THE MANEATER NOVEMBER 1, 2017 • THEMANEATER.COM
PHOTO BY LANE BURDETTE | VISUALS DIRECTOR
SAFETY
MUPD opens substation in Student Center The station will allow officers to be more visible and available for students, Dean of Students Jeff Zeilenga said. STEPHI SMITH
Staff Writer
The MU Police Department has set up a substation on the first floor of the MU Student Center, located along
the wall by the Information Center. The station was first set up on Oct. 9, according to MUPD’s Twitter account. Dean of Students Jeff Zeilenga assisted in funding and setting up the station. MUPD Major Brian Weimer said the police chief officially sent in a request to the Student Center this past summer, but Zeilenga said there’s been discussion for a substation since the Student Center first opened in 2010. There is no set schedule for when
an officer will be available at the station, although the department wants someone there as much as possible, Weimer said. Staffing depends on how busy the officers are and when they have time to sit and speak with students, he said. Zeilenga said the substation “allows [MUPD] officers to be more visible and accessible to students.” Sophomores Rebekah Green and Kayla Young said they have seen officers sitting at the substation before. However, they’re not entirely
COMMUNICATIONS STUDY
MU study proposes method for coping with miscarriage Assistant professor Haley Horstman: “Opening the channels of communication is really important so that you can provide perspective and that you can provide support for your partner.” LAUREN CLERC
Staff Writer
A study by an MU professor delved into how heterosexual couples cope with the trauma of miscarriage as well as examining how men handle their partners’ grief along with their own. Haley Horstman, assistant professor of interpersonal and family communication, and Amanda Holman, assistant professor in the communication studies department at Creighton University, found that of the methods tested, “communicated perspective-taking” is the most effective way for couples to understand each other after loss.
Haley Horstman, assistant professor of interpersonal and family communication. PHOTO COURTESY OF MU DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION
According to the American Pregnancy Association, one in six pregnancies end in miscarriage. While miscarriage does cause physical pain for the mother, it is not limited to a health concern. It also puts a mutual strain on both parents emotionally. Horstman said couples who suffer a miscarriage experience intense grief, yet they may not receive a
lot of social support. Due to this, couples may feel unable to share their experiences, giving a miscarriage the title of an invisible loss. “Opening the channels of communication is really important so that you can provide perspective and that you can provide support for your partner,” Horstman said. The study defines communicated perspective-taking as similar to empathy in the way that it requires understanding. The distinction lies in trying to understand thoughts rather than emotions. This method requires listening to a significant other, validating their ideas and asking questions about their experience. The research found that practicing this in conversation has been linked to benefits in personal and relational well-being. For example, individuals who experienced increased CPT with their partners reported greater satisfaction in the relationship overall. CPT allowed couples to positively reframe the circumstances of a negative event, benefiting them
STUDY | Page 4
sure of its purpose. Green and Young haven’t seen the officers do much other than computer work and speak with one another, they said. However, Young said she did see one student approach the desk to inquire about parking. Green also said that because there are no set shifts for when an officer will be posted, she doesn’t think it serves its original intent for students.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Drew Lock wins the Manning Award Star page 14
PHOTO BY LIA WALDRUM | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Citizen Jane Film Festival reviews pages 8-9
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HONORS COLLEGE
MU alumna chosen as first Andrew and Peggy Cherng Distinguished Visiting Scholar ALLISON CHO
Reporter
The Andrew and Peggy Cherng Distinguished Visiting Scholars program will welcome Jenny TonePah-Hote to campus from Nov. 1-3. Launched with support from Andrew and Peggy Cherng under the MU Honors College, this new program hopes to strengthen leadership skills at the undergraduate level, according to an Honors College press release from Oct. 4.  “Just as Andrew and Peggy Cherng seek to grow and nurture leadership skills within their company, they are helping us to do the same among our students,� Honors College Director J.D. Bowers said in the release. The Cherngs, MU alumni and founders of Panda Express, donated $1.5 million to the Honors College in April. The Distinguished Visiting Scholars program is just one of many recent additions to MU as a result of their contribution, but it is one they feel is very important for undergraduates. “It allows students to do research under the mentorship of a professor of their choice,� Peggy Cherng said. “They can seize opportunities in different areas and
further their potential. They can do research to learn more about what’s around them, themselves and their potential.� Tone-Pah-Hote, an MU graduate and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the first MU Distinguished Visiting Scholar. Tone-PahHote said she was contacted by Bowers about the program. This will be her second visit to the university this semester, as she also came to speak at a symposium for the Honors College’s One Read program in August. “One of the things this program is seeking to do is to help facilitate and teach leadership skills and thinking about that in multiple venues,� Tone-Pah-Hote said. “I was so honored by the invitation to come back to Missouri to contribute to [the Honors College] and [Native American and Indigenous Studies] here, [as well as] to have the opportunity to engage with students.� According to the Honors College press release, her visit to campus will consist of visiting several classes and museums, as well as “brown bag talks with faculty [and] meals in the Honors Learning Community residence.�
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Jenny Tone-Pah-Hote PHOTO COURTESY OF MU HONORS COLLEGE
There will be a public lecture titled “We’ll Show You Boys How to Dance: Kiowa Dance and Painting, 1928-1940� and a subsequent reception at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 2. It will center around Tone-Pah-Hote’s most recent work on the culture of the Kiowa Tribe in Oklahoma. Tone-Pah-Hote, whose work focuses on Native American history, culture and representation , attributed the introduction of the Native American and Indigenous Studies minor this fall as part
of the reason why she was selected. She is optimistic that the program and her visit will encourage students to be “agents of change,� she said.   “Hopefully, I can encourage people to think critically about representation and history, to think of Native American people as modern people and to think about the arts as expressing c o n t e m p o r a r y identities,� Tone-PahHote said. “That’s what I bring to the table as a scholar and professor.� Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com
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NEWS
Online this week: The School of Law hosted a free speech symposium, breakdowns of each forum for the College of Arts and Sciences dean search and more at themaneater.com.
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DEAN SEARCH
Dean search for College of Arts and Science narrowed down to four candidates Each candidate presented to students and staff the goals they would carry out if hired as dean.
other candidates is her knowledge of leadership for both undergraduate and graduate programs. “I think she has a lot of diverse experience under her belt,” Hill said. “Overall, since undergraduate colleges are so much different than graduate schools, having that experience really makes [her] a diverse candidate.”
LAUREN BISHOP AND STEPHI SMITH
Staff Writers
The College of Arts and Science is currently searching for a new dean. Through a rigorous application process, four candidates have been named finalists in the search. Each candidate toured campus, met with faculty and staff and spoke with students during their visit to Columbia. Open forums were held and informal meet and greets allowed the finalists to see different aspects of the university. The decision for the new dean of the College of Arts and Science will come from Provost Garnett Stokes. Nancy Goroff Nancy Goroff visited campus Oct. 16 to meet with administration, participate in an open forum and speak with students. Goroff is currently a professor and chair for the chemistry department at Stony Brook University. She has been a faculty member at Stony Brook since 1997 and has been the chair of the chemistry department since January 2017. Goroff said she wants to be a
Jeffrey Roberts
Purdue University chemistry professor Jeffrey Roberts talks on October 19h at the open forum in the MU Student Center. PHOTO BY EUMALINA KRUECK | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
part of MU because she believes in the mission statements of researchpromoting schools. “I love being at a public research university,” Goroff said. “I also love the idea of a college of arts and sciences; not every [university] has that. There are opportunities to do new things by developing more interdisciplinary research and activities.” Goroff has been able to meet with
faculty, staff and administration to learn more about the university. She also held informal meetings with graduate and undergraduate students to discuss her past experiences and answer questions. Drew Hill, Arts and Science Student Council president, was asked to introduce Goroff during an undergraduate meet and greet. Hill said what may set Goroff apart from
The second candidate for the College of Arts and Science dean, Jeffrey Roberts, is a chemistry professor at Purdue University. Roberts presented to MU on Oct 19. Roberts said that if he were to be offered the dean position, he would want to focus most on undergraduate education, specifically research. This is because MU is a research institution and he wants to remind Missouri why undergraduates should choose MU, he said. During the forum, Roberts shared several examples from his time at Purdue University to explain how he would react to situations at MU. “I am absolutely convinced a comprehensive research university has the opportunity to provide a unique and the best learning experience,” Roberts said. He also wants to address and respond to the decline in enrollment,
DEAN | Page 5
UM SYSTEM
UM System supports Gov. Greitens’ Amazon proposal A headquarters in Missouri could bring opportunities to MU students. SKYLER ROSSI
Staff Writer
UM System President Mun Choi endorsed Gov. Eric Greitens’ proposal for Amazon to expand its new headquarters to the I-70 corridor of Missouri. In September, Amazon announced that it is planning to invest upward of $5 billion in building a second headquarters, called HQ2, away from its current home in Seattle, according to The Seattle Times. “I know that the 76,000 students, more than 23,000 faculty and staff and the more than 650,000 alumni will support this initiative to create an innovation ecosystem in the state,” Choi said in an email sent to the MU community Oct. 19. “This is an outstanding proposal, and we’re very excited to be a part of the state of Missouri’s proposal to create an innovation corridor from St. Louis to Kansas City by way of Columbia that
Amazon headquarters in Seattle. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT SCOBLE VIA FLICKR
benefits the entire state of Missouri.” Amazon requested that states and regions submit proposals on which areas they would like the company to expand to. “Amazon invites you to submit a response to this Request for Proposal in conjunction with and on behalf of your metropolitan statistical area, state/province, county, city and the relevant localities therein,” according to Amazon’s request for proposals. “Amazon is performing a competitive site selection process and is considering metro regions
in North America for its second corporate headquarters.” Amazon has received 238 proposals from the U.S., Canada and Mexico, according to CNN. Amazon will announce the winner in 2018. In Greitens’ proposal to Amazon, he offered not only St. Louis and Kansas City, but the whole I-70 corridor between the two metropolitan areas. “My team fully and equally support the two proposals submitted by our major metropolitan areas, Kansas City and St. Louis,” Greitens said in the proposal to Amazon CEO Jeff
Bezos. “While each proposal stands on its own, I also encourage you to envision what Amazon could achieve by partnering with us to unleash the combined strength of the entire State of Missouri.” Grietens also argued that if the Hyperloop project were to select the I-70 corridor of Missouri, the area would be made even more desirable for HQ2. “A Hyperloop transportation system between St. Louis and Kansas City would invigorate the region and connect Amazon to a world-class multimodal transportation network and a workforce of nearly three million people,” Greitens said in the proposal. If Amazon were to select Missouri for its new headquarters, Saku Aura, associate professor of economics, said that it would give MU students a leg up in the Amazon hiring process. “For the university, it can actually be potentially beneficial for our reputation in the long run because, presumably, there would be a lot
UM | Page 5
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MUPD continued from page 1
“If it’s to create a presence, I get that, but there’s not someone there all the time,
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both individually and in their partnership. “When a couple goes through a miscarriage, a lot of times their partner is the main person they talk about it with. That could be a really great thing, but it could also be a burden if that’s the only person they’re talking to,” Holman said. To examine the effects of CPT, 183 married couples who had a miscarriage within the
T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | NOV. 1, 2017 so that presence isn’t felt,” Green said. Weimer said he hopes with the station that more students will get to know the campus police and have any questions they have answered firsthand. There are other resources
available for students to get in touch with an MUPD officer: phone, email, Twitter and the MU Police Department on Virginia Avenue. Weimer said the substation was just “one more access point” for MU students.
