BLACK MINDS MATTER PAGE 8
MAYORAL RACE READING LIST PAGE 15
HOW NURSING TAKES A TOLL PAGE 25
Give our compliments to these nine chefs, who enrich Columbia’s culinary scene. PAGE 16
MASTERING MACARONS
PAGE 29
I’ve spent a lot of my life traveling. Moving between South Africa, Australia and the United States, I got accustomed to saying goodbye: to bedrooms, to places, to friends. In the turmoil of each move, I learned to rely on the few constants in my life, one of which was food. Growing up, it was the aroma of my grandma’s freshly baked butter pecan cookies or the hint of mint sauce on a Sunday roast. These familiar smells and tastes ground me in summer afternoons on my parents’ deck that overlooks the sea.
Nowadays, I’ve grown fond of cooking, especially with herbs and spices that bring me back to the essence of happy memories. Whenever I return from visiting home, it’s usually with an extra piece of luggage filled to the brim with mixtures of authentic Indian spices for making curry — scents that nestle me in the comforts of home and family.
But it’s not a coincidence that these scents evoke a smorgasbord of memories for me. Scientists suspect that smell is inextricably linked to what people remember about their lives.
This is because smells bypass the brain’s logical center for processing information and settle in the same part of the brain where memories and emotions lie. Studies show that smell memories are long and steadfast, which make for vivid and intimate recollections.
For me, the aroma of a farm-fresh, homecooked meal stirs even the most deep-seated memories — and I’m sure I’m not the only one. In this issue of Vox, we pay special tribute to local restaurants and the chefs who breathe life into them. With a plethora of experience among them, these local chefs have stitched our community together with one uniting force: food. Read about Columbia’s culinary connoisseurs and the kitchens and lives they continue to transform starting on page 16.
In this issue, you’ll also find a detailed guide on how to successfully bake macarons, a feat unknown to many an experienced baker (p. 29). And, as spring continues to treat Columbia to beautiful, temperate weather, learn to mix a seasonal sangria with a kick (p. 31). As always, thanks for being here. Now, let’s dig in!
The restaurant industry as we know it is extremely white and male-dominated. Although 51% of current students at the Culinary Institute of America are female, only 6% of U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by women, and 23% of head chefs are women. Of those head chefs, 63% are white, 23% are Hispanic, 20% are Asian and 15% are Black, all according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In this issue, we shine a light on Columbia’s diverse scene of restaurateurs — nine hardworking chefs who represent people of color, women and nonbinary identities. So, dive into these inspiring stories — and perhaps also decide your Friday night dinner plans.
— Abbey Tauchen
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF COURTNEY PERRETT
MANAGING EDITORS EVAN MUSIL, REBECCA NOEL
DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR GRACE COOPER ONLINE EDITOR HANNAH GALLANT
CREATIVE DIRECTOR MAKALAH HARDY ART DIRECTORS HEERAL PATEL, MOY ZHONG PHOTO EDITOR MADI WINFIELD
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR ANNA KUTZ ASSOCIATE EDITORS
CULTURE ALEXANDRA HUNT, ELIZABETH OKOSUN, JASHAYLA PETTIGREW, ABBEY TAUCHEN, MARISA WHITAKER
EAT + DRINK ISABELLA FERRENTINO, ANNA ORTEGA, LAUREN STONE, NIKOL SLATINSKA CITY LIFE KELSY ARMSTRONG, JANAE MCKENZIE, ZOIA MORROW, CEY’NA SMITH, OLIVIA SHEEHY STAFF WRITERS JESSE BERLIN, KARLY BALSLEW, JOZIE CROUCH, JOSIE HEIMSOTH, JACEY JOHNSON, ADRIAN MADDOX, AMILEE NUZZO, SYNDNEY SCALIA, MIKAELA SCHLUETER, MAX SHAPIRO, JORDAN THORNSBERRY, AUSTIN WOODS
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT BRADFORD SIWAK DESIGNER SHULEI JIANG
ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITOR OLIVIA EVANS
SOCIAL & AUDIENCE DOMINIC BOLT, EMMA DALKE, BRENNA ERWIN, DESTINY GARCIA, HAILEY KEENAN, BRYNN JANKOWSKI, MARIE MCMULLAN, CELA MIGAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ATHENA FOLSERBRAZIL, ERIK GALICIA, JARED GENDRON, MALCIA GREENE, OLIVIA MAILLET, MELANIE OLIVIA, NATALIE SMITH, LUCY VALESKI, ABBY WHITE
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR HEATHER ISHERWOOD
EXECUTIVE EDITOR LAURA HECK
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APRIL 2022
VOLUME 24, ISSUE 4
PUBLISHED BY THE COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN LEE HILLS HALL, COLUMBIA MO 65211
16
The tastemakers
Get to know the people behind Columbia’s diverse food scene.
25
Traveling nurses have been crucial during the pandemic — a truth the potential wage cap doesn’t reflect.
29
What else could go maca-wrong?
Test your pâtisserie skills by baking macarons with these expert tips.
31
These locally crafted sangrias are bound to sweeten your spring soirée.
32
Here’s the catch
Sink your teeth into mid-Missouri’s freshest seafood.
33
Native pollinators are in danger. With these resources, you can help them flower and thrive. 36 Designing before
A graphic designer discusses how she has adapted in a changing industry.
The owners of Columbia’s newest “selfie exhibit” and a digital anthropologist help decode this photographic evolution.
BY REBECCA NOEL
Chances are, if you use social media, you’ve seen a selfie today: a friend sipping a picture-perfect cappuccino, your sister showing off her new engagement ring or someone’s dad cheesing in front of a sports car that isn’t his. We’re visually documenting ourselves faster and on a wider scale than ever before, with the average person taking nearly 600 selfies a year as of 2019.
If you’ve managed to stay impressively off the grid, a selfie is just a photo someone takes of — you guessed it — themselves, usually with a smartphone. That’s according to the Oxford English Dictionary, which added the word to its pages in 2013. One local business, Selfie Love, is seeking to create a new platform for Columbians to express themselves online.
Lisa Wampler and Destiny McKnight met while they were both working in the event industry. They were inspired by a selfie business they’d seen in St. Louis and founded Selfie Love, which they describe as “an immersive entertainment experience meant to spark creativity, positivity and self-love.” In their downtown space — set to open at 804 Locust Street in late April — patrons can pay an entry fee and wander through eight colorful sets that are created by local Columbia artists and perfect for
photography. The space can also be rented for parties or other group events. “Each set will have a different theme,” Wampler says. “And we’ll change them out about four times a year.”
Selfie Love is just one of many selfie exhibits popping up around the country — often to huge success. Businesses such as Color Factory, according to its website, are filled with “immersive rooms and carefully curated moments” where visitors can photograph freely. Its locations in New York City, Chicago and Houston can draw over 1,000 visitors a day.
So, why are we obsessed with broadcasting ourselves online? It might have less to do with narcissism than you think and more to do with community.
Nell Haynes, a professor at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, who holds a doctorate in anthropology spent 2013 in Alto Hospicio, a mining town in northern Chile, studying how people constructed themselves on social media. She says the way people utilize
habits of Alto Hospicio might not be representative of other communities. For example, although people in the U.S. often use social media to flaunt wealth, conspicuous consumption is looked down upon in Alto Hospicio, which prizes frugality and hard work. Still, people there use social media in a similar way to many communities: as a means to reflect their society’s val
ues and their individual alignment with those values.
Haynes speculates we use selfies, in part, to create identity, and that over the past few decades, visual imagery and the self have become closely tied. “Since the 1950s when advertising took off after World War II, there’s been a lot of messaging that your self-worth, your identity, your participation, your
individuality is tied to the things you buy and the things that you can visibly show,” Haynes says.
Material goods have become increasingly linked to how we understand and imagine ourselves, and selfies provide a public stage for that imagination. We don’t just post pictures with designer bags or trendy clothes because we like them, but also because they are symbols of wealth, relevance and elegance — and we’d like to be those things, too.
Many people primarily associate selfies with young women, and Haynes says that’s no coincidence. “There’s a particular valuing or worth that is placed on people, particularly women, that is connected to their visibility, their attractiveness, etc.,” she says. “That’s not to say that it doesn’t affect men, but I think it affects women much more. The gendered pressures that exist in society are amped up when it comes to selfies and maybe social media presentation in general.”
Meanwhile, criticisms of selfies as self-indulgent are usually targeted at women and girls, despite data worldwide that suggests men snap more selfies than women. In 2015, for example, a broadcast of a baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies went viral due to the male commentators’ mockery of a group of young women in the stands who were taking selfies. “Can we do an intervention?” one commentator joked. These criticisms, ostensibly about vanity, read more like misogyny in disguise. In truth, humans have been depicting themselves visually for as long as we have records of humans existing, whether with
oil paint on canvas or etched onto cave walls. “The idea of keeping a history is tied to imagery in a lot of ways,” Haynes says. “I think that we place importance on self-depicting to create a narrative about our lives and create a history.” Modern technology has simply made this self-documentation more accessible and ubiquitous than ever. For many, selfies offer control over one’s own narrative and image. They’re a way to reinvent, imagine and create the self, as well as catalog a history. In the sprawling, teeming digital landscape, they’re a site marked X that reads, “I was here.”
Rhynsburger Theatre, 7:30pm April 27- 30 2:00pm April 30 and May 1
Tickets: Rhynsburger Theatre box office Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm, closed noon -1pm (573) 882-PLAY (7529) or online at theatre.missouri.edu
A grand and dreamtweaked comedy about four very real women who lived boldly during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror.Scenography by Mimi Hedges Costumes by Marc W. Vital II
Black people are taught to muscle through the pain. We’re told from a young age that taking time to cry doesn’t do us any good. It’s hard for me to feel valuable if I’m not helping others or I can’t rise above the anxiety, depression and trauma I experience. I have to keep moving.
No wonder we’re hesitant about therapy.
“Why would I want to go ask for help when all my life I’ve been told, ‘if I ask for help, I’m less than?’” says Black Columbia therapist Tasca Tolson.
My breaking point was the pandemic. After years of staying busy to avoid the pain, the lockdown forced me to stand still. Self-deprecating thoughts and untreated trauma ran wild in the sudden quiet of my mind.
