Vox Magazine December 2019 by Vox Magazine

JAZZED FOR 25 YEARS PAGE 17

RESTAURANT REALITY: ADDICTED INDUSTRY PAGE 34

A YEAR OF COMO EATS PAGE 44

FOOD BANK BY THE NUMBERS PAGE 47

THE VOICE OF COLUMBIA â&#x20AC;¢ DECEMBER 2019

O T W (HO OF ) T U O GET

DEBT BTT B 101

Pg. 22

Looking for extra credit? Take our crash course on debt.

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

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

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

The Trans-Siberian Experience: The Prophecy December 3, 7pm • Jesse Auditorium

Aeolus Quartet February 6, 7pm • Missouri Theatre

Great Russian Nutcracker December 11, 7pm • Jesse Auditorium

An American in Paris February 10, 7pm • Jesse Auditorium

Finding Neverland January 24, 7pm • Jesse Auditorium

Russian National Ballet: Swan Lake February 17, 7pm • Jesse Auditorium

Visit www.concertseries.org or call 573-882-3781 for more information on our amazing lineup! ConcertSeries

FROM THE EDITOR

FOREVER INDEBTED

E DI T OR -I N -CHI E F ELIZABETH ELKIN DE PUT Y E DI T OR CARY LITTLEJOHN M AN AGI N G E DI T OR CATHERINE WENDLANDT DI GI TAL M AN AG ING E D IT O R

hen I was 18, my father sat me down at the computer and told me to click through a magical document called FAFSA. All I knew was that in order to go to college, I needed money. And in order to get the money, I needed to digitally complete this form. Nearly six years later, I owe the federal government the equivalent of a new car. No, money isn’t everything. But it’s pretty dang important. My generation is crippled by student loan debt. Many of us might never buy houses or have extra income to take vacations. When my grandfather went to law school, his tuition was a few hundred dollars a semester, and he had a scholarship to pay for it. When I considered the same school for my graduate degree, I received a top scholarship, and it still would have cost me $20,000 in tuition alone. We’re told we have to take out exorbitant amounts in loans to get a job, but then struggle to pay back what we borrowed. Finances are important in every

“No, money isn’t everything. But it’s pretty dang important. My generation is crippled by student loan debt.”

CAMERON R. FLATT ON L I N E E DI T OR GABY MORERA DI NUBILA ART DI R E CT OR S MITCHELL BARTLE, MADISON WISSE PHOT O E DI T OR DEREK RIEKE M ULT I M E DI A E DI T OR SAM MOSHER

AS S I S TAN T E D IT O RS CULT UR E SARAH EVERETT, MORGAN SPEARS E AT + DR I N K MEG DONOHUE, XIYUAN ZHANG

aspect of life, from where you live to who you marry. (Make sure to ask your significant other how much debt he or she is in before you get married, y’all. Seriously.) How much money you have and how much you pay in bills dictates your ability to do what you want in life. Starting on page 22, you’ll find our feature package on debt. If the thought of filling out FAFSA gives you a headache, if you’re unsure whether to buy or lease your next car, or if you’re considering taking out a loan to pay for a wedding, we’ve got stories for you. From tools on how to get better at managing your money to what the heck a credit score does, we put together a bunch of information to help you with your finances. Boy, do I wish I’d had this my first semester of college.

CI T Y L I F E KRISTIN BLAKE, ADRIAN BURTIN, ELENA K. CRUZ DI GI TAL E DI T OR S LAUREN BROCATO, CHLOE KHAW, EMILY LENTZ, MEREDITH LEHMAN, HANNAH MUSICK, DANIELLE PYCIOR, NICOLE SCHROEDER, VICTORIA TRAMPLER, TAYA WHITE M ULT I M E DI A E DI T OR S FIONA MURPHY, MAGGIE MADRO, EMILY POWERS, CHLOE THORNBERRY DESIGNERS LAURA JONES, ELIZABETH PRINCIPATO CON T R I B UT I N G W R I T E R S S AB R I N A B R O N S , S I OB H A N C ON N E RS, C H R I S T I ÁN E - T R É S O R C RAWFORD , S A RA H H A LLAM , K AT E G I LE S , H I ROA KI KON O, S AD I E LE A, H A N N A H MC FA D D E N , QU I N N R I T ZD O R F, D AV I D S A C K, A L E X SH A RP, GA B B Y V E LAS Q UE Z, AB B I E WI L SON , C OL L E E N W O UT E R S

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

Vox Magazine

@VoxMag

@VoxMagazine

ELIZABETH ELKIN Editor-in-Chief

BEHIND UNITED IN DEBT Vox teamed up with 13 writers to tackle stories about the $4 trillion consumer debt swallowing America. From student loan stress to wedding debt woes, we’re looking at how daily decisions affect debt. Plus, we’re connecting you with people, podcasts and books to help. — Sarah Everett

CORRECTIONS: The November feature on the 1991 shootings in California, Missouri, misidentified when Kenneth and Caleb Jones served in the Missouri House of Representatives. Kenneth Jones represented the 117th District from 2005 to 2011. Caleb Jones represented the 50th District from 2011 to 2017.

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

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Cover Design: Madison Wisse Cover Photo: Derek Rieke Photography by Derek Rieke

FE AT U RE S

United in debt

Consumer debt hit the $4 trillion mark last April. Now more than ever, debt is a part of everyone’s life. And figuring out how to handle your finances is hard. From understanding good and bad debt to maintaining a healthy budget, here’s a little know-how on what to do to manage your wallet. BY VOX STAFF

Under the table

From culinary school to restaurant kitchens, the service industry has normalized its rampant drug and alcohol use. Local restaurant workers want to share their stories of addiction and recovery. BY CATHERINE WENDLANDT

34 Photography by Alexandria Wells

Liz Huff works in her kitchen at Catalpa in Arrow Rock. She re-opened her restaurant in 2010, five years after becoming sober. VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

D EPARTM ENTS

EAT + DRINK

CITY LIFE

Gluten intolerance and celiac disease might get in the way of your baking. Here’s what you need to know about the science behind gluten.

How do you keep a café going for 25 years? Kaldi’s owners share their entrepreneurial ways.

No gluten, no problem

Putting food in the banks

Do chefs still cook on holidays? Learn how three enjoy their “free time.”

Supplies in Columbia are more needed now than ever; let’s have a quick look at what’s stored inside our food banks.

We asked CoMo food experts about their favorite culinary trends of 2019.

Self-injuring isn’t often talked about, and it makes recovery even harder.

Here’s to you, 2019

CULTURE

Project aims to provide a kitchen for ambitious chefs.

Kansas City native Samantha Fish opens up about her life as a singer.

This is a tale of immigrant identity.

Take a look at what makes the “We Always Swing” Jazz Series so special.

A new cooking nook

An American story

Vox Picks What to do, eat and drink in Columbia when it’s cold outside.

Blues traveler

Out of the kitchen

IN THE LOOP

Roast around the world

Build understanding

Still swinging

No words needed

Instead of yelling, three artists use visuals to send a message.

Q&A: Pramuan ‘Chim’ Duncan

Starting with a food truck, the Thai chef now owns two places in Columbia.

Dive into Missouri’s politics through books.

Primary reading

18 15 6

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Photography by Daniel Shular and Derek Rieke and courtesy of Kaelen Barowsky and Abigail Young

IMMIGRANT HISTORY

P.9

COOKING MAMA

P.14

Finding a new cooking nook No more pre-dawn wake-up calls or pricey rents. The COMO Cooks project gives up-and-coming chefs room to work. BY QUINN RITZDORF Jheron Nunnelly shuffles to his car on a pitch-black morning. He climbs in, cracks open the windows and lets his neck relax against the headrest. Nunnelly has been up since 1 a.m., and this is the little time he has to sleep before he continues his food preparation. Like many other professional cooks without their own restaurants, it’s the sacrifice he makes to work out of Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen at a discount. Routines like Nunnelly’s are not unusual for upand-coming chefs, but the COMO Cooks project will be the first installation in Boone County to offer the cooking community members a commercialized kitchen, so they can grow their businesses.

Coco’s Taco Bar owner Colin Enslin works from Cafe Berlin’s extra kitchen when it’s unoccupied.

Photography by Quinn Ritzdorf and Jay Bury/Archive and courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

IN TH E LOOP RESTAURANTS

Nunnelly’s alarm rings every two hours — so he can check on the meats he’s smoking — until 5:30 a.m. when his car nap ends. Nunnelly is the owner and chef of Mr. Murphy’s, a food truck in Columbia selling stuffed potatoes, on which he piles his smoked meats. Nunnelly is used to a weird work schedule. It’s necessary for him to prepare his dishes. This is the process for many cooks in town starting their culinary journeys as mobile vendors, caterers or pop-up restaurateurs. They can either rent a costly brick-and-mortar space to prep and cook food, or they can rent from an established restaurant at a discount, often with odd working hours. To fill the need for an affordable kitchen space, Regional Economic Development Inc. and Business Loop Community Improvement District started the COMO Cooks project. When the kitchen opens in Mizzou North, scheduled before 2020, it will be the only shared commercial kitchen in Boone County. “We hear from [Columbia] foodbased businesses that they’re driving to

Rolla, California and St. Charles in the middle of the night in order to access a commercial kitchen,” REDI president Stacey Button says. Nunnelly didn’t have an option like COMO Cooks when he opened his food truck in July. Neither did Colin Enslin, who has been the owner and chef of the catering company Coco’s Taco Bar since September 2017. Enslin prepares his tacos and seasoning in Cafe Berlin’s extra kitchen, which is also used by other chefs. Although using others’ spaces is cheap, there are disadvantages to this system. Chefs must wake up before the restaurant opens to prepare food, and even if they are able to work normal business hours, the space is crowded, time is short and storage is limited. The COMO Cooks project will offer what the new chefs are missing. Its 7,000 square feet will be filled with all the necessary equipment for cooking, prepping, cleaning and storage. The project will offer price levels ranging from $170 a month for 10 hours of use per month to $1,350 each month for unlimited time.

If he’s not waking up at 1 a.m., Jheron Nunnelly, owner and chef of Mr. Murphy’s, will get up at 4 a.m. in time to grocery shop in the morning.

Enslin currently pays $25 per hour to use the Cafe Berlin kitchen, which runs a tight schedule and is a small space, so he plans to take full advantage of COMO Cooks. “In order to have flexibility to grow, I think having another option like Mizzou North would be really good to have,” he says. With the lack of commercial kitchen space in Columbia, COMO Cooks is more than an opportunity to give people like Nunnelly a chance to sleep in a little longer. It helps new cooks expand their businesses and grow beyond food trucks and pop-up restaurants.

AN ANTIQUE CAROL AN OPERA BY HUGO VIANELLO DECEMBER 5-8 AND 12-15

A RE-BOOT OF THE SUCCESSFUL 2017 PRODUCTION. IN HONOR OF HUGO VIANELLO, WHO PASSED AWAY ON MARCH 29 AT THE AGE OF 92. A COMIC OPERA FREELY ADAPTED FROM CHARLES DICKENS’ “A CHRISTMAS CAROL,” WRITTEN BY LOCAL MAESTRO HUGO VIANELLO, FOUNDER AND FORMER CONDUCTOR OF THE MISSOURI SYMPHONY. TITUS CANBY IS THE NAME OF THIS VERSION OF EBENEZER SCROOGE, AND HE IS TAKEN TO TASK BY THE GHOSTS OF PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE TO DISCOVER THE TRUE JOYS OF LIFE! THIS COULD BECOME AN INSTANT HOLIDAY CLASSIC!

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Photography by Quinn Ritzdorf

I N T HE LO O P ESSAY

A family friend holds Gabby’s father (center) before the Velasquezes moved to America.

This is an American story. “Immigrant.” It’s a label, a headline, a controversy. But really it’s a person, a family, a legacy.

first learned about the idea of America being a “melting pot” in a social studies class in elementary school. It’s a nice sentiment, to be sure, but the reality of America is more complex. If we must stick with kitchen metaphors, I’d compare America to an uncooked stew: a mix of chunky ingredients, not quite harmonious but with the potential to combine its unique flavors to create a wonderful whole. It’s messy; it’s full of mistakes. There’s rampant inequity everywhere you look. If we’re all in this country together, I’d say that many of us look forward with a kind of tunnel vision. We struggle with concepts like intersectionality and privilege and lose all sense of nuance, especially on issues of race. My grandparents view race differently than I do. They grew up in a country where race wasn’t the important identifier that it is here. In the Philippines, divisions are more often formed because of political or religious disagreements. Despite having Photography courtesy of Gabby Velasquez

BY GABBY VELASQUEZ been in America in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement, they view themselves as separated from it. They don’t deny racism’s existence, but it isn’t something they have much to say about, to my surprise. “What do you think the American Dream is?” I ask my grandparents. Yes, it’s a loaded question. “After you work so hard for so many years, then you can gather the fruits of your accomplishments for all your hard work,” Grandpa answers. “That means no more mortgage because you’ve paid off your house, no more car note, and no more job.” I think of the fact that I’m deep in student-loan debt for the next decade or so of my life, of the woeful financial outlook for my generation. I think of how I wonder if I’ll be able to retire. “Has that vision changed?” I ask. “No, it hasn’t changed.” “When you get a good education, you find

a good job,” Grandma adds. I can’t blame them. They accomplished it after all. I started thinking about their story after a chance find on Thanksgiving Day 2018. The photograph would have been easy to miss. Its colors have long since faded, leaving the whites a pale yellow and the blacks a muted brown. On the top of the photograph is the caption “Jun 65,” the year and month that the United States enacted the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which radically changed the landscape for immigration, more than quadrupling the number of migrants to the United States in the five years following its passing. The posed portrait sits on a shelf of my grandparents’ study. I was struck by the image of this young couple, years away from traveling 8,636 miles from the Philippines to Virginia, the first in a long list of states they’d live in as a military family. Staring at that photo of VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

IN TH E LOOP ESSAY

my grandparents, I realized I knew little about that journey. I wondered, “Who were they then?” Perhaps if I knew their story, I could find some wisdom to carry me into my next chapter, I thought. I could move forward by working backward. This is an American story. It’s also a Filipino story. It’s a March afternoon in 1965. The weather in Cabuyao, Laguna, is hot and humid, as it always is in the Philippines. Myrna Masim, 23, is a busy woman; teaching at a school in Pulo, Cabuyao, while also helping her mother at her family’s gift shop and corner store. She’s celebrating the Pabása ng Pasyón, a Catholic ritual during Holy Week, at a lunch party thrown by the president of the PTA, Felipe Velasquez. David, one of Velasquez’s sons, stands before her and her coworkers, holding a film camera. His father had asked him to take pictures of the teachers. David snaps a few shots of the group, then clears his throat. “Can I take a picture of the girl fourth from the left?” he requests. “Just her.” The women instantly begin counting off, trying to figure out who’s been singled out by the handsome sailor who’s in town on

leave for a few short months. “It’s you!” one of Myrna’s co-teachers says excitedly, poking her in the arm. “Come on, Miss Masim,” her principal says with a coy smile. “Mr. Velasquez wants to take your picture. Be a good sport.” She follows David outside, to a garden near the house’s outer brick wall. “Can you smile?” David requests. He is not her type. She could never imagine herself with a sailor, especially one for the U.S. Navy. Why should she put any stock in this one, winning smile aside? “You’ll have to see me again,” he says. “So I can show you the pictures.” Something begins. My grandparents, David and Myrna, came to America in 1970 with two of their three children, one being my father. My uncle remained behind in the Philippines with my grandma’s family until he was old enough to travel and the family was grounded enough to support three kids. Philadelphia is where they truly made a home for themselves. It’s the city my grandma claims as the favorite place they’ve lived, where my dad and his siblings spent their formative years. It’s where they were naturalized as citizens.

