Vox Magazine May 2022 Issue

THE VOICE OF COLUMBIA  MAY 2022

Work. Life.

Changed.

Employees are demanding better treatment­ — can workplaces keep up? PAGE 16

KOP(E)N HOUSE PAGE 5

TRUE CRIME ON TRIAL PAGE 22

FRESH AIR FEASTS PAGE 27

Save a life. Don’t Drive HoMe buzzeD. BUZZED DRIVING IS DRUNK DRIVING.

FROM THE EDITOR

TAKERS HAVE NO LIMITS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF COURTNEY PERRETT MANAGING EDITORS EVAN MUSIL, REBECCA NOEL DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR GRACE COOPER

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ONLINE EDITOR HANNAH GALLANT

wo years ago, I was on the precipice of graduating. The COVID-19 virus was traversing continents, leaving layers of destruction in its wake. Economies around the world were hanging by a thread. At home, Americans lost 22 million jobs in March and April of 2020 — more than during the Great Depression and Great Recession combined, according to reporting by The New York Times.

Underwhelmed by my career prospects at that point, I enrolled in a master’s program to avoid a job market designed for failure.

At orientation that fall, I was instructed to find a topic I cared enough about to spend two years researching. So, as is now customary pandemic behavior, I slipped into day pajamas, grabbed my laptop off my desk and hopped back into bed to hunt for inspiration.

From my cubbyhole of an apartment nestled in the Midwest, I read about people’s suffering: joblessness, houselessness, hopelessness.

All topped with the terror of falling sick. And the list of pandemic symptoms continued; the damage heightened with every positive case. I

shut my laptop for a mental health break, and that’s when it dawned on me: What’s the toll of making it through?

My research ever since has focused on how the pandemic has influenced rates of burnout among professional women. From unstable workflows to micromanagers and a culture that favors work over life, there is one steadfast trend across many industries: burnout. A 2021 study

by Gallup found that employees’ well-being and engagement are inextricably linked. This meant that as pandemic circumstances continued and got worse, burnout rates skyrocketed, causing harmful long-term symptoms.

This issue, Vox reporters spoke to Columbians in the workforce to learn how their professional identities have shifted since the pandemic (p. 16).

These stories distill the nuance of professionalism, workplace culture and redefining what it means to show up to work as your authentic self. These threads are woven together with the understanding that though we must all work in some shape or form, it doesn’t mean we can’t make those experiences healthy and fulfilling.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR MAKALAH HARDY ART DIRECTORS HEERAL PATEL, MOY ZHONG PHOTO EDITOR MADI WINFIELD MULTIMEDIA EDITOR ANNA KUTZ ASSOCIATE EDITORS CULTURE ALEXANDRA HUNT, ELIZABETH OKOSUN, JASHAYLA PETTIGREW, ABBEY TAUCHEN, MARISA WHITAKER EAT + DRINK ISABELLA FERRENTINO, ANNA ORTEGA, LAUREN STONE, NIKOL SLATINSKA CITY LIFE KELSY ARMSTRONG, JANAE MCKENZIE, ZOIA MORROW, CEY’NA SMITH, OLIVIA SHEEHY STAFF WRITERS JESSE BERLIN, KARLY BALSLEW, JOZIE CROUCH, JOSIE HEIMSOTH, JACEY JOHNSON, ADRIAN MADDOX, AMILEE NUZZO, SYNDNEY SCALIA, MIKAELA SCHLUETER, MAX SHAPIRO, JORDAN THORNSBERRY, AUSTIN WOODS EDITORIAL ASSISTANT BRADFORD SIWAK DESIGNER SHULEI JIANG ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITOR OLIVIA EVANS SOCIAL & AUDIENCE DOMINIC BOLT, EMMA DALKE, BRENNA ERWIN, DESTINY GARCIA, HAILEY KEENAN, BRYNN JANKOWSKI, MARIE MCMULLAN, CELA MIGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ATHENA FOLSERBRAZIL, ERIK GALICIA, JARED GENDRON, MALCIA GREENE, OLIVIA MAILLET, MELANIE OLIVIA, NATALIE SMITH, LUCY VALESKI, ABBY WHITE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR HEATHER ISHERWOOD EXECUTIVE EDITOR LAURA HECK

Courtney Perrett Editor-in-Chief

SENIOR EDITORS MADISON FLECK COOK, JENNIFER ROWE OFFICE MANAGER KIM TOWNLAIN

Behind the issue In my past year on Vox’s visuals team, I’ve seen simple ideas grow into aesthetically appealing stories. This process might seem like it happens quickly, but in reality, the art in every issue takes weeks to come together.

We spend time planning, scheduling, creating and troubleshooting. After that, we spend three weeks editing everything to ensure the right balance between words and visuals. This issue showcases how we can blend illustrations, collages, information graphics and photography to create the best, most user-friendly and fun reading experience. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee and let the pictures tell you a story. — Makalah Hardy

The artist brought her original illustration of this issue’s cover to life through color.

Photography courtesy of Courtney Perrett and illustrations by Shulei Jiang

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MAGAZINE Cover Design: Shueli Jiang VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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CULTURE 11

So chic boutique Feel fashion-forward with bohemian touches from owner Lauren Bailey.

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Kid-tested, artist-approved Kids discover creativity in classes with one-on-one attention.

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Listen up to local voices Discover new personalities with these three podcasts by Columbians.

EAT + DRINK FEATURES

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16

27

Going all out

Work life

Eat up these outdoor dining tips for gatherings big and small.

Unpack toxic workplaces and the problem with “professionalism.”

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World of mouth

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Travel the globe with Columbia’s international grocery stores.

Once upon a crime True-crime podcasts are taking over, but they come with real-life ramifications.

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IN THE LOOP

With a new grant, Root Cellar doing more to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers.

Regional Roots 36

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On the air, on the move

CITY LIFE

KOPN is moving from downtown to Bernadette Drive and playing a new tune in a more open space.

31

Behind the bubbles Don Jourdan’s heartfelt impact on Columbia blows people away.

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Growing strong Corrina Smith, Columbia Farmers Market executive director, is helping the market grow alongside its produce.

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Making a wheel difference 27

Here’s a bikers’ guide to the galaxy of Columbia cycling trails and resources.

Turning the page

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Local comic book shops Rock Bottom and Distant Planet continue the fight to stay open.

Period poverty Meet those working to end the disparities in access to period products.

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36

Talk with authors, attend a festival and channel your chakras with goats.

Don’t be color blind to these red flags.

Vox Picks

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VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

Swipe right on mindful dating Collage by Makalah Hardy, photography by Hunter Pendleton and Katie Kriz and illustrations by Heeral Patel

COMICS ROCK ON P. 8

AN UNFORGOATABLE EXPERIENCE P. 9

On the air, on the move Radio station KOPN relocates from its downtown home of 49 years to a space that’s more open to community.

BY KARLY BALSLEW

After two decades of heavy use, KOPN’s air table will soon support its last broadcast at 915 E. Broadway. The control board will be making the move with the station, but it will likely just gather dust in the new Bernadette Drive space.

Photography by Hunter Pendleton and George Whit Frey and courtesy of Unsplash

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

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IN TH E LOOP RADIO

Community radio station KOPN has resided on the second floor at 915 E. Broadway for almost five decades. The lease for its current space will be up in late June, and rather than continue renting, KOPN bought a new home on Bernadette Drive.

This move has been a decades-long dream for those at KOPN, and now the stars have aligned, says interim general manager Sarah Catlin.

Board President Linda Day was determined to locate a building as station members grew desperate for a new location. It took 18 months to find one.

“She got to the point where she was driving down the street and cold-calling places saying, ‘Hey, I got a radio station, and I like your building. Any chance you’d want to sell it?’ ” Catlin says.

The new space The Broadway location had steep stairs, which made it inaccessible for wheelchairs and difficult to navigate when carrying heavy equipment.

The new location is about 600 feet smaller than the Broadway space, but unlike the downtown space, there are no pillars or walls that need to be worked around. Kevin Shults, a nighttime programmer, says this will make it easier to hold meetings or host small concerts and other gatherings, which is something station staff really wanted to accomplish.

However, that means some of the album library must go. The Broadway space housed roughly 31,787 vinyl records and 31,912 CDs on towering shelves. Lutz says the collection has grown so much because of donations.

Part of the moving process is figuring out which CDs and records will make it to KOPN’s new home on Bernadette Drive.

Margot McMillen sifts through vinyl records, preparing for KOPN’s move after almost five decades at its Broadway location.

Staff and volunteers are leafing through every record and CD to decide what to take with them, says office manager Ally Lutz. She says part of the process is pulling out different CDs and records and deciding if they’re worth keeping based on quality or if they’re duplicates.

“I personally am enjoying going through some of the boxes just finding old news articles or seeing the names of people and their stories that previously worked or volunteered at the station,” Catlin says. “It’s been really interesting to learn more of the history.”

For the records and CDs it’s not keeping, KOPN is considering a record sale. These sales double as a way to meet new programmers and interact with the community, Catlin says. But even with the downsizing of the music collection, volunteers must make the most of the wall space offered in the new building.

“It’s time to just take a hard look at what we’ve got and make sure we’re keeping what we want and not keeping things that aren’t ever going to be played,” Catlin says.

On the sound waves Even though KOPN will no longer be at the heart of downtown, a bus route

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VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

is nearby. Because KOPN stands for K Open and is intended to be accessible for everyone, Catlin says, “It’s hard to serve everyone in the community when a good portion of them cannot make it to your facility.”

Representation is important to KOPN, whether that is people being able to access its facility or representing its listeners. Catlin says KOPN’s mission is to amplify voices that aren’t always included in traditional media outlets.“We try to incorporate and represent as much of the underserved populations we can, and we have several programs that do that,” Shults says.

KOPN hosts mid-Missouri’s only Spanish-speaking program, El Festival del Pollo, and has a variety of women-led programs. Shults’ weekly program Time Machine plays 1960s songs, radio clips and commercials.

This move may be the start of a new era for KOPN, but serving and bringing the community together is something that will never change.

“We’re kind of like a bunch of rowdy kids that got a hold of the radio station,” Shults says. “My program is just one little thread in this big tapestry of community radio for Columbia.”

Photography by Hunter Pendleton

I N T HE LO O P Q&A

Garden fresh and growing strong

Can you tell us more about the Wednesday market that begins May 25?

Every week, we’ll have live music and free kids’ activities. The plan is to offer a similar environment as the Saturday market, just with some more food options where people can come and get dinner and enjoy a nice evening at the Agriculture Park.

Corrina Smith shares her roots and her vision for future Columbia farmers.

BY ERIK GALICIA

G

rowing up gardening with her mother in Missouri’s countryside and spending 15 years in the restaurant industry, Corrina Smith embodies Columbia Farmers Market’s commitment to fresh, local food.

