United States of America
Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. Aspires to see as much of the world as physically possible, and to tell the stories of the people met along the way.
The story begins with a familiar plot. It's the 1980s, and a teenage girl growing up in a Virginia suburb has her eyes set on the captain of the high school football team. But the crush never amounts to anything. He continues walking the halls with his cheerleader girlfriend, while our main character admires from afar.
It's the perfect storm for any food-and-wine aficionado: 1,500 attendees, 85 wineries and 46 restaurants all at one event. The Forks & Corks Grand Tasting takes place Jan. 29, and it's time for anyone lucky enough to snag a ticket to start preparing.
Niki Kottmann | Contributor A woman's purse says a lot about her. If she's a beading or sparkles kind of gal, she's likely the outgoing, life-of-the-party type. If solid colors or tame patterns are more her style, she's probably the cool, calm and collected type.
Some messages are better told without words. For painters, the medium is canvas. For sculptors, it's clay. For dancers, it's a stage and an audience interested in watching performers pour their souls into every movement. Five choreographers will give Sarasotans a look into their creative processes this weekend in Sarasota Contemporary Dance's latest show, "Voices."
The word "debutante" tends to conjure images of long white gloves, large gowns and opulent balls fit for a Disney princess. Although the Sarasota Debutante Ball lives up to the lavish image, it's the year-long program leading up to the main event that gives an added sense of purpose to an often-typecast tradition.
There is compassion, and then there's Lisa Bechtold. At work, Bechtold spends her days building relationships with area nonprofits to serve more than 220 low-income students in Sarasota County. At home, she spends her time caring for the three boys she's been raising alone for the past two years.
Christmas in Florida will never be like "Walking in a Winter Wonderland," so why not embrace it? That's exactly what Erin Christy did when planning her and her husband, Doug's, holiday party, Jingle & Flamingle, for Dec. 3. Four years ago, Christy and Matthew McLendon started hosting a holiday party with their supper club.
The Wine Women & Shoes Signature Luncheon is known as one of the rowdier events of the season, but the ladies at this year's event on Nov. 18 started getting too loud for one guest's liking.
Graci McGillicuddy celebrated a very special 75th birthday Nov. 15 at a place that is very near to her heart. McGillicuddy and three of her Delta Gamma sorority sisters visited the Child Protection Center so she could present a donation check to CPC Executive Director Douglas S. Staley.
Cheers to Champagne, Cabernet and a great cause! Designing Daughters hosted its annual Drinks with the Daughters event Nov. 11, at Michael's Wine Cellar, with 10% of proceeds going to local charities. Designing Daughters members were guest bartenders, serving the 150-some guests a signature cocktail, delectable bites from the slider bar and a raffle ticket with their entrance fee.
We've got news, people. We have a new social calendar, and if we say so ourselves, it's better than ever. Use it to track all your social engagements this season. To submit an event, click on the "social calendar" section under the Black Tie tab on our website (it's the first subsection in the drop-down menu, so you can't miss it!).
Raise the Roof Party pampers guests A little birdie told us that last year at the SPARCC Amazing Raise - Raise the Roof Party, many female competitors reported the challenges left them sweaty and not looking their best for the after-party. Organizers decided that this year, they would offer a makeup touch-up station at Michael's On East.
Season is near ... and I know this because I'm starting to run out of room in my shiny new planner (next time, I'll buy one that has more than three lines of space for Saturday and Sundays - rookie mistake).
Wine festivals are to Sarasota what Justin Bieber concerts are to infatuated teenage girls. Never has this been more true than when applied to the annual Forks & Corks Food and Wine Festival. Over the last several years the main event, The Grand Tasting, has sold out in just a few minutes.
His gaze is different than the rest of them. Instead of looking at the viewer like the other subjects, Dillon holds his purple-encased iPhone and points it at his viewers while a skinny green paintbrush dangles from his mouth. Or is he pointing it at himself?
