Vol84issue18 by The Maneater Student Newspaper

THE MANEATER

FEBRUARY 7, 2018 • THEMANEATER.COM

A researcher uses The Connector’s user-friendly BINDERS tool to construct a project profile. PHOTO BY PAIGE SAILORS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

RESEARCH

MU Libraries brings back Research Smarter, Not Harder workshop series for spring semester These workshops aim to help students and faculty familiarize themselves with various databases and provide basic tutorials regarding research. TASHFIA PARVEZ

Staff Writer

MU Libraries has brought back the Research Smarter, Not Harder: Fridays

@ the Library Workshops for the spring 2018 semester. Every semester, workshops are held on Fridays at Ellis Library to promote better research skills among students and faculty by helping them navigate the resources and databases the library has to offer. Joe Askins, head of MU Libraries Instructional Services, said there is a different topic every week that is not designed for any specific class, so anyone can come in and learn the basic functions of various databases that

may be useful for a class assignment. “It’s my responsibility to identify topics and themes that would make for good workshops, find the appropriate librarians (or faculty, staff, and/or students) to present those workshops and put together the schedule,” Askins said in an email. The first workshop of the semester — “Finding Government Statistics for Your Research Project” — was held Jan. 26. The presentation was led by Marie Concannon, head of government information and data archives at MU

ENROLLMENT

Six residence halls to reopen for fall 2018 A 16.8 percent increase in applications will likely bring in a larger freshman class. WILLIAM SKIPWORTH

Staff Writer

The university announced at the UM System Board of Curators meeting on Thursday that six of the seven residence halls that were offline this year are set to reopen for the 2018-19 school year. The seventh, Responsibility, will be rented out by MU Health Care for an administrative building. MU closed Center, Discovery, Excellence, McDavid,

Responsibility, Respect and Schurz residence halls during the 201617 school year after seeing low freshman enrollment. Some of those residence halls were used as guest housing for football weekends and other special events. The reopening of these halls comes in the wake of a report that next year’s freshman class may see a rise in enrollment due to increased applications. This could end a two-year stretch of falling enrollment that many attribute to racial controversies on campus in 2015. The university has received 16.8 percent more freshman applications than it had at this time last year, jumping from 15,060 to 17,583, according to a Jan. 29 MU News

Bureau release. This is significant for the Department of Residential Life, as the only students required to live on campus are freshmen. Transfer applications also saw an increase, rising from 806 to 904. Residence Halls Association President Maggie Recca is also excited about some of the residence halls reopening. “I know last year we were a little bummed whenever some of the halls got closed, which really they went offline because of enrollment, and enrollment is looking really good for next year,” Recca said. Recca said that growth in the number of operating residence

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Libraries. College of Education graduate student Dena Lane-Bonds attended the first workshop. She decided to come after initially having trouble finding government data for her research project and found the workshop very informative. “I began to look at different education data that can actually tabulate the data for you instead of

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PHOTO BY COURTNEY VILLMERE | SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Analysis: Women’s basketball needs to win out page 11

T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | FEB. 7, 2018

BOARD OF CURATORS

UM System Board of Curators discusses tuition, housing at February meeting

THE MANEATER The Student Voice of MU since 1955

Vol. 84, Issue 18 G210 Student Center • Columbia, MO 65211 573.882.5500 (phone) • 573.882.5550 (fax) editors@themaneater.com www.themaneater.com

Twitter: @themaneater Instagram: @themaneater Snapchat: @the.maneater facebook.com/themaneaterMU The Maneater is the official student publication of the University of Missouri and operates independently of the university, student government, the School of Journalism and any other campus entity. All text, photos, graphics and other content are property of The Maneater and may not be reproduced without permission. The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the University of Missouri or the MU Student Publications Board. “I’m fast with a knife.”

Chancellor Alexander Cartwright gives a speech addressing his first 100 days as chancellor on Nov. 15, 2017. Cartwright spoke at the UM System Board of Curators meeting about increasing enrollment at MU. PHOTO BY MADI WINFIELD | VISUALS DIRECTOR

New Hall was officially named in honor of AfricanAmerican journalist Lucile Bluford. UNEWS STAFF WRITERS The UM System Board of Curators met at the Reynolds Alumni Center on Thursday and Friday to discuss tuition and housing rate changes, student concerns and the dedication of an MU residence hall. Chairman David Steelman called the Board of Curators meeting to order and introduced Courtney Lauer, student representative to the board.

Student representative report

Lauer has visited all four UM System campuses since her December student representative report and has spoken with students and faculty to gauge current projects’ progress. For MU, Lauer spoke of the Missouri Students Association and its work to bring “coffee on the couch” events to campus. At these events, students meet and discuss issues such as mental health, career help and MU’s budget. Additionally, Lauer said MSA is working on a True Mizzou week and a staff appreciation week. Lauer said Missouri University of Science and Technology students voiced concerns about the university raising supplemental student fees, which may be subject to another increase similar to the 67 percent increase

that she said engineering students have seen. UM-St. Louis students mentioned construction and the safety of MetroLink stations located near campus as concerns. After her student report, Lauer was asked about the climate of overall student satisfaction. Lauer said students report various problems, but that they are being addressed and discussed by students and faculty. “I don’t think there’s an overall consensus that things are perfect by any means, but that there are different things that are happening where the board administrators are actually listening to students about concerns and moving towards the right path,” Lauer said.

Residence hall naming

The Board of Curators unanimously approved the official naming of MU’s newest residence hall to honor African-American journalist Lucile Bluford. Bluford was denied admission to MU 11 times in the 1930s due to her race but was given an honorary doctorate from the Missouri School of Journalism in 1989, according to a UM System news release. The atrium of the residence hall will honor Gus T. Ridgel, the first African American to earn a graduate degree from MU. The recommendations came from Curator Darryl Chatman and Lauer, who had been leading a group in search of a hall name, according to the release. “From this day forward, Lucile Bluford Residence Hall and the Gus T. Ridgel

Atrium will stand as testaments to the spirit of justice and perseverance that animated both of these individuals,” Steelman said. “Lucile Bluford and Gus Ridgel exemplified the university’s values of Respect, Responsibility, Discovery and Excellence.”

Housing affordability

Ryan Rapp, UM System vice president for finance and chief financial officer, presented rates for housing in the 2018-19 school year, with a focus on “providing affordability.” The board voted unanimously to pass the proposed rates, which will lower MU’s room and board costs by 3.5 percent for next year, increase Missouri S&T and UM-Kansas City’s rate by 2 percent and keep UMSL’s rate the same.

Tuition changes

The board also presented an expansion of lowered out-of-state costs for UMKC students to include the entire state of Kansas, as well as expanding the Heartland Rate, which provides 150 percent in-state tuition for students from certain states. Beginning next year, students who are residents of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas or Wisconsin will be eligible. These expansions mirror the UMSL program for students in Illinois counties near the St. Louis area. The new motion passed

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Reporters for The Maneater are required to offer verification of all quotes for each source. If you notice an inaccuracy in one of our stories, please contact us via phone or email. Editor-in-Chief Victoria Cheyne Production Coordinator Cassie Allen Copy Chiefs Sam Nelson David Reynolds Anna Sirianni Online Development Editor Michael Smith Jr. News Editors Skyler Rossi Morgan Smith Stephi Smith Sports Editor Joe Noser Opinion Editor Hunter Gilbert

MOVE Editors Claire Colby Brooke Collier Visuals Director Madi Winfield Designers Allie Greenspun Hannah Kirchwehm Sara Marquardt Elizabeth Ustinov Social Media Editor Kaelyn Sturgell Sports Social Media Manager Adam Cole Adviser Becky Diehl

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NEWS

Online this week: Public panel held to discuss civil liberties, online program enhances social skills among children with autism spectrum disorder and more at themaneater.com.

