Vox Magazine

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THEY MEAN

BUSINESS

Local student entrepreneurs demonstrate seven steps for building a dream startup PAGE 8

KITCHEN MIXOLOGY 101 Learn how to create delicious DIY cocktails with pantry items

WOMEN ON THE RANGE Ellen Kliethermes aims to educate women on how to use firearms

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IN THIS ISSUE

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December 15, 2016 VOLUME 18 ISSUE 41 | PUBLISHED BY THE COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN

FEATURE What does it take to start your own business during college? A group of MU students share the process, the plight and the glory of the small-business stride in seven steps. PAGE 8 SCENE Winter is here, whether you want it or not. And with the new season comes the potential for catching a cold or the flu. These home treatments could help soothe the sniffles. PAGE 4 Who said classy drinks have to be expensive?

Learn how to make homemade cocktails that don’t taste terrible with ingredients already in your fridge. PAGE 5 NEWS & INSIGHT Animal testing is a controversial topic, and MU’s College of Veterinary Medicine knows that first hand. Vox separates fact from fiction on the complex issue. PAGE 6 ARTS & BOOKS Children’s book author and artist Goose Garland shares what it was like writing a book about growing up in CoMo and how her daughter helped inspire it. PAGE 7

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS With all these Arctic blasts, who really wants to leave the house? No one. But when you hibernate, getting food can become a problem. One Vox writer tests out different food delivery companies in town.

Find out the best ones to drop off your next meal without even leaving the couch. Tip wisely.

LONG LIVE THE TRAIL Runners, bikers and nature thrill-seekers, rejoice.

Thanks to Gov. Jay Nixon, the Katy Trail has been extended by 47.5 miles. Read about details of the exciting new expansion to Kansas City.

COUNTRY COMPATIBILITY Despite what Pitchfork might tell you, modern country isn’t all about big trucks, fried chicken and drinkin’ beer. If you’re a country hater, sample this playlist, which defies the stereotypes and still makes Willie Nelson proud.

EDITOR’S LETTER

MUSIC For Arkansan Molly Adamson, music has always been a constant. Trace her journey from her home state to Columbia’s music scene, and how she’s always willing to get back to her roots.

PAGE 16 Q&A Ellen Kliethermes facilitates local gun group, A Girl & A Gun. She answers some questions about the politics of concealed firearms in Missouri, gun safety and women at the range. PAGE 18 COVER DESIGN: MARGARET COOPER COVER PHOTOS: ALEX SCIMECCA, CARSEN SIKYTA, NADAV SOROKER

CHRISTINE JACKSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

320 LEE HILLS HALL COLUMBIA MO 65211 573-884-6432 VOX@MISSOURI.EDU ADVERTISING: 573-882-5714

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I’ve never been much of an entrepreneur. Local media doesn’t pay as well as angry Twitter users seem to think it does, so I usually have some sort of side hustle going on, but I don’t have much of a head for business. And I definitely don’t have any Shark Tank-worthy business plans to pitch.

Luckily for those looking for good haircuts, unique jewelry, new apps and other services, there are MU students who know what they’re doing when it comes to starting new ventures. This week’s feature (Page 8) showcases several young entrepreneurs, their businesses and their tips for starting your own business.

While their peers focus on group projects, studying for tests and making it to their 8 a.m. classes on time, these students add creating products and managing client projects to that to-do list.

These young entrepreneurs have recognized needs in their communities and, instead of filing the thought away under “business ideas”, they turned them into actual products and services. Looking to shop local this Christmas? Try The Bridge in the MU Student Center (Page 11). Want to embrace the choker trend? Look into creations from SeptemberGlow (Page 10). Need help planning an event? Karen Spears can definitely help you with that (Page 13).

And if you have your own million dollar idea, try following the tips throughout the feature. You might just write your own success story.

VOX STAFF Editor: Christine Jackson Deputy Editor: Dan Roe Managing Editor: Madison Fleck Creative Director: Ben Kothe Digital Managing Editor: Abby Holman Art Directors: Madalyne Bird, Elizabeth Sawey Photo Editor: Mary Hilleren Online Editor: Lea Konczal Multimedia Editor: Mitchel Summers News & Insight Editors: John Bat, Katelyn Lunders The Scene Editors: Kelsie Schrader, Jessica Sherwin, Brooke Vaughan Music Editors: Marlee Ellison, Meredith McGrath Arts & Books Editors: Katie Akin, Luria Freeman Contributing Writers: Bobby Ceresia, Corin Cesaric, Mitchell Forde, Max Havey, Kelsey Hurwitz, Lis Joyce, Rick Morgan, Rachel Phillips, Karlee Renkoski, Stephanie Sandoval, Alex Schiffer, Tyler Schneider, Guimel Sibingo, Mike Tish, Carolina Vargas, Catherine Wendlandt, Taylor Ysteboe Editorial Director: Heather Lamb Executive Editor: Jennifer Rowe Digital Director: Sara Shipley Hiles Writing Coach: John Fennell Office Manager: Kim Townlain

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PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF CARSEN SIKYTA AND PEXELS

RADAR

Vox’s take on the talk of the week

COMO’S GOLDEN BOY Last week, Donald Trump was named Time’s Person of the Year, “for better or for worse,” to quote the magazine. We thought it might be more relevant to name our Columbia person of the year: Olympian, bronze medalist, National Anthem-belter and all-around good guy, J’den Cox. Thanks for bringing home the bronze and reminding the nation Missouri is home to excellence. We salute you and your (envy-inducing) talents.

D E C E M B E R :

Written by: Katie Akin, Katelyn Lunders, and Jessica Sherwin

JOLLY HOLIDAY(S)

I’m James Catison!

We hope you’re ready to celebrate. Today is Cupcake Day, National Wear Your Pearls Day, Bill of Rights Day and National Cat Herders Day. If you’re not too tired from standard holiday prep, break out your best baking, jewelry, patriotism and fruitless efforts (have you ever tried to herd cats?).

AULD LANG SAYONARA! Clubbing is overrated for NYE, and we’re not about to freeze our butts off at outdoor block parties, so here’s a fun list of things to do to celebrate the death of 2016 (finally).

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Go stargazing, and make a wish on any shooting stars that 2017 kicks 2016’s a$$.

Have a sleepover, play board games and make your own champagne cocktails.

Speaking of resolutions, make a resolution board. All of the inspiration. All of the Pinterest.

DIY a time capsule.

Write a letter to future you about what’s going on in your life now, how you’re feeling and what you hope to accomplish.

It’s like a resolution, but better and without the disappointment when it doesn’t happen.

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Stay in bed, and dream 2016 never happened.

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“Surprisingly emotional... hysterically funny... and genuinely surprising” - Gothamist

by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood

Adults Students Seniors

12 $ 10 $ 10 $

1800 Nelwood Drive; Columbia, MO | 573.474.3699 | www.cectheatre.org “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF SHANE EPPING, PIXABAY, EMOJI ISLAND, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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THE SCENE

Turn to nature to ease your sneeze and feel better sooner

BY KARLEE RENKOSKI PHOTOS BY KATELYN METZGER honey

You’re standing in line at the grocery store, and someone on your left is coughing, someone on your right sounds like Kermit, and the woman in front of you is holding the hand of a sniffling kid. Before you know it, you’re sick too. But instead of reaching over the counter for relief, check out some natural alternatives. Hy-Vee dietitian Hannah Garrad, Boone Convenient Care doctor John Mruzik and Main Squeeze owner Leigh Lockhart share ways to feel well with home restoratives.

