Vox Magazine May 2021

COSPLAY DURING COVID PAGE 11

MARRYING CAKE AND STYLE PAGE 29

HARD-TO-FIND HAIR CARE PAGE 33

THE VOICE OF COLUMBIA • MAY 2021

The Tru e/False F it, som e new a ilm Fest com es to S nd hear fro tephen m filmm some familia s Lak re akers a nd learn xperiences. G e Park, and w ith o what th ere is to behind the sc enes, s e e . PA GE 15

FROM THE EDITOR

OUT OF THE WOODS

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

L

ast year’s True/False Film Fest marked our “last good weekend” in Columbia.

I remember having a friend crash on my couch when he came to town for the festival, going to Shakespeare’s for pizza and a pitcher before seeing Crip Camp at the Missouri Theatre and dancing the night away at The Social Room.

But just days later, we could no longer ignore the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s True/False, although delayed two months, marks the start of our return to something like what we had before. Even though the festival will take place outside for the first time and festival-goers will wear masks and keep their distance from each other, the return of Columbia’s favorite fest is a harbinger of better times to come. For a few days in May, we’ll get to sit at Stephens Lake Park, enjoy food and films and one of the most special events our town has to offer.

True/False interim artistic director David Wilson told a Vox writer that’s what makes the fest what it is.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR MADISON WISSE

“We imagined that this might be a moment when people first came together again in a safe way and had the catharsis of watching movies with groups of people,” he says. “We think there’s something really special about communal viewing and what it does to us as people, and how it provokes conversation and thought and personal transformation.”

Our May issue is full of stories about the creativity of the Columbia community and how we’ve continued creating in spite of it all. True/ False’s return is just one example of that resilience (p. 15). A local mystery author penned a chilling new tale (p. 13). Columbia cosplayers have stayed connected, even without conventions (p. 11). Pop-up restaurants are serving up ever-changing menus (p. 5), and brand new eateries have arrived on the scene (p. 32).

We’re all tired of hearing about “unprecedented times.” But our ability to keep moving forward and making our town better in all kinds of ways is what’s really unprecedented. That’s what I’ll remember most from this year.

ART DIRECTORS GABRIELLE FALETTO, MAKALAH HARDY PHOTO EDITOR COURTNEY PERRETT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR MARGO WAGNER ASSISTANT EDITORS CULTURE FRANCESCA HECKER, TYLER MESSNER, MATTHEW RIOS EAT + DRINK LIZZIE BENSON, VIVIAN HERZOG, ALYSSA SHIKLES CITY LIFE DAVID KITCHIN, SARAH STRAUGHN, LAUREN TRONSTAD, COLLEEN WOUTERS DIGITAL EDITORS ARI ANZELMO, BRENNA ERWIN, WALTER FIELDS, HANNAH GALLANT, ROSHAE HEMMINGS, TOM KAVANAUGH, HANNAH KIRCHWEHM, EVAN MUSIL, ALEX NEASE, OLIVIA SHEEHY, LAUREN STONE, ALEX WANG, COLIN WILLARD, SARA WILLIAMS, MARISA WHITAKER MULTIMEDIA EDITORS VICTORIA COX, CONNOR LYFORD, ZIYE TANG ART ASSISTANT MOY ZHONG EDITORIAL ASSISTANT BRADFORD SIWAK CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SHANNON BELT, JULIA BOWER, ANGELINA EDWARDS, OLIVIA EVANS, HANNAH HOLLADAY, EMILY LEIKER, KATELYNN MCILWAIN, JOEY MILLER, JULIAN NAZAR, JASHAYLA PETTIGREW, KAYLLE SCHREINER, NIKOL SLATINSKA, SKY STRAUSS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR HEATHER LAMB

CHRISTINA LONG Editor-in-Chief

Behind the issue In summer 2020, I worked as a reporter for the Columbia Missourian. I reported multiple medical marijuana stories for the paper, as many dispensaries were getting licenses and preparing to open. I built a working relationship with Lyndall Fraker, the state’s medical marijuana director. I found it interesting that the director of medical marijuana was conservative in his politics and beliefs, since legalizing marijuana typically is a more progressive endeavor.

The dichotomy of a conservative leading this program was the driving force for this story (p.

22). During the reporting, Fraker and I spent a lot of time over Zoom talking about life, the pandemic and the program. —Julia Bower

DIGITAL DIRECTOR SARA SHIPLEY HILES OFFICE MANAGER KIM TOWNLAIN

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MAGAZINE Cover Design: Gabrielle Faletto

Photography courtesy of Christina Long and illustrations by Jacob Horton

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

IN THE LOOP

22

FEATURES

05

15

Craving Mexican barbecue?

Get your fix at Barred Owl’s pop-up restaurant.

Vox has everything you need to know about this year’s True/False fest.

07

Missouri’s Mary Jane man

Cue the ’cue

The truth is out

22

Made to make a difference

Lyndall Fraker is a staunch Republican — and the man behind Missouri’s medical marijuana program.

Former MU Football coach Gary Pinkel traded football for fundraising, and Vox has the scoop on his foundation.

08

EAT + DRINK

The Kansas City-based organization Helping Art Liberate Orphans (HALO) gives kids and teens an outlet to practice creativity. And for one MU student, the organization led her to a poem — and to Oprah.

29

Fostering creativity 29

Trendy takes on wedding cakes As summer approaches, so does wedding season. Three local bakers share their stories and styles.

09

31

Classical music is a traditionally white community, but The Missouri Symphony wants to do something about that.

Three cheers for patio season! Get outside and enjoy the sunshine (and a side of bacon) at Columbia’s brunchiest hotspots.

Change of tune

On weekends, we brunch

10

Vox Picks Greet springtime with fresh flowers, outdoor dining and concerts.

08

11

32

Wicked wings of the Midwest A new restaurant brings Asian fusion wings to The District with 12 different wing sauces.

CULTURE 11

Cosplay, delayed

CITY LIFE

Many cosplay fans are feeling disconnected from their communities.

What’s next?

33

13

The dark side of the Ozarks Laura McHugh’s new novel takes place in the Ozarks, an isolating landscape that can hide secrets.

14

Spice up your sext life The past year might have been a pandemic-induced dry spell, but it’s time to revive the spark. Vox’s guide to sending (and receiving) texts with benefits is a good place to start.

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VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

The business of Black hair care 36

Finding a hair care haven is easier said than done in Boone County.

35

Plant protectors Invasive plant species can look harmless, but they threaten local ecological systems. Columbia’s plant protectors are on the case.

36

Handle with care What is gua sha? And why should (or shouldn’t) you try it?

Photography by Gracie Smith, Kayla Szymanski and courtesy of Melon Pop and Illustrations by Moy Zhong and Madison Wisse

M.A.D.E. TO DO GOOD P. 7

Tim Eisenhauer says he starts the smoker at 4:30 a.m. to ensure each piece of meat can cook low and slow.

ART THAT HEALS P. 8

Cue the ‘cue Pop-up Barbacoas del Norte brings Mexican barbecue to Columbia.

BY SKY STRAUSS Barred Owl Butcher & Table is a favorite among Columbia foodies, but even the most in-the-know locals might be unaware of what happens when the dining room shuts down. Barbacoas del Norte, a popup restaurant serving Mexican barbecue, cooks up inventive dishes in the Barred Owl kitchen and in a smoker out back. The popup prides itself on offering Mexican fare unlike anything else in Columbia. The brains behind the operation, Barred Owl baker Tim Eisenhauer and co-owner Josh Smith, work together to dream up new menu items for each iteration of the pop-up.

Smoky inspiration Eisenhauer first had the idea for a pop-up restaurant when he noticed a lack of innovative Mexican cuisine in town. “If you want something done, you have to do it yourself,” he says. Barbacoas del Norte was nothing more than an idea shared by Eisenhauer and Smith for quite some time. In the summer of 2019, the two took a road trip to a Texas food festival where they found inspiration.

By September 2020, Barbacoas del Norte was officially an offshoot of Barred Owl. What’s cookin’?

Barbacoas del Norte exclusively offers a set menu predetermined by Eisenhauer and Smith. Everything is made in-house — from the smoked meats to the tortillas to the salsas. The idea behind Mexican barbecue is that everything can go on a taco, which is why the menus often center around brisket, pulled pork and sausage. The flavors showcase traditional Mexican influences with a twist: think Wagyu barbacoa, chorizo-spiced chicken wings served with Alabama white sauce and sweet and smoky Spoonbread made

Photography courtesy of Aaron Eisenhauer

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

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IN TH E LOOP RESTAURANTS

with corn and poblano peppers. April’s menu traveled farther north and featured pulled pork with green chile mustard barbecue sauce, corn casserole with poblano chiles, and Texas hot links.

Each menu also features a signature drink made by Frances Harvey, one of the bartenders at Barred Owl. Harvey whips up cocktails that match the rugged yet refined menus dreamed up by Eisenhauer and Smith, like Seville orange bourbon sours with scorched cinammon.

Another pop-up on the block Harvey is more than just another member of the Barbacoas team — she’s the driving force behind the other Barred Owl pop-up, Fujiko Izakaya. Fujiko Izakaya brings traditional Japanese fare to CoMo with dishes inspired by Harvey’s Japanese family and the time she spent growing up in Japan. Just as Barbacoas del Norte challenges common conceptions about Mexican food, Fujiko Izakaya rejects the idea that all Japanese food is sushi. Instead, Harvey offers set menus

in the izakaya style, full of seasonal and informal Japanese dishes and cocktails.

Harvey’s recent pop-ups sold out quickly thanks to her loyal social media followers. She, like Eisenhauer and Smith, operates primarily through Instagram, where guests can watch for menu drops and send direct messages to reserve spots. For each Barbacoas popup, Eisenhauer and Smith only make enough for about 75 to 80 two-person platters, which tend to sell out with preorders in mere days.

You’re probably wondering by now why you haven’t heard of these pop-ups sooner. Eisenhauer says the exclusive, underground feel of pop-ups is what makes

Curious about upcoming pop-ups?

Follow @barbacoas. del.norte and @fujikoizakaya on Instagram for news and updates.

them so compelling. “You just have to know somebody and be able to get in,” he says. Like Fujiko Izakaya, Barbacoas del Norte tends to rely on word-of-mouth buzz and social media. Eisenhauer asks customers to post pictures of their meals and tag the pop-up. This, he says, is also part of the charm. After a pop-up, he lives the night again, watching photos and stories from happy customers appear on his Instagram feed.

U.S. ARMY CAREER CENTER 1305 Grindstone Pkwy #107 Columbia, MO 65201 (573) 303-7394 6

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

Photography courtesy of Aaron Eisenhauer

I N T HE LO O P Q&A

Pinkel started his foundation after 14 years of coaching MU’s football team.

I’M DOING SOMETHING TO HELP SOMEBODY EVERY DAY. AND THAT HAS A LOT OF MEANING TO ME. – Gary Pinkel

Made to make a difference

BY JULIAN NAZAR

A

Photography by Kayla Szymanski

affected by leukemia and those affected by lymphoma. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2015, and his sister lost her ability to walk when she reached adolescence because of hereditary spastic paraplegia. During his tenure as MU’s football coach, he recruited players who came from low-income areas.

Mike Alden, former MU athletic director and one of the founding members of GP M.A.D.E., worked with Pinkel at MU for 15 years. Alden has seen firsthand how much Pinkel’s new role means to him. “He has that same satisfaction and joy as when we were winning big football games,” Alden says.

