Vox Magazine

1 0 . 1 3 . 1 6 / F R E E E V E RY T H U R S D AY

THE CIT Y OF COLUMBIA OWNS 13 5 M I L E S O F H I G H - S P E E D FIBER-OP TIC INTERNE T CABLE.

SO WHY AREN’ T YO U U S I N G I T ?

PAG E 6

IN THIS ISSUE

ONLINE

October 13, 2016 VOLUME 18 ISSUE 33 | PUBLISHED BY THE COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN

FEATURE Is your Netflix constantly buffering? Are you sick of Skype calls not connecting? Unused highspeed fiber-optic cables run across the city, ready to replace their dated copper predecessors. Vox digs into the bureaucracy that might be forcing you to stare at the spinning wheel. PAGE 6 NEWS & INSIGHT The owners of Solar Roadways are developing solar panels to harvest energy on highways. Prototype testing has led them to create durable panels they hope will line Missouri's roads. PAGE 4 THE SCENE Try an activity that’s truly underground. Caves are located all over Missouri, and fall is the perfect time to explore. Check out a few subterranean sites and see which suits you best. PAGE 5 MUSIC Luke Bryan was huntin’, fishin’ for a place to kick the dust up on his tour and settled on the Stowers’ farm in Centralia. PAGE 14

COMOKTOBERFEST Grab your lederhosen and head to these local Oktoberfest celebrations to enjoy beer, brats and beats. Danke for sharing your culture with midMissouri, Germany.

WHEN A PLACE BECOMES A PERSON Some settings of television series are so crucial to plot lines they take on a life of their own. As proven

by Gilmore Girls’ small town of Stars Hollow and How I Met Your Mother’s MacLaren’s Pub, some shows wouldn’t be the same without their beloved stomping grounds. Check out a round-up of the shows that revolve around a site.

GOBBLE UP THE AUTUMN EXHIBIT You won't find overdone amateur photography of fall foliage here. The Sager Braudis Gallery has curated a show that includes carved antelope heads and small, white ceramics.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Oh, Deer(hunter). This indie-rock band is bringing its music to The Blue Note on Oct. 19. PAGE 15 ARTS & BOOKS Get an in-depth look at the script, cast and director of the play Mothers and Sons. Talking Horse Productions presents this story of a parent who lost her child to AIDS. PAGE 16 Jodi Picoult’s newest novel, Small Great Things, explores discrimination and racism in America from several different viewpoints. PAGE 17 Q&A Kristen Williams has high expectations for marijuana reform in Missouri. She’s a graphic designer who works almost exclusively with pro-cannabis organizations. PAGE 18 COVER DESIGN: BEN KOTHE

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

Though I could do much of my work on this magazine at home, I almost never do. My work mostly gets done in our office, where the Wi-Fi is generally more dependable than the Mediacom signal at my apartment.

It would be nice if the internet always worked and was always fast, but that's not the way things are. And that’s just life, right?

Well, maybe not.

The first time I encountered the term “dark fiber” was this past summer, when I read a draft of a story I didn’t quite understand.

The ins and outs, and the layers of bureaucracy, those I hadn’t gotten my head around yet, but the gist was that unlit fiber-optic cable, “dark fiber”, could be giving city residents fast, reliable internet. But the unlit fibers are not being used for anything at all.

In this week’s feature (Page 6), writer Brad Bergner explains why Columbia still experiences poorer internet speeds than much of the country, despite the resources the city has at its disposal.

The issue is still developing, so use this story to learn what’s going on with our city’s fiber network and the lawmakers and internet service providers that currently dictate how it's used.

Beyond dark fiber, we’ve got plenty more for you to read in print and online, you know, if your signal isn’t out again.

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 KATIE HOGSETT AND ERIN BORMETT

RADAR

Written by: John Bat, Luria Freeman, Katelyn Lunders, Meredith McGrath, Jessica Sherwin, Brooke Vaughan

Vox’s take on the talk of the week

THE NUMBERS ARE IN MU’s enrollment figures for the 2016–17 school year show an increase in students from the first day of fall semester but still remain low compared to previous years.

Official fall enrollment:

33,266

up by 489 since the first day of fall semester

TALKIN’ POLITICS Issues we didn’t think would come up in election season:

Things we want to see in next week’s debate:

• Candy makers distancing themselves from a candidate • Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” becoming a campaign tool • A Bush who isn’t a politician

• Ken Bone • Both candidates actually taking responsibility for their words and actions • The candidates discussing the economy, terrorism and foreign policy

Fall 2015 enrollment:

Elsewhere in the world...

35,448 Enrollment has fallen

HURRICANE MATTHEW, the fiercest Caribbean storm in nearly a decade, has caused devastating damage.

In Haiti, the death toll has risen to more than 1,000 people.

According to the U.N., 1.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

6.2%

Freshmen retention rate:

85.7%

Minority student enrollment remained the same as last fall at

15.7%

Average ACT score of freshman class remained at

26.0

National Treat Yo Self Day is today, but instead of pampering yourself Tom and Donna style, you can pay it forward by aiding in disaster relief: • International Rescue Committee: rescue.org/country/ ethiopia • Americares: americares.org • Mercy Corps: mercycorps.org • American Red Cross: Text MATTHEW to 90999 to donate $10 to U.S. Hurricane Matthew relief efforts

Monday thru Friday National Programming Line-up...

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

by Gerald Moon

“Corpse!” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

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ETHIOPIA DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY amid protests by the Oromo and Amhara ethnic majorities, who detest the oppressive rule of the minority Tigrean elites.

Hundreds have died over the past months, and violence intensified over the weekend when at least 55 people were killed at a festival. The country is also suffering from a record-breaking drought.

KOPN 89.5fm...Where Else?

Corpse! is not so much a whodunnit as a whodunnit to whom!

NOVEMBER: 3-6

TREAT SOMEBODY ELSE

10-13

Adults Students Seniors

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17-20 | 2016

12 10 $ 10

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AP EXCHANGE, PIXABAY, AMAZON/TIC TAC

9-11am

$ $

1800 Nelwood Drive; Columbia, MO 573.474.3699 www.cectheatre.org This season brought to you by:

The Diane Rehm Show

Fresh Air with Terry Gross 11am-Noon On your radio dial at 89.5 fm or live streaming at kopn.org 10.13.16

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NEWS & INSIGHT

Here comes the sun

MoDOT journeys down new roads this winter with solar panel testing

BY JENNIFER LU MoDOT’s Road to Tomorrow Initiative team leader Thomas Blair paid close attention to a historical installation of solar roads in Sandpoint, Idaho’s town square on Oct. 2. At dawn, Julie and Scott Brusaw’s company, Solar Roadways, made its official debut despite delays and sleepless nights. Now, a live feed allows the Brusaws to watch as passersby interact with their eye-catching array of hexagonal solar panels. The panels are each jam-packed with 336 LED lights programmed to twinkle like illuminated kaleidoscopes.

Soon, the same Solar Roadways technology will install its third set of public panels in Conway, Missouri, as part of a state-funded pilot program.

The Brusaws eventually want to pave Missouri’s roads and highways with solar panels, a pricey moonshot endeavor that has grabbed the attention of scientists throughout the country.

SPARKS INTEREST

Their company’s innovation garnered attention of the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2009 with a $100,000 small business contract to the company, and in 2014, they raised $2.2 million in an Indiegogo campaign.