FOR HEADACHES feverfew

This herb is often used for migraines and acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Find feverfew tablets at a health store or try eating the leaves plain, in a sandwich or infused in tea. Be warned, though, they’re pretty bitter.

FOR COUGHS herbal teas

Green, ginger or chamomile tea helps soothe the throat and re-hydrate your body after losing excess water from a cough. If you want a natural substitute to acetaminophen, willow bark tea contains salicin, a chemical similar to aspirin that soothes the throat. honey

Honey is a tastier alternative for stopping a cough than fake-grape medicine. It’s safer, too, so parents can give children ages 1 and up a spoonful of sugar.

Mix lemon and a hearty helping of honey into hot water for hot lemonade, a drink that soothes the throat and lends some vitamin C. saltwater

Gargle with half a teaspoon of salt in an 8-ounce glass of water.

This can be done as often as needed.

FOR CONGESTION horseradish , wasabi

These foods provide temporary relief by thinning and ushering along old mucus. ginger chews

Ginger releases chemicals that open sinus passages.

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zinc

Stay properly nourished to prevent low energy.

This mineral can be found in foods such as salmon, tofu, tuna, beef and poultry. Three ounces of beef contains between 30 to 50 percent of your daily zinc intake.

willow bark tea

neti pots

Mix half a teaspoon of salt in distilled warm water, then use a neti pot to cleanse sinuses.

Saltwater clears nasal passages, shrinks the tissue of the mucus membranes, clears debris and helps heal skin cells.

FOR DIGESTIVE ISSUES

vitamin d

Low vitamin D is sometimes associated with aches and pains, depressed moods and an increased risk of upper respiratory infections. Get out, and soak up some sun to bolster your vitamin D levels. The vitamin can also be found in milk, mushrooms and fish.

lemon

exercise

probiotics

Found in foods and drinks such as yogurt, kimchi, kombucha and kefir, probiotics are live microorganisms that kickstart and balance your digestive tract.

PREVENT TO STAY CONTENT If you’re nervous about getting germs, buy vitamin C in bulk. Also known as asorbic acid, vitamin C is thought to bolster your immune system.

The Thunderkiss at Main Squeeze combines strawberries, banana, pineapple and oranges for a delicious, 100 percent fruit juice smoothie packed with vitamin C. Lockhart says she also finds that locally grown

FOR ACHES & LOW ENERGY

A regular exercise routine improves the immune system, mood and outlook on life.

Energy breeds energy.

ginger

orange

Save your sick days for vacation; try these methods to increase your immunity

elderberries help her feel better when she senses an illness coming on.

Vegetables are also key to staying healthy. Lockhart says kale is especially nutritious and recommends people drink Braveheart, a smoothie with vegetables, fruit and fiber.

For those who don’t like vegetables, Lockhart says one ounce of wheatgrass, a sprouted winter wheat

berry, is equivalent to 2 pounds of vegetables. It’s a painless way to get vitamins in your system.

In addition to eating right, hygiene is key. Mruzik says it’s important to wash your hands often. Be especially careful to not touch your eyes, nose, ears or mouth so germs your handwashing missed aren’t absorbed by your skin.

THE SCENE

DIY: Drink it yourself

Learn from local bartenders how to craft the perfect cocktail at home BY BROOKE KOTTMANN Navigating mixology doesn’t have to be an expensive or daunting task. By following these simple steps, you can sip, swallow and swill in your sweats. If you have lemon juice in your fridge, boxed tea and a reusable water bottle, you’re already on your way to being a skilled mixologist, (and you didn’t even know it).

With four easy-to-make drink recipes from Bryan Arri, Sycamore’s lead bartender, and tips from other local bartenders, you’ll be toasting your newfound talent in no time.

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF TEA

+ 2 oz. gin

+ 1 oz. jasmine tea leaves

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS

+ 0.5 oz. lemon juice

+ 2 oz. gin

1 Tbsp. sugar

+ 1 oz. lemon juice

+ 1 oz. simple syrup

a dash of soda water

To make: Place ingredients in a water bottle or a shaker with ice.

Shake for 20 seconds. Strain, and enjoy. No gin? No problem. Swap in the vodka that’s been sitting on your shelf for a while.

To make: Combine gin, juice and syrup, and shake with ice to make a wannabe Tom Collins. Strain the mix, then top with a dash of soda water to taste. For a French 75, substitute sparkling wine for soda water.

Why: The floral notes in jasmine tea complement the botanical juniper elements in gin’s flavor profile while lemon and sugar give the drink a sweet and sour twist.

Why: It’s an easier mouth feel to sip gin when you add soda water, which adds bubbles and a lighter consistency.

WHISKEY BUSINESS

+ 2 oz. whiskey

+ 1 oz. lemon juice

ORANGE YOU GLAD?

+

+ 1 cup sugar

1 cup boiling water

1.5 oz. vodka

To make: Stir sugar and water together to make a faux simple syrup.

Combine 0.75 oz. simple syrup with the rest of the ingredients, shake and serve over ice.

MAKING POUR CHOICES

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Pay attention to measurements. Too much sugar is just as bad as too much alcohol, says Bryan Arri, bartender at Sycamore.

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Make your own syrups. Extra fruit or jams can be quickly cooked down to a syrup, says Kaitlyn Arnold, bar manager at Coley’s.

2 oz. orange juice

1 Tbsp. powdered sugar

+ desired amount of sparkling wine

To make: Combine juice and powdered sugar at the bottom of that champagne flute you stole from your sibling’s wedding. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add vodka, or substitute brandy, and top with sparkling wine.

Why: The tartness of the lemon and the sugar from the simple syrup balance the bite of the whiskey, giving you a classic take on a whiskey sour.

Looking for more ways to get the perfect mix? Local bartenders have some tips:

+

Why: This perfect morning cocktail is the mimosa’s big sister. Its complex flavors pair well with vodka because it’s a neutral spirit, so the other flavors come through.

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Embrace obscure ingredients. For example, black pepper syrup is Arnold’s favorite addition to a drink.

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Take it to the club. Arnold says club soda is a versatile mixer that isn’t sweet, so it won’t give you a hangover.

/Q1061Hits

Choose high-quality ingredients. Billy Giordano, general manger of Room 38, suggests using fresh juices and herbs.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMAZON, PAPISC/FLICKR, RYAN LANE/FLICKR, SCOTT PATTERSON/FLICKR, FREDERIQUE, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, VOISIN-DEMERY/FLICKR

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NEWS & INSIGHT

What’s the truth about animal testing?

Unraveling the myths about animal research BY MIKE TISH MU came under national scrutiny in August after it euthanized seven beagles that had been used to study the effects of a topical acid on corneal ulcers. Opponents of animal testing were upset the dogs were not put up for adoption instead. The experiment also did not use enough animals for it to be statistically significant, meaning it would need a follow-up experiment for results.

Suffice it to say, MU’s College of Veterinary Medicine has taken a lot of heat — including an ongoing lawsuit from the Beagle Freedom Project, which was not available for comment. The Los Angeles-based program tries to find new homes for animals used in research. The group sued MU in May for allegedly violating the Sunshine Law on more than 200 occasions over records requests for animals being tested. MU did not comment on the lawsuit or study. On a complex issue, Vox sought out answers to some common questions.

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ALL NEW DRUGS REQUIRE ANIMAL TESTING FALSE: But it’s complicated. The FDA doesn’t require cosmetic products to be tested on animals. But, it does require animal testing for any candidate drug that uses a device not previously proven to be compatible with the human body.

