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AUGUST 30, 2017 • THEMANEATER.COM
Odom’s comfort brings confidence to the Tigers A greater sense of comfort for head football coach Barry Odom has provided the Tigers with a boost ahead of the 2017 season. ELI LEDERMAN
Sports Editor
It’s hard to imagine many situations in which head football coach Barry Odom is uncomfortable. The man projects power in just about anything he does. On the practice field, Odom moves from each individual drill with speed and intensity; look down, and he’s no longer where you left him, now supervising another group of players 40 yards down the field. In press conferences, he oozes confidence even as he discusses his young and unproven
defense or his ailing secondary. When he leads his team out of the tunnel on game day, he still looks just as much a football player as he might have when he played for the Tigers nearly 20 years ago. In his first year as the head coach of the Tigers last season, however, Odom was at times insecure and uneasy, even as he swaggered around Faurot Field and the Tigers’ practice facility. Earlier this summer, Odom detailed some of those struggles to Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star, telling Gregorian that he experienced some unrest early on. “I’ve always for whatever reason had some trust issues,” Odom told the Star. Given the state of Missouri football, and the entire university for that matter during the past two-plus years, one could see from
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where those issues may have stemmed. Now entering his second season, Odom feels those issues have dissipated, and there are reasons for Missouri’s head coach to feel more relaxed. The Tigers have 14 starters returning from last season’s team. There is stability in the Athletics Department as Athletic Director Jim Sterk appears to be at Mizzou to stay, a stark contrast from the administrative revolving door Odom knew early on in his time here. Perhaps most importantly, he has a year of experience under his belt. Whatever the reason, Odom has an increased sense of comfort as the season approaches. “...It’s been easier this year,” Odom told Gregorian. “There’s not any hidden agendas in the room, which I can’t always say was the case.”
DEFENSE
Missouri football counting on young players to stabilize defense Amidst major roster turnover, Head Coach Barry Odom is looking for contributions from every area of the roster. GARRETT JONES
Staff Writer
The preseason rumblings questioning the Missouri defense aren’t new to the Missouri coaches or players. Many pundits are quick to point out the 63 points allowed vs. Tennessee last Nov. 19. Others highlight the team’s 116th ranking in total defense among 128 Division-I programs. Perhaps the biggest question surrounding the team is one that many college football teams find themselves asking in the preseason: “Who’s stepping up?”
“There’s a lot of pressure on the young guys, including them, to step up,” Head Coach Barry Odom said on the freshmen. “It’s so important to have every guy ready, and it’s important as a coaching staff to execute.” Here’s a comprehensive look at just who Missouri added, brought back and lost — both on the coaching staff and player roster — to offer more insight into that very question. Losses The most significant loss for the Missouri defense came back in April, when unquestioned defensive leader Charles Harris was drafted 22nd overall in the first round of the NFL draft. Key contributors Donavin Newsom, Michael Scherer and Josh Augusta all left to graduation. Those four combined for a whopping 210 total tackles for the
Tigers’ defense last season, and whether or not the 2017 Tigers can make up for their lost production will go a long way in deciding games for Missouri. Returning Starters At safety, junior Cam Hilton and freshman Jordan Ulmer were named starters when Mizzoui announced it’s depth chart Tuesday. Redshirt senior Anthony Sherrils and senior Thomas Wilson were listed as backups. “I think we’re going to lean on four guys to go play,” Odom said Tuesday, referring to Sherrils, Ulmer, Hilton and Wilson. Nonetheless, Sherrils emphasized the collective goal of the unit, no matter who suits up on the field. “We have one message … Go get the ball,” Sherrils told Mizzou Network. “We have poise, we’re detail oriented, and we’re ready to
go out and ball.” When the news broke of redshirt freshman Christian Holmes’ season-ending shoulder injury, the cornerback position entered a state of flux. After Holmes’ injury, sophomore DeMarkus Acy is No. 1 on the depth chart, with senior Logan Cheadle likely to line up across from him to start the year. Freshman Adam Sparks and redshirt junior Finis Stribling IV are next in line. “Acy’s probably the lead guy to start, but outside of that we’re not really set,” defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross told the Columbia Daily Tribune. “Him and Sherrils are probably the two strongest candidates right now to start in the secondary.” As far as linebackers go, junior Terez Hall, sophomore Cale Garrett
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T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | AUG. 30, 2017
MANEATER FILE PHOTO
Breaking down Mizzou’s chances for every football game this season Sports staffer Joe Noser predicts Mizzou will finish bowl eligible for the first time since 2015. JOE NOSER
Staff Writer
Although head coach Barry Odom’s first season at the helm of Missouri Tigers football was a turbulent one, the team’s win over Arkansas to end last year has set a tone of optimism entering this season. Here’s a breakdown of all 12 games this season: Week 1: Home vs. Missouri State When you look up “cupcake game” in the dictionary (you can’t, but you get the point), you find this game. Missouri has to annihilate Missouri State in Week 1, and there’s nothing indicating this won’t happen. Missouri State may be trying to become the flagship university of the state, but they will not be the flagship football team in Missouri for years to come. Look for Mizzou to win this game handily, with Drew Lock throwing for at least three
touchdown passes. Week 2: Home vs. South Carolina This will be a huge early-season conference test for the Tigers. It’s also a great opportunity to get a Southeastern Conference win over a team that will be much improved from a year ago, as the Gamecocks just barely made a bowl game. This contest will be decided by youth. If Jake Bentley, the Gamecocks’ sophomore quarterback, carves up Mizzou’s equally green secondary, it could be a long day for the Tigers. That is, of course, only if Lock is unable to match him yard for yard and score for score. This one could go either way, but look for the Gamecocks to pull out a nailbiter on the road. Week 3: Home vs. Purdue If you’re looking for a potential letdown game on Mizzou’s schedule, circle this one on your calendar. Mizzou will be entering this game fired up about its Week 4 matchup against Auburn, especially if they’re able to pull out a victory over the Gamecocks in Week 2. But it would be a
MANEATER FILE PHOTO
mistake for the Tigers to overlook Purdue. Although Purdue finished with a dismal 3-9 record last season, new head coach Jeff Brohm has already breathed new life into the program. He should also help with the development of junior quarterback David Blough. Unless Blough doesn’t throw for any interceptions and Mizzou’s run defense is historically bad, I
don’t see the Tigers allowing the Boilermakers to pull out a win here. Mizzou should win this one by at least 10 points. Week 4: Home vs. Auburn Ah, the reach game. Mizzou could very well be 3-0 entering this game, and Faurot Field will certainly be loud and rowdy if that’s the case. But a great home
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T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | AUG. 30, 2017 crowd and confidence gained from two or three wins to start the year will not be enough for Mizzou to beat a far superior Auburn team. Auburn has too many weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham is an athletic freak and running backs Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson ran all over SEC defenses last year. The same will happen against Mizzou this year. Auburn should win this one in a blowout. Week 5: Bye Week Week 6: Road vs. Kentucky This is another winnable game for Mizzou, but a lot of things are going to have to go right for the Tigers to pull out a victory. This will be the first road test for the Tigers’ unproven secondary, and if the Wildcats’ standout running back Benny Snell Jr. runs like he’s capable of, this could turn into a dogfight. The two big matchups to look out for in this one will be Snell versus Mizzou’s defensive line and Mizzou running back Damarea Crockett versus Kentucky’s Jordan Jones. It’ll be a knockdown, drag-out fight, but I anticipate Kentucky winning this one by two scores. Week 7: Road vs. Georgia In many ways, this game depends more upon how well Georgia plays and less upon the play of the Tigers. Sure, Mizzou will be extra motivated to pull off an upset after the heartbreaker of a loss the team endured to the Bulldogs last year, but Georgia
on paper is just a much better football team than Mizzou is right now. If Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are back on track this year, that should open up opportunities for Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason to air it out. If that happens, good luck. Mizzou could win this game, but I see Georgia pulling out another close one. Week 8: Home vs. Idaho “Yikes.” That’s the first word that comes to mind when reading about Idaho this season. This will be the team’s final year in the Sun Belt Conference, and with an above-average offensive line for the first time in many years, Idaho’s offense could be even better than last year, when the Vandals went 9-4. Idaho has nothing to lose and will be looking to spoil Mizzou’s Homecoming party in a big way. However, with the pain of last year’s Homecoming loss to Middle Tennessee still fresh in the Tigers’ collective memories, Mizzou should be able to score enough points to pull out what should be a barnburner. Don’t be surprised if the Vandals play villain and throw off the Tigers’ whole season, though. Week 9: Road vs. Connecticut If you heard about Connecticut Huskies football last season, they were most likely mentioned in the context of their abysmal offense. The Huskies ranked second to last in the NCAA in scoring last season, putting up only 14.0 points per game. The Huskies will be a little improved this season but not enough to keep
