Vol84issue14

THE MANEATER

NOVEMBER 29, 2017 • THEMANEATER.COM

Jontay Porter boxes out Kansas guard Lagerald Vick on Oct. 22, 2017, during the Showdown for Relief. PHOTO BY ADAM COLE // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

MEN’S BASKETBALL

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

‘Poised’ Porter takes on big role with Missouri

Seven games into the season, Missouri’s young big man has shown strong on-court intelligence and a versatile skillset.

ELI LEDERMAN

PHOTO BY JACOB MOSCOVITCH // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Animal testing protests page 2

Sports Editor

Jontay Porter grabbed the rebound off a Jordan Geist miss and fired the ball into the corner.

Waiting for it there was junior

Kevin Puryear, who was squared up to shoot even before the ball arrived in his hands before calmly nailing a 3-pointer to put the Tigers ahead 58-47 in Sunday night’s Advocare Invitational championship game against West Virginia.

On the next possession, Porter again found Puryear from beyond the arc to extend Missouri’s lead to 12.

Three minutes later, Porter put back a Kassius Robertson miss to keep the offense rolling and the Tigers ahead, at least for the time being.

What Missouri needed, Porter

provided. That was the story Sunday night, and it was the one that unfolded all weekend in Orlando. In the wake of news that his brother, Michael Porter Jr., would likely miss the remainder of the season after receiving a microdiscectomy of his L3 and L4 spinal discs, Porter has broken out. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game in the tournament and controlled the court against teams from St. John’s

Porter | Page 7

ARTS AND SCIENCE

Okker named dean of College of Arts and Science Okker has served as the interim dean of the College of Arts and Science since August 2016.

SKYLER ROSSI

Staff Writer

PHOTO BY JACOB MOSCOVITCH // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Mizzou’s swim and dive season recap page 6

After months of searching and deliberation, MU Provost Garnett Stokes appointed Patricia Okker as the new dean of the College of Arts and Science, effective as of Nov. 21, according to an MU News Bureau press release.

Coming from the position as the interim dean of the College of Arts and Science, Okker already has experience as dean, including being an active part of creating the first new school within the College of Arts and Science in the last 30 to 40 years.

PATRICIA OKKER PHOTO COURTESY OF COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

“[Okker] has served as interim dean of the College of Arts and Science since August 2016,” according to the press release. “During that time, she launched a career-readiness program for A&S students and oversaw the

creation of the School of Visual Studies and approval of the School of Music new building project.”

A&S | Page 4

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T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | N OV. 2 9, 2017

ANIMAL DEMONSTRATION

MU approves continued use of live pigs for medical training despite protests NATASHA VYHOVSKY

The Student Voice of MU since 1955

Reporter

The MU School of Medicine will continue to use live pigs when training emergency room doctors, despite protests.

Around two dozen activists and Kerry Foley, a retired emergency medicine physician, gathered outside the MU School of Medicine on Nov. 16 to urge the school to end its use of live pigs for procedural training in its emergency medicine residency program.

The school currently uses simulators in the Russell D. and Mary B. Shelden Clinical Simulation Center for much of the emergency medicine training, spokeswoman for MU Health Care Jennifer Coffman said. The exception comes about six times a year, according to Coffman, when certain procedures cannot be represented through simulation.

Coffman said the emergency medicine program’s animal use protocol requires renewal every three years by the university’s Animal Care and Use Committee.

Foley, who is also a volunteer with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, said she and the other activists hoped to convince the emergency medicine department to let its animal use protocol approval expire next month rather than renew and instead focus on simulators for training.

A recent study conducted by PCRM found that 92 percent of the 211 surveyed medical programs in the U.S. and Canada rely solely on human-relevant methods such as simulators and profused cadavers, while MU remains one of the 16 surveyed that still use live animals. “In this day and age, there’s really no reason to be using animal models when there are incredibly sophisticated simulators now,�

Foley said.

Foley said she is aware of the

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Twitter: @themaneater Instagram: @themaneater Snapchat: @the.maneater facebook.com/themaneaterMU Bill Davis protests animal testing in front of University Hospital on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017.

PHOTO BY JACOB MOSCOVITCH // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

procedures emergency medicine students are learning, and she said she firmly believes they can be done on simulators. As a medical student at Georgetown University, Foley said she never practiced on live animals. “It’s been said by various clinicians that the anatomy of a pig is not true to human anatomy,�

Foley said. “The trachea is deeper in the neck and the skin is a lot thicker, so the experience that the residents are getting during these procedures is not identical to what it would be if they were using a [simulator] ‌ Pigs have more ribs than humans do — the anatomy is all off.â€?

With the new and advanced technology for training purposes, Foley said using live animals is no longer the standard or the ideal way to be training young doctors. “I think personally it’s demoralizing,â€? Foley said. “Imagine being in a lab and being handed a squirmy, adorable baby pig, and you’re now in charge of anesthetizing it and cutting into it. These animals are ‌ slaughtered at the end of the procedure ‌ I think it’s demoralizing for these students who have signed up to become healers to be doing that kind of activity.â€?

St. Louis resident Sasha Zemmel, an organizer with various activist

$40

groups pertaining to animal rights, was personally contacted by PCMR and asked to help organize the demonstration. “When I heard the numbers that 92 percent of hospitals already have changed [to not using animals], and we’re in the small 8 percent that haven’t, it’s just like, ‘Come on,’�

Zemmel said. “So it’s important to be here, and hopefully we create change.�

Zemmel thinks it would further MU’s reputation as a university and help it become a role model for other programs still using animals for training to fully transition to simulators. “Mizzou: everyone sees the ‘M’ and everyone knows Missouri is known for Mizzou’s football team and it’s an awesome school,�

Zemmel said. “So I would just love to be known for, ‘Hey, Mizzou has modernized their training — no more live testing.’�

It was not made clear by Coffman which techniques the current simulators lack and when they might be updated. However, Coffman said the animal use protocol was reviewed and renewed by the committee on Nov. 3 and will not expire again until Nov. 3, 2020.

Edited by Sarah Hallam shallam@themaneater.com

The Maneater is the official student publication of the University of Missouri and operates independently of the university, student government, the School of Journalism and any other campus entity.

All text, photos, graphics and other content are property of The Maneater and may not be reproduced without permission. The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the University of Missouri or the MU Student Publications Board. “Why would I want Carrie Oaky Masheen�

Reporters for The Maneater are required to offer verification of all quotes for each source.

If you notice an inaccuracy in one of our stories, please contact us via phone or email.

Editor-in-Chief Victoria Cheyne Production Coordinator Cassie Allen Copy Chiefs Sam Nelson, David Reynolds, Anna Sirianni Online Development Editor Michael Smith Jr. News Editors Olivia Garrett Sarah Hallam Sports Editor Eli Lederman

Opinion Editor Hunter Gilbert MOVE Editors Claire Colby Brooke Collier Visuals Director Lane Burdette Designers Emma Gassman Alyssa Weisberg Madi Winfield Social Media Editor Kaelyn Sturgell Sports Social Media Manager Titus Wu Adviser Becky Diehl

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NEWS

Online this week: Scanner and isolation unit opens at MU veterinary hospital, College of Arts and Science offers new online economics degree and more at themaneater.com.

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ACTIVISM

MU professor’s book centers on the role of place in indigenous activism The book focuses on three areas: the Cheslatta Carrier Nation in British Columbia, the Wakarusa Wetlands near Lawrence, Kansas, and the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in New Zealand.

ANNE CLINKENBEARD

Reporter

Soren Larson, an associate professor of geography in the MU College of Arts and Science, published a book with the University of Minnesota Press that concentrates on the struggles of native peoples in areas threatened by construction.

Titled “Being Together in Place,” the book was written with his colleague and co-writer Jay Johnson, an associate professor of geography at the University of Kansas.

The book focuses on three areas: the Cheslatta Carrier Nation in British Columbia, the Wakarusa Wetlands near Lawrence, Kansas, and the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in New Zealand.

In the Wakarusa Wetlands, activists fought against the Kansas Department of Transportation’s attempts to construct a highway, which would damage the wetlands. The activism in the Cheslatta Carrier Nation was against a corporation called Alcan that planned for hydroelectric development in the Nechako River.

New Zealand’s activism focuses

on restoring the treaty on which New Zealand was founded, which would mean returning land and land management rights back to the native people, along with monetary settlements, Larsen said.

“The book is about place-based activism involving indigenous people in three landscapes,” Larsen said. “In each of these places there’s a long history of activism, and this activism has involved nonnative people as well.”

Through their research, the pair identified a concept they refer to as “agency of place,” which is a process of “listening to place” and discovering responsibility to others and the interconnected nature of people and the natural world. The process of “heeding the call of place,” defending and caring for these places led people to understand and take up their responsibilities to the other human and nonhuman communities who share that place.

The book, published on Nov. 6, was about two years in the making, Larsen said. The pair conducted approximately one year of field research and took another year to write, edit and review the work. “[Writing the book] was fully collaborative,” Johnson said. “We came up with all of the ideas together … Each of us had our own longerterm research projects, [Larsen’s] in Canada and mine in New Zealand, so we diverged when we wrote on those topics … We read each other’s work and integrated it together.”