RESEARCH

MU research finds methods to combat the spread of dengue fever Susanta Behura and his colleagues speculate that the disease can be prevented if mosquitoes’ receptors are manipulated. REGAN MERTZ

Reporter

Dr. Susanta Behura, an assistant research professor in the Division of Animal Sciences, has studied mosquitoes and their role in the spread of dengue fever for around seven years. Behura’s recent work has uncovered a connection between the genetic molecules of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and the dengue virus. Dengue fever, a disease that resides mainly in tropical regions, is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and can emit joint pain throughout the body in addition to fever. It affects upward of 390 million people each year, Behura said. Behura began his research in vector mosquitoes, those that spread disease from person to person, while working at the University of Notre Dame with professor David Severson. Their findings have been published in the Public Library of Science’s Neglected Tropical Diseases journal

and has led to the identification of a new class of small RNA molecules in the Aedes aegypti mosquito that is responsible for spreading the virus to humans. “It’s exciting because this [research] provides clues that these molecules may play a role in transmission of the virus,” said Behura’s colleague at Notre Dame, Dr. Matthew Eng. Eng said their research was conducted using colonies of mosquitos raised in an insectary that had experiments and analysis performed on them in a research laboratory at Notre Dame. “We looked at a short type of short genetic molecule related to DNA called small RNA,” Eng said. Very little is known about these RNA molecules in mosquitoes, but in other animals these molecules are vital to the regulation, expression and function of certain genes. One of the goals of their study was to discover whether the level of small RNAs was different between mosquitoes that were vulnerable to carrying dengue and mosquitoes that were resistant, Eng said. “Interestingly, we found that some of these small RNAs were increased in the resistant strain only when they were fed blood with dengue

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BUDGET CUTS

Student leaders publish letter to express displeasure with 2019 budget cuts The letter includes signatures from leaders of all of Missouri’s public universities. EVAN OCHSNER

Staff Writer

In response to Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ proposed 2019 budget, student leaders from Missouri’s fouryear universities published a letter on Monday to express their “deep disappointment” with the budget’s proposed cuts to higher education. Those who signed the letter on behalf of the University of Missouri were Missouri Students Association President Nathan Willett, MSA Vice President Payton Englert, Graduate Professional Council President Alex Howe and GPC Vice President Glenn Baker. Also listed on the letter were leaders from Missouri State University, Missouri Western State University, Northwest Missouri State University, Southeast Missouri State University, University of Central Missouri, University of Missouri–St. Louis, Missouri S&T and University of Missouri–Kansas City. “We felt the need to stand up for the future of Missouri,” Willett said. The letter was first published

MSA President Nathan Willett MANEATER FILE PHOTO

on Twitter on Jan. 29, one week after Greitens’ budget proposal was first released. The proposal contains a $68.1 million cut to higher education — $43 million of which will come from the University of Missouri System. Higher education is the largest single categorical cut in the proposed budget. “Budget reductions of this magnitude would undoubtedly cause the rising cost of college to be placed squarely on the backs of students in the form of increased tuition and fees,” the letter reads. “As some of the most affordable opportunities in higher education in the state of Missouri, this price tag

is increasingly becoming one which students cannot financially justify. Not only is this an unfavorable outcome for the thousands of college students in our state, but it will leave a scar in the fabric of Missouri for years to come.” Student leadership concerns over the budget have been growing for years as cuts to higher education have piled up. GPC Director of State Affairs Mike Hendricks and Director of National Affairs Rachel Owen added their thoughts to the letter before it was approved by MSA and later by the other public schools in the state. However, the letter originated from Willett and MSA. “It’s just getting to the point where if you keep cutting higher education, it’s not going to simply affect the students the faculty and the staff of all four campuses, it’s going to start affecting all Missourians,” Hendricks said. “The UM System is the second biggest economic driver for the state of Missouri and provides billions of dollars in support for Missouri residents, so if it keeps going down this path, we’re going to keep getting hurt, and there’s going to be no future for the

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AWARD

MU professor receives James B. Eads Award for research Bryda’s research has centered on the use of animals to better understand human disease. JACOB HORTON

Reporter

MU professor and researcher Elizabeth Bryda received the James B. Eads Award from the Academy of Science in St. Louis for her research on the use of animals to study human disease. Bryda is the first woman to receive the James B. Eads Award in its 17-year history. The award is given to regional scientists who have distinguished achievement in engineering or technology with a preference given to researchers who have a record of community engagement. Bryda said she was “really surprised” when she found out she had won the award. She said that she believes the award usually goes to

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AIM

continued from page 1 you going through different statistical packages, so knowing that option is available is something I took away,” Lane-Bonds said. The workshops also allow people to register to attend online and ask questions via live chat. “They can just log in and watch the presentation and listen in real time, so they don’t even have to be

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halls and students living on campus means growth for RHA. “Just on a logistical level, if there’s more students and more halls, we’re gonna have more hall governments,” she said. “We’re gonna have more representatives.” She said she is also optimistic about what this means financially for RHA. “We are completely funded by the social fee money that students pay,”

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continued from page 2 unanimously.

Increasing enrollment

The number of freshman and transfer student applications have increased across all four campuses, with the exception of transfer applications at UMSL, which decreased by 6.6 percent, according to a UM System news brief. Freshman applications to attend MU in August 2018 are up from last year by about 17 percent, according to information presented Friday. “These numbers demonstrate that Missourians and out-of-state students recognize that they can receive exceptional and affordable educations while becoming career-ready,” UM System President Mun Choi said in a news release. The UM System campuses have achieved mostly high rankings in regard to black and Hispanic undergraduate enrollment and faculty employment,

T H E M A N E AT E R | N E W S | FEB. 7, 2018 in the building, and we have a lot of participants who decide to attend that way,” Askins said. A later workshop in the series will cover finding health literature and will be presented by health sciences information services librarian Rebecca Graves. Askins said Graves is holding it at Ellis Library because some of the things she’s teaching might be of interest to people outside of the health science and medical fields. “So, let’s say you are a business student, but you might have reason to find literature in health sciences, and

so this workshop would be beneficial,” Askins said. “You would maybe never get that type of instruction in your business class.” Askins said there was good feedback from students last semester as they helped come up with new ideas. Some suggestions were to hold multiple workshops for the same database with a different range of research skills instead of just holding an introductorylevel workshop for that particular database. Askins said he would like to see the series continue to expand with

research topics and presentations that would target a greater number of undergraduate students, since it is currently geared more toward graduate students and faculty members. “Getting out of the library is a huge goal of ours, which is not just be bounded to teach here, but actually going out and holding these out in other buildings and other parts of campus, holding them not just for classes, but maybe student groups,” Askins said. Edited by Stephi Smith ssmith@themaneater.com

Recca said. “We’re a completely student-run organization, completely funded by students. So if we have more students, we have more money and we’re able to do more things.” These reopenings aren’t just for first-year students. Recca said RHA and ResLife have been pushing for returning students to live on campus as well. “I know there’s this idea that you live on campus one year and then you move off, which is totally fine because that works for some people, but ... if you are a freshman and you want to live on campus again next year, we hope you would consider

living on campus just as much as living off of campus,” Recca said. As for the university in general, Recca said she sees this as a sign of MU bouncing back. “I think this is just a very positive step for Mizzou because it means that we are making improvements,” she said. “I think that every university goes through a time when they might hit a bump, where enrollment goes down, and we’re kind of coming up from that, and I think that we’re coming back stronger.” Edited by Skyler Rossi srossi@themaneater.com

MANEATER FILE PHOTO

but Choi reiterated many times that “there is still work to be done.” MU Chancellor Alexander Cartwright focused on the development and success that MU has had over the past few years and talked about his plans to take MU to new heights of accomplishment. He said the way to make a great institution exceptional is to know what one’s resources are and how to invest in them. “I am a big believer that you can’t get to where you wanna be if you don’t know where you are,” Cartwright said. “You have to create a culture of innovation and you have to create a culture of excellence.” He said this innovation lies in teaching, research and creative activities, engagement and economic development. Cartwright said teaching classes “from a distance” could become a possible solution to the cuts being made. Steve Graham, UM System senior associate vice president for academic affairs, spoke about online and hybrid classes. Graham said the number of credit hours taken online has more

than doubled at MU and Choi said he wants the university to further expand its online class offerings.

