Vox Magazine

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

War of the words

Trigger warnings and safe spaces, explained PAGE 4

The highs and lows of living with autism spectrum disorder PAGE 6

Autumn eats

Satisfy your cravings with local fall foods PAGE 13

IN THIS ISSUE

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October 6, 2016 VOLUME 18 ISSUE 32 | PUBLISHED BY THE COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN

FEATURE Danny Romero-Compain (above, right) is a 12-yearold boy living with autism spectrum disorder. His mother, Ana Compain-Romero, shares what dayto-day life is like for the family. PAGE 6 NEWS & INSIGHT “Trigger warning” and “safe space” have become commonly used phrases, but they’re often misunderstood. Experts offer their definitions and attempt to clear confusion. PAGE 4 THE SCENE Are you a thrill-seeker looking for a job that matches your passions? Maybe your career path is leading to a rock wall. Read these top tips on how climb your way up in this growing field.

PAGE 14 ARTS & BOOKS After 43 years, the MU Craft Studio is facing the possibility of permanent closure. Students, faculty and artists are speaking out. PAGE 15 MUSIC Do you think you have the rhymes to compete?

Step into the ring with No Coast Rap, and learn everything you need to know about rap battles.

PAGE 16

GOING GLOBAL The Ragtag Passport Series is in its 11th year, and Vox has everything you need to know about what’s coming to town. See A Monster with a Thousand Heads (pictured above) tonight at 6:30 p.m.

SPECIAL DELIVERY High Maintenance, a web-series-turned-HBOphenomenon about a marijuana deliveryman, is turning the heads of critics. Vox reviewed the first few episodes to see if this show lives up to the high expectations.

LET’S GET COZY Sweater weather is the best weather, and we’re welcoming the brisk winds with open arms. Read up on how you can take advantage of this autumnal bliss and look good while doing it.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Q&A Alisa Carlson has been an associate curator at the Museum of Art and Archeology for only a year, but her passion for art blossomed in high school.

Discover what it takes to select masterpieces for the MAA. PAGE 18 CORRECTIONS: Sue Schrader provided the photo of The Blind Boys of Alabama for the Sept.

29 issue. Carolyn Wells is the co-founder of the Kansas City Barbecue Society. The group’s name was misstated in the Sept. 29 issue.

COVER DESIGN: Kylee May COVER PHOTOS: Ana Compain-Romero, Asa Lory, Stephanie Mueller

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

Of the people with autism I’ve known, I couldn’t tell you many things that made them similar. Like anyone else, each is an individual person with his or her own characteristics. But I can name one thing beyond a diagnosis they all shared. They have all had families completely devoted to them.

The Romero-Compain family is no different. Danny Romero-Compain, 12, is a son, a grandson and a big and little brother. He is also on the autism spectrum.

An autism spectrum disorder diagnosis obviously affects the person who is diagnosed, but it also impacts the lives of everyone around them. It alters how families communicate, make plans and live their daily lives.

Writer Renee Molner spent time with the CompainRomeros, immersing herself in Danny’s world and that of the people living in it. The result is this week’s feature (Page 6), which chronicles the ups and downs of raising a child who is on the autism spectrum. Some days are defined by thrown food and missing TV remotes, others by moments of joyful children playing in the backyard or discovering the beach.

But through good days and harder ones, the family’s love for Danny remains a constant.

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, 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 COURTESY OF ROTTEN TOMATOES/ BUENAVENTURA, ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

RADAR

Vox’s take on the talk of the week

LIVE FROM NEW YORK...

Saturday Night Live’s season opener with Kate McKinnon and Alec Baldwin as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump earned the show’s highest premiere numbers since 2008. Famous for their previous on-screen roles of heartless businessman and feminist icon, Baldwin and McKinnon brightened the election season.

Here are some of the show’s best presidential and vice-presidential candidate impressions:

Written by: Katie Akin, Meredith McGrath, Kelsie Schrader

Blessing us with another gift this election season is SNL cast member Leslie Jones, who brings her humor-filled wit to Columbia Oct. 27.

Prepare your cheek muscles for the nonstop laughter with some mouth exercises such as prolonged smiling, repetitive cheek puffing and a thorough facial massage.

Your presidential nominees?

• Jay Pharoah as Barack Obama • Tina Fey as Sarah Palin • Will Ferrell as George W. Bush • Darrell Hammond as Al Gore • Phil Hartman as Ronald Reagan • Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford

Peace be with you There are 376 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize this year, the highest number ever to be nominated. Here are some of the nominees:

THIS ISN’T A JOKE

—Pope Francis —The Afghan Women’s Cycling Team —Greek island residents who welcome migrants —Nadia Murad, who escaped from ISIS sexual slavery and is now a spokeswoman for those abused by the group’s militants —Colombian peace process negotiators The laureates will be announced Friday.

. . .,

Downtown workers and students alike will miss the Walmart Express on Ninth Street, which will close its doors for the last time tomorrow at 7 p.m. May your mourning include copious amounts of the fat-filled snacks that once lined the convenience store’s shelves.

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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RIP

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NOVEMBER: 3-6

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Fresh Air with Terry Gross 11am-Noon On your radio dial at 89.5 fm or live streaming at kopn.org 10.06.16

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NEWS & INSIGHT

Unraveling the rhetoric Get to know some of the politically charged terms in the campus tug-of-words

BY MOLLY OLMSTEAD

AFFINITY GROUP

TRANSPHOBIA

MU's LGBTQ Resource Center identifies transphobia as “negative attitudes, bias or discrimination towards or against transgender people or those who are perceived to break or blur societal norms regarding gender identity or gender expression.”

FEMINIST BLOGOSPHERE

In her book Virtual Feminisms, media studies scholar and author Jessalynn Keller identifies the feminist blogosphere as an Internet subculture where women can gather to identify social constructs and problems that limit their potential and freedoms.

What are trigger warnings?

Trigger warnings are essentially content warnings, similar to what you might see before a graphic or sexually explicit television show. They let an audience know what is coming so they can make choices about consuming that content.

How are trigger warnings used?

At universities, trigger warnings are almost always a choice left up to individual professors, and some

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According The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, an affinity group is “a group of people having a common interest or goal or acting together for a specific purpose.” Rebecca Scott, MU associate professor of sociology, says these groups allow members to have discussions about topics they don’t want to be heard in other settings.

Universities are often at the heart of the debate about the right way to discuss social issues, most recently on the topics of trigger warnings and safe spaces.

It’s likely many people in Columbia heard the term “safe space” for the first time during the protests at MU this past fall. And in August when the University of Chicago's dean of students told incoming freshmen that the institution didn’t support trigger warnings, it set off a renewed nationwide dialogue.

But that dialogue made clear that many don’t fully understand who the protections are for, or what the terms used to discuss them mean.

In an effort to demystify the terms, Vox talked with several MU faculty and staff to sort out how trigger warnings and safe spaces play out on campus.

Where did they originate?

The concept of triggering can be traced back to World War I, according to a 2015 article in The New Republic.