BOOK | Page 5

Being Together in Place: Indigenous Coexistence in a More than Human World PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA PRESS

FELLOWSHIP

GREEK LIFE

MU College of Engineering student chosen as first recipient of EWF fellowship

PHA and IFC elect new executive boards

ALLISON CHO

Staff Writer

MU graduate student Rumana Aktar is the first recipient of the Executive Women’s Forum fellowship, which is a fulltuition, five-year doctoral scholarship.

First announced in December 2016, the fellowship is a partnership between the College of Engineering and Executive Women’s Forum to aid female doctoral students in computer science, particularly those of underrepresented backgrounds.

Aktar said her selection to the fellowship came as a surprise.

“My professor had told me that I needed to meet with the dean for some kind of interview about the fellowship,” Aktar

Rumana Aktar (right), seen here with Dean Elizabeth Loboa, recently was selected as the first-ever recipient of the EWF Fellowship. PHOTO COURTESY OF RUMANA AKTAR

said. “He accompanied me to talk with the dean of engineering, Dr. Elizabeth Loboa. I thought I was going to an interview, so I prepared like

people do before an interview.

But when she actually opened the door, she welcomed me as the recipient. I didn’t know I was already selected, so that was really surprising and really amazing.”

EWF is a nationwide organization that encourages female leaders in information technology, particularly risk management, privacy and security. Loboa contacted the organization and suggested creating a Ph.D. fellowship.

“I went to one of the EWF meetings and found out EWF was doing these types of fellowships with Carnegie Mellon students, but only at the master’s level,” Loboa

EWF | Page 5

Elections were held Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, and newly elected members were installed Nov. 28 and will fully take over their roles at the start of next semester.

CAITLYN ROSEN

Staff Writer

Elections for the new executive board for the Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternity Council were held Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, respectively.

The new PHA president is Shelby Lofton of Sigma Sigma Sigma and the new IFC president is Jake Eovaldi of Delta Tau Delta. They will replace former presidents Gabrielle Gresge and Devin Tarantino.

Along with the new presidents, all of the vice president positions were also filled. For PHA, the newly elected vice presidents include Anna

GREEK | Page 5

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PHOTO BY ADAM COLE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

A&S

continued from page 1 Her past experience makes the transition a smooth one for the college, John Walker, the co-chair of the hiring committee for the dean, said.

“She’s been [the interim dean] for about 18 months and she knows all of the ropes, so there’s really going to be a very seamless transition from interim to official, full-time dean,” Walker said. “There’s not

T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | NOV. 29, 2017 going to be a learning curve, not anymore than she would learn on a daily basis, anyway.”

Before serving as the interim dean, Okker was the chair of the English department and senior associate provost.

Okker was named a William T. Kemper fellow in 2003 and awarded a FacultyAlumni Award in 2013.

“I feel as if she will bring forth change that may not be visible for someone who is facing the university for the first time,” freshman biology major DeMario Malone said.

“She knows what are the strong points for the College of Arts and Science as well as what has been weaker areas, and she will build heavily on the weaker points and reinforce our strengths.”

To select the new dean, a search committee, chaired by Walker and Kathryn Chval, the dean of the College of Education, was formed to screen the applications.

After reviewing the applications, the search committee invited 12 applicants for airport interviews.

Then, four

candidates were invited for on-campus interviews.

Of the four final candidates for the position of dean, Okker was the only one from MU. The other candidates were Nancy Goroff, a chemistry department chair and professor at Stony Brook University, Jeffrey Roberts, a chemistry professor at Purdue University, and Marion Underwood, the dean of graduate studies and associate provost at The University of Texas at Dallas.

As a women’s and gender studies writer, editor and

professor, Okker also stands as a leader for MU women.

“I am very pleased with the university’s choice of the new dean of Arts and Science,” freshman communications major Taylor Bourland said.

“I think that the selection of Dr. Okker for the dean of Arts and Science was a very wise choice by the university, as she is an outstanding role model for women here at Mizzou and will hopefully bring many great things to the college as a whole.”

Edited by Sarah Hallam shallam@themaneater.com

CAPITAL PROJECTS

Proposed capital projects to benefit UM System in the long run The varying projects will benefit each of the UM System campuses and MU Health Care, to be reviewed again in March.

MORGAN SMITH

Staff Writer

The UM System Board of Curators approved the preliminary plans for several major capital projects to benefit each of the UM System campuses and MU Health Care earlier this month.

Following further planning and development, the proposed projects will be presented with the UM System’s overall capital priority plan to the March 2018 Board of Curators Finance Committee for review.

“With the decline in state funding and restrictions on tuition, our budgets have been balanced, in part, by delaying improvements to many of our facilities across the four campuses,” David Steelman, Board of Curators finance committee chair, said in a UM System news brief. “This is the first step in our capital planning process.”

Steelman said this new process to budget for campus growth, approved by the curators in September, will allow the board to have an informed capital plan that is driven by the strategic priorities of each campus.

Each project has been prioritized numerically on the five-year fiscal plan of its respective campus or, in the case of some projects, on MU Health Care’s. MU spokesman Christian Basi said the fiveyear plan, which will be in effect from 2019 to 2023, will be updated annually.

“This new process ensures that our board, as the university’s governing body, has input at the earliest stages of capital planning,” UM System President Mun Choi said in a UM System news brief. “This will ensure that our campus and health system projects align with our mission, longterm strategy and financial plan

ARTIST RENDITION OF THE TRANSITIONAL PRECISION MEDICAL COMPLEX RENDITION COURTESY OF MU

while also providing a valuable return on investment.”

The first prioritized project for MU’s campus is the construction of the Translational Precision Medicine Complex, which will cost $150 million to construct and $4.6 million in operating expenses each year, according to the UM System’s preliminary Capital Project Plan.

The new building will benefit several departments at MU and provide multidisciplinary laboratory space along with analytical instrumentation, computational processing and “pilot” scale manufacturing under one roof, College of Engineering dean Elizabeth Loboa said in an email.

“The TPMC will play a critical role in advancement of biomedical innovations from the College of Engineering, particularly in the precision medicine realm,” Loboa said in the email.

Loboa said precision medicine, an emerging approach to disease treatment and prevention that accounts for individual variability in genes, environment and lifestyle, will revolutionize medical treatment in her lifetime.

“This will be a truly incredible facility that will put Mizzou at the forefront of this cutting-edge field,” Loboa said.

Along with the College of Engineering, the School of Medicine, College of Veterinary

Medicine and other campus core labs will benefit from the new building. The complex will support, on average, 125 graduate, doctoral and postdoctoral students per year once fully operating, according to the preliminary plans.

Loboa said MU is one of only 10 universities in the country to have colleges of those three disciplines on one campus.

This quality, she said, makes it uniquely situated to be a national, if not global, leader in the field of medical treatment, and this new complex takes the university closer to meeting that goal. “[The TPMC will provide] the synergistic platform needed for integration of biomedical, computer, electrical, mechanical and industrial engineering with both veterinary and human medicine,” Loboa said.

Other projects planned for MU’s campus include, in order of priority, a renovation and addition to the School of Nursing, an upgrade and maintenance of the research vivarium, an addition to the system’s library depository and a new journalism building upon redevelopment of Neff Hall’s current site, according to the preliminary plans.

Basi said each of the projects varies in complexity, time and costs, which will be paid using money from the university’s internal sources, gifts, bonds and state funding. According to the

preliminary plans, this funding is to be solicited in the Fiscal Year 2020 State Capital Appropriations Request following the overall plan’s approval.

“State funding is a critical component of many of our projects,” Basi said. “But we also work to find other ways to raise revenue for these projects. We understand that budgets are tight everywhere, and we take our responsibility of being fiscal stewards of state

tax dollars and tuition revenue very seriously.”

In regard to the other campus’ plans, some of the proposed projects of greatest significance include a new conservatory of music and dance at UM-Kansas City, an addition and renovation of Schrenk Hall at the Missouri University of Science and Technology and more space consolidation and infrastructure at UM-St. Louis.

According to the preliminary plan, the prioritized health care project is a new exterior for the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, which has been deteriorating due to suspected water infiltration.

Basi said the board is taking the planning and allocating of the financial resources entrusted to it very seriously because of the impact of these improvements.

“We understand that building these facilities will help our students in the long term,” Basi said. “They will be better facilities that will help our students learn in the best environments and be even better prepared to be competitive in the global job market when they graduate.”

Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com

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T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | NOV. 29, 2017

GREEK

Continued from page 3

Jaoudi, Annalise Ruzicka, Karrington Scott, Morgan Woods, Anna Pfeiffer, Megan Bartolac, Riley Christiansen and Emma Wibbenmeyer. For IFC, the new vice presidents are Josh Chodor, Cole Stauss, Ryan Trippel, Ethan Hayes, Mark Bremer, Troy Gilbert and Matt Oxendale.

To apply for a PHA executive position, candidates must fill out an application on OrgSync and present a speech in front of their respective chapter delegates, presidents and the current executive board. Typically around 30 people apply, and each chapter gets one vote, Lucia La Torre, current PHA vice president of public relations, said in an email.

The chapter’s vote is decided by the chapter representatives present. The current executive board does not get a vote. For IFC, the process is the same.

“I’ve been doing [Missouri Students Association] for 2 1/2 years now, and the students I was serving on that were Greeks for the most part, so it just made sense to apply for IFC, too,” Eovaldi said.