It's an uncomfortably muggy September afternoon, but Silas Bichler can't stop smiling. He's sitting in a metal folding chair near the massive garage doors of the Circus Arts Conservatory as his mother tells the story of his role in Sailor Circus. Occasionally, he chimes in to correct her in a classic agitated-teenager tone.
Some sisters do everything together - even marriage. During the same week that Tropical Storm Hermine struck Florida, these two sisters had family and friends fly in from around the world - seven countries, to be exact - to celebrate their weddings, which were just five days apart.
Twelve years ago, Nicole Mancini was working at Legends Sports Pub when she started noticing a certain Cowboys fan. Matt Lewis made a habit of watching Sunday football games with a friend, and over the next 10 years, the two crossed paths multiple times.
Elizabeth Siegfried was expecting dust and cobwebs when she set out to clean her family's cabin 10 years ago. What she found instead was a tattered cardboard box addressed to a woman she never met - who was about to become a big part of her life.
Swedish transplant Gabriella Ebbesson is sick of Floridians' love affair with air conditioning. However, as an architecture student with a knack for melding earth, water and sky in her designs for a bayfront symphony hall, she might have found a way to get locals outside their climate-controlled safety nets.
Tucked away at the end of Palm Avenue are more than 140,000 preserved remains of once-living beings filed away in a laboratory. Some float in alcohol-filled jars. Others lie pressed between the pages of books that discuss their anatomy. But they've all been kept from the public for decades.
The scene begins in a foreign cafe with a familiar feel. The animated chattering of restaurant-goers can be heard between notes of a sultry rendition of "Funny Valentine," and on opposite sides of the room stand two women, who are vying for the attention of the same man.
The Center for Architecture Sarasota will host its third annual October Architecture and Design Month starting this weekend. Sandra Timpson Motto, vice chair of the Center for Architecture Sarasota, believes that this program is important for Sarasotans to partake in, because it opens the public's eyes to the one art form they're all exposed to on a daily basis.
In the far back corner of the art room at The Out-of-Door Academy, there's a mannequin wearing a white hoop skirt and an early 2000s-era scrunch top with a deck of cards jutting out of its head.
There's a new bar in town, and it has the potential to change the way people start an evening out. Instead of cocktails, this bar offers a different type of indulgence - blowouts. This popular hair styling technique includes a wash and condition, and makes use of a round brush and blow dryer to ensure that clients are "photo ready" before they leave.
Niki Kottmann | Contributor Being fashionable can be a blow to the bank account, but with these three thrift shops around the corner from your Lakewood Ranch home, you can find pre-loved designer duds for a fraction of the original price.
Within a 0.2-mile stretch of downtown Sarasota from North Palm Avenue to Main Street, locals can experience opera, a Tony Award-winning musical and more than 1,800 square feet of art galleries. On Sept. 10, another artistic outlet will be joining the creative buffet along this stretch: the third annual A Taste of Downtown Food & Wine Festival.
At least twice a month, a Pioneer Trails bus transporting tubs of handmade clothes leaves from the German Village Market in Berlin, Ohio, to make the 20-hour trek to Sarasota's Pinecraft neighborhood.
Even at 98, Ann Hartka can still be found around town with her brown clipboard, recruiting volunteers for the organization that's closest to her heart. "I'm just a recruiter," she says. "I go where there's a crowd, where there's a lot of people, and I've been pretty successful."
It's not every day you see an anti-nausea medication on display in an art gallery. However, its creator wouldn't be bothered by passersby questioning the piece's artistic validity. Pedro Pérez is the designer of the packaging for the bottle of Children's Emetrol currently on display in the Patricia Thompson Gallery until Oct.
It's a crowded Thursday night at JDub's Brewing Co., but the roar of the crowd is hushed when Jim Keaveney takes a spot at the head of the table. When he begins describing the flavor of the Basque etorki - the first of the four cheeses he's chosen for tonight's tasting - everyone leans in to listen.
It all started with a heartfelt rendition of "Happy Birthday." On a family trip to watch the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Bill Cornelius stopped to eat in an old house-turned-restaurant in Social Circle, Ga. It was there, after watching a server sing the song to an unsuspecting customer, that he fell in love with gospel music.