The 42-year-old market has been extra successful with Smith in the executive director role, which includes recognition as the nation’s No. 1 People’s Choice Farmers Market in 2021.

Then in March, the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded the market a $1.3 million grant to provide cover for the 58 stalls outside the MU Health Care Pavilion. “A year from now, if all goes as planned, everybody will be under one roof,” Smith says.

Construction is not the only thing in the farmers market’s future. From May 25 to Sept. 14, a new market will open on Wednesday evenings, with a Columbia Parks and Recreation food truck roundup every second and fourth Wednesday.

Smith predicts another prosperous year and she hasn’t lost sight of her commitment to farmers. “I’m passionate about helping them make a living and helping our community get access to this amazing food,” Smith says.

Vox spoke to Smith for our Vox Voice podcast in December 2021. What follows is condensed from that episode.

What put you on the path to running the farmers market?

My parents, especially my mother, is kind of what started my love ­— and maybe as a child, hate — for food. I grew up in rural Missouri. My mom fed me and my three sisters from her backyard farm. I vividly remember picking green beans as a kid and canning salsa, always helping her in the garden or in the kitchen, so that’s where my love for Photography by Regan Mertz

food really started. … I moved to New Orleans in 2015, I think, and that’s when I kind of became an adult. I was no longer rebelling against the way my mom raised me. I started to really appreciate and understand what healthy eating really was and what it meant. ... I started shopping at the Crescent City Farmers Market down there. That’s when I really fell in love with farmers markets.

By 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, Corrina Smith is matching the energy of the market vendors. “Go, go, go, go,” she says.

“All morning.”

What are your long-term hopes for the farmers market?

There’s a very high age average for farmers. As we start seeing a lot of our current vendors retire, there’s going to be a need for new and beginning farmers. We want to be a space that helps cultivate that community.

Check out Vox Voice Episode 15 for more on Smith’s journey.

What are the qualities that help you do your job well?

Being the oldest sister. I think I’m pretty great at directing people and managing people. That is something I do on a regular basis. I’m also really passionate about it. I think that passion comes through with the work that I do for the market. Also, being very organized, waiting tables for so many years. Anybody that’s waited tables knows that you have to juggle a gazillion different things at one time. That’s kind of the same thing with this job. There’s never two Saturdays that are the same.

Last year, according to the Missourian, the market’s sales topped $3.3 million, and the number of visitors nearly doubled. What do you expect this year?

I anticipate that we will break last year’s records.

Last year, we were still under restrictions through May. So, to have a full — knock on wood — normal year, I’m really excited to see growth that we, hopefully, will experience this year. Something we noticed this winter was how successful our winter market was. … Every year, it grows a little.

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IN TH E LOOP COMIC BOOKS

Turning the page The city’s comic book community bounced back after pandemic struggles, thanks to loyal locals and the annual Free Comic Book Day event.

BY AUSTIN WOODS

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ohn Evans was closing up shop on a cool Saturday night in March when he overheard a group of college-aged passersby. “Rock Bottom Comics?” one of them exclaimed, unaware that the store’s owner was right around the corner. “No way! What are their hours?” Evans’ ears perked up.

Revealing himself from the shadows, he said to the group, “Well, their hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.”

Their reaction? They kept walking.

“I scared them,” Evans says. “They probably thought I was a crazy person.” Not that this matters to him. As long as more people know the shop exists at 1013 E. Walnut St., he’s happy. And with Free Comic Book Day approaching on May

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VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

7, he’s expecting a flurry of customers.

On one hand, he’s excited to have more business. But as the store’s sole employee, Evans is also feeling nervous.

The annual event, which has been celebrated around the world since 2002, is organized by Diamond Comic Distributors and allows customers to walk away from participating shop locations with at least one free comic book. Evans estimates the store welcomed 250 visitors on Free Comic Book Day 2021 and expects 350 to 400 this year. This will be Evans’ first time hosting the event on its usual date, the first Saturday in May, as it was pushed to August in 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns after being canceled completely in 2020.

A new chapter Evans, a longtime Rock Bottom customer, purchased the shop in early 2020, following the death of former manager and owner James Cagle. His passing was a major blow not just to Evans, a good friend of Cagle’s, but to the city’s comic book community at large. Shortly after the change in management, the pandemic hit.

Evans kept Rock Bottom afloat during the lockdown by delivering comics and allowing curbside pickup. Still,

Rock Bottom Comics manager John Evans grades comic books to assess their economic value (above). For the first Free Comic Book Day in 2002, more than 2 million comic books were given away globally.

Photography by Zachary Linhares

I N T HE LO O P COMIC BOOKS

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

with low foot traffic, the store wasn’t making as much money as usual in May and June 2020. Business improved as restrictions lifted, and sales have since increased by 50% from pre-pandemic levels. Evans attributes this to two things: his adjustments to the business model (before he stepped in, the shop had more than one employee) and the support of loyal customers.

When is it?

May 7. The event is traditionally the first Saturday in May. They’re really free?

Yes. Shops will be giving away special comics for the day. Each year, the comics offered change.

How many comics can you get?

Visitors are guaranteed at least one free comic book; however, Rock Bottom is offering visitors up to five this year.

207 S. 9TH ST. IN DOWNTOWN COMO COLUMBIAARTLEAGUE.ORG Photography by Zachary Linhares

David Beasley has been a regular of Rock Bottom since 1998, when he started traveling to the store from his hometown of Mexico, Missouri. Beasley made an effort to support the shop throughout the pandemic by coming in and purchasing comics weekly after lockdown. “This has been my biggest hobby since I was 13 years old,” he says.

“I’m not letting Rock Bottom go without a fight.”

Band of readers Distant Planet Comics & Collectibles experienced similar hardships in 2020. Co-owner Brandy Cross and her teammates kept the shop at 601 Business Loop 70 W. closed even after the lockdown ended, instead focusing on curbside pickup, deliveries and private shopping appointments. Still, business was lackluster. The shop pulled in about a quarter of its usual revenue by the end of the year. But by 2021, the store’s luck turned, and Distant Planet recorded its best year yet.

The shop’s recovery wouldn’t have been possible without community support. Cross says her customers were eager to put money into local businesses last year, often banding together to do so. For instance, if a subscribing customer got sick or experienced other COVID-related problems, other customers would donate money to help keep their subscription box open.

Cross and her teammates are still planning for this year’s Free Comic Book Day. In 2021, Distant Planet offered free releases but didn’t hold any special events. In previous years, they’ve hosted food trucks, giveaways and a cosplay contest. Cross is considering bringing back some of these festivities with COVID-19 protocol in mind.

Regardless of how the event is held, Cross anticipates a high turnout and continued success for the rest of 2022.

“Customers are looking forward to having something normal back,” she says.

“It’s going to be so nice to just be there with other people.”

For art that fits your vibe VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

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IN TH E LOOP VOX PICKS

Vox Picks for

MAY 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.

Relax…

With yoga that will get your goat. Looking for a new experience?

Goat Yoga of MO combines yoga with natural farm scenery and sweet goats. No yoga experience is needed for this part-yogaand-part-animal-assisted therapy. Not a b-a-a-a-d way to relieve stress, right? Depending on the weather, classes will be held near a pond or in a barn. Check a memorable event off your bucket list that will leave you saying, “Bahmaste.” Goat Yoga of MO, 11805 E. Judy School Road, May 1, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2–3:30 p.m., $35; Serenity Valley Winery, 1888 County Route 342, Fulton, May 20, 6–7:30 p.m., $35, fouroaksfarm.info/ goat-yoga

BY CEY’NA SMITH

Join….

The conversation with bestselling authors Sarah McCoy and Jane Green to celebrate the release of McCoy’s most recent book Mustique Island.

The adult historical fiction novel releases May 10. Set in the 1970s, the story is about a rich divorcee and her two wayward daughters who visit Mustique Island in the Caribbean. As the most private island in the world, Mustique is known for hiding scandals among the wealthy and privileged. Get the first scoop on the book before it comes out and enjoy an entertaining conversation with the author. Preorder the book from Skylark Bookshop in-store or online to receive a ticket. Virtual, May 9, 6–7:30 p.m., $28, tickets available at Skylark Bookshop, 22 Ninth St., shop.skylarkbookshop.com

Chug….

A beer at the 2022 Missouri Beer Festival at Cooper’s Landing. The 12th annual celebration will be expanding its festival zone and doubling its shuttles. Local businesses such as Macadoodles, Scheppers Distributing and Flat Branch Home Loans are sponsoring the festival, and donations can be made to The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri. Hang out and enjoy live music, food trucks and, of course, craft beer from 11 brewers on the banks of the Missouri River. Cooper’s Landing Riverside Resort & Marina, 11505 Smith Hatchery Road, May 21, 1–5 p.m., $30, missouribeerfestival.com

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VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

Celebrate…

Asian American and Pacific Islanders’ heritage at Rose Park for the inaugural Lotus in Bloom festival. Rose Music Hall, The Blue Note and the MU Asian American Association are partnering to highlight and embrace the music, art and foods of various cultures in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. There will be local food vendors, drink specials, sake tasting and an origami station.

Music will be performed by DJ Seoul Train, Tri-County Liquidators and Drona. Fifty percent of ticket proceeds will go directly to City of Refuge. Celebrate and immerse yourself in AAPI culture from Columbia at the new all-day festival.

Rose Park, 1013 Park Ave., May 7, noon, $10, rosemusichall.com/event

Sip…

A coffee from Acola Coffee Company, previously known as Three Story Coffee. The coffee shop is now operating under a new management, husband-wife duo Nick and Autum McKague. Acola Coffee Company has renovated and doubled its space with rooftop outdoor seating in the North Village Arts District, and it still serves the same coffee the community enjoys. Acola Coffee Company, 300 N. Tenth St., 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, acolacoffee.com

Photography by George Whit Frey and Makalah Hardy

A IS FOR ART CLASS P. 13

COMO CHATTER P. 15

So chic boutique Bailey & Blush Boutique brings the owner’s personal style to Broadway.

BY MAX SHAPIRO

Lauren Bailey, owner of Bailey & Blush Boutique, models the store’s Dana Sweater dress.

Photography by Hunter Pendleton and courtesy of Lauren Bailey and Unsplash

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

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CULTURE FASHION

When customers enter the boutique, they’re met by a clothing rack with plenty of cozy yet stylish pieces to choose from.

Lauren Bailey always knew that if she were going to open a store in Columbia, it would be on either Broadway or Ninth Street. “I’d tell my parents every single time we came down here this is the block I want to be on,” Bailey says. “I don’t know what it is, but this is my dream block.”

