The Maneater Volume 86 Issue 15

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Vol. 86 Issue 15

MUSIC

School of Music celebrates grand opening of Sinquefield Music Center facility With the completion of the Sinquefield Music Center, MU plans to become a new front runner in regard to music.

ALEX ESPINDA

University News Reporter The MU School of Music unveiled the new Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield Music Center Saturday, Feb. 1, a building anticipated by the school since 2015. With the new building, the school hopes to put a new spotlight on MU as an epicenter for music.

Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield gave the school of music $10 million in 2015 for a new music center, a building that could concentrate the school of music into two buildings instead of scattering it across five.

The building officially opened on Saturday, Feb. 1 with a large number of MU faculty, students, alumni and surrounding community members in attendance.

Jeanne Sinquefield, a philanthropist and benefactor to the building, was among the

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Student Politics Editor Missouri ranks No. 46 in the U.S. regarding state funding of higher education per capita across fiscal years 2018-2020. For context, UM System President Mun Choi asked for more funding before the Missouri legislature earlier this year.

Missouri beats out only New Hampshire, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Vermont in this per capita ranking. In a regional context, Missouri still ranks

Journalist Jim Lehrer’s passing marked by longstanding legacy

HANNAH NORTON

University News Staff Writer

smaller population can lead to a higher per capita ranking, especially when the state’s higher education funding is at or above the national average.

This per capita statistic can be narrowed down even further. Per capita considers the state’s entire population, including students and non-students.

Total enrollment for public institutions by state are available through the National Center for Education Statistics.

While the latest numbers are from 2017 and not very recent, a comparison can still be made.

This statistic doesn’t do much to improve Missouri’s situation. Here, Missouri ranks No. 45 in per student funding, beating out familiar faces

Jim Lehrer, the longtime anchor for PBS NewsHour, died in his home in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 23.

Lehrer was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1934, according to a Columbia Missourian article. His parents ran a bus line.

Lehrer graduated from the MU School of Journalism in 1956 and went on to serve in the U.S. Marines for three years. He then took various journalistic jobs in Dallas, Texas, beginning at The Dallas Morning News.

Lehrer’s career transitioned to broadcast when he partnered with Robert MacNeil to establish The Robert MacNeil Report in 1975. The program was later renamed as the MacNeil/Lehrer Report and transitioned to The NewsHour, its current name, when MacNeil retired.

Lehrer served as a broadcast journalist for 36 years, retiring in 2011.

“I’m heartbroken at the loss of someone who was central to my professional life, a mentor to me and

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jim |Page 4

Chancellor Cartwright addresses the crowd as they prepare to see the new Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield Music Center. | PHOTO BY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER MICHELLE GUTIERREZ

Missouri well below national average for state funding of higher education per capita, per student BEN SCOTT

JOURNALISM

After a 36-year career in broadcast journalism and many years of work at MU, PBS NewsHour anchor Jim Lehrer died in his home on Jan. 23.

EDUCATION

Missouri pays $165 per capita for higher education, nearly $120 below the national average.

february 5, 2020

last among its seven border states; with Oklahoma being its closest competitor at $211, which is $47 higher per person than Missouri. Raw figures come from Illinois State University’s Grapevine program, which gathers data on states’ funding of higher education, and the U.S. Census Bureau’s newest release for population total.

Missouri ranks No. 26 for total state funding of public higher education.

However, the per capita statistic considers population, which puts all states on equal footing and makes them apt for comparison, as opposed to the total funding stat.

Considerably smaller states sit at the top of the per capita ranking, the top five being Wyoming, Hawaii, North Dakota, Alaska and New Mexico. A

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THE MANEATER The Student Voice of MU since 1955

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POLITICS

NEWS

Mizzou for Warren focuses on Iowa caucus, grassroots campaigning Phone and text banks, as well as a focus on the Iowa caucus, are driving Mizzou for Warren’s strategy.

CAITLIN DANBORN

Student Politics Staff Writer MU senior Dawson Lemmons has extensive campaign experience and is ready to apply that to an even bigger goal: getting Elizabeth Warren elected as president of the United States.

Warren, a Democratic senator who launched her 2020 campaign in February 2019, is one of several Democratic candidates who are trying to defeat President Donald Trump as he seeks reelection.

Warren is known for her “I have a plan for that” attitude, one reason why Lemmons finds her an attractive candidate.

“She has by far the most structured plan for literally any issue you can probably think of,” Lemmons said. “She has a plan for it. She’s one of the most qualified senators to ever run for the presidency.”

Lemmons also wants to see a female president, as Warren would be the first woman to hold the office if she were to be elected. Warren is one of three female Democrats running for the position this year, alongside Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

As of Feb. 2, Warren is polling around a 15% average for national polls, according to FiveThirtyEight. She is currently polling behind

CLASSROOM

Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Mizzou for Warren was formed over winter break as Lemmons was contacted by the regional director for Warren’s campaign.

Although Missouri voted for Trump in 2016, Lemmons hopes the state can turn blue in 2020.

He said Missouri voters often vote for more liberal ideas — such as legalizing medical marijuana — but more conservative representatives. Lemmons said, in this case, it is a matter of figuring out how to market Warren and her policies to the people.

“So we voted for very liberal issues, but those same voters voted for Republican representatives,” Lemmons said. “So it’s just really trying to learn how to market to those people and help

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STUDENT ORGS

SpotterEDU app in testing at MU Organization Resource Group third recognition period MU to track student attendance enters Students interested in forming a new organization on Students have raised privacy concerns over more advanced tracking methods.

JOY MAZUR

Student Politics Reporter MU is now testing SpotterEDU, an app used to track attendance in classrooms. The pilot test taking place during the spring 2020 semester will include participation from

approximately 20 courses. During this period, MU will assess whether the use of the app improves attendance and academic success in class.

The app was developed in 2015 by Rick Carter, a former MU basketball coach, as a way to track the attendance of student athletes. Many universities track student athletes’ attendance through various methods.

Parents, students and several news sources have expressed privacy

campus must attend the information session on Feb. 4 hosted by the Organization Resource Group.

ALLISON BRANNAN

University News Reporter

MU Organization Resource Group held its final information session for new student organizations in Cornell Hall on Feb. 4. Students interested in bringing a new organization to campus must have attended the session to gain access to the application process.

“I think that it is important that new students have organizations that they

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org |Page 5

CLASSROOM

Mizzou Pharmacy-MU Student Center announces closure to centralize resources Students who have their prescriptions at the Mizzou Pharmacy-Student Center can move them to Mizzou Pharmacy-Hitt Street by phone.

LUCY CAILE

University News Staff Writer The closure announcement of the Mizzou Pharmacy-MU Student Center at the end of last month had phones ringing in the pharmacy most of the day as students hurried to change the location of their prescriptions.