My decision to restart therapy, after brief attempts during elementary and high school, was one I made in hiding. I didn’t want to deal with outside opinions on whether I “needed” it. But it took months of quiet struggling to make that decision.
That self-imposed silence is common among Black families, and it doesn’t help. It belittles our feelings, even if that’s not what our loved ones mean to do. We stay silent about the hurt and the trauma.
Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than white adults to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. However, only one in three Black adults who need mental health care receive it.
A series of questions, doubts and self-deprecating thoughts led Janae McKenzie to seek therapy. These thoughts are represented in McKenzie’s handwriting.
This internal fear is just one of many barriers Black people face when seeking therapy. Between the stigma, lack of competent care and socioeconomic barriers, therapy is a difficult yet crucial resource for Black mental health.
I’ve heard all the adages. “What happens in the house stays in the house.” “Do as I say, not as I do.”
“For a very long period of time, we’ve been taught not to talk about your business,” Tolson says.
The stigma against therapy is a powerful force. Issues that can’t be physically identified are treated as nonexistent. “We take care of business, and we deal with it and just move on,” says Dedrae Kelly, a Black Columbia therapist. “If there isn’t something
sticking out of your neck, like a bone, you don’t need a doctor; you’ll be fine.”
Racism is one of the things we have to face every day. It’s a trauma that we are constantly re-exposed to, in everything from microaggressions to videos of police brutality. Black people are always in that high-stress space. Our great-grandparents were during slavery. Our grandparents and parents were during the Civil Rights movement. We are now. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, this collective racial trauma makes Black people highly vulnerable to developing mental health disorders. This pain is in our DNA.
This is even worse for Black women. We’re trained to take on everybody else’s problems. By the time we recognize our own pain, we’re already carrying double, triple, quadruple the weight. I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember. I take that nurturing instinct to an unhealthy level. I’m constantly burning myself out, trying to convince myself I’m stronger for doing so. I only allow everything to hit me when no one can see its impact.
“We’re being conditioned to think that strength and power is questioned when we are actually crying or we have sensitivity and we have a heart,” Kelly says. “So Black women in particular are asked to carry the world, raise it, and never shed a tear when we disappear, and nobody gives a shit.”
Verna Laboy, a Black community leader, created the award-winning program Live Well by Faith, which brought disease prevention straight to Black Columbians.
“A lot of people think of me as somebody that doesn’t need any help, doesn’t need anything because Miss Verna got it all together,” Laboy says. “Well, when I lost my mom, it seemed like the bottom fell out of my life. I needed some grounding.”
Laboy’s mother died on Oct. 5, 2021. After 10 years of taking care of her mother, the aftermath of her death took a major toll. She needed someone to talk to.
“It’s scary, to be honest, to say things out loud that you’ve just had dancing in your head,” Laboy says of starting therapy. “To put language to it, verbalize
BY THE NUMBERSCompared with the general population, African Americans are less likely to be offered either evidence-based medication therapy or psychotherapy. Here are a few other statistics:
• Physicians engaged in 33% less patient-centered communication with African American patients than with white patients.
• 63% of Black people believe that depression is a sign of personal weakness.
• About 11% of African Americans are not covered by health insurance, compared with about 7% for nonHispanic whites.
it and say it out loud for not only somebody else to hear, but you hear it too.”
The fear of the unknown keeps many Black people from seeking therapy, says Dr. Christine Woods, a Black Columbia licensed clinical social worker. We’re scared of a response, scared of being judged and don’t know what the session is going to look like.
Lack of culturally competent care
For centuries, Black people have been mistreated or untreated by the mental health care system. Black men are more
likely to be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia when expressing symptoms related to mood disorders or PTSD, according to a 2018 study in Psychiatric Services Journal. A track record of discrimination in health care has led to a distrust of non-Black providers.
With a Black provider, Black patients spend less time explaining cultural differences and language used. Tolson says that women of color might struggle with colorism, especially those with darker skin tones who face heightened discrimination. Speaking about this with a Black provider
Of
the concerns Janae McKenzie is addressing in therapy, one is her anxiety. Her anxiety attacks leave her unable to determine reality from irrational internalizations.
means focusing more on unpacking the self-esteem impact rather than explaining what colorism is.
“Black providers can bring that empathy in, and they themselves do the work and study to become competent in addressing what is happening within the brain,” Kelly says.
In towns with a majority white population like Columbia, Black providers are a rarity, Tolson says. Many providers who arrive in town are either young professionals without much attachment to the community or already have another job that keeps them busy. In an environment not conducive to retention, Tolson sees a lot of turnover. Because the network is small, Black providers lack resources to support one another, Kelly says.
It’s possible for a non-Black provider to be a good therapist for Black clients. My own therapist is white, and my trust in her is founded in her open mindset, something all providers need to have. “Even if I’m not a therapist of color, am I so stuck in my ways that I’m not going to be willing to learn and hear what my clients are saying?” Tolson says.
Poverty also has an adverse effect on men-
tal health status, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Black people who live below the poverty line are twice as likely to report serious psychological distress.
Because of the discrepancies in wages and unemployment, Black Americans can lag behind other racial and ethnic groups, despite having the same level of education or working in the same industry, says Dr. Jordan Booker, a Black MU African-American psychology professor. Black Americans tend to have fewer funds up front, resulting in relatively less purchasing power. According to the Census Bureau, “about 27% of African Americans live below the poverty level, compared to about 10.8% of non-Hispanic white people.”
This isn’t conducive to seeking therapy in the first place. If basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing and housing aren’t met, how can you start to think about mental health care costs? We’re in survival mode, and we can’t leave it long enough to think about our mental well-being. Therapy is rarely a one-time visit.
“You’ve also historically had fewer families having some of the insurance coverage that would allow for, pretty smoothly, getting to see practitioners as often as they like,” Booker says.
Therapy is a tool; it’s not a hindrance. It can help us get to a better place.
I still remember my 2018 therapy session when I told my therapist I had no thoughts of harming myself and realized, for once, I was telling the truth.
“Therapeutic interventions change the way the limbic brain is taking in information and giving information,” Kelly says. “We’re really working to get to the core of where it comes from, change and switch that narrative and empower women.”
Yes, I’ve made progress in my mental health because of therapy. However, I still have the internalization that being vulnerable about my issues will make others see me as weak. Writing this essay was especially difficult because of that. For myself and many others, therapy isn’t a linear journey. Through sessions over the years, I’ve been able to work through intrusive thoughts, giving myself more permission to be imperfect.
In February, Janae McKenzie got her first tattoo, of lyrics from dodie’s “Life Lesson.” The words remind her to give herself grace and permission to make mistakes.
We need to normalize seeking therapy in the Black community. We need that tiredness we feel every day to be identified and validated. There is power in discernment, and talking to a therapist can bring that.
“It’s a sign of strength to get the help that you need and so rightly deserve,” Laboy says.
Naming our trauma can make us stronger, and no one benefits when we fight ourselves to try to suppress it. Suffering every day shouldn’t be our norm. We owe ourselves that much.
Local providers are working on ways to overcome these internal and external blocks to getting therapy. Dedrae Kelly runs a support group for women of color on Friday nights, giving them space to explore problems they face in a group therapy setting. See her profile on Psychology Today for more information.
To combat socioeconomic barriers, Dr. Christine Woods is one of many partners with The Family Access Center of Excellence of Boone County. FACE will pay providers for 10 sessions on behalf of the client, allowing a shortterm therapy option for people who have demonstrated a financial need. Woods is also an assistant professor in the MU School of Social Work, and she educates students on how to work with people of color.
In a time of fluctuating restrictions, the talent buyer for The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall describes the reality of pandemic-era concerts and why live music is still so exciting.
BY JOSIE HEIMSOTHMelissa Roach has always been interested in the music industry, so when a job was posted for The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall, “it was a no-brainer for me to apply,” she says. Roach started working as the marketing coordinator at both venues in April 2019. In January 2020, she was promoted to talent buyer.
Roach worked with former The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall talent buyer Pat Kay until he shifted his focus to booking for 9th Street Summerfest earlier this year. Kay scheduled concerts for over eight years at both venues.
Unlike the past two years, Roach can now book shows with fewer rules. On March 16, The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall dropped all COVID restrictions.
During the pandemic, concert bookers were struggling more to schedule fewer shows. Their job was to bring together a crammed venue of people in a time we were advised to socially distance. Roach says that the reaction of concertgoers to The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall’s COVID protocols was split 50/50 — some were mad, while others wouldn’t attend shows without such protections in place.
Rashida Phillips, execu tive director of The Blue Room, American Jazz Museum and The Gem
Theater in Kansas City, also attested to the adaptability required of venues during pandemic times. When The Blue Room’s doors reopened in June 2021, the staff made regular adjustments based on CDC guidance, “allowing our audiences to grow more in that space and subsequently presenting more talent,” Phillips says.
In February, California-based Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival dropped all COVID restrictions for this year’s April event. “Once one venue starts to stop implementing policies, that might create a domino effect for other venues and festivals,” Roach says.
With the abandoning of protocols, Roach says the best part about working in the event industry is watching ampedup strangers uniting over a shared
spoke with Roach about the evolving nature of
How has it been working two music venues in this post-ish pandemic time?
It’s been a roller coaster, as I’m sure everyone could imagine. It just changes day to day what we have
to do and how we have to accommodate things. Shows are getting canceled, artists are wanting certain protocols at shows, and sometimes we are shortstaffed because someone has COVID. It’s just been a lot. But thankfully, we’ve still been able to put on shows during all of it. I know a lot of venues have not been able to do that.
What factors did you juggle during the past two years?
There have been less shows to book. A lot of artists during all this haven’t wanted to play because they’re trying to stay safe, or they’re just taking the year off. Now, it’s a little bit different because artists have their own protocols. Some artists want the entire venue to mask up, so we have to implement those protocols for their shows specifically.
What sparked your interest in music?
Growing up in St. Louis, I went to so many concerts as a kid. It was the one outing that I always looked forward to. When I went to MU, I realized that I wanted to get into the event industry, and it seemed fitting to mesh my love for going to concerts with the event industry.
What are you looking forward to at the venues this year?