Her women’s clothing shop, Bailey & Blush Boutique, began in April 2020 as an online retailer that she operated out of her parents’ loft. However, converting the business into a physical storefront was always her end goal. “I am a people person,” she says. “I love interacting with customers and styling and all of that kind of stuff.”

In August 2021, she started viewing as many spaces as she could find in both Columbia and St. Louis, but none were a good fit. However, one November weekend, Bailey’s parents visited Columbia for an MU football game. On a whim, they took a stroll through town, and that’s when they saw it: a “For Rent” sign on 913 E. Broadway, a building on the block their daughter had talked about so many times.

Bailey’s father, David, is typically “Mr. Conservative” — a man so riskaverse, Bailey says, that “it takes him two years to decide to buy a car.” But even he had no doubts about this space. “It was about the best opportunity I saw for her

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VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

to be successful,” he says. “We decided this was it, and now was the time.”

A deal was closed with the property owners within just three days. And by March 12, the doors were open.

Bailey, who grew up in Lake St. Louis, has harbored a lifelong love for fashion that she feels she inherited from her mother’s side of her family. “I grew up in a very chic family,” she says. “They all are so fashionable in their own ways, and I think that truly just projected onto me.”

She has always preferred shopping at small boutiques and has bought most of her favorite clothing items from such businesses around the world while traveling with her family. At the same time, Bailey believes she got her entrepreneurial gene from her father who runs a law firm.

She graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2019 with a degree in fashion consumer studies and a minor in entrepreneurship.

When it came to opening her business, she had a gut feeling that called her to Columbia. To her, the city has more to offer than being a college town.

She enjoys its small-town feel and evergrowing network of local businesses. “It was just something different that I could not find in St. Louis,” Bailey says.

Bailey & Blush Boutique carries clothing that is bought wholesale from

Remi Levinson, a close friend of owner Lauren Bailey, often models new pieces in the boutique.

BAILEY & BLUSH BOUTIQUE 913 E. Broadway, Wed.–Sat. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday noon–4 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday, 442-3939

vendors in the fashion district of Los Angeles, California. Bailey looks at the tags of items she’s bought from stores years ago and sees if she can find them online in great quality.

The store’s inventory largely reflects Bailey’s own personal style, which she describes as “slightly conservative” but also “chic and boho.” The flowy, loose-fitting nature of many of the garments makes them accessible to people of varied ages and body types.

“It fits a range of people and a range of tastes,” says Sofie Winter, a close friend of Bailey’s who models clothing for her.

When it comes to business, Bailey understands the importance of catering to her clientele. “I go outside of my comfort zone because there are things that everybody loves that I probably don’t love, that wouldn’t look great on me, and that’s completely fine,” she says.

Photography courtesy of Lauren Bailey

C U LT U RE ART

Kid tested, artist approved Through art history, ceramics, painting and crafts, Art Underground gives young artists in Columbia a place to thrive and express themselves.

BY MIKAELA SCHLUETER

I

n the basement of 1000 E. Walnut St., Wendi Jensen seeks to facilitate an environment where creative children can thrive. The appropriately named Art Underground opened in 2014, and it serves kids in kindergarten through 12th grade. At the afternoon art school, students are celebrated as artists and taught the power that art holds. “I want them to see how awesome it is that they have this gift and that they can use this gift for good and to help others,” Jensen says.

Before opening Art Underground, Jensen worked for 10 years as a public school art teacher in Excelsior Springs, where her art supply budget was $1.25 per student per year. Her classes had 20 to 30 children, which made it difficult to connect directly with each student.

“I always felt like I couldn’t reach those kids that were really, really good at art, who really wanted to be there,” she says.

One day, Jensen was approached by a friend who asked if she would give her daughter art lessons. She began teaching Photography by Hunter Pendleton

three kids, and by the end of the semester, she had 10. “I was like, I wonder if I could do this as a business?” Jensen says.

What started with three students meeting in Jensen’s attic grew into a business that serves over 100 children.

Art Underground classes meet once a week for one hour and are capped at eight kids in order to dedicate one-onone attention to individual students. The school consists of three classrooms, four teachers who are certified art instructors and 10 interns. During the classes, the kids are furthering their natural artistic abilities. Jensen says they show the students how their love for art can translate into a career path one day. “(We) give them a chance to experience a lot of different art mediums and things that might be harder to do in a bigger classroom,” says instructor Michelle Mozingo. Art Underground student Adilynn Dixon, age 10, says she loves being able to use paint during class, as this messy medium isn’t allowed at home.

Michelle Mozingo teaches students during an afternoon class. Students at Art Underground learn about various artists and their mediums. During this unit, students have been focusing on the art and life of Vincent Van Gogh.

Students get handson experience with various art tools and mediums.

ART CLASSES

Art Underground offers classes for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Classes during the school year cost $80 per month for four classes, and 18 classes are currently offered per week. Summer camps cost $135 for one week, which includes four classes and 10 hours of instruction. For more information, go to its website or call Wendi Jensen at 355-2255.

Lauren Tyler is the clay instructor, and she guides kids through the process of creating ceramics. The clay department was added a year and a half ago, and now students can learn wheel-throwing and hand-building with clay, the process of kilning, how to paint and glaze their work and more. One of Tyler’s students, Allison Briscoe, was excited to discuss ceramics art. “Your work kind of comes to life,” says Briscoe, age 8.

Each month, the classes focus on a different artist. Students get an in-depth look at the artist’s life, work and style, and they learn how their lives might have affected their art. Once they learn the history, the students make projects with the artist’s mediums and techniques.

During the summer, Art Underground puts on weeklong art camps for K-12 students. The camp themes are inspired by what the teachers would have been interested in at a young age, such as clay, urban sketching, printmaking, Vincent Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo.

There is a camp titled “Your Grandma’s Art Camp,” where third grade through eighth grade students will learn the arts of embroidery, paper-making, felting and weaving. Mozingo loved treehouses as a child and will be instructing a camp called “Gnome Homes and Fairy Houses,” and Jensen will be teaching about the style of her childhood icon, Bob Ross.

“I feel some connectedness to my childhood self in the fact that I’ve created something that I would have loved,” Jensen says.

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CULTURE PODCASTS

Listen up to local voices Looking for a new podcast? These three Columbia-produced shows delve into culture, college life, growing pains and POC success stories.

BY JORDAN THORNSBERRY

A

lmost 30% of the U.S. population listens to podcasts every week, which is an increase of 17% since 2020 according to The New York Times. Podcasts are easy to listen to and have become a preferred way to learn new things, stay up to date on news and trends and find inspiration. For some, tuning in is a daily ritual. But if you are new to the podcast scene, CASE Underground, Different States of Mind and On The Rocks are three shows hosted in Columbia to start with. Get your devices ready to press play, tune in and hit subscribe.

CASE Underground — Hosted by Braiden Wade and Christian McDonald A spin-off podcast of On the CASE, CASE Underground highlights the stories of Black, Indigenous and people of color who are successful in their fields.

The inspiration for CASE Underground happened when MU sophomore Braiden Wade came to campus in 2020 looking

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for a new project. “I was hearing a lot of people’s stories,” he says. “I wanted something that can better portray Black people or people of color in a better light and help inspire other people.”

Since September, Wade and his cohost, MU junior Christian McDonald, have been finding and interviewing community members who have stories of success and have overcome hardships. The hosts talk to people in different fields — including science and the arts — and Wade hopes to interview an athlete in upcoming months.

“The whole point of CASE Underground is that we’re bringing light to people who you wouldn’t know their story just from seeing what they do,” Wade says.

Listen on: Audible, Spotify and Apple Podcasts Type of show: Society and culture Start here: Episode 2, “National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) President Janell Mason” Average listening time: 30-50 minutes

Katie Athey and Cara Brown discuss college student life on Different States of Mind.

Braiden Wade and Christian McDonald host CASE Underground, where they highlight successful people of color.

Different States of Mind — Hosted by Katie Athey and Cara Brown Described as a little bit of everything, Different States of Mind has been hosted by 20-year-old Katie Athey and 21-yearold Cara Brown since November 2020.

The title of the podcast embraces the home states of Athey, who is from Maryland, and Brown, who is from Missouri.

“Being from different places and having different upbringings made us different,” Brown says. “We had different thoughts and views on things, so we wanted to dive into that.”

The two started the podcast looking for a creative outlet when the pandemic sent them home from school in 2020. “We were like, ‘we have to do something,’ just to feel like we’re being productive,” Brown says.

Topics vary widely, including pop culture, sports and what it is like being a college student in Columbia. Athey describes the podcast as “a little chaotic but a good time.”

Listen on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts New episodes every: Friday Type of show: Comedy Start here: Episode 18, “Hometowns” Average listening time: 45-60 minutes

Collages by Moy Zhong and photography courtesy of Katie Athey, Christian McDonald and Braiden Wade

C U LT U RE

On The Rocks with Ron’Zena — Hosted

by Ron’Zena Hill Columbia native Ron’Zena Hill began podcasting in 2020 at 23 years old. Now 25, Hill has reshaped her show and is ready to give advice about how to navigate your 20s and openly talk about the struggles many face during those years.

The show’s motto “the good, the bad, and the sometimes drunkly that comes with growing up,” is the perfect description of what listeners can expect from On The Rocks twice a week.

At first, Hill wanted it to be what she calls a party podcast — a place where she could reminisce about fun pre-pandemic memories with her friends. As lockdown progressed in spring 2020, Hill realized she was disconnected from her show’s message and decided to shift directions.

“I realized that it only showed one side of me, and there are so many sides of who I am,” Hill says.

After about eight months of reflection, Hill was ready to jump back into producing content. Hill began reaching out to bars around town looking for a

place to record her show. On The Rocks bar responded — and with matching names, it was a perfect pair. “Life can be on the rocks, or you can enjoy your life with a drink on the rocks,” Hill says. In the future, Hill hopes to have a signature drink at the bar for her podcast — a classic lime margarita with salt on the rim to be exact.

“I’ve realized there is so much power in being transparent about your journey,” Hill says when talking about how the internet and social media re-

TICKETS ON SALE MAY 9

VISIT: the

Collages by Moy Zhong and photography courtesy of Ron’Zena Hill

On The Rocks with Ron’Zena Hill openly discusses the defining moments and struggles of being in your 20s.

.org

flects her life. Being honest about the struggles people face in their 20s is at the forefront of On The Rocks, and it creates a safe and open space to have these conversations.

Listen on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts New episodes every: Tuesday and Friday Type of show: Comedy and lifestyle Start with: Episode 1, “The Reality of Being 25 — Quarter-Life Crisis, Finding Ones’ Purpose and Redefining Success” Average listening time: 40 minutes

CALL: (573) 882-3781 VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

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Work life

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Workplaces change as employees demand the ability to get the job done while being authentic to themselves.