MU finances

The Finance Committee presented plans to create a newly designed operational model next quarter that more efficiently utilizes resources and administration, as well as promotes academic excellence to increase the financial sustainability of all four campuses. Cartwright gave a presentation about the current state of MU’s finances. He emphasized a 33 percent increase in funds raised since last year and that the MU endowment has surpassed $1 billion. The discussion then turned toward fundraising techniques. “It’s important that I carve out the time to be thinking about where the institution’s going,” Cartwright said. He said he plans to simplify the donation process for donors by creating one-page sheets describing the goals of various departments of the university. The Audit Committee presented its

findings from the five internal audits and risk assessment done since its September 2017 report, stating that MU Health Care was a at a high risk of negatively costing the system. Vice chair John R. Phillips commented that MU Health Care “sticks out like a sore thumb” in human resources complaints. Director of Government Relations Dustin Schnieders worked in Missouri state government for several years prior to working for the UM System and used his experience to talk about the current attitudes of legislatures toward the system. “[The attitude is] very positive,” Schneiders said. “We’re starting to really connect with [the legislature] again, and President Choi and the chancellors have done a great job making themselves available [in Jefferson City].” The next board meeting is scheduled for April 12-13 and will be held at the Rolla campus. Edited by Stephi Smith ssmith@themaneater.com

SENATE

MU doctoral student Hallie Thompson launches campaign for Hartzler’s seat At 28 years old, Thompson is the youngest candidate looking to be a voice for Missourians in D.C. MAWA IQBAL

Staff Writer

Until the age of 14, Hallie Thompson lived in an early 1900s farmhouse that had no automated air conditioning or heating. She considers herself lucky. Now at 28 years old, Thompson lives in a house where the heat comes from a ventilation system, and she doesn’t have to worry about lugging a log over to her outdoor furnace before going to bed. But

she doesn't regret her Moniteau County upbringing. Although she didn’t play a huge role in sustaining the family beef cattle farm, Thompson saw early on how much of someone’s daily life must be invested to maintain a well-functioning farm. From counting cattle to bottle-feeding the calves, she learned the ropes of a life that many Missourians will never experience. But the rural Missouri experience wasn’t always positive. “Growing up on a farm and being part of a family where we had difficulty getting health insurance, I learned early on what it was like to be ignored and left out of a conversation,” Thompson said. “I want to change that.”

Officially announcing her bid on Jan. 31, Thompson is the most recent candidate to throw her hat into the 4th Congressional District race. An MU doctoral student, Thompson will run against business woman Renee Hoagenson in hopes of being the Democratic nominee to run against incumbent Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, in the November elections. “It must be frustrating for folks who are not seen and heard by those who are supposed to be serving them,” Thompson said. “So I'm running for Congress to not only be a voice for Missourians in D.C., but to also be someone who hears Missourians.” According to her website, running for Congress is an extension of her advocacy

leadership from her time as a plant sciences doctoral student at MU. Thompson served as president of the MU Graduate Professional Council for two years and as director of legislative affairs for the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students. During her tenure as director, Thompson worked with Congress on issues such as debt and health insurance coverage, in addition to “training other students from across the country to advocate successfully for themselves,” according to her website. In 2017, Thompson also founded the Missouri Science and Technology Fellowship, a program designed to give

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virus,” Eng said. “It’s exciting because this provides clues that these molecules may play a role in transmission of the virus.” There are methods to protect from mosquito bites during the night, such as mosquito netting, but the Aedes aegypti mosquito attacks during the daytime, which proves to be more difficult to prevent bites, Behura said. “There is literally nothing you can do to protect yourself from this mosquito,” Behura said. Because of the lack of prevention methods, time of day bites occur and limited resources, dengue fever affects large populations in the tropical regions it is present. Behura has had personal experiences with dengue fever, as many of his friends and family live in India, where he is

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state of Missouri.” Something that both Willett and Hendricks stressed was their concern that continued cuts to higher education would begin to negatively impact the entirety of the state. “If you don’t invest in the workforce, business will go to other states,”

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engineering types and that her field of genetic engineering is “a different kind of technology.” While Bryda received the award for her research at large, her work at the Animal Modeling Core and the Rat Resource & Research Center has been at the center of much of her research.

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scientists a more active role in Missouri government by connecting legislators with scientific experts. Her scientific background has not only fueled her advocacy work and service to local scientists but has also shaped her approach to policymaking within Congress. “I take making policy and making conclusions in science with very equal gravity,” Thompson said. “I think that policymakers and representatives should be more humble to ask questions and think really carefully about how they’ll best achieve positive results.” Thompson has centered her platform around many different issues, including national security, health care coverage and fair wages. If elected, Thompson would also like to promote education, research and teaching in the sciences. “We have to realize that scientific evidence coming out really does affect the policy, specifically climate change,” Thompson said. “That mixes a lot with the future of farmers and a lot of different professions across the states, so it’s a huge issue that affects all of us.” The current representative in the 4th District doesn’t seem to agree, having

from. “I have seen a lot of my friends and relatives hospitalized because of this infection,” Behura said. “Some have almost died from it.” Behura said dengue fever is a “neglected disease which is a growing problem.” The mosquitos breed in small, swampy areas, which can be devastating to the populations of people near them. The summer and rainy seasons also influence mosquito breeding. Dengue fever has also shown prevalence in the United States, especially in parts of Florida and Texas. When travelers visit from countries where dengue fever is common, they can pass on the disease. “We are not at risk in the U.S. yet, but we should definitely continue survey of mosquito populations that may cause local transmission of the virus in small pockets,” Behura said. Typically, it takes seven to eight days for the symptoms of dengue fever to take effect.

Children are more at risk to exhibit severe symptoms because they have weaker immune systems. Behura said more than 20,000 children die every year from dengue infection. Currently, there are no existing vaccinations or treatments for dengue fever. Behura and his colleagues have plans to use genetic molecules of the mosquitos and the receptors in the mosquito that transmit the disease to prevent its spread. “One way to control the disease is to make the mosquitoes incapable of spreading the virus,” Behura said. Severson has collaborated with Behura on the research involving the mosquitoes and dengue fever and has traveled to multiple locations around the world to gain first-hand experience and knowledge. Severson was among the first to develop genetic linkage maps for mosquitoes using DNA-based markers and led the initial Aedes aegypti genome sequencing project.

“It was amazing to me, as it allowed us to see how particular cellular pathways [in the genome] respond to the virus, and these results have given us ideas for new studies, always with the goal of eventually identifying new disease control methods,” Severson said. Behura said the way to prevention is to focus on the female mosquitoes because they are the sole perpetrators when it comes to spreading dengue fever. Male mosquitoes only go from flower to flower to collect nectar, but females need human blood to maintain the ability to reproduce. “We know a lot about how dengue fever is transmitted from mosquito to human but we still do not have the power to control the disease,” Behura said. “This is a big problem, but we should not give up. We are working really hard to come up with a solution that might, one day, eradicate this problem.” Edited by Morgan Smith mosmith@themaneater.com

Willett said. The concerns over budget cuts having adverse effects beyond the UM System stem from beliefs of student leaders that higher education is the key to expanding the state economy for years to come. “There’s only so much the university can keep cutting to try to get the budget they need, and it’s getting to the point where if you keep cutting these things, it’s going to affect these people, and

that’s not just students faculty or staff — it’s starting to trickle down to all residents of Missouri,” Hendricks said. Despite the extensive cuts in the budget and urgent tone of the letter, student leadership remains optimistic the cuts can be reduced. Willett and the GPC hope that Gov. Greitens will visit campus sometime this spring in order to get students’ perspectives about higher education. Hendricks was also encouraged by

the stances of state legislators and Boone County representatives, who were “unified together” against the budget. Those opposed to the proposal include Missouri State Senator Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia. “I hope they’ll listen to us and hear our voices, but most importantly I want to connect with the people of Missouri,” Willett said. Edited by Skyler Rossi srossi@themaneater.com

There, she genetically modifies animals through various methods, including a process called cell ablation, in order to create animal models used to understand either specific genes of interest or human disease through mimicry of it. These animal models go on to be used in labs at MU and other universities. Bryda has even used them in her own research of inflammatory bowel disease and polycystic kidney disease. Bryda’s students are also involved

in her research. Doctoral students do projects for their dissertations and undergraduate students work in the lab to gain experience for graduate school. Along with research at MU, Bryda has worked at the research facility in Columbia known as RADIL, where she has largely investigated cell lines, a process that uses cells normally found inside the body and grows those cells outside the body using a culture dish or in vitro. Specifically, she and her

colleagues tested methods of cell line authentication in order to ensure that cell lines don’t get contaminated. Preventing contamination of cell lines ensures that results aren’t skewed. A dinner will be held April 5 at the Missouri Botanical Garden to celebrate Bryda and fellow winners of awards recognized at the 24th Annual Outstanding St. Louis Scientists Awards. Edited by Stephi Smith ssmith@themaneater.com

publicly discredited climate change theories. “Hartzler has directly made fun of climate change, and it’s very troublesome,” Thompson said. “Whenever you’re trying to make policy based on the best knowledge, ignoring that knowledge and even going so far as to make fun of it is not in the best interest of where we’re going.” Thompson believes she makes a stark contrast not only to the incumbent but also to Hoagenson. Because of this, Thompson is looking forward to energetic debates and healthy competition at the Democratic primaries in mid-August. “It’s awesome for voters to have choices like these that do contrast one another and will represent them differently in government,” Thompson said. “I think that the enthusiasm in a primary is really important for a party that’s currently out of power.” The other Democratic candidate, however, doesn’t seem to agree. Hoagenson, who began her campaign in March and raised more than $100,000 by the end of 2017, is concerned that Democratic primaries would create a divide in party that is already a minority in the state. “I just think we all need to be rowing in the same direction,” Hoagenson said. “This seat race is going to be decided by a handful of votes, and if somebody