Solar Roadways’ next public unveiling of its SR3 model will be in Baltimore, followed by a 10-by-20-foot sidewalk at the Route 66 Welcome Center in Conway. The project is funded by a $100,000 state development grant, Blair says. MoDOT will be the first state department to directly invest in the technology.

“We are not expecting it to power the whole building,” Blair says. But he thinks about 45 panels can offset some of the electrical costs.

The goal is to get the panels in place before the first heavy snowfall so Blair and other staff can assess how they will hold up in cold weather and measure how much energy they will produce.

“The real test will be when we get it out to the parking lot, driving lanes and out onto the roads,” Blair says, adding that “innovation-seeking revenue” is the theme for MoDOT’s collection of infrastructure projects all a part of Road to Tomorrow Initiative.

“I’m looking for a road that at least pays for itself,” Blair says.

ONE HEFTY PRICE TAG

Patrick Pinhero, professor of chemical engineering at MU, cites the sheer amount of panels it would take to cover the nation’s roads.

At 4-and-a-half square feet, 44 watts and 70 pounds apiece, Solar Roadways’ panels, which four employees construct in the Brusaws’ manufacturing facility, are about $2,000 each to produce, ship and install for the state, Scott says. Julie expects the manufacturing costs to fall once mass production begins.

Given that there are about 164,000 miles of U.S. highways, and it would take about 65,000 panels to line each mile, it would at this moment cost about $21 trillion to cover every U.S. highway.

“On the face of it, it’s a wonderful idea,” Pinhero says. However, he says, the cost would be prohibitive, especially when the prices of asphalt and solar panels are compared.

SURE, BUT DOES IT WORK?

There are challenges such as the roadway panels’ mechanical strength, and whether the solar cells sandwiched between half-inch slabs of tempered glass would hold up to the stress of constant traffic, according to Pinhero.

He also questions whether they would stay clean enough for sunlight to pass through. Additionally, Pinhero points out that slopes are difficult to pave, and they cast shadows over lengths of the road, which reduce the amount of solar energy panels are able to collect.

Another worry of Pinhero’s is the reflection from the glass and the

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iridescent solar cells on hills. “At the right angle, they’ll look like a mirror,” Pinhero says. “They’ll blind you.”

Other than being “kind of sexy,” Pinhero says he doesn’t know if the panels are an efficient use of the surface area. Instead, he says it makes more sense to use solar farms with panels that tilt to follow the sun or solar towers surrounded by mirrors that concentrate sunlight.

A BRIGHT FUTURE

When asked about durability concerns, Scott says Solar Roadways panels were tested to withstand the weight of a semi-truck spread over four tires as part of their “Phase II” testing.

Scott says Solar Roadways prototypes have begun “Phase IIB” testing to measure moisture conditioning, advanced loading which measures wear and tear

using a weighted wheel and freeze-thaw cycling and shear testing which simulates heavy vehicles braking.

“If all goes well, we’re hoping to get this out on the residential roads in two years,” he says. “Then highways are two years behind that.”

Ultimately, MoDOT has expressed interest in 200 miles of solar panel roadways on Interstate 70 if preliminary tests show benefits and efficiency. I-70 sustains nearly 31 million tons of freight annually, according Vox’s “Uncovering Interstate 70.”

Blair says that Solar Roadways can be a risk, but Missouri’s state involvement is historic, and bringing new technologies to Missouri is exciting.

“It’s unproven that it can actually pay for itself,” Blair says. “But I have a belief and a hope that this can be a success.

SHEDDING LIGHT

Absorbing the ins and outs of a photovoltaic cell Regular batteries use stored chemical energy to drive a flow of electrons from the negative end to the positive end. Conversely, solar cells use energy from the sun to generate a flow of electricity through a semiconductor such as silicon.

3 Photons 4 Glass Cover Front Contact Grid

Circuit

VE ATI N NEG NCTIO JU E -N P IV T I S PO

5 Electron

Back Contact

4

Julie and Scott Brusaw’s business manufactures solar panels that can replace traditional roads. Their third public installation is scheduled before Thanksgiving at the Route 66 Welcome Center in Conway, Missouri.

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Circuit 1 N-type (Negative) Silicone P-type (Positive) Silicone

6

1 & 2. Around 90 percent of photovoltaic cells are made from crystalline silicon wafers studded with phosphorous on one side to create a negative end and boron on the other side for the positive end.

3. Sunlight travels in refracted packets of energy known as photons.

4 & 5. When photons

carrying a certain amount of energy strike the glass cover of the silicon wafer, they dislodge the outermost electrons from the silicon atoms to a conduction band.

6. These electrons flow from the charged silicon layer through a circuit into an electric load such as an inverter (not pictured) that makes the energy compatible for daily use.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOLAR ROADWAYS, INFOGRAPHIC BY KARI WEIS

THE SCENE

Spelunking we will go

Don’t be stagnant. See the stalagmites.

BY ELEANOR HASENBECK

Sometimes it’s okay to cave in, especially when you’re exploring one of Missouri’s many spelunking spots. There are more than 6,300 caves in Missouri, which, if spread across the state, would equal one cave about every 11 square miles.

Whether you’re looking for a short excursion or a lengthy day trip, ShowMe State caves provide a picturesque opportunity.

Bridal Cave, Mark Twain Cave and Fantastic Caverns offer sights and experiences for all adventure types — but the marvel of these caves doesn’t stop at bats and jagged rocks. Dark, ominous histories lurk in the crevices of each underground world, constantly reminding us of our twisted pasts.

Don’t let these ill-fated stories keep you from picking up that flashlight, though. Grab your camera, throw on a jacket and witness these subterranean worlds for yourself.

Short Drive

bridal cave , camdenton

Legend has it that in the early 1800s, an Osage woman named Wasena and her friend Irona were kidnapped by a man who wanted to marry Wasena.

Their captors hid them in Bridal Cave.

The morning after the kidnapping, Wasena leapt from a cliff to her death in the nearby Niangua River. Irona fell in love with their captor’s brother, and, after mourning her friend, they decided to marry in the Bridal Chapel, a cavern in the second room of the cave.

Visitors can host their own wedding in the Bridal Chapel for $495. If you’re not quite ready for the commitment, take a half-mile round-trip tour of the cave. The cave is adjacent to Thunder Mountain Park, which hosts a gift shop, a rock and mineral shop and observation decks that overlook the Lake of the Ozarks. inside :

There’s a well-lit concrete path with a few steps and a constant temperature of 60 degrees. known for : According to tour supervisor Mike Wood, Bridal Cave features a drapery wall, or curtainlike sheets of calcite, made up of continuous formations spanning three rooms and covering over 5 million cubic inches. admission : $18 for adults, $9 for children ages 5–12, free for children 4 and under. hours: Tours are given from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Aug. 15 to Oct. 15 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Oct. 16 to Jan. 2; times vary with seasons. online: bridalcave.com PHOTO COURTESY OF FANTASTIC CAVERNS

Fantastic Caverns in Springfield, Missouri, is the only drive-through cave in the U.S. and one of four in the world. Although it was first discovered during the Civil War in 1862, the cave wasn’t explored until 1867.

Medium Drive

mark twain cave , hannibal

Discovered in the early 1800s by a hunter, Mark Twain Cave was a Native American hideout and a place for scientific experiments before it became a destination for tourists in the 1890s.

In the 1850s, the cave was owned by Joseph Nash McDowell, a prestigious St. Louis surgeon. McDowell made use of the cave’s steady 52-degree air temperature to experiment with human decomposition and petrification — legend says he even preserved the body of his 14-year-old daughter in the cave after she succumbed to pneumonia.

