Vox Magazine

1 0 . 2 0 . 1 6 / F R E E E V E RY T H U R S D AY

BIKING OVER HIKING

IN FLIGHT

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Pedal to these must-see stops along the Katy Trail

Actresses take on the roles of female fighter pilots

FIRST-RATE TAILGATE Tigers go all out for football PAGE 8

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURE Come for the tailgate, stay for the game (maybe).

On game days, Columbia transforms into a Tiger-fan haven with BBQ, brews and plenty of black and gold. We’ve got the play-by-play on how the SEC pre-games. PAGE 8 THE SCENE Strike a pose. Shantise Sipho helps people overcome body confidence issues through her boudoir photography shoots. PAGE 4 Lights, camera, zombies. Follow three crew members on the set of locally created horror film Eat Organic. PAGE 6 MUSIC Inspired by musicians such as Béla Fleck and Ravi Shankar, one mid-Missourian took up the sitar. Chris Stephens brings the sounds of this uncommon instrument to CoMo. PAGE 14 With elaborate costumes and performances, former Disney voice actor and Foxygen drummer Shaun Fleming creates theatrical sets for solo project Diane Coffee. PAGE 15

ONLINE

October 20, 2016 VOLUME 18 ISSUE 34 | PUBLISHED BY THE COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN

LET ME UPGRADE YOU Hy-Vee has opened two new Market Grille locations in Columbia to class up the former cafeteria-style dining experience. See if the improvements meet Top-Chef status.

CLEANSE OR CRINGE? Two Vox digital editors put their bodies on the line and embarked on a weeklong cleanse to find out if this crash diet is worth the struggle. Learn what happens when your daily diet consists of eight bananas.

SPOOFED Documentary Now! is a niche TV series of parodies of famous documentaries. This season features spoofs of The War Room, Jiro Dreams of Sushi and more. Check out the review to find out what all of the laughs are about.

EDITOR’S LETTER

ARTS & BOOKS Discover a special spot to enjoy each book on your reading list. We’ve rounded up the best local nooks from reading experts. PAGE 16 Q&A After her home was broken into and her dog was abused, Jessica Robertson founded Armani’s Angels, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for pet rehabilitation. PAGE 18 CORRECTIONS: In the Oct.13 issue, megabytes per second was incorrectly abbreviated. It should have read MBps. Mbps are 8 times smaller than MBps. Samuel Clemens was misspelled in the same issue.

COVER DESIGN: AMY HUTSON COVER PHOTO: JILLIAN VONDY

CHRISTINE JACKSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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

We’re social.

Vox Magazine @VoxMag @VoxMagazine Vox Mag

Ah, Mizzou Homecoming week.

As a (multiple) college town, Columbia spends plenty of weekends out supporting its teams, but this weekend is different.

The store windows downtown will be painted, family and friends return and, come Saturday morning, the lots around Memorial Stadium will fill with tailgaters — even more of them than usual.

The thousands of people milling about between tents and trucks on game day are quite the spectacle, and when MU entered the SEC a whole new era of pre-game partying began. Although Middle Tennessee isn’t quite a high-stakes rivalry, you can bet that Tiger fans will be out in full force ahead of Saturday’s game.

In this week’s feature (Page 8), we take a look at the ins and outs of tailgating at MU. It’s a big party, and behind each tent and RV are the people who had to plan, shop, wake up early and drive all distances to get a prime spot. But if the all-day crowds and constant “M-I-Z” chants are any indication, they don’t mind too much.

I’ll be out with a group of MU alumni. Some are local, and others are coming from as far away as Colorado and Georgia. We’ll be somewhere around Tiger Avenue with our snacks, coolers and game setups … assuming we get there early enough to snag a spot.

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, Clara Wright, 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 ERJUN PENG AND BROOKE VAUGHAN

RADAR

Written by: Katie Akin, Luria Freeman, Meredith McGrath, Kelsie Schrader, Brooke Vaughan

Vox’s take on the talk of the week

HOMECOMING 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SNOOP DOGG

Although we won’t know the fate of the Tigers until after Saturday’s game against Middle Tennessee, we can put you in the know on all of the exciting events that will come before it:

It’s the D-O-double G’s 45th today. Celebrate by sippin’ on this seasonal twist on a gin and juice, Snoop’s iconic drink. Make sure your glassware is approved by his bestie Martha Stewart, and proceed to pour up if you’ve got your mind on your money and your money on your mind.

CAMPUS DECORATIONS Oct. 21, 6–9 p.m., Greektown

FRATERNITIES UNDER FIRE

1.5 ounces gin 4 ounces apple juice Ice and club soda to taste Garnish with a thin apple slice

FUMBLED

THE NATIONAL PANHELLENIC COUNCIL HOMECOMING STEP SHOW

The National Football League’s TV ratings came out this past Friday, and they have fallen more than 10 percent for the first five weeks of the season as compared to the first five weeks of last season. We huddled and came up with some new rules sure to send fans running back to their flatscreens:

Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m., Jesse Auditorium

SPIRIT RALLY

Oct. 21, 8:30 p.m., Traditions Plaza

1. Force Patriots Coach Bill Belichick to wear sleeves; watch him fume.

2. Opposing mascots fight during halftime.

3. Require the players to straddle broomsticks, and chase a flying snitch on third down.

4. Refereeing will now be done by Magic 8 Ball.

No one will know the difference.

PARADE

Oct. 22, 9 a.m., Campus and Downtown Columbia

FOOTBALL GAME Oct. 22, 3 p.m., Memorial Stadium

MU fraternity Delta Upsilon is being investigated for allegedly providing pledges with date rape drugs. The fraternity was already suspended last month due to some of its members’ alleged participation in a racist altercation.

These accusations are the latest in a string of fraternity-related incidents at the university over the past two years: Fall 2015 Delta Sigma Pi placed on disciplinary

probation until the end of Spring 2017 due to a hazing incident.

Fall 2015

Sigma Nu placed on disciplinary probation until the end of Spring 2017 due to a hazing incident.

Spring 2016

Sigma Pi suspended for five years after hazing incident.

Fall 2016

Kappa Alpha suspended after hazing incident. The length of suspension has yet to be determined.

KOPN 89.5fm...Where Else?

Monday thru Friday National Programming Line-up...

Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman

Any Mizzou Student Can Live On Campus!

8-9am and Noon-1pm

Pick your favorite suitemates or roommate and move into your favorite space together! Not into the roommate thing? Live in a Single!

Choose from: Suites with Living Rooms, Double or Single Suites, Single or Double rooms

The Diane Rehm Show 9-11am

Studying abroad or have an internship for the Spring 2018 semester?

Graduating in December 2017?

No worries! We can just do a semester for academic reasons!

Financial aid coming in late? MU can wait. A landlord won’t.

It’s much more convenient than commuting. There are no sublet situations, deposits or utilities, and it’s a short walk to class.

Fresh Air with Terry Gross 11am-Noon

Everything’s included: Dining plan, laundry, cable, all utilities, WiFi, and screaming-fast Ethernet.

Priority sign-up opens

Nov 16 at 7 a.m.!

Priority Room Selection from Dec. 5 to Dec. 16

No risk sign up! Cancel up until April 1 with no penalty.

On your radio dial at 89.5 fm or live streaming at kopn.org PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATION BY OR COURTESY OF PIXABAY, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, MADALYNE BIRD, MARK J. TERRILL VIA AP, KATELYN METZGER

10.20.16

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THE SCENE

Snapshots of confidence

Local photographer helps clients embrace body positivity

BY REBEKAH HALL

PHOTOS BY KATELYN METZGER

Shantise Sipho has made a business out of making women feel beautiful. Through her camera lens, Sipho is helping reframe the way women see their bodies. She exudes encouragement, confidence and trust to those who visit her studio, and she’s joining many people across the country in the body positivity movement.

At 30 years old, Sipho is a breast cancer survivor, mother and the owner of Secret Boudoir Photography in Columbia. She’s experienced body image issues across the spectrum and says that’s what makes her relatable to her clients.