Photography by Photographer Name

g an i Ji ule Sh by at ed str Illu Photography by Photographer Name

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Leave behind the suit and tie For centuries, professionalism was defined by white men. As workplace culture shifts, this barrier is slowly dissolving.

BY KARLY BALSLEW

W

hen you hear the word professionalism, what is the first thing that comes to mind? A suit and tie? A firm handshake? No visible tattoos and piercings?

“Professionalism is a part of your personal branding,” says career specialist Sydney Thomas. “It’s how you represent yourself and how you want to be remembered.”

But behind the uncomfortable fabric of business professional attire and corporate jargon are decades of barriers that

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More employers are realizing appearances don’t matter when hiring new employees.

“Nowadays we’re not focused anymore on tattoos, piercings and hair color,” career specialist Sydney Thomas says. “They aren’t really a thing that is detracting from that sense of professionalism.”

have prevented minority groups from flourishing in the workplace.

Defined by privilege The ways people interact and communicate in the workplace are essential characteristics when defining professionalism.

Attire and appearances also play a large role in how employers view employees.

According to the Stanford Social Innovation Review in 2019, professionalism is heavily defined by white supremacist culture. Throughout history, that culture created privilege for white people and discriminated against people of color in ways that are “related to dress, speech, work style and timeliness.”

Minority groups have long been discriminated against in the workplace for their hair, clothing, ethnicity, sexuality and other cultural identifiers. A 2021 Gallup poll found that 24% of Black and Hispanic employees reported experiencing discrimination at work in the past 12 months. People of color engage in code-switching, or changing the way they present themselves to others, to gain social acceptance, according to the online education subscription platform MasterClass. People in the LGBTQ community change their behaviors so they can “pass” as straight.

All of these compromises compel people to spend time and energy on monitoring, filtering and presenting an artificial image of themselves. Privileged groups — such as white people, straight people and men — don’t have to expend that energy.

Yet, the definition of professionalism is slowly changing. The social contract around the workplace was broken during the pandemic because people no longer had to dress up while working at home. Alongside the Black Lives Matter movement, recent social change has left the door open for people to define what it means to be a professional person in new ways — ways that aren’t limited to apperance.

“I think there is a cultural shift and awareness happening right now,” Thomas says. “I see it across the board.”

Incorporating diversity Companies are making efforts to include aspects of inclusion, diversity and equity into the framework of their values, says Lindsay Hing, the assistant director of Business Career Services at MU. She says employers are encouraging affinity groups, which are groups who share a common interest or goal and allow employees to connect with like-minded individuals.

“Not only are they trying to create a more diverse candidate pool, but then when (new employees) get there, these affinity groups are there for them to feel more welcomed and that they have a voice,” Hing says.

Director of Culture at Veterans United Ian Franz says the organization encourages employees to personally and culturally express themselves by not having a dress code. “We want them to be able to bring their genuine, authentic selves to work,” Franz says. “If that means you’re wearing gym shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, that’s OK.” Inclusivity at work Thomas says blue-collar jobs are also making a shift toward inclusivity by hiring more woman in male-dominated areas.

Companies are forming inclusion councils to lead DEI engagement, and some are accommodating employee needs through efforts such as meditation or prayer rooms.

Not all companies are implementing inclusivity, but Thomas encourages prospective employees to be selective and choose the job that will create the best environment for them.

“Don’t be afraid to be who you are, Thomas says. “If the job is not aligning with that, there will be other places that will align for you.”

during the coronavirus pandemic, which they already struggled with before. Mayo Clinic defines it as a “state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” Margaret Duffy, executive director of the Novak Leadership Institute at MU, says one of the most prominent psychological effects is feeling hopeless, which is often exacerbated by a lack of appreciation in the workplace.

Don’t you know that it’s toxic?

Workers across the U.S. are leaving their jobs because of toxic workplace cultures. It might be time to consider a change of your own.

BY AUSTIN WOODS

I

f you’re itching to leave your job in 2022, you’re not alone. CNBC reports that the “Great Resignation,” during which workers across the country quit their jobs en masse, has continued this year with nearly 4.4 million people leaving their jobs in February.

The Great Resignation’s beginnings are up for debate. Yahoo reports that it started in early 2021, while Harvard Business Review argues it’s a longterm trend from before the pandemic.

Its causes are many, but according to a report from the MIT Sloan School of Management, toxic work culture is one of the culprits.

Bailey Pyle, a clinical provider at Be Well Community, an arm of Burrell Behavioral Health that focuses on selfcare and organizational health, says toxic work environments can put our brains into a survival state, creating exhaustion and stress, which affects our productiv-

ity. If you suspect you might be in such a workplace, then it might be time to make a change. Here are five signs a workplace is toxic.

Hustle culture The mentality that one must work an excessive amount to achieve professional goals is hustle culture. A 2020 study by FlexJobs and Mental Health America reported that 37% of people were working longer hours, and for 76% of respondents, work-related stress was affecting their mental health, leading to depression and anxiety. Farnen says that even though there isn’t an exact measure for someone’s work hustle, this is a common form of toxic work culture.

Widespread burnout According to a 2021 survey conducted

by Indeed, 59% of millennials and 58% of Generation Z said they felt burnout

Career specialists and experts recommend that employees take time for themselves amid the chaos of a workplace. “It’s important that the individual does some assessment of how they’re doing, and what they need to do to protect their physical and mental health,” says Margaret Duffy of the Novak Leadership Institute. “That might mean finding a different job.”

Cliques and in-groups Pyle says that inner circles put aside human’s innate need for connection. According to academic publisher Frontiers, when we feel excluded, some of the same areas of the brain are activated as when we feel physical pain. “How well would you perform if you showed up to work with a broken leg?” Pyle says. “Exclusion does the same thing to our brains.”

Lack of transparency Glassdoor defines transparency as a “philosophy of sharing information freely in an effort to benefit the organization and its people.” Farnen believes transparency is important because it ensures equity and helps prevent pay disparities while building trust between management and employees. Pay transparency is especially important to young workers. A 2021 report from Beqom suggested that 70% of Generation Z employees would consider switching jobs for more pay transparency.

Coping with stressors When employees come to work but don’t function as well as usual due to illness, injury, stress or disengagement, that’s presenteeism. It often occurs when workers feel like they can’t take time off. Remote work makes this even more complicated. “A lot of the time it’s better to take the day off,” Pyle says.

Since a change in work culture can only come from management, it’s often difficult for employees to cope with these stressors. Indeed recommends strategies like finding a support group, meditating and avoiding workplace gossip. But Duffy says that sometimes the solution is to simply leave.

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Forming a (more perfect) union As Daniel Boone Regional Library Workers United begin to unionize, learn how a union comes to be, from start to finish.

BY REBECCA NOEL

D

aniel Boone Regional Library made headlines in February when 160 of its workers declared their intentions to unionize. It was a public demand for fair pay, health care and increased benefits for all library workers. In the wake of several high-profile unionization efforts and skyrocketing living costs, the tide might be turning in the workforce. “Everyone deserves to ask for better, especially with the record inflation we’re experiencing now,” says Dakota Hommes, DBRL Workers United member and a library assistant. “Forming a union is a way to make positive changes for you and your co-workers.” But what does it take to actually form a union? Vox decided to find out what that process looks like, step by step.

Talking the talk The process relies upon conversation.

“Once you’re thinking about joining a union, you’re already starting the process,” says Tori Patrick, a library lead and member of DBRL Workers United. “It starts by talking to your trusted co-workers.” It requires transparency and communication among colleagues about wages, benefits and more.

For DBRL Workers United, these conversations centered on equity and making waves throughout Missouri, where it would be the first active library union. “We want a more equitable workplace for all,” Patrick says. “But we also want not only to form our own union but to empower library workers across the state to do the same.”

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Forming a committee The process becomes official when employees form an organizing committee typically composed of about 10% to 15% of the workforce, including employees with diverse backgrounds and experiences who gauge interest in unionization. They ask questions such as: What are the primary concerns?

Whom do they affect? Are workers willing and able to band together? If there’s widespread interest in unionizing, workers publicize their efforts.

This is also when employees can expect a reaction from their employer, which often is negative.

Hommes, an outspoken proponent of DBRL Workers United since its inception, says the union has faced threats and interference from the library director. “People were told they could get in trouble for having the wrong kind of discussions at work,” Hommes says.

“Some of us who are more visible have also been singled out in all-staff emails.”

Taking a vote Workers indicate that they want to be represented by signing union cards, defined as an index card or petition that employees sign to authorize a union to negotiate employment terms on their behalf. If over 50% of employees sign cards, the employer can recognize the union without an election. If not, all workers vote on whether they want to unionize.

Many employers try dissuading employees from voting to unionize with several union-busting tactics, such as temporary improvements to the workplace to convince workers a union isn’t necessary. Some companies hire consultants to combat unionization efforts.

DBRL Workers United has maintained a united front since it filed for an election on March 28. “From co-workers joining the campaign to community support, there’s been an outpouring of encouragement that is more than I could have ever anticipated,” Patrick says. “So many of my coworkers work diligently and collaboratively to make this happen.”

Maintaining the mission Let’s say a workplace has voted to unionize. What now? First, employees elect a bargaining team to negotiate with the board of their employer or a team selected by management. Both teams draw up a contract for employees to vote on.

Once the contract is approved, workers select leaders and form committees to continue collaboration and communication within their work community.

The contracts usually last one to three years, after which workers form a new bargaining committee and build upon the original contract.

The entire process takes anywhere from a few months to over a year depending on the employer’s reaction and how interconnected employees are. In DBRL United’s case, the process has moved quickly due to commitment and solidarity among workers. “I’ve learned that we all have a lot of power when we get organized and stand together,” Hommes says.

Rise against the grind Many people are embracing mid-career changes to find better balance.

BY JOCELYN HEIMSOTH

A

n choring for KOMU in the mornings and teaching at the MU Journalism School was Meg Judy’s routine for the last 20 years.

When her friend, Amy Susán, offered her an opportunity on the Equipment Share team, she decided “it was time for a change,” and hit snooze on her 1:45 a.m. alarm. Today, she’s the deputy director of public relations and communications at Equipment Share, a technology-based company renting tools and heavy machinery.

Judy didn’t just want change; she wanted to feel closer to home. Working a job specializing in construction reminded her of the “field trips” to her dad’s job sites. “This was the perfect place for me to land,” she said in an email.

Mid-career changes have been common this past year due to changes in employee priorities like mental health or family. According to Investment Exclusive, a business newspaper, many people change jobs to achieve a better work-life balance or leave altogether to enjoy life.

Gabe Gulick, CEO of Job Finders, an employment service for entry-level positions, says the workforce is evolving.

