Vox Magazine January/February 2019 by Vox Magazine

SERVING LOOKS AND THE COMMUNITY PAGE 18

NEW SEAFOOD SPOT MAKES A SPLASH PAGE 40

THE VOICE OF COLUMBIA â&#x20AC;¢ JAN/FEB 2019

REFRESH, RENEW AND REFURBISH PAGE 45

“Four days tailor-made for

film lovers, festival lovers, documentary lovers, and anyone who likes to have

a grand old time.”

- Matt Holtzman, The Document, KCRW

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FEB 28–MAR 3, 2019 COLUMBIA, MO

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FROM THE EDITOR

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

hen I was about 10 or 11 years old, I cooked my first meal. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. It was awful. I completely misread the directions, adding in 1¼ cups of milk instead of just one-quarter. You can imagine the milky mess I created, but the pantry was pretty bare that day, so I slogged through what essentially was cheese and noodle soup. Again, I can’t stress how bad it was. But, inexplicably, it got me hooked on cooking. I loved the idea of mixing and matching ingredients to create the exact meals I wanted. I learned how to boil, grill, bake, saute, broil and barbecue. By the time I was 17, I was making dinner for my family, mostly because I enjoyed being in the kitchen. It wasn’t until I took a nutrition class in college that I actually understood what I was putting into my body. As a teenage boy with the metabolism of a hummingbird, carbohydrates, high fructose corn syrup, gluten and refined sugars were a foreign language to me. If something tasted good, I ate it. And a lot of it.

“What we consume is one of the central components not just of our health, but of our happiness, too.” That class opened my eyes, though, to the benefits — or damage — that food can do to our bodies. What we consume is one of the central components not just of our health, but of our happiness too. In this month’s issue, we’ve compiled a guide (starting on pg. 26) to the people and places tackling wellness in Columbia. It includes a profile of local market serving up organic, unprocessed eats, a definitive directory of local grocery stores and a few places worth indulging in a burger or a beer when you need a break from kale and quinoa. Eating well is a challenge for most of us, especially those who like food as much I do, but as you’ll see, there’s no reason you have to sacrifice health for happiness. And in case you were wondering, despite the hundreds of hours I’ve spent in various kitchens, I’ve yet to perfect that damn box of mac and cheese.

KEEGAN POPE Editor-in-Chief

E DI T OR -I N -CHI E F KEEGAN POPE DE PUT Y E DI T OR STEN SPINELLA M AN AGI N G E DI T OR ELIZABETH ELKIN DI GI TAL M AN AGI N G E DI T OR MCKENNA BLAIR ON L I N E E DI T OR LAUREN PUCKETT ART DI R E CT OR S MOLLY NAGEL, KELLYN NETTLES PHOT O E DI T OR JESSI DODGE M ULT I M E DI A E DI T OR HUNTER BASSLER

AS S I S TAN T E DI T ORS CULT UR E JENNA ALLEN, KELSEY HURWITZ, BOBBI WATTS E AT + DR I N K ELIZABETH QUINN, CATHERINE WENDLANDT CI T Y L I F E LAUREN LOMBARDO, LIBBY MOELLER, ROSEMARY SIEFERT CON T R I B UT I N G W R I T E R S JARED ANDREWS, JESSE BAALMAN, SADIE COLLINS, SIOBHAN CONNORS, SHANNON HENDERSON, CHRISTINA LONG, HANNAH MUSICK, LUCY SHANKER, SAVANNAH WALSH DI GI TAL E DI T OR S KAELYN ADIX, CAMERON FLATT, JENNA GRUNDTNER, MCKAYLA HELM, JOHN HENIFF, ALEXA HODGES, NAT KAEMMERER, CONNOR LAGORE, HAYLEY ODOM, ABBEY PERANO, MADI SKAHILL, GABBY VELASQUEZ M ULT I M E DI A E DI T OR S HOPE HOWARD, FENGXALIN LI, ANTOINETTE MILLER, MEGAN SMALTZ, ZIXUAN ZHAO

E DI T OR I AL DI R E CT OR HEATHER LAMB DI GI TAL DI R E CT OR SARA SHIPLEY HILES E XE CUT I V E E DI T OR JENNIFER ROWE OF F I CE M AN AGE R KIM TOWNLAIN

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This is going to sound hokey, but our cover for this issue was made with love. That frittata in the corner? Art director Kellyn Nettles baked that. The acai bowl? Assembled with ingredients from Nourish. The lettering? Local artist Adrienne Luther created every beautiful swirl after much discussion on wording among the editorial staff. Then the team of Nettles, art director Molly Nagel, photo editor Jessi Dodge and photographer Bailey Valadez put it together to make it look (we hope) good enough to eat.

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

J A N U A RY / FE B RU A RY 2 0 1 9 V OL UM E 20, I S S UE 2 4 PUB L I S HE D B Y T H E COL UM B I A M I S S OUR IA N 320 L E E HI L L S HAL L COL UM B I A, M O 652 1 1

Cover photography by Bailey Valadez and illustration by Adrienne Luther/@adrienneeluther

FEATURES

A Sweet Spot In a city with few black-owned businesses, Teanna Bass flourishes as a makeup artist and fledgling entrepreneur. She uses her cosmetics line to help empower people of all shades. BY MYLYNDA STUBBLEFIELD

Don’t Worry, Eat Happy Whether you’re looking for the right grocery store or a nutritious breakfast choice to start the day, our guide has you covered. Discover the local fare you need to lead a satisfying and healthy life. BY VOX STAFF

CORRECTIONS: In the December issue, a story misstated the business owned by Jessica Schlosser. She is the co-owner of Lizzi & Rocco’s. The “Sit-in at the Minute Inn” story included an incorrect location of Selma. It is in Alabama. The events calendar listed the wrong price of the Dec. 9 Handel’s Messiah performance at Memorial Baptist Church. It was free, and at 7 p.m. Photography by Julia Hansen

Eating your way through the day — p. 27 Stop acting “hangry” with these tips for morning, noon and night.

Starting from scratch — p. 31

Meet the women who brought Nourish to the clean-eating scene.

Guide to groceries and grub — p. 34

Find out which market is best for whatever is on your shopping list. VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

SECTIONS

48 IN THE LOOP

CULTURE

EAT + DRINK

CITY LIFE

Sip at Lakota’s latest spot.

Rapper Sxnny emerges in the local hip-hop scene.

A wave of seafood hits Columbia with Cajun Crab House.

Turn trash into treasure.

New Brew 8

Toxic Behavior Masculinity run amok.

Nobel Cause A look at the city’s newest overnight celeb.

Vox Picks Mark your calendar with our guide to winter finds.

It’s Always Sxnny

What a Catch

Tasteful Art with a Slice of Gluttony

Take a tour through this exhibit’s mouth-watering displays.

These classic locales will definitely ring a bell.

Sonic Giants

Closed for Business

We rank Young the Giant’s albums before its return to The Blue Note.

What do seasonal restaurant owners do during the winter months?

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Iconic Eateries

Whozits and Whatzits Galore 47

Bringing Coastal Threads to CoMo Two local creatives build a home for clothing and collaboration.

Ring in the New Year Dive into the traditions of this Asian celebration.

Photography by Nathan Lawrence and Julia Hansen and courtesy of The Blue Note and KBIA

MEET MU’S

MAKE A WINTER

NOBEL LAUREATE

WISH LIST

P. 11

P. 12

New spot brewing for Lakota Downtown favorite brings familiar flavor to South Columbia. BY NAT KAEMMERER

Come early 2019, Lakota Coffee Company will serve its well-known coffee in addition to specialty cocktails at a second location. Featuring a drive-thru and deck, the new spot at 3111 Green Meadows Way is expected to open late January or early February. It won’t have a roastmaster on site, but don’t fret. The same coffee from the downtown location will be freshly filtered and poured right into your cup, and they will also be selling a large selection of their well-loved beans. Only one specialized drink is finalized for the menu so far: a caramel rum macchiato. Another concoction that includes iced coffee, milk, chocolate, caramel sauce and probably Jack Daniels is in the works. “We want to focus primarily on coffee and have the option to serve high-end beers and wines and high-end desserts,” owner Skip Ducharme says.

Lakota fans will find its signature rustic decor at the new location.

Photography by Jason Vance

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

IN THE LOOP ESSAY

According to the Office on Women’s Health, date rape drugs have no smell or taste, and they can affect you quickly. If you notice an unusually sudden feeling of drunkenness or dizziness, these could be signs that something was slipped into your drink.

Toxic behavior It’s not just boys being boys. When accepted, or expected, male dominance can become dangerous — especially on college campuses. BY ELIZABETH QUINN

e was like every other guy I’d dated in Bentonville, Arkansas. Tanner* was manipulative, and he exerted control over nearly every aspect of my life. I didn’t think anything of this treatment. Even after I got to college, men would tell me what to wear, touch me without my permission and continue their advances despite my protests. It wasn’t until a discussion in my women’s and gender studies class last year that I realized this behavior is not normal and should not be tolerated. Yet it is prevalent and pervades the lives of women everywhere. I am not alone in my experiences with sexual harassment or assault, as shown by the groundswell of support for movements such as #MeToo or the tide of emotions in opposition to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing. One in five women experiences sexual assault during her lifetime, according to a 2011 Cen-

ters for Disease Control and Prevention report. And that only accounts for those who have stepped forward. Sexual assault finds its roots in a societal attitude that perpetuates dangerous behaviors: what some call toxic masculinity. At its core, the phrase refers to the social construction of gender roles and the expectations of dominance and strength among men, says Colleen Clemens, director of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. This value becomes extreme and apparent in the case of sexual harassment and assault. This isn’t instinct, Clemens says, but a learned behavior. The phrase “toxic masculinity” arose in the 1980s and 1990s, according to a 2017 article in Advocate. It was a response to a men’s movement that comprised organized efforts to understand masculinity in an era characterized by growing feminism. Even before this phrase surfaced, tox-

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

THE 23 PERCENT

Among undergraduate students, 23 percent of women and five percent of men experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

ic aspects of masculinity were studied for decades. A journal article published by the National Council on Family Relations in 1957, “The New Burdens of Masculinity,” discusses an emphatic reclaiming of traditionally masculine values as a reaction to the increased freedoms and opportunities granted to women after the Industrial Revolution. The phrase “toxic masculinity” has proved polarizing. Some argue that it implies all masculinity is toxic. Others feel it has become a sort of “buzz phrase” that, because of its overuse, is meaningless. The semantics and use of it might be disputed, but the phrase describes a real phenomenon felt by women. Take, for example, a situation in which a man touches a woman’s body without her permission — something that has happened multiple times to me and other women I know. This behavior is a display of masculinity through dominance because the woman loses the power to make a choice. Photography by Bailey Valadez

I N T HE LO O P ESSAY

Fraternities and sexual assault College campuses, fraternities in particular, often are dangerous territories women must navigate at their own risk. I’ve seen such blatant sexism and traumatizing displays of masculinity play out on

Rose Music Hall

DrinKraft Le Bao

FIREComing STATION

Dancearts

PARKING

N. 10th St.

Wildy’s World Artlandish Gallery

PARKING

MEDICI

Sager-Braudis Gallery

E. Walnut St. SHORT ST. GARAGE PARKING

Carla Ciolli Hair

BROOKSIDE

WHAT YOU UNEXPECT

ALLEYWAY

PACE YOUTH THEATRE

Broadway

fraternities when I attended a frat party during my freshman year. I had one drink, and then a member offered me another. Because I was friends with a couple guys in the house, I trusted them. The next morning, I woke up in the hospital. It has been three years, and I still believe my drink was spiked with drugs. Two vodka sodas shouldn’t have been enough

The North Village Arts District is an art, music, food, drinks and fun lovers paradise packed into beautifully renovated warehouses, shops and historical buildings in downtown Columbia, Missouri.

Orr Street Studios Shannon Webster Studio Resident Arts Shear Soul Hair Studio

COURTYARD

IRON TIGER TATTOO NASH VEGAS

Missouri Contemporary Ballet

EVERY SUNDAY

HUBBELL DR.

Fretboard Coffee

The 2015 MU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct found that only 65 percent of MU students think it is likely that their reports would be taken seriously by campus officials.

E. Ash St.

Orr St. Farmers & Artisan Market

Range-Free

Ophelia’s Flowers

AARDVARX

Home

CLIMATE SURVEY

Talking Horse Productions Dogmaster Distillery Yoga Sol North Village Recording Studio

The Beach Salon WABASH STATION

BEST OF THE WEST GOOD NATURE

Orr St.

N. 10th St.

Cafe Berlin

E. ASH ST.

9th St. Public House

AMEREN LOT

Park Avenue

Elizabeth Quinn graduated from MU in December 2018 and moved to the Dallas area with her dog, Lainey, who was featured in the November issue of Vox.

St. James St.

Masculinity in the media Depictions of extreme masculine traits in the media can be dangerous depending on the context. Amanda Lotz, professor of media studies at the University of Michigan, examines TV shows and their portrayals of masculinity in her book Cable Guys: Television and Masculinities in the 21st Century. She discusses Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother, who glorifies conquering women through sex, objectifying them while emphasizing male dominance to a point that would be considered unacceptable if he were sitting across the table from you in real life. The behavior is normalized when treating women this way isn’t portrayed negatively.

my college campus and the fraternities surrounding it. The 2015 MU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct showed that nearly three in 10 senior women have been victims of nonconsensual sexual contact since enrolling at MU. And, according to a 2007 study by researchers affiliated with The College of William and Mary in Virginia, fraternity men are three times more likely to rape than non-fraternity men. Locally, MU fraternity Delta Upsilon was suspended in 2016 after allegations that active members required new members to use date-rape drugs on women to become initiated, according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article. To its credit, fraternity administration isn’t standing idly by. The MU Fraternity and Sorority Advisory Board was formed in January 2018 to develop plans regarding diversity and inclusion, hazing prevention and other issues pertaining to safety and standards within the Greek community. I experienced the danger of MU

Dogwood Artist Workspace THE FIELDHOUSE

THE BROADWAY

PARKING ENFORCEMENT HOURS Parking Garages 8a-6p M-F Parking Lots 8a-6p M-S Street Meters 9a-7p M-S

BROADWAY

www.northvillageartsdistrict.org VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

IN THE LOOP ESSAY

for me to wake up where I did. I didn’t press charges because my friend found me passed out on the stairs of the fraternity, and she said I hadn’t been touched. Another friend of mine, however, did not have the same experience. As she told me, she was 21 years old and following the advice instilled in her by her sister: For every drink of alcohol, have one glass of water. However, one night, she didn’t apply that rule. She wanted to have some fun and meet new people after transferring to MU. A fraternity threw a party, and she walked in as an excited student ready for her first year at MU. When she walked out, she felt disgusted, dirty and more distant than ever from friends, family and school. She remembered having one or two drinks. She remembered she was downstairs dancing, and then she woke up to a member raping her. One former fraternity member, Zachary Lahr, says he had enough of the toxic habits perpetuated in frat culture. He says he would try to discuss issues such

No matter the intention, unwelcome advances reinforce power disparities among men and women, resulting in potentially dangerous situations.