Having it in the Student Center is important because of how many people stop by for different reasons, he said. This means students can visit the substation without having to go out of their way. “We hope it’s something
to be utilized by our community,” Weimer said. “And we want students to know, if they see an officer there, to stop by, ask questions or give us some feedback.” Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com
last 10 years were surveyed. Each participant filled out their own survey, responding to prompts covering marriage, miscarriage and coping. These prompts included statements such as “my spouse was respectful of me when I talked about my problem,” which they ranked on a scale ranging from one to five. The surveys discovered that men in particular benefited from increased CPT. When women took on the perspective of their husband, men benefited from the mutual understanding.
Horstman said men often reported feeling the need to act as a support system for their wife, taking on the role of the “rock” rather than addressing their own feelings. “We can see from our research how important it is for women to provide support for the man during this event,” Horstman said. “But that’s tough because she’s the one who physically went through it.” The value of a parental role was also found to contribute to the effects of CPT. Those that identified highly with
a parental role experienced greater feelings of grief and therefore experienced more positive outcomes from CPT, Holman said. “From our research, we’ve seen that it's so devastating because they’ve already created the story about what their life is going to look like in the next couple months,” Horstman said. “They’re seeing themselves as parents, or maybe secondtime or third-time parents, to this child, so when they experience a pregnancy loss, they have to reconcile that. Like, how can I still be a
parent? What is my life going to be?” The study was funded by the Dr. Richard Wallace Faculty Incentive Grants program, which funds faculty research and is awarded by the Mizzou Alumni Association. “Communicated Sensemaking After Miscarriage: A Dyadic Analysis of Spousal Communicated Perspective-Taking, Wellbeing, and Parenting Role Salience” was published in the academic journal Health Communication. Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com
ART EXHIBIT
Local photographer debuts art exhibit in Townsend Hall The artist hopes her exhibit will open up discussions about mental health. TRISTEN ROUSE
Staff Writer
Tiffany V. McPeak and Timothy Moore sat in the auditorium of Swallow Hall on Monday evening, waiting for the discussion panel on McPeak’s latest exhibit to begin. McPeak, a local artist, had just debuted her “IT” exhibit in Townsend Hall. McPeak has been working on this exhibit for five years. Moore, a poet and friend of McPeak, had been a photography model for her exhibit. They were both there to talk about the exhibit and its subject matter: the darkest moments of people’s lives, their rock-bottom “IT” moments. “I felt [like] the older I got, the more people I met and they had gone through things in their lives that they’d never talked to anybody about, so they lived with this baggage on their bodies, on their lives… I wanted to impact that,” McPeak said on the project’s origin. “My way to impact that was to come up with a project that people could express themselves and they could say things that, maybe, they hadn’t told anyone else before. To unload that baggage.” McPeak began the project in 2012, asking people to come forward and share the moments from the lowest points in their lives, either by letter, phone call or in-person photography.
All three mediums are available at the exhibit, which ran through Oct. 27. In choosing the mediums, McPeak had very specific purposes in mind: the letters and phone calls could be sent in anonymously so that people felt comfortable in revealing their IT moments, while the photographs were printed on fabric and hung from the ceiling, giving the exhibit a more welcoming, free-flowing aura.
the trigger was pulled, a flag with the word “bang” written on it would come out of the barrel and the hero would continue to fight on. McPeak took this concept and had participants print their IT moments on the flag of their gun. Even though the meaning behind the image is positive, McPeak admitted that she faced roadblocks because of the controversy surrounding guns but kept them in the images.
“WE’VE ALL, WHETHER WE ADMIT IT OR NOT, HAVE HAD A MOMENT WHERE WE WEREN’T SURE WE WERE GOING TO GET THROUGH IT. BUT WE ARE ALL STILL HERE.” -TIFFANY V. MCPEAK “The subject matter is really heavy,” McPeak said. “I wanted to give it a lighter feel when you walked into the space so that you really become a part of that space. As you move around, the images move around from the wind that’s created from your body and there’s this constant energy all the time.” Despite the heavy subject matter, McPeak emphasized that the exhibit is about people’s resiliency. “We’ve all, whether we admit it or not, have had a moment where we weren’t sure we were going to get through it. But we are all still here,” McPeak said. That resilience was shown in the photos with controversial symbolism involving a gun. McPeak said she took inspiration from cartoons she would watch as a child, where the villain would have the hero at gunpoint, but when
“Everybody had their lowest point; this was their ‘bang’ moment,” McPeak said. “And it was also a flag. Even though it was their lowest point, they were able to get up and keep going.” One of those people who has kept going was Moore, who survived his suicide attempt and has since been very open about his story and an advocate for mental health issues. Moore originally decided to volunteer for the exhibit to help others, saying that, “If I stop one person, it’s worth it.” While his involvement was not originally for his own benefit, he found it therapeutic to work with McPeak. Moore’s own attempt is not his only experience with suicide. A friend committed suicide while the two men were in college, a death that Moore dealt with by writing his poem “Wild Things,”
which he performed to end the event. He admitted that losing his friend and feeling like he hadn’t been there for him added to his own stressors. “If you truly love someone, you are obligated to try [to help them],” Moore said. “Most people are just looking for tomorrow. If you give them that — another minute, another hour — you’ve given them another minute to realize someone cares about them … People just want to feel loved.” Moore also suggested for those in their IT moments to reach out to a friend, campus resources or an independent psychologist. “Seek help,” Moore said.
