Vol84issue013

THE MANEATER NOVEMBER 15, 2017 • THEMANEATER.COM

PHOTO BY DIEGO GALICIA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

GREEK LIFE

MU Office of Greek Life faces criticism from Dyad Strategies’ external report The report offers a critical review of and recommendations for MU’s Greek system.

MAWA IQBAL

Staff Writer

The Dyad Strategies report analyzing MU’s Greek system was released by Gary Ward, interim vice chancellor for Student Affairs on Oct. 26.

The report is severely critical of the Office of Greek Life, citing a lack of strategic focus, communication and support, inadequate chapter development and resource allocation as major areas of concern.

The report goes on to list a number of areas of potential risk exposure, which include unregistered social events, syllabus week, hazing and substance abuse.

The report also addresses boys being allowed to live in their fraternity houses freshman year,

citing the “problematic environment” this creates for freshmen. The report cites statistics that claim MU fraternity men who live in Greek housing their freshman year perform lower academically, contrary to MU’s own data on the same subject.

In addition to potential risks, the report identifies salient sentiments within Greek culture. After meeting with student leaders, the consulting firm found that many of them feel as though the “university is out to get [them],” and the only time Greek

GPC

Board members pushing to dissolve GSA are tied to CGW While there are graduate students against the proposal, GSA and GPC board members have said dissolving GSA into GPC is positive move.

students hear from the university is “when there is a problem.”

Another recurring theme is students of color not feeling supported by the university. Members of culturally based fraternal organizations reported feeling that there is not as much financial support or available housing for their smaller chapters.

Members also feel that there is not enough cross-cultural programming between culturally based chapters

OGL | Page 4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

MU reflects on protests two years later page 3

SKYLER ROSSI

Staff Writer

The Graduate Professional Council and Graduate Student Association announced to their general assemblies a proposal to dissolve GSA into GPC on Oct. 31.

There was no public announcement of the proposal in either organization before Oct. 31, leaving GPC department and committee representatives with only one week to learn and explain it to their departments.

“The functions of Graduate Student Association will be subsumed into the Graduate Professional Council,” the proposal blueprint states. “GSA will cease to operate as a separate body, but the functions it serves to

2017 GPC executive board PHOTO COURTESY OF MU GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL COUNCIL

graduate students, including travel grants, professional development programming, and Superior/ Outstanding Graduate Student and Staff awards, among others, will continue under the purview of GPC.” GSA was created in 1968 as the first campus-wide graduate student

organization and currently provides resources to graduate students such as travel grants and professional development tools.

GPC was created in 1982 as the graduate

GSA | Page 4

PHOTO BY FIONA MURPHY | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Local photographer discusses expression, identity and racism page 7

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T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | N OV. 1 5, 2017

DONATION

Orthopaedic surgeon receives $2 million donation for department Dr. James Stannard has received awards for his work on orthopaedic surgery.

The Student Voice of MU since 1955

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STEPHI SMITH

Staff Writer

The School of Medicine announced that Dr. James Stannard, chairman of the orthopaedic surgery department at MU, received a $2 million donation from the Wyss Medical Foundation for expanding his work in orthopaedic research and studies.

The donation was announced Friday morning at the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute. Provost Garnett Stokes, School of Medicine Dean Patrice Delafontaine and Steve Schwartz, a board member at the Wyss Medical Foundation, spoke at the event about Stannard’s accomplishments.

Stokes said Stannard has received numerous awards for his work in orthopaedic surgery and research on skeletal trauma in complex knee surgeries.

Stannard was also named the Wyss Distinguished Chair in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stokes said.

The funding will go toward research and projects of Stannard’s choosing, Schwartz said.

The open-ended spending of the donation gives the university a bit of “wiggle room� in terms of how Stannard spends the money because it’s hard to predict what might need funding, Schwartz said. “We like to give gifts that are translated into a passion,�

Schwartz said. “Passion is kind of the operative word for what we’re about as a medical foundation.�

Ideally, Schwartz said the

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Dr. James Cook displays a jar of ankle tissue during a tour of the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute. PHOTO BY STEPHI SMITH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Wyss Medical Foundation would like the money to go toward areas within the orthopaedic field that might fall through the cracks of mainstream funding programs and that are generally underfunded.

Orthopaedic surgery professor James Cook said the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute will be able to grow considerably with this donation through providing funding to train new physicians and discovering treatments for patients. “As the recipient, Stannard will be able to devote more time and energy to shaping the future of orthopedics through his work at the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute,� Stokes said.

Delafontaine said this donation will be transformative for orthopaedic surgery and Stannard, as a “pioneering leader� of the field, will greatly help to further not only Missouri, but national and international understandings of orthopaedic surgery. “I want to recognize Stannard for his outstanding contributions to the School of Medicine,�

Delafontaine said. “He embodies

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the physicians’ scholarly dedication to achieving a mission of teaching, healing and discovery.�

The donation to the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute is indicative of the institute’s main priority to explore further treatment and research, Schwartz said.

Schwartz and Stannard have known one another for years, Schwartz said. He has therefore been able to see Stannard work as a leader and scientist. “Any place that’s lucky enough to have Dr. Stannard as its chairman is that much better off,� Schwartz said.

Stannard thanked the presenters for their comments and said he greatly appreciated the donation from the Wyss Foundation. “Being able to announce a transformative gift is amazing,� he said. “Being able to receive a transformative gift is that much more amazing.�

Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com

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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. “I suggested that he wants to sleep with the whale.� *claps* “Profound�

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NEWS

Online this week: Missouri Court of Appeals visits MU, School of Health Professions’ LEAP improves communication for those with aphasia and more at themaneater.com.

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TWO YEARS LATER

Black studies department hosts ‘Two Years Later...’ to reflect on fall 2015 protests Keynote speaker and senior Marshall Allen identified what he saw as problematic policies the university has in place regarding protests.

STEPHI SMITH

Staff Writer

The black studies department hosted “Two Years Later...,” an event held to reflect on the racerelated protests that occurred in fall 2015, on Monday. The event was held in Jesse Wrench Auditorium in Memorial Union and began with a showing of Spike Lee’s documentary on the protests at MU, “2 Fists Up.” The event was co-sponsored by the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center and the Division of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, Stephanie Shonekan, chair of the black studies department and professor of ethnomusicology, said.

Senior Marshall Allen was the keynote speaker at the event and participated in the protests as a sophomore. Shonekan said that she was thrilled to see him grow as a scholar and person in the two years since the protests.

Allen helped lead Concerned Student 1950, a group of students who identified as activists with the

Members of Concerned Student 1950 join hands at a press conference at Traditions Plaza on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. The 11 original members of the student movement gave new demands to be met “in totality.” MANEATER FILE PHOTO

main goal to “seek the liberation of all black collegiate students,” according to the group’s Twitter bio.

During the fall 2015 protests, students involved with Concerned Student 1950 camped out on Mel Carnahan Quadrangle for a week to express their desire for former UM System President Tim Wolfe to be removed from his position.

Shonekan also read from letters written by students who had worked alongside Allen two years ago. One letter came from graduate student Abigail Hollis, who participated in the campout with Allen.

Hollis said that whenever someone

mentions Allen, she is reminded of the campsite and how Allen took first watch outside the tents on the first night.

“Allen was always there, adding to our sense of strength through community,” she wrote in the letter.

Allen’s keynote presentation was titled “The Condemnation of Blackness: Protests, Policies and Progress?”

During his speech, Allen outlined the problems that he feels have developed due to MU’s policy regarding protests and how the university approaches race-related issues.

He said that word choice within policies about protests is important to recognize and pointed to MU policies

he said had words that limited free speech on campus. He pointed to one policy, BPPM 6:050 Use of Facilities, that states that “university buildings and grounds are intended for use … in support of the university’s mission,” according to the MU Business Policy and Procedure Online Manual. This policy was adopted in April 2015 and revised most recently in August 2017.

Allen said he wanted to know what the university’s mission is exactly and how addressing racial injustice does not fall within that mission.

“What about free speech makes people uncomfortable?” he asked.

Allen also said that not every incident regarding protests is seen as the same by MU administration and the general public.

He referred to students who had spoken out about fossil fuels during a Board of Curators meeting on Friday, Nov. 10. Allen said that while members of the board met with these students and appeared to have listened to their concerns, members of Concerned Student 1950 did not get that same treatment.

Allen said that he had been told by an MUPD officer upon approaching Jesse Hall that he would be detained and arrested if he stepped foot in the building for protesting purposes.

He said that because these students disrupted an official university

TWO | Page 5

NURSING

ROTC

Nursing Dean Judith Miller to retire in December

Chancellor Cartwright announces new ROTC scholarship

Miller plans to move back home to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and write a book in her retirement.