The FDA states that animal testing is used to measure “how much of a drug or biologic is absorbed into the blood; how a medical product is broken down chemically in the body; the toxicity of the product and its breakdown components; and how quickly the product and its metabolites are excreted from the body.”

Yet, the vast majority of drugs tested on animals don’t make it to market. In 2004, FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said that 92 percent of candidate drugs entering human trials (which were previously tested either on animals or in a test tube) never survived the four-phase clinical trial process needed for approval.

SCIENTISTS WHO CONDUCT ANIMAL RESEARCH OPERATE WITH OVERSIGHT AND REGULATION TRUE: All research institutions are subject to a litany of state and federal guidelines, the most prominent being The Animal Welfare Act. The AWA was signed into law in 1966 and sets the minimum standards of care that must be provided to animals with regard to housing, handling, sanitation, food, water, veterinary care and protection from weather extremes. Warm-blooded species are covered, except for birds, some rats and certain mice.

The most powerful regulatory entity is the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Dr. Jeff Henegar heads MU’s IACUC, and this role gives him the final say on every experiment.

Federal guidelines dictate the IACUC must have five members, but the committee that oversees MU actually has 14. It is made up of six scientists with different areas of expertise. “If you’re going to work on a certain species, we have experts there who can review that properly,” Henegar says. It also has two non-scientists, two community members and alternating veterinarians.

AN EXPERIMENT MUST PROVE A HYPOTHESIS IN ORDER TO BE RULED A SUCCESS FALSE: This, Henegar says, is one of the biggest misconceptions about any sort of research. When a study fails to prove a hypothesis, scientists still walk away with concrete results as long as the study was statistically significant.

In order for a study to be statistically significant, McIntosh says it needs to have at least 12 test subjects.

Henegar says a study can only be ruled a failure if the researcher didn’t use enough test subjects. The now infamous MU study only used seven beagles, which the study author says was due to the impracticality of using the two groups of 12 dogs needed for the study to be statistically significant.

ANY ANIMAL COULD BE SUBJECT TO MULTIPLE STUDIES FALSE: No animal can be used in more than one study, says Henegar.

MU’s College of Veterinary Medicine currently has 448 animal-use studies going on, but within each protocol, there are multiple experiments. So within one study, an animal would likely be subjected to several tests, but it all has to be for the same study. In all, there are 21 species currently being tested on MU’s campus including mice, rats, guinea pigs, cats, dogs, pigs, cows, horses, sheep and chickens.

ANIMAL RESEARCH ON MU’S CAMPUS HAS SCIENTIFIC APPLICATIONS TRUE: McIntosh says drug studies on MU’s campus are close to beginning human treatment trials for diseases such as muscular dystrophy, cancer and diabetes. Treatments against viral infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B and Zika are also being tested on animals.

MU is also working toward developing pigs that are immune to certain diseases that are easily spread while they are shipped around the country for the pork industry.

THERE WILL NEVER BE AN ALTERNATIVE TO ANIMAL RESEARCH FALSE: Advancements in stem cell research could create a real and effective alternative to animal testing in the near future. Right now, McIntosh says researchers can use stem cell research to accurately test human tissues and organs. But in terms of how the human physiology would react to a new food, drug or disease, McIntosh says the current stem cell research is not a viable alternative to animal testing. “You cannot reproduce in a laboratory what happens inside an animal,” he says.

However, if advancements continue with stem cell research, it might take over animal testing.

So, what do scientists need to prove in order to test on animals?

Any researcher who wants to do testing on animals must first get approval from the IACUC and normally needs to obtain funding from either federal grants or a private company.

McIntosh says, “Every project that is going to be carried out on this campus has to have a structure in place that ensures an experiment is necessary, well-characterized and well-designed.”

Once a study has been accepted, its researchers are still subject to oversight from the IACUC. This committee has the authority to shut down a study at any time. Henegar says the committee is in place to make sure researchers handling these animals are trained properly.

Both laboratory and agricultural studies must meet the minimum living standards set forth by the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teaching, respectively.

That said,once a study is accepted, it is usually seen through to its conclusion.

ILLUSTRATION BY BEN KOTHE

ARTS & BOOKS

Oh, the places you’ll go in CoMo

Local author gives parents a guide to the city in her debut children’s book Know I’ll Like CoMo? was released Dec. 7 and is Goose Garland knew she wanted to be an sold at The Mizzou Store, local bookstores and artist. She liked to draw throughout her Hy-Vees. It follows a family new to Columbia childhood and in high school, but she says as they visit different notable and fun places in she didn’t have the courage to pursue art. Her town Garland wanted to take her daughter as family wanted her to have a career that would she grew up. She hopes the book guarantee a livable wage. will help new parents and parents Originally from Iowa, new to Columbia explore the city Garland has lived in with their kids. “Everything in the Columbia for 18 years. And book are places in Columbia that no, her given name is not are close to my heart,” Garland Goose, but she chose it as says. “It’s a book that my daughter her pen name because it was could have and say, ‘Hey Mom, I a lifelong nickname. Garland remember this!’” graduated from MU in But writing the book wasn’t as 2000 with a degree in Parks, easy as Garland thought. She says Recreation and Tourism. she started writing in February After graduation, she worked this year. At first, learning how at Boone Hospital Center to draw on the computer was as a recreational therapist difficult. She took Photoshop and later in a few other Released: Dec. 7 lessons from local graphic jobs, including a substitute Price: $9.95 designer Maura Mudd to practice teacher, around the time of her her new skills. Garland says Mudd daughter’s birth. would come over several times per week for Garland’s daughter inspired her to start about four or five hours at a time to teach her writing and get back into art. She says she was reading about 100 books to her daughter every new skills. “I had to do-over half my pictures because I got so much better,” Garland says. week because she believes in building a child’s Mommy, How Do You Know I’ll Like CoMo? mind before starting school. These books gave is self-published. Garland called authors and Garland the idea to write her own. artists, including her favorite artist, David Garland’s first book, Mommy, How Do You

BY JENNIFER ALDRICH

Catrow, to get insight about the publishing business.

She also had a mentor at the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Elinor Arendt, to help with the business side of books.

Garland’s favorite illustration in her book is the picture of the Activity and Recreation Center. She says the pool took her the most time to do — about two and a half or three months.

But some of Garland’s first choices didn’t make it into her book. Garland says her experience working at a hospital with privacy restrictions was why she asked permission for everything she included in the book. She was disappointed she wasn’t given permission to depict the Columbia Public Library. “We spent an unbelievable amount of time there — we basically lived there,” Garland says. “I was so sad I couldn’t draw that.”

But Garland hopes she might get permission in the future. She says she is definitely going to publish two more books and has eight other ideas in her head. “I love this town,” Garland says. “It’s where I raised my daughter. I’ve made mistakes and wonderful things here. This book is my love of the town; it’s why I made it.”

Garland illustrated her book herself, so she provided Vox with an illustrated self-portrait.

Now offering classes that meet only one night per week.

Next classes start Jan. 2nd

Learn more at Evening.CCIS.edu or call (573) 875-7610 IMAGES COURTESY OF GOOSE GARLAND

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Karen Spears Kareracter & Let’s Vibe

Bea Doheny AstronoBEAds

Lovell Cox Lovellfaye Designs

Sean Adams Ashe’

Blaine Thomas The Bridge

Ryan Platt, Jeff Orr & Dallas Hoelscher Maply

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PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF

Drew Rogers The Bridge

Taking

CHARGE These MU money-makers are conquering the business world one semester at a time

Jorjan McClendon SeptemberGlow

Stories

Abriana Green & Maya McDowell

Photos

S

Alex Scimecca, Carsen Sikyta & Nadav Soroker

tarting a business after college is a dream for a lot of students.