Psychologists discussed veterans suffering from what was then called shell-shock, now known as posttraumatic stress disorder. Certain experiences can trigger memories of trauma associated with PTSD. According to a 2015 Flavorwire report, the words “trigger” and “warning” first appeared together in the feminist blogosphere as a way to alert website visitors who experienced sexual assault that certain content could trigger traumatic memories. However, many who use the term today disagree about what counts as a trigger. When used in a classroom setting, MU associate professor of sociology Rebecca Scott says sexual and racial violence, racial caricatures and hate speech are topics prone to stimulate psychological trauma. “That’s something I’d want (students) to be prepared for,” she says.

TERMINOLOGY

RACIAL CARICATURES

don’t even use the term. Flavorwire found some professors use trigger warnings as a way to give students the opportunity to skip or leave class to avoid content, while others believe they give the students time to prepare for potential trauma. The warnings might be included in a class syllabus as a blanket warning, as a heads-up before lecture, or, more narrowly, right before exposure to specific content.

MU sociology graduate instructor Mike Sickels doesn’t use the term trigger warning, but he does give students a notice before showing them visually graphic material. He says he would let students avoid watching a potentially traumatic film and give them an alternate assignment.

What is a safe space?

In a physical setting outside the classroom, a safe space is commonly referred to as an “affinity group”— a place like a black cultural center or an LGBTQ center. “It comes from the idea that there’s a place you can be yourself because you can’t be yourself most of the time,” Scott says.

Sean Olmstead, who coordinates MU's LGBTQ Resource Center, says safety is not the same thing as comfort.

“A trans student oftentimes has heard that same type of rhetoric from people they don’t feel safe around,” he says. “So they’re more likely not to participate (in a discussion).”

Can a safe space exist within the classroom?

Sickels thinks so. To him, a safe space in the classroom means the professor discourages racist, homophobic or sexist comments by challenging them in a rhetorical, academic manner. “It’s a way of promising to marginalized students I will ensure a sincere learning environment for all groups,” Sickels says.

Scott doesn’t see classrooms as safe spaces but says the classroom should balance brave intellectual conversation and respect for other students’ sensitivities. While the debate over safe space and trigger warning rhetoric continues, professors agree that students shouldn't have to pick between intellectual freedom and mutual respect.

Many popularized racial caricatures taught in history classes include century-old artist renderings of African Americans living in the United States. Caricatures such as mammies and savages are some of the most well-known. Some even exist today, such as Aunt Jemima.

IN PRACTICE TRIGGER WARNINGS DEPEND ON CURRICULUM –NCAC Giving trigger warnings is almost always a choice left solely to the professor. In a 2015 national survey of over 800 university educators by the National Coalition Against Censorship — a group composed of over 50 domestic nonprofits — fewer than 1 percent of the participants reported their institutions had policies about trigger warnings.

TEACHERS ARE SPLIT ON USING TRIGGER WARNINGS –NPR An NPR unscientific poll, which calculated responses of more than 800 college professors nationwide, indicates that 51 percent of polled professors gave trigger warnings to their classes before presenting “potentially difficult material.”

ILLUSTRATION BY BEN KOTHE

Autism spectrum disorder is a constant for Danny Romero-Compain.

So is his family.

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BY

RENEE MOLNER PHOTOS BY ASA LORY AND STEPHANIE MUELLER 10.06.16

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T

he first time I arrived at Ana Compain-Romero’s house, it was shortly after noon on a Saturday. One dog met me at the door, and another dog lounged sleepily on the kitchen floor. Ana looks quite different at home than she does at work. As the advancement officer for MU’s Sinclair School of Nursing, she wears red lipstick, dresses in business-casual clothing and exudes professionalism; her hair doesn’t have a single strand out of place.

At home, as she rushes around trying to keep tabs on her four kids, she wears a tank top

and her hair is pulled up messily into a bun.

Her mother, a small, elderly woman named Maria, cleans the kitchen. Ana keeps an eye out the back window so she can watch her son Danny, 12, playing in the backyard.

Danny has dark hair, big brown eyes and olive skin. He stands alone, his arms fidgeting, watching the water coming from the sprinkler.

He’s wearing just his underwear because, as Ana says, they have trouble getting him to wear any clothes. He will keep them on at school but takes them off within seconds of arriving home.

Ana glances away, and the next second Danny has removed the last of his clothes. She runs outside to dry him off with a towel, puts his underwear back on and brings him inside.

This scene barely fazes his 8-year-old sister, Carolina, as she stands by the window watching a movie on her iPad. “Oh great, my brother’s naked again,” she says before turning around and sitting at the kitchen table. Her grandmother continues cleaning the kitchen. Ana brings Danny inside, and he flails as he moves from room to room,

Danny Romero-Compain waits as his mother, Ana Compain-Romero, brings yogurt to him during a weekend lunch.

As of late, Danny has been trying new foods such as chicken fingers, applesauce and beans and rice. The towel over Danny’s head, which Ana calls his “Virgin Mary” outfit, is a recent habit.

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PHOTO BY ASA LORY

occasionally making incoherent noises.

Andy, 14, comes down from his bedroom and, upon seeing Danny, scoops him up.

Though they’re about the same height, Andy lifts him high before setting him down again.

Then, Andy notices me.

Ana describes to Andy what I am doing. She says I’m writing about Danny, and she explains what a journalist is. Andy looks at me for a long moment.

“Okay. I’m alright with that,” he says.

The remainder of my hour long visit is filled with Danny running through the house, a whirlwind of activity taking place around him. Ana makes sure that Andy and Carolina eat lunch, and she talks to her eldest daughter, Sophia, 17, about needing a ride to a work meeting. She cleans up two bowls on the counter: one filled with sour cream and cheddar chips, the other with unsalted Saltines with the browned parts of the cracker scraped off.

Danny throws his food on the ground. She tries to get him to pick it up, but he can’t tell her where it landed.

Before I leave, Ana takes a hold of Danny’s chin, moving his face to hers so that their eyes meet. She asks him to say, “Bye, Renee.” “Bye, Nay Nay,” Danny says clearly, repeating his mother’s words before bounding away.

Ana vividly remembers the

drive home from Chicago after Danny was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. It was just before his second birthday, and she was with her husband, Rafael Romero. They lived in Bloomington, Illinois, and were referred to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center to have Danny evaluated for autism. The evaluation took over two hours.

Ana felt like the drive home took three times as long.

She thought about how their lives had just changed.

Ana remembers hearing the word “autism” in the diagnosis and feeling like the life they could have had was over. And it was, she says.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association describes autism as a developmental disability in which people have a range of social, communication and/or language problems depending on the case, such as repetitive behaviors or limited interests.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-in-68 children has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in the United States. Although the disorder can affect a person of any ethnicity, race or socioeconomic status, it is estimated to be 4.5 times more common in boys than girls.

When Danny was 6 months old, he was able to say words such as “mama” and “papa.” However, he soon lost those words and no longer spoke at all. Danny also exhibited repetitive behaviors. He would pull all of the cloth diapers from the drawers, set them in a pile on his right and steadily move them to his left. Once all were on his left, he did the same motion again, moving them back to his right. Ana’s mother thought it was funny at first, but she became concerned just before he turned 18

PHOTO BY ASA LORY

Danny has an iPad app that allows him to communicate through pictures. However, he’s more willing to use it at school than at home.

months old. That’s when Ana and Rafael took Danny to Chicago to figure out what was wrong.

