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STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM
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How Columbia welcomes entrepreneurs PAGE 4
ANIMATED CONVERSATION
Dylan Hudson creates a short cartoon comedy series PAGE 18
A IS FOR ASEXUAL The MU group Aces and Aros embraces asexuality and creates visibility for the identity PAGE 6
IN THIS ISSUE
FEATURE An MU group, Aces and Aros, is made up of asexual students who accept and promote their identities. The group meets at the LGBTQ Resource Center in MU’s Student Center and strives to create a safe and welcoming space. PAGE 6 SCENE Entrepreneurs thrive in CoMo. Ugly Mugg, Hot Box Cookies and Muse Clothing provide great examples of why startups do well here. The constant stream of students is just one factor of these companies’ successes. PAGE 4 MUSIC Three Columbia-based bands are on the rise. Whether funk or punk, these musicians cover it all. See what it means to be a local band and look for these three acts as they establish their presence in town. PAGE 16 ARTS & BOOKS Spring cleaning is around the corner, and what better thing is there to organize than a bookshelf? Sorting out your books into stylish combinations can bring flair to your home library. PAGE 17 Q&A Former Columbia resident Dylan Hudson made an animated series that’s being shown on Comedy Central’s Snapchat. Four middle school employees give you all the vulgar humor you need in short episodes. For fans of Family Guy and South Park, this show is right up your alley. PAGE 18
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 VOLUME 19 ISSUE 4 | PUBLISHED BY THE COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
NEW YEAR, NEW MUSIC Singles, albums, EPs, music videos and more can be hard to keep up with only a month into the new year. Vox has the newest music you should be buying, downloading or queuing on Spotify. LET THE PLANNING BEGIN! The lineup for True/False Film Fest’s documentaries is finally out. Phenomenal films are the reason this festival is so successful. Here are the ones you absolutely must see. LOCAL MUSIC ACTIVISM Artists across the nation are fighting back against the political climate through song. Locally, Cafe Berlin hosted an event the night of the inauguration entitled “The Art of Resistance.” A community of artists here in CoMo have come together to produce a benefit album and an upcoming show.
EDITOR’S LETTER
CORRECTIONS: An article about Harold’s Doughnuts in the Feb. 2 issue misstated pastry chef Melissa Poelling’s role and the original kitchen location, which was in a rental space. Additionally, the description of a bowling tournament in the “Online” section should have stated it was the local qualifier for the National Teen Masters Tournament. COVER DESIGN: MARGARET COOPER COVER PHOTO: LUKE BRODARICK On cover from top: Riley Dinwiddie, Sarah Kimbrel, Marcelese Cooper
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When Alfred Kinsey created his famed scale in 1948 to help interpret a person’s sexual orientation, he introduced the world to a new way of thinking about human sexuality. It was by no means perfect, but it did expand the contemporary view of what a person’s sexual orientation could be. The numbers on the scale range from zero to six, with zero being exclusively heterosexual and six being exclusively homosexual. Below the center of the scale is an “X,” which Kinsey defined as representing “no socio-sexual contacts or reactions.” This “X” has now come to symbolize an orientation that is not new, but that is more visible than ever thanks to internet communities and our changing culture. That orientation is asexuality. In this spirit of this increased visibility, members of the MU student group Aces and Aros (terms that stand for asexual and aromantic) told Vox their stories of coming out, navigating relationships and finding a community. They even let us take over one of their meetings to create images to help us explain asexuality to our readers. There just isn’t much discussion of asexuality outside of the community itself. This week’s feature (Page 6) is our contribution to the conversation, and an opportunity for many. There’s a lot of wrong information out there about asexuality. Thanks to the cooperation of the Aces and Aros group, we can try to make something that’s often invisible, visible.
VOX STAFF
Editor: Christine Jackson Deputy Editor: Dan Roe Managing Editor: Madison Fleck Creative Director: Madalyne Bird Digital Managing Editor: Abby Holman Art Directors: Mary Hilleren, Elizabeth Sawey Photo Editor: Annaliese Nurnberg Online Editor: Lea Konczal Multimedia Editor: Mitchel Summers News & Insight Editors: Madelyne Maag, Elaina Steingard, Jing Yang The Scene Editors: Lauren Kelliher, Alyssa Salela, Danielle Zoellner Music Editors: John Heniff, Taylor Ysteboe Arts & Books Editors: Claudia Guthrie, Renee Molner, Zachary Van Epps Contributing Writers: Corin Cesaric, Gerard Edic, Emily Hannemann, Max Havey, Lis Joyce, Meghan Lally, Rick Morgan, Rachel Phillips, Jessica Rendall, Karlee Renkoski, Tyler Schneider, Kelsie Schrader, Erika Stark, Samantha Stokes, Catherine Wheeler Editorial Director: Heather Lamb Executive Editor: Jennifer Rowe Digital Director: Sara Shipley Hiles Writing Coach: Berkley Hudson Office Manager: Kim Townlain
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RADAR
Vox’s take on the talk of the week
Written by: Madelyne Maag, Zachary Van Epps, Jing Yang
SINGLE AND READY TO MINGLE
DRESSED TO SLAY
Betsy gets DeVotes
On Saturday, The Blue Note will hold an anti-Valentine’s Day party downtown. Besides this dance party, here’s a breakdown of reasons why the single life is low-key sweet.
At the Grammys this Sunday, you come for the awards but stay for the fashion. Thank goodness our favorite music idols know #DressLikeAWoman means wearing whatever you want and not adhering to the White House’s new dress code. Just think of all of the amazing Grammy outfits we would have missed out on: No Charli XCX in a white tuxedo; no Jenny Lewis in sunglasses and a psychedelic pantsuit. And nearly every outfit Lady Gaga has ever worn, meat or otherwise.
