FEB PHOTO FEATURE

Alyson Garcia

A quote by Brené Brown fills the screen during a Circle of Sisterhood meeting in Strickland Hall. The meetings are held every other Tuesday, with each one focusing on a different topic. This week’s topic was “Love Yourself.”

Amanda Eckhard

Freshman Anthony Lupo is a Trulaske College of Business Ambassador and a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, the Cornell Leadership Program and Missouri DECA. He is pursuing a dual degree in Marketing and Textile and Apparel Management.

Lupo has profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and he wears hearing aids in order to hear more accurately, but he said that does not hold him back from excelling in many different aspects of his life.

"I have never let my disability get in the way of doing anything,” Lupo said. “In fact, it actually motivates me to do all that I can to become successful with a disability.”

Bailey Valadez: Songs You Should Be Listening to This Month

With a diverse campus and city comes a diverse taste in music. There are countless platforms of music sharing and downloading, which has made it easy to gain access to and share favorite songs. The trend of making monthly playlists for friends, family or anyone who happens to stumble upon them has become a fad for students and residents alike.

Whether a collection of old, new or all from the same genre, student creators couldn’t stop listening to their music during February. Monthly playlists, or even just song recommendations, are a great way to get exposed to new and diverse music — music that may fall outside your traditional picks and that you may end up enjoying.

Take a look at some of this month’s top recommendations from other students around you:

1. Thomas Rechenberg, a freshman at Mizzou who is studying documentary journalism, listens to all his music via Apple Music. He tends to listen most when he walks to class; classical is his go-to when he attends the daily study hall hosted by the fraternity he is pledging. “Perfect moments are almost always accompanied by music,” he said.

   Thomas's Pick:

   33 ‘GOD’” by Bon Iver

2. Kaila Echevarria, a freshman at Mizzou who is pursuing a dual degree in documentary journalism and film studies, listens to all her music on both Apple Music and Spotify. As a musician, music has been a big part of her life for as long as she can remember.

   Kaila's Pick:

   “Free Room (feat. Appleby)” by Ravyn Lenae

3. Katie Radel, 20, a business and marketing major who works at the store Route in downtown Columbia, says she only listens to music about an hour a day, and mostly when she is with friends. She does enjoy going to concerts, experiencing what most would call “music coming to life.”

   Katie's Pick:

   “Die a Happy Man” by Thomas Rhett

4. Logan Gibson, a freshman majoring in journalism, listens to his music via Apple Music. He finds himself listening to music whenever he walks or drives anywhere. “Sharing music can be as innocent as showing your friends what you like or it can be a way of giving other people an idea of what it feels like to be you,” he said.

   Logan's Pick:

   “Seven Wonders” by Fleetwood Mac

5. Janie Backs, 22, works at Muse, the clothing store in downtown Columbia. She earned a dual degree in textile and apparel management and marketing with a focus on merchandising and product development. She uses Spotify, Apple Music and SoundCloud whenever she listens to music, which is “all the time,” she said. “What’s magic about music is that in every race and every gender, it’s something that everybody can resonate with,” she said. “No matter what language we speak, even if we’re a first-world country or a third-world country, everybody has music.”

   Janie's Pick:

   “Eat The Light” by Lotus

6. Oriana “Ori” Rodriguez, a freshman majoring in strategic communications, listens to all her music via Spotify and is never afraid to sing at the top of her lungs to her favorite songs when surrounded by friends. “I listen to music because I feel like it takes me to a different place,” she said. “Away from my head, away from things that may be happening or any negative feelings.”

   Oriana's Pick:

   “Start a Riot” by BANNERS

7. Gavin Easley, 20, is visiting his friend Kaila Echevarria from Jefferson City, where he is a business major at Lincoln University. He listens to all his music via iTunes. “Music is art,” he said. “We’re surrounded by it all the time. We’re connected because of it.”

   Gavin's Pick:

   “Sweet Life” by Frank Ocean

8. Abby Klitzing, 21, is studying textile and apparel management. She started working at Slackers about six months ago. She listens to music most when she is driving or walking around campus. “Whenever I’m having a hard time, music gives me a different place to go,” she said. “You know, dive into whatever that song is about. It detaches me from whatever I’m currently going through.”