“There’s never been a more fruitful time to make a change,” he says.

Even if you’re not changing careers, understanding your needs is critical in maintaining a healthy balance between your career and your personal goals and values.

Employees at Veterans United take a behavioral assessment to allow managers to get to know them. “Our No. 1 objective is really just to figure out the person,” says Larissa Wollard, director of human resources. Your professional experience doesn’t always align with your strengths and career goals, she says.

Veterans United aims to consider employees’ values and discover what they’re passionate about. “Maybe it has nothing to do with the job they’re interviewing for, but it doesn’t really matter because it has a lot to do with that person,” Wollard says. These conversations help hiring managers make decisions about roles for new employees.

Before jumping into job searching, Gulick suggests being “honest with yourself about what you want to do so you will be happy in that role.” That way, “you can go there every day with the energy you need to be successful.”

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E c ON

A up o N c R i ME True-crime shows are the fastest growing documentary genre. But how does this obsession affect the legal system?

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STORY BY

Abigail Ruhman DESIGN BY

Makalah Hardy

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I

Increased heart rate. Sweaty palms. A boost of adrenaline. These potential bodily responses to true-crime stories are part of the reason many people keep coming back to this growing genre.

True crime is any media — including films, podcasts, publications and TV — that explores the details of real crimes. It includes produced shows as well as news coverage of prominent trials.

From 2018 to 2021, the number of documentary series on streaming services grew 63%, and true crime was the largest segment of that, according to data from Parrot Analytics, a media-tracking company.

True crime turns the courtroom into a source of entertainment and transforms people’s lives into narratives for others to consume. The interest in other people’s trauma, whether depicted through documentary footage or by actors, has real-life ramifications.

Our obsession does have an effect on the court system in both positive and negative ways. It can encourage public advocacy that illuminates the cases of marginalized defendants or victims.

Yet the proliferation of sensationalized stories also means that juries have preconceived notions about how crimes happen, how investigations unravel and how justice is delivered.

breeder in New Florence, which also garnered national attention.

The news stories are part of the larger trend of crime-related discourse, with the audience of both news and produced shows talking about the nuances of the court cases — discussing a judge’s behavior, dissecting testimony and evidence or wondering “is he guilty?” This discourse adds to true crime’s negative effects.

A growing genre Over the past decade, the number of nonfiction crime shows has dramatically increased.

Netflix has leaned into this genre with viral titles such as Tiger King, Making a Murderer and Inventing Anna. The Serial podcast, which launched in 2014, broke records as it reached 10 million downloads within seven weeks as it dissected a murder case. The popularity of that podcast inspired a boom. In 2019, half of the top 10 podcasts were true crime, according to data from Chartable.

The interest in news coverage of criminal trials is strong as well. One of the most notable modern true-crime cases was the trial of O.J. Simpson in 1995, which was watched by over 150 million people. More recently, audiences followed the 2021 trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who shot three people during an anti-racism and police brutality protest in Wisconsin.

On TikTok alone, #Kylerittenhouse had 596 million views. Local courtroom news is also popular with audiences. Recent examples include daily Columbia coverage of the November 2021 trial of Joseph Elledge for the 2019 killing of his wife, Mengqi Ji. Soon after, another trial took over local news: the murder of a snake

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True crime documentaries such as Tiger King, The Sons of Sams and Athlete A have become even more popular in recent years.

The case against true crime The storytelling element of this genre is a vital part of its appeal. It’s why people turn on podcasts about serial killers during their morning commute, catch up on Netflix docuseries to wind down at night or tune into live courtroom feeds to keep up with the cases taking over social media timelines.

Publications such as Time and The Guardian have written about the exploitative nature of true-crime media and how it affects families of victims who are often retraumatized after being reminded of the murder of a loved one.

Both nonfiction and fiction crime shows can influence people’s understand-

ing of how legal proceedings work. This becomes an issue when those audiences become members of juries.

People might only have seen the courtroom through the lens curated by show producers. The idea of the courtroom as a space with constant intensity and drama is a misconception, says Clark Peters, an associate professor of social work and co-founder of the Center for Criminal and Juvenile Justice Priorities at MU. Although the courtroom is a significant part of the legal system, about 90% to 95% of criminal cases in state and federal courts are settled with plea bargains, according to the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Additionally, true-crime media makes each case seem engaging to keep its audience hooked. This type of production doesn’t happen in real life though, and could affect jurors’ abilities to stay focused.

“People swipe when they’re no longer interested in something,” Pe-

“If you’re in a courtroom, you have to pay attention.

Someone’s life is at stake. The justice of a victim is at stake.”

- CLARK PETERS CO-FOUNDER, MU CENTER FOR CRIMINAL AND JUVENILE JUSTICE PRIORITIES

ters says.“If you’re in a courtroom, you have to pay attention. Someone’s life is at stake. The justice of a victim is at stake.”

The impact of media on jurors has a name: the CSI effect. Named after CBS’s hit procedural show, this theory refers to the unrealistic expectations jurors have of the capabilities of forensic science. Some prosecutors have even claimed that jurors are hesitant to convict someone when there is no forensic evidence from a crime scene.

According to Vulture, a researcher of the CSI effect once heard a juror say that the prosecution on a court case didn’t do a good job because they didn’t search the crime scene for fingerprints.

Because of this, potential jurors might be asked how many of these shows they have consumed and how much they believed.

Social media has added another layer of difficulty for those who work in criminal justice. Lawyers don’t know how much jurors’ perception of a case has been affected by what they’ve heard outside of the courtroom. That means lawyers must now prepare for trial based on what has been reported as well as what speculation has appeared on social media.

“There’s so many sources, and the internet has all sorts of conspiracy theories and theorists,” says Rodney Uphoff, an MU professor emeritus of law who was a lawyer in the trial of the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building.

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This case is an example of a local story that turned into a national one before the presence of social media. At the time, there were limited ways for people to get information about the case despite the magnitude of public interest, Uphoff says, so the legal team knew what people were hearing. By comparison, today’s platforms allow for even the most local of cases to generate conversation online — both based in fact or not so much.

“There’s no way a public defender or criminal defense lawyer or a prosecutor can keep tabs on all of the information that’s been put out on a case like the Rittenhouse case,” Uphoff says. “Those jurors are exposed to so much more.”

The prominence of different stories encourages people to take the matters to social media and advocate for those who otherwise wouldn’t have advocates.

In defense of true crime Not all of true crime’s effects are negative.

Emily Danker-Feldman, former Director of the Innocence Clinic at the MU School of Law, uses some true crime as a teaching tool for aspiring lawyers.

“One of the things that I talk to my students about is trying to craft a good narrative and a good story in their cases,” Danker-Feldman says. “Exposing them to good narratives, good storytelling in terms of various true-crime docuseries or shows or films can help with that.”

She notes the usefulness of shows like When They See Us or The Confession Tapes for offering the perspective of people tried by the legal system. When They See Us tells the story of the 1989 Central Park jogger case in which five young Black and Latino men were wrongly prosecuted for the rape and assault of a white woman, while The Confession Tapes features stories of suspects being coerced into confessing to a crime.

“When we talk about how to be good advocates in our cases, we have the state’s story about what happened,” Danker-Feldman says. “It’s often not the story that we believe is true. So, how do we tell a different story that tells the narrative that we believe is true?” That often means telling a story from the clients’ perspectives, she says.

Aspiring lawyers aren’t the only ones who can learn from the rise of true-crime media. The legal system was created so the public would be involved, but unfortunately many voices remain excluded.

True-crime stories can help rectify that.

The Equal Justice Initiative reports that racial discrimination often prevents Black people and other people of color from serving on juries. EJI’s “Race and the Jury” report reveals a study in which felony trial judges throughout North Carolina were 30% more likely to remove prospective jurors of color for cause than their white counterparts. At almost every

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step of the jury selection process, racial discrimination leads to predominantly white juries. That means the constitutional right to a “jury of peers” isn’t implemented when court practices prevent all voices from being included.

True-crime shows are a vehicle to get those voices into the conversation, even if it isn’t directly in the courtroom. The prominence of different true-crime stories encourages people to take cases to social media and advocate for those who otherwise wouldn’t have advocates. This is what happened for defendant Adnan Syed following the Serial podcast. True-crime media has become a viable option for commenting on the shortcomings of the legal system.

The Equal Justice Initiative shared that some states such as California, Washington and New Jersey have started reforms or studies to combat the issue of illegal racial discrimination in jury selection.

The verdict For consumers of true-crime shows, moderation is important. According to Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit multispeciality academic medical center, watching too much true crime can result in psychological effects such as increased fear, anxiety and wariness.

True crime isn’t inherently good or bad, but audiences should recognize the difference between exploitation and advocacy. No matter how well a podcast, documentary or series is produced, it won’t reflect the reality of a courtroom.

Such media can be a needed challenge to a legal system that excludes marginalized people. Following the release of Netflix’s When They See Us, many viewers reflected on the wrongdoings of the criminal justice system. A former prosecutor and author was dropped from her publisher amid criticism of her role in convicting the Exonerated Five. In an NPR story, TV critic Eric Deggans talks about how effective the show was in highlighting the over-policing of people of color.

True crime can be an agent of change, as long as audiences aren’t accessories to its harmful effects.

AROUND THE WORLD P. 29

SUPPORTING LOCAL FARMERS P. 30

Going all out: tips for al fresco dining Columbia’s party planners share pointers for dishing up a successful outdoor event — big or small.

BY ADRIAN MADDOX

Days are growing longer and the weather warmer, meaning it’s time to embrace these seasonal changes with an open-air social. Food, beverages and decor are all important considerations. Fortunately, the following practical pointers can be applied to a bash of any size and dress code.

Outdoor dining took off during the pandemic. But as Madison McMillen shows, it’s also a way to enjoy the warmer weather.

Photography by Katie Kriz and Makalah Hardy and courtesy of Unsplash

Come rain or shine In Missouri, it can be difficult to plan for the weather. Wind always seems to find its way onto the guest list for any outdoor dinner. Prevent tablecloths from blowing away by sewing weights into the cloth edges. If sewing isn’t your thing, Amazon sells weighted tablecloths, heavy charms to hold them down and clips to secure linens to the tables.

Ashley Gross Minor, owner of Delight Events, suggests combating wind through heavyweight decor. “You want to choose a centerpiece or something that’s going to affix that linen to the table, so I like to use candles, specifically citronella candles because, you know, Missouri summers especially are really gross with bugs,” Gross Minor says.

Citronella repels bugs but does not kill them, according to the National Pesticide Information Center. Looking for a stronger solution? The Thermacell E55 acts as an essential oil diffuser that sprays mosquito repellent to provide a VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

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E AT & DRINK OUTDOOR DINING

wider range of protection, which could come in handy as summer nears.