For others, their ideas become a reality while they’re still in school. Snapchat’s founders were fraternity brothers at Stanford University when they created the popular app. Insomnia Cookies founder Seth Berkowitz was a junior at the University of Pennsylvania when he had a craving for late-night snacks and came up with the cookie delivery service. Those innovators started their businesses to fulfill a need, and the trend hasn’t slowed — the Huffington Post recently found that three out of five millennials

think of themselves as entrepreneurs.

MU students are some of the best local examples of this statistic. On top of the juggling act that is college — classes, SEC tailgates, work, binge-watching Netflix shows — these students have another responsibility to prioritize: owning a business.

They’re brainstorming, pitching, creating, collaborating and most of all, working to make their businesses grow.

MU students are profiting from their passions in enterprises such as a one-man barbershop and handmade jewelry. Learn seven keys to becoming your own boss from these innovative business owners.

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STAY ON TREND The SeptemberGlow collection ups the ante when it comes to following a fad and listening to consumers During her final semester at MU, Jorjan McClendon caught the choker bug. Everywhere she looked, chokers were popping up on the necks of fashion-forward 20-somethings, so she jumped on the bandwagon. Over the summer, she Googled how to make them, acquired the necessary parts — fabric, charms and tools — and made five unique chokers to kick off her new venture, SeptemberGlow. Her roommate Alexia Blair urged her to share her new product with people she knew would appreciate the statement pieces.

The name of McClendon’s business is a collaboration of her birth month and the popular phrase “glow up,” meaning to undergo a dramatic transformation. To motivate and uplift women to feel beautiful and glow, as her Instagram @septemberglow_ suggests, was her

ultimate goal, and her business name was only a jumping off point.

McClendon was looking to promote her chokers and her brand, so she hosted several pop-up shops at various locations around town. In September, her pop-up shop venture began with a quick text message to her closest friends and acquaintances: “Hey, it’s Jorjan!

I am personally inviting you to sip, mingle and shop at Chokers and Champagne.” The chokers were also featured in the Gaines/Oldham Black Cultural Center’s annual Model Pink fashion show in October.

Gold is the signature color of SeptemberGlow and was first featured at her champagne event. A gold curtain draped over a white wall served as the backdrop for the selfie station. At her Chokers and Cupcakes event, she wrapped the purchased chokers in gold paper and put them into a white bag with gold polka dots. In a photoshoot for the rebranding of her business, the models wore gold makeup.

Each of McClendon’s chokers has an expressive and fitting name — Vixen, Platinum, Heart of Africa. The latter, a red velvet band with an Africa-shaped charm, is a favorite of customers who want to embrace their African heritage.

Paige Marshall, one of McClendon’s longtime friends and a big supporter, names many of the chokers.

Marshall says she looks at each one to get a sense of personality or vibes they give off when worn.

“Like ‘Royale,’” Marshall says. “I saw pearls and gold and thought, ‘That’s royal.’”

Owning a business wasn’t exactly in McClendon’s plans, but she happened upon her passion and pursued it.

The ’90s trend is everywhere on MU’s campus in unique styles, and SeptemberGlow is partially responsible. The venture has proven to fill a niche, and she aims to continue tailoring her designs to her customers’ tastes.

Visit septemberglow.com for more products and information.

—ABRIANA GREEN

BIZ 101 TIP #1 When do we want it? Now! Develop a product focused on what people of the moment are looking for, and establish your niche 1. Create a distinct brand. Having a specific color, unique logo and a one-of-a-kind business personality will make your business stand out.

2. Pay close attention to trends developing around you. Trends are always coming back. Pay attention to them and think about how to turn them into your own business idea.

3. Use pop-up shops and other events to engage potential customers. Being without a physical store makes it difficult to sell items to many people at once. Events and pop-up shops can advertise and sell your items at the same time.

Jorjan McClendon’s choker collection incorporates a plethora of designs including bedazzled, textured, simple and statement pieces. Her Instagram features photos of her customers wearing the creations while out on the town.

PHOTO BY NADAV SOROKER

Blaine Thomas and Drew Rogers were prospective business partners during their involvement in an entrepreneurship program in high school.

FIND YOUR BASE The Bridge connects student entrepreneurs and the MU community Drew Rogers pulls a metal gate across the storefront as students hustle past him in the Student Center.

Rogers flicks on the lights, revealing roughly 300 square feet of student-entrepreneur heaven. Blackboard paint coats the walls, with a different business name inscribed in curly chalk handwriting every few feet.

The overall rustic feel of the store is contrasted by dainty string lights that hang along the racks and shelves. The walls are lined with shirts, mugs, macramé designs, headbands, chokers and bracelets — all brands imagined, planned and made by MU students. The back wall, covered in wood, also holds the store’s logo: two overlapping black rhombuses and one word running across them: Bridge.

A small wooden sign with white handwriting hangs at the entrance of the store: “Welcome to The Bridge. We are a student-run business with a mission to empower creatives within Mizzou. Everything in store is student-made. We invite you to join in our adventure!”

Rogers, 19, and his childhood best friend Blaine Thomas, 20, arrived at MU from St. Louis as freshmen in fall 2015. After being involved in an entrepreneurship program their senior year of high school, they were eager to find a similar community at MU. When they were unable to find one, they decided to create it themselves.

“Whether people are pursuing art or they’re pursuing writing or apparel, anything across the board; PHOTOS BY CARSEN SIKYTA

BIZ 101 TIP #2 Lay out the welcome mat Make your place of business a positive environment

1. Develop an eye-catching space that beckons customers. Rogers, Thomas and the rest of the team break down the store monthly and rearrange it to keep things fresh.

2. Use personal touches to make customers feel at home. The Bridge has its own Spotify playlist, with inviting and engaging tunes like “Capsize” by FRENSHIP. 3. Greet customers in a genuine way.

The co-founders and interns — MU students who work the register and help customers — greet students like old friends, engaging in conversation. “Good morning!

Welcome to The Bridge.” people our age need to be encouraged and connected with each other,” says Rogers, who handles marketing and communications. “They need to have a platform where they can collaborate together, and The Bridge is doing that.”

This past April, the duo submitted a 20-page business plan to the Missouri Student Unions Entrepreneurial Program, which aims to promote student entrepreneurship. This year, there was space for two student businesses. The Bridge went from one of 10 proposed business plans to one of five pitches and, finally, to one of the two winning businesses. The

Bridge and Roots, which sells art made by MU students and funds art clinics in the Columbia community, were each awarded a free year-long lease in the Student Center and a $2,000 startup grant, half from U.S. Bank and half from Missouri Student Unions.

After Rogers and Thomas spent their summer preparing to launch, the gate clattered open on the first day of the fall semester, Aug. 22, 2016. “I think we’re disruptive,” says Thomas, head of finance and logistics.

“We stick out like a sore thumb in the Student Center … We’re a store that isn’t just trying to benefit our own pockets, but trying to benefit the culture at Mizzou.”

Green succulents in carefully constructed wooden containers sit on two free-hanging shelves under the words “showcase creation.” White dream catchers with multi-colored tassels hang from a hollow, wooden rectangle on the wall — Allison Rose Dreamcatchers written in the middle in delicate cursive. Thomas wants students to know their money means something — it’s funding another student’s dream.