A 23-year-old Myrna Masim (right) smiles in the photo taken by David Velasquez the day they first met. David and Myrna celebrate their wedding (bottom left). David (top left) is the second eldest of 12 children.

caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Adjusting to the United States was made easier with new friendships and, quite simply, time. “When I was in the Navy, I met all sorts of people,” my grandpa says. “I learned from them, and they learned from me.” “What connects you to your roots?” I ask my grandparents. “How do you go back to your childhood or remember the Philippines?” Nothing, really, my grandpa responds. I blink, surprised. “We sort of adapt to the environment, we can adapt to people, we can adapt to new friends,” he says. To them, their roots transcend location. Staying true to their roots meant family; it meant raising their kids the way their parents had raised them. When I was in kindergarten and at the peak of my Mulan obsession, I told my classmates that I was born on the Great Wall of China (to be clear, I was not). The other children assumed that meant I was Chinese, so I trusted them and adopted “Chinese” as my identity. When I got home from school that day, I was shocked to discover that no, I was not Chinese, but something else: Filipino. There have been many moments in my life where I’ve struggled with my sense of identity as not just a biracial woman, but as a second-generation immigrant. I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. I am an American citizen and have a college education. I am half white, though no one would ever mistake me for anything but an Asian woman. My struggle is not unique. Sociologist Diane L. Wolf published a study in a 1997 Sociological Perspectives journal about the conflicts Filipino youth in the United States face. “Many Filipino second generation youth struggle with an emotional transnationalism which situates them between different and often conflicting generational and locational points of reference,” Wolf wrote. In other words, we’re pulled in a lot of different directions. I am proud to be Filipino. I think the culture, with its sense of hospitality, love and family, is one of the most beautiful Photography courtesy of Gabby Velasquez

I N T HE LO O P ESSAY

things in the world. But many times in my life, I have hesitated to claim it. The recent American political climate inspired me to embrace my immigrant roots. The dialogue surrounding immigration has shifted drastically; so many people are eager to define what a real American looks like and who can call themselves one. A 2001 study by Princeton University found that political engagement in immigrant generations spiked with the anti-immigrant legislation being passed in post-9/11 America. Perhaps, this is part of why I find myself embracing this element of my identity with the kind of fervor I withheld in the past. My grandparents are examples of everything America can be. They worked hard, made life-long bonds, and created opportunities for their family to succeed. Near the end of our talk, I ask my grandparents what their hopes were for their children. “I hoped they could think for themselves,” Grandpa replies.

David and Myrna Velasquez at David’s Naval retirement ceremony in 1989. The couple retired to Memphis and now lives in Millington, Tennessee.

“We didn’t have too much money,” Grandma says, “But we gave [our children] a good education. Watching them growing up, getting married and watching their marriages working… and then seeing our first grandchild who’s growing up and has a boyfriend now…” I cut her off there, but I appreciated the sentiment. “We’re very blessed,” she finishes,

winking at me. The American Dream looks different now than when my grandparents first set foot in this country. There’s something to be said about whether the American Dream exists at all for my generation. “What do you hope for my generation?” I ask my grandparents. “Because we live in a different world.”

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VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

IN TH E LOOP ESSAY

“We hope you are ready to tackle what’s here for you,” Grandpa says. “Whatever you want, you should achieve it through hard work, education and effort. You cannot just hope for it, you have to work for it.” I can definitely tell that they raised my dad. He always pushes me to be the hardest worker in the room, even if I am not the most naturally gifted or talented person there.

I’m already stepping forward into that new chapter. I, like many of my peers, am terrified of my looming student-loan bills, of the realities of adulthood, of the search for a life partner, of starting a family someday… I can’t ignore that work alone won’t provide security for my generation the way it has for past generations. I live in a different world than my grandparents, but not everything has changed. Fear of Gabby graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism in May 2019. She spent her summer at the prestigious National Critic Institute in Connecticut reviewing theater. Now, she works as a digital content editor at the Columbia Tribune. She’s photographed here with her father and grandfather.

uncertainty is a universal concept; only the details change. I think of my grandpa, and how he must have felt stepping onto a Navy ship for the first time. How his heart must have pounded stepping forward to ask to take my grandma’s picture. I think of my grandma, how much courage it took for her to leave everything she knew to come to America with a new family. They took those steps with no clear answers. No guarantees. Yes, I live in a different world. But I’m still the granddaughter of the same people who took those steps. My path is different, but my drive is the same. I want that bright future. I have different obstacles to face, but my family remains. My grandpa’s words ring in my head. “You cannot just hope for it, you have to work for it.” Well, I’m here. Consider the work begun.

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I N T HE LO O P VOX PICKS

Vox picks for

DECEMBER

Each month, Vox curates a list of can’t-miss 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 MORGAN SPEARS

Eat …

A pizza, calzone or some toasted ravioli at Pappo’s Pizzeria. The Springfield-based pizza joint opened its fourth location, the first in Columbia, in November. Although the restaurant is known for its pizza, it also offers other Italian favorites like hand-rolled meatballs and eggplant parmesan. 10 W. Nifong Blvd., Sun.–Thurs., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 693-1092

Drink …

Coffee at Scooter’s new Grindstone location. After opening its first shop in Columbia in November 2018, Scooter’s added another location. The drive-thru coffee shop originated in Bellevue, Nebraska, in 1998 and has since expanded to over 200 locations. Scooter’s offers a variety of drinks including hot, iced and blended coffee, tea, smoothies and healthy drink options such as the Skinny Cappuccino and Fruit N’ Ice. New location at 2501 Grindstone Parkway, Mon.–Sun., 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; 5 Old 63 S., Mon.–Sat., 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun., 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., 607-9027

See ...

A light show to illuminate your holiday spirit. There will be various displays around Columbia throughout the month. The District’s Living Windows Festival will include live performances, shopping, the downtown Magic Tree and visits with Santa. Also, Warm Springs Ranch is hosting a light show every weekend in December, so head out and see the Clydesdales. Living Windows Festival: Dec. 6, 6–8 p.m., 442-6816. Warm Springs Ranch: Thurs.–Sun., 5–8 p.m., 25270 Hwy. 98, Boonville; $20; $10, 13 and under, 888-972-5933

Celebrate ...

New Year’s Eve at The Blue Note’s Roaring ’20s New Year’s Ball. This Gatsby-themed celebration will have everything a good party needs: a red carpet, a Columbia Jazz Orchestra performance, 1920s-inspired cocktails and more. Dec. 31, 7 p.m., The Blue Note, $20, in advance; $25, day of, 874-1944

Photography by Derek Rieke

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

IN TH E LOOP Q&A

Small town, ‘Big Mama’ With two family-run Thai restaurants to manage on the same block, owner Pramuan ‘Chim’ Duncan enjoys having a lot on her plate. BY DAVID SACK

ramuan “Chim” Duncan spent many nights camping at Cooper’s Landing before deciding to open her food truck on-site in 2001. For almost 20 years from late March to early October, Chim’s Thai Kitchen has served food to the campground, marina and MKT Trail crowd 12 miles southwest of downtown. Duncan also opened four restaurants closer to Columbia since first setting up shop along the Missouri River, all selling food she first learned to cook growing up in Thailand. She had two locations that closed, one in south Columbia on Peachtree Drive and one on Tenth Street in The District. Now, she has turned her attention to two new ventures steps from each other downtown. In October 2018, she opened Big Mama Chim’s Noodle House on Alley A. In July 2019, Duncan brought Chim’s Thai Kitchen to Broadway in Thip Thai Cuisine’s former location. Thip Thai’s owners opened Thip’s Asian Bistro on Walnut Street at the end of March. Duncan’s restaurants are run with help from her grandchildren, son and daughter Pantipa “Boo” Wadtananussorn, who has been with her from the very beginning as a co-owner at Cooper’s Landing. “(Duncan) wants everything to be perfect,” Wadtananussorn says. “She wants everything to be done the way she does it.” Although Duncan is technically retired now, she still works every day with to keep the restaurants running. After laboring over a pot of broth, Duncan takes a break to discuss her busy work-life, passion for cooking and her favorite foods.

EAT AT CHIM’S

Big Mama Chim’s Noodle House 905 Alley A, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 777-3108 Chim’s Thai Kitchen 904 E. Broadway, Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 777-3082

Pramuan “Chim” Duncan’s children and grandchildren help out at the restaurants she runs, including Big Mama Chim’s Noodle House.

When did you move from Thailand to America? I came here in 1984. My husband was from Jefferson City, and my mother-inlaw was from Fulton. This isn’t your first time expanding. What made you try again? I started new again for family, not for me. I am the “Big Mama.” I take care of everything. My customers know me from Cooper’s Landing, and they wanted me to come back and open downtown. And, I like Columbia. Customers are happy with me. Why open two restaurants so close to each other? Big Mama Chim’s Noodle House I do for noodles and soup. It is too small; there’s not enough seating for customers. There’s just four tables. Chim’s Thai Kitchen has a different menu, too. It has

the menu that I had before from Chim’s Thai Kitchen at Cooper’s Landing. You’re retired, but you still are pretty hands-on. How much more work is there since expanding? I want to make sure everybody does a good job and makes good food, so I work hard. More work for me? There’s more work for everybody. Work open to close, seven days a week, but I don’t get paid here. I try to help everybody, make sure everybody gets paid, my family anyway, and I care about customers. What do you like to eat? My food on the menu is not my favorite. I like to eat vegetables. I like to make my own food; not from the menu. I don’t like stir fry; I don’t know why. I don’t like sweet food like Chinese food. My food is not that sweet, but when I’m hungry, I eat everything. I’m not picky.

When did you get into cooking? All my life, I’ve been cooking. At 15 years old, I started working. After that, I started a restaurant of my own in my hometown, Khon Kaen [in a northeastern province of Thailand]. I had rice bowls and all the usual dishes.

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Photography by Abigail Young

ALL THAT JAZZ

ART AND ADVOCACY

P. 17

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Kansas City native Samantha Fish started playing drums at age 13 and transitioned to guitar and vocals a couple years after.

Blues traveler Samantha Fish navigates songwriting, touring and the on- the-road blues. BY SARAH HALLAM Blues singer-songwriter and guitarist Samantha Fish performs over 200 shows each year. The Kansas City native tours across the U.S. and internationally, and she’s no stranger to Columbia. She has played at Roots N Blues twice and headlined at The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall. On Dec. 29, she’ll stop at The Blue Note to play songs from her sixth studio album, Kill or Be Kind, released Sept. 20. We caught up with the 30-year-old artist to ask her how she navigates life on the road. Hitting the road In 2010, Fish was invited to tour around the U.S. and abroad with Dani Wilde and Cassie Taylor, who made up the blues-rock group Girls with Guitars. “To be honest, I was really nervous about it,” Fish says. “I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t like the name. I didn’t want to be exploited for my gender. It just sounded silly to me.” Fish says she was scared of getting ripped off or mislabeled as a young woman in the largely male-dominated blues scene. “It was actually a really empowering project. It gave me a big leg up and a lot of opportunities.” Fish had been on smaller, domestic tours before, but she says this was one was eye-opening. “I got really lucky to get involved with just some good people,” she says. “The girls were great, and I learned a lot.” The trio set off on the European tour in January 2011. The first leg was five weeks; the second leg lasted a month. “I wouldn’t have a phone or a way to call home or money,” Fish says. “So learning how to survive in a foreign

Photography courtesy of Alyssa Gafkjen, Wikipedia Commons and Lisa Bartlett and Illustration by Madison Wisse VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

CULTURE MUSIC

country and working that hard, how do you stay healthy? How do you not lose your mind and freak out at everybody around you?” Touring 101 The same year Fish toured with Wilde and Taylor, she released her first solo studio album, Runaway. Since then, she’s released five more solo ablums. So how does she stay healthy on tour — physically and mentally? “A lot of it is just stamina,” Fish says. Sleep, hydration and exercise are key. Fish says routine is hard to find when playing shows in different cities every night, but because she’s “jumping around in heels” on stage, she makes exercise a priority, utilizing many hotel gyms and doing workouts in her room. Fish food Fish tries to eat healthy meals on tour; her go-to choice is a salad with salmon. But she says she’s never going to say no to trying new foods in new places. “Well, it’s like, you’re in Nashville, right? Are you not going to eat the hot fried chicken?” Fish says. “Or if you’re in Chicago, you’re going to eat pizza and hot dogs.” On anxiety Fish knows in order to perform as her best, she must maintain her mental health, too. “You’ve got to get along with everyone around you,” Fish says. “Morale is very important. That’s a key to survival, too. Just staying positive and being good to the people around you.” Fish wrestles with anxiety, which she says can be “debilitating.” However, she says: “When you take yourself out of that center of focus and make it about the audience, for whatever reason, it really helped me.” Creativity on tap Music has been a constant in Fish’s life. “My dad played; all of his friends played; all of my uncles played guitar; my mom sang in church,” Fish says. Her father used to work at Knucklehead’s Saloon, a four-stage venue in Kansas City. Fish would come in after her shift was over at her own job at a

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

pizza restaurant to visit him and watch the musicians, owner Frank Hicks says. “She picked up on what they were doing,” Hicks says. “You could tell she was studying.” By 17, she was playing live shows at Knuckleheads and all over Kansas City, then taking baby steps to cities farther away: Columbia, St. Louis and Topeka, Kansas. Now, on the Kill or Be Kind tour, she’s traveling as far as Paris, Copenhagen and Stockholm.

GUITAR HEROINE Fish’s collection of guitars includes (from top) a Gibson Firebird, a cigar box guitar, a Fender Jaguar, a kerosene can guitar and a custom guitar designed in collaboration with Delaney Guitars.

Kill or Be Kind The goal of her latest album was to push her musical boundaries. Kill or Be Kind is a little bit of pop, soul and Americana. The 11-track album ventures into new lyrical territory. Variety called the album a “successful effort to branch out” in terms of songwriting and style. Fish dabbles in slower ballads as well as more dramatic rock songs but doesn’t completely depart from her blues roots. She was the only guitarist on the album, a first for her career. She is a writer on every single song and worked with five co-writers. Parker Millsap, a 26-year-old Nashville-based folk rocker, co-wrote the ninth track, “She Don’t Live Around Here,” with Fish. Millsap says Fish came to him with much of the heavy lifting already done. “We scheduled a co-write, and she came over to my house in Nashville,” Millsap says. “I just kind of helped shape it, like a few connecting lyrics and things like that.” The result is a cathartic tune on an album that is largely the same: mature and daring in style and sound. “If I kind of line up every project I’ve ever done, every album, I felt the most confident walking into the studio with this one,” Fish says. “I run just really hot with stress and anxiety. I think that’s just the way I am. I never really feel completely comfortable until I walk in the door of the studio. We get that first day under my belt, and that’s when I start feeling good about it.”

SAMANTHA FISH

Dec. 29, 6 p.m., doors; 7 p.m., show, The Blue Note, $20; $25 reserved balcony, 874-1944 Illustrations by Laura Jones

C U LT U RE MUSIC

“We Always Swing” puts on children’s concerts.

Billy Childs learned he won a Grammy right before he performed at Murry’s in 2017.

Albert “Tootie” Heath played at Murry’s, a long-standing concert venue for the series.

All-star musicians play at packed venues.

Still swinging after 25 years The “We Always Swing” Jazz Series has educated thousands of children, welcomed Grammy-winning artists and sustained the Columbia jazz scene since 1995. BY HIROAKI KONO

on Poses had been producing and planning jazz concerts independently for almost 10 years before deciding that Columbia needed its own jazz series. In July 1995, while sitting at his kitchen table, Poses decided to call it the “We Always Swing” Jazz Series. The idea was to start a company to put on jazz concerts in Columbia. When the subscription-based series officially launched in September of that year, only 14 people bought season tickets to attend all six jazz concerts offered. This season, the Jazz Series celebrates its 25th anniversary, having grown to see the Missouri Theatre filled for concerts, children enjoying jazz through education-based programs, and more than 1,500 musicians entertaining Columbia crowds.

Growth over the years The nonprofit corporation has developed and held over 300 concerts through the years, says Poses, the executive and artistic director. In 1998, the Jazz Series started to use Murry’s as a concert venue on Sundays when the restaurant was closed. The concerts, called Sundays @ Murry’s, continue to this day and feature special menus. After its first decade, the Jazz Series gained national attention. NPR aired a jazz concert on New Year’s Eve 2005 at Murry’s with vocalist René Marie through 165 public radio stations nationwide. The concert was a part of the Toast-of-the -Nation program. During the 2019-20 season, the Jazz Series is offering 15 performances across

seven different venues including the First Baptist Church Columbia and The Blue Note. Poses says finding a venue that fits each artist is a challenge because capacity varies from about 100 at Murry’s to more than 1,000 at the Missouri Theatre.