Hallie Thompson is running against incumbent Vicky Hartzler, a Republican and supporter of Trump’s policies, including 2017’s travel ban and the American Health Care Act. Photo courtesy of Hallie Thompson. PHOTO BY PAIGE SAILORS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

decides to stay home because this other person didn’t get the nomination, it could literally hand the seat to Hartzler.” Yet Hoageson and Thompson both agree that the true opponent is Hartzler. The ultimate goal, no matter who ends up doing it, is to turn Hartzler’s seat blue. “This seat needs a strong candidate and hasn’t had one in a while,” Hoagenson said. “Many of the Republican voters I’ve talked to aren’t really aware of how Hartzler votes against them.” Both Democratic nominees believe that Hartzler could be doing a lot more

to accurately represent her constituents. Thompson in particular plans to develop close relationships with everyone, despite their vote. “As a good elected official who serves everyone in the district, I want to ensure that everyone… can have benefits seen from the policies we’re making no matter what party affiliation,” Thompson said. “[I want to] serve as a Democrat that can change the hearts and minds of folks that are working with me.” Edited by Skyler Rossi srossi@themaneater.com

CONCERT REVIEW

Hippo Campus wows at latest Blue Note concert The Minnesotabased band played at the Columbia venue for the second time. CLAIRE COLBY

MOVE Angles Editor I’ll admit — it’s been a while since I’ve been to church. But this Friday night, in the front row of a Hippo Campus concert, I had what could only be described as a religious experience. As a Minnesota native, I’ve been following its music for years. The St. Paulbased group consists of Jake Luppen and Nathan Stocker on vocals and guitar, Zach Sutton on bass and Whistler Allen on drums and vocals. Its set at the Blue Note started with the dreamy and surreal-sounding “Poems,” from its latest album Landmark. It was a slow start to the show, easing the audience into higher-energy songs. From there, the vibe shifted tremendously as they jumped straight into “Suicide Saturday.” This song, from the band’s early EP Bashful Creatures, is decidedly more fun to dance to. The distinctive bass and energetic vocals are reminiscent of Vampire Weekend’s music. The band then seamlessly transitioned back to its newer music with “Western Kids,” another song that practically begs you to dance. One of the biggest things I look for in a live performance is the emotion that the band members invoke. It is so obvious from watching Hippo Campus that every single member of the band is having the time of their lives. They dance in a

way that completely lacks self-consciousness, jumping around and moving with no discernible choreography or planning. The overall energy they give off is one of complete fun — and why wouldn’t it be? This high school band has reached fantastic success over the past few years. It’s played at Lollapalooza, South by Southwest and Bonnaroo. Its first full-length album dropped in 2017, and its

“IT IS SO OBVIOUS FROM WATCHING HIPPO CAMPUS THAT EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE BAND IS HAVING THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES.” newest EP is fantastic, too. This was the first time I’ve heard their new EP, warm glow, played live. It didn’t disappoint. Every single note was perfect as they ran through “baseball,” “warm glow” and “traveler.” Halfway through the show, lead singer Luppen reminded the audience that the band’s current tour is raising money for Planned Parenthood. Those who donated outside the show were in the running to win a signed copy of Landmark. Luppen then dedicated a rendition of “South” to the

HEADER: Hippo Campus stopped at The Blue Note on Feb. 2, 2018, on its 11-city tour. PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA BINDER

BOTTOM: Hippo Campus bassist Zach Sutton performs at The Blue Note on Feb. 2, 2018. PHOTO BY CLAIRE COLBY | MOVE ANGLES EDITOR

organization. One of the moments that stood out to me the most from this show was the soulful “Monsoon.” Stocker wrote this song about his sister’s tragic death in a car accident, and it is hauntingly beautiful. I looked around in the crowd and saw a sea

of closed eyes and people gently swaying back in forth to the song. It was incredibly powerful, and I felt like I was a part of something bigger than myself — a feeling every good concert should evoke. This was my fourth time seeing Hippo Campus live,

and I can truly say the band has only gotten better with

time. It has truly mastered the art of providing good energy

and

vibes

concert-going experience.

Edited by Brooke Collier

bcollier@themaneater.com

T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | F E B. 7, 2 0 1 8

NEW CLUB

Beginners and experts alike play together in new Dungeons & Dragons club The MU Recreational Dungeons and Dragons Association drew 18 people to its first meeting on Jan. 29. BROOKE COLLIER

MOVE Culture Editor

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If there’s any interest in the game or club, feel free to go to a meeting and try it out, Lee and Hoskin said. “The word is already spreading,” Hoskin said. “People that weren’t in the original group emailed us that we didn’t know.” MURDDA meets Monday nights at 7 p.m. in Room 104 of Strickland Hall. Edited by Alexandra Sharp asharp@themaneater.com

commitment since you’re playing with four to five others,” Lee said. “You have to be committed to the game; the rest can’t play without you.” Even though there can be a time commitment with playing a game, MURDDA believes playing the game will enhance skills in working as a team, compromising and public speaking. “You can get into the mathematics of it, or you can just role-play and have fun with your friends,” Lee said.

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people, and Lee had them all introduce themselves. The meeting began with a story about a member playing his latest game written by Lee, known as a campaign. The club officers also shared their ideas about how the new club would function: There would be meetings once a week and a set of rules for gaming parties. It’s best to play Dungeons & Dragons in small groups, so MURDDA groups members and schedules times for them to meet and play. “This club is a bit of a

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players with all levels of experience with the game. Meetings are spent teaching players about the game, setting up groups to play together — called gaming parties — and breaking the introvert stereotype associated with players. “It’s a great opportunity to learn more about yourself and meet new people,” Hoskin said. The club’s first meeting, held in Strickland Hall on Jan. 29, had a turnout of 18

Header: A set of Dungeons & Dragons dice. Above: Dungeons & Dragons is played with a map made customizable with dry-erase markers. PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

There are over 600 clubs and organizations to join at MU, and the newest one to the list is the MU Recreational Dungeons and Dragons Association. Players create a character, play through stories and enjoy time spent with friends. According to the Dungeons & Dragons website, it is a fantasy role-playing game where the characters voyage through a story written by the Dungeon Master, another player. The game focuses on the art of storytelling, where characters duel with others, rescue teammates and find treasures, which allows for a lot of variety. The students behind MURDDA met at the university’s summer transition program last year. President Patrick Lee and vice president Zacharie Hoskin bonded over the game in their small group at the program. Once they started the fall semester, they found there wasn’t a club on campus that fit their Dungeons & Dragons needs, so they started their own. “We had to go through several meetings,” Lee said. “First, we needed to get 10 people who were interested in our club.” With interest from their summer transition program group and students in residence halls, getting the required 10 people was easy for Lee and Hoskin. MURDDA is a club for

T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | F E B. 7, 2 0 1 8

COLUMN

Five unforgettable moments from WWE Raw’s past 25 years WWE Monday Night Raw’s 25-year history is filled with highlights. JAY ENCINA

Reporter

WWE celebrated the 25th anniversary of “Monday Night Raw” on Jan. 22. Though the show incorporated appearances of superstars from the show’s last 25 years and the throwback set at the Manhattan Center, the best part was the response from fans on Twitter. #Raw25 trended all night as fans shared their favorite moments over the last 25 years. Being a fan since the heydays of Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart (I’m showing my age here), I’ve also joined the conversation. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top five favorite Monday Night Raw moments of all time. Chris Jericho’s WWE debut (1999) Chris Jericho was heralded as one of the best wrestlers in the world, yet the officials in World Championship Wrestling kept pushing him down. In 1999, Jericho had