pace with a Tiger offense that shouldn’t have trouble matching their 27.1 points per game mark from a year ago. Mizzou should win this one handily. Week 10: Home vs. Florida Apart from the Auburn game, no game on Mizzou’s schedule to this point should be a blowout for the Tigers. That streak will probably end against Florida. If Malik Zaire is Florida’s starting quarterback, this one is going to be ugly. An experienced, dual-threat quarterback and graduate transfer from Notre Dame, Zaire would run all over Mizzou’s run defense and light up the Tigers’ secondary. If Feleipe Franks starts, the Gators might throw for 400 yards through the air. Week 11: Home vs. Tennessee This is a gigantic game for Mizzou and an early chance in Odom’s coaching career to pick up a big win. The Volunteers have faded down the stretch in recent seasons and are certainly less talented on the defensive side of the ball with the loss of premier defensive end Derek Barnett to the NFL. With this game also being Mizzou’s Senior Day game, the stage will certainly be set for an upset victory for the Tigers. If Mizzou can contain running backs John Kelly and Ty Chandler and Crockett has a big game, Mizzou could very well win this one. Week 12: Away vs. Vanderbilt Vanderbilt played its worst
MANEATER FILE PHOTO
game of the year versus Mizzou last season and will not be nearly as bad at home in this one. Both teams will be battling to qualify for a bowl at this point in the year, and Vanderbilt’s senior running back Ralph Webb will also most likely be close to cementing his status as the alltime leading rusher in the SEC. In other words, both teams are going to have a lot to play for in this one. However, with standout linebacker Zach Cunningham gone, Crockett may be able to run all over the Commodores. This one may come down to a field goal, but look for Tucker McCann to nail a game-winner for the Tigers, forever immortalizing this one as “the Tucker McCann Redemption Game.” Week 13: Away vs. Arkansas Arkansas was downright terrible at the end of last season, which may have helped Missouri pull out a surprise victory in the third installment of the Battle Line Rivalry. Nonetheless, the Tigers played one of their best games against the Razorbacks last season and will need a similar effort to pull out a win this year. However, without the Tiger faithful behind them, Mizzou is going to run out of gas in this one. Look for Arkansas to win this game by a touchdown. Final Prediction Record: 6-6 First bowl game since 2015 Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com
NEWS
STADIUM
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Online this week: Graduate student rights rally, equipment donation to the College of Engineering and more.
STADIUM RENDERING COURTESY OF MU ATHLETICS
Private donations, long-term debt financing will fund $98 million Memorial Stadium project Athletic Director Jim Sterk: “Being able to compete not only with the SEC but nationally — I think this allows us to keep on par in a great way, allows Barry [Odom] to be competitive with recruiting and allows our student athletes the latest in facilities.” GALEN BACHARIER
Reporter
The UM System Board of Curators approved the Memorial Stadium
South Expansion project Friday morning. The stadium expansion will begin infrastructure construction during the upcoming football season and will be completed in time for the 2019 season. It is estimated to cost $98 million and was approved unanimously by the Finance Committee and the Board of Curators after a unanimous vote to re-appoint the board’s committees. The idea of a new south end zone building first came up in 2008, and a master plan was issued to architecture firm HOK in 2010, said Athletic Director Jim Sterk at the Friday meeting. The firm currently carrying out the project is Populous Inc., based out of Kansas City, which was hired in February.
Sterk and Ryan Rapp, vice president of finance and chief financial officer of the UM System, presented the project to the board, recapping Mizzou Athletics’ finances for fiscal year 2018 before providing an overview of the project’s timeline and funding. Over half of the project’s funding is projected to come from $50 million in donations from 42 donors, Sterk said. The remainder will come from long-term debt paid off from premium seat ticket sales. Sterk made his case to the board as to why the expansion would help MU as an institution, as well as within the Southeastern Conference. “This project is one that will help us jump in that [SEC] ranking … and
help us be more competitive within the league,” Sterk said. “Being able to compete not only with the SEC but nationally — I think this allows us to keep on par in a great way, allows Barry [Odom] to be competitive with recruiting and allows our student athletes the latest in facilities.” The project will also help the football program, the most profitable sector of Mizzou Athletics. “What we’re doing here is protecting our most valuable asset in athletics, which is football,” Curator Phillip H. Snowden said. “Out of our $100-million budget, and $90 million of it comes from revenue that football provides. … We’re
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FINANCIAL AID
Chancellor Cartwright announces new financial aid packages for Pell Grant recipients “The grants use a combination of federal, state, and institutional resources to meet the cost of tuition and fees at Mizzou,” according to the MU News Bureau. STEPHI SMITH
Reporter
MU Chancellor Alexander Cartwright announced a new
financial aid package that provides full tuition and fees for Missouri Pell Grant recipients at Jesse Hall on Thursday. “We know that this award is going to have a significant impact on our state,” Cartwright said. “Today we take a great step forward with this investment in our students.” The Missouri Land Grant offers full tuition and fees for Pell-eligible students, and the Missouri Land Grant Honors offers tuition, fees, books and room and board for students enrolled in the Honors
College, according to a news release. Both grants are available for first-time MU students, either college freshmen or transfers. At the event, Cartwright expressed how important it is to have affordable education. “I certainly would not be standing here today if not for financial aid,” he said. When Cartwright first moved to the United States from the bahamas,
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he enrolled in a community college and continued his education at the University of Iowa. He explained how financial aid helped him cover the costs while also working fulltime. Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Pelema Morrice, who also signed the grant, said it will benefit all Missourians. “The citizens of Missouri want and deserve a high-quality education so that they can work and thrive in the state that they know and love,” Morrice said. “College affordability is an important aspect of that equation.” According to Nick Prewett, Executive Director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, the grant will affect over 3,500 students. Prewett helped formulate the process for the grant’s final product by collecting and analysing data to ensure it benefits the most amount of students possible. He had been working on this since February, he said. “The grants use a combination of federal, state, and institutional resources to meet the cost of tuition and fees at Mizzou,” according to a Q&A provided by the MU News Bureau. The grant will offer “competitive, affordable education for Missouri,”
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T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | AUG. 30, 2017
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enhancing not only football and our brand around the country, but we’re
University of Missouri Chancellor Alexander Cartwright and Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Pelema Morrice are introduced at the signing of a “Missouri Land Grant Compact,” which highlights the University’s goal of offering affordable education, on August 24th, 2017 in Jesse Hall. BAILEY VALADEZ | SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHY
according to an email sent out by the Office of the Chancellor on Tuesday informing the campus community about the event. The compact is named in recognition of the university’s land grant status. In 1839, citizens of Boone County pooled their money and land together to establish the first public university west of the Mississippi River, and in 1870, MU was awarded land-grant status
through the Morrill Act. Since then, Cartwright said, MU has been “bettering lives” of students and faculty. “Today we are investing in Missouri,” Cartwright said. Cartwright said this expansion reaffirms the university’s pledge to offer affordable education to Missourians. MSA Vice President Payton Englert, who spoke at the event, said higher education and financial
aid can change lives. She called the signing of the grant a “historic announcement” and thanked both Cartwright and Morrice, along with the administration, for working to develop it. “The Missouri Land Grant is something that will make the Mizzou degree more accessible for some of our fellow and future students,” Englert said. Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com
supporting the student athletes at the university.” Ticket revenue in the end zone is projected to increase nearly sixfold with the project. “Currently, we generate about a million and a half dollars there throughout the season,” Sterk said.
“Now we’re estimating that we can generate upwards of $6 million in that end zone.” Sterk added that despite any debt the project will incur, concerns of the university’s credit rating should not be at the forefront of discussion. “Our credit rating really shouldn’t
drive our strategy,” Sterk said. “We’re
an AA1-rating institution … If there was an impact, it wouldn’t be driven by this project.”
