Vox Magazine November 2020 Issue

DIWALI COVID–STYLE PAGE 15

RIDING FOR SMILES PAGE 20

NOT ENTICED BY PUMPKIN SPICE? PAGE 33

FUN-SIZED MEDITATION PAGE 35

NOVEMBER 2020 • THE VOICE OF COLUMBIA

Fight for the ballot box PAGE 22

Voting do’s and don’ts PAGE 28

EVER WONDER IF THERE’S LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS? LUCIANNE WALKOWICZ

ASTRONOMER, THE ADLER PLANETARIUM

GIRLS IN STEM BECOME WOMEN WHO CHANGE THE WORLD. LEARN MORE @SHECANSTEM ON INSTAGRAM

FROM THE EDITOR

YOUNG VOICES, YOUNG VOTES

E DI T OR I N CHI E F SARAH EVERETT DE PUT Y E DI T OR JARED GENDRON M AN AGI N G E DI T OR CIANNA MORALES

T

here are 30 days in November, and the election falls on the third day.

So, statistically speaking, by the time you pick up this issue from a newsstand or finally dive into its pages, the election might very well be over. We might have a new president-elect. We might have a new governor-elect. Or we’ll have a returning president. Or a returning governor.

Because the election falls so early in the month, and because we’ll have a better understanding of what our government will look like four days after this issue comes out, and because printed news can lose relevance as soon as the ink dries, Vox decided to widen its lens and cover suffrage in Missouri and the country. It’s a topic that remains relevant (and urgent) as there are still suppressed voices and votes in 2020.

This month, we’re looking at the right and fight to vote. I’d like to highlight five of the favorite things I learned in our nine-page, nine-author feature, ones that inspired me and made me smile.

MU senior Tyler Hollins voted for the first time this year in his native state of Texas. “Like

DI GI TAL M AN A G ING E D IT O R

getting your first car or cashing your first check, there’s nothing like doing something for the first time,” he says. “I encourage everyone who is registered, especially young adults, to find a way to vote” (p. 10).

Voter turnout among college students increased 70.9% from the 2014 midterm election to the 2018 one (p. 11).

In addition to being my high school mascot, the kewpie doll is a symbol of suffrage (p. 24).

The first woman’s suffrage organization in the country was founded right here in Missouri (p. 26).

The first woman to cast a ballot in Missouri, Marie Byrum, was just 26 years old (p. 26).

I hope you learn something about voting from this issue, and I hope you exercise your right to vote this November, or already have.

While you do so, consider those who do not have (or did not always have) a vote or a voice in the election process. Keep an eye out for our election coverage online using the hashtag #VoxVotes, and I’ll keep my eye out for you (and your mask) at the polls.

GABY MORERA DI NÚBILA ON L I N E E DI T OR GRACE COOPER ART DI R E CT OR S HOPE JOHNSON, MADISON WISSE PHOT O E DI T OR COURTNEY PERRETT M ULT I M E DI A E DI T O R SAM MOSHER AS S I S TAN T E D IT O RS CULT UR E JESSE BAALMAN, CLAUDIA KHAW, SADIE LEA E AT + DR I N K HANNAH BRITTON, MADELYN ODEN CI T Y L I F E CHRISTINA LONG, EMMY LUCAS, ALEXANDRA SHARP CON T R I B UT I N G W R I T E RS ANTHONY ASHE, JULIA BOWER, MALLORY DAILY, VIVIAN HERZOG, TYLER HOLLINS, AIMAN JAVED, VIVIAN KOLKS, CHRIS MARTUCCI, EVAN MUSIL, GRACE NIELAND, ALYSSA SHIKLES, RASHI SHRIVASTAVA, JACKSON STONE, SARAH STRAUGHN, COLIN WILLARD, MARISA WHITAKER DI GI TAL E DI T OR S ELIZABETH BENSON, ALLISON BROWN, MIKAYLA EASLEY, GRACE GLANDER, FRANCESCA HECKER, ASHLEY JONES, TYLER MESSNER, LAUREN POLANSKI, LAUREN TRONSTAD M ULT I M E DI A E DI T O RS REID BAYLISS, NOAH CRIDER, ABBY ORF E DI T OR I AL DI R E CT O R HEATHER LAMB DI GI TAL DI R E CT OR SARA SHIPLEY HILES E XE CUT I V E E DI T O R JENNIFER ROWE OF F I CE M AN AGE R KIM TOWNLAIN

SARAH EVERETT Editor in Chief

Behind the issue There’s a lot of celebration this year about the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and women’s right to vote. But that’s not the only tale to tell on the topic of voting rights.

So, in August, we asked a group of writers to suggest stories for this issue’s cover package.

As you might imagine in this lead-up to a general election amid a pandemic, there were a lot of ideas that we hope get at the question of where we are as a state, and a country, on both suffrage and suppression. –Heather Lamb

Vox Magazine

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ADVERTISING 882- 5714 CIRCULATION 882- 5700 EDITORIAL 884- 6432 vox@mi s s o u ri . e d u CALENDAR send to vox@m i s s o u ri . e d u o r submi t vi a onl i ne form a t v o x m a g a zi n e . c o m TO RECEIVE VOX IN YOUR INBOX sign up for email newsletter at voxmagazine.com N OV E MB E R 2020 V O L U M E 2 2 , IS S U E 9 PUB L I S HE D BY T H E COL UM B I A M IS S O U RIA N 320 L E E H IL L S H A L L COL UM B I A , M O 6 5 2 1 1

MAGAZINE Correction: In the October issue, the story about Airbnbs should have stated that Silos at Prairie Vale downsized prior to Wendy Needy purchasing it.

Photography by Derek Rieke and illustrations by Madison Wisse and Hope Johnson

Cover Design: Madison Wisse

VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

3

300 miles

>> How a silver lining forms >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

It starts at sea.

Tropical waters heat up.

Warm air soars skyward.

Cold air rushes to the void.

Cold air warms up.

Cycle repeats.

Faster and faster—a 50,000 foot engine of air.

At seventy four miles per hour it earns a name.

Harvey, Irma, Katrina.

Then landfall.

Roads rendered useless.

Buildings destroyed.

Families stranded.

But for a brief moment, A silver lining appears.

People see neighbors instead of strangers.

And labels that divide are forgotten.

>> But when rains ease, >> when clouds part, >> silver linings need not fade.

>> >> >> >>

Let’s Let’s Let’s Every

embrace our shared humanity. connect with one another. find our love for each other. single day.

>> Come together at lovehasnolabels.com

2 9 . 7 6 0 4 °

N ,

9 5 . 3 6 9 8 ° ,

W

S F C

1 3 4

FEATURES

Riders and volunteers at Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center have to wear masks as part of its COVID-19 precautions.

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Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center has offered equine-assisted therapy for over 30 years. Providing these services during a pandemic looks different than anything it has done before.

In this election season, seven writers explore voting issues in Missouri, including voter suppression and suffrage, as well as what to expect on Election Day.

Have you hugged a horse today?

BY MARISA WHITAKER

Photography by Blythe Dorrian

The right to vote; the fight to vote

BY VOX STAFF

VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

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DEPARTMENTS

CULTURE

IN THE LOOP

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07

All goodness and light

The family business Husband-wife duo Josh and Molly Taylor are successors to Wayne and Susan Kreklow, legendary MU volleyball coaches and Molly’s aunt and uncle.

07

34

Diwali, the five-day Hindu festival happening this month, celebrates good triumphing over evil.

17

Living through history

10

Community museums document artifacts and voices of the COVID-19 pandemic for posterity.

My vote and yours matter MU senior Tyler Hollins reflects on sitting out the 2016 presidential election and how that informed his decision to vote this year.

18

Still standing up

What do you mean that’s offensive?

Local comedians are back onstage after a spring hiatus, keeping people laughing behind their masks.

The entry “microaggressions” spiked in Google searches in June. What are they, and how can we avoid them?

EAT + DRINK

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31

What you can do in CoMo this November, from watching a new film to sponsoring a family.

Missouri is the leading U.S. producer of the dark-purple powerhouse, the elderberry.

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Vox Picks

Purple reign

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33

Cold days, warm drinks Dislike pumpkin-spice everything but still want a taste of fall? We’ve got you covered with six alternate drinks.

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Make it vegan, make it easy Three recipes of three ingredients each—you can make these simple vegan dishes at home.

CITY LIFE 35

The young and the stressless Children have worries, too. Here’s how mindfulness and meditation can help.

37

Feeling fatigued Crisis fatigue, the psychological result of chronic stress, is all too real and relevant. But you can overcome it.

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VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

Photography by Margo Wagner, Lauren Polanski, Erjun Peng and Ethan Weston

BEING A FIRST-TIME VOTER IN 2020 P. 10

The family business

MICROAGGRESSIONS, DEFINED P. 12

Josh and Molly Taylor met in 2015 while training for the men’s and women’s national volleyball teams.

Now, they’re volleyball coaches at MU.

A new husband-and-wife duo succeeds the legendary Kreklows as MU volleyball coaches. And the pair doesn’t fall far from the family tree.

BY JACKSON STONE

Photography by Margo Wagner and courtesy of Wiki Commons, illustrations by Madison Wisse

VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

7

IN TH E LOOP SPORTS

In 2015, on court A2 of the Anaheim Sports Center in California, future Missouri volleyball head coach Josh Taylor spotted Molly Kreklow in person for the first time.

“I saw her from afar and got really scared and nervous,” Josh says.

Molly, who was a setter for Missouri from 2010 to 2013 and was a first-team All-American her senior year, was training alongside Josh with the men’s and women’s national teams.

“She was a big deal,” Josh says. “I had a pretty big crush on her.”

They didn’t know it then, but in two years, they’d be married assistant coaches under Molly’s aunt and uncle, legendary MU volleyball coaches Wayne and Susan Kreklow. They certainly didn’t know that two years after that, in 2019, the Kreklows would retire after leading the Tigers to two Southeastern Conference Championships and 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in 19 years, or that Josh would now be entering his second season as Missouri volleyball’s head coach with Molly as an assistant.

Josh and Molly started at MU after Molly was cut from the women’s national team just before the 2016 Olympics. The Kreklows gave the pair the chance to join the Missouri volleyball coaching staff as graduate assistants for Missouri during the 2016 summer camp.

“That’s where we both fell in love with coaching and realized maybe when we’re done playing this is something that we want to do,” Molly says.

Vacancies opened on the staff in 2017, and Josh and Molly accepted positions as assistant coaches. They married soon after.

As assistants, the Taylors helped lead the Tigers to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2017 and a 24-8 record in 2018.

Then, just months before the 2019 season, a shock wave rocked the Missouri volleyball team: The Kreklows announced their retirement.

“We still remember that day because it was probably one of the more emotional days that we’ve had,” Josh says. “We just didn’t know what to feel.”

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VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

Before being named interim head coach, Josh Taylor was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Tigers from 2017-18.

During their reign atop Missouri volleyball, the Kreklows led the Tigers to 413 wins with an astounding .680 win percentage. From 1974-2000, before the Kreklows took over the program, the Tigers had never reached the NCAA Tournament and only had a winning percentage of .474.

Having coached at MU for two decades and at Columbia College for one, the Kreklow family had put down roots in the community. Not only had Molly, their niece, played for the Tigers, but their daughter, Ali, was also on the team from 2014 to 2017.

“I tried to put myself in their shoes,” says Molly, who was also shocked by her aunt and uncle’s retirement. “Having been at the program for so long and having so much invested in it, deciding when the right time to walk away must be extremely challenging.”

Josh was named interim head coach on July 18, 2019, the same day the Kreklows retired and just weeks before the team’s first match against the University of Miami in Florida.

During his time as interim head coach in 2019, Josh Taylor’s team finished 22-8 and made its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance.

“In our minds, the first priority was always the players,” Molly says. “This was a shock, even for us, but is probably even more of a shock for them. How do we take care of them and get them ready for a season when we start in three weeks? It was a pretty crazy turnaround.”

It wasn’t until mid-November, 22 games into the season, that Missouri removed the interim designation and signed Josh to a five-year contract. At that point in the season, Missouri was 16-6 and had peaked at No. 17 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.

