that he’s a Christian,” Cathy Cox said. “He’s proud of Jesus Christ, and that’s how he wants to be defined first and foremost above everything else.”

J’den feels his faith has shaped him as a man.

“I am who I am because I’m loved by my family, I’m loved in my religion, and I love my religion and I follow,” he said at a press conference Aug. 31. “I am who I am because I have a heart to do what’s right and to do good and be the best that I can be.”

J’den does not hesitate to share his faith. He’ll talk about it at press conferences, he’ll talk about it with fellow students, and he’ll talk about it with the people he’s closest to.

Kelsey Dossey, a sophomore goalie on the Missouri soccer team and J’den’s girlfriend, is also deeply religious. She feels that winning the bronze medal has been a humbling experience for her boyfriend.

“He’s humbled himself through all of it, and it’s really cool to see how big of a platform he’s on but still give the glory to

the product of where he was brought up. He is quiet and humble to a fault. That’s until you get him on a football field.

Bailey was a part of three consecutive Class 2 Missouri state championship teams and was named the Missouri Coaches’ Association Class 2 Defensive Player of the Year in 2012. His efforts were enough for then-Missouri coach Gary Pinkel to notice.

Despite his success in high school, Bailey was not on anyone’s top prospects list. He walked into his first camp an unknown freshman and found himself sitting behind the heart and soul of the Mizzou offense.

Fast forward two years, and Bailey is at the literal center of Missouri’s new-look offensive line. While he may be inhabiting the same spot as Boehm, Bailey is quick to shake off any similarities that he may share with the former center.

“I’m not as heavy as Evan was or as strong as Evan was,” Bailey said. “I feel like he anchored the line just a little bit more than I do. I’m basically just out there to make sure the nose guard doesn’t make the tackle or anything.”

Although Boehm was almost

50 pounds heavier than Bailey last season, the current Missouri center made massive strides to get his size up this offseason. He climbed up from 265 pounds to 295 pounds in six months.

“When we got here in January, the first goal was to earn that starting spot,” Bailey said. “The second goal was to gain more weight.”

However, bulking up is not what earned him the spot.

Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel saw a commander in the soft-spoken redshirt sophomore.

“There’s a lot that goes into playing center,” Heupel said.

“It’s kind of like quarterback.

There’s a lot of things that go into it and he’s done a great job of handling that.”

Bailey’s first time leading the offensive line went better than many predicted. Under his watch, quarterback Drew Lock was only sacked once and seldom touched by the West Virginia pass-rushers.

“Sam has kind of been my protector around the place so far,” Lock said. “I think he feels almost bad when I get poked out there.”

However, Bailey has taken a different approach than his

God and give so much attention to so many other people, when he was the one who won a bronze medal,” she said.

Dossey said J’den “hasn’t changed a bit” since coming home from Rio. J’den is still J’den.

As a freshman at Mizzou, J’den won the 2014 NCAA Championships in his weight class, but he faltered the next season. He was unable to defend his title, taking fifth place at NCAAs. It was a turning point for J’den. Cathy said J’den realized he was not aligning his life with God and the Missouri style of wrestling.

“It became a process of putting God first and living ‘Tiger Style’ that made him realize that he wanted it more than he thought he did,” she said. “And once he put everything in order, it kind of fell into place.”

The joy of wrestling came back, and J’den went on to have a dominant junior season. He won the 2016 NCAA Championship, leading the Tigers to a sixthplace team finish. He qualified for the Olympics in April and took the world by storm in Rio. “He was able to focus on everything he needed to focus on because he prioritized the rest of his life,” Cathy said.

J’den’s childhood friend Briner grew up attending church and going to youth group events with J’den. Briner feels J’den’s Christianity shows in the way he treats those around him.

“He’s constantly wrestling with his faith in hopes to strengthen himself and bring understanding to others,” Briner said.

“He wants to help people” On Aug. 28, J’den Cox was on crutches. He had just had surgery on a torn meniscus — he battled through problems with the injury all summer — and was driving with a friend in Columbia.

While near Burr Oak Road, Cox witnessed a motorcycle slip off the road and into the grass.