California, a more populated city of about 500,000, Griffith says he was surprised by the richness of jazz in Columbia. “We had nothing like this that regularly brings out people there.”

Something for everyone

Besides its regular program, the Jazz Series also partners with Columbia Public Schools to host children’s concerts. Poses says there has been a relationship with the schools since 1996, and they work together to provide the students with jazz opportunities. MU students get to visit elementary and middle schools to teach children how to play jazz. Poses says the program can be a starting point for both college and middle school students to have a career as a musician or a music teacher. Over 35,000 students have participated in the Jazz Series education programs. “We’ve had an impact on the community at large for elevating the knowledge of and awareness of jazz,” Poses says.

Assistant Director Josh Chittum says trumpet player Wynton Marsalis’ concert in 2016 attracted one of the largest audiences over the 25 years. Marsalis won Grammys in jazz and classical music in 1983 and the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1997. Marsalis was nominated for another Grammy this year. Although Chittum says Marsalis’ background made the concert one of their biggest hits, he says everyone can find something they like. Poses says that while it can be a challenge to sell tickets to the concerts, “we’ve cultivated an audience so that at least there are people who have decided to make a commitment and come back every year.” The anniversary season continues through May 2020, and it will bring back musicians who have played in Columbia and offer new experiences to guests. Percussionist and vocalist Pedrito Martinez returned in November because of the popularity of his 2018 concert. At the 2019 show, Martinez performed with trombonist Conrad Herwig for the first time. Sam Griffith, director of jazz studies at MU and a Jazz Series board member, says it’s invaluable to bring world-class musicians to Columbia. Having moved from Sacramento,

Photography by Joel Anderson and courtesy of “We Always Swing”

Education initiatives

Moving forward On May 31 the anniversary season will close with two performances from three “We Always Swing” favorites: pianist Bruce Barth, saxophonist Steve Wilson and clarinetist Anat Cohen, who was just nominated for a Grammy. Poses says it is the first time the musicians will play all together, and it will be special to host the concert in an intimate venue of 60 people. “It’ll be a nice way to end the season and hopefully announce the next season,” he says. VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

CULTURE ART

No words needed Three local artists show how visuals can spark conversations on social issues and inspire people in the community to make change. BY ALEXANDRA SHARP

an a splatter of red paint speak louder than a protester with a bullhorn? Can graffiti articulate the complexity of deep-seated issues? Although history typically associates activism with speech, advocacy takes many forms, including art. Art activism is rooted in American political discourse. Although art has been used as a form of political expression for centuries, this type of advocacy expanded in 1933 when the New Deal, a government campaign to alleviate Great Depression hardships, funded public works projects. Since then, art has become an integral part of political dissent and social progress. Some famous activist pieces include the raised painted fist of anti-Vietnam protests and the “hands up, don’t shoot” posters of the Black Lives Matter movement. According to a 2018 article in The Atlantic, the Trump presidency catalyzed a rise in protest art that is still increasing today. These three local artists use art as a way of speaking their minds without having to say a word.

No, Lisa Bartlett doesn’t display her art on a protest sign, but the founder of ARTLandish Gallery does use her work as a form of activism.

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Lisa Bartlett The founder of ARTLandish Gallery, Lisa Bartlett creates paintings that show how marginalized groups are oppressed. She raises questions in her works about identity and says she hopes the viewer chooses to learn more. “I just hope they dig deeper into history,” Bartlett says. Her art mainly focuses on painting women in a proud light. Some of those works include Harlem Renaissance women and African-American blues culture as well as the woman in the painting above called “Suffragette.” Bartlett has devoted her life to art. Throughout her career, she has worked on roughly 10 different activism series, including portrayals of Native Americans and Japanese geisha. She holds fundraisers where she sells prints of her paintings, and all of the profits go toward social justice organizations. Currently, proceeds from Bartlett’s “Women of the World” series go to City of Refuge, a Columbia immigrant and refugee center.

Photography by Joel Chan, Daniel Shular and Baylee Konen, Art courtesy of Lisa Bartlett, Madeleine LeMieux and Sonya Nicholson and Illustrations by Madison Wisse

C U LT U RE ART

Madeleine LeMieux

Sonya Nicholson

As the founder of the artist-run nonprofit Resident Arts, Madeleine LeMieux partners with local agencies to create mid-Missouri murals as a way to help unheard voices speak out. LeMieux, her Resident Arts team and a group of 5-year-olds worked together to paint the mural outside of The Atelier School of Creative Learning in Columbia. They completed the mural of butterflies, flowers and words such as “discover” on Nov. 10. Columbia residents can find this mural outside the preschool’s main entrance at 1609 Chapel Hill Road. In addition to Resident Arts, LeMieux contributes to An Artist Residency in Motherhood, an international project depicting the beauty and challenges of being a mother, a topic traditionally unexplored in an art world dominated by men. Another mural project of Resident Art’s depicts the urgency of climate change action and can be found on the MKT Trail at the Elm Street overpass. For LeMieux, art activism is a form of social responsibility. “I think every single human being has the opportunity to take on some responsibilities for the culture in which they exist,” LeMieux says. “And I think that is doubly so for artists who have the unique capacity to visualize ideas that might influence people’s thinking.”

Traditional Japanese legends say making 1,000 paper cranes will grant the creator a wish. Sonya Nicholson has had more wishes than she can count, as she has folded thousands of cranes in her life. As a mixed media artist, Nicholson creates origami mobiles of everything from lotus flowers to bunnies. Her specialty is cranes, which are universal symbols for peace and goodwill. When the 9/11 attacks propelled America into war, Nicholson says she realized people needed cranes more than ever, so she began making more origami. It became her avenue to anti-war activism as she hung hopeful one-word messages from each crane, such as “peace” or “love.” One notable mobile, “Blessings on the Wing,” dangles above visitors in Boone Hospital’s lobby. At 14 feet tall and 10 feet wide and supporting over 400 cranes, this is Nicholson’s largest project. She created the nature-inspired installation in 2016. “I feel like we’re making these things that are bringing peace into the world that people can exchange,” Nicholson says. “It’s something that you can see and enjoy.” Nicholson is currently working on a mobile for the Asia Pacific Museum at the University of Southern California.

BUY THEIR ART Lisa Bartlett’s paintings are available for purchase or viewing at ARTlandish Gallery or Main Squeeze. Sonya Nicholson’s work is available for purchase or viewing at Bluestem Missouri Crafts and sonyabird.com. Madeleine LeMieux doesn’t sell her art.

Madeleine LeMieux (left) finished the mural at the Atelier School of Creative Learning on Nov. 10. Sonya Nicholson (right) holds a photo of her mobile “Evidence of Peace.” She created the mobile with the students at the CARE Art Gallery.

CULTURE BOOKS

Primary reading With election season looming, refresh your political knowledge of our state’s history by reading one of these four books BY SABRINA BRONS

s the presidential election nears, it’s a prime time to add political reads to your bedside table. And why not choose books that also teach you about Missouri politics? Books written about legislators and the state government help keep an essential part of Missouri political history alive. Peverill Squire, an MU political science professor, says that reading political books and memoirs is important because such books show perspectives on historical events. Squire and Jeffrey L. Pasley, a professor and associate director of MU’s Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, offered their suggestions on books to help you increase your political knowledge.

For the Obama stan Outside of the Wire: Ten Lessons I’ve Learned in Everyday Courage by Jason Kander A prominent young Democrat and former Missouri secretary of state and state representative, Kander outlines his candid vision for America’s future throughout his book. This memoir, published in 2018, takes a look at Kander’s journey from his time in Afghanistan as an Army intelligence officer in 2006 to 2007 to his time serving in the Missouri legislature from 2009 to 2017. Reasons to read: Kirkus Reviews called it “a magic combination of authenticity, principle, and humor.” Former President Barack Obama called Kander “the future of democracy.”

Kander ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2016.

December 6 Friday 7pm

6:45pm Pre-Concert

Tchaikovsky Holiday

Tchaikovsky Piano Trio and Songs

First Baptist Church, 1112 E Broadway in Columbia $20 /$10 Student | OdysseyMissouri.org | 573.825.0079

Ayako Tsuruta

Eli Lara

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Julie Rosenfeld

Iskander Akhmadullin & Natalia Bolshakova Janice Wenger Steven Jepson Illustrations by Madison Wisse

C U LT U RE BOOKS

For the political junkie Tom’s Town: Kansas City and the Pendergast Legend by William M. Reddig Reddig, a journalist at the Kansas City Star for over 20 years, shares insight into the political climate and flashy behavior that consumed Kansas City from the mid-1800s to 1945. The book details the political control of brothers “Alderman Jim” and “Big Tom” Pendergast and the so-called Pendergast machine, a powerful Democratic political organization. Reddig published the novel in 1947, which details a time when the Kansas City Democratic party and the mob were closely related. Reasons to read: “Tom’s Town is just a really brilliantly funny memoir of corruption in politics,” Pasley says.

For the feminist Plenty Ladylike: A Memoir by Claire McCaskill Elected as Missouri’s first female senator in 2006, McCaskill writes about growing up in a time when women weren’t always encouraged to dream. Published in 2015, she details her previous marriage, her relationship with the Clintons and her struggles within the political sphere, especially with sexism. Reasons to read: Publishers Weekly wrote that the book is “straightforward, plainspoken and at once deeply personal and thoroughly political.”

For the Show-Me heart in all of us The Autobiography of Harry S. Truman by Robert H. Ferrell Ferrell curated some of Truman’s manuscripts written between 1934 and 1972 to compile this pseudo-autobiography. The book recounts Truman’s thoughts and feelings as it goes through his life, including his time growing up in Independence. It also follows Truman from 1935, when he became a Missouri senator, to his presidency from 1945 to 1953, and into retirement. Reasons to read: Truman is important to Missouri history because he is the only person from the state who has served as president.

• EAT/SHOP/PLAY •

#ITSGOODTOBEHERE WWW.DISCOVERTHEDISTRICT.COM

Illustrations by Madison Wisse

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

UNITE

consumer debt

loan W payment due the 15th! 22

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

IN DE

How we got into this financial mess, but more importantly,how you can get out of it. BY SARAH HALLAM e are living in unprecedented times. Consumer debt is the highest it has ever been, staying above the $4 trillion mark since April 2019, according to the Federal Reserve. Although our country is deeply polarized over everything from gun laws to health care reform, debt is the one thing that unites Americans from every generation. According to Northwestern Mutual’s Annual Planning & Progress study released this year, millennials carry an average debt of $27,900, with nearly a fourth of that going to credit card debt. Student loan debt makes up 20 percent of Gen Z’s average debt of $14,700. And Gen X carries the highest amount of personal debt with an average of $36,000. Discussing debt is just as fraught as getting out of it. Several Democratic presidential candidates have made debt a top-tier campaign issue. Bernie Sanders wants to fight the $81 billion worth of medical debt in this country. Elizabeth Warren’s student loan forgiveness plan would cancel $50,000

of student debt for households making less than $100,000. But how did we get here? The 2008 Great Recession introduced consumer debt to a new generation. The Washington Post called this financial crisis “the worst economic disaster in the U.S. since the Great Depression.” Americans saw big banks fail, the housing market collapse, unemployment rise and $9.8 trillion of lost wealth in homes and retirement funds, according to this Post article. Since then, the economy has taken a turn for the better with mortgage rates and unemployment declining. But attitudes toward debt have not. More than one-third of American adults say they are “less comfortable taking financial risks today” than during the financial crisis in 2008, according to the same Northwestern Mutual study. So if Americans are more cautious about their finances, what are the main sources of debt? Tuition at public colleges and universities nearly doubled between 1996 and 2016, according to

You’re not alone — a lot of people have debt. The average American owes $38,000. Everyone has to start somewhere. We’ve rounded up some of the best self-help books, podcasts and apps to get you out of debt.

The debt toolbox

4 trillion

DEBT the National Center for Educational Statistics. For example, the cost of in-state tuition at MU in 1996 was $3,771. Now, it’s $12,094. And wages can’t keep up with inflation. A 2018 Pew Research Center study found that real average wages haven’t increased much and still have similar purchasing power as it did 40 years ago. And a large problem is that consumers aren’t educated on debt. In a press release, Lu Fan, an MU assistant professor of personal financial planning, said “only 30 percent of borrowers said that they had received financial education about paying off their student loans.” And when it comes to credit cards, this same Northwestern Mutual study revealed that nearly one-fifth of millennials are unsure of what interest rates are. The lack of understanding surrounding finance along with rising living costs can be stressful. But in Vox’s primer on debt, we walk and talk you through all things debt from credit card basics to the best podcasts along with practical guidance on filling out a FAFSA and student loan repayment.

Books Crack open one of these financial books, two of the most popular at the Columbia Public Library. The Financial Diet: A Total Beginner’s Guide to Getting Good with Money, Chelsea Fagan Fagan, co-founder of the popular website and YouTube channel The Financial Diet, brings her can-do attitude and real-world advice to her latest book. The New York Times, Refinery29 and Real Simple all gave glowing reviews of the 2018 book, which aims to help readers make smart financial decisions the grownup way. Fagan understands the challenges 20-somethings face and offers insights in her first book I’m Only Here for the Wifi: A Complete Guide to Reluctant Adulthood. Recommended chapter: Chapter Four centers on food and includes 10 commandments to live by when it comes to grocery shopping. For starters, if you buy it, you need to find a way to eat it. The Total Money Makeover, Dave Ramsey This isn’t a financial help book; This is the financial help book. Over 5 million copies of the book have sold, and for good reason. Ramsey emphasizes seven “baby steps” to guide you through your debt journey, starting with creating an emergency fund. Ideally, you’ll feel more financially stable by the end. He also includes stories from people who have followed his advice and succeeded. Recommended chapter: Chapter Seven focuses on the debt snowball effect. Ramsey is a major advocate of this method, which starts by whittling away your smallest debts before tackling massive ones. —Kate Giles

VOX MAGAZINE Illustrations • by DECEMBER Madison2019 Wisse

GIVE ME CREDIT Debunking credit score myths and misconceptions. BY COLLEEN WOUTERS

credit score is a number between 300 and 850, designed to predict the possibility that you’ll make payments on a loan or credit card balance. It’s “an indication of your trustworthiness as a number,” says Graham McCaulley, an assistant MU Extension professor with personal financial planning. A high score means you’ll be offered low interest rate options from credit card issuers, insurance companies, mortgage lenders and banks. This will save a considerable amount of money over time. A bad score, however, can make repayments expensive. A credit report shows your financial history and is the basis for a credit score. We’re breaking down some common myths about credit scores and reports.

Myth: Not having (or not using) a

credit card will give you a good credit score. Good credit takes effort and time to build, McCaulley says, but it doesn’t have to be complicated, and credit cards aren’t something to be afraid of. He suggests starting by opening a credit card for something with regularly scheduled charges,

Myth: Your income or the amount you

owe determines your credit score. Your score is based on your history with the money that you borrow. Even if you have a low income, consistently paying your bills and making sure not to borrow over your credit limit will yield a good score. MU junior Rachel Slings opened her credit card about two years ago to build up credit in anticipation of buying a new car. “I just treat it like it’s a debit card,” she says. “I’m not spending any money I don’t have.”

Myth: It takes a long time to see improvement in your score. Though it’s different for everyone, you can raise your credit score in a few months by making the right changes, says Andrew Zumwalt, an assistant MU Extension professor with financial planning. Pay your bills on time, keep track of how much you charge to your accounts, pay down your debt, and don’t close any current credit cards. It’s all about the ratio of what you owe versus your credit limit. Only using $200 when you have $1,000 available looks great to lenders.

Myth: You must pay to see your score.

In the U.S., there are three major credit beaureaus that compete to calculate consumer credit scores: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Each allows you

Get in the loan. Auto loan.

to get one free credit report per year. Liz Weston, author of How to Improve the 3-Digit Number That Shapes Your Financial Future recommends reviewing the reports carefully. Start by checking all identifying information. Look for names that aren’t yours, a Social Security number that doesn’t belong to you, incorrect birth date, addresses where you’ve never lived or accounts that might have been opened recently by someone other than you. Make sure to dispute errors.

like Netflix, then putting the card away in a drawer. That way, the only charge going on the card is something minor you can afford each month. Another thing: By setting up automatic monthly debit payments that cover the full balance of the card, you’ll build your credit while barely lifting a finger.