But the Taylors didn’t allow the transition to affect the season. The Missouri Tigers went on to win 22 games and once again reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The team had one of the best attacking offenses in the country, and it finished the season with a hitting percentage of .302, Missouri’s second highest mark of all time.

“I don’t think people understand the pressure that was on us to perform last season and get the team where it

Photography by Margo Wagner

I N T HE LO O P SPORTS

needed to be,” Molly says. “We were under (the interim tag) almost the majority of the season. We knew we needed to win, or we were not going to have these jobs.”

The Tigers were expected to compete for a top spot in the SEC because of the firepower on offense provided by players such as 2019 All-SEC members Kylie Deberg, Andrea Fuentes and Tyanna Omazic.

Another part of the challenge was learning how to work together as a married couple. Josh says he and Molly are still learning how to avoid bringing work home.

The couple attributes their ability to work well together to their time with USA Volleyball, where they learned how the national teams played the game. It also helps that their roles are split. As head coach, Josh focuses on the defense, while as an assistant, Molly leads the offense.

“Our different strengths comple-

ment each other really, really well,” Molly says.

That chemistry will help in a season that has been dramatically affected by COVID-19. Missouri is playing just eight games over the course of six weeks, with the Tigers’ season concluding Nov. 21 at Ole Miss. For comparison, Missouri played 28 regular-season games last year. The Taylors are determined not to let such challenges affect the season.

The Tigers’ eight games began Oct. 21 after being delayed five days due to positive tests on the team, but the truncated season will still conclude as scheduled. During that six-week window, Missouri will play two games played back-to-back following an off period. A normal SEC schedule wouldn’t include two games in two days.

With the Tigers returning their top seven scorers from last season, the Taylors say they believe this team has the potential to reach new heights.

In her senior year with MU volleyball, Molly Taylor helped lead the Tigers to a perfect 34-0 regular season.

But the Kreklows left large shoes behind, and Josh intends to fill them.

“I want to be the greatest coach that ever lived.”

GIVE THE GIFT OF ART

ARTWORK, CLASSES, & HANDMADE GOODS 207 S 9TH ST, COLUMBIA MO Photography by Margo Wagner

VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

9

IN TH E LOOP ESSAY

My vote and yours matter The past, present and future inspire this first-time voter to cast a ballot this year.

BY TYLER HOLLINS

I

never had a formal, or even informal, introduction to politics. I simply never felt the need or desire to participate in those conversations.

I grew up in a household where political awareness and debates weren’t encouraged. If my parents favored certain politicians or initiatives, I was oblivious to it. I didn’t engage in political discussions with friends or arguments with strangers on social media.

I kept my thoughts to myself. I never felt I was doing something wrong by not voting. I believed the less I engaged in politics, the less those politics could have an impact on me. I was wrong.

The past four years have been politically instrumental for me. Not because of

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VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

who is or isn’t in office, but because of my own personal growth.

Growing up in a Black household, my family didn’t talk about voting. I was raised to never inquire about religion, politics or money. These were foreign conversation topics. My parents voted, but they never talked to me about its importance even as I became a young adult. It just wasn’t common to speak about voting around other Black people.

In the 2016 general election, only about 55% of the voting-eligible population cast ballots. I wasn’t among them.

But once the votes were counted, I felt called out. Whether on social media or television, all the talk was about why people hadn’t felt the need to vote and

John Fifield prepares to fill out a ballot in the August elections at the Roger B. Wilson Boone County Government Center.

SHOW ME THE BALLOT As of Oct. 2, more than 4.2 million Missourians were registered to vote, up 1% from 2016, according to The New York Times.

how Americans’ lack of interest contributed to the outcome of the election.

I suddenly felt guilty, and as that feeling became insurmountable, I called my dad.

We usually talked about the same subjects. Sports ruled many of our conversations, with my dad raving about the Louisiana State University Tigers and me talking about my hometown Houston teams. But now, there was something else on my mind. I spoke to him about politics. I talked about why I wasn’t registered to vote and asked if this bothered him. My dad was speechless. He wasn’t upset I hadn’t voted; he was amazed that I brought it up.

I believe the history of African American voting and voter suppression plays a Photography by Zephyrus Li/Archive

I N T HE LO O P ESSAY

big role ­­­in the lack of communication about politics and voting. African Americans never truly had a formal introduction to the American political system.

The 15th Amendment extended the right to vote to Black men in 1870, but Black women weren’t allowed to vote until the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Even then, African Americans faced discrimination through measures such as poll taxes and literacy tests.

The 24th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned many of these voter suppression tactics, but strict voter ID laws and their effects still play a role in the Black community. African American voter turnout was down 5% in 2016. I’ve seen that many Black voters lack hope and won’t show up at the polls because they believe that the issues facing African Americans will never be taken care of, regardless of the candidates on the ballot.

2016 and me I wasn’t interested in the general election in 2016. I watched the debates occasionally, but only for comic relief. I never once viewed them and wondered, “Who would I vote for?” I had already made up my mind that I wasn’t going to vote. I didn’t think my ballot mattered.

I wasn’t alone. The Pew Research Center polled registered voters about why they didn’t vote in 2016. The second leading reason was the belief that their votes didn’t make a difference.

Election time brings political coverage to the forefront on social media, and although I lacked the urge to vote or even discuss the election, many of my peers did not. All I saw when I opened Twitter in 2016 were updated Electoral College interactive maps. I would turn to Snapchat and see my friends posing with their “I Voted” stickers. It felt as if everyone I knew had a stake in the presidential election. Everyone but me.

First cast This year has been a crazy one, and if it weren’t for the political unrest and division in America right now, I don’t think I would be pushing myself to vote this year. Even amid a pandemic, social justice movements show how much power people have. After the killings of Breonna Photography by Blythe Dorrian

I voted absentee because, like many students, I decided to leave my home state for college. However, college students aren’t the only ones taking the vote-bymail route this year. Many Americans are voting absentee due to COVID-19.

This fall, 84% of registered American voters are eligible to cast a ballot by mail, but some states still require a reason beyond COVID-19 concerns.

Although 23 states and the District of Columbia changed such voting restrictions, five have not.

As of Oct. 22, more than 84.6 million absentee ballots for the general election had been requested or sent to voters in 44 states and the District of Columbia. This will crush previous records for voting early or by mail. Just over half of college students plan to vote by mail or absentee, according to InsideHigherEd.com.

Taylor and George Floyd, I saw people collaborate to help spread change and to keep one another safe. Friends took to social media to spread awareness of things we’d never even talked about before, including Black Lives Matter. Topics that previously seemed taboo, such as systemic racism, were suddenly the focal point of conversation around the country.

A common message rang throughout: Vote.

Everywhere I went, the message was there. I saw athletes LeBron James and Chris Paul talk about voting in commercials while I watched the NBA Finals in October. These were my role models. I knew I had no excuse. I had to do something.

The stakes are too high. I decided that in one of the most trying times in American history, taking advantage of the opportunity to vote was crucial. It’s something I can’t pass up and turn a blind eye to. So, I took action.

Just like in 2016, I called my dad.

This time, it wasn’t after the election, but months prior.

We spoke often over the following weeks, working through the process of voter registration. In October, we put the finishing touches on applying to vote absentee in Texas, and I mailed in my ballot Oct. 13.

Tyler Hollins is an MU senior studying sports journalism.

He voted absentee this year in his home state of Texas.

YOUTH MOVEMENT Voter turnout among college students increased 70.9% from the 2014 midterm election to the 2018 one ­­— a higher increase than any other age group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Mailing it in Despite the increase in absentee voting, uncertainty surrounds the process.

President Trump and others questioned the validity of voting absentee.

However, studies have found little evidence that mail-in ballots benefit one party over another. Of the 16 states where more than half of voters voted by mail in 2016, President Trump won nine. Several Republican states such as Iowa, Missouri and Alabama expanded mail-in ballots this year. But I trust the mail-in system and am glad to be voting absentee.

The process of voting by mail wasn’t necessarily exciting. I filled out and signed paperwork, then mailed it back.

I didn’t get a sticker, but knowing my vote was cast was plenty gratifying. Like getting your first car or cashing your first check, there’s nothing like doing something for the first time. I encourage everyone who is registered, especially young adults, to find a way to vote.

Although I wouldn’t consider myself well-versed in politics, I do understand the importance of voting. Not only because of what’s at stake, but because that right shouldn’t be taken for granted.

The beautiful thing about America is that you are able to have a say in situations like this. It’s important to express your opinion. I’m glad I finally did.

VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

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IN TH E LOOP MICROAGGRESSIONS

gressions can actually lead to issues such as misdiagnosis of medical issues or refusal to seek treatment in fear of biases.

MU Professor Kristin Flynn-Peters, who helped start an MU class about bias in health care, says there are “health professionals who will openly verbalize attitudes that people who are overweight are lazy and weak-willed.” These biases can result in misdiagnosis, neglect and eroded trust between the patient and the provider. “If people experience shame in a clinic related to weight bias, they will delay getting screenings,” Flynn-Peters says. Those screenings include mammograms and colonoscopies, which can both potentially be life-saving.

What do you mean that’s offensive?

Microaggressions might seem, well, “micro,” but these more-commonthan-you-think indignities can have a huge impact on the receiving end.

BY ANTHONY ASHE

S

earches for the term “microaggression” more than quadrupled in the first week of June, particularly in Washington, D.C., Minnesota and Washington, according to Google Trends. It was a time when many people were talking about racism — both obvious and subtle. If you, like Google searchers across the country, want to know more about microaggressions and their impacts, Vox has you covered.

What is a microaggression?

A microaggression is an often-subtle offensive comment, phrase or gesture in everyday conversation that targets a person in a marginalized groups or groups.

Whether intentional or not, microaggressions make assumptions and communicate derogatory, hostile or negative attitudes toward him or her.

“Microaggressions are manifestations of both our implicit and explicit biases,” says Sara Shaban, a former MU instructor and current assistant professor of communication at Seattle Pacific University.

You might not think you are exhibiting bias in your joke or observation, but that contributes to the problem. “Anyone can commit a microaggression. It doesn’t matter what color you are, where you

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VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

were born or what your gender identity is,” Shaban says.

Why do microaggressions matter?

Take the following as an example. “You speak so well” is an all-too-familiar race-related observation that is really a microaggression. “On the surface, this seems like a harmless compliment,” says Donald Gilliam, an MU student support specialist and program instructor. “However, this implies that someone is shocked or surprised by my ability to communicate.

I hear that and ask myself, ‘Did you not expect me to be articulate?’”

Gilliam says microaggressions can lead people of minoritized identities to feel inferior. “When people of color are cut with these very harmful daggers of oppression, they can feel frustrated, unwelcomed and overlooked,” he says.

Are they just about race?

No. Microaggressions can be anything from a comment on someone’s clothing size to a doctor misdiagnosing a patient.

They can target disability, sexuality, gender identity, religion, weight, race and more.

Can they actually be dangerous?

Yes. Beyond the initial harm, microag-

DISCOVER YOUR BIASES Now that you know what microaggressions are, it’s time for some introspection.

Harvard University researchers launched Project Implicit, which offers the Implicit Association Test, a series of free online tests that measures attitudes and beliefs you might unknowingly hold on topics spanning presidents, age, weapons and more. Take the tests at implicit. harvard.edu.

How does one avoid microaggressions?

Be aware of language. For example, microaggressions against individuals with disabilities communicate ableism, the discrimination in favor of able-bodied people. One way to combat this is to use the phrase “person with a disability” rather than “a disabled person,” which puts the person above the disability.

Additionally, question your own beliefs.

To avoid microaggressions, equip yourself with knowledge (like taking the Implicit Association Test at the website at left), and be aware of your own biases.

I’ve overheard or said something that was a microaggression. Now what?

Realizing you’ve said a microaggression can bring a sense of embarrassment or defensiveness. But don’t let your emotions rule how you react. A July Harvard Business Review article says allyship involves addressing the comment and its impact, offering a genuine apology and committing to being better moving forward.