Edited by Olivia Garrett
ogarrett@themaneater.com
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T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | AUG. 30, 2017
LGBTQ support groups and organizations celebrate pride in mid-Missouri MAWA IQBAL
THE MANEATER The Student Voice of MU
Staff Writer
In celebration of the LGBTQ commuity’s increasing visiblity in Missouri, LGBTQ organizations MidMissouri Pride and The Center Project came together to host their 14th annual PrideFest on Saturday at Rose Music Hall. The festival featured an array of performances and guest speakers, from live musical groups to an interfaith sermon from local LGBTQ-allied clergy and a pole dance routine from Muse Pole Fitness dancers. The festival closed with the Downtown Hometown Drag Show, headlined by Roxxxy Andrews and showcasing 15 local entertainers. In addition, sponsors and organizations from around MidMissouri set up booths outside the music hall for festivalgoers to visit, including  Planned Parenthood, the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri. Sarah Mitchell, a Center Project board member, believes it’s vital for people to be aware of all the different ways to get involved within the organization, whether it be through fundraisers or social events. “We have a lot of resources for people within the community,� Mitchell said. “It’s important to have a safe space where people can actually come and find other people that are like minded and supportive of all people.� Center Project’s youth group Prism specializes in providing networks for LGBTQ community members to connect. “LGBTQ teens struggle with social isolation if they don’t know other queer teens and especially if they don’t have family acceptance,� Prism member Melina Constantine said. “We want to advertise a social network for those teens who can’t find one in
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school or their home.� Although the annual PrideFest started in 2003, Missouri Pride didn’t officially join forces with The Center Project until earlier this year. According to Mid-Missouri Pride’s official website, the goal of the merger was to create a greater impact on the community at large. In an effort to reach out to a larger scope of LGBTQ people within the greater Missouri area, PrideFest hosted a wider variety of organizations. Strategic communication manager of MU’s Division of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Ryan Gavin sees this year’s festival moving closer to intersectionality. “It hasn’t always been like that,� Gavin said. “I’ve definitely seen a lot more support this year than I have in years before. I think all minority communities should work to find that place that’s supportive of all identities.� Organizations not traditionally affiliated with the LGBTQ community were also working toward creating an atmosphere of support and inclusion for those identities. Beth Hendren, board member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, believes that aligning the group with the LGBTQ community will greatly
benefit both parties. “It’s my goal to get the LGBTQ community to be a part of us,� Hendren said. “I think they are two groups that go by without anyone really helping. I want them to know that we are here for them no matter what.� Hendren, who has been with the AFSP for two years, has been involved in many outreach events including the Out of the Darkness Community Walk, a fundraiser meant to raise awareness and prevention of suicide and mental health issues. “Regardless if it’s LGBTQ or mental health, I think it’s important for everyone to have something they can go to and not feel judged,� Hendren said. Some sponsors recognize that having a festival that celebrates acceptance and individuality was proof of a supportive presence within Missouri. “Having the festival is a celebration of all types of people,� Mitchell said. “When you come here, you see the overwhelming support and love for people of the LGBTQ community and just everybody else too.� Edited by Sarah Hallam shallam@themaneater.com
CORRECTION— A caption printed in last week’s issue described a statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia, as the one that was pulled down by protesters earlier this month; it was actually the statue of the Confederate general in Durham, North Carolina, that was pulled down in protest. The Maneater regrets this error.
$40
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. “It’s not alcoholism if it’s production night.�
Reporters for The Maneater are required to offer verification of all quotes for each source. If you notice an inaccuracy in one of our stories, please contact us via phone or email. Editor-in-Chief Victoria Cheyne
Sports Editor Eli Lederman
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MOVE Editor Claire Colby, Brooke Collier
Production Coordinator Cassie Allen Copy Chiefs Sam Nelson, David Reynolds, Anna Sirianni Online Development Editor Michael Smith Jr. News Editors Olivia Garrett Sarah Hallam
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A NEW VOICE
Husband and wife duo examines SNL’s impact on 1976 election
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“I’M A BIG FAN OF SNL JUST THROUGH LIFE, AND I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING PROJECT TO WORK ON … IT TURNED INTO DOING A LOT OF INTERVIEWS OF SNL CAST, WRITERS, PEOPLE FROM THE FORD ADMINISTRATION AND PEOPLE FROM THE JIMMY CARTER ADMINISTRATION.”
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Married couple Dr. Heather Carver and Dr. William Horner seem to have created what could only be called a work of fate. Carver, chair of the theater department, and Horner, director of the undergraduate political science department, have worked at MU for 17 years. They will come out with their first joint academic project, a book titled “Saturday Night Live and the 1976 Presidential Election: A New Voice Enters C a m p a i g n Politics,” in November. Horner started the project in the wake of the 2008 presidential election after coming across a post on the internet asserting that SNL’s portrayal of Gerald Ford lost him the 1976 election. “That’s an interesting thing to say,” Horner said. “I’m a big fan of SNL just through life, and I thought that would be an interesting project to work on … It turned into doing a lot of interviews of SNL cast, writers, people from the Ford administration and people from the Jimmy Carter administration.” Carver joined later, when Horner realized the book needed performance theory and insight into the role of theater in the show. The book argues that SNL influenced the 1976 election more than any other. At that time, audiences reached upward of 30 million people,
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CLARE ROTH
Staff writer
which, according to Horner, would be astronomical today. “Now, they’re excited beyond belief to have 10 million people watching SNL,” Horner said. “When Sarah Palin was on, they hit 13 million for that episode. The peak was when Palin and [Tina] Fey were on together. But that’s half of what the show would regularly get.” The large SNL audiences and the closeness of the race between Carter and Ford are reasons Horner believed SNL had such a significant impact on the election. “About a million votes decided the outcome of the election,” Horner said. “It went back and forth all the way up until the end. Ford had come so close the administration was writing a victory speech. They really thought they’d pulled it out.” Horner said his theory has been shared by multiple people surrounding the Ford administration, including Ford’s press secretary Ron Nessen. “[Nessen] hosted SNL in 1976 in April,” Horner said. “So I interviewed him. He wrote an autobiography, and in his autobiography, which came out right after he was the press secretary, he said he thought SNL cost them the election because of how negatively they portrayed Gerald Ford, and he denies that now when we interview him. He says that it’s a ridiculous assumption.” Carver and Horner agreed that “it’s obvious” the SNL cast favored Carter over Ford, and the cast’s sketches portrayed Ford as clumsy. For example, Ford was spoofed falling down the steps of a plane, hitting people with golf balls and falling down while skiing. After that, even though Ford was an AllAmerican football player in college, he was generally considered clumsy and stupid, Horner said. “If you’re faced with two guys and you portray one as a little bit
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Dr. William Horner: “If you’re faced with two guys and you portray one as a little bit disingenuous, maybe willing to say anything to get elected, and the other one as a fool, it’s clear who they think would be a better president.”
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T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | AUG. 30, 2017
PHOTO COURTESY OF MU ARTS AND SCIENCE
disingenuous, maybe willing to say anything to get elected, and the other one as a fool, it’s clear who they think would be a better president,” Horner said. Carver argues that SNL is historically anti-establishment because it’s live, which makes the actors capable of getting away with anything. “This isn’t something that’s being manipulated later,” Carver said. “Right now, if you’re watching, we’re taking digs at you if you’re in the establishment.” In terms of how SNL is affecting politics today, both Horner and Carver reference Tina Fey’s portrayal of John McCain’s vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in the 2008 election. Fey, with Amy Poehler, spoofed an interview Palin had with then-CBS news anchor Katie Couric.