Having good credit will help you get better interest rates on loans. Here’s how much money it will take to pay off a $15,000 car loan over 5 years (60 months) with different credit scores.

Credit score

Interest rate

Monthly payment

740

610 450

Interest paid

Total

$270

$1,200

$16,200

10%

$319

$4,140

$19,140

15%

$357

$6,420

$21,420

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Illustrations by Madison Wisse and Calligraphy by Laura Jones

April Church

She beat student debt April Church cried twice. The first time was in 2013 as she neared graduation from MU’s physical therapy school. She’d met with a student loan officer who told her she’d amassed about $90,000 in student loan debt. Terrified but determined, Church got to work. At first, she paid just the minimums each month. But realizing it would take about 30 years to pay off her debt at that pace, Church used the debt snowball strategy, where the smallest debts are paid off first. Being a visual person, Church made thermometer charts to see how much was paid and how much was left. In addition to her full-time physical therapy job, Church took on two additional jobs and sometimes worked up to 60 hours a week. She aggressively paid off her debt, and about three years after leaving her advisor’s office, the tears flowed again as she officially paid off the last dollars of her debt. “I just felt so free,” Church says.

Adulting can get the best of you, but your money doesn’t have to. If credit card lingo sounds like a foreign language, we’ve got you covered. BY HANNAH MCFADDEN

ou can vote, you can drink at a bar, and you can buy all the lotto scratch-offs your heart desires. If you’re a part of Gen Z, you probably grew up watching your parents write checks and mail bills. But with chip readers, Apple Pay and Venmo credit cards, these aren’t the same finances your parents learned in home economics. How do you know what’s what? Sifting through all the information can be a headache, but having a solid credit score is essential to major life milestones, such as buying a home. Missourians rank 35th in the nation in credit card debt. You don’t want to fall into the same spending traps, but you might want to think about applying for a card. We’ve got the answers to some of your most basic credit card questions.

Should I get a credit card? Getting a credit card is less about whether you need one and more about whether you’re ready to manage one. “A person who is ready for a credit card is someone who has a consistent income, who has financial responsibility, who has a track record of living within their means,” says Brooklyn Lowery, senior manager and site editor at cardratings.com.

Marco Pantoja, MU personal financial planning instructor, points out that having a budget is key to responsible credit card management. An important part of budgeting is keeping track of what you’re charging. A card doesn’t give you extra money, so your spending has to fit into your current budget. “The death by a thousand cuts is using it to live beyond your means and slowly building up your balance until your payments become unmanageable,” Pantoja says.

Are there different types of cards? General, flat-rate cards that offer rewards on all purhcases, instead of more item-specific rewards, are perfect for first-timers. Cards from specific brands or stores that award points for shopping there are generally easier to obtain, but they aren’t right for everyone. “Until you have established a pattern of spending on your own, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to apply for a card that offers different types of rewards for different types of spending.” Lowery says. Pantoja recommends exercising caution in how many credit accounts or cards you have. He suggests starting with one

Photography by Monique Woo, Illustrations by Madison Wisse and Calligraphy by Laura Jones

—David Sack

card, and not exceeding three cards. “The more accounts you have, the more you have to manage, and the more risky and complex it becomes for you as the borrower,” Pantoja says. For those of us who are ready for more than one, Pantoja suggests a a trio consisting of one card for travel rewards (think airline miles), one card for cash back and one card with rewards for a store you regularly shop (think weekly groceries).

Which card is right for me? Pantoja and Lowery agree that comparing cards is essential before applying for one. Consider why you need one, and research which cards will best serve you. Luckily, weighing your options is as easy as going online. “Everyone out there has their terms of service available to be read,” Pantoja says. “You can see how they’re going to charge you fees, when they’re going to charge you fees and how you can avoid that.” Pantoja’s tip is to find a card without an annual fee, which can make render rewards obsolete. He says that there are plenty of cards available that forgo the annual fee entirely, so opt for one of those. Lowery’s advice is to review the available information closely. If you’ve got the right card and budgeting habits, it’s less likely that your debt will end up controlling you. VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

The debt toolbox

College: Where T-shirts are free, but tuition is not. Here’s a closer look at the student loan debt affecting people post-grad across the U.S. and Missouri. BY CHRISTIÁNE-TRÉSOR CRAWFORD

apps Make room on your homescreen for these budgeting apps. If they’re good enough for App Store reviewers, then they’re good enough for us. Goodbudget This app takes the age-old budgeting method of divvying cash into envelopes and supplements it with technological touches. These include a pie chart and an income vs. spending report to help you understand your net expenses. Another big advantage of Goodbudget is that you can easily share finances and budget information with your significant other. PocketGuard PocketGuard breaks down your finances and makes sure you’re getting the best deals possible. It shows how much you spend in niche categories, such as parking or coffee shops. The app monitors for the best deals on the market and will let you know if you’re paying too much for services, such as your phone bill, by showing the lowest prices. — Kate Giles

tudent loan debt, second only to mortgages, makes up the highest consumer debt category in the U.S. It has surpassed credit card debt and auto loans. Take a look at the cost of college. Tuition: The average 2019 U.S. in-state tuition is $10,230. Compare this to out-of-state tuition and fees, which average $37,430, according to CollegeBoard. “For many people, college is the largest purchase that they’ve made at this stage in their life,” says Rachel Smith, assistant director of student success at Columbia College. Total debt: Room and board, course fees, textbooks and study abroad all contribute to the approximately $1.6 trillion total student loan debt. So does competition between colleges to build new facilities, upgrade technology and add academic majors. Ages affected: A standard plan for federal student loan repayment allows borrowers 10 years to pay off their loans. But even people 62 and older have student loan debt, whether they’re borrowing for their own education or children and grandchildren. The total outstanding loan by age group is: 24 and younger: $120.1 billion

She leads by example In February 2008, Julie Williamson’s life changed. She walked into Woodcrest church where she took a Dave Ramsey class and started her journey to get out of debt. In 2018 she did just that by paying off her mortgage. Beyond knocking out that debt, Williamson found her calling. After taking the 9-week program, Williamson started leading a section of the class, often for single women, twice a year and now has a strong connection to her participants. She says she believes this personal finance class is more about looking at behaviors than learning math. She teaches that it’s important to pay the smallest balances first so people can feel a sense of accomplishment with minor victories. Williamson’s most memorable success story involved a woman saddled with about $90,000 in student loan debt. “We met with her, and she was overwhelmed,” Williamson says. She encouraged the woman to take it one step at a time. Several years later, the participant sent another text: “I’m debt-free. I did it.”

VOX MAGAZINE •DECEMBER 2019

—David Sack

25-34: $494.2 billion 35-49: $548.4 billion 50-61: $224.1 billion 62 and older: $67.8 billion Races affected: Difficulties with loan repayment vary across race and ethnicity. According to the Federal Reserve, black and Hispanic borrowers are more likely than white borrowers to be behind on loan repayment. These statistics also partly reflect variances in rates of degree completion and subsequently, wages: White: 9% behind, 22% paid off Black: 26% behind, 7% paid off Hispanic: 24% behind, 7% paid off Show-Me the money: Missouri ranks 28th nationwide in average student loan debt per borrower. Here’s how LendEDU ranks in-state institutions based on average debt: 1. Lincoln University: $30,827 2. Westminster College: $29, 691 3. Maryville University: $28,361 4. Southeast Missouri State University: $27,318 5. University of Missouri-Columbia: $27,364 6. Missouri State University: $25,196 7. University of Missouri-St. Louis: $25,110 8. Truman State University: $24,938 9. Washington University: $22,555 10. Columbia College: $22,159

Julie Williamson

FAQS OF FAFSA Don’t freak out about the form for federal student aid. BY QUINN RITZDORF

he college entry process is stressful, from campus visits and application essays to the ACT and SAT. And for 18.96 million people, a little (or rather, a 10-page) form called the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a part of that process. Let’s break it down. What the heck is FAFSA, and do I really have to fill it out? The FAFSA is an application for federal financial aid. Completing the FAFSA form is not mandatory to attend college, but it is mandatory if you want to receive need-based federal and state aid and loans, such as Stafford or PLUS loans. Anybody who fills it out is eligible for federal student loans, regardless of family need. Whether you have $5 or you’re a millionaire, you can still get a direct student loan, but you must fill out the FAFSA, says Lynn Stichnote, the interim director of student financial aid at MU. Please tell me I don’t have to fill out this form every year. You really should because you might be eligible for greater loans from year to year. But take a deep breath. You can use the Renewal FAFSA, a faster version of the form that auto-fills most of your data from the previous year if nothing has changed. When do I have to fill out the FAFSA? The form comes out Oct. 1 each year, and the deadline to submit is June 30 the following year. But don’t wait. Deadlines to receive state aid are much earlier, such as Feb. 1, the priority deadline for Missouri. The sooner you submit, the sooner you’re likely to know how much financial aid you qualify for, and that can help you with your college decision, says Leigh Spence, the director of guidance counseling at Battle High School. Which tax forms do I need? You’ll need your W-2 and 1099 and any other records of money earned. If ap-

plicable, you’ll also need to document income tax returns, for example with a 1040 or 1040 EZ. Note: Use your tax information from two years ago, not last year. Don’t have those records ready? This shouldn’t be a problem if you use the IRS Data Retrieval tool. It’s a button within the form that automatically takes your tax information and might be able to auto-fill some boxes for you. How is my aid calculated? Your FAFSA gets sent to the federal government, and based on the family income, number in the family and other information, the federal financial aid formula determines your Expected Family Contribution. The EFC is sent to your prospective colleges, and they create a financial aid package based on the difference between the EFC and the total cost of attendance. I submitted my FAFSA but received an email about a request for verification. What does this mean? This is essentially an auditing process. The Department of Education flags about one-third of all FAFSA forms, chosen randomly, to be verified. This means you may have to send your tax forms or bank account information to prove your information is correct. But don’t ignore this email because schools can’t give you financial aid until your FAFSA is verified. I’m still confused. What do I do? It’s OK. The Missouri Department of Higher Education hosts help sessions at local high schools and colleges in the fall. The Federal Student Aid Information Center also has a toll-free hotline you can call at 1-800-433-3243. You can also contact college financial aid offices. “We are absolutely here to help students through that form. Sometimes it’s worth asking for help, so you can see that it’s not as bad as it feels,” says Colleen Brown, director of financial aid at Columbia College.

Illustrations by Madison Wisse, Calligraphy by Laura Jones and Photography by Hillary Tan

FAFSA Failures Things to avoid when it’s your turn to fill out the form.

Procrastinating: “I sometimes think

it’s the worry or the fear of filling out the FAFSA that causes a family to delay. So, the biggest advice that we give to students and families is go ahead and sit down and start the FAFSA,” Stichnote says.

Not using the IRS Data Retrieval tool:

Entering tax information manually leads to more mistakes.

Wrong Social Security number: Yes, this is a common mistake. Double check everything.

Forgetting your FSA ID: You’ll need

a username for the form, so forgetting it or mixing it up with a parent’s ID, if he or she is also taking out loans, makes the process more difficult.

Leaving answers blank: If initially

you don’t know an answer to a question, make a note of it, so you don’t forget to go back and answer it later.

Forgetting to submit the form:

Don’t forget to click submit once you’re done with every page. If you don’t receive a confirmation email from Federal Student Aid within 48 hours, double check that the form was submitted.

VOX MAGAZINE •DECEMBER 2019

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY

Buy If…

Car

You’re paying off other loans. If buying a car would require taking out yet another loan, leasing might be the best option for you. Plus, it can boost your credit.

The average American drives 15,000 to 20,000 miles per year, says Mikey Glasgow of Joe Machens Volkswagen. The allowed annual mileage on a lease varies depending on how much you’re willing to pay. More miles equal more moolah.

You like driving the latest and greatest. Leases are short-term, meaning you can easily move on to your next sweet ride.

You love the car and don’t have commitment issues.

Buy if…

Technology

You can afford the hefty upfront cost. Buying a gadget outright will put a dent in your piggy bank, but it’s the most no-fuss option. If you don’t have to, don’t complicate the matter with contracts or monthly installments.

You can pay the ticket price within a year. Payment plans are a good option if you’re able to stick to the monthly cost for the set amount of time. But if you can’t, late fees and other charges will add up fast.

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BY KATE GILES

Lease if…

You have a long work commute or make frequent road trips.

The car is all yours once you pay it off. Then, gas, maintenance and insurance are your only concerns.

In a world filled with “just four easy installments” and incentives making you wonder if you should buy or lease, deciding how to pay for large-ticket items isn’t easy. We talked to workers from Columbia’s car dealerships, furniture stores and tech kiosks so that we could spell out exactly what your options are.

Lease if… You’re getting long-term, interest-free financing. This mostly applies to cell phones. If your provider allows you to prolong your payments without slapping on fees, don’t be afraid to take it. As a bonus, you’ll be able to upgrade to the latest phones as they’re released.

It’s your last resort. Seriously, buy it if you can. Leases on tech items vary greatly depending on the provider and their terms. In general, it’s not encouraged because it ends up being more expensive.

Furniture Buy if… You don’t anticipate moving soon. Paying to move furniture is expensive, but go for it if you’re settled and won’t have to worry about getting that California king across town.

You’re renting that armchair with the hope of one day owning it. All in all, it costs less to buy furniture items outright. Let the Netflix binges commence.

Lease if… You’re trying to make an extended-stay work situation feel like home. Say you have to be in a city temporarily for job training or a special project — you can rent furniture (even if it’s just for a month), then return it hassle-free.

You like to keep up with interior design trends, or you haven’t committed to a personal style of your own. Trading a nautical look for something more rustic is easy when you don’t own the item.

Housing Buy if…

Rent if…

You’ve got money stashed under your mattress or a healthy savings account. Ideally, you’d want to make a 20% down payment. Use the down payment calculator at smartassetx`.com to see what you need for your dream house.

Your credit score could use a boost. Timely rent payments will look good on your credit report and help you get a better home loan.

You have no idea what your life will look like in five years.

A burnt out bulb or a burst pipe won’t break the bank — or your spirit. If you buy it and it breaks, then you have to fix it. No landlord means you become your own maintenance person, or you need to pay for one to handle repairs.

Is this house big enough to raise kids in? Will you still want a two-story in a few years if your knees are already this bad? Will it still be socially acceptable to have roommates?

Your current city will be your forever home. Your house will build equity as time goes on, and you’ll want to be the owner when the market skyrockets.

She found health insurance At 15, McKenzi Prussman stopped receiving MC+ for Kids, a type of Medicaid insurance plan. Now 23, she has avoided the doctor since then. So in April, when she started feeling side pains, she was apprehensive. Even as she checked herself into the ER, she was worried. “A big part of me didn’t even want to go back because I knew I didn’t have health insurance,” she says. Prussman was diagnosed with gallstones and still has flare ups.

McKenzi Pru ssman Photography by Derek Rieke and illustrations by Madison Wisse

She still feels the sting of the medical bills. That one visit produced emergency room, pathology and physician bills. A follow-up meant additional bills for the ultrasound and physician’s time. The total came to $2,500. Although she tried to consolidate these, she still has to make five individual monthly payments of $10 to $35. As a student working part-time, she couldn’t afford much more. If she only pays minimums, it’ll take her close to five years to pay them off. She has since graduated from MU and started working in donor relations at the university. One of her biggest priorities during the job hunt? “Where was going to offer me insurance,” she says. Now that she has a full-time job, she hopes to knock out the debt in six months. —Siobhan Conners

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

podcasts

The debt toolbox

Get out your headphones, and turn the volume up on these podcasts, top-rated by Apple listeners.

Listen Money Matters People behind it: Andrew Fiebert and Matt Giovanisci How often: weekly Since: 2013 Apple rating: 4.5/5 stars In their self-proclaimed “not your father’s boring money show,” Fiebert and Giovanisci encourage listeners to free their inner financial badasses. The podcast starts with a beer review, then gets into the nitty gritty of finance. They’re talking assets, diversifying your portfolio, the time value of money and other concepts you forgot to pay attention to in your Intro to Finance class. Recommended episode: “Investing in the Age of Anxiety with The Broke Millennial” helps break down why it freaks us out to invest and why it shouldn’t.