ALLISON CHO

Staff Writer

Judith Miller will retire as dean of the MU Sinclair School of Nursing on Dec. 31.

“I’m going to miss the people; I’m grieving about that already,” Miller said. “I’m going to miss relationships with donors, alumni, students and faculty.

One of my most enjoyable experiences is making rounds to the clinical settings to see students and have them present their patients to me.”

Though she won’t be a part of the MU faculty this coming semester, Miller has high aspirations for the school, students and staff. In 2016, she aided in developing and condensing a thirty-page

Judith Miller, dean of MU’s Sinclair School of Nursing, will retire Dec. 31, 2017. PHOTO COURTESY OF MU NEWS BUREAU

strategic plan into two pages detailing a few goals for the university, she said.

“I hope for the university to be flexible and to understand and meet our learners’ needs,” Miller said. “I hope we continue to be future focused in our curriculum and in our programming. I don’t

want the faculty and staff to engage in the status quo because then one becomes stagnant. I want them to be on top of their game.”

Miller began her duties as dean in August 2008 after working as interim dean of Marquette University’s College of Nursing.

“I was enticed to come here because the School of Nursing is part of an academic health center, and it is excellent in education and research,” she said.

As an alumna of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and University of Illinois at Chicago, Miller emphasized the appeal of a traditional college town as well.

University towns have diversity, performing arts and lectures that “are special to academic environments,” she said.

Outside of work, Miller enjoys visual and performing arts. In fact, a majority of her family is artistically inclined, as

DEAN | Page 5

The Mizzou ROTC Scholarship will cover room and board for incoming national Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines scholarship winners.

MORGAN SMITH

Staff Writer

MU Chancellor Alexander Cartwright and Lt. Col. Gary Kerr, professor of military science and leadership and department head for the University Army ROTC, announced a new scholarship program Thursday.

The Mizzou ROTC Scholarship will cover the cost of room and board for all incoming ROTC students who are also national scholarship winners from the Army, Air Force, Navy or Marines, beginning the fall semester of 2018.

“The university is offering to give these scholarships to complete a full scholarship,” Kerr said. “The Army, Navy and Airforce

ROTC | Page 5

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OGL

continued from page 1 and historically white chapters.

“Inclusion just does not seem to be a priority for this institution,” one student said in the report.

The report discusses in great detail eight focus areas for the university in order to combat the issues outlined in the report. According to the report, these eight focus areas are “of philosophical nature” and are necessary for providing “clarity regarding Mizzou’s relationship with fraternities and sororities.”

The firm urges the university to articulate a concise framework for existing programs and services and a clear purpose related to the functions of the Office of Greek Life. In addition, the report discusses how the office should establish relationships and community standards among fraternity and sorority councils, member organizations and chapter advisors.

In regard to collecting data and using it for strategic planning, the firm believes that the office has done an insufficient job in developing a tangible assessment plan. In response, the report outlines

GSA

continued from page 1 and professional student government.

A similar proposal was presented to the boards in 2011, which was shot down

by GSA. The boards of the two organizations, particularly GPC President Alex Howe and GSA President Sarah Senff, have painted this proposal in a positive light.

“I think that this proposal is a really fantastic proposal to put into place a more permanent structure that can ensure that the voices of graduate students and the services they need are best situated to continue into the future in a more stable way,” Howe said. “This is an outstanding proposal that causes no problems and fixes a number of problems, and ensures only good things happen, and that a lot of those good things happen even better than they are currently happening.”

While it makes sense for Howe to support a proposal that gives GPC increased representative power over graduate students and a larger budget, Senff is just as supportive of the dissolvement of GSA. “[GSA] gets all of the good coming over to GPC, and we’re eliminating some of

T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | NOV. 15, 2017 steps the office should take in order to “develop a more strategic approach to assessment and planning.”

The report also has a table that includes the adjudication process for various types of violations.

Examples of these violations are listed and ranked based on a tier system, with Tier 1 being lower-level penalties and Tier 3 being high-level violations.

Aside from how to better the system from within, the report includes focus areas concerning the office’s relationship with outside groups and organizations.

These areas define ways the office should program with divisional departments, external stakeholders and culturally based fraternal organizations.

The report concluded with an overall summary of what the office must do to better itself going forward.

Dyad Strategies recommended that the office “improve its communication, its training and development programs and work with intentionality and a spirit of partnership.”

Students involved in Greek organizations at MU who were contacted for this story were generally unaware of the report and its claims.

The Office of Greek Life declined to comment. The MU

Panhellenic Association and the MU Interfraternity Council

did not return requests for comment.

Edited by Sarah Hallam shallam@themaneater.com

the problems that really do have material impacts on the abilities of the organizations to serve graduate students in a timely and robust manner,” Senff said.

But there have been questions raised on whether this is a beneficial proposal for both organizations. Some are concerned with the fact that the proposal was made behind closed doors.

“My concern comes from the process itself,” said Myunghee Lee, a graduate student with no affiliations with either organization. “I am very suspicious because I do not see any transparent information sharing and discussion processes. I do not see any efforts to persuade or compromise. I only see hasty conclusions and voting decisions.”

Katherine Perry, former GSA president and the most prominent voice against the proposal, is concerned with the backgrounds of Senff and GSA Secretary Eric Scott in Coalition of Graduate Workers, who created this proposal.

“How does someone become president of an organization that they have never been involved with, never been a board member, and then inside of two months of becoming a leader, start drafting a dissolution of that organization without having spent the time to understand the organization?” Perry

said.

Although last year GSA stated that it remained neutral to any political stances, GPC has aligned itself with the Coalition of Graduate Workers. While she has no current positions in CGW, Senff was formerlly the chair of the Coalition of Graduate Workers. Scott is the current co-chair of CGW and the liaison of CGW and GPC. It is unclear whether the GSA board members still remain separate from the union.

“There are some very interesting coincidences and connections between them,” Perry said. “CGW benefits by having one organization that supports it because they can say they have the support of all the graduate students.”

If this proposal were to pass, GPC would be the only central representative graduate student organization, so the only organization available for graduate and professional students to turn to would be a political organization.

GPC and current GSA board members argue that having one graduate/ professional organization will benefit graduate students because it would clear up any current confusion of which organization to contact.

“Confusion sounds like this sort of minor concern, like confusion is just an annoyance, but when you’re

trying to get an email to someone because something has happened with your funding, or you have a really big problem in your department that you need an answer to or there’s just something,” Senff said.

“Graduate students live on such narrow margins of time and emotional resources and money that every little bit matters.”

But Senff also said that much of the confusion is only anecdotal and there is no public evidence of this confusion.

Former GSA president Kenneth Bryant Jr. said he worked to clean up the confusion during his twoyear presidency.

“Because we successfully rebranded [GSA], I was under the impression that everyone was clear on its stated mission,” Bryant said. “That individuals — particularly those who represent GPC — continue to express confusion about the differences between GSA and GPC, leads me to believe that there has been no concerted effort on the part of GPC leadership to clarify those differences with its membership.”

Perry said having only one organization makes the graduate student representation less diverse, especially, Perry argues, when graduate students haven’t been represented very well across the UM

System in the past.

“By consolidating into GPC ... you have said to them that this is the one organization that you can go to for all of your concerns, these are the only people that you can ask things from. If you don’t agree with their agenda, there is very little you can do about it,” Perry said.

The proposal timeline originally called for GPC to vote at its general assembly meeting on Nov. 7 and the GSA to vote at its general assembly meeting on Nov. 28.

This timeline was set in conjunction with the Student Fee Review Council’s deadline for organization budget proposals.

The budget recommendation was originally going to be sent in December, but Howe said the SFRC chair has agreed to push back sending the recommendation until winter break.

The GPC general assembly voted Tuesday to push further discussion of the proposal until the next general assembly meeting in December.

There will be a town hall meeting hosted by the boards of GSA and GPC on Nov. 15 from 6-8 p.m. in the Arvarh E. Strickland Room, S203 Memorial Union.

Edited by Sarah Hallam shallam@themaneater.com

GRAPHIC BY SARA MARQUARDT | GRAPHIC DESIGNER

mission of the ROTC is to commission the future officer leadership of the U.S. military forces. The program is centered on leadership development, both in the classroom and field environment.

Cartwright said since the military science and leadership establishment in 1868, it has commissioned nearly 10,000 Army officers and that many MU alumni are connected to the program because prior to 1964, it was a requirement that all male students participated in the ROTC. “Our ROTC students are nothing short of fabulous and we are honored to have [them] as part of the Mizzou community,” Cartwright said.

Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com

commemorate the protests, it should be black studies. There was a similar event last year, one year after the fall 2015 protests.