“There’s no shame in that. There’s no judgement in that. You’re doing something to help yourself and help the community around you …. There’s literally billions of people in the world that feel the same way that you feel. I think that … lessens some of the pain.” Moore’s final sentiment is one echoed by McPeak, who repeated her reasons for creating the exhibit in the first place. “I hope we realize that no matter who we are, no matter where we come from, there are some commonalities between us all. Because we are human,” McPeak said. Edited by Sarah Hallam shallam@themaneater.com
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UM
Continued from page 3 of local hiring,” Aura said. “That would mean that, not just the Columbia campus, but universities in this area, would have an insider path to Amazon jobs, and that has to be good for our reputation.” If the new headquarters were to be built in Missouri, Choi believes that MU would be able to provide workers to fit Amazon’s requests. “Our campuses are dedicated to preparing future leaders who can meet Amazon’s unique workforce needs,” Choi said in the email. The UM System communications office could not be reached for comment on the possible effects it would have on MU. However, Aura said that
DEAN
Continued from page 3
he said. As an institution, Roberts would like to see more undergraduate students. Saadiya Aswad, business administrator with the division of biological sciences, said most of her colleagues at MU do not have positive morale and do not feel excitement toward their jobs. “We don’t work because we want to,” she said. “We work because we have to work.” Roberts responded by explaining that he would like to increase staff appreciation if hired. Due to recent budget cuts, increasing salaries for faculty wouldn’t be the first solution, he said. However, at Purdue, he held an annual awards ceremony for faculty and staff. This helped remind those working at Purdue that they are valued and their work matters, he said. Aswad said she thought Roberts addressed her concern well. She said staff morale has been the lowest she’s seen since she began working at MU three years ago. Marion Underwood Marion Underwood is currently serving as dean of graduate studies and associate provost at The University of Texas at Dallas and came to campus on Oct 23. She is also an Ashbel Smith professor of psychological sciences. Underwood joined UT Dallas’ School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences in 1998. During her time at UT Dallas and Reed College, where she was a professor, Underwood has been able to work with both graduate and undergraduate students. Underwood said she would
while Amazon coming to Missouri would be beneficial for the state, it most likely won’t happen. “The whole corridor proposal is probably not what they are looking for,” Aura said. “They’re looking for a metropolitan area.” According to Amazon’s request, they are looking for somewhere with “metropolitan areas with more than one million people, a stable and businessfriendly environment, urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent, [and] communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options.” Aura said that while St. Louis and Kansas City have relatively cheap housing and land, they don’t likely have the universities or large population that Amazon is actively pursue diversity on multiple fronts if she were to be hired as the dean of the College of Arts and Science. “I would want to be very energetic in trying to recruit diverse faculty and students and trying to retain them,” Underwood said. “Another piece of diversity and inclusion has to do with the curriculum. I think it needs to be bred into the fabric of the curriculum in almost every area.” Hill was able to speak with Underwood during the undergraduate informal meeting session. Underwood discussed her research on social aggression and how teenagers interact with each other using technology. Hill said Underwood’s background in behavioral sciences may give her a good perspective as a dean. “I think her psychology basis is extremely important,” Hill said. “When you devote your life to a certain field to understand how people think, I think that sets you apart.” Underwood said her collaboration with colleagues and previous leadership experience and administration could impact MU. “I think that I would be a creative leader who would help craft a vision in consultation with the faculty and students,” Underwood said. “I think that I would bring outside experience and experience at a wide range of institutions. I would bring a fresh perspective.” Patricia Okker The fourth and final candidate for the College of Arts and Science dean position, Patricia Okker, presented her goals and proposals for the position to students and faculty on Oct. 26. Okker spoke about the
looking for. Even though MU may have the students that Amazon is searching for, Columbia isn’t a metropolitan area. “While Washington University is world class, it probably isn’t large enough,” Aura said. “It’s not like the University of Washington or the University of Minnesota, so they probably don’t reap enough graduates of, say, engineers or computer scientists to be that attractive.” If Amazon were to come to Missouri, the state’s economy would benefit overall and bring new, high-paying jobs. However, there are still some downsides to this possibility. “Overall, it has to be a positive thing for a metropolitan area,” Aura said. “A logical operation pops up and creates a lot of highpaying jobs. Unfortunately the downside to that is that
a lot of people, traditionally down the income ladder who are not property owners, who rely on rental housing, will actually end up being squeezed from the market, which has clearly happened in Seattle.” Aura explained that one of the main downsides would be that the Missouri population would not be able to easily handle the large amount of subsidies the new headquarters demands. Taxes would increase for the general population. “And I think you need a very large state to be able to afford the subsidies because then when you divide those subsidies per taxpayer, that number won’t be that huge,” Aura said. “If they’re looking for something in subsidies for around $1 billion dollars, that’s going to be much easier to afford for California, New York or Florida than Rhode
Island or Vermont or North Dakota.” Aura also explained that the jobs created by Amazon could possibly attract outside workers and not help lower the unemployment rate. “The unemployment in Missouri is not concentrated on people who know functional programing or whatever Amazon is right now looking for,” Aura said. “So, I think that it would create jobs, but a lot of those jobs would be for people who are moving to the area and chasing those jobs.” But until 2018, no one but Amazon will know which proposal it will accept. “I’ve made some predictions and no one knows what’s going to happen,” Aura said. “So it’s going to be interesting to see in the next couple of weeks what they decide.” Edited by Sarah Hallam shallam@themaneater.com
College of Arts and Science dean candidate Marion Underwood speaks at an open forum on Oct. 16. PHOTO BY KATE SEAMAN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
challenges facing the College of Arts and Science, including a decrease in budget, staff and faculty and lower salaries for employees, among other things, she said. She currently serves as interim dean for the college and has been working at MU since 1990. Okker listed her four objectives for the new dean position. First, she would advocate on issues related to inclusion and diversity. She said students and staff feeling safe and welcome is the foundation on which all the other priorities depend. “We cannot get to full realization of excellence if we do not first embrace inclusion and diversity,” Okker said. Second, Okker wants to implement a sense of “shared governance.” This would involve an elected committee
involved with policy making and other decisions within the college. Also, she would consult more with student representatives, including student government and other clubs on campus. Third, Okker said she will focus on student success within the college by increasing the number of students who study abroad and complete internships. Lastly, Okker wants to support and enhance both graduate and undergraduate research in the college. To do this, she said she would increase fundraising for research protect “rip funds,” or funds that central campus allocates to support research based on external grants. With an increase in funding comes an array of possibilities within the
college. For example, Okker said the college would be able to provide more travel funding for staff and startup packages for departments beginning new research projects, as well as provide summer salaries for faculty who work at the college during summer break. As for how she would go about fundraising, Okker said much of the funds would come from donors. The college already has done a lot of research in areas that donors and alumni are interested in, such as climate change and cancer, Okker said. Okker also hopes to increase the college’s communication with donors. Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com
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NIBBLING AWAY AT CORRUPTION
SB 5 restricts women’s reproductive rights The new law affecting abortion procedures and informed consent effectively places an undue burden on women. 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.
The state of Missouri requires that, 72 hours prior to an abortion procedure, a woman seeking an abortion must go through an arduous process called “informed consent.” This includes being informed by a medical professional of every possible worst-case outcome of the procedure, as well as signing an official document acknowledging that she saw a diagram of the growth of a fetus at every two-week stage of development with a sign attached that reads, “The life of each human being begins at conception. Abortion will terminate
the life of a separate, unique, living human being." This entire process is designed to use guilt and shame to stop women from terminating unwanted pregnancies, and now a new law that went into effect Tuesday is making the process even more difficult. The law, SB 5, requires that the informed consent process be done by the same physician that performs the actual abortion operation, even though any licensed physician is perfectly capable of helping the patient through the informed consent paperwork. Because of the mandatory 72-hour waiting period in between the informed consent and the termination, this proves extraordinarily problematic. Not only do abortion physicians have to make time to take on this new workload, women who do not live in either St. Louis or Columbia must either make two commutes that are three days apart or find lodging for three days in one of these cities. This restrictive law was passed in an attempt to slow the expansion of abortion services in Missouri. Columbia’s own Planned Parenthood began offering pregnancy termination services in September, and the organization plans to open clinics in Kansas City, Joplin and Springfield in the coming months. While this is good news for women’s reproductive rights and abortion availability, SB 5
Planned Parenthood on Providence Road provides reproductive health services to residents of Columbia and mid-Missouri. The rate of abortions in Missouri is lower than the national average.
MANEATER FILE PHOTO attempts to curb access to abortions in Missouri by making the process as difficult as possible. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 13 percent of private workers have access to paid leave from their jobs. This means that most women, poor and low-income women in particular (who make up a disproportionate 75 percent of all women who seek abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute), will have to take unpaid leave for days on end in order to make not one, but
two commutes to one of two cities in Missouri and have time to recover from the procedure. This is about as close as any state in the U.S. has successfully come to imposing an “undue burden” on women seeking an abortion. Requiring that the same physician who performs the procedure administers the informed consent paperwork is wholly unnecessary and serves no purpose other than to make it that much more difficult for women to choose what happens to their own bodies.
COLUMN
Americans are ignoring Puerto Rico’s stuggles one month after Hurricane Maria If the poor relief efforts in Puerto Rico were to happen on the mainland after a disaster, Americans would be outraged — and yet people already seem to be forgetting about our fellow citizens. 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.
It’s been roughly a month since Hurricane Maria made landfall and devastated Puerto Rico, but people have pretty much already stopped talking about it. Unless you search the news for articles about the topic, the damage done by the hurricane is barely making popular headlines. I have noticed that people around me don’t talk about it, either, unless I bring it up. It’s astonishing how so many people can be suffering from an event that happened not long ago, and yet everyone has
San Juan residents walk in water-filled streets on Sept. 22, 2017, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. PHOTO BY SGT. JOSE AHIRAM DIAZ-RAMOS AND COURTESY OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
seemed to forget about it so fast. At the time I am writing this column, power is still out in three-quarters of the island, and about one-third lacks cell phone service. Only 98 of the island’s 1,113 public schools have been able to reopen and 150 of the rest have been deemed too badly damaged to reopen at all. School days have been slashed in half, only the most crucial core elements for each grade level will be covered and the school year may have
to be extended, according to The New York Times. Even worse, one in four Puerto Ricans still lack access to clean water, according to Vox. If relief efforts were to be forgotten on the mainland after a disaster, Americans would cry out — and yet, because Puerto Rico is a territory, it seems to be hard to find people who care enough to do anything about it. To make this whole situation even more complicated, the aid that Puerto
Rico would be receiving from the U.S. is still up in the air due to Environmental Protection Agency staff and budget cuts, according to Vox. While the EPA isn’t usually what we think about in terms of first responders, they are supposed to provide help in large-scale national emergencies. Many Puerto Ricans live close to toxic waste as well, due to the major landfill problem the island faced even before Maria, and yet EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is siding with industry, and some of his deputies want to repeal the agency’s rules on hazardous chemicals. With all of this going on, it’s hard to be able to count on the government to help out Puerto Rico, so citizens must play a bigger part now more than ever. So unless we really don’t care about the welfare of our citizens, people directly affected by our decisions, we have to step up to the plate and be there for the people of Puerto Rico. There are plenty of reputable organizations for people to donate to, such as Fondos Unidos de Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Fund, ConPRmetidos and many more. Even if you can’t donate, don’t let the topic go. Make other people pay attention — make our government pay attention. Americans cannot claim the title of the greatest country in the world when we refuse to acknowledge the struggles of our own people.