Hopefully, a lot of really cool shows. We’ve got some stuff lined up. I’m excited to have a full calendar year and to have packed shows every month at both venues. I’m excited for a little bit more normalcy.
Why do you think live music is important today?
Once the pandemic hit, it was this realization that going to shows is a luxury. It was hard to not go to shows for so long, but I feel like now, we’ll do whatever it takes to get in front of an artist that we love.
Each month, Vox shops, eats, reads and experiences. We find the new, trending or underrated to help you enjoy the best our city has to offer.
BY ALEXANDRA HUNTMissouri’s bicentennial anniversary with MOda 200: Missouri Style Makers, Merchants and Memories highlights Missouri’s often overlooked but influential history in the fashion industry. The Show-Me State was once the second-largest garment and millinery producer in the United States. It was also the nation’s largest manufacturer of junior dresses in the early 20th century. The State Historical Society of Missouri and Missouri Historic Costume and Textile Collection curated a custom gallery with artwork, clothing and accessories spanning the late 1820s to fall 2021. Center for Missouri Studies Art Gallery, 605 Elm St., through June 25, free, shsmo.org
At the queer-owned Dandy Lion Cafe located on Main Street in Ashland. This much-anticipated cafe is set to open Dandy Lion food and beverage director Jordan Holman was highlighted by Feast magazine as a rising star in the mid-Missouri food community. The cafe is already working with local farmers to help create a more sustainable community. Its main mission is to create a space open to all and to be an advocate for marginalized Dandy Lion Cafe; 102 S. Main St., Ashland, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wed.–Fri. and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat.–Sun., 557-9222
Unbound Book Festival. After last year’s virtual festival, Unbound is back and in a new locale. The festival is moving downtown for the first time in its history. Local businesses such as the Shortwave Coffee on Ninth Street, Ragtag Cinema, Fretboard Coffee, The Broadway Columbia Hotel, Serendipity Salon and Gallery, Tiger Hotel and Orr Street Studios will serve as venues. Chat with authors and listen to a keynote address by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen. Authors will speak on topics such as graphic memoirs, nostalgia, banned books, humor writing and the medicalindustrial complex. See the festival in a new light by applying to volunteer on the Unbound website. April 21–24; free, panels open to the public, tickets required for Friday keynote, $50 for Write On! workshop, unboundbookfestival.com
At the CoMo Retro Game Convention. Arcade lovers and 8-bit enthusiasts can peruse displays from vendors who might just have the retro find for your collection. Plus, all gamers in attendance are entered to win a Nintendo Switch OLED. Test your video gaming skills by entering the 64 tournaments. The convention will also be hosting guest YouTuber Adam Koralik and the Retro Game Hunter Museum. Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, April 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $10, free for 12 and under, comoretrocon.com
Recent studies connect playing video games with positive effects on mental health and cognition.
BY MAX SHAPIROWho hasn’t heard someone say that video games will turn our brains into jelly? In 2015, 26% of American adults said they believed video games were a waste of time, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. But what if that isn’t actually the case?
Experts have shed light on the benefits gaming offers to well-being. That is great news for the growing gaming community, which included over 3 billion gamers worldwide in 2021.
A 2020 study found a positive correlation between well-being and video game play. Oxford University compiled play data from Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville in collaboration with Nintendo and Electronic Arts to track individuals’ play behavior before exam-
Research and digital media experts suggest that stress levels, intellectual capacities and communication skills can all improve from playing video games.
ining their well-being, motivations and need satisfaction.
According to this study and others, several of the positive psychological effects associated with gaming can be attributed to creating a sense of personal autonomy for the players.
Video games can provide a temporary escape from stress. “I do believe that video games can be helpful for people to regulate their emotions and mood,” says Hyerim Cho, an assistant professor at the MU College of Education and Human Development. Cho specializes in information science related to various pop culture media. She found solace in Animal Crossing: New Horizons during the early days of the pandemic.
In the game, time is paced the same as in real life and allows the player to create routines when customizing their virtual homes and towns. Gamers develop relationships with virtual villagers, make outfits and perform chores such as fishing, pulling weeds, gathering flowers and catching bugs in nets.
“All those kinds of activities kind of helped me feel a sense of control,” Cho says. At a time when many people felt the world was out-of-control, virtual order became a comfort.
Sam Von Gillern, a colleague of Cho’s whose primary areas of research are digital literacies and game-based learning, says video games that encourage pleasurable engagement can be beneficial to well-being. Video games can induce flow, which he says is “a mental state in which someone is totally in the moment performing a particular task.”
A flow state occurs when someone is completely engrossed in an enjoyable activity such as sports or playing an instrument. According to the publication ScienceAlert, engaging in flow
can improve self-control, resilience and concentration — all of which are transferable skills applicable to tasks that demand focus.
As for the link between well-being and time spent gaming, Von Gillern says it’s all about balance. “Just playing endlessly is not going to be great for your mental health,” he says.
Gaming has the potential to increase intellectual and emotional skills by continuously challenging players.
Von Gillern says he sees gaming as an exercise in problem-solving, as it requires the player to engage in critical thinking in order to achieve a goal. He cites a study, published by Communications Biology in 2021, that supports the ability of some games to help with certain cognitive processes. The study concluded that fast-paced action games such as Call of Duty and Half-Life 2 can enhance learning rates in new tasks.
Von Gillern agrees that quickpaced games can sharpen reaction,
decision-making and object-tracking skills. If you’re an active person who plays team sports, these kinds of games can come in handy.
Communication
Video games are not inherently antisocial, and many offer multiplayer functions, which makes us better communicators.
“It’s allowed me to come up with ideas on the spot and then be able to relay them to other people better,” says Nolan Starkey, a competitive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player for esports organization Repulse Gaming.
Starkey founded an esports club in 2018 that helped him form friendships outside his social circle. “I normally wouldn’t go out of my way to talk to them, or they wouldn’t go out of their way to talk to me,” he says, “but since we both were gaming, we both had something to talk about, and then we developed this relationship. It just built on.”
Gaming might be a source of entertainment, but it can also be a teacher, an escape and a social catalyst.
“(GAMING HAS) ALLOWED ME TO COME UP WITH IDEAS ON THE SPOT AND THEN BE ABLE TO RELAY THEM TO OTHER PEOPLE BETTER.”
—Nolan Starkey, competitive esports player
Columbia’s 2022 mayoral election is April 5. After two terms, Mayor Brian Treece announced he would not seek reelection. Five candidates announced their campaigns. In early March, Maria Oropallo dropped out of the race. Discover the formative books behind the minds of the remaining four candidates.
BY AUSTIN WOODS
Barbara Buffaloe
The most impactful book for Barbara Buffaloe was Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Buffaloe read it during her sophomore year at MU while earning her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design from the College of Human Environmental Sciences.
The book is a critique of the 1950s urban planning policy. Reading Jacobs’ work influenced Buffaloe’s career trajectory. “(At the time) I wanted to be an architect,” she says. “I just wanted to design structures, but the idea of designing for people, and the idea of how the structures interplay with one another, that started me on a totally different track of being more interested in urban planning … from there, I switched to being more interested in community development.”
Recent read: The series, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, by Louise Penny. “I escape to a small town in Canada when I read these.”
Tanya Heath
Tanya Heath couldn’t select one book as her favorite. Instead, she picked her favorite childhood book collection, the Nancy Drew series, which she read from fourth through sixth grades.
As the daughter of teaching parents — an MU geology professor and a middle and high school Spanish teacher — Heath traveled frequently and was exposed to different cultures. These experiences gave her a sense of curiosity that was fostered by the Nancy Drew series. “My question was always ‘why?’” she says. “‘Why are people doing this? Why does it happen?’ Nancy Drew was always figuring out mysteries and paying attention to the clues given that aren’t very noticeable to the common person. I grew up being very observant and watching people’s words and actions.”
Recent read: Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by Caroline Fraser. “I thought it was fascinating — her resilience.”
Randy Minchew
As a self-proclaimed “business junkie,” Randy Minchew’s favorite book is The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
In the book, which Minchew has read three times, Gladwell describes three different types of people who must work together to make a company successful: mavens, connectors and salespeople. Minchew considers himself a connector. “I love connecting people to each other, or to ideas to further their business, or (to help) them personally,” he says. “When I meet people, I get their contact information, and I try to find out something about them. Maybe there’s somebody else they should know, or maybe there’s something I can do for them.”
Recent read: Minchew enjoys reading about the broken windows theory, proposed by James Q. Wilson and George Kelling in 1982. “The theory of broken windows is to never let an area of town become unwatched ... because it will bring crime to that area.”
David Seamon
When he was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2013 to 2017, David Seamon had a lot of required reading. Still, he frequently picked up books that weren’t on his assigned reading list. When he read, Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, it quickly became his favorite.
“It illustrates how seemingly minor problems shouldn’t be ignored, as they often snowball into larger, more dangerous issues,” he says. As a member of the Columbia School Board, he learned about this lesson in everyday life. “I’m always making sure that I’m listening to what folks are saying, taking those issues to heart and trying to actually find a solution instead of just paying lip service,” he says.
Recent read: The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein. “It gives some pretty clear remedies to how we can solve (racial segregation).”
The chefs of Columbia’s increasingly diverse food scene divulge how they sautéed, whisked and chopped their way to the top. In a male-dominated industry, these nine culinary creators prove that the only prerequisite for success is a love for their craft.
These Columbia chefs serve as community role models and represent a range of identities, including Casey Callans, who identifies as gender-fluid.
After working at local restaurants for more than a decade, Myah Greene brings her skills to a different part of the community as the executive chef of MU Health Care.
BY MIKAELA SCHLUETER
Myah Greene’s passion for cooking started at 5 years old when her father taught her how to make a French omelette. She looks back now at how she improved the dish. “I remember the time after and how it got even better,” Greene says.
“I just realized that food was something that I was good at, and I wanted to pursue it.”
Born and raised in Columbia, Greene started her career as a kitchen trainee at the now-closed Trattoria Strada Nova. Today, Greene is the executive chef of MU Health Care. She says her new role entails serving the community in a different way, by helping ensure the comfort of patients.