“People believed that it was an exact transcript,” Carver said. “And it wasn’t. But the show isn’t going to say it’s not. They were doing their job in showing that this is what it looked, sounded and felt like, but it wasn’t the direct transcript.” Horner said this is why SNL has a significant impact on how people perceive politics. “If you watch that sketch with Tina Fey and Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler and Katie Couric, there is that real interview, it does exist,” Horner said. “And people think it’s true that it’s a direct transcript. And that’s why SNL matters. It helps people create these shortcuts in their brain of what these figures are like. And once that’s established, it’s really hard to ever break free of it.” Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com
8 MUSIC GUIDE
A guide to Columbia’s live music scene this fall There’s something for everyone with the musical performances lined up this season in downtown Columbia. JANE MATHER-GLASS
Reporter
Buy your tickets now before they’re gone. The shows that make up Columbia’s live music scene span a wide array of artists and styles, and with music venues all over town, there’s something for everyone. “As a venue, you have a responsibility to bring music that appeals to all different music tastes and parts of the community,” said Matt Gerding, owner of Rose Music Hall and The Blue Note. The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall host a wide range of artists, not only in terms of style but also popularity. Some more well-known artists are coming soon, like the one The Blue Note just announced this past Sunday: Snoop Dogg will perform in Columbia on Sept. 7. If rap isn’t your thing, some big names in country and folk will be coming soon, too. “We have six huge shows happening on Ninth Street all during the fall semester, which is more than we usually
have this time of year,” Gerding said. These shows will feature Cody Johnson, Kip Moore, Eli Young Band & Locash, The Head and the Heart, Big Gigantic and Turnpike Troubadours and are expected to draw crowds of at least 3,000 people. Some shows at these venues are booked two months in advance, while bigger shows like the ones on Ninth Street must be booked four to six months ahead of time. “Most shows we book are part of routed tours,” Gerding said. “We have to convince people that The Blue Note is a great spot and that Columbia is worth coming through.” If you’re overwhelmed by all these options, Gerding recommends Sylvan Esso. “They’re a really hot artist right now,” he said. “They have a really unique sound, and it’s the kind of show that Columbia doesn’t often get to see.” When it comes to smaller artists, Gerding recommends looking into shows at Rose Music Hall. This venue hosts primarily local artists, including Don’t Mind Dying, which is one of Columbia’s biggest local bands and tends to draw larger crowds. Gerding also recommends seeing Moon Hooch on Oct. 12 and the rest of the outdoor shows at that location. Rose Music Hall is especially student-
The Blue Note MANEATER FILE PHOTO friendly since MU students are able to student charge tickets at the Missouri Student Association Box Office in the lower level of the Student Center, according to Gerding. Aside from the spike in the number of shows on Ninth Street, Gerding says that otherwise, the balance of types of shows this season is pretty in line with what the venues have had in the past. The Blue Note, however, is hosting
Hannibal Buress for a huge comedy show on Oct. 19, which is somewhat out of the ordinary. “I always encourage students and the community to take a chance on live music,” Gerding said, “because you might discover your favorite band.” Edited by Brooke Collier bcollier@themaneater.com
MOVIE REVIEW
‘The Big Sick’ explores important cultural issues The film uses lighthearted comedy to discuss topics that are deeply rooted in modern society. LIV JACKSON
Columnist
The Big Sick, playing at Ragtag Cinema Aug. 31 through Sept. 6, is a new film directed by Michael Showalter. It tells the story of Kumail, a twentysomething Pakistani comic. A normal day for Kumail consists of performing at stand-up gigs, driving for Uber and the occasional dinner with his conventionally Muslim family, which usually ends with his mother attempting to set him up with a Pakistani woman. At one of his shows, Kumail meets snarky graduate student Emily. After a night spent together, the two fall into a pattern of seeing each other, which eventually develops into a quasirelationship. An intense disagreement concerning the future of their relationship ensues one night after Emily discovers that, due to the traditional nature of Kumail’s family, their relationship may have an expiration date. The two go a while without seeing each other. However, when Emily contracts an illness that
leaves her in a coma, Kumail flies to her side and stumbles into an initially awkward friendship with Emily’s parents. The Big Sick is wrought with themes of significant cultural relevance. Perhaps the strongest is the exploration into the demands felt by young Muslim individuals to conform to their religious practices while also navigating the modern romantic world. Kumail reacts to the great amount of pressure he is under from his family throughout the film. His brother is in a successful arranged marriage and advises him to pursue the same lifestyle. Feeling trapped by his family’s expectations for him, Kumail attempts to hide his relationship with Emily, a white woman. Once he finally confesses his love for Emily to his mother and father, their initial reaction is to exile him from the family entirely. The film also explores the complex nature of contemporary relationships. Kumail and Emily navigate awkward and uneasy situations every other minute. Whether attempting to maintain a casual, non-committal relationship or tackling the issue of how soon is too soon to introduce your significant other to your parents, the duo finds themselves having difficult conversations frequently.
The Big Sick COURTESY OF BAGO GAMES VIA FLICKR Coping with the conflicts of his family and his relationship causes an intense amount of pressure in Kumail’s life, and this reaches its climax when he delivers an emotionally charged standup show. He expresses the extreme pressure he felt from trying to balance all of the societal expectations placed upon him. The cultural significance of the film is perfectly exemplified in this scene. Kumail’s experiences throughout the
story are reality for many people in their daily lives. Being aware of this can aid others in the pursuit of becoming more understanding. Due to the fact that the importance of this film is heightened by the social climate of the country at the time of its release, I would recommend seeing The Big Sick to anyone interested in expanding their cultural intelligence.
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T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | AUG. 30, 2017 ORGANIZATIONS
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LANE BURDETTE | VISUALS DIRECTOR
MU organizations implement new programs, look toward future goals Groups have new programs and outreach events on deck. ALEXANDRA SHARP
Reporter
MU organizations across campus have set new semester goals and are implementing programs to help the student community. One such organization is Mizzou Alternative Breaks, an organization that sends students on service trips across the country and world. According to Lillie Heigl, student director of marketing for the spring season, MAB hopes to enrich its members with new programs and high-quality trips. “We believe in using service and impactful relationships to create active and united citizens on our campus,” Heigl said. “A few cool things about MAB is we’re the largest alternative breaks program in the country, which we’re really proud of because it means that Mizzou has more students than any other college campus that are passionate about service and passionate about creating a better community here in Missouri and around the country.” MAB is working on implementing numerous programs throughout the semester, including MAB Ambassadors, which are student leaders who promote the club by speaking in classes and at organization fairs, and 2020 Vision. According to Heigl, 2020 Vision is
a returning weekend program that hopes to continue its goal of serving all 114 counties in the state of Missouri by the year 2020. “We’ve made a lot of progress in that, and we’re kind of on target to hopefully reach that goal,” Heigl said. “So we’re excited to make further progress in that goal this semester as each year, students go to other counties we haven’t hit yet.” Although smaller in size, the Jewish Student Organization plans events that connect various students on campus within one community;
dodgeball game), tailgating party, Hanukkah event and various joint programs with Mizzou Hillel, the Jewish campus center. Not only does JSO wish to make a large campus feel like a small, tight-knit community, but it hopes to initiate major goals this fall. One goal is to address the rise in nationwide anti-semitism by speaking in residence halls. According to Ashenfarb, dorms can request JSO to come and educate them on how to react to and address anti-semitism, especially in the aftermath of events like Charlottesville. “I guess just with the rise of anti-semitism, we are always prepared to face what’s coming,” Ashenfarb said. “You know, [...] the political climate’s changing. That’s one thing we are always aware of.” Another new goal JSO is working toward is establishing Mizzou Jewish Greeks, JSO representatives in each of the sorority and fraternity houses. According to Ashenfarb, this will aid Jewish students involved in Greek Life by making certain JSO topics are not forgotten in the midst of planning Greek events. “In the past years, a lot of the Greek events have been on Jewish holidays,” Ashenfarb said. “I believe last year, the blood drive fell on Yom Kippur. And so we’re trying to find
“dorms can request the Jewish student Organization to come and educate them on how to react to and address anti-semitism, especially in the aftermath of events like Charlottesville.” JSO is open to all students, not solely students of Jewish faith. According to JSO President Lauren Ashenfarb, some activities to look out for include a JSO campfire, gaga game (an Israeli
a Greek representative from each house to advocate for JSO and not necessarily promote our events, but [...] just have a voice within the Greek community.” Gilberto Perez, president of the Association of Latin@ American Students, hopes to form a “la familia experience,” and cultivate a powerful presence on campus. The organization is open to all students, both of Latin American descent and those interested in Latin American culture. For Perez, this means creating a safe environment for all people, especially those who identify as Latinx, the gender-neutral alternative to Latino or Latina. “So what ALAS is for is [sic] mostly to build a community within campus so people who define themselves of Latino, Latina, Latinx are able to feel welcomed in this university and be able to stay in touch with their culture,” Perez said. “And the plan is to be able to educate them on the different identities that revolve around campus, not just Latino/Latina but also the Latinx community.” To achieve this goal, ALAS is planning the first-ever Latinx Leadership Retreat. This overnight event will take place from Sept. 22-23 in the Multicultural Center, according to Perez. “Being able to build leaders through [the Latinx Leadership Retreat] so people can, you know, go against social inequalities that happen throughout campus,” Perez said. Edited by Brooke Collier bcollier@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 | AUG. 30, 2017 FEATURE
One in 30,000: A girl at home in Singapore Hannah Deadwyler: “Living in an area surrounded by different cultures and getting to travel became my normal. Seeing all this diversity is a part of my childhood.” MAWA IQBAL
Staff Writer
Long-tailed, grey-haired monkeys. They hiss, jump and snatch personal belongings and can bite an innocent bystander at any given moment. They’re not as cute as what most people in the States may consider. Sophomore Hannah Deadwyler and her younger sister Rachel can attest to that. At 9 years old, Hannah was visiting the ancient temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia when she and Rachel noticed two women feeding a longtailed, grey monkey outside. One of the ladies offered Rachel a fresh corncob, and she used her widebrimmed sunhat as a bowl. With every kernel she’d break off the cob, the monkey would climb down a thick rope of ivy and snatch it from her tiny fingers before realizing that her hat contained the motherload. Feeling betrayed, the monkey leaped onto Rachel and clamped down on her arm, prompting a tuk-tuk, or auto rickshaw, ride to the nearest veterinary hospital for a series of rabies shots. T h o u g h Deadwyler wouldn’t consider this incident a memory to look back on fondly, her time spent living in Singapore and touring most of Southeast Asia with her family and friends were childhood experiences that have left a significant impact on her. At 7 years old, Deadwyler had to pack her American, suburban life into a small suitcase, ushering in the beginning of life in a foreign land half a world away. Her father, an employee of the St. Louis-based agrochemical company Monsanto, was assigned to work on a project in Singapore for three years before returning to the U.S.
