The Birth of a Union: An Archival History of Missouri’s Memorial Union
It was the year 1915, and many other universities across the country were beginning to establish student unions. Chicago already had its Reynolds Club; Harvard had its Union Building; Peabody College had its Social Building; and Michigan had a union structure that cost nearly a million and a half (Pamphlet in UMC Archives, Memorial Union Vertical File). All of these buildings served a purpose and carried a memorable significance. It was now time for the University of Missouri to create a memorable Student Union to call their own.
Sounds of (the) Country
If you could listen to the sounds of the country, what would it sound like? Andrew Lovewell's audio essay talks about how life in small town America sounds to a local.
Texting: The New Form of Communication; Actually, the New Form of Everything
MOS, PAW, PIR, and POS: any guesses as to what these combinations of letters are used for? If the guess has to do with something along the lines of crazy government acronyms to keep outsiders oblivious to the inner workings of the government, well that is actually close to the real answerwith one small change. These letters are not meant to block out spies or traitors to the country but rather a much less threatening group of people: parents. The acronyms MOS (mom over shoulder), PAW (parents are watching), PIR (parents in room), and POS (parents over shoulder) are used frequently among teenagers to quickly and covertly tell a friend that parents are in the room.
An Unspoken Tool: Review of John Schilb’s Rhetorical Refusals
Imagine youre having a heated argument. Maybe you and a friend are debating some issue you both feel passionately about. You begin giving your opinion on the matter, maybe offering up a defense of your position while simultaneously attacking the other persons stance. Your tirade goes on for several minutes, and you think that your target is absorbing your words, readying to make an articulate response. Instead, when youve finally finished pouring out your thoughts, your friend answers with a simple Whatever, and then retreats from the debate without another word.
Identification With the Need to Achieve
While flipping through the pages of Seventeen, among the numerous makeup, fashion and perfume advertisements, a half-page ad caught my eye. It was in split-screen format with a cool blue background. On the left stood a grim-faced girl who had just stepped off a yellow school bus full of rowdy children and a screaming driver. In one arm she held two, hefty schoolbooks and in the other was an overloaded backpack. Her nothing-but-average appearance consisted of an unflattering, black and white, patterned school dress, tightly buttoned up to her neck, a matching headband, and long, white socks pulled up to her knees. The sky was dim, gray and cloudy.