WWE wrestler Chris Jericho in September 2016. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

enough and jumped ship to the WWF. After weeks of being hyped up, Jericho finally made his debut on Aug. 9, 1999, in a promo battle with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. This is one of the best debuts ever in professional wrestling history and has not been surpassed ever since. D-Generation X mocks USA Network’s memo (1998) D-Generation X (a play

on the word degenerate) is juvenile, loud, crude and over-the-top when it comes to its use of profanity and bathroom humor. It’s so overthe-top that the executives at USA Network actually sent a memo to the WWF asking them to tone down the juvenile humor of the group. The rebels that they were, DX did a presidential press conference vignette mocking the memo. This is, in my opinion, the most hilarious

promo in WWE history, and, surprisingly, the network loved it. ECW “Invades” Raw (1997) Extreme Championship Wrestling was an independent wrestling company based in Philadelphia that became prominent in the ‘90s because of its blood-and-guts style of wrestling. In 1997, the company was getting ready to present its very first payper-view event called “Barely Legal.” WWE chairman Vince McMahon had agreed to help co-promote the pay-per-view on the program. On Feb. 24, 1997, a few of the ECW wrestlers did an “invasion” of Raw and wrestled ECW-style matches on the show. CM Punk’s “Pipebomb” (2011) In 2011, CM Punk was fed up with the lack of promotion he was getting from WWE. His contract was expiring and he was ready to leave. On the June 27 episode of Raw, Punk was given a live microphone and air time to share his grievances. The spot became one of the most-watched segments of all time, both live and on YouTube, and it launched CM Punk’s career to a new atmosphere where

he became a bonafide star in the WWE. Eric Bischoff announced as the new general manager of Raw (2002) Eric Bischoff was the president of WCW in the ‘90s and he went head to head on Monday night with the WWE. WWE eventually crushed WCW and Bischoff disappeared. So, when he was announced as the new GM of Raw in July of 2002, everyone’s jaw hit the floor. Never did wrestling fans think he would be on WWE television, and yet there he was. As someone who has been a longtime fan of the show, last Monday night’s show was definitely a trip down memory lane. It was great to see all the beloved wrestlers from the past mingling with the present. Monday Night Raw has provided me and fans all over the world with a lot of memorable moments. As a new quarter begins, I am looking forward to what moments these next 25 years will bring. Edited by Claire Colby ccolby@themaneater.com

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T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | F E B. 7, 2 0 1 8 COLUMN

Modern womanhood is more than hair length Beauty is more than what is seen on the covers of magazines.

entering my third-grade classroom, more than ready to hear about how mature I looked in my new hairdo. The excitement soon faded after my MEGAN OOSTHUIZEN teacher said, “Why’d you cut it? Columnist Your long hair was so pretty.” This was the general sentiment My definition of beauty came of my classmates as well, and from my mother. In my case, I was left feeling rejected my mother and the women I from society’s perception of looked up to all had short hair. womanhood. Think Emma Watson after her Why should femininity “I am not Hermione Granger be defined by the keratin anymore” cut. Because of this, I that comes out of our scalps? always considered short hair to Women are constantly reminded be feminine. It’s not that I didn’t of the ways they do not fit think long hair was beautiful; I the traditional feminine beauty just assumed hair was hair and standards, whether that be it didn’t define femininity. through how they’re shaped to Apparently, I was wrong. even how they act. According Without long and luscious to a campaign led by Dove, only locks, you are somehow less of 4 percent of women consider a woman. This became evident themselves beautiful. These to me after I donated my hair statistics show how toxic our for the first time, trading in 11 view of womanhood can be. inches of hair for a trim and Like many women, I have tidy bob. spent the majority of my life I remember excitedly comparing myself to others and

being intimidated by women who have the features I thought I needed to be complete. More recently, I’ve realized womanhood isn’t about how curvy you are or even how long your hair is but rather embracing yourself, especially today as the rigid definition of femininity continues to be blurred. Though I am far from completely comfortable with myself, I try to take steps every day to achieve some level of confidence with who I am, specifically with how I look. Hair has been my first step. I embrace the short hair life, regardless of society’s distaste for it. And since I made the decision to go short, others have embraced me for it too. I’m not suggesting that you cut your hair short, but who knows? Maybe you’ll love it, too. Edited by Claire Colby ccolby@themaneater.com

Emma Watson COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

GALENTINE’S DAY

MU Women’s Center to hold Galentine’s Day celebration

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Grab your gal pals and come celebrate Galentine’s Day at the MU Women’s Center. February is synonymous with pink hearts and red roses, and Valentine’s Day is the time to celebrate love for your significant other. In recent years, another holiday has popped up thanks to Leslie Knope from the popular TV show “Parks and Recreation”: Galentine’s Day. This year, the MU Women’s Center partnered with the Women’s Leadership Conference to throw a free Galentine’s Day party for MU students. This is the first year the center has thrown a Galentine’s Day party, which is partly a promotion for the Women’s Leadership Conference. “We are having this event so women can be more interactive with us, other than just a oneday conference, so you can be empowered through us other than a conference,” said Jennifer Fowler, executive director for the Women’s Leadership Conference. “Galentine’s Day

is a lighthearted way to be informed of the values of the conference and the women in charge of the conference.” The night’s activities include cookie decorating, card making, friendship bracelets and a photobooth. Beneath all the fun crafts and delicious desserts, the event’s larger purpose is to promote selfempowerment, friendship, selflove and unity, according to Fowler and Jordan Weinberg, Women’s Center liaison and event creator. “Even though it’s called Galentine’s Day, anyone is welcomed to attend, not just someone who identifies as a woman,” Weinberg said. The event is scheduled for Feb. 13 from 4-6 p.m. at the Women’s Center, located in the bottom level of the Student Center. The Women’s Center expects 30 to 60 people to attend, and possibly more, considering its fall event, Love Your Body, was better attended than anticipated, with around 70 people. Edited by Brooke Collier bcollier@themaneater.com

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LAUREN WILCOX

Staff Writer

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GRAPHIC BY SARA MARQUARDT

T H E M A N E AT E R | M OV E M AG A Z I N E | F E B. 7, 2 0 1 8

MOVIES

The most overrated and underrated movies of 2017 Since awards season is in full swing, now is the time to steal the spotlight from a few major players and shine it on some unforgettable movies that few have laid eyes on. JESSE BAALMAN

Reporter

Year in and year out, movies are promoted for their craft and celebrated for the impact they make on the world’s collective consciousness. At this time of year, they fall under scrutiny from awards associations for reasons that have less to do with cinema and more to do with campaign strategies. Historically, popular entertainment fairs better than other types that do not fit into a neat category. There are exceptions, but it comes down to the diversity and specific function of a voter base. Here is a list of overrated movies from 2017 and the hidden gems that got lost in the awards circuit shuffle.

Overrated: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Let’s get this one out of the way first. Critics threw writer-director Rian Johnson a big bone for taking the franchise to new places, if only slightly because the series began 40 years ago and shows no signs of ending soon. This could be the best Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back and the most visually distinctive so far with Luke’s neo-medieval hideout and the use of the color red as a motif, especially in an arresting throne room scene featuring the movie’s beating heart, Rey and Kylo Ren. However, Johnson’s bold narrative is tainted with a weird sense of self-worship and ironic humor with new characters dropping out of the sky and others created solely to sell toys. There is always next year, and probably forever at this rate. It Stephen King’s American pastoral shot straight to the top of the zeitgeist on a rainy day in September. At the time, the domestic box office was saying its last words and needed a killer comingof-age clown to creep up and fill theater seats. They

came in droves and stayed for the Stand by Me vibes, Stranger Things actor Finn Wolfhard and ‘80s nostalgia. Other than that, the R-rated movie coasts by on the efforts of its young cast and lots of jump scares. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri In this case, a movie is only as good as its ending. The audience is supposed to believe, after senseless violence and hatred is exchanged, two opposing figures (a drunken racist and a grieving mother) get in a car together and ride off into the horizon. It is the kind of ending that might trivialize some of what came before it in a script that mostly crackles with wit and vitality. The best aspect that nearly eclipses the movie’s flaws is Frances McDormand’s fiercely determined performance as Mildred Hayes, a middle-ofAmerica woman who lives knowing her daughter’s killer walks free in a crazy, changing world. The Post Political films and film in general should convert and unite audiences with effective storytelling despite their timeliness or cultural resonance. Steven Spielberg should have made a statement about a political figure like Oliver Stone did with JFK, Nixon and Snowden. He is a master craftsman, technician and timekeeper reinforced by great performances from the infinitely watchable Tom Hanks and especially Meryl Streep. However, that does not overshadow the fact that these historical events are masquerading too overtly as a rallying cry for the anti-Trump agenda. The Post is an invigorating piece of feminist cinema while other journalism movies such as All the President’s Men and Medium Cool pack more of a political punch. Get Out There is evidence that Jordan Peele should work behind the camera from here on out. His voice is needed in a realm all his own of social psychology movies that defy genre, but what makes his effort here so effective is also what makes it less ambiguous. The movie should be saluted for its audacious use of white liberal racism as the basis for a horror thrill ride, even if sometimes that’s all it is. While the movie is worthy of

its several horror influences, it should be distinguished from the conversation it sparks. Much of that dialogue concerns what the emerging director will do next.