In its first 23 days, The Bridge made $10,000 in total revenue. Rogers and Thomas have partnered with about 25 student brands that sell their products in-store — merchandise ranging in price from $5 to $70. The co-founders plan to mix in more established brands, such as Route and Cha and Woody’s, alongside the student brands in an effort to draw new custmers and give student-made products more exposure.

Visit mizzoubridge.com for business information.

—MAYA MCDOWELL

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CRUSH SOCIAL MEDIA MU junior’s space-themed jewelry skyrockets with digital connections Bea Doheny believes in the power of the shot-in-the-dark email. After establishing her brand, it was an email, after all, that landed her Solar System Bracelet at the UCLA Physics Department this summer and on Aomawa Shields’ wrist. Doheny admired the astronomer and astrobiologist after hearing about her work with Rising Stargirls, an organization that inspires young girls to be curious about the universe. Doheny emailed Shields this summer to thank her for her work and sent her some AstronoBEAds. Three weeks later, Shields emailed Doheny raving about her new bracelet and shared the products with the girls in the program.

Toward the end of her senior year of high school in 2014, Doheny made her first Solar System Bracelet. She posted a photo of the bracelet on her personal Instagram account and immediately received positive feedback from her followers. She began making the bracelets as graduation and birthday gifts for her friends.

In February, Doheny reached out to MU’s Entrepreneurship Alliance, where she pitched her business plan to Greg Bier, director of EA. Doheny says he connected her with people who helped kickstart her website and assisted with product development.

On April 22 — Earth Day — Doheny launched AstronoBEAds, a jewelry line that combines her love for art with her passion for astronomy. The line includes bracelets, necklaces and chokers — stacked with tiny beads and dotted with swirling, galactic orbs ­— inspired by the planets and universe. Doheny, a junior from St. Louis studying marketing at MU, is strategic with decision-making for her company. With more than 4,700 Instagram followers, nearly 1,000 Facebook likes and seven products for sale, Doheny reaches her worldwide target market through a place in the galaxy many of Earth’s inhabitants can be found: social media.

In June, a Facebook message to StarTalk Radio expanded the business’ reach and captured the attention of her idol, Neil deGrasse Tyson. An astrophysicist and the host of StarTalk Radio, Tyson “has a wonderful way of explaining mind-boggling concepts to anyone who is curious about astronomy,” Doheny says. She began a correspondence with the community manager at StarTalk.

After bonding over a love for space, Doheny sent a few bracelets, which has turned into three more shipments to be sold on StarTalk’s merchandise website — usually more than 50 bracelets per shipment. AstroBEAds are also doled out at StarTalk’s big events, which is how Tyson scored a Jupiter and Galilean Moon bracelet.

“I’ve always had a love for interacting with people on social media because it doesn’t matter where you are,” Doheny says, sitting in her creative explosion of a bedroom, which doubles as her office. Her white desk has a cork board where beads hang, waiting to be made into cosmic masterpieces. Above her desk sits a medium-sized Mason jar labeled “TRAVEL” with crumpled bills and miscellaneous coins.

“You can find somebody and learn more about them just through your fingertips,” Doheny says. Through AstronoBEAds she has connected with people in more than 31 countries including Canada, Brazil, Poland and 12

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Bea Doheny encourages her customers to share photos wearing her products on Instagram with her “Where in the World?” campaign. “I love photography and seeing different beautiful parts of the planet,” Doheny says.

Australia. Colorful clusters of tacks on a black and white map denote where people join in her mission to “wear and share the love of the cosmos.”

Individual AstronoBEAds range in price from $15 to $30. “The Big 3” — a Solar System Bracelet, a Pale Blue Dot necklace and Earth, Moon & Sun bracelets — are available on AstronoBEAds’ website for $70. Doheny

says she has made more than 2,000 bracelets — out of this world for a full-time student, former marketing co-chair of Chi Omega and business owner.

Visit astronobeads.com or @astronobeads on Instagram for more product information.

—MAYA MCDOWELL

BIZ 101 TIP #3 Soar on social media Promote your business digitally to connect with current and future customers.

1. Foster a conversation with customers over the internet. Doheny prompts her customers to post photos wearing their beads in her “Where in the World?” campaign and tag @astronobeads on Instagram.

2. Reward customer engagement. Doheny held a photo contest and awarded $100 to an Instagram follower with the best photo featuring AstronoBEAds. 3. Use social media to target potential customers. Social media has allowed Doheny to identify science bloggers, scientists and astronauts — the target market for her space-inspired creations.

Sean Adams operates his barbershop business, Ashe’, out of a room in his home. He began the business during his freshman year at MU to provide a trusted barber to students.

PHOTOS BY CARSEN SIKYTA

BIZ 101 TIP #4 Building clientele Turn first-time clients into loyal regulars 1. Become an insider voice of knowledge and advice for clients. You don’t always have to know exactly what to say, but saying something and making clients feel comfortable is one way to keep them confident in your service.

2. Develop relationships. Have a genuine interest in what your client has to say.

3. Use loyalty promotions to encourage continued business. Promotions keep customers coming back.

KNOW YOUR CLIENT Sean Adams is a barber who puts his customers first Adams taught himself how to cut his own hair in high school, a skill that became increasingly necessary when he got to college. As a freshman at MU in 2013, Adams quickly recognized the struggle of young men searching for a barber they trust in a new place. At first, he was only cutting his friend and roommate Kody Flagg’s hair, but as other people began noticing his skills, his list of clients grew at an exponential rate. It got to the point where he had to start making people pay for his service.

“I would cut for free, but I have bills,” Adams says.

Today, Adams runs his business from a one-room barbershop in his home. Music is always reverberating thoughout the space, and on one of the walls hangs a sign with a logo for his brand, which he’s titled Ashe’.

Ashe’ is a Yoruba word meaning power.

Sophomore Jordan Williams says he hadn’t had his hair cut all summer when he posted a tweet in August looking for barber recommendations. One of his followers suggested he call Adams, and Williams has been a loyal customer ever since. He has already used up one of Adams’ loyalty cards, and his second one is nearing completion. After five visits, the sixth service is discounted 50 percent with the loyalty cards.

This past summer Adams interned at the Washington, D.C., branch of Edward Jones, but he didn’t lose traction with his business. As a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Adams has a client base across the U.S., and his D.C. fraternity brothers kept his business booming all summer.

Now that Adams is back in Columbia for his last year as an undergraduate, he has taken his business to the next level with the launch of his own hair care line.

After researching ingredients and experimenting with various mixtures, True Moisture Pomade and All-Natural Hair Serum became the first two products in his Ashe’ Grooming Essentials line.

After graduation, Adams plans to begin training with Edward Jones for a full-time job. In a perfect world, he says he would pursue a career that aligns with his degree during the day and cosmotology school at night, but at the moment he’s taking things one day at a time.

Visit @Sean_Un1mtd on Instagram for more business information.

CREATE A NETWORK Karen Spears uses her networking skills to build a branding business

Karen Spears’ home is also her office. Her bed sits right next to the desk where she works, and her closet door is decorated with motivational messages and reminders. “You can be satisfied, but never settle for less,” reads one.

Spears runs two businesses, Kareracter and Let’s Vibe. The former is Spears’ personal brand identity firm, and the latter focuses on connecting women of color to one another and opportunities through conferences and diversity initiative workshops held in Chicago. Spears co-founded Let’s Vibe with two other millennials she met caddying on a golf course in Chicago. The trio realized they had a whole network many people their age didn’t have, so they formulated a solution.