How do you personally evaluate the performance of your foundation?

Winning in this setting is identifying people within our three pillars of what we are trying to get done to serve and help kids. That’s number one.

What’s the relationship between your foundation and its donors?

Well, for me, I think it’s the word “trust.” When you are asking someone to give money, you are asking them to trust Gary Pinkel and the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation. That this thing will be run with the highest level of integrity — that we don’t waste money.

What drives you to help children?

I guess because it’s significant. I’m doing something to help somebody every day.

And that has a lot of meaning to me.

Several years after retiring from football, former head coach Gary Pinkel discovered a new way to influence kids’ lives in Missouri.

fter hanging up his coaching headset in November 2015, former MU football coach Gary Pinkel realized he missed taking care of his players. To fill this void, in 2019 he and his wife, Missy, started the Gary Pinkel Making A Difference Every-Day Foundation, or GP M.A.D.E. for short, to provide scholarships for young people in need. Pinkel credits his wife for coming up with the M.A.D.E. acronym, which was carried over from the “Mizzou Made” slogan.

Pinkel has a personal connection to each of his foundation’s three core pillars: to help children with physical, social and economic challenges, those

Since its start, GP M.A.D.E. has provided 24 renewable $2,000 scholarships to low-income students to attend colleges, universities or vocational trade schools in Missouri. It has also given more than $155,000 in grants to 13 different organizations. This year, Pinkel says the foundation wants to give out 31 scholarships and host a gala fundraiser.

Pinkel sat down with Vox to discuss his foundation’s game plan.

PAR 3 TOURNEY In a little less than two years, the GP M.A.D.E. foundation has raised almost $210,000 from two successful golf tournaments.

This year, Pinkel is looking to raise over $150,000 at the golf tournament, which will be held on June 20. For more information, visit gpmade.org.

What do you miss about coaching college football?

I miss game day. I miss putting my headset on in that stadium. And I really miss helping my players. We taught values: accountability, responsibility.

A lot of those kids didn’t have that in their lives. I taught my players how to take a girl out on a date. I taught my players how you treat people.

What parallels, if any, do you see between being a head coach of a football team and running your own foundation?

You set goals. You demand accountability from yourself and everybody else that works for you. You are going to have adversities. Problem-solving is what I do for a living. And through the adversity you remain positive. You work together as a group to improve and get better.

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

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IN TH E LOOP ARTS

MU student Marjai Neal has been writing since before her time with HALO. She remembers writing novels in her notebooks in middle school.

Fostering creativity

over a decade ago, when she turned shirts into backpacks for a workshop.

“It was the coolest thing my little 9-yearold eyes had ever seen,” she says. “The people were so kind, and you could tell they genuinely cared. It wasn’t pity.”

After her poem sold, Neal also got an interview with Oprah Winfrey, which was coordinated by Welsh. “I wasn’t expecting that,” Neal says. “[HALO has] known the things that I’ve been through and the things that I’ve had to overcome, so them giving me my roses touched my soul.”

Since its founding in 2005, HALO has focused on using art to promote healing while providing kids with new homes, skills and mentors.

BY JASHAYLA PETTIGREW‌

M

U sophomore Marjai Neal recently achieved something unique to most college students. She sold her poem, “My Dream Home,” for $11,000 at an auction.

The virtual art auction was a fundraiser for HALO, Helping Art Liberate Orphans.

The Feb. 26 event raised over $650,000.

Several pieces were auctioned, including sculptures, acrylic paintings and poems created by HALO kids and alums.

HALO is an international organization headquartered in Kansas City that gives homeless youth the opportunity to express themselves through creative means. Rebecca Welsh founded the organization 16 years ago after she returned to Kansas City from a mission trip to Honduras. There, she’d met a group of children living on the street. Since then, the organization has built the nonresidential HALO Learning Center in Kansas City, operates a transitional living program for girls and started a boys program that focuses on after-school support in Jefferson City. HALO has branches in New York, Mexico, Uganda, Kenya and India.

Methods of healing Kids in the HALO program are learning life skills, which include studying, budgeting and self-discipline. HALO emphasizes its main pillars of housing, healing and education instead of pressuring children to open up when they aren’t comfortable.

One important aspect of working at HALO is meeting youth where they are and applauding their accomplishments, says program director Carly Schultze.

She manages both the domestic and

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VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

international HALO programs. “We celebrate a lot,” she says. “In the same day, we could celebrate a kid that woke up on time and got to school, and later that day we’re celebrating a kid that just got their very first apartment.”

HALO puts an emphasis on using art to assist with the healing process.

“Art is more like a tool that we use for processing trauma nonverbally,” says Kansas City program director Alayna Howard. “A lot of the time whenever we’re meeting kids that are living in other organizations, by the time they get to HALO, they’ve had to just tell and retell their story over and over.” She manages relationships with community partners by organizing educational or therapeutic programs with agencies that serve homeless youth or by reaching out to youth who aren’t affiliated with an agency and providing them with educational and future support.

Over the past three years, HALO has been expanding into the residential side of care through a pilot housing program. HALO’s next steps involve a capital campaign that will expand its Kansas City housing, Schultze says. Partnerships with homeless shelters and other agencies taught them that Kansas City needs more available housing to provide better long-term support.

Neal says she still remembers the first interaction she had with HALO

GET INVOLVED Learn more about the HALO program and find out how to volunteer or support in other ways by visiting haloworldwide.org.

Neal first got involved with HALO in 2009 when she was living in a homeless shelter with her mom and two sisters.

Like a family Even kids who begin the program at an older age feel like they’re being cared for. Madison Thurman, HALO alumna and artist, started doing art therapy at the Learning Center at 18 years old. She recalls how the HALO staff nurtured her love for art. They helped connect her with an art gallery and taught her some industry basics.

HALO supports people in a way that makes them feel included, Thurman says. “HALO is just a family all together.

Everyone makes you feel welcome. Everyone is there when you need to talk. I can’t really say one person is a mentor.

Everyone is. They’re all there to guide you to where you want to be and they’re not choosing for you.”

Photography by Kayla Szymanski

I N T HE LO O P MUSIC

Change of tune City orchestras and musicians of color are working to make classical music more inclusive in Columbia and beyond.

BY ANGELINA EDWARDS

A

ccording to the League of American Orchestras, 14.2% of American orchestra musicians identified as nonwhite in 2014. In 2016, another report found that only 1.8% of orchestra musicians identify as African American and 2.4% as Hispanic.

The Missouri Symphony, based in Columbia, is one of many orchestras working toward a more diverse and inclusive environment for classical musicians, audience members and the broader community. To do so, they’re challenging the way society thinks about classical music and how it’s performed. Ashley Pribyl, director of education and outreach for The Missouri Symphony, says Columbia’s orchestra is no outlier. “The history of discrimination against marginalized racial groups in the United States goes back all the way to the founding of orchestras in this country, so it’s not a problem that’s going to be fixed quickly and easily,” Pribyl says.

The musician experience Elizabeth Ramos says her experience as a classical violinist of color in The Missouri Symphony has been nothing but positive. Although she found many resources to help her within the orchestral field, she believes many musicians of color might not be able to afford classical training.

“If you come from a household where it’s a single parent and they work three jobs or something, that parent wouldn’t necessarily have all this time to dedicate to helping their child learn to play the violin,” Ramos says.

Michael Casimir, a classical viola player, is one of three Black musicians in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

He says it’s generally a great experience in the orchestra, but he sometimes faces microaggressions.

After playing his first concert with the orchestra, Casimir left the venue Photography courtesy of Celeste Boyer

without his viola case and his tuxedo tails.

As he was walking through the parking lot, he says he received strange looks from audience members leaving the concert.

“People looked at me like they didn’t just watch me play,” Casimir says.

He says he feels accepted in the orchestra, but in the past he has battled with having to prove himself to other musicians and convince himself he isn’t just checking a box. “‘Are you here because you’re the token person that needs to be here, or are you here because you actually deserve it?’ And you’re always going back and forth with yourself, and it’s not healthy,” Casimir says.

Paving the way for change One approach to increasing The Missouri Symphony’s diversity is the biweekly MOSY Motifs podcast. The first season, which debuted March 31, focuses on experiences of musicians of color in the orchestral field and features

Michael Casimir (above) of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Elizabeth Ramos (below) of The Missouri Symphony are both guests on the MOSY Motifs podcast. The podcast encourages making classical music more inclusive.

HOT SUMMER NIGHTS The Missouri Symphony concert series is back.

The first concert will celebrate Juneteenth and feature a gospel choir. Hip-hop group FLY Dance Company will also be featured in one of the concerts. Dates to be announced.

Ramos and Casimir as guests. Pribyl, the host, says she wants the podcast to be a method of education for the community, especially for white individuals who enjoy classical music and are unaware of discrimination within the field.

Pribyl says the diversity, equity and inclusion board began using some scholarship funding for students from marginalized communities and hopes to partner with Columbia Public Schools to create a more inclusive space at the conservatory. She says she hopes this and The Missouri Symphony’s Hot Summer Nights events will bring in a diverse audience, but there’s still a long way to go.

“The atmosphere of classical culture is drenched in white supremacy and all this social elitism because that’s where it stems from,” Casimir says.

“It’s just music at the end of the day. It should be like going to a Travis Scott concert or something, where you can just show up and have a good time and not have to feel pressured into following all these protocols.”

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

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IN TH E LOOP VOX PICKS

Vox Picks

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

Run...

To support the Columbia Art League at its first 5K fundraiser, RUN loCAL. There’s also the option to run the 5K virtually. Dress up as your favorite artist or artwork; awards will be given for costumes and creativity.

Flat Branch Park, May 1, 8–11 a.m., register at columbiaartleague.org/page5k, in-person race $35, virtual race $40

BY DAVID KITCHIN

Take…

Your mom out to brunch or buy her a gift for Mother’s Day, May 9. Does she enjoy flowers? Buy from local shops like Allen’s Flowers or Tiger Garden. Or give her a day off and take her to a paint and sip event at 6:30 p.m. May 6 at Canterbury Hill Winery. Hosted by Paint the Town, it costs $30 for each painter. Reserve your spot at paintthetowncolumbia.com.

Allen’s Flowers, 401 S. Providence Road, Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. to noon, 443-8719; Tiger Garden, 234 MU Agriculture Building, Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 884-1191; Canterbury Hill Winery, 1707 S. Summit Drive, Holts Summit, 896-9966

Listen…

To old country and folk favorites such as “Early Morning Rain” and “If You Could Read My Mind” from Gordon Lightfoot at the Missouri Theatre. He celebrates his 80th birthday with this national tour, titled “80 Years Strong.”

Missouri Theatre, 203 S. Ninth St., May 15, 8 p.m., 882-381, concertseries. missouri.edu for tickets

Eat…

At The Station House at Katfish Katy’s. The outdoor diner and grill, equipped with a stage for live music, just reopened under new ownership after closing in November. According to Missourian reporting, the new owners, mother and son Vanessa and Jake Leitza, come from a food service background, including years at Cooper’s Landing. Customers can also enjoy a special brunch with a plant sale from 7:30 a.m. to noon Mother’s Day weekend.

The Station House at Katfish Katy’s, 8825 W. Sarr St., Wed.–Sun. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 445-8338

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VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

Read...

The debut novel A Song for the Road

by Columbia’s new author Kathleen Basi. Be sure to attend Skylark Bookshop’s online celebration of the release where you can enjoy a reading, music and conversation with fellow novelist Barbara Claypole White.