She said that she understands the frustration of constantly having to explain oppression and racism to people who may not understand, but she continues with it because it’s her job to do so.

She also said that people don’t learn without being taught about these things and that allyship is crucial to education.

Allen agreed with Shonekan and said that if he, along with other black people, don’t share experiences in an attempt to educate others, he believes no one will.

“It’s not my job to relive my oppression,” he said. “My oppression shouldn’t be academic; it shouldn’t have to be in a book to be validated.

But if I don’t [share my experience], who will?”

Courtney Lauer, student representative to the UM System Board of Curators, was a student in the law school in fall 2015. She said that discussion and interpretation of the protests were at the forefront of a lot of her studies that year.

“To be able to hear stories and emotions that was present then and present now is part of that educational piece that is ever so crucial to constant progress,” she said.

Lauer said she thinks that having open conversations about race, such as this event, are important to growing and learning as a university and as individuals.

Shonekan said the event went well, especially with such high attendance from students and other MU community members. Jesse Wrench was nearly full by 6:30 p.m., when the keynote was scheduled to begin.

Leaders from around MU attended the forum, including Provost Garnett Stokes and UM System President Mun Choi.

Shonekan said having discussions like this and honoring what students at MU did in 2015 are important in making sure those students fought for something that won’t be forgotten.

“It’s critical to come together as a community,” she said. “I think it’s important for us all to start thinking about what we need to do as a community and to tell our own story, which is the most important part.”

Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com

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in terms of looking at problems involving race. Policies are not able to take social and cultural context into consideration that may apply to specific cases, Golembowski said.

“Policy is blind, just by nature, to contextual facts that are at the heart of the issues that Concerned Student 1950 [is] trying to address,” Golembowski said.

Allen and Golembowski then participated in a discussion moderated

by Brittani Fults, education and prevention coordinator at the Office for Civil Rights and Title IX. Fults asked the two questions about their opinions on certain issues that relate to protests in general.

When Fults asked about how to put attention toward the policies and issues that are being protested as opposed to the actual protesters, Allen answered that the first step is people, especially administrative staff at MU, acknowledging that they can be wrong sometimes. He said that sometimes change is necessary and admitting that mistakes have been made is crucial in those instances.

Shonekan said that the department hosted this event because she feels that if any department were to

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event, they were protesting by definition but were not being treated the same. During fall 2015, members of Concerned Student 1950 were considered protestors by MU administration and had been called “disruptive” and held “riots,” he said.

“You have to wonder where the application is going to,” he said.

After Allen’s keynote, David Golemboski, a postdoctoral fellow at the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, spoke about his own interpretation of how MU should address race-related issues.

Golembowski said that while a look at university policies is important and necessary, it shouldn’t be the only thing done when wanting change.

He said that the university should look at politics beyond policy and take a more radical approach.

Policies are neutral, which can be an advantage since they’re something everyone has to abide by, he said.

However, for the same reason, policies also prove to be a disadvantage

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ROTC program, said in the news brief. “Ensuring that these potential leaders leave us with as little debt as possible will put them on a path of success in their military careers.”

According to the news release, more than 45 students from Missouri are expected to qualify for these scholarships annually based on current enrollment.

“Our ROTC students are exceptional and reflect our core values of respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence,” Cartwright said. “We see [this] announcement as a first step, and we will look for partners who may be able to provide additional support in the future to expand these scholarship opportunities to additional ROTC students.”

According to its website, the

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Continued from page 3

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in leadership roles in student, service and athletic organizations,” Kerr said in a press release. “Most are National Honor Society members, and many are Eagle Scouts. These awards will build upon the excellence these students already represent, while keeping college education affordable.”

This past semester, nine students from the three military branches could have been eligible for these scholarships. Kerr said he hopes the university will be able to double that number next year.

“Keeping higher education affordable while developing our students into future military leaders has always been a priority at Mizzou,” James Musgraves, commander and executive officer of the MU Naval

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scholarships all pay for tuition, fees, a book stipend and they give a monthly stipend to the students, but they don’t pay for room and board.”

Kerr said many universities across the state and nation have provided these scholarships in the past. He said two national scholarshipwinning students selected other universities this past year because of the financial difference. The Mizzou ROTC Scholarship amounts to about $10,000 per student per year.

“Students who are eligible for the new scholarships often are involved

Kurpius. He has worked with Miller since his arrival to MU in 2015 and noted that she helped him adjust to the university.

“She was one of the people that really helped me get settled on campus when I got here,” he said. “I appreciated her helpfulness at that time and the interactions we’ve had.”

When asked about her impending retirement, Miller said that she’ll miss the connections and relationships she’s built at the university the most.

Regarding her future, Miller is planning to move back to Wisconsin.

As she is an avid reader and member of a book club, it’s no surprise that Miller is also preparing to write a book.

“I’m trying to separate from here and continue to have a life fully lived,” she said. “I’m probably going to write a book on hope as a construct important for the quality of life and do some other initiatives as I relocate back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my home.”

Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com

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ROTC

Continued from page 3

Nursing, has worked with Miller since 2008 and spoke of Miller’s dedication to the university, as well as her sense of humor and compassion for students. “[She is] high, high energy,” Conn said. “She is always working on behalf of the School of Nursing. 16 hours a day, seven days a week. She is always thinking about how to push the School of Nursing forward to reach those goals.”

Dean David Kurpius of the School of Journalism agreed, describing Miller as a “tireless worker.” He extended this sentiment to describe her retirement.

“She enjoys her work, so I don’t see her getting up in the morning and not having anything to do,” he said.

“She’s going to make sure she’s busy and moving something forward.”

Other than working together on the Council of Deans, Kurpius and Miller share some similarities, such as having attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and being Green Bay Packer fans, according to

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exemplified by her eldest daughter’s current teaching position at an art school.

Miller began her career at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire as a music major. Although she still loves classical music, she did not enjoy her individual piano classes and ultimately decided to pursue another career path.

“My piano teacher was really strict, and as a late adolescent I didn’t think perfection in playing was all that important,” Miller said. “My father helped me think about careers that would be more humanistic and caring, which I seemed to be aligned with.”

After practicing as a nurse, Miller shifted her focus to “influencing the discipline by helping shape future nurses,” which eventually led to

a career in higher education and research in nursing. According to Miller, she has written 30 research proposals since her time at MU, sometimes completing three or four proposals a year.

In addition to her research, Miller has improved communication with donors, prospective students and faculty members. When asked about her proudest achievements, she further discussed the importance of communication and promotion as a dean.

“I have enhanced fundraising and increased the number of donors and friends to the school, as well as put together an advisory board and a development board,” she said. “I’ve been able to enhance communication so that we can showcase accomplishments of the faculty, students and alumni. That’s important to mention as that is one facet of the dean’s role, to be able to promote the school.”

Vicki Conn, associate dean for research at the Sinclair School of

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T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | NOV. 15, 2017

OPINION

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

We want to hear your voice.

Submit a letter to the editor by emailing letters@themaneater.com.

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THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY THE MANEATER COLUMNISTS DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINIONS OF THE MANEATER EDITORIAL BOARD.

COLUMN

The only way to prevent shootings is through action Condolences alone will not prevent tragedies like the shooting in Sutherland Springs from happening again and again. Only action will.

MADI BAUGHMAN

Opinion Columnist

Madi Baughman is a freshman journalism and political science major who writes about political and civil rights issues for The Maneater.

On Sunday, Nov. 5, 7 percent of the town population of Sutherland Springs, Texas, was — to put it bluntly — wiped out by a gunman. These people were not putting themselves in a dangerous situation. They were at a place where many feel most safe, actually: in a house of worship. They were all innocent people attending a church service, caught in the path of a man with a semiautomatic rifle — a weapon he should not have legally been allowed to obtain in the first place.

After every tragedy like this, people are quick to say that now is not the time to discuss gun control or preventative measures. But when is the time to talk about it, when there is a mass shooting nearly every day?

At the time I am writing this column, there have been roughly 388 mass shootings so far in 2017 — but the numbers just go up every day. There is never going to be a good time to discuss how to take action against violence. The time is already too late for the victims.

This is part of the problem we face in the social media age. Don’t get me wrong, social media is great to be able to find connections and ways to help out, but now that anyone can just post that the victims are in their “thoughts and prayers,” it allows people to feel like they’ve done enough simply by acknowledging it happened.

Another part of the problem is that we’ve become so desensitized to the issue that we feel like we can’t really do much in the grand scheme of things — which is untrue. This is our country, our democracy, and we have to be the ones to make things happen in it, not sit by idly.