Prior to the IFC and PHA elections, the university hired Dyad Strategies to conduct a review and risk management of Greek Life at MU. The report found issues with risk management, resource allocations, lack of strategic focus and other organizational issues.

“With the help and support of our

EWF

Continued from page 3

said. “I talked to [EWF] about doing [the fellowship] at the Ph.D. level because the way we’re going to get more underrepresented populations and women in this field, and in engineering in general, is if we have more in academia to teach the next generation.”

Aktar finished her master’s degree in May 2017 at the MU College of Engineering and is currently a Ph.D. student. Originally from Bangladesh, her background in computer science stemmed from an early love for math. Prior to enrolling at the MU College of Engineering, she graduated from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering.

“During my undergrad, I was exposed to different computer science techs, like image processing and artificial intelligence,” Aktar said.

BOOK

Continued from page 3

Larsen and Johnson were awarded a collaborative research fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies, which enabled them to take a year off of teaching to conduct field research and prepare the book.

Members of the 2018 Panhellenic Association Executive Board. PHOTO COURTESY OF @MIZZOUPHC VIA TWITTER

current leadership, we will work toward the vision of a more inclusive and safe community outlined by the Dyad strategies,” according to a joint statement released by the IFC and PHA along with the other Greek councils on campus. “Through the guidance of our staff we have made strides in building relationships among our councils, and we look forward to continuing to do so

toward the betterment of the MU Greek community.”

Although officers haven’t officially taken over their roles yet, the newly elected executive board will have to prepare to respond to the issues brought up by the Dyad report, but current members are confident they will properly deal with the issues.

“The current PHA executive board is confident in the abilities of our

newly elected board,” La Torre said

“I wanted to continue my higher education, my Ph.D. and masters, in this area. I found Mizzou and [professor Kannappan Palaniappan], who is doing research in this area.

I talked to him and he seemed very nice. Everything fit: his research, my interests; they all really aligned.

That’s why I picked Mizzou.”

Her current work is focused on internet security and computer vision, which involves processing and analyzing images.

“Our lab focuses on computer vision research,” Aktar said in an email. “Currently I am working toward activity recognition and multispectral tracking in aerial video which has potential applications in security, traffic safety, agriculture, biomedical data and more. In addition to that we are trying to do multimedia security, for example, ensuring the authenticity of video source, secure video streaming among distributed network resources.”

Aktar said her application process began in April 2017 and concluded around mid-May. She was chosen out of a pool of about a dozen eligible

candidates by a committee from the College of Engineering. Her selection was then forwarded to an EWF selection committee and the dean of engineering, Palaniappan said.

Palaniappan is a professor and interim department chair at the College of Engineering and has worked with Aktar since she joined his research team in January 2016.

He encouraged her to apply for the fellowship.

“She was a new student in my group, and she was interested in image processing and computer vision, as well as its application in security and privacy,” Palaniappan said. “I thought she’d be a good fit for the scholarship, so I encouraged her to apply.”

Palaniappan recommended Aktar for the fellowship for several reasons, but he cited a personal statement written by Aktar for another scholarship as a prime example of why he chose her.

“In her statement, she said that she came from a very rural background, and she could see how much education makes a difference

on young girls,” he said. “If given the opportunity, she wanted to be able to help women in a greater global context in other developing societies as well.”

Aktar added the fellowship ensures her continuation into her Ph.D., a degree that usually requires a “good motivator.” She has high hopes for the program beyond the financial benefits, such as the networking opportunities, mentorships, leadership workshops and attending the annual EWF conference.

“Not only does it provide me with financial support, but it also provides mentorship support with an EWF person who is already has an upperlevel career in IT,” Aktar said. “You get to know all these women leaders who are doing good work in IT, and it’s a great opportunity and privilege to spend time with them, talk about their struggles and successes. I think it is going to shape my career in a really positive direction.”

Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com

“A lot of the writing was done in the actual places, and that’s an important point because for us as well, as authors of this book,” Lorson said. “It involved developing an educational relationship with these three places.”

With the publishing of this book, Larsen and Johnson hope to open people’s eyes and minds to indigenous ways of life and thought processes. “[The goal of this book is to] help

people realize that there are different ways to think about the places we live in and the places we integrate to in our own work and personal and home lives, and that they are meaningful places,” Johnson said.

The locations written about in the book play important roles in each of the writers’ lives as well, Larsen said, as they have each spent a great deal of time at each place.

The two have plans to write more

books about indigenous ways of life and the places these groups inhabit.

The pair is currently planning for a follow-up book to “Being Together in Place,” titled “Heeding the Call of Place,” about artists whose work encapsulates the ideas of “call of place.”

Edited by Olivia Garrett ogarrett@themaneater.com

in an email. “We are certain that they

are prepared to take on any changes

coming in the next year and we look forward to seeing them continue to work towards the betterment of the Panhellenic community.”

Edited by Sarah Hallam

shallam@themaneater.com

SPORTS

Online this week: Women’s basketball wins Cal Classic, wrestling takes down Virginia and more at themaneater.com.

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SWIM AND DIVE

Mizzou swim and dive breaks records halfway through inconsistent season The men’s and women’s teams saw brilliant individual performances during the first half of the swimming and diving season, but overall inconsistency hurt the Tigers against SEC competition.

ALEX GELABERT

Reporter

Missouri swim and dive has much to be proud of halfway through a grueling seven-month season: 10 alltime school records broken, three individuals with “A” and “B” NCAA cuts and competitive meets against tough Southeastern Conference opposition. However, inconsistency, by individuals and the teams as a whole, has been a recurring theme that’s plagued the Tigers over the past few months.

As of the most recent College Swimming Coaches Association of America swimming and diving rankings, last updated Nov. 9, the Mizzou men currently sit at No. 25 in the country, while the women are unranked. Within the SEC, seven men’s teams and nine women’s teams sit above Mizzou in these national rankings, which is indicative of the depth of the conference in the sport.

The Mizzou men currently hold a 3-1 (1-1 SEC) record and the women have a 1-3 (0-3 SEC) mark, showing inconsistent performances against conference opponents.

The teams’ records do not display the outstanding individual performances from Mizzou swimmers this season that are key to contending for an SEC championship.

Beginning with the most recent meet, the Mizzou Invite from Nov.

Junior Griffin Schaetzle swims laps at a home meet on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, against the University of Arkansas and the University of South Carolina. PHOTO BY JACOB MOSCOVITCH // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

16-18, 10 Tigers broke school records to lead Mizzou to an easy first-place finish overall. Many of these record breakers are veteran members of the team who are finishing their collegiate careers off in style. Seniors Sharli Brady and Kira Zubar broke a combined four records, while juniors Mikel Schreuders, Alex Walton, Annie Ochitwa and Jacob Wielinski accounted for the rest of the individual school record times.

In a single meet, Mizzou showed

dominance when all of its talent comes together at the same time, with both teams winning by hundreds of points over the second-place Drury men and Nebraska women. If the Tigers performed at the record-breaking level they did at the Mizzou Invite when they competed against SEC opponents Arkansas, South Carolina and Kentucky earlier this season, both teams may have had multiple SEC wins due to how close those losses were.

Several other Tigers have earned their NCAA “A” or “B” cuts. These “A” and “B” cuts are predetermined marks made by the NCAA for each swimming and diving event that athletes must reach to qualify for the 2018 NCAA championships.

At this point in the season, senior Hannah Stevens and sophomore Giovanny Lima have earned their “B” cuts in the 100-yard backstroke

SWIM | Page 10

VOLLEYBALL

Mizzou volleyball secures spot in the NCAA tournament for third straight year The Tigers will face the Kansas Jayhawks for the first time in two years in the first round of the tournament.

CHELSEA ROEMER

Staff Writer

The Missouri volleyball team was surrounded by friends and family Sunday evening to learn the team’s first-round playoff fate in the 2017 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship.

The Tigers finished 20-11 overall

and 13-5 in the Southeastern Conference to place third in the SEC. Within the first few minutes of the selection show, the Tigers learned they will make a trip to Wichita, Kansas, to once again renew the Border War rivalry against the Kansas Jayhawks.

“To me, a match is a match,” head coach Wayne Kreklow said. “It’s an opportunity to play a solid team in the tournament, and I think it’s a tough matchup for the both of us.”

During the season, the team was plagued by injuries, having to perform without key players such as dominant outside hitter and redshirt senior Melanie Crow. Being forced

to switch lineups and move players around made it harder for the team to secure a postseason spot.

“Obviously we are really happy because any time you can get into the NCAA tournament, it’s a huge accomplishment; only 64 teams get picked,” Kreklow said. “We struggled a lot at the beginning but really pulled together now that everyone is healthy.”

This is the third consecutive year the Tigers will have clinched a spot in the postseason, and the first time the team will play against the Jayhawks in two years.

The last time the two met was in the second round of the 2015 NCAA tournament, where the Jayhawks earned

a 3-0 sweep to end the Tigers’ campaign.

Mizzou will face a senior-heavy program with many familiar faces.

“They are a top-10 or top-15 team with a senior-heavy class, and I know Ray Bechard is a great coach,” Kreklow said. “To our advantage, we know what they can do because we played them two years ago, and they have a lot of the same players.”

For upperclassmen at Mizzou, the game is an opportunity to redeem the team’s previous tournament loss to the Jayhawks.