Tom Greenlee, MU Health Care retail pharmacy manager, said the closure resulted from the pharmacy’s desire to centralize their resources.

“Other Mizzou Pharmacy locations nearby also

Shelves were full at the Mizzou Pharmacy prior to the location’s closure. | PHOTO BY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER TEDDY MAIORCA

serve MU students and staff, so we are centralizing MU Health Care pharmacy services at the Mizzou Pharmacy-Hitt Street location to better use our

resources while continuing to serve our patients in a convenient location near campus,” Greenlee said in an email.

Prescriptions initially filled by Mizzou Pharmacy-MU Student Center will be moved to Mizzou Pharmacy-Hitt Street where patients can expect the same level of care as they did with their previous location.

Staff from the Student Center pharmacy will move to the Hitt Street pharmacy and work together with other staff to cull the possible influx of deliveries.

At first, students worried about needing to transfer their prescriptions, but after the pharmacy received several calls, students found that the change did not impact them as great as they thought.

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MUSIC

speakers at the opening and played a crucial role in Continued from page 1 the development of the school of music to what it is today. As of the present, Jeanne and her husband have donated about $17 million to the school. The Sinquefields have given so much because of Jeanne’s unique passion for music composition.

“The joy of life is in music,” Sinquefield said.

“It’s magical when you sit there and you realize this piece of music wouldn’t have been written.”

Julia Gaines, director of the School of Music, was noticeably excited about the five-year project coming to a completion. She worked with the design and construction teams throughout the process to make sure the new facilities would be able to make a real difference to the students and faculty.

“It’s a total game-changer,” Gaines said in her speech. “Now we’ve taken away the barriers for [the students] to soar.”

JIM

Continued from page 1 someone whose friendship I’ve cherished for decades,” Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour anchor and managing editor, said in a statement posted on the PBS NewsHour website. “I’ve looked up to him as the standard for fair, probing and thoughtful journalism, and I know countless others who feel the same way.”

KOMU-TV News Director Randy Reeves said “trust is the number one word” that comes to mind when he thinks of Lehrer.

“He was very straightforward, and he earned the trust that the audience had in him,” Reeves said. “That just plays out over the years. He was the person that people turned to when they really needed to know something, when they needed to find it without any perceived bias.”

Reeves feels that students can learn a lot from Lehrer, given his

CAP

Continued from page 1

Gaines wanted to emphasize how thrilled she was for the students and faculty to finally have a consolidated and up to date school of music.

“I’m just really excited for our students to be in these two primary spaces, they just never existed,” Gaines said. “I mean it’s like a chemist walking into a lab for the first time seeing the right sized beakers and the protective gear. It’s that kind of excitement.”

Excitement over the new building has been seen all around. Not only does it reside in the faculty, but Gaines noticed a growing passion for the building amongst the students.

“The students are acting differently … They’re coming in way more professional; way better behaved,” Gaines said. “Because they’re in an environment that respects them, so they are respecting the environment.”

The new music center, which as of the start of the spring 2020 semester is in full use, includes 26 practice rooms, 13 music lab tech stations and 6,000 square feet available for large ensemble rehearsals. This is a major upgrade from the previous one building and scattered rooms.

diverse background as a journalist.

“That's the kind of thing that an awful lot of students can relate to because it's hard for you guys to judge at this point ⁠ — do I want to be a TV reporter? Do I want to be a radio reporter? Do I want to just work for a website? Do I want to work for a newspaper?” Reeves said. “What his life and career proved is that what you wanna be is a journalist, and if you can get those basics down and just truly excel in them, you can do that anywhere.”

During his career as a journalist, Lehrer covered stories such as the 1973 Watergate hearings, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 11 presidential debates and much more.

He moderated his first presidential debate in 1988, according to PBS NewsHour.

Lehrer was inducted into the MU Homecoming Hall of Fame on Oct. 11, 2019.

Todd McCubbin, executive director of the Mizzou Alumni Association, said that he was surprised to hear of Lehrer’s passing after seeing him

Cole Barton, a current freshman at the School of Music, was thrilled to be a part of the inaugural group of students to use the new building.

“I love [The Sinquefield Music Center],” Barton said. “Especially the practice rooms. With the old fine arts building, there were always times where I was afraid I wasn’t going to get a practice room.”

Not only did Barton show enthusiasm for the newer facilities, but he also appreciated how consolidated the School of Music is now.

“It’s so much better,” Barton said. “ It’s nice to not have to run around … It’s here or it’s the other building.”

MU Chancellor Alexander Cartwright also showed his support at the event and was excited to see this latest expansion of the School of Music.

“It’s a phenomenal space that allows us to recognize the tremendous people that we have,” Chancellor Cartwright said. “We are now starting to be seen as that sort of Mecca for [musical] composition.”

Edited by Alex Fulton afulton@themaneater.com

in October. McCubbin described Lehrer’s acceptance speech as “very energetic,” stating that he was “so excited to be here that weekend.”

“What I remember most about Mr. Lehrer is how much he cherished his time here — how proud he was to be a Mizzou grad,” McCubbin said. “[He] was a very busy individual with a lot of things he did throughout his career, but whether it was at the School of Journalism or Mizzou as a whole, he would always come back for various opportunities.”

In a Jan. 23 tweet, McCubbin called Lehrer a “giant of a man.

Helluva a Tiger.”

“Jim held incredibly high standards for journalism and was very vocal about those,” David Kurpius, MU School of Journalism dean, said.

Kurpius got to know Lehrer when he began his career as the dean four and a half years ago and now says he views Lehrer as a “phenomenal human being.”

“He understood the behind-thescenes workings of journalism and the need for more women and people of color [and] people who come

from rural areas, people from lower socio-economic status backgrounds,” Kurpius said. “He understood the value of that in a newsroom and what it brought to a newsroom.”

Kurpius recalls countless meetings and discussions with Lehrer, in which the late MU alumnus never failed to provide input and help ensure that MU stayed on track with its journalistic standards and ideals.

“He [cared about] the changing nature of the industry and saw both issues on the horizon as well as promise,” Kurpius said.

To MU, Lehrer is, in a word, invaluable.

“I think what we can learn most of all [from Lehrer] is that earning the public’s trust is a vital thing, probably now more than ever,” Reeves said.

“And his career, his ability to cover presidents on both sides of the aisle and the world in general, keeping bias out of the picture, shows what the power to be a trustworthy source truly is.”

Edited by Alex Fulton afulton@themaneater.com

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Edited by Izzy Colón icolon@themaneater.com

| GRAPHICS BY BEN SCOTT

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IOWA

Continued from page 3

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follow @Mizzou4Warren on Instagram.

Edited by Ben Scott

The group has carpooled up to Iowa to canvass for

Mizzou for Warren will focus on grassroots concerns over the a p p ’ s tracking Continued from page 3 abilities.

To detect students’ locations, the app uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology to transmit data over short distances.