Around this time, Samuel Clements was a 13-year-old with a taste for spelunking.

Clements later adopted the pen name Mark Twain. McDowell’s Cave got its own pseudonym, McDougal’s Cave, in Twain’s novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The cave was renamed for the author in 1880 after the book was published.

Adjacent to Mark Twain Cave is Cave Hollow Winery, which hosts events and serves Twain-themed wines.

The property also boasts a second cave, Cameron Cave, which is closer to its natural state. Owners host lantern tours of Cameron Cave in the summer months.

inside :

Mark Twain cave is electrically lit and has natural sloped paths. It remains 52 degrees year round. There are a few tight squeezes — some gaps are about 18 inches wide — ­ but the ceilings are tall. known for : Unlike most caves in Missouri, Mark Twain Cave is dry, meaning water is no longer creating new formations. Look for signatures on the cave walls from locals and early visitors. admission : $18.95 for adults, $9.95 for children ages 6–12, and $4 for ages 5 and under. hours : Tours run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until Oct. 31, and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Nov. 1 to March 31. online : marktwaincave.com Long Drive

fantastic caverns , springfield

In the midst of the Civil War, a dog was the first to find the Fantastic Caverns.

Employees say the dog’s owner, a farmer, kept the discovery a secret until 1867, when he posted a newspaper ad seeking explorers. Twelve women from an athletic club in Springfield, Missouri, answered the call. Since then, a number

of underground activities have taken place in the cave. In the ’20s, the Ku Klux Klan supposedly met in a section of the cave called the grand ballroom.

Shortly after the start of the prohibition era it was a speakeasy. By the ’60s, the grand ballroom hosted school dances and country music concerts on Saturday nights. In 1966, cave owners enlarged the opening of the cave and began offering ride-through Jeep tours of it. Today, guides explain the cave’s formations and history as passengers ride through the cave on a propane-fueled tram. inside :

The ride-through tour is about an hour long and accessible for people of all ages and abilities. Fantastic Caverns remains a steady 60 degrees year round. known for : Fantastic Caverns offers the only ride-through cave tour in the United States, so sit back and enjoy the view. admission : $23.50 for adults, $16.50 for children ages 6–12, free for children 5 and under. hours: The Caverns are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Oct. 31 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31. online : fantasticcaverns.com 10.13.16

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Y O U C O U L D H A V E A C C E S S T O R E L I A B L E , H I G H - S P E E D I N T E R N E T E V E R Y D AY.

B U T F I B E R - O P T I C C A B L E T H AT C A R R I E S I T L I E S D O R M A N T T H R O U G H O U T T H E C I T Y.

DARK FIB E R PHOTOGRAPHS BY

ERIN BORMETT

AND

BY BRAD BERGNER CARSEN SIKYTA

EV E RY T H R E E T O F O U R W E E K S , SO M E T I M E S AS O F T E N AS T W I CE PE R W E E K , A L O S T O R W E A K I N T E R N E T C ON N E C T I ON F OR C E S LAU RA MARTY F R O M H E R H O M E .

A resident of Columbia’s Hinkson Creek Valley neighborhood on the city’s east side, Marty works from her home office as a marketing automation consultant for Relationship One, a cloud-based consulting firm located in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Working with co-workers and serving clients from all over the country, Marty is utterly dependent upon her internet connection to do her job. She does her work online and configures online software for clients. Even Marty’s phone is webbased. “If I don’t have Wi-Fi internet, I’m just kind of dead in the water,” she says.

Whenever she finds herself in this fairly frequent situation, Marty sets up shop in places such as Panera Bread and McGinty’s Pub, businesses close to her home that offer much more reliable internet connectivity.

These occurrences are so common that her friends and family began giving her gifts of laptop carrying cases and Starbucks gift cards to use when she’s left without internet.

So why does Marty put up with this? If a reliable internet connection is so important, why not simply purchase dependable service? Problem solved. Well, no. She’s tried.

Fed up with her unreliable Mediacom service, Marty attempted not only to remedy her own internet-related woes but also to improve the entire telecommunications network in her neighborhood in October 2015. Offering the prospect of faster, more reliable internet service, local provider Socket Telecom proposed running fiber-optic broadband cable throughout the Hinkson Creek Valley neighborhood if 19 of its 60 households committed to the company’s service. The very possibility of improved internet service was enough to drive Marty to aid Socket in its effort to acquire the necessary number of commitments. Unfortunately, she was only able to convince 16 households — just three short of the required 19. This left her with no option but continuing to endure the hardships of unreliable internet service. Luckily for Marty, Socket recently announced plans to run fiber in her neighborhood starting in November.

Other Columbia residents are not so fortunate. Many residents have taken to the web to voice their displeasure with the quality of their internet service. Out of 172 Google reviews, Mediacom’s Columbia office at 1211 Wilkes Blvd. currently has an average rating of 1.3 stars on the five-star scale. CenturyLink, another local internet service provider with an office located at 625 Cherry St., also has a 1.3-star rating from its 104 reviews. In response to these reviews, Mediacom Communications Director Phyllis Peters says there are many reasons customers could have connectivity issues, including problems with old routers or modems.

Peters adds that Columbia is the first community in which Mediacom is offering its new 1 gigabyte per second services, which is 10 times faster than 100 megabyte service. The CenturyLink representative Vox spoke with could not comment on these reviews.

Laura Marty needs reliable internet service to communicate with her employers in Minnesota. In her neighborhood in Columbia, reliability is an impossibility.

C O L U M B I A’ S M A X I M U M D O W N L O A D S P E E D O F 7. 5 4 M B P S F A L L S R E M A R K A B LY S H Y O F T H E

Aaron Wacker, a former Mediacom and current Socket customer, hasn’t had much luck with either of the internet service providers he’s used since moving to Columbia.

Wacker switched from Mediacom’s service to Socket’s in fall 2014 because his Mediacom connection allowed only one or two of his household’s four occupants to access the internet at a time. Although he admits the switch to Socket was an improvement, his grievances with his internet service are far from resolved, and he seems to have given up altogether on the quest for a better connection. “Right now, I am coming to terms that internet service in Columbia is bad and no matter how much money I throw at companies, I will still have issues opening an email PDF attachment,” Wacker wrote in an email.

The experiences of Marty, Wacker and many other dissatisfied Columbia residents fall in line with the statistical data available on internetaccesslocal.com, a website designed to provide city- and state-specific information regarding internet speed and availability in the United States. Columbia’s internet speeds fall short of the national averages in both landline average and landline maximum download speeds. The site places Columbia’s average download speed at 4.65 megabytes per second compared to the national average of 6.65 mpbs, and the city’s maximum download speed of 7.54 mbps falls remarkably shy of the rest of the country’s maximum of 17.3 mbps.

The site also reports that though approximately 74,214 Columbia residents have internet access at work, home or elsewhere, “there are an estimated 34,395 Columbia residents who are not connected to the internet at all.”

UN TA PPE D

POTENTIAL REST OF THE COUNTRY’S AV E R A G E O F 17. 3 M B P S .

For those Columbia residents wondering why they can’t stream that movie on Netflix or why they’re forced to depend on smartphone data plans as their only reliable means of connecting with the modern world, the answer might be the city’s sparse fiber-optic infrastructure. Columbia, like many communities in the United States, still possesses a large, dated copper-based telecommunications network installed for landline telephone and cable TV services. Today, however, fiber-optic technology — not copper — is the gold standard in telecommunications.