Once there, Deadwyler and her siblings were enrolled in Singapore American School, an international day school offering American-based curriculum for students in preschool through high school. Although the students primarily spoke English and lesson plans aligned with those of a typical American elementary school, Deadwyler couldn’t help but notice slight differences. The students were more disciplined, the dress code was stricter, the classes were tougher and the expectations were higher. Much higher. Deadwyler and her classmates were to take Mandarin classes, write notes only in cursive and be proficient in a musical instrument by the time they reached fifth grade. On top of that, the typical disdain of doing schoolwork that’s present in most American schools is looked down upon at Singapore American School. But Deadwyler never found herself running into that issue. Aside from the rigor of her courses and the rigidness of the school’s behavioral protocol, Deadwyler was greeted with something that made donning a white polo and grey skirt worthwhile. “I thought it was interesting that nobody really cared where everyone was from or what they looked like,” Deadwyler said. “[It] might have been because we were little kids but might have also been because nobody was actually from Singapore; everyone was from another country.” She was a white girl. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed member of the majority back in America. With students hailing from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and the Indian subcontinent making up about 70 percent of the student body at SAS, Deadwyler had officially become part of the minority. But with the mesh of different cultural backgrounds concentrated all in one place came the opportunity for embracing each and every one of them in celebration, complete with free food and entertainment. Dressed in traditional red cheongsams, Deadwyler and her classmates would observe the Chinese New Year by attending dragon dance
“It was new. It was something she most likely wouldn’t have had the chance to experience if she had lived in middleAmerica suburbia.”
Hannah Deadwyler COURTESY OF FACEBOOK
and lion performances on the field outside school. She would watch as the performers waved a large, colorful paper dragon through the air in a serpentine fashion. Because classes were cancelled for the day, older students had ample space to run booths related to the holiday and other Chinese customs. They offered everything from sugary mooncakes and fortune telling to feng shui charms, which are meant to bring good fortune to the home. It was new. It was something she most likely wouldn’t have had the chance to experience if she had lived in middle-America suburbia. Taking advantage of their location within Asia and the ease of traveling the continent, Deadwyler and her family began a journey around Southeast Asia, embarking on trips to Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Japan, India, Malaysia and Bangladesh. During her trip to Thailand, Deadwyler and her family encountered more elephants than they expected to. From riding a mighty adult elephant around the base of an active volcano to stealing bread rolls from local breakfast shops to feed the gentle babies, Deadwyler had become accustomed to the conspicuous amount of elephants in the area. While most 19-year-olds can recall sitting in front of the living room TV
to watch Indiana Jones movies at some point in their childhoods, Deadwyler was instead starring in her own adventure thriller. Whenever they had downtime, her family would trek deep into lush, green jungles to explore ancient temples made of stone and emanating incense. Deadwyler and her family also visited historic landmarks such as the ivory-white marble of the Taj Mahal, the Military History Museum in Vietnam, the neat rows of terracotta warrior statues in China and the flowering pink cherry blossoms surrounding the Great Wall of China. But as it does in most vacations, there came a point when she was feeling a little homesick. Except the home she was longing to go back to wasn’t the one across the Pacific Ocean. Home was her family’s temporary apartment nestled between two different worlds: a modern metropolitan hub of various Asian cultures and ancient temple ruins against a green jungle backdrop. Home was going to school with people of different faiths and climbing the thick ropes of ivy that those greyhaired monkeys would climb as well. Edited by Victoria Cheyne vcheyne@themaneater.com
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12 COLUMN
Freshman Madelyn Unrein showing off how she rocks the mom jean. KATIE HARFF | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
finally wearing what their parents thought was cool back in the day. After I got over the fact that they literally named the style “mom jeans,” my third thought was, “When is the soonest I can get a pair shipped to my house?” I like styles that are different than the basic, everyday denim that a majority of people wear, so naturally I wanted to try the mom jean. Besides being comfortable, the mom jean looks good with crop tops or bodysuits to show off the high waistline, graphic tees to keep it comfortable or even a flannel tied above the waist. You can wear the things you wore with your boring jeans and make it more fun with your mom jeans. I love my mom jeans because of their comfort and how they still look cute with almost anything, but most importantly because they aren’t just jeans. With the high waistline, they compliment anyone’s figure and give them that extra spice that your basic jeans wouldn’t have. So when you see someone wearing mom jeans, give them a compliment. They aren’t rocking just any jeans; they are rocking mom jeans.
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Besides being comfortable, the mom jean looks good with crop tops or bodysuits to show off the high waistline, graphic tees to keep it comfortable or even a flannel tied above the waist.