The options aren't great: Natalie Portman. A pyramid of severed heads. A falcon with a box on its head - to name the few that can be printed in a family paper. Team "Who the (insert expletive here) is Patti Mayonnaise" sits hunched over a pile of white cards bearing utterly ridiculous phrases, trying to decide which is the funniest.
In the middle of a warehouse on Porter Lake Drive, a 7-year-old girl is levitating. Thanks to some ripped drywall, a mutilated teddy bear and the magic of two self-made photographers, Tessa Bailey has been transported to a world she's never been able to visit.
Vox Magazine
Bacon isn't necessarily a "classy" food. It wouldn't be eaten at the White House Correspondent's Dinner, at an afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace or aboard Beyonce's personal jet as she flies to Dubai. Bacon is like your underdressed uncle at Christmas: You love him, but he'll always be known as the greasy one.
Water, sewage, trash - these services and systems in Columbia are so integrated into our lives that we don't even think about them. At least, until something seems off. Catch a whiff of an unpleasant odor while driving in the southwest part of the city? It's a reminder that Columbia's sewage plant is nearby.
The second meal of the day often brings to mind boring deli meat sandwiches, packaged potato chips and maybe the occasional salad. But what if lunch could be as rich and flavorful as dinner? These three Columbia restaurants offer savory lunch entrees with generous portions that will leave your stomach full and your soul happy.
Silence has the peculiar power to speak volumes, and in the film , it serves more purpose than the rare and estranged dialogue. The film follows the story of director Sergio Oksman and his father, Simão Oksman, during their first reunion in more than 20 years.
Few movies manage to capture humanity in its most raw moments. Even fewer films capture these moments through the lens of people holding onto their humanity against all odds. Les Sauteurs, or Those Who Jump , does just that.
Going out to eat provides an opportunity to try something new, whether that means venturing away from favorite haunts or expanding taste palates with exotic cuisines. But not every dining expedition requires going outside a comfort zone. Sometimes, the most unexpected dining discoveries come from the most classic entrée choices.
1 +1 Teri "Lyric" Green stepped up and faced her opponent. The tall, confident man took one look at her, quickly grabbed the mic and insisted he go first. It was the final battle of a 2011 rap competition at the CheckerBoard Lounge in Chicago and the first time Green had ever performed on stage.
1 +1 Jesse Bodine has two jobs that start at 6:15 a.m. every day: mother and co-owner of Scout & Nimble. She gets her sons, Oliver and Henry, ready for school and has a brief window of time before heading to her office.
Snipers, patriotism and some killer abs: What more could you want from a good, old-fashioned, male-dominated action film? 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi starts off with a vintage spy movie-esque vibe. The history of Libya's post-Gadaffi state is silently explained via the font reserved for classified digital documents, setting the much-needed background for this true story.
At first glance, it looks like a blanket. Hedwig's iconic denim cape engulfs its simple wooden hanger and demands attention among the sea of shiny leather boots, black studded rocker belts and bold, red plaid skirts. The cape is one of many costume pieces meant for the two actors playing Hedwig in the MU Department of Theatre's latest production, Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
When Alison Bagnall was searching for a director of photography for her film Funny Bunny , she picked Ashley Connor because Bagnall admired her simplistic outlook on equipment: stick to what you know you can use well. Connor borrows the same Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera for every film she makes from a friend.
Disturbing scenes combine with phenomenal acting to make for an unusual Western by Niki Kottmann Tommy Lee Jones ' The Homesman was a really hard film to watch. It's a Western drama - nowhere close to being categorized as a horror film - but there was the urge to look away from time to time.
by Voxstaff By Niki Kottmann and Jenna Fear There's a peculiar peace found in the dead of early morning. I sat at the long, bleak white counter of a study room. I peered at the clock at the top right corner of the screen illuminating my face, overly brightened in order to keep me awake, and checked the time: 4 a.m.
