Feature
July 01, 2009
Navigating the Homefront
It’s sometime in the afternoon and the walls of the hospital are white and Sgt. 1st Class Calvin Miles is in a hospital bed. All around him are cookies, cards and sinister-looking tubes that form a disjointed fence, an ominous display of construction paper and Hallmark stationary, green cellophane and clear fluids. Poised beside him is his 7-year-old niece. She reads from the book that she holds in her lap, and her high-pitched voice passes softly, deliberately from word to word. Calvin’s eyelids are drooping under the weight of the drugs and hers are wide open, and Calvin is groggy and vulnerable. He doesn’t like the sensation of helplessness that he feels; it’s altogether new and unfamiliar and perfectly unbearable. He’s always been the eyes above the bed, the caregiver, the worrier, the teacher, the superior, the vigilant father of so many families that go far beyond his own flesh and blood.
June 24, 2009
Kayci's Prom
It’s a quiet Wednesday around 5 p.m. in a tiny nail and hair salon in Hallsville, where a 17 year-old girl is getting her nails done for the junior prom. Her mother has brought in purple beading from her dress to ensure they choose the right shade of nail polish. Everything must be perfect. The mother tells her daughter she needs to go and turns to nail specialist Christina Allen and asks how much the total for her nails will be.
June 17, 2009
Selling your body?
Judy Duba spends it on gas, Kirsten Weaver used it to offset costs from her wedding, and Mike Ford spent his plasma money on going on dates. Regular donating of plasma has become an increasingly popular source of extra income, especially at a time when many are seeing their financial wells dry up. The medical industry uses blood plasma to treat a variety of health problems ranging from hemophilia to autoimmune disorders.
June 10, 2009
Summer Preview
At a loss for what to do this summer? Don't worry, Vox is here to guide the way through the multitude of summer activities that are in and around Columbia in the next few months.
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Leaving the teen drama behind, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band will entertain Columbia’s indie faithful on June 29 at The Blue Note with their smooth energy and catchy choruses.
Pride in the park
Would-be stars will have their chance to shine in the spotlight in the Mid-Missouri Pride Idol Karaoke Contest as they mimic American Idol contestants.
Fight Club
Erik Gratton teaches an acting class at the Summer Theatre Institute that focuses on combat techniques. His students include 33 women who are foregoing summer relaxation to attend acting, dance and voice classes.
Summer flicks
(Almost) free music
As the sun sets on a few Wednesday nights this summer, Ninth Street will shut down as part of Summerfest. This series brings together moms, dads, teens and children to listen to music and alleviate their summer blues. Some people come out for the company, some because they like to drink beer in public, and some just because they love music. Whatever the reason, it’s a good way to get you through the week.
Cheap dates
When Willie Nelson rolled into Columbia on his biodiesel behemoth, 2,000 people filed onto Ninth Street to listen to his country twang. Some paid $32 for a ticket; others listened street side for free and embraced the resurgent American concept of thrift. It doesn’t hurt to save some cash, and Columbia offers plenty of fun at the perfect price: absolutely free.
Get out of town
Congratulations! You’ve survived another grueling winter and emerged from hibernation. The next three months promise to bring long days and balmy cookout nights. What should you do to stave off summer boredom?
Mo. state fair goes green
There are few things as distinctly Midwestern as a state fair. Missouri’s own annual State Fair, hosted by the town of Sedalia, is beloved by locals and tourists alike. For $8 (or less if you take advantage of discounts like Dollar Day on Aug.13 and $5 admission after 5 p.m.) the State Fair gives you the best summer steal. Bonus: children younger than 12 get in free.
Summer Preview: Arts
Theater, comedy and gallery events from June through August 2009.
Show-me a helping hand
For many, the allure of watching 27,000 athletes of all ages bat, kick, run, shoot or otherwise exert themselves in this year’s 25th Show-Me State Games will entice them to attend. But for Mary Ann Mize, who coordinates a local corporation’s volunteer efforts, a separate competition takes place behind the scenes.
Summer Preview: Music
Musical performances from various genres from June through August 2009.
Summer Preview: Sports
Find out about all sports activities including skateboarding, golfing, running and punting for June, July and August.
Summer Preview: Festivals
Learn about Missouri's festivals from June through August.
June 03, 2009
Keeping the music alive
For Barnhouse and employees Kevin Bucklew and Rob Lampe, Crazy Music is the hardware store for local musicians. It’s like your buddy’s garage — it has drumsticks, amps, guitars, weird objects and instruments that you didn’t even know existed, much less that you’d really like to play. There are recorders, tin whistles, necklaces with inch-long playable harmonicas, udus (vessel drums) and mandolins. There are ocarinas from Peru and a goat-hair trimmed djembe (a type of drum) from Africa.
May 27, 2009
Life on the Road
Being a roadie is more than free concerts and free beer. It’s late nights, difficult schedules and long months away from friends and family. Although usually not thought of and typically not seen, these people are as crucial to the performance as the actual musicians. These people are roadies.
May 20, 2009
Meaningless clutter or treasured heirlooms?
People hate getting rid of stuff. So much so that the self-storage industry in this country did more than $20 billion in sales last year. The gaming industry did $21 billion. MU doctoral student Alex Gunz, who researches materialism, thinks this is representative of the eat-everything-on-your-plate mind-set of American culture. Nothing goes to waste.