10% “JOEY DOSEN’T SHARE FOOD”
30%
More time to chase your own damn dreams
15% Personal hygiene becomes “optional”
20% No meeting parents/siblings/ annoying friends
25% Can sleep diagonally in bed
Grizzly bears beware, your time terrorizing U.S. schoolhouses has come to an end with the Senate’s 51-50 confirmation of Betsy DeVos as secretary of education. Vice President Mike Pence was the tie-breaking vote. Two Republicans joined the 46 Democratic and two independent senators in opposing DeVos’ confirmation on the grounds that she was unqualified.
TAKE THE WILD AND SCENIC ROUTE Get your documentary film fix while raising money for the Missouri River Relief cleanup group this Sunday with the Wild and Scenic Film Festival. The documentaries are short, three to 30 minutes each, and each film showcases different environments across the U.S. The festival, stopping in Columbia for its seventh year, will happen around the country from Feb. 12 to 16.
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On your radio dial at 89.5 fm or live streaming at kopn.org PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY OR COURTESY OF MADALYNE BIRD, CAROLYN KASTER VIA AP, PIXABAY, CHRIS PIZZELLO VIA AP, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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THE SCENE
CoMo culture nurtures startup businesses
Local resources give savvy entrepreneurs a boost BY MITCHELL FORDE You know that million-dollar idea that popped into your mind in the shower one morning? It turns out that just by living in Columbia, you have a head start on turning that idea into a business. In August, Entrepreneur magazine ranked Columbia among its top 15 cities for entrepreneurs to live and launch their businesses. The main reason Columbia startups have a relatively high chance of success, according to Entrepreneur, is the city’s enterprising ecosystem — an abundance of resources that connect innovators with investors. Steve Wyatt, associate vice chancellor and vice provost for economic development at MU’s Economic Development Office, listed eight different organizations that seek to help people start businesses in Columbia. Two of the most commonly used are Regional Economic Development Inc. and the Small Business and Technology Development Center. Both resources provide consulting services that help transform ideas into businesses and keep startups afloat. They’re the people who make sure the million-dollar idea is feasible. Wyatt also mentioned the Entrepreneurial Alliance, the Life Sciences Incubator and the Entrepreneurial Legal Clinic, all of which are offered through MU. Columbia College features an entrepreneurial center, the Fishman Center, as well. Wyatt noted Centennial
Businesses such as Muse Clothing, Ugly Mugg and Hot Box Cookies have experienced success in the downtown area.
National Symphony of Ukraine 7 p.m. March 12, Jesse Auditorium
RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles 7 p.m. March 14, Jesse Auditorium
Third Coast Percussion 7 p.m. Feb. 17, Missouri Theatre Kannapolis: A Moving Portrait 7 p.m. Feb. 11, Missouri Theatre
Shaolin Warriors
7 p.m. March 15, Missouri Theatre
Show-Me Opera: Our Town March 10-11, Missouri Theatre
Annie 7 p.m. April 6, Jesse Auditorium
Russian String Orchestra 7 p.m. Feb. 18, Missouri Theatre
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Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
7 p.m. March 21, Jesse Auditorium
PHOTO BY SHELBY BASELER
Investors, which provides startup funding in exchange for equity. Nickie Davis grew up in Columbia and managed several businesses in Columbia and St. Louis before opening Muse Clothing in April 2013. Davis says she knew from previous experience that her hometown needed a high-end clothing boutique. She used REDI and SBTDC to double check her business plan and find the best banks to approach about securing a loan. Finding a bank that would offer Davis an interest rate she could afford was the hardest part of starting Muse, she says. The other significant challenge of getting a business off the ground is establishing a clientele within the community. Jenny Thompson, another Columbia native, opened the coffee shop Ugly Mugg in August. She says she got the idea in January for a coffee shop that sells alcohol and never seriously considered starting it anywhere but downtown. Thompson says one of the biggest draws of doing business in Columbia is the support from local consumers. In Thompson’s case, many of her first loyal customers were people she met growing up, and her customer base has expanded through word of mouth. Davis agrees; there seems to be a culture among consumers in downtown Columbia that favors unique, locally owned businesses over corporate-run chains. “Everyone here has — if not the
YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE AN IDEA OF SOMETHING THEY WANT TO CREATE, WHETHER IT’S A WEB APP, YOU NAME IT. THAT ENERGY IS GOING TO SPILL OVER INTO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN COLLEGE AS WELL, AND I THINK THAT’S WHAT DRIVES A LOT OF IT.
CENTENNIAL INVESTORS centennialinvestors.com/ C.L.I.M.B. www.climbmizzou.org/ ENTREPRENEURIAL ALLIANCE business.missouri.edu/ sites/default/files/mizbiz_ea_ factsheet.pdf
– STEVE WYATT MU PROVOST FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
entrepreneurial spirit themselves — they want to see their friends, their family, their city succeed,” Thompson says. A big reason for this culture likely is Columbia’s student population. Students tend to enjoy supporting new businesses and being the “pioneers” who try something for the first time, Thompson says. Davis says Columbia businesses rely on attracting students like the Lake of the Ozarks relies on drawing tourists. But there is a drawback to depending on students. Davis says, like the Lake of the Ozarks in the winter, Muse experiences a decrease in sales during student breaks. Establishing a customer base of permanent residents is important. “In the summers and in the Christmastime, that’s your make-or-break time,” Davis says. The large student population accounts
for more than a constant supply of consumers — it also brings a constant supply of fresh business ideas. Wyatt noted Hot Box Cookies as a local business that began with two MU students, as well as multiple companies that have expanded their businesses beyond Columbia, such as anti-aging treatment Eternogen and heartburn medicine Zegarid. “Young people have an idea of something they want to create, whether it’s a web app, you name it,” Wyatt says. “That energy is going to spill over into people who are not in college as well, and I think that’s what drives a lot of it.” So, if you’ve been sitting on that monumental idea, now might be the time to take advantage of the resources and market Columbia has to offer and start your own business.