If rain is forecast, you don’t have to cancel your plans. Instead, consider renting an event pavilion, especially for larger gatherings. A-1 Party & Event Rentals offers a multitude of options, from large structured tents to small popup awnings. The number of guests will determine the tent size.

Still, creating a back-up plan is not a bad idea. Brandi Huebner, owner of Cooper’s Ridge Event Venue in Boonville, recommends having space heaters for tents or an indoor space nearby to accommodate guests in case of inclement weather.

All for decor Decor has the power to elevate even the most casual mixer. With so many possible inspirations, knowing the theme, style and ambiance you’re looking for is a crucial starting point. Samantha Boisclair, the owner of party supply store Party Perfectly, says themes can create a more memorable experience for guests. “It just takes a regular gathering of friends and kicks it up a notch,” Boisclair says.

Themes can be as simple or as intricate as you please, and decor helps further the depiction of your theme.

Similar to fashion trends, Boisclair says she has seen a growing interest in style trends of past decades, specifically the ’70s. She suggests incorporating daisies and smiley faces, as well as maximalist or eclectic decor, to achieve this theme.

She has also seen an increase in tropical or fruit-themed party decor as the

Keep it fun and casual with finger foods, which are easy to grab when socializing with friends.

Even in summer, it’s best to be prepared for all kinds of weather, including rain and wind.

summer nears. “To me, it’s like a celebration of the warmth and the freshness,” Boisclair says. Gross Minor suggests using single-bulbed flowers in small vases to create a trendy spring look.

Lighting is the first step in creating ambiance for an event. Bottles filled with fairy lights have been a popular decor trend. Shake things up by opting for candles, lanterns and large-bulbed string lights. These can help achieve a laid-back and intimate gathering.

When deciding how to decorate your space, first look through the things you have around your home. Gross Minor says some of her best decor items come from “shopping around the house.”

Look for pictures, vases, pillows and other items you can use. Party Perfectly also offers a variety of decor items to complete your party’s look.

One of the most important parts of any get-together, Gross Minor says, is the music. “I think for any great dinner party or barbecue, you have to have a good playlist, and you have to have a good speaker,” Gross Minor says. “Set the ambiance, and have some fun!”

Grab a bite Food is the centerpiece of any event. Finger foods are a great option for outdoor shindigs, as they’re easier to grab while standing or gathering with friends. Hors d’oeuvres such as fruit-kabobs and chips and dip are great options for incorporating seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Huebner believes the traditional barbecue will be a trend this season. “This spring, we’re seeing a lot of events have a casual, backyard BBQ feel featuring outdoor games, s’mores around the fire pit and food stations with homestyle favorites,” Huebner wrote in an email to Vox. Drinks are just as important. Up your beverage game by offering mocktails, which have grown in popularity because they are suitable for guests of all ages and don’t induce hangovers.

Most cocktails can be easily converted to non-alcoholic beverages by adding extra sparkling water or juice in place of liquor in the original recipe. Serve your beverages in large glass pitchers to reduce waste, and don’t forget to include a waste basket or a designated bin for recycling.

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Photography by Katie Kriz

E AT + DRI N K MARKETS

World of mouth International markets make cultural cuisines accessible in Columbia.

BY JOZIE CROUCH

A

s the city grows, so does the number and demand for international markets. With 10 such markets throughout Columbia and new ones popping up or expanding, there’s ample opportunity to tap into a multitude of cultures and cuisines.

1 A&Y Global Market 400 Business Loop 70 W., Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., 875-8724 Originally called Campus Eastern Foods, the market opened in 1984. Over the last decade, A&Y has moved twice and now occupies its biggest location yet. Youssef El-Tayash has been the owner since 1988, overseeing the store through its changes while maintaining its core values. El-Tayash and his family carry a wide variety of halal meats and other ingredients inspired by their Muslim roots.

This market offers a little taste of everything, including African, South American and Indian cuisine. It has fresh pita shipped in on Mondays from Mediterranean restaurant Olive Cafe, breads on Thursdays and meat shipped in every weekend, according to A&Y Global Market website.

Finds: lamb, goat, chicken, beef, pita, chips, international brands of oils, dried fruits and jams 2 Iyumva International Market 705 Vandiver Drive, Sun.–Fri. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., 442-4623 Owner Angelique Niyomugaba was inspired to open this market in 2019, after meeting many Columbia residents who flocked to her original small family shop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in search of flours and other ingredients they couldn’t find. Named after her family and in honor of her country, Rwanda, Iyumva International Market is particularly meaningful for those who recently moved to Columbia from Africa. “They tend to start shopping so they can find food from home,” says Niyomugaba’s sister Elize Dushimimana, who watches the store when her sister can’t. “It’s kind Photography by Makalah Hardy

of hard to adjust when you’re new to the place and are not familiar with the food that you’re eating in the U.S. It’s nice to see people come in and remember their home.”

This shop is one of two markets that supplies Columbia with ingredients specific to traditional African cuisine such as matooke and isombe, which are prominent in cuisine from Rwanda. “My favorite one is matooke,” Niyomugaba says. “It comes already frozen, and they ship it from Uganda. It’s a green banana, and it’s one of the biggest products that a lot of people in Central East Africa tend to like. It’s really hard to find anywhere.”

Finds: palm oil, dried catfish, smoked tilapia, chai, ground peanuts, specialized flours, cassava leaves, yams, African eggplants, cow skin and feet 3 Shwe Market International Foods 800 Vandiver Drive, Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., 514-7010 An international market with an emphasis on Asian cuisines, Shwe Market supplies everything from snack products to fresh produce. Owner Cing Cing Hlamyo opened the grocery store in December 2016 to help Columbia’s Asian population access ingredients specific to their culture.

“We would like to have our own food all the time,” Hlamyo says.

MORE IN STORE African Market (African) 1004 N. Old 63, Mon.– Sat. 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., 825-1978 Hong Kong Market (Asian) 2006 E. Broadway, Sunday 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., 474-2878 Lee’s Market (Asian) 700 Cherry St., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., 443-1977 Los Cuates (Mexican) 2908 Paris Road, Sun.– Thurs. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 814-1545 Los Tres Hermanos (Latino) 1206 Business Loop 70 W., Sunday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mon.– Sat. 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., 817-2858 Sai Market (Indian) 2101 W. Broadway, Sun.–Sat. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 701-269-7775

Shwe Market is a unique blend of a convenience store and fresh grocery. “I’ve got all different kinds of vegetables that sometimes you have to buy from everywhere,” Hlamyo says. Produce shipments from California and Chicago come in twice a week and vary by season.

Finds: fresh sugar cane, moringa leaves, persimmons, durians, variety of mangoes, curry paste, instant noodles and plenty of snacks 4 Tortilleria El Patrón 711 Vandiver Drive, Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tues.–Sat., 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., 607-9127 Husband and wife José and Carmen Morales opened Tortilleria El Patrón in May 2017. The tradition of tortilla making was passed down to the couple from Carmen’s grandmother and mother-in-law, according to an October 2018 Vox article. The family-run business has been bringing traditional Mexican dishes to Columbia for the last five years. Originally they focused on flour tortillas, but after attending a seminar in Mexico on making corn tortillas, they now operate two ovens, one for each type.

They make hundreds of flour and corn tortillas every day. The flour tortillas are made using a recipe that comes from Carmen’s family, and they told Feast in February 2018 they strive to keep their tortillas authentic. They typically sell pan dulce once a week and supply products year-round that are commonly found in Mexico. The two-in-one shop features a selection of items you can purchase from the store and a restaurant where you can order authentic Mexican dishes.

Finds: pan dulce, chips, flour and corn tortillas; restaurant offers pozole, carnitas and menudo

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E AT & DRINK AGRICULTURE

Regional Roots A USDA grant awarded to food hub Root Cellar will give Columbia residents a better taste of the people behind local food.

BY LUCY VALESKI

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hen Columbia entered pandemic lockdown in spring 2020, local food market Root Cellar owner Chelsea Davis spent every Friday delivering boxes of food around town. She packed 40 subscription boxes of local fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy into her car several times during the day, and an employee at the food hub delivered another 20 boxes per route.

The pandemic substantially increased Root Cellar’s sales. “We saw tremendous growth in our subscriptions during that time because it was a place where people felt security,” Davis says. “Oftentimes, when we feel scared and we are nervous about our supply chain and our food, we turn back to local.”

The community’s access to local food is set to increase. Earlier this year, Root Cellar received a 3-year, $558,000 USDA grant to support closer connections between farmers and consumers. Root Cellar already does this kind of work by selling local products in its store and through its community-supported agriculture subscription boxes. With the grant, the food hub will invest in initiatives that increase and strengthen those connections.

Two partners in these initiatives are Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri and The Loop Community Improvement District. Root Cellar is collaborating with these organizations to create a network of local farmers and maximize the profits of individual food producers.

“The idea is that we can bring in more farmers, more products and get that out to more consumers,” Davis says.

Produce to product One way the grant helps connect local

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farmers to the community is through the COMO Cooks program. The Loop CID initiative offers a shared commercial kitchen for food producers to use.

In the kitchen, farmers can package produce and create small batch products that will be sold at places such as Root Cellar. Transforming produce into a product helps farmers maximize profit. For instance, growers can make more money selling a jar of pickles than unpackaged cucumbers.

“My hope is that those growers can really do some great value-added products and that we can get those into consumers’ hands,” says Carrie Garner, executive director of The Loop CID. Local dairy farm Hemme Brothers Farmstead Creamery started to create value-added products about 5 years ago and was still learning when the pandemic hit. It had to pivot its business model from selling cheese and milk products to restaurants to working with food distributors such as Root Cellar.

“It was awful, but in hindsight, we’ve essentially enhanced our business,” David

Root Cellar employee Isolde Finney checks produce for freshness. “I appreciate working to support local agriculture,” says Finney, who has a degree in studio art and a minor in environmentalism.

ROOT CELLAR

1203 Rogers St. Wed.—Fri. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 443-5055

Hemme says. Working with Root Cellar is a great way for the creamery to reach its ideal demographic, Hemme says.

The local network The grant will also allow Greenbelt Land Trust to hire someone to meet with the farmers who supply Root Cellar and write profiles for the food hub’s newsletter. It’s easy for consumers to feel removed from the source of their food, says executive director of Greenbelt Mike Powell. “And that’s tough, not just because I think it’s healthy for us as people to know where our food comes from, but it’s hard on the farmers.”

Greenbelt, which has had a relationship with Root Cellar for years, is a nonprofit organization that uses real estate tools to protect farmers and their land.

“Our local food system and our local farmers are incredibly resilient,” Davis says. “It’s important to showcase those models,and then invest in those models because those are something that we can grow throughout the United States.”