Illustrations by Madison Wisse

I N T HE LO O P VOX PICKS

Vox Picks for

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

BY JESSE BAALMAN

Sponsor…

A local family in the Voluntary Action Center’s holiday program. For the past 37 years, the program has matched sponsors with families, adults with disabilities and seniors. Sponsors provide gifts and food for the holidays. This year, the program will sponsor around 975 households, an increase from last year, but currently only has around 500 sponsors. Because of COVID-19, the VAC encourages sponsors to provide gift cards when possible. Tangible gifts are still welcome, but this option allows families the flexibility to purchase what they need in person or online. Participants can sponsor a family, send a monetary donation or volunteer for collection and distribution.

Sign up for sponsorship at vacmo.org/ programs/holiday-program

Run…

In the Truman VA Medical Research Foundation’s third annual Veterans Day Honor Walk and 5K Run. This time around is virtual, and participants are encouraged to complete their walk or run between Nov. 1 and 23. Do it all at once or over the course of a few days at whatever path is your favorite. Proceeds go toward Harry S. Truman VA Hospital’s medical research projects.

Register at runsignup.com, $25

Photography courtesy of Unsplash, Rawpixel, Rotten Tomatoes and Wiki Commons

Watch…

Ammonite, a British period drama starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan is coming to Ragtag Cinema Nov. 13.

This film, directed by Francis Lee (God’s Own Country), first premiered worldwide at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2019 and spotlights many contemporary issues and conversations. Set in the 1840s and based on the life of well-known paleontologist Mary Anning’s, the historical film tells the story of her romantic relationship with geologist Charlotte Murchison. Both women come from different worlds, but their bond defies their differences.

Ragtag Cinema, 10 Hitt St., beginning Nov. 13, $9.50, adults; $7.50 seniors and children; $5.50, members; $7.50 for weekend matinees

Order…

A seasonal staple like butternut squash gnocchi with toasted pecans, sage and parmesan at Sycamore. For even more fall squash-plus-pasta goodness, Pasta La Fata, a vendor at Columbia Farmers Market, is offering its seasonal favorite butternut squash gorgonzola ravioli. Owner Shelly La Fata uses locally grown squash in her products. Folks can buy the ravioli at the farmers market or at pastalafata.net.

Sycamore, 800 E. Broadway.; Mon.– Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 874-8090 Columbia Farmers Market, 1769 W. Ash St.; Sat. 9 a.m. to noon

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IN TH E LOOP Q&A

A life helping mothers give birth Dawn Finney talks about her calling to midwifery, her love for home births — including her own — and the impact of the pandemic.

STAYING HOME

BY ALYSSA SHIKLES

Out-of-hospital births have been on the rise.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the numbers in the U.S. have increased from 35,578 in 2004 to 62,228 in 2017, a 77% jump. Despite the growing popularity, not everyone is a good candidate for home births. “The standards apply that women need to be healthy and low risk,” Finney says.

M

idwife Dawn Finney knows the full range of what it’s like to give birth at home or a hospital. She did both herself.

Despite having an excellent nurse midwife in the hospital during her first child’s birth in 1995, Finney says she felt an intense lack of privacy there. She decided to have her second child at home with the help of another midwife, an experience that inspired her to take up the call of midwifery herself.

A nurse midwife is someone who has a master’s degree in nurse midwifery and is regulated by the nursing boards. Finney apprenticed with midwife Molly Caliger in 1998, studying home births in Iowa.

Then she interned for a summer in St. Petersburg, Russia, with the Russian Birth Project, a midwifery training program.

When Finney came back, she got her certified professional midwifery credential.

She has since attended about 425 births.

When she moved to Missouri in 2011, she began serving women in Columbia through her practice, Birthroot Midwifery, with her business partner, Katy Miller.

They help women through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum experience.

The process to become a certified professional midwife through the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) has three phases. Phase one entails observing a minimum of 10 births. In phase two, the applicant is an assistant under supervision. Phase three is being the primary caregiver at births under supervision. The last step is passing the NARM examination. The applicant must also renew their neonatal resuscitation training and adult CPR training every two years. “(Finney) is really everything you want in someone who’s going to be taking care of you and making important

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VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

decisions about your health care,” says Miller, Finney’s former apprentice and now co-worker.

This skill set has served Finney well, especially in the midst of the pandemic, when she found women were rushing to have home births. Here’s what she told Vox about her midwife experiences.

What led you to become a midwife?

To me, growing a baby and giving birth was a very transformative experience. I just felt amazing. I felt like a goddess. It was very powerful to me, and I remember during one of my postpartum visits with my nurse midwife, looking at her and having this realization that I needed to be doing what she’s doing. Midwives will talk about having a call to this work, so I feel like my story, that’s my call.

Why do women choose to give birth at home versus in a hospital setting?

There are two major groups of people I’m working with.

The first would be people who have not had a baby yet.

They are drawn to home birth and midwifery care because they, like many people, do not like being in hospitals.

Or they are more holistic in their lifestyle choices, and they believe that midwifery care supports that model.

The second group are women who have had babies in the hospital and had a bad experience.

How has the pandemic affected women’s decisions about where to give birth?

When the shutdowns first happened, we decided to rent a facility so we could have prenatal visits outside of our homes, and there was a big rush. Everybody was really worried about how this was all going to go, and the hospital had implemented some policies like restricting visitors. So we got this big flood of people interested in home birth. Now it’s gotten back to normal because the hospital allows two people. The midwives are back on service and people are just used to it now.

What are some common COVID-related childbirth fears?

[Parents] did not like that they couldn’t have more than one person [in the delivery room]. People who had a doula couldn’t have their doula, or they had to make a choice. The other was about contagion. People were concerned that they were going to be more at risk of exposure to the virus in a hospital setting.

What is your favorite story from your career as a midwife?

I just really enjoy working with women who have had traumatic hospital experiences and then go on to have midwifery care in a home birth. It is healing. I’m now getting clients who themselves were born at home.

So there’s a generation of people who are coming into home birth because their mother had home births, and it’s just part of their family story, which I think is amazing.

Photography courtesy of Dawn Finney

HISTORY, DIGITIZED P. 17

COMO COMEDY STILL STANDING (UP) P. 18

All goodness and light Diwali’s emphasis on happiness and good triumphing over evil might be what’s needed right now.

BY EVAN MUSIL

Ayesha Vishnani performs at a Diwali celebration held by MU’s South Asian Students Association in November 2017. Like many other celebrations, Diwali, the five-day Hindu festival of lights, will look different than in past years.

Photography by Nate Compton/Archive

A plethora of lamps, bursting firecrackers and huge crowds is usually what comes to mind when you think of Diwali, the five-day Hindu festival of lights.

But there’s another key theme to this celebration: happiness.

“Diwali means the light came in the day for everybody,” says Siva Bodducherla, a priest at the Hindu temple Shanthi Mandir in northern Columbia. “The light means happiness started.”

The origins of Diwali involve a deity defeating a demon. Although various sects of Hinduism have different narratives, most focus on the theme of good triumphing over evil and light over darkness. The third day of Diwali, which falls on Nov. 14 this year, represents the arrival of light. It’s the festival’s biggest and most celebratory day.

As with many events, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 guidelines have put a halt to the larger gatherings that Diwali inspires.

Diwali in Columbia is already celebrated on a smaller scale than in India, but the Shanthi Mandir temple and MU’s Cultural Association of India are trying to keep the same bright festival spirit during the pandemic.

During Diwali, Shanthi Mandir holds a puja, which means worship, of the goddess Lakshmi, who represents wealth and good fortune. The temple lights a diya, a kind of oil lamp, at the start of the ritual.

Devotees give offerings such as sweets, milk, yogurt, fruit or any dishes made with rice. “What kind of things are available to VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

15

CULTURE FESTIVALS

you, you just offer with the heart,” Bodducherla says.

The Cultural Association of India celebrates Diwali in a broader way because the festival has cultural as well as religious significance. It’s celebrated across India, from urban centers to rural parts of the country. “The community in Columbia is really diverse,” says Rupesh Devapati, cultural secretary of CAI. “We have people from all over India here.”

At CAI, Diwali is a way to bring all new and returning students together. Devapati says students get together for a small potluck and puja. “In India, every state has different food cuisines,” Devapati says. “We try to celebrate it. Everyone can get a different dish from their community.” Dances and acts follow puja.

Shanthi Mandir also usually holds a Gujarati dance called dandiya, which everyone in the Indian community is invited to take part in.

“When I went there, I was absolutely awe-struck with all the enthusiasm,” says Rudra Shukla, president of CAI. “There

were around 250 people dancing all together in sync, clapping in sync, and then banging their feet in sync.” The temple will not hold the dance this year.

There are no special decorations in the temple during Diwali as they would take the focus away from puja. “Sincerity is the most important,” Bodducherla says. “It means concentration.” After the ritual, members of the temple light firecrackers outside as part of the festival’s emphasis on happiness.

CAI, however, doesn’t celebrate with firecrackers as they are not allowed on campus. “As students, we have to tone it down,” Devapati says.

The association is still discussing possible plans for this year’s Diwali celebration due to the pandemic, Shukla says. If there is demand for an informal Diwali celebration from other students, Devapati says the group might hold a get-together with limitations: a maximum of 20 students and social distancing.

CAI has also postponed India Nite, an annual event it holds in October. The

GOOD VS. EVIL The origin of Diwali varies in different religious sects: Bodducherla says Diwali celebrates god Sri Krishna and goddess Satyabhama defeating demon Narakasura.

Devapati says the festival originated with god Rama who was exiled for 14 years from his kingdom. Hearing that demon Ravana kidnapped his wife, he returned and defeated the demon. People welcomed him by lighting firecrackers and lamps.

program might still occur in the spring, Shukla says.

You can celebrate a socially distanced Diwali this year. Devotees can still visit Shanthi Mandir but must notify the priests of their visit and follow the temple’s guidelines that require social distancing, sanitation and mask wearing on the premises.

Tidying up your home is a typical part of Diwali, so you can spend the festival’s first day cleaning up your space. It’s also believed that buying items during Diwali can bring you prosperity. Common purchases include new clothes, kitchen utensils and gifts for loved ones. Food is a key part of Diwali’s happiness theme. People begin preparing snacks a month before the festival, Shukla says. “You make it, you distribute it to everyone, and you’re spreading happiness,” he says. You can try to prepare your own Indian dishes or visit local Indian restaurants such as Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine or India’s House.

And of course, don’t forget the light.

Lamps, string lights or candles would work: it’s the intention that counts.

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VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

C U LT U RE MUSEUMS

down with someone and talking to them in person than it is to be doing it by phone or

by Zoom,” Rost says. Among the hundreds of accounts he received were entries from nursing home residents, a group especially vulnerable to COVID-19.

Rost credits the museum’s donors for its ability to keep operations going despite not welcoming visitors back until August.

By appointment only, the State Historical Society is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 12 to 4:30 p.m. at 605 Elm St. More information at shsmo.org.

Living through history As life continues in the pandemic, museums are recording it as it happens. Physical and oral accounts will help trace our steps in the future.

BY CHRISTOPHER MARTUCCI

H

ow would accounts of the 1918 flu pandemic be different if oral histories at the time had been recorded over Zoom? Or what would the Great Depression look like through the lens of Instagram? New technology means our current moment in history can be documented in intimate ways.

Here’s how three museums in Missouri are using new ways of documentation to preserve the experience of the pandemic.

Boone County Historical Society The “Remembering the Coronavirus” project is Boone County Historical Society’s way of documenting the pandemic.

Mary Ellen Lohmann, administrative services manager, organizes submissions from community members that tell the story of COVID-19 in the county.

The project idea came from Executive Director Chris Campbell almost instantly after the shutdown in March. No one was sure when the pandemic would end, so the museum decided to document everything it could. That meant creating a website to increase the project’s online presence.

BCHS launched its website within a month, which is fast for a small museum. “We’re very proud of the fact that we could react and give people

an outlet to record what they were thinking,” Lohmann says. Mementos she received included a diary entitled “Damn Virus” and three Minnie Mouse masks that were made by Lohmann’s daycare provider for her 5- and 3-yearold daughters.