Virtual event, May 11, 7–8 p.m., skylarkbookshop.com Photography courtesy of Katfish Katy’s, Skylark Bookshop and Unsplash

REAL MYSTERY MEETS FICTION P. 13

FUEL YOUR FLIRT P. 14

Cosplay, delayed After a year without conventions, cosplayers’ costumes collect dust.

BY KATELYNN MCILWAIN

JulieMarie Nickelson cosplays as Sailor Pluto from Sailor Moon, who is characterized by being edgy and cool while having a soft spot for her friends.

Photography courtesy of Melon Pop

After a Monday night episode of “The Bachelor,” it’s easy to strike up a conversation with one of the show’s many fans about the woes of the budding romances. However, for fans of less mainstream hobbies, such as anime or manga, cosplay conventions may be one of few opportunities to geek out with fellow enthusiasts.

After spending weeks making costumes, cosplayers, which stems from the words “costume play,” head to conventions where they participate in panels, shop, play tabletop games and compete in contests.

Anime St. Louis Convention chair Jeremy Johnson says 2021 convention planning has been tricky due to loss of revenue from 2020 registration sales, which makes up the majority of funding. Anime St. Louis was able to give fans what they wanted by holding a COVID-friendly, in-person convention this April.

Still, a year without these events took a toll on Missouri cosplayers.

“When you go to a convention as a cosplayer, you’re able to express yourself in a way that you might not be able to in your daily life,” says Ruby Spitfire, who cosplays as Sailor Uranus from Sailor Moon. Becoming that character helps them embrace a part of their identity they might otherwise hide.

“Sailor Uranus is nonbinary like me,” Spitfire says. “They have a very no-nonsense personality like me.

They’re into race cars and motorcycles like me.”

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

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C U LT U RE CONVENTIONS

Spitfire is part of the Kansas-City based group KC Senshi where members cosplays as sailor scouts.

JulieMarie Nickelson, a KC Senshi leader, says cosplay is therapeutic ­­— she did it for years in theater. Now, Nickelson says she enjoys cosplaying as Sailor Pluto and as Loki from the Marvel movies, who’s painted as a villain and betrayed by loved ones. It’s a feeling Nickelson can relate to.

Cosplaying as Loki helps her channel her pain into art. When people notice her costume or are wearing their own versions of Loki, they recognize that pain. “All of a sudden, you’re not a stranger to another person because they know that character, even if they don’t know you,” says Nickelson.

Breanna Lane, media relations coordinator for OzCon in West Plains, had to be the bearer of bad news last year in announcing the convention’s cancellation.

“They felt like this is the one time they felt included, and it was being canceled on them,” Lane says. OzCon

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VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

has been operating for the past seven years and hosted a virtual convention in April 2021 to give attendees a chance to reconnect. The free Zoom event was packed with panel discussions, games such as Magic: The Gathering, role-playing games and more.

Ruby Spitfire cosplays as Sailor Uranus because they have similar personalities and interests.

Lane says she has conventions to thank for being able to work in media.

Before, she was timid and shy around others. “I couldn’t even imagine talking to people,” Lane says. “Now, that’s all I want to do.”

Mandea Bermudez, a KC Senshi leader, was first drawn to cosplay in high school after moving to Kansas City from Arizona when her friends invited her to Naka-Kon in Overland Park, Kansas. Cosplay allowed her to have that creative outlet.

Bermudez says she doesn’t plan to attend in-person conventions until she’s vaccinated to protect her immunocompromised brother. As a pharmacist distributing COVID-19 vaccines, Nickelson also prioritizes safety. She’s grateful that Facebook groups and virtual events allow the community to connect.

“We’re meant to be a part of a community,” Nickelson says. “That community has had to deal with a lot because we so heavily rely on those ways to get together.”

Photography courtesy of Melon Pop

C U LT U RE BOOKS

The dark side of the Ozarks Growing up in the Ozarks, Laura McHugh saw the possibilities of hiding crime there — a plot point in her upcoming novel.

BY JULIAN NAZAR

L

aura McHugh was on the hunt for a new story idea after she finished writing The Wolf Wants In two years ago. She recalls reading about the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Sherri Papini in Redding, California, in 2016. Papini reappeared three weeks later 150 miles from her home on the side of Interstate 5 near Sacramento.

McHugh began searching for other stories with similar characteristics. She found news stories in which authorities doubted accounts of women who disappeared and later returned. This pattern was a key source of inspiration behind her latest novel, What’s Done in Darkness, releasing June 22.

Finding her footing McHugh has lived in the Midwest her entire life. She was born in the small town of Fort Madison, Iowa, and spent much of her life in the Ozarks after moving there when she was 7. She later attended Truman State University and earned an English degree. After graduating, she decided to pursue education in the more “practical” fields of computer science and library and information science. She began writing her first novel after she was laid off after working as a software developer for 10 years.

Local author Jill Orr met McHugh in Columbia in 2012. At the time, neither of them had book contracts or agents. They were both moms who had written books, and their meeting was the start of a long friendship.

Orr recalls that The Weight of Blood, McHugh’s first book published in 2015, was a huge success. “She hit it out of the park with her first try,” Orr says.

“That’s a testament to how talented and hardworking she is.”

Photography courtesy of Laura McHugh

The Weight of Blood won the International Thriller Writers Award and the Missouri Author Award for Fiction. McHugh has since written three more books, including Arrowood. Orr says she sees McHugh’s contribution to the genre. “I think Laura elevates crime fiction with her literary talent,” she says. “She has a way of creating deep and moody atmospheres for the reader that really primes you for the creepy story to come.”

In What’s Done in Darkness, the main protagonist, Sarabeth, is abducted from her home in the Arkansas Ozarks.

Similar to the real-life story of Papini in California, Sarabeth mysteriously reappears alongside a highway, and the police don’t believe her story. Her extremely religious family is unsure what to do with her. Sarabeth then leaves the Ozarks, hoping to put this traumatic experience behind her. Five years later, investigator Nick Farrow wants her to come back to assist him with a case that involves the disappearance of another young girl under similar circumstances.

‘Many ways to keep a crime hidden’ Woven into the story are themes of religious extremism and women not being believed or supported, McHugh says.

She notes that these kinds of crimes can happen to women and girls living in isolation. “They don’t have anyone checking in on them besides their family,” McHugh says. “It’s easy for a girl like that to disappear and be abused.”

The Ozarks loom large in this story. Having grown up in the region, McHugh has seen firsthand the characteristics that make it a fertile ground for crime. She didn’t have any neighbors when living with her family in

Ozark County on the Arkansas border.

They were all alone in a location that had a rugged landscape dotted with caves, endless forests and rivers. “It’s just kind of an ominous feeling when you are isolated,” McHugh says. “There are so many ways to keep a crime hidden in a place like that.”

BUY THE BOOK What’s Done i n Darkness, Laura McHugh’s fourth book, releases June 22. Links to pre-order it can be found on lauramchugh books.com.

Joining the dark side Although the story starts in Arkansas, it later switches to Missouri. One challenge for McHugh is providing readers with a fair representation of the state. “Sometimes people will accuse me of making Missouri look bad,” McHugh says. “I certainly never aim to do that. I am often inspired by a real crime that took place.”

McHugh says crime fiction is naturally going to focus on the dark things.

“Every place has an ugly side,” she says.

Having read all of McHugh’s books, Orr says she has a good idea of how her friend aims to affect readers. “She is definitely going for the you-want-to-sleepwith-the-lights-on vibe,” Orr says.  VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

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CULTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Spice up your sext life Whether you’re a fiery flirter or a casual coquette, these five tips will help you get frisky using your phone camera.

BY EMILY LEIKER

W

hat are you doing right now?” It’s a fairly innocent question in everyday context, but when this message pops up on your phone at midnight, it usually means someone wants to get freaky. If you’re already tucked in for the night with no desire to go out, there’s an alternative to the late-night booty call: sexting.

Even pre-pandemic, online dating was on the rise, especially among young adults. According to a 2019 Pew Research Center study, 48% of 18- to 29-year-olds surveyed said they had used dating apps or websites. Insider projected an 18.4% increase in dating app users between 2019 and 2020. Without in-person interactions, people have relied more heavily on the internet to connect.

Sending that first message can be scary. Vox put together five tips to fuel your photographic flirting.

Screenshot videos or use self-timers You don’t need a professional photographer to take sexy photos. Billie Stock, owner of local photography company Boudoir by Billie, says to set your phone to video and experiment with different poses. “You can do it as fast or as slow as you want,” Stock says. “That way you have so many different varieties.”

Buy lingerie from brands that flatter your body Stock recommends Adore Me, an online lingerie store with inclusive sizing. Although she appreciates more mainstream brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Stock says she sends her clients to places where they’re guaranteed to find something that makes them feel beautiful.

For lingerie, Stock says she’s a fan of bodysuits and high-waisted underwear, but they don’t have to be granny panties.

If you’re unsure about what size will fit, she suggests sizing down to show off your curves. Everyone is their own worst critic, and Stock says to remember that no one notices what you might think is a fatal flaw.

“They’re going to see you in this gorgeous lingerie set,” Stock says. “And they’re going to be like, ‘Girl, you’re killing it.’”

To liven up at-home flirty photographs, Billie Stock says to use any natural light at your disposal. Prop your phone against a windowsill, or put it in a cup and angle it at what you want to highlight.

Standing or sitting at a 45-degree angle away from the camera and twisting your upper body forward is a universally flattering way to pose.

by the laws of physics. Create an open dialogue with your partner where you can both express your desires.

Know the laws and how they do (or don’t) protect you Missouri established a law against revenge porn in June 2018. People who share sexual images of someone else or threaten to without consent can face felony charges. However, prosecutors have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt who is pictured and whether they gave consent for sharing, which can be a difficult burden, says Jessica Caldera, second assistant prosecuting attorney for Boone County.

Caldera says to keep in mind that images shared online will always exist online.

Consent is sexy There’s no quicker way to kill the mood than by sending an unsolicited sexual picture or text. According to Pew Research, 48% of online dating users say it’s common to receive sexually explicit messages or images they didn’t ask for.

Make sure your partner is comfortable receiving photos —and that you’re comfortable sending them.

Step outside your comfort zone Sexting, whether it be with your partner, a hookup or a friend, can feel intimidating, but it’s a great way to test the waters. You don’t have to worry about your feet slipping while finding a good angle in the shower or whether that one position you read about actually abides Illustrations by Makalah Hardy

17 films. 28 musical acts. 14 art installations. A drive-in, park venues and the great outdoors. All True/False.

Many beginning filmmakers have concerns about what equipment to get and how to find collaborators, but local filmmakers say a good story is all you need.

A

s the True/False Film Fest comes back to town, so does a wave of film-making inspiration. Although shooting video can be as easy as reaching for your phone, making a film is more complicated and daunting. Vox spoke with local filmmakers to outline what it takes to get started.

Getting started David Anderson, owner of Chimaeric Motion Pictures, began his journey in middle school. He may be an accomplished filmmaker now, but, like many, he started out small. “My first project was a MacGyver spoof I made for science class,” Anderson says.

Filmmaker Matt Schacht of Peace Frame Productions says the tools to create a compelling story are closer than you think. “If you have a phone and you have a story to tell, use your phone,” he says.

“If you tell a good story, it doesn’t matter what equipment you use.”

Similarly, Robert Watson, owner of Digital HQ Motion Me-

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dia, says that technology changes too quickly for young filmmakers to get bogged down by expensive gear. “Spend your time and energy working on your craft and getting results with the equipment that you do have,” he says.