Afford Anything Who’s behind it: Paula Pant How often: weekly Since: 2016 Apple rating: 4.5/5 stars Pant, an investor and finance writer, has one guiding principle: You can afford anything, but not everything. She has worked her way to financial freedom. Now, she’s sharing her best tips and having her special guests dish on theirs, too. At the end of each episode, Pant offers action steps so that listeners walk away having learned something applicable. Recommended episode: “The Latte Factor with David Bach” brings into perspective the purchases that make a big impact. Don’t worry, there are expenses other than your Starbucks habit to cut. —Kate Giles 30

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Jim Green He teaches personal finance Jim Green has always been good at math. In 2003, he took one of Dave Ramsey’s financial classes, which helps participants figure out how to budget and pay off debt. This class made Green realize he wanted to teach others about finance. In 1990 he earned his MBA in finance at Louisiana Tech University, and in 2017 Green received his doctorate of business administration with a concentration in finance from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. In 2018, he started working as director of MU’s Office for Financial Success, which offers free financial services to the MU community. Along with overseeing OFS, Green teaches courses that focus on financial survival, personal and family finance, financial counseling and financial success. Green says finance is a major stressor for Americans as it’s not really taught at all. “The hardest part is getting people to talk about it,” Green says. — Sadie Lea

Photography by Baylee Konen and Illustrations by Madison Wisse

GOOD DEBT / BAD DEBT Believe it or not, debt can be a powerful tool to put you on the path for financial success; it can help you finance an education that will lead to a higher salary or help you build equity. From student loans to payday loans, we rank different types of debt from best to worst. BY ABBIE WILSON

Student loans Student loans help finance education and, within reason, can be considered an investment. “Whether you have $5,000 in student loan debt or you have $50,000 in student loan debt, it hangs over your head,” says Garrett Webb, the Interim Executive Director of the Missouri Council on Economic Education. But there are advantages. You can write off student loans on tax returns, and you’ll likely be paid more in the long run. According to a 2019 survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers who have a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $1,383 weekly compared with those who those with only a high school diploma who make an average of $749 a week.

Mortgages Mortgages can also be good because continually paying your mortgage builds equity, which is the amount of your home you own. If you decide to move, you can put that equity toward the new home. The ability to take out a home equity loan, or a second mortgage, is another benefit of building home equity as long as those loans can be paid off. Home equity loans have some risk because your home can be taken away if you are unable to pay back the second mortgage. According to Forbes, 40 million households in the U.S. are “house poor,” meaning they own a home they cannot easily afford.

Credit cards

Auto loans

Auto loans are taken out to help pay for, well, automobiles. With a high credit score, some people can qualify for a loan with 2 or 3% interest rate from car manufacturers. The term length for auto loans can range from 24 months to six years, and the interest rate usually increases the longer the term is. Taking out loans to pay for a car is not always a smart option. Remember, a new car depreciates in value as soon as you drive it off the lot.

Credit cards are essential for building credit, Webb says. It’s not efficient or practical to not have a credit card, Webb says, because there will come a time when you have to pay for a home a car, or healthcare that you can’t afford out-ofpocket. Getting a credit card and paying it off on time every month is the most responsible way to establish good credit, though 47% of Americans do not do this, according to a survey conducted by NerdWallet. This leads to late fees and interest charges.

Payday loans

Business loans Business loans help people start new ventures which can improve finances. That is, if they’re successful. The Small Business Association requires a comprehensive plan that explains each stage of the growth of the company and how it will be managed. The plan forces entrepreneurs to consider the pros and cons of starting the business before actually taking out the loan. The Bank of Missouri, Old Missouri Bank, Providence Bank and Heritage Bank of the Ozarks are some Mid-Missouri lenders that help finance small businesses in Missouri.

Personal loans Personal loans are taken out for serious purposes including debt consolidation, home improvements, weddings and medical emergencies. They are based on the borrower’s credit history and income instead of the borrower’s collateral such as a house or a car. “If you have a longstanding relationship with an institution, they’re going to be more likely to accept you for a personal loan,” Webb says. Long-term employment helps, too. “If you go to Bank of America, and you qualify for a personal loan for $1,000 or whatever, they’re going to be prohibited from charging you some exorbitant amount unlike a payday lender or a title loan.”

Payday loans are so risky that many states do not authorize them. In Missouri, payday loans are short-term loans under $500 that are due within 31 days or on the next payday. “They’re predatory loans,” Webb says, because interest rates for payday loans are extremely high. Interest percentages can be in the hundreds or thousands; whereas, a personal loan is going to be regulated by a financial industry regulator, Webb says. In Missouri, the Annual Percentage Rate for payday loans is 443%.

Illustrations by Madison Wisse

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Across the country, wedding loans are growing in popularity. BY ALEXANDRA SHARP

ecil Owens bought not one, not two, but three engagement rings to propose to Tabitha Atterberry. The first two were for Atterberry’s daughters, ages 5 and 6, who couldn’t stop smiling when he knelt down and asked to be their daddy. The final ring was for Atterberry herself. She said yes. Before Owens and Atterberry can tie the knot next September, the Fulton couple have a lot of decisions to make, including what their budget will be. The cost of a wedding has risen over the past six years, now averaging $33,931. With the price tag climbing, so too has the number of people taking out personal loans to pay for the big day. One-third of couples getting married between 2018 and 2019 planned to borrow up to $10,000 for their wedding, according to a poll by LendingTree. This brings the national average wedding loan to $16,000 — roughly the same price of a 2020 Nissan Versa. CNBC reports that 11% of engaged couples who are planning to borrow will take out loans of $50,000 or more. Online lenders are issuing up to four times as many wedding loans as they did a year ago, but not everyone agrees wedding loans are a financially smart move. “It’s not about being cheap,” Atterberry explains. “It’s about knowing what we can and cannot afford.” Jessica Humble is a certified financial planner and senior private banking advisor at Landmark Bank’s downtown location. She categorizes a wedding as a luxury item and doesn’t recommend taking out a loan. “Culture-wise, we think it’s great to have a huge wedding, invite lots of people,” Humble says. “But to start off a marriage in debt, that puts a ton of strain on a new couple, and I just don’t think it’s worth it.” So is it worth it? That’s the question Atterberry faces as she jots down guest names and tries on dresses. With her job at a daycare and Owens hoping to start his own business, extra spending money is hard to come by. It’s tempting to allot a giant budget to the wedding, but there other

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

investments they’d like to make. “That’s actually taking money out of our budget that we could put toward activities our kids could do or moving to somewhere other than an apartment where they have room to run,” Atterberry says. Despite the financial hardships a personal loan can create, sometimes the prospect of a perfect big day is too great to resist. High Ridge, Missouri, resident Nicholas Tindall knows this well. Married in September 2012, Nicholas and his fiancé took out a $5,000 personal loan with a payment plan of a couple hundred dollars per month. Having already saved about $35,000, they hadn’t expected to need loans when they started planning their wedding. But when a reception at Busch Stadium raised their budget to roughly $40,000, Nicholas

and Amanda realized there wouldn’t be enough money in the bank when the bills arrived. When a loan became an option, they were relieved that much of their payment stress could go away. “I was running out of money,” Nicholas says. “I didn’t know where to get it from.” With the help of cash wedding presents and a sizable tax return, they paid off the loan in six months. Not all couples are fortunate enough to pay off their loans quickly, in part because most loans accrue interest over time. As the winter season unfolds, plenty of couples will consider how to pay for their nuptials. Whether a blowout party or an intimate gathering, the “something borrowed” for many couples becomes the money they use to afford the big day.

She helps people talk it out Jordan Cera knows just how overwhelming money can be. As a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Columbia, much of her work revolves around treating people with financial stress. People often internalize their problems with money, she says, and that can take a toll on their mental health. “If our finances are poor, then our emotional health is poor,” she says. She works with people on their stress, shame, embarrassment, guilt and self-criticism surrounding money. “People avoid their finances, don’t want to check in their bank account.” balance the or their bills To counteract this, she recommends confronting those habits head on. Just talking about financial anxieties can be cathartic, Cera says, and it helps her clients separate themselves from the problem. She often has her clients think about best- and worst-case scenarios and do deep breathing techniques and meditation. “That way, they can say, ‘This is happening, but I have control over it.’”

Jordan Cera

—Siobhan Conners

Photography by Hillary Tan, Illustrations by Madison Wisse and Calligraphy by Laura Jones

PROJECT: FIX MY FINANCES We can’t hand out free money, but we can offer you these 10 tips for winning the game of debt.

Meet the Experts!

BY SABRINA BRONS Let’s be real: Life can be a mess, but your wallet doesn’t have to be. Getting out of debt, or simply maintaining good financial health, is a long-term commitment. We spoke to three experts and compiled a list of their top 10 tips to help you save more, spend less and work your way out of the red.

Track where your money goes — that’s the first step to debt relief. Use a notebook, bullet journal or Excel sheet to log every purchase you make.

Budget, budget, budget. After figuring out where your money is going, plan out a weekly or monthly budget. Now stick to it. “Put a name to every dollar on its own, or it’s going to leave,” entrepreneur Tameeka Williams says. Separate your expenses into categories such as gas, bills, savings and entertainment, so you know how much you can spend on each.

Switch to cash and try the envelope system. After you create your budget, put the allocated amount of cash into separate envelopes for each group. The next time you go grocery shopping, if there’s no money left in the envelope, you won’t be tempted to buy those Oreos.

Ease into spending cuts by finally canceling that long-neglected gym membership or by ditching your daily Starbucks run. Then nix larger expenses such as cable, and get a streaming service in its place. Certified public accountant Polly Reynolds says dropping her landline and paying for Hulu instead of DirecTV saves her more than $100 per month.

Polly Reynolds serves

as vice president and trust officer at the Trust Company and is a certified public accountant.

Rui Yao

Adopt the right mindset. Figure out what strategy works for you, and buckle down on your savings plan. Be reasonable with your expectations, otherwise you’re setting yourself up for failure, certified financial planner Rui Yao says.

is a certified financial planner and the director of graduate studies in the department of personal financial planning at MU.

Tameeka Williams started

her own digital tools business, Savvy Nester Designs, and uses Etsy to sell her financial planning spreadsheets.

Talk to your bank to find out if you can lower your credit card’s interest rates. Also, as long as your bank doesn’t charge you extra fees, you can consolidate your debt so you only have one payment each month instead of multiple. “If it has a cost, don’t do it,” Yao says.

Make it fun. Bullet journals and posters are great ways to track your debt and manage your money in a creative and colorful way. Williams says an aesthetic appeal can be beneficial because it helps keep the process satisfying and easy to stick with because it’s already set up for you.

Police yourself. Let go of bad spending habits to ensure you don’t slip back into old patterns. The key is to balance being wise, enjoying life and staying within your means.

Try the snowballing method, which requires tackling your smallest debts first. Pay those off, and then work toward your bigger payments. Reducing the quantity makes the task of paying them off feel more manageable and helps build momentum. If the snowball method doesn’t work for you, try the high interest method instead, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first.

Admit that you might need more help, and seek out a financial counselor to hold you accountable. “There is no one-fits-all policy; it depends on what kind of person you are,” Yao says. Although, this can also be a Catch-22, according to Reynolds. Financial advice shouldn’t cost an exorbitant amount, so do your research to make sure you’re not being ripped off.

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

The acceptance of drug use starts early, says chef Cory Hoos, who knew of culinary school professors who partied with students.

Under the table

The restaurant industry offers customers full meals and fine dining, but its employees see the unglamorous side of food preparation. For the people bussing tables and operating the ovens, a confidential culture of drug use becomes part of the workday, and from this, addiction reigns.

By Catherine Wendlandt

VOX MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ DECEMBER 2019

hen Liz Huff woke up in the hospital after a suicide attempt in 2005, she was livid that she was still alive. Her life was so messed up, she thought, she couldn’t even kill herself right. After Huff, 32, got out of the hospital, she spent 28 days in Valley Hope, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Boonville, to recover from her crack cocaine addiction. Every morning for a week, she walked down to see a chaplain at the center, who asked her the same question each time. “Lizzy, do you want to be alive today?” he would ask. In a heartbeat, she’d respond, “No, I do not.” Almost 14 years later, Huff recalls the final, painful years before she got sober. On this March 2019 day, she’s sitting at a long wooden table in her kitchen in Arrow Rock, Missouri. Her dogs, an old yellow lab and a grey-dappled Great Dane, sleep on the couch in her living room. She’s bottle-feeding her 11-week-old adopted son, Ellis, whose big eyes stare up at her as she talks. Huff didn’t think she’d ever be a mother after miscarrying twins at age 29. It was fall 2001, during the height of her cocaine and alcohol addiction. Huff went to a Boston hospital for a kidney infection. There, the doctors told her she was 14 weeks pregnant with twins. She called a nearby treatment center to check herself in, but she began to miscarry while she was still in the hospital. The doctors told her there wasn’t anything they could do to save her babies. They would just pass, the doctors said. Devastated, she ripped her IV out and ran away to a crack house. It took 24 hours for the babies to pass. Huff had to borrow clothes from someone at the house because hers were bloodied. After that, she moved back home to central Missouri to try to get sober.

Five years after becoming sober, Liz Huff re-opened her fine dining restaurant, Catalpa.

She first entered rehab at Valley Hope in 2002. However, three years later, after relapsing six to eight times, Huff was defeated. She was tired of hurting her family. So, she wrote a note to her father and then swallowed an entire bottle of his medicine.

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Her first hit Huff says her alcoholism started with her first drink at age 14. A classmate at her high school in Marshall, Missouri, gave her grape flavored Mad Dog 20/20 mixed with Diet Sprite at a party. The crack cocaine addiction came later, during her first cu-

linary internship at the Buccaneer Hotel, a luxury resort on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Back then, in the early 1990s, the Buccaneer’s stainless steel kitchen was run down. Paint was peeling off the walls. Some of the equipment needed to be repaired, but the staff made Photography by Alexandria Wells

do with what they had, she says. Huff was 21, and it was her first night on the job in the hotel’s massive 200-seat restaurant, and one of the more experienced cooks didn’t show. Angela, the chef and boss, told Huff that she would have to work two stations that night. To give her a boost, Angela, whose last name Huff can’t remember, handed her a paring knife and small bag of cocaine and told her to go to the employee bathroom and take a couple of bumps. “I didn’t know what a bump was,” Huff says, “so I did the whole bag.” Huff flew around the kitchen and got through the dinner service. She was shocked with how the cocaine made her feel. She has had attention deficit disorder since childhood, and the drugs made her feel like what she imagined normal people felt. Everything fit. She continued using cocaine every night after work for the rest of her internship. Initially, Huff quit using the drug when she returned home. She says she made a point of not seeking out cocaine. But, after she ran into a friend from the Virgin Islands in Burlington, Vermont, who gave her some cocaine, the drug crept back in until it took over her life. “It ceased being fun,” she says, “but I kept doing it.”

Prominence of addiction In his 2000 memoir, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain listed heavy drinking and drugs by restaurant staff as just some of the “unsavory, industry-wide practices.” His descriptions seemed more akin to the lifestyles of rock stars, such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. In the nearly 20 years since Bourdain’s book published, substance abuse in the restaurant industry has been covered by many major news outlets, including The New York Times, NPR, CNN and The Guardian, but talking about this within the industry is still taboo. Gordon Ramsay called cocaine the “hospitality industry’s dirty little secret,” according to a 2017 article from The Guardian. And despite people not wanting to talk about it, substance abuse affects millions of restaurant employees. Food services and accommodations form the leading U.S. industry category for substance abuse, according to a 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), and almost 17% of employees in those industries are suffering from a substance use disorder. In a 2017 survey of 93 adult restaurant workers conducted by George Mason

Hazel Folkerts, 20, has watched the easy access to alcohol at work hurt her family.