During the ride home, Ana and Rafael spoke about the need to work together in order to make a difference for their son — to make sure he has a full life. Ana still tears up when she talks about the trip.

As the name suggests, people

diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder fall on a spectrum. In some people, autism might present itself as minor learning difficulties or impaired social skills.

Others might be predominantly nonverbal and unable to care for themselves.

According to the CDC, there are many factors that increase the risk of developing autism, including certain genetic or chromosomal conditions, or premature birth.

However, no one is fully certain what causes autism.

ASHA lists many behaviors that people with autism can exhibit. This includes repetitive actions, problems connecting socially with others, difficulty using or comprehending words and making sporadic physical movements such as flapping their hands or rocking. Each person — and every case of autism — is unique.

Ana is Cuban, and Rafael is Mexican. Caucasian children are actually more likely to be diagnosed with autism than black or Hispanic children, according to Amy Van Hecke, an associate professor of psychology at Marquette University and co-director of the Marquette Interdisciplinary Autism Clinic. However, this disparity isn’t because autism itself is more likely among Caucasian children. According to Van Hecke, it’s due to the fact that more children in minority groups are underdiagnosed.

She says there doesn’t seem to be an actual difference in rates of autism across race or ethnicity, but instead a difference in identification of autism.

Autism spectrum disorder is 4.5 times more common in boys than girls.

— Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 10.06.16

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Ana’s life at home

is a whirlwind of movement, dominated by driving children to activities and trying to keep her house in some kind of order. Even with the help of her husband and parents, who live with the family, taking care of four children can be a handful.

During the day, Ana works full time, and Rafael is a salesman at a Toyota dealership. Ana’s parents take care of the children. She describes the household as one in constant motion.

Because of Danny’s autism, the family doesn’t eat at restaurants. They don’t have guests over very often. They have special combination locks on their doors so Danny can’t leave the house when Ana or other family members aren’t looking. Danny is constantly leaving something somewhere and can’t communicate where it is. Ana can’t find the remote. Danny can’t tell her where he left it. Ana finds glasses of almond milk, the only thing Danny will drink, and bowls of food around the house.

The first time I visited Ana’s house, Danny would eat only three foods: sour cream and cheddar chips, Froot Loops, and his unsalted Saltines. Fearing malnutrition, Ana sneaks medicines, vitamins and probiotics into his almond milk.

To expand Danny’s palate, Ana takes him to the Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders, an MU clinical, research and training center for people with the disorder.

According to ASHA, liking few foods can be an indicator or behavior of someone on the autism spectrum. But even after regular visits to the Thompson Center, Danny still refused to eat anything other than his three favorites.

Their applied behavioral analyst agreed to have Danny spend an entire day in the clinic so that he could try different foods.

On Sept. 2, Ana brought Danny to the clinic, a day’s worth of food in tow. She watched as he sat in a padded room and professionals brought forkful after forkful of food to his mouth. He threw it everywhere. Soon, the room was covered in chicken fingers and bananas, among other food They soon realized Danny’s mouth was red and, fearing an allergic reaction, brought a nurse in to look at him. Danny was fine, but they were told the trial could not continue. Ana felt crushed as she left the clinic.

She had put all of her hope and energy into this day only to leave disappointed, and the specialists felt the same way. As she left, though, the applied behavioral analyst gave her one last idea: In order to try new foods, Danny must be motivated by hunger.

Danny will wear clothes at school, but he removes them within seconds of returning home.

Instead of letting him graze on his favorites throughout the day, Ana made him eat at specific times.

Two days later, Danny gobbled down an entire chicken finger. Now, he’s regularly eating chicken fingers and a few other foods — rice, yogurt and little pancakes. However, Ana worries that his new tastes for these foods won’t last.

I watched as Ana began feeding him lunch. She assembled small amounts of many foods: whole grain bread topped with a tiny bit of peanut butter, dinosaurshaped chicken nuggets, yogurt, applesauce and a few black beans to try with the rice. He’ll eat the dinosaur chicken nuggets when they run out of the chicken fingers he likes.

Ana asks Danny to sit down for lunch, and he immediately does. Ana’s mother laughs a little as she tells me, “Of all the kids in the house, he’s the one who follows directions best.”

Ana spoons some beans and rice together and puts it into Danny’s mouth. Danny is still chattering incoherently between bites, throwing occasional glances at me, but he doesn’t seem to care that I watch as he eats. Any time he tries a new food, such as when he touches his tongue to a spoonful of applesauce, Ana celebrates and encourages him. “It’s good, isn’t it?” she asks him. “Ah, it’s so good!

That is a great job!”

“Of all the kids in the house, he’s the one who follows directions best.”

—Maria Compain, Danny’s grandmother

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After Ana convinces him to eat most of the food, she asks: “Would you like a bite of chicken, or do you want yogurt?” Danny wants nothing to do with either at this point. He looks at her and, with the equivalent of the hand sign for “safe” in baseball, says, “All done.” Ana says that Danny uses a little over 10 words or phrases without prompting at home. He only speaks when highly motivated.

The family has replaced

three toilets because Danny flushed objects that rendered them utterly useless. Ana estimates the family has spent thousands of dollars to remedy all the things that Danny has broken or thrown away. In the past, Danny’s nasal spray has gone missing. He has seasonal allergies, and Ana gives him the nasal spray, but he doesn’t like it. He watches her put it away. The next time she goes to retrieve it, it has disappeared.

Danny resembles his brother, Andy. They both have dark hair and similar faces. However, Danny has a round belly where Andy is thin. Danny’s skin is an olive color, but Andy is a little paler.

Andy lives the life of a pretty average 14-year-old-boy.

He loves superheroes. He’s quick to specify that he loves Marvel superheroes, with his favorite character changing all the time. He loves Star Wars and his friends at school.

Most of all, Andy loves Danny. The boys share a special bond; Andy sees himself as Danny’s protector. Ana believes Danny shares the same affection for his brother, even if he cannot clearly communicate that fondness. She says her boys have similar hearts.

Andy feels protective of his brother. He helps by staying close to Danny and Ana and by taking care of Danny at night since the boys share a bedroom.

Sometimes, Andy takes Danny on walks around the neighborhood, which Ana says is a good way to get Danny

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE MUELLER

out of the house to dispel energy. When I asked Andy his favorite thing about Danny, he gave me a coy smile before responding, “He’s cute, just like me.”

Ana and Rafael once took Sophia, Andy and Carolina to St. Louis on a short trip. They wanted to give their other children the experience of normalcy on a family vacation. The family took their time in stores, walked around at the zoo and ate dinner at a restaurant, activities they can’t easily do with Danny.

The family took a trip to Chicago over summer, and Andy asked if Danny would be joining them. Ana said yes.

“Okay, well, then I’ll go,” Andy replied. He would only agree if Danny was there.

Danny is fairly affectionate, when the affection can be shown on his terms. He hugs his family members and allows them to hug him. He recently began to give his mother a quick kiss. He might not pucker his lips, but he knows what it means to press his lips to her cheek. Van Hecke says the idea that children with autism are not empathetic is a misunderstanding. “People with autism do have empathy and have a lot of intense feelings about other people, but they may not communicate them in the

same way that people without autism do,” Van Hecke says.