“I remember playing against them my freshman year,” junior Alyssa

NCAA | Page 10

T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | N OV. 2 9, 2 0 1 7

PORTER

Continued from page 1

and West Virginia.

Prior to the weekend, he was always Michael Porter Jr.’s younger brother, at least if you went by the tag placed upon him by any given ESPN commentator. But Jontay Porter has left that tag in Orlando.

He’s no longer just Michael Porter Jr.’s younger brother. He is Jontay.

What stands out most about Porter is the confidence he shows on the floor.

A true freshman who reclassified from the class of 2018 to join his brother this year at Mizzou, he is young.

In fact, when Missouri opened its season on Nov. 10 against Iowa State, Porter was still five days away from turning 18. But despite his youth, Porter’s plays with a high basketball IQ, demonstrating an adeptness for making the extra pass or finding the right positioning on a rebound.

Of the three games the Tigers played in Orlando, Porter made his largest impact against West Virginia, a game in which he made his smallest scoring contribution. Instead, Porter impacted the game on the defensive end and with his passing.

With the way he has performed in Missouri’s first seven games, it’s easy to forget that Porter was supposed to be a senior at Tolton High School this season, competing against other high school seniors.

Puryear, a junior, said as much on Tuesday.

“It’s pretty remarkable what he’s doing at his age; he just turned 18, which I kind of forget about sometimes,” Puryear said. “His maturity level and his poise for how young he is is extremely, extremely remarkable.”

Maturity was the biggest question mark surrounding Porter when he decided to reclassify. Not only would he not be a legal adult by the time the season rolled around, but his late decision to join Missouri in early August had the potential to stunt his transition. But Porter has impressed his teammates with his maturity and the growth he’s shown in the three months since he’s arrived on campus.

“Coming in from high school, it’s kind of easy to go back to those high

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Missouri, the other three have taken an intense will to win.

That will was put to the test most notably this past weekend; on a road trip to Virginia, head coach Brian Smith’s squad had to face 10th-ranked Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia on back-to-back days.

Competing against one of their toughest opponents of the year on the first day and wrestling worn down and fatigued on the second, the Tigers got two of their biggests boosts from — who else — Leeth and Miklus.

Again pegged as a heavy underdog against Virginia Tech’s No. 5 Solomon Chishko, Leeth continued to tire that conception with an 8-2 shocker that bolstered Mizzou’s lead. Later, with the Hokies down 16-9 and trying to build on a budding rally in the dual’s penultimate match, their star 197-pounder Jared Haught, undefeated

7

school ways,” Puryear said. “The way he approaches practice, the way he works is pretty top-notch compared to the way he came in. He’s come a long way in just growing up and being a college guy, so I’m very proud of him for that.”

Senior Jordan Barnett recalls having some concerns about his 17-year-old teammate in August and said that inexperience was an issue at first. Now, when he looks at Porter, he sees a veteran.

“Originally when he first got here, he did definitely have some maturity issues,” Barnett said. “But as you can see now, he’s become an extremely mature player. He’s doing things like a veteran out there. He passes extremely well, he’s not easily rushed at all. He’s a strong finisher, a strong shooter, he’ll hit big shots. That’s all veteran stuff that you wouldn’t expect from an 18-year-old, who, like you said, is supposed to be a senior in high school right now.”

Barnett pointed to Porter’s unusually high basketball IQ and said his “intangibles” have helped guide the young forward in the early going this season.

“He’s a high basketball IQ player; he does a lot of things that don’t show up on the stat sheet,” Barnett said. “He just does a lot of veteran stuff, which isn’t really normal for someone his age.”

To go with his on-court intelligence, it’s been Porter’s impressive skillset that has fueled his quick transition to the college game. Equally capable of backing down defenders three years older and knocking down deep 3-pointers, he’s been able to keep opponents guessing with his multidimensional game.

This part of Porter’s game is what impressed Puryear from day one.

“I think it’s his versatility, what he brings to the table as far as rebounding, being able to put the ball on the floor, pass and also shoot the ball as well,” Puryear said. “Just being able to stretch the floor at his size.”

Porter’s ability to shoot, an aspect of his game that was not prominently mentioned before the season, has been on full display thus far. Headed into Thursday’s matchup against UCF, Porter is shooting nearly 49 percent from the field and over 40 percent from behind the 3-point line.

He’s also the Tigers’ third-leading foul shooter, shooting 90 percent from the charity stripe.

While he says there isn’t much about Porter that he has been surprised by, head coach Cuonzo Martin said the capability Porter has shown playing on the perimeter has been an unexpected bonus and feels that it’s something that sets his team apart.

“I think when you watch the better teams in college basketball you have multiple guys that can make shots and make good decisions with the basketball,” Martin said. “I think the better you are as a team, it makes teams go at you differently as opposed to if you have two traditional big guys that don’t really shoot the ball.

Though they’re talented, it limits

probably some of the things that you do can offensively.”

Amid all of the gushing over his early-season performance, Martin also acknowledged that Porter still has plenty of growing to do. But above all else, he is pleased with the complete player he has gotten in his young freshman.

“I think the thing that makes him a good basketball player is that he doesn’t care how many shots he gets, he would rather pass the ball,” Martin said. “He’s a good basketball player and he’s not consumed with scoring the ball. Some guys, their gauge is whether the shot is going in or not, but that’s not his game.”

Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

and ranked second in the country at 197, jumped to a 7-1 lead on Miklus.

With the looming threat of a potential major decision to cut the Tiger lead to three, Miklus provided Mizzou a season-defining moment of resilience with a stunning pin with under 20 seconds to go in the match.

A 9- or 10-point swing, it clinched the dual in dramatic fashion (the eventual final was 22-12).

Mizzou showed again the next day that it is nothing if not resilient. On less than 24 hours of rest against an upset-hungry Virginia team, the Tigers fell behind 9-0 three matches in. Leeth saved the day again; wrestling against another ranked opponent, he landed a tie-breaking takedown with 15 seconds left in a gritty match to win 3-1 and turn the tide, getting his team on the board. It would win 18-15 on a winnertake-all heavyweight decision from Austin Myers, another unlikely hero.

Mizzou, seemingly fighting on fumes at critical points on two straight days, passed the flying pillars every time. It could have easily lost both duals; instead, it won both. This team

escaped home to Columbia on its last breath with a still perfect record and renewed energy, having a brutal road stand under its belt that could very well come to be season-defining. The group simply refused to lose.

At the heart of that tenacity to win is Leeth and Miklus, competitors whose circumstances mirror each other’s in more ways than one. Both have recovered from knee surgeries that caused them to miss last season.

Both are filling holes at weight classes previously filled by recent national champions for Mizzou. And both have stepped into leadership roles this year as weathered upperclassmen.

“I do a little bit more talking to guys on the side,” Miklus said before the season when asked about that changing role. Not a fan of yelling or singling out people, Miklus has provided a calm voice of guiding reason to his younger teammates.

Among those premiere role players also are stars such as redshirt juniors Daniel Lewis and John Erneste, redshirt senior Joey Lavallee and redshirt sophomore Jaydin Eierman. All four

are undefeated on the season so far and ranked in the nation’s top 10 at their respective weight classes. Lewis was recently awarded MAC Wrestler of the Week.

There’s no question that the talent and the depth are there for Mizzou.

What it needed was a test of intangibles.

It got just that last weekend. What was on display during those duals wasn’t always pristine wrestling, but it was championship character, something many worried might be absent this season from a team without J’den Cox in its lineup.

“I really love it when people don’t like us,” Miklus said before the season.

“That’s a fun venue for me, anytime we’re hated.”

Competing with that attitude and toughness in back-to-back, hostile road environments, Mizzou’s wrestlers sent a clear message to the country last weekend: They can do more than contend with the best — they still are among the best.

Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com

Jontay Porter plays during the Showdown for Relief on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017. PHOTO BY ADAM COLE // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

8

T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | N OV. 2 9, 2 0 1 7

GOLF

Men’s and women’s golf wrap up successful fall seasons The teams will start their spring seasons in February.

KATE AHERN AND COLE BOLLINGER

Staff Writers

Missouri’s men’s and women’s golf teams each finished off their fall seasons on high notes and will now look forward to the spring season and postseason play in May. Women’s golf wrapped up its fall season on Oct. 31 with a sixthplace finish at SMU’s Trinity Forest Invitational. Sophomore Jessica Yuen finished in third place after scoring a total of 218. The result marked the fourth top-10 finish for the team in its five tournaments of the fall campaign.

The fall season was highlighted by Missouri’s fourth consecutive win at the Johnie Imes Invitational on Oct. 3. The Johnie Imes Invitational is the only home tournament for the Tigers and also partners with Rally for Rhyan, an organization that benefits pediatric cancer research. Junior Emma Allen finished second overall competing as an individual. As a team, Missouri held the lead through all three rounds and finished with a team total of 861.

The team’s strong end to the season was powered by individual finishes from both Allen and Yuen. Allen and Yuen both posted top-five finishes in

multiple tournaments. At the Jim West Challenge early in the fall campaign, Allen tied for sixth and Yuen tied for second place. At this tournament, Yuen tied a program record in a single round, and Allen matched her career best. In their final tournament for the season, Allen tied for 45th place while Yuen placed third.