Spears is learning how to make both businesses better as she gains experience and clients. Her secret to success: networking. Meeting clients at events, through other clients and on Instagram is what keeps her business going.

She recently finished a three-page brochure for a client she met through her network at Let’s Vibe. Spears usually works on multiple projects simultaneously, so at the same time, she was helping develop and brand a clothing business for two sisters who reached out to her through Instagram. They later introduced her to another potential client, and her network expanded.

Spears is even helping other local businesses network. Jorjan McClendon, owner of SeptemberGlow, a handmade choker business, used Kareracter to rebrand her logo and website. At one of Spears’ Build, Brand & Beyond events, McClendon met Rukiya Dykes, who later became her photographer for a pop-up event.

Kareracter was started in 2015 as a revamped version of Korean Pears — a company Spears created as a senior at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Chicago and named after a spin-off of her own name.

Spears brought Korean Pears to MU and sold hand-painted canvases at Quirks Consignment Store, which was once located in the Student Center. Each canvas had a backdrop with a different color and quote or drawing. After realizing she was spending more on materials than she was making, Spears recognized she needed to generate an income and utilize her talents.

Hand-lettered logos became the new focus of Korean Pears, which turned into Kareracter — Letters with Personality.

The work doesn’t stop for Spears when she isn’t striving to tailor projects to every client’s need. She manages to keep up her school work and two businesses while also hosting events with Tia James, an MU student who, alongside Spears, co-founded Build, Brand & Beyond to teach students how to build their brand as they become professionals. Spears lives by her planner to ensure she won’t miss assignments, activities or clients.

“It’s challenging,” Spears says about the work she does. “I love it, but I feel I’m not an expert yet.”

Visit kareracter.com or letsvibe.org for more business information.

Karen Spears’ businesses are built on expansive networks.

She pays careful attention to details in each project to ensure her customers are pleased with the result.

BIZ 101 TIP #5 Networking across platforms Use your references, and make new connections to build a solid system

1. Support other businesses. Keep them as contacts, and in return, they will support your business.

2. Employ social media and events to expand your network of clients and collaborators. Maintain an updated Instagram, and create newsletters to keep clients and people who are interested updated on what’s going on.

3. Keep in touch with your clientele.

It’ll keep you in business and maybe even earn new clients.

—ABRIANA GREEN

—ABRIANA GREEN

PHOTO BY ALEX SCIMECCA

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Because the app is new, Ryan Platt, Jeff Orr and Dallas Hoelscher hope to target big events to expand their user reach and promote the product.

BIZ 101 TIP #6

MAP IT OUT Don’t feel restricted by a limited audience — MU students are growing their user base in a big way Dallas Hoelscher, 20, thought it was really hard to find things to do in Columbia. Ryan Platt, 21, says college students are missing events happening around them because they don’t know about them. As it turns out, there’s an app for that — one that MU students Hoelscher, Platt and Jeff Orr, 21, created.

Maply is a location-based app that allows users to see and add public events happening around them on a map. The app started as a pitch to judges at the Reynolds Journalism Institute Student Competition in November 2015. By the end of competition in May, the Maply team was one of the only groups that actually had a working app, says Hoelscher, Maply’s coding guru. On Oct. 4, Maply went live in the iTunes App Store.

The Maply team strived for an app that would be user-friendly. Described by Hoelscher as “oddly the most stressful thing you could possibly do,” launching the app took careful product design, strategic marketing and tedious programming. Within 72 trying yet exciting hours, Maply was submitted, denied, 14

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Enhance user experience

You don’t have to start small — just seek to fill the needs of your target market.

1. Go to your audience. Seek out the group you’re trying to appeal to, and put the product in front of their eyes.

2. Find ways to partner with the big guys.

A good partnership can save you money and time by helping get the word out.

3. Go big. Don’t be afraid to put your product out there; pursue a big audience. What’s the worst that could happen?

modified, accepted to the store and updated. Now, with more than 1,000 downloads, the free app has put itself on Columbia’s map.

“It brings real value to your life as opposed to looking at Twitter,” says Platt, a senior studying communications. “You can look at Twitter, and you can scroll, and you can like, and you can retweet. With us, you can look at our app, find something you like to do and go interact with it — it’s a real experience.”

After discovering the challenge in targeting as many

users as possible for the startup app, Maply’s team is focusing more on getting involved at large events where it will be easier to get more users, Orr says. “We want to be the map app for large festivals, trade conferences, parades, music and film festivals — things like that,” he says.

First stop: South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

Maply was recently selected as one of 20 “Startup Spotlights” at next year’s annual event, which highlights the connections of the interactive, film and music industries. In March 2017, the Maply team will network with creative minds at the far-reaching event. “We get to be in a room with a bunch of media and venture capitalists, and we get to do product demos,” Orr says.

“Our goal there is really just to launch Maply, introduce it to a broader audience, gain some exposure. That’s the biggest thing — is just getting it out there, talking to people and showing it off.”

The group, including new addition Zach Hill, an MU senior who will focus on web app development, met in early December to discuss the future of Maply. Going forward, Orr says their plan includes marketing tactics for mass impact for SXSW and targeting smaller events in Columbia. “I think this is when everyone is happiest— when we’re coming up with new ideas,” Orr says.

Download Maply in the Apple App Store, or visit maplyapp.com.

—MAYA MCDOWELL PHOTOS BY CARSEN SIKYTA & ALEX SCIMECCA

LIVE YOUR BRAND

Lovell Cox turns her sorority bedroom into a workshop for success Lovell Cox leans back, studying her mannequin with squinted, concentrated eyes. Using her tiny fabric scissors, she cuts a deep-v into a white Mizzou T-shirt.

“It’s just a lot of eye-balling,” Cox says, rolling up the sleeves of her oversized sweatshirt. The small-framed sophomore with a Colgate-white grin is the mind — and hands — behind Lovellfaye Designs.

Cox adds a modern, trendy twist to vintage denim and T-shirts. As one of the top-sellers at The Bridge, a student-run business that sells student-made products, Cox knows her target market well. She wears her own line, and she lives her brand.

Lovellfaye Designs has been in the making since Cox’s mom taught her how to sew in first grade. In second grade, Cox got her own sewing machine. At 16, she was making and selling high-waisted shorts to put gas in her car. Then, there was Lovellfaye, Cox’s first Etsy shop. In 2015, after a brief hiatus to adjust to college and the confines of a small dorm room, Cox was making lace-up T-shirts to combat summer boredom.

Today her clothing line, a variety of vintage tees, denim, and flannels, flies off the racks at The Bridge for $25-40. Her line has been so successful at The Bridge, she admits she hardly uses her current Etsy shop, LFDvintage.

“I did not know how much the shorts and shirts would take off,” Cox says. Her shirts sold out after only two days of being on sale at The Bridge, and she has had to start a routine of consistently restocking her merchandise.

When she is working, the already limited floor space in her shared bedroom is covered with T-shirts, shoelaces and eyelet garland. Her laptop, streaming an episode of 90210, sits on a large pink trunk with “LOVELLFAYE DESIGNS” in black, curvy print. She reaches for a pin from a light pink pincushion next to her laptop while making shirts for her friend’s sorority big/little reveal. “Being the age that I am helps,” Cox says. “I know the style and what people around college towns like.”

Cox laces white shoelace string through the eyelet garlands on a blue T-shirt that says, “This is what awesome looks like.” As the weather on campus gets chillier, Cox is shifting her line to long-sleeve flannel shirts with MU logos on the back.

Visit @lovellfayedesigns on Instagram for business information.

—MAYA MCDOWELL

BIZ 101 TIP #7 Business and pleasure

Lovell Cox is a sophomore at MU, and she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business.

PHOTOS BY ALEX SCIMECCA

Turn your company’s mission statement into your personal credo 1. Embody what your brand stands for. Cox says her bubbly personality shows through her bright and colorful brand.

2. Make your vision clear and concise. Cox’s mission statement describes the look she is going for, and her target market — college-aged women.

3. Pursue something you love. Deemed “shorts girl” in high school, Cox continues Lovellfaye Designs in college because it has become such a big part of her life.

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MUSIC

A quiet confidence Molly Adamson is in her comfort zone with an instrument in hand

BY BRANDON BYER

R

Molly Adamson plays 10 instruments, including the guitalele, a guitarukulele fusion.

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PHOTOS BY ERIN BORMETT

ambunctious students filter out of their classrooms for lunch, locker doors slam shut, locks clasp and gossip filters throughout the halls of Southwest Junior High School in Springdale, Arkansas.

But, above all the noise, Molly Adamson sits along the wall, quietly strumming her most precious possession, a six-string guitalele: a guitar-ukulele hybrid. Some students halt their conversations to listen intently.

Even Ron Spalter, Adamson’s former oral communications teacher, notices the sounds of the guitalele intertwine with an airy and calming voice.

An instrument, a song and a group of people willing to listen is all Adamson needs.

For the past four years, she has returned to Southwest Junior High to perform at Spalter’s annual fundraiser, “Cougars Can Laugh.” Eighth- and ninth-graders look on as Adamson takes center stage in the school’s gymnasium, but that doesn’t bother her in the slightest. Adamson begins to play, and everything goes quiet. She’s not nervous.

In 2016, she moved to Columbia to continue her education at Stephens College, taking her love of music along for the ride.

Adamson brought an instrument with her everywhere she went. Whether it was to one of her classes at Springdale or on a grocery store trip with her father, an instrument never left her side. However, her life in music hasn’t been the most peaceful path.

Her transition into her freshman year at Stephens wasn’t the easiest. Coming to an unfamiliar place, Adamson relied on the one thing she is comfortable with in her life — music.

Growing up in Mountain Home, Arkansas, Adamson felt stifled creatively. She spent the first 14 years of her life there until her family decided to move to Springdale, Arkansas, in the northwest region of the state. Her new location offered her a more diverse, inclusive environment.

She felt appreciated, and she felt valued.

In Mountain Home, Adamson was failing her classes. She lacked motivation to do

well in school, but her year in Spalter’s oral communications class in Springdale changed everything.

“Mr. Spalter really helped me figure out it was OK to be myself,” Adamson says.

He allowed Adamson to sing her essays and put on shows for her classmates. A teacher saw a student’s talent and let her unleash it for all to hear.

Adamson’s musical talents range across many genres. Using an application called Tabs & Chords on her iPad, she has learned more than 700 songs by heart. It’s a software that has a library of over 1 million different songs tailored for the guitar and ukulele. She also plays 10 different instruments: guitar, piano, psaltery, QChord, mandolin, dulcimer, violin, banjo, ukulele and the guitalele.

She brought her guitalele to class every day all four years of high school.

“When she sings, the words have meaning,” Spalter says. “I’ve heard singers sing, and they’re really, really focused on getting the note right, but Molly emotes when she sings. She actually understands the meaning of what she is singing and personalizes it.”

Adamson is now making a name for herself wherever she goes. Her YouTube channel has racked up thousands of views. She doesn’t limit herself in terms

of genres and might cover My Chemical Romance in one video and Fetty Wap in the next.

A recent Facebook video of her from the Hillberry Music Festival in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, reached more than 3,300 people. Here in Columbia, Adamson has performed at The Industry, The Songwriter’s Guild at The Social Room and has busked inside of Seoul Taco. She says the transition to Columbia’s music scene was difficult for her at first. However, audience members generally respond well to her music, and she’s excited for what mid-Missouri holds for her.

Every year, Adamson performs at Spalter’s annual fundraiser to help out a good cause. She stands up in front of the gymnasium filled with middle-schoolers and an instrument of her choice.

Adamson will return for a fifth time in spring 2017 and is a big reason why they can do the fundraiser.

She’s not sure where this music endeavor might take her. But, right now, she’s content entertaining patrons with her musical talents and bringing joy into audience members’ hearts.

See Molly strumming at VOXMAGAZINE.COM

Molly Adamson is a freshman at Stephens College. Music is one of the constants in her life, and she has been playing professionally for two years as a solo artist. Adamson also loves to attend music festivals and saves the bracelets, left, as keepsakes.

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Shooting club leader ELLEN KLIETHERMES talks new gun laws and teaching women to use firearms safely

Ellen Kliethermes grew up around firearms but didn’t get her gun until she married a “country boy.” She has come a long way since then.

As the local facilitator for A Girl & A Gun, Kliethermes is in charge of running a women-only shooter’s league. The national organization provides women with knowledge about how to operate firearms and works to improve self-defense and competitive shooting skills in a social environment.

The Columbia chapter, which Kliethermes started in July 2013, was Missouri’s first. As a facilitator, Kliethermes enjoys helping to empower women and assisting them in feeling safe.

That role seems imperative now more than ever.

Come Jan. 1, there are new provisions for lawful owners of firearms to conceal and carry throughout the state of Missouri. Previously, a background check and completion of a gun safety class were required before permits were issued. The decision was confirmed in September when Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of a proposal that would loosen gun laws was overturned. The new law eliminates those requirements.

“Our organization is great because it’s all women,” says Staci Ortbals, a member of A Girl & A Gun. “People become scared of what they don’t know about, so we like that we can teach each other in a comfortable environment.

My biggest concern isn’t people being able to carry a gun, it’s whether or not they know how to use it.”

Vox caught up with Kliethermes about what it’s like to run a shooting club for women and how she would tackle the controversy surrounding the new gun laws.

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How long have you been involved with A Girl & A Gun? Were you a leader from the start?

Columbia was the first Missouri chapter of A Girl & A Gun that opened. It’s been open for about three and a half years now. I have been the leader for the Columbia chapter since the beginning.

What do you do as a facilitator for the organization?

We usually have two events a month — either shooting events where we get together at the range, or learning clinics or gun-cleaning clinics. Target Masters is our host range here in town, so I set up the meetings with them and organize the events through them.

What was your reaction upon learning that Missouri passed Senate Bill 656, stating new provisions for concealed carry starting Jan. 1?

It’s a mixed reaction — I think there are pros and cons to it. I think it’s your basic right to protect yourself and your family, and I think every responsible gun owner needs training. But responsible gun owners should maintain their training, especially if they’re going to conceal their firearms. They should know how to handle a firearm and know where exactly they are allowed to carry a firearm. They should be prudent and vigilant in how they’re carrying it also. Where a lot of people are opposed to Senate Bill 656, I don’t think it’s quite as broad as everyone thinks it is going to be.

There are restrictions of where you can actually have the firearm, so it is going to still have safeguards.

When there are groups such as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, do you ever feel isolated in gun advocacy efforts because of your gender?

To an extent, yes and no. Since I’m the facilitator of this type of a group, I’m kind of in a different realm. I know more people who are pro-carrying and pro-gun, so I don’t feel that I’m one of a few in that regard.

What would you say, as a parent, to those who think the concealed carry changes put children at risk?