ENTREPRENEURIAL LEGAL CLINIC law.missouri.edu/elc/ FISHMAN CENTER web.ccis.edu/offices/ fishman-center.aspx LIFE SCIENCES INCUBATOR missouriinnovation.com/ life-science-incubator/ MISSOURI SMALL BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTERS missouribusiness.net/sbtdc/ REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INC. columbiaredi.com/
MOVIES EVENTS MUSIC DINING NEWS EVENTSMUSIC DINING NEWS MOVIES MUSIC DINING NEWS MOVIES EVENTS DINING NEWS MOVIES EVENTS MUSIC NEWS MOVIES EVENTS MUSIC DINING
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The asexual community is flourishing online. Members of MU group Aces and Aros bring the community together on campus. Story by Molly Olmstead Photography Luke Brodarick
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Marcelese Cooper, 19, identifies as asexual and is a member of Aces and Aros, an MU group for students who identify under the umbrella of asexuality. 02.09.17
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Sarah Kimbrel, 19, came out as asexual to her mom at 15. Her mom didn’t immediately understand her daughter’s identity.
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§ The reaction from Kimbrel’s mom is a common one. In a sex-obsessed society, a lack of desire for sex seems startling. For instance, in a 2012 episode of House that showcased an asexual couple, the doctor
discovers a medical reason behind the husband’s asexuality and exposes his wife as faking hers. The 40-Year-Old Virgin paints Steve Carell’s character as immature and childlike for not having sex until such an advanced age. When the titular character from serial killer drama Dexter finally has sex, he questions why he once believed intercourse was undignified. The scientific interpretation of asexuality has developed over time. In 1948, eminent Indiana University sexologist Alfred Kinsey explained non-heterosexuality to the masses by developing the Kinsey Scale, which measured sexuality on a spectrum. At the time, the scale was seen as revolutionary, yet many who identify as asexual now consider it to be antiquated because they’re not able to accurately place themselves on the zero to six scale (zero being exclusively heterosexual, six being exclusively homosexual).
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Sarah Kimbrel was watching a karate movie in her Slater, Missouri, home when she first used the word “asexual” around her mom. “Are you attracted to Japanese guys?” Her mom asked. She was teasing her daughter, who seemed to have a fascination with Japanese movies. It was a summer evening in 2014, and Kimbrel was 15. They were sitting on the couch in their living room with Kimbrel’s dog, a pitbull-lab-blue heeler mix named Diego, curled up against her thigh. Kimbrel suddenly felt awkward. “Well, no,” she told her mom. “I’m asexual.” Kimbrel had known this about herself for about a year. She had started to notice she was never attracted to any of the boys she knew, and she couldn’t comprehend why the heroines of the romance novels she read felt the way they did about sex. When her friends commented how hot a movie character was, she didn’t really know what that entailed. But Kimbrel’s mother didn’t understand what she meant, and she expressed concern that her daughter might have a hormonal issue. Kimbrel, who tried to hold back anger, ran to her room. “I understood why she’d ask; she was concerned that something was wrong,” Kimbrel says. But Kimbrel became frustrated that her mother rejected something she saw as a perfectly fine part of who she was. “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” She says now. “I don’t get pregnant? I don’t get STDs?” Today, Kimbrel, a 19-year-old freshman with long, curly strawberry-blonde hair and a soft voice, is a member of a growing number of students at MU who identify as asexual — those who feel little to no attraction to other people. They consider it an identity, in the way being gay is an identity or being female is an identity. And as an identity, it is becoming increasingly visible.
Recent research shows asexuality is more prevalent than was once believed. One 2004 survey, published in the Journal of Sex Research, of more than 18,000 Britons returned almost as many asexual identities (1.05 percent) as homosexual and bisexual identities combined (1.11 percent). This asexual community, though it appears small, has been able to find out more about themselves and one another with the advent of the internet, especially the popular blog site Tumblr. Academic conferences about gender and sexuality have seen a recent spike in research about asexuality. Last year’s annual National Women’s Studies Association held four panels and one workshop on the topic. Asexuality has begun to emerge in pop culture as well. There is speculation from fans that Todd in the critically acclaimed Netflix comedy-drama series BoJack Horseman is asexual. And now a new group of students who identify as asexual, called Aces and Aros, is pushing to have asexuality seen as a recognized identity at MU. Aces and Aros is composed mostly of sophomores, the students who, a year ago, first
GLOSSARY ASEXUAL (ADJ.): used to describe people who do not experience sexual attraction AROMANTIC (ADJ.): used to describe people who do not experience romantic attraction GENDER IDENTITY (N.): a person’s internal, deeply held sense of their gender SEXUAL ORIENTATION (N.): scientifically accurate term for an individual’s enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to members of the same and/or opposite sex, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual (straight) orientations Source: GLAAD Media Reference Guide
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SCALES OF THEIR OWN The members of Aces and Aros illustrated their own versions of the Kinsey Scale to show how individual identities vary from person to person. Vox stopped by a meeting to see what they created:
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Aleksander Shanks uses the pronouns neither/nim and is aesthetically attracted to all.
Jay Monnig uses the pronouns they/them and rejects the Kinsey Scale altogether.
Sterling Waldman, the president of Aces and Aros, uses the pronouns they/them and doesn’t specifically know their gender but recognizes multiple genders.
Jay Bury uses the pronouns he/him. His Kinsey Scale features pins depicting the asexual flag.
Max Bowman uses the pronouns she/her and sees the scale as covering romantic, asexual and aromantic.
Whitney Matewe uses the pronouns she/her and has identified as gray-ace, rarely experiencing sexual attraction; aromantic, rarely experiencing romantic attraction, and demisexual, not experiencing sexual attraction until an emotional connection is formed.