A new assault weapons ban is going to be introduced on the Senate floor, but if we really want it to make

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan of Wisconsin speaks at the 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

an impact, we have to do our part to get in contact with our senators — and other people holding power in local government, as well — to let them know that we care.

This is not to say that thoughts and prayers are inherently bad, because they’re not. I’m not saying that you should give up sharing your thoughts and prayers at all, because caring

about people enough to reach out to them and let them know you’re there for them is an important thing to do. But thoughts and prayers alone will not prevent tragedies like the shooting in Sutherland Springs from happening again and again. Only action will.

NIBBLING AWAY AT CORRUPTION

Abstinence-only sex education is failing Missouri Missouri’s abstinenceonly sexual education is ineffective and puts teens at a higher risk for STIs and unwanted pregnancy.

MADDIE NIBLETT

Opinion Columnist

Maddie Niblett is a freshman journalism major at MU. She is an opinions columnist who writes about politics for The Maneater.

“Don’t have sex, because you will get pregnant and die.” That iconic Mean Girls quote, exaggerated as it may be, is the reality of sex education for many children and teens in Missouri.

According to state law, schools are not required to teach about sexual health, and when they do, they must stress that abstinence until marriage is the one and only way to avoid becoming riddled with STIs and unwanted pregnancies. Of course, there are many risks associated with becoming sexally active, but this method of fearmongering to young people without providing them with holistic information creates a culture of under-informed, sexually active teens.

You might be led to believe that

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF MOERSCHY VIA PIXABAY this kind of scared-straight education would drive teenagers to not have sex under fear of horrible and absolutely unavoidable consequences, but in reality the opposite is true. That’s right: Abstinence-only sex education doesn’t work. Instead of being scared sexless, teens are having the same amount of sex as they would be without being denied vital information about protection.

Since Missouri schools are not required to teach sex ed, when they do, they are not required to mention contraceptives, including condoms. Discussions about contraceptives are often used as scare tactics by focusing on their failure rates instead of on their benefits.

Not providing teenagers with

accurate information about how to avoid undesirable consequences from sex leads to clueless kids engaging in unsafe sexual activity. A study from ThinkProgress.org found that states with abstinence-only education requirements similar to Missouri’s laws had significantly higher rates of teen pregnancy compared to states that teach comprehensive sexual education.

Missouri has the 20th-highest teen birth rate in the U.S. This is due to kids not being given vital information about the importance of contraceptives because the focus of their sexual education is on preventing sexual activity, so they just have sex without protection.

Teenage pregnancy is not the only

risk associated with unprotected sex.

In 2015, the Crane Independent School District in Crane, Texas, experienced a chlamydia outbreak. Because of the abstinence-based sex-ed program that the school offered, the students at the school were woefully uninformed about the steps they could take to avoid getting an STI; a lack of information plus teenage hormones equals an outbreak of the most commonly reported STI in America. If these high school students had sexual education that stressed the importance of safety instead of penalizing sexual activity, they may not have engaged in such reckless sexual behavior.

Abstinence is not a form of sex; it’s a personal choice that someone can make if they decide that sexual activity is too risky to engage in after being given all of the information about sex, including information about how to go about having sex as safely as possible.

It’s been proven time and again that teenagers have the same amount of sex regardless of whether their teacher told them how useful condoms are or not. It’s time for Missouri to step up and educate its kids on sex instead of endangering them by keeping them in the dark under the guise of morality.

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ART BEAT

Photographer TJ Ronin aims to capture personal identity through his work TJ Ronin: “Not in obvious ways, but in subtle ways I’m trying to critique how black identity is portrayed and how we utilize our portrayed identities as our own.”

FIONA MURPHY

Columnist

TJ Ronin is a visionary. Through photography, he challenges the norms of the world in which he lives.

Ronin’s work will be displayed for the first time Nov. 29 at the Gaines/ Oldham Black Culture Center. This includes his collection titled “Ex Tenebris Ad Lucëm,” which translates to "out of darkness into light.”

Before Ronin found his passion for photography, he grew up on the west side of Chicago, where being black was a role Ronin felt pressured to embody. For the past year, Ronin has been working on a project that focuses on the mental health of black individuals as a result of harmful s o c i a l l y constructed pressures and stereotypes.

“As a young black boy in those neighborhoods, I couldn’t do certain things,” Ronin said.

“I love all different types of music, but you can’t play The Killers on the west side of Chicago. You have to fit into a stereotype. We can’t just be normal people. We can’t like anime.

I pretty much like everything black men aren’t supposed to.”

Black men have historically been portrayed to exist on two sides of a spectrum in society with their identity either hyper-sexualized or criminalized, Ronin said. These restrictive stereotypes have been perpetuated through American society as far back as The Birth of a Nation, the film portraying the genesis of America’s identity, which blatantly conjures malignant and racist images of the African-American male.

Ronin felt these stereotypes defined and plagued his self-expression at

a young age. Identity became the driving force of much of Ronin’s work. His photos picture models in active positions with dark and gritty lighting. In one photo, Nike Air shoes dangle around the neck of a shirtless man sitting on a stool bathed in black light, his form almost swallowed by it.

Depicting black people in diverse and all-encompassing ways inspires Ronin to create. He feels compelled to fight against the stereotypes that defined his identity growing up that continue today.

“Not in obvious ways, but in subtle ways I’m trying to critique how black identity is portrayed and how we utilize our portrayed identities as our own,” Ronin said. “We often accept those stereotypes as our own. I know I’m a black man; if I have my music loud I don’t care anymore. It’s not because I’m black, it’s because I like to have my music loud. That’s my identity.”

When Ronin started taking photos three years ago, he found the perfect weapon to combat adverse societal norms and work toward becoming the individual he is. Through this practice, the photographer aims to create things no one has before.

“I just want to know that when I die, I created shit no one else did,” Ronin said. “It’s so important for artists to question the status quo. My pictures are something no one else can do because it’s my eye. I’m trying so hard to be different. That’s my worst fear, making stuff like somebody else.”

In addition to combating racism, Ronin strives to emphasize the importance of individuality and creativity in his work. He has a passion to be the one creating the culture the public consumes and, in doing so, establish new socially accepted truths and norms.

“I feel like we live in a world where people are content with stuff being routine,” Ronin said. “People are cool with the order of go to college, get a job, etc. For me, I’ve always wanted more than that. I don’t want to be an observer; I want to participate in the culture

and create things that are going to change the world.”

This goal comes from an ambitious inner confidence Ronin possesses.

This assuredness gives him a refreshing perspective on what it means to be great. Ronin’s favorite artist is Kanye West; he feels they share a similar mentality.

“I admire his mindset,” Ronin said.

“He believes so much in himself, and that’s a trait a lot of people don’t have. As I took photography more seriously and wanted to be really good at it, I started to realize you have to set yourself apart. I’m a very critical person, especially of myself, but I also know what I can do.”

Ronin has a vision for his work.

The models’ body language, lighting on set and color scheme are all manipulated to serve the photo he wants to capture. Fashion influences and inspires Ronin’s style, which contributes to his meticulous attention to detail.

“Photographers depict the truth, but it’s a perceived truth,” Ronin said. “I pose my models because it’s my vision, so why not put your hand all the way in it? If you’re not directing what’s going on, you’re just surveying something not yours.”

Edited by Claire Colby ccolby@themaneater.com

“I JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT WHEN I DIE, I CREATED SHIT NO ONE ELSE DID.” — TJ RONIN

Photographer TJ Ronin discusses racism, identity and self expression. PHOTO BY FIONA MURPHY | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | N OV. 1 5, 2017

CONCERT REVIEW

Ashe talks debut album, performs new songs at The Blue Note The singer is making waves as a solo artist following the debut of two new singles.

JANE MATHER-GLASS

Staff Writer

Ashe radiates light from the moment she steps barefoot onstage. The Berklee College of Music graduate and California native has been touring alongside bands like Whethan, Louis the Child and Lauv. Her show at The Blue Note on Nov. 7 gave the audience a taste of her first album as well as a chance to connect with the singer.

Ashe said that she always loved music, but her time in Boston at Berklee got her thinking about pursuing it as a career.

“Writing always felt

like the only thing I really understood about life,” Ashe said in an email. “Singing was like breathing.”

This is clear when Ashe performs — she is at home onstage. She performed each song with energy and passion. When she sang “Right To It,” a collaboration with Louis the Child, she danced tirelessly, her long platinum hair flipping as she connected directly with audience members. Her voice sounded unwavering and unique. The song has influences from iconic jazz musicians like Ella Fitzgerald while maintaining similarities to modern artists like Lorde as well, and is completely captivating.

Ashe’s first EP is coming out soon, and so far she has released two tracks, “Used to It,” and “Girl Who Cried Wolf,” both of which she

sang in Columbia. These new tracks have a similar sound to the collaborations she’s done before, but they’re distinctly her own.