Underrated: Mother! Watching Darren Aronofsky’s latest mindbender is a crazy cinematic trip. It is one of the finest films of the year and the most shocking of the past decade. As might be expected, nobody went to see it, those who did hated it and it was shut out by every awards organization. Featuring phantasmagoric cinematography and an octagonal production house where the scenes take place, it rests on the shoulders of Jennifer Lawrence, who goes to hell and back in a story that starts out as a chamber romance turned pitch-black comedy, then spirals out of control into an assaulting allegory about mankind’s tarnation of Mother Earth. The Killing of a Sacred Deer Another great movie that never caught a break is Yorgos Lanthimos’ absurdist horror flick. It is adapted from the Greek myth Iphigenia, making it the Greek director’s most accessible work to date. Starring Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman as soulless suburbanites, the story makes a hairpin turn for the worst when their family’s bliss is interrupted by life’s impossible sacrificial conundrum. It features a breakout performance from Barry Keoghan who also

appeared in Christopher Nolan’s World War II project, Dunkirk. The Beguiled Sofia Coppola achieves feminist edge subconsciously, as is the language of all her work (The Virgin Suicides, Lost In Translation). It is one of the classiest pieces of pulp fiction or trash art that showcases a trio of knockout performances from Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning as repressed schoolhouse women of the American Civil War in 1864. The writer-director turns an old Clint Eastwood vehicle into a moral tale of desire that morphs into an intoxicating spell aided by Southern Gothic cinematography and setting. After taking home the Best Director prize at Cannes, the movie never gained much traction even though it had a considerable amount of commercial appeal. Okja South Korean director Bong Joon-ho continues his purposefully idiosyncratic streak with his foray into Netflix about a girl who rescues her genetically modified pet super pig. It could be the fact that it came out on a streaming service that most people dismissed it, but it has much to offer including Tilda Swinton’s environmental baddie and a Jake Gyllenhaal performance that is so wonderfully deranged it rivals Tom Cruise in Magnolia. Also, the special effects should have easily beat Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for an Oscar nomination.

Personal Shopper Kristen Stewart, proving once again (although nobody is listening) that she is a leading actress of her generation, has made a name for herself in France by way of the post-new wave auteur, Olivier Assayas. In Personal Shopper, she plays a medium and celebrity fashion assistant in Paris who tries to connect with the ghost of her recently deceased twin brother. Understandably, that might not be everyone’s idea of a good time. It was polarizing at its Cannes premiere but has since been lauded for its realist and formalist elements that dive deep into a haunted psychology of the soul and modern connection. From there, Stewart’s Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson starred in an electrifying neo-noir called Good Time. A Ghost Story was another supernatural drama that put Casey Affleck under a sheet for nearly the entire running time. From last year’s Sundance festival there is a string of overlooked indies: The Little Hours (a hilarious and poignant medieval nun comedy), Ingrid Goes West (Aubrey Plaza’s dark social media satire) and Kyle Mooney of “Saturday Night Live” writing and starring in Brigsby Bear. Beyond that, there were two noteworthy directorial debuts in the homecoming drama Columbus and the erotic, hypermasculine thriller Beach Rats This should be a good start on all of last year’s movies that are still sitting in the dark. Edited by Claire Colby ccolby@themaneater.com

SPORTS

Online this week: Men’s basketball named Team of the Week, Karissa Schweizer breaks an NCAA record and more at themaneater.com.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

After a week’s worth of losing, Pingeton’s Tigers must bounce back in big fashion After losses to Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi State, the Tigers will have their work cut out for them if they want to secure better seeding for Nashville and the NCAA Tournament. ADAM COLE

Staff Writer

After losing three straight games in late January, Mizzou men’s basketball did not look like a tournament team, and many questioned if the Tigers could even make it to the big dance in March. Heading into the first week of February, the Tigers had what looked like two impossible matchups, the first on the road against a similar bubble team in Alabama and the second at home against John Calipari’s No. 21 Kentucky squad. By the end of the week, the Tigers came out on top in both matchups, defeating a Collin Sexton-led Alabama team on the road and an, as per usual, star-studded Kentucky team at home, both by a score of 69-60. The Tigers faced must-win situations and managed to pull things off in the end. The men’s team currently sits at a 10 seed in the latest ESPN bracketology. While Martin’s team was finding success throughout the week, Robin Pingeton and her Mizzou women’s basketball team faced a dismal week of back-to-back-to-back losses. The trio of games saw the Tigers lose to highly ranked opponents: No. 18 Georgia, No. 7 South Carolina and No. 2 Mississippi State. Surprisingly enough, the long week of losing

didn’t have an effect on No. 15 Mizzou’s rank in the most recent AP Poll, likely due to the fact that Mizzou either kept things close or had control for a great deal of two of those matchups. The Tigers fell flat against Georgia but had control of the game for some time against both the Gamecocks and Bulldogs. However, they couldn’t close out, shooting a combined 39.3 percent from the field in the final quarter of each game. The week saw the Tigers fall to 18-5 overall and 6-4 in conference play, setting them at seventh in the SEC standings. After a close shave with a now 10-13 Florida team Monday night, Pingeton emphasized that Missouri’s “tough stretch” of games was far from over. “That’s what [Florida’s] done all season long,” Pingeton said. “We watched a lot of film on them, and we couldn’t emphasize that enough. Everyone wanted to talk about that tough stretch and that stretch isn’t over. You’re in an SEC season, so that stretch, no matter who you’re playing, doesn’t stop.” Pingeton’s assessment adds to a harsh reality that after last week, her team has backed itself into a wall it needs to get off of to find itself in a comfortable position heading into both the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, and the first round of the NCAA Tournament come March. The Tigers are currently sitting as a No. 4 seed in the Albany region in the latest ESPN bracketology, which would likely have them facing No. 23 North Carolina State in the round of 32 and No. 1 seed UConn in the Sweet 16, assuming they aren’t upset

WBB | Page 13

Amber Smith dribbles around a Mississippi State defender to get the ball to the paint. PHOTO BY COURTNEY VILLMER | SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SOFTBALL

Mizzou softball determined not to let coaching change impact expectations for 2018 season Despite former coach Ehren Earleywine’s firing on Jan. 26, the Tigers believe they have what it takes to compete this season. JACKSON STONE

Reporter

In the final days before the 2018 season officially began, Athletic Director Jim Sterk notified the softball team that Ehren Earleywine,

the Tigers’ head coach for 11 years, had been fired. “I was just as shocked as everybody,” interim head coach Gina Fogue said. “[It’s] definitely bittersweet. I learned a lot from [Earleywine], and I just hope to build off of what we have.” Fogue played at Mizzou from 2006-10 and was a part of two College World Series runs during Earleywine’s tenure. Fogue served as director of operations for two seasons before being promoted in 2013 to an on-field coaching position, one she held until taking over as interim

head coach after the news broke out about Earleywine’s firing on Jan. 26. “The initial shock was hard on all of us, but the girls on this team have great chemistry and know that we just have to move forward,” Fogue said. “All of [the players] have come together, and they just want to win.” Earleywine is leaving behind a team that went to 11 straight NCAA Regionals and made three Women’s College World Series appearances during his tenure. This will be the first season since 2006 that a Missouri softball team is not being led by Earleywine.