Photography by Joel Chan

University, 53% said they knew someone at work with a substance abuse problem. More than 15 million people work in more than 1 million restaurants in the United States, according to the National Restaurant Association. Missouri has about 300,300 food service and restaurant jobs, employing 10% of the state’s workforce, in more than 11,000 restaurants. Pei Liu, an MU hospitality management associate professor who studies food safety in food service establishments, says proximity to alcohol and role ambiguity contribute to the high rates of substance use. A 2017 study published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management explains that role ambiguity, or not having a clear, defined job, contributes to substance use in front-of-house workers by causing stress. Such is the case when waitresses buss tables though there are other employees dedicated to clearing dishes or when managers are friends and bosses. Workplace sobriety Huff has been the owner and executive chef of Catalpa, an award-winning seasonal restaurant in Arrow Rock, since 2001, but she closed the restaurant for eight years before re-opening it in 2010. Founded in 1829, Arrow Rock is a village 45 minutes west of Columbia along the Missouri River. During the Civil War, the town’s population was 1,000. In 2010, it was 56. Catalpa is situated in a little red house next to the old Lyceum Theatre. Patrons walk through the kitchen to the dining room, and the whole front of house could seat the majority of people who live in Arrow Rock. Huff has a small staff and doesn’t allow drinking or any substance use on the job. Huff likes to give second chances because she herself had gotten more than her share, she says,

Eighteen years before his death, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain listed heavy drinking and drugs by restaurant staff as just some of the “unsavory, industrywide practices” in his 2000 memoir.

but people have to be sober at work. At times, Huff has had problems with employees following that rule. In October 2017, Catalpa was packed for Arrow Rock’s annual Heritage Craft Festival. One of Huff’s workers showed up an hour late, high on meth. The woman had skipped work all week, and now she appeared sunken, sad and empty. Her pupils were tiny; she probably hadn’t slept in a few days. Huff debated sending the woman home, but it was a busy night and she figured a third of a person was better than nobody. She put the woman to work washing dishes. Normally, Huff wants her employees to smile and say hello to her patrons as they come in through the kitchen. This time, she told the woman to keep her eyes down. Huff says the woman looked relieved. After dinner ended, Huff had everyone who had been working take an at-home drug testing kit that she had ordered off Amazon. The kits, $10.85 for a pack of five, looked a bit like credit cards and tested for five different substances: tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which is found in marijuana; cocaine; benzodiazepines; amphetamines; and opiates. She decided to fire anyone who tested positive for anything except THC. She fired two-thirds of her kitchen staff that night. VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

The reputation of Liz Huff’s restaurant, Catalpa, has drawn celebrities such as Cameron Diaz to visit.

Turning over In the restaurant industry, there’s a 72.9% turnover rate. Liu says she personally believes the causes for turnover are also reasons for the prevalence of substance abuse. The rate, in part, can be attributed to the irregular hours required of restaurant staff. The fast-paced environment also influences the frequent turnover, Liu says. Hours working in a restaurant kitchen are grueling, says Cory Hoos, 39, who works as a chef for Sterling Food Management in Columbia. Hazel Folkerts, a server in a national chain restaurant in Columbia that she asked not to be named, says that at the end of a long shift, she just wants to get off her feet. Liu worked at a Houston restaurant when she was in graduate school and remembered one older coworker whose wrist bone would protrude prominently when she carried a tray over her shoulder.

If you’re struggling with addiction or suicidal thoughts, you can get professional help and community support from these services: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Offers 24/7 support. 800-273-8255 SAMHSA’s National Helpline Offers 24/7 treatment referral and information for people experiencing substance abuse and mental health concerns. 800-662-4357 Recovery Lighthouse Free outpatient services to adult Missouri residents. 1809 W. 10th St., Sedalia, 660-827-4357 38

In addition to the physical demands of the job, Liu says low pay is a factor leading to the industry’s high turnover. According to Glassdoor, the average base pay for kitchen staff is $37,546, as of November 2019. Line cooks only make an average of $26,085, and cooks and dishwashers make a little under $24,000. At least for kitchen staff, the pay is somewhat stable. The compensation for front-of-house workers, such as servers and hosts, varies week to week because of the U.S. tipping system, made legal by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. In Missouri, employers must pay front-ofhouse workers at least half of the minimum wage, which is $8.60 in 2019. Then the rest of their wages can be composed of tips, according to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. However, since tips are often passed out in cash at the end of the night, that money isn’t reflected in all workers’ paychecks. “I mean, I’ll work 35 hours in a week,” Folkerts says, “and my paycheck every week will be $30.”

she says she probably wouldn’t have a staff. It’s hard to find good help in the industry, she says, especially in a village with a small population. Hoos bounced around in restaurants across the country after he left culinary school in 2006. He spent time in Maine and Scottsdale, Arizona, before heading up to the Alyeska Resort, 40 miles outside of Anchorage, Alaska. When he was there, Hoos says all the employees had to submit urine analyses for illicit substance use. However, he heard the resort didn’t test for THC because otherwise management would have had to fire a third of their workforce.

Part of the lifestyle “It’s generally accepted that you might be hungover at work,” Hoos says. Hoos has had drinks shoved in his hand in kitchens. “Shift beers,” or free drinks offered to employees after working a long shift, had long been part of the social norm in restaurants. Huff’s boss during her Virgin Islands internship, Angela, was one of her cocaine suppliers for that entire summer. There’s a glamour to the environment, like being a rock star without the money. Now that Huff runs her own kitchen, she says she wants her entire staff to be sober like her, but that’s not feasible. If she fired everyone who smoked marijuana,

Negligence in the kitchen When someone has a serious problem with substances, especially a person in a managerial role, they can harm everyone around them. Marguerite Rappold, 30, grew up in her parents’ restaurants. Her father, Bob, was one of the previous owners of Booches, but by the early 1990s, her whole family moved to Arrow Rock and opened the Evergreen Restaurant. Huff began working at Booches as a teenager after she graduated from high school. Marguerite describes her father as a literary type who had a Hemmingway-like attitude toward drinking. He was gregarious. “If he could share

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

something and be like the guy who was throwing the party,” she says, “that’s where he lived.” He taught 18-year-old Huff how to make sidecars — a cocktail with brandy, triple sec and lemon juice — during her first week on the job. Before Huff could even start her shift as a dishwasher, she’d have to make a pitcher of sidecars and bring it into the kitchen, so Bob could always have a fresh drink. Bob, who died in a house fire in 2010, was a heavy drinker, Marguerite says. He’d drink bloody marys and sidecars throughout the day and then a bottle of red wine during the dinner service. He’d encourage the staff to drink as well. He had an energy to him that enlivened others, but when combined with drinking, he’d frequently become belligerent. Huff says that some of the regulars would know that this would be the time of night when he became “offensive.” He would shout at his staffers and patrons alike. Typical Bob. Huff recalls one night that a group celebrated its company holiday party at the restaurant. One of the guests accidentally knocked over a decoration, a shellacked baguette Bob kept as a memento, and it shattered. Bob came barreling out of the kitchen. “You broke my wife’s bread!” he bellowed. The entire group left its large bill without a tip. Huff had been Photography courtesy of Liz Huff

planning to use that money to buy Christmas presents for her family. Liu says in restaurants, management needs to be an example for the rest of the employees. Marguerite agrees and says it’s the manager’s job to maintain a safe and supportive environment. There’s a fine line between being hospitable and being negligent toward your employees. Back to the beginnings The culture begins at culinary school. Both Huff and Hoos attended the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier,

Vermont, ranked the fifth-best culinary school in the country by USA Today. Huff made her way to Vermont in 1992. She had wanted to go straight to culinary school, but her father forced her to go to college instead. One night when she was a junior, Huff was driving home drunk from a party and ran into a pole three blocks from home. She broke both of her wrists and knees, 12 ribs and 12 bones in her face and punctured a lung. You can still see the scars across her face. After the crash, Huff decided to pursue her passion for cooking. She dropped

out of College of Santa Fe, now Santa Fe University of Art and Design, and enrolled in NECI. Twelve years later in 2004, Hoos enrolled at the institute. He had started working at Chris McD’s in Columbia in 1999 while he was a creative writing major at MU. He fell in love with cooking and decided that it was a better career option than the creative writing. Hoos described NECI’s curriculum as “a little militaristic.” A student could get demerits for infractions such as not showing up, not clipping their nails or not properly ironing their chef coat. Three demerits and they would have to face a disciplinary board. Among the students, there was a competitive attitude, like on Top Chef, he says. Everyone wanted to be the best chef. However, outside of class, people partied. Huff says there was alcohol involved in everything they did. Students lived in old Victorian-style houses with big, sweeping front porches in Montpelier. On Sundays, someone could request food from the institute if they cooked for all 56 students at the school. So, everyone, including one or two instructors, would gather at one of the houses. There, someone would buy a keg, and they’d eat, drink and practice cooking tricks, such as flipping food in a pan. “We would sit on the porches with black beans or lentils or something and a sauté pan,” Huff says, “and just drink beer all night and flip.” The instructors would party with the students sometimes too, Hoos says. One instructor was fired because he gave out alcohol to underage students. Another instructor ate hallucinogenic mushrooms with students, but she didn’t get caught.

Liz Huff serves alcohol at Catalpa despite her addiction, and she tells if her sangria is ready by smelling it.

Photography by Alexandria Wells

Disease, not will power Although an estimated 19.7 million people ages 12 or older had a substance use disorder in 2017, according to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health from that year, for a long time society considered addiction to be a weakness of will power. That has started to change only recently, says Bruce Bartholow, an MU psychology professor who studies cognitive neuroscience and addiction science, specifically alcohol use disorder. People have started to understand that addiction is a disease. Bartholow says it’s important to consider how people’s brains respond to natural rewards, meaning the good feelings a person gets when they do something pleasurable, such as hanging out with friends or eating pizza. As a person becomes more addicted to a certain substance, those natural rewards aren’t going to feel as good because “the brain is going to reserve those feelings for the drugs.” Addiction is a disruption to a person’s daily responsibilities, Bartholow says. The neurons in a person’s brain get rewired. When removing drugs from one’s system, the symptoms vary for each drug, according to American Addiction Centers; alcohol withdrawal can cause tremors or seizures, and cocaine withdrawal can lead to restlessness and depression. Anyone can develop an addiction, Bartholow says some people are more inclined than others. Huff is one of those people. “If one is good,” she says regarding glasses of wine, “three has got to be better, and six is great.” Addiction is also a relapsing disorder. It’s not a matter of if someone will relapse, Bartholow says, it’s a matter of when and how many times. He makes a distinction between lapse and relapse. Lapses are very com-

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Although Liz Huff thought she would never be able to become a mother, she adopted her son, Ellis, at the start of 2019.

She never stole, and besides that first night in the Buccaneer, she never did drugs at work. People who did those things had problems, not her. When she did admit she had a problem and kicked cocaine out of her life, Huff thought she could still drink. In her mind, she had a problem with drugs, not alcohol. But each time she’d let alcohol back into her life, the drugs would creep back in too. She says now she abstains from substances because she can’t control when a lapse will become a relapse. It’s Russian roulette; she doesn’t know when she’ll lose control and a couple of drinks will turn into two bottles of wine. mon. They happen, for example, when someone has one drink, but it doesn’t send them off the deep end. Relapses occur when someone completely loses control and falls back into their substance abuse. Bartholow calls it “a failure to abstain.” If someone already tends to use drugs or alcohol to lift their mood and then goes through a traumatic experience, substances “certainly can be used as a coping mechanism,” Bartholow says. In a U.S. National Library

of Medicine study, 34.1% of traumatized people reported a lifetime dependence on cocaine. Huff’s traumatic experiences, such as her miscarriage, prompted her continued use of crack cocaine, she says. Although her miscarriage initially inspired her to get sober in 2002, she lapsed dozens of times before visiting Valley Hope again in 2005. She says she struggled with coming to terms with her substance abuse problem. She believed she was a good person.

Addiction in the country, state and counties From 2015 to 2017, 7.2% of Missouri’s population ages 12 or older had a substance use disorder, according to a 2019 Missouri Department of Mental Health report. In Missouri, almost 22,000 people were enrolled in substance use treatment programs on March 31, 2017, according to the report, and 44.8% of them received treatment for both alcohol and drug use.

In Boone County, 883 people were admitted into treatment programs for substance abuse in 2017, according to the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Boone County has a population of about 180,000. In Saline County, which has a population of almost 23,000 and includes Arrow Rock, 150 people were admitted into substance abuse treatment programs in 2017.

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Struggling to stay sober It’s difficult for addicts or those in recovery to abstain from alcohol in the restaurant industry because they are surrounded by it. Alcohol is everywhere, Hoos says. Besides shift beers, sometimes new cocktails will get passed around for people to try. Folkerts’ father worked in a private restaurant in Columbia where he could easily access alcohol, which she says was the gateway to his own alcoholism. Despite her own history as an addict, Huff still sells wine, beer and sangria in Catalpa, her restaurant. “Fine dining doesn’t work without alcohol,” she says. In order not to be tempted, Bartholow recommends recovering alcoholics avoid the restaurant industry. “Essentially,” he says, “if you are allergic to bee stings, you shouldn’t work as a beekeeper.” After Huff finally got sober, she did leave the industry for a while. She went back to college to finish her degree in pre-elementary education. However, before she could actually get her

degree, Huff left again, this time to run the J. Huston Tavern in Arrow Rock. After two years, she left and re-opened Catalpa in 2010. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to return to the restaurant industry, and she still doesn’t believe she could stay sober if she were working for someone else. But, by owning her own restaurant, Huff is able to maintain her control over her surroundings. Even though she does sell alcohol at Catalpa, she looks at the situation financially. If Huff binged a bottle of wine, she’d have to sell two more to make up the cost, which makes it easier for her to abstain. It’s personal “Lizzy, do you want to be alive today?” Liz Huff’s sober date is Dec. 1, 2005, three years after her first stint in a rehab. She says she tries to help others who are struggling, but she can’t force someone to want to get sober. “I wasn’t going to get help until I wanted it,” she says. Her decision to accept help was based on the “live or die” question her chaplain at Valley Hope asked her every morning. One day, a little more than a week into her 28-day program at Valley Hope, she woke up, and like a light switch, she decided she wanted to live. Huff says she’s always going to be a drug addict. She doesn’t tuck that fact away. It’s constantly in the forefront of her thoughts, forcing her to be mindful of how she has grown. And in spite of the danger, Huff remains in the industry. She has loved cooking since she was young, and says that there’s a unique camaraderie in the kitchen. Hoos and Folkerts agree. Folkerts says she and her coworkers throw holiday parties together and have a team in a volleyball league. They are family, she says. Hoos says the kitchen welcomes all people and gives them a purpose, no matter who they are or their past. It’s an industry of second chances. Photography by Alexandria Wells

TASTE OF HOLIDAY P.43

COMO FOODIE REPORT P. 44

No gluten, no problem Know the science of the ingredients to be a wheat-free master. BY HANNAH MCFADDEN There are at least 3 million Americans struggling with celiac disease, according to a 2001 Columbia University survey. As the holidays approach, goodies made with flour become a potential threat. Jennifer Tveitnes, a dietitan at the West Broadway Hy-Vee, says the human body’s reaction to gluten can be very severe, especially in cases of celiac disease. “It will actually destroy the lining of their intestine along with causing lots of other uncomfortable physical symptoms,” she says. Understanding the science of baking can help the holidays be gluten-free but not flavor-free.

Photography by Derek Rieke and courtesy of CDC photo and illustration by Laura Jones

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

E AT & DRINK BAKING

Xanthan gum is gluten-free glue Gluten is the mixture of related or distinct proteins in wheat, mainly gliadin and glutenin, which acts like a glue and holds baked goods together. This is why gluten-free treats can easily become a crumbly mess. “Gluten is a binder, so things just don’t bind as well and stick together as well, so they have to use different ingredients to help with that,” Tveitnes says. Xanthan gum is one added binder in gluten-free baking. This carbohydrate is made of bonded and fermented sugar molecules, according to King Arthur Flour, a company that sells baking ingredients and teaches cooking lessons. “You see it as a thickening agent and a stabilizing agent in a lot of foods,” says Sarah Wood, the MU assistant Extension professor of nutrition and exercise physiology. Flour is finicky The flour that’s typically used for baking, whether it’s white or wheat, contains gluten. And unfortunately, there is no flour substitute that works perfectly.

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

GOOD TO KNOW

Gluten proteins can be hidden in a number of sources. Items like soy sauce, artificial creamer, imitation vanilla and powdered sugar can contain gluten. Instead, look for gluten-free substitutes, available at most grocery stores or specialty stores such as Natural Grocers. Some common ingredients include xanthan gum, cornmeal, gluten-free baking flour mix and teff flour.