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T H E M A N E AT E R | O P I N I O N | N OV. 1, 2 0 1 7 LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Letter to the Editor: Training won’t keep MU safe unless MU Alert improves
Rabia Gregory is an associate professor and director of graduate studies in the MU department of religious studies PHOTO BY JACOB MOSCOVITCH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
RABIA GREGORY I was one of many professors teaching on Oct. 19 when a strange alarm sounded down the hall and MU Alert took over my classroom computer. The message unhelpfully read: “MU Alert reports an active
threat near Hitt St/Locust St http:// mualert.missouri.edu for confirmed details. Only call MUPD in an emergency.” I wasn't sure what to do after reading that message. Hitt and Locust is about a 10-minute walk from my classroom, but I had none of the information I needed to make a decision about whether to evacuate the classroom, keep teaching or tell my students to shelter in place. Every time MU Alert is used it should describe the nature of the threat or recommend what recipients of the message should do to stay safe until more information is available. One of my students, Caleb Dahlgren, has been trained to respond to active shooter threats. He responded to the “active threat” as a possible active shooter event. He closed the blinds, and, with my permission, dimmed the lights and had us make a plan to defend our classroom. I recognized that his response was heightening anxiety in the room, but I had not been trained to handle an active shooter, and I would rather we be prepared than take unnecessary risks while waiting for more information. I asked my students to monitor Twitter and the local news for me because I do not bring my phone to class. I wasn't worried about any of us being
shot, but as my students read new messages to me from the MU Alert Twitter account, I became concerned for the safety of the “subject” and for every African-American woman in a Mizzou sweatshirt who matched her description. As with every MU Alert I have received so far, preparing for an active shooter event was the wrong choice. But sheltering in place was also the wrong decision. Our classroom door does not lock. The walls are not bulletproof and our interior wall is along the main corridor near the stairwell. A shooter could have sent several rounds through the wall before we saw anything or could move to defend ourselves. We were vulnerable to shrapnel and flying glass, a chemical attack, grenades or other explosives. If an armed person or group had been attacking campus, we should have evacuated to a more secure location. MU Alert is a powerful tool, but, as The Maneater has recently reported, every message it sends is written and approved by humans. Last week, someone decided to warn campus about a threat but failed to provide the information we needed to know how to respond to that threat. In my opinion, their bigger mistake
was deciding that the situation even merited a campus-wide alert. Missouri is an open-carry state and it is legal to have a gun at the intersection of Hitt and Locust. We should expect that guns will be seen on or near campus, especially since there are no posted signs prohibiting guns on University grounds. What if the nuclear reactor malfunctions, or a hazardous spill or explosion takes place in a laboratory, or an armed group launches a coordinated attack on campus? What if there is an earthquake or a tornado or a wildfire? Or another sexual assault, a suicide, a robbery? What if our campus, like other universities, faces the murderous terror of a car driving through a crowd or a lone attacker bringing a knife or gun to our campus to kill as many as possible? It is a mistake to assume that events like these can’t happen here. Whatever the threat, we will need to know the nature of the threat to be able to respond correctly. Unfortunately, if MU Alert continues to be used like it was last week, no amount of training can keep us safe.
COLUMN
Sexual assault is an American epidemic Sexual assault has become a serious issue in America, with many arguing about the context surrounding it. ANNIE JENNEMANN
Opinion Columnist
Annie Jennemann is a freshman journalism and English major who writes about politics for The Maneater. The definition of sexual assault has been argued about for years, including disagreements about what someone was wearing, whether they were under the influence and more. It’s even been discussed about whether a verbal “yes” always means consent is given. But how can someone under the influence possibly give consent? Alcohol isn’t the problem. Clothing isn’t the problem; it’s the false assumption that these things are invitations to sexually assault someone. My anger about the argument surrounding sexual assault began with a tweet I saw, which stated, “I’ve never been raped. Know why? Because I don’t dress like a prostitute or act overly sexual like most young women. Take some responsibility!” This tweet instantly filled me with
anger. How could anyone blame a victim of sexual assault? It’s simple: Sexual assault is the fault of the abuser. I can recall a time during my senior year when I read “The Handmaid’s Tale” in my AP Literature and Composition class. This novel by Margaret Atwood is about the systematic rape in a dystopian society. Women either have children to build the population or are sent away to an unknown place. We had a discussion about the idea of systematic rape where a classmate coined the term “consensual rape.” I heard the phrase and stopped talking. The explanation was that the main character had a choice, but it was still rape. They argued that even though the alternative solution was to be sent away, basically being banished from society, the main character consented to being raped. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This led me to think about the different kinds of sexual assault and how no case is the same. Although “The Handmaid’s Tale” is an odd situation, in today’s society, women are blamed for giving consent under the influence, wearing revealing clothing and not necessarily saying no, which is similar to “The Handmaid’s Tale.” We need to realize that the clothes a woman wears are not the issue. The consciousness of a person isn’t the reason they were assaulted. The pressure a person feels when put into a situation of whether to say yes or
no should not be ignored. The focus should be the abusers who exist everywhere who get away with these crimes. There should be special focus on college campuses. On a college campus, 11.2 percent of students will experience rape or sexual assault through force, according to a statistic from RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. That number should be zero. MU has multiple resources to help students feel safe on campus after experiencing sexual assault. The Office for Civil Rights & Title IX enforces non-discrimination policies, educates about the policies, connects people to resources and listens to concerns in the community. It is a wonderful source to contact to learn about your rights and options if you choose to report an assault.
The Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center is committed to decreasing the prevalence of rape, sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking by creating a campus culture that does not tolerate violence, according to its website. It provides crisis intervention and services to students and survivors. Sexual assault is an epidemic in today’s society. Although more resources are emerging to help prevent sexual assault and help survivors, the topic must be addressed more among everyone in the United States. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, you can contact the MU Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention center at (573) 882-6638 or in room G216 in the Student Center.
8 DOCUMENTARY REVIEW
‘LIYANA’ receives high praise at Citizen Jane Film Festival The documentary redefines bravery with the powers of feminism. ALEXANDRA SHARP
Staff Writer
Storytelling is an art form. Some seek it out, practicing and refining their skills to perfection. Others, the lucky few, are born with the gift. While LIYANA was directed and produced by Aaron and Amanda Kopp, its true creators were the children of a small orphanage in Swaziland. For this reason, the film was truly incredible to watch. LIYANA documents Swazi children’s work by crafting a story
about Liyana, a young girl who must embark on a treacherous journey to save her kidnapped twin brothers. The way this documentary was filmed makes it especially unique. As a mix of both normal documentary footage and animation, I felt invested in the characters in a different way than I would most other documentaries. By using animation, it was easier for me to identify with difficult, painful topics. Along with the formatting, LIYANA was faithful to its Swazi roots, giving the film a fundamental truth that many other documentaries on African culture lack. For example, the patterns shown were distinctly Swazi, and the music was both vibrant and honest to the characters’ culture.
More important than the film’s style, the children were what made me most enjoy LIYANA. I loved seeing the hero take the form of a young girl, redefining bravery with the powers of feminism and showing that African cultures recognize the need for strong female leaders. Of course, not everything in the movie was amazing. Throughout the film, the audience sees footage of the children going on a journey. They swim and trek across grand hills, determined to reach some end goal. However, while I could tell they were on an important journey of their own, the film never tells the audience what their journey is. When the credits rolled and no answer was given, I felt dissatisfied.