BCHS has been able to keep its operations running with help from its major donors and also smaller donations from the community. The museum set a goal of raising $40,000 during its Giving Day in August, which it surpassed by raising $41,000. “I don’t know if it will get us all the way through the year, but we’re going to do all we can to keep our doors open,” Lohmann says.

BCHS is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 12 to 4 p.m. at 3801 Ponderosa St. The first hour is reserved for seniors and other high-risk individuals.

More information at boonehistory.org.

State Historical Society Oral accounts fill the State Historical Society’s documentation of the pandemic. For Sean Rost of the oral history department, gathering these stories was a challenge.

Instead of doing in-person interviews, the department switched to using Zoom meetings and phone calls. “It’s a much different experience when you are sitting

Photography by Ethan Weston and courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society

While the halls at the State Historical Society might be quiet, the museum is busy behind the scenes recording the history of COVID-19.

Among the materials and accounts received by the Missouri History Museum was a colorful homemade board game.

Missouri History Museum With its “Stories of the Pandemic” collection online, The Missouri History Museum in St. Louis is compiling oral accounts and other artifacts of the pandemic.

When St. Louis became an early epicenter for COVID-19 in Missouri, digital initiatives director Angela Dietz says it was important to get started right away. The museum has received over 300 testimonies that illustrate what it’s like for residents dealing with the pandemic.

The most interesting thing the archivists have received was a board game created by kids called “Escape Corona.”

Dietz worked with the museum’s oral history department to get the project started. “It’s been a good way to develop relationships with people even though we can’t really meet face-to-face yet,” she says.

The Missouri History Museum has had enough funding to stay afloat throughout the pandemic, which helps as the museum looks to preserve history in any capacity, Dietz says, especially since the pandemic shows no signs of slowing down. “We want to hear people’s stories any way we can,” she says.

The Missouri History Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. at 5700 Lindell Blvd. in St. Louis. More information at mohistory.org.

CULTURE COMEDY

he says. “There is a satisfaction in being able to craft something and have it work.”

He acknowledges that he has gained a greater appreciation for what he does over the past couple of months. “Having something that you can do, even just weekly, like this that’s a creative outlet is very nice,” Groharing says. “You feel like you’ve actually done something.” That’s something, he says, has been difficult to come by during the pandemic.

The impact that comedy has on others isn’t lost on him, either. “They appreciate someone that is kind of sticking their neck out a little bit,” he says.

Still standing up Performing comedy in the pandemic means some hiccups and lengthy pauses, but also lots of much-needed laughter.

VIVIAN KOLKS AND JULIAN NAZAR

J

ay Groharing saunters onto the stage. He begins his set by talking about an appointment he had with his eye doctor early in the pandemic.

“I was nervous because the eye doctor is, like, one of the most intimate appointments you can ever have,” Groharing says.

“You’re like this close from them when they’re doing the whole, ‘Is it one or is it two? Is it one or is it two?’ ” He pauses momentarily.

“You are literally close enough that you could kiss the eye doctor before he could react,” he says. “If you are quick, you can do it twice.”

“And if you did it twice, you would be like, ‘Which was better? Number one or number two?’ ” The room fills with laughter.

In the wake of the pandemic, the idea of going to any sort of live show with an

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VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

Kaitlyn Genereux performs at Eastside Tavern. When the pandemic affected in-person comedy shows, she teamed up with Lisa Pockets to create a virtual experience.

audience seems about as uncomfortable as, well, kissing your eye doctor.

But the “As Yet Unnamed Comedy Show” at Eastside Tavern, pandemic-style, has brought laughter to those who need it. At the show, you might see these comedians at a distance, and even the mic wears a mask.

Jay Groharing Since arriving in Columbia in the early 2000s, Groharing has performed hundreds of stand-up sets at both Deja Vu Comedy & Nightclub and Eastside Tavern.

He exudes the self-assuredness that comes from experience. In his words, performing at Eastside Tavern is like playing a home game.

What drives him to continue doing stand-up during the pandemic? It’s a creative itch that you always have to scratch,

Lisa Pockets and Kaitlyn Genereux Lisa Pockets used to host an open mic night event every Monday at The Social Room called “Hi, Hello, Welcome.” She started her comedy career in Columbia at 17. After spending a few years in Kansas City and Kirksville, she came back to pursue a master’s degree in fine arts at MU and quickly regained her place among the city’s stand-up comics.

In the months leading up to the pandemic, she says between eight to 12 comedians would perform at The Social Room in front of up to 30 people. When in-person performances were no longer an option, she teamed up with fellow Columbia comedian Kaitlyn Genereux in April to make the experience virtual via “Hi, Hello, Welcome Home” on Facebook.

Genereux says entertainment options were minimal at the start of the pandemic. “It’s just sitting at home and hanging out when you’re quarantining, so it was nice to give people an option,

Jay Groharing continues to perform at Eastside Tavern, now with new distancing measures in place. “Ideally, when doing comedy ... you don’t want a big gap between you and people,” he says.

Photography courtesy of Bill Donald

C U LT U RE COMEDY

and it really helped keep that community of comedy alive as well,” she says.

Pockets says a lot of people are surprised that there’s local comedy in town.

“It really is a pretty vibrant community with some really interesting people,” she says.

Becky Polacek Becky Polacek participated in the virtual “Hi, Hello, Welcome Home” show as well.

“We were going to broadcast it live, and that didn’t end up working, so we had to prerecord it and broadcast it on Facebook Live later the next day,” Polacek says.

Despite technical challenges, Polacek says she sees benefits to virtual shows — safety and audience participation included.

“You can see people liking and commenting on the Facebook page, and you get more specific feedback,” Polacek says. “You’re able to reach more people with virtual showcases because people can share to their page and then their friends can watch.”

Other performers nationwide are embracing the digital landscape, which allows

Photography courtesy of Bill Donald

AS YET UNNAMED COMEDY SHOW Eastside Tavern, 1016 E. Broadway, every Thursday at 8 p.m., free

them to break into stand-up in cities as far away as Los Angeles, Polacek says.

Bill Donald As far as connecting to the comedy scene virtually in Columbia, there’s a Facebook page for that. Bill Donald used to perform his own act at Eastside. Nowadays,

he takes photos and records videos of the shows and uploads them to the “Fans of the ‘As Yet Unnamed Comedy Show’” Facebook page. He’s missed hardly any shows since first attending 10 years ago.

Over the past couple of months, Donald has said that if there’s one thing we need right now, it is laughs.

Becky Polacek regularly performs at Eastside Tavern. Both Polacek and the microphone sported masks during the performance.

VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

19

Have you hugged a horse today?

Social distancing makes access to therapy at Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center difficult for most of its clientele, including those who need it most.

BY MARISA WHITAKER

W

Riders at Cedar Creek can wind through a trail filled with handmade goblins, dragonflies and fairies. Many of these decorations are made by the facility’s younger clients.

ill Myers is 9 years old and has been riding at Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center since he was 2. Born with a portion of his brain missing, Will has struggled with self-confidence. However, emotional and physical therapy with Cedar Creek’s horses has helped him feel more secure.

Cedar Creek has provided equine-assisted therapy since 1988. This type of therapy promotes physical, occupational and emotional growth in people with various disabilities. When COVID-19 cases were reported in Columbia, Cedar Creek had to temporarily shut down its facilities. But when it reopened July 8, it switched from high-fives to air-fives and started using sanitized saddles.

Prior to COVID-19, Will’s three younger sisters would go with him to Cedar Creek when he had therapy, says Molly Myers, Will’s mother. The girls would play together in a made-up fairyland beneath a large tree at the facility. “This is therapy for all of us,” Myers says. “They’ve grown up here. It looks different today because it’s COVID, but all of my kids get to be kids out here. We come out here, and we get to just be.”

Cedar Creek isn’t a fairyland for just the Myers family. The riders at Cedar Creek confidently command their horses and follow trail rides through toy Smurfs, berries, goblins, gnomes and dragonflies scattered along the path. At Cedar Creek, the goal is to lift spirits, give air-fives and hug horses — all while social distancing, says executive director Karen Grindler.

“If you get to hug a big, huge 1,200-pound breathing animal, it’s pretty satisfying even without a pandemic,” Grindler says. “They breathe, and you can breathe with them, and you can hold them, and you can hug them. And we’re all kind of in need of that right now.”

No horsing around with safety Before you can hug a horse at Cedar Creek, visitors must first follow a series of protocols at a checkin table about 20 feet from Cedar Creek’s arena. Only Cedar

20

Creek clients and their families can work with the horses during COVID-19.

A volunteer checks temperatures on wrists, followed by a series of wellness-related questions. Hand sanitizer or hand washing is required before entry. Extra masks are available, including Batman-themed ones to encourage younger children to wear them, volunteer Sarah Hait says.

COVID-19 precautions are strictly enforced at Cedar Creek. “If a rider comes and they don’t want to wear a mask, we have to tell them to go home,” Hait says.

To abide by COVID-19 regulations, Cedar Creek has also limited the number of people on site. It typically runs three eight-week semesters throughout the year, but the pandemic cut short the spring semester after one week. Before COVID-19, nearly 100 riders attended therapy each week, but now the staff assists only 40 riders weekly. Volunteer numbers have also decreased, going from more than 60 weekly volunteers to just two or three, Hait says.

Prior to the pandemic, riders required a Cedar Creek staff member to lead the horse. Depending on the extent of the rider’s disabilities, either one or two volunteers had to walk along either side of the horse, called sidewalkers. Although sidewalkers and leaders are needed, having two sidewalkers does not allow for social distancing. Because 60% of clients have severe disabilities that require two sidewalkers, rider numbers were reduced.

“It’s unfortunate that clients who need therapy the most, those with severe disabilities, cannot currently participate safely at Cedar Creek,” Grindler says.

For those who can ride with one volunteer, the lone side-

walker must be a family member or someone who has been quarantining with the rider. That way, the leader and the sidewalker can be six feet apart.

Fighting to stay financially stable Because the majority of Cedar Creek’s clientele currently cannot attend therapy, revenue is down $70,000. The facility began a fundraiser Sept. 15 with a GoFundMe page and hand-addressed letters to supporters. Organizers hope to raise $100,000. This money would go toward equipment, horse care and revenue lost from canceling the spring semester. “We’re doing our best to fundraise,” Grindler says. “We hope the community comes through. We hope the people feel like they can’t live without Cedar Creek.”

Despite new regulations, Hait says she believes the situation is being handled well. “We’re here for the kids, and the kids need protection,” Hait says. “Everyone is pretty on board with that.”

Hot-to-trot videos To ensure rider and staff safety, Cedar Creek published YouTube videos on horse care for the final seven weeks of the spring semester instead of in-person sessions. Grindler and her daughter, Katherine Schneller, created virtual lessons for 40 of their 96 spring riders. These lessons were riding how-to’s that prepared riders for their return to Cedar Creek. “[The clients] loved virtual lessons — grooming, how to clean your horse, what the equipment is called, how to attach a saddle to a horse, how to lead a horse — something different each week,” Grindler says. “We made them funny.”

The videos instilled positivity in clients and allowed them to keep up with their riding education. Myers says the videos helped Will and her girls when they were confused by COVID-19. They reminded her children that Cedar Creek was still there for them.

“It was nice to have the continuity,” Myers says. “When Will was having a hard time, we would put on the videos to recalibrate. I think it was disorienting [for kids] to have all of your rhythms come to a halt. Will could think, ‘This is still a thing. I know horses. I know Karen. There are still constants.’”

Hoofing it home Some clientele don’t have the opportunity to enjoy different activities in everyday life, regardless of the pandemic. So when the facility reopened July 8, it was one of the only out-of-thehouse activities available to its riders. Grindler says she felt rejuvenated when the summer session started.

Photography by Blythe Dorrian

CEDAR CREEK Contact: 875-8556 cedarcreektrc@gmail.com

Address: 4895 E Hwy 163 To Donate: www.cedarcreek.missouri.org

From right, volunteer Christi Hopper helps Suzi and Sadie Myers, ages 7 and 5, pet a horse while their brother, Will, attends therapy. Their mother, Molly, says Cedar Creek is like home for the entire family.