On Nov. 16, head coach Stephanie Priesmeyer announced the addition of Natasha Slater to the women’s golf team. Slater is a native of Ulverston, England, and has an average round score of 75.58. She attended Ulverston Victoria High School and has plans to study biological engineering at MU starting in the fall of 2018.

"We love Natasha's fundamentals and the potential that she exhibits with her golf game," Priesmeyer said in a press release. "She has a quiet confidence and wonderful disposition. Natasha no doubt will take full advantage of this opportunity and grow with our program. She is a very strong student and has made a great connection with the team."

The women’s golf squad resumes competition play in February, starting the spring season in Tallahassee, Florida, at the Florida State Match-Up. Men’s golf finished the fall season ranked No. 17 in the Golfweek men’s collegiate rankings. The Tigers won the Turning Stone-Tiger Intercollegiate to start the year and finished fourth at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate on Oct. 15.

Missouri men’s golf poses for a photo at the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational in October 2017. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIZZOU ATHLETICS

School records were not safe this fall around senior Hayden Buckley, who was hot all season.

Buckley's second round at the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational on Oct. 30 set a program record for low individual round, an 11-underpar 61. His 54-hole score of 197 (6661-70) broke the school record he had tied earlier this season. The team finished third at the event.

"The hard work Hayden has put in for nearly four years at Mizzou is now reflected in the program's record books," head coach Mark Leroux said in a press release. "Our whole squad is proud of Hayden's outstanding tournament, as well as our entire group's effort. To be setting school records while playing against such quality competition says a lot about our team's focus and approach.”

While Buckley is performing well

as a senior, Mizzou added two future Tigers this fall. Tommy Boone from Plano, Texas, and Ricky Sanders from The Hague, Netherlands, have signed and make up the 2018 recruiting class. Leroux spoke highly of his two newest golfers. “[Boone’s] demeanor on the course is very mature for a high school player,” Leroux said in a press release. “He competes to win, which is an attribute we always seek in our recruits. I watched [Sanders] flight his golf ball into the wind and was very impressed. There were no other golfers in the tournament hitting the shots he was. He also has that 'I'm going to win' attitude."

Mizzou men’s golf will open its spring season on Feb. 17 at the Suntrust Gator Invitational.

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. 2 9, 2 0 1 7

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WRESTLING

Test of wills: 6-0 Mizzou wrestling emerges from harrowing weekend in Virginia alive and well Leeth, Miklus embody toughness as Tigers show they’re still among the best in collegiate wrestling.

BENNETT DURANDO

Staff Writer

Amidst fireworks surrounding the triumphant return of 197-pound redshirt senior Willie Miklus at Mizzou wrestling’s season opener against Illinois, Grant Leeth humbly took care of business in his first match. While

media swarmed Miklus after the dual, Leeth stood patiently by.

When it was his turn to talk, two years of building excitement effervescently flowed out of him like a delighted child.

“That was my first match in two years and eight months, so it was awesome being out there again,” he said. “I’ve pictured this moment for years now, and just getting to finally have my chance is unreal. I forgot what it felt like, just competing and fighting and … ugh, I loved it.”

Indeed, Leeth had been sidelined two straight seasons with recurring

knee problems after transferring to Mizzou from Duke. Making his Tiger Style debut at Mizzou Softball Stadium as a redshirt junior — while onlookers’ attention was on his teammate’s similar return from injury — may not have been how he envisioned it, but it certainly didn’t deter him in his first match.

Leeth upset the nation’s 19th-ranked 149-pounder Eric Barone 6-2 in a critical match that helped Mizzou to a 20-17 victory over No. 12 Illinois that day, and his energy and perseverance prior to and since then has embodied that of his team

in the young 2017-18 season.

Mizzou, now 6-0 on the season, is entering its (primarily) conference slate ranked fourth in the country and widely projected to repeat as MAC champions for a sixth straight year. An early-season consensus national title contender, the team has not come about its first six triumphs with complete ease. Though half of the Tigers’ victories all came on the same day in shutouts over Truman State, Missouri Valley and Central

well | Page 7

FOOTBALL

Key points from Mizzou football’s season as postseason play approaches A swirl of storylines regarding Tiger football emerged in 2017.

thanks to a strong effort from senior Ish Witter, who needs just 8 yards in the team’s bowl game to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing on the season.

Freshman Larry Rountree III has also positively impacted Missouri’s running game, recording 629 yards and six touchdowns.

Missouri’s tight end passing game also changed mightily. Junior Kendall Blanton and senior Jason Reese regressed with the emergence of freshman tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, who caught a whopping 11 touchdowns on the season.

GARRETT JONES

Staff Writer

The 2017 regular season for Missouri football (7-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) was a rollercoaster to say the least.

The team looked like it could compete with the best that college football had to offer at certain points in the season. At another time, the team struggled against an FCS opponent.

To help process the events of the regular season, here’s an overview of key observations as the team heads to postseason play.

Things didn’t go according to schedule, but they went according to plan All in all, Missouri football met the somewhat lofty expectations laid out for it by fans and media pundits in the preseason. In fact, all three Maneater Sports football writers predicted that Missouri would make a bowl in a preseason preview. So, by winning seven games in 2017, the Tigers met expectations.

The surprising part is how the Tigers reached bowl eligibility. They became the first SEC team ever to finish with four conference wins after an 0-4 start and only the 13th in NCAA history to reach a bowl after a 1-5 start.

Missouri’s schedule was front loaded; five of its first six opponents reached bowl eligibility. Auburn, its week four opponent, and Georgia, whom the Tigers faced in week seven, are both in contention to make the College Football Playoff, barring the results of Saturday’s SEC championship game.

The team rattled off six straight wins, outscoring its opponents 308-128. It steamrolled down the stretch in conference play, finding a balance between the passing game and a strong run game.

Barry Odom can rally a team After the team’s 1-5 start, some in the Missouri fanbase wanted Odom

Missouri football players prepare to charge onto the field amid billowing smoke and towers of fire before the Oct. 21 game against Idaho. The Tigers beat the Vandals 68-21 in their homecoming game. PHOTO BY MADI WINFIELD // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER fired — if not seven weeks into the season, at the end of the year.

Odom responded to the outcries by gathering his team around a bonfire at the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex. He and the Tigers burned away some items, including prior game plans and tweets regarding the team, that he thought represented Missouri’s first six games.

Lock expressed his confidence in his team down the stretch after Odom’s burn.

“We threw it all in the cooler, lit it on fire and said goodbye to it,” Lock said.

“We’ve got six games coming up for sure where we can go make a difference.”

Either Lock is clairvoyant, or Odom’s plan worked.

Jokes aside, Missouri would go on to dominate its next six games, winning five of them by at least 28 points. After the team’s win against Tennessee on Nov. 11, athletic director Jim Sterk quelled all the rumors regarding Odom’s job security when he announced that Odom would return for at least a third year.

Now, after Missouri thumped Vanderbilt and topped Arkansas on the road, discussions regarding a contract extension have emerged.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Odom and the school have begun negotiations on a new contract. Three years remain in his

current contract, which pays him $2.35 million in guaranteed money as well as incentives each year.

Drew Lock made “the jump” Enough cannot be said about junior quarterback Drew Lock’s play in 2017. His potential has never been in question, but it was this season when he finally proved his stardom with an incredible run against SEC competition from “Locktober” to November.

He went on to break the SEC singleseason record and Missouri program record for passing touchdowns with 43 on the season. Many Missouri fans had fun with his incredible stretch.

Some attributed his success to the “Milly Rock” dance move that an October Mizzou Athletics YouTube video showed him doing.

Either way, Missouri’s signal-caller played the best football of his career over the winning streak, and has even garnered 2018 NFL Draft attention.

Injured players and those who took a step back An overlooked aspect of the team’s success was its ability to overcome the loss of its starting running back, sophomore Damarea Crockett. After his season-ending shoulder surgery, the team went 6-0 without its 2016 1,000-plus yard rusher, in large part

Special teams got it together Missouri fans, take it easy on Tucker McCann. The Tigers’ starting kicker was on the receiving end of most of Missouri fans’ animosity during a 4-8 2016 season after missing six field goals and four extra points. He responded extremely well in his sophomore season, impressing statistically. He converted 14 of 16 field goals and missed only two of his 52 extra point attempts.

Junior punter Corey Fatony emerged as one of the nation’s elite punters. He wasn’t needed much after October, but he finished the season 11th in the nation in yards per punt.

Some might say he was snubbed when he wasn’t selected as a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, the honor given to the nation’s top punter. Nonetheless, 2017 was a great year for Missouri’s “fourth-down quarterback.”

After the team completely botched punt returns in almost every facet early in the season, redshirt sophomore Richaud Floyd played extremely well down the stretch to stabilize the unit. He recorded two punt returns for touchdowns, becoming the first Missouri player to do so since Marcus Murphy took three punts to the house in 2012.

Now, Missouri awaits its bowl destination. It’s unfair to speculate on which bowl the Tigers will be selected to, but representatives from the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, were in attendance at each of Missouri’s final four games. The Tigers will find out their bowl fate on Dec. 3.

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. 2 9, 2 0 1 7

SWIM

Continued from page 6

and the 200-yard freestyle, respectively.

With this distinction, Stevens and Lima are not guaranteed a spot at the NCAA championships

NCAA

Continued from page 6

Munlyn said. “We are ready to get back against them, and it’s a great opportunity to make something happen.”

