The University of Blog

Everyone needs Spring Break right now. Studying constantly, I have two midterms and one test this week. I know that many of my friends are deep in studying mode. However, I cannot wait until spring break where I will not have to read, look at equations or memorize lists and will visit my brother in Seattle, WA. However, I am not quite sure what we will do. If any readers have suggestions, please enlighten me.

If your Spring Break Plans are somewhat close to home, or maybe even home (my roommate is going to “JoMo” (Joplin, MO)), there are still things to do to make a Spring Break fun.

Catch up on the cult classics like The Big Lebowski and Pulp Fiction to be able to catch the allusions to the movies that people throw around all the time.

Eat and cook homemade food, even though it’s just brownies. You never know how lucky you are to have a kitchen right there until it is five floors downstairs.

Sit in your couch at home and do nothing for one day. Do not look at any books. Just relax and do not worry about classes.

And even though Mizzou’s Spring Break is later than most, still find time to meet with your friends, even if they might have classes. This is a great feel refreshed for the part of school after Spring Break that feels endless.

My car died twice this week. Thus I had to rely on friends for rides. However, I did wonder what Columbia, offers in the way of public transportation. Students ride for $.25 each trip. Also, transit offers a 30-day unlimited FASTPass for $20. Or, there is a 7-day student FASTPass for $2.50. There are various pick up spots throughout campus. Also, there are blue signs at intersections. The buses will stop, however, at street corners or the end of blocks by getting the driver’s attention.
Hours:
6:25 a.m. through 6:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday;
6:25 a.m. through 10:25 p.m. Thursday and Friday; and
9:45 a.m. through 10:25 p.m. Saturday.

If you have to get to the KC or St. Louis airport and do not have a ride, do not fret. It is not difficult to find a way to get to where you need to be. Carpools are great by friends living in Kansas City or St. Louis. If that is not an option, do not worry, MoEx offers 12 round trips to St. Louis and five to Kansas City. A round trip costs about $80. A little pricey, but it is reliable.

For Kristin’s birthday, a few friend and I blew up 144 balloons. For those who have never blown up 144 balloons, it is quite a feat and I felt very lightheaded afterward. Then while Kristin and I were out, our friends put them all our room to completely take over our little space in Mark Twain. It was a fun surprise for her to walk into a room completely packed with balloons.

For dinner, we went out to eat at Sophia’s off of Providence past Stadium wearing funky dresses. The food was excellent. Very upscale, but not too pricey. There are entrees that are around $20, but the pasta dishes are more affordable (around $12). The paintings representing various scenes of Columbia create a nice ambiance. Also, Kristin got a free dessert. The chocolate mouse cake so good that I would go back just for the dessert. I highly recommend trying it.

The whole birthday was very much fun. Celebrating a birthday away from home can take getting used to, so it’s great to have friends to eat and party with. And if you had ever thought about having an ice cream cake in the dorm, it can be done. We got the key to the community kitchen to keep a DQ cake cold. Then we kept the key until the cake was gone (which took no time at all).

Below: Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Chicken with portobello mushrooms, red onions, romas, artichokes, and kalamata olives. Tossed with penne pasta in a pesto asiago sauce

I had a delightful evening at the house of an alumni couple. I ate real food: pork tenderloin, risotto, strawberry salad and peach pie. was able to chat with other students in various areas of interest rather than just other journalism students that I usually interact with. It was so wonderful. In addition, it was an opportunity to get away from my dorm and have good conversation with new people.

Being a True Tiger (member of the student alumni association) is a great experience. I am able to attend events and network with both alumni and other students. So far, I have attended the Network Dinner earlier in the year (catered steak meal). Aside from being an opportunity for free food, I was able to meet and get advice from professionals in my future field. A retired broadcast journalist told me that he learned more in his four months in his first job than he did in his four years at Mizzou. But he really valued his well-rounded education because in a career, he focused solely on his job. I really like the advice that college is the time to explore all your interests or you might not have the opportunity to. Thus, take advantage of all of the opportunities that Mizzou offers.

Other events include tailgating events with alumni before football games, trip to a game in a different city, and painting the M by Faurot Field. It is only $20 to sign up True Tigers, and you get a free t-shirt and glass cup (it pays for itself). In addition, you get discounts all over town. Free food, good conversation, discounts and networking opportunities: what more could you want?

