May 07, 2008

Columbia residents learn to relax through yoga nidra

By PAUL DAVID LAMPE and ROSE RAYMOND Frances Hayashida lies on a mat in a quiet room as a soothing voice washes over her, guiding her toward a tranquil place. She listens as the yoga nidra instructor talks her through the emotional and spiritual process of becoming aware and letting go. As she slips into a serene state, Hayashida is suddenly startled by a familiar sound. The person next to her snoring.

April 25, 2008

Special section: Who we are

By Jim Buell, Furqaan Sadiq and Brooke Tacker Statistics reveal the way Columbians live, from favorite foods to voting habits.

April 20, 2008

The rising cost of food

By Brooke Fletcher Here’s a typical grocery list: ground beef, bread, eggs, grapes, cheese, milk and flour. Today it would cost $18.28. In February, it cost $17.57. Last year, you would have spent $15.08. It has become painfully obvious that grocery prices are on the rise.

April 14, 2008

College athletes struggle to find new identities

By Allison Bennett Nicole Wilson was an athlete at MU on both the volleyball and women’s basketball teams.

April 04, 2008

African art exhibit is ‘all about what you don’t see’

By Michael O’Sullivan/The Washington Post Ghanaian-born artist El Anatsui illustrates his provocative use of found-object art in his first U.S. solo show.

March 30, 2008

You know you're from Columbia if...

By Gabriela Lessa In Columbia, many people have been here for years, others for just a few months. Some are just here to attend school, some chose this town to be their home. But whether you’ve settled here for life or just for a couple of years, the question is this: How well do you know Columbia? The Missourian asked at least 25 people what makes the city special and collected 15 ways to know you’re a die-hard Columbian.

March 23, 2008

Farm to city: The Renwick family

By Nichole Wade The black sky met the 16 acres of land the Renwicks owned in Hillsboro, 45 miles south of St. Louis. From her bathroom window, Annette Renwick could no longer see the two horses, five sheep and 11 chickens the family had acquired during the past 16 years. The next day, the family was leaving for good. They were moving to Columbia. The Renwick family sold their animals, left the in-ground swimming pool and the home they had built upon 16 acres of land to move from the farm to the city — a place where people live closer together, sit in traffic and wait in long lines at grocery stores at 6 p.m. on weeknights.

City to farm: The Dougherty family

By Nichole Wade On the phone, Debbie Dougherty reassures her father she will pick up the medicine for the animals on the way home. Not the type of academic conversation one would expect for such a well-regarded MU professor of communications. Debbie and her husband, Tom Clark, are academics, but they are also farmers. They live in Williamsburg, approximately 31 miles from farmhouse porch to her office door in Switzler Hall.

Farm to city; City to farm

By Nichole Wade Both traded what they knew for something new.

March 18, 2008

Internet transforms gardening

By Adrian Higgins/The Washington Post The invention and universal acceptance of the Internet has transformed gardening, and for the better.

March 17, 2008

Guitar Hero allows youths to shred like rock stars

By RACHEL HEATON The widely popular video game Guitar Hero has spurred tournaments, been featured on TV and given many the chance to feel what it’s like to be a rock star. But for guitar players, the game has a slightly different draw.

March 14, 2008

St. Patrick’s Day self-defense

By NICHOLE WADE (Web Exclusive) Use these strategies to protect yourself from people who pinch you for not wearing green.

March 10, 2008

It’s almost show time for the Missouri Theatre

By REBECCA DELANEY The old Missouri Theatre stirs as restorations and renovations progress.

February 29, 2008

State park's missing layers of history

By Katie Underhill The land at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park is rich with layers of cultural history. Park staff are digging into the past to find clues about the area, and they hope community members can help them in preserving the park’s heritage.

February 13, 2008

Social networking site transforms the dating scene

By BRIAN D. PELLOT Facebook allows users to indicate if they are single, dating, in an open relationship, engaged, married or “complicated.” Anne Meyer, a psychologist at the MU Counseling Center, sees both benefits and drawbacks in this rapidly evolving form of friendship and intimacy.

February 01, 2008

Seen this week: Running hot and cold

By John Hook MU senior Lindsey White teeters on the edge of the ice melting into Hinkson Creek at Stephens Lake Park in Columbia on Saturday.

January 08, 2008

For love of the trains

By Tyson Anderson

December 23, 2007

Church opens doors for Christmas celebration with international flavor

By XIAOXIAN YE On Sunday, American and international families gathered at the International Community Church to sing carols in different languages, enjoy exotic food, watch a movie about the origin of Christmas and celebrate homeland traditions.

December 22, 2007

The Facebook way of life

By Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington The social networking site has become a big part of how college students keep in touch, waste time and have fun. But more important, perhaps, it has also developed into a powerful platform for them to broadcast — or shape — their personas.

December 07, 2007

Seeing Life

By Alexander Luft