“I think it was because I got to see the joy of my riders smiling and hugging horses and laughing,” Grindler says. “That connection, that’s why we do what we do. It felt good just getting back into a swing of doing what we love to do.”

Cedar Creek’s clients are waiting for the pandemic to end to continue riding. In their eyes, the hidden goblins and gnomes on the trails await their arrival. They have to imagine a world without masks right now, Myers says, and luckily, fairytale creatures don’t have to wear masks. “It’s so nice to have a place where not only are they open, [where] we feel safe [and] it’s therapeutic, but a place that we all love,” Myers says. “We’re home. We’re home this fall.”

Suzi Myers must wash her hands before entering the facility and handling any of the riding gear.

Cedar Creek has a multi-step protocol for following COVID-19 regulations.

21

AND THE FIGHT TO VOTE Voting is a cornerstone of democracy, yet it took centuries to extend that right to a majority of our population. And still, easy access to the ballot box isn’t assured.Vox examines how this civic duty has evolved and what you need to know to exercise your rights.

Design by Hope Johnson & Madison Wisse

Show-Me suffrage Missouri’s 19th Amendment history includes a silent protest outside the 1916 Democratic National Convention, a Supreme Court case and ... Kewpie dolls.

By Julia Bower

I

t was June 1916, and women clad in white dresses and golden sashes proudly raised their gold umbrellas along Locust Street in St. Louis. Unlike many protests today, the roughly 7,000 suffragettes didn’t walk or chant. Their silent presence outside the Democratic National Convention — later known as the Golden Lane — carried a strong message: Give women the right to vote.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s ratifica-

tion. Even a century later, the conversation surrounding the suffrage movement for women voters hasn’t died down.

Researcher Elizabeth Eikmann spent the summer of 2019 compiling information related to 19th- and 20th-century suffrage activism for Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis. She notes that although this is a historic anniversary for women’s suffrage, many women are still being left out.

“This is a great moment

to celebrate, but it should also be sobering in that we haven’t come as far as we may have thought in the past 100 years,” Eikmann says.

Throughout the 20th century, marginalized communities were excluded from the suffrage movement. Black women were prohibited from attending many suffrage conventions and were forced to march separately. They continuously faced discrimination while advocating for universal suffrage within the mostly white movement.

Suffragettes frequently donned yellow sashes and umbrellas as symbols for the cause.

Marilyn McLeod, president of the League of Women Voters of Boone CountyColumbia, celebrates the 19th Amendment at the Boone County Historical Society during a celebration in September.

Former Missouri governor Frederick D. Gardner signed the Federal Suffrage Amendment into law July 3, 1919.

24

Black and Latina women also faced poll taxes and other suppression tactics, which had already been used against Black men. Indigenous women and Asian American women still lacked citizenship in 1920, so they were not allowed to vote despite the 19th Amendment.

Ebbie Tolbert became the first African American woman to register to vote in St. Louis on Sept. 14, 1920.

“The world isn’t like it used to be,” Tolbert told the St. Louis Star-Times 100 years ago. “And it may take the women to make things better.”

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act in August 1965, and this year marks its 55th anniversary. The Voting Rights Act aimed to knock down legal barriers that prevented African Americans from voting at the state and local levels, but it still excluded other demographics.

Eikmann says it is important to acknowledge the bigger picture: Voting discrimination against women of color is still prevalent today.

Eikmann says it’s more than just having the right to vote. It’s “thinking about how voting on particular issues affects people other than yourself,” she says. “We cannot lose sight of that.”

Ahead of the Nov. 3 election, Jean Parsons, co-curator of the Missouri Women: Suffrage to Statecraft exhibit at the Center for Missouri Studies, says everyone who can vote should exercise that right. “It is important that we continue to talk about the fact that not everyone has historically had the right to vote and,

in other cases, make it difficult for some to vote,” Parsons says.

Key suffrage moments The 19th Amendment is celebrating its 100th anniversary, but the fight for this right started long before the amendment was ratified in 1920.

In 1872, Virginia Minor attempted to register to vote at the St. Louis County Courthouse but was turned away. She and her husband filed a lawsuit against the registrar that eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1874. The court, upholding that individual states had the right to decide who could vote, ruled against the Minors.

In 1909, Rosie O’Neill, a Branson resident, designed a character that would come to represent many parts of the suffrage movement — the Kewpie doll. This small naked baby doll would later be dropped out of airplanes sporting yellow suffrage sashes during a National American Woman Suffrage Association Convention.

After the success of the Golden Lane in 1916, the suffrage movement flooded Missouri politics.

Photography by • Baylee Konen/Archive, Madi Winfield/Archive, Grace Noteboom, VOX MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 courtesy of The State Historical Society of Missouri and infographic by Madison Wisse

The Missouri General Assembly passed the Presidential Suffrage Bill in April 1919, which allowed Missouri women to vote for president and vice president.

Two months later, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin became the first states to ratify it. And on July 3, 1919, Missouri became the 11th state to ratify the 19th Amendment. “The women worked incredibly hard,” says Nicole Johnston, co-curator of the Suffrage to Statecraft exhibit.

“They fought like you wouldn’t believe. They marched. They protested.

It was through their efforts that we won the right to vote.”

A year later on Aug. 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify, officially making the 19th Amendment a part of the U.S. Constitution.

Penny Quigg

Although the number of people voting is expected to increase this election season, there are a few common reasons people still might not go to the polls.

w ll po ur yo et Me

Voter turnout or voter burnout?

Penny Quigg first worked the polls in 1971 when she was expecting her first child. “Here I am pregnant, very pregnant,” she says. “That’s when we had paper ballots, and we counted everything by hand.” She recalls it being a really long day.

Quigg says her parents were always politically active. It is no surprise that Quigg herself is passionate about politics and serves as the Cole County Republican Central Committee chair.

Today, Quigg regularly brushes up on election rules and regulations in Chapter 115 of Missouri’s Revised Statutes. After almost half a century as a poll worker, Quigg is disheartened that most people do not exercise their right to vote. “In the August primary, we had only 37% of eligible voters place their ballots at the Cole County polling place,” she says.

That’s why she thinks it’s even more important for parents to educate their children about their voting rights. To encourage voter turnout, one of the Cole County polling locations celebrates first-time voters by taking photographs and cheering, Quigg says.

or ke rs

•

By R ashi Shrivastava

By Colin Willard

W

hen so much news and information revolves around politics and the election season, it’s easy for voters to get burned out before the election even arrives. But this year, turnout rates might be greater than in 2016. According to the Pew Research Center, 83% of registered voters said it really matters who wins the 2020 election. That’s up 9% from a 2016 poll, and it could mean more people voting than in 2016, when about 60% eligible of voters cast a ballot. But what about the 40% or so who didn’t vote? There are a few common reasons they don’t turn out.

turnout rates for municipal contests are usually lower than those of general elections. He says municipal elections often have a more direct effect on voters than general elections because they affect everyday factors such as road conditions and trash services. But voters’ expectations tend to be lower because of a lack of information about their local governments or candidates.

Endersby says he expects higher voter turnout in this year’s general election because of heightened voter attention drawn by the presidency and campaigns.

pens. Considering non-stop coverage of American politics, the prevalence of social media can overwhelm viewers and influence voter turnout.

A Pew survey conducted in 2016 found that about 59% of Americans surveyed felt fatigued by coverage of the 2016 presidential election.

Respondents most often named candidates’ stances on issues as an underreported topic, which suggests voters might prefer more focused political coverage. A separate Pew survey from fall 2019 found about 66% of respondents felt exhausted by news in general.

Down for the count In the 2016 presidential election, 2.8 million Missourians cast ballots out of the state’s over 6 million residents. Typical margins of victory in statewide elections exceed 100,000 votes. These numbers lend support to the idea that every vote might not matter. Voting on the thought that “my vote cast will be the deciding factor in the election” never happens, says James Endersby, an MU political science professor who researches political behavior.

Where each individual vote does have the most impact is in local elections, Endersby says, yet

The fatigue factor The launch of CNN in 1980 is often cited as the beginning of the 24-hour news cycle. In the 40 years since, the rise of social media has brought news to readers as it hap-

Finding truth In an era of unlimited information, it can be difficult to determine what information is valid. Julie Smith, a media literacy instructor at Webster University, works to help people

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60% voted

Pew Research Center 2019 survey

How many

59% fatigued

Pew Research Center 2016 survey

better understand media validity.

Smith says there are questions readers should ask of their news. “Who’s the sender of the message? What’s their motive or intent? What tricks are they using to get me to pay attention to their message? What information is left out? Who makes money from this message?” Smith says. “We need to be asking those questions about everything, not just Aunt Carol’s Facebook post.”

Throughout this year, Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon has used social media to increase voter education and engagement with local government. Lennon says bringing the county clerk’s office into the online conversation helps prevent the spread of misinformation. “Instead of going on Facebook and asking their friends a question, and then somebody just kind of filling in the answer to the best of their knowledge, people could share the post,” she says. Her Facebook and Twitter accounts and those of the Boone County Clerk’s Office often get tagged with questions.

An election calendar, polling info and what to expect on the ballot are available on the Boone County Clerk’s Office website at showmeboone.com/clerk/.

Criminal disenfranchisement in Missouri began with the ratification of the Missouri Constitution in 1820. Section 14 stated “the general assembly shall have the right to exclude from every office of honor, trust, or profit, within this state, and from the right of suffrage, all persons convicted of bribery, perjury, or other infamous crime.”

Congress ratified the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which allowed all citizens regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude” to vote.

Despite this amendment, discriminatory practices that prevented Black Americans from voting remained.

During the Civil War, Missouri embraced its second constitution, also known as the Drake Constitution. Penned by the “Radicals,” this document supported the emancipation of slaves and included an Ironclad Oath, which excluded former Confederate sympathizers from voting.

1865

Virginia Louisa Minor co-founded the Women’s Suffrage Association in St. Louis, the first women’s suffrage organization in the country.

1870

1867

1820

The road to voting rights: a timeline

1919 On June 10, 1919, Gov. Frederick D. Gardner urged the Missouri General Assembly to let women vote, reminding them of women’s “glorious inspiration and patriotic work” during World War I. Gardner signed Senate Bill 1, which guaranteed women the right to vote in presidential elections. On July 3 of the same year, Missouri became the 11th state to ratify the 19th Amendment granting women’s suffrage.

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1920 The 19th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution. Just five days after it was adopted, Marie Byrum, 26, of Hannibal, Missouri, became the first woman to cast a ballot in the state’s history. Byrum walked 15 blocks in the rain to vote for the first time.

1924 The Missouri Voting Rights Amendment, also known as Issue 9, was adopted. The measure restricted voting to only U.S. citizens and excluded “insane persons.”

1942 Democrat Georgia Daniel Irvine took office as the first female Missouri representative for Audrain County. She also co-sponsored legislation that allowed eligible voters to cast absentee ballots.

Sarah Hicks Sarah Hicks, 34, became a poll worker when she

1916

1874

Meet your poll workers

Virginia Minor tried to register to vote in the 1872 presidential election but was refused. In Minor v. Happersett, an 1874 U.S. Supreme Court case, she argued that the 14th Amendment gave women the right to vote. Minor lost the case when the Supreme Court maintained that citizenship does not grant the right to vote.

The Golden Lane was one of the most striking demonstrations by women suffragists in Missouri. Thousands of women wore white dresses with yellow sashes that read, “Votes for Women.” They lined Locust Street outside the Democratic National Convention in St. Louis.

was an undergrad at MU. Initially, money motivated her decision to become a poll worker. “I was a broke college student,” Hicks says. She credits Wendy Noren, former Boone County clerk, as someone who helped change her perspective on voting.

Twelve years after that first training, Hicks is still a poll worker for Boone County and trains new poll workers. “Now I do it because I want to be a part of making sure that everybody gets to have their voices heard,” Hicks says. “And it’s a lot of fun to see how many people get excited for voting.”

Boone County’s poll workers want to ensure everyone can vote no matter how challenging it may be, she says.

By

Sa ra

h Straughn

It has been 200 years, and we’re still on the quest to total suffrage.