To get to where she is today, Greene had to first complete her training at the now-closed Le Cordon
Bleu College of Culinary Arts in St. Louis. One year later, in 2010, she returned to her hometown. Since then, she has worked at several prominent Columbia restaurants. Her previous gig was as the executive chef at Park Restaurant and Bar. Prior to that, she was a cook at Barred Owl Butcher and Table for two years and the kitchen manager at Addison’s for five years.
Columbia has influenced Greene’s culinary career by giving her the experience to develop her skills and form connections. “I feel the restaurant industry is just a tightknit family here,” Greene says.
Throughout her time in the community, Greene has learned from local chefs, including Ben Parks, co-owner of Barred Owl. He and Greene have known each other since the mid-2000s when they both worked at Trattoria Strada Nova. Later on, he hired her at
“I’ve kind of been able to have a front-row seat for pretty much her entire culinary career,” he says. Although Parks has been a mentor of Greene’s, he has also learned from her. Greene has helped educate Parks and his staff about being a young Black woman in a male-dominated industry.
“Being a woman in the culinary industry, let alone a Black woman, means that I’ve had to put a lot of effort into it,” Greene says. She explained that she has had to work harder to stand out from her colleagues who are white men. Greene has also called out co-workers when they’ve said inappropriate things.
As her confidence grew in the kitchen, Greene developed her personal cooking style. Although her training is in French cuisine, she enjoys adding a Southern flair to her dishes. “I love the richness of Southern food,” she says. She balances the heavy flavor found in Southern cuisine with lighter ingredients to elevate the quality of her meals.
“It’s not necessarily hard to elevate Southern cooking, but it still is hard because it’s a lot of fried (food); it’s a lot of fat,” Greene says. “It’s always just about finding the right balance between the fat, the acid, the salt and the sweet that can elevate the dish.”
For her latest venture, she is using her skills to reinvent food that commonly has a bad reputation. After leaving Park Restaurant and Bar last year, Greene shifted away from the restaurant industry and into the medical industry. As the executive chef of MU Health Care, she oversees the production of food for patients. “They may not be able to be at home at this time, but I give them some type of comfort,” Greene says. “It’s about putting in a little bit more love, a little bit more care.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUCAS OWENSOver the top, silly, ridiculous and playful — that’s how 25-year-old chef and owner Casey Callans describes their new deep-dish pizza business, Thunder Pies. The menu offers a handful of out-of-the-box pies, like the CAFO Parmesan, which includes fried chicken, pecorino Romano cheese, burrata and basil, as well as the Mac n’ Sleaze, which incorporates pasta shells, spinach, feta cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto. Callans, who identifies as gender-fluid and goes by they/them pronouns, is constantly playing with different ingredients to add to the menu.
Growing up in Elmhurst, Illinois, near the heart of deep-dish pizza country, Callans frequented local pizza parlors. “I’ve always loved Chicago-style pizza,” they say. “It’s always been a special, gluttonous thing that was a treat when I was a kid.”
After graduating from Columbia College in 2018 with a degree in biology, they started cooking fulltime at Cafe Berlin. After almost a year at the popular brunch spot, Callans began working at Beet Box and has been there ever since.
Columbia lacked deep-dish pizza options — something Callans wanted to change. In September 2021, they launched Thunder Pies, a pop-up-only, gourmet deep-dish pizza restaurant out of Beet Box with five menu items — all pizzas, of course. Each pizza is one of a kind, but they all boast Callans’ special sauce recipe. The pies are 12 inches across, a whopping 2 inches thick, cost $40 each and feed two to four people. Some might consider $40 pricey for a single pizza, but Callans says the size of the pie and quality of the ingredients justify the cost. “I try and source as much as I can from ethical and responsible places, and oftentimes that just makes things more expensive,” Callans says.
When not trying new recipes and making pizzas, Callans is an outdoors enthusiast. “I go mountain biking, and I also like to ride gravel,” they say. “I go on hikes with my dog, and I have a pretty extensive plant collection.” Their appreciation of nature influences the presentation of the pies. “The food that I make has that rough-hewn but still beautiful look and feel to it,” Callans says.
Beet Box and Peachtree Catering co-owner Benjamin Hamrah describes Callans as funny, intelligent and outspoken on topics from music to social justice. “Casey cares about their craft and their community, and they have a great support system that continues to help them thrive,” he says.
Thunder Pies’ journey has only just begun. As of publication, Callans has hosted three pop-ups, but more consistent pop-ups and open hours are goals for the business. Pizza-lovers can find out where to get their next saucy fix on the Thunder Pies Instagram page @thunderpies_.
If Callans could give advice to their younger self, they would say, “Don’t compare yourself to experts and the most established people in your field, but instead, compare yourself to where you were a year ago or where you were yesterday.” This philosophy has helped them focus on progress and appreciate all they have accomplished at a young age. “It is more important to figure out what works for you than to try to do something the way everyone else does it,” Callans says.
HOMETOWN: Elmhurst, Illinois HOW DID YOU GET INTO COOKING? “My dad cooked all the time, and I always wanted to help out. I learned from there.”
FAVORITE THING TO EAT: Tacos
Casey Callans sells deep-dish pizzas at Thunder Pies, a popup through Beet Box.
SAGUA LA GRANDE CUBAN CAFÉ
Katy Ugalde remembers cooking with her family since age 7 in Cuba. Photos of her relatives cover the back wall of Ugalde’s restaurant on Ninth Street, Sagua la Grande Cuban Café, named after her hometown. When she immigrated to the U.S. as a political refugee in 1997, she was in her late 20s and got a job as a waitress despite not speaking any English. She was determined to own her own restaurant.
Her success, however, didn’t come easily. “Back in the day, you couldn’t be a woman in charge of a restaurant kitchen; it was all men,” Ugalde says. Although she says the U.S. offers opportunity, she has faced racism and xenophobia in her own restaurant. “It’s hard for immigrants because some people treat you like you know nothing,” she says.
Still, Ugalde loves her work. “When a customer says, ‘Katy, this is delicious,’ that makes you want to keep going.” She believes, with persistence, anyone can achieve success. “I think any woman can do this,” she says. “It doesn’t matter where you come from.”
REBECCA NOEL
With a new storefront in the works, Shelly La Fata relies on local farmers for the freshest ingredients and to create a sense of community at Pasta La Fata.
BY MAX SHAPIRO
ourth-generation Italian American Michelle “Shelly” La Fata began her culinary journey back in 2007. She started off working for other chefs, but she says she always knew she wanted to be her own boss someday. By 2015, she was staying up late each night working on pasta recipes and binging Netflix documentaries about successful professional chefs. “I was thinking, ‘Could I ever become like them?’ and ‘Could I ever perfect this pasta? Is this a good direction for me?’” La Fata says.
Fast forward to present day, and Pasta La Fata has established itself as Columbia’s go-to provider of authentic Italian cuisine, from handcrafted pasta and fresh meats to delectable baked pastries. La Fata has had a weekly presence at Columbia Farmers Market since Pasta La Fata’s inception in October 2016.
La Fata’s biggest inspiration was her neighbor, 78-year-old tomato farmer Tony Speichinger. “He’s kind of like a legend in this neighborhood,” she says. Speichinger’s property, located in the Ridgeway neighborhood of north-central Columbia, was an apple orchard before he acquired it about 60 years ago. He converted the land into a farm, which would become the centerpiece of the community that built up around him. La Fata visited him shortly after moving into the area, and soon he was growing tomatoes for her business — a dream come true for a chef whose greatest passions are local ingredients and community-building. “For the next five years, we walked through the garden every week three times a week and planned what he would grow the following year,” she says. “My business grew with him.”
With no tables or chairs, the shop will be more akin to a deli or a bodega than a sit-down restaurant. The first thing customers will see upon walking through the front door is a pastry case filled with cookies, cakes, focaccia and other baked goods. Further down are deli cases for both hot and cold foods and a single long bench for customers who are waiting or just want a quick bite.
Although Pasta La Fata’s business model is about to change, its values and mission remain the same: high-quality food that’s painstakingly crafted from fresh ingredients. Since becoming general manager at Pasta La Fata, Mokihana “Moki” Prevo has learned that traditional, authentic Italian food isn’t drowned in herbs or spices — that’s just something Americans do. “Italians care most about quality of food, and simplicity, and letting those ingredients shine,” Prevo says.
HOMETOWN: St. Louis WHO INSPIRES YOU? “My family, my neighbor, chefs from all over the world and local farmers.”
FAVORITE THING TO COOK: Sauces and soups — “They offer endless possibilities.”
Most of those fresh ingredients come from local farmers, with whom La Fata has built close relationships. “My main objective is to include local people as much as possible in the expansion of this business because I don’t really know how to do it all on my own, but other people do,” she says.
“That kind of reciprocity is what’s really nice about having local businesses that work together,” says Noah Earle, who runs Brush and Trouble Farm. Whenever La Fata posts pictures on Instagram of dishes made from Brush and Trouble’s chicken, she always makes sure to give the farm a shoutout. “It’s both a selling point for our business, and it also enriches the community in terms of what food is available to people and the local economy,” Earle says.
La Fata and her staff currently operate out of the COMO Cooks Shared Kitchen, located in the soonto-be-closed Mizzou North building. However, the company will have its own base of operations in the form of a shop at 1207 Rogers St., which La Fata projects to be ready by late April. “This way, we can create our own beautiful space and just turn on the lights and unlock the doors and invite the community to us,” La Fata says. “It’s three-quarters kitchen, one-quarter retail floor.”
“I think that I’m living my destiny as Michelle La Fata,” she says when reflecting on how she’s grown since starting her business. She says she has become more professional, dynamic and disciplined over the years and hopes to leave a meaningful impact on her community. “I think that right now, it’s a really cool time to build the foundation for something different and progressive that really supports employees in the community in a way that maybe hasn’t been seen before,” La Fata says.
Shelly La Fata uses local ingredients to craft authentic Italian pasta at Pasta La Fata.
NOURISH CAFE AND MARKET
Seven years ago, Kalle LeMone took a yoga class from Kimber Dean. Both women had adopted healthier lifestyles to face personal challenges. LeMone used it to deal with infertility and Dean as a part of her recovery from drug addiction. They channeled their shared passion into Nourish Cafe and Market in 2016.