The best-selling author speaks to Vox reporters "Talent isn't the main requisite for capable writing - discipline is. And a little good luck." So says William Least Heat-Moon, the best-selling author who has released eight books, including the 1983 classic Blue Highways. He lives near Columbia, where he has just finished a new novel.
Cultured elites and wannabes alike can satisfy their art cravings with a new night in Columbia's growing arts community. Starting Friday, the North Village Arts District is opening its doors from 6-9 p.m. for First Fridays, a monthly neighborhood crawl. "A town without art is just beige," says Polly Sweitzer, owner of Yoga Sol, one of the participating venues.
Daniel James Brown knows the best stories are found right under your nose. The Boys in the Boat, his latest book, originated from a simple conversation with his neighbor, and eventually his neighbor's father Joe Rantz. Rantz was in hospice care when Brown visited him; he began to tell Brown his personal story of growing up during the Great Depression.
Rachel Mallin is one of three artists who works with Greenlight Management, a group of four Mizzou students who started their own music management company. by Niki Kottmann Greenlight Management is owned and operated by students, but don't let that fool you. The group is an active, fully functioning music management company that has no affiliation with Mizzou.
5 Actors recline on white sashes that serve as beach towels in front of a background of recycled sets from productions past. Behind the curtain of the Rhynsburger Theatre stage, the cast and crew of the MU Department of Theatre's latest production are preparing for the world debut of The Orphan Sea.
by Voxstaff Explore our highlighted events of the season below. Click an image to learn more. Click a subhead to explore specific dates. ARTS For this show, 40 visual artists and 40 writers submit a piece, and then they swap pieces to create a new work of art based upon it.
Like most sequels, Horrible Bosses 2 does not live up to it successor. However, it's such a ridiculous story that it's hard not to get in at least a few laughs. By now, Dale ( Charlie Day ), Kurt ( Jason Sudeikis ) and Nick ( Jason Bateman ) are fed up with working for someone else.
The play, written for MU by an award-winning playwright, proved that the most powerful way to make an impact in the art world is to break all the rules (and maybe weird people out, in a good way) by Niki Kottmann I feel like it's always been "uncool" to enjoy the performing arts, which would make me a stone-cold loser (I hope somebody got my comm.
This rom com with a twist will keep audiences pondering for days by Niki Kottmann Somewhere between the plots of Crazy Stupid Love, Couples Retreat and Inception falls the storyline of The One I Love . Director Charlie McDowell's interesting hybrid of romantic comedy and mystery leaves audiences confused yet charmed at the same time.
The author and PTSD activist blends craft and advocacy. by Niki Kottmann Pamela Foster describes herself as someone who has been writing in her head since before she could speak. But in the past decade the author of six books has made room in her busy writing career for an even more ambitious endeavor - improving lives.
Violet Vonder Harr started performing folk music throughout Columbia when she was nine years old. Her first solo album, Shades of Violet, was released when she was 16 years old. She formed Violet and the Undercurrents six years later, and her musical transition from soloist to ensemble performer was complete.
An unusual celebrity memoir that explores the deeper aspects of the father-son relationship by Niki Kottmann The villainous Floop in Spy Kids and, oh, Tony-award winner Alan Cumming is hitting America with an autobiographical book, Not My Father's Son, on Wednesday.
A short story by Gabriel García Márquez inspired artists to visualize it. by Niki Kottmann A slumped-over Gothic angel sits among the scattered books in the Yellow Dog Bookshop window. Wife-and-husband team Erin and Nick Potter modeled the papier-mâché and fabric sculpture after Gabriel García Márquez's short story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings."
This world within a world tells a story through multiple platforms. by Niki Kottmann Illustration by Allison Lewis Roll over the image to find out more about American Riviera. The grass is always greener where the imaginary daffodils grow, especially in Kate Kogut's world.
Columbia Missourian
COLUMBIA - In 2014, graduate students made up 15 percent of the college population in the United States. The same year, they were granted one-third of the federal student loans. One-quarter of graduate students owe nearly $100,000, and one in 10 borrow up to $150,000.