Photography by Morgan Goertz

MENSTRUATION FRUSTRATIONS P. 34

Don Jourdan says days with high humidity after rain are best for blowing bubbles.

LOVE ISN’T A BATTLEFIELD P. 36

The guy behind the bubbles Don Jourdan’s sphere goes beyond the corner on Ninth Street.

BY JESSE BERLIN If you’ve been downtown on a sunny afternoon, chances are you’ve seen Don Jourdan blowing bubbles.

The 75-year-old is usually out and about entertaining and chatting with passersby.

Among Columbia locals, Jourdan has been deemed “the bubble guy.” Most likely outside of Hitt Records or on the corner of Ninth Street and Broadway, he’ll have two mini coolers filled with bubble soap. Then, with strings tied to two TV antennas, Jourdan lifts them up in the air to blow massive bubbles.

“It makes people happy, so it makes me happy,” Jourdan says. “For some reason, people just love bubbles. They’re zen.”

Greyson Miller, who helps distribute produce through Food Not Bombs, says he always looks forward to talking with Jourdan. The local organization’s set-up is outside of Teller’s on Broadway and often shares the sidewalk with Jourdan.

“Don takes a very active, unorthodox approach to brightening up the mood in the community,” Miller says.

But Jourdan is more than just a lover of bubble making. His creativity and outward compassion come from years of learning, listening and fixing.

Creative craftsman Jourdan’s ingenious bubble-blowing contraption isn’t the only thing he’s built for people to enjoy. When he was 8 years old, Jourdan picked up a knack for handiwork. Jourdan experimented

Photography by Hudson Heidger/Archive and courtesy of Unsplash and illustrations by Heeral Patel

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CITY LIFE NEIGHBORS

with Erector sets, a toy-making kit that came with tools and metal parts. “I call myself a MacGyver,” Jourdan says, “I like fixing things and making things and figuring things out.”

In his early teens, Jourdan would periodically visit his biological father who lived in Kansas City. His father owned a mobile home lot, which was also a car-flipping business. Jourdan helped him repair cars, and his fascination with fixing only continued to grow with each visit.

“My real dad, he allowed me to have my freedom,” Jourdan says. “There was so much stuff to learn about people and selling and buying and fixing.”

Jourdan’s creativity also comes into play when he makes elaborate art installations for the True/False Film Fest every year. He uses items and objects he finds throughout Columbia. “I don’t call it dumpster diving because I don’t dive in there,” Jourdan says. “But I pick things out.”

This year, he put together slabs of wood to spell “LOVE.” He placed one letter on every side of a square platform that had a spinning mechanism below it. Painted on the base of the platform read: “always around.”

Just outside the city limits, Jourdan resides on his 18-acre plot, which he deems the “museum of natural and industrial creations.” He keeps used and

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broken-down vehicles as decoration, and the land doubles as a nature sanctuary.

“I stopped mowing the grass 40 years ago,” he says. “I let all the trees grow and let in all kinds of native plants and animals and birds. I’ve got every kind of bird known to Missouri right out at my feet today.”

Jourdan saw someone blowing bubbles using a homemade contraption a few years ago.

Thinking it was cool, Jourdan looked up how to make his own online.

Cambodian community in Columbia.

He learned Khmer, the language of Cambodia, and gained enough fluency to casually converse. He even helps fix cars and other appliances for those in the Cambodian community.

“Columbia is a great town for diversity of all types of people from all around the world,” Jourdan says.

Jourdan lives between Columbia and Centralia, but he often drives his truck to Columbia to help fix things for friends.

Finding joy in poetry During his frequent visits to Hitt Records and Food Not Bombs, Jourdan often shares poetry that he writes.

He began writing poems as a form of self-therapy when he was in Vietnam.

If something is concerning in his life, Jourdan finds solace in his writing.

“I found those poems very moving,” Miller says, “sort of semi-spiritual in nature, talking about life and growth.”

Columbia locals looking for some joy or conversation can count on Jourdan.

“I’m so grateful for my life, to the things that have happened, to be alive, to be around town,” Jourdan says.

Chatterbox If you know Jourdan, you know he loves to talk — and he admits it himself. His first exposure to another language was as a teenager, when a German neighbor taught him a few words and phrases in German. At 21, Jourdan joined the army as an air traffic controller stationed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. There, Jourdan gradually picked up Vietnamese from native speakers.

“After I learned a few words, the Vietnamese would go, ‘Hey, check this guy out,’” Jourdan says. He served another tour because he “had so many Vietnamese friends, I wanted to go back to the Army base.”

During his return, Jourdan taught English to children.

“They even called me the person of peace,” he says. “They said, ‘If more people came over and learned a language, there wouldn’t even be a war.’ That made me emotional.”

When he came home to Missouri, Jourdan became acquainted with the Photography by Josh Ellenburg

C I T Y LI FE RECREATION

Biking makes a wheel difference Columbia has built a strong cycling community with bike-friendly improvements to roadways and a supportive grid of resources.

BY NATALIE SMITH

M

ay marks the start of National Bike Month, a celebration of biking both as a means of transportation and recreation. Over the years, Columbia’s cycling community has grown through efforts to make the city more bike-friendly through infrastructure improvements, transportation grant programs and community resources. Vox enlisted the help of local experts to accumulate essential biking knowledge to prepare you for a successful ride.

Built for better biking As a part of the GetAbout Columbia grant in 2006, the city received $22.4 million in a non-motorized transportation pilot-program grant. Columbia received an additional $5.9 million from the grant in 2012. Through the program, there were infrastructure changes, such as 77 miles of on-street striped bike lanes and two bike boulevards, to connect different areas of town and make it easier and safer for biking commuters.

Columbia is home to a large trail system that offers safe and scenic routes for both experienced and novice cyclers, such as the MKT Nature and Fitness Trail and the Grindstone Creek Trail.

The move toward the GetAbout Columbia grant program began in 2004, when Columbia implemented a Complete Streets policy. This policy involved projects and initiatives to accommodate safe and easy access for all modes of transportation, says Richard Stone, an engineering and operations manager for the Columbia Public Works Department. The results of the policy, including street designs that create safe streets for all users, have been implemented in local bike boulevards, trail systems and marked bike lanes.

Resources to help you get a grip Columbia Parks and Recreation offers a learn-to-ride program for cyclists of all ages based on skill level to help teach people how to cycle safely.

Photography courtesy of Unsplash

Lastly, make sure to prepare for your bike excursion by planning your route using local trail maps and packing water and snacks to keep you energized throughout the duration of your ride.

Gear up and get involved If you are looking for a way to ease the stress of riding alone, there are a variety of group ride programs for cyclists.

CycleX Bike Shop hosts a variety of group rides throughout the Columbia trails for experienced riders, most notably their Gravel Gang rides. The rides take place every Sunday and consist of a 35-to 40-mile adventure through the various gravel routes in the city, says Brian Kukla, co-owner of CycleX bike shop.

BIKE, WALK, AND WHEEL WEEK Local Motion (lomocomo.org) hosts a weeklong event from May 8 to 14 to get the community active.

The Columbia Parks and Recreation Department hosts the CoMo Bike CoOp, a full-service bicycle shop specializing in free bike repairs and providing bicycles for individuals in need, says Janet Godon, department planner for Columbia Parks and Recreation.

Another city-based organization, Local Motion, a nonprofit that provides transportation solutions to meet everyday needs, has a Giving Rides program that offers recreational bike rides with their Duet tandem wheelchair bike for older adults and people with disabilities.

Both organizations also provide free bicycles to Bike to the Future, a local program that gives bicycles to refugees, unhoused people and residents transitioning from prison.

Watch the road No matter how bike-friendly a city is, responsibility still rests on the biker to follow safety precautions.

“It’s important for cyclists to know that they have to obey the same traffic laws that motorists do,” says Sarah Ashman, manager of Walt’s Bike Shop.

To do this, use hand signals and follow all posted speed limits while on the road.

Announce your presence to nearby commuters with a simple “hello” or “to your left,” Godon says.

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CITY LIFE HEALTH

Let’s talk about period poverty.

Billions of people menstruate. So why are period products difficult for many to access and afford?

BY REBECCA NOEL

P

eople with periods learn it early: Don’t talk about them. We cover it in euphemisms like “that time of the month,” or “Aunt Flo.” We quietly slide tampons out of our bags and hand them to friends, who store them up their sleeves en route to the bathroom.

Meanwhile, half of the world’s population spends, on average, 2,280 days of their lives menstruating, according to an article from HuffPost. That comes out to about 6.25 years.

Even though many people have their period every month, there is still a barrier not only to access period products, but also to afford them. Since 2018, the U.S. has seen a 35% increase in period poverty with two in five menstruators reporting struggles to afford menstrual supplies.

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Students at Rock Bridge High School are planning a walk-a-thon on May 28, Menstrual Hygiene Day, to fight period poverty.

FIGHT PERIOD POVERTY

To show support for Senate Bill 1118 or similar legislation that would require free period products in grades six through 12, you can contact your state senator to vote in favor of such bills.

Period poverty is defined as inadequate access to sanitary products, including menstrual products, hygiene and washing facilities and clean waste management.

The average person spends over $6,000 in their lifetime on pads and tampons alone, according to research conducted

by OnePoll. And more than 30 states, including Missouri, still tax menstrual products as “luxury goods.” Some families report having to choose between buying food and buying period products.

Still, students in Columbia are missing school because they can’t afford sanitary products and pads. Local lawmakers and students are working to change that.

State representative Martha Stevens of Columbia introduced a bill in 2020 that would require schools in Missouri to

provide free period products for students in middle and high school. She has filed such legislation every year since. “A lot of things were on pause when COVID happened,” she says.

This year, Stevens’ initiative has garnered substantial bipartisan support with the House allocating $1 million to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the purchase of period products. The next steps for the bill include Senate approval.

If passed, it would go into effect July 1, with the allocated budget going to schools for the 2022-23 school year.

“Last year, we passed legislation to provide free period products for individuals who are incarcerated, and I think that has opened the discussion around Photography by George Whit Frey

C I T Y LI FE HEALTH

this topic,” Stevens says. Previously, many incarcerated women nationwide had to pay for tampons and pads. In some cases, women have been coerced into sex with correctional officers in exchange for access to period products, according to a study conducted by the Department of Justice in 2017.

Access in schools is the next frontier.

“Thirty-seven states have filed something (like this bill),” Stevens says. “Which is an indicator that it’s an emerging issue and people aren’t surprised that that’s happening in our own state.”

One in four teens in the U.S. report having missed class because of lack of access to period products, according to a study conducted by the Alliance for Period Supplies. Local students at Rock Bridge High School are taking matters into their own hands. Sophomore Maddie Powell is the president of Rock Bridge’s chapter of Period, a national organization committed to combating period poverty.