Even in middle school, Sipho noticed she was different from other kids. “Since I was younger, I’ve always been tall,” she says. “I’ve been plus sized for as long as I can remember.” In high school, while her friends were hanging out at night, she was working out at the gym.

With her breast cancer diagnosis at 23, her body image issues multiplied. Hair loss and a double mastectomy further warped how she saw herself, and her sister’s death from breast cancer two years later pushed Sipho to turn to food as a source of comfort.

“After that, I just ate,” she says. “I would get two meals from McDonald’s or eat a box of ice cream.”

Unexpectedly, it was a photo shoot in minimal clothing that helped her fully love her body again. In June 2015, after many attempts to lose weight, she had a weight loss surgery. When her cancer went into remission in 2016, she had boudoir photos taken.

Boudoir photography usually involves intimate, sensual portraits and images that hint at nudity, but they are more suggestive than explicit.

The photo shoot made Sipho feel more beautiful than she had in a long time, she says, and she wanted to help other women recognize their inner and outer beauty. She took her existing photography experience and interned with the photographer who had done her shoot.

In June 2016, she opened Secret Boudoir Photography.

Sipho says boudoir photography helps women see themselves in a new way.

Shantise Sipho helps Brooke Shepherd get ready for her photo shoot. Shepherd says feeling beautiful is addicting.

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Shantise Sipho, owner of Secret Boudoir Photography, takes a photo of Brooke Shepherd at her studio. Sipho’s mission is to help women feel beautiful and confident through boudoir photo shoots.

They let themselves become vulnerable; they “let their sexy hang out,” she says.

People such as Sipho are part of the body positivity cultural movement, which seeks to empower people to love their bodies.

“It’s thinking positively about your body, regardless of size, shape or weight and regardless of cultural ideals,” says Virginia Ramseyer Winter, an associate professor in the MU School of Social Work who studies body image. Though the movement is fairly recent, it’s one that is exciting and promising, Winter says. In the past few years, celebrities and major companies have made strides toward promoting body positivity, such as Dascha Polanco from Orange is the New Black speaking out against designers who only make clothes in small sizes and Mattel making its Barbie dolls more diverse in various ways, including body size.

Sipho’s private Facebook group for her business has more than 5,200 followers. Sipho uses the page both as a way to update her business clients as well as to connect with the community of women that has developed there.

“Because I have touched a wide array of body images, I can connect with people on so many different levels,” she says. “People come to me, and I can relate.”

And people have come to her. Brooke Shepherd, one of Sipho’s clients at Secret Boudoir Photography, says her body image and self-confidence were lackluster before she did her first photo shoot. “I wanted to look better, but I didn’t know how,” Shepherd says. “Or maybe I just didn’t have the strength. Now I feel like I have the strength.”

Sipho emphasizes that although her job helps women feel beautiful in their skin, that beauty has always been present — sometimes people just can’t see it.

“When I work with my makeup artist, Maggie Hassinger, I say ‘You make them look beautiful — more beautiful than they have ever seen,’’’ Sipho says. “And

Identifying identity Virginia Ramseyer Winter, an associate professor in the MU School of Social Work who researches body image, answers some body positivity FAQs.

What is body positivity?

It’s a movement and a mindset that encourages all people to embrace and love their bodies, regardless of size.

How’s it different from body image?

Body positivity is a component of body image, Winter says. Body image also includes evaluation, or how you view yourself, and affect, or the feelings you have about that evaluation.

Who does body positivity benefit?

We can all serve to be kinder to and about our bodies. People of all genders and identities benefit from being more accepting of their bodies, but Winter says it could be especially important for people who identify as gender non-binary, or not male or female. “I think we would see fewer mental health diagnoses, and we would possibly see fewer suicides,” she says. “Just accepting of the body means so much to somebody who’s struggling with their own identity.”

she’s just like, ‘Shantise, they’re already beautiful.’ I know that, but when they look in that mirror, I want them to see themselves as we see them walking through the door.”

Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area and Eagle Bluffs Overlook columbia Intermediate, 12 miles one-way, turn left at Hindman Junction and continue just past mile marker 167 Park your bike in the rack at the entrance of Eagle Bluffs Overlook, and prepare for a trek with a seemingly neverending set of steps, steep hills and branches reaching across the path. Yes, it can be taxing, but the grandiosity of the Perche Creek and surrounding conservation area is well worth it. A camera is a necessity. “It’s wonderful,” says Gloria Lee, who grew up in Columbia and rode on the trails each weekend with her family.

She moved to Florida but still returns to Columbia two to three times per year to bike the trails.

“The view, you can’t really see that in the South. It has a very Midwestern-feel.” At the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, you can go birdwatching, fishing, hunting and hiking.

Hours: Open daily, 4 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Oktoberfest hermann Advanced, 80 miles one way, turn left at Hindman Junction and continue to mile marker 100 at the McKittrick trailhead

THE SCENE

Happy Katy Trails to you Take advantage of fall weather, and make pit stops at four places along Missouri’s longest trail BY LIZ RAMOS he last couple weekends of October are upon us. Take advantage of the cooling temperatures, and head out on the Katy Trail with your bike for one final glimpse of autumnal bliss before the hats, gloves and heavy winter jackets make their way out of the closet.

The 237-mile trail spans nearly the entire state of Missouri, save about 50 miles, offering scenic adventures for any level of biker along the way. Columbia is not directly on the Katy Trail, but if you begin your expedition on the MKT and travel 8.6 miles south to Hindman Junction, the gravelly trail maneuvering you east or west will take you to some of the most picturesque bluffs, traditional festivals and sweet treats the former railway has to offer.

Fasten your helmet, grab your camera and appreciate the crunch of Mother Nature’s vibrant leaves beneath your bike tires. The time has come to experience the great outdoors.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BEN KOTHE

Transport yourself from Columbia to Germany in an instant when you step into Hermann’s Oktoberfest. The Hermannhof Winery, one of the multitude of Hermann businesses participating in the festivities, is absolutely beautiful, says Rozanna Benz, a wine tasting staff member.

“The atmosphere is very exciting.

There are people everywhere. It’s just really fun.” People can get a taste of traditional German foods such as sausage, bratwurst and potato pancakes while listening to the country’s authentic music.

Note: Lederhosen and dirndls are not required, although many festivalgoers adopt the German fashion for the weekend.

Hermannhof Winery Hours: Fri–Sat, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Katfish Katy’s huntsdale Beginner, 10.5 miles one-way, turn right at Hindman Junction and continue to mile marker 171 Enjoy live music while chowing down at The Station House at Katfish Katy’s. The restaurant reopened on Sept. 10 after the previous owners sold the property. “There’s a great view,” says Laura Cutler, co-owner of The Station House. “You can get out of the city and stop in and get some good food, cold beer.”

While out on The Station House patio ­— an expanded, bright red building modeled after the old train station house that used to be on the property ­— you can look at the Missouri River on one side and the Katy Trail on the other.

Although Huntsdale is no longer a campground, Katfish Katy’s boat ramp remains open and now has a restaurant and event space to accommodate live music every weekend. “We’ve been looking a lot at local bands,” says Zac Cutler, co-owner of The Station House. “We like to mix it up a little bit, too. We like to have bands that play original music and don’t play original music.”

Hours: Friday, 4-8 p.m., Sat–Sun, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Central Dairy Ice Cream Parlor jefferson city Advanced, 78 miles one way, turn left at Hindman Junction and continue to mile marker 143 by the North Jefferson trailhead Treat yourself to a trip back in time at Central Dairy Ice Cream Parlor. “It’s been made the same way in the same place since 1933,” general manager Chris Hackman says. “It’s nice to stop by to get a piece of nostalgia and an ice cream treat while you’re out.”

The vintage soda machine and wooden booths contribute to the ’50s feel. With 51 flavors to choose from, such as black walnut and Texas pecan, and prices ranging from $2 – $6, Central Dairy is sure to be anything but vanilla.