Niki Kottmann is a senior at MU with a passion to make a difference. She joined Active Minds, a mental health awareness group, in 2013. When I was 5 years old, I used to hide Barbies in my brother's room because I knew it bothered him.
COLUMBIA - Two years ago, Alexis Katchuk circled a date in her planner. May 8: It was the day she intended to kill herself. Katchuk, a former MU student diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type I in 1999, was experiencing a severe depressive episode when she started having suicidal thoughts.
COLUMBIA - From the battlefields of the Civil War to the 2015 Homecoming game in Memorial Stadium, a tiger has represented Missouri for at least 125 years. Today, most Missouri fans know him as Truman, but the tail-whipping mascot has had a number of faces and names over the years.
COLUMBIA-Tomorrow is 12/13/14, so make sure you're up by 9:10:11 a.m. Saturday is the last date of the century that contains a series of sequential numbers. The last time this happened was 11/12/13. Most of us won't be around the next time it will happen - 01/02/2103. Inc.
COLUMBIA - The dancers were all silent. Spread out across the stage and atop the orchestra pit, they graciously flowed through their rehearsal without a word, letting their slow, thoughtful movements say more than their voices ever could. The Missouri Contemporary Ballet's ninth annual fall repertoire show, "Nine," premiered Thursday, featuring work by award-winning choreographers Joshua Blake Carter and Kameron Saunders.
COLUMBIA - An influx of artists, families and members of the community who have a passion for both art and giving back will take over Parkade Center this weekend. Friday marks the beginning of the fifth annual Fall Into Art showcase.
COLUMBIA - Same-sex couples were married in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas Friday, but marriage licenses are not expected to be issued in Boone County as of now. As a result of two court rulings this week overturning Missouri's gay marriage ban in Jackson County and St.
COLUMBIA - Victoria Maramba Bugayong made sure her 10 children never missed a meal, despite the family's meager resources. "When it comes to food, her budgeting skills went out the window," her daughter, Susan Gamboa, said. "She wanted us to taste everything." Victoria Maramba Bugayong died Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014.
HARTSBURG - An absence of rain earlier this fall was good for pumpkins, but this week's showers are making it tough to harvest the crop for the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival. The festival, which runs Saturday and Sunday in the small river town south of Columbia, typically expects more than 15,000 people each day.
COLUMBIA - During his career as an upholsterer, Vincent Twenter always prided himself on a job well done. Throughout his 33 year career at MU, he gained a reputation as a respected upholsterer who people trusted to do good work, even in situations that he felt were beyond his expertise.
COLUMBIA - A donated apple a day can help families who are struggling to put food on the table, and volunteer groups in Columbia will work this weekend to make that happen. Volunteers can head out to Huffstutter Orchards this Sunday to pick apples for impoverished families in 32 Missouri counties.
Student trips are always meant to be educational, but a volunteer trip to South Africa can teach students more than they'll ever learn at a museum or historical site. According to the CIA World Factbook, there were 6,070,800 South Africans living with HIV/AIDS in 2012, and 31.3% of the population was living below the poverty line in 2009.
COLUMBIA - MU workers were putting up white, all-weather tents Friday at the southeast corner of Memorial Stadium, staging an elaborate new tailgate spot on campus. Truman's Terrace will hold a fully catered tailgate party for Missouri fans prior to Saturday's game against South Dakota State University.
While the U.S. is producing fewer and fewer pro tennis champions, it's also producing more and more youth players who, with the right facilities, could help save American tennis.
Premier Travel Media
Brazil is currently hosting the world's biggest sports tournament, and we can all learn from what's going as planned and what's not As the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil commences, many stadiums are in similar condition to the Arena de Sao Paulo, the location of the opening game of the tournament, which seats over 20,000 fans in a structure that was never tested for safety during a full game, and under a roof that wasn't finished in time for the start of the tournament.
Saint Charles' unbeatable location in the historic Missouri River Valley, just a half hour drive from downtown St. Louis, makes it both the ideal vacation spot and sports destination. Whether You're Hosting an Event on Grass, Wood, Ice or Water, Saint Charles Has What You Want Family Arena This 10,000-seat arena is used for football, hockey, soccer and basketball, including college and high school tournaments.