“It’s hard to interpret.”

Ana uses the phrase “problem solver” to describe Danny. He cannot be bothered with boundaries and is highly driven by electronics. He has an iPad that he plays games on, and he loves to watch TV when he gets up in the morning.

“If he wants to get into a room that maybe he shouldn’t get into, or if he wants to get some sort of electronic device to work, he’s incredible at taking things apart,” Ana says. “It’s not all good, mind you, but he’s very determined. He’s very, very determined.”

Danny attends Smithton

Middle School and is in a classroom for students with highly specialized needs. His teacher, Christy Segress, teaches a class of seven students with help from four paraprofessionals who assist in keeping students on task.

Segress starts class in the morning by having a sign-in

where each student practices his or her language skills.

They’re marked as absent or present and then have a question-and-answer time when they respond to questions about their friends. Danny answers using an assistive device, or sometimes verbally. This is followed by their work block. The students either work in the school’s coffee shop or on recycling.

I follow as Danny and three other students walk alongside Segress and two paraprofessionals to the coffee shop. The shop is essentially a large closet with a few chairs, a counter and some cabinets. It’s just down the hallway from their classroom.

Segress and the other adults tell the students step-by-step how to make coffee for teachers. They use two Keurig machines, different flavored creamers and packets of sugar. The teachers give their orders to Segress ahead of time, and then they pay a dollar for each cup of coffee.

Danny grabs a K-Cup and places it in the Keurig.

He seems hesitant to take the K-Cup out after the coffee is made, as if it will be hot. Wearing the weighted vest he wears to calm himself, Danny picks it up before

Ana and her family gather around the dinner table. The only drink Danny will consume is almond milk, and his mother sneaks medicines, vitamins and probiotics into it.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE MUELLER

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throwing it away. “All done,” Segress tells him, and Danny repeats “all done” with the same hand sign for “safe” in baseball.

The students are also in charge of delivering the coffee to the teachers’ rooms, with the help of the paraprofessionals. They are told to say, “Here you go,” “Thank you” and “Have a nice day” as they give the coffee to the teacher.

Danny mumbles as he hands over the coffee, but can’t fully form the words.

Danny has one iPad that he uses specifically to After all of the coffee orders communicate through pictures. He uses other iPads for are filled, we walk back to the entertainment or to relax at home. classroom. The rest of Danny’s day is structured with lessons that are both academic and social. In math, they learn about money and how to use a calculator. Segress says they learn practical lessons such as how to read street signs what in their reading lessons. They have a social skills block, life would be like if Danny didn’t have autism. “He where they learn to say phrases such as “please” and would have been the athlete,” she says, looking off in “thank you” and different skills, including covering their the distance. Where Andy has no interest in sports, mouths when they sneeze. The life skills block teaches Danny has his scooter. His mom compares him to the other useful activities, such as learning how to make a professional skateboarder Tony Hawk because he’s so grocery list or how to do laundry. skilled at it. She is also convinced Danny would have Segress says Danny excels at tasks that include been a surfer if they had lived closer to the ocean; Danny sequencing and rote memory or learning through loves to be in water. memorization. He learns mostly by watching others, When Danny was 6, the family took a vacation to the and he does what he is told to do at his school jobs. beach. Ana was worried, but not just about how he would Danny also seems to be well-known around school. A react when taken from his normal surroundings and secretary says hello when he walks in the office, and a routines. She worried about the texture of the sand. girl greets him as he walks through the hallway back to Many people with autism experience textures his classroom. differently, yet her little boy lit up at the sight of the ocean spanning to the skyline. The only word Ana could use to describe Danny’s motion was frolic. He frolicked across the sand and into the shallow water. He cackled with laughter, and blossomed before her eyes.

In her office, Ana keeps a large, framed picture of a child with Danny at the beach. He’s dancing in the shallow water, autism spectrum disorder grows up and can no longer his face turned toward the sun. go to school? “About half of individuals with autism have Ana says the most frustrating part of Danny’s average-to-high intelligence, so they might want to think condition is not knowing what’s wrong, as he has no way about college or further education,” Van Hecke says. of clearly communicating what he wants or how he feels.

But for those who have trouble communicating or some She says it’s clear that there’s more going on in his head difficulty with social skills, the answer isn’t so clear. than he is able to communicate to others.

Lukin Murphy, an autism support specialist at Although Danny’s iPad has an app that allows him to Columbia Public Schools, says that the age students with communicate by clicking on pictures, there is no way for autism graduate from high school is decided on a casehis mother to know exactly what is wrong. In addition, he by-case basis. Because of the Individuals with Disabilities mostly uses the app at school and refuses to communicate Education Act students with autism can stay in school through it at home. Danny will sometimes hurt himself until age 21. “The employment rates are abysmal for by hitting himself in the groin, biting his hands or hitting individuals with autism after high school,” Murphy says. things when he is frustrated or upset, and Ana can’t do Although schools provide services specifically for those much more than try to stop him. He doesn’t appear to with special needs, those who will go on to work after feel the pain. graduating tend to be underemployed or have a hard Within the challenges and sadness, there are also time holding onto their jobs. According to the Bureau the moments of joy — the little successes that make of Labor Statistics, only 16.8 percent of people with life sweeter. Ana says seeing Danny smile brings her disabilities were employed in 2016 — and this includes happiness. More joy came when one of Danny’s teachers more disabilities than autism. informed Ana that Danny could read. At school, words “Services after high school are much harder to were placed in front of Danny in a sentence, and then the find,” Murphy says. This makes planning for the future words were taken out of sequence. He was able to put extremely difficult. them back into a coherent sentence. Ana never knew if her son would get the pleasure of being able to read but is now relieved to know he can.

Sometimes, Ana imagines

What happens when

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“You won’t find another parent who loves their kid more than an autism parent,” Van Hecke says.

Some days, Andy, Danny and Carolina will run around in the backyard. Watching Danny play outside with his siblings puts everything into perspective. If an outsider watched, nothing would seem out of the ordinary.

But the future sometimes scares Ana. She worries about what will happen when there is no more public schooling for Danny. Then what?

Danny will always live at home with his family, Ana says. She partly attributes this to her Latino culture, which places a high importance on families living together.

But there will come a day when Sophia, Andy and Carolina will grow up and have lives and families of their own. Ana’s parents will not live forever, and Ana and Rafael will have to continue to work full time in order to keep up with expenses. Although Ana believes Danny’s siblings will always help out, she worries about Danny’s future and is unsure of her own. But she is certain of one thing: “He’ll be with us,” Ana says. “He’ll always be with us.” `

See Danny in the classroom at VOXMAGAZINE.COM

Paths to adulthood Thanks to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with disabilities are able to stay in school until age 21. However, life after graduation can be unclear for these children and their families. Columbia is home to a number of resources for adults with autism, including assisted living and employmentreadiness training.

Alternative Community Training ACT provides services and programs for adults with disabilities in the mid-Missouri region, including career services, individualized supported living and a day program.

Supported Living program, Boone County Family Resources In the Supported Living program, adults with developmental disabilities receive in-home assistance with tasks such as laundry, cooking and grocery shopping. The program is funded

by Missouri’s Department of Mental Health.