Despite Earleywine’s departure, sophomore shortstop Braxton Burnside, a 2017 Freshman AllSEC player, said the team is using the situation as motivation for this season. “I think we are using this to rally together,” Burnside said. “Everyone thinks that we are taking a hit, so we are trying to bounce back as best as we can, and I think we are starting off really well.” Burnside complemented her former coach and acknowledged

2018 | Page 13

T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | F E B. 7, 2 0 1 8

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Robertson, Porter bail Missouri out on the road against Ole Miss Robertson had 27 points to lead the Tigers. BENNETT DURANDO

Assistant Sports Editor

Missouri needed a moment to breathe. One look at the goose egg on the scoreboard at the Pavilion in Oxford, Mississippi, told the story of the first five minutes; Ole Miss got out and running to an 11-0 lead that left the Tigers gasping for air and perhaps already doubting the legitimacy of their two-game uprising the previous week. Not Jontay Porter. The freshman power forward woke up the lethargic Tigers and led a radical turnaround that kept Missouri afloat en route to a 75-69 road victory over the Rebels on Tuesday night. It was the third straight triumph for an inspired Missouri team (16-8, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) that is surging in the SEC and sits — as things stand — on the inside of the NCAA Tournament bubble looking out. Graduate transfer Kassius Robertson led the way with 27 points and a 5-for-9 mark from outside, while Porter finished with an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double. Porter also finished with five blocks. Mizzou battled back from down 11, lost its own 12-point advantage, then scored 7 unanswered points from the foul line in the last two minutes to go up 74-67 and wrap things up. Junior Kevin Puryear’s free throws off an alley-oop attempt gave the Tigers the lead for good. He finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Robertson scored 18 of

his 27 in the second half, including 12 of Mizzou’s 16 points in a critical stretch after falling behind by 4 again with 10:03 to go in the game. But in the first half, it was Porter’s show. After a scoreless first 4:55 for the Tigers, he went to work, lighting up the Pavilion from the outside and consistently cleaning up in transition to bring Missouri back. A 10-2 burst turned into a 21-6 run and Mizzou’s first lead. Then up 21-20, it was three consecutive triples — one from Porter and two from Robertson — and Mizzou looked in control. The Tigers led by as many as 12 in the half before taking a 40-31 lead into the break. Ole Miss swung things back around as Missouri was sluggish out of the gates again. The Rebels jumped to a 53-49 lead; then Robertson took over. He scored Missouri’s next 6 and 9 of its next 11, including another pair of huge 3s down the stretch. The Rebels slipped back into a 65-61 deficit after one of those 3s, then dug out to tie it 67-67 with under two minutes to play, setting up Missouri’s level-headed finish. The Tigers return home for a rematch with Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Mizzou Arena. They lost to the Bulldogs on the road last month but will have a chance to keep building a tournament resume at home with a victory. Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

Forward Jontay Porter plays during the Showdown for Relief on Oct. 22, 2017. PHOTO BY ADAM COLE |

SPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Three-star point guard Xavier Pinson commits to Missouri Pinson’s commitment may resolve indecision in next year’s backcourt after a series of guard departures this season. BENNETT DURANDO

Assistant Sports Editor

Mizzou basketball didn’t expect its offseason to become an immensely stressful one. So when unexpected losses caused its next recruiting hunt to intensify, the program

needed an answer — at one position in particular. Monday night, it might have gotten that answer. Three-star 2018 point guard Xavier Pinson of Simeon High School in Chicago committed to Missouri on Monday night. He chose the Tigers over Wisconsin and Georgetown, after also cutting Memphis and Dayton from contention. Pinson joins a 2018 recruiting class for Mizzou that includes Whitfield School star guard Torrence Watson, Illinois ex-commit and Belleville East scoring threat Javon Pickett and

former UIC player K.J. Santos. This one might come as the biggest relief yet for the Tigers. Missouri was marveled by the college basketball world at the beginning of the season for having a good problem in the backcourt: depth. That depth began to recede after the 2017-18 campaign began, starting with the transfer announcement of freshman C.J. Roberts. Frequent starter Blake Harris soon followed, shockingly leaving Mizzou and a role that appeared would be his for four years

to move closer to home to North Carolina State. After the indefinite suspension of and Title IX investigation commencement against junior Terrence Phillips last month, all that was left to carry the majority of the load at point guard was junior Jordan Geist, with help from graduate transfer Kassius Robertson and junior Cullen VanLeer. Pinson’s commitment, while reassuring for Missouri’s future at the position, also could prove a deterrent for undecided Webster Groves High School point guard Courtney Ramey,

who still includes Mizzou in his final cut of teams even after turning away from blueblooded Villanova. Ramey has been called a four- and five-star recruit by different scales, and he is the secondhighest-rated undecided point guard in the country right now. Pinson won’t be eligible to sign an official letter of intent until the next available basketball signing period on April 11. Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | F E B. 7, 2 0 1 8

WBB Continued from page 11

in the first round. Considering SEC standings, Mizzou would currently be a No. 7 seed in the SEC

2018 Continued from page 11

what Earleywine did for the team. “Our relationship with coach E was great; he was a really great coach and great person,” Burnside said. “I guess some people can’t say the same, but he demanded success, and to me, that is what it is all about.” Burnside had a recordsetting freshman season, hitting 12 home runs and recording 52 RBIs, the second-most RBIs in a season by a freshman in school history. Her season included a 10-RBI game on March 18, 2017, against North Dakota State, setting a Mizzou softball record for most RBIs in a game. “I sent Coach Earleywine

Tournament, facing Arkansas in its first matchup and moving on to play No. 18-ranked Georgia, one of the three teams the Tigers lost to over their three-game skid. The Tigers need to find themselves in better seeding going into both tournaments

if they want easier paths to make a deep run, but in order to do that, they likely need to win their last six games of the regular season. Home matchups against Kentucky and Vanderbilt, as well as road games against Arkansas and Auburn aren’t

a text message letting him know that his voice is always going to be in the back on my head,” Burnside said. “He had so much knowledge about the game. When I got here, I didn’t think I had a lot to learn, but I learned a ton, and I was definitely thankful for that.” Even though this year’s team is without Earleywine, the Tigers haven’t changed their expectations to maintain the winning culture that has been laid out the past 11 years. “We have really high expectations this year,” Burnside said. “We have a really good freshman class and a lot, a lot of talent.” Junior first baseman Rylee Pierce, who hit .377 when leading off an inning last year, talked about how the in-house promotion of Fogue helps keep the same culture

inside the clubhouse. “It couldn’t have been more ideal,” Pierce said. “If you would have brought in a new coach, there would have a totally new system and personality. This way, we knew what to expect and just moved on.” Fogue will look to continue the success that Mizzou softball has experienced the past decade while building on the foundation that was laid before her. “We expect to do great things,” Fogue said. “We’ve got a tremendously talented group and we’re looking to keep our goals what they [have been].” Missouri’s season starts Feb. 8 against San Jose State at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona. Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

particularly daunting tasks, but Mizzou must beat No. 11 Tennessee at home and No. 14 Texas A&M on the road if it wants to find itself in a better spot in tournament play. The Tigers’ next matchup comes against Kentucky

at home on Thursday. The team needs to start there in finding its tournamentlike resiliency, much like Martin’s squad found last week, if it wants to contend come March. Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

TOP: The softball team held its annual Black and Gold exhibition game at Devine Pavilion on Feb. 3, 2018. MIDDLE: Freshman Kara Decker prepares for a pitch during the Black and Gold game on Feb. 3, 2018. BOTTOM: An overhead view of the Black and Gold game, which was moved indoors due to weather. PHOTOS BY ELLEN DIAO | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

T H E M A N E AT E R | S P O RTS | F E B. 7, 2 0 1 8

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

After a long night, Missouri survives scare from Florida, 66-64 Cierra Porter’s 27 points and Jordan Frericks’ 18 were just enough for the Tigers to hang on. ADAM COLE