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Fiber-optic cable is remarkably efficient, capable of transmitting electronic data at a much faster rate than its copper-based predecessor. Setting the cable apart are the multiple fiber-optic strands inside its casing that allow it to relay many electronic data signals simultaneously.

Communications and marketing supervisor for Columbia’s Department of Water and Light, C O N N I E K A C P R OW I C Z , says in the mid-1990s the city updated the communication network between its nine electrical substations, which help distribute power throughout the city, replacing its copper pilot wire with fiber-optic cable. Once the city finished installing 99 miles of aboveground fiber and 36 miles of underground fiber to connect those electrical substations, they were left with a surplus.

The cable was already laid but unused. Just how much,the city won’t say.

Although the fiber was initially installed to update Columbia’s electrical communication system, city officials understood the practical viability of putting this excess technology to use. The fiber could deliver broadband internet signals, creating the potential for a high-speed broadband internet infrastructure. Many of those fiberoptic strands continue to lie inactive, however. Their potential to deliver broadband internet signals for Columbia businesses and residents remains untapped for reasons and interests that go beyond city limits.

Connie Kacprowicz, communications and marketing supervisor for Columbia’s Department of Water and Light, says the city does not intend to operate as an internet service provider even if the city does lease the rest of the dark fiber.

NOTA B LE NEED Inactive fiber-optic cable is commonly referred to as “dark fiber,” and the city of Columbia currently owns a lot of it.

Kacprowicz says that, of the strands available for service downtown, at least 10 percent are currently inactive. And, staggeringly, of the strands running along the outskirts of the city, 60 to 90 percent are unused.

Kacprowicz says the Department of Water and Light has no intention to become an internet service provider itself, but the city does want to put the rest of its existing fiber-optic resources to use. The city has already made some of its network available, leasing it to 11 organizations in both the public and private sectors. This accounts for the low amount of unused cable downtown. Among the 11 users are local internet service providers Charter Communications and Socket Telecom, as well as public

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PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF

institutions such as Boone Hospital and MU. The entities leasing the city’s fiber and accessing its network are charged $250 per month for one point-to-point strand and $3,847 per month for an entire fiber loop, which allows for the connection of multiple facilities along the same strand.

The city charges these rates regardless of usage or distance, which ultimately generate $876,804 in annual revenue for the city.

So, why not light the whole network? What’s stopping the department from putting every strand and mile of dark fiber to use? The answers to those questions can be found in a bureaucracy at the local and city levels.

The city’s goal to lease all of its fiber is the result of the Broadband Needs and Assessment Planning Study.

Commissioned by the city in association with MU in October 2013, the study was designed to quantify both the demand for reliable high-speed internet service in Columbia as well as to identify how the city might go about increasing the size and availability of its broadband network. The study was presented to the city council in August 2014 and was performed by Magellan Advisors, a consulting firm that partners with municipalities to address technological needs. It found a notably high demand for reliable high-speed internet service in Columbia, as well as in the areas outside of the city proper. It also found that demand for high-speed service was particularly high among Columbia’s business community, with 73 percent of businesses in the city reporting “moderate, severe or total disruption of their business from internet problems related to reliability or speed.”

After reviewing Magellan’s findings, Columbia’s City Council concluded that an effort should be made to bolster local internet speed and reliability by lighting its remaining inactive fiber-optic network, and it proposed researching a business plan to explore doing so at its Aug. 18, 2014 meeting.

ROADBLOCKS

THREE BILLS HAVE DELAYED THE CITY FROM MOVING FORWARD TO LEASE ITS DARK FIBER. SENATE BILL 266

SPONSOR: STATE SEN. KURT SCHAEFER (R-COLUMBIA)

The bill advanced out of the the committee March 18, 2015. It would have prohibited municipalities from providing various services already being offered within their boundaries without a vote of the residents. The bill died in the Senate chamber with the last action taken May 15, 2015.

HOUSE BILL 2078

SPONSOR: STATE REP. LYNDALL FRAKER (R-MARSHFIELD)

House Bill 2078 was intended to prohibit municipalities from offering various competitive services with exceptions granted to those offering the services prior to August 28, 2016 or in areas where service providers have not made such services available to 50 percent of the addresses in the area. It has not been voted on since March 16, 2016 and currently has no place on the House calendar.

SENATE BILL 946

SPONSOR: STATE SEN. ED EMERY (R-LAMAR)

However, not everyone at the city council meeting was enthused by the city’s proposal.

During the meeting, Kevin Czaicki, area operations manager for CenturyLink, was against the city’s proposal.

“I opposed the city’s decision to move forward with

This bill’s language is similar to that of House Bill 2078 and was designed to modify the ability of municipalitiesto offer various communication services.

It was initially heard Jan. 21, 2016.

The last action on it took place April 5, 2016, but no vote was held. Emery decided not to pursue the bill this legislative session.

researching a business case to implement, manage and finance … a network that would compete with other unsubsidized providers such as cable and telecommunications companies,” Czaicki says. He says the city’s existing practice of leasing fiber to public and private organizations has already put it into competition with local internet service providers and that leasing the remaining fiber would have “a chilling effect” on internet service-related commerce in Columbia. With regard to competition, Czaicki isn’t wrong. For instance, MU leases internet service from a number of entities, including the city and CenturyLink.

Czaicki insists that Columbia, though not presently violating state law, is not adhering to the spirit of Chapter 392, Section 410 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, a provision that states, “No political subdivision of this state shall provide or offer for sale, either to the public or to a telecommunications provider, a telecommunications service or telecommunications facility used to provide a telecommunications service for which a certificate of service authority is required …” However, what allows Columbia to legally lease its fiber is the exception in the statute granted for “internet-type services,” according to the Broadband Needs and Assessment Planning Study.

So what’s the holdup? If it’s legal to lease, why has the city waited so long to do it? The answer: a series of proposed state legislation aimed at prohibiting governments from subsidizing internet service.

The first potential impediment to the city’s plan was Senate Bill 266, sponsored by state Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia), which advanced out of the Missouri Senate Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee on March 18, 2015. The bill stated that “no municipality may begin to offer a service that is being offered by at least one provider of solid waste collection, wireless service, broadband or other Internet protocol enabled service, video service, telecommunications, gas, electricity, water or sewer service within the boundaries of the municipality without a vote of the people.”

There is a financial connection between legislators and internet service providers operating in Missouri. For instance, according to followthemoney.org, a website that monitors and reports political campaign contributions, Comcast alone gave $523,325 to 357 legislators from 2008 to 2016, with an average donation of $1,466. Schaefer has received $20,250 from CenturyLink, $14,000 from AT&T and $3,000 from Comcast since 2008. These numbers do not include complete data from Schaefer’s current campaign for attorney general. Although Schaefer’s bill did not pass, its looming presence in the legislature was enough to postpone the city’s plan to light the fiber. Kacprowicz says the bill was abandoned because it was too broad in its language and that two new bills, one in the Missouri House of Representatives, and one in the state Senate, were later tailored to accomplish what it could not.

These were House Bill 2078 and Senate Bill 946.

Sponsored by state Rep. Lyndall Fraker (R-Marshfield), House Bill 2078, though fairly exhaustive in its language, was intended to prohibit municipalities from “offering to provide competitive services … unless the municipality offered the services prior to August 28, 2016,” or if “the services (were) not being offered to 50 percent of the addresses by any combination of service providers within

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the municipality …”

Followthemoney.org reports that Fraker also has received campaign contributions from internet service providers in the state, including $3,350 from CenturyLink, $4,450 from AT&T and $2,000 from Comcast.