Hours: Mon–Sat, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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THE SCENE

Behind the screens Locals take pride in their off-camera work

BY RACHEL PHILLIPS

PHOTOS BY NADAV SOROKER

The scrolling credits at the end of a movie can be one of the most exciting parts of a film for crew members without acting roles.

This is something Dustin Hawkins of Retro Hawk Productions knows well. His latest directorial project, Eat Organic, which was filmed in Columbia on Oct. 8, incorporated the behind-the-scenes work of many local volunteers. The film is based on the premise that processed food has turned most of the world into zombies; only people who eat organic remain human.

To pull off this project, Hawkins teamed up with many talented Columbia residents, including makeup artists, actors and a fight director. He also worked with local haunted house company NecroPlanet. Hawkins plans to enter the final product, which will be about seven minutes long, in a few festivals and screen it at Ragtag.

Hawkins says working on the project was exciting. “Everyone around you is so talented and intelligent in their own way, and you get to be around all these people,” he says. “It kind of feels like it rubs off on you a little bit.”

Larry Collins, who was both an actor and a runner for the short film, has held many roles in movies over the past two years.

LARRY COLLINS, ACTOR, RUNNER

Collins began acting in middle school and enjoyed being on stage. Now, he works at the Truman Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia and acts in theater and film on the side. Collins plays Zombie Cop in Eat Organic, but he also worked as a runner by helping at rehearsals and gathering materials. He’s held numerous behind-the-scenes jobs for other films including sound, writing, filming and assistant directing. Collins says he’s learned the different skills through a lot of trial and error. “Getting perspectives from every different kind of job there is for filmmaking gives you a healthy respect for what you need to bring to the table, what you need to do, what needs to happen to make this whole film project that you imagine in your head come to life,” he says. Collins says his approach to a project is similar as an actor or a crew member; he wants to know the director’s vision. The experience also affected his work as an actor. It taught him how to project his voice in the direction of the boom microphone.

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PHILLIP MEECE, FIGHT DIRECTOR

After learning the craft of fight direction and completing an internship with the Society of American Fight Directors, Meece added it as an emphasis to his theater degree at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. He later became a combat medic to gain real-world experience. It’s important to Meece that fighting be portrayed as traumatic. “When violence is portrayed unethically or irresponsibly, I feel like it harms society’s view of violence and makes it easier for people to jump to violence without fully understanding the consequences,” he says. Meece is back in school with plans to enter the medical field as a paramedic or physical therapist, which would supplement his fight directing work. This project is the third that Meece and director Dustin Hawkins have worked on together. About 80 percent of the film involves the main character fighting zombies. Meece can create a real, workable version of Hawkins’ vision.

Hawkins says, “I’ll tell him the Hollywood version of what I want, and he’ll give me the real life version.”

HAILIE NICKELS, MAKEUP ARTIST

Nickels began designing makeup looks when she turned her friend into a mannequin with half of its face melted for an event at her high school. She started the project by doing research on the internet, where she still finds inspiration. As a self-taught makeup artist, Nickels says she uses YouTube and other online sources to develop techniques, as well as a lot of trial and error. Nickels works at NecroPlanet in addition to her work in film. Eat Organic was her first experience as head makeup artist on a film project. Communication among the other makeup artists was key; she gave them references for how she wanted the zombies to look. “It has to be cohesive,” she says. By day, she pursues a criminal justice degree with a psychology minor from Columbia College.

As for her future with makeup work, she would like to stay with NecroPlanet and continue to branch out with side projects such as film work. “But for the most part, I kind of want to keep it casual,” she says.

“I don’t want to go super all out with it because I feel like I would kind of lose the passion for it if I did.”

THE SCENE

Nightmares come to life at mid-Missouri haunts Give yourself goosebumps at these historical locations this Halloween

BY KARLEE RENKOSKI You don’t have to go to a theater to see paranormal activity. These three haunted tours will get you in the spirit of the spooky season. Over the years, people have witnessed eerie occurrences in these locations, including disembodied voices, phantasmal activity and figures in the dark. Some even claim to have gotten pictures of what they’ve seen.

Nobody can really say if these locations are actually haunted, but the legends live on. Perhaps what witnesses have said is true. Or perhaps it’s all your imagination.

Decide how much scary you can handle, and see for yourself if these tales are true.

NOT SO SCARY

Rivercene Mansion Bed & Breakfast

Nestled in the serene countryside just off Highway 40 sits a historic, New Orleansstyle bed and breakfast. The mansion was built by freed slaves in 1864. It was a plantation frequented by steamboats, stood through the Civil War and was a stop for infamous figures from the past, such as Jesse James and "Bloody Bill" Anderson. But most importantly, the house once belonged to the aristocratic Kinney family.

Donn Upp, co-owner of Rivercene Mansion and a horror author, says the “haunting” began with the Kinney’s son, Noble, who was set to be married to a New Orleans woman, Rose Marie. She arrived at the mansion April 2, 1895, and on April 3, Noble fell over the balcony and died. After that, Rose Marie went on a murder spree, and Noble’s mother stayed in her son’s room for the next year until she died of grief. To this day, the furniture, pictures and other artifacts from the house are still used or on display.

The young woman, three remaining Kinney sisters and a cat are said to still haunt the Rivercene Mansion Bed & Breakfast. Upp says people who visit have heard people talking and moving. Toilets have flushed, TVs have turned off by themselves, and the cat has made many appearances. Having lived at the bed and breakfast since its opening in 1993, Upp is accustomed to the random occurrences, but he enjoys using the experiences in his horror novels and sharing the history of the huge mansion with people who visit.

Take a Tour: 127 County Road 463, New Franklin Cost: $10 Call: 660-848-2497 to schedule a tour.

Online: rivercene.com

At the Missouri State Penitentiary, a large group of inmates broke out and caused the 1945 Riot. Damage was estimated at $5 million, and no prisoners successfully escaped.

SCARY

Stephens College Haunted Tour

It’s not often that an entire college is thought to be haunted, and almost all of the buildings at Stephens College have a supernatural history. Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority at Stephens College organizes a tour around the campus that incorporates unearthly stories and some ominous characters in costume that pop out at random locations.

One story that alumni and teachers claim to be true happened in Searcy Hall. In the 1970s, a student who wasn’t aware she was pregnant went into labor in a community bathroom. The young woman was in such a state of shock that she wrapped the baby in a blanket and hid it in a locker. Her roommate discovered what had happened, and, according to legend, the young woman left the school, and her parents paid off the board of trustees to keep things quiet. Some people claim to have heard a baby’s cry in the bathroom late at night.

The basement in Roblee Hall, where the tour begins, used to be a psychiatric facility with an observation room to watch children.

“Stephens is really good at keeping secrets, especially back then,” says Brianna Knopf, president of Sigma Sigma Sigma.

The tour then moves around the quad to Pillsbury Hall and finally ends at Senior Hall. The stories are scary

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MISSOURI STATE PENITENTIARY AND BRIANNA KNOPF

enough, but with the additional strobe lights, smoke machines and costumes, you might just fall for these superstitions.

Take a Tour: Oct. 26, 7–11p.m.

102 N. College Ave. Cost: $5 in advance; $7 at the door Online: stephens.edu/events TERRIFYING

Missouri State Penitentiary

This location, which opened in 1836, self-identifies as the bloodiest 47 acres in America. In 1937, the days of public hangings had come to an end, and a bill was passed calling for execution by lethal gas. The gas chamber executed 40 people from 1937 to 1989 and still stands but is not in use.

The penitentiary now offers ghost tours, and staff members share the history of the building and the eerie stories about the inmates who died there. Groups can also go on ghost hunts or overnight investigations.

During these visits, patrons are taught how to use ghost-hunting equipment, take photos and recognize paranormal activity.

Tour coordinator Sheila Sanford says there have been occurrences of hair being pulled, bodies being scratched and people seeing shadows and strange orb lights. “We leave it open to you and your imagination as to what actually happens there,” Sanford says.