The group recently had dispensers of period products installed in the high school’s bathrooms. “It took a year and a half to get them in Rock Bridge,” Powell says. The group previously provided baskets full of donated products for students at the school to use as needed, and Powell says the baskets in each bathroom would typically be empty within a week.

The irony that period poverty is considered an emerging issue, despite menstruation having existed as long as humans have, is not lost on Stevens. “A lot of national and international groups have been doing the work for a long time,” she says. “It’s something that people don’t talk about; there’s shame and stigma around it, which is really unfortunate and that has been maybe a barrier to progress.”

Powell believes everyone can help fight period poverty. “It takes work behind the scenes,” she says. “So finding a way to use your strengths to play into your passion is really important.”

One main way to further menstrual equity is to grow more comfortable talking about it in the first place — with our families, our neighbors and our legislators. Menstruation shouldn’t be a dirty word. Period.

Infographic by Moy Zhong

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C I TY LIFE RELATIONSHIPS

Swipe right on mindful dating Looking for love in all the online places? Local experts discuss red flags, dating lingo and how to avoid mental health pitfalls.

BY JOSIE HEIMSOTH

W

hen it comes to finding love, online dating is as common as sending a text.

By 2040, website eHarmony estimates 70% of relationships will start from an online conversation. With the pool of prospective matches at your fingertips, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Dating app users face three times the amount of stress compared to people who form relationships in person, according to verywellmind.com.

Over half of single Americans are seeking relationships online, so Vox spoke to local experts about how to date with your mental health in mind and decode some modern relationship lingo.

What are the differences between online dating and in-person dating?

Being online makes it easier to hide things, says Melony Crayton, a clinical mental health therapist. “You can’t really see things like body language, eye movements or hear their voice,” she says.

The technology barrier makes it easier to miss red flags when they first appear.

Gaslighting, love bombing, benching: What do these terms mean?

Crayton says gaslighting occurs when someone doesn’t value your reality. It’s emotional invalidation, a manipulation tactic where people say “you’re crazy; that never happened,” in order to evade the truth.

Love bombing is the excessive piling on of disingenuous affection as a means of distraction, says Emily Tarby, a mental health counselor. It boosts the ego of the partner engaging in the bombing. “It makes them feel good, and it can create a sense of dependency in the partner,” says Tarby.

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Tarby says benching is easier to do when dating online. For example, she says she might go from texting someone a lot, then will suddenly stop messaging as frequently in order to talk to other people. Yet, she keeps the original partner on her roster. “I’m still keeping you around. You’re on my bench.”

Why are those red flags to avoid?

Gaslighting and love bombing involve projecting onto another person.

“Those are terms we use to describe the cycle of abuse,” Tarby says. The self-questioning caused by gaslighting damages one’s self esteem. “If I recognize that my mental health and my feelings about myself are depleting, then maybe I have to think [about] whether or not this person is good for me,” says Tarby.

Love bombing distracts from what a partner actually needs. Crayton says that when arguing, a partner might shower you with gifts rather than apologizing.

“They give you everything but what you need,” she says.

Benching drags the relationship on and confuses the “benched” person due to a lack of communication. “It’s not very respectful to the other person’s emotional wellbeing,” Tarby says.

Why is self-love important, especially in relationships?

Addressing past issues or lack of confidence are important to work on before starting a relationship. Future relationships “act as mirrors and poke at places that need attention inside,” says Kelly Howe, a transformational coach.

When searching for love, people tend to look outside of themselves. Howe says if you go into a relationship knowing

TALK IT OUT

“Talking about your mental health needs to be normalized,” therapist Molly Lyons says. Here’s her advice for opening up to a partner: • Develop a way to have open and safe communication.

• Actively listen and ask questions, including: What is it you need from me? Is there anything I can do? What is it you need for yourself?

• Don’t let all of the conversations sit on your shoulders. Talk to a counselor or therapist as necessary.

your worth, you won’t “put that kind of pressure on the other person.” As a result, you’ll have the validation you need from yourself rather than seeking it from a partner.

How can you help prevent anxious feelings in a relationship?

“Acknowledge that you might be stuck in your own head,” Tarby says. Instead of overanalyzing the person you’re dating, relax your body and focus on the facts of the relationship. “Give yourself an affirmation and rationalize,” she says.

Howe uses an Emotional Freedom Technique called tapping. She compares it to acupuncture with modern psychology, minus the needles. Howe taps on body parts that correlate with emotions the client is feeling. When someone struggles with confidence, “there’s a lot of fear underneath there,” Howe says. Combining the tapping method and asking questions helps you “find the root of where this really comes from, so you can regulate your nervous system and calm your brain down,” she says.

Illustrations by Heeral Patel

C ALE N DAR

TO-DO LIST Your curated guide of what to do in Columbia this month.

ARTS

Columbia Concert Band Spring Performance

Fun Home Winner of four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this contemporary performance dives into the life of graphic novelist Alison Bechdel by tracing her experiences growing up in her family business, The Bechdel Funeral Home. She discovers her sexuality and her father’s hidden desires that lead to his death. April 28, 29 and 30, 7:30 p.m.; May 1 and 8, 2 p.m.; May 5, 6 and 7, 7:30 p.m., Talking Horse Productions, $15-17, 660-833-9309

Curtain Up: A Celebration of the Work Presented by Stephens College, this commemoration of singing, dancing and acting features new works in musical theater, vocal ensembles and more. May 4, 5 and 6, 7:30 p.m., Macklanburg Playhouse, $16-18 general admission, $10 students and seniors, 876-7199

Join one of the Midwest’s premier symphonic concert bands, Columbia Community Band, for its spring production including marches and classical, contemporary and festive pieces.

May 15, 4 p.m., Battle High School auditorium, free, 446-2263

CIVIC

Spring Vendor and Craft Fair Visit with local vendors selling their creations, including dog collars, zero-waste home and body care products and handcrafted desserts. Proceeds benefit the 2022-23 scholarship fund for The Language Tree preschool tuition assistance. April 30, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Language Tree, 2311 E. Walnut St., 314-882-7295

Breathing Mindfully This four-week series of yoga and breathwork is

divided into method-based sessions. Each class reveals ways to become aware of patterns within the body and how breath influences our emotions. May 5, 12, 20 and 27, 6:30 p.m., $15 per session, Serendipity Salon and Gallery, 554-4660

FOOD

Cinco de Mayo Celebration Presented by Rose Music Hall, celebrate Cinco de Mayo with cervezas, tacos and margaritas at Rose Park. The event will also have live Latin music from mid-Missouri bands La Movida and Del Alma. May 5, 6:30 p.m., Rose Park, $5, 874-1944

Paint Night at The Blufftop at Rocheport Explore the abstract art technique of acrylic pouring. Your first glass of wine and all materials are included. May 19, 6:30 p.m., $40, The Blufftop at Rocheport, downstairs under the Bistro, 800-690-1830

JOIN US

for our 2022 State Summer Games

May 20-22 – Rock Bridge H.S. & University of Missouri Come out and enjoy our Opening Ceremony on Friday and then to volunteer and cheer on our athletes Saturday and Sunday.

2022 State Summer Games – May 20-22 For more information, visit www.SOMO.org/Competitions.

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CALENDAR

skills working with established producers such as Jack White and Paul McCartney’s David Kahne. The Nashville-based guitarist’s newest album, Mind Control, is “raw, funky and real,” according to Simo’s website. May 15, 8 p.m., Rose Music Hall,

MUSIC

Jimmie Allen: Down Home Tour Multi-platinum country recording artist and songwriter Jimmie Allen begins his tour with lead-off single “Down Home.”

He’ll be performing his third studio album, Tulip Drive, set to release in June.

$15, 874-1944

Indigo Girls

April 29, 7 p.m., The Blue Note, 874-1944

Elephant Foot This local five-piece band brings a little funk, rock, soul and self-proclaimed “generally good vibes” to the Café B stage. April

The five-man group recently released its third album, Locals 3, which boasts melodic tunes that explore relationships, love and human struggles. May 3, 8 p.m., Rose Music

30, 7 p.m., $5 entry fee, Café Berlin, 441-0400

Hall, $15, 874-1944

Todd Snider

The Slaps

Originally scheduled for February, singer-songwriter Todd Snider finally gets to perform his 2021 album, First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder. The Oregon-born folk-rocker has toured with the likes of John Prine and Jimmy Buffett. May

Chicago-based musical trio The Slaps brings its lo-fi love songs to Columbia.

Released in 2022, the band’s latest album, Tomato Tree, spans a range of genres from acoustic ballads to psychedelic rock. May

2, 8 p.m., The Blue Note, $30-35, 874-1944

14, 9 p.m., Rose Music Hall, $10 in advance, $12 day of, 874-1944

WILLIS

JD Simo

Dive into chill, surf-rock vibes with Alabama-based indie-rock band WILLIS.

Session guitarist and producer turned solo artist JD Simo honed his musical

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, pictured performing in Atlanta in 2020, will perform May 21 at The Blue Note.

Diverse programming you can’t find anywhere else.

It’s community radio!

KOPN

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of American folk duo Indigo Girls explore their upbringings in their revealing new album Look Long. Featuring an eclectic collection of songs, their 16th studio album came to fruition over morning tea on their sold-out United Kingdom tour. May 21, 8 p.m.,The Blue Note, $39, 874-1944

OUTDOORS Clays for Kids

A new fundraising event to support Ronald McDonald House Charities features 11 stations and 50 sporting clays per person/team along with safety gear, ammunition, breakfast sandwiches and a barbecue buffet lunch included with a sponsorship. May 6, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Midway Farms, 443-7666

SHELTER PET & LIFE OF THE PARTY

Amazing stories start in shelters and rescues. Adopt today to start yours.

HAMILTON 75K+ Instagram Followers

89.5 FM live streaming at kopn.org 38

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

Photography courtesy of Rob Cohen/Associated Press

photo finish

BEYOND THE SURFACE PHOTOGRAPHY BY EILEEN WISNIOWICZ Cristina Núñez is a Venezuelan artist who moved to Columbia in 2018. While obtaining a master’s degree in painting and fine arts at Kookmin University, Núñez fell in love with the art materials available to her in Seoul, South Korea, such as rice paper, calligraphy paper and different types of plastic and mesh. Her “Nuances” collection (above) demonstrates the simplicity of layered colors and abstract shapes, inspired by her work with layering plastic in Seoul. She prepared the abstract paintings in March for an exhibit in Chicago. Since moving to Columbia, Núñez has brightened the community with floral murals and exhibitions at the Columbia Art League that pay homage to her home. “All the time, I miss Venezuela, and it’s a way to bring it with me,” she says.

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2022

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