Mary Manulik, the founder of Senza, a gluten-free baking company, recommends using different types of flour to create a mixture that tastes good and works for baking. You can buy a premade gluten-free flour mixture from most grocery stores and supermarkets, or follow a recipe if you prefer to make your own. Beware of hidden gluten A number of other ingredients can con-

tain gluten, from some powdered sugar to starch-based thickeners. The caramel color listed in imitation vanilla uses malt barley which contains gluten, according to the website Be Food Smart, which provides ingredient information. “When you’re following a gluten-free diet, it’s really essential that you pay attention to the food label and the ingredient list,” Wood says.

Photography by Derek Rieke

E AT + DRI N K LOCAL CHEFS Fluffybutt cookies owner Tammy Carter prefers not to make cookies but to bake other desserts such as cheesecakes and pies for her family during the holidays.

Out of the kitchen, into the holidays When chefs leave their restaurants, they don’t get to quit cold turkey. Here’s what they make, and don’t make, at home.

Joshua Williams is the owner of the new Papadoo’s Soulfood Kitchen. At his holiday potluck, his oxtails are a hit.

BY SADIE LEA

hen it comes to cooking, Joshua Williams is a oneman show. Other employees in his restaurant, Papadoo’s Soul Food, help with preparing, cleaning and serving, but the cooking is all him. Sometimes Williams tries to get away from the kitchen by stopping into McDonald’s when he doesn’t need to work, but holidays are a different story. “(My family members) aren’t going to let me leave without cooking,” Williams says. The best holidays are those that are about being together in the kitchen and around the dinner table. Some families celebrate with a traditional meal such as turkey with stuffing and mashed potatoes, while others celebrate with something a little different like appetizers only or seafood. Vox sat down with three local chefs to see how owning a restaurant has an impact on their holiday plans. Restaurant owners might have signature dishes, but when you take them away from that restaurant, what do they cook? For Jeff Spencer, owner of Just

Jeff’s, he sticks with what he knows and makes best: the meat. “The best holiday meal I’ve ever made: I rotisserie-ed a turkey, and I nailed it,” Spencer says. “It was absolutely perfect. It really was.” On the other hand, his mother-in-law is in charge of the big, traditional holiday meal. For Fluffybutt Cookies owner Tammy Carter, she stays away from the realm of cookies. “I like to tell them I only like to do cookies if I’m getting paid for them,” Carter says. She still cooks, however. For one side of the family, she’s in charge of desserts. For the other side, she makes most of the main meal. Her signature is her crab rangoon dip, a dish she has made for the past 15 years. This year, for the dessert she’s considering a rum cake. Joshua Williams, the owner of Papadoo’s, has a signature dish — oxtails. His family of over 30 throws a potluck where everyone brings one dish, but William’s oxtails always stand out. He says the oxtails are rationed to only two per person since they’re such a hit.

Photography by Claire Hassler and Hope Howard/Archive and Haotian Mai/Archive

Jeff Spencer, the owner of Just Jeff’s, prefers meat and potatoes for his holiday meal. “Very plain and gravy on everything,” he says.

These chefs also have dishes they can’t stand. Spencer, the meat guy, prefers just that — “no broccoli, no cauliflower and cheese.” Carter has just one dish she dislikes, and that’s scalloped oysters, which have been a family tradition for decades. Williams avoids the dressing and the Watergate salad, a pistachio pudding and marshmallow concoction. VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

E AT & DRINK YEAR IN REVIEW

Here’s to you, 2019 BY ABBIE WILSON

Yes, Columbia, we’ve eaten our way through yet another year. We’ve tested new hot spots and lost plenty of old favorites. For a look back at the past 365 days, we talked to CoMo food experts about 19 of their favorite trends, tastes and places of the year.

Matt Boness runs a blog, Feast Native, about the local food scene.

Room 38’s Lobster Mac & Cheese is a dish you just can’t resist.

If you haven’t already, The Quarry’s Frozen Irish Coffee is a must-try.

With farm-to-table eateries and shopping at farmers markets, chefs and customers are gravitating toward locally sourced seasonal ingredients.

Several new Mexican restaurants, including Taqueria Don Pancho and Paleteria El Tajín, brought a more authentic food culture to town.

Jill Rostine closed her bakery and dessert bar, Good Food Co. But don’t worry — she’s still baking on demand and is looking for a new location.

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Sugarwitch Ice Cream Sandwiches popped up over the summer with sell-out artisan ice-cream sandwiches.

Trendy

Although it wasn’t around for long, I am Sushi Burrito built a solid fan base.

Downtown diners were shocked when Ingredient suddenly closed its doors in July after 11 years of business.

Bartenders have been kicking up their cocktail-making game with shrubs, or concentrated vinegar-based syrups. Try one at Broadway Brewery or Barred Owl.

It can be difficult to get the 4-1-1 on Columbia’s various pop-ups, but the soon-to-open COMO Kitchen will provide a central location for chefs to prep food. (See the story on page 7)

Food trucks seem to be hanging out less on the downtown streets and are focusing more on attracting crowds at special events and festivals.

West Main Pizza 2 is gone, but customers can still build their own pie at the original Jefferson City location.

Jessica Vaughn Martin is a contributing writer for Feast Magazine.

Hard seltzer, such as White Claw, is the new kid in town. The low-calorie drink took over not only Columbia, but also the nation. Downtown bars even installed seltzer taps.

Addison’s Nachos Bianco are always a favorite.

Classics

Jim McNeil owns and leads the Columbia Culinary Tours.

‌

Sagua La Grande Cuban Cafe has been serving up a traditional Cuban menu since opening downtown in September.

Now owned by Dan and Ali Bauer, the Wine Cellar and Bistro reopened as the Cherry Street Cellar in August and has been impressing with its seasonal cuisine.

Olivia DeSmit is the editor at Inside Columbia magazine.

Grill-A-Brothers shut down after making some of Columbia’s favorite sandwiches from their food truck since 2015.

Alcoholic kombucha drinks had their five minutes of fame, but now their popularity is dwindling.

DrinKraft was a bar that solely served kombucha, both from tap or in pints, but its storefront closed this summer.

What we’re leaving in 2019 Illustrations by Laura Jones and photography by Derek Rieke and Missourian/Archive and courtesy of Matt Boness, Olivia DeSmit, Jim McNeil and Jessica Vaughn Martin

FOOD BANKS 101 P.47

UNDERSTANDING SELF-INJURY P.48

Mental Health Matters

Roast around the world Kaldi’s co-owners spill the tea (and the beans) on their secrets to success and plans to expand. BY CHRISTIÁNE-TRÉSOR CRAWFORD MU graduates Josh Ferguson and Tricia Zimmer Ferguson started drinking coffee as teenagers, and today, this husband-andwife duo make a living out of their morning ritual as co-owners of Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. Their most recent venture is an experiential learning location at MU’s Cornell Hall. Here’s what the owners have to say about brewing success and what’s coming up for this 25-year-old business.

In addition to its espresso drinks sold in cafes, Kaldi’s sells its cold brew coffee cans in grocery stores.

Photography by Daniel Shular and courtesy of Pixabay and illustration by Laura Jones

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

CITY LIFE BUSINESS

In October Kaldi’s owners Josh Ferguson and Tricia Zimmer Ferguson opened their 19th location at MU’s Cornell Hall (top right). They travel to learn and grow their business to events like the Specialty Coffee Expo, (lower right) which offers lectures and workshops on coffee.

Business history In 1994, Howard Lerner and Suzanne Langlois founded Kaldi’s in St. Louis. A decade later, Ferguson and Zimmer Ferguson met the founders and then became business partners the following year. “Both myself and my wife come from a long line of entrepreneurial family,” Ferguson says. “It was always our hopes to someday own our own business.” The couple developed the retail side while the founders focused on selling Kaldi’s products to businesses, he says. Since 2005, they’ve added more coffee shops in Missouri as well as three locations in Atlanta. There are 19 locations, and the couple say they hope to expand globally. In 2007, the couple and Zimmer Ferguson’s brother purchased the rest of the company. Earlier this year, they rolled out canned cold brew coffee in grocery stores. “Where there’s coffee being served, there’s always opportunities for us to expand,” Ferguson says. New university location In October, Kaldi’s opened the Cornell Hall location. Unlike the typical Kaldi’s coffee shop, this store includes academic course credit through the Trulaske

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

College of Business alongside its coffee menu, but the customer experience will remain the same.

tegrity, attention to quality and service that sets an example.

Global footprints Kaldi’s sources its beans from countries in Africa, South and Central America and Indonesia. Various employees visit these coffee-producing countries three or four times a year to taste-test and maintain relationships with local farms, some of which have partnered with Kaldi’s for over a decade. The business’ coffee selection changes throughout the year with some blends only available for two or three months. “It’s an agricultural product, so we buy it when it’s fresh, when it’s at its peak,” Ferguson says. “Then we go on to the next fresh coffee once that coffee has really run its life.” Along with prioritizing fair trade, Kaldi’s uses sustainable practices by recycling and carrying compostable to-go products. One company it works with is Sleeve a Message, a St. Louis-based business that plants a tree for every 7,000 coffee sleeves sold. Owner David Dresner says Kaldi’s is a leader in the specialty coffee community with its in-

G.O.A.T. COFFEE The legend behind the coffee company’s name and goat logo really is the greatest of all time. It dates back to sixthcentury Ethiopia. A goat herder named Kaldi found that his flock was munching on some berries that gave them a burst of energy.

Passing down the mug The new MU location is evidence of Zimmer Ferguson’s love of connecting students with hands-on business experience. During her time as a business student at MU, she started a program called PLAN, an opportunity for students to connect with business professionals through mentoring and job shadowing. Since her MU days, she has learned that to stay relevant, businesses need to innovate but still keep their values. “You have to be careful not to stay stagnant and just think that the same menu or the same way of doing things will last forever,” she says. Beyond MU, Kaldi’s plans to offer more hands-on experiences at universities on a global scale, specifically with their sourcing countries. “If we can continue to make a global impact in a bigger way than just buying coffee or tea from those certain countries, then we see this as a partnership that can extend beyond just Missouri, the United States and have more of a global impact,” Zimmer Ferguson says.

Photography by Daniel Shular and courtesy of Tricia Zimmer Ferguson

C I T Y LI FE PHILANTHROPY

Putting food in the bank Three French hens, two turtle doves and 1,000 tons of food waiting to be shared. Here’s a numerical look at the impact of those holiday donations. BY COLLEEN WOUTERS

t’s the season of giving. Clothing drives pop up in schools and churches, people bear the cold with bells and red buckets to collect cash for the Salvation Army, and coworkers come together to sponsor families. About 30% of yearly donations are given in December, according to Consumer Reports, and many of these products go to local food banks. Along with other specialized organizations, The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri, Central Pantry and Tiger Pantry serve Columbia residents year-round and aim to reduce food insecurity. Once dropped in grocery store bins or handed off to volunteers, nonperishable goods are delivered to people in need of healthy meals. There are millions of pounds of food prepared to be sent out to the many who need it right here in Columbia.

about 30 million pounds of food per year to local programs such as soup kitchens and food pantries. There are typically 1.5 to 2 million pounds of food, which is equal to the weight of about 167 African elephants, at any time in The Food Bank’s warehouse. Volunteers separate the bulk items into smaller portions to then be taken to the pantries and soup kitchens where people can access them directly. Across the 32 counties it serves, including Boone, The Food Bank had about 14,000 volunteers in 2018, according to Seth Wolfmeyer, its communication and marketing coordinator. About 35% of the volunteers arrived in November and December. The Food Bank has an annual budget of about $6 million. It partners with retailers to buy food in bulk at discounted prices, and in addition to donations from local residents, the organization

HOW TO GIVE

You can drop nonperishable items in The Food Bank’s bins at Gerbes, Schnucks or Hy-Vee. You can also take donations directly to The Food Bank of Central & Northeast Missouri located at 2101 Vandiver Drive. Donations should be dropped at docks 3 and 4 at the back of the building off of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Food banks’ most needed items are boxed dinners and canned meat, according to Feeding Missouri.

receives donations from various companies, Feeding America and federal programs such as the Department of Agriculture. Across Missouri, The Food Bank serves more than 100,000 people each month, Wolfmeyer says. Looking in the pantries The Central Pantry is the only partner agency owned by the Food Bank, which means people can directly get food at this location. It serves an average of 10,000 people every month. The Food Bank also has 16 mobile pantry and nine mini-mobile pantry locations, Wolfmeyer says. The mobile pantries are self-sufficient food trucks used to serve areas without enough permanent pantries to feed everyone in need. For example, mobile pantries make monthly stops at designated churches and community centers in Callaway County and Hannibal. Last year, Tiger Pantry provided more than 30,000 pounds of food to the MU community, according to an email from the pantry’s executive board. The university-run pantry solely serves the students, staff and faculty of MU. During the first half of the 2019 school year, Tiger Pantry received more than 6,000 pounds of food donations from The Food Bank. The pantry continues to receive donations from The Food Bank weekly.

Hunger rates are high One in seven people, including one in six children, in Missouri struggle with hunger. The state would need more than $400 million each year to fill this gap, according to Feeding America. In comparison to the rest of Missouri, Boone County has lower food insecurity and higher participation in food assistance programs. Although this is a step in the right direction, there is still a large percentage of residents who worry about their daily food needs. To reduce statewide hunger, food banks store meals and ingredients in bulk. The products are then transfered to food pantries, which are centers where families and individuals can receive food directly. This bank holds food instead of money As a nonprofit, The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri distributes Photography by Emmalee Reed

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

CITY LIFE MENTAL HEALTH

Build understanding Self-injuring happens more often than you’d think. It is often hidden from view and misunderstood. BY SIOBHAN CONNERS

n MU freshman, Lindsey Epperson has lived with anxiety and depression for years. In high school, she struggled with suicidal thoughts and self-isolation. When she was at her lowest, she turned to self-injuring. Even during the summer when shorts and sleeveless tank tops were unavoidable, she continued to self-injure, but in less visible ways. Epperson’s plight is not unique. Dr. Arpit Aggarwal, a psychiatrist at MU Health Care, says 10 to 15% of teens admit to having self-injured at least once. Self-injury touches a large part of society, and although research studies about it are developing, it is still

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

shrouded in misconceptions and clichés. Self-injury is most common among women age 15 to 17, where the rates are more than twice that of men of the same age, but after they reach 20 and older, men and women share the same rate. According to a 2015 report conducted by the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, 6,352 Missourians were treated in emergency rooms or were hospitalized for intentional self-injuries in that year; those are the cases Aggarwal usually deals with. Patients injure themselves for different reasons. “My patients will commonly tell me: ‘I just wanted to feel something. This gives me a kind of control over my own feelings,’” Aggarwal

Lindsey Epperson (above) has a tattoo as a reminder of her survival. Puna Neumeier (right) used to pull out her hair unknowingly.

Photography by Baylee Konen

C I T Y LI FE MENTAL HEALTH

says. These feelings could be stemming from mental illnesses such as depression, psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. Sometimes, he says, self-injuring is a manifestation of feelings of worthlessness or rebellion. Researchers found that self-injuring is related to mechanisms happening directly inside the nervous system. In response to pain, the central nervous system and the pituitary gland

FIND HELP

University Hospital 1 Hospital Drive 882-4141 MU Counseling Center (students only) 406 S. Sixth St. 882-6601 The Trevor Project thetrevorproject.org 866-488-7386 DBT Columbia private practice therapists group dbtcolumbia.com 340-3937 Access Crisis Intervention Hotlines 800-395-2132 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255

Photography by Baylee Konen

release endorphins. During self-injury, psychological relief is associated with the pain-killing effect of endorphins. For some people, regular exposure can lead to addictive behaviors. Although common psychological patterns or biological factors can occur, there isn’t one unique method or reason for self-injury. Christy Hutton, a psychologist and director of the MU Wellness Resource Center, elaborates. “People often make assumptions about what self-injury means,” she writes in an email. “For me, it’s important to take judgment out of the idea of self-injury and focus on helping a person understand their emotions.” Puna Neumeier, another MU freshman, self-harmed unconsciously. She began at age 10, right around the time she was diagnosed with depression. She would try to meditate and her hand would find its way to her scalp, pulling out hair until she had bald spots without even realizing it.

Treatment options are tailored to each individual case, Aggarwal says. It’s critical that people who self-injure find a trustworthy person to talk to as well as alternate coping mechanisms. “Research shows that evidence-based and structured therapy, such as behavioral therapies, is often the best treatment approach for many people,” Hutton writes. For Neumeier and Epperson, both practiced mindfulness and brainstormed positive coping strategies to combat self-injuring. Epperson has tapped into her spirituality and hasn’t cut since this past April. She’s trained herself to recite positive affirmations every morning. Still, self-injuring has left a mark. Epperson doesn’t have any visible scars, but she does have a tattoo: a storm cloud that drips 17 small hearts instead of raindrops. Each heart represents a time Epperson contemplated suicide. “To me, it means, not only did I go through the pain of getting it, but I’ve been this far, and I have something that means something to me.”

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

CALENDAR

TO-DO LIST

Arts

Allen Eskens The best-selling Jefferson City native is coming to Skylark Bookshop to talk about his latest book, Nothing More Dangerous, an Ozark mystery that takes place in the fictional town of Jessup, Missouri. Nov. 29, 6–7:30 p.m., Skylark Bookshop, free, 777-6990

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

Docent-Led Theme Tour: Mythology Follow a guide through the museum’s galleries and learn about the mythology-inspired artwork. Dec. 1, 2–3 p.m., Museum of Art and Archaeology, free, 882-3591

Lights and Sights Tour The sun might be setting earlier now, but Columbia is still merry and bright with lights to see. Enjoy some of CoMo’s most beautiful holiday light displays on a Parks and Recreation mini-bus tour, which will depart from the Activity and Recreation Center. Bring a car seat for young children. Dec. 6, 6:15–7:30 p.m., ARC, $7.50, 874-7460.

Columbia Parks and Recreation Fund Poster Unveiling Head over to Walt’s Bike Shop for the unveiling of Columbia artist David Spear’s original work and an MKT Nature and Fitness Trail celebratory poster. Spear will discuss his inspirations and be available for poster-signing. Posters will be given out for $20 donations to the Columbia Parks and Recreation Fund. Dec. 3, 5:15–7 p.m., Walt’s Bike Shop, free, 874-7460 Last Train to Nibroc Rewind to the 1940s in this play, and embark on a story of courtship as May and Raleigh meet on the train carrying F. Scott Fitzgerald’s and Nathanael West’s remains. Dec. 5–8,12-15, Thurs.–Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m., Columbia Entertainment Company, $14; $12, seniors, students and children; $10, Thursdays, 673-6181 Masters’ Exhibit Opening This sixth annual Masters’ Exhibit features the work of renowned 20th century artists. Last year, the 2018 exhibit explored mid-century Abstract Expressionism. Don’t miss the opening of the 2019 exhibit; drinks will be provided by Les Bourgeois and N.H. Scheppers Distributing Co. Dec. 6, 6–9 p.m., Sager Braudis Gallery, free, 442-4831 Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Get yourself and your family into the holiday spirit (or out of a Scrooge-like mood) with this classic tale re-imagined. See the ghosts of Christmases past, present and

There will be the Huacaya breed, including a 7-month-old, kids’ activities and alpaca products to keep mid-Missouri warm and snug this winter. Farm owners Gary and Mary Licklider will be on hand to provide information about the animals. Nov. 30; Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 6701 W. Gillespie Bridge Road, free, 819-4695

future as life-sized puppets performed at Stephens College. Dec. 6–7, 11–12, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 8, 2 p.m., Macklanburg Playhouse, $7.69–16, 876-7199 Away in the Stable This completely improvised holiday special is the perfect balance of naughty and nice. As an audience-influenced show, this performance is the ultimate opportunity to craft your own “Hellmark” movie. Dec. 10, 7:30–9:30 p.m., Talking Horse Productions, $10, 607-1740 Great Russian Nutcracker Classics never get stale. Bring your family to a colorful combination of dance, song and theater to re-explore this Russian ballet — a Christmas tradition — once again. Dec. 11, 7 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, $35–55, 882-3781 Impeccable Taste: 17th-Century Ornamental Design in Print Exhibition

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Thanks to the expansion of printing in 17th century, more and more people got to experience the finer things. This exhibit showcases a variety of luxury ornamental designs, including architectural elements, woodworking and jewelry. See this exhibit at the Museum of Art and Archaeology before it closes. Through Dec. 22, Tues.– Fri., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sat.–Sun., noon to 4 p.m., Museum of Art and Archaeology, free, 882-3591

Civic

Alpaca Farm Holiday Sale and Open House Enjoy holiday shopping at Coats High Ridge Alpaca Farm in Columbia. See the animals and browse handmade gifts. Nov. 29–30; Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 5901 S. River Hills Road, 445-6118 Holiday Open Farm and Sale Days If one alpaca farm isn’t enough for you, then check out this event at Curly Eye farm.

DON’T MISS IT These pups are making it work. Join Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue for its annual Pawject Runway Canine Fashion Show. Bring your friends, get a swag bag, and enjoy an evening of howling good looks. Dec. 5, 7 p.m., Bur Oak Brewing Company, $25, 814-8073

Christkindlmarkt at the Living Windows Festival The fourth annual Christkindlmarkt brings a traditional German Christmas street market to Columbia as part of the Living Windows Festival. There will be an array of holiday-themed booths, including crafts, food and Christmas trees. There will also be an outdoor bar with enough Gluhwein, a holiday drink, to fill a reindeer. Dec. 6, 5:30–8:30 p.m., Günter Hans, free, 256-1205. December Pop-Up: Sugarberry Blooms Pop into the Sugarberry Blooms pop-up event for all of your decorating needs. Wreaths and evergreen bundles will be for sale so you can deck your halls right this year. Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Center for Missouri Studies; Hulston Lobby, First Floor, free, 882-7083 City Kwanzaa Celebration Celebrate family, community, African heritage and the seven Nguzo Saba principles at the City Kwanzaa Celebration. Although this party is earlier than the weeklong holiday, which starts on Dec. 26, there will be awards, entertainment and a holiday feast. Dec. 7, 2–5 p.m., Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, free, 817-5077 The Loop Holiday Maker Faire Why spend hours on Amazon or Etsy when

Photography by Jennifer Mosbrucker/Archive

C ALE N DAR

the perfect gift is right down the road? There will be food, drinks, festivities and shopping at this holiday festival. Dec. 8, 2–4 p.m., 807 Business Loop 70 W., free, 874-558-9424 Central Columbia Holiday Party Will your house steal the (light) show? Participants in the annual holiday lights contest are invited to attend the party at the Armory where the best decorated house will be announced. Dec. 10, 6:30–8 p.m., Armory Sports and Recreation Center, free, 874-6379 World Religions Series: Christmas Traditions This is the final session in Daniel Boone Regional Library’s fall World Religions Series. George Frissell, teacher of comparative world religions, will explore Christmas celebrations around the globe. Dec. 12, 6:30–8 p.m., Columbia Public Library, Friends Room, free, 443-3161

Food

Francophone Dinner Join in on a night of language immersion. Community members from Columbia and the surrounding areas meet on the first Wednesday of each month to converse in French. Everyone is welcome, regardless of proficiency. Dec. 4, 7 p.m., The Heidelberg, free, francophonesdecolumbia@gmail.com Wine & Bourbon Tasting & Auction This event will include wine and bourbon tastings, raffles and auctions of rare and special bottles of bourbon. Some bourbons featured include Pappy, Blanton’s and Stagg Jr. Dec. 5, 5:30–8:30 p.m., BMW of Columbia, free, toverstreet@drewingauto.com

December 5-8 | 12 - 15 2019 Adults Seniors & Students Thursdays

$14 $12 $10

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

Wishflour Bakery Holiday Market Open House Get your sweet tooth ready! The Wishflour Bakery is having an open house where you can stop by, try samples of delicious treats and place orders for all of your holiday needs. Dec. 7, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2209 Fairmont, 239-2992 Build a House for the HOUSE Why dream of sugarplums when you could build a house with them? Come to the Columbia Mall for a gingerbread house competition, and vote for your favorite one. The house that raises the most money wins the People’s Choice Award. All proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mid-Missouri. Dec. 8, noon to 5 p.m., Columbia Mall, $25 to register; free to view, 443-7666 Brewery Night Live Check out the taps before you tap out at Brewery Night Live. The last BNL of the year will feature live music, local food and most importantly, libations from Crane Brewing Company. Dec. 13, 6 p.m. to midnight, Bur Oak Brewery, $5 cover, 814-2178 Imperial Stout Release and Vertical Broadway Brewery will be releasing the 2019 Imperial Stout along with bringing back the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Imperial Stouts. If stout isn’t your thing, then try the Confection Blend #6 “Peppermint Bark.” Dec. 19, 5–11:30 p.m., Broadway Brewery, free, 443-5054

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

CALENDAR

Gremlins Holiday Brew ‘N View This holiday season, celebrate with the gift of the Mogwai. Come out to The Blue Note for this special Brew ‘N View. Enjoy all of Gizmo’s antics while kicking back with some boozy hot chocolate and free candy canes. Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m., The Blue Note, $5, 874-1944

slowing down at the end of the decade. Dec. 20, 9 p.m., The Blue Note, $5, 874-1944 Ben Miller Band The Missouri band has already conquered as far away as Europe with its cheerful songs and weird homemade instruments. With an album released in 2018, the Ben Miller Band is stopping by Columbia. It’s accompanied by Johnny Lawhorn & The Pentagram String Band and the Barroom Billies for the occasion. Dec. 27, 9 p.m., Rose Music Hall, $8, 874-1944

Frenchy Treats Pastry Pop-Up at Plume More macarons, s’il vous plaît. The Frenchy Treats Pastry pop-up is back at Plume this December with even more sweet treats. Get there early before all of the chocolate croissants sell out. Dec. 20, 7–10 a.m., Plume, treats start at $3, 356-0867

The Hooten Hallers Happy New Year from the Hooten Hallers! Rose Music Hall is celebrating 2020 and its fifth anniversary with Columbia blues-rock trio The Hooten Hallers, plus The Goldbugs and Dave Dearnley. Expect champagne and whiskey. Dec. 31, 9 p.m., Rose Music Hall, $12 in advance, $14 day of, 874-1944

Music

The Trans-Siberian Experience: The Prophecy Rock on this holiday season with the Billboard-recognized band on its 13th touring season. The lively, festive evening will feature a rock-opera performance by The Prophecy. Dec. 3, 7 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, $39–50, 882-3781 Columbia Jazz Rep Lab If you’re inspired by the likes of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, then mosey on over to this monthly jazz music and performance workshop to finesse your skills. Dec. 5, 6:30–10 p.m., Columbia Unitarian Universalist Church, free, 442-5764 The BierKeller Boys in the Barrel Room Ring in the winter season while sipping international libations and jiving to holiday and polka music at Günter Hans. Don’t skip out on the traditional bretzels with the cinnamon-butter dip. Dec. 7, 8–10 p.m., Günter Hans, free, 256-1205 The Mighty Pines Boasting three studio albums, this soulful rock band is bringing its mandolin and banjo sounds to Columbia. Along with the headliner, singer-songwriter Molly Healey will also perform. Dec. 7, 9 p.m., Rose Music Hall, $10, 874-1944 Jeremy Pinnell Pull out your best blue jeans, dust off your

finest boots and giddy up on over to hear Jeremy Pinnell’s country music, which Rolling Stone described as “hardscrabble honky-tonk at its best.” Dec. 10, 8 p.m., Rose Music Hall, $7, 874-1944 The Messthetics with Joann McNeil Pitchfork described this band’s music as “an instrumental power-trio record that values economy and emotional resonance over technical wizardry and structural complexity.” Dec. 11, 8 p.m., Cafe Berlin, $12 in advance; $14 day of; 441-0400 Down Side Up Believe it or not, this Jefferson City band was formed to blow students’ minds at an Immaculate Conception School’s fifth-grade talent show. Founding members Ryan and Aaron Mankin (now adults) have teamed up with bass player Hunter O’Donnell to bring rock originals and covers to bars across Columbia. Dec. 14, Rose Music Hall, 8 p.m., $5, 874-1944 Symphony of Toys Holiday Concert Get in the holiday spirit with a variety of Christmas songs performed by the The Missouri Symphony in partnership with Shelter

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

Insurance and the Toys for Tots program. Donations are also greatly encouraged; put a smile on a child’s face by giving a new toy to the program. Dec. 15, 3 p.m., Missouri Theatre, $20; free, under 18; 875-0600 Greg Morton This December, The Blue Note welcomes comedian and actor Greg Morton. Best known for his Star Wars routine or his time on America’s Got Talent, Morton will drop by Columbia as part of the CoMo Comedy series. There is a two drink minimum. Dec. 19, 7 p.m., The Blue Note, $25, 874-1944 Empath Enter the experimental world of noise punk with Empath. With its mix of sound distortions and hypnotizing vocals, the band proves to be nothing but revealing. Dec. 19, 8 p.m., Cafe Berlin, $10, 441-0400 The Cherry Pistols Get on the nostalgia train with The Cherry Pistols and its covers of the biggest hits from the ’80s to today. Founded in 2010, the Jefferson City band shows no sign of

DON’T MISS IT It might be fun to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, but so is dashing through the snow at the Jingle Bell Run. Strut around in a Santa suit or your favorite holiday costume at the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run. Dec. 7, 8–11 a.m., Stephens College’s Silverthorne Arena, $30–40, 314-3562329

Tom Andes at Murry’s Catch Tom Andes on the keys at Murry’s to add a taste of jazz to your dinner. If you can’t make it on New Year’s Day, Andes plays every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Jan. 1, 7-10 p.m., Murry’s, 449-3009

Sports

Battle Line Rivalry Watch Party (Mizzou at Arkansas) Head to Black & Gold Tavern to watch the Tigers take on the Razorbacks at Arkansas in one of its final football games of the season. Nov. 29, noon to 5:30 p.m., Black & Gold Tavern, 823-6340 MU Women’s Basketball vs. St. Louis Billikens Bounce on over to Mizzou Arena to these Missouri teams face off. Dec. 5, 7 p.m., Mizzou Arena, $8; $5, youth and seniors; 882-6501 American Yoga Master Class with Bernie “Berndog” McDonald Explore your inner self in this special yoga class with yoga explorer Bernie “Berndog” McDonald, who will be using his knowledge from the hundreds of yoga classes he has taken in 33 states. This Moon Yoga session

Photography by Katelyn Metzger/Archive

CALENDAR

is open to all levels. Dec. 8, 2–4 p.m., 23 S. Fourth St., $25, 449-8137 Jr. NBA Skills Challenge Shoot, dribble and pass! Boys and girls 13 and under (as of Aug. 31, 2020) can compete in a competition to show off their basketball skills. Winners will advance through more levels of competition with the possibility of making it to the finals in New York City. Register ahead of time. Dec. 14, 10 a.m., Armory Sports and Recreation Center, free, 874-7460 Saturday HP UP Fitness Children who love to game are invited to this special fitness event. HP UP sessions include 45 to 60 minutes of physical exercise of weight training or cardio. It’s then followed up by an hour of gaming with friends. Games include Fortnite, League of Legends and more. Dec. 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Ukatsu, 1214 Eugenia St.; $16, 203-5004

have group meetings at the Berg!

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DON’T MISS IT Mizzou Gymnastics will kick off its 2020 season with the annual Black and Gold Exhibition. The Tigers will also face SEC rivals: Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky and LSU at home this season. Dec 1, 3 p.m., Hearnes Center, $8; $5, youth and seniors; 882-6501

KOPN

89.5 FM live streaming at kopn.org Photography by Jay Bury/Archive

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019

photo finish

SNOW-M-G

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIA WALDRUM Snowfall on the morning of Nov. 11 caught Columbians by surprise, as did record-setting low temperatures the next day. Sidewalks and trees glistened with ice. White blankets draped hedges and cars. The last time November saw mornings this cold was 1911, according to the National Weather Service. Winter officially begins on Dec. 21, and The Old Farmers Almanac predicts snow twice in December for the Heartland region.

VOX MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ DECEMBER 2019

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