   Abby's Pick:

   “Same Drugs” by Chance the Rapper

Emil Lippe: Joy of art drives WildysWorld

For artists, being spontaneous is natural. Stacy Self is an artist with a wild side — a muralist, to be exact. After working in commercial art at the St. Louis City Museum for many years, Self decided to change her ways, skip town with her son Simon, and move to Columbia to start a new life.

"I quit my job at the City Museum, and Simon and I left,” she said. “We just took off, I cut my dreadlocks off and was like 'I'm going into the woods' so I took the name Wildflower.”

Self, who also goes by Wildy, became interested in the idea of making a living off of her own original work but wanted to find a way to bring the community together, so she opened her own studio space, WildysWorld.

"I have created an interactive art studio for the community, for everyone to enjoy art so that everyone can feel the joy of art making and not just looking at it on the wall thinking they're not an artist."

The joy of art making is what drove Wildy to open her new studio. Despite working alone, the space gives plenty of room for positive vibrations that help her with her creative process.

"I like things that don't have answers,” she said. “I like people to think and explore their own imaginations."

Jumping out of a comfortable situation in St. Louis with a steady job was risky, but she said the transition to life in Columbia has gone well. At WildysWorld, groups can come make art for team-building purposes or to just have fun and paint. Once the group is done with the piece that they have all created, Wildy will add the finishing touches and send the art off.

Making murals was not the only goal that Self had in mind when coming to Columbia. In a joint effort with ARTlandish Gallery owner Lisa Bartlett and several other independent artists in Columbia, Self founded Artists for Social Justice.

"She is a fearless artist,” Bartlett said of Self. “I think just being around her is empowering because she just kind of exudes that energy."

The group is still new, but their goal is to put on four major art exhibits throughout 2017 that help spread awareness for social justice.

The first exhibit that Artists for Social Justice put on was the Nasty Women Art Exhibit, which opened in February 2017. Approximately 100 pieces about gender equality were donated to the exhibit. All of the proceeds from the exhibit will go to Planned Parenthood.

In addition to the Nasty Women Art Exhibit, Artists for Social Justice is already planning on their next exhibit which will be about immigrants in the U.S. There is no timetable for the opening of the next exhibit.

Stacy Self intently works on a piece of artwork for the Nasty Women Art Exhibit at WildysWorld in Columbia on Jan. 25. The Nasty Women Art Exhibit was open Feb. 21 through March 5 at the ARTlandish Gallery. Self took the nickname “Wildflower” when she uprooted her life and moved from St. Louis to Columbia in 1999.

Lisa Bartlett admires the artwork on the wall at ARTlandish Gallery in Columbia on Jan. 25. Bartlett and Self started an organization together called Artists for Social Justice, which put on the Nasty Women Art Exhibit. "You know when you have people bringing on the energy and getting out there, they’re doing the work, you know it’s hard work,” Bartlett said. “But you make more of an impact when you are out in the community reaching out to different people.”

Stacy Self stands on a step ladder Feb. 26 while adding some finishing touches to a piece that was made during the Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival at WildysWorld. Self said that while she has established herself well in Columbia, she still has not connected with her target audience. “My people are creatives,” she said.

Stacy Self works on a piece of artwork in her collaborative gallery WildysWorld in Columbia on Feb. 26. For Self, “it’s not really about me forcing my will onto this object. It’s more like I want to see what the materials do.”

Stacy Self touches up a piece from the 2016 Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival in Columbia at her collaborative studio WildysWorld on Feb. 26. Self calls WildysWorld "an interactive art studio for the community for everyone to enjoy art. They need a place to do that."

A portrait of Stacy Self at WildysWorld in Columbia on Feb. 26. "I like things that don’t have answers,” Self said. “I like people to think and explore their own imaginations."

Stacy Self's piece "Vulvular" hangs in ARTlandish Gallery at the Nasty Women Art Exhibit on Feb. 26. The goal of Artists for Social Justice is to have four big social issue projects throughout the year. The next venture on the docket will benefit immigrants in Columbia.

Emily Nevils: Columbia Chili Cookoff

Forty-five teams came together with hopes to raise over $100,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia during 12th Annual Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili Cookoff at the Holiday Inn Expo Center on Feb. 18.

Each team, sponsored by a local business or organization, decorated a booth and prepared chili for participants to taste and judge. At the end of the afternoon, awards are given out for teams’ themes, decorations and the best-tasting chili. Tickets were $18 and the proceeds went towards the Boys and Girls Clubs in Columbia. Participants wandered through the maze of tables and booths, many elaborately decorated, tasting chili from little Dixie cups and voting for their favorites. To finish off the afternoon, the Missouri High Steppers performed a routine in front of a captivated audience.

Valorie Livingston, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia, said that with about 800 people in attendance, the Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili Cookoff is one of the biggest fundraisers for the Boys & Girls Clubs, which support families and children in need. “The more money we raise, the more kids that they can serve.”

An award plaque from the 2012 Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili Cookoff sits on a table at the Universi-T’s and Tiger Shark Engraving booth. The 12th Annual Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili Cookoff took place Feb. 18, 2017, at the Holiday Inn Expo Center in Columbia. Universi-T’s and Tiger Shark Engraving have been participating in the cook-off for 10 years now, and donate the event’s T-shirts. Matt Baumhoer from Tiger Shark Engraving said that they love doing this every year to give back to the community.

Jennifer Heath, president of Columbia Credit Union, welcomes people to try her chili at the Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili Cookoff. For their eighth year at the cook-off, the Columbia Credit Union decorated their booth with a Mardi Gras theme and prepared complementing Cajun chili.

Jennifer Heath presents a participant with beads in exchange for his vote for Columbia Credit Union’s chili. Each booth is sponsored by a local business or organization, which chooses a theme and cooks chili for people to try and vote for. At the end of the event, awards are given out in several categories in both design and taste.

Megan Moore, an employee from All About Signs and Shirts, explains the directions for a hunting-themed game at their booth.

Rubber ducks swim in a tub of water as part of the “Pluck a Duck” activity in the All About Signs and Shirts booth. Rhonda Moore, the owner of the family business, has been participating in the Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili Cookoff for five or six years now to give back to the Boys and Girls Clubs that her husband was once a part of. “We do this not for the chili, ‘cause we know that our chili isn’t the best, but we do it for the kids,” Moore said.

Drill Instructor Tyrone Raybon, left, and Drillmaster Rolando Barry, right, converse during the Missouri High Steppers’ performance at the Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili Cookoff on Feb. 18. Barry founded the Missouri High Steppers in 1979, and partners with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia to provide advancement opportunities to children in Columbia.

The Missouri High Steppers perform a routine at the Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili Cookoff, a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia. Instructor Kirby Marks has been involved in high stepping for 37 years, and believes strongly in the Missouri High Steppers. Marks said that the program takes kids that society has given up on and those on the brink of alternative schools, teaching them discipline and responsibility and opening up opportunities for them to eventually go on to become doctors, teachers and more.

Jessie Dodge: Mizzou Idol returns for 2017 edition

Nine contestants gathered to compete in Mizzou Idol, judged live on Feb. 25. For the first full round, each contestant performed one song and received feedback from the judges. Three were selected for the final round: Jewell Paine, Ian Teoh and Kylie Lawrence, where they performed one final song. Paine’s final round performance of Billy Joel’s “To Make You Feel My Love” captured the win, making her the 2017 Mizzou Idol champion.

Trent McRae, the KCOU Hip Hop AMD Music Executive, hosts the 2017 Mizzou Idol competition in The Shack on Feb. 25.

Holt Skinner performs Beyonce’s “Halo.”

Sarah Cox performs Laura Izibor’s “Can’t Be Love” in front of both a live audience and the live stream that offered the show to viewers not present.