Courtney Nowlin (left) and Miranda Burke (right) at the 2015 Stephens College Haunted Tour.

Take a Tour: 115 Lafayette St., Jefferson City Cost: $25–35 Call: 632-2820 Online: missouripentours.com 10.20.16

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For thousands of Missouri Tiger fans, tailgating is more fun than the game

by JANIE BOOTH 8

VOXMAGAZINE.COM | 10.20.16

PHOTOS PHOTO BY BYASA ASALORY LORY

There are six hours until the Mizzou Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs kick off, and already thousands of fans putting up tents and chattering about the day’s festivities surround Memorial Stadium. They’re eager to start celebrating the Tigers’ first SEC matchup of the year. The game starts at 6:30 p.m., but the most in-demand tailgate locations, the lots closest to the stadium, have already been snagged.

Across all 25 lots, the most dedicated fans claim their personal favorite spots at 8 a.m. when the gates open. However, people line up in cars as early as 6:30 a.m., waiting anxiously.

“Today, we got here at 7:30, but a lady told me she was trying to take our spot,” MU alumna and tailgater Veronica Lemme says.

“So next week, we are going to come at 5:30.”

Don’t let the kickoff time fool you. Tailgating begins before the sun even peeks over the horizon.

The atmosphere on campus has completely flip-flopped from earlier in the week — students are no longer in a stressed-out frenzy on their way to classes or tests. Instead, the excitement in the air is as tangible as beer cans sitting on ice in coolers. Hooting and hollering students parade in groups toward Memorial Stadium, pumped to shotgun their first brew of the day. They’ve assimilated to the SEC culture in which T-shirts are frowned upon; the girls are decked out in black dresses and cowboy boots with fuzzy tiger’s ears perched atop their heads, and the guys wear khakis and Missouri polo shirts.

Visiting Georgia fans dressed in their own SEC attire meander around the foreign campus looking at Memorial Union and the columns. The sweltering sun is high in the sky and beaming down on the bronze tiger statue in front of the Mel Carnahan Quadrangle, but the shade from tents keeps the sun from frying the tailgaters’ skin. MU flags, interspersed with Georgia red here and there, whip high in the air while parents readily buy new black and gold T-shirts, hats and sweatshirts for their Tiger hopefuls at The Mizzou Store.

The football game is undoubtedly the main attraction of the day. “It’s an opportunity to support the university and support the Tigers and to socialize with friends that we don’t necessarily get to see during the week or terribly regularly,” says local tailgater Sam Bennett. The seven home football games every year are perfect excuses to throw meat on the grill, pop open a Budweiser and reconnect with college buddies.

Tailgaters display expansive spreads of barbecue, salads and desserts that make it difficult to know where to begin filling a disposable plate. Insulated dishes containing pulled pork, brisket and chicken PHOTO BY ASA LORY

wings sit alongside bags of potato and tortilla chips. Salsa, french onion dip and guacamole aren’t too far away. By the time Saturday rolls around, many people have prepared for five or six days. Others visit or call local restaurants to cater their festivities.

Along Rollins Street, the smoky scent of charcoal fills the air. Tailgaters unload their grills from the back of trucks; some dispense spiked juice and bring crock pots of Rotel cheese dip that steam each time the lid is lifted.

An RV in Lot N is equipped with lawn chairs and a 60-inch flat-screen TV, and a nearby table holds a nacho cheese sauce dispenser next to a half-gallon of vodka.

A tailgater in Lot W unhitches a gold tiger-decaled black trailer from the back of his pickup truck, unloads full sets of patio furniture and unrolls an area rug onto the grass. But in the free grassy area next to Tiger Avenue Parking Structure, a few blissful students sit in lawn chairs around one cooler, Natural Light in hand, passing around a single bag of potato chips. The hype transcends rich and poor, microbrew drinkers and budget 30-pack guzzlers.

Generations of families come out to tailgate, watch Missouri football and spend time together. Outside of tents, people play cornhole and hope to win bragging rights until the next game. Kids clad in MU shirts and lathered in sunscreen dart around the tents. They are growing up at MU. Walking through the tailgates, it is easy to get lost. The never-ending stretch of people sitting behind their trucks, the smell of barbecue and the sounds of music and intoxicated chatter blur together. Next to the stadium, local radio stations such as Y107 blare music that competes with strains of pop and country from speakers that sit in the beds of pickup trucks. Columbia is alive as local supporters and out-of-towners converge at Memorial Stadium. Today is a time to kick back with scrumptious food, good company and six-packs. Everyday life in mid-Missouri can wait until Monday.

For now, we tailgate.

Permit tailgating lots open at 8 a.m. Once situated in their chosen spots, tailgaters unload their containers and condiments to begin eating.

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PARTY IN THE PARKING LOT On the outskirts of Memorial Stadium, football fanatics are pitching tents and devouring grilled nosh.

Tailgating season has arrived.

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Sam Bennett attaches his mobile 4-foot rotisserie grill to the back of his truck for nearly every Missouri home football game. Meat is the best (and only) choice for a tailgate, Bennett says. “Now why would you bring chips and dip to a barbecue?

That would be like bringing a knife to a gunfight,” he says jokingly. His rotisserie is jam-packed for the entire day. Bennett, sporting a black-andgold-striped apron, will have operated the rotisserie for nearly 12 hours and grilled wings, beef tongue, pork butt, pork loin, brisket, ribs, grouper and trout — enough food for at least 80 people. Bennett comes equipped with his favorite rubs, such as Strawberry’s Shake-On Bar-B-Que Seasoning, 10 types of hot sauce and five types of barbecue sauce, including the Columbia award-winning Spicewine Ironworks’ Blue Collar sauce. “I don’t put sauce on the meat because I don’t assume that others like the same sauce as I do,” Bennett says.

SAM BENNETT Year he graduated: Sam attended Southeast Missouri State University.

One of his daughters attends MU. His other daughter is an alumna.

Tailgate location: Lot K Miles he drove: 8 Time he arrived to tailgate: 7:30 a.m.

PHOTO BY ASA LORY AND KENTON SHOEN

Scott and Michele Griswold arrange two tents, lawn games, rugs, patio furniture, a chandelier and a flat-screen TV on the corner of Rollins Street and Tiger Avenue. Their setup is the culmination of many years of tailgating at MU. Underneath the tents adorned with black and gold tie garlands, their tables overflow with ribs, beer-butt chicken, potato salad, cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, pretzels, peanut butter bars and cookies. The Griswolds had Lutz’s BBQ, a local restaurant, cater pulled pork, chicken wings and chips. “I usually start planning the menu on Sunday or Monday for Saturday,” Michele says. Next to the food spread is their signature drink of the week.

Today’s is red and white sangria.

Past refreshments include bloody marys, margaritas and mimosas.

The Griswolds invest nearly $1,000 into tailgating each game, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

PHOTO BY JILLIAN VONDY

SCOTT & MICHELE GRISWOLD Years they graduated: Scott received his bachelor’s degree in 1991 and his doctorate in 1995. Michele graduated from Stephens College in 1990.

Tailgate location: Lot W Miles they drove: 60 Time they arrived to tailgate: 6:30 a.m.

Anita and Mike Welborn are Georgia Bulldogs fans who road tripped to Columbia from Clarkesville, Georgia, with their friends Kathy and David Martin, Diane and Dwight Schwartz and Pat and Bob Goss. Their vibrant red tent stands out among the Missouri crowd. Being a visiting fan certainly makes tailgating harder. “The food has to be more portable and easily prepared,” Anita says. Their spread consists of chips, salsa, pretzels, trail mix and fruit. They toted some snacks from home, but they bought Kentucky Fried Chicken in Columbia to accompany pimento cheese sandwiches. Another tradition they could not leave at home is boiled peanuts. A Georgia favorite, the peanuts can be cooked overnight in a crockpot or purchased at a roadside stand, and they are spiced with salt or Cajun seasoning. Once ready, the shelled peanuts are warm, salty and soft — a perfect football game snack.