Despite unanswered questions, I greatly enjoyed LIYANA. It was truly a one-of-a-kind film, both in style and story. Walking out of the theater, I couldn’t help but hope the children grow up to be storytellers and leaders, bravely narrating their way through any struggles they face in their own lives. After the film ended, the directors informed the audience that a graphic novel version of LIYANA is currently in the production process. Excited to hear their stories again, I look forward to reading this version of Liyana’s journey, even though I’m not the type of person who typically reads graphic novels. Edited by Brooke Collier bcollier@themaneater.com
UNITED NATIONS
Model UN team plans to use increased funding opportunities for excellence Secretary Erica Serrone: “I think we are doing better at including people, being more of a team, more interactive with each other, more involved in each other’s lives.” ALEXANDRA SHARP
Staff Writer
From terrorism plots to economic sanctions to refugee camps, members of Model United Nations work to resolve international crises with students from around the world. Preparing all year for competition, students in MU’s Model UN team MIZMUN are excited to see how successful they’ll be with an almost entirely new team and club structure from last year. According to President Amanda Brown, Model UN is an international organization that role-plays how the real United Nations works. This is done by delegates representing a country or person at a conference and then debating topics based off their particular policy. “We’ll represent one country and then at the conference, we’re in different committees,” Brown said. “So you can handle issues like disarmament, gender issues, and then you have to act like how delegates from your country would act in accordance to how the UN works.” While the club may seem politically-oriented, Treasurer Madison Plaster ensures that anyone can join Model UN regardless of their major. She feels that because Model UN covers a broad range of topics, being knowledgeable about a variety
of issues is beneficial. “You don’t have to be a [political science] major or an international studies major or something that you would typically consider a stereotypical person that would join Model UN,” Plaster said. “At conferences, people come from a variety of majors. I’ve met someone from computer science. I’ve met someone from math.” The topics for each conference vary from committee to committee. According to Plaster, her most challenging conference was when she had to debate the 1969 IsraeliPalestinian conflict on displacement. Brown’s favorite memory comes from a complex wartime issue that ended in an unexpected situation. “[The topic] was the Boxer Rebellion when I got to be United States Navy, and it was a joint crisis [committee],” Brown said. “We worked within the Eight-Nation Alliance ... and so we had to work together while trying to resolve our wartime conflict, and then we ended up declaring World War I a few decades early.” According to Plaster, Model UN enhances many skills, including organization, public speaking and writing. For Brown, the most important skill she’s learned from Model UN is how to work well with others. “When you go to a conference, you have this idea of what you want to do and you’re like, ‘This benefits my country; let’s do this.’ But you’ll never pass a resolution that way,” Brown said. “So it’s really a collaborative effort and you have to know how to be able to negotiate with people.” One change from previous years is MIZMUN recently received an
Amanda Brown, president of MIZMUN, checks the research binders of other members. PHOTO BY EUMALINA KRUECK | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
increase in funding due to adviser William Horner’s efforts in creating a travel fund for the team. According to Plaster, this will be used to go to more conferences than in years past, giving club members more opportunities to compete. The club hopes to attend University of Chicago Model United Nations, American Model United Nations in Chicago and North American Model United Nations in Toronto. “Luckily we’ve gotten an increase in funding this year, so hopefully we’ll be able to use that in ways that will make the club better and perform better and continue reaching that goal of recruiting more people to Model UN,” Plaster said. After a difficult season last year, Secretary Erica Serrone is excited to create a new team dynamic. Her goal is for Model UN to continue
growing into a more welcoming, caring environment. This, Serrone hopes, will encourage more people to join the club. “I think we are doing better at including people, being more of a team, more interactive with each other, more involved in each other’s lives,” Serrone said. “And I feel like we have a really solid group of people who are dedicated this year in doing the work and doing well at conferences and they find [Model UN] important.” According to Serrone, there are currently 16 members on MIZMUN, and a second series of tryouts will be held during the spring semester for anyone who wants to join. The first conference the team will be attending is on Nov. 17 in Chicago. 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 | N OV. 1, 2017 DOCUMENTARY REVIEW
Citizen Jane continues the discussion on race and sexuality The film festival showed short films highlighting race, sexuality and stereotypes Saturday. SIENA DEBOLT
Staff Writer
The Citizen Jane Film Festival featured a short film program titled Intersection on Saturday at the Macklanburg Playhouse. The program showed six short films addressing racial and sexual divides, stereotypes and labels faced in the 21st century and throughout history. Out of the six shorts featured, my favorites were “The Brownlist,” a comedy short about a woman struggling to find a job as an actress based on her skin color, “Watched,” a documentary short about former President George W. Bush’s terrorist spies on Muslim communities, and a comedy film titled Intersection. The program started with “Intersection,” directed by Angela Tucker. The film featured a girl and her two friends who talk about race and sexuality while road tripping to one of the only abortion clinics in Louisiana. Filled with crafty dialogue
“Intersection” COURTESY OF CITIZEN JANE FILM FESTIVAL
and typical road trip situations, such as going to the bathroom on the side of the road, Tucker and her producer, Lauren Domino, were able to address controversial issues with a comedic twist. “I like to explore social issues but through a comedic lense,” Domino said in a Q&A with the audience after the show. “In this film, we wanted to talk about abortion, specifically the mandate in Louisiana. I think there’s only, like, one place in the state where you can get an abortion. If you live up north, it’s a six-hour drive in
order to get services.” “The Brownlist” also used comedy to face a social issue. Ursula Taherian, the producer and star of the film, created a comedy based on her inability to get diverse roles in movies and shows because she was too “light-skinned” to play Middle Eastern roles. “I was going out for all of these diverse roles and I would get to the end; I would get to the test,” Taherian said. “I would be signing contracts and I would be asked, ‘Why is your skin so light if you’re
Middle Eastern?’ There was so much devastation, and that’s what we talked about. It shouldn’t be a color game.” The shorts program ended with Watched, a shocking documentary that featured two girls in Brooklyn who were followed by a government spy living in Muslim communities to find possible terrorist threats. The girls’ interviews, along with animated segments of their story, showed the xenophobia and paranoia they faced and are continuing to face as they struggle to grasp that their friend was actually an undercover government agent. The shorts program ultimately showed the perspectives of different ethnicities and backgrounds, providing a voice for marginalized communities around the world. “The fun, sassy friend doesn’t have to be the black girl,” Taherian said. “The smart co-worker doesn’t have to be the Indian guy with the accent. The laundromat owner doesn’t have to be the Asian guy. It just has to be the best person to tell that story.” Edited by Brooke Collier bcollier@themaneater.com
CITIZEN JANE
“The Light of the Moon”: a stark portrayal of a woman's post-sexual assault life Director Jessica M. Thompson tells the harrowing tale of a young woman trying to piece her life back together after assault in her first film. MAWA IQBAL
Reporter
Spoilers follow for The Light of the Moon. With TV shows like “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “13 Reasons Why” and “Pretty Little Liars” bringing rape and sexual assault to the forefront of the media, it’s becoming easier to have open conversations about a formerly taboo topic. However, TV shows like these tend to focus their lens upon only the criminal aspect of this issue — not the extensive aftermath the victims have to endure. Australian-born film director Jessica M. Thompson does the exact opposite. Her feature debut The Light of the Moon tells a harrowing tale of a young woman’s sexual assault and delves into how her different relationships are affected by the trauma. The film takes place in the hip and happening neighborhood of Bushwick, a place that lies in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Main character Bonnie, played by Stephanie Beatriz, is introduced as a worldly, young architect who has it all: good standing in her firm, a vibrant social life and a stable relationship with her live-in boyfriend, Matt, played by Michael Stahl-David. After a fun night of drinks with friends at a local bar, Bonnie decides
to walk home alone, turning down a cab ride with Jack (Conrad Ricamora), one of her friends. Inebriated from the alcohol and a pill handed to her by a stranger, Bonnie puts on her headphones, blocking out all the noises around her. The camera zooms in on Bonnie’s face as she strolls down the darkened street, and a hand suddenly covers her mouth. A dark hoodie-wearing stranger pulls her into an alley to rape her. The film does not shy away from portraying the assault. Rather than keeping the rape off screen and giving the audience only the sounds of the attack, Thompson focuses the camera right on Bonnie’s face, only cutting to a wide shot when the rapist runs away. The only sound heard is the deafening white noise ringing in Bonnie’s ears. The assault itself doesn’t last very long in terms of screen time. The effects of it, however, reverberate throughout the duration of the film. In the immediate scenes after the attack, Bonnie washes blood and dirt from her face and hands, trying desperately to scrub away visible scrapes from her attack. Although Bonnie realizes that skipping a shower and saving her clothes would help in bringing her attacker to justice, she is wary of telling her boyfriend what truly happened. She blames her bruised cheeks and cut hands on a random mugging. Bonnie’s initial lie to Matt foreshadows the complications their relationship will endure in the film. A main theme that Thompson explores is Bonnie’s feelings of victimization, which she emphasizes through Bonnie’s personality: a strong, resilient woman with no desire for a
“The Light of the Moon” COURTESY OF CITIZEN JANE FILM FESTIVAL
pity party or a victim label. Her loving and slightly overprotective boyfriend approaches the situation differently. While Bonnie’s life is falling apart, Matt, who is also left reeling, tries everything to make her feel comfortable and protected again. His efforts come across as annoying and overbearing to Bonnie, and Thompson highlights this clash by portraying a tumultuous relationship through a series of small domestic altercations and painfully intimate sex scenes. Her relationship with Matt isn't the only thing put to the test. Bonnie learns quickly that it won't be easy to resume her life as the successful, young Brooklynite she was before. Whether it be strangers in public asking if she’s okay because of her facial wounds, coworkers leaving presents on her desk or even her boss taking her off a big project she’d been working on, Bonnie can’t escape the fact that she was assaulted. The Light of the Moon doesn’t pull