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re-fold each pair in the store, but it was worth it when I got to see the new arrivals right when they hit the sales floor. During my last few weeks of work for the summer, the mom jeans hit. They were only sold online for American Eagle, but since I’m a l w a y s seeking the latest and greatest, I caught wind of it. At first I wondered, “Would my mom be offended by this name?” but then I thought back to all the times she has looked at my outfit and rolled her eyes while telling me that “fashion always makes a comeback.” So then I thought, “Well, maybe she and her generation are flattered by this new trend.” After all, young people are
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naturally I changed from my shorts into my new pair of jeans paired with a simple T-shirt tied in a knot. I only had them on for a few hours but got multiple compliments on my new look. That’s right. People complimented my jeans. My earliest m e m o r y of jeans becoming more than just jeans was back in my early high school days when I started wearing a higher rise and convincing my mom to let me buy the ones with the rips in the knee. Those styles haven’t gone away, but mom jeans are one of the most recent trends on the list. I worked at American Eagle my junior and senior years of high school, so you can bet I was surrounded by denim. It wasn’t fun when I had to
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I never really thought of jeans as anything more than a basic item everyone owns. I also didn’t give out or receive too many compliments on jeans because, well, they were just jeans. That was then, and this is now, and now is the era of the mom jean. Mom jeans consist of a highwaisted rise and loose fit throughout the leg, similar to the jeans worn by many young adults in the 1980s. (Just picture Becky from Full House if you aren’t following.) When you pictured Becky, you probably thought of a bright, blue wash without any of the rips or patches we tend to see on today’s jeans. But with this era of the mom jean also comes a new and improved version of it. I personally own a black pair and a light wash with rips in the knee, but they still fulfill the momjean image. I wore my mom jeans for the first time the first night I was living on MU’s campus. Move-in day was finally over, and it was a rainy night with a slight chill in the air, so
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Not only are they comfortable, but they make any outfit look good. KATIE HARFF
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T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | AUG. 30, 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 mobile applications landscape is changing Apps drive engagement on smartphones, but downloads haven't kept pace. SOLOMON DAVIS
Opinion Columnist
Solomon Davis is a sophomore journalism major at MU. He is an opinions columnist who writes about technology for The Maneater. In January 2007, an innovation from Apple changed the landscape of technology forever. The iPhone was announced, a move that would spur the electronic industry to action. Apple announced the launch of the App Store in July 2008. The marketplace allowed for third parties to develop applications and sell them directly to consumers. At the time of the launch, the store had close to 800 applications. Today it boasts over 2 million. Applications have become instrumental to the evolution of devices. Whether consumers have an iPhone or an Android device, both use app stores that contribute greatly to the mobile experience. When was the last time you downloaded a new app? It has probably been a long time, maybe a year? The problem with mobile applications or apps is that the landscape is changing. Consumers have mostly found the apps
that they need and are less inclined to download new ones, but that is not to say app usage is declining. Media analytics company comScore recently released its 2017 U.S Mobile Apps Report, in which it found that 50 percent of consumers spent their time on smartphones using a mobile application. What is most surprising about the report is that the company found that 51 percent of mobile device users are not downloading any apps in a given month. In 2014, comScore reported the same statistic, which led many to report that the app boom was over. In fact, they have it wrong; the mobile application industry is undergoing a transformation that companies like Google are addressing and that developers are taking advantage of. When comScore surveyed why people delete apps or why they don’t get new ones, it boiled down to storage on the device and no longer having a use for the app. In fact, a lot of the apps you download may only be for one use and it just sits until the next time it is needed. In 2016 at its yearly developer conference, Google unveiled its newest service, Instant Apps. Instant Apps was created to bridge the gap between the experience consumers received in mobile applications and what they would experience on the web. It also served to redefine what an app can be. In an interview with TechCrunch, David Burke, vice president of engineering for Android, said, “Instant Apps is really about re-thinking where apps are going. Web
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LANE BURDETTE | VISUALS DIRECTOR
pages are ephemeral. They appear, you use them, and never think about them again.” The beauty of Instant Apps is that when you are surfing the web and click on a link, small packets are sent to your device that download the components for it to be an app-like experience. Once you exit, that data is no longer tied to your device. Vimeo is one of the early users of Instant Apps. After deploying the tech in May of this year, the company saw a 130 percent increase in the amount of time users watched videos and a 20 percent increase in actual app downloads. Instant Apps is just one example of the many ways the app landscape is changing. In August 2016, I came
across a video from The New York Times that dove into what the future of apps could be through the lens of an app called WeChat. In China, there is a vacuum of Western apps we have come to know and love because they are banned. WeChat rose out of the need for messaging apps but developed into so much more. I call it a mega app because you can do so many things without even having to leave the app once. One app to rule them all sounds pretty good to me. It may be far off, but it is a good dream to have. Apps are not going anywhere; rather, the industry is evolving, and where it goes next will be a transformation to watch.
COLUMN
It’s time to take down Confederate monuments Confederate statues and monuments litter public places across America, taking pride in a shameful past. MATTHEW RILEY
Opinion Columnist
Matthew Riley is a sophomore journalism major at MU. He is an opinions columnist who writes about politics for The Maneater. The German Reich Chancellery, April 30, 1945: Adolf Hitler takes his own life in an underground bunker rather than being captured. Same location, 2017: the parking lot of an apartment complex. There is a difference between remembering our mistakes and celebrating them. The Germans don’t build monuments to Adolf Hitler; they understand that World War II was one
of the most horrific events in human originally formed largely by wives and history. So, why do so many Americans daughters of Confederate soldiers, in ornament their trucks with Confederate order to honor the legacies of their flag bumper stickers and litter their husbands and fathers. parks with monuments to men who The building of these statues fought to keep an entire race enslaved? coincides almost perfectly with the era There are as many as 188 schools in of Jim Crow laws. Most of these statues the U.S. named after Confederate leaders. are not in cemeteries or museums; Eight states still celebrate “Confederate they’re in parks and in front of state Memorial Day” or legislature buildings. similar ConfederateBy making these themed holidays. A statues so prevalent, 2016 inventory of they begin to Confederate symbols feel oppressive in public spaces by the rather than Southern Poverty Law commemorative. Center found over 1,500 A b u n d a n t such memorials, 718 of monuments to a war them monuments like for white supremacy the statue of Robert E. is a constant Lee in Emancipation reminder to African ILLUSTRATION BY GILLIAN SMITH Park in Charlottesville, Americans that their Virginia. A vote for the presence in this memorial’s removal came six months country has a grim history, and if it before the “Unite the Right” rally there were up to many, slavery might not in mid-August. Many of these statues have ended when it did. were built between the 1890s and As supporters of these statues rally 1950s with funds raised by the United for their preservation and opponents Daughters of the Confederacy, a group tear them down, a fierce debate about
their potential merits rears its head again. Supporters claim the statues, schools, flags and holidays represent “heritage, not hate,” while opponents claim they only glorify a movement whose purpose was to oppress millions of human beings. Many supporters claim that the Civil War was never fought over slavery but for the rights of states in the face of an overly powerful federal government. Make no mistake, the Civil War was not fought over vague ideological differences. There was nothing valiant or honorable in the South’s cause. It was economic, pure and simple; they didn’t have to pay slaves. They lost, and both the country and its many African-American citizens are better for it. The South needs to take down its glorified participation trophies and get with the times. These memorabilia would be better served in museums, where the full scope of the conflict could be explained. It’s time to leave the past in the past and look to the future without these monuments and statues polluting our public spaces.
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To offensive coordinator Josh Heupel, also entering his second season with the Tigers, the difference with Odom is palpable, and he pointed to the idea of having a full understanding of the expectations of the job as a reason.
“There’s a calmness,” Heupel said after a practice nearing the end of training camp. “Maybe some of that nervous energy isn’t there.” Defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross — for whom the Tigers’ young and inexperienced defense may provide
some discomfort — has noticed a change, too. “He’s definitely a lot more comfortable but still as hungry and determined to get us back into championship form,” Cross said. To Cross, though, the most important aspect of this change is not what it has done for his head coach but the impact it has had on the rest of the coaching staff and the team. With more stability and confidence coming from the top, Cross has seen a difference all around the team’s facilities. “I think it actually has trickled down,” Cross said. “We see the poise in him, and it’s really carried over to everything we’ve seen [from the team] in the weight room and out on the field during the spring and summer.”