ANITA & MIKE WELBORN Years they graduated: Anita graduated from the University of Georgia in 1970 and Mike graduated from Georgia in 1968.

Tailgate location: Lot M Miles they drove: 709 Time they arrived to tailgate: 1:30 p.m.

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GAME DAY GET-TOGETHERS

Your unofficial playbook to SEC tailgating traditions.

A CENTRAL HUB

TIGER BAIT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

HEY JUNCTION, WHAT’S YOUR FUNCTION?

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

Vanderbilt’s “central hub” of tailgating, Vandyville, includes nearly 75 tents, food vendors, a television screen that spans two-thirds of the street and road barricades.

“This is the best opportunity we’ve got to marshal together our forces and show the best we’ve got,” says Rod Williams, associate athletic director at Vanderbilt University.

Tailgating at Mississippi State University begins on Friday mornings. Devoted game-goers occupy the perimeter of the Junction — a green space criss-crossed with a historical railway line — with tents and lawn chairs until 4 p.m., when they are allowed to stake their claims on the grassy expanse.

Visiting fans beware. It is not uncommon for LSU student fans to yell “tiger bait” at visiting fans.

However, according to Veronica Lemme, who visited LSU for the Missouri game, tailgaters are hospitable and inviting. Underneath the big oak trees, fans cook massive cauldrons full of simmering, steaming gumbo.

GROVIN’ IT

SAILGATING

GATOR CHOMP

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Ole Miss wears its tailgating glory on its sleeve. The Grove, coined “The Holy Grail of tailgating sites”

by Sporting News, is a 10-acre lot dotted with oaks in the middle of campus. “Hotty Toddy”-hollering enthusiasts descend upon the lot precisely at 8 p.m. on Friday evenings. They boast, “We may not win every game, but we’ve never lost a party.”

The Vol Navy is one of three naval tailgating operations in the United States (the other two are Baylor University and University of Washington).

Hundreds of University of Tennessee fans bring out their boats — both luxury boats and small pontoons — and tie them to each other in a huge event called “sailgating.”

Florida fans celebrate their Gator pride by serving food at their tailgates that represents, or even takes a jab at, their opponents. They have been known to serve fried chicken at University of South Carolina games and Cajun food at LSU games.

A GRAND ENTRANCE

INTO THE WILD

TRAIN CAR TOWN

AUBURN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

On Fridays, the Auburn Tiger football team retreats to an adjoining town to mentally prepare for the forthcoming home game. Two hours prior to Saturday kickoff, they parade down South Donahue Drive, the street leading into Jordan-Hare Stadium. Fans dripping in burnt orange and navy blue paraphernalia trail behind cheering the team to victory.

The Arkansas Alumni Association hosts Hog Wild Tailgates complete with live music, food trucks and catered meals. Special guests, such as The Voice contestant Barret Baber and winner of Food Network Star season 11, Eddie Jackson, have made recent appearances.

Cockaboose or bust — the University of South Carolina is home to 22 living room-style train cars owned or leased by longtime donors, friends and fans of the Gamecocks. These spirited rail cars are located just outside the stadium, and most are fully furnished and air conditioned.

ELEPHANTS ON PARADE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

PATRIOTISM AND PAGEANTRY

One hour before kickoff, crimson-clad fans encircle Alabama's Million Dollar Band as they perform 'Bama tunes in a grand pregame tradition known as Elephant Stomp.

The band stands on the front steps of Gorgas Library and ends the celebration with a march to Bryant-Denny Stadium.

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

GOING NUTS UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA Georgia is the No. 1 producer of peanuts in the country, and Georgia fans have adopted the Southern tradition of boiling them. Most people prepare them overnight or buy them from streetside vendors to munch on at their tailgates. In the meantime, Bulldog fans howl at one another, “How 'bout them dawgs?”

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The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets assemble on the Quad and proceed to Pass in Review, a traditional military inspection process, inside the stadium. “There is a lot of patriotism, pageantry, and it ties modern Texas A&M with its military roots,” says Kathryn Greenwade, vice president for communications and human resources for The Association of Former Students at Texas A&M.

DOUBLE DUTY UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY Kentucky fans participate in what they dub “double duty” when they hop from morning horse race at Keeneland Race Course to tailgate in the same day.

As winter months draw nearer, natives introduce a Kentucky favorite to their spreads — burgoo, a spicy stew made with meats and veggies. And, of course, bourbon is always on deck.

FOOD FRENZY Local caterers make it easy to eat your weight at the tailgate.

Tailgating By the Numbers

100+

MUPD personnel scheduled to police game days

Hoss’ Market & Rotisserie serves large corporate tailgates and prepares food for people to pick up on their way to the game.

At the Nov. 25 Missouri vs. Arkansas game, the restaurant will cater a tailgate for 700 people requiring 1,000 pieces of smoked chicken and 200 pounds of pulled pork.

$10,000

Founder’s Lot

$5,000

ROLLINS ST.

J, K, O

L, G, I

W

H, M, N, P, Truman’s Landing, TAPS

$250

Q, R, T, U, W, X, Y, Z

TAP S

$500

STADIUM BLVD.

Founder’s Lot Walton Stadium

H

m iu ad St

H

Faurot Field

C

I Mizzou Arena

Q

R

Revenue for local businesses from game days for the 2013 fiscal year, according to Columbia Chamber of Commerce

P

$7.5 million

Hearnes Center

Y

Truman’s Landing

$44,174,834

Estimated revenue from parking passes, according to MU Athletics

X

J G

T

L

A B

U

D

Z

HOSPITAL DR.

COLLEGE AVE.

D, C

$1,500

TIGER A VE.

$3,000

Arrests during first three game days of the 2016 season

Number of game day parking permits sold this year, according to MU Athletics

A

Renewal only

26

2016 MU TAILGATING LOTS FO 5,366

2016 Minimum TSF Gift

or yl Ta

Missouri fans fight for the Founder’s Lot, located on the southwestern corner of Memorial Stadium. These spots require a minimun $10,000 donation to the Tiger Scholarship Fund. Lots are also available for $250– $5,000. The prices listed are minimum donations to be made to the Tiger Scholarship Fund — basically, if you make the minimum donation, the spot is available for you to request it; however, it is not guaranteed. An additional $135 is required for a seasonlong parking permit.

The smoked wings are a hot commodity at D. Rowe’s Restaurant & Bar. They prepare between 1,200 and 1,500 wings on an average game day. Owner Meghan Rowe says groups of tailgaters will pick up 100 wings at a time every 10 to 15 minutes.

CE R D.

PARKING PERMIT MAP AND PRICES:

The Rock Bridge Hy-Vee offers a wide selection of Mizzou-themed foods. The store displays black-andgold cakes, cupcakes, cookie cakes and popcorn for customers a few days before a home football game.

Two to three hours before kickoff, they often offer bratwurst samples in the store.

Hoss’ Market & Rotisserie:

K M

O N

3,000 – 5,000

M N

IDEN

Lutz’s BBQ caters pulled pork, pulled chicken, turkey and brisket every game day; it serves anywhere from 20 to 150 people.

One Lutz’s specialty is a whole hog that serves more than 100 people (two groups have already put in an order for Homecoming).

D. Rowe’s Restaurant & Bar:

PROV

Lutz’s BBQ:

Rock Bridge Hy-Vee:

Source: Tiger Scholarship Fund

N

Estimated number of away fans for SEC & regional non-conference games, according to MU Athletics

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PHOTO BY KRISTEN ZEIS

KARI WEIS/Missourian

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MUSIC

Chris Stephens plays the guitar, oud, pipa and sitar. Stephens developed an interest in improvisational music from bands and musicians such as Ravi Shankar, Béla Fleck and Phish, artists celebrated for their diverse experimental styles.