STRIVE: Autism Employment Readiness Based out of the Thompson Center, STRIVE helps 18- to 25-year-old adults with autism develop employment skills.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE MUELLER

THE SCENE

Columbia’s fall cuisine squashes seasonal cravings Enjoy all the harvest season has to offer with these dishes

BY AMANDA LUNDGREN Pumpkin? Check. Squash? Check. Apples? Check.

This season, restaurants all around Columbia are serving up mouthwatering autumnal cuisine. Warm your body and your soul with these classic fall flavors. We promise they’ll be satisfying.

1. BREAKFAST

For a healthy and allergen-friendly breakfast, head to Nourish Cafe & Market. Its Pumpkin Muffins are gluten-, soy-, corn- and refined sugar-free. The muffins include ingredients such as brown rice flour, almond milk, coconut oil and maple syrup. Co-owner Kimber Dean says they’re healthy but still delicious. “The pumpkin’s great,” Dean says. “It has all the beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin A (and) a lot of fiber.”

Along with the Pumpkin Muffins, Nourish offers a Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Homemade Apple Cider and an Apple Crisp this season. The shop is also selling stuffing mix and special order pies for Thanksgiving. Nourish Cafe & Market,1201 E. Broadway, Mon.–Fri., 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 818-2240, muffin: $3.50

2. LUNCH

Adding a touch of sophistication to lunch, Wine Cellar & Bistro serves up a seasonal Beet Risotto. A creamy coconut risotto made with leeks, fresh tomatoes and beets from the bistro’s garden acts as the base. Smoked mushrooms give the dish a meaty texture, and vegan basil lemon nutritional yeast pesto and cashew parmesan add cheesiness. Finally, a sprinkle of sage and lemon garnish the dish.

Even if you’re not a beet fan or you feel uneasy about eating a vegan meal, general manager Alex Evans says it’s a dish everyone will like.

Available daily, the risotto is served as a half portion at lunch and a full portion at dinner.

Evans recommends a dry riesling or pinot noir to pair with the dish. Wine Cellar & Bistro, 505 Cherry St., Mon.–Fri., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Sat., 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m.–9 p.m., 442-7281, lunch portion: $14, dinner portion: $28

3. DINNER

If you’re in the mood for a hearty pasta dish, look no further than Umbria Rustic Italian.

Its Lasagne Rustica features a three-cheese lasagna with locally sourced butternut squash, roasted red pepper cream and bacon. Manager Peter Weis recommends coupling the lasagna with dry, smoky wines, such as Super Tuscan Monteti Caburnio and Collosorbo. “When it comes to butternut squash, it’s great to have a PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF AMANDA LUNDGREN, KACEY DOYLE

semi-dry wine to pair with it so that the finish kind of balances out the flavor of the squash,” Weis says. Got an after-dinner sweet tooth? Try the Pumpkin Cannoli, a fall twist on the classic Italian dessert. Umbria Rustic Italian, 904 Elm St., Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sun., 5–9 p.m., 447-8627, lasagna: $18, cannoli: $7

1

3

4. DRINKS

This year, Craft Beer Cellar offers a selection of more than 14 pumpkin-flavored beers and ciders. With options such as the traditional, hoppy pumpkin ales and a dark pumpkin spice latte stout, there’s plenty of this so-called “fruit beer” for sale. If you’re unsure of which kind to get, Craft Beer Cellar is selling Pumpkin Packs, a 12-pack of different pumpkin beers and ciders.

The Cellar will also rotate different pumpkin beers on tap. Watch for the blind pumpkin beer tastings throughout the month when customers can taste four mystery pumpkin beers and attempt to guess which is which.

Co-owner Jon Steffens predicts the Nitro Pumpkin Spice Latte Stout from Breckenridge Brewery will be the best-seller this season. A sweet stout, the beer is made with roasted coffee beans, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. “It completely plays on your love of Starbucks and some of those specific flavors,” Steffens says. All of the pumpkin beers and ciders will be available through Halloween or while supplies last.

Craft Beer Cellar, 111 S. Ninth St., Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Fri–Sat., 11 a.m. to midnight; Sun., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 449-0242, Pumpkin Spice Latte Stout: $2.75 for one can, $10.50 four-pack, Pumpkin Pack: about $60

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4

5. DESSERT

When you need your sugar fix, head to Strange Donuts for a post-lunch dessert or a weekend late-night treat. For the month of October, Strange is offering a variety of fall-themed donuts including Maple Bacon, Butter Pecan, Hard Apple Cider, Apple Strudel Cinnamon Roll and Plum Kuchen, which owner Jason Bockman says was inspired by a trip to Germany. The donuts are available daily, but Strange will also offer different specials every weekend. After the epic Pumpkin Cheesecake Donut Sandwich offered last month, one can only dream of what’s to come. Strange Donuts, 1020 E. Broadway, Sun.–Wed., 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thurs.–Sat., 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. 499-3663, donuts: $2-5

5 1) Nourish Cafe & Market’s Pumpkin Muffins are available year-round. Stale muffins are used to make bread pudding. 2) Wine Cellar & Bistro’s Beet Risotto is a great option for vegans. Evans says the flavor of the beets in the dish is not overpowering. 3) Umbria Rustic Italian uses products from farmers markets and local grocers for its lasagna. 4) Craft Beer Cellar will rotate pumpkin beers on tap throughout October. 5) Strange Donuts offered a Pumpkin Cheesecake Donut Sandwich in September.

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THE SCENE

Tower-climbing technicians from Midwest Underground Technology, Inc. in Champaign, Illinois, go through a six-week safety training program before transitioning to a mentorship and field work.

Gearing up for hire Climb a rock. Get a job.

BY STEPHANIE SANDOVAL Learning the ropes of rock climbing is always in season.

There are climbing locations scattered in and around Columbia, says Marcus Floyd, owner of The Bouldering Garden climbing gym in Columbia. Places such as Capen Park and Mark Twain National Forest currently provide an autumnal backdrop for the exhilarating sport. But this activity doesn’t have to be strictly recreational; it could lead to a job that ranks high on the adventure scale.

Now hiring thrill-seekers

Think about things you do every day. You use your phone, listen to the radio, drive over bridges and enter buildings with sturdy roofs on them. All of these things require the work of a skilled adventurer and a decent amount of courage.

Floyd says rock climbing experience can pave the way to industry jobs such as roofing, window washing, bridge work, general construction, tree trimming, radio or cell phone tower services and more.

One growing industry that provides climbing-related job opportunities is alternative energy. As more people incorporate renewable energy into their lifestyles, more fearless climbers are needed to install devices such as solar panels and tall wind turbines.

“The industry is looking for people who aren’t afraid of heights and have rope access, who have that experience,” he says. “There’s a lot of work out there for climbers.”

Skills needed

Climbing experience is an obvious advantage for someone seeking a climbing-related job, but climbing the cliffs at Capen a few times doesn’t necessarily 14

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make you a shoo-in for a cable installation job with a telecommunications company.

Professional climbers need skills such as safety equipment familiarity, muscle memory through hands-on experience, situational stress management, ambition and “a willingness to live on the edge,” Floyd wrote in an email.