Rachel Hopson strives to build a connection with the audience during her vocal performance at Mizzou Idol.

Ian Teoh performs “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson in combination with his ukulele.

TaKayra Lyles sings “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey for the first round performance.

Brian Robinson belts out his take on Lukas Graham’s “7 Years” inside The Shack for Mizzou Idol’s attendees and Mort’s customers next door.

Jake Majors emphasizes a line from Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” during his performance during the first round of Mizzou Idol.

Kylie Lawrence performs during the second round of the night. Lawrence’s first round performance of Emeli Sandé’s “Mountains” earned her a “best stage presence so far” review by current MSA President and event judge Sean Earl.

Jewell Paine performs her first song of the night, “The Only Exception” by Paramore. This performance earned her a spot in the final round.

2017 Mizzou Idol winner Jewell Paine finishes her victory performance of Alicia Keys’s “If I Ain’t Got You” to conclude the night’s performances.

Julia Hansen: The Last Six Weeks of Winter

On Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter. However, temperatures were high throughout the majority of the month, specifically when they hovered in the upper 60s to mid-70s in Columbia for most of the weekend of Feb. 17-19. Students took advantage of the warm weather during this weekend by breaking out their shorts and moving activities outside. Based on these student signs, could spring come earlier at MU than the groundhog predicted?

New leaves sprout on young trees outside the Student Center. The mild winter around Columbia could lead to an early onset of seasonal allergies even though the official start of spring does not come until March 20.

Freshman Kale Gerstner relaxes in a hammock outside of Jesse Hall. Gerstner and several friends took advantage of the warm weather by hammocking and kicking around a soccer ball. Good places to hammock are between “two trees within a reasonable distance,” said freshman Matt Furrer, one of Gerstner’s friends.

Rain clouds gather over MU’s campus Monday, Feb. 20. While snow and ice are associated with winter weather, Columbia received 0.04 inches of rain in scattered showers on Feb. 20, according to Weather Underground.

Freshmen Matthew Shrontz, left, and John Lane, right, play one-on-one on the outdoor court between Gillett Hall and Plaza 900. The duo also spends time at the Student Recreation Complex.

Freshmen Gabby Sowa, back, and Tori Cox, front, study between the Columns. Sowa and Cox listed the library, Memorial Student Union, study rooms and their residence hall as alternative study spots.

The sun sets west of MU as seen through a window in Ellis Library. The groundhog may have predicted six more weeks of winter, but winter’s window seems to be closing fast.

Lacey Paul

Photo illustration. The combination of light, literature, and curiosity can wield endless power and influence, seen here with Steven Millhauser’s "Voices in the Night."

Lane Burdette: Small Places, Big Spaces

“All the good pictures here have already been taken.” This was one of my first thoughts after arriving at MU. I envisioned potential photographic angles of Memorial Union, Jesse Hall and Lowry Mall but dismissed each one. Surely all the best shots of these iconic locations already belonged to the hundreds of thousands of photojournalists, artists and hobbyists that have walked Mizzou’s grounds over the past hundred years.

Months later, my search for original MU images would start accidentally when, reclining on the second floor Schurz lounge sofa, I looked up. Four months of this room, this couch, and I’d never looked up. Suddenly, the ceiling was a gradient of smooth color and light, and I was running for my camera: I’d finally found an angle of Mizzou I’d never seen before.

My search for new angles continued through the weeks. Walking back from calculus, I considered road bridge photos. Passing by Jesse, I noticed a wayward fire escape. My regular visits to the Tucker Greenhouse made me consider how few people knew the building was public; I started to plan when I could return with my camera. Overall, my photographic process (which included lying on the ground to get the perfect upshot and leaning too far over a koi pond) earned me odd looks, a waterlogged phone, and (hopefully) some unique images of MU.

A polka-dotted optical illusion contrasts with architectural lines as a student makes their daily journey on the bridge crossing over College Avenue.

A tight zoom focuses on this piece of the Agriculture Science Building.

One’s view when looking skyward before entering Hulston Hall.

Painted murals decorate the southern entrance to Tucker Hall

A lighting feature plays shadows on the ceiling.