The ever increasing popularity of youth soccer in Michigan demands that sports planners and rights holders be aware of facilities that can handle large-scale tournaments. Here are three of the best. Hockey may dominate as the most popular major league spectator sport in Michigan, but soccer is swiftly becoming one of the most popular sports for the state's youth to participate in.
Mizzou Global Communications
Family ski trips are great...until the little ones get cranky. If they're off the mountain, changed and fed yet still they aren't in the best of moods, what do you do? Here are a few ideas that will get the kids smiling again in no time.
by Nikki Kottmann A new report by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) released Tuesday reveals that human trafficking of migrant workers is becoming a common and largely ignored occurrence in the Thai fishing industry.According to the British human rights charity's report, Slavery at Sea: The Continued Plight of Trafficked Migrants in Thailand's Fishing Industry, Thailand is...
Many students are unaware that multiple American presidents were soldiers before they took office, so here are five of the best museums to learn about this lesser-known part of these famous mens' lives. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 26 out of the nation's 44 presidents served in the military at some point in their lives.
By Co-Editor-in-Chief Niki Kottmann Today is a bittersweet day for me. I'm excited to write my first "Letter from the Editor (Abroad)" editorial, but it isn't going to be the I'm-About-to-Leave-for-France-and-This-Is-Gonna-Be-Wicked-Awesome post that I was initially anticipating. For anyone who doesn't know, Paris and the surrounding region was the location of multiple acts of violence...
With basketball being an Indiana staple and soccer showcased as a big part of the community, Hamilton County loves sports. Regardless of the sport, there's a facility for it among the 403-square-miles of Hamilton County, Indiana.
by Niki Kottmann Since the spring of 2011, civil war has plagued the country of Syria. After what began as a peaceful protest on April 8, 2011, and later turned into the murder of 27 Syrian civilians by government reinforcements, a series of violent events occurred that recently triggered head-on responses by American officials.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is a historic facility undergoing extensive renovations this fall, so here's a look at its history, what your group should go see now and what you'll be able to see during the renovations. Instead of a skyscraper, a 90-ton pair of steel wing s is the star of the lakefront skyline in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
By Niki Kottmann The line was out the door, and there wasn't a single unoccupied seat in Memorial Union South, room 304 on Feb. 25 at 4 p.m. What was all the commotion about? Mochi and green tea ice cream. As part of their weekly Multicultural Hour series, the Center for Asian Affairs hosted...
This is the first installment in a photo series that aims to introduce readers to Columbia residents with a global perspective. By Niki Kottmann A young girl and her mother stand quietly outside the doors to the Anheuser-Busch Conservation Auditorium. Their clothes, however, speak volumes. Dressed in vibrant saris, Bhavya Thulasi-Kumar and her mother, Malathi...
by Niki Kottmann The Shack was surprisingly populated for a Friday night last weekend when over 30 students and faculty members came out for free Freebirds burritos, brownies and a performance by a New York City-based comedy group.The event was part of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization's 2014 HALO Week.
With a pre-colonial history and a strong following in high school and college athletics, lacrosse is currently the hottest sport to host. Lacrosse has been around since even before the 16th century when Europeans settlers found Native Americans playing it, but it just recently became popular in the United States.
by Niki Kottmann Jere Gilles has been everywhere. Or it seems like it, anyway. Gilles, an associate professor of rural sociology in CAFNR's Division of Applied Social Sciences, began his globetrotting when he was picked to evaluate an irrigation project in Chad through the Peace Corps.
by Nikki KottmannProfessor Samira Sheikh has a crush on a guy who died three centuries ago.Sheikh visited Mizzou on Thursday, Feb. 20 to give the lecture "Sneaking into the Archives: Lalludas Diwan and the Go-Betweeners of Eighteenth Century India".The lecture was centered on the entrepreneurial accomplishments of Lalludas, a Diwan from the last Nawab of...
by Niki Kottmann There was no music, yet he was dancing. Then two more, and two more after that, and soon the whole stage was full of dancers who seemed oblivious to the fact that there was no accompaniment helping them stay on beat. On Wednesday, Feb.