“Kimber brought in this piece of chocolate that was made with raw cacao and almond butter,” LeMone says. “It got my wheels turning, and I approached her about starting a restaurant.” Dean began crafting recipes (such as LeMone’s childhood favorite, biscuits and gravy) made from healthier ingredients.
LeMone says the toughest obstacles they’ve faced as restaurateurs have come from motherhood. “We have amazing, supportive husbands, but still, caretaking feels like it’s about 90% on the mother,” LeMone says. “For every meeting, we have to make sure the kids are taken care of, whereas my husband just goes to his meeting.”
All the while, LeMone says she is constantly fielding business calls and managing the finances at Nourish. Owning a restaurant, like parenting, doesn’t exactly come with time off. LeMone says she and Dean are driven by an unwavering passion for what Nourish represents. “Inspiring people to live healthier is what we find the most joy in,” LeMone says.
Every weekend during her childhood, Sophia Smith traveled to her grandmother’s house. The kids outnumbered adults nearly two to one. Adults stuck to the upstairs as the kids reigned over the lower level. No matter how rambunctious the group of cousins became, they knew there was one announcement from the adults they could not miss: “Time to eat!”
Three words, and 20 grandchildren stampeded to the kitchen to fix their plates. Food was the centerpiece of these gatherings. The counters were filled with a pot of greens, chicken, mac'n'cheese and homemade cakes with frosting. The spread was big, but the family was even bigger. Those who were late ran the risk of needing to visit the bakery up the street for a 10-cent pastry of their own.
Today, Smith has 14 grandchildren, and is the owner of the catering company Grandma’s Southern Eats, which sells the soul food she grew up eating. Raised to cook, food is still a dominant connecting force in her life. “I love to see my kids eat,” she says. Her freezer and cabinets stay wellstocked with their favorites.
Her grandchildren aren’t the only kids she finds joy in feeding. Since 2016, Smith has served as the north neighborhood leader for Columbia Strategic Planning. With this leadership role, she advocates for a food pantry and after-school activities like hosting movie nights with kids in north Columbia. Smith recognizes the community’s children as her own by handing out food boxes and donated hygiene products.
“I kept seeing these kids in my yard every morning, and I said, ‘Well God, why are they always in my
yard?’ ” Smith says. “And God said, ‘These are your kids that I have assigned you to.’”
Smith took the opportunity to serve her community and became an advocate for the neighborhood and, of course, made sure “her kids” were well-fed. Smith serves her community every day through Grandma’s Southern Eats. She started out cooking big dinners and then helping others with food for certain events until it grew to where it is now. “I love to cook and bring the family together,” Smith says. The catering company has a licensed food truck that drives out weekly and also provides Sunday dinner for the mid-Missouri area. The food truck’s location varies depending on daily requests from customers for comforting soul food.
In 2019, Smith began selling her signature barbecue sauce and, in 2020, started selling food. Her barbecue sauce can be purchased on the company’s website.
Annette Barnes is a longtime friend of Smith. She has helped out with Grandma’s Southern Eats and Smith’s other ventures for many years. “She’s just got a sweet spirit about her,” Barnes says. “She loves people, and she loves kids.”
MAIN
Main Squeeze has nourished downtown for nearly 25 years. Inspiration struck Leigh Lockhart when she visited a juice bar in California. “I had never seen something like it,” she says. “Fruit smoothies were a new thing.” She decided to buy a juicer and draw on the restaurant skills she learned working as a waitress at Murry’s. She first set up a counter inside Lakota Coffee, but eventually she had so many customers that Lakota’s space became clogged with juice-lovers. Lockhart rented her own place through crowdfunding. “I knew I could do it, so I wrote a letter to about 20 people whom I thought had the financial resources to loan me money,” she says.
spread of food and number of people. If children couldn’t stay to eat or find a comfortable spot to sit down, Smith would bag up plenty of food for them to take home. “It just brought tears to my eyes to see her do something like that,” Barnes says.
HOMETOWN: Columbia HOW DID YOU GET INTO COOKING? “I started cooking at the age of 5 years old with the elderly women in my family.”
FAVORITE THING TO COOK: “Ribs. It was a challenge at first.”
One year, Barnes teamed up with Smith to cook and host a Thanksgiving dinner for the north neighborhood. It was a gathering that mirrored the scale of those from Smith’s childhood in both the
Whether catering through Grandma’s Southern Eats, making meals for kids in north Columbia or feeding her own family, Smith puts her soul into every dish she cooks.
“When I do this feeding and running my business, it’s something I do out of love,” Smith says. “This is not about building me up. This is about building the community up from my youth.”
This March, Main Squeeze shifted away from serving made-toorder meals and instead offers hot and cold grab-and-go options, such as breakfast burritos, green salads and chia pudding. Additionally, Main Squeeze offers plant-based snacks, pastries and even sustainable home goods such as package-less deodorant and eco-friendly laundry detergent strips. These changes are essential for preserving the engine of Main Squeeze’s success: Lockhart’s joy in the business. “When you turn a passion into a job, you have to be careful not to lose the joy,” she says. “That’s why Main Squeeze is going to shift. It wasn’t fun anymore.” With these changes, she says she plans to continue to provide cruelty-free food options and juices to Columbia.
REBECCA NOEL
Elle and Jan Sanchez educate and fight for the community — one chocolate at a time.
BY ADRIAN MADDOXnder the shade of the cacao trees in their childhood backyard, sisters Elle and Jannah “Jan” Sanchez shared a passion for chocolate. They often helped their mother harvest, ferment and process cacao plants into rich, dark chocolate desserts. So it was fate that the sisters created Tsokolate (pronounced choe-co-latte) in January 2020, a Columbia-founded business selling chocolate enriched with superfoods.
Elle is the oldest of five children. She was inspired by her mother’s side of the family, who all pursued artistic careers. Elle moved to Paris to study at Le Cordon Bleu and received her first culinary degree. She later received a second degree from the City & Guilds of London in hopes of becoming a culinary instructor. “I’ve always wanted to wear that white chef’s uniform,” Elle says. “I think it looks so cool on every chef, so that was my dream.”
Before following in her sister’s footsteps, Jan had a career in real estate when the pair lived in Los Angeles. As the youngest of the five, she looked up to her sister’s culinary success and was inspired by the artistic abilities of the family. Jan completed her culinary degree at City & Guilds of London, earning the title of chocolatier. Initially, Elle was hesitant about Jan’s venture into the challenging culinary world. “It takes a lot of yourself, your mind, body, mentally, physically and just everything about you,” Elle says.
Elle and Jan opened Tsokolate after they moved from New York to Columbia. They relocated so they could help the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition. The sisters are passionate about preventing human trafficking and child labor on cacao farms.
The U. S. Department of Labor estimates 1.56 million children currently work illegally on cacao plantations in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Elle and Jan are teaching others about harvesting cacao into cocoa, including the child labor that occurs on larger plantations.
Elle and Jan founded a nonprofit organization in 2020 called Juste Deserts (Just Desserts) that helps individuals at risk for trafficking learn job skills. Last
year, Tsokolate trained eight at-risk individuals, and they are currently training one Juste Deserts participant. Through this organization, the two created a hand signal that helps alert law enforcement that an individual is currently being trafficked. Funds raised by the nonprofit are also used to educate law enforcement on the hand signal and other warning signs that an individual is being trafficked.
Located on 115 Business Loop 70 West, Tsokolate sells bonbons, dairy-free milks, cookies, churros with chocolate tahini sauce and a variety of gluten-free breads. Their products can also be found at Clovers Natural Market, Camacho Coffee and Columbia Farmers Market.
ELLE SANCHEZ
HOMETOWN: Cebu, Philippines
FAVORITE THING TO EAT: “Am I really supposed to just pick one? Pistachio rochers and pear almond tart.”
JAN SANCHEZ
HOMETOWN: Cebu, Philippines
HOW DID YOU GET INTO COOKING? “Elle really taught me how to bake and decorate cakes and cook, since I was 5 years old.”
Travel nurses became vital during recent nurse shortages. As lawmakers push to cap wages, what will happen to the nursing industry?
Story by Abby white Design by Heeral Patel
The pandemic has thrown health care for a loop, and the nursing profession has changed rapidly because of it. What was an issue of overworked staff nurses before the pandemic was multiplied by a deluge of patients, a decrease in staff and a lack of equipment.
Heidi Lucas, director of the Missouri Nurses Association, says the pandemic put a magnifying glass on nursing and more specifically the role that travel nurses play in making the system run smoothly.
Sufficient staffing is a major issue. There are 15 nurses per 1,000 people in Missouri, which ranks the state 41st in the country in nurse-to-population ratios, according to data from the Bureau of Health Workforce. Rural areas have about 40% fewer nurses than cities, according to an article published in the April 2021 Journal of Nursing Regulation. To make things even worse, the Missouri Hospital Association’s 2021 Workforce Report notes the nurse vacancy rate in the state is 12%.
Travel nurses fulfill short-term roles in various facilities that have urgent needs, becoming a significant part of a health care system’s ability to provide adequate nurse-to-patient ratios and care. As the pandemic strained an already stressed system, the travel career field grew 35% in 2020 and is expected to grow by 40% in the years to come.
Even though travelers perform the same day-to-day duties as registered nurses with permanent positions, they tend to make more money. According to Nurse Journal, travel nurses earn an average of $51 an hour. Registered nurses average just under $38.50 an hour nationally.
This pay discrepancy — and the supposed high cost to health care systems —
led two congressmen to send a letter to the White House COVID-19 response team coordinator in January to investigate prices charged by travel nurse agencies.
A possible wage cap might turn nurses away from vital travel nurse contracts — just when the industry can’t stand to lose more nurses.
“The nursing field really just feels like we should be getting paid adequately for the amount of work we’re doing,” says Kelsey Westhoff, a labor and delivery travel nurse. “And it’s not really that there’s this staff nurse versus travel nurse mentality — it’s more like everybody wants to be paid.”
Travel nurses work either as independent contractors or through a travel nurse agency in positions that range from eight to 22 weeks at a time on average.
Adia Woodson, a traveling medical-surgical nurse, says that travel nursing worked out for her during this time in her life because she is single, without children and has the flexibility to travel.