Overhanging plants reflect in clear water as fish swim inside of Tucker Greenhouse.

Looking up at the Virginia Avenue Parking Structure.

Concrete seating outside of Walter Williams Hall.

The view, looking up, from beneath a fire escape at Jesse Hall.

Maddie Davis: Day of Doughnuts

Harold’s Doughnuts, located on Ninth Street, celebrated Valentine’s Day with a doughnut bar.After opening the shop in 2015, Michael Urban — the owner and operator — has hosted a Valentine’s Day doughnut bar every year since then.

Urban said that when Harold’s Doughnuts first opened, he came up with a doughnut bar concept that took place every weekend night. Those events were successful, so it prompted him to infuse that idea with a Valentine’s Day celebration.

“Everybody is out and about, looking for things to do that weekend,” he said. “Valentine’s Day is pretty sweet, so we thought that we would try to fit in.”

For the 2017 Valentine’s Day event, Harold’s Doughnuts partnered with Top Ten Wines and The Candy Factory.

Three different kinds of doughnuts headlined the event. The first — called the Coffee Toffee Doughnut — was a Bismarck doughnut filled with made-from-scratch coffee cream and topped with a Nutella drizzle and The Candy Factory’s almond toffee chips.

The second doughnut — named Sweet Love — was a Bismarck doughnut filled with pastry crème filling and glazed with vanilla bean icing. It featured a Candy Factory chocolate-covered strawberry on top.

The third and final doughnut — dubbed Nuts About You — was a long john filled with peanut butter mousse, glazed with chocolate, drizzled with chocolate ganache and topped with The Candy Factory’s chocolate-covered Nutter Butters and sweet and salty nuts.

Urban said he is pleased with how well the event has gone for the past three years.

“As long as it continues to do well, we’ll keep doing it,” he said.

Customers of Harold’s Doughnuts enjoy their Valentine’s Day doughnut creations in addition to wine from Top Ten Wines.

Doughnuts on the back counter of Harold’s Doughnuts wait to be frosted and filled before being sold.

The Nuts About You doughnut was one of three doughnuts that headlined the event.

Customers wait their turn in line at the counter to purchase Valentine’s Day doughnuts.

Harold’s Doughnuts owner Michael Urban smiles at customers as he rings up their orders. “These doughnuts are pretty decadent creations,” Urban said. “Especially since we’ve infused The Candy Factory’s products.”

Sophia Nedelco: Bringing Mongolia to Mizzou

Mizzou Mongolian Awareness Day, hosted by Multicultural Hour and the Mongolian Culture and History Association, was celebrated Feb. 23 in Memorial Union. About 40 people attended the the free event that began with a presentation about Mongolian culture. After that, participants enjoyed Mongolian music, food and activities such as writing names in Mongolian script and ankle bone games.

Following a presentation about Mongolian culture, event attendees had the opportunity to try traditional food and activities. These activities included everything from music to trying their hand at Mongolian calligraphy.

Batzorig Bat-lreeduí arranges the shagai, or ankle bone, to use it for fortune telling during Mizzou Mongolian Awareness Day. Shagai can also be used for a horse racing game.

A banner of Genghis Khan was one of the many Mongolian decorations set out to help celebrate Mizzou Mongolian Awareness Day on Feb. 23.

Professor Roy Keller and senior Julianna Mechowski converse before the Mizzou Mongolian Awareness Day presentation in Memorial Union on Feb. 23.

Ochirnyam Baasandorj demonstrates to April Sinkler how to play the morin khuur, a Mongolian traditional instrument. Sinkler recognized some of what Baasandorj described because of her background in playing the violin.

Ochirnyam Baasandorj plays the morin khuur before food was served. He made the end of the song resemble a horse whinny, a testament to the importance of horses in Mongolian culture.

Ochirnyam Baasandorj helps present about Mongolian culture in Memorial Union for Mizzou Mongolian Awareness Day Feb. 23.

During the event, a slideshow and short video were presented on varying aspects of Mongolian culture.