Staff Writer

Mizzou women’s basketball walked into Mizzou Arena on Monday night to play a Florida Gators team that was just 2-7 in conference play heading into the night and 10-12 overall. One would think that after two hardfought road losses to ranked Southeastern Conference opponents and a down-to-the-wire home loss to the No. 2 team in the nation — all in the span of one week — that the No. 15 Tigers could turn a matchup with this Gator team into a cakewalk. However, that was far from the case, as Mizzou was only able to eke out a win over Florida, 66-64. In postgame, head coach Robin Pingeton referenced the Tigers’ tough stretch of games, saying she made a point to her players that the stretch was far from over. “You’re in an SEC season, so no matter who you’re playing, it doesn’t stop,” Pingeton said. “Florida’s been in every game they played in the SEC, so we knew it was going to be a tough battle for us.” The Tigers started out Monday’s game in usual fashion, taking advantage of a hot start from junior Cierra Porter and getting out to a 6-point lead early in the first quarter. Moving forward, however, things were back and forth until Florida took control early in the second half by holding onto a lead for 7:03 in the third quarter. It wasn’t until the final quarter of play that the Tigers regained the momentum they had found so early on. The fourth quarter was a turnaround in terms of individual performances from

the Tigers. Junior Sophie Cunningham, who had just 4 points heading into the fourth quarter, finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and redshirt senior Jordan Frericks, who had just 6 points before the fourth, finished with 18. Porter, who had a dominant performance of her own, acknowledged how glad she was Frericks was able to contribute the way she did Monday night. “I’m so happy for Jordan because I know how hard she works,” Porter said. “She’s capable of doing that both halves, every game, and that was just huge for her and huge for our team. We don’t win that game without her.” Porter’s performance was one bright spot for Mizzou. She finished the night with 27 points and eight rebounds. Porter, who totaled 9 points over the previous three games, gave all the credit for her performance to those around her. “I’ve kind of been on a little slump,” Porter said. “But my teammates and my coaches just keep instilling confidence in me that I could do it.” Even with the individual turnarounds, Florida kept things close down to the wire. The Tigers found themselves down 2 with the final shot and 12 seconds left. Pingeton had a simple game plan for her team heading into the final possession: Don’t give up a 3. “I thought we contested hard, but we said absolutely no 3s,” Pingeton said. “We’re not giving up a 3-point play going to the rim, oldfashioned 3. We just said, worst case scenario, it’s overtime, but we are not getting beat by a 3.” The Tigers next game will be against Kentucky on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. at Mizzou Arena. Edited by Joe Noser jnoser@themaneater.com

Jordan Roundtree, guard, brings the ball down the court during a game against Mississippi State. PHOTO BY COURTNEY VILLMER | SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

OPINION

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

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Submit a letter to the editor by emailing letters@themaneater.com.

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY THE MANEATER COLUMNISTS DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINIONS OF THE MANEATER EDITORIAL BOARD.

COLUMN

Why excusing hate speech is dangerous Attacks on innocent Americans should never be tolerable in this country, yet the number of hate-related incidents only continues to rise. MADI BAUGHMAN

Opinion Columnist

Madi Baughman is a freshman journalism and political science major who writes about political and civil rights issues for The Maneater.

Hate speech — threatening speech that attacks a person or group on the basis of attributes such as race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability or gender — often paves the way for an atmosphere more tolerant of hate crimes, which are never acceptable. After an election based on fearmongering and trash-talking,

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN OSTROWSKY VIA FLICKR

the atmosphere over the past year has never been more inviting for hateinduced incidents, and that should scare you, regardless of your race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender or any other factors that you have no control over. An attack on one innocent American is an attack on all. This may sound far-fetched when you try to think of people as rational human beings, but sadly, hate speech all too often leads to hate crimes when not kept in check. Last year, the FBI

reported that anti-Muslim hate crimes experienced a 67 percent increase, the Anti-Defamation League reported that anti-Semitic violence rose 67 percent and the National Coalition of AntiViolence Programs reported that 2017 was actually the deadliest year on record for the LGBTQ community. In just the first 10 days after the election, the Southern Poverty Law Center counted almost 900 reports of hate or bias. The statistics become even more

frightening when you take into account where a lot of these incidents happen — places we should feel safe. Schools were a particularly common location for hate crimes to occur, with the Southern Poverty Law Center counting 614 cases of hate incidents at public primary and secondary schools and college campuses between Nov. 9, 2016, and March 31, 2017. When children are put in danger, you know there’s a problem. In a country where our president labeling other countries as “shitholes” and calling the Charlottesville white supremacist protesters “very fine people” is the new normal, we can’t expect to rely on our government when it comes to protecting minority groups — and this is where groups like the American Civil Liberties Union step in. If we want to truly make our country the great place our leaders claim it to be, then it’s up to us to protect those that are less privileged than we are by getting involved in similar groups dedicated to justice. If hateful, threatening speech becomes tolerable, then we lose safety as a nation.

COLUMN

The U.S. is still failing the most innocent of its citizens The Senate rejected a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks even though it has been confirmed that these unborn children can feel pain during the procedure. BRANDON BARTLETT

Opinion Columnist

Brandon Bartlett is a freshman political science major at MU. He is an opinions columnist who writes about politics for The Maneater. As the Senate decided to reject a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks, the law of the United States remains complacent in the killing of hundreds of thousands of unborn children every year. Before I get into the details of this great atrocity, I would like to make clear that I thoroughly believe the United States of America is the greatest country in the world. This does not, however, excuse the great stain that grows on the history of our country — that is, the legality of abortion, in cases other than those that would risk the mother’s life. Just to begin, let’s address the idea that a fetus and an unborn baby are not the same thing. Many who would call themselves pro-abortion rights often claim that an abortion

does not end a life because the thing in a pregnant woman’s womb is not a baby, but a fetus. A fetus and unborn child are the same thing. According to Dictionary.com, a fetus is “the young of an animal in the womb or egg, especially in the later stages of development when the body structures are in the recognizable form of its kind, in humans after the end of the second month of gestation.” Furthermore, 29 states consider it double homicide to kill a pregnant woman at any point of the child’s development and nine states consider it double homicide after a certain point in the child’s gestation. One of those nine states includes California, which has been known to vote for the Democratic candidates consistently since the early ‘90s. So if the majority of states in the U.S. already accept that a so-called fetus is a life, why do we allow the child’s mother to choose to kill them? Maybe I’m not of the majority opinion, but I don’t think whether a woman wants her baby or not constitutes whether she gets to end its life. Another argument typically used by pro-abortion rights advocates is that it is the woman’s right to choose whether she wants to have an abortion or not because it’s her body. This argument has so many holes in it, the largest of course being: You cannot murder your child, or any other human for that matter, unless they are a threat to your life. Another equally large hole in this

logic is it is not only her body. The procedure of an abortion is almost entirely about a body other than the mother’s. To be clear, I am all for women doing whatever they want with their bodies, but ending your developing child’s life isn’t doing what you want with your body. You shouldn’t just get to decide you can end your child’s life because you don’t want to be a parent yet, or you can’t afford it, because you could say the same thing about a child after it is born. I’m sure there is a time in every parent’s life when they wish they could just get away from kids and not have to deal with them. They might find it hard to buy food and clothes for their kids, but they don’t get to just kill them. I also feel deeply, deeply sorry for any woman who is sexually assaulted and becomes pregnant as a result of it, but we should not kill the innocent children of the most evil people among us. There is always the option of putting the child up for adoption after it is born. There are many other times when an abortion seems to be justified, but is the same as killing an innocent person, the only difference being whether they are in the womb or outside of it. There have always been injustices in life, and there most likely always will be, no matter how large or small they are. It is important we fight against those injustices when they occur and call them out for what they really are.

As of 2014, there have been an estimated 59,115,995 unborn children killed since the 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade, which gave women the constitutional right to have an abortion. Those 59,115,995 children all could’ve had their own individual lives that touched the world in their own way if allowed to live. This bill should easily have bipartisan backing from the findings of modern science. We now know that at 20 weeks of gestation a baby has: a beating heart, ears they can hear with, developing organs, taste buds, arms, legs, a head with its own face. A growing number of scientists and medical professionals also believe an unborn baby at 20 weeks gestation can feel the pain of being torn limb from limb and pulled from the womb during an abortion during the second trimester. These unborn babies are about 6 1/2 inches from head to bottom, which would just barely fit into the average person’s hand. Human life has been scientifically proven to begin at conception, so I believe we should ban all abortions unless it will save the life of the mother. The Senate bill would’ve been a step in the right direction. There are four other choices you can make rather than killing an innocent child, and those are parenthood, adoption, birth control or abstinence. As individuals and as a country, we should all choose one of those because choosing one of those is choosing life.