SpotterEDU states that its app only tracks students during classroom hours, offering privacy when students are outside of the classroom range.

Madison Peacock, a freshman biology and psychology major, is not concerned about privacy.

“The app works through Bluetooth, and Bluetooth only connects so far,” she said. “So if I am outside of the room and not in range of the Bluetooth it won’t know where I am.”

Outside of manual records or not taking attendance, other professors on campus use apps such as iClicker Reef and Top Hat; both require manually clicking prompts within the app to sign in to class.

“I think [SpotterEDU] is a more honest way of taking attendance because with iClicker you can access it almost anywhere on campus so you don’t actually have to be in class,”

email, dtl7c4@mail.missouri.edu. They can also

Warren.

Peacock said. “Top Hat is similar, the only difference is you have to have a code to sign in.”

The issue of privacy in the digital age has become increasingly complex as technology advances. Many social media platforms track users’ information through algorithms designed to increase advertising revenue. The practice is the target of much political controversy as platforms, government and society alike work to navigate the issue.

Cell phone companies also record cell site location information through the information cell phones send to cell towers. The police and government can request this data; however, the landmark case Carpenter v. U.S. decided that the warrantless search and seizure of extensive cell phone records violates the Fourth Amendment.

SpotterEDU assures in many statements that its main goal is keeping students responsible and accountable, not to track students’ every location. Its privacy policy does note that the app will disregard a “Do Not Track” signal, a web browser setting that requests apps to disable tracking. Most companies

either participated in [during] high school or ideas that they are really Continued from page 3 passionate about,” Claire Schallenberg, vice chair of administration, said.

Applications opened on Feb. 2 and close on Feb. 14. After the deadline, ORG enters the third and final recognition period of the academic school year. ORG uses the recognition period as a time to discuss the organization and ask the applicant questions that arise from the application.

After the two-week recognition period with ORG, the Committee on Student Organizations, Governments and Activities discusses the potential new organization.

Applicants will receive notification of becoming a new student organization on March 9 at the latest.

“On the application, the organization’s purpose is the most important thing to stand out,”

bscott@themaneater.com

Spotter tracks the location and attendance of students, but some students are considering the app an invasion of their privacy. | COURTESY OF THE APPLE APP STORE

disregard this signal because there is no universal consensus on how it should be interpreted.

MU Assistant Professional Practice Professor Jim Ries uses the app in his Computer Science 1050 class.

Although he also expresses privacy concerns, he believes that attendance has improved because of the app. He did not previously take attendance

Schallenberg said.

After earning recognition from ORG, applicants must complete the organization portal on the MU Engage website within 30 days.

“Engage is a great resource for new student organizations both during the application process and after becoming an organization,” Schallenberg said.

The benefits of becoming a recognized student organization include the ability to reserve available spaces on campus and access to the Student Design Center. Organizations also have the opportunity to visit Venture Out, an obstacle course designed for team building for an organization’s leadership team.

Additionally, new student organizations are eligible to receive funding from the student activity fee 16 weeks after becoming recognized

by ORG. “A lot of the new student organization find the most unique and fun things as marketing tools,” Schallenberg said. “Something that we

due to the large amount of students in his class.

“Just ‘eye-balling’ the classroom, I believe a larger percentage of students attend,” he said. “I expect academic performance will improve.”

Ries added that his class faces several technological issues with the app.

“I plan to provide feedback to SpotterEDU,” he said. “I have not decided whether I will continue using it in future semesters or not.”

Art Jago, professor emeritus of management at the Trulaske College of Business, has a different take on the matter. In an Op-Ed for the Columbia Daily Tribune, he writes about his concern for the obsession of tracking attendance in college classrooms.

“I have never wanted students in my class who do not want to be there,” he writes. “Active, inquisitive, creative students who are internally motivated create a productive class climate that is self-reinforcing and sustainable.”

Edited by Ben Scott bscott@themaneater.com

have through our office is offering chalk for sidewalks. We try to provide as many marketing tools as possible.”

Students interested in forming new organizations on campus are encouraged to attend information sessions. Senior Baylen Roundtree attended the Jan. 29 information session and is in the process of bringing an anime club to campus. “[As a student going through the application process] it’s fairly easy to get through as long as you have a solid foundation of what you want your club to be and who your target audience is,” Roundtree said.

Student organizations allow students to find like-minded peers and connect with a faculty adviser.

“I think [MU] will benefit by providing a fun and entertaining environment where those from diverse backgrounds can get together and discuss a shared interest in anime,” Roundtree said.

Edited by Alex Fulton afulton@themaneater.com

HITT

“I was really concerned about how complicated it would be to transfer my prescriptions from pharmacy to pharmacy; Continued from page 3 all the signs outside the student center said that we had to call to do so,” freshman Olivia Bommelje said. “When I called to do so it ended up being automatic without me having to do anything. Apparently, there was a lot of confusion around the whole transition, and it makes it inconvenient for people [who] don’t live right over in Truman Central.”

After the confusion around calling in prescriptions cleared, students found that the consolidation of the two on-campus pharmacies did not have a huge effect on them. The centralization of MU pharmacies eases confusion and workload for staff at the pharmacies and students needing to fill out prescriptions.

“Mizzou Pharmacy Services is doing great and committed to continuing to provide the best service possible to our community,” Greenlee said in an email.

The Mizzou Pharmacy in the Student Center closed at the end of last month. The pharmacy is consolidating all of their orders to the Hitt Street pharmacy. | PHOTO BY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER TEDDY MAIORCA

Edited by Alex Fulton afulton@themaneater.com

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MUSIC

Quadio brings new sense of community to campus music scenes Quadio aims to create a space where music lovers and artists alike can build a stronger sense of community within their university or beyond.

MADDIE SCHUCK

MOVE Culture Staff Writer College is a time when many young people find the freedom to explore their creative side and produce art across every medium. However, it is not always easy for them to connect with others pursuing the same passions. The new app Quadio has gained recent popularity across college campuses for its unique approach to music streaming that hopes to solve this problem.

Developers Joe and Marcus Welch built the service in reaction to their difficulties connecting with artists like themselves at their universities.

After about a year of work, the East Coast company has recently focused its efforts in the Midwest. At MU, this came in the form of a few campus representatives who are working to spread the word about Quadio.

Junior music major Anna Yannessa was contacted over winter break to be recruited as a campus rep.

Although she was initially skeptical, she has come

to be passionate about the opportunities Quadio offers to college musicians. Now, she hopes that advocating for the app will help her get back in touch with her creative side.

“I’ve kind of put the creative aspect of music on the back burner because I’m so focused on my studies and everything I have to do academically with music,” Yannessa said. “Since I sing too, and I write music, this is something that I’ve always wanted.”