They show confidence and creativity and give insight into the rest of her EP. “It feels right,” Ashe said of her first album. “I’m making an album that is fully from my soul, that travels to dark, trippy places in my head.

I think people are going to really relate to it though.”

In the past, Ashe has co-created with many artists, and she says that every collaboration has taught her more about herself.

“Freddy from Louis the Child has probably made the most personal impact on me and my music,” she said. “I’m more honest and real with my music than I think I’d be had I never met him.”

Based on the first two

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHE tracks of her upcoming EP and the new songs she sang on Tuesday, this honesty and realness comes through clearly. Ashe is here to tell it like it is, singing “Hey now, sometimes people suck,” a line from a song on her upcoming album. She’s here to tell her own story, and one of the things that made her set so enjoyable is that she’s happy and doing what she loves. Her passion shines with every high note, every dance move and every

charming interaction with her drummer, Tim Spier.

Ashe’s tour with Whethan has come to an end, and she’s gearing up to support Louis the Child’s Last to Leave tour.

She said the most valuable part of touring is that she gets to connect with people.

“I’m getting to play the music that I’ve poured my heart into for all kinds of different people,” Ashe said.

“I couldn’t ask for more.”

Edited by Brooke Collier bcollier@themaneater.com

ALBUM REVIEW

Track-by-track analysis of Taylor Swift’s ‘reputation’ Swift’s sixth album is the most honest and hard hitting of her releases.

ASHLEY DORF

Staff Writer

Is the old Taylor really dead?

Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated sixth album, reputation, hits hard. Below is a breakdown of the sounds and lyrics from each track of reputation, Swift’s new, daring, “I don’t care” attitude in musical form.

1. “…Ready For It?” The album’s second single, heavy with synthpop, has Swift talk-singing (not rapping) about boyfriend Joe Alwyn. The second verse gets a little bitter with “And he can be my jailer/Burton to this Taylor/Every love I’ve known in comparison is a failure/I forget their names now/I’m so very tame now.”

Swift does, however, bring a tropical, bright track that is ultimately full of fun.

2. “End Game” (feat. Ed Sheeran and Future) Sheeran enhances the verses as a singer/rapper himself. Once again, pop sounds can’t mask strong lyricism: “I got issues and chips on both of my

shoulders/Reputation precedes me and rumors are knee-deep/The truth is, it’s easier to ignore it, believe me,” Sheeran sings. Future does not add much lyrical or sonic significance, however, and the track would have been better without this feature.

3. “I Did Something Bad” Both lyrically and sonically, Swift speaks of flames, whether in the lyrics, as a metaphor for being in love, or through heavy beats and voice manipulations.

However, the use of pitch correction in the bridge is not necessary vocally or for effect, and it degrades the overall quality of the track.

4. “Don’t Blame Me” A sultry sound carries this track, which drips with lust.

Sound and lyrics considered, this song easily could have been placed on the soundtrack of Fifty Shades of Grey.

5. “Delicate” Lyrically, this song shines.

“Is it cool that I said all that?/Is it chill that you’re in my head?/’Cause I know that it’s delicate,” Swift sings. But here we go again with the unnecessary pitch correction. Just stay away from it. The melody is also pretty uneventful.

6. “Look What You Made

Me Do” As explained in a previous single review, the shocking sound should not overshadow the overlying message: Don’t mess with me. As made clear by many other tracks, however, Swift also uses satire to play on the persona of her reputation in public.

7. “So It Goes ... ” This is by far one of the weakest tracks. The lyrics don’t match the quality of others on the album, and again, Swift relies on pitch correction. The song has a distorted and almost annoying vibe.

8. “Gorgeous” This track was released as a promotional single, and with good reason. Other than “New Year’s Day,” the album’s final track, the “old” Swift is most present in this composition. Swift sings, “You should think about the consequence/Of your magnetic field being a little too strong.” The track steers away from hard-hitting, heavy production, providing a nice breather midway through the album.

9. “Getaway Car” A strong contender for best track on reputation, this song depicts an elegant escape story with help from producer and co-writer Jack Antonoff. “You were drivin’

the getaway car/We were flyin’, but we’d never get far/Don’t pretend it’s such a mystery/Think about the place where you first met me,” Swift sings. To sonically escalate the lyrical storyline, a brilliant key change rounds out the nostalgic charmer.

10. “King of My Heart” Unfortunately, like “So It Goes...,” this song falls short through weak lyrics like, “So prove to me I’m your American Queen/And you move to me like I’m a Motown beat.” Really? Skip this track.

11. “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” The nostalgic beat and melody are somehow made modern and brought together well on this track, another Antonoff-Swift collaboration.

It also sounds drastically different from most other songs on the album, establishing it as a strong track.

12. “Dress” This track is the perfect example of the maturity and honesty that shine on reputation. It’s not brilliant in terms of sound, but it perfectly represents how Swift has let down the barriers of her personal life and shed her perfect persona.

“Carve your name into my bedpost.” Huh? I have no

idea what that means.

13. “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” If Taylor had an “F you” anthem on reputation, this would be it. Playful piano bounces complement Swift’s clear dissing of Kanye West, singing “Friends don’t try to trick you/Get you on the phone and mind-twist you,” in reference to West’s “Famous” lyric scandal.

14. “Call It What You Want” The final promotional single is Taylor’s best of the four pre-album releases, writing honestly with a lowkey pop and hip-hop beat. It is another highlight track to not miss.

15. “New Year’s Day” This track premiered on ABC the night before the album’s official release. This is by far the most strippedback track, with just Taylor and a few instruments. The lyrics are brilliant, and the overall sound is reminiscent of early singer-songwriter Swift. It probably wins for best track on reputation, too.

Edited by Claire Colby ccolby@themaneater.com

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T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | N OV. 1 5, 2017 ALBUM REVIEW

Weezer can’t remember what Weezer sounds like

The band is hardly recognizable in “Pacific Daydream,” its immature, simplistic tribute to summer.

LAURA MISEREZ

Columnist

What happened to the innovative punk-rock quartet that released one of the best rock albums of the early 1990s? Weezer used to be one of the great ‘90s punk-rock trailblazers, revered alongside seminal groups like

COURTESY OF WEEZER

Green Day and Smashing Pumpkins.

In its new record, Pacific Daydream, not only does Weezer fail to channel its former glory, but it is hardly even recognizable as the same band.

I have yet to give an album a truly negative review for this column, but Weezer’s dud warrants the first.

The band sounds bland, derived and produced to smithereens, bearing a stronger resemblance to the Jonas Brothers than to the talented minds behind the Blue Album (1994) and Pinkerton (1996).

The album begins with a simple guitar riff that quickly fits itself into the typical pop “summer song” formula. The repetition of “Mexican Fender” is catchy. However, the bubbly lyrics and instrumentals tell listeners off the bat that this album need not be taken seriously.

The carefree, simplistic vibe carries over into “Beach Boys.” The punching rhythm is obviously trying to be an energetic head-bopper, but the attempt falls flat.

The song’s use of simple vocal scales and harmonies clearly alludes to The Beach Boys’ signature style, as was lead singer

Rivers Cuomo’s intention. However, it fails to excite and mesh sound together in the same way.

The third track, “Feels Like Summer,” diverges little from the empty pop tone the album has established.

Cuomo delivers shallow lyrics over a soundtrack of basic whistling and autotuned backing vocals. It’s the perfect song for a summer car ride, as it’s easy to turn down and talk over.

Weezer sticks to this formula for the next several tracks, blending them all into an overproduced, hollow album arc. The forgettable lyrics to these songs sound lifted from the bathroom walls of a high school. In “QB Blitz,” Cuomo literally laments that he can’t find anyone to do algebra with him.

It hardly seems appropriate subject matter for a band that celebrated its 25th anniversary this year.

The ballad of the album, “Sweet Mary,” might once have been an amusing, heartfelt snapshot of young love before it was engineered into oblivion. The croony guitar intro sounds distinctly like a high school dance, and the sickly sweet lyrics don’t help mature it. This song was my personal favorite on the record, and I expect I’ll have forgotten about it a month from now.

The record maintains its lackluster feel through the underwhelming end.

The album finale, “Any Friend of Diane’s,” employs the same used tactics as the album as a whole. By this point, the repetition has become even more boring, and the predictably bland lyrics propel the album to finish how it started: flat.

Another issue I have with this album besides the music is the horrible release timing. The entire album is nauseatingly childlike in its depiction of carefree summertime living. Atlantic Records should have at least released it in May or June. Instead I found myself driving down U.S. 63 listening to optimistic lyrics about “hot, hot, 100-degree” weather and summer love on the dreariest day Columbia had experienced yet this fall (the high was 49 degrees).