What an exciting Saturday! I went to see the Neo-Nazi March. In reality, there were only about 24 protestors and packed streets full of people who wanted to see them. About 1000 people showed up to see a couple dozen members of the National Socialist Movement. And they only marched for about 45 minutes. However, it was a spectacular display as 110 police officers kept order decked out with shields and pepper spray with a helicopter overhead.

I am sure every photo-journalism and journalism student gathered around to watch. One of the people on my floor who went got some great close up photos. However getting that close yields consequences: he was spat on and was thrown to the ground.

The participation at Douglass Park was impressive. There were many signs that said “No Hate in Our Town,” and people wearing t-shirts that said the same. It was great to see the town come together to overcome this display of hate. Fight hate, go diversity!

For those who have been following Columbia news, the Nazis are coming on Saturday. The National Socialist Movement will be marching in protest to the Missouri school of Journalism. The Missouri chapter of the neo-Nazi group will march down Elm Street, Hitt Street, University Ave, and Ninth street sometime from noon to 5 p.m. The best thing is to ignore the group.
In response, the city will host Tolerance Day with several events to have people away from where the Nazi group will be.

• A gathering will be held in Douglass Park from noon until 5 p.m. with a D.J., games, food and a step show.
• Groups will be handing out free shirts and the Human Rights Commission will hand out 500 “Not In Our Town” buttons.

Not every town has the neo-Nazis marching through it. However, is is best to get some free stuff and particpate in Columbia’s “Tolerance Day.” The best thing to do on Saturday afternoon? Take a nap or go to the park. The best thing is to not get violent and give this group what they want.

The weather is actually nice. Dress and skirt weather. Weather where you can laugh and not feel your lungs freeze together. All in all, good weather.

Have fun in the weather. Go out and do something spectacular. My friends played outside and threw Frisbees around. Other fun activities include walking downtown and window-shopping. Ride a bike. There are many 45 miles of hiking trails around Columbia including the MKT trail, an urban walkway, which connects to the Katy State Park. The Katy Trails were converted from a railway and I read that it is a 227 mile east-west path that goes across most of the state. I’ve heard great things about it. And the Santa Fe Trail starts in Boonville, about 10 miles away.

Also, there are 3000 acres of state parklands 10 miles within the city. I have yet to locate the other parks, but within walking distance is Peace Park. Many community groups use the park. I was walking downtown (after I had just read Don Quixote), and I found a Medieval Reenactment group practicing at Peace Park. I felt a little like Don Quixote and a bit crazy. They let us know that if we were interested in learning more, we were always welcome.

Like to rock climb or spelunk? There are options at Rock Bridge to explore Connor’s Cave. At Mizzou, there is an Outdoor Adventure Club. Also, there is the Venture Out program that has several trips that are intended to introduce people to rock climbing. There is even an Alpline Tower (big climbing course) for another fun challenge.

There is no reason not to go outside. I even saw a rollerblader today. It reminded me of those lazy fourth grade days. There is no reason not to go outside when it is so nice outside. I can’t wait to explore some of those trails.

This weekend I’m in Lawrence catching up with the family. The drive from Columbia is about 2 ½-3 hours. Not bad at all if looking for a fun outing on the weekend. However, I warn against wearing any Mizzou gear. This will just get into a bit of trouble since the University of Kansas (KU and Mizzou’s big rivals) is housed here. However, don’t ignore Lawrence just because it is supposed to be the enemy: it has a lot of culture and fun activities.

Lawrence has a great music scene. I saw my first concert at Liberty Hall, which is comparable to the Blue Note mixed with the Ragtag in Columbia. If a concert doesn’t work out in your schedule, at least go to Liberty Hall to see a movie. It is beautiful. For a list of activities, visit Lawrence.com.
Another fun thing to do is eating at the variety of restaurants. Ethnic options include Indian, Korean, Thai, Chinese, Mongolian, and American (can this be ethnic? There are lots of pizza options here). I ate at this Tuck away Korean restaurant off of Massachusetts street (main drag) on Friday night. It was pretty crowded (usually it’s not), but the food was excellent. We shared the tuna roll among three and I had the chicken rice bowl. Delicious. I have yet to find a Korean restaurant in Columbia.

Funky lamp at Java Break.

It is great spend Saturday afternoon strolling downtown Massachusetts Street. Stores to hit up downtown include Hobbs, Weavers (old department store), Eco Boutiquo, and Urban Outfitters. My favorite coffee shops include La Prima Taza, Milton’s and Java Break.