Yannessa explained that the role of the campus reps is to build excitement across campus for the release of the full app and desktop versions, which is set for mid-February. Currently, Quadio is in a beta version. All that is needed to experience the app now, though, is a university email address and an access code.

“You make a profile, it’s really easy, you can say as much or as little as you want, and then you just surf and figure it out for yourself and make it your own,” Yannessa said.

Once logged in, there is no difference in user experience between profiles using the app to simply listen or to produce music of their own.

Students can discover new artists nationally, regionally, within their state and even specific to their university. Searches can be filtered by genre, popularity and even positions that artists need filled. This way, music lovers can find new songs or artists they enjoy, and artists can find

inspiration, exposure and even new band members or producers.

“There is such great music being made by college students right now, and we hope the Quadio user experience is really easy and fun for both artists and listeners,” Quadio Board Chairman Suzy Welch said in an email.

Sophomore Mitch Broddon takes advantage of both facets of the app, coupling his role as campus rep with his position as the guitarist for MU-based band Post Sex Nachos. With the launch approaching, he discussed ways to use his position as one of the more popular bands on campus to spread the word about what the app offers.

“I think the coolest direction to go is to get a bunch of bands that end up being on Quadio and, very close to the launch, we’d set up a show where those bands play,” Broddon said. “Why not try and distribute our music to a different audience, especially a local audience?”

Quadio aims to create an environment that supports local community, creative collaboration and easy discovery, setting it apart from existing streaming services. To try it out for themselves, students can reach out to a campus rep for an access code or keep an eye out for the free version later this month.

Edited by Sophie Stephens sstephens@themaneater.com

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MUSIC

You should see her in a crown: Billie Eilish sweeps ‘Big Four’ Grammys Despite Eilish’s stunning success as the first woman to take the Grammys’ top 4 awards, the night was underwhelming and felt irrelevant to many viewers.

ANNA KOCHMAN

MOVE Angles Columnist At age 18, most kids are thinking about who to ask to prom or planning their grad parties.

At age 18, Billie Eilish is basking in the glory of winning five Grammy awards and becoming the first woman to sweep the “Big Four” (Album, Record and Song of the Year, plus Best New Artist).

The 2020 Grammy Awards, which took place in the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 26, were graced with stunning performances from the likes of Lil Nas X and Lizzo, and marred by the tragic death of basketball icon Kobe Bryant earlier that day. But the talking point of the event was Eilish’s sweep — and Grammy voters’ snub of the multitude of other young, talented, diverse artists.

It was evident even to viewers at home that popular music had an objectively good year. The performance of “Old Town Road” blew the roof off of the Staples Center, featuring not only Lil Nas X but also K-pop group BTS, American DJ Diplo and everyone’s favorite tiny yodeler, Mason Ramsey, among others. Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You” and “Truth Hurts” mashup, though a little musically shaky, wowed the crowd. So many artists of color and LGBTQ artists owned the stage on Sunday night,

and yet, it was a straight white woman who “won” this year’s Grammys.

This is not to say that Eilish didn’t deserve some praise. Her genre-bending 2019 release “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” is universally appreciated by fans young and old. But Eilish herself seemed to realize that nominees like “Cuz I Love You,” Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” and “Hard Place” by H.E.R. deserved some recognition, mouthing “Please, don’t be me,” before accepting Album of the Year.

| GRAPHIC BY EMILY MANN

This supposed snub of other artists follows a recent scandal within the Recording Academy, the organization behind the awards, regarding sexual misconduct and other forms of corruption. Many critics feel that the Grammys have become tired, old and corrupt, and refuse to celebrate diverse

content.

“The Grammys are so much more concerned with giving washed-up celebrities with very little real musical ability a five-minute run back to the limelight than highlighting actual good music,” MU freshman Joe Hutchison said after watching Sunday’s three-and-a-half-hour broadcast.

It certainly seemed that way when Aerosmith and Run-DMC took the stage to perform “Livin’ on the Edge” and “Walk This Way,” which were rife with tone-deaf screams and Steven Tyler’s dated fashion. Retiring Grammys coordinator Kenneth Ehrlich also organized a performance in honor of himself, a song from the musical “Fame” with performers Cyndi Lauper, Gary Clark Jr. and Misty Copeland among others. The whole scene felt contrived and self-important and wasn’t what the Grammys needed as we enter a new decade of music.

Redeeming qualities of the night included Tyler, The Creator’s win for Best Rap Album with “IGOR,” Lizzo’s three gramophone wins, and an emotional performance from Demi Lovato. However, by the end of the ceremony around 10:30 p.m., viewers were exhausted and didn’t hesitate to voice their annoyance with the awards on Twitter.

It remains to be seen whether the Recording Academy will transition into the 2020s with the rest of the music industry, or if they will get wrapped up in controversy and lose the Grammys’ place as one of the biggest awards ceremonies ever. The 2020 Grammys certainly failed to make that impression.

Edited by Joe Cross jcross@themaneater.com

LGBTQ

LGBTQ Resource Center hosts Queer Spring Fling to build community at MU The center welcomes back students for the spring semester with an evening of food, games, crafts and community.

ANGELINA EDWARDS

MOVE Culture Reporter

The LGBTQ Resource Center strives to create an inclusive environment for the queer community at MU. One of the ways it carries out its mission is by hosting events like the Queer Spring Fling, which took place on Jan. 30.

The LGBTQ Resource Center hosted the Queer Spring Fling to allow students to build a community and make new friends at the start of the semester.

From 6 to 9 p.m., the lower level of the MU Student Center was bustling with students eager to meet new people and feel more a part of the queer community at MU. The LGBTQ Resource Center was the main hub of the event with students lounging, socializing and playing Super Smash Brothers on the Wii. In the Multicultural Center, students made Mason jars of glitter referred to as stress relief jars as well as friendship bracelets.

Free pizza, noodles, soda and candy were enjoyed right next door in the Women’s Center.

The LGBTQ Resource Center has been hosting Fall and Spring flings for years as a way to welcome students back to campus for the new

semester.

Typically, the Spring Fling tends to be less attended than the Fall Fling but had a large turnout on Thursday compared to recent years.

Both students who are regulars at the LGBTQ Resource Center and students who had never visited came together for the event.

Wren Wachter, a sophomore transfer student, decided to attend the Queer Spring Fling to make new friends as they began their first semester at MU. “It was like a way to meet … people like you,” Wachter said. “I think about how everyone has different labels, like there’s so much diversity in that but even in between … there’s so much variety in the queer community.”

As one of the only queer people at their smalltown high school, Wachter struggled to find a sense of community, but they have finally found acceptance at MU. The diversity of the queer community at MU makes Wachter excited to become involved in the community. Spending the evening surrounded by new friendly faces at the Spring Fling made Wachter feel welcome as a queer student.

“Here, I feel like I can just be myself,” Wachter said with a smile.