any punches on the stark reality victims face in the aftermath of their attacks. The reality is that victims go through a sort of paradox on their road to recovery; ignoring the trauma can be unhealthy and cause strains in relationships, while being hyper aware of it can completely dominate one’s life. The film doesn't provide answers to this paradox, but that’s not its intention. Just as there have been many films and TV shows about rape and sexual assault, this film shows different facets of the victim’s life that feel the ripple effects of the assault. Rating: 8.5/10 If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, you can contact the MU Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention center at (573) 882-6638 or in room G216 in the Student Center. 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 | NOV. 1, 2017
DOCUMENTARY REVIEW
‘Vegas Baby’ exposes the life of three couples living with infertility FIONA MURPHY
Staff Writer
Vegas Baby, a short documentary following the lives of American couples who cannot have children, evoked emotion and informed its audience about the common reality of infertility at the Citizen Jane Film Festival. The documentary, with a screen time of 77 minutes, follows participants of a YouTube contest hosted by a Las Vegas fertility clinic, the Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine, in hopes of winning a free medical procedure that increases the chance of pregnancy. About 7.3 million American women aged 15 to 44 have used infertility services, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making reproductive medicine a $3 billion industry in the United States. SIRM has been doing in vitro fertilization procedures since 1982 and is the first private IVF center in the U.S. IVF, which costs roughly $20,000, is one of the only and most expensive options for couples wanting biological children. The documentary showed
the controversial judging process of a board of infertility activists reviewing the contest submissions in Las Vegas and deciding on the one lucky couple. The majority of the film follows the painful and hopeful life of three contestants: a Latino, Catholic family from Texas, a single, lesbian actress in New York City, and the winners, the Johnsons from Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Oscar-nominated director of the film, Amanda Micheli, shared these people’s vulnerable stories as well as exposed the strenuous and tabooed reality of living with infertility. The subjects each had their own reasons for being a part of the process and exposed their struggle with being denied one of human nature’s most basic callings. “This is a very personal film for me,” Micheli said. “I am thankful to the people on this film. Vegas Baby always evokes discussion among an audience.” Each participant of the contest expressed a desperate need for the procedure. Many women in the videos said a free IVF treatment was their only hope at reproduction. The Johnsons, the winner of the
“Vegas Baby” COURTESY OF VEGAS BABY
contest, had tried IVF before. The couple got pregnant with twins, but lost both 20 weeks later after experiencing premature labor. The most inspiring element to the film is its exploration of the human condition. Many people don’t think twice about infertility, as if reproducing is a guarantee to humans. Yet, one in six couples are infertile. Through heartbreak and hope, only one couple featured in
the film was successful in producing a child via IVF. IVF is a numbers game. Couples are gambling thousands of dollars for a 40 percent chance of success. The will people have to make a family is inspiring and heartbreaking simultaneously, and Vegas Baby captures the essence of that drive beautifully. Edited by Claire Colby ccolby@themaneater.com
MUSIC REVIEW
Destroyer channels simplicity in subtly dismal ‘ken’ Destroyer combines raw melancholy with stripped musical arrangements in new release. LAURA MISEREZ
Staff Writer
The simple piano intro and rhythmic ticks that introduce Destroyer’s new release, ken, serve to bring in what could be a new sound for the act. Destroyer, the brainchild of musician Dan Bejar, is known for abstract, intricate lyrics packaged with unique constructions of sound. Destroyer embodies everything to love about the indie-rock genre. Bejar’s voice sounds independent and free, neither too nasally nor too powerful. He uses this voice to exhale explosively poetic stories that often make little sense to the casual listener. Each of Destroyer’s 12 albums could be characterized as experimental. With ken, however, the experiment seems to be a return to simpler lyrics and more whimsical melodies. "You would have to go back to the ’90s to find this many two-anda-half minute songs on a Destroyer record,” Bejar told Pitchfork. The album noticeably diverges from Destroyer’s 2015 album Poison Season and the widely praised Kaputt (2011). ken is far more straightforward than listeners may be used to. “This is the most goth record you’re going to hear from me,” Bejar said to Billboard. However, fans will still immediately recognize it as distinctly Bejar. In “Sky’s Grey,” the first track
and album single, Bejar's signature scraggly voice floats atop a simple melodic line. It fades effortlessly into "In The Morning,” a much more rock-centric, drum-heavy effort. Much of it is reminiscent of The
to know. “It’s atypical, which I think is cool,” Bejar told Pitchfork of the song. It makes sense, for there are few things more typical of Destroyer than atypical songs.
Destroyer performs at Sudoeste Festival in 2011. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Cure’s Disintegration (1989), which Bejar cites as an influence for the album. The album diverges from its generally melancholy vein with “Cover From the Sun.” On first listen, I thought Spotify had messed up my queue and was playing a different artist entirely. The cheerful arrangement has a light-pop vibe and sounds out of place amid the generally gray tone of the album. Upon closer inspection, especially of the lyrics, I can see the resemblance to the Destroyer listeners have come
“Saw You at the Hospital” is a return to Destroyer’s signature stripped, demo-like sound. Bejar wrote the first lyrics during his three-day stay in a Swiss hospital. He envisioned places of sickness and madness and used these lyrics to personify them. The haunting, lonely quality of this song makes it my personal favorite from the album. In “Rome,” Destroyer again channels The Cure as well as old jazz brass. They combine with a meticulous rhythm to give the
song an eerie feel. The lyrics are repetitive yet mysterious. The song uses this to its advantage until the end, when all the instruments except the low saxophone croon fade out as it repeats a short melody four times. The album picks up the pace again with “Sometimes in the World.” Its pop-esque rhythm and direct lyrics give this song an anthem-like tone. Bejar addresses the problems people face in a nonchalant way, saying things just happen sometimes. His tone insinuates that people just have to deal with these problems. Upbeat, direct and fluid on the surface, this song is a stretch from Bejar’s norm. However, its lyrical genius and general feel are quintessential Destroyer qualities. This could actually be said of all of ken. Bejar’s distinct vocals aside, it takes a little digging to identify why this album is textbook Destroyer. It is far more subtle with its brilliance and its uncomplicated buildups. However, Bejar remains a master of engineering music that evokes certain feelings, and ken is no different. Though the album is good, its simplistic style leaves me wanting more from Bejar, which he has shown he can provide. For an artist who has built his reputation on experimentation and complexity, ken almost seems like a step backward. It’s still worth a listen, but ken is neither life-changing like Kaputt nor musically thrilling like Destroyer’s Rubies (2006). The saving grace is that a lackluster Destroyer is still better than most other singersongwriters at the moment. Edited by Claire Colby ccolby@themaneater.com
SPORTS
Online this week: Schweizer defends SEC title, Albert Okwuegbunam’s journey and more at themaneater.com.
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CROSS-COUNTRY
Cunningham overcomes crash, breaks out for women’s cross-country After suffering a broken neck and a shattered skull in the summer of 2015, senior Megan Cunningham has become a key runner for Mizzou women’s cross-country in 2017. ANDY KIMBALL
Staff Writer
Megan Cunningham was sleeping in the back seat of the truck while her parents were driving. The redshirt senior runner had finished her sophomore track season at Missouri two months earlier and was riding with her father while her mother was driving. The family was on its annual road trip to visit Cunningham’s grandparents in Wyoming. Suddenly, Cunningham woke up in the backseat and felt both the truck and the camper attached to it sway. Cunningham then looked outside her mom’s window at the camper. After the camper began swaying, Cunningham’s mom lost control of the truck, and it turned over and rolled off of the highway. “I saw the camper outside of my mom’s window,” Cunningham said. “The next thing I know we were going perpendicular to the road. Then we rolled five times and then I remember waking up and remember not being able to see anything.” After the crash, Cunningham remembers her vision being pitchblack. She swayed in and out of consciousness until she woke up in the ICU. There, Cunningham's vision was still pitch-black. She couldn’t see the blood all over her body, she couldn’t see that
she had suffered a broken neck in four places and she couldn’t see the stitches the doctors were giving her. “I had no idea what was going on,” Cunningham said. “I was so disoriented. I remember how one of the doctors said they would give me stitches. Then I started freaking out because I’m afraid of needles. I couldn't see where I was bleeding or what was happening. I remember how they said they would cut off my clothes and remember freaking out about what I was wearing,” The crash left Cunningham with a neck broken in four places, a shattered skull and bleeding inside her brain that made a return to crosscountry unlikely, or at least a long way away. Cunningham’s journey to regain her running ability included a long stint of rehabilitation. Her rehab forced her to miss the 2015 and 2016 cross-country seasons as she worked her way toward rejoining the team. “I took the attitude of starting over,” Cunningham said. “I wanted to be able to run again. I would push myself to go a little bit further every day. It was a slow day-by-day process. I knew it was gonna take time for me to be able to run again, for me to ever run a mile again. The thought of being able to run again and do what I love to do motivated me to take it slow and to take it one step at a time.” Going through rehab while also coping with her family’s injuries was a hard process for Cunningham. Cunningham suffered injuries similar to her father’s, who is now a quadriplegic. Cunningham said her father helped her stay positive throughout rehab and continues to help her keep positive today. “He keeps a positive attitude and has a smile every day,” Cunningham
Megan Cunningham runs in a meet during the 2017 cross-country season. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIZZOU ATHLETICS AND JEFF CURRY said. “He helps me keep a smile on my face in my life and be positive with everything around me.” Cunningham still deals with effects from her injuries. When she returned to practice, she experienced dizziness and headaches, and these symptoms
continue today. “The hardest part was getting dizzy from my headaches,” Cunningham said. “My vision will go black, and I won’t be able to see anything at
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COLUMN
Five takeaways from Missouri wrestling’s Black and Gold Dual The team heads into the regular season this week with its home opener against Illinois on Nov. 4. HANNAH HOFFMEISTER
Staff Writer
The Missouri wrestling team went head to head with itself Friday night in the annual Black and Gold Dual at Hearnes Center. The squad split into two and wrestled someone in the same or similar weight class in an exhibition match-style dual to prepare for the Nov. 4 home opener against Illinois at Mizzou Softball Stadium. After 14 matches, the Gold team won 28-16. Redshirt senior Joey Lavallee said the match presented challenges to the Tiger wrestlers.