When managing situational mental stress, climbers should be able to endure weather-related physical stress and “be willing to accept a self-reliant mentality to prepare for situations where no one else can assist, in a timely manner,” Floyd wrote. If something goes wrong hundreds of feet in the air, employees need to be able to react accordingly.

Safety first

Making sure your equipment and expertise is in check before heading out to the cliffs is vital to an enjoyable rock-climbing afternoon.

Nathan Sizemore is a recreational climber who works at Columbia Safety, a company that sells climbing equipment and safety gear to “at-height workers,” which includes anything four feet off the ground or higher.

Sizemore says having experience in rock climbing can be beneficial for climbing jobs as well as sales positions (such as the ones at Columbia Safety) because people already have a good sense of what each type of equipment does. “Being comfortable and efficient at height is often a challenge when coming into this type of work,” he says. “Having personal experience with the gear would help with sales, customer service and training.”

Floyd says regular gear inspection is key. “You have to make the assessment every second — before you start, while you’re climbing and afterwards — because you’re inspecting your equipment all the time, just like when you’re driving,” he says.

Seasoned climbers stress the importance of learning to climb from a trained instructor before taking on cliffs — knowing the gear and understanding the techniques are essential to climbers’ safety.

Tips from climbers

Climbing can go from fun to dangerous within seconds if precautions are not taken.

Seasoned climbers Mike Burden, Megan Weigandt and Marcus Floyd offer some of their best tips for new climbers: 1. Climb with someone you trust.

2. Learn to hold the rocks loosely to conserve energy.

3. Find a comfortable environment.

4. Climb with a good group of friends that will encourage you.

5. Don’t blast your music while climbing.

Respect your fellow adventurers.

6. Know your gear and how it works.

PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF KAYLA WOLF AND COLUMBIA SAFETY

ARTS & BOOKS

Amy King, left, works on a potter’s wheel in the Craft Studio.

Shania Gaddie, below, paints using the Craft Studio’s supplies.

The future of the MU Craft Studio is unclear. It will leave its Memorial Union home at the end of the semester.

Losing room for art

MU Craft Studio patrons react to its upcoming closure

BY ANNA MAPLES

PHOTOS BY CARSEN SIKYTA

Amy Hay, coordinator of the Craft Studio. “We need Without the support of the Craft Studio, Alexis Stewart a place for students who are not interested in Greek would have left MU two years ago. life, journalism or student government. Aren’t they “I had a lot of things going on in my personal life, important to the university?” and I did not want to be stuck at a university where I MU alumni such as Aron Fischer and Susan Wood had no support,” she says. “However, the Craft Studio Yeager have even launched careers from skills they provided me the support and resources I would need, learned at the Craft Studio. They are selling their and now I am a senior who will graduate in May.” creations at retailers such as Renegade and Soon, students such as Stewart Poppy. They have also become art teachers won’t have that support. The Craft themselves.

Studio’s current location in the Jorjan McClendon, an MU senior, basement of Memorial Union launched her jewelry line using skills she has to be vacated by the end of learned at the Craft Studio. the semester. Several pipes in the “The Craft Studio has always been a building haven’t been replaced place where I can self-disclose, laugh and since the building’s construction be creative with no one to judge me,” she and are starting to leak. says. “Being surrounded by nothing but According to MSA President creative souls has always encouraged me to Sean Earl, this renovation has think outside the box.” been brought up to the university MSA has been working to find a several times over the past six new space for the Craft Studio since the years, but it hasn’t been approved decision to close came in late August, but until now due to the quick with only a semester’s notice, the chances turnover of administration.

– AMY HAY, MU CRAFT that a new location will be found in time Over its 43 years of operation, STUDIO COORDINATOR are slim. the Craft Studio has become a Most spaces on campus are occupied place for students to escape from for the near future, and academic units get priority stressful and demanding campus life. They can come over student activities, so the Craft Studio is now on a and go as they please and aren’t graded on their work. “waiting list.”

That’s why reactions to the news that the studio will If a decision on a new location can’t be made by the have to leave its current space have been so strong. end of October, the Craft Studio is unlikely to exist next “No single activity or space will serve all students; semester. not everybody feels at home in the Rec Center,” says

WE NEED A PLACE FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT INTERESTED IN GREEK LIFE, JOURNALISM OR STUDENT GOVERNMENT.

SPEAKING OUT Many current and former Craft Studio users have turned to social media to express their disappointment and anger at the potential closing of the studio.

“The craft studio is closing? Why must we always put a stop to the arts? @Mizzou crafting is a way of stress relief for some students.”

– @staytrillhill via Twitter “Nooooooo!! This is awful news!! I don’t know if they care that employees love it too.

I loved being able to make pottery and was looking forward to come back next semester – say it ain’t so!!!”

– Mary Ann Daughtery via Facebook “My first clay class was at the Craft Studio.

Something is not right if funding is cut for this community/university arts bridge.”

– Ann Mehr via Facebook “This breaks my heart. The craft studio was what made Mizzou my home and creative space filled with remarkable people.”

– Rachel Chatham via Facebook

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MUSIC

That’s a rap

How one group from Columbia is expanding its reach and spitting winning rhymes

BY MIA JOHNSON

No Coast Raps is taking the Midwest by storm one bar at a time. By expanding to new cities and being featured on a major TV network, this straight-outta-Columbia group of rappers is reaching new heights after seven years in the game.

This year, the group expanded to Kansas City, St. Louis and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It joins a steadily growing list of divisions in Chicago and Minneapolis, Minnesota, where battle events take place throughout the year. And soon, No Coast will make its division debut in Denver.

“We haven’t processed it yet,” says Kelly Betz, head of No Coast, on this whirlwind of success. “It’s still happening, and it hasn’t stopped.”

There are more than 40 rappers from cities all over the nation in the group. Even with No Coast’s growing national reach, Kelly still stays rooted in Columbia for now because it’s much cheaper to live here than other cities. Although Columbia might not have the strongest rap scene, he makes sure to hold special insider events every so often for those who are really into battle rap.

On a larger scale, No Coast was contacted by MTV’s Brothers Green Kelly Betz, Mat Betz and Jared Rubin make up No Coast, an a capella rap group based in Columbia. They host events around the U.S. and are planning a two-day showcase in Minneapolis this November with artists from countries around the world, including Malaysia, Eats to be featured in an episode.

Scotland and Norway.

“We thought they were pranking us,” Kelly says. Kelly, his brother and co-founder Mat “Mantra” Betz and content of a rap is more important than just listening to St. Louis division head Jared “Shake” Rubin realized it music. He’s more interested in hearing the intricacies wasn’t a joke and worked with producers for an episode of the writing. “I want to hear what the person is in Chicago. saying,” he says. Depending on when the battle is, the No Coast only holds a few events in Columbia New changes aside, battle rap for No Coast is the rapper might have hours or months to prepare material. each year, but you can keep up with these rap same old game. Kelly, Mat and Jared explain what to The last thing anyone would want is to be ridiculed battlers on No Coast’s YouTube channel. There, expect in the battle rap scene. and unprepared while an opponent has an arsenal of you’ll find rap battles, interviews and other material to use. behind-the-scenes snippets. Here’s the video Do it a capella

Upcoming releases

No Coast specializes in a capella rap battles. Despite what some people might think, a capella battles were the norm until the past few decades and are now experiencing a resurgence. “In the ’90s, it got popular to do tournaments over beats,” Kelly says. Just like street battles, a capella battles are in their truest form — ­­ two rappers competing with no music. The rappers prefer to stay true to the a capella style because they’re really able to hear the other person.