Comfort is something redshirt sophomore wideout Johnathon Johnson has thought about this year as well. Coming off an up-and-down season in which he impressed with his speed and struggled with fumbles, Johnson’s spot on the field and role on the team will be determined by his ball security this year. He, too, has felt an added sense of assurance around Odom. “We can feel it’s a different kind of change; he’s gotten more comfortable,” Johnson said. After a 4-8 season that featured just two wins within the conference, the stability that has flowed through the team has brought on confidence for Johnson and his teammates. It’s done the same for the coaching staff. Cross talked about the confidence that Odom
CROSS-COUNTRY
Women’s cross-country enters the season with lofty expectations as men search for a star The women’s team returns with defending NCAA champion Karissa Schweizer aiming for the NCAA Midwest Regionals title for the second year in a row. TITUS WU
Staff Writer
With the return of NCAA cross-country champion senior Karissa Schweizer, Missouri cross-country is already on the national radar. The Southeastern Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Monday had the women’s team ranked second, behind only four-time defending conference champion Arkansas. In the NCAA Midwest Region, the Mizzou women are ranked first. The women’s team, which won the NCAA Midwest Regional meet and produced two All-Americans last season, is looking to improve on its national ranking of 16th, coach Marc Burns said. “When you have a returning national champion and two returning AllAmericans, it’s pretty hard [to underestimate that],” Burns said. “When you have Jamie [Kempfer] and Karissa paving the way, that’s huge.” The return of many top female runners from last year’s successful season leaves reason to believe the team’s ability to achieve is the same, if not better. Kempfer, with her AllAmerican title from last season, will play a major role as well. She placed 27th in the NCAA championship meet. The men’s team, however, will have to rely a bit more on its incoming Tigers. The team, which
finished sixth at the 2016 SEC Championships, did not advance to the NCAA Championship and was ranked sixth in the SEC in Monday’s preseason poll. “The women were just better,” Burns said. “We just didn’t have any low sticks on the guy’s side. So yes, we are working on front runners for the guys, but I don’t see that Karissa on the guy’s side yet.” Burns said his goal for the men was to advance to the NCAA Championship this upcoming season, but that will be more difficult with the graduation of many top runners who. How eve r, r eds hirt senior Marc Dubrick and redshirt junior Zach Cook are returning, and All-SEC Freshman Team redshirt sophomore Michael Widmann will aim to improve on his successful first season. Notable among new recruits on the men’s side is freshman Austin Hindman, who was the 2017 Gatorade Missouri Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year. “He’s perhaps the most heralded high school runner in the history of the state of Missouri,” Burns said. Hindman set the Missouri state record April in the 3,200-meter run at the Arcadia Invitational with a time of 8:43.40 and currently holds the secondfastest time in the nation. But overall, Burns said the men’s team’s progress will be gradual. As Schweizer begins her last year of eligibility, she carries the weight of national focus on her, along with two more national championships from track season. But she’s focusing on her running. “Obviously, my goals are still really high,” she said. “But I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. Just focusing more on doing all
the little things and keeping myself healthy.” And it is the “little things” that Burns will also focus on to find a male front runner and the next runner to fill Schweizer’s shoes once she leaves. “It’s hard to tell who,” Burns said. “I don’t know even last year before the season if we predicted Karissa would have the year she had.” Manifesting Schweizer’s potential, Burns said, was never a conscious action he took. “You just continue to focus on the little things, and new people emerge. That’s just the fun in what we do.” The cross-country season will begin at the JK Gold Invitational in Wichita, Kansas on Saturday. Edited by Joe Noser Jnoser@themaneater.com
has instilled with spirit, seeming as though he had to hold in excitement. “It’s a quiet confidence, you know?” he began. “Until we get out on the field, ‘til we get a chance to win some of these games and get started … we’re confident. We still have a few things to work out, but we’re confident as far as where we’re headed this season by his direction for sure.” Confidence can be easy to come by before any games have been played. But for the Tigers, it’s not a confidence that’s been brought about by hype or by arrogance. Instead, it’s a belief that has been delivered by a coach who has simply settled into his job. Edited by Joe Noser Jnoser@themaneater.com
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and redshirt junior Kaleb Prewett will start for the Tigers. Senior Eric Beisel figures to receive plenty of playing time nonetheless. Junior Terry Beckner Jr., a former top recruit for the Tigers, assumes the role that many Tiger NFL stars — such as Charles Harris and Kony Ealy — have taken in the past as the team leader on the defensive line. He’s joined by sophomore Markell Utsey, redshirt senior Marcell Frazier and redshirt senior Jordan Harold. As a team in 2016, Missouri registered 27.0 sacks, good enough for seventh in the SEC. The new defensive core, led by the D-line, will look to improve on that number this season. Beisel and Harold were elected defensive captains for Missouri, Odom confirmed. The two seniors registered 55 tackles for the Tigers in 2017 and will be key to Missouri’s defensive plans. Coaching Staff Cross returns for his second
season as the defensive coordinator of the team. Odom will continue handling play-calling duties, a role he assumed in late October of last season. Ryan Walters, in his first year coaching the defensive backs for Missouri, took a new approach, conducting team meetings and practices that included both the safeties and the cornerbacks in the hope of them gelling as a collective unit. “It’s really great having all those guys in one room and together on the practice field,” Walters told Mizzou Network. “They get the same communication and coaching points, so everybody’s on the same page.” Every football fan has heard the adage, “Defense wins championships,” and through their approach in fall camp, Missouri has adhered to that mindset. If the Tigers improve on last year’s 4-8 campaign, one can assume that the defense will play a significant role, with many different players stepping up. Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com
T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | AUG. 30, 2017
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GOLF
Mizzou golf adds freshman talent both local and international Men’s golf begins its season this weekend, while the women’s team starts Sept. 11. KATE AHERN AND COLE BOLLINGER
of the Maneater Staff
While many fans in Columbia have their focus set on the return of Mizzou football Saturday, Missouri’s golf teams are set to kick their seasons off as well. The men’s team begins its 2017 fall campaign this weekend at the Turning Stone-Tiger Intercollegiate in Verona, New York, on Sunday, while the women’s team will wait another week before it kick things off at the Jim West Challenge in The Woodlands, Texas. Neither team finished last season the way it wanted to, but a new season brings new opportunities for the Tigers. After finishing No. 12 out of 14 teams at last spring’s SEC championship, Mizzou women’s golf has been preparing to improve this fall season, with practices officially starting Saturday. Sophomore Jessica Yuen remains a player to keep an eye on. In the spring of 2017, Yuen maintained a 73.00 stroke average, which is the second lowest for a single season in Mizzou women's golf history. Yuen’s performance earned her a place on the 2017 Southeastern Conference women’s golf All-Freshman Team in May. One of eight freshmen selected to play, she holds other career
honors, including competing in NCAA Regionals and making the 2016-17 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. The 2017 team, primarily made up of juniors, welcomes freshman Julia Bower this fall. She is a Columbia native and graduate of Rock Bridge High School. Bower’s combined score of 149 (76-73) secured Rock Bridge's second-place team finish at the Missouri state championships in fall 2016. “We think it's great that Julia chose Mizzou and that she will be joining our team next fall,” head coach Stephanie Priesmeyer said last November when Bower committed to Mizzou. “She is a very strong athlete that switched from competitive soccer to golf a few years ago. We believe her hard work ethic and determination to get better each day will drive her to be a wonderful addition to our team.” Missouri’s men’s golf team will also have some upperclassmen to lead the way in 2017 but will need to mix in two new star freshmen. Freshmen Jack Parker and Jamie Stewart will both play a key role for the Tigers this upcoming season. Parker, a Columbia native, attended Father Tolton Catholic High School, where he won three individual state championships while being ranked the No. 1 golfer in Missouri by the Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings. Stewart is from Renfrewshire, Scotland, and was ranked the No. 5 golfer in Scotland and the No. 19 golfer in all of Europe by the European Golf Rankings. In May, Stewart finished second at the 2017 English Open
COURTESY OF MU ATHLETICS
Amatuer Stroke Play Championship in England. "We expect Jack and Jamie to contribute immensely for the Tigers in the future," Coach Mark Leroux said last November via mutigers.com. "We will have a talented group of guys back for our 2017-18 squad, and they will both fit in well with their future teammates." The talented group of returning golfers will include three of the five players Missouri sent to the College Grove Regional last May, where the Tigers finished eighth. Sophomore Rory Franssen, junior Matt Echelmeier and senior Hayden Buckley all return hoping to qualify for the 2018 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship. Other veteran leadership will come from senior Trevor Ullestad, redshirt junior Luigi Botta and junior Preston Fleenor. Last year, Ullestad finished top 10 at the Jackrabbit Invitational and top five at the Turning Stone Intercollegiate. The Turning Stone Intercollegiate this weekend will be the only tournament the