Key milestones and legislative loopholes have dotted the path of voting rights history in Missouri. By Rashi Shrivastava

1965 Congress passed the Voting Rights Act on Aug. 4, 1965, and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law just two days later. The passage of this act, along with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, finally materialized the promises outlined in the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, which outlawed slavery, granted citizenship and allowed any race to vote, respectively.

2013 The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Shelby County v. Holder that section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was unconstitutional. It removed a “coverage formula” where certain jurisdictions had to seek federal guidance before passing voting laws. This ruling eventually made it easier for several states to alter voting laws.

2016 The Missouri General Assembly approved the amendment that mandated photo voter identification, making Missouri one of 34 states that requires some form of photo identification at the polls after registration is already complete.

Photography by Grate Noteboom and Kayla Wolf and courtesy of Library of Congress, Alamy, Getty and pexels.com

2020 In a 5-2 ruling on Jan. 14, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down a 2016 state law that required voters without photo ID to sign affidavits before voting.

Consequently, voters in Missouri are allowed to present either photo or non-photo identification at the polls.

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Not voting in person?

START HERE! How are you voting?

Mail-In

Do I need a notary?

Election Day know-how The ins and outs of voting in Missouri.

By Sarah Straughn

Yes, always. A notary is the person authorized to certify a ballot is official. You can find local notaries at sos. mo.gov/elections/ MailinNotary.

How do I turn in my ballot?

You must mail your ballot to the Boone County Clerk’s office.

Unlike absentee ballots, they cannot be dropped off in person.

You can return your absentee ballot in person or by mail to the Boone County Clerk’s office.

When does it need to be turned in?

When does it need to be turned in?

Election Day is coming up, and this year voting experts anticipate unprecedented voter turnout, particularly by mail-in and absentee voting. Whether you’re a first-time voter or a seasoned pro, you’ll want to be prepared. First things first: make a plan.

01

Before election day...

Missourians have three options for voting: absentee, mail-in and in-person.

This year, many people are skeptical about the security of voting by mail. According to an NPR report, mail-in voter fraud occurs so infrequently that “it’s not statistically meaningful.” In the past 20 years, only 143 cases of the total 250 million votes cast were fraudulent.

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Do I need a notary?

Yes, unless you are incapacitated because of an illness, or if you’ve contracted COVID-19 or are at risk of contracting it.

Absentee ballots for any other reason must be notarized.

How do I turn in my ballot?

All ballots must be received by 7 p.m.

Nov. 3. Because of unpredictable delays with USPS, try to have your ballots in the mail as soon as possible.

Absentee

Plan for time off: If you’re voting in person, you can ask before Nov. 3 to have time off work.

Employees have the right to up to three hours to vote on Election Day, but employers get to choose which hours they may vote. Employers don’t have to allow time for employees to vote if a shift begins three hours after the polls open or ends three hours before they close.

Check your mail: David Mallory has been a Boone County poll worker since 2004, and his best advice for new voters is to pay attention to

All absentee ballots must be received by 7 p.m.

Nov. 3. You can also vote absentee in person at the Boone County Clerk’s office until Nov. 2.

mail from the County Clerk’s office, which will tell you where you need to go to vote.

Research what’s on the ballot: Not only will there be presidential candidates, but there will also be candidates for local and state government.

If you lost your physical sample ballot or would like an electronic version, you can request one via email from the Boone County Clerk’s office.

Also, look for the Columbia Missourian’s Voter Guide and keep up with the Missourian’s election page for specific ballot information.

02 03 Before you leave home...

What to expect at the polls...

Grab your ID: All Missouri voters must have one form of state-approved identification.

These include: • an ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.) issued

by Missouri or the U.S. government.

• an ID (voter registration card) issued by a local election authority.

• an ID from a Missouri university, college, vocational or technical institution (student ID). A high school ID will not work.

• a form that includes your name and address (current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or other government document).

Check-in: You’ll need to sign the voter registration book electronically via iPad. If you’d like, have hand sanitizer, wipes or gloves at the ready, because you’ll need to touch items others have used.

Pack a snack: Former First Lady Michelle Obama recommends packing a brown bag dinner — or perhaps breakfast instead. Lennon says depending on the time you go to the polls, voting could take a while.

Don’t forget your mask: Boone County officials recommend everyone wears a mask and follows proper social distancing guidelines. The county is working on getting extra masks, but you should still bring your own, Lennon says.

Double check you have your ID: Seriously, you won’t be allowed to vote without it.

Students, don’t forget you can vote, too.

“We have to make sure we remove all barriers to access, so that it’s as easy as possible, so students can [vote] without any barriers in their way or challenges they have to jump over,” says Claire Shipp, executive director of the Associated Students of the University of Missouri.

ASUM is a nonpartisan UM System-wide student organization that aims to connect students with their government. This year, its priority was getting students to register to vote.

“I’m happy for anyone when they find their political identity no matter what that is,” Shipp says. “I think that’s so important and so empowering, and I think students have the ability to change so many things. Even though it sounds cheesy, little wins are important. And I think little wins individually add up to big wins for students.”

Paper vs. machine: All votes will be on paper ballots fed into a counting machine, Lennon says, but there are two ways to fill in the ballots.

You can either fill it out on paper or vote on a screen and then print out your ballot.

Campaigning: People will campaign outside of polling stations. In Missouri, they cannot be within 25 feet of the doors. If someone violates this, let your local election judge know. Lennon says there are typically signs and cones marking the 25-foot distance, so she doesn’t anticipate it being a problem.

Voter intimidation: Lennon says Boone County has strict rules that poll watchers and poll challengers must follow. “In no way can they interrupt the process of voting,” she says.

Expect a lot of people: In the 2016 election, 78.3% of voters registered in Boone County turned out to vote, so expect to see plenty of in-person voters in November. The Pew Research Center predicts a record national voting turnout, perhaps the highest turnout since the 1908 presidential election. Michael McDonald, director of the U.S. Elections Project, referred to this election as “the storm of the century.”

With proper social distancing, the lines will probably be long. To ensure filling out your ballot takes as little time as possible, Lennon recommends coming prepared with your choices in mind.

Get your “I voted” sticker: This year’s stickers were designed by Audrey Cornell of Battle High School. As you leave your polling station, don’t forget to get your sticker — and wear it with pride. “I voted” stickers also serve as a reminder to those who might’ve forgotten it’s Election Day.

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Find your polling place: If your polling place is different than you expected, contact your local election official before Election Day. From church halls to school gymnasiums to Mizzou Arena, Boone County has 76 polling locations.

Calling all student voters...

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Evette Nissen

Evette Nissen, 63, is chair of the board at The Wardrobe thrift and consignment store, a Heart of Missouri Master Gardener and a well-recognized member of the Columbia community since 1984. This November, voters going to her Boone County polling place will find her once again supervising as an election judge.

Voters were surprised to see Nissen when she worked her first election in 2006. “I was taking the place of somebody that had worked there for about

By Aiman Javed

Check your voter registration: It’s important that your voter registration address is up to date, says Brianna Lennon, Boone County clerk. “Otherwise, (voters) may get the wrong polling place assignment or the wrong sample ballot if they have moved, and we only have the old address on file,” she says. Your registered address can be found on the Missouri Secretary of State’s website.

psst.

50 years,” Nissen says. “[Voters] were taken aback when they didn’t see that person sitting in that spot.”

Nissen now recognizes voters as they walk in. Each poll in Missouri has election judges who have to declare their party, with an even number of Republicans and Democrats, a minimum of two each, at every polling place. They take the ballots to the polls and return them to the courthouse. As a poll worker, Nissen feels strongly about making voting easier. “We need to make sure that they have that

Photography by Grate Noteboom

opportunity to voice what their vote is,” she says.

Sneaky suppression I

t seems simple: Turn 18, register, vote. If voting rights are wholly protected, the tough part should be learning about candidates and forming opinions on policy issues, not puzzling over deadlines and laws.

Simple and fair voting is an essential part of a functioning democracy, says Andrea Benjamin, former political science professor at MU. “A healthy democracy is when people are engaged and participating in the political process,” she says.

“It will not be healthy if we continue to restrict people’s ability to participate in this process.”

Although the stated goal of our laws is to keep elections accurate, too many regulations can act as roadblocks, says Marilyn McLeod, president of the League of Women Voters in Boone County. Restrictions can range from blatant measures such as removing people from voter rolls and the elimination of polling places to more covert tactics, like convoluted voter ID laws.

No matter how obvious, all of these tactics repress the voices of voters — specifically those in marginalized communities. Vox breaks down three of the most pervasive ways votes are suppressed in Missouri and beyond.

Voter ID laws Identification requirements were ostensibly created to ensure voters are who they say they are, but what if someone doesn’t have an ID? “That’s basically saying without this document, you can’t participate in our democracy’s process.” Benjamin says. It’s doubly concerning, she says, because low-income, elderly and Black voters are less likely to have state-issued IDs. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, up to 25% of Black citizens don’t have a photo ID compared to only 8% of white citizens.

The state Supreme Court in January ruled that voters can once again use non-photo identification, such as a voter ID card, college ID or a utilities bill with a current address. There are 36 states that have laws requiring voters to show some form of identification.

Mail-in issues In June, the Missouri legislature expanded absentee and mail-in voting due to COVID-19. The tempo-

U.S. Postal Service officials have said to expect some delays in mailed ballots.

30

Photography by Grace Noteboom and The Associated Press/Archive

rary legislation in place through December comes with nuanced rules.

A mail-in ballot must be notarized unless you are ill, disabled or caring for someone who is, or if you are at risk of contracting COVID-19.

According to September reporting by The Kansas City Star, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft says as many as one in 50 Missouri ballots sent by mail could go uncounted in the November election due to arriving late or lack of a notary’s signature. The ballot also won’t count if it’s filled out incorrectly. The process, Benjamin says, contains too many steps to be foolproof. “Did you check the right boxes? Did you put the right ballot into the right envelope that then goes into the mailing envelope?”

McLeod agrees. “People should be taking time learning what’s on their ballot ... they shouldn’t have to worry so much about the mechanics of casting that ballot,” she says.

p

By Vivian Herzog

Me et yo ur

As Election Day nears, voting is on people’s minds. But casting a ballot is not as straightforward as it sounds.

Voters stand in line to cast early ballots, which isn’t an option in Missouri.

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•

Even if you do everything right, your ballot might not arrive in time. On Aug. 14, the U.S. Postal Service warned 46 states and Washington, D.C., that ballots returned by mail could arrive late.

Early voting Missouri is one of only seven states that doesn’t permit early voting in any form, and the state also does not allow same-day voter registration, which is allowed in 21 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.

The process isn’t easy for everyone, Benjamin says. “At the end of the day, democracy is supposed to be the engagement of people, where we weigh both sides and we come together, and we say ... this is how we’re going to select the winner.

What is the point of trying to restrict the number of people that can chime in?”

By Alyssa Shikles

Alex Hackworth

Alex Hackworth, 22, currently works on Judy Baker’s campaign for Missouri Senate and serves as a commissioner in the City of Columbia’s Vision Commission. For him, this year marks the next step in fulfilling his civic duty: working the polls for the first time in the November election.

An interdisciplinary studies major at MU, Hackworth says he loves engaging in the political process. “I feel drawn to political activity,” he says.

“I see it as one of the ways in which I would like to help the world.”

Hackworth’s passion for voting comes from studying democracy and U.S. history. He knows that going to the polls has never been as simple as it should be.

“I would just urge people to educate themselves about their rights as voters by visiting their Secretary of State’s office,” he says. “Go to the polls with a plan about not only knowing who’s on the ballot, but what your rights as a voter are on that day.”

PSA FOR PSL HATERS P. 33

EASY VEGAN RECIPES P. 34

Elderberries taste slightly tart with subtle notes of sweetness.

They can be used to make a variety of products, such as jams, juices, cordials and more.

Purple reign Missouri is the leading U.S. commercial producer of the highly valued elderberry.

BY MALLORY DAILY As nights grow longer and leaves fall from the trees, a native Missouri shrub with a rich history and a bright future lies dormant, waiting out winter. In summer, its branches of white flowers can reach up to 8 feet tall. By August, the small dark purple berries shimmer in the dappled sunlight.