Overall, Weezer definitely won’t be getting much praise for this thoroughly dull record. A few of the songs are catchy enough that they could become decent radio singles, but this album lacks the personality to be considered an accomplishment. After the modest success of Weezer (2016), Pacific Daydream feels like a leap backward. I only hope the band doesn’t make it the focus of its upcoming tour.

Edited by Claire Colby ccolby@themaneater.com

MOVE INVESTIGATES

Food and family: Thanksgiving traditions today and in history Thanksgiving traditions have changed over the years, and the first Thanksgiving may not match its common conception.

JESSIE YATES

Reporter

Thanksgiving is a time for food and family. The holiday reaches back into time, exemplifying the unity of America. Most believe the first Thanksgiving was shared between the Pilgrims and Native Americans, but this is not quite the case.

However, today’s Thanksgiving traditions are similar across the nation. Sophomore Morgan Lewis from Kansas said he often spends Thanksgiving with his mother in Virginia. Besides seeing family, Lewis said food is in abundance.

“My mother likes to cook a lot of different things,” Lewis said. “So it’s pecan pie, ham, turkey, biscuits. It’s a lot more.”

Senior Spencer Tauchen mentioned “the classics,” including turkey and cranberry sauce. He recommends removing the backbone of the turkey, a process called spatchcocking.

“I eat very normal [Thanksgiving] food, and a lot of it,” Tauchen said.

“The key though: spatchcock turkey.

So much better than normal turkey.

You have to spatchcock it. It cooks through faster.”

Turkey is an integral part of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. This arose simply as a result of the location where Thanksgiving began.

“When New England families celebrated a holiday, turkey was

simply a common dish,” Michelle Morris, MU American history professor, said in an email. “The same thing can be said about cranberries and pumpkins. Cranberries did not become a popular dish until the nineteenth century because of the cost of sugar. Potatoes were originally native to South America, but they had become a commonly eaten food in New England by the nineteenth century.”

Morris identified two roots of today’s Thanksgiving traditions.

There is, of course, the so-called first Thanksgiving in 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans. According to Morris, the information available about this event comes from a letter sent by a colonist named Edward Winslow.

“We know that the colonists contributed waterfowl to the feast,” Morris said in the email. “These were probably geese and ducks. Although turkeys are native to New England, the first Thanksgiving probably did not include them. The Wampanoags contributed venison … Likely additions to the feast are corn, fish, shellfish and beer.”

However, this feast was not thought of as “Thanksgiving.” It was instead simply a harvest festival. The “Thanksgiving” concept comes from a separate tradition.

“The Pilgrims, Puritans and even the Anglicans further south did have a tradition of Thanksgivings,” Morris said in the email. “These were part of the religious cycle of feasting and fasting.”

A feast day would be held when the community believed God had blessed them, and this eventually became a regular event during harvest time by the late eighteenth century.

According to Morris, these two roots have combined into the common notion of Thanksgiving today, although the association was not common until the early twentieth century.

“Sometime around 1820, Edward Winslow’s letter was rediscovered and republished,” Morris said. “At this point some people began to connect the early Pilgrim harvest festival to the New England tradition of Thanksgiving.”

Thanksgiving only officially became a national holiday in 1863, when the Union started having more success in the Civil War. “You might think of Lincoln’s declaration of Thanksgiving as a way of saying that ‘real’ American culture was New England culture,” Morris said.

Historical speculation aside, Thanksgiving is one of America’s favorite holidays, ranking second on

a poll conducted by FiveThirtyEight in 2015. MU students express similar sentiments.

“I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it’s more family oriented,” sophomore Anna Nortrup said.

Lewis reiterated this idea.

“For me, [Thanksgiving] revolves a lot around just spending time with your family,” he said, “It’s a time just to catch up with all your friends and get to show who you’re really happy to be with.”

Tauchen, however, took a slightly different approach.

“To me [Thanksgiving] means when it’s finally socially acceptable to start listening to Christmas music,” Tauchen said.

Edited by Brooke Collier bcollier@themaneater.com

A Thanksgiving Day turkey PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANNE ROSETE VIA FLICKR

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T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | NOV. 15, 2017

SPORTS

Online this week: Wrestling earns first shutout since 2014, game-bygame analysis of football’s improvements and more at themaneater.com.

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COLUMN

Winning weekend gives glimpse of Mizzou sports past

Missouri forward Jordan Barnett drives down the lane during the first half of the Tigers’ season opener game against Iowa State on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017 at Mizzou Arena. PHOTO BY JACOB MOSCOVITCH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

THEO DEROSA

Columnist

A little after 9 p.m. Friday night, with Missouri leading Iowa State 39-25 at halftime in both schools’ men’s basketball opener, Norm Stewart stepped out to midcourt.

Stewart, the Tigers’ legendary coach from 1967 to 1999, had been

outside Mizzou Arena earlier in the day as the guest of honor. He had pulled off a black curtain to unveil a hulking statue of himself that will gesture forever toward the sky.

Inside, Stewart, flanked by his former Tiger players, addressed a sellout crowd of 15,061.

“We have the greatest fans,” Stewart said. “You’ve been absent

for a while, but you’re back.”

After this weekend, Missouri fans should be back for good.

The basketball team, with all of 100 seconds played by star freshman Michael Porter Jr., never trailed against Iowa State in a 74-59 win.

On Saturday night, Missouri football beat up on Tennessee 50-17, prompting Sunday’s firing of embattled Vols head

coach Butch Jones.

It was a great weekend for Missouri sports, one that provoked memories of the dominant Tigers teams of the past and brought out hope for a return to the days of sold-out Memorial Stadium and packed-to-bursting Mizzou Arena.

The latter, at least, rang true Friday

OPEN | Page 15

WOMEN’S GOLF

Women’s golf head coach has unique passion for Missouri Head coach Stephanie Priesmeyer: “We do it because we love it and want to build something great because Mizzou has given us so much.”

KATE AHERN

Staff Writer

In 1990, Stephanie Cooper left her small Indiana hometown and headed to Columbia to start her women’s golf career at Mizzou. In 1994, she decided she didn’t want to leave.

Missouri women’s golf head coach Stephanie Priesmeyer, formerly known as “Coach Cooper,” is celebrating her 16th year as a coach for the same school she once played for. According to Priesmeyer, it was her experience at Mizzou that kept her in Columbia.

As a senior in high school,

Priesmeyer won the PGA Junior State Qualifier in Indiana and advanced to the national tournament in Florida.

Upon arrival, she was paired with Amy Smethers, a golfer from Missouri, as her roommate for the tournament.

The two instantly bonded and kept in contact during their senior year.

Smethers invited Priesmeyer to visit Missouri in the fall of 1989.

They sat front row at a Mizzou basketball game and decided then that they would continue their golf careers in Columbia.

“If I had never met Amy I can’t say I would be where I am today,” Priesmeyer said. “She was my freshman year roommate, and we’re still really great friends. Once we got to Columbia, I never really left.”

After graduating from Mizzou with a health and physical education degree, Priesmeyer took a job at Hickman High School as a golf coach and PE teacher. She taught and coached at Hickman for six

Women’s golf head coach Stephanie Priesmeyer. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIZZOU ATHLETICS years until her former golf coach at Mizzou, Tom Loyd, retired in 2001.

“I knew one of the athletic

directors; I had his daughter on the basketball team at Hickman,” Priesmeyer said. “He contacted me that some of the players on the golf team had talked to him about me.

After the whole interview process, I got the job and since then I’ve been here.”

Her climb to becoming a Division I college golf coach was short, unlike the typical experiences of coaches at other universities.

“A high school coach moving up to a [Division I], at the time Big 12, college program is something that would probably not happen,” Priesmeyer said. “I was very fortunate and had that unique connection to Mizzou which was important for the people hiring me at the time. I just had a lot of excitement for the team and the job.”

Her excitement stemmed from a lifetime of great relationships with

GOLF | Page 15

12

T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | NOV. 15, 2017

VOLLEYBALL

Freshman Leketor Member-Meneh progresses into one of Mizzou volleyball’s strongest hitters Member-Meneh has stepped up for the Tigers in crucial moments on the court.

CHELSEA ROEMER

Staff Writer

Putting on a Missouri volleyball uniform for the first time, freshman Leketor Member-Meneh assumed she would be standing on the sidelines and cheering on her teammates for the majority of the season.

That would not be the case. As the season progressed, the freshman who waited patiently on the bench worked her way into the lineup and became a crucial part of the team.

Contrary to what her quick rise within Missouri’s program might suggest, volleyball was not MemberMeneh’s only sport growing up.

Along with volleyball, Member-Meneh participated in track and basketball in high school, using her natural athletic ability to excel in both activities. During her freshman year at Lutheran South High School in St. Louis, she finished second in the state in the long jump, and in her senior year, she averaged 24.2 points per game in basketball, good for second best in the area.

But volleyball was the sport she always came back to.

“I hated running in both basketball and track,” Member-Meneh said.

“Volleyball stood out to me because it was more of a challenge. I had to work at it, and you run less.”

The youngest of eight children in a family full of athletes, Member-Meneh knew that she was going to be an athlete like her older siblings.

The children in the Member-Meneh household were always playing something, with volleyball, football, basketball and track being the mainstays. Her brother, Nadum MemberMeneh, would go on to run track at Mizzou.

“Playing sports was something I looked forward to because I got to watch my older siblings do it,” Member-Meneh said. “When I played sports I knew I had to be as good as them. My parents always said if you do something, be the best at it.”

For Member-Meneh, volleyball was the sport she struggled with most. She did

The Mizzou volleyball team celebrates after a match during the SEC opener against the University of Kentucky on Sept. 20, 2017. PHOTO COURTNEY VILLMER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

not possess the necessary height to help her at the net and lacked control in her movements at the frontline and in the back row. She was even criticized for playing other sports and not dedicating enough time to volleyball. Yet, it was the struggle and criticisms that fueled her determination to be the best.

“I didn’t really follow college volleyball, and I had never been to a game,” Member-Meneh said. “My brother went to Mizzou and always talked about how good the team was and that I couldn’t compete with those girls. I wanted to prove him wrong.”

Her brother wasn’t the only one who doubted her.

Throughout her recruitment

process, Member-Meneh was told over and over that she did not possess the talent to compete at the Division I level.

“Everyone said I was too short or I didn't dedicate enough time to the sport,” Member-Meneh said. “When they said I wasn't going to make it, I told them to wait on it. Then I knew I had to make it.”

Along with Missouri, Member-Meneh was recruited by Duke, Kansas State, North Carolina State and St. Louis University. But for her, the decision to play for Mizzou was a no-brainer.

After her visit to Columbia, she was swayed by the coaching staff and the opportunity to stay close to home.

“I just couldn't leave Missouri, and Mizzou is awesome,” Member-Meneh said. “I really liked the coaches. They are genuine and care a lot about their athletes.”

Arriving as one of three freshmen on a team with seven upperclassmen, Member-Meneh’s chances of touching the court her first year were slim.

Despite her relatively small stature, at 5 foot 8, Member-Meneh has played outside hitter for the Tigers, going up against athletes who are regularly 6 feet or taller. Though she lacked height and the experience of playing at the collegiate level entering the season, Member-Meneh earned increased playing time and

became a weapon for the team during tough matches.

In her first taste of college volleyball against Marshall on Aug. 25, Member-Meneh had 22 kills and 11 digs, earning her first doubledouble right out of the gate. In the second match against Middle Tennessee, she tallied nine kills, a team high for the match.

While she faced a number of disadvantages, Member-Meneh was never discouraged from achieving her goals.

“I knew I wasn't disciplined enough and would not play at the beginning of the season,” Member-Meneh said. “The goal was to be playing by the middle of the season. I wanted to be needed by the team.”

As the season has progressed, Member-Meneh has played an essential role for the Tigers. Primarily coming off the bench, she has been thrown into the lineup and expected to perform on the frontline for the Tigers in many different situations, which was an unexpected challenge for the freshman.

“It was difficult and really messed with my head because I understood why I was on the court but didn’t at the same time,” MemberMeneh said. “It put pressure on me, and I just wanted to do the little things right to help the team.”

Despite her nerves, Member-Meneh has excelled in her new role, even earning a starting spot in big matches against tough conference opponents such as then-No. 4 Florida, LSU and Texas A&M. Over the season, she has earned 195 kills and eight solo blocks.

Head coach Wayne Kreklow has been impressed with Member-Meneh’s progress and sees her as a player that will be crucial to Missouri’s lineup for the next few seasons. Developing her discipline on the court and controlling her swing could tear up opponents defensively, he said.

“Leketor is a physical player who is very talented and has a cannon for an arm,” Kreklow said. “She just adds complexity and dimension to the game. I am pleased with the progress she is making as a player, and I know she will be even better in the next few seasons.”

Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com

13

T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | NOV. 15, 2017 COLUMN

Missouri volleyball can still salvage let-down season The Tigers and the Florida Gators, defending SEC co-champions, will meet on Nov. 25 to close out regularseason play.

LIAD LERNER

Staff Writer

12 months ago, Missouri volleyball was sitting in second place of the Southeastern Conference, boasting a 12-2 SEC record and preparing to face off against the 21-time SEC champions, the Florida Gators. The match was one the Tigers would go on to win, leading to an SEC co-championship and one of the most successful seasons in program history.

Mizzou only graduated four players coming into the 2017 season and returned multiple starters for their senior years. Add this to an incoming freshman group that included two Puerto Rican national team captains and the 2016 Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association player of the

year, and expectations were high for the Tigers, who were ranked No. 19 in the AVCA Coaches Preseason Poll.

However, the 2017 season has not panned out as well for Mizzou as fans may have hoped. SEC losses to Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida have left the defending co-champions on the outside looking in as Florida and Kentucky battle it out for SEC supremacy.

As a result, this season has turned out to be somewhat transitional, but one that can still have a successful ending as it comes to a close.

Injuries to multiple players early in the season robbed the team of a consistent lineup, disrupting the flow of play and forcing freshmen into roles they might not have been ready for at the time.

“We have been really unlucky with injuries this year,” head coach Wayne Kreklow said. “We have players like Melanie Crow who has had to sit out a couple of weeks because she was injured.”

Crow, a redshirt senior with four years of collegiate

experience, was primed to be one of Mizzou’s most reliable offensive weapons.

But this season’s injury bug bit her hard, and she has been forced to play a more supportive role in the attack as opposed to being the focus of it.

The silver lining from the injuries is that now more players get playing time and experience. This has evolved into the team’s biggest positive takeaway from the season: its depth on offense.

Mizzou has seven individual players with at least 120 kills this season.

No other team in the SEC has even six such players. With so many attacking options, the Tigers have been able to adapt to any injuries or off nights that came their way by simply shifting the focus off of one player and onto another.

This depth also helped to take the pressure off of freshmen Leketor MemberMeneh and Dariana Hollingsworth, who were both introduced to the starting lineup almost immediately at the start of the season. Each player shouldered the burden

of high expectations to improve quickly, and that burden only got heavier when Crow’s injuries started to pile up.

However, Mizzou’s plethora of offensive weapons allowed veterans like redshirt senior Kira Larson, senior Sydney Deeken and junior Alyssa Munlyn to ease the pressure on the freshmen, who in turn have been able to surpass their preseason expectations in absence of that pressure.

The other major storyline of the year for the Tigers has been their excellent blocking. Mizzou’s 302.5 total blocks and 2.91 blocks per set rank first and second in the SEC, respectively (ninth and 13th nationally).

Middle blockers Munlyn and redshirt freshman Kayla Caffey have a combined total of 251 blocks and 2.41 blocks per set. Munlyn individually ranks first in the SEC in total blocks and second in blocks per set (seventh and 13th nationally), and the junior reset Mizzou’s record for most total blocks in a single season with four regular season matches yet to play.

So Missouri volleyball (17-10) may not have fulfilled its high preseason expectations, and it almost certainly will not repeat as SEC champions, but there is still a lot to be played for, including a possible NCAA tournament berth and another big matchup against Florida, this time on senior night.

The No. 3-ranked Gators avenged last year’s loss against the Tigers on Sunday, Nov. 12 in a tight 3-1 home victory, but they will have to face Mizzou once again

on Nov. 25, this time in Hearnes Center.

While this game will not be the de facto SEC championship game as it was last year, it is still the most important game on the schedule for the Tigers. A win could give this season new meaning in terms of success and would exponentially raise the team’s momentum and confidence, especially those of its younger members. A loss means that Mizzou would go 0-6 against AVCA Coaches ranked teams and could end the hopes of being selected to the NCAA tournament.

“With big games against big opponents, you don’t have to worry about your players being mentally ready,” Kreklow said. “The players know who they are facing and they are able to raise their playing level to the occasion.”

Mizzou still has to play matches against Mississippi State, Arkansas and Alabama before its conference finale in a little over a week, and each of those games are must-wins in order to limit the damage done by four SEC loses thus far, but the Tigers should be able to win all three with relatively low difficulty — they already beat Mississippi State and Alabama a combined six sets to none in October.