Tigers will participate in this September. They will not play again until Oct. 1, when they compete in the Jackrabbit Invitational in Valentine, Nebraska. They will not play in Columbia until April 9, when they host the Tiger Invitational at The Club at Old Hawthorne. The women’s golf team will compete in two tournaments this September, the Jim West Challenge starting on Sept. 11 and the Mercedes Championship in Knoxville, Tennessee beginning Sept. 18. Last year, the Tigers placed 11th out of the 15 teams that competed at the Jim West Challenge. The team’s next home tournament will be the Johnie Imes Invitational, Oct. 2-4 at The Club at Old Hawthorne, where last season it placed first out of 15 teams. This upcoming season will bring good competition for both the men’s and women’s teams as each team looks to expand off last season’s success and add new key competitors. Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com
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Answering the five most pivotal questions regarding Missouri football’s 2017 season Maneater football writers offer their insight into the Tiger’s outlook. ELI LEDERMAN, JOE NOSER, GARRETT JONES
of the Maneater Staff
The 2017 season for Missouri football is fast approaching as the Tigers kick off the season this Saturday at Faurot Field against Missouri State. Mid-Missouri is ripe with anticipation after the program took many steps in the right direction in the offseason. Before Saturday’s action kicks off, here’s what The Maneater football beat writers Garrett Jones and Joe Noser and Sports Editor Eli Lederman think about some important issues surrounding the team. Will Drew Lock make “the jump” in 2017? GJ: I think so. Lock showed tremendous poise in the early stages of the 2016 season, racing to 14 touchdowns through four games. Though he tapered off to end the season, he still ranked high among his peers in the Southeastern Conference. Familiarity is Lock’s strongest ally. He enters his second season under offensive coordinator Josh Heupel and returns his leading receiver, J’Mon Moore, along with many other returning targets. EL: Lock’s 2016 season would be best characterized as inconsistent, leaving the junior captain with a lot to prove in 2017. In his sophomore year, Lock confidently guided Missouri’s highflying offense early against the likes of Eastern Michigan and Delaware State but floundered as the season went on and the competition got stiffer. In the Tigers’ four matchups against non-SEC opponents, Lock was a world-beater, tossing 13 touchdowns with zero interceptions. But against SEC defenses, he fell off, throwing just 10 touchdowns to go with 10 interceptions as the Tigers went 2-6 in eight conference matchups. m This Jekyll-and-Hyde nature to Lock’s game is what is currently keeping him from entering the upper tier of NCAA quarterbacks, and it’s why this season is so important for him. If he can step up his game against legit SEC defenses and cut down on turnovers, Lock will prove that he’s more than just a quarterback who beats up on weak competition. Improved talent around him on offense and another year of experience in offensive coordinator Josh Heupel’s system should help. JN: I’m honestly not as sold on Lock taking a huge step forward this season. Yes, he has tremendous talent and potential, with above-average arm strength and pretty decent poise in the pocket for a guy who was asked to start at quarterback in the SEC at a very young age. But there were significant stretches of last season where it appeared he had the “yips.” He simply just could not throw it to the open man, instead opting for a receiver locked in double coverage along the sideline. Lock has plenty of weapons, and if he can actually start utilizing the middle of the field and his slot receivers on a more consistent basis,
I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a huge year. But I’m not sure if he can do that against premier SEC defenses. Will Mizzou get over the hump and play in a bowl game for the first time since the 2015 Citrus Bowl? GJ: Yes. Missouri has four winnable out-of-conference games (home versus Missouri State, Purdue and Idaho and a road contest against Connecticut), and assuming that the Tigers can match their mark of two SEC wins from a year ago, a bowl game seems more than likely. A bowl game would be huge for recruiting and a definitive improvement for Barry Odom’s second season. JN: I think so, too. They absolutely have to win their four non-conference games, though. This is about as weak of a non-conference schedule as this team is going to get over the next three-or-so years, and they need to capitalize on that. If Lock consistently plays like we know he’s capable of and the secondary shows a little bit of life, I genuinely think this team could surprise some people. Damarea Crockett establishing himself as a premier SEC running back would certainly help the cause, too. EL: The short answer is yes. But it’s not a certainty by any stretch. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Tigers enter the season with the 51st toughest schedule in the country. Despite the fact that that schedule features four teams ranked in the preseason top 25, this season’s slate is lighter compared to recent years. Throw in the fact that Missouri returned 14 starters from its 2016 team and there is a pretty reasonable path to six-plus wins and a bowl appearance for the Tigers. That being said, last year’s team taught the fan base that no matchup is a given …*cough cough* Middle Tennessee on Homecoming weekend. Victories against Missouri State, Idaho and Connecticut will be imperative if the Tigers hope to have postseason football to play. Which is the most intriguing game on the schedule? GJ: Week 2 vs. South Carolina. Coming off what should be a tuneup against Missouri State, the Tigers will have a lot to prove in an early-season SEC matchup in the Columbia Cup. The team’s performance in Week 2 will go a long way in establishing a team identity and will be the team’s first true challenge. If Missouri comes out strong, it will certainly grab the attention of the SEC and go a long way toward establishing itself as a contender. EL: Week 6 at Kentucky: The Tigers have not won a true road game since the second week of the 2015 season, when they beat Arkansas State away from Faurot. For some perspective, Maty Mauk threw three touchdowns that day, Kentrell Brothers led the team in tackles and Gary Pinkel was still manning the sidelines for the Tigers. The Tigers’ first opportunity to break the road-losing streak (which still pales in comparison
MANEATER FILE PHOTO to the men’s basketball team’s historic streak) comes against the Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 7. As with the South Carolina game, this will be another litmus test for the Tigers. JN: Week 12 at Vanderbilt I’m going to go ahead and show my bias here. Mizzou throttled Vandy at home last year, but that game did not at all represent Vandy’s 2016 football team (Vandy went on to wallop Ole Miss and beat a pretty talented University of Tennessee team in the two weeks following its loss to Mizzou on Nov. 12 of last year). Vandy mirrors Mizzou in many ways this season with a head coach still getting established, lots of offensive returners and potential defensive holes, and both teams will be fighting for a bowl game when this matchup comes in November. It’s also Vandy’s final home game of the season. I anticipate it will be a much more entertaining game than last season’s snoozer of a contest. Which unsung player from last year’s team can make an impact in 2017? GJ: Nate Brown Brown took a medical redshirt last season but established himself as the No. 2 receiver behind Moore in the 2015 season. The redshirt senior’s experience bodes well in Heupel’s system paired with a veteran in Lock at quarterback. EL: Johnathon Johnson At times last season, wideout Johnathon Johnson was electrifying. Averaging 18.1 yards per reception, with 114 yards as a rusher on just four carries and 17.1 yards per kick return, Johnson was possibly Missouri’s most dangerous offensive weapon. At other times he was unreliable, fumbling the ball 11 times — six times from scrimmage, five on kick returns. His inability to hold onto the football is what kept him off the field last year, but an increased emphasis on ball security could lead to Johnson becoming another lethal option for Lock to toss the ball to alongside Moore. JN: Cam Hilton He’s a remarkable athlete who did a nice job last season of making the transition from wide receiver to the secondary, and with a whole offseason under his belt of preparation for the defensive side of the ball, he should be much better in coverage. He’ll be one of the older guys
in the secondary, and he’s the glue of this team’s pass defense. If he excels, the unit will certainly be better. Which upperclassman has the most to prove to NFL teams this season? GJ: J’Mon Moore Moore has improved every season, and if he can continue that trend into 2017, could certainly rocket up NFL Draft boards come next spring. He tripled his yard production alone last season, and with his 6-foot-3 frame, route-running prowess and speed in the open field, he could even see those numbers climb. EL: Eric Beisel The redshirt senior stole the show at SEC Media Days this past July, and he now has the opportunity to do the same on the field this fall for the Tigers. After receiving limited playing time behind a deep linebacker corps, Beisel came on strong in the latter half of last season and emerged as a key playmaker for the Tigers’ defense. This year he will captain the squad, and he will have the opportunity to prove himself to NFL scouts. At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, Beisel fits the mold of an NFL middle linebacker, and he’ll likely add more weight if he jumps to the next level. While his measurements stack up well for the NFL, the development of Beisel’s skill set was stunted while he sat behind the starters, and it will hurt his stock come draft time. But if Eric “Zeus” Beisel lives up to all of his talk and builds upon his strong junior season, he’ll find his way onto an NFL roster next spring one way or another. JN: Terry Beckner Jr. There is no question that Terry Beckner Jr. is physically gifted. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, the junior defensive lineman has unusual speed for a man his size and a quickness off the line of scrimmage that stands out in practice. He’s been a highly touted prospect his entire career and arrived on campus in 2015 as the No. 2 recruit in the country, according to ESPN. But the question is: Can he stay healthy? Beckner Jr. has gone down with an ACL tear in two straight seasons (his right ACL in 2015 and the left in 2016). If he can stay injury-free, I have no doubt that he will have a monster year and open some NFL scouts’ eyes come next spring. Edited by Sam Nelson snelson@themaneater.com