Develop a style (and tear apart others’)

Take turns

Just go for it

Like a boxing match, a rap battle happens in rounds.

There are normally three rounds, in which the rappers take their turn to perform. Jared says rappers should make sure their lyrical bars don’t exceed certain time limits, which differ among competitions.

Come prepared

Rappers leave freestyle at the door — for the most part. Rap battles at No Coast are all about knowing the material before performers hit the stage. For Mat, the 16

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Over time, rappers have the chance to develop their own on-stage personas. They could be a boisterous cool kid or a nerdy dad. Either way, a rapper’s character on stage will help get the crowd and the opponent energized for the performance. “It’s about showmanship and personality,” Mat says. On the flip-side, nitpick the little things about an opponent’s character to develop a strong diss about them.

Being part of a rap battle means probably experiencing a lot of anxiety before starting a round. “Stage fright means you care,” Kelly says. It’s all about brushing away that nervous energy and diving in. Plus, winners usually aren’t chosen unless battlers request a panel of judges.

“As a promoter, if I book two battlers, I want them both to do amazing,” Jared says. So really, there’s nothing to lose by getting out there and giving it a chance.

release schedule for No Coast:

Oct. 7: Speedy Calhoun vs. Yung Dave Oct. 9: Epik1 vs. Orlando Coolridge Nov. 11: Illimit vs. Sparticus Nov. 12: Trey Gee vs. Dev Nov. 13: Shake vs. Mic Melt Nov. 15: Orlando Coolridge vs. Yung Tone See more on youtube.com/NoCoastRaps

PHOTO BY AMBER GARRETT

MUSIC

This week in music: Hyped-up indie With rowdy rock and sweet harmonies, you’ve got range this week

BY MARLEE ELLISON AND MEREDITH MCGRATH Twin Peaks with White Reaper, Modern Vices and It’s Me: Ross Indie favorite Twin Peaks is back in CoMo, supported by White Reaper, Modern Vices and It’s Me: Ross. These Chicago-based rockers put a catchy, modern twist on ’60s garage rock and write one heck of a love song.

Cafe Berlin, Tonight, 7 p.m., $13, 441-0400, cafeberlincomo.com

Green Day’s Revolution Radio If you thought Green Day’s moment in the spotlight ended in 2004 after American Idiot, think again. These rockers will never turn down the volume. Green Day has churned out 11 albums since 1990 and is releasing a new album called Revolution Radio on Friday. If the album’s name says

anything about its content, expect oldschool, anti-establishment themes.

Available Friday on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes and greenday.com

Phantogram’s new album, Three This electronic-rock duo is set to release a 10-track album Friday. It’s known for collaborations and infusing hip-hop with psychedelic pop. This release comes after the duo’s latest collaboration project, Big Grams, with Big Boi of OutKast. Three is dark in nature and drawn from painful experiences.

Available Friday on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes and phantogram.com

Joseph with Ruston Kelly Don’t let the name fool you; Joseph is a trio of singing sisters. Allison, Meegan and Natalie Closner are known for their rhythm and beautiful harmonies. Check out its latest album I’m Alone, No You’re Not. The Blue Note, Sunday, doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m., $13 in advance, $15 day of show, 874-1944, thebluenote.com

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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)

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ALISA CARLSON, associate curator at MU's Museum of Art and Archaeology, creates exhibitions to foster learning

A

lisa Carlson keeps a postcard of one of Albrecht Dürer’s self-portraits in her office at MU's Museum of Art and Archaeology. The card, which she bought during her high school humanities class trip to Germany and Italy, reminds her of when she decided to pursue a career in art.

Carlson, the MAA’s associate curator of European and American art, possesses a diverse art history background. Although she primarily studies early modern Northern European art, the Cannon Falls, Minnesota, native interned at the Museum for African Art in New York as an undergraduate student at Hamline University. From 2011 to 2012, she also completed a Fulbright fellowship in Berlin, where she researched the portrait drawings of German artist Hans Holbein the Elder.

“She has a good eye, the ability to see things as being important and of quality before that’s generally appreciated,” says Alex Barker, MAA’s director.

Carlson, 36, began her role at the MAA Sept. 1, 2015, about five months after the museum re-opened after moving from the MU campus to Mizzou North.

She chose the job over teaching positions at other schools because she would be a curator at a museum associated with a university.

Vox sat down with Carlson to reflect on her first year at the MAA.

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What interests you about curating?

I’d work with objects on a day-to-day basis as opposed to if I were teaching or if I were working for an auction house. Usually, professors are teaching from PowerPoints. Something that did not appeal to me was showing slides for the rest of my career, as much as I really love teaching and working with students. If I were to be working in, say, an auction house or a gallery, then it’s essentially just a monetarily driven system.

How did you curate your favorite exhibition at the museum?

The Distinction exhibition (running through Dec. 23) is probably my favorite. Part of the reason I like it is I had to dig into the MAA’s collection more. This exhibition required me to do a lot of drawing out on “What are all of the examples we have of portraits?”

The vast number we had was not even possible to put into this smaller exhibition. That required me to start being more selective. It wasn’t just “What portraits do we have? Let’s put them up.” Instead, it became its own sort of research project, asking, “What can we find out about the sitters who are being represented? Were they significant? Why were they significant?”

What is one of the most challenging aspects of your job?

Time management and keeping up with the different areas I am involved in at the museum, like leading tours. It’s trying to balance that with my ongoing research and writing. It’s balancing the day-to-day pulse and the slower kind of ebb and flow that goes with a big research writing project.

What do you do in your free time?

It is filled up with my baby. I’m a new mom. My son, Cohen, is going on 7 months. My husband and I are still trying to figure out a work-life balance. It is just caring and loving and having fun with him.

Tell us a little about your upcoming exhibits.

I will be curating an exhibition (opening) early next summer that will focus on women in Japanese prints. My working title for it is "Courtiers, Courtesans and Crones: Women in Japanese Prints." I will also be contributing to an exhibition opening next July that’s dedicated to the artist Simon Dinnerstein. After it has its display in Columbia, it will travel to the Arnot Art Museum in Elmira, New York, and then the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno.

— CAROLYN HEGER PHOTO BY ALEX SCIMECCA

THE TO-DO LIST

this week in Columbia

ARTS & CULTURE

MUSIC

Dismal Niche Music and Arts Festival

Emo Night with The Hanukkah Jones Band

Dismal Niche is a local, artist-operated, nonprofit record label and community arts network. This is the second year it has held this festival, which celebrates experimentation with art, music and theory. A host of national, regional and local creatives are set to showcase talents.

Today–Sunday, various venues throughout downtown Columbia, $50, 356-4415

Once

This musical tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. However, their unlikely connection turns out to be more complex than your everyday romance.