For redshirt senior Melanie Crow, the excitement comes from playing against a former teammate.

“My best friend [Taylor Alexander] that I played with at Ole Miss before I transferred plays for Kansas now,” Crow said. “It’s interesting because it’s going to end back to where we started, playing on the same court, and one of our careers is going to have to end.”

Having a significant amount of juniors and seniors with postseason experience is something Kreklow sees as an advantage.

“The upperclassmen have been here before, and it’s something just to know the routine, timing and the

but will be awarded spots if not enough “A” cuts are reached by other swimmers around the country. Stevens was named to the 2017-18 USA Swimming National Team for the 100 back in the preseason.

As far as “A” cuts go, the only Tiger to reach the distinction in an individual

event so far is Brady for her Mizzou record time in the 400-yard individual medley at the Mizzou Invite. Brady continues to be the mark of consistency for Mizzou, winning events at every regular-season meet thus far.

The other “A” cut time was earned at the Mizzou Invite by the 800-yard freestyle

schedule of it all, and it benefits them to know how everything works,” Kreklow said. “It takes away the shock of what is to come.”

Another factor playing in the Tigers’ favor this time around versus their last meeting with the Jayhawks is the new height on the front row, which has helped the team improve its blocking on defense and make tougher swings on offense.

“I think the difference now than when we played them two years ago is now we have a lot of size on the front row,” Kreklow said. “Now we have over-6-feet-tall hitters that can work to our advantage.”

The match will take place on Friday, Dec. 1, and the first serve is set for 6 p.m.

CT. If the Tigers advance to the second round of the tournament, they will remain in Wichita to play the winner of the No. 16 Wichita StateRadford game.

Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

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@maneatersports

relay team of Brady, Zubar, senior Erin Metzger-Seymour and junior Courtney Evensen.

Looking ahead to the winter season, Mizzou has more opportunities to prove itself against SEC opponents, beginning with the the Tennessee Diving Invite from Jan. 3-4 hosted by the University of Tennessee. The

SEC championships take place from Feb. 14-18 in College Station, Texas, and the 2018 NCAA championships take place from March 21-24 in Minneapolis.

Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

Volleyball head coach Wayne Kreklow holds the SEC championship trophy after Missouri beat Tennessee on Nov. 26, 2016. MANEATER FILE PHOTO

11

T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | N OV. 2 9, 2 0 1 7 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

A fall from grace: The Chiefs have lost their magic touch After a hot start to the season, the team has hit its lowest point.

ADAM COLE

Staff Writer

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Kansas City’s in free fall right now and there’s a lot to address, but moving forward it’s clear changes to the game plan need to be made.

For example, Hunt leads the league with 33 broken tackles and is averaging 2.81 yards after contact, which is 10th-best in the NFL. It’s clear he’s capable of putting up his initial numbers, especially when he gets into the open field, but he needs help getting through the line of scrimmage and making an adjustment in blocking schemes moving forward.

That’s just one example, but the big thing to preach moving forward is innovation — with blocking schemes, offensive play designs and defensive coverages. If this Kansas City team can find the innovation it had in its offense during the first five weeks and apply it moving forward, it has a chance to salvage what’s left of this season.

Edited by Eli Lederman elederman@themaneater.com

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comes with little money and a lot prove, as he’s coming off one of the worst seasons of his career.

In 2016, Revis, who was returning from wrist surgery and admitted to “having a bit of a weight problem” early on in the season, had a year of career lows, posting only one interception and five passes defended in 15 games for the Jets.

While this pass defense seems to be the problem, it becomes noticeable how holistically bad this defense is when considering that it’s given up the fourth-most rushing yards and is tied for the sixth-most rushing touchdowns allowed through 11 weeks.

A poor Kansas City run defense isn’t surprising over this stint — the Chiefs averaged 118 rush yards allowed per game through the first five weeks — but the pass rush, which is the typical bread and butter of Bob Sutton’s Kansas City defense, has also been lackluster this season.

So far, Kansas City has posted only 21 sacks, the eighth-worst total in the league.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith throws the ball during a game against the New England Patriots on Sept. 7, 2017. COURTESY OF FLICKR

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The Chiefs’ defensive woes are most noticeable in the secondary, which — after losing starting cornerback Steven Nelson before the season opener against New England, as well as All-Pro safety Eric Berry for the season in the fourth quarter of that same game — hasn’t been able to find much of any success.

Through the bad spots, the secondary has some surprising numbers in certain areas, which shows where the problems lie.

The Chiefs actually have an opposing quarterback rating of 81.3, the fifth-best number in the league.

That’s largely because the defense has an opponent completion percentage of 55.4 percent.

Those are promising numbers, but Kansas City also averages the fifthmost passing yards allowed per game in the league at 245.6 yards — they’ve only had three games this year where an opponent has thrown for under 200 yards. They also allow 12.6 yards per completion, the fifthworst number in the league.

With that, Kansas City’s problem doesn’t lie in shutting down quarterbacks; it’s more a matter of stopping receivers once they get the ball in their hands.

Kansas City took a step in addressing its issues in the secondary last Wednesday by signing former All-Pro defensive back Darrelle Revis to a two-year contract. His deal

M

The Kansas City defense

The MVP-caliber play from Smith and record-breaking production from Hunt have come to an abrupt halt in the last six games.

Hunt, who totaled 609 yards rushing through his first five games, has had the most significant individual dropoff on this Chiefs offense. After a hot start, Hunt has only rushed for 281 yards over the last six games.

Hunt’s 1,234 total yards from scrimmage to this point remain impressive, but he also hasn’t had more than 100 yards from scrimmage since Kansas City’s mid-October loss to Oakland, where he totaled 117 yards from scrimmage.

The other waning individual performance that warrants mention over this stretch is Alex Smith’s.

Through the first five games of the NFL season, Smith had a 125.8 quarterback rating, completed 76.6 percent of his passes and hadn’t thrown an interception. Smith’s completion percentage has dipped to 63 percent over his last six games and he’s thrown four interceptions in his last three games.

When looking at Kansas City through its first five weeks, Hunt and Smith accounted for a combined 108 points for the Chiefs. Through its 1-5 skid, Kansas City has scored 108 points as a team. Smith’s found the endzone eight times since the week five win in Houston, but Hunt hasn’t scored since week three.

M

The Kansas City offense

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That drop in production is considerable. Hunt and Smith went from producing more than half of their team’s points in the first five weeks to scoring at a stagnant pace, leaving Kansas City’s offense considerably less dynamic.

It’s hard to blame such a drop on the offensive side of the ball on two players. But the decline in production from Smith and Hunt has made it clear that their early-season impacts were a substantial lifeblood for a funto-watch Kansas City offense.

M

Going into week six of the NFL season, things were looking up for the Chiefs.

Undefeated five weeks into the season, head coach Andy Reid had his team’s offense firing on all cylinders, beating opponents with high-octane offensive performances from rookie running back Kareem Hunt and veteran quarterback Alex Smith.

Kansas City’s week six opponent was a Steelers team it lost to in the divisional round of the playoffs a season before. A Chiefs win would have been a turning point for a franchise and fanbase which hadn’t come to expect much from its team in the way of playoff success.

Instead of beating Pittsburgh at home, the Chiefs lost by six, scoring what was at the time a season-low 13 points.

Since the loss to the Steelers, the Chiefs haven’t been able to regain the momentum they had through the first five weeks of the season.

Kansas City’s lost five of its last six games with a noticeable drop off in offensive production, going from an average of 32.8 points per game to only 18 points per game and seeing poor defensive play rear its ugly head.

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EXAM ADVICE

Spark a successful finals week with nine MU study tips Just a little productive energy can go a long way toward achieving the grades you need.

ALEXANDRA SHARP

Staff Writer

As finals week creeps ever closer, MU students prepare for the dreaded onslaught of studying. In the hopes of making your week a tad less stressful, here is a list of helpful study tips.

1.

Pick location

the

ideal

Find somewhere quiet enough where you can focus on your work but not so isolated that you feel stifled by the silence. And while nothing beats the super plush chairs on the lower level of the Student Center, too comfy leads to unintended, threehour naps. Check out the Bengal Lair or Starbucks inside Memorial Student Union or the little black booths by KCOU for a productive study spot.

2. Get down to work

Don’t spend eight hours planning how you want to study. Of course it’s important to make a schedule of when and what you want to study, but don’t get wrapped up in the organization of it. Otherwise, let’s be real; planning how you want to study is only you putting off the actual

studying. And then as you begin the process, you’re going to discover things you really don’t know at all and things you’ve already mastered.

If that means changing your plans to fit your needs, then do it. Don’t be afraid to change your study schedule.

3.

Study strengths

to

your

If you’re a talkative person, speak your notes out loud as if you’re explaining it to someone. If you’re a kinetic learner, use your hands to visualize concepts like drawing out diagrams. If you’re an audio or visual learner, watch CrashCourse or Khan Academy.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Studying material you don’t understand is not productive. Go to the Student Success Center to get your questions answered or the Writing Center to receive some advice on a paper. Study groups and professor office hours are always helpful options as well.

Some departments even have designated tutoring hours; for example, the physics department has tutoring from 3-6 p.m. on Wednesdays in 114 Physics. Just remember that studying doesn’t need to be a solitary sport; it’s a team effort.

for every time you finish a chapter of

5.