Woodson, who graduated with her bachelor’s degree in nursing in July 2020, has been a travel nurse since
There are almost 4.2 million registered nurses in the United States, four times more than physicians, according to the 2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey and Statista. The pandemic shined a light on the discontent in the nursing industry, and these strikers in New York in 2020, demanded safe solutions to staffing issues.
November 2021. She says that when she worked as a staff nurse in integrated medicine at University Hospital, her starting salary was around $23 an hour. The rate is a large part of why she transitioned to travel nursing. Right now, she is working in St. Louis after extending her contract as a traveler.
At the hospital in St. Louis, Woodson says she feels more valued than she did as a staff nurse. She says the hospital made it clear that they needed her and paid her what her efforts were worth — as all nurses should be.
Traveling telemetry nurse Annastacia Boyd says travel nurses have more of a say in what their contracts look like. As a traveler, nurses can negotiate pay, the length of the contract, how many hours they work and how flexible the schedule can be.
Westhoff is currently working in Washington, D.C. She began her tenure as a travel nurse when she and her husband decided to move home to Columbia for the last few months of 2021. During that time, Westhoff wanted to keep working. She says she enjoys the freedom that comes with being a traveler and relocating without the fear of losing benefits.
“All of the staff nurses here have been so lovely and helpful,” Westhoff says. “I think everybody is just so grateful for the help.”
Like any job, there are disadvantages to being a travel nurse. For one thing, they must spend time away from family and friends.
According to Nurse Journal, a traveler is not likely to receive paid time off or vacation days. In fact, travel nurses rarely have paid vacation days written into their contracts. They do, however, have the option of taking unpaid time off in between assignments.
There is also the lack of long-term relationships with coworkers and patients because contract lengths vary and locations change.
“You go in, and you’re the new kid, and you’re expected to just jump right in without getting a chance to really test the waters,” Westhoff says. “As well as, you know, uprooting your whole life every couple months and finding places to live and getting to know a new city.”
Working as a travel nurse of color, Boyd says that walking into a hospital where she is making three or four times
more than the staff nurses can mean the reception is less than positive.
“We face a lot of scrutiny, a lot of discrimination when we come into these hospitals, and you still expected us to provide the levels of care that you and your hospital represent,” Boyd says. “And they do it. And we do it, despite all of that we go through.”
Discussion of capping the salaries of travel nurse contracts is putting a damper on one of the main benefits that Boyd, Westhoff and Woodson all noted: increased salary.
The wage-cap letter to the White House COVID-19 coordinator was signed by 200 members of Congress who site combating price gouging by travel nurse agencies.
The American Hospital Association, American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living also sent a letter saying that agencies were
exploiting desperate medical facilities by making them pay unsustainable rates for travel contracts.
Boyd, and many other nurses, are in disbelief at the possibility of a travel nurse pay cap. She says: “Do they cap the donations that politicians give? No. Do they cap the pay that these athletes are making? No. I don’t think that they do. The man that cleans the sweat and the water up off of the court makes $90,000 a year. And when have them people ever saved a life? Never.”
Westhoff says she understands why the high-price contracts that were arranged at the height of the pandemic aren’t sustainable and why it might cause concern, but she says salary capping for travel nurses is not the solution. She’s concerned it would ultimately lead to travel nurses not taking the contracts from those high-salary locations, which could result in worsening shortages in areas that need nurses most.
Traveling nurses,
Subrina
and
sign temporary contracts with a facility. After contracts are finished, some nurses can extend their contracts at the facilities or seek placement elsewhere — on their own timelines.
We face a lot of scrutiny, a lot of discrimination when we come into these hospitals, and you still expected us to provide the levels of care that you and your hospital represent.such as the married couple Geer Edward Rojas, Photography courtesy of David Goldman/The Associated Press Annastacia Boyd, traveling telemetry nurse
The Missouri Hospital Association’s 2021 Workforce Report shows the highest turnover rate in 20 years at over 18%. Understaffed facilities can rely on traveling nurses to fill in the gaps of care. Traveling nurses Subrina Geer and Edward Rojas walk through the halls of the field hospital they worked at in Cranston, Rhode Island, which was set up to address a surge of COVID-19 patients.
Travel nursing might even cost less in the long run when combating the high price tag of staff nurse turnover. The 2021 Nursing Solutions Incorporated report says the average cost of a single turnover for a bedside RN is about $40,000. This results in the average hospital losing between $3.6 million to $6.5 million a year, according to the same report.
When it comes to compensation, this field has been historically undervalued. Nursing has faced industry-wide problems through every public health crisis due to the lack of staff and safe equipment while risking their health by working overtime.
“Nurses have done their job to entirety,” Boyd says. “We’ve done it, and it’s really a slap in the face for them to talk about capping our pay.”
THE FUTURE OF NURSING
Boyd worries that people fail to see that the most recent pandemic is only the worst in a string of pandemics and epidemics that nurses have been struggling to pull people through.
“What about S1N1, swine flu, Ebola, COVID?” Boyd says. “It’s one after another.”
Lucas, from the Missouri Nurses Association, adds, “How health care is delivered, how nurses are treated, is going to have to change in order to keep folks into the profession, and to encourage new folks to come into the profession as well.”
Lori Scheidt, executive director of the Missouri State Board of Nursing, says focusing on educational programs is how Missouri can get more nurses into the workforce. The pandemic made the nurs-
ing shortage worse because hospitals had to limit clinical experiences for students, which reduced the number of properly trained nurses, she says.
Such training is vital because it allows students to interact with patients and get a feel for what working in patient care is like before committing to the field. The Missouri Board of Nursing oversees grants to state health care educational systems that help fund training and recruiting initiatives.
When the next pandemic comes, Boyd intends to be well away from the nursing field. Boyd says she does not see many nurses staying in the field.
“I hate to say this, but once this pandemic is over, there will probably be even more nurses that leave the health care field,” Boyd says. “We’re tired.”
You can make the macarons of your buttercream dreams (and avoid nightmares) with these expert tips.
BY ADRIAN MADDOX
Many people are familiar with these tiny treats, but they are tricky to make. Baking them starts with understanding the different components, as shown on this page. Then, see the tips on p. 30.
Feet: the distinguished ruffles at the base of the cookie
Shell: the airy, crispy outer part of the cookie
Filling: a flavorful center that holds two cookies together
Cookie: composed of the outer shell and the feet
Macarons are a light, airy pastry that can take years of baking and error to perfect. There are many factors that determine if the pastry will bake correctly — even the humidity of your kitchen can play a role. For a dessert dating back to the 17th century, the recipe is much more intricate than you might think.
The cookies are made by combining finely ground almond flour and confectioners’ sugar with a meringue made with egg whites and sugar. The cookies’ name comes from the specific style of stirring the batter called macaronage. It’s a gentle figure-eight motion that protects the meringue’s stiff, whipped egg whites. The result is a pastry with a crunchy outer shell and a melted interior. The cookies are typically sandwiched with fillings such as ganache, buttercream and fruit preserves.
Recipes can take several days from start to finish. One wrong move, and your macaron will come out dry, cracked or flat. Ann Lin, owner of U Knead Sweets, suggests that new bakers find a recipe and follow the steps closely until they find what works best for them. “Making macarons is a delicate process,” Lin wrote in an email. “The consistency of your batter, temperature and humidity in your kitchen and how you follow the steps all play important roles for successful results.”
MacKenzie Blakeman runs MacKenzie’s Blakery and has tested many different recipes and baking factors to
create her perfect macaron. Blakeman tried Italian, Swiss and French meringue — techniques that use different temperatures to whip egg whites — and tested various baking times before deciding on a temperature, time and a meringue (Swiss) that works for her.
If you can get the basic recipe down, you can experiment with flavor profiles. Almond cookies with vanilla buttercream filling, lavender cookies with lemon curd, caramel cookies with chocolate ganache — the possibilities are endless. Ready to give it a whirl? Use these tips to avoid some common pitfalls.
Cracked shells are hard to remedy. Cracking can occur for a variety of reasons, such as weak meringue, too many air bubbles and excessively wet batter. “If they don’t dry out long enough and you get excess liquids and oils in the cookie before baking, they’ll crack instead of rise,” Blakeman says.
Once the batter has been piped onto the cookie pan, there are two key steps to preventing cracks and bumps. First, hit the baking sheet against your counter or table to get rid of major air pockets that might weaken the structure of the cookie as it rises.
Next, don’t be quick to put the cookies in the oven. Leave them out at room temperature for about an hour or so. This will allow the cookies to develop a film that will help them hold their shape. To
U Knead Sweets offers several fun macaron flavors, such as earl grey, strawberry, salted caramel and lemon.
Still not satisfied with the outcome of your macarons ––or too daunted to try? Buy the handcrafted treats from local bakers: MacKenzie’s Blakery
Available at Columbia Farmers Market and Plume, 5751 S. Route K. U Knead Sweets
808 Cherry St.
test it, wet your finger and run it gently over the top of a cookie. There should be no fingerprints left behind.
The almond flour in the batter needs extra TLC, which some bakers might not realize. Even if you buy almond flour that says “finely ground,” it might not be processed enough for macarons, leaving a grainy, sandy appearance on the shells.
Be sure to spin the almond flour through a food processor for several seconds to break it into even finer particles. But be careful not to run it too much or the flour will begin to clump together.
Blakeman says some bakers also first bake their almond flour at a low temperature to remove any excess oils or moisture.
The feet, or little ruffles at the base of the cookie, give the macaron its signature look. When baking, the macaron should rise upward, and the feet should be even with the cookie. An accurate temperature is vital for proper rising. In addition, incorrect oven temperature can result in hollow spaces inside the shells, which you won’t notice until you bite into the cookie. “Most ovens you set to 350 are not going to be 350,” Blakeman says. “So a key thing would be to get an oven thermometer.”
When she first moved into her current home and started using her kitchen, Blakeman tested her oven temperature multiple times by increasing the temperature in 10 degree increments until she found a temperature that worked for her.
The wine
St. James Winery’s Raspberry Fruit
Wine, a sweet wine made entirely from fermented raspberry juice.
The fruit
1 orange, sliced
Fresh strawberries, sliced
Other ingredients
6 ounces peach brandy
12 ounces orange juice
6 ounces pineapple juice
6 ounces cranberry juice
Mix it up
1. Mix one bottle of wine, fruits and all other ingredients in a pitcher.
2. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.
3. Serve over ice, and make sure to get some of the soaked fruit in the glass.
Bring some vibrance to your seasonal soirée with these three easy-to-make recipes that combine local wines and plenty of fruit.
BY JOZIE CROUCHNothing pairs with the warm sunshine and bright colors of the season quite like a home-mixed sangria made from local wines. Originating from Spain, this alcoholic beverage blends wine and fruit in a punch that’s the perfect complement to an April picnic. Vox interviewed experts from three Missouri wineries to get special recipes that will add some sweetness to your spring cocktails.
Christa Holtzclaw, marketing and retail director for The Blufftop at Rocheport, shares a Les Bourgeois Vineyards peach sangria recipe that she considers seasonably suitable. “Switching to a white wine feels like letting go of the winter and embracing the spring,” Holtzclaw says.
The wine
Les Bourgeois Vineyards’ Vignoles, a semidry white wine with notes of stone fruit
The fruit
2–3 peaches, sliced
Other ingredients
3–4 ounces sweetener, such as honey or simple syrup
3–4 ounces Rocheport Distilling Company’s peach brandy
16 ounces peach juice or peach combination juice
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated Mix it up
1. Mix one bottle of wine, fruit and all other ingredients in a pitcher.
2. Let sit for at least an hour or up to overnight, allowing the flavors to mingle.
3. Serve sangria over ice. For a drier taste, top with either club soda or Les Bourgeois Vineyards’ Brut.
4. Garnish with a peach slice.
St. James Winery, a family owned winery since 1970, has about 50 wine punch and sangria recipes, says marketing director Brandon Hofherr. His favorite? The classic fruit wine sangria. “Highlighting the fruit really makes it spring-like,” Hofherr says.
Ingredients for the peach sangria recipe include Les Bourgeois Vineyards’ Vignoles, peaches, sweetener, ginger, peach brandy and peach juice.
Serenity Valley Winery in Fulton regularly concocts refreshing cocktails with its award-winning wines, says co-owner Regina Ruppert. She recommends this traditional sangria recipe.
The wine
Serenity Valley Winery’s Sigh No More, a sweet red wine built on a base of raspberry and acai flavors.
The fruit
This wine pairs well with almost any combination of fruits, so it’s up to your taste. Ruppert recommends fruits in season for an extra-refreshing twist. These seasonal fruits include raspberries, pineapple and citrus. Mix it up
1. Pour one bottle of wine into a pitcher.
Les Bourgeois Vineyards on The Blufftop at Rocheport 14020 W. Hwy. BB, Rocheport; missouriwine.com
St. James Winery 405 State Hwy. 165, Branson; stjameswinery.com
Serenity Valley Winery
1888 County Road 342, Fulton; serenitywinery mo.com
2. Slice the fruits, and add them in the pitcher.
3. If you would like an extra kick, Ruppert recommends adding brandy. However, she says, “Unless you really want to up the alcohol content, it doesn’t add that much to it.”
4. Let the wine and fruit sit for two hours or up to overnight.
5. To serve, fill a glass with ice, then add the sangria. Make sure to put a generous serving of fruit in the glass because, as Ruppert says, “Half the fun of sangria is eating the fruit with it.”
6. If you like your sangrias on the drier side, top off the glass with club soda. If you prefer it a bit sweeter, use a white soda such as Sprite.
The bait is over — find Missouri’s freshest seafood delicacies at two new restaurants, Hungry Crab and Kenko Sushi and Tea.
BY JACEY JOHNSONMissouri, as a landlocked state, isn’t naturally set up to be the home of a thriving seafood scene. Yet, in the past three months, two new seafood restaurants have opened in Columbia. Hungry Crab and Kenko Sushi and Tea both pride themselves on menu customization, and customers can choose dishes that combine a variety of different catches.
Hungry Crab
When Hungry Crab opened its doors Jan. 22, it became the only site of the Florida-based chain in the Midwest. Located on I-70 Drive Southwest, Hungry Crab serves generous portions of seafood boils, seasonal blue crab, combos with corn and potatoes, fried basket lunches with fries and more.
The restaurant also offers oysters. Oysters can be ordered fried, steamed or raw. Front-of-house manager Taylor Tope says oysters are hard to find in Columbia. “I think that’s what’s unique about us,” Tope says. “We took something that’s in a super competitive market, so it’s really high quality, to people who are used to eating a lot of seafood that’s really fresh and brought it to the Midwest.”
That freshness is the key to the “Hungry Crab way,” the restaurant’s commitment to high-quality dishes and customer satisfaction. The signature Hungry Crab seasoning is no exception. It’s a mix of garlic butter, cajun spice, lemon pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Tope says a lot of customers will ask about the seasoning’s heat, but even those sensitive to spice need not worry because the restaurant’s commitment to customization allows you to alter the spice level.
The restaurant opened an in-house bar with draft beer in early March, before adding more signature cocktails to the menu in late March.
Find it: 1000 I-70 Drive S.W., 442-1845; Sun.–Thurs. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fri.–Sat. 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. What to order: If Hungry Crab’s S2 special combo with snow crab, headless shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes and eggs won’t feed your party, add a half pound of green mussels. Adjust the spice level to your taste.
Kenko Sushi and Tea
Kenko’s storefront on Conley Road opened in December. Manager Vicky
At Hungry Crab, customers can enjoy a seafood boil personalized to their tastes.
Ni saw a need for fast, fresh, build-yourown sushi rolls in Columbia. She has lived here for about 15 years and owned Formosa on Broadway before selling it to China Star in March 2020.
The fish arrives in shipments from Chicago, Texas and St. Louis. Once it arrives at Kenko, it’s sold that same day. Daily salmon and occasional tuna purchases are made locally at Sam’s Club. Ni will potentially add spring or egg rolls, items from her Formosa days, to the Kenko menu in the future. Now, Ni is focusing on the current offerings. Milk tea, bento boxes and build-your-own poke bowls are a few of the menu items.
The poke bowls, bubble waffles and sushi are most popular, though. The bubble waffles are shaped to envelop ice cream and other sweet ingredients such as fruit and whipped cream. But no matter what you order, it’s customizable. Even the signature sushi rolls don’t have to be set recipes. “When the order comes in, we just make fresh,” Ni says. “We don’t prepare the sushi (ahead of time).”
Find it: 21 Conley Road, 777-1373; Mon.–Thurs. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Create-your-own
What to order: The Jennifer Roll is one of the popular signature sushi items. It’s filled with shrimp, mango and cream cheese then topped with crab meat, eel sauce, mango sauce, crunch and spicy mayo. It’s typically served with shrimp tempura, but customers can substitute any of the ingredients.
and signature sushi rolls are both popular menu items at Kenko Sushi and Tea. Most customers use raw tuna or tempura shrimp if they’re making their own sushi rolls.
Although bees, butterflies and moths are small, they have a mighty impact on our lives. These critters are vital for our food supply. How? They pollinate plants. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that roughly 71 out of 100 crop species in 146 countries are bee-pollinated.
Pollination is the most valuable ecosystem function provided by wildlife. Yet pollinators are in danger as natural habitats disappear, pollution increases and household pesticides become more common. That makes backyard habitats even more vital.
“We’re in a stage now, at least in Missouri, where urban areas kind of support as much biodiversity in terms of pollinators as do our rural areas,” says Steve Buback, natural history biologist at the Missouri Department of Conservation. Due to large agricultural landscapes, native pollinator habitats are disappearing, he says.
Pollination is essential to produce crops.
“About two-thirds of the food that we eat is reliant upon insects for pollination,” Buback says.
Pollination is also vital for sustaining plant life. “About 80% of flowering plants in the world require pollination,” says Tamra Reall, field specialist in horticulture at MU Extension. She explains
that understanding how the process of pollination works is the first step to understanding why pollinators are important. “They move pollen, the male essence of a plant, from one plant to the next,” Wiggins says. Without this step, plants can’t reproduce.
There are several resources in mid-Missouri to help prevent the decline of native pollinators. Columbia organizations, such as the city’s Roadside Pollinator Program, educate the public on the decline of the pollinator population, such as monarch butterflies, and restores native habitats by building ecosystems around the city to support the pollinators.
Buback also advises participation in No Mow May, an initiative that encourages people to abstain from mowing and preserve the floral resources for pollinators in their lawns. For instance, many people might see clover and dandelions as eyesores, but these plants are favorites among pollinators.
Avoiding insecticides and pesticides can also go a long way. If insecticides are necessary, horticulturist James Quinn advises thoughtfulness about where they are spraying the chemicals, how much they use and if it is being applied correctly. “If you’re going to use insecticides, really look at that label and try to follow that,” Quinn says. He says that purchasing regional or local honey is another way to support bees and local farmers.
In addition, Reall advises community members allow fallen leaves to stay in their yards in autumn. Dead leaves provide protection for bees and other pollinators to make it through the winter.
Giving back to pollinators doesn’t have to be complicated. You can do so in your backyard. Nadia Navarrete-Tindall, a native plant specialist and associate professor at Lincoln University, explains that planting plants that attract pollinators is one simple way people can protect these species.
“(Native plants) are a source of food, offer shelter and provide habitat for wildlife.” Navarrete-Tindall says. She emphasizes the importance of host plants, which are crucial to the development of butterflies. Butterflies lay eggs on host plants, which then provide food for the developing caterpillars. Milkweed is the host plant for the monarch. Without this plant, the species would cease to exist.
Missouri
Other host plants include pawpaw and buttonbush. Spicebush, another host, feeds the spicebush swallowtail butterfly, plus humans can eat the plant as well. “When you are creating a garden, remember that you’re doing it for the purpose of feeding animals,” NavarreteTindall says. “Don’t freak out if you see your leaves being eaten. Be happy because you are producing butterflies.”
Before you start to purchase flowers, Navarrete-Tindall advises gardeners do their homework — some plants require more maintenance than others. But generally, native species are easy to care for. “You have to water immediately after planting
but once established, you don’t have to do any watering,” she says. Native plants are used to growing in whatever the local soil is, so fertilizer isn’t necessary, though adding compost can be beneficial.