Senate Bill 946, sponsored by state Sen. Ed Emery (R-Lamar), was similar to House Bill 2078. Emery says it was intended to assure publicly subsidized entities compete with private businesses on equal footing. “One of the worst things government can do is limit competition between private businesses,” Emery says. “I don’t think government-subsidized services are good for competition.

Competition drives rates down and quality of services up.”

Emery says when subsidized entities enter the marketplace, it drives the private sector out of business and creates “a bad situation for the customer.” Continuing the trend in campaign contributions, Emery has received political money from internet service providers — $10,750 from AT&T, $7,000 from CenturyLink and $5,325 from Comcast.

Still, Emery says his position is a nuanced one, as he isn’t necessarily opposed to municipalities such as Columbia making their fiber networks available to local internet service providers, as long as they don’t compete with an unfair advantage. “There might be companies that would rather pay a fee than lay their own (fiber),” Emery says.

Yet, despite Emery’s efforts to pass Senate Bill 946, when it was heard on April 5, no vote was held, and as a result Emery says he is “not got going to pursue it this year.” When the previous legislative session came to a close on May 13, Emery’s assistant, Rose Granich, said there was “no hope for that bill.” Fraker’s House Bill met the same fate as the last action taken on it occurred March 16 with no hearing scheduled and no place for it on the legislative calendar. As it stands now, Columbia faces no potential legal challenges in the state legislature.

WONDERING HOW YOUR ACTUAL INTERNET SPEED COMPARES TO WHAT YOU ARE PAYING FOR? USE SPEED.iO ON YOUR PREFERRED BROWSER TO CHECK OUT YOUR UPLOAD, DOWNLOAD, CONNECTION AND PING SPEEDS WITH HANDY GRAPHS TO SEE HOW YOU COMPARE TO ADVERTISED SPEEDS.

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CHANGING

S TAT US

The positions of legislators such as Emery, Schaeffer and Fraker on the matter of government involvement in internet service speak to their disregard for the importance of internet. Emery says he believes internet access has not yet reached the status of something like a public utility.

“It has not reached the status of electricity,” he says. “I do believe it has more alternatives as to how the service is provided. There are multiple ways to provide broadband internet service.”

In contrast to opinions such as Emery’s, President Obama took the position that high-speed internet service has reached a level of importance that goes beyond a luxury. In January 2015, he recommended the Federal Communications Commission take an oppositional stance toward state legislation, such as those proposed in Missouri, designed to prevent municipalities from offering internet services. The director of the president’s National Economic Council echoed Obama’s sentiments, saying: “Broadband is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity.”

For this reason, municipal fiber projects and the circumstances that make them necessary are not unique to Columbia. According to bbpmag.com, a site dedicated to monitoring municipal broadband projects, there are currently 169 municipalities across the United States offering some iteration of fiber services designed for either local businesses or the general public.

One such municipality in Missouri, the town of Marshall, established its own high-speed internet services in 2002. Marshall Municipal Utilities offers download speeds of 10 mbps, 50 mbps and 90 mbps at costs of $30, $45 and $70 per month. Remember, Columbia’s average speed was 4.65 mbps.

Last fall, the city of Valparaiso, Indiana, green-lighted its own plan to lay and lease 28 miles of fiber for use by its business community. Like Columbia, businesses in Valparaiso exhibited a strong demand for a reliable fiber-optic network — a demand that was not being met by local private providers. Valparaiso’s Economic Development Director Patrick Lyp says after members of the city’s business community made it clear they could not afford to install their own networks and that their inability to access reliable high-speed internet connections inhibited their businesses, the city government stepped in.

Lyp says the decision to lay fiber was made to increase potential commerce and economic development. The project will cost the city $3million and is being paid for

Columbia residents fill the many seats at the internet-connected desktop computers in Columbia Public Library. President Barack Obama says internet access should be a public utility, but some Missouri legislators disagree.

through tax increment financing, the same type of funding proposed in 2014 by former Columbia Mayor Bob McDavid to underwrite sewer renovations for downtown development. Laying the fiber is hardly charity for Valparaiso, however, as it expects to generate a return on its investment within a decade. Similar to the situation in Columbia, some of the city’s smaller internet service providers look at the city’s fiber as an opportunity to enter the marketplace as they, too, will have the ability to lease it alongside other members of the city’s business community.

There are differences that separate Columbia’s efforts to light its fiber network from Valparaiso’s. Lyp says some of Valparaiso’s larger internet service providers were “less than thrilled” with the city’s decision to lay fiber, but neither they nor any state legislators attempted to put forward bills that could halt the project. Perhaps many in Valparaiso share Lyp’s belief that internet service has moved beyond a luxury, possessing a status more akin to that of a utility.

Lyp says that today, “You need to be connected on that electronic highway in order for your community to grow.”

W HAT

CONNECT THE DOTS In the mid-1990s, the city installed 135 miles of fiber-optic cables to connect its nine electrical substations. Some of that cable remains unused.

BOLSTAD

BLUE RIDGE

Hwy 63

I-70

HARMONY

Broadway

POWER PLANT

REBEL HILL

Stadium Blvd

PERCHE

HINKSON Grindstone Pkwy

NEW MILL CREEK

GRINDSTONE

NOW? Currently, there are no new legal challenges to the city’s proposal to put together a business plan for leasing the remainder of its dark fiber. However, Kacprowicz says the more than two years that have elapsed since the original Broadband Needs and Assessment Planning Study have caused the city to reassess the demand for reliable high-speed internet service in Columbia. After all, two years is a long time in terms of technology, and Kacprowicz says internet service providers might have improved their networks to the extent that the demands of the community are now being met. As a result, Magellan was once again commissioned to update the study. Its findings were initially scheduled to be released in March but now are expected to reach the City Council by the end of the month.

Based upon the results of the updated study, the City Council will make a decision: to proceed with its original business plan to explore leasing the whole of its fiber network or abandon the plan altogether, potentially leaving Columbia — and its frustrated internet subscribers — in the dark.

The Stowers family live on a farm in Centralia — here from left to right: Gavin, 2, Kara, Breelle, 5, Garon, 3, and Greg Stowers.

The Stowers have contracted out their land for Luke Bryan’s first-ever Farm Tour stop in Missouri.

MUSIC

Big country crops up in mid-Missouri Stowers Farm in Centralia sets up for country giant Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour BY LIS JOYCE If Luke Bryan wanted a family that exemplified the Farm Tour, it would be the Stowers. They are traditional Midwest in the most delightful way.

Indubitably courteous, they smile wide and wave at every passing vehicle, despite an unusual amount of traffic on their otherwise-quiet gravel road on this particular Saturday.

The Stowers are the hosts of the first-ever Missouri stop on the eighth annual Luke Bryan Farm Tour. The eight-stop tour, which runs from Oct. 5 to 15, stops at farms in rural communities. A portion of its proceeds benefit the Luke Bryan Farm Tour Scholarship, a scholarship for students from local farming communities where the concert is performed. By the end of this year, Bryan will have awarded 50 scholarships during the eight years of the tour, representative Jessie Schmidt says.

“It will be nice to get back to my Georgia roots and be able to sit back and listen to music outside at night,” says MU graduate student Lexi Deagen, who will attend the concert. “It’s just what we do at home, so it will be fun.”