Friend groups a textbook or get through a stack of notecards without a single mistake. aren’t study groups While it might be fun to study with your friends, how productive are you actually being? Other people should not be a distraction but rather an aid to your learning. If you could be more productive studying without certain people, don’t study with those people. For example, studying with people in shared classes can be helpful, but if an individual is not in a class with you, he or she won’t know how to assist you.

6. Go back to the stone age

Having your phone constantly buzzing with texts and tweets and Snapchat notifications is of no help to your concentration. Place your phone out of reach from you and put it on “do not disturb” so you’re not tempted to look at it. Same goes with being online; if you’re writing a paper, stop yourself from switching tabs to your social media feed by using computer programs like Cold Turkey Blocker, which blocks your access to certain sites while studying.

7. Make a treat bag

While studying for that top grade is a great motivator, let’s be honest; sometimes the rationale just isn’t enough. Therefore, reward yourself

Personal recommendation: Minis, Cheez-Its or M&MS.

Oreo

8. Know when to stop studying

When it’s 3 in the morning and calculus formulas are starting to swirl into Japanese, you know you’re getting nowhere. Rather than forcing yourself to keep going, step away from your work. Go grab a snack, take a shower or skip as fast as you can up and down a hallway (my personal favorite stress reliever). Anything active and not academically focused will be helpful. And when you come back, you’ll have a fresh set of eyes and a clearer head.

9. Actually sleep

Sleeping is easier said than done but equally important to the studying part. Pulling an all-nighter to get that last bit of chemistry memorized is not worth the physical and mental exhaustion you will feel the next day when you actually take the test. Plus, most times when you fall asleep, your brain reorganizes the information you learned during the day so the next morning when you wake up, you have better information retention.

Edited by Brooke Collier bcollier@themaneater.com

13

T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | N OV. 2 9, 2017 TRAVEL OPTIONS

Rideshare: My view from the backseat Mizzou’s rideshare page is the perfect way to find a way home.

JANE MATHER-GLASS

Staff Writer

Wait a minute before you buy your next bus ticket home — your ride might just be a Facebook page away.

As an MU freshman and Chicago native who doesn’t have a car, the trek home for breaks can be tedious.

Bus tickets are expensive; they make long stops and they might not fit in conveniently with your schedule.

Plane tickets cost even more, making the voyage home costly.

This makes rideshare a great option for anyone looking for a convenient way to get home. It’s often less costly — likely all you’ll have to do is pitch in some money for gas. It’s direct, too, and it’s an interesting way to meet some fellow students.

I found rides home for Thanksgiving break on the Mizzou Rideshare Facebook page. This is a group of around 4,000 people offering and looking for rides. If you make a post, you’ll be directed to people who are driving the same way as you. I found people who were driving to

and from the Chicago area, messaged them on Facebook and was ready to go. Overall, it was a convenient way to make the trip, and I feel like I learned some things, too.

Here are some things you might want to know before your first rideshare experience: Make sure you communicate well with your driver about where you are and know when they plan to pick you up. Also, because this isn’t an Uber, allow for some flexibility in your day.

Your driver may or may not show up when they say they will. If you know that timeliness isn’t guaranteed, you’ll be happy with your ride. But

Cars in motion. PHOTO COURTESY OF PXHERE

of course, some people will show up on time. It’s really all up to chance. I left Missouri later than I anticipated on the Friday of break, but luckily I didn’t have anywhere to be once I got home, so it all worked out.

The people who you ride with might be completely different from you or you might get along with them very well. It’s fun if you can have conversations with your driver, but if you don’t, you can sleep, listen to music, podcasts or audiobooks, do homework or just chill out in the backseat. And since you can download shows and movies on Netflix now, staying entertained is easy. My rides varied. On the way to Chicago, I rode with two others and I mostly hung out in the backseat listening to music. On the ride back, the car had three other people in it and I got to know them.

Rideshare is also a great way to find a last-minute ride. If something goes wrong with your flight, your bus or your original ride bails, it’s likely that you’ll find something on the Facebook page. People post until the hours before they leave, so it’s pretty certain that you’ll find a way to get where you need to go. I found my ride back to Columbia on the day before I needed to leave and it all worked out perfectly.

If you’re not interested in spending an entire day on a bus with an hour-long stop in central Illinois (or whatever other small town you may be going through) or if you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars for a flight, a rideshare is the way to go. You’re bound to meet someone interesting, and it’s a convenient way to get to where you need to go.

Edited by Brooke Collier bcollier@themaneater.com

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Victoria and Abdul’ shows an unexpected friendship between a queen and a clerk The pair learn from each other’s differences through a series of adventures and grow stronger in the face of oppression in the late 19th century.

LIV JACKSON

Columnist

Victoria and Abdul, directed by Stephen Frears, tells the true story of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her unexpected friendship with Abdul Karim, a clerk from India.

In her old age, Victoria finds herself unhappy with life and overwhelmed with the loneliness that consumes her existence. All of this changes once she is introduced to Abdul, who reminds her that there is beauty and excitement in the world.

Despite the disapproval from her family and staff, Victoria makes Abdul her official teacher. They spend their days traveling, and he teaches her about the history of India and the language of Urdu.

The old woman who once hated

every piece of her life grows to love each of her days as she uncovers new and interesting things about the world around her. Abdul also learns to be a patient man and gains a new loved one in Victoria.

This film beautifully demonstrates a story of tolerance in a time when acceptance wasn’t widely practiced.

Victoria welcomes Abdul into her life even though many people were adamantly against it. No matter how many times she is deterred from engaging with someone so different from herself, she continually shows Abdul nothing but love.

Audiences also learn the importance of tolerance and patience. Abdul experiences many obstacles in his time spent with Victoria, and he still manages to handle every stumble with immense amounts of grace and kindness. Even when he has every right to leave, he stays. Abdul treats Victoria with respect, despite the fact that India was being ruled unfairly

by Great Britain at the time.

Many important lessons can be taken away from this film. It is incredible that the two individuals portrayed defy the social standards of

The “Victoria and Abdul” movie poster. PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB

the time period and become friends.

They do not succumb to racial norms or class structure; they transcend them and let a beautiful friendship blossom.

Modern audiences can learn that, if these two people manage to become loving friends at this point in history, it can surely be done today. They

see that with understanding and a willingness to learn, even the most unlikely things can happen.

Victoria and Abdul is the perfect movie for anyone looking for a nice blend of history and heartwarming friendship.

Edited by Claire Colby ccolby@themaneater.com

14

T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | NOV. 29, 2017

FASHION

Fashion suffers the consequences of colder weather as winter approaches When the temperature drops, a sense of fashion can easily go down with it as many lose motivation to look nice under the layers needed to keep warm.

KATIE HARFF

Columnist

As the temperature drops, with it goes a sense of fashion as stylish dresses and cute sweaters get drowned in layers needed to keep warm.

Fashion changes with the seasons.

It’s not just the rules like wearing white only until Labor Day and waiting for fall to wear burgundy. The rules do exist in the fashion industry, but most people end up wearing whatever the weather calls for and therefore changing their wardrobe with each season and the temperatures that come along with it.

“The colder it gets, the more I want to stay in bed, so my outfits tend to reflect that,” senior Brooke Auer said.

Summer is a time to show off your tanned (or burnt) skin and not worry about being too cold. As fall approaches, many walk comfortably outdoors in jeans and cute sweaters or light jean jackets over graphic tees. Then winter comes. People still want to walk in their jeans and fashionable sweaters, but this time a large, not-so-figure-flattering coat or layers are needed to keep warm.

“I dress best in spring because I’m

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE HARFF | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

sick of being inside all the time and I’m not hidden in coats,” junior Kelly Paul said.

Having to hide yourself in winter gear gets pretty annoying. When I get dressed in the morning and put even an ounce of effort into what I’m wearing, the last thing I want to do is cover it up.

My solution, along with many others, is simply to revert to wearing sweatshirts, leggings, comfy things and anything else the fits under the “I don’t care if this outfit is seen” category. It may not happen every day, but since getting to college, this habit has slowly become more and more common.

This is especially true in college since we are all forced to use walking as a means of transportation at one point

or another. Sometimes the bus is late or it goes to the wrong place. It can also be difficult to drive from class to class due to parking lot locations, and you may not want to pay for metered parking.

Therefore, there is no escaping the cold in the warmth of a vehicle with the heater on full blast.

Some of you are probably thinking about all the cute jackets you own and the adorable scarves you have to keep warm. Those are valid, to an extent. Once it gets cold enough, you won’t care if anything matches; you’ll just want to be warm. The cute outfits underneath the layers just won’t last.

Thankfully, there is hope. The fashion industry must have realized people want to be comfortable and

cute, so there are a lot of items that will help solve this problem waiting to be purchased. I walked into Aerie last week and saw a cowl-neck sweater that was softer than any blanket I have ever owned. I tried it on and it didn’t even look like I was wearing a blanket.

I don’t know who comes up with this stuff, but they are getting pretty creative considering I own a pair of joggers that are made out of knitted sweater material. That’s right — sweater pants.

They are the comfiest pants I own, yet I still get compliments on them. A perfect combination of comfy and cute.

Comfy and cute can also come in the form of cute athletic wear, even if you don’t go to the gym.