Freshman Jesse Perue agrees that events like the Queer Spring Fling help build community and solidarity at MU. “It does bring people together and it shows that

| GRAPHIC BY NICOLE GUTIERREZ

you’re not alone on campus,” Perue said.

In April, the LGBTQ Resource Center will be hosting its annual Pride month. Events similar to the Queer Spring Fling will be held to allow queer students to celebrate their identities and their community at MU. Edited by Sophie Stephens sstephens@themaneater.com

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T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | F E B R UA RY 5, 2 0 2 0

TELEVISION

Comedy Wars brings humor to MU on Wednesday nights Find the team of Comedy Wars bringing laughter to MU every Wednesday night in the Memorial Student Union.

ELIZABETH PRUITT

MOVE Culture Staff Writer Founded in 1999, Comedy Wars has been making people whoop with laughter at MU for 20 years. Every Wednesday at 9:30 p.m., one can find the comedy troupe in the Bengal Lair of Memorial Student Union next to Starbucks. Comedy Wars consists of five members, all of who attend MU. Going to a Comedy Wars performance, you will find the Lair filled with people enjoying the hilarious jokes and a lot of innuendos.

The cast performs several different skits and games. Almost all of these acts use audience suggestions to lead the improvised scene. Some fan favorites are Sex With Me, Tinder, Four Square and 185. The cast all love to perform and love the impact the team has been in their lives.

Senior Brandon Steele relishes in the laughter and the great atmosphere he is able to create.

“Making people laugh is fun,” Steele said. “It’s probably the easy answer and the cheesy answer but it’s satisfying. You know, I can make it not cheesy and sentimental by being like ‘I feel power.’ I hear people laugh and I think, ‘you like

me at least a little bit.’”

It’s easy to be intimidated by the stage and audience. When sophomore Emma Ross first tried out for Comedy Wars, she felt like she wasn’t good enough to be on the stage. However, she took that leap and now loves the work she is doing. The club helped Ross discover more about herself and find the joy in performing.

“I thought they were funny,” Ross said. “I kind of thought I maybe wanted to do it but, I thought I couldn’t, I wouldn’t be funny enough, wouldn’t be good enough onstage.

But my friend wanted to try out and I went with him under the guise of moral support and when I got there, I decided what the hell I’m just going to try for it.”

Comedy Wars is an auditionbased team. To become a member, applicants participate in a practice team set up for auditions. If a person passes, they can officially join Comedy Wars.

“We hold auditions every October,” Steele said. “We pick a practice team based off that and then at any time we can cut the practice team. Then if you make it all the way to the end and we think you’re ready, then you make the team.”

The cast members have been through many good moments together. In their time at MU, their friendship has bonded and they’ve created a lot of memories with each other and the many audiences they’ve seen. Sophomore Joseph Magee recalls his favorite memory during a

| COURTESY OF TWITTER

show with his mother when he was hosting 185, a game where the cast gets audience input to direct jokes about things that normally wouldn’t walk into a bar.

“Nobody knew my mom and my sister were here except for me and my mom and my sister,” Magee said.

“So someone from the audience just says ‘Your mom!’ as a joke. [Another cast member] was like, ‘Hey, she’s perfectly capable,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah she is! Isn’t that right mom?’

My mom put up a fist in the air like

hell yeah!”

Comedy Wars is a special place for those wanting to bring a smile to someone’s face. With the abundance of innuendos and the improvised skits, anyone can get a good laugh out of its shows. It’s a place people have been able to find new friends and develop some skills. For those interested in joining, they have a Facebook and Twitter you can contact and get more information.

Edited by Sophie Stephens sstephens@themaneater.com

TELEVISION

Things I learned while watching ‘Cheer’ on Netflix Netflix released a new documentary series about a junior college cheer team in Navarro County, Texas.

CHLOE KONRAD

MOVE Angles Columnist Thousands and thousands of people around the world are flipping head-over-heels for the newest documentary series on Netflix this year: “Cheer.”

The series follows head coach Monica Aldama and the Navarro College cheerleading team on their road to Daytona Beach, Florida. It featured the stories of multiple cheerleaders and really, really made the entire country Navarro Cheer fans.

While some of the audience were experienced cheerleaders, a lot of us were learning new things the entire time. So, here are 16 things I learned while watching “Cheer” on Netflix: 1.

2.

Concussions happen in threes.

There’s something just as addicting about

doing the sport as watching the series. Why else would they do it for so long?

3.

Full.”

4.

I will never be able to do a “Layout-to-FullDon’t ever piss off Monica Aldama.

5.

Jerry Harris is literally the best person on Earth.

6.

Nothing I accomplish in my career will ever amount to the feeling of making mat.

7. all.

The Cheerios in “Glee” are NOT realistic at

8.

A documentary called “Cheer” can be super un-cheerful.

9.

Corsicana, Texas is the fruitcake capital of the world.

10. “Girls, work on your abs,” was probably

the easiest instruction they got all season long.

11. I might start randomly doing 50 push-ups if I ever see a girl slip and hit the ground.

12. The cliché is far from true: you’ll find the cheerleaders with unbrushed bed-heads more often than proper high ponytails.

13. People get injured a lot more than I thought they did. Like, a LOT more.

14. They don’t sleep. I mean that’s the only possible explanation for how they could get top grades after cheering the entire day.

15. When things get rough in the process, it should only push you to work harder.

16. And lastly … I need to start watching “Bad Girls Club.”

Edited by George Frey gfrey@themaneater.com

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

We want to hear your voice.

OPIN ION

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

EDITORIALS REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OPINION OF THE MANEATER EDITORIAL BOARD.

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

THE MARK… NOT ON 5TH STREET

COLUMN: A (partial) defense of Hatch Hall An evaluation of MU’s most infamous residence hall Mark Curtin is a Senior Film Studies/ English major at MU. He is an opinion columnist who writes about local issues for The Maneater.

“Hatch Nasty”: it’s a phrase heard all across campus. Any student unfortunate enough to admit 1306 College Ave. is their place of residence gets greeted by a cacophony of the phrase. One would think the hall is MU’s slum going by such talk. Not helping is the fact it consistently ends up dead last on the “Res Halls to Live” lists, with such features as weird smells and unfriendly people.

All these are matters of opinion, of course.

As a three-year Hatch-dweller, though, I can assert that most of the wilder claims are inaccurate. The orgies in the trash rooms rumor, I haven’t been able to find any support for (though I suppose I wouldn’t know what’s happening, given that I live at the hall’s end). What I’ve found is a nice place to live free of the stereotypical bustle of college life.

Not that some of the criticism isn’t accurate. I walked into the bathroom a few days ago to find diarrhea in the sink. Or maybe somebody dumped chili down it, but I didn’t stick around long enough to find

out. There are some cockroaches (mostly in the basement) and a few odd scents, but this doesn’t detract from the positives for me. Are there pluses, you ask? Yes. Several, in fact.