“It’s tough; we’re wrestling our own teammates,” he said. “We see each other in the room so much, and we know each other’s tendencies better than anyone else out there is going to know them.” Head coach Brian Smith said the team has little things to work on before the home opener on Nov. 4. “Seeing guys just having a hard time finishing with shots, but we’ll work on that,” Smith said. “I just feel like we need to get out and wrestle some other teams now. But we need to do this for just getting out in front of a crowd with a referee.” Here are five things to look out for going into the team’s first match: One of four seniors, Joey Lavallee is back and ready to lead
Missouri wrestler Willie Miklus gets his arm raised after securing seventh place at the NCAA wrestling championships Saturday, March 21, 2015, at the Scottrade
GOLD | Page 15 Center in St. Louis. MANEATER FILE PHOTO
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T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | NOV. 1, 2017
FOOTBALL
Is an NFL career in the cards for Drew Lock? Lock threw for 18 touchdowns and two interceptions in four October games. THEO DEROSA
Columnist
Drew Lock looks the part of an NFL quarterback, but will he be one? He’s tall. Well-built. Can throw a football quite far. But how does his actual play on the field, which is sometimes bypassed in favor of hokey “intangibles,” measure up? Lock’s play during the month of October has been a great sign for him and the Tigers. Missouri was blown out in three straight games in September against South Carolina, Purdue and Auburn, but since October the Tigers have looked far more competitive. The Tigers fought Kentucky to the end in Lexington, falling 40-34. Lock threw for three touchdowns and no picks. The following week, he played gunslinger as the Tigers hung with Georgia, currently the No. 2 team in the AP poll, for a half on the road. In that game, Lock finished with four touchdowns and a lone interception. As it has been throughout Lock’s career, when the level of competition goes down, Missouri’s QB dominates. In four nonconference games this year, he’s managed 18 touchdowns and just four picks. Remove the Purdue game (as Missouri would certainly want to do) and that goes to 18 touchdowns and just two interceptions. His sole turnover against Idaho was an interception on the first play from scrimmage — Lock closed the game on a run of six touchdowns without turning the ball over as the Tigers cruised to a 68-21 Homecoming win. Lock’s career stats against nonconference opponents have looked much the same. He’s managed 33 touchdowns to only six interceptions against teams outside of the Southeastern Conference. But in conference games, Lock’s play has been noticeably inconsistent. This year alone, Lock struggled greatly against South Carolina and Auburn, putting up three touchdowns and three interceptions. While he picked it up against Kentucky and Georgia (seven TDs to just one INT), many Missouri fans think Lock’s play hasn’t improved enough in big games from his true freshman season. It’s a valid criticism. Since his Missouri tenure began with the usurpation of former starter Maty Mauk in October
— excuse me, Locktober — 2015, Lock has often looked lost or outmatched against SEC opponents. The Florida Gators, who visit Columbia on Saturday, have particularly victimized Lock. On Homecoming in 2015, Lock threw a picksix along with another interception in a 21-3 Florida win. It was Teez (formerly Jalen) Tabor who had the touchdown return, and Tabor did it again in Gainesville’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in 2016. In that Missouri-Florida contest, Tabor and Quincy Wilson each returned a Lock pass for a touchdown, tying the number of touchdowns Missouri managed in the 40-14 loss. The two Florida games highlight Lock’s struggles against NFL-caliber talent. Especially on the defensive side of the ball, the SEC is chock-full of future NFL draft picks. In the 2017 draft, both Wilson and Tabor were taken in the second round, Wilson by the Indianapolis Colts and Tabor by the Detroit Lions. With Florida’s firing of its coach, Jim McElwain, on Sunday, Lock could have a Florida revenge game this Saturday. On the first day of Locktober 2016, Missouri traveled to face LSU in Baton Rouge. The Tigers lost 42-7, with Lock throwing for zero touchdowns and one interception. That pick went to Tre’Davious White, a firstround pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2017 draft and a possible NFL AP Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. It’s not like Lock’s struggles are coming against subpar college talent. While his success may be coming against the likes of Eastern Michigan and Connecticut, his shortcomings have come at the hands of some of the most talented defensive players in the SEC. But will Lock’s talent — which is undeniable, in spurts — translate to the NFL? Since this is Lock’s third year at Missouri, he’s eligible to leave school and enter the draft after the 2017 season. But with little meaningful success in terms of conference wins for the Tigers, it seems doubtful that he will. Lock’s improvement has, not coincidentally, mirrored Missouri’s substantial aboutface since its three September losses. If he could lead Missouri to a surprise bowl game after a 1-5 start, Lock would go a long way toward cementing his legacy with the Tigers. I expect him to be back for a senior year that looks full of promise and, possibly, full of NFL hopes. Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com
Missouri quarterback Drew Lock walks onto the field before the Tigers’ road game against Tennessee in 2016. MANEATER FILE PHOTO
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T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | NOV. 1, 2017 VOLLEYBALL
Married Missouri volleyball assistant coaches make work a family affair Joshua and Molly Taylor are learning how to work together as both coaches and newlyweds, with a little help from veteran coaching couple Wayne and Susan Kreklow. CHELSEA ROEMER
Staff Writer
Missouri volleyball head coach Wayne and assistant coach Susan Kreklow are no strangers to partnership. They have been working to build a successful volleyball program at Mizzou since the 2000 season and previously coached together at Columbia College from 1994-99. The veteran couple has taken the Tigers to new heights over their almost two-decade run at Mizzou. The secret to their success? Working together as a married team. “We’ve been doing this a long time,” Wayne said. “We are comfortable working together and have developed a really solid system. We
know our roles and what we each do best.” While the over 20-year couple figured out its own key to success, the newest additions to the MU volleyball coaching family, Joshua and Molly Taylor, are diving into their first year not only as coaches but as husband and wife. Married this past winter, Joshua and Molly Taylor share a love for volleyball, and it’s that passion for the sport that led them to each other. “Molly was training for the women's national team and I was training for the men's national team in California,” Joshua Taylor said. “We just happened to meet there and 11 months later, I proposed.” Since playing for the men’s and women's national teams, the two have made their way to Columbia to start their new life and to begin new jobs as assistant coaches with the Tigers. Molly, a Minnesota native, is familiar with the program as a Missouri volleyball alumna while Joshua is from Honolulu, Hawaii, and spent his collegiate career at Pepperdine University. Last fall, the two served
Molly and Joshua Taylor PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIZZOU ATHLETICS as team members on the coaching staff for the program but unexpectedly stayed in Columbia, Missouri, after receiving the full-time coaching positions. “We did not plan this at all, but we were team members for a couple of months last fall,” Joshua said. “Wayne suggested that we apply for the full-time position, and
we ended up getting it.” Since then, the two have been working with the rest of the staff to prepare and guide Missouri volleyball during the 2017 season. Spending large amounts of time together on and off the court, the newlyweds are learning to separate work from home life. “We do a good job of leaving work at work even though we both love volleyball,” Joshua said. “Sometimes we just need a break, so we will spend time together doing an activity and not talk about volleyball.”
Missouri, the two still have a lot to learn about being together in the industry. To help mentor the young couple, the Kreklows had advice for the newlyweds that has helped them develop a mature relationship over the years. “You have to be willing to compromise and understand you won't always get what you want and go into it with no ego,” Wayne Kreklow said. “You have to understand that you are now a team. This job
“MOLLY IS MY BEST FRIEND AND BEING WITH HER ALL DAY IS SO SPECIAL TO ME. SEEING HER IN HER ELEMENT MAKES ME FALL MORE IN LOVE WITH HER EVERY DAY.” -JOSHUA TAYLOR Joshua has previous experience with coaching, serving as a grad assistant to the MU program and assisting the Tigers as a lead instructor for individual and positional summer camps in 2016. While coaching alongside one another, the Taylors view the sport as a way to stay connected to each other. “Just seeing how well Molly interacts with the girls is a really rewarding part of coaching together,” Joshua said. “Being able to see each other in our element gives us a chance to connect deeper.” Just a few months into marriage and new jobs at
has a ton of highs and lows, so it’s good to have someone to experience this with and that understands you.” The Tigers are currently in the middle of their 2017 campaign, and so far married and coaching life seems to be treating the Taylors well. “It is just awesome,” Joshua said. “Molly is my best friend and being with her all day is so special to me. Seeing her in her element makes me fall more in love with her every day.” 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 | N OV. 1, 2 0 1 7
FOOTBALL
Lock named Manning Award Star of the Week This is the second straight week in which Lock has been selected as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks by the Manning Award committee. ELI LEDERMAN
Sports Editor
After tossing five touchdowns and completing 83.7 percent of his passes in Missouri’s 52-12 win over the UConn Huskies on Saturday evening, Tigers quarterback Drew Lock was named a Manning Award Star of the Week Monday morning. The honor marks the second consecutive week in which the junior gunslinger has been recognized by the Manning Award committee as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. He was named to the list on Oct. 23 thanks to his six-touchdown performance against Idaho on Homecoming. Other notable quarterbacks around the nation to receive the honor this week were Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett and Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate. Few quarterbacks in college football had a better October than Lock, and his production on
Saturday topped off what was easily the best month of his career. Over four games in October, Lock threw for 1,452 yards with 18 touchdowns while completing 66.4 percent of his passes. In each of the four games, Lock completed at least one touchdown of over 60 yards. After Saturday’s game, head coach Barry Odom spoke about the improvements Lock has made to his game and the jump he has made over the past month. “Right now he’s on a different level with the things he’s done the last four weeks,” Odom said. “He also understands he’s only good as his next performance.” Lock’s impressive October has launched him to the top tier of several offensive statistics and has made the junior one of the top quarterbacks in the nation by the numbers. His 28 touchdowns on the year leave him tied with West Virginia quarterback Will Grier for the most in college football, and his 2,567 yards and 167.8 quarterback rating are good for 11th and ninth, respectively, in the two statistics. With four games remaining in the season, Lock is on pace to smash Chase Daniel’s single-season Missouri touchdown record, which Daniel set in 2008 when he threw 39.
