Vote No on the Kansas City Stadium Tax on April 2

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Words and Photos by Whitney Young

Here at Catcall, we are incredibly passionate about preserving the arts and culture in Kansas City. That’s why we urge Jackson County voters to Vote No on Question 1 on Tuesday, April 2, to prevent billionaires from changing the district’s culture forever with a baseball stadium.

Here’s the background on Kansas City and Question 1

The arts are integral to a successful and expanding city. At Catcall, most of our staff resides in Kansas City. We’ve watched as downtown KCMO has expanded from mostly vacant warehouses to the thriving neighborhoods we see today. That success is thanks to the dreamers and artists who led the overhaul—which is especially true for our beloved Kansas City Crossroads Arts District. The outcome of Tuesday’s vote will determine the future of this key Kansas City neighborhood. 

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Olivia Rodrigo Makes Music for the Teenage Girl in All of Us.

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By Bella Rainey

In 2021, Olivia Rodrigo stunned the world with “Sour” —a short but sweet record that journies through heartbreak and girlhood. It balanced immaturity and maturity in a way many thought would be impossible to top. 

Spoiler alert: She topped it. 

“GUTS” is one of the best sophomore pop albums I have had the pleasure of listening to, analyzing, and dissecting—and I’m still thinking about it six months after it debuted on September 8, 2023.

The album leans into hints of pop-punk we got in “Sour,” but it stays true to Olivia’s ballad-y roots. She focuses on topics such as hooking up with an ex, jealousy, and the difficult (but exciting) transition from teenage girl to young woman. It’s a lot to cover in just 39 minutes, so let’s hop in. 

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You’ll want to hop under the covers after visiting KC’s first romance bookshop

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By Nicole Mitchell
Photos by Whitney Young

Do you dart to the romance section at every bookstore you enter? Are you someone who chooses books based on romantic interests? Will you be reading Ao3 fanfiction for the rest of your life? Maybe you found all your fave book recs from Catcall Editor Kelcie McKenney’s Smutty Book Guide. If any (or all) of the above fits your reading style, then, wow, do we have news for you.

Carley Morton recently opened Kansas City’s first all-romance bookshop, Under the Cover, to serve all your rom-com, YA romance, paranormal romance, regency romance, and/or erotica needs. A fellow cliterature stan, Carley has been a romance fiend since 2011. 

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Kansas City Lesbian and Feminist Stories are the Focal Point of Kemper Museum’s Current Annual Atrium Project

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By: Nicole Mitchell

Emerging and mid-career Hispanic and Latinx artists in Kansas City get the opportunity to highlight societal themes through the exploration of subject and scale with the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art’s annual Atrium Project. On display through July 28, the Kemper’s eighth annual Atrium Project exhibition, So the roots be known, offers a lens into the intersection of feminism and Exhibition Artist Sarah Zapata’s personal experience with her lesbian identity.

In her practice, Zapata navigates identity, community, lineages, counterculture, and histories of resistance through intentional usage of color, iconography, and textile techniques—such as acrylic yarn and natural fibers.

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Enough is Enough. Put a Stop to Gun Violence.

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By Emily Laptad and Kelcie McKenney

Yesterday’s gun violence at the Chiefs Super Bowl Victory Celebration absolutely shattered our hearts here at Catcall. Most of our staff is based in the Kansas City metro, and today we find ourselves so incredibly sad, angry, and helpless. When will enough be enough? 

The worst part of all of this is we shouldn’t have to imagine a mass shooting happening on the streets we walk on. How many times have you prepared to go to a big event and wondered if this might be the day you experience gun violence up close and personal?

On days like these, it’s easy to feel powerless. To think, why should I even raise my voice when politicians only send their “thoughts and prayers,” only to take no action and send their “thoughts and prayers” yet again when the next shooting happens in the United States—because it will.

But here at Catcall, we refuse to be silent. We will scream until our throats are raw. We will continue the fight for common sense gun laws, no matter how long it takes. Because there will be a next time. 

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