India is second in worldwide farm output, the third largest producer of agriculture-based textile materials, and an emerging media powerhouse. As a country that is constantly changing, a trip to India is the ideal global learning experience for college students of all majors.
by Niki Kottmann Who knew that Russia has problems with religious tolerance too? Leyla Almazova, head of the Centre of Written Heritage and Archeography at Kazan Federal University, gave a guest lecture on Russian clashes of faith on March 18 in Stewart Hall. She shared her knowledge of the practice of Islam in post-Soviet Russia...
by Niki Kottmann There was plenty of activity on Carnahan Quad on Wednesday, April 3, as students were drawn in by free ice cream but stayed for some conversation during the Trulaske College of Business' Diversity Day. The business college's Diverse Student Organization sponsored the third annual Diversity Day as a part of the annual...
Every skier deserves a break after a long day on the slopes, but what's the best way to unwind afterwards? Whether you just want to kick back and relax or you get a second wind for adventure, here are the top après-ski activities and the best places to try them out.
by Niki Kottmann She had never tried a caramel apple before. She didn't know what pecan pie was. And she had never seen anyone dress up as Spiderman just to get a $2 burrito. Danhee Kim is clearly not American. She is an international student from Seoul, South Korea who is a part of the...
Photos by Katie Bell Story by Niki Kottmann Multiple students left Stotler Lounge with full stomachs and big smiles on Thursday, April 11 after experiencing a holiday many of them had never heard of. The celebration of the Songkran Festival, or Thai New Year, began April 13.
Maek (record label/pop culture blog)
By Niki KottmannThere comes a point in a single college student's life when he or she becomes very aware of their relationship status. Whether you find yourself no longer being invited to third-wheel your roommate’s Sunday morning brunch dates or you look down at your wine glass and second guess your life choices as you lie on the couch alone watching a terrible dating show, we've all been there.
by Niki Kottmann1. It's suddenly acceptable to wear little to no clothingIt could be 50 degrees, but if you go to school anywhere north of Arkansas, you're weird if you aren't wearing shorts the second that you put the winter coat away.2.
By Niki KottmannLet's be real, finals are pretty much the worst week of the year.
A Short Essay on the Side of the Holiday Season That We Don't Talk About by Niki Kottman
Dear Family,Please, for the love of all that is good and right in the world, don't ask me the stereotypical Thanksgiving questions this year.I know you love me, and I know that you have good intentions.
by Nicole KottmannCollege is an emotional roller coaster.It's been awhile since the parents stocked the fridge during their last visit, and your bank account (and stress-eating habits) keep whispering "just buy a frozen pizza and call it a day" whenever you find yourself wondering if you'll actually cook the chicken breasts in your hand at the grocery store.
by Niki KottmannThe "I Only Do Top 40" ListenerWe all know one. Hell, maybe you are one. These are the kids that refuse to listen to anything that won't eventually end up on a Kidz Bop album. Autotuned, unoriginal party anthems without a single meaningful lyric are their kryptonite.
School kinda sucks, guys. The easiest way to make it suck less? Music (duh)...and the occasional drink, but let's stay away from the alc while studying. Spotify is every college student's best friend, and these Spotify playlists will get you through even the most boring study/homework sessions imaginable *cough* history of journalism readings *cough*.
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by Niki Kottmann1. I'm going to be a jobless drifter for the rest of my life and live on my mom's couchOkay, it could happen. Seriously, what the hell am I doing with my life? By mid-May, I'll have a bachelor's degree in journalism. But will I have any source of income?
First of all, this chick goes by Jack, and I just love that. Second, she is the perfect (unintentionally feminist) example of a girl who doesn't give a damn about anything but doing what she loves. "I don't consider myself a female DJ, I just consider myself a DJ and a producer," she told Interview Magazine .