“I’m a huge fan of athleisure wear,” Auer said. “Being comfy and cute is the optimal combination.”

Unfortunately, sweater pants and tops that feel like blankets don’t work in every situation, but they give you a fighting chance to be the comfiest and warmest you have ever been and not look like you just rolled out of bed.

To those of you who actually have to look nice for a job or something you’re involved in, I’m rooting for you. You can do this. You probably don’t want to, but you can.

The temperature is dropping, although maybe your fashion sense hasn’t declined along with it yet. If that describes you, best of luck. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Edited by Claire Colby ccolby@themaneater.com

RESTAURANT OPENING

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop experiences successful opening turnout The restaurant brings new, unique food offerings to downtown Columbia.

ALEXANDRA SHARP

Staff Writer

In a swirl of bright colors and the aroma of Mexican cuisine, downtown Columbia’s newest restaurant, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, opened on Nov. 27 at 8 a.m. The restaurant is the fifth location to open under owner Scott Bonner’s direction and the first in the Columbia area, located at 132 S. 9th St. By 2 p.m. approximately 300 customers came to try Fuzzy’s various combinations of tacos, nachos and other Mexican dishes.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 12 a.m. on weekdays and opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 1 a.m. on weekends. According to Kimberly Neil, director of marketing, Fuzzy’s is a “fast, casual, fun place” to eat, offering all of its menu options, including its breakfast section, at all hours. Neil believes Fuzzy’s atmosphere is an important aspect of the restaurant’s identity.

“We’re a fun place to hang out,” Neil said. “You can pull up a chair.

You can pull tables together. You can have parties, happy hours, just a fun

place to hang out.”

Bonner hopes Fuzzy’s Taco Shop can become a staple within Columbia’s downtown community by encouraging customers to both come eat and hang out there. After seeing roughly 100 people waiting in line before opening, he believes Fuzzy’s welcoming atmosphere can accomplish this. “[My goal is] to embed ourselves in the community and become a place where when people think downtown Columbia ... they think about Fuzzy’s first,” Bonner said.

Despite construction issues pushing back the opening date from its initial August plan, dedication to Fuzzy’s helped make the restaurant into the place it is today, according to Neil. Roughly half of Fuzzy’s employed staff are students, and even administrative positions, going all the way up to Bonner himself, lend a hand in daily operations.

According to Bonner, the chain has grown over time since the first of his five restaurants opened.

“Fuzzy’s has evolved quite a bit from our first store, which was just a counter-front and a pretty basic decor,” Bonner said. “Since then, we’ve implemented the bar. I think this is probably our best-looking store that we’ve had out of the five. It was a long process, but it was worth it.”

First-day customers Zach Clark

and Caleb Alexander were eager to try Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. Alongside the food they each ordered, both Clark and Alexander appreciated the atmosphere of the restaurant.

“I like [its environment],” Clark said. “It’s somewhat a cross between a regular Mexican restaurant and also [has] a California vibe to it.”

Not only does the atmosphere of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in downtown Columbia differ from other Fuzzy’s locations, but its initial success also superseded that of past store openings. Citing this location as one of the biggest Fuzzy openings nationwide, Neil was surprised to see a line of eager customers waiting for opening day the night before.

“It was really exciting,” Neil said.

“Like I knew people would come, but I didn’t think it would be until 5 [or] 6 in the morning. No, they were here at like ... 10:30 last night.”

One of the featured additions to Fuzzy’s Taco Shop besides its all day menu options and expansive drink menu is its full-bar service, something his other four locations do not offer.

Neil believes this new system, which does not require customers to wait in line to order, will be a significant factor to the new location’s success.

“If there is a line here, you can literally come in and if there is bar seats, you can come here and

don’t have to wait in line, and then the bartenders will serve you,” Neil said. “You don’t have to get up and do anything. So it’s full-bar service whereas if you go sit at the tables, you get a buzzer and once it buzzes, you go get your food, but you have to wait in line and order.”

Another big part of Fuzzy’s identity is its connection to local nonprofit groups. According to Neil, the store hopes to participate in donations, catering opportunities and philanthropic organizations in Columbia, beginning with its opening community service project using tips to raise funds for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Columbia.

To celebrate its opening, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop offered free taco plates to its first 50 customers. This deal included receiving any two tacos and any two sides once a week for a year for free. In addition, you can follow Fuzzy’s Taco Shop on its app or Snapchat to learn of the restaurant’s various deals and giveaways. Neil believes these new piloted programs add to Fuzzy’s one-of-a-kind nature. “[Fuzzy’s Taco Shops] have their own unique look,” Neil said. “Not one Fuzzy’s is alike, not even [among Bonner’s].

That’s what’s really fun about it.”

Edited by Brooke Collier bcollier@themaneater.com

OPINION

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

We want to hear your voice.

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

15

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

COLUMN

It’s getting harder for companies to make revolutionary products each year SOLOMON DAVIS

Opinion Columnist

Solomon Davis is a sophomore journalism major at MU. He is an opinions columnist who writes about technology for The Maneater.

For years, the theory was that computers would get twice as powerful every two years, but at the point technology is at today, it is getting harder to make substantial changes on a consistent basis.

In 1965, Gordon Moore came up with the theory of computers evolving every two years, which held mostly true for a long period of time and came to be known as “Moore’s Law.” The evidence that Moore’s Law may be coming to an end is that 2016 marked a shift in the company Apple’s strategy. Every two years, much like its competitors, the company would release a refreshed phone with something new and amazing following a tick-tock strategy. The “tick” is a slight upgrade while the “tock” is a major upgrade of the device. Last year with the launch of the iPhone 7

bringing a slight upgrade rather than a substantial one, the company effectively switched to a ticktick-tock strategy with a new, revolutionary device being released every three years.

“AT THE POINT TECHNOLOGY IS TODAY, IT IS GETTING HARDER TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES ON A CONSISTENT BASIS.” This year marked the third year in the tick-ticktock strategy with Apple releasing the iPhone X and iPhone 8, which are departures from the two years of devices before them.

Earlier this month, Google held its Pixel 2 event, which also brought the launch of a whole new family of Google devices. Google made sure to make note of the fact that in terms of physical hardware specifications, the Pixel 1 and 2 are similar. While onstage at the event, Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of hardware, acknowledged

it is getting harder to make revolutionary devices.

“To be honest, it’s going to be tougher and tougher for people to develop new and exciting products every year,” Osterloh said.

Google and Amazon are both leading the charge when it comes to finding new ways to combat the slowdown in technological progress. Rather than trying to beef up processors, they are using artificial intelligence to make processors smarter.

For example, Google built its own custom chip just to be a processor for photos, and a big part of that is machine learning.

If you look at virtual assistants, both Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa are sparking a silent revolution. Both are major players on devices, and because they live in the cloud they can run on virtually any device because the heavy lifting is done before it even leaves the data center. This also means that no matter which product you own, customers still have the same Alexa or the same Google Assistant even if their device is several years older than other devices.

While Moore’s Law seems to be slowing down, it appears companies are finding more innovative ways to continue releasing products every year. AI seems to be the leading factor in continued success year after year.

COLUMN

How will Harvey Weinstein affect how we view sexual assault?

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.

Ever since entertainment industry mogul and proud dad-bod owner Harvey Weinstein was revealed to be a total creep, dozens of other prominent men in the entertainment industry and otherwise have been accused of similar misconduct via social media. Will this parade of sexual assault revelations, coined the “Weinstein effect,” bring to light and change the misogynistic culture of powerful men forever or fade into history as just another series of incidents to be covered up and overlooked for the sake of maintaining cultural norms?

In 2014, Bill Cosby faced a similar onslaught of sexual assault allegations with the publicization of one accusation leading to many, many more. The question is, why didn’t this incident, which was so similar in nature and in sheer numbers, cause a drastic change in the behavior of these people who are now being called out for their objectification and abuse of women, and what can society do to make sure that a scandal of this immensity never happens again?

Even though over 50 women accused Cosby of sexual assault, many people still have a hard time believing that he committed such horrible crimes because of his legacy as the ultimate American TV father figure. The validity of Cosby’s victims’

stories was called into question many times, discouraging other victims of sexual assault from sharing their stories. In comparison, the Weinstein scandal has called into question the very nature of money and influence, helping shape a culture that no longer unconditionally idolizes those whose success lets them act as they please. This disillusionment sets the stage for victims to come forward and be taken seriously.

Unfortunately, this is only one of the first times that resistance to the unpleasant truth about powerful people has been largely absent. In the past, victims’ stories were discredited or ignored.

Our own president has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women, even bragged about committing sexual assault and faced virtually no consequences for it. This behavior is a product of a culture that glorifies famously successful people despite dehumanizing acts they may committ.

Holding a position of high monetary power and cultural entitlement gives some people the idea that they have a free pass to do what they want to whomever they want and not face repercussions. If we can create a culture that does not accept such heinous behavior and allows victims to speak up without blame, the Weinstein effect will come to mean a phenomenon that dismantles the idea that money and influence determine whether or not a person is held responsible for their actions.

At MU, the RSVP Center is available as a resource for those who have faced or are facing sexual violence. Getting involved with this group or even just starting simple conversations about sexual assault will help destigmatize the crime and help sexual assault survivors feel comfortable speaking up about their experiences.

Harvey Weinstein in Paris at the 2014 César Awards ceremony.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS