Vox Magazine June 2021 Issue by Vox Magazine

THE VOICE OF COLUMBIA • JUNE 2021

TATTOO DO’S AND DON’TS PAGE 9

MORE THAN JUST A TEAM PAGE 14

BISCUITS FROM THE OZARKS PAGE 31

IDENTITY

FASHION

GENDER EXPRESSION TO MANY IN THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY,

CLOTHING IS A FORM OF REBELLION. P. 20

FROM THE EDITOR

FINDING PURPOSE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHRISTINA LONG MANAGING EDITOR EMMY LUCAS DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR LAUREN POLANSKI ONLINE EDITOR GRACE COOPER

o much of our June issue is about identity and purpose. Missouri cartoonists use their own experiences to create diverse comics (p. 12). LGBTQ+ people in Columbia use clothing to express their identities (p. 20). Two local chocolatiers find purpose in fighting human trafficking (p. 29). An MU researcher has found a way to combat hunger while eliminating an invasive species (p. 35). Everywhere we look, people are using their talents for good. I’m now a college graduate. I’ve learned so much about myself over the past four years, but I’m still figuring out how to use my identity for a greater purpose. I think that’s a question I’ll be trying to answer my entire life, and I think the answer will change as I do. From contributor to digital editor to City Life editor to editor in chief, I have loved every minute I’ve spent at Vox. The people who create this magazine are dedicated, funny, smart and compassionate. Working here helped me get to

know Columbia and its people in a way I don’t think I would have otherwise. Columbia is so much more than the University of Missouri. It’s the MKT and Katy trails. It’s Rock Bridge Memorial State Park and the big bur oak. It’s Taquería don Pancho and Mugs Up Drive-In. It’s True/False Film Fest and Roots ’n’ Blues. Vox gave me an appreciation for this community and everything it has to offer. People like to crack jokes about flyover country and “misery,” but I’m going to miss this place and everything it has meant to me. From warm nights at Logboat Brewing Co. to early mornings at Lakota, the memories I’ve made in this town will always hold a special place in my heart. So thank you for reading, watching and listening to the things this team has been fortunate enough to create. I hope you’ve loved experiencing them as much as we’ve loved creating them. That’s all, folks!

CREATIVE DIRECTOR MADISON WISSE ART DIRECTORS GABRIELLE FALETTO, MAKALAH HARDY PHOTO EDITOR COURTNEY PERRETT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR MARGO WAGNER ASSISTANT EDITORS CULTURE FRANCESCA HECKER, TYLER MESSNER, MATTHEW RIOS EAT + DRINK LIZZIE BENSON, VIVIAN HERZOG, ALYSSA SHIKLES CITY LIFE DAVID KITCHIN, SARAH STRAUGHN, LAUREN TRONSTAD, COLLEEN WOUTERS DIGITAL EDITORS ARI ANZELMO, BRENNA ERWIN, WALTER FIELDS, HANNAH GALLANT, ROSHAE HEMMINGS, TOM KAVANAUGH, HANNAH KIRCHWEHM, EVAN MUSIL, ALEX NEASE, OLIVIA SHEEHY, LAUREN STONE, ALEX WANG, COLIN WILLARD, SARA WILLIAMS, MARISA WHITAKER MULTIMEDIA EDITORS VICTORIA COX, CONNOR LYFORD, ZIYE TANG ART ASSISTANT MOY ZHONG EDITORIAL ASSISTANT BRADFORD SIWAK CONTRIBUTING WRITERS NOAH ALCALA BACH, EMMA BOYLE, ELIZA BROOKS, ANGELINA EDWARDS, ROCHITA GHOSH, DREW HOFBAUER, VIVIAN KOLKS, CHLOE KONRAD, JANAE MCKENZIE,

CHRISTINA LONG Editor in Chief

RASHI SHRIVASTAVA EDITORIAL DIRECTOR HEATHER LAMB DIGITAL DIRECTOR SARA SHIPLEY HILES OFFICE MANAGER KIM TOWNLAIN

Behind the issue I grew up with friends who were involved with Special Olympics, so when I saw an email for a Special Olympics bowling team in Columbia, I knew it was a story I wanted to tell. I attended multiple practices throughout the bowling season, getting to know the athletes, families and coaches. Through that time, I got to witness moments of strength, compassion and hope, and it became clear that Special Olympics is so much bigger than sports — it’s a community that supports each athlete to grow in confidence and strength. I wrote this story (p.14) to highlight that community in Columbia and give a peek into why Special Olympics means so much to so many. —Alyssa Shikles Vox photojournalist Gracie Smith shoots photos of the Columbia Special Olympic bowling team at AMF Town & Country Lanes.

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

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MAGAZINE Cover Design: Makalah Hardy and Madison Wisse Cover Photo: Jacob Moscovitch

Photography by Madison Wisse and courtesy of Christina Long

FEATURES

14 14

Striking gold Columbia’s Special Olympics bowling team strikes up a tight-knit community of fellow bowlers, fans and coaches. BY ALYSSSA SHIKLES

Inside on the outside See how a West Coast native and other Columbia residents express their identity through clothing. BY DREW HOFBAUER

JOIN US

for our State Summer Games June 5 – Hickman H.S. Come out and enjoy our Opening Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. and then stay to volunteer and cheer on our athletes.

State Summer Games – June 5 (Hickman H.S.) For more information, visit www.SOMO.org/Competitions. Photography by Gracie Smith

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IN THE LOOP

Talking heads Love music? Need a new podcast? Read how two MU students turned their passion for music into a melodically motivated show.

Knope, it’s not Leslie Columbia Parks and Recreation Director Mike Griggs shares what you need to know about the great Columbia outdoors.

Vox Picks Soak up the sun this summer with outdoor concerts, First Fridays and a 5K for veterans.

CULTURE

EAT + DRINK 29

More than chocolate

Art that’ll get under your skin

What’s better than hand-crafted chocolate? Hand-crafted chocolate that helps fight against trafficking.

As the weather gets warmer and hemlines get shorter, it’s time to consider showing off some new ink.

Beyond biscuits

Therapy of note Giving Song and MU’s Child Life Program & Music Therapy use music to lead people through difficult times.

Ozark Mountain’s owner is ready to serve up savory success. Order an espresso or get boozy with your biscuit at the new restaurant and bar.

Drawing from experience

Missouri native makes Waves

Missouri cartoonists use their own life experiences to create inclusive, relatable stories with a flare of fantasy.

After more than a decade of making beer, brewmaster Josh Rein is surfing the cider wave.

CITY LIFE

Camp one, camp all Looking to get away from screens and city lights? Vox put together tips for your camping trips.

Smart water Yes, you can conserve water without risking your summer garden.

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

Illustrations by Michelle Zhuang, photography by Lauren Puckett and courtesy of Emily Pivovarnik, Casey Claros, Drew Piester and Rochita Ghosh

OUTDOORS WITH THE EXPERT P. 7

START YOUR SUMMER P. 8

Talking heads Two MU students create a vibrant environment for conversations about music through a podcast. BY ANGELINA EDWARDS Adam Hollmann and Johnathan Kimble have been sharing their taste in music with each other since they met as freshmen. Throughout the past three years, they’ve gone on road trips and swapped new tunes along the way. Their relationship with music gave Kimble the idea to start a podcast. Hollmann and Kimble now co-host Do Re Mi U and Music. The podcast allows them to discuss the music industry with a larger audience. Motivated by their backgrounds in music, they have developed a love for the arts. Kimble played the saxophone and sang in a choir growing up in Houston, while Hollmann played drums and xylophone in grade school and produced music with his friends during high school in St. Louis. The duo discusses everything from racism and sexism in the music industry to the controversial feud between Taylor Swift and Kanye West. Kimble says the wide range of topics they address makes the podcast informative for listeners, whether they can barely hold a tune or are an expert composer. “We do discuss some of those bigger topics that most people who just listen to music but don’t really follow what’s going on in the music industry might not understand,” Kimble says. “We discuss those topics from a different angle than we would something more simple.” Kimble and Hollmann say that offering music recommendations for listeners looking to expand their taste breaks down the barrier between experts and casual music fans. Hollmann says he started actively seeking out other Illustrations by Moy Zhong

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

IN TH E LOOP PODCASTS

Johnathan Kimble (left) and Adam Hollmann say when they host with guests, they tailor the episode to showcase the guest’s music preferences, and breathe new life into the show.

people’s music tastes and perspectives a few years ago — something he hopes the podcast will encourage. “We talked about the stigma of how people … are ashamed to ask someone ‘What song is this?’ in the car, so just breaking down that stigma and saying, ‘Music is something that should be shared,’” Hollmann says. They also acknowledge what they don’t know and host guests who offer

insight. One episode featured Casey Claros, creative and marketing director of the podcast. She has experience in the music industry and was able to discuss what really goes on. Guests aren’t just music professionals; Kimble and Hollmann invite friends and fans on the show to ensure all music-lovers have a seat at the table. The pair often decides the topics of each episode based on feedback from Instagram polls and

TUNE IN The Do Re Mi U and Music podcast’s first season released in February and is available on Spotify and Apple podcasts.

comments, allowing listeners to feel involved with the podcast. “We want to increase the engagement through just reaching out to people and seeing how they can share their music tastes and their preferences with us, and how we can add that to our own fanfare of music,” Hollmann says. Hollmann and Kimble say they hope to continue this conversation with local musicians, noting local indie rock band Post Sex Nachos as a popular request from listeners. In a world that feeds off of hustle and bustle, music can be a way to relax. The duo says they want to bring that energy to their show. Kimble says he wants the podcast to be a convenient way for others to learn about music while not having to press pause on their daily activities. “It’s similar to music where you don’t have to stop, sit down and watch something,” Kimble says. “You can just listen to it on your own time and whenever is most comfortable and makes you feel happy.”

DON’T MISS MAESTRO KIRK TREVOR’S FINAL HOT SUMMER NIGHTS SEASON! All concerts start at 7:00 pm and take place at The Missouri Theatre unless otherwise noted. SUNDAY, JUNE 13: Mostly Mozart THURSDAY, JUNE 17: Heroes of the Frontline SATURDAY, JUNE 19: Lift Every Voice and Sing: A Juneteenth Celebration Jesse Auditorium, University of Missouri SUNDAY, JUNE 20: Dads: The Everyday Superheroes; Stephens Lake Park THURSDAY, JUNE 24: Silent Movie: Peter Pan SATURDAY, JUNE 26: Grand Night at the Opera SUNDAY, JUNE 27: Strike Up the Band; Ozarks Amphitheater MONDAY, JUNE 28: Chamber Recital; First Presbyterian Church THURSDAY, JULY 1: Whole Lotta Shakin’: Swing to Rock featuring Dave Bennett SATURDAY, JULY 3: The City That I Love: The Columbia Bicentennial Concert MONDAY, JULY 5: Chamber Recital; First Presbyterian Church THURSDAY, JULY 8: Bravo, Maestro Kirk! SATURDAY, JULY 10: Breakin’ Classical featuring the FLY Dance Company Jesse Auditorium, University of Missouri

For more information or to purchase tickets call The Missouri Theatre Box Office at 573.882.3781 or visit themosy.org. 6

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

Photography courtesy of Casey Claros

I N T HE LO O P Q&A

Knope, it’s not Leslie Columbia Parks and Recreation Director Mike Griggs is just as dedicated to serving the people and the city’s trails and outdoor spaces as the TV heroine. BY VIVIAN KOLKS

hen your office includes the outdoors, the equation for your work-life balance includes a lot of time in nature. So it’s no surprise Columbia Parks and Recreation Director Mike Griggs can be found on the neighborhood trails, such as the MKT trail near his house, almost daily. Griggs is a Columbia native born to a self-described “service industry family.” And Griggs, says city park planner Janet Godon, “is extremely passionate about parks and rec in Columbia.” His experience certainly reflects it. Griggs started in the department in 1984 as a sports recreation supervisor. After serving 13 years as park superintendent, he became director in 2013. Over the past year, his job has looked a little different, and he has bumped into more people looking for an escape during his daily walks in Columbia’s parks and trails. The Parks and Recreation Department noted that on their busiest days, all trails saw an increase in use between 50% and 188%. “It’s really validated what parks and recreation officials have thought for so long about promoting our parks and trails,” Godon says. “They’re really an important piece of the public health and community identity.” Vox spoke with Griggs about how the increased traffic affected his job, the city’s swimming pools and advice for getting out in nature. What advice do you have for people who are just beginning to go to the parks or hit the trails? Take a look where you live, go to our website, find trails that are close to you. If you live near the MKT trail, maybe try out a trail that’s somewhere else. You have a lot of different places that people can go to and really get the chance to Photography courtesy of Mike Griggs

see parts of Columbia that they might not have seen before. You’re a longtime Columbia resident. How does your job change how you see the town? Not all directors have the benefit of the support of citizens like we do. Our Parks and Recreation Department wouldn’t be anything like it is right now without the support of our citizens. They really set the standard. Whenever there is a new trail being built or a new park being developed, it’s because of the demand. Everything we do is a decision based on our residents and what they want, so I think that reflects on Columbia and its community.

EVERYTHING WE DO IS A DECISION BASED ON OUR RESIDENTS AND WHAT THEY WANT. – Mike Griggs

When using Columbia trails or parks, do you ever let people know they’re your jurisdiction? Only when they’re doing something wrong. [Laughs] I enjoy going to all of our parks and seeing how people use them. Watching kids on a playground, you get a sense of the play patterns, and you suddenly realize that the playset would have been better 10 feet to the left or something like that. You can get a sense of that by seeing how they’re used.

Looking forward to warmer weather and pools reopening, any plans to expand the number of swimming pools? As of now, we have no plans to add any other pools. They can be a difficult item to add because installing them can be expensive and the operation of the pool is expensive as well. We try to keep our pools generating at least 50% of their operating costs, and unless you build a water park, the revenue doesn’t come close to covering the full amount.

Mike Griggs has worked in Columbia’s Parks and Recreation Department for over 35 years.

IN TH E LOOP VOX PICKS

Vox Picks

JUNE Each month, Vox curates a list of can’t-miss shops, eats, reads and experiences. We find the new, trending or underrated to help you enjoy the best our city has to offer. BY VIVIAN HERZOG

Run (or walk)…

For a cause in the Hope for Heroes 5K at Cosmo Park. The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri will host this race, and funds raised will benefit the VIP Veteran Pack program, which provides food-insecure veterans with prepared food and toiletries. You can also donate and run the race on your own time. Cosmopolitan Park, 1615 Business Loop 70 W., June 26, 7:30 a.m., $30, register or donate at sharefoodbringhope.org/hope5k

To Art in the Park online. Although the in-person festival was canceled, you can connect with your favorite artists and vendors through the festival’s website and social media channels. Some beloved aspects of the festival will still take place in person, such as the Emerging Artists Tent, the Veterans Tent and various children’s activities. Stay tuned for Columbia Art League announcements for more details on in-person opportunities. Art in the Park is the largest fundraiser for the Columbia Art League, and patrons are encouraged to donate to offset the hardships of the pandemic. columbiaartleague.org/artinthepark/ festival-information

Listen…

Reconnect…

To music at an outdoor concert at Cooper’s Landing. After a long year of limited access to live music, local venues are celebrating summer with a full roster of concerts. June acts at the riverside marina include Mercer and Johnson, The Flood Brothers (left) and Michael Cochran & D Clinton Thompson. Cooper’s Landing, 11505 Smith Hatchery Road, June 4: Michael Cochran & D Clinton Thompson, June 5: Mercer and Johnson, June19: The Flood Brothers; 5–8 p.m., free

With Columbia’s local art scene at First Fridays Art Walk. The monthly tradition was put on hold during the pandemic, but First Fridays are back as of May. Mask up and head to the North Village Arts District to check out the galleries and shops offering refreshments, music, art demonstrations and children’s activities. Grab a bite to eat, walk around the galleries and enjoy the eclectic art of the North Village Arts District. Just be sure to double-check that your favorite venues are open because some COVID-19 precautions remain in place. North Village Arts District and Orr Street Studios, 106 Orr St., June 4, 6–9 p.m., free

Photography by Timothy Tai/Archive and Lauren Puckett/Archive and courtesy of Unsplash

MUSIC THAT HEALS P. 11

LIVING COLOR P. 12

Gabe Garcia, left, says the tattoo artist can make or break the experience of getting a tattoo.

Art that’ll get under your skin Columbia tattoo artists share their advice on how to have the best experience when getting new ink. BY OLIVIA SHEEHY Tattoos were once considered the markings of outlaws, sailors or bikers. Today, we embrace the niche art form that’s brought millions into shops to cross getting a tattoo off their bucket lists. Whether you’re considering your first tattoo or have multiple, Vox talked with local tattoo artists about how to ensure you walk away loving your personal (and permanent) art piece. Decide on your design “The first step of the process is figuring out what you want to wear on your body forever,” says Roxane Jeffries, a tattoo artist at Living Canvas. For some, taking ample time to deliberate is a necessary part of the process. Others quickly make peace with their decision and are ready to hop in the chair. Either way, the tattoo artist isn’t there to judge you. It’s helpful to figure out which styles you like best and study them for inspiration. Then you can form a clear idea to bring to a tattoo artist. Do your homework The tattoo artist you choose is as important as the design. Iron Tiger owner Gabe Garcia says word-of-mouth and social media, especially Instagram, are the best ways to find the right artist for what you’re looking for. He recommends looking at how clean the artist’s lines are, how

Photography by Olivia Sheehy and photo illustrations by Madison Wisse

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

CULTURE TATTOOS

dynamic their designs are and the level of saturation in the colors they use. Trent Tucker, a tattoo artist at Living Canvas, says “portfolio” is the golden word. Looking through someone’s work helps give an understanding of what the artist has done before and is capable of doing for you. After finding a suitable artist, set up a consultation to discuss details. Get a feel for the artist and whether you want to work with them. Consultation Go to the consultation able to clearly describe what you want, and bring photos or anything the artist can use for reference. “If it has anything to do with the style of the tattoo or color, composition or feature, those are all really important things for me to get an idea of the general vibe that you would like in the tattoo,” Tucker says. Expect feedback from the artist. You might not get exactly what you first imagined. “It’s important to be open-minded because what works on paper doesn’t always work on skin,” Jeffries says. Discuss price Next, it’s time to schedule an appointment. Discuss pricing well before any needles touch your skin. It may be more expensive than anticipated, but if you’ve carefully picked your artist, you can trust the tattoo will be worth it. Shops in Columbia typically charge by the hour for larger tattoos. At Iron Tiger, smaller tattoos have a starting price of $60. Much of that cost covers single-use equipment such as needles, so the artist only makes $10 or $20 per small tattoo. If you’re interested in get-

ting two small tattoos, Garcia recommends getting them at the same time so you’re not paying a set-up fee twice. C.R. Ink owner Charles Swarzentruber says clients should consider everything they’re paying for. Besides the cost of equipment, you’re paying for the artist’s time, skill and energy. There is an etiquette standard of properly tipping your artist. “Some people don’t know protocol like that, but it always makes you feel like you didn’t do a good job when someone leaves without throwing you something,” Garcia says. Appointment day Get a good night’s sleep, drink plenty of water and eat before your appointment. Inside the shop, hygiene is the most important thing to consider. The station should have been disinfected and equipment that touches your skin should come from sealed packages. The artist may shave the area you’re getting tattooed before placing a stencil, which is essentially an ink transfer. This gives an idea of what the tattoo will look like on skin before it’s final. Be honest if you don’t like something. “We realize it’s a nerve-wracking process, but you need to be very vocal about what you want and how you want it done,” Tucker says. Aftercare Taking care of your new tattoo is arguably the most critical step. “You’re doing trauma to the skin,” Swarzentruber says. “We don’t equate it to being an injury because it’s a tattoo, so people don’t treat it the same way as an open wound that needs to heal properly.”

Roxane Jeffries, top right, has been getting tattoos since she turned 18.

WHERE TO GO Interested in working with one of the artists featured in this article? You can find them here: C. R. Ink 15 S. 10th St., 836-1438 Iron Tiger 11 N. 10th St., 449-1200 Living Canvas 520 E. Broadway, 442-8287

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

Keep the bandage on for two days, as long as it doesn’t leak. Derek Hoskins, a C.R. Ink tattoo artist, says not to put an excessive film over your tattoo with products like Aquaphor. It will trap bacteria on your skin, causing the wound to leak plasma and lighten your tattoo. The pain factor Pain is all about location. Certain areas, such as the torso, are more tender. Jeffries says this is because it doesn’t get much everyday exposure, unlike areas such as the outer arm. The ribs and stomach tend to be more sensitive areas as well. You need to be in the right headspace. “People get themselves so worked up. Try to reel that in for your benefit,” Jeffries says. Make sure you’re hydrated and have glucose in your system. “Ultimately, it will be over, and all you have to do is take care of the tattoo, and you’ll have it forever,” Tucker says.

Photography by Olivia Sheehy and photo illustrations by Madison Wisse

CULTURE MUSIC

“Music is something that they can relate to, and they’ve used a certain kind of music or a certain singer to process a hard time.” This universality rings true for both therapists and clients. MU music theory professor Neil Minturn says music was an outlet for him to relieve the pain and grief after his dad died. “I dealt with the grief partly by just hanging out at the piano and playing,” Minturn says. “Music was providing me a comfort I wouldn’t otherwise have had.”

Therapy of note Two local music therapy programs provide care and comfort through the restorative power of music. BY EMMA BOYLE

usic has the power to move, and it has the power to heal. Music therapy uses this power to connect your emotions with a form of expression. Giving Song, a local company that offers music therapy services to individuals, groups and schools in the area, uses song to give back to help clients improve their well-being. It tailors musical experiences to each individual or group. “(Music) allows us to access areas of the brain that we can’t do with talk therapy that you can’t do with just general speech therapy at times,” says Giving Song CEO Kristin Veteto. Although it also incorporates traditional therapy, the musical version requires you to engage more of yourself, not just your intellect. Dancing, for example, encourages a physical release of emotions. This allows clients to use music with intention, which allows them to find the deeper meaning Photography courtesy of Emily Pivovarnik

and how they relate to it. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy is a form of treatment in which music is used to help address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs. Although music therapy can be used to help a number of needs, it is commonly used for those with mental health conditions such as depression, trauma and schizophrenia. MU’s Child Life Program & Music Therapy uses music to help hospitalized children better understand their surroundings and express their feelings. Getting better all the time Music is a universal experience that surpasses barriers such as language or cognitive ability, which also makes it easier to practice on your own, says Emily Pivovarnik, an MU music therapist. “I don’t really have to fight for music because, for the most part, everyone has a relationship with music,” Pivovarnik says.

Emily Pivovarnik (above and below) is a music therapist with MU’s Child Life Program & Music Therapy. Music therapy can be especially helpful for children in the hospital.

The healing has begun Since the start of the pandemic, about 4 in 10 American adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, a startling increase from the 1 in 10 adults reporting these symptoms from January to June 2019, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. If paid therapy is not an option, there are still impactful ways to incorporate music into your life for self-care and mental health. Listening to music throughout the day allows you to engage with it purposefully. If there are specific songs or genres you like, Veteto recommends listening to them in between work and home, even if those are the same place. This can help you be more present and distinguish the two places. She also recommends listening to calming music before bed and more upbeat, energetic music while waking up or working out. “[It’s] really making sure that you’re being intentional about the choices in music that you’re using to support your overall wellness,” Veteto says.

MUSIC THAT MOVES Giving Song,1905 Cherry Hill Drive, has office therapy sessions, but its therapists also work in schools and other settings. MU’s Child Life Program & Music Therapy is part of MU Women’s and Children Hospital.

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

CULTURE ART

Drawing from their experience Missouri cartoonists create diverse stories inspired by their lives. BY JANAE MCKENZIE

omics are a medium for exploring many topics and themes, and are not limited to any singular genre. Readers are leaving superhero comics behind in search of new stories, according to the market research firm the NPD Group. Four Missouri artists are among those changing the typical stories within comics. By turning life into panel-by-panel narratives, these cartoonists from diverse backgrounds present varied stories and characters that are just as complex as any beloved superhero.

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

Christianne Benedict, 54, she/her Cartoonist Christianne Benedict draws comics ranging from slice-oflife depictions of her morning commute to medieval fantasy and horror. But while easy to consume, cartoons are a lot of work for Benedict. “Comics are a grind,” she says. “It takes me a month to make something that takes you 5 minutes to read.” Benedict does her comics in Japanese sumi ink. Many of her panels center on trans people, such as her

In her work, Christianne Benedict draws her comic strips (left) in sumi ink. She typically focuses on trans people and avoids stereotypical narratives of strife and instead focuses on day-to-day life.

participation in We’re Still Here: An All-Trans Comics Anthology, a 2018 finalist for the Lambda Literary Graphic Novel award. Her piece, The Third Time’s the Charm, was the longest in the anthology. Benedict is deliberate about how she approaches her stories (some of which have NSFW content), avoiding “miserable-ist” transition narratives of eviction and intimate partner violence. She wants her comics to show a new way of life, even if it’s a mundane one. “I just want to communicate that our lives are as ridiculous as anybody else’s,” Benedict says. “And they’re as boring as anybody else’s.” Chelsea Belcher, 27, she/her Lineless, dynamic and colorful. That’s how St. Louis illustrator, textile artist and metalsmith Chelsea Belcher describes her art. Her work is packed with herbal and floral symbolism, which reflect her own life with chronic illness.

Photography by Trenton Almgren-Davis and illustrations courtesy of Christianne Benedict

C U LT U RE ART

Chelsea Belcher Belcher avoids self pity in her work and instead uses her creativity to help spread awareness about people with disabilities.

Illustration is the medium she feels most comfortable with, and she can do it when she’s at her sickest. When peripheral neuropathy leaves her hands numb, normal sewing needles suddenly become more difficult to handle. When her postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome flares up, she’s too dizzy to hold hammers. One of Belcher’s pieces is Maintenance: Calendula flowers can ease pain. The drawing depicts panels with tools used to manage her illnesses. Panels are wrapped into the leaves and petals of calendula flowers, which Belcher says reduce pain when ground into a paste. She also makes sure to include characters with disabilities in her comics. Belcher wanted to avoid using her creativity for self-pity, and she found a new purpose in spreading awareness. “I realized that making art about my chronic illness wouldn’t be moping about my own problems,” Belcher says. “It would be communicating what it’s like to have a chronic illness.” Christina “Steenz” Stewart, 30, she/her Steenz is one of only three nationally syndicated Black female cartoonists and was awarded the 2019 Dwayne McDuffie Award for diversity in comics for co-creating Archival Quality, a graphic

Christina “Steenz” Stewart Steenz brings more characters of color into her panels, while staying away from cliche portrayals surrounding minorities.

novel. In her work, Steenz emphasizes the need to stay away from telling the same repeated narratives. “I am tired of reading about struggle,” Steenz says. “There’s a place for it, but there’s so much more.” The St. Louis cartoonist and professor draws Heart of the City, a daily comic strip following the middle school adventures of 11-year-old Heart Lamarr. She took over the comic in April 2020 from author and cartoonist Mark Tatulli and has since been expanding on its 23-year history. Steenz noticed that Tatulli’s Black characters weren’t three-dimensional. “[They] were not characters, just Black,” she says. This realization led her to diversify the comic’s cast. She introduced a new character, Charlotte, a Black girl with two moms and a friend of Heart’s. “Heart lives in Philadelphia, and yet she has no Black friends?” Steenz says. “Doubtful.” The kind of storytelling Steenz prefers? Simple scenes of Charlotte yelling at a Street Fighter competition stream while her mom takes care of her natural hair on wash day. These are the normal moments Steenz wants to get across. “It happens naturally,” she says. Michelle Zhuang, 25, they/them It wasn’t easy at first for Michelle

Illustrations courtesy of Chelsea Belcher, Christina Stewart, and Michelle Zhuang

Michelle Zhuang For Zhuang, creating comics with queer, Asian or trans stories is all about piecing together memories from their past.

FIND THEIR WORK Christianne Benedict christiannesart. blogspot.com Chelsea Belcher chelseabelcher. com Christina Stewart Heart of the City is available in newspapers nationwide and on gocomics.com Michelle Zhuang michellezhuangart.com. Permanent Alien available on gumroad.com/ permanentalien

Zhuang to create autobiographical comics. Zhuang, a Columbia native, was encouraged by art teachers at Rock Bridge High School. “I grew up in Columbia, which is predominantly white, and the schools I went to were predominantly white,” Zhuang says. “I didn’t have as large of a connection with being Chinese American as I think more people have.” Zhuang attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where they met a larger cohort of Chinese American and native Chinese students. Their long talks about Asian American pop culture with classmate Mariel Rodriguez sparked an idea, and the anthology Permanent Alien was born. Permanent Alien featured comics on Asian American experiences, including Zhuang’s own life. Zhuang now lives in Columbia and creates cohesive narratives in their art via introspection. They piece together fragmented memories, and once they notice patterns of behavior, they can turn that into a reflective comic. It doesn’t take too much extra effort to make their art resonate. “When I look at my work, it’s hard for me to see queer and trans identity in it because I just am those things,” Zhuang says. “So for me inherently, those things are already queer and trans and Asian.” VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

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STORY BY: Alyssa Shikles DESIGNED BY: Hannah Kirchwehm

Columbia’s Special Olympics bowling team wins more than medals.

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When walking into AMF Town and Country Lanes, you are greeted by the 2000s-era pop songs blasting over the speakers, drowned out by the constant thud of bowling balls smacking against the hardwood floor. The overhead blacklight casts a blue tint over the alley, and the vibrant red walls are coated in a spattering of white and yellow stars. There’s a handful of couples and families bowling here and there, and it appears to be another slow Saturday afternoon. At least until the nine lanes tucked in the back corner come into view, where a group of bowlers are letting balls fly. Gray-haired and young alike, some of the bowlers are assured and powerful in their aim, while others use a ramp to line up their rolls. With every strike and impressive throw, an orchestra of encouragement erupts as athletes pat one another on the back in support. They laugh loudly and cheer louder, and the positive energy is as undeniable as the smiles on the bowlers’ faces. This is Columbia’s Special Olympics bowling team, a group of 55 athletes with intellectual or physical disabilities who practiced every Saturday afternoon for a seven-week bowling season last fall. For the team, bowling is not just a sport. It’s a place to be seen and loved as they are, spurred on to confidence and growth with like-minded individuals. It’s their community, and Special Olympics is their world. Changing the game Special Olympics was founded in August 1968 in Washington, D.C., by Eunice Kennedy Shriver to create a more accessible world for people with disabilities. Supporting over 5 million children and adults around the world,

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the competitions are designed to bolster courage in athletes and help them form connections, creating an upbeat and bold community centered on sports. “[Special Olympics’] mission is to provide training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities and closely related developmental disabilities to be effective in society through courage, strength and skill,” says Diane Brimer, program director for Special Olympics Missouri. Special Olympics came to Missouri in 1971, and the organization celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Brimer has seen the impact and growth of Special Olympics throughout her 31 years of involvement, which began when she was a Special Olympics basketball coach in St. Louis in 1989. Times were different then, and many families struggled to get the help and accommodations needed for children with disabilities. “Those families had to fight for so many things in their community,” Brimer says. “To get funds, to get opportunities for their son or daughter.” A fear of bullying or criticism would often deter parents from giving their

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Denise McDaniel raves about the impact that Special Olympics has had on her daughter Anna McDaniel.

children more independence. Brimer says that Special Olympics helped change the conversation and changed the question from “How do I protect them?” to “How do I help them grow?” “What you see is that people’s perception of the capabilities of what these athletes can do and how they live their life can be so meaningful,” Brimer says. “I think that’s where things have changed. Anybody who’s ever volunteered, we always say this, even as an employee — they give us so much more than we could ever give them.” More than an athlete Elizabeth Carter had a satisfied grin on her face. The 35-year-old had just bowled a spare with her red tie-dyed Chiefs bowling ball crashing through the remaining pins at the end of the lane. Now she stands near the back, arms crossed and eager for another turn. A member of Columbia’s Special Olympics bowling team, she doesn’t flinch at the noise of bowling balls crashing down the lanes. Instead, she stands bold among the athletes and proudly sports her Chiefs Super Bowl jersey.

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Carter has two nicknames. The first is “Steelbrain,” an allusion to her incredibly detailed memory. The second, “G.I. Jane,” is a reference to Carter’s buzzed head. The style honors her great uncle, who died of stage 4 liver cancer about four years ago. Carter got involved with Special Olympics in seventh grade, and it has played a huge role in her life. She participates in athletics year-round and has played basketball, track and field, bocce ball and soccer. Her favorite sport, however, is bowling. The sport gives Carter ample time to socialize with teammates and encourages her to set goals for herself. “Bowling helps you focus on something and go for it,” she says. She has earned over two dozen gold medals in various sports throughout the years. But her most notable achievement was 20 years ago when, along with her aunt and two other teammates, she broke a record at a Special Olympics area bowling tournament, with a team score of 2,000 points total. For Carter, Special Olympics has not only taught her how to be a good athlete but also a good person. By getting to play, athletes learn sportsmanship, are pushed to be confident in what they can do and grow in interactions with volunteers and coaches. Special Olympics has even provided athletes a motto by which to live and compete. Carter has it memorized: “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” Always a champion Denise McDaniel cries at the opening ceremony for the national Special Olympics tournament every year. One by one, the teams walk in a loop around the indoor track. Each state is represented by athletes in uniform holding their state flag proudly in the air. As they circle the arena, hundreds of people in the stands cheer them on, which builds a palpable excitement evident on the athletes’ faces. After each state has walked its triumphant circuit, police officers run with a Special Olympic athlete, flame in hand, toward the Olympic torch at the

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“Bowling helps you focus on something and go for it.” –ELIZABETH CARTER SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETE

center of the arena. When the torches unite in a burst of light, applause roars across the indoor track. “It’s very moving and exciting and almost a little overwhelming.” McDaniel says. “Those kids feel like heroes. They feel like champions all weekend, when in so much of their world, that never happens.” The moment is particularly meaningful to McDaniel because of the role Special Olympics has had in the life of her daughter, Anna McDaniel. For 15 years, Denise McDaniel has watched her daughter compete, and encouraged her at practices and tournaments. For their family, Special Olympics is the only Olympics that matters. Anna McDaniel, 30, got involved in Special Olympics when she was in middle school and wanted to play sports like her five siblings. She started running track and field and has since participated in swimming, volleyball, tennis and bowling. She won a gold medal at the 2010 U.S. National Tournament in track and field.

PLAYER PROFILE Anna McDaniel, 30, started out running track and field and has since participated in swimming, volleyball and tennis.

PLAYER PROFILE Duke Simmons, 54, plays volleyball, basketball, softball and golf in addition to bowling. In 2014, he was inducted into the Special Olympics Missouri Hall of Fame.

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Special Olympics has given her an opportunity to thrive, and opened up a world for her to achieve her goals. “It made her work hard,” Denise McDaniel says. “She had to go to practices. She had to train. It allowed her to be just as successful as anybody else was or wasn’t in their own way.” The organization also affects athletes beyond the realm of competition by teaching independence in their dayto-day life. For some athletes, this means finding jobs around town. Several athletes work at Love Coffee, a coffee shop on Business Loop 70 that aims to provide job skills training and employment to individuals with disabilities. Other athletes, including Carter, are given leadership training through Special Olympics. These classes teach athletes how to speak up about their disability and join fundraising committees. This year, Carter’s mission was to raise $1,000 for the Polar Plunge fundraiser, an annual event in March where sponsored participants jump into the freezing cold water of Columbia’s Bass Pro Shops Lake. Carter, who has participated in the event twice

PLAYER PROFILE Jodie Holbert, 48, also participates in softball when she isn’t bowling.

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before, sold bracelets to reach her target and ended up raising $1,461. However her devotion to Special Olympics goes far beyond fundraising. Someday, Carter says she wants to become a public speaker so she can express all that Special Olympics has done for her. Leading the lane Tyler Armstrong, a Special Olympics coach, limps as he walks among the lanes, and stops to talk to various athletes as he goes. He wears a light-gray boot strapped across one foot, bound in a cast from fracturing his foot during a skateboarding accident a couple weeks earlier. But the boot doesn’t hinder him from bending down to tie an athlete’s bowling shoe before the next turn. Since joining the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department, which hosts the majority of Columbia’s Special Olympics teams, Armstrong and his fellow coaches have run all nine sports: bocce ball, tennis, swimming, basketball, bowling, softball, golf, volleyball and powerlifting.

In a normal year, some of the teams can grow to be as large as over 100 athletes. However, due to the pandemic, participation for the 2020 and early 2021 seasons looked different. Because many athletes are immunocompromised and some live in group homes where COVID-19 could be especially dangerous, the program has had to be extremely cautious. Contact sports or teams with shared equipment like softball and basketball were canceled for safety, and the remaining sports had limited attendance with social distancing and mask regulations. For bowling, this meant that the usual group of 100 athletes dropped to 55, and the annual area tournament in December was not in person, instead measured by tallying players’ scores from previous practices. Armstrong joined the Parks and Rec department in March 2020 and has still never experienced a “normal” season of Special Olympics. COVID-19 shut everything down mere weeks after he became a coach. Although he was previously employed by the YMCA in Marshall, he had never exclusively worked with athletes with special needs and wanted to step out of his comfort zone. “I wasn’t sure really what I was getting myself into,” he says. “But as soon as I started, I was accepted right away.” The largest role for coaches and volunteers is forming relationships with the athletes. Amid gutterballs and strikes, real friendships are formed. “It’s the reason I kept coming back,” coach

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Emma Barnes says. “People get excited to see you. You are important to them, and they are important to you.” Coach Chris Klipfel, who has been involved with Special Olympics for four years, has been able to witness athletes’ personal growth firsthand, watching them become friends with other athletes and become more self-assured. “You see them come into their personality,” Klipfel says. “They sort of find themselves here because it is such an open environment.” Sporting confidence Inclusive is the key word to describe a Special Olympics practice. No one is left out or forgotten, and it is a welcoming and social environment. “Everyone helps each other out,” Armstrong says. “The joy that a sport can bring someone, you just see it on their faces every single time that we’re competing or practicing. They encourage each other so well. It’s awesome to see, especially in bowling.”

The bowling alley is more than a place to have fun. It’s where genuine connections are made and fellow athletes catch up on life, where athletes are challenged to grow, both in ability and confidence, and where they are supported by the team, coaches and parents who know and love them. For Carter and Anna McDaniel, Special Olympics has given them friendships and a voice to speak out about how the organization and sports have changed their lives. For Armstrong, Barnes, Klipfel and volunteers, they can leave practices knowing they’ve made an impact by loving their athletes well. And for Denise McDaniel, Special Olympics paved the way for her daughter’s success. “As a mother, that’s my heart,” McDaniel says. “I want for my child to find her abilities, to find her strengths, to feel like she’s a champion and that she has had success in her world. I would have still searched for that, but Special Olympics handed it to her. And I think that that’s the difference.”

PLAYER PROFILES Elizabeth Carter, 35, has played basketball, track and field, bocce ball and soccer in addition to bowling. Tatia Leyden, 31, participates in bowling, softball, volleyball and basketball. Tyler Mathis, 30, plays volleyball, swims and runs track and field outside of the bowling season.

“I want for my child to find her abilities, to find her strengths, to feel like she’s a champion and that she has had success in her world. I would have still searched for that, but Special Olympics handed it to her. And I think that that’s the difference.” –DENISE MCDANIEL SPECIAL OLYMPICS PARENT

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Courtney Fitch didn’t feel comfortable in his skin until he embraced both masculine and feminine energies. Then, he says, his identity felt “meant to be.”

INSIDE ON THE OUTSIDE

STORY BY

Drew Hofbauer PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Jacob Moscovitch DESIGN BY

Makalah Hardy

Clothing defines our lives. But what happens when you don’t fit everyone else’s definition? You write your own.

Set in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, the wooded enclave of Bel Air on the westside of Los Angeles is my home. Since the time I was brought home from Cedars-Sinai hospital swaddled in Baby Dior, I’ve had the unique experience of witnessing the height of luxury and extravagance. Yachts, custom automobiles, mansions, ornate furnishings — you name it, I’ve seen it. Bel Air, one part of the trifecta that includes Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills, makes up what is known as the “Platinum Triangle,” an informal designation of three adjacent neighborhoods at the top of affluence. I introduce myself this way as context for how I, as a gay man, see fashion, clothing, identity, presentation and gender. People say we’re a product of our surroundings, that there’s something to be said for the way we grow up. I can say there is truth in this sentiment. When I was 5 years old, I began to experiment with clothing. This was 1994 Los Angeles, where permed hair, extravagant jewelry, sky-high heels and bright colors reigned. Rodeo Drive was a playground, and Neiman Marcus was its annex. On the lollipop palm-lined street where I lived, days were filled with sunshine and the faint smell of the ocean breeze carried by the Santa Ana winds. My mother, forever a style icon in my eyes (think

Jane Birkin or Grace Kelley), had a palatial closet. I helped myself to the glorious contents of the open boxes and exposed fabrics draped over every surface. To put it simply, I dressed myself as I saw fit. As that 5-year-old I strutted through the Tudor-style manse wearing nothing but jewelry and a pair of my mother’s Manolos. I remember feeling glamorous. I remember feeling powerful, and most of all, I remember feeling like the truest version of myself. Or maybe it was what I didn’t feel: I didn’t feel that there was anything wrong with wearing Mikimoto and Manolos, and neither did my mother, to whom I’ll forever be grateful. Rather than snatching her designer items off me, she ran for the camera and became my personal photographer, stylist and champion. The photos she snapped show me posing in the kitchen like some overly accessorized cherub. Gender, as we’ve come to know it, is a social construct. More and more people — particularly members of Generation Z — are realizing this, according to a 2016 market research study by the Innovation Group. Results from the study show that 56% of 13- to-20-year-olds said that they knew someone who went by gender neutral pronouns such as they, them or ze, and that over 30% of Gen Z respondents strongly agreed that gender did not define a person as much as it used to. When the gender binary begins to dissolve, what happens to traditionally gendered clothing? Is a shirt purchased in the men’s department but worn by a woman still a men’s shirt? No, it’s just a shirt. Here, too, the Gen Zers are breaking the binary: in the same Innovation Group study only 44% say they always bought clothes designed for their own gender, versus 54% of millennials answering the same question. As younger consumers demand a disruption of the fashion binary, brands from Gucci to Target are listening. Ken Downing, fashion director of Neiman Marcus, told The New York Times in 2015 he believes we’re seeing “a seismic shift in fashion, a

Drew Hofbauer likes to play with color and texture in his everyday outfits. Here, he wears a Dries van Noten chain-link sweater.

“Is a shirt purchased in the men’s department but worn by a woman still a men’s shirt? No, it’s just a shirt.”

Dani Major blends traditionally masculine and feminine styles, such as this tank top and overalls. Major found freedom in language when they first began to understand their gender identity and use clothing to help express this.

Emily Kiesewetter grew up in a small town in Illinois where she felt she couldn’t express her whole self. Now, she loves to dress in black and experiment with “all things witchy.”

STYLE SPOTLIGHT

widening acceptance of a style with no boundaries — one that reflects the way young people dress.” This, along with the fact that The Council of Fashion Designers of America, a trade group of about 500 leading American designers, added the first unisex and nonbinary category to the New York Fashion Week calendar in 2018, hints at lines being blurred and binaries transcended. Gendered clothing is being disrupted by consumers and fashion brands alike, but prescribed expectations for women’s and men’s clothing didn’t come from thin air. One of the most influential frameworks of gendered fashion is sports. We all know what I’m talking about: girls in short black spandex on the volleyball court or wearing flouncy skirts as they sprint down lacrosse fields or work on their tennis serves. Women sporting full faces of makeup and ponytail ribbons on the softball diamond, their mascara smudged by sweat. All of this while men’s basketball shorts swish comfortably around the knees and football padding bulks up already muscular men, lending them a certain Hulk-like masculinity. There are ways athletes are supposed to look,

according to society, and their uniforms help to achieve that goal. Male athletes should look fit, and the same goes for women. But too often female athletes are conditioned to also look sexy and traditionally feminine as they slide across turf or throw their bodies on the ground to keep a ball in play. The sport I grew up with however, didn’t fit these fashion norms. I competed in three-day eventing, which is an equestrian sport that requires different outfits for each portion or day of competition. The casual riding gear consisted of a tucked-in polo, belt, spandex breeches with leather around the knees and buttocks and heeled leather boots that covered my calves and ended at the knee. For years, I was hesitant to wear this riding attire in public. Although I rode my two horses six days a week and was extremely comfortable in my gear, cultural notions about what I should be wearing as a young boy lessened my natural confidence. The number of looks and comments from men about how riding was “girl stuff” were enough to make me always feel out of place. I hated when my mother made purposeful stops on Story continues on p. 28

Dani Major is an MU Music major from Platte City. I talked with them about gender, presentation, sex and sexuality, as well as societal norms that dictate wardrobe and style. By Drew Hofbauer

Tenaujah Les often wears black because she says the color makes her feel powerful and connected to her pansexuality.

Pronouns: they/them First thing they put on in the morning: binder Who is your style icon? Lady Gaga Does your outward presentation affect your expression in clothing? My gender expression does go directly with my clothing and fashion choices. It is one of the quickest ways to express myself and to reflect what I feel on the inside on the outside. It helps other people perceive me in a way that’s close to the way I perceive myself. Not everybody is aware of that function of clothing or uses clothing like that, but a lot of transgender people and a lot of people in the LGBTQ+

community are aware of it because they’re so desperate for adequate means of expression. Once I realized it was easier to pick my clothing in the morning, it was a lot easier to be comfortable with my body and be happy with what I saw. When did your dress evolution happen? It began when I started dressing a lot more androgynously. Even before I started binding my chest, I was wearing clothes that made my body more malleable to the outward eye. Specifically, once I started wearing men’s shorts, I was like, ‘Oh this feels so much better.’ It’s not even that they’re so much longer or wider — it’s just the extra

room that helps my hips to not be so accentuated. It’s really crazy because as gendered as our clothing industry is, nothing is really men’s or women’s. Everyone’s bodies are so different and look so different in different cuts that we can’t gender clothing. Once the fashion industry understands that, it’ll change forever. Other than clothing, are there ways you altered your physical appearance to fit your gender identity? Once I found some terms, research and academic talk about what I was experiencing, it helped me to understand myself more and start making small changes, and I immediately noticed a reaction from people around me. I stopped

shaving my legs, which makes the contours of my body look different. I used to hate the way I looked when I wore ankle socks, and now I don’t mind it because of that small physical change. What do you think of how brands approach gender neutral or androgynous fashion? “Gender neutral” and “androgynous” are words and phrases that people tend to associate with shapeless, colorless monotone. A lot of these clothes don’t even tell you anything about a person — they’re personality-less. But that’s not how it is. Androgyny does not mean absent. It’s not the absence of gender, it is the blend of gender.

Jaramie Echternach has spent time as part of the Missouri Army National Guard, which she says affected her style.

STYLE SPOTLIGHT

“There are ways athletes are supposed to look, according to society, and their uniforms help achieve that goal.”

Jaramie Echternach is a freshman at Moberly Area Community College and a Columbia native. We spoke over the phone and talked about her exploration of gender and her ever-evolving style.

Pronouns: she/her First thing she puts on in the morning: boxers and a sports bra

want — make a big deal out of that — but as far as what I’m wearing and whether or not it makes you uncomfortable that I’m wearing a suit to a wedding… I’m not going to change to make everybody else in the room comfortable because that’ll make me uncomfortable. I have all types of friends and we’re all types of things: men wearing skirts and women wearing suits, and I don’t think it matters.

Who is your style icon? Billie Eilish because of how comfortable she is in her clothes and how she is a little grungy. I like her use of color and accessories. I would consider myself a mix of Billie and David from Schitt’s Creek. He has a simple, classic, masculine style.

What is your relationship to your own wardrobe? I love clothes, and I love buying clothes for myself, especially now that I’m so much more comfortable with what I wear. I can really wear what makes me happy instead of looking at other people and wishing I could wear what they have on.

By Drew Hofbauer

How has your style evolved throughout your life? I shop in both sections — men’s and women’s. I mostly wear masculine clothing, but there are definitely some more feminine pieces now that I’ve gotten older and more comfortable with who I am. I don’t feel like when I was a kid. As a kid, I felt the need to avoid pink and purple stuff at all costs because I just wanted to wear camo and cargo. But then I got older, and now I have pink shirts that I find really cute and I’m cool with wearing some more feminine pieces, but I’m still mostly comfortable with traditionally “masculine” clothing. What do you think of how brands approach gender neutral or androgynous fashion? It’s great because I don’t think that clothing has a sex or gender. It’s just some fabric that you choose to put on yourself and begin the day. I don’t know why people make such a big deal out of it. Besides the fact of wanting to look how you

Gabe Levi describes their style as “a little classy and a little nasty.” As a non-binary person, Levi uses clothing to rebel against prescribed notions of gender and sexuality.

Jaramie Echternach has always been short and slight, which makes it hard to find clothes that feel comfortable. Two of her favorite brands are American Eagle and H&M because of the petite fits.

Drew Hofbauer says his mother has always had an influence on his style. Here, he sports a vintage Christian Dior top of hers that he used to wear while playing dress-up as a child.

the drive home from practice, but I later realized these errands were her way of showing me not to be ashamed of who I was or what I wore. Those days spent in my riding gear made me question the very subtext of our society. Why was “girl stuff” wrong for a boy? And who cares? Once I freed myself from the rigid confines of what other people thought I was supposed to wear, I was able to see a wider world of possibility in my wardrobe. This connected me to generations of queer people who commandeered fashion as their own weapon for equality — and even as their own secret code. The handkerchief code gained popularity in the 1970s as a way for gay men to communicate their sexual availability and preferences. Men placed hankies in their back pockets, which signaled different fetishes or positions depending on the hanky’s placement and color. The code, which lives on today, played a crucial role in the advancement and preservation of LGBTQ+ communities before and during the Gay Liberation Movement. This is not to say that everything you’ve

heard about coded clothing and sexuality is true — no, not every bisexual person cuffs their jeans — but it is to say that clothes are more than fabric stitched together. I’ve long said that clothing is our second skin. We live every day of our lives in it. It gives us an outlet for expression, presentation and representation. For me, I stand differently, walk differently and even talk differently given the outfit I choose to wear. All black? Maybe I’m feeling punk. Shades of nude? That morning I woke up feeling lighter. Of course, clothing is not a one-sizefits-all mood ring, but it speaks to the larger topic of how integral dress is to our selfhood. Clothes allow us to become chameleons, changing to fit our moods. From a young age, Ariel of The Little Mermaid was my style icon. And as soon as I could dress myself, I made my own style choices. What I wanted to wear was what I was going to wear. Mismatched. Tag-less. Couture. Whatever. I draped a red towel around my head and I was in a whole new world — all thanks to the power of dress.

One of Hofbauer’s mother’s favorite vintage bags: a kettle black Balenciaga leather clutch.

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A CIDER A DAY P. 32

More than chocolate Sisters Jan and Elle Sanchez create superfood bonbons at their shop, Tsokolate. BY CHLOE KONRAD Jan and Elle Sanchez are far from amateurs when it comes to crafting chocolate. The sisters are the owners of Tsokolate (pronounced cho-ko-lat-eh), a Columbia superfood bonbon shop that operates mostly online. Both Elle and Jan have been trained in the culinary arts, having worked under renowned chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and Daniel Boulud. Elle also graduated from the culinary school Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. However, the sisters’ mission goes beyond creating decadent desserts — they use their passion for chocolate-making as a way to support survivors of human trafficking and prevent child labor on cacao farms.

Tsokolate’s bonbons include flavors such as papaya, elderberry, beets and blue majik spirulina. Elle and Jan Sanchez’s favorite flavors are black sesame and horny goat weed.

Photography courtesy of Jan Sanchez

Before the bonbons Jan and Elle grew up in Cebu, a city in the Philippines, and say chocolate has always been a part of their lives. Younger than most children learn to read, they were using different confections to make sikwati, a hot chocolate drink. “We had a cacao tree in our backyard,” Jan says. “Our mom would always make tableya. They’re 100% chocolate, and that’s what we used to make hot chocolate.” Tableya is a round chocolate that is dropped into boiling water. Not only did they acquire a taste for chocolate at a young age, they also learned from family to use their skills to help others and give back to the community. Many cacao farms exploit child labor, and Elle and Jan grew a passion for community service and trafficking prevention. VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

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“Our grandmother built her own community center,” Jan says. “She would train different low-income communities how to sew, how to cook, how to cake decorate, so they could make their own small business, or they wouldn’t have to work for anyone else.” Working against human trafficking became a theme for the Sanchez sisters — a mission that made its way into their business. The power of chocolate Jan and Elle moved to Columbia in late 2019 because they wanted to work with the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition. They opened Tsokolate in January 2020. The bonbons are now being sold at Camacho Coffee, a company with similar values. Camacho Coffee donates 10% of its gross profits to local nonprofits such as the Central Missouri Humane Society, CoMo Youth Works and Coyote Hill. Jan and Elle have started their own nonprofit in Missouri: Juste Deserts. The name of the organization means “poetic justice,” and Juste Deserts’ goal is to help survivors and those at risk develop job skills

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

so they’re less likely to be trafficked. Through Tsokolate, Jan and Elle want to bring awareness to cacao farmers’ work, showing consumers that chocolatiers are the last and least important step in the process from farm to table. Aware of the child labor on cacao farms, the sisters make a point to know where their products come from, sourcing their chocolate only from farms with fair and direct trade. So, what are they made of? Tsokolate’s bonbons are encased in 72% dark chocolate — what the sisters call the “good stuff.” Each chocolate is carefully hand-painted and hand-tempered, the vibrant colors on the outside of the candies matching the colorful interior. Before creating a flavor, the sisters do extensive research into the best ingredients for gut health, testing different recipes. Some of the most popular flavors are horny

Tsokolate’s bonbons, made by Jan and Elle Sanchez (above) are available online at tsokolate.co or at Camacho Coffee.

goat weed, majik spirulina and golden milk. Some flavors have antioxidants and vitamins while others have more specific potential health benefits. For example, the golden milk flavor contains ingredients often used in India for breastfeeding moms, and the horny goat weed contains a leaf ingredient that acts as a natural Viagra. “What chocolate does is it is regenerating us,” Elle says. “But people just don’t know that there’s so much power in dark chocolates.”

Photography courtesy of Jan Sanchez

E AT & DRI N K RESTAURANTS

Beyond biscuits After Columbia fell in love with his food truck, Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. owner Bryan Maness is ready to expand. BY RASHI SHRIVASTAVA

rom a food truck operation to serving at festivals to, now, a brand new restaurant, Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. has wheeled into different avenues of success and expansion over the past eight years. Fueled by a mission to bring the southern flavors of Arkansas to Columbia through biscuits and gravy, Bryan Maness opened Ozark Mountain in 2013. He was backed by his twin brother, Brent Maness, and his uncle, Michael Maness. Now, the food truck company plans to open a restaurant, called Ozark Mountain Biscuit & Bar, next to Walt’s Bike Shop and across from Logboat Brewing Co. Opening a restaurant was always in the cookbook for Bryan Maness, but that dream was delayed in favor of the events business. The COVID-19 pandemic then accelerated the process for the food truck family business to expand. “It kind of gave me a chance to step back from

Photography courtesy of Drew Piester

that world and look at what else I had time to get started,” Maness says. Maness had been scouting for the right location for three years. When a spot in front of Logboat opened up, he leapt at the opportunity. “I just saw the sign go up in the building,” Maness says. “I thought, ‘OK, that’s a spot for us.’ I knew I had to move on it.” The place is perfect because Ozark Mountain already has an established relationship with Logboat. The food truck has parked at Logboat two days a week year-round since it opened in 2013. “And we’re also friends,” Maness says. “My crew and their crew like to hang out together. We’re going to be good neighbors.” In addition to being an entrepreneur and a chef, Maness is also a musician. He says he hopes the new location will allow for collaborations on music events among Logboat, Ozark Mountain and Rose Music Hall, all of which are situated in the same neighborhood.

OZARK MOUNTAIN BISCUIT & BAR 1204 Hinkson Ave. For updates about the restaurant, follow @ozark_biscuits on Instagram.

The Sooie Pig biscuit sandwich is already on the menu of the food truck, but (from left) Paddy Jernigan, Maria Seiffert and owner Bryan Maness are creating new dishes for the restaurant.

Maness got a loan for the restaurant through the Small Business Administration and used a portion of revenue from the food truck operation. The restaurant is slated to open this summer, and Maness says he is looking to fill 25 positions including chefs and servers. Maness designed the interior of the restaurant with accessibility and efficiency in mind. He was also conscious of the current health crisis and how it has changed the dining experience. Considering these realities, Maness made sure to install a high-efficiency compressed air system and included a 2,000-squarefoot patio that allows for outdoor dining. Paddy Jernigan, general manager of the food truck and back-of-house manager for the restaurant, is working with Maness to create the menu, which will include 15 to 20 Southern dishes. “One of the dishes we’re going to do is a barbecue shrimp dish, which is a popular dish you find out in New Orleans,” Jernigan says. The restaurant will also feature a cocktail bar and a to-go espresso counter. Half of the space is allotted for the kitchen, where food will be made for the company’s catering business, food truck operation and wholesale frozen take-and-bake biscuits, which are available at local grocers such as Hy-Vee and Clovers Natural Market. The new restaurant will offer a revamped menu with options that aren’t available at the food truck. Diners will be able to choose from fresh salads, shared plates and entrees. “The truck focuses on biscuit sandwiches,” Maness says. “And we know that’s not something that everyone wants to eat at all times.”

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

E AT AND DRINK BREWERIES

Brewmaster Josh Rein has worked with beer for over a decade. His latest project is Waves Cider Co.

JOSH IS A WIZARD. HE’S INCREDIBLY SKILLED AT WHAT HE DOES. – Judson Ball

Logboat co-founder

Missouri native makes Waves Beer is good, but what about cider? Josh Rein brews it all. BY NOAH ALCALA BACH

osh Rein’s journey to becoming a brewmaster started in a St. Louis garage in 2003. He was 19, and his friend Ru had just been given a home brewing kit. Ru was afraid to attempt it alone because he jokingly feared he “might go blind,” so Rein joined him. “We made a cream ale, and it wasn’t terrible — we kind of caught the bug,” Rein says. Growing up in St. Louis, Rein was influenced by the city’s rich history in beer. He described it as a “Budweiser town,” and noted that St. Louisans also flock to support local breweries. When looking for a professional job in the beer world, Rein met Paul Dickerson, the brewmaster at Broadway Brewery, in 2007 and gave him some home brew that he’d made. He stayed in touch with Dickerson and kept pushing for a job. Dickerson agreed to let him help build and open Broadway Brewery. Rein says Dickerson instilled a lot of confidence in him and was one of his biggest mentors. Rein stayed at

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

Broadway Brewery for a few years until a group of guys in a band with a business plan came to him in desperate need of a brewer. That group went on to found Logboat Brewing Co. “Josh is a wizard,” Logboat co-founder Judson Ball says. “I mean, if you want him to learn anything, you just give him a book. He’s incredibly skilled at what he does.” Rein spent almost two years crafting beer with the company and testing out batches in a co-founder’s garage. Construction began on Logboat’s brewery and taproom in April 2013, and Rein oversaw most of the brewery’s construction. “I designed the entire build, the entire production room at the brewery, all the brew houses, all the tanks, that whole workflow,” Rein says. “That was like the coolest thing ever.” Logboat opened its establishment in 2014. Over the past year, Rein has quietly shifted his focus to Waves Cider Co., Logboat’s new cider company, which opened its taproom’s doors in July 2020. Rein converted from brewing beer to

cider because, after more than 10 years of making beer, he says he wanted to work on something new and sought to make a beverage that met more people’s dietary restrictions. One of those people was Ball, who has a severe allergy to wheat and barley, meaning he can’t drink Logboat’s beer. “Now that we’re getting into cider, people can ask me about cider, and I can actually talk to them about our product and the flavors,” Ball says. “It’s pretty cool to share my own experiences with the beverage.” Ball describes Waves as a “separate entity” in relation to Logboat, but their ciders are also sold to go and on tap at Logboat’s taproom. Waves works with local farmers and started its own orchard of almost 90 trees. Waves works closely with local farmer Adam Saunders, who is helping start the orchard and form connections with local farmers. “He’s a wealth of knowledge on all things apples — the dude is just an apple head,” Ball says. Waves currently has a dry and semidry cider. It will also release a hibiscus tea cider and a mimosa themed cider by June. Rein says he is excited to get more involved with the ingredients going into his cider. “Growing apples and having to press apples makes it an agricultural product that’s a little bit more hands-on (than beer),” Rein says.

WAVES Waves Cider Co. sells two types of cider — dry and semi-dry. There are more specialty brews coming soon. 604 Nebraska Ave. Open Thurs.–Fri. 4–9 p.m. and Saturday 2–9 p.m.

Photography by Noah Alcala Bach

USE YOUR WATER WISELY P. 35

Whether you’re toting kids, swimsuits or a camera, one of these spots will make you a happy camper.

Camp one, camp all Looking to spend some time in the great outdoors this summer? Vox has what you need to know before you go. BY ELIZA BROOKS Missouri campsites present the perfect opportunity to step out from the daily routine — and a year of being cooped up — and spend a night under the stars in a tent (or in an RV, or in a cabin). “Being out there away from the draw of technology, away from TV and screens, it can be a good chance for family and friends just to bond,” says Dave Dittmer, a forester at the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department. Whether you’re looking for hiking, fishing or a place to bring the whole family, Vox gathered an array of campsites for your summer needs.

Illustrations by Madison Wisse

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

C I TY LIFE OUTDOORS

F O R T H E FA M

Cuivre River State Park, Lincoln County From swimming, boating and fishing on the 55-acre Lake Lincoln to hiking on the 12 established trails, this park has something for everyone in the family. When can you reserve? Book here yearround and up to 12 months in advance. Afraid of creepy-crawlies on the ground? No problem. You can pitch a tent on the platform decks at some campsites. What camping options are available? There are options ranging from basic campsites to sites equipped with sewage, electricity and water. What equipment will you need? Family campsites consist of camping pads, tables, grills and lantern posts. Bring food and water, shelter and any gear you need to enjoy the activities offered in the park. You can also rent kayaks and canoes on-site, which include paddles and life jackets. How long will you need to drive? About an hour and a half east of Columbia. Pine Ridge Recreation Area, Callaway County Nestled in the Mark Twain National Forest, this spot provides an opportune camping environment for the whole family. The recreation area doesn’t charge fees, but donations are accepted. When can you reserve? Campers can now show up for the summer season that started April 15, no reservations required. The recreation area is open to the public, but only campers are allowed there after 10 p.m. What camping options are available? Basic campsites can accommodate up to eight people and come with drinking water and vault bathrooms (think port-a-potty). For those who want a little more than your average tent and sleeping bag, RV camping for up to 34 feet is also available, with no hookups. What equipment will you need? With plenty of trails for hiking, campers should bring sturdy shoes, bug spray, tick repellent, sunscreen and plenty of water for those hot summer days. How long will you need to drive? Only about 30 minutes southeast of Columbia.

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SPLISH SPLASH

Long Branch State Park, Macon County Looking to get your feet wet? Head to this park where you can rent kayaks, paddleboards, knee boards and tubes at the Marina Store at hourly or daily rates. When can you reserve? Reservations are open year-round. What camping options are available? There are basic campsites with few amenities as well as campsites with sewage, electricity and water. What equipment will you need? Come with food and water, shelter, a first aid kit, sunscreen, a map of the area and ways to start a fire. Take note of the Leave No Trace ethics and be prepared for any weather. How long will you need to drive? A little over an hour north of Columbia. Bennett Spring State Park, Dallas County This area boasts not only a scenic view of historic mills and a peaceful valley, but also some of the best trout fishing in Missouri. The flowing water of Bennett Spring is a must-see. When can you reserve? Open campsites are available on a day-to-day basis. What camping options are available? Camping is available at five different sites throughout the park ranging from basic sites with electricity to other sites with sewage, electricity and water. What equipment will you need? The park offers both campgrounds and lodging. Lodging options include motel rooms, duplex cabins, individual cabins or remodeled four-plex units. The equipment you’ll need will depend on your lodging. Regardless of where you plan to spend your nights, come prepared with clothes

you don’t mind getting wet. How long will you need to drive? About two hours south of Columbia. GRAB YOUR CAMERAS!

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, Iron County Taum Sauk Mountain State Park’s view is unbeatable. Boasting the highest point in the state at 1,772 feet, the 7,500 acres are located in the St. Francois Mountains and offer miles of trails, including a portion of the Ozark Trail. When can you reserve? Campsites are available year-round on a first-come, first-served basis. What camping options are available? Only basic walk-in campsites are available, all without showerhouses or dump stations. What equipment will you need? Bring everything needed for hiking through the picturesque woods and rocky glades. How long will you need to drive? Three and a half hours southeast of Columbia. Arrow Rock State Historic Site, Saline County From June to October, Missouri’s oldest repertory theater performs plays and musicals on the grounds of this historic site. Complete with accessible fishing grounds, historic architecture and river trails, there is plenty to see and do. When can you reserve? Campsites are available year-round. What camping options are available? There are basic campsites, sites with and without electricity, sewage and water. What equipment will you need? Showers and water are available until October, so you’re covered for summer. How long will you need to drive? About 45 minutes northwest of Columbia. Illustrations by Madison Wisse

C I T Y LI FE GARDENING

uses plastic mulch while CCUA uses straw, but effective mulch can also be made out of wood chips, leaves or newspapers.

Smart water Tending a garden can use a lot of water, but it doesn’t have to. Here are five ways to conserve in your yard this summer.

Drip irrigation systems might cost more than a standard hose and sprinkler, but such systems are more water efficient and save on costs.

BY ROCHITA GHOSH

ne in nine people globally don’t have access to clean water, according to water.org — that’s 785 million individuals. By 2050, 3.8 million more are expected to be affected by the difference between the water used in their areas and the water available, according to a 2020 World Economic Forum report. Because of these alarming trends, water conservation is becoming increasingly vital. Conserving water helps protect against the effects of drought and lowers the risk of water shortages. Plus, it preserves the health of the rivers, bays and estuaries that supply certain areas, though Columbia draws water from underground. There are more reasons to conserve water than just environmental ones, says Carrie Hargrove, operations manager for the Columbia Center of Urban Agriculture. CCUA helps community members build and maintain their own gardens in a cost-effective way. “If you live in town, you’re paying a water bill every month,” Hargrove says. “Being water conscientious as a gardener makes a lot of sense financially because it makes your bills a little bit cheaper.”

Logistically, conserving water helps take the burden off of Columbia’s water system, says Matthew Nestor, a public information specialist for the city of Columbia Utilities Department. So, how can you create a water efficient garden? 1. Add compost Missouri’s soil is mostly clay, which can be hard on plant roots. Hargrove says adding composted materials such as fruit or vegetable scraps and leaves improves the texture and drainage of the soil so plants can better absorb water. Jim Thies, owner of The Veggie Patch, says one way their farm adds compost to the soil is with biodegradable materials, which naturally break down into the soil. “The product ends up back in the soil and over about a two- or three-year period breaks down near completely,” Thies says.

3. Upgrade your irrigation Thies uses a water-efficient drip irrigation system. Such systems water plants slowly through pipes or hoses located on or close to the ground, rather than giving a lot of moisture at once. They use less water than overhead pipe systems where some water is lost to the air. This type of system also allows Thies to control exactly how much water is used. “We deeply water when the season demands,” Thies says. “So that means that in July, August, we’re doing a lot of watering. April, May, we’re not doing too much.” Another option could be to reuse rain water. Nestor recommends making a rain barrel, collecting rain in a container and using it to water your garden. 4. Don’t water during midday Watering in the early evening is best, Hargrove says, and the Environmental Protection Agency recommends watering before 10 a.m. The important thing is to avoid harsh sunlight. Hargrove says both times work because the sun isn’t as intense, which keeps the evaporation low. It’s also important to check if the plants need water at all. The easiest way to do this is to stick your fingers in the dirt to see if it’s damp, Hargrove says. 5. Use native plants For garden flowers and shrubs, Nestor says native plants are best because they’re adapted to the rain and drought patterns of the area and require less additional watering. It helps to consciously think about what plants are planted where. Nestor says growing plants that need more water near drainage basins or at the bottom of a hill can help with water intake.

It’s best to water during the early morning or early evening. But be sure to avoid watering too close to sunset to prevent root rot.

2. Mulch the soil Covering soil with a layer of mulch can help prevent evaporation from the top layer of the ground, Hargrove says. Thies

Photography courtesy of Unsplash and Rochita Ghosh

35 VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

THANK YOU, COLUMBIA for an amazing 2021 Fest

CALENDAR

TO-DO LIST

Your curated guide of what to do in Columbia this month.

ARTS

Art in the Park The annual art festival has gone virtual this year to keep the spirit alive. All events are TBD for now, but check its social media accounts for announcements. June 5, virtual, facebook.com/artleague

First Fridays Walk around Columbia’s North Village Arts District during its monthly art crawl that features works of art, dining and entertainment. June 5, 6–9 p.m., downtown, free

Movies in the Park Enjoy a movie outdoors on an inflatable screen at Cosmopolitan Park. Grab a bite to eat at the food trucks or pack your own concessions for a fun evening under the stars. This month’s showing is Trolls World Tour. June 11,

with Mary Sandbothe, June 13, 2–4 p.m., $20, and pour painting with Wendy Yelton, June 27, 2–4 p.m., $20

CIVIC

Family Fun Fest: CoMo Bicentennial Birthday Bash

Celebrate Columbia’s 200th birthday with a party that has something for everyone in the family. Enjoy music and food trucks while kids participate in interactive activities. There’ll even be cake, because what’s a birthday party without cake? June 16, 5–8

classes include paper making

p.m., Cosmo Park, free

8:45 p.m., Cosmo Park, free

Columbia Art League Sunday sessions

Sisters Nya Scott, Camill Scott and Kaizeana Thompson accompanied their mother, Jacquelyn, to a previous year’s Juneteenth celebration.

Juneteenth Block Party Live music, lawn games, face painting and a program celebrating Juneteenth are all part of this free event commemorating the official end of slavery in the U.S. on June 19, 1865. June 19, 12–2 p.m., Douglass Park, free

U.S. ARMY CAREER CENTER 1305 Grindstone Pkwy #107 Columbia, MO 65201 (573) 303-7394

Photography by Ryan Berry/Archive

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

CALENDAR

outdoors as Columbiabased duo River and Rail provide the tunes, which range from original songs to covers of classics from artists such as Bill Withers and The Beatles. June 6, 5–8 p.m., The Station House at Katfish Katy’s, free, 445-8338

Karen Cottrell and her twin granddaughters, Hannah and Halleigh Kwon, wait for The Missouri Symphony to start at Hot Summer Nights.

FOOD

MUSIC

Drop by Cosmo or Cosmo-Bethel Park to grab some delicious food from one of Columbia’s food trucks. Only 100 people are allowed in the parks at once, attendees must wear masks and it’s recommended that one person per family pick up food for a group.

Head down to the riverfront to enjoy food, drinks and live music from duo Mercer and Johnson. Featuring mandolin and bass, their songs range from traditional ballads to modern indie rock. June 5,

June 2, 5–7 p.m., Cosmo Park and Cosmo-Bethel Park

Katfish Katy’s is back with live music. Enjoy a night

Food Trucks at the Park

Mercer and Johnson

5–8 p.m., Cooper’s Landing, free, 657-1299

River and Rail

Irreversible Entanglements

KOPN

Listen to a live set of rock, folk and Delta Bluesinspired music courtesy of The Flood Brothers and put on by Cooper’s Landing and Logboat. Bring your stomping boots to feel the rhythm and let loose down on the bank of the Missouri River. June 19, 5–8 p.m., Cooper’s Landing, free, 657-1299

Hailing from the East Coast, Irreversible Entanglements is a radical jazz quintet that draws inspiration from elements of Afrofuturism. This concert is the first of local arts nonprofit Dismal Niche’s Illuminations Summer Series of outdoor concerts from June through August. June 6, 7 p.m. doors; 8 p.m. show, Stephens Lake Park, $10–20, cargocollective. com/dismalniche

Diverse programming you can’t find anywhere else. It’s community radio!

The Flood Brothers

“Dads: The Everyday Superhero” The summertime Stephens Lake Amphitheater Concert Series kicks off with this special Father’s Day concert presented by The Missouri Symphony. An evening of outdoor music makes an easy gift for any orchestra-loving dad. June 20, 7 p.m., Stephens Lake Park, free

SHELTER PET & GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED PIANIST

Amazing stories start in shelters and rescues. Adopt today to start yours. KEYBOARD CAT 8M+ YouTube Views

89.5 FM live streaming at kopn.org 38

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021

Photography by Kelly Coleman/Archive

photo finish

TRUTH IN THE DARK PHOTOGRAPHY BY HILLARY TAN Kayla Myers prepares to host a pre-screening introduction from her car at the Holiday Inn Executive Center as part of the True/False Film Fest on May 6. Myers was one of the festival’s ringleaders and helped with film introductions along with hosting Q&A sessions with filmmakers. This year’s True/False saw the beloved festival presented like never before. With its many outdoor venues and options to screen films online, the festival saw about 7,450 people attend in person and about 2,050 attend online. And despite being down about 37,000 tickets from last year’s sales, True/False organizers consider the turnout a success for the organization and Columbia.

VOX MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021