When music spans oceans One sitar player in CoMo pulls inspiration from improvisation

BY TYLER SCHNEIDER

PHOTOS BY ERIN BORMETT

In the 1960s, at the same time The Beatles were inspiring waves of teenagers to pick up guitars and start garage bands, Indian musician Ravi Shankar was teaching their guitarist, George Harrison, the ins and outs of a classical Indian instrument — the sitar.

Shankar’s work with the sitar was key in popularizing Indian music in the West. His work has helped bridge the gap between these cultures, and in turn, Western musicians began implementing the sitar into the sound of the ’60s and ’70s.

Columbia’s Chris Stephens is one of many who consider themselves influenced by Shankar’s work. And in the 12 years he has played the sitar, Stephens might be the only musician in town who plays the traditional Indian instrument. Stephens started playing the guitar at a young age and eventually decided to branch out to the sitar after hearing Shankar, Béla Fleck and Phish, a band known for blending various musical styles and improvisation. He describes his first sitar as a “cheap piece of firewood” that he purchased on eBay for $400.

He now plays a $900 Srishti model that he ordered from Seattle. Stephens is self-taught through YouTube videos and advice from specialized internet forums.

Stephens says it took him about three years to truly feel comfortable playing the sitar; the intricacies of learning it on his own led him to have some second thoughts early on. “All my free time was just spent at home practicing,” Stephens says. The process was daunting in the beginning. “It was like, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t have done this. I can’t do this.’”

The sitar is a gourd-shaped instrument that 14

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typically has 20 or 21 strings. It is usually around 4 feet long and produces a calming, melodic sound. Unlike many Western instruments, it is most often played improvisationally, with the sitarists selecting a few notes to work with before playing. “You have your ways of playing with those notes that give you some guidelines on how to improvise within (that) piece,” Stephens says.

Over the years, he has also extended his foreign instrument collection to include the Chinese pipa and the Egyptian oud, with a fourth — the Persian tar — in the works. Although these instruments are rare in mid-Missouri, there’s another pipa player in town, Theda Dolph, who has been playing the ancient instrument since she was a grade-school student in Shanghai.

Dolph, who was invited to perform in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan, has also been approached to teach local Chinese children the instrument but says they typically move away before she can have a lasting impact on them. It seems as though musicians such as Stephens and Dolph are destined to continue their crafts in isolation, at least in the foreseeable future.

Shankar died in 2012, and Stephens played a memorial concert for him at Cafe Berlin shortly after his death. With the passing of his inspiration, Stephens will no longer have new work from Shankar after which to model himself.

Perhaps someday he will inspire others in town to take up the sitar, and he can guide them as Shankar did for him. Until then, Stephens will remain the only sitarist in Columbia, and he bridges the gap between Western and Eastern worlds for passersby on Ninth Street by Route and Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream.

Shankar would surely be proud.

Unlike many Western instruments, sitars aren’t often used to play compositions. Instead, players improvise.

A GROWING COLLECTION Stephens plays three instruments that are rare in mid-Missouri: the Indian sitar, Chinese pipa and Egyptian oud.

SITAR: The sitar is an Indian instrument with a short, gourd-shaped body and an elongated neck, and it probably descended from Central Asian lutes. It produces a relaxing, meditative sound that has since been adapted by several prominent bands of the ’60s and beyond, including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

PIPA: The pipa has been around for thousands of

years and remains one of China’s most popular instruments. It is pear-shaped, has four strings and is typically played as a solo instrument or in a small ensemble. Its many different playing techniques are a result of its rich history. The pipa produces a delicate tone, and the songs are often very intricate and must be memorized. Despite this, Stephens still tries to improvise.

OUD: The oud is nearly identical to the traditional

European lute, but unlike the lute, it doesn’t have frets, which gives it a more distinct sound. It is most similar to the guitar out of these three instruments and has Middle-Eastern origins.

See Stephens play the sitar and other instruments at VOXMAGAZINE.COM

See this: Diane Coffee

Shaun Fleming creates his live theatrical sets with inspiration from his diverse past

BY PAULA TREDWAY

Shaun Fleming branched off from indie band Foxygen to start Diane Coffee, a glam-rock influenced solo project.

N O V E M B E R :

“Shaun’s stage presence makes them stand out more With sparkly eye makeup, themed performances, than a typical indie band.” custom costumes and a will to connect with his Each show has its own theme. Fleming is still audience, Shaun Fleming of Diane Coffee is a working out the details for the Columbia show at Rose performer to be heard and seen.

Music Hall on Oct. 23. He is hoping that his Fleming started out as a Disney show inspires the crowd to make an emotional voice actor for shows and movies such connection. as Kim Possible, The Lion King 1 ½ and I’VE ALWAYS Fleming’s creative partner, Melinda The Legend of Tarzan. He spent many FELT LIKE Danielson, is the mastermind behind his hours learning how to manipulate his costumes and makeup. Once, Fleming dressed voice for those roles.

I’VE BEEN A up as a sailor in white pants, a blue-and-whiteFleming is no stranger to the PERFORMER, striped V-neck, a white sailor hat and silveryindie scene. Before he started his blue eye shadow. The performers were sailors solo project in 2012, he was a live WHETHER traveling the ethos, he says. For another show, drummer for indie-rock band IT’S MUSIC, he dressed in a blue tie-dye toga and gold laceFoxygen. “I was listening to a lot of sandals with the same blue eyeshadow. It was Diana Ross, so Diane comes from THEATRICAL OR up a nautical theme, a voyage of understanding that, and then Coffee comes from (singer-songwriter) Nathan Pelkey’s TV AND FILM. and change.

“I’ve always felt like I’ve been a performer, ‘Mr. Coffee,’” Fleming says. His music – SHAUN FLEMING whether it’s music, theatrical or TV and film,” and performances are influenced Fleming says. “I think that’s partially why by acts such as David Bowie, Mick I write the way I write music, why there’s so many Jagger, Motörhead, St. Vincent and several ’70s glam different voices and different characters and why I like rockers, so his live performances include a lot of playing different roles on stage.” gender-bending, glitter and gloss. He currently has two albums: My Friend Fish and Everybody’s a Good Dog. DIANE COFFEE C.J. Becker, a former talent buyer, describes Rose Music Hall, Sunday, doors at 7:30 p.m.; show Fleming as a charming guy who’s charismatic and at 8:30 p.m., $10 in advance; $12 day of, 874-1944, gets the crowd involved. “I booked Diane Coffee last rosemusichall.com year for a venue at St. Louis University,” Becker says.

3 - 6

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1 0 - 1 3

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1 7 - 2 0

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2 0 1 6

“Aim for the heart... if you can find it!”

A Comedy-Thriller by Gerald Moon

Adults Students Seniors

12 $ 10 $ 10 $

1800 Nelwood Drive; Columbia, MO | 573.474.3699 | www.cectheatre.org “Corpse!” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. PHOTO COURTESY OF CARA ROBBINS

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ARTS & BOOKS

HUGH STEPHENS LIBRARY

The Hugh Stephens Library at Stephens College might be your newest go-to reading location. Antstaett says the atmosphere there is always peaceful and quiet, with lots of space and lots of couches for readers to curl up on. “It’s really sweet if you want to hang out and read or study here,” she says.

Location: 1412 E. Walnut St. Vox recommends: Bring a textbook or that piece of nonfiction you’ve been trying to work through. This quiet spot is the place to get some of that serious reading done.

READING ROOM AT THE COLUMBIA PUBLIC LIBRARY

You probably already know your local library is a bibliophile’s paradise. But if you haven’t taken the time to explore it, you might not know that the Columbia Public Library has a spacious, calming room designated for literary serenity.

Kay Foran, editor of Inside Columbia Magazine, says the reading room at the library is a beautiful and exceptional location. “It’s a very serene and open and inviting space,” she says.

For many bibliophiles, a reading experience isn’t complete without a cozy place to do it.

Whether your inner bookworm needs silence or chatter, Columbia has a spot for you.