Forming a crew Finding people to help advance your vision is imperative to the process. “If you’re trying to do it all on your own, you’re going to have times where things aren’t working,” Anderson says.

The best way to find a crew for any position is to start creating.

“It’s like putting out a smoke signal in the desert,” Schacht says. “Aspiring filmmakers will be drawn to it.

From there, you can build a team.”

Making the film Now that you’ve got what you need, you’ve reached the scariest and most exciting part: shooting the movie. When faced with a big production, Watson says to focus on the particulars. “Be picky

BEHIND THE LENS

After years of developing his craft, David Anderson formed Chimaeric Motion Pictures. Along with shooting movies, Chimaeric does commerical and non-profit videos.

Founded in 2011 by two college students, Peace Frame Productions operates as part business and part artist collective.

Digital HQ Motion Media, which specializes in corporate, wedding and documentary video, is owned

by Robert Watson.

about the smallest details, from mic placement to lighting to lens selection,” he says. By narrowing in on specifics, creating a film becomes a series of easily accomplished tasks instead of a huge project.

Nobody’s first film turns out perfectly, but Schacht says continuing to create is the key to improvement. “If you want to keep making films, you have to practice it in the open,” Schacht says.

After the production The chances of your first film hitting theaters are slim, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be seen.

Schacht says marketing your film is a way of marketing yourself as an artist. “Put your work out there, and people are bound to see it,” he says.

“There’s a lot of failure,” Anderson says. “But you need to make mistakes when no one’s looking.” Prioritizing passion for the craft is vital to making a film you will be proud of, and it will get you closer to becoming a successful filmmaker.

Photography courtesy of Unsplash

T

o celebrate its 20th birthday in August 2020, Ragtag Cinema hosted its first drive-in movie. Since then, it has continued hosting public and private drive-ins throughout the winter months and into the spring.

This experience was useful in organizing the 2021 True/False Film Fest, which will have temporary screens in Stephens Lake Park plus a pop-up drive-in screen at the Holiday Inn Executive Center near the Columbia Mall.

Located at 10 Hitt St. in downtown Columbia, Ragtag itself has no outdoor space. To offer driveins that were open to the public, the Ragtag staff’s first step was to determine a location. Its sponsors, Columbia Honda and RE/MAX real estate company, offered use of their parking lots as temporary locations.

With a set location, the next decision was which films would play. Ragtag has shown blockbuster movies such as Home Alone, Die Hard and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But it has also featured current films such as Minari, On the Rocks and Save Yourselves!

Ragtag’s executive director Barbie Banks says the entire process is a team effort. For setup, it takes a group of six to eight people to unload the trailer of equipment and lay out a tarp for the screen, says Carly Love, operations director for Ragtag Film Society.

“The tarp measures out where we need to put all of our anchors for our large screen,” Love says. “Once we mark our anchors — we either anchor to our cars or we anchor to something called an earth anchor, which is like an 18-inch giant screw that goes into the ground.”

The inflatable screen is a big reason Ragtag was able to start hosting events. It was donated to Ragtag by LaBrunerie Financial and weighs almost 300 pounds.

Setting up the equipment can be a challenge, but so can the weather.

Banks says that they learned “the hard way” that if the temperature gets below 30 degrees, the equipment starts to wear and tear.

At the drive-in, vehicles are directed into designated spots as they arrive and are given instructions to tune into the movie on

With warmer weather, Ragtag will continue hosting drive-ins and showing showing films at outdoor venues such as Logboat Brewing Company.

T/F DRIVE-IN FILMS

These films will be screening at the Holiday Inn Executive Center Drive-In (across from the Columbia Mall).

Homeroom Inside the Red Brick Wall Petit Samedi Rock Bottom Riser Users

Photo illustrations by Gabrielle Faletto and photography by Jacob Moscovitch

FM radio. Attendees are required to turn off their vehicles for the duration of the movies. People also have the option to sit in lawn chairs next to their vehicles.

For concessions, Ragtag has turned to a local food truck, Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co., and also allows people to bring their own food and drink.

When the film ends, viewers clear out the parking lot, and the cleanup process begins. “We power down our projector once it’s cooled, as it requires like 10 minutes to cool down before we power it totally off,” Love says. “Then as tech stuff is getting packed up, we deflate the screen and unattach all of the guide lines and the anchors.”

Love says there is a method to the madness and that when done the right way, the cleanup process goes quickly. “It’s worth letting people see the films,” Banks says.

“We think about the filmmakers who have worked so hard on these, and we want people to see them.”

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

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A

lmost as soon as last year’s True/False Film Fest ended in March 2020, days before COVID-19 shut down all public gatherings, the pressure was on.

How would True/False guarantee the 2021 edition of the festival?

And after a summer of political and social upheaval, a documentary film festival seemed to be needed more than ever. Amid all of this chaos, Barbie Banks got to work.

As one of three co-custodians of The Ragtag Film Society, alongside Camellia Cosgray and Arin Liberman, Banks is a leading organizer of True/False. She helps oversee plans for this year’s outdoor festival.

“It is going to be one of the first big things that happens in Columbia, and the question is, what does that mean?” Banks says.

“And what does the weight of that feel like on us as an organization, and how do we do it right?”

At Ragtag, Banks’ title as “co-custodian” does not mean she is a janitor, though she does occasionally help clean up the theaters during True/False. Rather, it describes the collaborative leadership style Banks champions.

“I think Barbie is very much a cheerleader,” Liberman says.

“For her, there is this, ‘We are all in this together, there is no task too small’ mentality. We have to work as a collective, and so I think that is a way that she tends to lead and it is very effective.”

Banks never planned to be a film festival coordinator, but her inclination toward politics and social justice steered her in the direction of the art world.

Born and raised in Pevely, a town of fewer than 6,000 people 30 miles south of St. Louis, Banks developed a sense of advocacy early. Her father, Chuck Banks, a staunch Democrat,

Barbie Banks met her wife, Beth Shepard, in Columbia. They married on July 2, 2017, after 12 years together.

CHANGE OF VENUES

True/False will be held mostly outdoors this year.

There are four sites at Stephens Lake Park, a drive-in at Holiday Inn Executive Center and indoor screenings at Ragtag Cinema.

Chuck Banks, Barbie Banks’ father, had an incredible influence on Banks over the years.

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was mayor of the town as she grew up. His leadership and strong will influenced Banks from a young age.

He later worked for Dick Gephardt, a longtime Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Wanting to make a difference in Pevely, Banks pursued a degree at William Woods University in Fulton. When Harriet Yelon, a professor of sociology and social work, sent students to see the documentary Bowling for Columbine at Ragtag.

Yelon remembers Banks’ skepticism.

“She piped up in class saying, ‘Do we have to go to this?’ And I said, ‘Yes, you have to go to this.’

She then asked me, ‘Well, explain why,’” Yelon says. She told Banks that this was a chance to view films that were agents of social change.

In this case, what changed was Banks’ mindset. Yelon recalls Banks beginning to realize art could have an impact on politics and vice versa. Banks began to dive into the world of film. While at Ragtag, Yelon, who was on the organization’s board, encouraged her involvement there.

“That was the first time I realized movies can be something more than entertainment,” Banks says. Films can help you understand perspectives that maybe you’d never get to experience.

Banks values moments like that.

After she graduated in 2005, Banks moved to Columbia to attend graduate school at MU. It was in Columbia that she became wellversed in the realm of political art and met her wife, Beth Shepard.

Photo illustrations by Gabrielle Faletto and photography courtesy of Barbie Banks

“When I met her, she was right out of college and had taken her first job at MU as a hall coordinator,” Shepard says. “It has been amazing to see her grow into herself and take her power and take her success to where she is now.”

As Banks’ life in Columbia continued, she used her skills to become integrated with the art scene. She started work as a volunteer coordinator for True/False and later became the executive director of Citizen Jane, a film festival formerly hosted by Stephens College. The festival was hailed for showcasing the work of female filmmakers.

“Everything about it was amazing. The name was great,” Banks says, referring to its play on the 1941 film Citizen Kane.

For Banks, the festival’s cancellation in 2019 after running for 12 years was disappointing. “I think it would have been much bigger after the #MeToo movement had started,” she says. “But [Stephens] could not make it happen,” she says.

Banks has learned valuable lessons through all of her experiences.

But the pandemic has taught her something new about leadership.

“Rest is important; it does not have to be earned,” she says. “Before, I think I was just all about the hustle, and that’s all that mattered to me.

Now [the pandemic] has helped me as a person to understand the importance of taking a minute and reflecting on the trauma it has been for a lot of people.”

With the festival facing new obstacles this year, there are many variables for Banks and the team to consider, especially social distancing and preventing sensory overload. What is clear, however, is that Banks’ leadership plays a sizable role in this year’s festival.

B WATCH THE FILM Songs that Flood the River May 8 7 p.m.

Willy Wilson Theater, Ragtag 8:30 p.m.

Sled Hill, Stephens Lake Park

As a child, Oneida learned how to sing “alabados,” traditional funeral songs in Afro-Colombian communities.

uried deep in the jungle of Colombia lies the riverside village of Pogue. In the Bojaya municipality, Pogue is home to songs as intricate and powerful as the Río Bojaya that cascades past the village.

It is here that director Germán Arango chose to film Songs that Flood the River, his first feature film.

Arango spent seven years in the Bojaya municipality shooting short films and Songs that Flood the River.

The feature film will have its U.S. premiere at this year’s True/False Film Fest. True/False film programmer Amir George first saw the film at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and was immediately captivated by the story told. “When I watched it, I thought this has to be at True/False,” George says.

Bojaya is in one of the poorer regions of Colombia. It is home to a large Afro-Colombian population, which has largely been ignored by the government. The people of Bojaya have a rich culture, and the songs, called “alabados,” are traditional melodies sung by Black communities following the death of a relative or friend. They are meant to guide the soul of the deceased to the realm of the dead. But for the inhabitants of Pogue, the songs have begun to take on a different meaning.

In 2002, Bojaya experienced one of the most horrific massacres in Colombian history. During a firefight between guerrilla forces and paramilitar-

ies in the village of Bellavista, a bomb killed at least 79 people, though some reports counted dozens more. The result was a community left searching for a way to reckon with such loss.

Arango found the alabados were a way of processing grief. He compares the process to rap music, where a melody is built from samples and then lyrics are put over it. In this case, the alabados served as the sample with lyrical stories about the massacre, civil war and other sources of pain vocalized over the songs.

At the center of the film is Oneida, one of Pogue’s cultural leaders.

Oneida lost one of her legs early on in life, which has left her stuck in the village ever since. “This mobility is important in their communities, and for her, this is her course, but also what makes her different and what brings out all the strength that she has in her,” Arango says.

Oneida’s early tragedies in life have made her alabados a powerful experience and given her a unique connection to the river. She describes the river as a man that is sometimes tender and good to her, bringing gifts and good fortune.

Other times he is jealous and will flood, taking everything away.

Arango says Oneida’s story is similar to what the country is enduring.

In 2016, the Colombian government and the guerrilla group responsible for the Bojaya massacre signed a peace agreement. Although there are still problems, many have hope.

Viewers absorb the cultural richness of Colombia and reach a level of understanding of the people lost in the narrative of conflict. Arango’s work asks the viewer to move past the misconceptions of a country that has frequently been presented as a war-torn nation. He asks viewers to be human.

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BY BRADFORD SIWAK

E

ven though the staff had to rearrange many events, True/False Film Fest kept some staple traditions of the event alive. The festival is still able to celebrate two special films, the recipient of the True Life Fund and the winner of the True Vision Award. The 2021 honorees are Sabaya by Hogir Hirori and Delphine’s Prayers by Rosine Mbakam.

The True Life Fund This fund is a philanthropic effort that started in 2007 to recognize a nonfiction film each year. The fund allows the audience to directly respond to the stories they are seeing on-screen by letting them donate to real-life subjects of the film.

True/False understands the festival thrives because of the real-life stories told each year, which often showcase people with limited means. In collaboration with filmmakers, True/False makes sure that the money is given to those who need it. The fund is meant to support and honor the people willing to share their stories on camera.

This year’s selection, Sabaya, documents the struggles of two volunteers at a Yazidi Home Center on the Syrian/Iraqi border as they attempt to liberate women who are being held captive as sex slaves in Daesh (ISIS) refugee camps.

The volunteers’ work puts them at personal risk. This sacrifice of personal safety is equaled by the young women of the camp, some of whom voluntarily return to help save their fellow captives.

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During production, Hirori often slept near the main entrance of the al-Hol camp. One night, he awoke to the voices of police officers and subsequently discovered that ISIS was supposedly planning to detonate a car bomb by the entrance.

“Every minute felt like an hour,” Hirori says. “Time stopped, and I was very afraid — afraid for my own life, but also afraid that this was the start of a comeback for ISIS.” Hirori pondered the implications of risking his life because he did not want to leave behind his wife and children. However, he never regretted making the documentary because its importance “outweighed everything else,” he says. The recognition of Sabaya means a lot to Hirori because of the fund’s potential to affect the lives of those featured in the film.

The money will go to the production company, which will support the Yazidi Home Center and the documentary’s subjects. “I hope that it will give much-needed support to all those fighting to save the kidnapped women and girls,” he says.

SEE THE FILMS Sabaya May 8 8:30 p.m., Twelve Point, Stephens Lake Park May 9 7 p.m.,Willy Wilson Theater and 8:30 p.m., Sled Hill, Stephens Lake Park Delphine’s Prayers May 6 8:40 p.m., The Ampitheater, Stephens Lake Park May 9 8:40 p.m., Sapling, Stephens Lake Park

ing story and has earned Mbakam praise for being a pioneer in documentary filmmaking.

Filmed in one room, Delphine recounts a life of hardships and moments of love. She goes through tales of her life including the tragic death of her mother, sexual exploitation in Cameroon and her current, unfulfilling marriage in Belgium. Giving her subject space to grieve and tell her story, Mbakam participates in a co-crafted narrative covering gender, class, race and displacement. The intimate setting allows the audience to bear witness to Delphine’s light.

Mbakam says she was surprised to receive the email announcing her selection for the True Vision Award. When she dreamed of storytelling as a child, she could not imagine having such an impact.

Growing up, a lack of movies by African filmmakers made her feel like she knew American culture better than Cameroon’s. Mbakam sees African filmmaking as essential for the betterment of society because film is a key component in confronting topical issues.

“I couldn’t believe that [my work] would touch people so far away,” Mbakam says. “[This recognition] is so, so hopeful for me and for young African people that want to do art and touch people around the world.”

Virtual Q&As with the filmmakers are planned.

Donate to the True Life Fund at truefalse.org.

The True Vision Award The only award given at True/ False, its aim is to celebrate a director or directing team dedicated to the art and advancement of nonfiction filmmaking.

This year’s True Vision Award celebrates Mbakam’s film Delphine’s Prayers. This intimate film is a retelling of a Cameroonian-Belgian immigrant woman’s heart-wrench-

Photo illustrations by Gabrielle Faletto

BY LAUREN TRONSTAD

CONVENTIONAL Sabaya Brave activists and survivors document the al-Hol refugee camp run by Daesh (ISIS) as they try to free the women and girls trapped there.

Dirty Feathers A filmmaker’s debut attempts to paint a portrait of people without homes in El Paso, Texas.

From the Wild Sea Polluted oceans make the release of an anxious seal a somber tale rather than a celebratory one.

All Light, Everywhere: This film forces viewers to consider surveillance as a tool of racial injustice.

This Rain Will Never Stop Andriy Suleyman works as a Red Cross volunteer in Ukraine while simultaneously dealing with family conflicts and an untimely death.

The Two Faces of a Bamileke Woman Director Rosine Mbakam changes the dynamic between filmmaker and subject after returning home to Cameroon to the women who raised her and the moments she missed.

Inside the Red Brick Wall Hong Kong university students take on a 13-day standoff with the police to try to restore democracy.

Users Filmmaker Natalia Almada uses her own children to answer: Is technology an expression of humanity or its destruction?

EXPERIMENTAL Illustrations by Gabrielle Faletto

Summer of Soul The Harlem Cultural Festival was nearly lost to history before its revival in this documentary filled with joy.

The Grocer’s Son, the Mayor, the Village and the World The culture of a small French town is shown through inspiring digital innovation right inside the doors of a grocery store.

No Kings Modernization threatens an isolated community on the Brazillian coast and paints a portrait of togetherness.

Songs that Flood the River After a snake took her left leg at 8 years old, Oneida wrote words to the melody of traditional Colombian funeral songs to fight her fears and illuminate her reality.

Faya Dayi Travel through the fields and factories of Harar, Ethiopia, driven by khat, a mildly narcotic evergreen shrub.

Rock Bottom Riser The rush to advance science runs against land owner rights in this postcolonialist look at Hawaii laid over dubstep.

HEARTWARMING

HEARTBREAKING

Delphine’s Prayers Delphine, a CameroonianBelgian woman shares moments of her life, varying from humorous to painful, crafting the narrative she wants to tell.

Petit Samedi The complexity of family is exemplified in this film about a son who has an addiction and overbearing mother.

Homeroom This film completes a series of films by Peter Nicks highlighting educational institutions in his hometown. Homeroom points the lens at Oakland High School’s class of 2020.

Your eyes don’t decieve you — this graph is a little heavy on the heartwarming side. But with such a difficult year behind us, couldn’t we all use a little more heartwarming content?

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

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MISSOURI’S MISSOURI’S MARY JANE JANE MAN

How aa How Republican Republican politician politician was was chosen chosen to build to build medical medical marijuana’s marijuana’s foundation foundation in in Missouri.

Missouri.

STORY BY JULIA BOWER DESIGN BY JACOB HORTON

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From small-town roots to Walmart management to state politics, there were many steps on Lyndall Fraker’s journey to Missouri medical marijuana director.

Photography by Gracie Smith and Toby Young

Photography VOXbyMAGAZINE Gracie Smith • MAY and 2021 Toby Young 23

MAPPING MARIJUANA WITH 192 DISPENSARIES ACROSS THE STATE, BOONE COUNTY IS HOME TO NINE LICENSED MEDICAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES, CENTRALIZED IN THE COLUMBIA REGION.

DISPENSARIES BBMO 3

5320 Interstate Drive SE

COMO HEALTH 4003 Ponderosa St.

GREEN RELEAF 204 E. Broadway

Holistic Missouri 1414 Rangeline St.

QPS Missouri Holdings

1500 Interstate Drive SW

Shangri-La In the second week of December 2018, Lyndall Fraker’s phone rang.

It was a month after medical marijuana had been legalized in Missouri, and Dr. Randall Williams’ name came up on the caller ID. Williams, the former Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services director, had an important job to fill — the state’s medical marijuana director.

Missouri voters had approved the legalization of medical marijuana in November, a progressive move for the historically red state. Williams knew whoever he put in charge of the program would face their fair share of controversy.

He was on the hunt for someone with integrity. Someone like Fraker, who at the time was finishing a four-year term as a Republican Missouri representative.

Growing beyond small-town roots Born in August 1959, Fraker grew up in a stereotypical small-town atmosphere in Marshfield. Imagine the classic scenes of Opie Taylor riding his bike in The Andy Griffith Show or Scotty Smalls gathering his friends for a game of baseball in The Sandlot — this is how Fraker describes his childhood.

“In fact, we had a ball field down the street that my dad built us, and all the neighborhood boys would come over, and we played all the time,” Fraker says. “So all those hometown values that you hear about or read about that maybe aren’t as

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prominent today as they once were are very strong in me and in my philosophy of life.”

Part of this philosophy is rooted in family, and Fraker’s large family has always been tight-knit. Darin Cleir, Fraker’s first cousin, says his mother’s house, which had space for 70 people, was the site of countless reunions.

In his mid-20s, Fraker and two of his cousins started a farm and hardware store called Cousins Farm and Family Supply — an experience that taught him entrepreneurship and customer service. However, the ’80s were a tough time for agricultural businesses due to a farm recession in the Midwest, so Fraker began thinking of other companies he could join.

Luckily, the local Walmart manager went to his church, and he told Fraker it was a good time to get into that business and secured him an interview. Soon after, Fraker was offered a position in the management training program.

In his 17 years as a Walmart manager, from 1987 to 2004, Fraker added skills to his repertoire, learning how to solve problems quickly and put angry customers at ease. “I always admired Mr. Walton’s philosophy of how you treat people,” Fraker says. “The first rule is the customer is always right. The second rule is to refer back to rule number one.”

The jabs Fraker took from upset customers at Walmart built an endurance and patience that would prove beneficial as he entered the next chapter of his career: politics.

1401 Creekwood parkway 3919 peachtree drive

MANUFACTURER Columbia Care Mo TRANSPORTER SuperSonic Transportation

Fraker’s family had a long reign within Webster County. His grandfather, R. Kail Rost, was the presiding commissioner of the county’s Republican Party from 1967 to 1975, and his uncle, Don Rost, held the same position from 1991 to 1999.

In 2008, Fraker followed in his family’s footsteps. His motivation was simple.

His family had always prioritized serving the greater good and giving back to the community, and he brought that mission into his role in government.

After holding a position as Webster County’s northern county commissioner from 2008 to 2010, Fraker decided to run at the state level in 2010 for the Missouri House GOP primary to represent District 137. He won a close three-way bid for the district with no Democratic opponent. His platform was traditionally conservative — one of anti-abortion, pro-gun rights, anti-tax and pro-free enterprise — and he won the following three re-elections in the red district.

A controversial choice At 61 years old, Fraker has never smoked marijuana.

Lyndall Fraker is known by friends and colleagues as a leader with integrity. “Even when others may have taken shots at us, we’ve still held our head high and done what we’ve always thought was the right thing to do,” he says.

With a sheriff uncle, Fraker says he has always done his best to obey the law. “I had a lot of friends growing up that smoked marijuana,” he says. “I just chose not to. It was, and in many places still is, illegal, and that was not a line I wanted to cross.”

When Williams called to offer Fraker the position of Missouri’s medical marijuana director, Fraker was hesitant to take on the role because of marijuana’s contentious nature, particularly as a conservative.

“I did a little soul searching before I decided to take this position,” Fraker says.

“At first I wasn’t quite sure, because of the stigma that marijuana still has, but after praying about it and talking to people that are a lot smarter than I am, I decided that it was something that I wanted to do.”

Williams was relieved when he discovered Fraker. Finding someone to fit the role turned out to be harder than anticipated. “I got a strong sense that Lyndall was going to do the right thing,” Williams says. He describes Fraker as a leader.

“That is who he is. It is in his DNA.” Despite his mixed feelings about the recreational use of marijuana, Fraker says he has learned about benefits he wishes he had known about before both of his parents died. In the last few days of their lives, they were given morphine and other high-powered drugs.

“I wish there could have been something available to them in those last days,” Fraker says. “Even though they may have been terminal, they could still share another story or hug the grandkids and know what was going on. I think, hopefully, medical marijuana could be that alternate medication that could be given in those times in the future.”

A PROFITABLE PLANT SINCE THE FIRST DISPENSARY SALE IN OCTOBER, MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROFITS GOING TO THE STATE HAVE BEEN CLIMBING, ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES.

Running the program Fraker likes to compare himself to Eliot Ness of the roaring ’20s, the famous law enforcement agent who took down Al Capone. Except instead of managing gangsters, he’s supervising the new medical marijuana program in Missouri. “I guess you could say I am the regulator,” Fraker says. “I am here to make sure people are doing what they are supposed to be doing.”

Despite what Fraker considers a successful program thus far, there have been disputes along the way. “Politicians take a lot of jabs, and I’ve certainly taken my VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

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Who’s

using medical marijuana?

ACCORDING TO THE MOST RECENT DATA FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES, THESE ARE THE TOP REASONS MISSOURIANS RECEIVED MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARDS IN 2019.

Psychiatric disorders 32.5%

Chronic medical conditions 26.9%

Non-dependent alternative to other medications 16.8%

Migraines 3.9%

Other conditions 19.9%

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share,” Fraker says. “It is the nature of the beast in my profession.”

Part of the backlash involves the handling of license distribution across the state — specifically who will get a license to grow or sell, and where. There were at least 1,163 license applications submitted, and the state limited approvals to 192.

The DHSS hired a third-party contractor to view and score license applications, and the results led to complaints and hundreds of legal appeals.

Some applicants claimed the same answers on the applications resulted in different scores for different entities, according to reporting from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. A cultivator applicant argued that the department’s 60-license limit on cultivation facilities went against their constitutional right to farm, though their case was rejected in December, according to the Post-Dispatch. All told, the collective legal proceedings have cost the state over $1 million, Fraker says.

Despite the bumps along the way, Fraker has handled the problems by working closely with his team. Amy Moore, deputy director and counsel of the medical marijuana program, has worked with Fraker from the beginning. She says Fraker values everybody’s input, and that is what makes him a successful leader.

“Ronald Reagan said, ‘You hire the best people you can find, and you give them authority, and then you stay out of their way,’” Fraker says. “And quite frankly, that’s the way I operate as a leader. You are only as good as your weakest link.”

A successful institution

On Oct. 17, 2020, the first dispensary sale took place in Missouri. A cancer survivor and his wife purchased the first product at Nirvana Bliss in St. Louis, cutting the ribbon for medical marijuana sales in the state.

Jack Cardetti, a Democratic political strategist who helped lead the medical marijuana legalization campaign, has been impressed with the results of the program so far.

“Out of 21 states over the last 15 years, we were the fifth-fastest to implement the program,” Cardetti says. “I think that speaks highly of everyone involved, especially considering the difficulties and the delays that COVID caused.”

With 192 dispensaries across the state, Cardetti points to other states for context on how large the program is in Missouri. “The state of New Jersey has 12 dispensaries,” he says. “The state of Illinois has far fewer than Missouri, despite the fact that they have twice the population. So when it comes to patient access, I think Missouri is leading.”

As more facilities open, Fraker looks back at how far the program has come and what it can be in the future.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but it’s nice to have those facilities up and running,” Fraker says. “I am going to continue to give the people a well-regulated, safe, patient-focused program.”

As for if Fraker would ever consume marijuana?

He says he would only consider taking the substance if a medical need arose in the future. Legally, of course.

Green Releaf offers apparel and various medical marijuana accessories, displaying its merchandise in the front of the store. It is one of the seven dispensaries open in the Boone County area.

Is medical marijuana safe?

The industry is strictly regulated and monitored. From seed to sale, the Department of Health and Senior Services tracks the plants. “The first thing the constitution said is we would have to have a track and trace system,” Fraker says. “When that plant is planted in the ground at the cultivation facilities, there’s actually a batch number assigned, and that batch number follows that plant all the way through the process to the very end into the patient’s home.”

Although some people are still skeptical, Kenny attests to the strong monitoring and regulations that have created a safe industry. “Now everything’s lab-tested and stays tracked,” Kenny says. “You can definitely know what you’re getting, know what it is, where it came from and what’s inside of it.”

Let’s talk marijuana Medical marijuana went from ballot measure to growing industry. Here’s what you need to know about how it works.

BY OLIVIA EVANS In November 2018, Missouri voters approved a measure to legalize medical marijuana.

Now, Missouri is one of 36 states and four U.S. territories where medical marijuana is legal. To answer some common questions, Vox spoke with experts about the medical marijuana industry to find out how it all works.

Who is eligible to receive medical marijuana?

Adults with Missouri residency and a licensed doctor certification can buy medical marijuana. “If you’re 18 years old, you can apply to get [a patient card],” says Lyndall Fraker, Missouri’s medical marijuana director. Fraker says that once you have a certification from a physician, you can fill out an application online to be issued a card.

Patients must have one of the many qualifying medical conditions that are listed in the state constitution. “The state of Missouri has made it pretty broad so that almost any condition can qualify,” says Dr. Anand Dugar, founder and owner of Green Health Docs, a clinic that helps patients get medical marijuana cards. “You just need to have an existing condition. Most patients we see are suffering from chronic pain of some kind, or they might be suffering from mental health conditions like anxiety, depression or PTSD.” Where is it sold?

There are three ways to legally obtain medical marijuana. Patients can buy products from dispensaries, cultivate at home — this requires additional licensing and fees — or have a caregiver grow for them. Fraker says there have been 192 dispensary licenses issued, and 71 are in operation as of April 2.

Achilles Kenney fills a bag with 3.5 grams of Bubba Fet marijuana at Green Releaf Dispensary. “We have to be extremely precise with the measurements,” Kenney says. “Consistency matters.”

What types of products can the dispensaries sell?

Dispensaries are allowed to sell medical marijuana, which contains over .003% THC. “Any products in Missouri are okay — edibles, flower, bud, products that can be smoked or vaped,” Fraker says. “They can also sell other items. They could sell CBD products. They could also sell convenience items. They could sell candy bars and snacks.”

Dispensaries are a place where patients can learn about different strains, products and the benefits associated with each. “We definitely have been seeing patients coming in back-to-back because they’re receiving the care they are looking for,” says Achilles Kenny, inventory manager for Green Releaf Dispensaries.

How does the medical marijuana industry affect the state economy?

The first dispensary sale took place on Oct. 16, 2020, and as of April 2, the state has seen over $27 million in cumulative sales.

From the cumulative sales, an additional 4% sales tax goes to the Veterans Health Care fund. Nationally, the tax revenue from cannabis sales surpassed $3 billion in 2020 alone.

“It’s providing jobs — there have probably been increases almost daily, probably 2,500 jobs added around the state in this industry,” Fraker says.

Marijuana is sent to Green Releaf Dispensary in 1-pound bags from various local cultivators.

Missouri medical marijuana patients are permitted to purchase 4 ounces per month.

What is the difference between CBD and medical marijuana?

The two biggest differences between CBD and medical marijuana are chemical structure and psychoactive components. CBD contains less than .003% THC and can be derived from either hemp or the marijuana plant. “CBD won’t get you high, but it can make you feel a little relaxed,” Dugar says.

“It can make your body feel less pain.”

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Allison was bawling, she turned to me and said, ‘Mom, I got a D.’ It was the first time she called me ‘Mom.’ Lisa, adopted 16-year-old Allison

LEARN ABOUT ADOPTING A TEEN YO U C A N ’ T I M AG I N E T H E R E WA R D

A D O P T U S K I D S . O R G

BRING ON THE BRUNCH P. 31

DEEP FRIED FUSION FLAVORS P. 32

Trendy takes on wedding cakes May marks the start of summer wedding season, giving bakers plenty of opportunities to try new styles.

BY KAYLEE SCHREINER

Alanna Ti’a uses a marbled design to give her cakes a unique, beautiful exterior.

Photography courtesy of Alanna Ti’a

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E AT & DRINK BAKERIES

Flour Power by Trish Trish Sieckmann of Columbia, who founded Flour Power by Trish in 2016, has embraced popular patterns throughout her 20 years of baking.

“I like doing something new,” Sieckmann says. “I watch TikToks all day on cake decorating, and I see what’s trendy and like to try it.”

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em

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Sugar, Butter & Flour California native Alanna Ti’a has loved to bake for years. However, she started to see her passion as a career after crafting wedding cakes for her sister in 2004 and daughter in 2019, and decided to open her own bakery, Sugar, Butter & Flour, out of her home in 2019.

Ti’a’s cakes are semi-custom, meaning the customer picks one of Ti’a’s listed designs and chooses between dozens of cake flavors, fillings and frostings to create their perfect cake.

“I find that the trends, especially for Missouri, tend to be a little outdated compared to the coasts,” Ti’a says. “What I’m trying to do is speed up the process by giving something a little fresher, something more on trend for the year.”

As popularity of cake designs fluctuates, Ti’a has seen certain styles gain favor over the years. Metallic, marble, white swirl and watercolor cakes are common favorites no matter the season. Although she appreciates new trends, Ti’a says she prefers staying true to her own designs. “I just like to keep it modern and classic,” she says. sugarbutterandflour.com, 226-6400

While some cakes are more detailed with real foliage and flowers as accessories, others are more minimalist. Sieckmann says Bohemian-style naked cakes, a design in which some of the frosting is scraped off to show the cake’s natural exterior, are in right now.

She says the wedding theme, style of dress and flower choice often affect cake design. “I saw a lot of new Bohemian styles of weddings where the bride’s dresses were very lacy, and I feel like that pattern is going to come into cakes,” she says.

Sieckmann says she is always on the lookout for new dress, flavor and theme trends to incorporate into her cake designs. flourpowerbytrish.com, 443-800-5099

bo

The weather isn’t the only thing heating up for the summer. According to a 2019 study from The Knot, a popular website for wedding planning, 73% of weddings occur between summer and early fall. The website’s 2020 study also predicted that this year’s season will be especially busy, as the rise of COVID-19 caused many couples to postpone their original dates. With May paving the way for an onslaught of couples to say “I do,” Vox takes a look at local bakers’ unique spins on 2021 wedding trends that go beyond the classic white cake.

Pohlman’s Create-a-Cake In 1968, Janette Pohlman and her husband built a bakery business out of their home. She has baked a variety of cakes, including tuxedo, fondant and classic buttercream, and she has even turned down an opportunity to be on a Food Network TV show for her baking.

Most couples Pohlman sees have ideas for how they want their wedding cake to look, and Pohlman has never said no to a design. She is known for her custom designs and flavors, with popular flavors like tequila rose and Chambord, snickerdoodle and amaretto. “It used to be that they would want orange and lime in spring and summer, but now it doesn’t really matter,” Pohlman says.

Pohlman crafts a number of designs, but she hopes to do more with fondant, lace work and gum paste flowers. “Everybody keeps saying, ‘Are you still doing cake?’” Pohlman says.

“Well, I’m going to quit when it’s not fun anymore.” pohlmanscakes.com, 660-839-2231

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THE TRENDS

Watercolor, semi-naked, floral and modern cake designs are popular for 2021, according to Brides.com.

However, many couples are opting for COVID-safer alternatives such as mini cakes, croquembouche (pastry puffs piled in a cone shape) and individually packaged desserts.

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Illustrations by Moy Zhong

E AT & DRI N K RESTAURANTS

On weekends, we brunch The weather is finally right for outdoor dining. Vox compiled the ultimate brunch guide featuring popular spots to find a late breakfast.

BY ZOIA MORROW, EMMA BOYLE AND VIVIAN KOLKS

W

ith summer weather fast approaching, brunch venues are opening their doors — and their patios — to the public again. As more people get the COVID-19 vaccine, many restaurants are preparing for customers to return to the dine-in society.

Vox gathered a list of Columbia’s favorite brunch spots that are safely welcoming the public back to the world of late mornings outdoors with mimosas in hand.

Beet Box 602 Fay St. Brunch hours: Sunday, 10 a.m., reservation only What to try: Beet Box creates a new brunch menu every week to keep things fresh. A seat is $20 per person, and each customer gets a three-course meal.

The set-up: The aesthetic of the restaurant is spacious and minimalistic, because they let the food do the talking.

Broadway Diner 22 S. Fourth St. Daily, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

What to try: The Breakfast in Bed, a piece of French toast with an egg in the nest, topped with Broadway Diner’s signature bacon jam. Even when you’re Photography by Kayla Szymanski

just rolling out of bed from the night before, Broadway Diner’s menu offers something for everyone, and it comes at reasonable prices.

The set-up: Carry-out and the patio persist while the inside stays closed.

Cafe Berlin 220 N. Tenth St. Brunch hours: Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

What to try: Order the iconic Starving Artist, which includes vegetarian biscuits and gravy served in a bowl with potatoes, eggs and greens. If you want to get crazy, order a Mo-mosa, the cafe’s take on a mimosa. The recipe calls for more bubbly, less juice.

The set-up: The spaced-out patio allows customers to order and sit outside comfortably to eat. Because there is no indoor seating right now, you can place an order at the door, online or by calling ahead.

First Watch 1301 Grindstone Parkway Daily, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

What to try: While other brunch places have a dinner menu along with a brunch menu, First Watch serves breakfast and

The classic eggs benedict is a favorite at First Watch. The restaurant is known for its large menu, which includes savory, sweet and healthy breakfast options.

lunch items all day. Grab the biscuits and turkey sausage gravy, served with freshly made biscuits and two eggs, any style.

The set-up: Patio seating is available and indoor seating options include booths, elongated tables and two-chair tables.

Glenn’s Cafe 29 S. Eighth St. Brunch hours: Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What to try: A typical mimosa is always a safe choice when it comes to brunch.

To switch it up, opt for cranberry or grape juice instead of orange. If you’re trying to cure a hangover, try the shrimp and grits.

The set-up: The sleek wooden panels on the inside make the brunch experience feel all the more posh. Glenn’s Cafe offers a patio with a view of both downtown and MU’s campus. Dogs are welcome.

Sophia’s 3915 S. Providence Road Brunch hours: Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

What to try: The Breakfast Monte Cristo, a French toast sandwich stuffed with eggs, bacon and brie.

The set-up: Sophia’s patio is lined with a fence covered in vines, and umbrellas at each table make for a cute aesthetic.

The patio is the perfect size to enjoy a weekend brunch paired with good food and mimosas.

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Wicked wings of the Midwest

Wicked Asian Wings stays open late to cater to the needs of college students.

Sophal Sam opened Wicked Asian Wings in November to bring spicy, sweet and sour flavors to a beloved American classic.

BY JOEY MILLER

D

riving along Walnut Street in downtown Columbia, you might have passed by a new wing restaurant that offers flavors many mid-Missourians have never seen before.

Wicked Asian Wings is a late-night wing joint that opened last November.

It serves Asian-style wings from different regions and sides such as fried rice, egg rolls and french fries.

Owner Sophal Sam, 48, says he never imagined opening a restaurant when he immigrated to Columbia in 1986 as a 12-year-old refugee from Cambodia.

After high school, Sam moved to Atlanta to learn how to do nails. “My mom and dad were going to force me to work in a factory,” he says. “That’s the reason why I left Columbia.”

At age 21, he wanted to open his own nail salon in Jacksonville, Florida.

But five years later, Sam had to return to Columbia to take care of his parents.

When he returned in 2000, he decided to open Florida Nails. He now owns two locations, one on Forum Boulevard and one on Broadway. He intended to open a third nail spa on

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East Walnut Street, but he decided to go a different direction.

“Something didn’t happen the way I wanted it to, and we went with Plan B,” Sam says. “That was the wings.”

Sam got the idea for a new kind of wing place when he was getting tired of traditional American-style wings.

“I was next door to Wing Stop, and they always serve me dry wings,” Sam says.

“When I asked the manager why it took so long, they said because it was frozen.”

Sam then decided to ask his friends from different backgrounds for inspiration for his sauces. “One day, I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to call all my friends — who’s Chinese, who’s Japanese, who’s Korean — I’m going to call my friends to send me their best recipe,’” Sam says. “They all taught me their own unique skills, so I kind of made my own pattern, my own ingredients, to enhance it.”

And thus, Wicked Asian Wings was born. Sam steam cooks the wings halfway, marinates them in the different sauces for 24 hours, deep-fries them and coats them again with sauce. Wicked Asian Wings has 12 sauces including Asian zing,

WICKED ASIAN WINGS 807 E. Walnut St. 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

442-8359 wickedasianwings. business.site Bone-in wings are $7.80 per half-dozen with choice of sauce.

honey teriyaki, mango habeñero and barbecue. Sam’s personal favorites are spicy Korean and spicy Thai.

“By the time we serve to you (from) the deep fryer, you have the inside flavor and the outside flavor,” Sam says.

The learning curve was steep at first for the first-time restaurant owner. Sam couldn’t put up a real sign above his restaurant until the city of Columbia gave approval in January. Before the sign, not many people realized the space was open for business, so most of his customer base came from word-of-mouth. Sam even painted the restaurant name, hours and menu onto the windows to attract business.

“Nails and restaurants are two different worlds,” Sam says. “Trying to get the word out was the toughest thing. It looked like you were the crazy man barking at somebody trying (to say) ‘This is a restaurant.’ ” Rickey Christian, long-time friend of Sam and an employee at the restaurant, recognizes the effort Sam has put into advertising. “A lot of it is due to (Sam),” he says.

“He would march around, go to parking lots, hand cards to everybody, catch people walking past here if he’s ever over here.”

Business has still been slow these first few months, but with his new sign and more people noticing the restaurant, Sam says he hopes to be able to share his flavors and open people’s minds to a different kind of chicken wing.

For now, Sam says he wants Columbians to taste his vision of what sets his wings apart from traditional wings. “I hope they open their eyes and see how different we are,” he says.

Sophal Sam says he wants to turn Wicked Asian Wings into a nationwide franchise someday.

Photography by Alex Aklan and Joey Miller

INVASIVE SPECIES’ WORST NIGHTMARE P. 35

The business of Black hair care With only two Black beauty supply stores in Columbia, finding products isn’t always easy for those who need them.

LOVE YOUR LYMPHATIC SYSTEM P. 36

Katelynn McIlwain says she used to be insecure about her natural hair, which she has been wearing with no added chemicals since October 2018. But having the right products and practicing with the right styles has been essential.

BY SHANNON BELT

Photography by Toby Young

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C ITY LIFE BUSINESS

While some people wait two weeks, others can go a couple of months before it’s time to get their hair done. The stress-inducing task of hair maintenance is heightened for Black men and women because there aren’t many outlets to find hair care products in a mid-size town like Columbia.

I moved from southern California to Columbia in August 2018 and have scrounged around in search of my scalp safe haven: a Black beauty supply store.

Usually small in size, beauty supply shops are places where Black women can walk in with their hair in shambles, because this destination is going to provide them with fixes. Eco-styling gel, hair extensions, crochet twists, wigs, hot oil treatments and a plethora of other products can all be found in one place.

In Columbia, there are only two beauty supply stores, specifically for Black hair care: Sami’s Beauty Supply and AQ Beauty Supply. These two stores share the load of catering to hairstylists and the everyday person, like me.

From locs to coils, braids to weaves, lace front wigs to wash-and-go, Sami’s Beauty Supply and AQ Beauty stock the products for many types of hairstyles.

Mary Moss, hairstylist and owner of Tootsie’s Hair Design in the Columbia and Fulton areas, has been a loyal customer at Sami’s since she started doing hair. Moss has been weaving and attaching hair for 36 years and has been

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immersed in Black hair care culture since she was a young girl. Just like her mother, Mary Smith, an 80-year-old hairstylist herself, Moss frequents Sami’s in search of products for her clients’ hairdos.

“I get this call almost every day: ‘I’m wearing my hair natural, and I’m needing to know what to buy to make my curls pop in,’” Moss says. “The answer is: We are so unique because everybody has a different curl pattern.

You may have your dad’s hair, your mom’s hair, you may reach back and get your grandmother’s hair, so whatever is going to work on you is not going to work on me.”

Annelle Whitt, a natural hair newbie and district coordinator of the Columbia Public Schools Minority Achievement Committee, has spent her time during quarantine trying to find the best product for her hair type. “I’m 63 years old now, and I’m just very comfortable with myself,” Whitt says. “When I started to let my perm grow out, there was freedom of not worrying about my hair. It took me a moment to get comfortable with it because I would automatically start explaining to people about my hair.”

After spending close to 40 years getting her hair straightened to mimic the hairstyles of her white coworkers, Whitt now

Janae McKenzie (above) styles her own hair most of the time. “I started my natural hair journey in March 2018 and haven’t looked back since,” she says. For Shannon Belt (below), Columbia’s two Black beauty supply stores are the best places to find the products she uses daily.

FIND SUPPLIES Super Sami’s Beauty Supply 705 Business Loop 70 West, 4411118 AQ Beauty Supply 1001 N. Providence Road, 449-2602

relies on beauty supply shops to grow her confidence to wear her natural hair.

She has also decided to stop explaining the way she wears her hair.

The variety of Black hair keeps Sami’s Beauty Supply owner Peter Yoon constantly restocking, and on some occasions, even delivering products to stylists like Moss. Despite ordering Black hair care products on a consistent basis, Sami’s and AQ Beauty sometimes don’t have exactly what customers are looking for. “I went to Sami’s on Monday, and everybody had gotten their stimulus check, so there were literally no lace front wigs,” Moss says. “The only wigs left were the ones on the walls.”

For Yoon and Adam Shim, owner of AQ Beauty, owning these businesses is more than just having desired products, it’s about connecting people with ways to care for their hair ­— people like Missourian student reporter Joel Lorenzi. He spent six to seven years growing out his hair before recently cutting it off. “When I was trying to save my hair, like salvage it, I got leave-in conditioner from [Sami’s],” Lorenzi says. “It has everything you could think of, and places like those are important in Columbia because you will not find a selection like that anywhere else.”

Photography by Toby Young

C I T Y LI FE OUTDOORS

Plant protectors Meet some of the Columbia residents determined to preserve native vegetation and rid our parks and trails of invasive plants.

BY HANNAH HOLLADAY

I

t is a cool, overcast morning at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. The plants, glistening with dew, will soon be in full bloom. One stands out — an unassuming little plant with tan bark, scraggly stems and small green buds. It’s bush honeysuckle, an invasive plant, which is any aggressive, non-native species whose introduction is likely to cause economic or environmental harm.

The Missouri Invasive Plant Task Force has identified 142 invasive plant species including garlic mustard, burning bush, autumn olive and callery pear. These plants threaten the state’s native biodiversity, outdoor recreation and some economic sectors, says task force chair Carol Davit.

Invasives wreak havoc by blocking native plants’ access to sunlight, soil and moisture. These species grow and reproduce rapidly. The result is a severe disruption to Missouri’s natural ecosystem.

Unfortunately, these plants can rarely be fully eradicated. Instead, they require time, attention and persistence to ensure they are not permanently destroying native Missouri biodiversity.

It takes a village, but it also takes strong leadership to fight invasive plant spread. Vox spoke to locals combating these pesky plants.

Roxie Campbell, naturalist at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park Campbell’s trained eye can spot a new bush honeysuckle or autumn olive growth at lightning speed. She has spent over 26 years overseeing invasive plant removal efforts, monitoring the 2,273-acre park for new invasive species and maintaining the health of native plants on park property.

As park naturalist, Campbell connects nature and people. She educates visitors about proper identification, removal methods and herbicide safety. The more people Campbell can reach, the more progress the park can make in eliminating invasives at the park and elsewhere, she says. It is one of the only ways to ensure Missouri’s natural resources are protected for years to come.

“I consider invasive plants just as much of a problem as climate change and one that we can do more about,” Campbell says.

Mike Szydlowski, Columbia Public Schools K-12 science coordinator There are few tangible examples of food webs like the ones many have studied in school, Szydlowski says, but the invasive bush honeysuckle illustrates how introduction to an ecosystem can completely devastate it.

When he added invasive plant removal to the CPS science curriculum, he knew that giving students the ability

Bush honeysuckle

FIGHTING INVASIVES ON YOUR OWN A combination of hand-pulling, cutting, herbicide treatments and prescribed burnings are some of the best practices when it comes to fighting invasive plants.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has more information on its website regarding the removal of specific species.

Clockwise from left: Roxie Campbell, Nate Smith and Mike Szydlowski all contribute to the removal of invasive plants from Missouri parks.

Photography courtesy of Mike Szydlowski, Roxie Campbell and Nate Smith

to work against this ecological threat would make a difference. And it has.

Roughly 2,700 students have been involved with Columbia bush honeysuckle pulls over the past eight years.

When the district stopped keeping track of progress about three years ago, 2 million plants had been removed.

“Kids love to do community service when they can tell a difference right away,” Szydlowski says. “They go out there and see at the end of just 30 minutes that their class completely changed the look of a park to where people can enjoy it again. It allows them to be destructive in a wonderful way.”

Lelande Rehard and Nate Smith, president and vice president of COMO Trail Association Hikers know the importance of well-kept trails. Invasives are a direct threat to the native plant diversity of trails and can make natural areas particularly difficult to navigate. That’s where COMO Trail Association comes in.

“A lot of our folks in this group just love the outdoors,” Rehard says. “They want to do what it takes to be a good steward of it.

If invasive plant removal is [what it takes], then that’s what they’ll do.”

Invasive plant work spans much of COMOTA’s volunteer efforts. The focus on bettering trails across the city creates connection and accountability.

“When you see a place that’s actually gotten under control and you see native stuff pop up, it’s really pretty,” Smith says.

“To actually have some diversity in the forest, it’s really cool.”

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C I T Y LI FE WELLNESS

Handle with care

people looked at me like I was crazy for treating [lymphatic disorders].

Now, it’s much more embraced.”

A social media-fueled resurgence in facial massage has created heightened interest in jade rollers and gua sha tools.

What do I need to know?

At-home tools can be a quick and inexpensive way to try the facial massage for yourself. You can massage with your fingers, but for many, swiping a stone device over the skin feels more effective.

Like using facial cleansing brushes, tools can create a sense of heightened benefit.

Such tools usually come with instructions for use. But there are instances where precautions should be considered.

Attempting procedures such as face rolling or manual face massage can cause certain conditions to spread and result in bruising and internal bleeding.

If someone is on blood thinners or anticoagulants, or experiences circulatory problems, then they should see a medical professional before deciding to go to a clinic or purchasing tools.

Rodrick says there are many health conditions that can be worsened by using too much force in the wrong areas.

“In general, I am a firm believer in alternative medicines,” Rodrick says. But experts in such therapies bear a responsibility to warn against potential dangers.

“I think we have to be careful and not cross the line to negligence.”

BY NIKOL SLATINSKA

W

hen clients at The Woods Spa look visibly relaxed during their facial appointments, spa owner and esthetician Diedra Calvin says she likes to surprise them with an added element of sensory stimulation: a smooth, jade gua sha tool she typically keeps refrigerated. Starting at the jaw, Calvin gently rubs the curved stone upward, moisturizing the skin beforehand to help the tool glide. “All of a sudden they’re like, ‘Ooh, what’s that?’ ” Calvin says.

What is gua sha?

From an aesthetic perspective, Calvin says she is surprised it has taken this long for such tools to become common. She says the feeling of increased circulation in the face is noticeable almost immediately.

Over the past year, these instruments have garnered even more popularity, with Vogue referring to the pandemic as the “era of the au naturel nip-tuck.”

Gua sha massage is a centuries-old pressure and stroking technique for relieving pain and inflammation, often including the use of a flat, smooth stone.

The practice originated in China but has also long been used in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

The purported wellness benefits of such devices are related to lymphatic drainage, the movement of lymphatic fluid. This can be helpful for specific medical conditions. For other people, it just feels good. Beyond treating specific conditions such as lymphedema, the benefits of facial massage are relaxation and stress relief. “We have so many facial muscles that we use every day,” Calvin says. “It’s a good thing to step aside and do something mindful for yourself in the day.”

ket. She began practicing the technique in 2003 after discovering it could help cancer survivors suffering from lymphatic ailments. Now, she offers alternative therapies at SpiritWorks clinic in Columbia. Noel says she massages with her hands since she is still unfamiliar with tools such as rollers and gua sha.

Julia Rodrick, an occupational therapist specializing in orthopedic oncology rehabilitation at Springfield Clinic in Illinois, regularly massages patients suffering from lymphedema or swelling caused by fluid buildup, usually occurring after cancer treatments.

A combination of this decongestive therapy, nutrition and exercise helps manage such conditions, Rodrick says. “[The lymphatic system] is getting a lot of notoriety because, we’re able to identify its characteristics and its contributions in a whole new, meaningful way,” Rodrick says. “Forty years ago,

WHAT IS THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM? This system includes the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, appendix and the lymph nodes in the neck, underarms and groin. It helps distribute white blood cells that fight infections and diseases, regulates fluid levels, transports waste and absorbs nutrients.

Jade rollers and gua sha, a smooth, heart-shaped stone, deliver an enhanced facial massage.

Lymphatic draining? Huh? A former nurse, Jackie Noel says she was using lymphatic drainage long before it entered the mainstream wellness mar-

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VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

Illustrations by Madison Wisse

CALENDAR

TO-DO LIST

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

ARTS

True/False Film Fest Columbia’s beloved annual film festival is back — mostly outside — and ready to indulge attendees in films, visual arts and musical performances.

May 5-9, Stephens Lake Park, truefalse.org

Spring Craft and Vendor Show Shop from more than 60 local vendors and enjoy food truck fare during CC’s Creative Creations’ first-ever craft and vendor show. Buy a raffle ticket

to support Columbia’s Veterans of Foreign Wars.

May 8, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., VFW Post, 1509 Ashley St., 283-8136

A Grand Evening Enjoy a cocktail hour with dinner and music from the Callaway Singers at the Brick District Playhouse in Fulton.

All proceeds go to the purchase of a new grand piano for the historic theater. May 8, 5–9

Lee Mysliwiec plays violin with Harry Hare during the 2020 True/ False Film Fest. The festival returns to Columbia in May, with many films showing at night on outdoor screens at Stephens Lake Park. There also are screenings at Ragtag Cinema and a drive-in at the Holiday Inn Executive Center.

Music returns, too, with performances at the park.

p.m., 613 Court St. Fulton, thebrickdistrict playhouse.com

CIVIC

FOOD

Contribute to the Boys and Girls Club by enjoying a nice glass of wine or going for a run at the Serenity Valley Winery run in Fulton. May

Take your mom out for a nice Sunday buffet in the ballroom at the Tiger Hotel’s Mother’s Day Brunch. May

Serenity Valley Wine Run

16, 9 a.m., register at serenitywinerymo.com

Mother’s Day Brunch

9, 9 a.m., tickets all-inclusive, $39 adults, $25 children under 12, see Tiger Hotel Facebook page for tickets

Tickets on sale 5.20.21

themosy.org June 13 - July 10, 2021 Photography by Daffy Liu/Archive

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

37

CALENDAR

Missouri Contemporary Ballet’s LIVE! Presented by MU’s University Concert Series, LIVE! will feature both live music and dance from various genres in five performed pieces at Jesse Auditorium. May

May 9, 5 p.m., free

1, 7–9 p.m.; May 2, 2–4 p.m., $42, 882-3781

Sundays @ Murry’s

Parks at Sunset

MUSIC

Aaron Kamm and The One Drops Head to Rose Music Hall for an outdoor concert.

Listen to the fusion-filled music and watch the highenergy performance of

the St. Louis band Aaron Kamm and The One Drops, who mix the sounds of reggae, Mississippi River blues and soul. May 1, 6 p.m. doors; 7 p.m. show; $12 in advance, $15 general admission, 874-1944

Ballerinas audition at the Missouri Contemporary Ballet school for a prior performance.

This year marks the ballet’s 15th season.

CoMo200 and the United Way-affiliated organization Rock the Community will be hosting their last pop-up park with music, food and more at Albert Oakland Park.

May 2, 6–8 p.m., free

The Fried Crawdaddies In association with

Diverse programming you can’t find anywhere else.

It’s community radio!

KOPN

Logboat Brewing Co., the Fried Crawdaddies band will play its signature river roots grooves outdoors at Cooper’s Landing.

The band plays multiple genres that combine to tell soulful stories.

Live jazz at Murry’s continues with a once-amonth concert at the restaurant. Enjoy some good eats from a specially crafted dinner menu while listening to the swingin’ saxophone sounds of the Alisha Pattillo Quartet.

The performance is part of the “We Always Swing” Jazz Series.

May 23, 6 p.m. doors; 7 p.m. show; $40, 442-4969

SHELTER PET & LIFE OF THE PARTY

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

HAMILTON 75K+ Instagram Followers

89.5 FM live streaming at kopn.org 38

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

Photography by Hillary Tan/Archive

photo finish

FILMS UNLEASHED PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACOB MOSCOVITCH Mikaela Adams receives kisses from her dog, Winston, while Carla Childs sets up before an outdoor movie at Logboat Brewing Co. Prior to the pandemic, moviegoers would crowd into dark rooms and recline in their seats with buttery popcorn in hand. Ragtag Cinema has been hosting outdoor and drive-in movies since August 2020, providing a safe, nostalgic alternative for movie-lovers. True/False Film Fest attendees can watch a handful of documentaries from their vehicles at the Holiday Inn Executive Center, and most of this year’s films will be shown outdoors.

VOX MAGAZINE • MAY 2021

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A five-day celebration of music, art, and cutting-edge nonfiction film transforming Stephens Lake Park into a one-of-a-kind creative wonderland √ OUTDOORS √ MASKED √ PHYSICALLY DISTANCED

True/False Film Fest

MAY 5-9, 2021 | COLUMBIA, MO

S T E K C TI !

E L A S ON truefalse.org