He pulled over, told his friend to call 9-1-1, dropped his crutches and ran to the man.

“When I first see him, all I see is his eyes are open, and there’s blood coming down his face,” he said. “At that point I think he’s dead.”

Cox was wearing a brand-new Team USA shirt. He took it off and wrapped it around the man’s head. An ambulance arrived, and the experts took over.

The Missouri wrestler does not know the status — or even the name — of the man, but he was breathing when Cox left the scene.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like that in person,” Cox said. “Definitely needed to help, I knew that much.”

It’s stories like this that make Cox an icon in the university community.

Missouri wrestling coach Brian Smith describes Cox as a driven, good person. Since Cox is from Columbia, Smith knows that many people feel connected to him.

“So many people from the community, so many people from the state, have watched him grow up and his success,” he said.

“So that story just continues to

Samson Bailey will be replacing Evan Boehm, who now plays for the Arizona Cardinals, in Missouri’s starting lineup. Photo courtesy of Mizzou Athletics

predecessor in motivating his fellow linemen. Instead of trying to pump his teammates up on the sidelines, he just tries to fit in as one of the five trying to protect Lock.

“I really don’t say much,” Bailey said. “I just make sure as long as I’m doing my job, I know the other four guys will do their job and good things will happen.”

Put together, the five linemen helped the offense gain 462 total yards of offense in Morgantown, West Virginia. That is by far more than the Tigers gained in any game last season and the most since their game against Texas A&M on Nov. 15, 2014.

The other four linemen know that, while Bailey may not be Evan Boehm, he will still get the job done. With him at the center, this Missouri offense knows it has another rock to anchor the line.

“He’s a good dude,” offensive lineman Kevin Pendleton said.

“He’s not a vocal dude at all, but he’s a hard-working guy, and he’s a guy that’s going to get his job done every snap and every time you’re out on the practice field, in the weight room. He does what needs to be done and does everything right so he’s a great guy and a great teammate.”

Edited by Peter Baugh pbaugh@themaneater.com

grow.”

Cathy Cox said J’den enjoys being around other people, despite the fact that he is naturally shy.

“He wants to help people,” she said. “But part of what he wants to do when he leaves college and is finished with wrestling is be a motivational speaker.”

J’den, who has trouble hearing in his left ear, may also take up an acting role in the near future.

Briner, J’den’s childhood friend, is studying visual storytelling at Missouri, and he and J’den have talked about producing a movie in sign language.

Briner said that even if his friend does not end up acting in the film, J’den has been helpful in pushing the storyline along.

At the Olympics, J’den always made sure to shake the hand of his opponent after each of his matches. These were the moments that made Cathy proudest of her son.

“To me, bronze feels like gold,” she said. “And it’s not just in the medal, it’s in how he carried himself throughout the whole process. That’s what has made me more proud than anything.”

with racial tensions.

“Especially being an African American in Columbia with the things that have gone on at the university and with some of the issues we even have with race in Columbia … what he has done really has brought an entire city together, a whole community together,” she said.

“It has nothing to do with race.

It has nothing to do with gender.

Everybody is embracing this kid and everything that he’s trying to accomplish.”

J’den still has goals he wants to achieve. He has high expectations for this coming wrestling season, still works on music and says he wants to play for the football team in 2017.

J’den realizes he is more of a public figure, but it has not changed who he is as a person.

He still goes home to practice piano with his mom; he still sits in the stands for Dossey’s soccer games. He still loves Chips Ahoy cookies with milk, and he still prays.

“I believe that the stage I was on before was, yes, a big one … but I believe the one I’m on now is even greater,” J’den said. “And it’s not just a state or nationwide thing, but a worldwide thing as well. And I plan to use that stage to uphold the honor of my family, and uphold the honor of my school, of my state and my city and of my country.”

Edited by Nancy Coleman ncoleman@themaneater.com

“Everybody is embracing this kid” J’den Cox has quickly emerged as one of the most recognized faces on campus. Since July, he has thrown out the first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals game, held a meet-and-greet session in the Student Center, signed autographs and talked to classes.

Cathy Cox sees her son as a unifying presence on a campus