My first counterpoint is the privacy. You’ll get nobody to bother you out here, save the occasional drunken 3 a.m. screaming, though I assume that’s unavoidable at any hall. With it comes distance, but MU’s campus really isn’t THAT big.

Being social is great, but the relative isolation of Hatch, Schurz and, to a lesser extent, College Avenue, has fostered a unique community unlike anything else on campus. Having to cross that bridge onto the rest of campus is always exciting; sometimes I pause to watch the cars pass. If I’m being honest, the exercise is also good for me considering I don’t work out.

Second is the delicious Baja Grill restaurant, conveniently located in Bingham Commons, a building connected with Hatch. Now, several halls have eateries of their own, such as Mark Twain and Rollins, but lines at those locations can be truly extravagant. I have been to Rollins at times only to find the line stretched all the way down the stairs and out the door. No food is worth such a long wait. Again because of the privacy, Baja is rarely crowded – most of the traffic from the rest of campus is siphoned off by Plaza 900.

Finally, the parking. This is a point that I have never seen addressed.

Most residence halls have lots that are small, distant or both. The parking garages aren’t exactly the pinnacle of convenience. AV-8 is right outside Hatch and offers one of the largest parking areas on campus. Between all that, Hatch has more than enough positives to go around.

While not everyone can overlook

| GRAPHIC BY MICHELLE GUTIERREZ

the, shall we say, “sanitary” issues Hatch faces, I believe it should be given a chance, especially by freshmen. It requires a certain mindset to make living here work, but there is a niche community of students who can benefit from living here. I know I have.

Edited by Bryce Kolk

SCHNELLE'S SITUATION

Column: Having busy schedules is not something to brag about It’s okay to say no to something if it compromises your mental health.

Rachel Schnelle is a sophomore journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about student life for The Maneater.

According to research by Love to Know, 20% of college students reported feeling stressed most of the time. Students are overwhelmed by the demands of being full-time students and having a part-time job. However, it could also be that students have trouble saying no to things, causing them to overload their schedules.

Research by Collegiate Parent says that campus involvement is critical during the first year of college. The benefits include making friends, expanding interests and feeling part of a community as well as having the ability to have fun by saving money, honing skills future employers will look for and creating a network.

| GRAPHIC BY EMILY MANN

As someone who is in multiple organizations, I know that being involved has brought me many memories and different friends. It’s given me opportunities to further my career and personal growth. However, it has also caused me to become over-committed, causing me to become even more stressed than I was before.

I have a problem with not being able to say no.

I don’t think it’s just a me issue, it’s something the average college student struggles with. It’s okay to

be in an organization that interests you and brings networking opportunities. However, being too involved and overcommitting can easily become an issue. When you find yourself not having enough time to do homework, sleep or eat, then it may be time to cut down on something.

Overcommitment and stress can be a product of society’s hustle culture. Being busy has become such a status symbol and students think it's just a part of college. But being busy can negatively affect the grades and overall well-being of students.

A solution to this problem could be to prioritize and realize what is actually important in your life. Make sure that you’re putting what you love first, instead of putting it to the back-burner for something that could build your resume.

It can be so easy to become involved in things that build your resume, but it’s also important to be a part of something that will improve your overall well-being.

Edited by Bryce Kolk bkolk@themaneater.com

SPORTS

Online this week:

BASKETBALL

BASKETBALL

Pinson, Nikko guide comeback as Missouri stuns Georgia

‘Reed Nikko changed the game’: Nikko drives secondhalf comeback for Missouri

The Tigers rallied to come back from a 20-point deficit in the second half.

WILSON MOORE

Sports Editor

Xavier Pinson made his way into the lane on a crossover with under 30 seconds left. As Georgia’s defense collapsed, he kicked the ball out to Javon Pickett in the corner. Pickett swung to Mitchell Smith on the wing, and from the opposite spot that Torrence Watson had missed a potentially game-winning 3-pointer exactly one week earlier, Smith let a jumper of his own fly.

The shot missed off the front iron, and landed briefly in Georgia’s Anthony Edwards’ hands.

But Pinson was still underneath the basket.

“I don’t even know how to explain it, but I just kind snatched it from him,” Pinson said.

The point guard poked the ball up, then wrestled it away from Edwards before muscling a shot off the backboard and into the basket. The layup gave Missouri (10-10, 5-2 SEC) a 71-69 lead, capping an improbable 20-point second half comeback over Georgia (11-9, 1-6 SEC) to snap a four-game losing streak. The final score was 72-69.

Missouri guard Xavier Pinson floats a shot over the Georgia defense. | PHOTO BY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER KIRUBEL MESFIN

“I needed that to sleep a little better,” coach Cuonzo Martin said.

Pinson’s layup gave him his last two points in a brilliant second half that saw him score 16 on 4-8 shooting, including seven in the last 4:30 while starting

results. After winning a tight first set 6-4, she dominated the second set, defeating opponent sophomore Mika Misgav 6-0.

Freshman Elys Ventura’s singles

set |Page 13

crean |Page 13

pinson |Page 13

Ábrahám, Missouri win big as Saint Louis doesn’t win single set Missouri defeated Saint Louis 4-0 Friday with strong performance from Ábrahám and Missouri’s doubles.

DANNY KNICKMEYER

Reporter

Serena Nash crouches down, awaiting the serve of her St. Louis University opponents. Nash would go on to win the game, along with her partner Gabrielle Goldin. | PHOTO BY PHOTO EDITOR ANDREW MOORE

Ábrahám repeatedly served and volleyed, winning several points by hitting a winner on her first return.

She was able to handle her opponent senior Cassie McKenzie’s serve too, losing only two games total in the two sets the match went through.

Wright’s singles match had similar

ELI HOFF

Assistant Sports Editor Minutes after Missouri men’s basketball came back from a 20-point deficit to beat Georgia 72-69, Bulldogs coach Tom Crean had one thing on his mind: Reed Nikko.

Before he had even fully sat down for his postgame press conference, Crean was lauding the performance of the senior forward from Maple Grove, Minnesota.

“Momentum is always up for grabs and in the second half, Reed Nikko took momentum from us,” Crean said. “We didn’t have any way to stem it, even though we were right in it.”

Nikko was on Crean’s mind for good reason. He scored 11 points in the second half to help the Tigers after trailing by double digits with fewer than seven minutes to play.

A dunk from Nikko brought Missouri within one point at the three-minute mark, and he hit two free throws on the next possession to put the Tigers ahead.

Then, with 11 seconds to go in the game, he played defense.

With the Bulldogs down two points, playing for a game-tying basket, Xavier Pinson and Javon Pickett collided and fell to the floor.

That left Georgia standout Anthony Edwards — who’s being talked about as a potential No. 1 NBA draft pick — with an open lane to the rim.

He looked to have breezed past Missouri’s defenders in the paint and went for a lay-up — until Nikko swatted the ball into the bottom of the backboard from behind.

After the game, Nikko made it sound easy.

“I stepped up because I knew it was going to probably be [Edwards] that’s going to try to make that basket,” he said. “He’s the one I had to worry about. I was able to get a hand on it initially … At that point,

TENNIS

It started with the crack of the racket, the thump off the court, and the crash against the tarp behind play and finished with a victorious shriek as sophomore Vivien Ábrahám won yet another point against Saint Louis on Friday night bringing Missouri to a 4-0 victory.

“We’ve been really proud of her trust in her game and her going for her shots,” coach Colt Gaston said.

“She’s done a great job and her confidence is soaring right now.” Ábrahám started the day by not dropping a single game through her doubles set, winning 6-0. Her and teammate junior Ellie Wright forced the ball deep and repeatedly took advantage at the net, winning several of their points through winners right up front.

Singles did not change much.

The big man drew heavy praise from Bulldogs coach Tom Crean after the game.

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T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | F E B R UA RY 5, 2 0 2 0

WRESTLING

MAC to reality: Missouri clinches share of conference championship The team wasn’t satisfied after what coach Brian Smith deemed a subpar second dual.

JACK SOBLE

No. 24 Missouri (10-5, 7-0 Mid Conference)

wrestle,” he said. “Twenty wins is 20

entered the match at 14-1 and was in

Tough losses in that dual included

about how I’m wrestling and what’s

Missouri’s Daniel Lewis last year.

get some people correcting things.”

sophomore Cameron Valdiviez at

the 125-pound weight class, who

defeated

Northern Illinois (8-4, 3-2 MAC) and Cleveland State (7-3, 3-3 MAC) on Saturday by scores of 32-6 and 20-12 respectively to clinch at least a share of the MAC championship for the eighth straight year.

Coach Brian Smith lauded the energy that his wrestlers brought in their blowout win over NIU, but he left the second dual disappointed.

Despite the win, Smith didn’t think that his team’s performance would hold up later in the season.

“We just had this lull in the second match,” Smith said. “You can’t have those letups, because when we get to tournament mode, it’s going to be important to win those second matches, and how we wrestle as we continue through our tournaments.

wins, I guess, but I’m more concerned going to get it done in March.”

The Tigers came out firing against

couldn’t protect a 10-4 lead and

Northern

No. 25 Wyatt Koelling at 197 and

from

lost 12-10, and overtime losses for

Sports Staff Writer

American

So we gotta get back in the room and

heavyweight Jake Bohlken.

No. 12 Jarrett Jacques, who picked

up his 20th and 21st wins of the year

Illinois,

claiming

pin

lightweights

Valdiviez

and

praise from Smith.

“That kid’s a high-quality kid, and

against two of the best kids in the

sophomore Allan Hart, and never

he’s wanting to cut the guy and score

looked back.

“That was insane,” Jacques said.

“We came out and smacked them in

“I guess I won, but I felt pretty

put a fire in our team and blew out

flat,” Jacques said. “I don’t think I

His performance drew unprompted

fall victories in the first two bouts

— both by simple decisions — wasn’t

satisfied with his performance either.

the conference championship against

the mouth a little bit. It definitely

conference it got to the point where

takedowns, and that’s awesome,” said Smith. “It sends a message: ‘Hey, I’m here, I’m the senior, and I’m going to compete at the highest level.’”

Missouri claimed its 20th and

the flames in theirs.”

21st consecutive victories over MAC

but I got the job done. I didn’t feel

going out with some energy and we’re

2017.

your best every day, so you’re going

that’s what our program was more

at the MAC conference every year

out there with confidence, knowing

shoes to fill,” Mauller said.

wrestled to the best of my ability, my best, but you’re not going to feel to have gut out some wins like that.”

Jacques picked up 20 victories

for the second season in a row, and was one of two Missouri sophomores

to do so (the other being No. 5

Brock Mauller, who won two major

“That makes it fun, because we’re

putting people on their back, and like,” Smith said. “You’ve gotta go

that when I get to my positions,

we’re at. We strive for excellence

buzzer-beating takedown to clinch a

about wins and losses, more so how I

“I think we got a target on our

Senior Dylan Wisman added some

score.”

this achievement, instead focused on

“I’m not huge on just thinking

we outdo ourselves, so we have big

back,” Jacques said. “I don’t think we

more excitement later in the dual

the process over the results.

“We are defending our spot, and

I’m going to put him in danger and

decisions on Saturday) in their first

two seasons. He was not enthused by

opponents, a streak dating back to

at 184 pounds, when he earned a major decision.

Wisman’s

dominant

win

came

against sophomore Brit Wilson, who

can really be complacent with where

and being great, and I think we still have a lot of work to do before March

comes around, but we’re on the right track.”

Edited by Eli Hoff

ehoff@themaneater.com

BASKETBALL

Missouri women’s basketball falls to No. 13 Kentucky Aijha Blackwell scored 17 points in the loss to the Wildcats.

due to Kentucky’s smothering press.

“I thought we looked pretty undisciplined with our press offense,” Pingeton said. “We talked a lot about BEN PFEIFER the importance of spacing because Sports Staff Writer they can really get after you and stir Deafening silence pierced the press room after you up.”

Missouri dished out two assists and Missouri’s (5-16, 2-6 SEC) loss to No. 13 Kentucky turned the ball over 12 times, already (17-3, 6-2 SEC). nearing its season average of 16.4.

“It’s probably been one of my tougher seasons,” Freshman Aijha Blackwell was the an emotional head coach Robin Pingeton said. “I lone offensive bright spot, scoring 11 think when you go through adversity, I think it points – leading all scorers on both reveals who you really are.”

With Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard, the nation’s teams – and grabbing five rebounds. third-leading scorer at 23.2 points per game, out No other Tiger eclipsed two points.

Missouri outscored the Wildcats with a finger injury, the Tigers hoped to pull an Missouri guard Jordan Chavis guarded by Kentucky guard Chasity Patterson. upset win over a ranked team for the first time 14-13 in the third quarter, but it Chavis finished with only 3 points on the night. | PHOTO TAKEN BY STAFF still trailed by 16 heading into the this season.

PHOTOGRAPHER KIRUBEL MESFIN But Thursday night’s 62-47 loss was the Tigers’ final frame. At the end of the third, second in a row and sixth in SEC play this season – Blackwell had 14 points. The rest of seven boards. another disappointing loss in a challenging season. the Tigers had scored 17 combined.

Missouri will look to avoid its third three-game Though the Tigers stayed relatively close in the The Tigers hung on tight in the first quarter, trailing the Wildcats 11-7. But Kentucky opened second half – they even outscored Kentucky 30-28 slide against its ranked opponent in a row on the second quarter on a 9-0 run, extending its lead in the final two quarters – it wasn’t enough to Sunday, squaring off with No. 25 Arkansas (16-4, crawl out of the hole they dug in the first. to 13 with seven minutes left in the quarter.

4-3 SEC) at home.

Two other Tigers joined Blackwell in doubleMissouri trailed 34-17 at the half with nothing Edited by Eli Hoff positive going its way. The Tigers missed all eight digit scoring – senior Amber Smith with 12 and of their threes and shot 6-25 from the field, largely freshman Hayley Frank with 11, both grabbing ehoff@themaneater.com

T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | F E B R UA RY 5, 2 0 2 0

PINSON

Continued from page 11

guards Mark and Dru Smith were either out or ailing from injuries.

“I knew that they wasn’t 100%,” Pinson said. “So somebody had to step up, and somebody had to do it for us today.”

Missouri still wasn’t quite out of the woods after Pinson’s layup, however. On Georgia’s ensuing possession, Edwards had a free drive toward the basket after Pinson and Pickett collided with each other defending a ball screen. Edwards gathered himself underneath the basket and was about to lay the ball in. That’s when Reed Nikko’s long arm came from behind him to pin the ball against the backboard and keep Missouri ahead.

“You know the play is probably

CREAN

Continued from page 11

and one of you is going to make the play.”

The play essentially sealed the game for the Tigers: with fewer than 10 seconds to go, the Bulldogs were forced to foul and rely on Edwards to try a desperate long-range 3-pointer.

Or, as Crean put it, “Reed Nikko changed the game.” brings,”

brought

what

Missouri

he

defensively, Missouri also began to play more aggressively on offense, attacking the basket more instead of taking jump shots. Pinson said the floor “opened up” in the second half.

“We settled for 3-point shots in the first half,” Martin said. “I thought our guys just did a great job of attacking, attacking, attacking, put pressure on them.”

The win is Missouri’s second in SEC play. While it’s only one game, Mitchell Smith hopes it can be a turning point in what has been an uneven conference season so far.

“We may get down a little bit, but we can claw our way back, and we can win games,” he said. “We still have confidence. We’ve got confidence in our coaches, confidence in each other, our team, confidence in this program.”

Edited by Eli Hoff ehoff@themaneater.com

to have played under former coach Kim Anderson. In his four seasons, he’s only started 11 games, barely

coach

game.

He played 26 against Georgia, posting career highs in minutes and points (13). Missouri scored 16 more points than the Bulldogs while he was on the floor.

It was a memorable performance by all accounts: a team comeback in front of a home crowd, and a few plays that would make any basketball

always

big man proud. Maybe that’s why he

Cuonzo

let out a celebratory scream from the

Martin said. “Intelligence, leadership … the second half, we needed him to have a presence offensively.”

Nikko, along with redshirt junior Mitchell Smith, is one of two players

SET

of its first five shots from the field, including two 3-pointers. This time, the problem was on the other end.

The Tigers committed eight fouls in the first 10 minutes of game en route to giving Georgia 13 free throw attempts. The Bulldogs capitalized on nine of them. Nikko and Mitchell Smith finished the game with four fouls while Dru Smith had three.

With 13:33 left in the game, Missouri found itself down 59-39.

“I tell my guys, ‘we’re not gonna win this game if we don’t get stops,’” Pinson said. “And everybody just sat down and we just got stop after stop.”

Missouri outscored Georgia 33-10 the rest of the way.

“We just locked in even more,” freshman forward Kobe Brown said.

“Early on, we gave up a lot of small defensive breakdowns. We just locked in, took those away, and just tried to play together as a team.”

While locking down Georgia

averaging more than 10 minutes a

he’s going up and you’re going up

“He

to [Edwards],” Nikko said. “Great player, credit to him. I was just trying to be dialed in on when the shot goes up and when the drop happens. Just be ready to make a play and I was able to do that.”

Like Pinson, Nikko had his biggest moment in the last 30 seconds of a game that was among the best of his collegiate career. The senior scored a career-high 13 points to go with five rebounds and two blocks, but some of his biggest contributions didn’t show up on the stat sheet.

“When you’ve got a guy that plays that hard, that is that efficient, that is totally selfless and about what it needs to be for the team, that’s a very valuable thing,” Georgia coach Tom Crean said. “And in the second half, he got them a lot of confidence in my mind.”

Compared to the abysmal starts from the field against Texas A&M and West Virginia, Missouri was solid to begin the game, making three

13

floor after the block.

“I was happy,” he said. “Very happy.”

Edited by Wilson Moore

Reed Nikko stands waiting for Missouri's offense to bring the ball up the court. | PHOTO BY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER KIRUBEL MESFIN

wmoore@themaneater.com

match was cut short.

She won the first set 6-0, and then the first three games of Continued from page 11 the second set before her opponent, freshman Adriana Rodriguez, could no longer play, retiring from the match and giving victory to Ventura.

As a team, Missouri won the double’s point quickly. The teams of sophomore Lisa Fukutoku and Ventura won 6-2, while Ábrahám and Wright swept the set 6-0 to clinch the double’s point.

Despite not finishing due to the speed at which the other two pairs won, seniors Serena Nash and Gabrielle Goldin could also have won their match, as they were up 4-2 when the doubles point was secured.

Gaston was pleased with the way the double’s went. “We have to be a good doubles team,” he said. “That’s something we’ve emphasized for years. We’re clicking on the court. There’s more

comradery between the teams just knowing what each other’s gonna do. A good chemistry is what I’m seeing out there.”

This 4-0 win had put Missouri up to 4-0 on the season prior to a loss Sunday at Kansas State University. Now Missouri will be beginning a four match homestand, as it will be hosting Wichita State, Old Dominion, Bradley University, and Southeastern Missouri State.

According to Gaston, the lineup used today is not necessarily the one that the team will have moving forward.

“With this group, I don’t think any number’s really solidified,” he said. “I think that’s the best part of it. We just have a really talented pool of kids and they could literally switch any day. If you’re at the top, like Serena, then you hold your spot.”

While the singles lineup appears to be fairly fluid, Gaston believes the double’s lineup is much more likely to stay consistent.

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“We’re not trying to change a lot [in doubles],” he said. I think we’re going to take a look at a couple different players, but I think for the most part we’ve stuck with the same teams and we’re kind of building and growing.”

Last year’s Tigers team had a similar start to its campaign, winning six of its first seven matches before going 0-13 in conference play and losing last year’s number one Mackenzy Middlebrooks, who transferred to Clemson University.

The Tigers have just five more matches to prepare for this season’s Southeastern Conference play, which will include matchups against the last two runner-ups in the NCAA women’s tennis championships, the University of Georgia and Vanderbilt University, as well as 2017 champions, the University of Florida.

Edited by Wilson Moore wmoore@themaneater.com

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