Fans and players alike will be anticipating the big matchup between the defending co-SEC champions on Nov. 25.

Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

14

T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | N OV. 1 5, 2 0 1 7

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Kassius Robertson, big men lead the way in Tigers’ 99-55 win Robertson had 23 points on 7-10 shooting in the Tigers’ victory.

JOE NOSER

Assistant Sports Editor There are blowouts, and then there are what transpired at Mizzou Arena on Monday night.

Missouri’s depth and length were simply too much for the Wagner Seahawks, as the Tigers cruised to a 99-55 victory and the team’s second win of the season.

The Tigers were led by their big men throughout the contest, as freshman Jontay Porter and sophomore Reed Nikko combined for 19 points and 16 rebounds and took control of the offense, opening up shots for perimeter shooters. As a team, Missouri outrebounded the Seahawks 38-27 and shot 68 percent from the field.

Senior Jordan Barnett said the young big men’s performances were key to the win, especially considering freshman Jeremiah Tilmon fouled out and played just ten minutes.

“They definitely picked it up,” Barnett said. “We for sure expect that out of both of them, but I thought Jontay [Porter] played exceptionally well, and Reed [Nikko] really came in and changed the game in a way. He was extremely energetic and getting blocks and making plays. I was proud

of both of them.”

The game was never close. After winning the opening tip, Wagner turned the ball over on its first possession when Barnett intercepted a pass and turned it into Missouri’s first points on an emphatic twohanded dunk the other way. The Tigers followed up Barnett’s dunk with a 17-3 run to give them a 19-3 lead at the 12:19 mark in the first half. Missouri had a lead for all but 16 seconds of the game and led by 33 at halftime.

Porter was especially impressive in the first half. The soon-to-be 18-yearold dominated Wagner’s big men and put up nine points, seven rebounds and four assists in 13 first-half minutes off the bench. He finished with 11 points.

Missouri’s guard play was also excellent on the night. Graduate transfer Kassius Robertson led all scorers with 23 points, including five threes, recovering well from his 3-12 shooting performance against Iowa State on opening night.

Barnett had his second straight double-digit scoring effort, putting up 13 points, including an emphatic second-half one-handed tomahawk dunk that earned the loudest ovation of the night from Mizzou’s faithful and gave the Tigers an 81-34 lead. Juniors Terrence Phillips and Cullen VanLeer also got in on the action, scoring 12 and seven points, respectively.

Robertson said it felt good to shoot

better as he transitions to the point guard position.

“It’s nice to come out and do what I’m able to do,” Robertson said. “I’m getting better every game, every practice.”

Head coach Cuonzo Martin said Robertson played at a level he’s come to expect out of his starting point guard and that his first game was an anomaly.

“We just had to find different ways to get him the ball where he can get shots in rhythm because he’s always shot ready,” Martin said. “Anytime he shoots the ball he expects it to go in. I wasn’t worried about him.”

The Tigers’ defensive successes against Iowa State carried over to Monday’s game, as well. Missouri forced 19 turnovers in the game and held Wagner to just 33 percent shooting, as the Tigers limited any kind of interior chances the Seahawks could muster for the majority of the contest. Sophomore Blake Francis and senior JoJo Cooper were the only Wagner players to finish in double digits, registering 17 and 11 points, respectively, on 6 of 14 and 3 of 12 shooting.

After the game, Missouri confirmed that Michael Porter Jr. is listed as day-to-day with a leg injury. Martin said that he’s unsure if Porter Jr. will travel with the team this week and refused to comment further on the freshman phenom’s status. Martin would not say whether Porter Jr. has

15,061 fans filled the Mizzou Arena in Missouri’s basketball season opener on Friday, Nov. 11, 2017. PHOTO BY JACOB MOSCO-

VITCH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER seen an outside doctor. Additionally, freshman guard Blake Harris, who fell hard on his left knee in the first half of Monday’s contest, was also declared day-to-day.

Martin also announced after the game that freshman guard C.J. Roberts and sophomore forward Mitchell Smith will be redshirting this season.

Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com

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T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | NOV. 15, 2017

GOLF

Continued from page 11

coaches and mentors in sports.

“What inspired me to be a coach has been all the coaches in my life,” Priesmeyer said.

“Growing up in a small town in Indiana, everything is kind of centered around sports.

My coaches and family were great influences on me at

OPEN

Continued from page 11

night. Half an hour before the game, the student section — formerly sparse — was so full it spilled out into the upper bowl, filling up three more sections of Mizzou Arena and still leaving eager students doubling up on seats and crowding the aisles.

I choose to attribute that not to poor allocation by Mizzou Athletics of the student ticket system but to actual excitement for the basketball program, something that was noticeably, and understandably, lacking during my first two years at MU. You can’t expect people to support a bad team — when the Tigers were bad, the student section for both major sports had visible holes. I would show up for 7 p.m.

a young age. My dad was a coach and a teacher, and my grandfather was a coach and a teacher. Those positive experiences are really what motivated me and taught me pretty early on that I wanted to be a coach.”

Priesmeyer said she has experienced a lot of change as a coach at Mizzou. She’s managed to stay involved and committed to the team through changes as big as

Mizzou’s 2012 move to the Southeastern Conference.

“Every year is totally different,” Priesmeyer said.

“Even with one player change, there are always events to learn from. The dynamic is always evolving; we never do anything the same way. We always want the best for our players and for them to get the most out of their time here as players.”

Alongside Priesmeyer is

assistant coach Mindy Coyle, a fellow Mizzou graduate.

Coyle played on Priesmeyer’s first freshman class team.

Coyle, a Missouri native, graduated and was hired onto the coaching staff in 2006.

Both Priesmeyer and Coyle care about more than just winning for the team.

They have a greater sense of community and desire to give back to Mizzou.

“It’s very rare to have

two coaches, both being female and graduating from the University of Missouri, that have such a unique passion for the team and the community,” Priesmeyer said. “We do it because we want to be here. We do it because we love it and want to build something great because Mizzou has given us so much.”

Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

basketball games at 6:55 and sit in the otherwise vacant second row, or sneak into Tiger’s Lair at Faurot with no one bothering to check.

Those days are gone, at least for the time being. And that’s a good thing.

They’ve been replaced by days where Missouri beats a power-conference team outside of the Southeastern Conference in basketball for the first time in … well, let’s just say it’s been a while.

And, again, Missouri managed this without Porter Jr. In his stead, freshman big man Jeremiah Tilmon dominated down low on offense and defense, pouring in 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Tilmon shares his hometown of East St. Louis, Illinois, with firstyear coach Cuonzo Martin, who’s known for his recruiting and the scrappy defense of the teams he’s coached.

Martin pinballed from

Missouri State to Tennessee to California before finding himself in Columbia, two hours away from home and across the mighty Mississippi.

In his first game as the Tigers’ coach, Martin brought the excitement like Kim Anderson, his predecessor, never really could. That’s due to the new blood Martin managed to bring in: Tilmon, Jontay Porter, Blake Harris and C.J. Roberts, who didn’t even need to play Friday night. And, of course, Michael Porter Jr., the anointed one, the heralded savior of a cellar-dwelling Tigers team.

Porter Jr., who wasn’t really needed, sat on the bench in warm-up clothes with a tweaked hip, as Missouri walloped Iowa State in front of a raucous crowd.

The Tigers kept it up on Saturday in front of a respectable audience at Faurot for senior night. Quarterback

Drew Lock wasn’t at his best and it didn’t even matter for Missouri, which pounded the Vols on the ground for a whopping 433 rushing yards.

Senior running back Ish Witter had the game of his life in his Columbia encore with 216 yards and a score.

Freshman Larry Rountree was a perfect complement, providing 155 yards on 18 carries and scoring once in his bruising style.

The defense was aggressive in its pursuit of freshman quarterback Will McBride, picking him off twice and sacking him five times, with redshirt senior Marcell Frazier and redshirt freshman Tre Williams each contributing two. Mizzou took a little while to open it up, but the team cruised to a win.

The Tigers have stabilized at 5-5, after a sky-is-falling reaction from pretty much everyone (myself included)

when they fell to 1-3, then to 1-5. Missouri has a favorable schedule from here on out with games at Vanderbilt and at Arkansas. It has a realistic shot at a 7-5 finish and almost definitely will make a bowl game. And after a five-game losing streak, that’s something even the most optimistic pundits didn’t expect.

Maybe last weekend won’t be the sole, critical turning point it could be. Perhaps Missouri basketball never gels as well as in its first game and struggles to another SEC basement year.

Maybe the football team comes out flat and falls in Nashville or Fayetteville or both.

But Friday and Saturday sure were enjoyable. And after the last two dismal years for Missouri fans, does it have to be anything more than that?

Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

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