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brought the idea of an organized group of asexual students to MU. They tend to call themselves “aces,” more informally, and they see their asexuality as an integral part of who they are. It’s not hormones, depression or sexual trauma, they say — though those might influence their asexuality; it’s just who they are. But even those in the asexual community have a hard time pinning down their identities. Asexuality is considered an umbrella term. Many asexual people try out sexual lifestyles, and some don’t feel the need. In a survey conducted by the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network in 2014, 65 percent of asexual respondents answered that they had never had sex, while 22.5 percent said they were previously sexually active. Many said they feel neutral about the idea of sex and will have it with someone they’re romantically involved with. Others are repulsed by the idea of it. Asexual people fall on a spectrum from hard-line asexuality to those who can only feel sexual attraction after becoming close to someone. At an event on Oct. 24, during Asexuality Awareness Week, MU’s Aces and Aros gathered in the LGBTQ Resource Center on campus to eat chocolate and vanilla ice cream and address assumptions they often run into: Asexuality is a choice made by people fed up with relationships. People who identify as asexual are afraid of touch and intimacy. A past experience made asexual people the way they are now. “Asexuality?” People will often say when they hear about it for the first time. “Isn’t that what plants do?” The students groan when someone brings that reaction up in a meeting. “So many plant jokes,” someone says.
The main reason these individuals’ families and friends react with confusion when they learn about asexuality is that, as a concept, it’s still relatively unknown. The idea seems to be most recognized in circles already familiar with various LGBTQ identities, as asexuality presents as another rejection of traditional sexual norms. But Sean Olmstead, the coordinator of the LGBTQ Resource Center at MU, didn’t learn about asexuality until as late as 2013.
“We don’t talk about this in sort of mainstream, dominant narratives about sexuality,” he says. The community that was formed around gay men and women by necessity defined itself first through sexuality, says Julie Elman, an assistant professor in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at MU. The gay rights movement was birthed from the larger sexual revolution in the 1960s, she says, and the movement grew out of gay bars, where gay men felt comfortable being themselves, which encouraged a cultural association with the debauchery of bar culture. The AIDS epidemic in the 1980s cemented that link, in the minds of many, to promiscuity, with the added element of fear. “In the 1950s and before that, people’s sexuality had been suppressed, and reclamation was key to ideas of freedom and individuality,” Elman says. “But with that, this idea that attaches sexuality to individuality and freedom can be deeply alienating to people who identify as asexual.” As a result, some asexual people can feel uncomfortable with the LGBTQ community’s emphasis on sex-positivity. Riley Dinwiddie, the Aces and Aros vice president, a sophomore with a shock of blue hair, would be a member of the LGBTQ community without their asexuality. Dinwiddie is agender and uses they/them pronouns. But, because Dinwiddie also identifies as asexual, they find that the focus on sex can sometimes be uncomfortable. “The LGBTQ community is really sexualized in a lot of places,” Dinwiddie says. “I felt like I’ve had other people talk about all these hookups they’ve had. It makes me feel kind of broken, like there’s something wrong with me for not participating in that or wanting to.” Olmstead suggests the LGBTQ community is far more likely than the rest of society to accept asexual identities, and the students in Aces and Aros agree. But both the asexual community and the LGBTQ community tend to be at least somewhat divided about whether asexuality fits into the other LGBTQ identities. Many of the students remember experiences of people in the LGBTQ communities mocking asexuality online. And in the 2014 AVEN survey of the asexual community, roughly a quarter said they did not identify as LGBTQ. The identity politics quickly
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A 2004 study in the Journal of Sex Research surveyed nearly 19,000 Britons to examine the demographic traits of the country’s asexual population. “Never felt sexually attracted to anyone at all” replies: 57 males, 138 females 1.05 percent of responses AVERAGE AGE FIRST TIME HAVING SEX
~17 33% 29.23% 60% MARRIED
MALE
RELIGIOUSLY AFFILIATED
“Felt sexually attracted to females, males, or both” replies: 7,932 males, 10,494 females 98.95 percent of responses AVERAGE AGE FIRST TIME HAVING SEX
~15 64% 43.17% MARRIED
MALE
RELIGIOUSLY AFFILIATED
57%
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The realization came slowly for most of the students and usually in high school. Some at first thought maybe they were gay. Some already knew they were gay or bisexual or maybe transgender but were still confused. Their discoveries had one thing in common: Most stumbled across the language for their identities on the social blogging site Tumblr. And when they discovered the term “asexuality,” most felt relief. “I’m not the only one.” This sense of belonging was the internet’s gift to the asexual community. At a time when people argue over whether the internet has made us lonelier, a user on an online forum for asexual people over age 50 wrote, “at least now I know that I am not alone anymore.” The person often credited as responsible for creating this community is Jay, who created the Asexual Visibility and Education Network from his Wesleyan University web space in 2001, according to the site. Since then, AVEN has grown steadily. AVEN hosts thousands of discussions among asexual people from all over the world, and it greets newcomers with a reassurance that yes, it’s normal to be confused about this, and no, you aren’t broken. Some
users on the AVEN site are teenagers and others are octogenarians. Some are married or in relationships; others are single. Groups such as MU’s Aces and Aros are beginning to create real-world communities for asexual students, but the community still exists largely online. As a result, outsiders often associate the community with youth and with stereotypes about identity-politics-oriented millennials and Generation Z. According to AVEN’s 2014 survey of aces, those who get involved in an asexual community are on average 20 years old — three years after the median age of self-recognition as asexual. The members of the student group often get accused of being “special snowflakes,” an insult hurled at people seen as using an identity for attention. Sexuality remains a fluid scientific topic. Some developmental psychologists, such as Lisa Diamond at the University of Utah, say the “born this way” notion of sexuality as an inherent trait isn’t accurate. Diamond notes that in high-profile references to sexual identity, such as Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion on the court’s 2015 verdict that struck down states’ previous gay marriage bans, sexual identity is assumed to be genetic. “That shows conventional wisdom still holds the idea that sexual orientation is immutable,” says Diamond in a 2015 New Scientist interview. Critics of the “born this way” expression, such as Diamond, note that the origin and fluidity of a sexual identity shouldn’t make people with such identities a “protected class,” but rather simply deserving of equal rights and treatment. Most of the students who identify as asexual say they never felt a change in their sexual desires — the desire just never appeared when their peers’ did. Older people who identify as asexual challenge the idea that asexuality is entirely new — even if they didn’t have a word for it before.
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ASEXUALITY: A DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY
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become more complicated when you factor in romantic orientations, which people are quick to separate from sexual orientations. Asexual people can be heteroromantic, homoromantic, aromantic, etc. But asexuality and the LGBTQ community are tied together, as the same historical changes that paved the way for gay liberation also paved the way for asexuality. One such change is the Kinsey scale, which started a new wave of thinking about human sexualities. The scale included an “X rating” that represented “no socio-sexual contacts or reactions.” Today, many people interpret the X rating as asexuality. “A lot of aces identify as queer; a lot have other intersecting queer identities,” asexual activist David Jay says. “When we’re making political alliances, they’re the people we tend to partner with.” The students of the MU asexuality group speak on LGBTQ panels. They participate in Pride celebrations. In communities around the country, asexuality is working its way into the expanded acronym: LGBTQIA — A for asexual.
Although most asexual people find the majority of pushback against asexuality online, they run up against real-life challenges, too. Some have seen their families and friends experience confusion, anger or sadness when confronted with the idea of asexuality, and sometimes that becomes mocking.
Riley Dinwiddie, 20, is the vice president of the Aces and Aros student group at MU.
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ASEXUALITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT Even though the term asexual might be relatively new, the identity isn’t CAITLYN JENNER: The Olympian has made a point to differentiate sexual orientation and gender identity. “Let’s go with ‘asexual’ for now,” she said in an April 2015 Washington Post article. EDWARD GOREY: The late writer and illustrator inspired the likes of Tim Burton and acknowledged a strong sense of self when he agreed he was asexual in an interview. “What I’m trying to say is that I am a person before I am anything else.” JANEANE GAROFALO: The actress from cult classic Wet Hot American Summer often speaks about her asexual identity, especially as part of her stand-up comedy routines. ISAAC NEWTON: One of history’s most prolific mathematicians and physicists, Newton was known to focus more heavily on his work than romance. NIKOLA TESLA: The famed inventor and engineer claimed no married men invented anything great, so he stayed unmarried and most likely celibate.
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The reactions aren’t that surprising when you take into consideration the way pop culture presents sexual experience and inexperience. Consider again The 40-Year-Old Virgin or coming-of-age films that center around a teenage protagonist’s sexual exploits. “There’s a stigma that if you’re a virgin you’re innocent and inexperienced, like a child,” Kimbrel says. “There’s a negative feeling, that I’m seen as an innocent object.” Hostility against asexuality can become damaging. Dinwiddie went to high school in Plano, Texas, a Dallas suburb. Dinwiddie (who uses they/them pronouns) found their friends in high school theater, where their favorite role was as a Scottish murderer in a play called Anatomies. For fun, Dinwiddie liked to play video games and hang out with their friends at Whataburger. In the ninth grade, Dinwiddie met a boy through high school friends, and the two started dating. Dinwiddie didn’t yet identify with any LGBTQ identity, and at first, their asexual identity wasn’t a problem. But Dinwiddie had known they weren’t entirely comfortable with sex before the relationship started. Dinwiddie, who enjoyed spending time on Tumblr, remembers feeling an excitement when they came across the term their sophomore year. “Oh my gosh,” they thought. “That’s me.” But when Dinwiddie told their boyfriend, he mocked them, Dinwiddie says. He sent jokes making fun of asexuality. Sex was a basic human need, he’d argue, and hint something was wrong with Dinwiddie. He became aggressive. “I was coerced into a lot of things after coming out,” Dinwiddie says. “A lot of asexual people experience ‘corrective rape.’ “He was trying to fix my asexuality, I guess.”
The students in Aces and Aros who experienced awkwardness and pain in high school over their asexuality seem to have found a more comfortable place in the group. The students met other asexual friends through Aces and Aros and meet weekly in the plush, colorful LGBTQ Resource Center at MU to talk about their anxieties, mental health and coming out. But they also talk about TV shows, food and funny things they saw on the internet. Above all, they stress inclusion: Whatever your deal is, we welcome you. Transgender? We welcome you. Panromantic? Welcome. Straight? Welcome. Unsure? Welcome. They also talk about relationships. Can asexual people fall in love? AVEN founder Jay, 34, says this is the question he hears most often in his work with asexual awareness. The students and other asexual people hear the same types of questions: Can they have long-lasting relationships? Asexual people can fall in love, they’ll tell you — though a certain percentage of them, roughly 20 percent, are also aromantic, which means they experience little
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Riley Dinwiddie goes by they/them pronouns and identifies as demisexual, which means that they develop more sexual attraction to a person after getting to know them more.
Marcelese Cooper identifies as asexual, and he is currently dating someone who does not identify as asexual. Their year-long relationship has continued to grow and evolve thanks to their open communication with each other.
to no romantic attraction, Jay says. The ones who do experience romantic feelings stress the idea of love without a need for sex. Plato separated sex from love. Asexual people beg everyone else to do the same. Dinwiddie, who still carries the mental health trauma of their experience with their ex-boyfriend, now feels safe in a relationship with a person who does not identify as asexual. Marcelese Cooper, another member of the Ace group, started college convinced he would be single for the next four years but is in a relationship with someone who does not identify as asexual. He met Anna in his residence hall. She asked him about the pins that covered the strap of his shoulder bag. They shared politics and a sense of humor, and they bingewatched an entire season of Doctor Who together. They’ve been in a relationship for over a year. Although Anna is not asexual, the two make it work with lots of conversation, Cooper says. “We bluntly put things out there,” he says. He would even put numbers on his comfort level with a certain topic, from one to 10. “It was very crude,” he says. “But it spelled it out for both of us.” Slowly, months into the relationship, Cooper says he developed some feelings of attraction toward her. “At first I didn’t fully notice it,” he says. “It’s kind of like when you see a friend every day and all of the sudden, you realize her hair’s gotten longer. I’d always thought she was beautiful. But it was like — it wasn’t just that I found her aesthetically pleasing. It’s like one of those paintings you suddenly see from a different angle. “I just lucked out and happened to find someone who’s very understanding,” he says. Kimbrel is not in a relationship, but it’s not a current concern. “I wish I could be more passionate for people, in a way,” she says. “But it could be due to not meeting the right person. Maybe I’m just another millennial not focusing on romance.” Kimbrel understands that the odds of finding a long-term relationship are harder for her than those who don’t identify as asexual. “I may want it in the future, but that person would have to be okay with no sex. That’s scary, as asexuality and aromanticism are like 1 to 2 percent of the population.” But she can pick up a romance novel with an asexual character, feeling confident the world is getting more progressive, and asexuality doesn’t have to be lonely. “There’s nothing wrong with me,” she says. Go to VOXMAGAZINE.COM for a behind-the-scenes look at our photo shoot with MU’s Aces and Aros.
Sarah Kimbrel is not currently in a relationship, and she says it’s not a priority. She’s content relating to other people who identify as asexual within the Aces and Aros group and within pop culture.
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MUSIC
Making it local Three bands work to make a name for themselves in Columbia’s diverse music scene The Columbia music scene is competitive, with local musicians trying to play highly contested spots in the city’s most popular music venues. Bands have to create their own brand of unique lyrics and new twists on the standard guitar, bass, drums and vocals set up in a city that’s home to a wide variety of people with different music tastes.
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BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
So what does it take to make it in Columbia and break through all of the posers, one-hit wonders and noise? Vox spoke with three local acts of different genres and ages who have found their niches in Columbia’s music scene and offer advice about standing out and working your way toward super-stardom.
01 / LEFT HAND SHAKE
Left Hand Shake is a new Columbia-based trio that mixes electronic music with a traditional guitar, bass and drum lineup. They align themselves with an emerging genre called future-funk. Bassist Isaac Vandyne, a sophomore at MU, started the project with friend Aidan Adler after he became interested in learning how to produce music electronically. But eventually, Adler transferred to Tulane University in New Orleans, so the future of Left Hand Shake was left up to Vandyne. After Adler’s departure, Vandyne took some time to improve his production skills and make sure he understood musical structure and the technical side of things. He likes electronic music because of its accessibility to small-time artists who want to record and create. All you need is a laptop. “Electronic music is sort of creeping its way into everything right now,” Vandyne says. “It’s giving individuals the power to produce their own music, come out with
professional-sounding mix without having to get a whole band together.” More recently, Vandyne has recruited drummer Jacob “DJ Scales” Somerscales and guitarist Zach Zito to the group. Both of them played in informal projects with Vandyne in the past, and with the new members on-board, the band hopes to turn Left Hand Shake into a successful future-funk collective. Typically, DJs and electronic music groups will primarily play their shows with the use of a synthesizer and a DJ kit. Future-funk bands take the DJ setup and add the live elements of a rock band. Vandyne hopes that Left Hand Shake can be successful enough to capitalize on the trend in Columbia. The band expects to release its first EP in March 2017. LEFT HAND SHAKE
Formed: 2016 Inspiration: The Floozies
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02 / RICHARD PARKER
Richard Parker was formed by guitarist Jonathan Martin and bassist Shawn Ettleman. After several years of differing projects, the band finalized its lineup with the addition of David Aulgur (who played with Richard Parker until last summer) on keys and trombone, Kyle Bellinger on vocals, Dylan Lorenz on drums and Casey Morgan on guitar and vocals. The band tries to blend various styles spanning the musical spectrum. By sounding similar to most of the bands it performs with and having a wide appeal, Richard Parker can attract fans at shows. “We’re able to share platforms with different types of bands,” Bellinger wrote in an email. “More than likely, something in our setlist will match the style of the other band on the bill.” Richard Parker’s most notable achievement to date was its Battle of the Bands victory at The Social Room in May 2015, where it was awarded the opportunity to be the opening act for Saliva, a Memphis-based hard-rock band signed to major label Island Records.
The victory gave the band more exposure. “It really seemed to drive some traffic to our Facebook page, and we were getting some renewed interest and bookings from venues we had to work harder to book before the Battle for Saliva,” Bellinger wrote. Although the victory was a positive sign, the group still has a way to go from its earnest start as a band that typically fills the opener role for larger, more established acts, to becoming a band that requires its own opener. “Starting out in CoMo definitely requires putting in the work to earn coveted playing spots on weekends,” Bellinger wrote, adding that each show is a new opportunity for exposure. RICHARD PARKER
Formed: Summer 2013 Genre: Mix of rock, funk, blues and dance-pop
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03 / THE HANUKKAH JONES BAND
The Hanukkah Jones Band is the brainchild of bassist and vocalist John Heller, who is joined by drummer Kevin Atherton and guitarist Luke Offield. Heller started the project as a performing solo artist and settled on naming the band “Hanukkah Jones” after a hamster he had as a child. The band fuses a hard, raw punk sound with lyrics that are chock full of pop culture references. These tie into themes such as life, love and determination. “If you’re trying to be a rock star, things are especially going to go wrong,” Heller says. “If you look at it in terms of, ‘Well, I’m playing music with my friends, let’s see where this goes and just have fun with it,’ you don’t lose.” Although he’s been a musician for much of his life, Heller describes himself as more of a lyricist. For him, it’s about reflecting on the past, taking experiences and people and immortalizing them in his songs. Often times, he does so through the metaphorical lens of pop culture. One of the band’s most popular songs is called “Spidey Loved MJ,” and 16
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another, “Hey Padme,” is a love song through the lens of Star Wars prequel Attack of the Clones. It might come as a surprise for fans of Heller’s lyrics that he is 45 years old. Because he and his bandmates are an older band in a young, college setting, Heller says it gives him a different perspective. His goal going forward is to start playing more shows out of town. “Life is uncertain,” Heller says. “I keep trying to tell myself, ‘Don’t be the one that limits things.’ You never know what happens, so try to be open for possibilities.” Although he wants to continue to improve the Hanukkah Jones Band, at the end of the day, it is all about the music and how he connects to it. THE HANUKKAH JONES BAND
Formed: 2007 Inspirations: Misfits and Screeching Weasel
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ISAAC VANDYNE, KYLE BELLINGER AND JOHN HELLER
ARTS & BOOKS
Every page in its place Spruce up your reading space to start fresh this spring BY KARLEE RENKOSKI ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY HILLEREN You know you have that book somewhere, but you’ve been looking for 15 minutes now with no luck, and your frustration increases with each passing moment. It might be time to stop putting off the inevitable and finally organize your ever-growing collection of literature. You know the obvious things, such as putting your cookbooks in the kitchen and reference books in the office, but you’re lacking personalized organization techniques for your lifestyle. Local book lovers Becky Asher, co-owner of Village Books, Betsy Collins, collections manager at Daniel Boone Regional Library and professional organizer Janine Adams of Peace of Mind Organizing offer their expertise to solve your shelving woes. Use their advice to sort out your cluttered space, but a personal touch will always be what sets your space apart. As Asher says, “It’s a personal library, which makes it personally wonderful.”
Problem: I want to give my home some stylish TLC, but Pier 1 Imports is a no-go for my budget. Solution: A beautifully bound novel can elevate the tone of your space, but don’t fall into the trap of cramming your shelves with as many books as possible. Intersperse decorative items such as picture frames, pottery and figurines among your books. The less crowded your shelves, the easier it will be to make them attractive, Adams says.
Problem: Hello, my name is ____, and I am a book hoarder. Solution: Do you remember the library from Beauty and the Beast? Yup, that’s your house. If you honestly can’t live without a single page, it might be time to consider alternative storage methods like bins, boxes and even drawers in a designated spot in your house. When choosing the ideal new home for your precious novels and knickknacks, Collins recommends staying away from damp spaces such as basements so the books don’t grow mildew. Also, be sure to clean and dust the books regularly.
Problem: My attention to little details is borderline obsessive, and I need a way to make my bookshelf perfect. Solution: If you strive for order and spend hours color coordinating your closet, you’re going to need your book collection to match your obsession with perfection. Separate your nonfiction books into categories such as history, zoology and gardening, and place them on separate shelves. Create labels for each category if you’re an overachiever (which you know you are). In terms of fiction works, Adams says it’s important to place books in alphabetical order. Whether that’s by title or author is up to you, but be sure to keep book series in numerical order.
Problem: I’m not trying to overdo it, but I could really use some structure. Solution: “As long as you know where to find it, you’re good,” Asher says. Try separating your books solely by genre, which gives you more leniency than other methods and is less of a hassle. Whether you decide to use categories as broad as nonfiction and fiction or as narrow as romance and sci-fi, Asher says even loose organization can make a difference.
Problem: I want my children to have their own bookshelf, but I don’t want it to look like a child organized it. Solution: The younger the child, the lower the shelf. Not only is the shelf easier to reach, but this method will also group the books by age level. Use book organization as an educational opportunity for your kids. “Group together things that are of a similar nature,” Asher says. “If you’re learning about the alphabet or colors, put all of that together.”
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Mid-Missouri native DYLAN HUDSON animates his childhood memories
~ PLUNGE LIKE THERE’S NO MANANA! WHO: YOU AND ALL OF YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS DATE: SATURDAYS RANGING FROM JAN. 28-MARCH 4 PLACE: AT A BODY OF WATER NEAR YOU RSVP: WWW.SOMO.ORG/PLUNGE FOR: 15,000+ SPECIAL OLYMPICS MISSOURI ATHLETES
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Columbia, Bass Pro Lake March 4, 2017 Schuster@SOMO.org 573.635.1660
MISSOURI
SOMissouri
The Polar Plunge is one of many events hosted by law enforcement to benefit their charity of choice, Special Olympics Missouri. All proceeds benefit year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
PlungeMO
Register and fundraise online at
SOMO.ORG/PLUNGE
Some design elements from FreePik.com
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SOMissouri
n the vein of creators such as Seth MacFarlane, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Dylan Hudson and his brothers are making their animation dreams a reality. Hudson and his brothers, Brandon, Justin, Trenton and Devin, write, voice and produce all the music for their animated series The Lounge. Dylan and Trenton also take care of the animation. “Dylan taught himself how to use the software, watching all the tutorials online, and then he taught me how to use it,” Trenton says. “But there’s nobody I’d rather work with on a project like this.” The South Park-esque series is currently airing on Comedy Central’s Snapchat channel and website as one- to two-minute episodes. Dylan, a former Columbia resident and current Californian, discussed his project and how his experiences in Columbia affected the series: How long have you been working on the show? We came up with the idea in October 2013. For the entire year of 2014 and the first half of 2015, we were actually developing a pilot for it, and it ended up being a 25-minute episode. We rented out (Forum) in Columbia, and we invited all our friends and family to come watch it. We had people fill out a survey, and everybody was really happy with it. But after doing that, we realized that this wasn’t going to be the best approach to get it on television. After speaking with some people, I had made some connections online, people who work in the
industry. Their advice was to go to YouTube and do shorter episodes. How do you tell a meaningful story in such a short amount of time? We started out on YouTube, and we didn’t really have limitations. Since we got with Comedy Central and had to shorten it up, you have to make sure you keep it really tight. You gotta get straight to the point. Find the nonsense and things that you can take out and take it out. From the first opening word, you want the audience to have a general idea of what is going to happen in this episode. And then punch it in their head and get to the solution as quickly as possible. What effect did your experience in Missouri have on the show? Most of our scripts have been heavily influenced by childhood experiences. Some of the characters are influenced by teachers we had in high school. Some of the things they say come from some of our friends. And honestly, some of our guys act almost how we act, even if they are a bit over-the-top. I mean, people who watch our show and know us well, they always say, “What I love about your show is the fact that when I watch it, I feel like I am hanging out with you guys. It’s so much funnier when I actually know you guys, cause I can just hear all your voices and you guys talking to each other the way these guys do.” — MAX HAVEY
Lounge around and laugh as you read more online at VOXMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DYLAN HUDSON
THE TO-DO LIST
this week in Columbia
ARTS & CULTURE Institute for Korean Studies Launching Event
MU’s Institute for Korean Studies is hosting a documentary screening and reception. Attendees will listen to former North Korean refugee Grace Jo. She is the subject of I Am Grace, a documentary about her journey to citizenship. Today, 3–5 p.m., Wrench Auditorium, Memorial Union, Free, 882-2481
Heathers The Musical
Based on the 1989 cult classic, this musical follows the trio of Heathers who run their high school and the two misfits who plot to take them down. This musical will run Thursday through Sunday over the next three weekends. Thurs.–Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m., Columbia Entertainment Company, $10 children, students and seniors; $12 adults, 474-3699
Wild and Scenic Film Festival
Missouri River Relief has hand-picked films from both local and distant regions. Explore the natural world, and learn how you can take action in your own community. Sunday, 2 p.m.,The Blue Note, $12; $10 seniors and students, 874-1944
FOOD & DRINK Murder Mystery Dinner Fundraiser for Safe Kids Columbia
Calling all mystery buffs: Safe Kids Columbia is hosting a murder mystery extravaganza. The event will feature a live-action murder mystery game, auction, dinner with dessert and contest giveaways. Safe Kids Columbia is committed to providing car seats, bike helmets and other safety gear to mid-Missouri families. Tonight, 6–9 p.m., Courtyard by Marriott, $75, 771-9216
Galentines Day Brunch
Pop the champagne with your gal pals for a delicious breakfast and cranberry mimosas. Gunter Hans is mixing up fresh fruit waffles to celebrate the women in your life this Saturday. No reservation is required, but seating is limited. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Gunter Hans, $4.99–$12.99, 256-1205
MUSIC William Clark Green
William Clark Green brings his blunt, straightup Texas country to mid-Missouri, featuring songs like “Rose Queen,” “Ringling Road” and “She Likes the Beatles.” Tonight, 8 p.m., Rose Music Hall, $12, 874-1944
Karen Meat with Vulvette and Anthony Worden
The Des Moines, Iowa-based group Karen Meat is returning to the Cafe Berlin stage to share its off-the-wall lovesick and anxietyridden tunes. Led by the quirky Arin Eaton,
Karen Meat layers dark humor and teenage nostalgia onto sunny melodies and catchy pop. Fellow Iowan Anthony Worden and local artist Vulvette will also perform. Tonight, 8 p.m., Cafe Berlin, $5, 441-0400
SPORTS Stephens College Women’s Basketball vs. Columbia College
The Columbia Cougars will travel less than a mile across town to play the Stephens Stars in an exciting hometown match. Tonight, 7 p.m., Silverthorne Arena, $5; free for students with valid college ID, 876-7199
Missouri Men’s Basketball vs. Vanderbilt
They shoot! Will they score? Find out the fate of the Missouri men’s basketball team as they take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Mizzou Arena, $20–45, 882-6501
SCREEN Fifty Shades Darker (R)
After driving away his girlfriend, Christian Grey is looking for a second chance. Ana Steele will only return to their relationship if he’s willing to make some serious changes. F, R RUNTIME = 1:58
John Wick: Chapter 2 (R)
He’s back. John Wick has returned and is ready to fight international assassins. Watch as he faces off against these deadly killers. F, R RUNTIME = 2:02
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The Lego Batman Movie (PG)
Bruce Wayne is back in toy form. Watch bitesize Batman save Gotham from the notorious Joker, all while trying to raise a little LEGO son/sidekick, Robin. F RUNTIME = 1:46
Still playing
20th Century Women (R) RT The Comedian (R) R A Dog’s Purpose (PG) F, R The Eagle Huntress (G) RT Hacksaw Ridge (R) R Hidden Figures (PG) F, R Jackie (R) RT La La Land (PG-13) F, RT, R Lion (PG-13) RT Manchester by the Sea (R) RT Moana (PG) R Monster Trucks (PG) R Moonlight (R) RT Passengers (PG-13) R Patriots Day (R) R Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (R) F, R Rings (PG-13) F, R Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (PG-13) F, R Sing (PG) F, R The Space Between Us (PG-13) F, R Split (R) F, R xXx: Return of Xander Cage (PG-13) R
Theaters F = Forum R = Regal
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the musical Book, Music, & Lyrics by Kevin Murphy & Laurence O’Keefe Based on the film written by Daniel Waters Heathers the Musical was originally directed Off-Broadway by Andy Fickman and choreographed by Marguerite Derricks
“Heathers the Musical” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.
Adults Students Seniors
12 $ 10 $ 10
$
1800 Nelwood Drive; Columbia, MO | 573.474.3699 | www.cectheatre.org