I don’t think it would be putting their child at risk more than they are now. There are people who conceal and carry now. Just because it’s passed where you don’t have to have a permit doesn’t mean every Tom, Dick and Harry is going to have their gun out. Plus, carrying a firearm doesn’t mean you haven’t gotten a background check to own a firearm. When you purchase a firearm, you do go through a background check. I don’t think it makes my kids less safe.

What have you learned from being a part of A Girl & A Gun? There are more like-minded people out there like me.

There weren’t a lot of women at the range when I first started. But now there are more. And your training is never complete. A lot of people think, “I know how to shoot a gun, I’m good now,” but there is always more you can learn.

— ALEX EDWARDS PHOTO BY KYRDA HEDRICK

THE TO-DO LIST

this week in Columbia

ARTS & CULTURE Picturing Black American Families This exhibition displays documentary photographs depicting cross-generational connections and experiences of modern-day black families. The photos were taken from three photo collections, which were originally preserved in Columbia.

Today–Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Museum of Art and Archaeology, Free, 882-3591

5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

Winner of the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival, this play is a farcical and absurd romp through yesteryear, which leaves no button untouched. The show is as fast and funny as it is shocking. By the time the final quiche crumbles, you’ll feel like a part of the atomic, retro-age narrative.

Because of sexually suggestive content and adult themes, this show is recommended for mature audiences only. Today­–Sun., 7:30 p.m., Columbia Entertainment Company, $12, 777-2624

Christmas Brew ‘N’ View: Home Alone

Descend upon downtown for some freshly poured brews and a holiday classic, ya filthy animal. This movie screening is a family-friendly event. Today, 8 p.m., The Blue Note, $8, 874-1944

Holiday Lights and Sights Tour

Take a guided tour of the city’s best holiday light displays on a Columbia Parks and Recreation mini-bus. Make sure to bring car seats for little ones and preregister to save your spot. Tours leave at 6:30 and 7:45 p.m.

Friday, 6:15 p.m., Activity and Recreation Center, $7.50, 874-7460

Mid-Missouri Traditional Dancers featuring Mound City Slickers

Join the Mid-Missouri Traditional Dancers for an evening of English country dance featuring St. Louis-based band Mound City Slickers. Beginning dancers are encouraged to come at 7 p.m. for a quick lesson from MMTD. Friday, 7:30 p.m., Ballroom Academy of Columbia, $8, $5 for students and ages 16–25, free for ages 15 and under, 825-4698

Christmas Open House at the ART Bazaar

With just about one week left until Christmas, this gathering of artists and creators is almost guaranteed to pair you up with the right gift for your friend or relative. The bazaar will include door prizes and goodies. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., The ART Bazaar in the Jefferson City’s Village Square (old Warwick Village), Free, 634-4918

Meet the Author: Steve Weinberg & Marlene Lee

Two local writers, Steve Weinberg and Marlene Lee, will discuss their writing methods. Join the Boone County Historical Society for this reception about the differences between writing a biography

and using biographical facts to write fiction. Refreshments will be provided.

Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Walters Boone County Historical Museum, Free, 443-8936

Santa’s Sleigh Is on Its Way Storytime

Join Barnes & Noble for a special holiday story. Santa’s Sleigh Is on Its Way will get children excited for Christmas Eve and put you in the holiday spirit. Saturday, 11 a.m., Barnes & Noble, Free, 445-4080

CIVIC

10th Annual Christmas Tractor Parade

Take a road trip to Centralia to be part of the 10th Christmas Tractor Parade. Tractors will be decked out in colorful lights, so get ready for holiday spirit central. Friday, 7 p.m., Centralia MFA Agri Services, Free, 682-2139

De”Calf”inated: A Calving Clinic

This clinic will focus on a variety of calving topics such as economics, nutrition and sire and heifer selection and feature several MU faculty and extension agents, as well as Truman State University representatives, and will include a free lunch. Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Forage Systems Research Center, Early registration: $20, adults; $10 students 18 and under; Day of: $25 for everyone, 660-265-4541

MUSIC Blackfoot Gypsies

Nashville’s Blackfoot Gypsies have shared the bill with bands such as Alabama Shakes and Trampled by Turtles. The band has an American country rock sound and the aesthetic to match. Tonight, 8 p.m., Rose Music Hall, $10, 874-1944

Friday Happy Hour featuring John Galbraith

Local musician John Galbraith will perform during this Friday’s happy hour. Come for some of CoMo’s best music, and stay for the specials: $2 Logboat Brewery cans and snacks from Apocalypse Grill. Donations are encouraged. Friday, 5 p.m., Rose Music Hall, Free, 874-1944

The Many Colored Death, Cost of Desire, Shotgun Social, Fivefold and Dark Below

Sometimes, bubblegum-pop just doesn’t cut it, so burn off that post-semester stress and rage with a little bit of hard rock. Friday, 7 p.m., The Blue Note, $5, 874-1944

Southside Philharmonic Orchestra

Listen to the music. The Jefferson City Symphony Orchestra hosts the recently formed Southside Philharmonic Orchestra this winter. Hear them perform classics such as Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite,” Beethoven “Symphony No. 7, ” and even some Chopin. Friday, 7:30 p.m., Central United Church of Christ, $10-$18, 635-1041

SPORTS

Manchester by the Sea (R)

Missouri Women’s Basketball vs. UT Martin

The University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks come to Columbia to take on the MU women’s basketball team. Saturday, 11 a.m., Mizzou Arena, $8, adults; $5, seniors and youth, 882-6501

Missouri Men’s Basketball vs.

Eastern Illinois

Get out of the house, and heat up this winter with some energizing Missouri basketball. The men’s team competes against the Eastern Illinois Panthers, so cheer them on to a victory. Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Mizzou Arena, Prices vary, 882-6501

Missouri Women’s Basketball vs. University of California, Riverside

Go support the Tigers as they battle the talented UC Riverside Highlanders.

Monday, 7 p.m., Mizzou Arena, $8, adults; $5. seniors and youth, 882-6501

SCREEN

Collateral Beauty (PG-13)

New York City adman Howard (Will Smith) suffers a devastating loss in the midst of his successful career: the death of his child. He copes with the tragedy by finding his voice and writing personal letters to the universe, only to discover a transformational new way of living to get back to a sense of normalcy.

F, R RUNTIME = 1:37

An uncle must return home to care for his nephew after his brother dies, which forces him to recount his past.

RT RUNTIME = 2:17

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (PG-13)

Gareth Edwards directs this new Star Wars story, and this time around, the rebels, led by imprisoned soldier Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), a Rebel Alliance abettor Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and Jedi Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen), attempt to sabotage and steal information from the powerful Death Star.

F, R RUNTIME = 2:13

Also playing Allied (R) F, R Almost Christmas (PG-13) R Arrival (PG-13) F, R Doctor Strange (PG-13) F, R The Edge of Seventeen (R) R Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (PG-13) F, R Hacksaw Ridge (R) F, R Incarnate (PG-13) R Loving (PG-13) RT Miss Sloane (R) R Moana (PG) F, R Moonlight (R) RT Nocturnal Animals (R) RT Office Christmas Party (R) F, R Trolls (PG) F, R

Theaters F = Forum R = Regal

RT = Ragtag = Available in 3-D

KOPN 89.5fm...Where Else?

Monday thru Friday National Programming Line-up...

Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman 8-9am and Noon-1pm

The Diane Rehm Show 9-11am

Fresh Air with Terry Gross 11am-Noon On your radio dial at 89.5 fm or live streaming at kopn.org 12.15.16

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19

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