Find your book nook Check out these Columbia spots when you’re ready to curl up with a good read

BY RACHEL PHILLIPS Whether you are looking for a secluded hideaway or a crowded hangout to delve into the latest item on the top of your to-read pile, Columbia has a place for you.

Vox talked to people who read professionally — editors, librarians, bookstore owners and archivists — to find out where they go to get out of the office for a relaxing read. So grab your favorite book, search your soul for your reading needs, and use their suggestions to scope out your literary sweet spot.

COFFEE ZONE If a busy spot is what you’re looking for, Stephens College evening and weekend reference librarian Ashley Anstaett says Coffee Zone is ideal. You can sit inside or grab one of the chairs outside of the shop if it’s a nice day. “It’s good for people-watching if you’re just doing a more leisurely read,” she says.

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Location: 11 N. 9th St. Vox recommends: Don’t try to get too deep here; the buzzing atmosphere at Coffee Zone is ideal for delving into a romance novel or another light read you’ve been excited about.

Fortunately, Nora Roberts always seems to have something new coming out.

Location: 100 W. Broadway Vox recommends: Don’t bring anything; take advantage of the expansive collection of books the library has to offer by grabbing anything you see that looks interesting. If you don’t like it, you can always put it back (in the right place).

SHORTWAVE COFFEE

For a quiet place to sip some artisanal coffee and read a classic book, Anstaett recommends checking out Shortwave Coffee. There’s a lot of space in the shop, and you can grab a table to spread your things out, she says. But if you’re looking for a smaller corner, there are a lot of nooks and crannies to explore.

It’s got more movement and noise than a library, but Anstaett says it’s pretty calm. “It’s never really super bustling in there,” she says.

Location: 915 Alley A Vox recommends: If you’ve always wanted to read War and Peace or another lengthy classic, this calm environment is the perfect place to do it while enjoying some coffee to keep you going.

STEPHENS LAKE PARK

As the weather dips below steaming,

a park is the perfect place to get comfortable with a good book, says Becky Asher, co-owner of Village Books.

Her personal favorite is Stephens Lake Park, which she describes as friendly and well-lit. The park offers multiple options for cozy spots. Asher says you can relax near the waterfalls on the north side of the lake or on any of the benches near the water. “It’s a very pastoral scene,” she says.

Location: 2001 E. Broadway Vox recommends: Pick up that magazine you’ve been waiting to read; it’s lightweight and can easily be thrown in your bag if you decide to take a walk and enjoy the scenery.

UPRISE BAKERY

Uprise Bakery is Foran’s hangout of choice. She says the atmosphere at Uprise can be described as rustic and homespun. There are always people of all ages coming through.

“It’s a stimulating and energizing environment,” Foran says. Her personal favorite spot is against the brick wall.

Location: 10 Hitt St. Vox recommends: Located in the same building as Ragtag Cinema, Uprise is the perfect place to read memoirs or based-on-a-true-story books. Have you gotten around to reading Amy Schumer’s The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo yet?

YOUR OWN HOME

It might seem dull, but you can make the most of your reading experience by finding a book nook in your very own house or apartment. To find the perfect place in your house to relax and get into a story, look for a spot that has good natural light. Evelyn Somers, associate editor of The Missouri Review, says she loves to read in her bedroom because of the big windows that let in light. She is also fond of reading in the living room because it’s got a view of her yard and garden to enjoy.

Of course, you can’t forget the pleasure of reading on the couch, one of the favorite places of Elizabeth Engel, senior archivist at the State Historical Society of Missouri.

Location: Where the heart is Vox recommends: Home is perfect for reading (or re-reading) your favorite books. Here, you can easily pick up Harry Potter or another timeless book for a comfort read.

PHOTO BY CARSEN SIKYTA

ARTS & BOOKS

An aptitude for altitude

The new play Night Witches celebrates Russian women of World War II who rose high above gender norms

BY PEYTON STABLEFORD Kalra says her team spent a great deal of time As Halloween approaches, Stephens College is taking scouring through online articles, watching videos and on an especially witchy project. However, these reading books about the women. They also listened witches don’t fly brooms or carry black cats ­— they to the music of the time period, read Russian poetry fly warplanes and drop bombs. and researched a popular dance from the time. Some Night Witches is the latest theatrical production of those songs and poems are used in the play. from Butter & Serve Theater Company, which The historically accurate touches can be seen in was founded in 2014 by Alicia Crosby, Vanita the set and costumes, but there are some nuanced Kalra, Riva Rubenoff and Sara Vanasse. These elements that critique the power structures of the women, all graduates of Pig Iron Theater School Soviet Union and society as a whole. in Pennsylvania, have also produced Delainey Phillips, who plays one Slaugher/ette, which premiered at the NIGHT WITCHES of the lead characters, Anna, spent 2015 Fringe Festival in Philadelphia, Macklanburg Playhouse time researching the Soviet Union and and V, which was their first Fri.–Sat., 7:30 p.m.

World War II to prepare for her role, production and premiered at the 2014 Sunday, 2 p.m, $14, but the heart of her character comes 876-7199, stephens.edu/ Fringe Festival. services/box-office/ourfrom a place that is closer to home.

Night Witches is based on the season/ Phillips called upon her cousin, who had stories of the all-female Soviet been deployed two years ago, and drew Union air regiment, Squad 588, from her experience as a woman in war. which commanded the skies during World War “I tried to disperse that throughout my character II. In October 1941, Joseph Stalin created three without basing my character off of my cousin,” all-female air regiments. Squad 588, one such Phillips says. regiment, took flight in June 1942 and continued There are only five women in the play, but its bombing runs until the end of the war. As they Kalra believes their portrayals represent the stories flew through the night at low altitudes, the quiet of hardship and perseverance of the hundreds of biplanes made “whooshing” noises that reminded other women who have served in the armed forces the then-enemy Germans below of witches’ throughout history. brooms. Thus, the nickname nachthexen, or “night Night Witches offers its audience the opportunity witches,” was born. The women, all between the to be immersed in the adventures and friendships ages of 17 and 26, had flown 30,000 missions and of the most heavily decorated all-female unit in the dropped 23,000 tons of bombs on Nazi German Soviet Air Forces. territory by the end of the war.

“I want people to come away with the recognition “I think we were surprised by how young they were when they started,” Kalra says. “And the amount that history is what we choose to remember and that there are a lot of stories that get lost along the way,” of brazen courage you have to have at such a young Kalra says. “And what are the lessons we can learn age to say, ‘I’m willing to put everything on the line from the stories that we sometimes forget?” for this thing that I believe in.’”

Members of the cast of Night Witches rehearse at the Macklanburg Playhouse. The play, a story of female Soviet bombardiers during World War II, opens Oct. 21.

soviet strikers

Travel through time with the women who inspired Night Witches JUNE 1941 The

Soviet Union officially becomes involved in World War II.

SEPT. 2, 1945

World War II ends after Japan surrenders.

Squad 588 sets out for its first bombing run.

all-female air units, one being Squad 588. One thousand women head to an airdrome in Engels, Russia, for the start of training. The Soviet Union was the first country to allow women to perform combat missions.

LATE 1944 After a crew is shot down over Soviet territory, crews are ordered to wear parachutes, which they’d flown without previously.

EARLY 1944 Three

women are named Heroes of the Soviet Union. In total, 23 pilots of Squad 588 would be awarded that title.

DEC. 9, 1942 The squad

JUNE 8, 1942

OCTOBER 1941 Joseph Stalin orders the creation of three

JULY 31, 1943 Four

Squad 588 planes are shot down by a German fighter. By the end of the war, the squad will have lost 30 pilots.

JANUARY 1943

The Soviet army starts its offensive near Stalingrad.

is given an assignment to stop an enemy ferry from crossing the Terek River.

Nina Raspopova, a pilot and flight commander, and her navigator Larisa Radchikova are caught by enemy searchlights.

Although German bullets destroyed the cockpit of their plane, both women survive.

OCTOBER 1945 Squad 588, which came to be known as the 46th Guards Bomber Regiment, is released from duty. According to pilot and squadron commander Nadezhda Popova, a lot of the women began to cry “because of what (they) had been through together.”

PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF ASA LORY, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, TOYSWORLD.OD.UA

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Armani’s Angels founder JESSICA ROBERTSON advocates for pets and their owners

J

essica Robertson says she believes everything happens for a reason.

One fall day in 2013, she came home to find her house in Columbia ransacked and her 9-year-old cockapoo, Armani, severely beaten.

Robertson stayed by Armani’s side through months of recovery, and the ordeal opened her eyes to the many pet owners who aren’t able to afford such health care for their dogs or cats.

Armani lived for a year and a half following the incident before he died due to related complications.

Robertson still tears up when talking about Armani, but she turned a terrible situation into something good: Armani’s Angels, a nonprofit organization originally founded in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine that helps pet owners pay veterinary bills for their seriously injured or ill animals.

Nearing its second anniversary, Armani’s Angels is growing. The organization achieved tax-exempt status in February, and board of nine women has the freedom to allocate funds at its own discretion.

James Holland is one recipient of Armani’s Angels’ funds. Holland’s 9-week-old border collie-Labrador mix, Dipstick, needed tests and surgeries for his bladder stones, and the organization offered to fund his care. “I wouldn’t be looking at my puppy right now if it wasn’t for them,” Holland says.

For pet owners such as Holland, Armani’s Angels has been a saving grace. For Robertson, it has been a coping mechanism to move past Armani’s death.

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VOXMAGAZINE.COM | 10.20.16

What happened that day you came home in October 2013?

Armani didn’t greet me at the door. He was always at the door, so my heart sank. I found Armani in the office just lying there. He was trying so hard to get up and look at me. When we got him to the vet, they told me, “It’s really bad. What do you want to do?” And I know doctors always have to be not as optimistic as we wish them to be. But I said, “I don’t care what you have to do. I don’t care what it’s going to cost. I will not have my last memory of Armani be of him lying there in a pool of blood.”

How did your experience with Armani lead you to create this organization?

There were a lot of sad, sad stories. One animal in particular was a little pit bull puppy. The young couple who brought him in was screaming in agony, just heartache, and they didn’t even have the money for euthanasia. One of the vets ended up paying the bill. That always stuck in my mind. I sat there, and I witnessed this horrible thing and did nothing about it. That’s why I decided to create the organization.

Has Armani’s Angels helped you move past Armani’s death?

I would much rather have Armani alive today, but a lot of people have a lot of bad things happen in their life, and all we can do to move on is try to make lemonade out of lemons. I hope that’s what

I’ve done, and it does help. Clearly it’s still a wound to talk about him, but I’m very proud of Armani’s Angels, and I hope he’s up there happy too.

How does Armani’s Angels fit into your daily life?

I think, for a lot of us, we get so wrapped up in our busy lives that this is kind of the thing that we do that makes us all feel really good. That’s why we continue to do it. I couldn’t do it without these women on the board, so thank goodness that they’re so awesome, and they love me.

Has Armani’s Angels affected your relationship with friends who are on the board with you?

I think it’s made us all closer. We all just pat each other’s backs, and a lot of days, you don’t get that in jobs. This is teamwork. Teamwork is awesome. Just that sense of unity, and our friendship has grown because of it.

What has been the most rewarding part of creating this organization?

Just seeing the relief — knowing that people can continue loving their animal. It’s really heartwarming. In this world, we all need things that make people feel relief, and I love being a part of helping others feel that.

— MIRANDA SMITH PHOTO BY ALLISON COLLINS

THE TO-DO LIST

this week in Columbia

ARTS & CULTURE Fill Your Plate Benefit

Fill Your Plate is Resident Arts’ first art auction dinner and benefit celebrating the arts scene. Blue Bell Farm will host the benefit, which features the work of emerging artists for the auction, artist presentations and raffle. Enjoy local food and drink. Tonight, 6–9 p.m., Resident Arts, $60 per person; $100 per couple, 303-7195

The African-American Experience in Missouri: A Talk with Miller Boyd Learn about the history of African Americans in Missouri with Professor Miller Boyd of the African American Studies Program at the University of Mississippi.

This is part of the African American Experience in Missouri Lecture series.

Tonight, 6:30 p.m., Missouri Theatre, Free, 882-7083

Central Missouri Renaissance Festival

The Central Missouri Renaissance Festival is celebrating its 11th season. This family-friendly festival is a step back in time with kings, queens, knights, fairies and pirates galore. There will be five stages of entertainment showcasing local and regional talent. Viking, Scottish and Mariner guilds will be present for a chance to observe skills from years past.

Sat.–Sun., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Boster Castle Fairgrounds, $12, 449-8637

CIVIC Student Discussion Series: Building Community in the Classroom and Beyond

MU students are invited to bring questions and ideas on how to create community in the classroom. The conversation will discuss the best practices and approaches to create educational environments where all students feel valued and see themselves as contributors. Today, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Townsend Hall, Room 220, Free, 882-0511

MUSIC Cosmonauts

California-based garage punkers infuse psychedelic vibes for an all-around mellowed rock approach. Groove with them for a modern take on ’70s retro. Tonight, 9 p.m., Cafe Berlin, $7, 441-0400

Bruiser Queen, Crushed Out and The Flood Brothers It’s a night for duos at The Social Room.

St. Louis garage-pop duo Bruiser Queen joins Crushed Out from Brooklyn and Columbia’s own Flood Brothers. Tonight, 9 p.m., The Social Room, $5, 397-6442

Tom Petty Hootenanny with Mercury Trio, Rose Ridge, Big Medicine and Philip Wooldridge & I’ll Have Another These musicians won’t back down from covering this rock icon. Celebrate the

legendary Tom Petty’s 66th birthday with a set dedicated entirely to him. Friday, 8:30 p.m., Rose Music Hall, $5, 874-1944

Liquid Stranger with Bleep Bloop, Perkulat0r and Shlump

Liquid Stranger is a notable Swedish dubstep artist known for dabbling in Latin, Asian, Eastern-European and Jamaican dancehall dubs. His shows are captivating experiences, and he’s well-known for remixing his own tunes in real time. Friday, 9 p.m., The Blue Note, $13 in advance, $15 day of, 874-1944

SPORTS Mizzou Football vs. Middle Tennessee

Calling all Missouri football fans and alumni.

Come back to your home at Memorial Stadium for Homecoming’s main event — football. It’s been three weeks since the Tigers have played at home, so the game should be a good (and loud) one. Saturday, 3 p.m., Faurot Field, individual ticket prices vary, 882-6501

SCREEN Boo! A Madea Halloween (PG-13) While watching a rowdy group of teens, Madea finds herself fighting off Halloween fears and foes. F, R RUNTIME = 1:43

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (PG-13)

A fugitive from the law tries to clear his name amidst a government conspiracy, but a life-changing detail of his past stands in his way. F,R RUNTIME = 1:58

Keeping Up with the Joneses (PG-13)

An average suburban couple discovers their new neighbors have a hidden secret that puts them in a bind with the government.

F,R RUNTIME = 1:41

Ouija: Origin of Evil (PG-13)

A family is overcome by evil spirits when they use a Ouija board to improve their seance business, and they must fight to save their daughter from being possessed.

F, R RUNTIME = 1:39

Still playing

The Accountant (R) F, R American Honey (R) RT The Beatles: Eight Days a Week ­— The Touring Years (NR) RT The Birth of a Nation (R) R Deepwater Horizon (PG-13) F, R The Girl on the Train (R) F, R Kevin Hart: What Now? (R) F, R The Magnificent Seven (PG-13) R Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (PG) F Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (PG-13) F, R Secret Life of Pets (PG) F Storks (PG) R Sully (PG-13) R

Theaters F = Forum R = Regal

LISTEN LIVE AT Q1061.COM • DOWNLOAD THE Q 106.1 MOBILE APP

/Q1061Hits @Q1061

RT = Ragtag = Available in 3-D 10.20.16

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