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

as gender inequality and race, but those topics weren’t received well. Lahr adds that toxic behavior in his fraternity went beyond gender. He says he saw hypermasculinity with race. Fellow fraternity members would degrade women, specifically women of color, and they would downplay violence against women. Behaviors such as these were continually accepted and forced upon others. And it’s not just Lahr’s former fraternity. Others are home to members who treat women just as poorly.

After my experiences, I still get nervous when I wear tight pants in public or if a guy gets too touchy with me. That’s not going to change. What has changed is that I know how I deserve to be treated. I dated boys who left me with scars, but I am confident that there are good men in this world who can help us implement change. *Editor’s note: Name has been changed for confidentiality purposes.

Photography by Bailey Valadez

I N T HE LO O P Q+A

Nobel cause Retired MU biology professor George Smith became a local celebrity after winning the world’s most prestigious chemistry award. BY MEG CUNNINGHAM

eorge Smith woke to a phone call Oct. 3 telling him he had won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. That kick-started nonstop planning for the Dec. 10 ceremony in Stockholm, as well as a whirlwind of public appearances. He and his wife, Marjorie Sable, rode in a convertible in the MU Homecoming parade, the university dedicated a bike rack spot to the avid cyclist, and KBIA put his portrait on a coffee mug as a fundraising giveaway. Vox chatted with Smith about being the university’s first Nobel laureate. What has life been like since you won the Nobel? We have spent the days since then very, very focused getting ready for this. I have to prepare the lectures. The Nobel lecture itself is kind of a big deal, but it’s only 25 minutes long. For a professor to keep something down to 25 minutes? Margie can attest to the fact that that’s been a big struggle. How do you explain your bacteriophage display technology research to non-scientists? That’s been a major thing, to explain in terms I hope that people can understand without having detailed backgrounds in scientific knowledge. It is a pretty simple outcome of basic biology ideas. Editor’s note: We’re going to jump in here because we still didn’t understand his explanation. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. Smith’s work identifying genes within them led to medical treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and multiple sclerosis. Nobel winners donate a research artifact to the Nobel Museum. What did you donate? I gave a little tiny test tube that contains about half a milliliter of solution with the first phage display. You helped found Columbia Chorale. How did it start? Three of us (including Christy Leonard and Gary Cox) got together and decided on it in 1978 and then recruited three more singers, so we were the beginning chorale. But in those days we didn’t have a name; we just got together in people’s living rooms and sang madrigals. We have practice every Monday night, and then we have about five concerts, but four of them are really formal concerts where we prepare a fairly large set of music and sing it.

Photography courtesy of the University of Missouri and KBIA

George Smith shares the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Frances Arnold and Gregory Winter.

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

IN THE LOOP VOX PICKS

Vox’s picks for JANUARY and FEBRUARY Each month, Vox curates a list of our favorite shops, eats, reads and experiences in and around Columbia. We highlight the new, trending or criminally underrated — so you’re always informed of the best our city has to offer. BY BOBBI WATTS

Eat…

A little bit of everything for Restaurant Week 2019. Indulge in all things food during The District’s third official Restaurant Week from Jan. 14–20. Enjoy special menu items and can’t-miss deals all week long at hot spots including MidiCi, Room 38, Broadway Brewery and India’s House. The District, Jan. 14–20, prices vary, 442-6816

Learn…

More about the history of how black people sought greater opportunity in Missouri. Explore the exhibition sponsored by University of Missouri Libraries and the MU Black History Month Committee in MU’s Ellis Library. “Exodus: Images of Black Migration in Missouri and Beyond, 1866– 1940” includes work from artists such as Thomas Hart Benton and George Caleb Bingham. A curator’s presentation will take place at 4 p.m. Feb. 4 in room 114A of Ellis Library. Ellis Library, Jan. 11–Feb. 28, free, 882-4701

Drink… Visit…

Jesse Auditorium to see Legally Blonde, the Musical. The award-winning show, based on the 2001 film, follows Elle Woods’ law school adventures. Witness the giant dance numbers and Elle’s fabulously pink courtroom suit. Jesse Auditorium, Feb. 1, 7 p.m., $46 and up, 882-3781

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

A Bleu Rosemary Lemonade from Pressed. Treat yourself to a blend of blueberry vodka, simple syrup, lemonade and riesling at CoMo’s newest rooftop bar, open since October. The lounge offers cocktails, small plates and downtown views. 803 Walnut St. Suite 601, Tues.–Thurs., 4 p.m. to midnight; Fri.–Sat., 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., $9, 424-6660 Photography by Julia Hansen

FEED YOUR APPETITE

GET READY TO

FOR ART P.15

ROCK ON P.16

Always Sxnny in Columbia

An up-and-coming lyricist looks to establish herself in a mostly undeveloped rap scene. BY STEN SPINELLA When she started rapping, what was once a loose, scattered collection of people nursing their drinks became a real audience, which formed on the dance floor directly in front of the short, young black woman gripping the mic. The September 2018 multi-artist showcase at The Blue Note was the third time Sxnny — pronounced “Sunny” — performed for a live audience. She sports a smooth neosoul sound, reminiscent of rising Midwestern acts such as Saba and Noname. Her real name is Ciara Bazemore, but she recorded under the moniker Young Cleopatra in her Kansas City high school. She took a break from rap until her junior year at MU. She was brought back into the rap scene by T’Keyah Thomas, co-founder of the open-mic series OneMic, who reminded her of how hip-hop and poetry dovetail. Sxnny started making music again, working with a variety of producers on tracks you can find on her Soundcloud. “She has a writing mode that she goes into where she sort of tunes everything out and gets super creative,” says Christina Lee, Sxnny’s girlfriend and an MU student.

Photography by Antranik Tavitian

VOX MAGAZINE •JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

CU LT URE MUSIC

Right now, Sxnny’s music is a collection of singles, but they sound cohesive and are often supported by loops of string, keyboard and drum beats. The songs she has released focus on personal growth, heritage, fate, free will and love, among other themes. “Come from nappy roots like Solange hair / Just want my fam to relax and lay back like lawn chairs,” she raps on “Flow.” Sxnny admits the hip-hop scene in Columbia takes a backseat to rock and country, but she also says it’s bubbling. Her cousin Steddy P is well-known in rap circles, and his Kansas City label Indyground has been influential in this area. Lee says Columbia has a hip-hop scene that’s “invisible to a lot of people,” but she’s glad Sxnny is a part of it because it’s “very close-knit.” When it comes to venues in the area, Rose Music Hall and The Blue Note are good spots for live hip-hop. Other establishments play hip-hop music, but supporting local acts is separate. It’s a

Sxnny takes the stage during Neo-Soul night at Aladdin Hookah Lounge. She picked up rapping again during her junior year at MU.

touchy subject, Sxnny says. Local club owners often believe they will make more money from playing mainstream hip-hop tracks rather than hosting local artists, she says.

COMO HAS BEEN HUNGRY FOR HONEST HIP-HOP. – T’KEYAH THOMAS, ONEMIC CO-FOUNDER

OneMic For information on upcoming OneMic shows, check out the Facebook page @columbia onemic

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Sxnny is building an organic following by putting out quality music and, beginning last summer, playing shows. So far, she has only sold tickets to people that she knows, but she hopes to solidify the loyalty of her fans before expanding to reach new listeners. Thomas says that she believes Sxnny fills a void in the city. “There’s a real arts and culture renais-

sance happening in the Midwest right now, and Sxnny is most certainly… a guide for that movement,” she says. The next part is making music a career. “I gotta handle publishing; I gotta make sure I get paid,” Sxnny says. “I want to build my own company outside of myself to handle a lot of things.” She is currently majoring in Black Studies and says she hopes to stay in Columbia or return to Kansas City to get her MBA. She’s simultaneously facing the necessary evil of monetizing her art. She’s doubly aware of senior-year angst — not only is she graduating, but she wants to be a musician. An uncertain reality loses out to the inextricable pull toward her craft. “This is where I have a voice,” Sxnny says. “It’s very cathartic for me.” At the moment, Sxnny is poised for the brightness to come, as she notes on “Allure”: “I’ma go and make these bands / While y’all scrollin’ on the ’gram / Thinking of a caption but actions are just better plans.” Photography by Di Pan

C U LT U RE ART

Tasteful art with a slice of ‘Gluttony’ Playing with your food is required for this annual Columbia Art League exhibit that asks artists to blend art and eats. BY KATHERINE HERRICK

n elegant but dense chocolate muffin sits atop a 7-inch plate, surrounded by empty muffin wrappers and leftover crumbs. A sign instructs you to “take one,” tempting you to snatch the last delectable dessert. But just as you’re about to reach out and pick it up, you realize it’s made of bronze. Take One, made by local artist Jim Reese, is one of the pieces he will submit to the “Gluttony” exhibit at the Columbia Art League taking place Jan. 8 to Feb. 22. Each year, CAL puts on a food-themed show to continue the tradition of combining art with food. “Gluttony” will be an “opulent visual feast” that allows artists and viewers to explore their connection with food and emphasize consumption, indulgence, obsession and desire, according to CAL’s website. The exhibit’s theme was created to be simple and universally relatable, so interpretations vary. In Reese’s case, his perception of gluttony led him to the “get-mine-and-not-leave-any-for-anybody-else kind of idea,” he says. Reese chose to cast this particular piece in Photography by Shauna Yates

bronze to “relate to the value people place on food.” Anybody in the community can participate in the exhibit. The weekend before the show begins, a juror curates the exhibition, selecting 80 pieces for display. Louise Sarver, the operations manager at CAL, has seen the exhibit grow, and she has watched artists push themselves to be more creative with the theme each year. “We see more complexity in the art,” Sarver says. “We see more people who are describing their relationship with food, as opposed to painting a piece of food, which is neat because I think that adds another layer to the show.” Sarver’s favorite piece from last year was a still-life image of shimmering peaches made completely out of glitter. “It was really beautifully and artistically done, and it sold lickety-split,” she says. Another popular piece was a huge painting of a banana lying on its side, dressed as a sheriff with a mustache and a smaller banana tucked away in its holster. “You can get some great, technically amazing art and then art that is so fun and so funny,” Sarver says. “I think sometimes

Jim Reese has a fine arts degree with a concentration in sculpture. He’ll be submitting his work, the bronze Take One, for consideration to the “Gluttony” show as a nod to overindulgence and overconsumption.

IF YOU GO Columbia Art League, “Gluttony” opening reception, Jan. 11 (exhibit runs Jan. 8–Feb. 22), 6–8 p.m., Free “Let Them Eat Art,” Jan. 25, 6–8 p.m., $40, 443-8838

you lose a little bit of that when you go into museums and other galleries, but being a community art gallery, we just get the sheer joy of creating art here.” In recent years, CAL has added a fundraiser to the exhibition called “Let Them Eat Art,” a competition where local chefs choose a piece from the exhibition as inspiration for a new dish. Past dishes have included espresso-crusted filet bites and green tea-flavored pastries with honey. “It’s really fun to push our chefs to go and look at the artwork and then create something off of that,” says Chandra Valentine, sales director of Bleu Events Catering. “They can get their creative juices flowing, and it keeps them at the top of their game.” As the show grows each year, so does the competition and level of quality. The exhibit will be a month and a half of art you can indulge in without worrying about the calories.

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

CU LT URE MUSIC

Sonic giants Fans lined up around the corner for Young the Giant’s previous show in CoMo. Now the boys are back in town. BY LUCY SHANKER

t has been 14 years since Los Angeles-based alternative-rockers Young the Giant broke onto the music scene. The band, which will play at The Blue Note on Feb. 17, has evolved during its adolescence, and now the members hope to avoid the potential awkwardness and uncertainty that comes during the teenage years. Led by Sameer Gadhia, the group has remained successful by capitalizing on its diversity; the members are either first-generation Americans or immigrants. The group has experimented with a range of genres such as funk and rock and has the ability to untangle difficult topics such as mental health and immigration. The band’s ability to transcend singing about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll has culminated into a deeper connection with fans. Young the Giant played in Columbia in 2015, when the group had people waiting around the corner for hours to be in the front row. Matt Gerding, co-owner of The Blue Note, says the band enjoyed playing that show, which is part of the reason why he brought it back. Since then, the band has released two full-length albums to add to a pair

of previous genre-bending records. To prep for the band’s upcoming show, Vox ranked the decade and a half of music the group has produced from the mind-meltingly awesome albums to the perfectly so-so. 1. Young the Giant (2011) Saying the first album is the best one is pretentious about two-thirds of the time, but here, it’s true. Granted, it might not be the most cohesive and polished record, but each song is resoundingly strong for a first release. Local Young the Giant fan Kevin Garwood says he hopes the band plays songs off the debut record. “When you get to this point in a band’s life cycle, you start to cut more and more of the older songs in order to make room for the new stuff,” Garwood says. “I’d still like to see them play songs like ‘I Got’ and ‘Apartment.’”