In a state chock-full of farms, how was the Stowers’ chosen? Last year, word spread in the close-knit “ag world” that 14

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Luke Bryan’s people were looking for a stop in the Show-Me State. The host of the Mississippi show got in contact with the tractor dealership the Stowers use. Farm owner Greg Stowers was initially slotted to be the incognito setup man: the person in charge of discreetly finding a farm that matched Luke Bryan’s specifications. The problem was, a farm like the one his team was looking for — 700 acres of hay fields and pasture — doesn’t exist in this part of Missouri.

“Folks out here don’t have that much land together, and they’re not going to leave it for hay,” farm owner Kara Tracks such as “Play It Again” and “That’s My Kind Of Night” have corralled thousands Stowers says. “Our ground is too rich — of fans and peaked on Billboard ’s Hot 100. it’s crop ground, not hay ground.”

Another stipulation was that the set to harvest corn this season. On a drive photos to show his land met the other farm be no more than 30 miles from requirements, such as having multiple home from Columbia, he looked down MU. This isn’t surprising; after all, the exits for emergency personnel. In at his odometer: 31 miles. He was having tour is meant to fund scholarships to January, the Stowers got the call from trouble finding the right space, and at his universities, and a major portion of Bryan’s tour manager that their farm own farm, he could control the harvest attendees will be college students. MU’s had been chosen, but under one major schedule. So why not pitch his own? spot in the SEC was a selling point.

Greg asked for his father’s permission condition: They’d have to change their According to information Greg received, entire seed order from corn to soybean first. The Stowers farm their land with it was an integral factor in Missouri without the guarantee of a concert. Corn only the help of Greg’s parents, who fields wouldn’t work, because they can becoming a stop on the tour. Out of are both in their 70s. The land has deflate car tires and make it difficult to been theirs since Greg’s great-greatthe eight stops, six states are near SEC walk. This is a big deal for a small farm, grandfather settled it in 1885. schools. Luke Bryan is a Georgia native. but the Stowers took the leap.

Next was selling the space to The idea of hosting the concert “That was the old farmer’s shake Luke Bryan’s people. Greg sent aerial didn’t initially dawn on Greg, who was PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF LIS JOYCE AND JIM WRIGHT

MUSIC

See this: Deerhunter Mixed with alternative, hard-rock and nostalgic elements, Deerhunter still pleases crowds BY JULIA QUADE

Country sweetheart Luke Bryan is bringing his music to rural family farms.

know, I can relate to somebody like there — ‘I’m promising you that this; and, yeah, I think I’m cool with this is what’s going to happen.’ And you comin’ here,’” Kara says. we’re going, ‘OK, we hope so because Missouri native Chris Janson we’re doing a lot, and so here’s our is on the tour for his second year handshake, and now we’re getting in a row as an opening act for beans,’” Kara says with a laugh. long-time friend Luke Bryan, and a So why do it in the first place? stop in his home state holds particular The Stowers made it pretty clear importance. Although he’s excited that they relate to Luke Bryan. Greg about having friends and family in the and Kara met their freshman year at crowd, the most MU’s College fulfilling part is of Agriculture, the scholarship Food & Natural opportunities.

Resources.

“It’s a big They’ve worked motivation to be a hard to run their farm part of (the tour),” and raise their family, Chris says. “It’s an even with full-time jobs. inspiring thing. I The Stowers grew up in a farm reference Luke Bryan’s town, grew up song “Here’s to the around farmers.

Farmer,” an appropriate That’s the lifestyle ode and self-titled where we come track on an EP for the from and where tour. Greg texted Luke Luke comes from.”

Bryan’s team after he Although the heard it; he felt it so Stowers haven’t accurately described – CHRIS JANSON been guaranteed they’ll farm life. meet him, Chris says “When you start it’s not uncommon for host families to looking at a guy like that, and you meet him. Here’s to the farmer. start looking at his history and that he hasn’t ruined these other farms LUKE BRYAN FARM TOUR , and that he seems like a real, true, Stowers Farm, Friday, gates at 2 p.m., down-to-earth guy who worked on show at 6 p.m., $49, 874-1944, a farm himself; then you’re like, ‘you

IT’S AN INSPIRING THING. I GREW UP IN A FARM TOWN, GREW UP AROUND FARMERS. THAT’S THE LIFESTYLE WHERE WE COME FROM AND WHERE LUKE COMES FROM.

thebluenote.com

COURTESY OF JIM WRIGHT AND THE BLUE NOTE

Atlanta’s Deerhunter is no stranger to experimentation. From its inception in 2001, the band has released seven studio albums and two EPs. Throw in a short hiatus, changing lineup and numerous tours, and you have a strong-willed group that’s still dedicated to performing and producing music.

Over time, the group has stayed true to its nostalgic and Starting with 2008’s explosive Microcastle, Deerhunter has alternative vibe. become one of the most well-known groups in the indie Scott Leslie, talent rock sphere. buyer and co-owner of a bubbling sound straight from a sci-fi The Blue Note, says movie. Cox is known for his outlandish he’s seen major success with Deerhunter behavior and performing in dresses, before, as he and music outlets Billboard and AllMusic previously DEERHUNTER compare him to Iggy Pop. Cox said The Blue Note, booked a in a 2007 interview with Pitchfork that Wednesday, $20, sold-out show 874-1944, for Deerhunter his mother used to put him in dresses when he was younger and that running thebluenote.com in Madison, Wisconsin. “It’s around stage in jeans and a T-shirt is “anticlimactic.” a rock show. It’s great songwriting and There’s no arguing that Deerhunter passionate performing,” Leslie says. has talent. The band was named No. 1 Now, Leslie is bringing the band on SPIN’s “50 Best Rock Bands Right to Columbia. Deerhunter will play at Now” in October 2015. “I just have a The Blue Note on Oct. 19 with fuzzy, high standard,” Cox said in an interview lo-fi rock group Jock Gang and Aldous with them.

Harding, a folk singer-songwriter from “Inspiring” is how Jared Collins New Zealand. of Jock Gang describes the group. He Deerhunter’s music videos highlight says he sees Deerhunter in the future of the band’s unusual, vivid performances. music. “There are not a lot of bands that In “Helicopter,” frontman Bradford came out in the last 10 years that I think Cox sings into the camera in a blur of will have their staying power like they black and white. Distorted images flash do,” Collins says. over his face, and the song finishes with

FIVE SONGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO “Revival,” from Halcyon Digest: Too young to say you lived through the ‘70s? Here’s a modern spin on what’s in your parents’ album collection. It’s one of the band’s most popular songs, so expect to hear it at the show.

“Snakeskin,” from Fading Frontier: Mix upbeat rhythms and a series of intriguing lyrics (“I was national, I was geographic black”) and you’ve got “Snakeskin.”

“Agoraphobia,” from Microcastle: The sounds of this track would

suffice as a nice montage of the band. Its steady rhythm makes it feel like a rainy day, yet leaves a listener wanting more.

“Rainwater Cassette Exchange,” from Rainwater Cassette Exchange: This track’s upbeat sound might mask its darker, lovestruck undertones.

“Desire Lines,” from Halcyon Digest: Smoothly paced, this song is perfect for a nice drive down the highway. Feel free to turn up the volume.

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ARTS & BOOKS

Dakota McWhorter (back left), as Will Ogden, Adam Brietzke (back right), as Cal Porter, and Cooper Rainwater (front right), as Bud, are quite the modern family, and they welcome Alana Barragan-Scott (front left), who plays Katherine Gerard, into their home.