With the help of the Missouri Department of Conservation, here is a list of four native pollinators you can attract to your garden, plus the plants that make it possible.
The giant swallowtail is the largest butterfly in Missouri. It is dark brown with bright yellow markings. This species
pollen. Tall grasses give giant swallowtails shelter at night, while milkweed, zinnia and butterfly bush provide nectar.
The second common pollinator is the white-lined sphinx moth, which is furry, brown and white, with large eyes and a cone-shaped abdomen. It frequents woodlands, gardens and fields. This moth can be mistaken for a hummingbird because it hovers while it visits flowers. There are more than 50 species of sphinx
Host plants, such as milkweed varieties for monarchs, are vital to the butterfly life cycle.
Most people recognize the large fuzzy bumblebees floating around in their backyard. These gentle giants do not sting and are not aggressive. All bees are important pollinators — responsible for 90% of the world’s pollination, according to MU Extension — and the only ones that collect pollen for eating. They also use a unique pollination technique called buzz pollination, which is why an audible buzz noise can be heard. Butterfly weed, wild lilac and summersweet attract bumblebees and provide them nectar.
The speedy ruby-throated hummingbird is the fourth frequent Missouri pollinator. It uses its needle-like bill to pollinate flowers plants that require a long bill. Both males and females are metallic green. Males also have a flashy ruby-red throat. These birds nest in forests and near streams. Adult birds feed on nectar from flowers and sugar-water feeders, but their young eat insects that are sometimes stolen from spider webs. Red flowers such as cardinal flower, bee balm and trumpet
Enjoy a unique experience in arts, hands-on activities, live music and entertainment; while finding special gifts and keepsakes.
“WHEN YOU’RE CREATING A GARDEN, REMEMBER THAT YOU’RE DOING IT FOR THE PURPOSE OF FEEDING ANIMALS.”
—Nadia Navarrette-Tindall, native plant specialist
Before digital design was popularized, graphic design thrived in a print world. Sketch paper, shading pencils and felt-tip pens were many visual artists’ best friends. Yet Kim Watson knows better than anyone that those tools are relics of the past. Watson has watched the graphic design industry evolve and transform into a digital landscape over the course of 27 years.
“As a designer, photographer and engineer, she does so many things. She’s very adventurous,” says graphic designer Kevin Shults. Watson created signage for many local spots, including Yummy’s Donuts, Sager Reeves Gallery, The Roof and Memorial Stadium. She also designed and oversaw construction of Bubblecup Tea Zone on Grindstone Parkway.
Growing up in Chicago, Watson watched her mom run a business out of their kitchen. Her mom was a beautician, and she would help Watson find projects to work on while clients got their hair styled. Watson began designing posters for businesses run by her mom’s clients and even designed a logo for her neighbor’s store at age 15.
“It’s not like I’ve always known that this is what I wanted to do; I’ve always known this is who I am,” Watson says. She went to Columbia College to pursue commercial art, the precursor to graphic design. “What was great about the program at Columbia College was the foundation courses were so in-depth, and I was so well-rounded. Art principles taught you everything. They’re like science courses but for the arts.”
After college, Watson got married and started a family. One day, a friend called her husband, Tom, who is also an artist, asking if he could draw an electric knife. The friend worked for a company called Toastmaster Incorporated, which made toasters and bread machines. Watson’s husband wasn’t interested in the job, so she took over.
“It wasn’t really graphic design, but that’s how I got my foot in the door,” she says. Watson created product graphics for Toastmaster in the late ’80s and designed technical illustrations for owners’ manuals and control panels for various appliances.
In 1995, Watson established her own business, Pinnacle Graphics. Over the past 27 years, Pinnacle Graphics has created award-winning logos, animations, brochures and more for clients.
But before there were convenient ways to conceptualize those designs, Watson mastered physical design tools. A company called Letraset sold sheets of type that designers used for projects. Watson explains that the sheets were thick wax paper that
allowed designers to transfer one letter at a time onto the ad or flyer being created.
“The entire analog process that was in place for so long I suppose is gone now,” Watson says. Today, fonts are just a few clicks away. “There’s so much flexibility with the computer.”
The Pinnacle Graphics team admires Watson’s expertise. “She is a super, super creative person,” says Ellis Benus, a web designer for Pinnacle Graphics and owner of Floating Ax Technologies. “It’s always really cool to see what she comes up with.”
Benus formats Watson’s work to look identical across all digital platforms and assists with website design. These processes didn’t even exist when Watson started her career.
Now, graphic designers have an array of Adobe programs to choose from, such as Photoshop or Illustrator. Even with digital tools, Watson says new graphic designers must understand principles of design and the elements of art.
Watson advises that aspiring graphic designers seek out the best education available and take classes on color theory and art principles. Networking and being open-minded are important, as well.
From fleeting trends to the expansion of the graphic design industry, and wax paper letters to intricate digital programs, one element remains the same for Watson.
“I love the variety,” Watson says. “Every day and client is different; that’s what keeps it fun and interesting.”
Meet the directors and preview the 2022 season at the Maplewood Barn Community Theatre open house. It’s a great way to get involved or to sign up as a volunteer. There will be food from Pizza Tree and Small Cakes and a sneak peek of the first production of the season, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. April 3, 1:30 p.m., Maplewood Barn Community Theatre, free, 227-2276
9 to 5: The Musical Presented by Stephens College and based on Dolly Parton’s hit song and album, 9 to 5: The Musical tells the story of three unlikely friends who conspire against their boss and empower women in the workplace. April 8–9 and April 15–16, 7:30 p.m.; April 10, 2 p.m., Macklanburg Playhouse, $10 students and seniors; $16–18 general, 876-7199
Missouri Contemporary Ballet presents LIVE!, which features professional dancers and musicians. The show includes three world premieres, praised works from the company’s repertoire and original compositions from local jazz musicians Tom Andes
and Travis McFarlane. April 8–9, 7 p.m., Missouri Theatre, $28–48, 219-7134
Columbia Art League is hosting MU’s annual showcase. About 35 undergraduate students will display and discuss their varied works in photojournalism, graphic design, architectural drawing, mixed media, digital storytelling and more. The works will be on display April 11–22 via the MU undergraduate studies website, and a reception on April 18 will honor this year’s artists. April 18, 6–8 p.m., Columbia Art League, free, 443-8838
A reception and mayoral proclamation kicks off the Weavers and Spinners’ Guild 75th anniversary. The event includes historical exhibits, images and
drawings. April 1, 5 p.m., State Historical Society of Missouri, free, 874-0982
The Farmers Market moves back to its seasonal 8 a.m. start time and raises the walls to let in the breeze (weather permitting) for its Spring Kickoff. Pick up your seasonal produce from local new and returning farmers and artisans. April 2, 8 a.m. to noon, Columbia Farmers Market, free, 823-6889
Enjoy all-you-can-eat ribs from 40 central Missouri pit masters at the 15th annual Jefferson City cook-off. A ticket includes unlimited ribs, two drink tickets and entry to The Dave Baker Band concert. April 22, 5 p.m., Jaycees Cole County Fairgrounds, $25 in advance; $30 day of, 353-1360
Dave Stryker
New Jersey-based jazz guitarist Dave Stryker brings his eclectic discography to the “We Always Swing” Jazz Series. With electric organist Bobby Floyd, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and drummer McClenty Hunter backing him up, expect the performance called a “Guitar-Organ Explosion” to live up to its name. April 2, 6 p.m., Rose Music Hall, $30, 449-3009
Ruby Lane
The local psychedelic rock band is slated to support its latest album, Live at the Dive Bar, with a show at The Social Room. Live music begins at 8 p.m., but the bar recommends coming at 6 p.m. to get a good spot. Stick around afterward for the open mic comedy that will follow Ruby Lane’s set. April 3, 8 p.m. show, The Social Room, $5, 397-6442
As we continue to process the traumatic season two finale of the HBO show, DJ Requiem brings a bumping, Euphoria-in-
spired mix to The Blue Note. Incorporating the trippy aesthetics of the popular show, the fun pop music will take away all teenage blues — and make sure to don your Euphoria-esque ’fit! April 15, 9 p.m., The Blue Note, $5, 874-1944
The Queen’s Cartoonists
In a nostalgic show for all ages, The Queen’s Cartoonists bring renditions of classic cartoons and contemporary animation to CoMo. The jazz and classical multi-instrumentalists perform with synchronized video projections of the original films. The band will perform covers by Mozart, Rossini, Duke Ellington and more. April 19, 7 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, $32–45, 882-3781
Named after the street in Columbia where the band used to live, Ruby Lane regularly performs at local venues, including Eastside Tavern. It was one of five bands that recorded a set for Vox Fest 2020, Vox’s first digital concert series.
Spoon kicks off its U.S. tour April 6 in support of the band’s 11th studio record, Lucifer on the Sofa, which released Feb. 11. The show marks Spoon’s return to The Blue Note. They performed at Summerfest Concert Series in 2018. April 25, 8 p.m., The Blue Note, $35–40, 874-1944
The 24 Hour Lions Roar is a 6-, 12- and 24-hour run that raises funds for Pascale’s Pals, a volunteer organization that benefits children and families staying at MU Health Care’s Children’s Hospital. April 22 6 p.m. to April 23 6 p.m., start times vary by event, Gans Creek Recreation Area, $85–130, 999-0344
The 18th annual event honors three MU Law deans and raises money for the Timothy J. Heinsz Scholarship Fund. Sign up for all races on the MU School of Law website. April 23, 8:30 a.m., MU School of Law, $20–25
After Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, protests sprung up around Columbia in support of Ukraine. That includes a demonstration on March 9 of about 35 people, including Ariah Sullivan (above) whose family was visiting friends in Columbia with ties to Ukraine. Many of the demonstrators have Ukrainian roots, and they have been protesting from 5 to 6 p.m. every day since the invasion. They stand at the intersection of Broadway and Providence Road, bearing yellow and blue signs, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Mid-Missouri Peaceworks demonstrates at the same intersection, where the organization has held peace rallies for 20 years. They protest alongside their Ukrainian allies on Wednesdays.