Photography by Lauren Polanski and Mikayla Easley and courtesy of Getty Images

VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

31

E AT & DRINK AGRICULTURE

Rich and Sherrie Hagenhoff (both photos below) started growing elderberries in 2016 and continue to expand their farm each year.

Elderberries grow in open wooded areas, along roadsides and stream banks and perhaps even in your backyard. The plant has been used as food and medicine by communities around the world for centuries. Its seeds have been found in archaeological sites dating back between 3000 and 4000 B.C. The Greek physician Hippocrates, said to be the father of medicine, named the elder plant his “medicine chest.”

“Common knowledge of elderberry was about to be lost because we were getting so far from nature,” says Terry Durham, founder of River Hills Harvest, an elderberry farm and growers’ collective located about 20 miles south of Columbia near Hartsburg.

Twenty years ago, if you wanted elderberries, you had to pick them yourself or import them from countries in northern Europe, such as Ireland. Today, Missouri is the leading U.S. producer of elderberries with 47% of the nation’s total acres, according to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture.

“If you plant it, they will come,” says Sherrie Hagenhoff, owner of Sac River Valley Elderberry & Elderflower Farm near Springfield. She has 3 acres in elderberry production and sells the majority of her 2,500-pound harvest to members of her community who took interest in her farm as it developed.

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VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, producers in Missouri are seeing heightened demand for elderberry products. At Sac River Valley farm, for example, Hagenhoff has already sold 70% of her frozen elderberries. Last year, she didn’t sell out until February.

Durham at River Hills says he sees a similar trend.

Durham, Hagenhoff and many elderberry growers around the country grow commercial elderberry varieties that were developed in partnership with the University of Missouri.

Patrick Byers, a field specialist in horticulture for MU Extension’s southwest region, is among the experts who saw the potential 20 years ago for an elderberry market to develop in the United States.

WHERE TO BUY River Hills Harvest Riverhillsharvest. com/shop; various elderberry products Sac River Valley Farm Via its Facebook page; frozen berries Barred Owl Butcher and Table Serves an elderberry shrub cocktail Hy-Vee Carries River Hills syrup and juice

“When we began the project back in the late ’90s, there were no cultivated elderberries other than, you know, backyard plants in people’s gardens,” Byers says. “And now, our best estimate is that there are around 300 acres of elderberries in Missouri.” For comparison, an MU survey of specialty crops in Missouri showed less than two acres of raspberries in 2016.

Byers says there are three reasons the state has seen so much development in the elderberry market: partnerships among farmers, entrepreneurial processors and local research and extension systems. Researchers continue to investigate the medicinal claims that have been made for centuries about the plant as the market grows.

Grace Sun, professor emeritus of biochemistry at MU, oversaw a 2014 study that showed the neuroprotective effect of elderberries against stroke-induced damage in mice.

Many of the flavonoids — chemicals responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their color — in elderberries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Sun says.

MU scientists have also studied the effects of elderberry on cognitive decline for subjects with a high risk for Alzheimer’s disease and in preventing and treating prostate cancer.

Consumer interest in elderberries has risen in Missouri and across the U.S. For locals, there is no shortage of products to choose from in Columbia.

Katie Epstein, marketing director at Clovers Natural Market, says sales for local elderberry products are at an all-time high. “It’s neat that people are turning to these herbal holistic answers, even though these are options that have been available for hundreds of years,” Epstein says.

Most producers say they can’t grow enough berries to meet the demand, even before COVID-19 raised concerns about staying healthy.

“I can sell every berry I have in my local community 100 times over,” Hagenhoff says. “I feel blessed to be able to provide such an amazing product to my community and to have three little acres that can give so much.”

Photography courtesy of Sac River Valley Elderberry & Elderflower Farm

E AT & DRI N K BEVERAGES

frothy drink is a combination of Earl Grey tea, steamed milk and vanilla syrup. The slightly bitter and earthy tones from the Earl Grey are balanced out by the sweet vanilla. The result? A drink that’s bound to get you in the fall mindset. ($5.15, medium) Shortwave Coffee, 915 Alley A, Mon.–Sun., 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 214-0880.

Cold days, warm drinks Completely over pumpkin spice? Try these alternative fall drinks instead.

BY MIKAYLA EASLEY

P

umpkin spice: You either love it or hate it. It’s a phenomenon that comes around once a year and is almost guaranteed to make its way onto the menu of your favorite coffee shop, brewery or restaurant.

If you’re not a fan of the flavoring or are just feeling burnt out on pumpkin spice everything, then this fall drink round-up will help you find your perfect alternative.

Peppermint and Honey Oat Milk Latte This combination of sharp mint and smooth honey is one you won’t find anywhere other than Lakota Coffee Company. Angela Bondoni, assistant manager at Lakota, suggests asking your barista to have it steamed at 120 degrees to make the milk creamier.

Bondoni says baristas choose their favorite drinks each year to promote while also experimenting with their favorite flavors to create new ones, which Photography by Mikayla Easley

is how the peppermint and honey latte came about. ($5.10, medium) Lakota Coffee Company, 24 S. 9th St., Mon.–Sat., 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sun., 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., 874-2852.

Salted Caramel Latte Can’t decide between salty or sweet?

Try this drink at The Grind to get the best of both worlds. The salty flavor accentuates the richness of the caramel, creating a drink that’s so addictive you won’t want to stop sipping. Although it’s offered all year, a salted caramel latte is great for those days when you need a little extra comfort from the autumn chill. ($4.45, medium) The Grind, 4603 John Gary Drive, Mon.–Fri., 6 a.m. to midnight; Sat.–Sun., 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., 447-3333.

London Fog If you’re looking for everything a warm latte has to offer but aren’t a fan of coffee, look no further than Shortwave Coffee’s London Fog. This smooth,

Local coffee shops and breweries offer plenty of fall-inspired drinks that don’t feature pumpkins — not a decorative gourd in sight. And if a cold drink in cold weather is your cup of tea, all these can be iced.

Rosemary Brown Sugar Latte This limited drink’s sweetness is mellowed out by the woodsy spice of fresh rosemary, says David Elman, Fretboard Coffee owner. The flavoring is made in-house with fresh ingredients sourced locally from Columbia-area farmers.

Fretboard tried to make its own pumpkin spice flavor a few years ago, but Elman says the homemade mixture was thick and difficult for baristas to work with. Still, he says whenever the coffee shop has a new drink, the enthusiasm from customers is infectious, and a ton of people will want to try it. ($4, small) Fretboard Coffee, 1013 E. Walnut St., Mon.–Fri., 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Sat.–Sun., 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 227-2233.

Irish Cider Nobody said that fall drinks had to be from a coffee shop, and what’s more autumnal than apple cider? This adult version from Günter Hans is made with 17 different kinds of apples, pressed and then stored to mature for a few years. The result is a cider that’s both refreshingly crisp and just the tiniest bit sweet. ($7.25, pint) Günter Hans, 7 Hitt St., Wed.–Thurs., 4–10:30 p.m.; Fri., 2–10:30 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., 722-4045.

11 Point IPA Just like the river in southeast Missouri that it’s named after, the notes in this amber ale from Broadway Brewery are vibrant and earthy. Pine and floral hints are combined with toasty caramel in a uniquely smooth brew that’s sure to make you feel like you’re sitting along the river and watching the leaves fall.

The hops in the 11 Point are moderate, so the bitterness is just right. ($5, pint) Broadway Brewery, 816 E. Broadway, Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun., 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., 443-5054.

VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

33

Make it vegan, make it easy From stuffed bell peppers to ice cream for dessert, these three-ingredient vegan recipes are a breeze to make at home.

BY LAUREN POLANSKI

F

ollowing a vegan diet might sound daunting to some, but there are plenty of simple and tasty recipes that any beginner can follow. I adapted these recipes when I began eating vegan.

A vegan diet consists of no meat, dairy and eggs but includes natural and plant-based foods. According to veganbits.com, 0.5% of the U.S. adult population is vegan, which translates to about 1.62 million people.

Several benefits come with eating vegan. Jennifer Tveitnes, a local Hy-Vee registered dietitian, says she finds that most people who choose a vegan diet do it for environmental, animal rights or health reasons.

There are various health benefits, she says. “It’s a very heart-healthy diet, and associated with that is lower blood pressure and decreased risk of stroke,” Tveitnes says. “Also, it can help with Type 2 diabetes, reduce risk of some types of cancer as well as decreased risk of obesity.”

The bell pepper and pancakes recipes serve one, and the ice cream

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VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

serves two. If you are interested in trying vegan foods or want to add some new flavors to your collection of vegan recipes, here are three of my favorite simple recipes to start.

Vegan Stuffed Bell Pepper Ingredients: 1 large bell pepper 1 8-ounce microwavable brown rice 1 cup frozen meatless meat crumbles Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Cut the top off of the bell pepper, and scoop out the middle to hollow it out. Microwave the rice according to the package directions and pour into a medium bowl. Add frozen meatless meat crumbles and mix with the rice. Place rice and meatless meat mixture into the hollow bell pepper. Wrap the pepper in aluminum foil until it is covered completely. Place the wrapped bell pepper standing up on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove, let it cool and enjoy.

Optional: Before eating, top the stuffed bell pepper with warm marinara sauce for extra flavor.

A vegan stuffed bell pepper (top) is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.

Vegan cappuccino ice cream (top right) is a yummy delight to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Vegan pancakes (above) that are light and fluffy are a delicious way to start your morning.

Vegan Cappuccino Ice Cream Ingredients: 3 frozen, ripe bananas 1 cup cold dark roast coffee 1/2 cup cacao powder Blend the ingredients together in a highspeed blender until creamy. Scoop the ice cream mix into a storage container, then freeze it for three hours. Remove it and enjoy.

Optional: For a touch of sweetness, top off the frozen treat with a dollop of vegan whipped cream.

Vegan Pancakes Ingredients: 1 banana 11/2 cups almond milk 1 cup oat flour Mix all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Grease a skillet with nonstick spray and place over medium heat.

Scoop 1/4-cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook both sides until brown. Let it cool and enjoy.

Optional: Add maple syrup and fruit on top.

Photography by Lauren Polanski

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Molly Myers and her children, Will, Layla, Sadie and Suzi, practice mindfulness to relieve stress.

The young and the stressless People of all ages can benefit from practicing mindfulness.

BY CLAUDIA KHAW You’ve lost your favorite mechanical pencil. Your best friend is in a different lunch period. Your sibling took your toy. To a kid, these are real stressors that can occur daily. These issues might sound

juvenile compared to “adult” problems, but these are examples of genuine worries children have.

“Kids have stress too,” says Corri Flaker, a mindfulness educator at Kindred Collective, a Columbia health, wellness and creative arts center that provides therapy services for all ages.

And 2020 has added to those worries. Separation from friends, hybridized schooling and health concerns are just a few of the new things kids have to worry about this year, Flaker says. “I know from having two young children,” she says.

“I see firsthand those stresses that they pick up on from me and from the world around them.”

Stress isn’t unique to adults, and neither are mental health practices. That’s where mindfulness techniques come in.

Photography by Ethan Weston and courtesy of pexels.com

A sense of calm Mindfulness is a broad term, but it is usually associated with feelings of tranquility. “Mindfulness is finding peace in yourself when the voices in your brain are so loud,” Flaker says.

Kristi Sveum, a therapist and licensed clinical social worker at Aspire Counseling, has a similar outlook: “Mindfulness is paying attention to what you’re doing in the present. It is noticing what you’re feeling and what you’re hearing and what you’re seeing. It’s not so much like clearing your mind; it’s more finding a place of calm.”

Mindfulness can also be defined by what it isn’t. “Mindfulness is not creating a false emotion,” says Molly Myers, a certified child life specialist who is also in charge of community relations VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

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CITY LIFE MENTAL HEALTH

at Kindred Collective. To her, it’s not about being “fine,” but accepting how you are in the moment.

The mind of a child A 2015 study of 101 sixth-graders from Rhode Island put a group of students in an Asian history class, where the teacher led them through daily mindfulness meditation exercises. The other group did not do the exercises. Students in the meditation group showed reduced risk of developing suicidal ideation and self-harming thoughts and behaviors.