Speaking from the heart Talking Horse Productions presents a play about AIDS and acceptance Mothers and Sons exemplifies Talking Horse Productions’ vision to present intimate works driven by intense characters and rich dialogue.

Written by Terrence McNally in 2014, the play explores homosexuality, generational differences and AIDS. Although the AIDS epidemic occurred between the late ’80s and early ’90s, the stigma that surrounds it has had a lasting impact that is still relevant today.

The individual elements of Mothers and Sons — the script, the cast and the director — fit together like puzzle pieces to bring this challenging story to life. the script

A follow-up to Andre’s Mother, a 1990 television play from the same author, this play is set in present-day New York 16

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City and reintroduces Andre Gerard’s mother, Katharine Gerard, more than 20 years after Andre died of AIDS. She was never able to accept that her son was gay, or that AIDS was the cause of his death.

When her husband dies, Katharine feels compelled to visit Cal Porter, her son’s former lover. She shows up at Cal’s home unannounced and meets his husband, Will Ogden, and their 6-year-old son, Bud. Although the point of Katharine’s impromptu visit is to discuss her son, her discomfort with Cal’s marriage to another man and their raising a child together is obvious.

The play was written as a commentary about the differing points of view on AIDS and homosexuality still prevalent in American society. Katharine

BY ANNA MAPLES

PHOTOS BY ASA LORY

has not updated her belief system in 20 years, and Bud, Cal’s 6-year-old son, has never known a time when gay people weren’t accepted by the general U.S. population. the cast

“I have, at least, five girls who like me.”

“They should come to the show.”

“But it has the F-word!”

At age 8, Cooper Rainwater is the youngest in the cast of Mothers and Sons by decades. He plays the role of Bud. Cooper was cast in the show after his mother discussed some of the play’s content with the director, Carol Estey.

In a production that discusses such heavy topics, the presence of a child seems to lighten the mood in rehearsals.

Aside from their age difference,

which Cooper never hesitates to point out, Cooper and Bud share some similarities. Bud helps bring out the funnier lines in the show and lighten moments that might hang too dark for too long without the distraction of a child on stage.

When she cast the play, Estey was looking for actors who were open-minded about their work and comfortable working with tough material. They couldn’t be afraid to play the roles of a gay man or a bigoted woman, which many inexperienced actors might find too daunting. the director

Until her retirement a year and a half ago, Carol Estey worked as the director

READ THIS: SMALL GREAT THINGS Jodi Picoult’s latest novel uses more fact than fiction to shed light on race relations in the U.S. BY RACHEL PHILLIPS

Top: Director Carol Estey takes a moment to observe a scene during rehearsal.

Bottom: Cooper Rainwater (left) and Adam Brietzke (right) rehearse a father-son moment.

As a gay woman, Estey felt drawn to of the Stephens College dance program the play. She wants to have conversations for seven years. Before that, she worked about family and sexuality through in New York City as an actor and a theater. dancer on Broadway until 2002.

At both Saturday performances, Estey is no stranger to the Talking Horse will host “talk back” experiences of the characters in Mothers sessions with the Regional Interfaith and Sons. She recalls that the community AIDS Network. The sessions will of performers address public was devastated by Mothers and Sons perceptions of the HIV and AIDS 210 Saint James St. play that might be in the late 1990s, Oct. 14 – 15 and Oct. 21 – 22, 7:30 p.m.; based in stigma Oct. 16 and 23, 2 p.m.; and many of the and alert the Gen pop. $13, Students $11; best dancers and audience to the 268-1381, talkinghorseproductions.org choreographers she resources available knew died during to those dealing the height of the with HIV or AIDS in their lives. epidemic.

“It’s so important that people know “It was very painful,” Estey says. “We to ask questions about HIV,” says had friends who were going through it, dramaturg Jenn Book Haselwerdt. “It’s friends who were dying or who didn’t not just ‘Here’s a play. Now go.’” know if they were dying.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON/ RANDOM HOUSE

Jodi Picoult is known for her fearlessness when it comes to addressing difficult and controversial subjects. Her novels, which include My Sister’s Keeper, The Pact and Nineteen Minutes, among others, have captivated readers with insights and raw perspectives of our society. Small Great Things proves to be no different.

Ruth Jefferson, an African-American labor and delivery nurse at a hospital in present-day Connecticut, is following routine procedure when a newborn patient’s father, a white supremacist, requests that neither she, nor any other black person, be allowed to touch his son. Ruth is removed from caring for the child, but when he goes into cardiac distress while she is alone with him, Ruth must decide whether to intervene or respect the wishes of the family.

Unfortunately, the boy dies and Ruth is charged with murder and involuntary manslaughter. The bulk of the novel details the unfolding of the court case and the national attention it attracts.

The gem of this novel lies in the characterization of Picoult’s three narrators: Ruth; Ruth’s white public defender, Kennedy McQuarrie, who prefers to keep race out of the courtroom; and Turk Bauer, the baby’s father. As the narrators alternate throughout the novel, their perspectives on the case are strikingly distinct.

Although it is impossible to know the accuracy of the worldview each character represents without having lived their experiences, Picoult’s

Released Oct. 11 List price: $28.99

efforts are clear in the nuanced portrayals she develops.

Her writing not only addresses overt racism, but it also tackles racism in its subconscious and institutional forms. Picoult does much more showing than telling as she places her characters in situations to experience discrimination in unsuspecting places, such as their own friendships. She also references the Black Lives Matter movement and the killing of Trayvon Martin as national examples.

Small Great Things challenges readers, particularly those who carry privilege in the color of their skin, to look at the world in a different way.

Picoult succeeds in using her platform to create thoughtful conversations within a country that is continuously struggling with race.

READING BETWEEN THE LINES Picoult discusses the crafting of this challenging novel In her author’s note, Picoult shares how she conducted research for this novel and why, as a white woman, she felt the weight of this topic was important to bear.

Small Great Things wasn’t written to tell black people what their lives are like. Picoult writes, “I was writing to my own community — white people — who can very easily point to a Neo-Nazi skinhead and say he’s a racist…but who can’t recognize racism in themselves.”

Picoult interviewed women of color, former Neo-Nazis and a racial educator during her research. She

also attended workshops about race in her New Hampshire community. “I enrolled in a social justice workshop called Undoing Racism, and left in tears every night, as I began to peel back the veneer of who I thought I was from who I truly am,” she writes.

Picoult wants white people to talk about race more. “There is a fire raging and we have two choices: we can turn our backs, or we can try to fight it,” she writes. “Yes, talking about racism is hard to do, and yes, we stumble over the words — but we who are white need to have this discussion amongst ourselves.”

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Graphic designer and pro-cannabis activist KRISTEN WILLIAMS aims to smoke out the stigmas surrounding marijuana

K

risten Williams says the hippie-stoner stigma around marijuana is burning out. The 24-yearold graphic designer and pro-cannabis activist is now working in Columbia to change negative opinions of marijuana by educating people about its health benefits.

Williams has been a graphic designer since high school, but she became involved with the cannabis movement after she first tried the drug during her sophomore year at Truman State University. Williams later turned her website, Kristen Williams Designs, into a blog about cannabis’ health benefits to merge her interest in cannabis with her love for graphic design.