Drew Lock warms up ahead of Missouri’s 68-21 Homecoming victory over Idaho on Oct. 21. PHOTO BY ELI LEDERMAN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The spike in Lock’s production has coincided with a turnaround in the Tigers’ season. After a 1-5 start, Missouri has earned wins in its last two games to bring its record to 3-5. In order to make a bowl game, the Tigers will still need to go 3-1 in their final four games to reach six wins and receive a bid. Missouri's quest to reach six wins continues this Saturday when the Florida Gators literally and metaphorically limp into Columbia.
Florida lost its star running back Malik Davis to a knee injury in its loss to Georgia on Saturday and on Sunday fired head coach Jim McElwain after he failed to provide evidence of death threats he alleged his team and his family had received as a result of the Gators’ weak performances. The Tigers and Gators will kick off on Saturday at 11 a.m. Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com
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T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | NOV. 1, 2017
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all. I have to be able to accept, if that’s the only thing. I’m lucky to be back doing what I love at Mizzou. I’m trying to learn how to cope with it better.” To help with rehab, Cunningham got up at 6:30 in the morning and walked around the track to join her teammates during practice. “It was really hard,” Cunningham said. “I wanted to feel a part of the team, so I came to practice every single day and would walk. I wanted to stay as part of the team as I could. I used the team as a crutch and a way of distracting what was going on at home. Staying at practice helped keep my mind off of everything.” After a long process of walking and eventually running on her own, Cunningham was finally able to rejoin her teammates for a run. “I smiled the whole time,” Cunningham said. “We only ran 2 miles, but it was such a great experience. Being able to participate with someone was a great feeling.” Cunningham was able to return to compete in the 2017 indoor and
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Lavallee, a redshirt senior, won the Mid-American Conference championship last year in the 157pound weight class. Lavallee’s energy could be a sign of leadership to come this season; he could not sit still in the matches leading up to his own, doing tuck jumps and moving up and down the sidelines. Lavallee won his Black and Gold match against redshirt sophomore Luke Fortuna in a tight 3-2 decision that began the third period with only one point scored. “I mean, it’s a practice run for next week, and that’s how I look at it,” Lavallee said after the match. “Just, ‘Okay, what can I do now to prepare and get all the cobwebs out now before [the home opener]?’” Redshirt senior Willie Miklus is back after being sidelined last year due to injury Miklus, who wrestled in only two matches last season due to a knee injury, last wrestled on Nov. 20, 2016, against Virginia Tech. He wrestled in the 184-pound weight
outdoor track seasons. Head coach Marc Burns was glad to see all of Cunningham’s effort rewarded once she returned to the track. “It was incredible for her to get back on the track because it was a long process,” Burns said. “A really rewarding feeling for her. She was smart in her recovery. She had a lot of emotional healing. That’s really hard on anybody.” Burns also gave the team doctors credit for aiding Cunningham’s development. The sports medicine department communicated daily with Burns and Cunningham to assist in the rehab process. “A lot of credit needs to go to the sports medicine and team doctors,” Burns said. “They made sure her long-term health was the primary concern. Now to see her at an elite level is pretty incredible.” Cunningham finished her comeback track season with a personal record of 16:48.48 in the 5K at last season’s Drake Relays. That time was over a minute faster than her 5K time of 17:49.86 at the Tom Botts Invitational in 2015, Cunningham’s last race before she suffered her injuries in July 2015. Cunningham entered this year’s cross-country season completely unsure about how she would
perform. Because she hadn’t raced since the 2014 cross-country season, Cunningham felt like she had a fresh start with the sport. “I came into the season with no expectation of where I was gonna be,” Cunningham said. “I thought I was starting over with the sport again. It was nice going into the meet not knowing what to expect. I’m very excited to be back.” Cunningham started the season with a sixth-place finish at the JK Gold Classic and then broke out with a seventh-place finish at the Cowboy Jamboree by finishing with a personal record of 21:07.1 in the 6K. Cunningham solidified her place as the Tigers’ No. 2 runner when she finished 62nd at the Pre-National Invitational with another personal record of 20:50.9. Cunningham’s breakout has revived the Tigers’ postseason hopes after the team was decimated by injuries early in the season. “It’s made a huge difference,” Burns said. “We saw it start to happen at the end of the spring in track. She put in work over the summer and took everything to another level. She is at a substantial difference from last spring.” The Tigers lost redshirt senior Kaitlyn Fischer, a former All-SEC and All-Midwest Region selection,
earlier this season to a stress fracture. Missouri was also without senior and returning All-American Jamie Kempfer for most of the season. Kempfer made her debut at Friday’s SEC championship but is still recovering from a hip injury. Burns saw signs of Cunningham’s breakout at the end of the 2017 track season and is impressed with the way she has become a key runner for the Tigers. “Her coming back has been a pretty inspirational story,” Burns said. “She has stepped into that position we need filled. Jamie hasn’t gotten back to the way she was. It’s given us hope to put things together in two weeks and make it to the NCAA meet.” Entering the Midwest Regional, the Tigers are counting on Cunningham as a top-three option, along with Kempfer and senior Karissa Schweizer, in the Tigers’ quest to qualify for a national championship berth two years straight. Cunningham hopes to carry out that responsibility. “I want to place as highly as I can to help the team out,” Cunningham said. “I want to be All-Region. I want to help my team make it back to nationals and I want to help the team and be as competitive as it can be.” Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com
class and forfeited his match due to injury less than two minutes into the match. This year, Miklus is back and wrestling in the 197-pound weight class; he defeated 184-pound redshirt sophomore Dalton Voyles in a major decision at the end of the first period. “It was last November last time he was on the mat, wrestling a match like this, so that was good,” Smith said. “Now he’s ready for Illinois.” Not counting his redshirt season freshman year, Miklus has a 54-19 career record. He was an All-American in 2015 and 2016 in the 184-pound weight class. Miklus moved up to the 197-pound weight class this season. And he has big shoes to fill, as the 197-pound class is where former Mizzou wrestler J’den Cox wrestled last season. Miklus’ three years of experience could be valuable with the graduation of two standout leaders, Cox and Lavion Mayes.
the team, Eierman became the fourth consecutive Missouri freshman to earn All-American status when he placed fifth at the NCAA championships in March. Eierman also won the MAC championship last season in the 141pound weight class. “I’ve really opened up on my attacks and offensive a lot,” Eierman said in a post-practice interview on Oct. 19. Smith also said on Oct. 19 that he has seen improvement in Eierman since last season. That offensive approach was clear in Eierman’s performance at the Black and Gold dual, where he won by fall against redshirt junior Nick Nasenbeny after four minutes and eight seconds. Eierman had a takedown in the first minute of the match.
Stigall pulled ahead in the second period, ending the period with an 8-5 lead. Stigall’s 10-7 win added to the Gold team’s lead. The Black team came back to lead for a match after freshman Dack Punke’s victory over freshman Cameron Valdiviez, but the Gold team ultimately had more depth and prevailed.
A constant: Eierman remains impressive Redshirt sophomore Jaydin Eierman wrestled at the U23 World Team Trials in Minnesota at the beginning of October. He finished third in his weight class. Eierman seems ready to step into a leadership role as one of the team’s top returners. According to a press release by
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Freshman to watch: Lane Stigall Not much is known about Lane Stigall, a freshman from almost 2,000 miles away. The Aurora, Oregon, native wrestled in the 149pound weight class in the Black and Gold dual against redshirt freshman Sean Hosford, who wrestled at 157 pounds. Even with the weight difference, the two were tied at five points apiece after a back-and-forth first period.
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What to look for: emerging leaders On a team with only four redshirt seniors, leadership is still being determined. Redshirt junior Daniel Lewis, who did not wrestle in the Black and Gold dual but, according to Smith, is ready for the season, could also play a leadership role. Lewis has dominated the 165-pound weight class for the past two years, winning the MAC Championship and placing fourth and sixth place nationally in 2016 and 2017, respectively, in the weight class. Lewis, Miklus, Miklus and Eierman may be the emerging leaders, but the leadership void created by Cox’s graduation remains an unknown headed into the season. Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com
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