IF YOU GO

The Blue Note Feb. 17, 8 p.m. $29.50 in advance, $35 day of show 874-1944

2. Home of the Strange (2016) On its third release, Home of the Strange, Young the Giant balanced alternative and rock sounds, creating unforced, fast-tempoed tracks. The hits came naturally. “Something to Believe In,” “Mr. Know-It-All,” and “Silvertongue” Young the Giant rose to alt-rock fame with singles on its first album such as “Cough Syrup” and “My Body.”

all received sizable radio play and gained permanent slots in its live sets. 3. Mirror Master (2018) In its latest release, Young the Giant exudes confidence as the band members experiment with funk and punk sounds. The group has discovered how to balance its desire to write about deeper topics such as immigration and the American dream with their inherently fun sound. On the dance hit “Tightrope,” Gadhia bounces around the ’80s-esque track while singing about struggling with mental health: “I went to war for peace of mind, but what’s it for?” Claire Nichols, who has been a fan for years and is attending the upcoming show, is excited to hear the band’s newest album live. “I think Mirror Master will be the ultimate dance party,” she says. 4. Mind Over Matter (2014) After the first record was a hit, the sophomore follow-up was less so. Despite Mind Over Matter leaning more toward pop, it failed to produce a strong single that took off. The album isn’t completely without merit, though. “The build at the beginning of the album into ‘Anagram’ is just a really nice flow, and the whole album continues on that,” says Rhianna Lightle, a local fan who says she thinks the album is strong from start to finish.

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Photography courtesy of Bryan Pitman

A sweet spot Makeup artist and entrepreneur Teanna Bass built a career that’s all about creating community, loving who you are and representing people of color. BY MYLYNDA STUBBLEFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIA HANSEN

he walked down the narrow hallway with short and confident steps. Her skin was perfectly contoured, gold highlight shimmering on her cheekbones as she stood under the light. Her straight black hair was tucked behind her ears to showcase the business: her face. She simplified the rest of her look to ensure all eight people sitting at the table focused on two things: her talent and her pitch. Teanna Bass was one of four students presenting in front of the Missouri Student Unions Board as a part of its annual entrepreneurship competition. One of the program’s directors flipped the switch above her head to dim the room, and when Teanna opened her first slide, the blush-pink Sweet Tea Cosmetics logo brightened the space. In this moment, she hoped to convince them to provide her a storefront to sell her makeup line.

Teanna’s goals are to build her company and add to the small number of black-owned businesses in Columbia.

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Makeup photography courtesy of Amazon, Max Pixel, Pixabay and Pxhere

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Teanna argued that MU’s Student Center needed more inclusivity, and Sweet Tea Cosmetics was the company to offer it. Even though she pitched her makeup line as “a black-owned business made with Black Girl Magic,” she emphasized her target audience as “cis, trans, black, Latina and Asian women.” In other words, her makeup is for everyone. For Teanna, being one of a handful of women in the competition was hard, but being the only black woman was overwhelming. A recurring thought sat in the back of her mind: “Are these people even listening to me?” “Almost always, I am the only black girl,” she says. “In these competitions, I’m always outnumbered by white people in general. I realized that I already stand out. Let me give them a good reason I stand out outside of how I look.” Four weeks after her presentation, Teanna received an email stating that she’d won — she was the business owner selected to move her company into the student center. In September 2018, the Sweet Tea store opened to the public. While Sweet Tea Cosmetics is a makeup line — lip gloss, eye shadow,

foundation, etc. — Teanna also has a makeup artist business, Beat by Tea, where she gets to use her products on customers. This is where her talents as a makeup artist shine. She says Beat by Tea is an affordable way for people to get their makeup done professionally by her.

Let me give them a good reason I stand out outside of how I look. – TEANNA BASS

For the past two years, Teanna has worked with people of different races and a variety of makeup brands. She takes note of how a product’s formula or color might look depending on a person’s skin color or type. Teanna created Sweet Tea’s product plan with all types of

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skin tones in mind, and she wants people, no matter where they come from, to find her product inclusive. Think Fenty Beauty’s 40-shade foundation by Rihanna. “Rihanna branded herself across so many things, and she’s really just a boss person,” Teanna says. “Having that much drive, and that much force, and that much power to go about the things you really believe in is something I just want to take with me wherever I go. If she can do it, it’s possible.”

A knowledge bank

Teanna attributes her quick, but steady makeup skills to beauty gurus on YouTube. After watching these tutorials, she would practice on herself until she developed her own personal technique. Her favorite YouTubers come across as transparent, relatable and skilled — the kind of qualities she upholds while running Sweet Tea and Beat by Tea. “As a business owner, I don’t come off as a business owner,” she says. “I don’t look like a business owner. Typically, when someone thinks of a business owner, they think of someone in a suit and

Teanna uses social media to market her products. Her following grew when users began pointing out her resemblance to R&B artist and St. Louis native SZA.

tie or someone who’s well-polished. I’m none of that. I never have it together. People appreciate that I’m transparent and honest about my journey to success.” When she first started out as a makeup artist, she says she still had a lot to learn. Looking at a photo of her first client, she points out the uneven foundation application, the asymmetrical eyebrows and the heavy eyeliner. “I charged her $20, and that work looks like it’s worth $20,” she says. She compares it to a photo of her client’s makeup from the end of 2017. She notices how much her skills have developed. “Both looks weren’t bad, but you can definitely see the growth,” she says. “It’s all about growth.” As her skills progressed, she has attracted more clients over time. While doing a woman’s makeup for her 21st birthday party, Teanna’s confidence was apparent. As Teanna started, the woman pulled out foundation she brought from home. Teanna looked at the see-through bottle, and she explained the importance of staying within a shade range and also paying attention to the foundation’s undertones. She said the liquid was too orange and put it back. Teanna rifled through her three-tier makeup container to find a bottle of a similar hue but deeper shade. Even though the woman’s skin was a lighter tone, her undertones were red, and she suggested another shade instead. The woman showed Teanna a video to give an idea of the kind of eye shadow she wanted. The look showcased blue glitter eye shadow with high-winged eyeliner and a gold outline under her brows. Teanna confidently agreed that she could give her that look and started grabbing different eye shadow palettes from her makeup box. She finished putting on the woman’s foundation, eye shadow, eyebrows and lipstick in under an hour. Teanna wields the tools of the trade with ease. She pointed to the belt on her waist that resembled a carpenter’s tool belt — except it was filled with 47 makeup brushes.

Without looking, she pulled out a brush that she calls “the fan” and ran it back and forth on her hand. “I use this to put on highlighter because you want just a little,” she says. “And since the brush looks like a fan, it’s easy to just swipe the highlighter on versus putting in a lot of effort.” She continued pulling out brush after brush, explaining their textures and how they make it easier for her to do makeup. In eight minutes, she explained all 47 of them.

The journey to business woman

On the day of her presentation, the board members asked Teanna about the ways she’ll bring in profit. She proposed makeup parties, product launch premieres and classes for customers to learn how to use the products they buy. Ultimately, she just wants to help them. Up to that point, the room’s mood was light. People laughed at Teanna’s quick wit, smile and the funky bright colors in her presentation. But the relaxed atmosphere changed when Amanda Purchase Roberts, the senior coordinator for student services, asked the question: “What does success mean to you?” Teanna says she’d planned to give a general definition of success, but she stopped herself, and thought about what the word meant to her. “To me, success looks like when you overcome...” The room was quiet while waiting for her to gather her thoughts, but she was no longer thinking about how to word a perfect answer. Her voice shook, and she started stumbling over her words. She sighed deeply and turned her face toward the back wall. “I’m so sorry,” she said as she fanned her eyes with her hands. “I don’t mean to cry.” She took another deep breath and talked about her high school experience working at Wendy’s back in her hometown of St. Louis. She eventually moved on to college and put her passion for makeup at the forefront of her motivation. “My mom was a single mother who worked a lot,” Teanna said later in the presentation. “Sometimes you miss out on Christmases as a kid because mom has to work and pay bills and make sure

U.S. Bank provided $2,000 for Sweet Tea’s startup costs. The program helped her apply for other funding through business loans and investors.

priorities are in order ... So, it was like, ‘All right, you’re 16. You need a job.’” The room stayed silent while Teanna regrouped, wiping away tears with a tissue. She apologized once more while board members assured her there was no need to do so. “This is so extra,” Teanna said. “I think I’ll need a waterproof liner, too.” She was quick to crack jokes to combat any uncomfortable feelings, and laughter erupted often during her presentation. Although her quips brought smiles, Teanna made sure she got the points she wanted to make across. “Just being in front of you all, whether I get this opportunity or not, is success in itself,” Teanna said. “This is bigger than me. This isn’t just about me. It’s about representation.” The members thanked her for her time, and she thanked them for the opportunity. She walked out into the lounge, sat down with two of her friends, and peeled off her false lashes. Teanna’s business might help bring

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in some extra money, but the true factor of her determination comes from seeing how proud her family is. This, for her, is a win-win. Her grandmother, mother, father and twin sister celebrated Teanna’s success at the grand opening of Sweet Tea. “My grandma cried,” she recalls. “It’s good for them to see me doing something like this because, knowing my family history, I don’t come from a wealthy family at all. I don’t come from a family with a lot of degrees. I come from a family that showed love and support, no matter what it was. I used that to generate my ideas, and this is what came out of it.” There’s a nod to this support in her makeup line. The three pairs of false strip lashes are named after herself, her mom Tiffany and her fraternal twin sister, Teaira.

A love story

It was when Teanna was invited to speak at the Women’s Leadership Conference at the Tiger Hotel in March 2018 that she knew she had the ability to empower woman to embrace their flaws. “Y’all see these stretch marks,” she asked as she pointed to her shoulders that were exposed by her strapless navy blue dress. “These are here because I lost weight, but I don’t care that people can see them because it’s a reminder of where I’ve come from.” For Teanna, makeup isn’t a way to mask anything. It’s quite the contrary. Teanna defines beauty on her own terms. Once she learned that it didn’t matter what others thought, she became better at applying makeup. Once she felt free from others’ judgment, she started to practice more. Her growth as an artist is for herself. “Now, I use makeup because it’s fun; it’s art,” she says. “At first, I was using it to hide my flaws instead of embracing them.” She keeps this idea as a part of her customer service. “People come into my store and point out what they think is wrong with them, and I tell them ‘I’m not here to hide anything. I’m not here to mask anything.’ I don’t tell them that to make a quick buck. I say it because I actually care about these people.” “BeYOUtiful,” is part of her slogan.

Teanna learned from makeup tutorials on YouTube, which she now uses on clients.

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While standing in the front of the leadership conference at the Tiger Hotel, she explained the difference between masking and enhancing features using makeup. She showed pictures of herself from elementary school, high school and her first two years at MU. In all the pictures, her smile was bright. The audience watched as the slide flashed to a photo of Teanna from eighth grade. She pointed out how even though she was smiling, she wasn’t truly happy. Although she was young, she struggled with feeling overweight. She showed another picture from her junior year of high school. She had

makeup on and long hair extensions. She recalled stories of being teased by other high school students because of her thick eyebrows, which is when she started shaping them, and eventually, she got good at it. She started coming to school with a complete face of makeup. It’s rare to see Teanna’s bare face when she’s near MU’s campus because she’s always promoting her products. She wears just enough makeup that people notice she’s good but not too much that she isn’t easily recognized. By wearing her products whenever she leaves the house, she is sure to start a conversation about her makeup line.

THE BEAUTY GURU

Teanna sat on the stool of her vanity and pushed the record button. “What’s up, you guys?” she says smiling at the camera. “It’s your girl Teanna Ne’Shay, and I’m back with another video.” The way she learned makeup is the same way she wants to teach others: through YouTube video tutorials. Step by step, she shows viewers how to achieve her Valentine’s-Day-inspired look.

She first blends pink eye shadows into the creases of her eyelids and uses concealer to carve out a “half-cut crease.”

She packs glitter onto her eyelid and draws on winged eyeliner. To finish off her eyes, she places her own false lashes, the “Teanna” model, above the base of her real eyelashes.

Teanna explains to her viewers her technique of “underpainting,” which is when she puts the concealer on before the foundation.

Teanna constantly uses her free time to push the “BeYOUtiful” message. She also works with other business owners in the city to promote a stronger and more loving Columbia community. One of those businesses was Best Foot Forward, a nonprofit organization that was started by then MU senior Camryn Wheeler. Wheeler asked other makeup artists, clothing designers and nail technicians to make visits to True North, a domestic violence shelter in Columbia. When the business owners went to the shelter, they hosted parties where the women got their makeup, hair and Photography courtesy of Teanna Bass/YouTube

nails done. They showed off their final looks by putting on mini fashion shows.

Some of her final steps include contouring her face, and to give herself the glow she loves, Teanna adds highlighter that shimmers both on the top of her cheekbones and the tip of her nose.

Bringing black back

The city has a checkered past with blackowned businesses. In the 1950s, 61 such businesses occupied areas of the city such as Cemetery Hill, Railroad Row, West End and the Sharp End District. About six years later, nearly all blackowned businesses were removed from these areas in part due to President Harry S. Truman’s Fair Deal Program, which planned to redevelop blighted areas. Some businesses closed due to the deconstruction, while others were

To finish, Teanna lines and coats her lips with two kinds of gloss. To help viewers, she adds links to all the products she used in the video’s description box.

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Teanna is always busy. At the Sweet Tea opening (left), her family joined the celebration. She’s also competing in an entrepreneur competition (below). Her Instagram (below left) sometimes shows that she has a more relaxed side.

forced to relocate. Instead of building that economy back up, growth was nonexistent. Black people “were stuck,” says Tyree Byndom, a long-time, former Columbia resident and community activist. “They had dealt with structural and institutional racism and discrimination for so long; they could only talk about what was lost.” In Columbia, only 4 percent of businesses are black-owned, according to the 2012 Survey of Business Owners. Now that Sweet Tea is up and running, it’s part of that 4 percent. With a lack of black-owned businesses in Columbia, Teanna proudly shares the limelight with other make-

up artists, especially those of color. Not only does she praise their work, she also refers potential clients to other makeup artists such as MU student Jasmine Birt. A woman who wanted to start a hair extension line asked Teanna how she prospers in a city that has so few blackowned businesses and a lot of competition in the beauty industry. “It’s enough room for us to all succeed,” she responds. “For example, if I have scheduling conflicts and can’t accept an appointment from someone, I’ll reach out to Jas and ask if she can take them.” Teanna says she works with other business owners who are as happy to support her as she is to support them.

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Companies such as Blake the Barber, a haircut servicing company by senior Blake Mosby, Styles by Darica Joyce, a hairstyling company by senior Darica Joyce, and Kreations by Kristal, a nail design service by senior Kristal Whitaker are all student-run businesses on campus. Teanna has offered space in Sweet Tea Cosmetics to each of these businesses, which gives them a platform to promote their companies. “She really wants to bring a very welcoming place for many marginalized communities,” says Drew Rogers, CEO of Relevant Youth and two-time winner of the same entrepreneurship competition. “If she can connect those Photography by Bailey Valadez/Archive and courtesy of Erik Potter/University of Missouri and Teanna Bass

marginalized groups with other groups where cross-racial communities can happen organically, that would be so cool.” Drew, like other business owners, says he is excited to see Sweet Tea maintain a presence that is open to everyone. Sweet Tea’s store manager, Michiru Carroll, concurs. She joined the Sweet Tea team because she supports the footprint Teanna is making in the Columbia community. “She wants it to be an inclusive brand,” Michiru says. “Her message is: It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like; beauty should include everybody.”

The sweet future

Sweet Tea’s student center location opened Sept. 12. It’ll remain there until May 2019, though Teanna is working to extend its presence at MU. “The store is set up like a salon but more modern and relaxed,” she says. “Instead of having the upscale stuff that you know you can’t touch unless somebody guides you there, there’s a futon and a reception desk with paintings on the

wall by MU student Kyla Garret because she’s hoping they’ll be sold.” She says she feels that the physical existence of her business has increased her professionalism and urged her to be more outgoing so she can expand the company’s outreach. “In its purpose, Sweet Tea has become a lot bigger than what I expected it to be,” she says. “I honestly hope it stays around at Mizzou. I’ll have people walk past and say that they hope the store is still there when they attend next year, and they can’t wait to experience it.” Teanna is currently participating in the Entrepreneur Quest Student Accelerator competition run by the UM System. If Teanna wins, she could receive up to $30,000 that will help fund Sweet Tea Cosmetics. She is excited but nervous about her future. “It’s the fear of the unknown,” Teanna says. Her makeup brand is only a portion of what she wants her legacy to be. “I just want to be known as somebody that cared.”

CREATIVE COALITION Teanna uses her space in the student center as a platform to help other local student entrepreneurs of color. BLAKE THE BARBER Haircut service Blake Mosby 314-322-2797 STYLES BY DARICA JOYCE Hairstyling company Darica Benton 708-567-2198 KREATIONS BY KRISTAL Nail design service Kristal Whitaker 816-520-1566

Sweet Tea Cosmetics can be purchased in the store or on the company’s website. Prices range from $18 to $25. VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Almonds are packed with protein, fiber and magnesium.

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Photography by Photographer Name

Chia seeds, which come from the Salvia hispanica plant, can lower cholesterol and improve gut health.

Eating your way through the day When you’re out and about, it can be hard to eat healthy. But don’t worry. We’ve got a rundown of what to eat for every meal and craving. BY MIMI WRIGHT

Sweet potatoes are low in fat and a great source of vitamin C.

t’s time for a reality check. With the holidays behind us, it’s important to get back on track with eating habits. Although some diets might work for one person, they might not work for another due to individual body chemistry, medical history or activity levels. Be patient, and find the diet that fits for you and only you. Jennifer Bean, a registered and licensed dietitian, nutritionist and instructor at MU, recommends a plant-based diet. Macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein and fat are important when creating a diet plan, but micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber are just as important. When looking for micronutrients, plant-based diets are a good fit. For those who prefer an omnivorous meal plan, fish, poultry or other non-red or processed meats are good sources of protein and are associated with a lower risk of developing certain cancers. For a plant-based diet, try chickpeas, beans and tofu. The foods and drinks that Bean and other experts suggest will keep you happy, healthy and energetic throughout each day.

Grab your fork, and dig in on the next page. Photography by Photographer Name

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Jumpstart your day After your third alarm, it’s time to get out of that burrito-like cocoon and head to the kitchen for breakfast. But instead of depending on coffee for a boost, give your body the real fuel it needs. Before you even think about what you are going to whip up to eat, drink some water. Registered dietitian Paula Vandelicht recommends eight ounces of water every morning. “That helps to rehydrate you from overnight,” Vandelicht says. After properly hydrating, don’t reach for Cocoa Puffs; try something green. “A lot of Americans leave vegetables out of breakfast,” Bean says. She suggests spinach in a smoothie or a frittata with vegetables left over from last night’s dinner. Greek yogurt is also a great option. Anything that has “a little bit of protein and some color from fruit and veg” is a great way to start your day, Bean says.

What to munch for lunch It’s the middle of the day, and your stomach is rumbling. Vandelicht recommends half of your lunch plate be fruits and veggies ,

but mostly veggies if possible. These can be paired with a carb and a protein, such as whole-wheat crackers or wholegrain bread with deli meat. Prepare meals at home, too. Aaron E. Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, writes in an Upshot article that home-cooked meals make you less likely to overeat.

Winning back your snacks In between meals, you might get hungry, and if you’re concerned about your

weight, “You’re going to want to maximize the fullness for the least amount of calories,” Bean says. She recommends vegetables and a protein-packed dip. For her, hummus is a must, and she pairs it with sweet peppers and celery. If you are looking for a more substantial snack, try more calorie-dense foods, such as nuts or cheeses. “The right snack really depends on what you’re after,” Bean says. If you need caffeine during that mid-day crash, then dark chocolate or nuts could also help for what she calls “staying power.”

How to beat craving treats Don’t feel guilty about wanting a tasty treat; they are allowed within a diet, but there are better ways to get your salty or sugary fix. “It’s not a treat if it happens every day,” Bean says. Vandelicht echoed this sentiment. “A cheat meal can really be anything, but make it just that,” Vandelicht says. “It’s just having a meal and then moving on.” These calories can be spent on a glass of wine, some dark chocolate or even Skittles. Bean says it is better to satisfy your craving because if you don’t, the temptation might become consuming. Just don’t overdo it. Bean says you have about 100 calories a day for cravings.

Don’t drink your calories Although Bean says smoothies are a fine way to get nutrients, she cautions against drinking juices and sugary drinks, which are diet destroyers. According to Harvard’s The Nutrition Source, 12 ounces of Minute Maid orange juice has 41 grams of sugar and

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WATER YOU WAITING FOR? Hydration is key. Bean recommends drinking plenty of water and says it is an old trick for watching your weight, and it helps calm hunger sensations.

165 calories. Naked’s Pomegranate Blueberry juice has 54 grams of sugar and 225 calories. Compare this to 12 ounces of Coca-Cola Classic, which has 41 grams of sugar and 146 calories. “It’s just easy to overconsume without getting all the benefit of eating the food,” Bean says. Vandelicht also cautions against juices. She says if you drink juice, drink 100-percent fruit juices, but all juices are high in calories and sugar.

The great carb debate A common myth is that carbs are bad for you, but Bean says they are far from evil, and the brain actually runs on glucose. The recommended amount of carbohydrates is the minimum it takes to run a brain, and she says most Americans overconsume the wrong types. Carbs are not just in grain products but also fruits, vegetables and dairy. “My message ... is make sure that you’re consuming whole grains and whole foods and less added sugars,” Bean says.

Brain power Mid-afternoon is often when your brain starts to slow a little, and your mind wanders. But don’t fear. Choose foods with more fiber and protein to keep your stomach from grumbling, Bean says. She suggests vegetables and high-fiber protein sources such as beans. These foods will help you feel fuller longer. Vandelicht also recommends a balanced smoothie or a nutritional bar, such as a Kind or RX bar.

Dining smart To eat fresh for dinner while being financially responsible, eat seasonally to get lower prices on fruits and vegetables. Berries and salad greens are prime in spring; in winter, citrus fruits, potatoes, carrots and beets are peaking. Stone fruits, such as peaches and cherries, are in season in summer, along with sweet corn and tomatoes. And fall is when pears and apples are fresh. You can also opt for frozen fruits and veggies. Bean says they are just as healthy because they’re flash-frozen at the height of freshness and nutrition quality. Illustrations by Kellyn Nettles and photography courtesy of Pixabay

Leaving a foodprint These local favorites have cooked up delectable fare and memorable atmospheres for decades. BY JACK PARODI

ituated between two iconic food havens — St. Louis and Kansas City — Columbia is no slouch when it comes to historic establishments. Despite the city’s 60 square miles and over 120,000 residents, Columbia’s small-town roots are honored by townies and visitors alike. Four local restaurants in particular have maintained their classic ambiance over the years, and they can all be found right downtown.

FOUNDED IN 1934

FOUNDED IN 1884

Booches Billiard Hall Before the Statue of Liberty traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to New York City, Booches Billiard Hall was serving burgers in Columbia. Named after its founder, Paul “Booch” Venable, the famous burger joint, bar and pool hall has been around since 1884 and makes present-day customers feel like they’re in the restaurant when it first opened up. The restaurant has a vintage billiards hall feeling. High above and to the right side of the bar, there are dusty bottles of Budweiser to commemorate the deceased who frequented the restaurant in its youth. It’s cash-only, and there isn’t a fryer in sight. Booches has relocated six times in the Columbia area, but it has been at its present location on Ninth Street since 1928 as a place to get some food, down a drink or enjoy a casual game of pool. Co-owners Charles Kurre and Rick Robertson have owned the joint since 2004. 110 S. Ninth St., Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Photography courtesy of Elizabeth Cardwell and Urma Redmond/Archives, Columbia Missourian Archives and State Historical Society of Missouri

Ernie’s Cafe & Steak House Pulling up to Ernie’s on Walnut Street, you’ll instantly feel like you’ve been plunged into a ’50s film. The popular breakfast establishment is in a faded white building with old-school greenand-red stripes on the outside. A black-and-gray drawing on the wall of Ernie’s depicts the inside of the restaurant in the 1980s; there are hardly any differences. Ernie’s was founded in 1934 and has been on Walnut Street since 1946. Tom Spurling has been the owner since 1996 and describes the restaurant’s decor as rebirth art deco. The interior, containing vintage bar stools, booths and decorations, isn’t the only thing that has kept the same vibe, though. Ernie’s menu has been mostly unchanged for more than 80 years, just like its service and Pullman-style kitchen, which is a small or narrow cooking space. Ernie’s is a steak-lover’s dream, as the restaurant offers a variety of breakfast meals that include Kansas City strip steak, filet mignon and more. The breakfast is classic diner food, with about 20 different options, including customizable omelets. 1005 E. Walnut St., Mon.–Sun., 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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FOUNDED IN 1938

Broadway Diner A checkered frame borders the windows, teal leather tops the metal bar stools, red-and-white tiles line the floor on the inside, and a neon green and red sign reads “DINER” on the outside. You’re not on the set of Barry Levinson’s eponymous movie; you’ve arrived at Columbia’s Broadway Diner. There are even old-school pictures on the ceiling, all honoring the story that began in 1938 when the location was called the Minute Inn. In 1989, Dave Johnson and his family took ownership, and in 2001, it moved from Broadway to Fourth Street. The small, traditional diner is well-known among college students and Columbia natives for its stellar breakfast. On any given weekend morning, lines extend out the door for people willing to wait to get their fix. “Others might not like this, but I like how small it is,” says Ashlyn Herrington, a local who goes to the diner every Sunday. “It has both the look and feel of an ’80s diner, and it provides a friendly environment through its intimate size.” The diner offers a plethora of choices that have been on the menu for decades. One dish in particular, The Stretch, is named after Kathy Folsom Hauswirth, a regular customer from the 1970s. This dish is a pile of hash browns and scrambled eggs covered with chili, cheddar cheese, green peppers and onions. You can get it with one, two or three eggs. It’s perfect for someone starving in the morning or looking for a late-night bite. 22 S. Fourth St., Mon.–Tues., 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wed., 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thurs.–Sat., open 24 hours; Sun., noon to 10 p.m.

FOUNDED IN 1963

The Heidelberg If you’re walking north on Ninth Street from campus, you’ve surely passed the colorfully painted piano in front of a plain brick building with a blue tent that says, “The Heidelberg: Since 1963.” The wooden booths and brick interior showcase a classic look that helps MU alumni reminisce. In 2003, an electrical malfunction in the kitchen started a fire that burned down the original restaurant. After the fire, many sought souvenirs from the original building. Alicia Bredehoeft, a 1986 MU graduate, and her college friends jumped over the temporary fence and to take some bricks from what was left. Columbians had to wait a year for the Heidelberg’s reopening. “The nostalgia is alive, and [the Heidelberg is] creating new memories for the next generation,” Bredehoeft says. The inside of the ’Berg, as it is nicknamed, looks exactly the same as before the fire, with the addition of an extended rooftop patio. The Heidelberg holds a dear place in Bredehoeft’s heart because she rented the side room for a graduation party for her master’s degree and walked right from Jesse Hall with cap and gown still on. The morning of her wedding in Columbia, her husband, Kent, met her for breakfast at the ’Berg. “The Heidelberg is as much a part of campus as the columns,” Bredehoeft says. 410 S. Ninth St., Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m. to midnight; Sun., 10 a.m.

IT’S BACK

Ernie’s Cafe and Steak House stopped serving espresso in 1997 but started serving it again in December, says owner Tom Spurling.

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Photography courtesy of Columbia Missourian Archives, Lea Konczal/Archive, Boone County Historical Society, and Scott Schiller/Flickr

Starting from scratch Nourish Cafe’s co-owners built a lifestyle and a business with one key ingredient in mind: health. BY ROSEMARY SIEFERT

t started with an almond butter cup. Kalle LeMone loves chocolate, and since graduating from college she’s wanted to open a business. Then two years ago, Kimber Dean approached her with a Paleo version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup at a yoga session. That’s when Kalle realized she wanted Kimber, who was her instructor, to become her business partner. She sent her a Facebook message bringing up the idea. “I was like, ‘Who is this girl?’” Kimber says, laughing at the memory. The two agreed to meet and talk about a more formal business plan. At their initial meeting, Kimber told Kalle she was on a bit of a time crunch — she was four months pregnant with her soon-to-be daughter. At the time, Kalle’s son, Bowen, was just 9 months old. They knew could do it, though; they had mom power, as Kimber called it. Each brought their own skills to the table when making plans for the cafe. Kalle, who earned her Master’s from Columbia College in 2012, handles the business side of things — marketing, accounting, social media, payroll and invoices. She also comes up with the smoothie recipes and writes the Nourish blog. Kimber, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in 2008, is the chef and CEO of operations — ordering, making recipes and working with the farmers for local food purchases. Kimber also has a degree in personal nutrition from Shaw Academy, an online education organization, and a yoga certification. In addition to her schooling, she wrote a cookbook, Happy Food Cookbook, and ran a catering business while Photography by Julia Hansen

Kimber Dean and Kalle LeMone have dedicated their lives to promoting healthy lifestyle changes. The duo co-founded the cafe and market after meeting in a yoga session.

WHEN THE TWO STARTED MENU PLANNING, KEEPING FOOD COSTS LOW AND STANDARDS HIGH WERE THEIR PRIORITIES.

teaching yoga. When the two started menu planning, keeping food costs low and standards high were their priorities. Kimber knew she wanted pesto on the menu, but pine nuts would be too expensive. Kalle countered with using raw pumpkin seeds instead. Maintaining affordable prices is one of Kimber’s biggest challenges, she says, but between her personal nutrition degree and Kalle’s knack for researching, they’ve found ways to balance each other. Planting the seed Both women smile as they reminisce about the inception of Nourish in 2016. “I’ll never forget, I was so big in her kitchen doing recipes,” Kimber says, recalling the tail end of her pregnancy and the birth of Nourish. “We ate so much that week, it was amazing,” Kalle says. “We were cold-pressing juices in her house,” Kimber adds, “constantly cooking, writing down recipes.” They had chosen the spot at 1201 E. Broadway after looking at three other locations, and while Kalle designed the interior and worked on the remodeling with the help of her husband, Mac, Kimber was home configuring food costs with her newborn daughter Dillon, who was

NATURALLY NUTRITIOUS Nourish Cafe and Market opened its doors in June 2016. The establishment is known for its menu items made without gluten, soy, corn or refined sugar. 1201 E. Broadway, Mon.–Fri., 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Sat.– Sun., 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 818-2240

born that January. “The coolest thing was watching our kids grow together,” Kimber says of their past few years as business partners. Dillon, 3, and Bowen, 4, have been part of the team since the beginning. Healthful living isn’t just a business for Kalle and Kimber; it’s a lifestyle and mindset they are passionate about and want to raise their children with. “He eats what we eat,” Kalle says of Bowen. Even when he was just beginning to eat, she fed him healthful meals rich in nutrients and fats because babies’ brains develop rapidly. Kimber’s daughter eats similarly at the Dean household; she practices moderation with Dillon. “I’ll try to make my own chocolate for her so she knows what chocolate tastes like, or for her birthday,

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I’ll make cupcakes but make sure there’s no refined sugar, there’s no gluten, soy, corn — all those things we don’t eat.” They don’t want to deprive their kids, though. Kalle says if they’re at a birthday party, she’ll let Bowen eat a cupcake. “I know everyone’s looking at me like, ‘Is she going to let him eat that bright blue cupcake?’ I always do, but the few times he has, he’s had a few bites. And he gives it to me, and he’s like, ‘I don’t feel good.’” That’s when she knows she’s established healthful habits with her son. Whenever Dillon’s nanny takes her grocery shopping, she doesn’t worry about going through the candy aisle because Dillon doesn’t know what that is. “If you go through the produce aisles, she’s like ‘Blueberries! Broccoli!’,” Kimber says. “It’s just a totally different way of living.” Raising Nourish Between cold-pressed juices and icecold acai berry bowls, the cafe beckons locals to take a step into its cool interior. Slate gray tables furnish the white brickwalled room. Bright green succulents hang out of bulbous white vases on the east wall. The fridge near the cash register houses the cold-pressed juices and local cow’s milk, along with truffles, cheesecakes and cream pies. The best part? It’s all good for you. When Kalle and Kimber sat down with a business plan in mind, the one thing they both knew they had to agree on

was the business’s mission statement. Now, it’s displayed on a blue-grey wall in the café, part of which states: “We promise to serve organic, nutrient-rich, unprocessed food made from scratch, right here in our kitchen.” They pick their own basil leaves to make their own fresh pesto. They go through about 250 pounds of oranges a week for fresh-squeezed orange juice. To keep up with their mission statement, they even bought a citrus juicer to make their products fresh on site. It would take about three minutes to drive from Nourish to Lucky’s Market to pick up almond milk from the back wall of refrigerators. However, Nourish promises food made from scratch, which requires soaking almonds for hours in preparation to make a meal, smoothie or almond flour for their baked goods. It doesn’t appear that anyone would even have to ask if the commitment is worth it. Kalle and Kimber beam when they interact with their customers or talk with their employees. “Cooking is my life,” Kimber says. “I do it all day long.” Her husband, Ryan, can attest to that: “When she feels like she has free time, she either redoes a recipe, or she’ll make a new one, and I’m her test dummy.” She tests new recipes about once or twice a week, he says. When they go out to eat at a restaurant and she sees something on the menu she likes but thinks it could be made healthier, she’ll go home and tweak it to fit her dietary preferences.

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Nourish chef and co-owner Kimber Dean tests new recipes once or twice each week, often drawing inspiration from meals that she thinks can be made healthier.

PUMPKIN SEEDS, also

called pepitas, are a lowcalorie, natural source of vitamins and minerals, high in protein and fiber.

Tending to the roots Kimber and Kalle aren’t new to wholesome meals and healthful living, though neither of them were initially healthy eaters. As competitive athletes, they grew up on fast food and candy, never really paying attention to what they were putting into their bodies. Kalle became health-conscious right after graduating from college. For Kimber, it started after a two-year drug addiction. Both use the word evolution to describe the process. “I started paying attention more,” Kalle says. “What was in our food? I delved deeper.” Once Kimber made the decision to get clean, she wanted to do so without rehab. “I knew there was a way you could be steady in your mood,” she says. “Because now when you go from uppers to crashing, it was like I was having panic attacks ... so I just wanted to be level.” The first thing she took out was sugar in 2008 and for 10 years she has been clean. Since then, Kimber has also removed gluten, soy, corn and dairy from her diet. “I just eat the right things,” she adds. “I feel so good now.” Kalle says she knows some people wonder how they do it because their idea of a healthful diet does seem so extreme. It’s been a long time in the making, though. “If I were to see 10 years ago what I’m doing now, I’d think it was weird, too. But it’s just our life; I can’t think of anything else,” she says. Kimber compares the dietary evolution to smoking cigarettes. “It’s like if you smoke your whole life, they taste good to you, and you want more,” she says. “But the first time you ever smoke or the more it’s out of you, it’s disgusting, you know? It doesn’t taste as good; the effect on your body is so much more intense.” Healthful living shouldn’t be a chore, though. Testing out what works and doesn’t work for your body is an important part of the process, and cheat days are welcome, though it’s hard to cheat health at Nourish.

Photography by Julia Hansen and courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A pub for every purpose Whether your go-to drink style is relaxed or high class, CoMo has a bar for you and your friends. BY JACK PARODI

ollege students might have you believing the Columbia bar scene starts and ends at Fieldhouse and Penguin Piano Bar, but there’s a lot more to local booze beyond Broadway. Next time you’re searching for suds, consult Vox’s guide to off-the-boulevard bars for any occasion. WATCHING A GAME Truman’s Bar & Grill — 3304 W. Broadway Business Park Court I mean, c’mon. How could a bar named after Missouri’s mascot not be the perfect place to watch grown men tackle one another? Truman’s is a perfect mix where there are numerous TVs (including some gargantuan ones), great service and belly-bustin’ bar food.

FIRST DATE Flyover — 212 E. Green Meadows Road Suite 9 Founded in 2015, Flyover has made itself one of the premier off-campus spots for drinks and appetizers in Columbia. The bar features a high-quality drink menu with specials such as the Silver Fox, which includes tequila, agave syrup, egg white, lemon juice and grapefruit juice. In addition to drinks, the joint has small plates tasty enough to make your mouth water. There’s everything from catfish to a simple bowl of mac and cheese. IMPRESSIVE DEALS Silverball — 122 S. Ninth St. Have you ever played skee ball, pop-a-shot or a car racing game after a few drinks? It’s a challenge you can take on at Silverball. Go in there with $20, and you’ll be able to have yourself a ball. The games are cheap, there’s no cover, and $2 mixed drinks are an everyday deal at Columbia’s barcade, located where Tonic used to be on Ninth Street. The bar is always filled with locals, and the bartenders love to chat. Snapper’s — 12 S. Seventh St. Do you like Jell-o shots? Do you like beer? Do you hate spending money? Then Snapper’s is your go-to bar. This hole-in-the-wall on the corner of Seventh Street and Broadway has $1 Jell-o shots and $2 tall-boy beers (Stag, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life) every day. It’s a great spot to grab a brew, hang out and snap a picture on the disposable cameras kept behind the bar. Watch out, though — those shots can hit you faster than anticipated.

Photography by Shauna Yates and courtesy of 1839 Taphouse, Deuce Pub & Pit and Truman’s Bar & Grill

BEER VARIETY BEYOND DOWNTOWN McGinty’s Pub — 1312 Old 63 S. Look no further for a snazzy night filled with entertainment and drinks. McGinty’s Pub has 24 beers on tap that change daily, including plenty of locally brewed beer. Karaoke nights are on Saturdays at 9 p.m. for any of you who want to show off the pipes while casually sampling a pint, and Tuesdays offer free pool and shuffleboard. 1839 Taphouse — 212 E. Green Meadows Road Suite 2 A black chalkboard lists off the current selection of beer: lager, stout, IPA, blonde. You name it; they’ve got it. 1839 Taphouse has 24 taps of diversity, so even a picky beer-drinker can find a few suds to savor. The selection features Missouri beers or other quality craft brews from around the country. If you’re looking to enjoy a brew at a discount, make sure to go on Wednesdays for $2.50 pints of Budweiser and Bud Light. DAY DRINKING Deuce Pub & Pit — 3700 Monterey Drive Contrary to what the bar’s popular commercial jingle will tell you, D-E-U-C-E spells day drinking. The patio is large; the servers are friendly; and they have a sand volleyball court. Sign up now for the volleyball league that runs in the summer until fall. It makes day drinking that much more fun, and in the meantime, enjoy the daily happy hour on drinks and appetizers until 7 p.m. AVOIDING COLLEGE STUDENTS Black and Gold Tavern — 2102 Business Loop 70 E. It might not catch your eye, but it’s what’s inside that counts. The Black & Gold Tavern has become a source of community featuring events such as a shrimp boil, golf tournament, football watch parties and multiple holiday-themed parties throughout the year. If you’re looking to make new friends, stop in, and grab a beer.

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Guide to groceries and grub You’ll never be short an egg or cup of sugar with Columbia’s many grocery shopping options. BY KATE STATER

rocery shopping can be stressful, but it is a necessary part of life. Most of us wish the task would be easier, quicker and cheaper. But there’s no need to dread this unavoidable errand. With so many great places to grab groceries in Columbia, there’s really no excuse to stall your shopping. LOCALLY BASED STORES You buy books, clothes and olive oil in local shops, but do you buy your groceries locally, too? Help support Columbia’s economy, and give these spots a try. For fruits and veggies: Catering to those looking for a range of organic and non-GMO foods grown nearby is CLOVER’S NATURAL MARKET. It also has gluten-free and sugar-free selections. Owners Patty Clover and Scott Nirmaier bought the store from its founder over 20 years ago. There are two Columbia locations at 2100 Chapel Plaza Court and 2012 E. Broadway. The COLUMBIA FARMERS MARKET runs through winter. Vendors move to the Parkade Center at 601 Business Loop 70 W. beginning with the Thanksgiving Market in late November. The regular winter market operates there from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday through the first week of March. The market returns to its usual outdoor space and kicks off the spring season March 9. Gaby Weir, a local personal chef, says she goes to the

market whenever it’s open to get fresh produce for her clients and family. ROOT CELLAR, at 1005 Park Ave., originally opened in 2001 and came under new management in 2011 with owners Jake and Chelsea Davis. Foods from all regions of Missouri can be found inside. The store offers a new take on produce by providing subscription boxes with foods from local farmers. The boxes can

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be personalized and exclude anything that you don’t want. The service runs from early April to late October with the option to pause a subscription for up to four weeks if you go on vacation.

Columbia’s produce options include Clover’s Natural Market, which offers organic fruits and vegetables.

For meats: is a restaurant and whole-animal butcher shop — meaning it uses as much of the meat BARRED OWL BUTCHER AND TABLE

Photography by Yehyun Kim

from the animal as possible. The shop, which opened its doors in June 2017, is connected to the restaurant at 47 E. Broadway. The shop works with area farmers to bring local meats to your dinner plate. In addition to cuts of meat, you can purchase broths and sausages. HOSS’S MARKET is reminiscent of a classic German butcher shop. Located at 1010A Club Village Drive, Hoss’s is filled with fresh-cut meats, fish and cheeses. The store also has shelves of wines to explore. Co-owner Trish Koetting says employees can help pair meats and wine for the perfect flavor combination. For international ingredients: A&Y GLOBAL MARKET sells products from Europe, the Middle East and southern Asia. Owner Youssef El-Tayash says the store has pita bread shipped from St. Louis once a week. The store at 15 N. Fourth St. also offers sliced lamb, goat, chicken and beef, in addition to produce, dried or canned beans, sodas and chocolates. All the meat is halal, meaning it fits the dietary standards prescribed in the Quran. Specializing in ingredients from Asia, HONG KONG MARKET is located at 3510 Interstate 70 Drive. A long wall holds enough types of ramen noodles to satisfy any budget-conscious shopper. The freezers are stocked with frozen dumplings, potstickers and other reheatable delights. LEE’S MARKET is another source of Asian food products in Columbia. The family-run store at 700 Cherry St. doesn’t just carry groceries. The shop also stocks an array of chopsticks and cookware. LOS CUATES LATIN STORE at 2908 Paris Road doubles as a grocery store and a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. The lower floor houses the grocery store with Mexican and Latin specialty ingredients to make authentic dishes. THE CHAINS ALDI is an international discount grocery chain. Before you go, bring a quarter deposit for a shopping cart and pack your own plastic or reusable bags. Aldi doesn’t provide bags to use. Weir recommends Aldi; she says she shops there to find the best-priced organic food. Aldi doesn’t just have food, but also pots, pans and household goods. Visit the store’s

website and enter your zip code to find the special deals happening each week. Aldi has two locations, one at 807 Business Loop 70 W. and one at 1000 E. Green Meadows Road. GERBES’ selection of Boar’s Head meats and cheeses is unlike that of any other grocery store in Columbia — an oasis for maple-glazed ham addicts. In addition to all that meat and cheese, it has a large natural foods section with organic and gluten-free foods. Gerbes bakes its bread daily and even has doughnuts and bagels sold individually for a quick pick-me-up or to quiet hungry kids while you’re shopping. For those looking to shop and donate at the same time, Gerbes has its Community Rewards program. Shoppers can link their Plus Card to a specific local nonprofit to help raise funds for that organization. Gerbes’ is located at 1729 W. Broadway and 2900 Paris Road. HY-VEE is more than just an employee-owned grocery store; it’s a small restaurant, too. At meal times, it has heavy foot traffic as people visit the Market Grille Restaurant for dishes such as fried chicken, Chinese food or pizza slices. For a Sunday treat, try its $15 brunch and $9 bottomless mimosas. Hy-Vee’s Fuel Saver card benefits customers who frequent the store. When you buy Fuel Saver-designated products, you’ll earn discounts on gas purchases at Hy-Vee Gas. Hy-Vee has three locations across town at 3100 W. Broadway, 405 Nifong

Photography by Yehyun Kim and courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Blvd. and 25 Conley Road.

FRUIT OR VEG? In 1890, the U.S. Supreme Court named tomatoes a vegetable for taxation purposes. Today, they’re considered fruits.

In 2003, Bo and Trish Sharon founded LUCKY’S MARKET in Boulder, Colorado, a grocery store that specializes in pesticide-free and non-hormone enhanced foods. The store offers a huge vitamin section and an apothecary area with everything from natural remedies to scented candles. The apothecary section even has its own monthly magazine called Health and Happiness Magazine. Weir says she frequents Lucky’s when shopping for her clients who have dietary restrictions or are health conscious. But these aren’t just health foods. You can pick up a draft beer at the bar to sip while you shop. Lucky’s Market is located at 111 S. Providence Road. MOSER’S was started by Roger Moser

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SMALL BUT MIGHTY

Blueberries are a nutrientdense fruit. One cup contains four grams of fiber and 24 percent of the recommended daily Vitamin C intake.

in 1982. It is a mid-Missouri chain that boasts in-house butchers who cut meat daily. If you can’t find the cut you want, the staff is happy to slice up exactly what you’re looking for. Once you have your meat, check out the giant sauce aisle to marinate, dip or drench your dinner in. It offers daily double-coupon deals, and weekly special promotions can be found on its website. The coupons can be printed or found in store. There are three locations in Columbia at 705 Business Loop 70, 4840 Rangeline St. and 900

Green goddess Local health expert Amanda Garrison-Lucas strives to give holistic personalized care to those around her.

N. Keene St.

St. Louis natives will be well-aware of the food SCHNUCKS has to offer. Founded in 1939 as a family-owned supermarket, it stands as a pillar of Midwest grocery shopping. The Columbia store possesses a large walk-in cooler and an extensive wine, beer and liquor section. The deli has a sprawling cheese selection to explore and its salad and soup bar has chicken and dumpling soup that is worth the drive alone. Shoppers enjoy interacting with longtime cashiers, such as Tom Oleski. He was the 2017 recipient of the Sherman Brown Jr. Award from the Columbia Missourian Progress Awards, which is given out to a Columbian who serves their neighbors. On the website, Schnucks provides printable coupons as well as Schnupons, the company’s take on digital coupons. Customers can go online and pick out the deals they want for their next shopping trip. Once you get to the cashier, give them your phone number, and the coupons will be applied to the transaction. Schnucks is located in the Forum Shopping Center at 1400 Forum Blvd.

BY SHANNON HENDERSON

he setting sun throws rays of warm light through a canopy of oak trees. A worn gravel road winds to a clearing filled with chirping crickets and scurrying dogs. Amanda Garrison-Lucas lounges on her front porch in Rocheport. Her bright blue eyes peer out over a tiny mug of espresso. This is her home, her center, the place she comes to refresh. It’s where she cares for herself, her family and the occasional client as a wellness expert and consultant.

BIG MONEY According to the Global Wellness Institute, the wellness industry contributed $4.2 trillion to the 2017 global economy.

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Consulting with care Garrison-Lucas is a local health coach with an extensive background in physical therapy, nutrition and holistic medicine. Her wellness business, Chews Your Health, opened in 2009 when she got fed up with following others’ ideas of what she saw as a money-centric method of wellness for everyone. This was especially apparent in the public health sector, where many patients are given similar treatments and advice. There

is no one-size-fits-all approach, says Garrison-Lucas, who stands staunchly against fad diets. She and her team at Chews Your Health offer lifestyle coaching that includes consultations, counseling, fitness programs, diet plans and cooking classes. They create health plans based on everything from biometric screenings and personal health risk assessments to one-on-one interviews. She says the best way to help people is to really get to know their lives, so she asks them about their interests, relationships, cultural background and religious beliefs. Her in-home evaluations often lead to extreme kitchen makeovers complete with junk-food-tossing and grocery store adventures. The company also offers a corporate wellness plan, called AHA!: A Healthy Agenda, to businesses looking to boost company-wide health. Bryan Link, an employee benefits specialist with Naught-Naught insurance agency in Columbia, says his office used Garri-

Photography by Bailey Valadez and Jason Vance

Garrison-Lucas and her husband, Mark Lucas, reside at their home in Rocheport.

Garrison-Lucas says a holistic health approach supports wholebody well-being.

son-Lucas’ services. “She really has passion,” Link says. “She’s tenacious, doesn’t give up; she’s going to make it work.” Link has referred her services to much larger corporate clients. He says her real talent lies in one-on-one consultations and personalized care. Client Steve Coonrod calls her a caregiver in the strongest sense of the word. A former high school football coach and retired Boone County deputy sheriff, Coonrod has been dealing with health issues since 2008. Garrison-Lucas acted as his health advocate through a major weight loss, two bouts of bladder cancer and a 2015 brain surgery. The next year, Coonrod suffered a stroke while behind the wheel of his deputy car. He had no immediate family around to help care for him and couldn’t communicate with the doctors. Garrison-Lucas used her medical background to serve as liaison with the hospital staff and later offered her own home to assist Coonrod after his release from the hospital. “Who would do that?” Coonrod asks. A lifetime of experience The oldest of four children, Garrison-Lucas has been a caretaker her entire life. “She’s a helper; she likes to help,” Garrison-Lucas’ father, Douglas Garrison, says. He instilled an entreprePhotography by Jason Vance

CHEWS YOUR HEALTH, LLC 1109 Club Village Drive Suite104; 573-514-1223; Hours by appointment

neurial spirit in his children due to his role as the owner of the Missouri River Inn in Rocheport, among other managerial jobs. Her mother was a pastor in a non-denominational church near Columbia, but she and her siblings were not forced to conform to any particular ideology; their parents encouraged the kids to think for themselves. “From there I realized the foundation of the importance of healthy mind,” Garrison-Lucas says. “Our thoughts really do trigger our behavior.” This realization became especially apparent while studying physical therapy in college. She noticed her classmates and teachers didn’t practice what they preached. Students trying to get ahead resorted to energy enhancements and convenient processed foods, and Garrison-Lucas realized she was caught in a trap. She went on a strict low-fat diet and quite literally ran her butt off, losing weight through daily, multi-mile runs. Even after the transition from an overweight 17-year-old to a fit and healthy woman, Garrison-Lucas still felt something wasn’t quite right. She later realized her diet was taking a toll on her body and mind. She changed her habits and used the knowledge in her work and her parenting. When her oldest son, Turner, was diagnosed with ADHD at 5 years old, she put him on a high protein, low sugar diet to help regulate his energy without medication, and it worked. When battling sickness, neither Turner nor her younger son, Trenton, were given

pharmaceuticals; they were treated with lots of water, teas, oils and home-cooked meals. Garrison-Lucas’ parenting style is a reflection of values that feed directly into her business. Embracing change Her anti-fad approach is rooted in the value of individual need and self-integrity. She encourages her clients to ignore what social media calls healthy and start listening to their own bodies. Many fad diets are not sustainable for long-term plans or do not work for certain people, such as those with diabetes or hormonal imbalances, she says. If it’s not a lifestyle change, then the diet is not likely to stick. Garrison-Lucas says the best plan of action is to educate oneself about his or her own body, as well as understand the science behind trends in the media. “Ask questions,” she says. “We don’t ask enough questions.” Above all, Garrison-Lucas says health is about more than just food; it’s about building a lifestyle that supports whole-body well-being. For the most part, those decisions start at home and the items and people we keep in our lives. Garrison-Lucas surrounds herself with people she can serve. As her blue eyes peer out over that tiny mug of espresso, she considers her home and her choices. She knows that sometimes lending a helping hand — or her entire being — can take its toll, but for Garrison-Lucas, it’s all about embracing change and helping others to do the same.

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What a catch

One local restaurant grills, batters and fries the competition with its fresh taste from the Gulf of Mexico. BY CARY LITTLEJOHN

Photography by Julia Hansen

On a bed of golden French fries stuffed in a red plastic basket rest five large shrimp, their Cajun-inspired mix of flour and seasonings fried to perfection. The scent alone is enough to impress any Southerner. This is the lunchtime scene at the Cajun Crab House, situated in what used to be a Church’s Chicken on Business Loop 70 West. VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

E AT + DRINK RESTAURANTS

Cajun Crab House gets fresh seafood from the Gulf to provide CoMo with an authentic coastal experience without leaving the comfort of mid-Missouri.

“People come in here, and they expect fast food,” says John Nguyen, manager of the restaurant, as he gestures to his surroundings. “It’s not fast food. Fast food already has things prepped; all they have to do is put things in the fryer or grill. But here, we do everything hand-battered — nothing is pre-made.” He should know; he is the one who developed the menu. And it’s hard to argue that there is anywhere fresher than this in Missouri. The place smells of seafood, even in the parking lot. It smells how the dock at Biloxi Small Craft Harbor in Mississippi must smell, just down the shoreline from the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, where this particular seafood gets its start on its way to Columbia. Kevin Dinh, founder and part-owner of Cajun Crab House, prides himself on that freshness, made possible by the Mississippi Crab Company, Kevin’s wholesale seafood distribution company based in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He owns a shrimp boat, the Miss Tina, that can catch up to 10,000 pounds of shrimp on a good day. He’d been delivering seafood to buyers in St. Louis and Kansas City

TRY THIS

The Seafood Platter Fried shrimp, catfish and oyster with two sides (fries, hush puppies, corn, potatoes, coleslaw or sausage) $19.99 308 Business Loop 70 W. Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

since 2014 and realized the opportunity Columbia provided. The city needed fresh seafood, and he had it by the literal boatloads. He cuts out the intermediary by packaging and loading the seafood directly onto his own trucks, which leave Biloxi at 10 p.m. and arrive in Columbia the next day by noon. Recent customer Jerome Stremel noticed that freshness immediately. He had driven by the restaurant for weeks before he finally stopped in for lunch. He loved it so much that he returned hours later to buy dinner for his entire family. “I’m sitting there pointing at crabs that I’m getting ready to take home to cook for the next day,” Stremel says. “And I had no idea they were still alive. I pointed at the case, and it reached its pincher up to me, and I was like, ‘Ah! That’s about as fresh as it gets.’” Snatching creatures from the sea and rapidly transporting them over 750 miles away to landlocked Missouri is the easy part; running Cajun Crab House is the real challenge. Dinh and his partners had no intention to open a restaurant. In fact, they originally wanted to start a

IT SMELLS HOW THE DOCK AT BILOXI SMALL CRAFT HARBOR IN MISSISSIPPI MUST SMELL. small business selling seafood, but they couldn’t find the right location. Instead, they bought an old restaurant building and adapted quickly. They’re learning quickly though. The menu offers Cajun-fried options such as catfish and shrimp, but it also offers what Nguyen calls “leaner-style” meals that are steamed or boiled. The Cajun Steamer is one of those and contains a pound of snow crab and shrimp, each served with corn, potatoes and sausage. “That’s our best-selling item since Day 1,” Dinh says. Despite opening this July, Cajun Crab House already has its hooks deep in customers such as Jerome. “Honestly, it was the best seafood I’ve had in the state of Missouri,” he says. “I’ll be there probably at least twice a week.” Photography by Julia Hansen

E AT + DRI N K RESTAURANTS

Iconic eateries Kerri Linder’s new book will satisfy your appetite for nostalgia. BY CATHERINE WENDLANDT

n 1819, weary and famished travelers chasing the American dream westward could stop for a bite to eat and a place to sleep at the newly opened Gentry’s Tavern in the fledgling town of Smithton. When the community that became Columbia moved downhill two years later in search of fresh water at Flat Branch Creek, a team of oxen hauled the entirety of Gentry’s Tavern to the nearby Boonslick Trail, now known as Broadway. So begins Kerri Linder’s debut book, Iconic Restaurants of Columbia, Missouri, in which she describes the 200-year history of Columbia’s dining scene, beginning with Gentry’s Tavern. Although it’s all about food, it is not a “foodie” book. Instead, “it’s about the stories within the walls of the restaurants,” Linder says. Her book tells of the tight-knit communities that developed around the tables and counters of Columbia’s taverns, diners, cafes and dives — ones such as the one at the Bull Pen Cafe, which operated for 57 years. There, an endless array of nicknames, hijinks and jokes kept the staff and patrons on their toes, such as when customers hid a dishwasher’s moped in the men’s restroom. “There was always something going on,” says Jackie Cockrell, who worked at the cafe for 13 years before owning it for 17 more. “There was never a dull moment.” And through the shenanigans, the staff and regulars became a family, Cockrell says. Stories such as Cockrell’s abound throughout the 124-page book. Linder says her favorite part of writing it was meeting so many people she never would’ve otherwise while going through their old photos and listening to their stories. Ken Gebhardt, also known by nickname “Poor Ken,” was one. Throughout Photography by Jeremy Turley

his 30-year career in Columbia’s dining scene, Gebhardt owned a number of drive-ins and restaurants, including Interstate Pancake Howse. His “Pie are messy” commercials were inescapable around town. He says he had a lot of fun going over his old stories with Linder for her book. “It was an absolute delight,” he says. The book is part of a series from The History Press, an imprint of Arcadia Publishing that highlights towns where the community’s relationship with the dining scene shaped the city’s culture, senior commissioning editor Chad Rhoad writes in an email. Because she has lived in Columbia her whole life, and because of her experience owning a downtown walking food tour, Linder was the ideal author, Rhoad adds. Linder started Columbia Culinary Tours in 2014 to showcase CoMo’s dining scene and history through walking tours of downtown. In January 2018, she sold the company to Jim McNeil, a tour guide for the company, and his wife, Tina, so Linder would have time to write. McNeil got to flip through one of the earliest copies of the book. He says it was nice to relive the memories of

Jackie Cockrell (above right) and her granddaughter, Anna, visit the Bull Pen Cafe where Cockrell worked for 30 years, 17 of which she was the owner. The cafe is one of the wellknown Columbia establishments Kerri Linder mentions in her book.

GET THE SCOOP $21.99 at Barnes & Noble and Amazon

going to eat at places such as 63 Diner and G&D Steakhouse with his family as a kid. Gebhardt, who’s well into his 80s, says he enjoyed reading about his old competitors, especially because many of them have passed away. The book strikes a nostalgic nerve for Columbia, so much so that, when Linder took to social media in January 2018 to ask for suggestions, her Facebook post received more than 750 comments of long-gone restaurants and memories of Columbia’s lost gems. “It’s not just a cool piece of history,” McNeil says, “but Columbia history.”

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

E AT + DRINK RESTAURANTS

Closed for business Seasonal restaurant owners rely on other gigs to make it through the winter. BY ALEC LEWIS

er restaurant is closed, but Liz Huff is there, dipping her hand in a bucket of turmeric and then scooping some pepper. She is in the kitchen of Catalpa, making more than 150 bottles of salad dressing for Lucky’s Market. At the award-winning establishment, located inside a little red house west of Columbia in Arrow Rock, customers can order fine-dining dishes such as lobster bisque, salmon steak and roasted rack of lamb. Catalpa is seasonal, though, only open during the summer and December performance seasons of the nearby Lyceum Theatre. During the seven months her restaurant is closed, Huff sells her salad dressings, but like many other

Bruce Henson and his family opened Mulberry Grill and Bakery to keep him busy after he retired. In the winter, he bakes different breads, such as potato and sorghum oat, to sell at the Columbia Farmers Market.

seasonal restaurant owners, she struggles with the realities of only being open part of the year. According to the National Restaurant Association, about one in six restaurants operate seasonally. They run in full force during the summer months when tourism is high and customers are out and about. But when frigid

winter weather sets in and temperatures drop, so do sales, forcing some restaurants to shut down for the season. Bruce Henson, the owner of Mulberry Grill and Bakery in Rocheport, faces that problem every year. Named for the large tree that shades his outdoor restaurant across from the Katy

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VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Photography by Meiying Wu

E AT + DRI N K RESTAURANTS

Order the roasted half duckling at Catalpa in Arrow Rock. Liz Huff’s eatery is open only during the season of the nearby Lyceum Theatre.

IF YOU GO:

Trail, Mulberry Grill closes for the season in late October. It overcomes offseason maintenance costs with busy summer weekends selling pizza, salads and drinks, but “weather is a limiting factor in our business,” Henson says. Tae’s Family Cookout, a barbecue joint near Clark Lane in Columbia, faced the same issue. It was a walk-up restau-

rant without indoor seating, so when it was cold outside, people didn’t want to come. When there’s ice and snow on the ground, it’s miserable to stand out in the elements and barbecue, Tae’s owner Shauntae Brown says. The restaurant is now closed for the season, and that location won’t reopen in the spring. Brown says she hopes to

Catalpa 510 High St. Arrow Rock Find the peach lemon tarragon vinaigrette salad dressing at Lucky’s Market. Mulberry Grill and Bakery 101 Howard St. Rocheport Buy fresh bread at the Columbia Farmers Market on Saturdays.

open a year-round location by March in Centralia, serving her popular stuffed wings. While her restaurant is closed, Brown says she has made money to pay for rent and utilities working at Ms. Kim’s Fish and Chicken Shack in north Columbia. Henson, on the other hand, spends his offseason time baking different breads for the Columbia Farmers Market. In addition to making batches of her salad dressing, Huff uses the offseason prepping for the summer. She says she respects other seasonal restaurant owners because of their dedication to quality food, and she understands the difficulty keeping up with the costs of staff and rent. That is why she is in Catalpa’s kitchen, without a single customer in her establishment. She grabs a bottle and fills it with oil, vinegar, and then the scooped turmeric and pepper. Catalpa might be on vacation, but Huff won’t be any time soon.

WHERE ACTIVISM GETS INSPIRED

SUN, FEB. 10

THE BLUE NOTE Doors Open @ 1:00 | Films from 2:00 - 5:00

SILENT AUCTION RAFFLE • BAKE SALE LIVE MUSIC PURCHASE TICKETS AT OUR SPONSORS

Featuring Inspiring & Beautiful Films From Around The World

A BENEFIT FOR

tix & info at riverrelief.org Photography courtesy of Liz Huff

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

AMERICA, LET’S DO LUNCH

Julius Gaines, SINCE 1933. He’s got a curious intellect that can’t be satiated. Now, he and 1 in 6 seniors face the threat of hunger and millions more live in isolation. So pop by, drop off a hot meal and say a warm hello. Volunteer for Meals on Wheels at AmericaLetsDoLunch.org

RING IN THE LUNAR NEW YEAR P.48

WHERE THE GRASS IS GREENER P.47

Whozits and whatzits galore Swap your shopping sprees for vintage mementos, and redecorate without the heavy spending.

orget labeling empty cardboard boxes, crumpled papers and vintage magazines as rubbish. Instead, get crafty this New Year, and revamp your old goods. You’ll not only ignite an inner craftsmanship, you’ll also turn junk into decorative items for sprucing up your home’s interior. Go green with succulent arrangements, and embellish vibrant collages as you refresh in style this season. Turn the page to save time and money (our two favorite things), and try upcycling with three easy ideas.

BY EMILY HURLEY

Photography by Derek Rieke

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

CIT Y LIFE DIY

NOSTALGIC KEEPSAKES Turn old souvenirs into magnets If there’s one thing artist Anne Jackson has learned from her travels to places such as Jamaica and Aruba, it’s how to use the trinkets she finds along the way. The glass-works artist showcases her nifty creations at Artlandish Gallery and discovered a new purpose for bottle caps, seashells, coins and rocks, and it’s just the inspiration you need for redecorating. Inspired by her eye-catching finds, including eclectic bottle caps from international beers, Jackson has spun these collectibles into stylish picture frames, funky tourist maps and useful magnets, which are great for your fridge and file cabinets. She uses an industrial adhesive, such as E6000, to attach the knickknacks to the chosen base. Give new life to sentimental pieces with some rummaging through your junk drawer and a quick trip to Michaels.

Cut your grandma’s lace tablecloth, rip out pages from an outdated book, and clip snippets from vintage postcards for a whimsical collage. Affix extra material to magnets.

IF YOU GO Artlandish Gallery 1019 E. Walnut St. Poppy 920 E. Broadway Helmi’s Gardens 7201 S. Nursery Road

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

THE OLD COLLAGE TRY Rock, paper, scissors, glue Nancy Palmer knows how to collage with just about everything, whether it’s a vintage 1920s National Geographic or cast-off jewelry. Rarely planning her whimsical projects before she starts them, the Artlandish Gallery artist has repurposed vintage matchbook covers, old magazines and discarded paintings into playful collages that can be hung on doorknobs, wine bottles or bulletin boards. Add a bit of Mod Podge or Elmer’s Rubber Cement to keep everything in place, she suggests. She also recommends reusing cardboard as the canvas for collaging — add a few ribbons, beads or jingle bells. If you’re feeling slightly lost, remember her words,

“Anything is possible.” You’ll have an abstract adornment for your walls in no time. KITCHENWARE GARDENING Get a handle on your green thumb Add some greenery to your favorite mug instead of coffee grounds. By mixing and matching antique bowls and teacups with cacti, downtown boutique Poppy has cultivated a new home for decorative succulents. If you lack a green thumb, don’t worry. This upcycling trick doesn’t need a gardener’s magic touch. Break out the family china or forgotten mugs; pick out a few succulents from Helmi’s Gardens; blend together a little gravel and soil together; and you’ll be on your way to crafting a chic centerpiece or windowsill ornamentation.

Photograhpy by Derek Rieke

C I T Y LI FE FASHION

“Wow, my childhood is crushed right now.” But it made me think that maybe the grass was greener because it wasn’t real. The grass is greener wherever you are. The Greens is when you still have the imagination to dream, and anything is possible. Your relationship has been described as brotherly. How does that translate into your collaboration process? CT: When it comes to coming up with ideas for a new collection or a capsule (pieces of clothing that are timeless), Marquise usually designs something and then presents it to us, or we give him some inspiration. We wanted to just show what Midwest style is, which is a nod to high fashion.

Bringing coastal threads to CoMo

Curtis Taylor Jr. (left) and Marquise White collaborate when it comes to the collections they release. Their most recent is called Teenage Heartthrob.

More than just a clothing store, The Greens Co. fuses local art and urban fashion in its downtown space. BY GRACE LETT

uring his freshman year of college, Marquise White raved about his dream of starting a fashion boutique to his friend and mentor Curtis Taylor Jr., who was then a graduate student. Both hail from St. Louis, and they felt like the Midwest was in need of a store that brought streetwear fashion from the coasts to Columbia. It wasn’t until Taylor began working in Los Angeles, where streets are lined with high-end boutiques, that the dream turned into a plan. Three years have passed, and the idea has become a reality for the duo with the inception of The Greens Co. The downtown store sits right across from The Blue Note and doubles as a streetwear boutique and a local art curation space. Taylor says he felt they needed the art space to provide a place for local creatives to share their voices. The racks are lined with clothing designed by White, while Taylor oversees the curation of work from local artists, particularly those of color, which dot the Photography courtesy of Trina Rager

walls. They hoped to create a communal space to give access to photographers, artists, designers and creatives alike, and they’re doing just that. The Greens has given artists such as photographer Trina Rager an opportunity to be a part of this inclusive environment. “As an artist, specifically being an artist of color, there’s never really opportunities for people that look like me,” Rager says. And in the midst of a six-month renovation set to open early this year, the store continues to broaden these opportunities. Vox spoke with the co-founders about the inspiration behind the store and their visions for its future. What’s the background behind the store’s name? Curtis Taylor: When we’re growing up, we get told “The grass is always greener on the other side.” I remember walking on a Hollywood TV set for the first time and realizing it was just rubber and a two-by-four. I remember just thinking,

The Greens Co. Reopening January 2019 16 N. Ninth` St. Mon.–Sat. Noon to 7 p.m. 447-7273

Why open in Columbia? CT: What’s starting to be more interesting is you have to educate people on Columbia, Missouri. The Midwest has creatives, but no one is giving that access point. We want to start giving that narrative of bringing talent and voices to give access to those people. The clothing is the simple idea. The broader idea is we want to use clothing as a vehicle to start larger conversations. Marquise White: With The Greens, we wanted to create something where people can stop at these flyover states and have different things embedded within the Midwest that are prominent. It’s showing people that we have things to offer here as well. Where do you see The Greens in five to 10 years? MW: Our biggest goal is to franchise. We want to have different stores in different places that inspire us like Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, maybe somewhere in Texas, maybe eventually moving somewhere back to St. Louis. We want to be in a space that we’re really passionate about and we can continue to tell the story of The Greens. CT: What’s most important to us is access — the idea that creatives need to be tapped into something that the Midwest hasn’t tapped into. We also know that we have a larger platform as well to bring this access to the heart of the country.

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

CIT Y LIFE FAQ

Ring in the new year Family history and new beginnings are celebrated on this Asian holiday. BY MADISON CZOPEK

nce each year, Chinese families come together in celebration to enjoy meals made with love, reminisce about the events of the past year, and usher in the new one with symbols of luck and prosperity. Houses are decorated with red paper cuttings and lanterns that ward off evil. The Lunar New Year, which originated in China, is now celebrated in various Asian countries and communities worldwide — including here in Columbia. When is Lunar New Year? The holiday coincides with the start of the new year according to the lunar calendar, so the date changes every year. In 2019, the holiday begins the Year of the Pig on Feb. 5.

Lunar New Year attire has changed through different Chinese dynasties. The Hanfu that Qianrui Zhang (left) wears dates back 3,000 years. The Qipao worn by Alice Yu (right) originated in the 1920s. Zhang must hold the robe’s long sleeve when writing shufa, Chinese calligraphy (below).

What is Lunar New Year all about? In China, people are given at least seven

days off of work and school to travel as far as needed to spend time with their families. “It’s really a time that is purposeful for people to touch base with their history,” says Alice Yu, 20, a senior adviser for MU’s Asian American Association. Her parents emigrated from Taiwan before she was born. What are Lunar New Year traditions? Traditions differ by country, but many originated with the myth of the monster, Nian, who would devour villagers on the eve of Lunar New Year. The color red is said to ward off Nian, so it is common to

put up red paper decorations and wear red clothes when celebrating. On Lunar New Year’s Eve, extended families gather for a large reunion meal. After dinner, families practice Shou Sui — the tradition of staying up to ring in the new year — and firecrackers are set off to scare away Nian. Even if families go to sleep, one light in the house must be kept on to keep Nian away, says Qianrui Zhang, 25, an Asian American Association member who grew up in Nanjing, China. The exchange of red pockets or envelopes filled with money on New Year’s Eve conveys good fortune and well wishes. Elders give envelopes to children, and Yu’s family encouraged her to keep the envelopes under her pillow overnight before opening them. The restraint would increase their good luck. “It was a test of my willpower,” Yu says. Is food important for the celebration? Large family dinners are a key part of Lunar New Year. Gary Dou, the international program coordinator for the Asian Affairs Center, says families would have meals of eight courses (or more), and the food was the best of the year during his childhood in the 1960s. “When we were growing up, everything was rationed,” Dou says, explaining that Lunar New Year was one time of year the government would increase rations so people

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Photography by Julia Hansen

C I T Y LI FE FAQ

January 17-20 | 24-27 | 31; February 1-3 2019 had more food. “We’d eat chicken once a year.” The dishes served include dumplings, fish, rice cakes, pork and chicken. Often homemade, dumplings symbolize wealth and good fortune because they are shaped like old Chinese gold pieces. Fish represent surplus, prosperity and good luck and aren’t eaten until New Year’s Day. The fish aren’t flipped during cooking because that brings bad luck — similar to the idea of going “belly up.” How can people outside of Asian American communities celebrate respectfully? “I do encourage people to ask questions if they don’t understand what’s happening,” Zhang says. “A lot of festivals, they exist because of a certain purpose, and I think it’s very important to know the purpose and respect the purpose.” Yu says anyone with an interest in celebrating should do research and learn to make traditional dumplings, for example. She cautions against using Lunar New Year to appear “cultured” when posting pictures on social media. “If you’re posting something related to another person’s culture that you’re learning, you should be able to at least have a basis of knowledge,” Yu says. “Do some more research. Challenge yourself to learn.” Confucius Institute Chinese New Year Showcase, Missouri Theatre, Feb. 1, 7 p.m., Free, 882-9061

Adults Seniors & Students Thursdays

$14 $12 $10

1800 Nelwood Dr. Columbia MO| 573.474.3699 | www.cectheatre.org

Campus Tradition for over 50 years Kitchen Open Late

410 S 9th Street | Columbia 573-449-6927

www.theheidelberg.com

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

C ALE N DAR

TO-DO LIST

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof begins with aging football star Brick drunkenly injuring himself and falling into disarray as he and his wife, Maggie, visit Brick’s father at the family’s Mississippi plantation. Feb. 14–16,

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

ARTS MU Undergraduate Juried Exhibition and Reception

7:30 p.m. ; Feb. 17, 2 p.m., Macklanburg Playhouse, $16; $8 seniors and students, 876-7199

The George Caleb Bingham Gallery will close its 2018-2019 MU Juried Exhibition with a reception and awards on Jan. 24, 4:30–6:30 p.m. The exhibit features works made by MU undergraduate students using mediums such as painting, fibers, photo and sculpture. Dec.

Almost, Maine This love-filled show premiers shortly after Valentine’s Day. Columbia Entertainment Company welcomes you to Almost, Maine, a town that doesn’t quite exist because its inhabitants never got organized. Almost, Maine tells nine love stories about different couples, with shorts such as “This Hurts” and “Where It Went.” This play is whimsical and heartwarming. Feb. 21–24, Feb.

3–Jan. 24, Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., George Caleb Bingham Gallery, Free, 882-3555

Peter and the Starcatcher With the tagline “a grown up’s prequel to Peter Pan,” the play Peter and the Starcatcher tells the comingof-age story of the boy who never wants to grow up. When Molly Aster rides in on a ship called The Neverland, she meets an orphan named Boy. Her attempt to protect a chest of “starstuff” is challenged when pirates catch wind of the valuable treasure and attack the ship. Boy adopts the name Peter and avoids the pirates by sailing off to an island with the precious starstuff. Jan. 17-20, Jan. 24-27, Jan. 31; Feb. 1–3, Columbia Entertainment Co., 474-3699

Annual Dance Company Concert Join Stephens College

28; March 1–3, Columbia Entertainment Co., 474-3699

Machinal

for a vibrant production celebrating expression through dance. An annual tradition, this dance concert features classical ballet, modern and contemporary styles.

this musical features fun songs and chuckle-inducing comedy. Join the cast in solving silly math questions as they work together to fix a problem that arises after Peg’s mom asks the characters to mail some letters. Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m.,

Jan. 24–26, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 27, 2 p.m., Macklanburg Playhouse, $18; $9 seniors and students, 876-7199

Jesse Auditorium, $30-60, 882-3781

Peg + Cat Live!

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Based on the Emmy Awardwinning PBS Kids show,

Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

DON’T MISS IT Papa’s Cat Cafe’s monthly book club discusses its December pick, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Jan. 2, 5:30 p.m., Papa’s Cat Cafe, $10, 449-2287

Loosely based on the real-life murder trial of Ruth Snyder, this classical, expressionist drama from the 1920s delves into the dependent status of women in an increasingly dystopian society. Feb. 21–23, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 24, 2 p.m., Warehouse Theatre, $8; $6 seniors and students, 876-7199

CIVIC All Things Airport Get your airport safety questions answered at this free Q&A session hosted by the Columbia Regional Airport. Stacey Button, the economic development Photography by Zhihan Huang

C ALE N DAR

director for the City of Columbia, and Michael Parks, airport manager, will help address your concerns over complimentary coffee in the Walton Building. Jan. 17, 8–9 a.m., 300 S. Providence Road, Walton Building, Free, 874-7508

Leadercast Women’s Conference

This workshop-based conference is the place to meet the women who are the movers and shakers of the Columbia community. Those who attend will learn new leadership skills from presentations and networking with speakers and other attendees. Jan. 18, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bixby Auditorium, Columbia College. $64 to $99, 8758700

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Celebration

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy with the whole city. A candlelight walk will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Armory Sports Center and will end at St. Luke UMC. Jan. 21, 6:30 p.m., 204 East Ash St., Free, 445-3231

MU Hosts Activist Bree Newsome To celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., MU hosts Bree Newsome, a community organizer who helped remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina State House, to give a speech about her work. Newsome focuses on how art and activism can work together.

bacon — unless it’s bacon and bourbon. Get your fill of this meaty delicacy at Missouri’s Bacon & Bourbon Festival. Live music paired with bacon, heart-warming bourbon, fine spirits, cocktails and beer will leave you feeling satisfied. Jan. 19, 1–4 p.m.,

Jan. 23, 7–8:30 p.m. Jesse Auditorium, Free, 882-3781

EPIC’s January Membership Breakfast Get your network on with waffles and coffee at Emerging Professionals hosted by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. There will be a guest speaker and time to mingle, accompanying the morning goodies. Jan. 23, 7:30–8:30 a.m., Emerging Professionals in Columbia, 300 S. Providence Road, $10 pre-registered; $15 at the door, 874-1132

FOOD 2019 MO Bacon & Bourbon Festival

DON’T MISS IT Nothing says “I love you” like a nice meal. Indulge in a Valentine’s Day dinner for two downtown at Glenn’s Cafe, Eleven11 or Room 38. Feb. 14, prices vary

Nothing is better than

Bur Oak Brewing Company, $30, 886-8987

Pancake and Sausage Fundraiser Have your hot cakes, and eat them, too. For 67 years, Cosmo Pancake and Sausage Day has been serving up pancakes to raise money for diabetes treatment. Profits will benefit Camp Hickory Hill, JobPoint and the Cosmopolitan

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VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

CAL E NDAR

from romance to social issues. Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m.,

International Diabetes and Endocrinology Center. Jan.

Rose Music Hall, $12 in advance; $15 day of, 8741944

26, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., Jerry Sigmund Cosmopolitan Center, 1715 Burlington St., $7, 474-0780

Alfredo Rodriguez & Pedrito Martinez Duo

MUSIC

Grammy-nominated pianist Alfredo Rodriguez and percussionist Pedrito Martinez put on amazing shows together. Both artists’ sounds are influenced by well-known musicians such as Bach and Paul Simon, and they’re fueled by their Cuban roots. Feb. 7, 7 p.m.,

MO Fest 2019 Celebrate all things Missouri at Columbia’s fifth MO Fest, which will feature even more music this year than it has in the past. The fest will have 12 shows instead of 10, featuring 12 different genres and 50 artists from across Missouri. Keep an eye on The Blue Note website to find out who will be performing.

The Kimball Ballroom, $2037, 876-7257

Canadian Brass

Jan. 4, 8 p.m., The Blue Note, $50 full pass, 874-1944

Columbia Jazz Jam Join local jazz musicians for an open-mic night, where anyone can join the band on stage. Meet other artists and don’t forget to BYOI: bring your own instruments. Jan. 9, 7 p.m. to midnight., Cafe Berlin, Free, 441-0400

Hallam George and the Hallelujah Chorus Album Release Party

and Roots N Blues festival favorite, will perform at the event. Other performers include The Bel Airs, who mix modern and traditional bluesy sounds, and King Benny, a well-known staple of the Midwest music scene. Jan. 11, 8 p.m., The Blue Note, $6 in advance; $8 day of, 874-1944

Sublime with Rome

Hallam George, the frontman of indie band Crooked Fix, will perform at Cafe Berlin with his Hallelujah Chorus for an album release party. Come for a night of music and drinks. Jan. 11, 8 p.m. doors,

Relive your ’90s glory days with the band’s new lineup. With original Sublime co-founder and bassist, Eric Wilson, Rome Ramirez hops on lead vocals to give the group an updated sound. Come sing along to “Santeria,” and get your ska on. Jan. 22, 7 p.m., The Blue

9 p.m. show, Cafe Berlin, $5, 441-0400

Note, $27 in advance; $29 day of, 874-1944

Missouri Blues Fest

CAVE and Maxito Lindo

Get ready for this local celebration of classic blues tunes. Aina Cook, a musical prodigy from Madagascar

Cafe Berlin hosts these unconventional musical Columbia natives. CAVE, an instrumental psychedelic

VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

drone band, will be joined by Maxito Lindo, an experimental folk band. Jan.

DON’T MISS IT

19, 8–11 p.m. Cafe Berlin, $10 in advance, $12 day of, 441-0400

The Randy Rogers Band brings its authentic Texas country to Columbia. The group’s philosophy is “be yourself,” and it has stayed true to that sentiment. Expect to hear favorites such as “Kiss Me In The Dark” and “In My Arms Instead.” Feb. 16, 8:30 p.m., The Blue Note, $20 in advance; $22 day of, 874-1944

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

The second-oldest professional symphony orchestra in the country is back in Columbia for a night of music. Led by New Zealand-born Resident Conductor Gemma New, this group of musicians are the most frequent performers in the University Concert Series. Jan. 20, 7:30 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, $22-$42, 882-3781

Nalani & Sarina Identical twins Nalani and Sarina, who hail from New Jersey, are bringing their soulful pop-rock to Columbia. Come to hear their new album The Circle, which tackles everything

This group’s music is golden — literally. The Canadian Brass quintet’s instruments are plated with 24-karat gold, which is just as sparkly as their upbeat tunes. Expect all smiles at this lively concert. Feb. 11, 7 p.m., Jesse Auditorium $18$38, 882-3781

Jeff Hamilton Trio Concert Versatile and original, this trio features Grammy Award-winner Jeff Hamilton and will perform a jazz concert at Whitmore Recital Hall. The group will play a mixture of originals and standards from the Great American Songbook as well as most of the material from their latest album Live from San Pedro. Feb. 26, 7 p.m., Whitmore Recital Hall, $20-37; $10-25 students, 449-3009

ETHEL & Robert Mirabal: The River Three-time Grammy Award-winner ETHEL and Robert Mirabal use Photography courtesy of Associated Press

C ALE N DAR

water as the inspiration for this concert, which uses music to portray water as spiritual and essential to human life. The group uses innovative techniques of amplification and incorporates electronics to give its string instruments a new sound. Feb. 21; 7 p.m.; Jesse Auditorium; $18-28; 882-3781

SPORTS

KOPN 89.5fm...Where Else? It’s not just radio, it’s community radio. On your radio dial at 89.5 fm or live streaming at kopn.org

First Day Hike Want to hike more in 2019? Make it your New Year’s Resolution on the Katy Trail. Starting in Rocheport, join other hiking enthusiasts on the trail to take in the landscape, plants and animals as you pass through Missouri’s limestone bluffs and woods. Jan. 1, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Katy Trail State Park, Free, 449-7400

ACE Community Clinic ACE, a training program coordinated by the American Baseball Coaches Association and USA Baseball, is hosting a free, three-hour training session to tighten up throwing and coaching skills. Coaches at any experience level are welcome. Jan. 12, 9 a.m. to noon, Taylor Stadium, 1303 Research Park Drive, Free, 336-821-3140

Kentucky vs. Mizzou Men’s Basketball Catch this cat fight in the Mizzou Arena as the Tigers take on the Wildcats. Last season, the teams split their match-ups, so expect a tightly contested game. Feb. 19, 8 p.m., Mizzou Arena, prices vary, 882-6501 VOX MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

photo finish

Self reflections PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMANDA LEE Madelyn Jones works on her self-portrait project on the final day of fall 2018 classes in the University of Missouri Fine Arts Building. She spent time talking with her professor about adding more details in the hands and how to create creases and wrinkles. Jones was one of several students who spent the evening working in the studio.

VOX MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Theatre presents

Featuring multiple short plays by various playwrights exploring this contested statistic.

Directed by Claire Syler

Rhynsburger Theatre Fine Arts Building, 505 Hitt St. 7:30 pm: Feb 20 - 23 â&#x20AC;˘ 2:00 pm: Feb 24

Tickets: Rhynsburger Theatre box office, Mon - Fri, 2p - 5p Box office reopens on Jan. 30, 2018.

(573) 882-PLAY (7529) or online at theatre.missouri.edu

Scan with smart phone to purchase now.

C R E AT E , A P P R E C I AT E , L E A R N Adult Classes and Workshops!

Youth and Homeschool Classes!

Winter Classes starting in January. Go Online to Register Today!

CAL is so much more than just a Gallery

Art saves lives and our Community Outreach Programs prove it! Providing the community with a stimulating environment for experiencing the visual arts through exhibitions, education, appreciation, promotion, and creation of art.

207 S 9th St â&#x20AC;˘ 573-443-8838 Tues - Fri - 11:30am -6:00pm Sat - 11:00am - 5:00pm