In September, she hosted a 10-day blog challenge on healthy living with cannabis called #SelfCareShare, which had more than 2,000 page views. She also co-authored a free e-book called Coming Clean with Cannabis: A New Kind of Cannabis Cleanse about how to incorporate cannabis into a healthy lifestyle. Her long-term goal is to hold educational events where people can sample cannabidiol products derived from the stalks of mature hemp plants, which can legally be sold nationwide because, unlike THC, the compound is non-psychoactive (meaning it doesn’t get you high).

On top of her graphic design and cannabis education work, Williams is advocating with pro-cannabis organizations such as Show-Me Cannabis, an association dedicated to promoting marijuana law reform.

“She’s doing some critical work to demonstrate the therapeutic and natural side of cannabis,” says Eapen Thampy, founder of Show-Me Cannabis. “She’s helping to frame the discussion from this being a dangerous drug to this being a safe and effective product.”

Vox spoke with Williams on why she’s working to create a positive buzz around cannabis.

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What initially sparked your interest in promoting cannabis?

I started hearing stories about children who were using cannabis for their seizures and how outraged the public was, and that made me so sad. I wanted to help change that stigma so that people who needed this medicine for life-saving purposes could have access to it and not be demonized and judged for it.

Have you experienced personal health benefits from using cannabis?

Cannabis really helps with my anxiety. I can get in a state of panic sometimes, and cannabis is an instant relief for that. It also helps with my migraines. I can use it, and the migraine will be gone within an hour, as opposed to prescription drugs. It also helps with my (back) pain. I’ve found that there are some really, really great topicals that I can put on that area, and it’ll help me fall asleep or not be so focused on my pain while I’m trying to work because it can get distracting.

Who are you currently doing cannabis graphic design work for?

I’m in California right now to work with WeedHorn, which is a cannabis blog. I came out to film some online educational courses with them. One of the courses I did was how to use cannabis for creativity.

How did you feel when marijuana legalization did not make it onto the 2016 Missouri ballot?

It was very disappointing, but I think that it could, in the long run, be a good thing. It gives more time for people to become more educated about it, instead

of having it on the ballot and then not enough people voting on it. Hopefully in 2018, we’ll be able to vote on it, and people will be more educated about the subject and will vote yes.

Why do you think marijuana should be legalized in Missouri?

Medical cannabis should be legalized in Missouri because it can improve the quality of life for many people. For some patients, cannabis is the only thing they have found to help alleviate their pain, seizures, depression, anxiety, migraines, nausea, etc., and I don’t believe that anyone should have to choose between being a criminal and leaving their home to have access to such an incredible, versatile and safe medicine. No, cannabis isn’t for everyone — but everyone should have the opportunity, if they desire, to try cannabis for themselves and decide if it’s a good therapy for their medical needs.

Do you have advice for people who want to get involved in marijuana legalization in Missouri?

I would say just start educating the people around you. If you’re really passionate about it, I think talking to your peers or talking to the people you encounter about this medicine and how it’s benefited you, or how you know it’s benefited other people, in an educated, respectful way is the best thing you can do.

— BREA CUBIT PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTEN WILLIAMS

THE TO-DO LIST

this week in Columbia

ARTS & CULTURE Museum Associates Annual Crawfish Boil

The Museum of Art and Archaeology brings Louisiana to you with crawfish, jambalaya, muffulettas, pralines, bread pudding and beer. Groove along to music

by Swampweed Cajun Band. Tickets can be purchased online. Friday, 5:30–8 p.m., MAA, 115 Business Loop 70 West, $40 per person; $75 per couple, 882-3591

Mizzou After Dark: Mystery After Dark

Halloween season is so much more than just watching scary movies. Sit down, relax and grab some dinner. Then get ready to solve a mystery inside Memorial Union.

It could get pretty creepy, so this is an 18 and older event. Friday, 7–10 p.m., Stotler Lounge at Memorial Student Union, Free for students; $5 for general public, 882-3780

A Haunting Stroll through Wildcliff Wood

Take the whole family for a spooky walk through the woods of Blackwater to get in the Halloween spirit. Ghostly scenes performed by community theater groups tell a story, and you’ll encounter them as you stroll. Groups of 20 leave periodically, so call to make a reservation and secure your time slot. Friday, 7:30–9 p.m., Doddridge Avenue & Wildcliff Road, Blackwater, $10–15 donation requested, 660-888-2200

Artrageous Weekend

This celebration of mid-Missouri art extends a standard First Friday into a weekendlong art-ravaganza. Gallery crawl on Friday, educate yourself through art demonstrations on Saturday and experience performance art on Sunday. Friday–Sunday, 6 p.m., North Village Arts District, Free, artrageousweekends@gmail.com

CIVIC Pool Tournament

Compete in the double elimination bracket pool tournament at The Shack. Sign-up at 6:30 p.m. at Mort’s, or email supb@ missouri.edu to participate. The winner will receive a prize. Tonight, 6–8:30 p.m., The Shack in MU Student Center, Free, 882-1174

Stress Relief Social

Calling all college students. Join the MU Wellness Resource Center in this semester’s Stress Relief Social to calm your nerves after those midterms. There will be meditation, massage chairs, snacks, crafts and even skin-care treatments. Tonight, 7–9 p.m., MU Student Center Room G202, Free, 882-4634

Black Studies Fall Conference 2016

The annual Black Studies Fall Conference will explore the theme of black resistance in the Americas, focusing on the aftermath of slavery. Scholars, activists and students will explore these ideas and reflect on the

approaches for addressing the concerns of contemporary social justice movements against racial inequality. Friday, 1–8 p.m., The Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, Free, 882-6229

experience as she travels with a magazine sales crew. RT RUNTIME = 2:43

Kevin Hart: What Now? (R)

Kevin Hart returns to his hometown of Philadelphia in this stand-up comedy documentary. Skits featuring Halle Berry and Don Cheadle are woven into the film.

F, R RUNTIME = 1:36

MUSIC Retrorama Throwback Dance Party

DJ Requiem will host a throwback dance party featuring classic hits from the ‘50s, the ‘90s and everything in between. Tonight, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., The Social Room, Free, 397-6442

SPORTS Bear Creek Run

This beloved half marathon makes its annual return to Columbia. New this year, runners can form two-person relay teams to complete the colorful, tree-lined race.

Saturday, 8 a.m., Albert-Oakland Park, $48, 874-7460

SCREEN The Accountant (R)

Ben Affleck stars in this tale of a mathematic savant who does freelance accounting work for criminal groups. F, R RUNTIME = 2:08

American Honey (R)

Free-spirited teenager Star flees her troubled Midwest home for a coming-of-age

Operation Avalanche

When two young filmmakers discover NASA is losing the space race, they create footage of a fake moon landing. RT RUNTIME = 1:34

Still playing

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week ­— The Touring Years (NR) RT The Birth of a Nation (R) R Deepwater Horizon (PG-13) F, R Don’t Breathe (R) R The Girl on the Train (R) F, R The Magnificent Seven (PG-13) F, R Masterminds (PG-13) F, R Max Steel (PG-13) R Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (PG) F, R Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (PG-13) F, R Queen of Katwe (PG) R Storks (PG) F, R Sully (PG-13) R

Theaters F = Forum R = Regal

RT = Ragtag = Available in 3-D

25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW

FRIDAY

OCTOBER 14 THE BLUE NOTE

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17 North Ninth Street Columbia, MO 573-874-1944 9 p.m. - All Ages - $10

www.secbeerfest.com General Admission $45 | VIP $85 Efforts and proceeds of the 2016 South East Craft Beer Festival will benefit: American Red Cross and Unchained Melodies Inc. (Dog Rescue) 10.13.16

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