Reserve your seat for this eight-time Tony Award winning musical. Tonight, 7 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, $30--$50, 882-3781

Shanghai Acrobats of the PROC

50 years of flying high has made the Shanghai Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China one of the most influential and competitive acrobatic companies in the country. This world-renowned group is not to be missed. Monday, 7 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, $15--35, 882-3781

CIVIC Love Your Body Day

If you’re looking for the opportunity to support body positivity, the Campus Farmer’s Market has you covered. Design buttons to flaunt your self confidence.

You might win a few free prizes. This festival is a part of Love Your Body Week, which began Monday and will run through Friday. Today, 11 a.m., Lowry Mall on MU’s campus, Free, 882-8621

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. The community theater arranged ghostly scenes that tell a story, and you’ll encounter them along the way. Calling ahead to make a reservation for your group is required. Friday; the exact time of your stroll will depend on your reservation, but the event begins at 7:30 p.m.; Wildcliff Lake; $10--15; 660-8882200

Out of the Darkness Walk

Join the effort to raise awareness and funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, an organization dedicated to research, educational programs, policy and support. This walk will include an opening ceremony, on-site counselors, information about AFSP and an opportunity for healing for anyone with a loved one who has died by suicide.

Donations are encouraged. Sunday, 2 p.m., Stephens Lake Park, Free, 864-0182

These punk surf-rockers have lined some covers for The Social Room’s emo night.

Listen to the band’s latest album, Loser Friendly, to hype you up before they take the stage. Friday, 9 p.m., The Social Room; 21 and up, free; underage surcharge, $5, 397-6442

An Evening with Chris Robinson Brotherhood If you still have the blues bug from the Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival, check out this five-man blues-rock set. Saturday, 9 p.m., The Blue Note, $20, 874-1944

FOOD & DRINK

Football Fun on the Cheap!

Range Free 1st Birthday Carnival

Come celebrate Range Free’s first anniversary with live music from River Ghost Revue, an adoptable petting zoo from Second Chance, BBQ, beverages, face painting, street performers and, of course, birthday cake. Friday, 5 p.m., Range Free, Free, 777-9980

SCREEN The Birth of a Nation (R)

Nate Parker and Gabrielle Union star in this powerful account of the Nat Turner Rebellion, a slave revolt that occurred in Virginia in 1831. This film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

R, RT RUNTIME = 1:50

The Girl on the Train (R)

This adaptation of the 2015 bestseller by the same name details the emotional roller coaster of a recent divorcée living with alcoholism who becomes entangled in the investigation of a missing woman.

F, R RUNTIME = 1:52

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (PG) Red Band Society’s Griffin Gluck is breaking all the rules in this comedy about a boy named Rafe who transfers to a new middle school and incites a prank war on the principal who continuously attempts to stifle his creativity.

F, R, RT RUNTIME = 1:32

NO ONE LIKES WARM BEER DOWNLOAD THE NEW DIRT CHEAP APP AND GET YOUR FREE DIRT CHEAP KOOZIE*

Stock up for your tailgates and football watch parties on the cheap!

Cold Beer, Liquor, Wine, Tailgate Supplies & Fun Novelties

Bring in this coupon & receive $1 OFF any purchase of $20 or more!* *Must be 21 or older. Offer expires 10/31/16.

Still playing

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week ­— The Touring Years (NR) RT Bridget Jones’ Baby (R) F, R Deepwater Horizon (PG-13) F, R Don’t Breathe (R) R Hell or High Water (R) RT Kubo and the Two Strings (PG) R The Magnificent Seven (PG-13) F, R Masterminds (PG-13) F, R Snowden (R) F, R Storks (PG) F, R Suicide Squad (PG-13) R Sully (PG-13) F, R

Theaters F = Forum R = Regal

RT = Ragtag = Available in 3-D

Expires 10/31/16

3305A Clark Lane, Columbia, MO • 573.814.5111 10.06.16

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VOXMAGAZINE.COM

19

t o H Spot

the Name & Location thursday

friday

sunday

saturday

monday

tuesday wednesday

FREE WI-FI AVAILABLE!!

FREE WI-FI AVAILABLE!!

New Late Night Happy Hour Specials

www.addisonsophias.com

9 pm until midnight • Sunday through Thursday Features $2 Pints and $5 Nachos

709 Cherry St. • 256-1995

Established 2006

3700 Monterey Dr. (573) 443-4350 • www.deucepub.com

23 S. 8th Street Lower Level of the Tiger Hotel Downtown

$3 PINTS $6 LITER MUGS!

$5 PInt+doughnut #LOVEYOURCRAFT PAIRING

1000 beers / FREE WIFI / 16 taps

DOMESTIC

LONGNECK NIGHT! Late Night

2541 Broadway Bluffs Drive • (573) 815-7210 Sunday: 11am-10pm Monday-Thursday: 11am-10pm (bar closes at 11pm) Friday-Saturday: 11am-11pm (bar closes at 12am)

free to play!

AS LOW

Happy Hour 3:30pm to 7pm

410 S. 9th St • 449-6927

TUESDAY TRIVIA

HAROLDs happy hour Mon-SAt: OPEN til SOLD OUT

FRIDAY

111 S. 9th st, columbia, mo

Sunday - Monday 12pm - 9pm Tuesday - Thursday 12pm - 11pm Friday - Saturday 12pm - 12am

www.addisonsophias.com

Happy Hour 10pm to Midnight

ALL DAY!

DRAFT & SHOTS

SPECIALS

6 PIZZA 9" 2-TOPPING $

ALL

WEEKEND LONG!

VODKAS, DRAFT & SHOTS

Late Night Snack?

JOIN US ate Night BEFORE & LHappy Hour Our Kitchen AFTER THE 8pm to is Open GAME!!

11pm until Midnight

ALL 25 TAPS

MICRO & IMPORTS

ON SPECIAL!

ALL WHEAT TAPS AND DOUBLE WELLS

BOTTLES PIZZAS! ON SPECIAL! 1/2 OFF ALL

HAPPY HOUR 3:30 - 7 • Buy one, get one FREE Apps Specials on all Draft Beer, House Drinks, Long Island Tea, Long Beach Tea, Sweet Tarts

Late Night

Happy Hour 10pm to Midnight

Kitchen open until Midnight (11pm Sundays) • CHECK OUT OUR ROOF-TOP PATIO •www.theheidelberg.com

$4

Long Island Pitchers

HAPPY HOUR

Sun-Fri: 3-7pm & 9pm-close Saturday 11am-4pm $7.95 Apps $5.95 LIT's Pitchers $4 House Wines $3 and $4 Draft Beer Specials

home

of the seven day weekend

1/2 Price ALL Day $5 Bottles Happy Margaritas Wine Tues & Hour and Mojitos Thurs

open

Tue-Wed-Thu: 5pm-Close Fri-Sat: 5pm–1:30am

drink

specials every day

Join our email club!

Ask your server for details!

cool

new food menu

Cupcakes • Wedding Cakes • Starbucks Coffee • Specialty Treats Daily Cupcake Specials • Custom Orders • Lattes Now offering Sandwiches, Soups and Salads.

23 S. 8th St • Columbia MO • 573.875.8888 HOURS: 6:30 am - 10:00 pm (7 days a week)

And..Stop in for our Outstanding Made-To-Order Hot Breakfast (Omelettes, Belgian Waffles, etc).