As the day went on, I watched the Chicago skyline change from a sleepy, cloud-cluttered gray to a watercolor painting of orange, red and pink. Those 18 hours last Sunday-the longest workday of my life-were filled with a healthy dose of hiccups, but also a fair share of unforgettable memories that I'll always look back on with a smile.
by Niki Kottmann1. Quit Pretending that Hoverboards are Worth BuyingSeriously, America? Really? Are we THAT lazy that we now need a device with two wheels to help us get to class three minutes sooner because our feeble legs just can’t handle the walk?
By Niki Kottmann DJ b:product is an old dog learning new tricks. When he went to his first rave back in 97', he wasn't really into what the DJs were mixing. So, he decided to try it out for himself.
R3nnick has been on the house music scene since 2010, but his first few years were solely spent producing. He now has five years of mixing under his belt, and has bounced around between multiple clubs throughout the Chicago area. After first landing a residency at Medusa Chicago, he went off to college and did a remix EP series.
by Niki KottmannWhy does the period between Thanksgiving break and the end of the semester bear a striking resemblance to the waiting period for death row inmates?You only have a couple weeks of school left, so you don't want to spend money on groceries that might go to waste, but
They're just so freaking catchy...By Niki Kottmann1. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey It's that wonderful time of year. Bells are ringing, hot chocolate is brewing and you are either blissfully in love or painfully aware of your lack of a significant other, and much of that is due to Mariah's classic Christmas hit.
A & W is the stage name for this duo, which includes DJs/Producers/Remixers/Record Label Owners Andy Buendia & Willi Ramirez. While the pair does a wide range of both remixes and original mixes, they played mainly their own stuff at their music festival debut at DayTrip last Sunday.
Ryan Ouellette-AKA DJ Rye-is a Canadian DJ who specializes in remixes of Top 40 songs, and he's been spinning across the U.S. and Canada since 2004. Ouellette became interested in music at a young age, first starting off as a drummer and singer.
MU Journalism Abroad Blog
When I hear the phrase "culture shock," I immediately think of the TV show The Amazing Race. Back when I used to watch the earlier seasons religiously, I remember feeling so bad for all of those contestants as they struggled to find their way around cities they had never been to and attempted to communicate with people in a language they didn't speak.
Written by Niki KottmannMy life at Mizzou is very hectic. In the fall, I was on the executive board for three different clubs, served as the homecoming dance director for my sorority, joined an honors society, volunteered as a conversation partner in the Intensive English program, taught swim lessons at the rec and wrote for Vox Magazine and the Columbia Missourian.
Written by Niki KottmannEver since I was little, I've had a thing for maps. My mom bought a children's map of the world for my brother and me back in the day, and she hung it on one of the cold walls of our otherwise bleak basement, instantly brightening the room.
Mizzou College Gloss
To be honest, Columbia used to seem like somewhat of a boring city to me. I'm from a large suburb of Chicago where there's always something to do, and so throughout my freshman year at Mizzou I was under the impression that Columbia didn't have much to offer other than a charming college town atmosphere.
Columbia has a beach. Am I the only person that didn't know this?! Last week my roommate got a text asking if we wanted to go to Stephens Lake Park with a friend, where neither of us had been before.
For some reason, celebrities always seem to have the best outfits. Whether they just have a good stylist or their personal taste is on trend, they seem to make great sources of fashion inspiration.
I'm a terrible cook. If you ask anyone that knows me, I promise they will agree. So when I decided to stay in Columbia this summer to get in-state tuition, I was terrified of the prospect of cooking for myself.
Let's face it, we all enjoy a good blog from time to time. Whether it's Tumblr or your favorite pinboard on Pinterest, blogs are a great way to find anything from fashion inspiration to travel advice.
Fashion show brings glitz and glamour to CoMo First Rent the Runway event aims to draw buzz to the designer rental world. Designer labels don't have to be synonymous with empty bank accounts - just like how hearing "I'm going out on Thursday night" doesn't typically bring the term "fashion show" to mind.