Chelsea Olson, a yoga therapist who often works with kids, says children actually have a natural capacity to be mindful.

“They’re already awake in a way that we have forgotten as adults,” she says. “They notice things we scan over because our minds are always busy and full of noise.”

Olson says we lose a sense of clarity as we age. We bring more awareness to ourselves in a way that is self-critical instead of inquisitive. “It’s almost like we use that strength of youth and flip it so that it hurts us,” she says.

Depending on the age of the child, some mindfulness practices have to be modified. Instead of instructing kids to focus on their senses, Olson might tell them to stand in the middle of a room and move to different sides if they pick a certain answer to a question. This teaches them how to be truthful with themselves, even when their minds might be conflict.

“When we’re dismissing the thinking brain, so many times, an emotion pops up,” Myers says.

When children get angry about not seeing his or her friends, for example, they’re just angry. But adult minds tend to drown out those feelings, Myers says.

They try to rationalize or invalidate the emotions they’re feeling and end up overthinking things.

In these situations, Myers would practice mindfulness by labeling the emotion and quieting the mind by breathing and accepting the emotion for what it is, as opposed to following the natural reaction of debating the validity of the emotion.

Flaker says she believes mindfulness for children doesn’t receive enough attention because people consider activities like meditation to be for adults.

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Suzi Myers regularly uses her mother’s mindfulness techniques. Her family also attends horse therapy.

(See story p. 20.)

TRY THIS Kristi Sveum suggests the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. When feeling anxious, notice five things you see, four things you can touch, three things you hear, two things you smell and one thing you can taste. This helps you focus on the present moment. Modify this technique for children by asking them to notice everything in a room that is a certain color.

But mindfulness can work for everyone.

“I’ve heard their parents say, ‘I heard her using the buzzing breath, and I didn’t even ask her to,’ ” Flaker says, referring to techniques she taught the kids to use when feeling overwhelmed.

The more kids practice mindfulness, the better they are at handling stress later on in life. “It’s a gift to give kids — not only to help them navigate the intricacies of childhood,” Myers says.

“It’s something they’ll carry with them for a lifetime, so they’re going to adapt into healthier adults.”

Breathe in, breathe out Of course, mindfulness isn’t a cure-all or a replacement for therapy, but it’s a great addition for anyone’s toolbox.

It’s especially helpful when kids learn and develop mindful habits because mindfulness is like a muscle. You have to train it.

But not everyone can afford to spend time improving their wellbeing.

Unfortunately, the decision sometimes comes down to priorities.

Sveum says that someone might not be thinking about their child’s therapy if

they’re more concerned with putting food on the table, even if the child is struggling.

For children who are experiencing stress that is not debilitating, mindfulness can be especially helpful. Breathing practices are a great, inexpensive way to start. “You have your breath no matter where you go,” Sveum says. “You don’t always have your stress toy and you don’t always have music or somebody to talk to. But you always have your breath.”

Flaker teaches four breathing exercises that help hone in on the senses. The buzzing breath is a humming “zzz” noise through the teeth, the snake breath is a similar hissing “sss” sound, the “hah” breath is achieved through a deep exhale and the last breath is a long “ahhh” sound. These breaths help focus on how you are feeling in the moment.

None of this is helpful if people don’t give mindfulness a chance. Myers says that she has met people who say that deep breathing won’t fix what’s going on.

“I mean, in a way it’s right, it’s not just a deep breath,” Myers says. Patience and effort go a long way toward seeing results.

“You get out of it what you put into it.”

No age limit “Learning how to find that peaceful spot when you’re young is just so valuable,” Flaker says. But it’s never too late for adults.

Olson says the idea that adult brains never change is completely false and outdated. It is now commonly understood that the brain is constantly forming new neural connections at all ages. As it turns out, you can teach an adult new tricks. It just might be a little more challenging.

Myers says she believes it’s great for parents to join in and learn about meditation. She compares it to oxygen masks in airplanes — parents should put their own masks on before assisting others.

“If parents are interested, there are plenty of books and YouTube videos on the subject matter,” Sveum says. “There are tools out there. There are books you can read with your kid.”

If you’re hesitating or still have reservations about practicing meditation, Flaker’s says not to knock it until you’ve tried it.

Photography by Ethan Weston

C I T Y LI FE MENTAL HEALTH

Feeling fatigued Crisis fatigue is real. Here’s what you can do about it.

BY GRACE NIELAND

T

here’s a name for that gnawing feeling in the back of your mind, for the growing blob of apathy that makes you want to throw your hands up, quit caring about the stress of 2020 and just go back to business as usual, not worrying about masks or social distancing.

It’s called crisis fatigue, and it’s totally normal.

Defining crisis mode Sara McMullin is a postdoctoral research fellow at MU. She has her doctorate in experimental psychology and is studying the impact of stress on decision-making and addiction. She defines crisis fatigue as the psychological result of chronic stress. It’s what happens when stressful experiences pile up and don’t go away.

Mind and body When you experience a stressful situation, your body has a physical response, says MU Health Care psychiatrist Laine Young-Walker.

It increases adrenaline and cortisol, powerful hormones that increase heart rate and air flow and redistribute blood to your muscles, to give you the boost you need to get away from a stressor.

Once you’ve escaped, your body begins to relax and go back to normal.

When the stressor is unavoidable and longstanding, however, this relaxation can’t occur. This is where crisis fatigue and its side effects begin to show.

Handling that feeling takes a lot of what licensed professional counselor Andrew Taegel calls “psychological labor,” or the work you put in to process difficult emotions or situations.

Illustrations by Hope Johnson

Similar to physical labor, you can overexert yourself mentally and need to take a break just like you would after a strenuous workout.

Without mental reprieve, your body will experience constant turmoil. Chronic stress is linked with an increase in migraines, back pain and stomachaches, according to the American Psychological Association. Young-Walker says it can also lead to an increase in anxiety, depression and emotional instability.

As the pandemic continues, more and more people are feeling the effects of crisis fatigue.

What crisis fatigue feels like Taegel compares the situation to driving a car: Your first time behind the wheel, you’re hyperaware of everything that could go wrong. It’s stressful at first, but it becomes a breeze after you’ve been driving for years. However, when you’re repeatedly exposed to new situations, as has been the case in 2020, it’s like you can never get comfortable behind the wheel.

“It’s like we’re driving for the first time over and over again this year,” Taegel says.

Here are four of Mental Health America’s 10 #JustCheckingIn questions.

Self-care strategies A key part of recognizing and overcoming crisis fatigue is knowing when and how to take mental breaks.

CHECKING IN

What’s taking up most of your headspace right now?

What did you do today that made you feel good?

What’s something you’re looking forward to in the next few days?

What’s something we can do together this week, even if we’re apart?

Taegel and McMullin both recommend mood tracking to practice mindfulness. Keeping track of what you’re feeling and when, whether through a journal or an app like Moodily, can help keep you grounded in the present instead of stuck in the past or fearing an indeterminable future.

McMullin emphasizes the importance of checking in with others, even if only virtually, to mitigate the effects of isolation. McMullin says social support is “almost always a very strong buffer for the effects of stress.” #JustCheckingIn, a campaign launched in March, has a list of 10 questions you can ask friends and colleagues to check in.

Other recommendations include limiting screen time, picking up a new hobby, maintaining a consistent schedule, and seeking out counseling when needed. People react differently to stress, McMullin says, so you might need to try multiple approaches to figure out what works best for you.

“Try to make sure you are engaging with things that are positive and uplifting for you,” Young-Walker says. “Give yourself time just to be in the moment of dealing with what’s going on despite the fact that you can’t change it.”

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CALENDAR

TO-DO LIST

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

ARTS

Swing” Jazz Series, Aryana Nemati-Baghestani will play saxophone along with Brian Ward on piano, Sam Copeland on bass and Brian Steever on drums. The quartet concert will be livestreamed from Murry’s restaurant.

Starting Gate New Play Festival This year, Talking Horse Productions celebrates the Year of the Woman in its annual Starting Gate New Play Festival. Join online for a presentation of works by three female playwrights.

They created six brand-new 10-minute plays total.

Nov. 15, 5–8 p.m., via livestream, free, 442-4969

Kody West Concert

Digital premiere Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m., $10, shows will be recorded and available to view after the premiere for anyone who purchases a ticket, talkinghorse.ticketleap.com, 607-1740

Dating back to 2014, Kody West and his band have traveled across the country, delivering their acoustic songs to the masses. Head to The Blue Note as the Texas native and his band make a pit stop in CoMo and take the stage.

CIVIC

Nov. 15, 7 p.m., The Blue Note, $12 in advance, $15 day of show, 874-1944

Halloween at Four Oaks Farm Come with a costume to trick or treat with vendors, enjoy the band or go on a hayride at Four Oaks Farm’s Halloween bash. Be sure to stop by the food trucks for a tasty snack.

The farm will have safety and social distancing guidelines in place.

Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Four Oaks Farm, 11805 E. Judy School Road, $5, adults; free, children under 2; 808-3310, fouroaksfarm.info

“American Women Artists Since the Vote” Exhibit Opening on Election Day, the MU Museum of Art and Archaeology’s new exhibit celebrates 100 years of the 19th Amendment and the achievements of female American artists since 1920. The show will feature a variety of media

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SPORTS and techniques. The selection shows the history of women’s visions and votes.

Exhibit opens Nov. 3, Tues.– Fri., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sat.– Sun., noon to 4 p.m., MU Museum of Art and Archaeology, 115 Business Loop 70 West, 882-3591

FOOD

“Let’s Go Abroad” Wine Tour The Atrium on Tenth, a historical downtown property, is offering a multi-course wine excursion. And yes, it is in-person and socially distanced. Grab your ticket, and experience the expansive wine selection and on-site wine buying options.

You can even learn some things about wine from expert Sarah

VOX MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020

Cyr, former co-owner of Wine Cellar & Bistro.

Oct. 29, 5:30–9 p.m., The Atrium on Tenth, 22 N. 10th St., tables of up to 8, $125, the atriumontenth.com, 442-8220

MUSIC

Voodoo Day of the Dead: Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players

Sean Canan and the Voodoo Players perform a show that honors famous musicians who have passed away this year, including Bill Withers, Kenny Rogers, Charlie Daniels and more.

Oct. 31, 6 p.m., The Blue Note, $15; four-pack, $45, 874-1944

Aryana NematiBaghestani Quartet As part of the “We Always

DON’T MISS Skylark Bookshop Talks: Natasha Trethewey Join Skylark for a conversation with Natasha Trethewey, U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winner. She’ll discuss the painful trauma of her mother’s murder that motivated her to write her memoir, Memorial Drive.

Nov. 17, 5 p.m., free, via Zoom, 777-6990

Bear Creek Run Half Marathon Pull out your sneakers, and prepare to run (or walk) 13.1 miles. The marathon begins and ends at Albert-Oakland Park with the course going through Cosmopolitan Park.

Parts of the run take place on a gravel trail.

Oct. 31, 8 a.m., Bear Creek Trail, $55, advance registration required, 874-7460

MU Volleyball vs. Arkansas Take a mid-week break to watch Mizzou’s volleyball team compete against the Arkansas Razorbacks. You can catch one or both of the team’s matches.

Nov. 4, 5 p.m.; Nov. 5, 6 p.m.; Hearnes Center, $8, adults, $5, senior/youth, 884-7297

Photography by Jacob Moscovitch/Archive

photo finish

MOM IN THE MIRROR PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAFFY LIU Elisa Joy Torres moved to Columbia in 2010 and started driving for Uber and Lyft over two years ago.

Before COVID-19 changed our behaviors, Torres would provide gum and Hershey’s kisses to riders in her car. “The interesting part of my life is in my car,” Torres says. “We never know whose lives we’re going to impact.” Her motto? “Taking people to better places!” And her nickname? “Mobile Mom.” Torres says her mission is to provide people with safe rides and connect with her riders. Her initial motivation to driving for rideshare services was to provide a safe space for people of all types. “We’re all human,” Torres says.

“We need that connection.”

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