March 18, 2010

Playtime in Columbia

By Stephanie Detillier Weeks before I was born, my grandfather bought a raffle ticket in my name and won me an iron horseshoe set. Too bad it didn’t bring me any luck in the recreation department. Years later, I quit little league basketball after an embarrassing season of throwing only granny shots. I ran my bike into so many ditches that my neighbors cringed when they saw me steering a car. And my ballet instructor said my leaps resembled someone jumping hurdles. Graceful? I’d say not.

CoMo's Playground

By Vox staff, multimedia by Lyndsey Nielsen Recess: such a magical word for a kid. But why can’t working adults, retirees and students enjoy the same fun? In Columbia, you can. From music and dancing to sports and video games, CoMo has a variety of ways to fulfill your natural urge to explore many indoor and outdoor hobbies. Peek inside these playgrounds we found around town.

The Sunday night pool players

By Story and video by Evan Bush Balls zing back and forth across green felt and ricochet off rails and into pockets. Players work the ivory-colored ball like puppeteers, ripping it into position with backspin or sidespin as if it were on a string, setting up the next shot for target practice. Others send the cue ball bouncing from rail to rail and hope for contact.

Forever young at the rink

By Charlotte Atchley A mass of people swirl around the oval hardwood rink as if they’re trapped in a blender that’s pulsing to the beat of a Black Eyed Peas song. Veteran skaters fly past the flailing arms and legs of the adventurous beginners. Gary DeVore stands above all these skaters, the patriarch of the group.

Tiny Dancers

By Alison Jung Thump. Thudump. Thumpthump. The muted sounds of basketballs vibrate through the floor above and echo off the basement walls of the Armory Sports Center at 10 a.m. on a Saturday. Stepping to the unpredictable tempo provided by the bouncing balls, dance instructor Sonrisa Wood walks absentmindedly, her black sweat pants gently dragging across the beige tiles.

Boxing's not dead yet

By Katie Davis (Web Exclusive) Sweat drips down Edward Oganesov’s gray T-shirt as he lunges toward the padded target in front of him. He smacks a leather shield, barely missing his partner’s exposed forearm. Both young men cock their fists near their faces and, bending their knees, revert to a guarded boxing stance.

In-flight meal

By Francisco Fisher Justin Robertson orders his dog, Blue, to climb into the back of the pickup truck. She whines as an 18-degree wind whips through her crate. A red-tailed hawk named Patricia perches in her wooden box and jingles a locator bell tied to her ankle. Along with the owner, the dog and bird embark on a hunt where strong talons and a sharp beak are the only weapons needed.

Home is where the dance is

By Bethany Jones Christmas lights snake over water pipes clinging to the ceiling in the dank underground tomb of a basement. Dancers rest against the walls and hope to diminish the heat that radiates from their moist skin.

Shoot first, call 911 never

By Juan Pablo Garcia The shooting range is a Second Amendment sanctuary. Worshippers separated by plastic panels line up side by side and wordlessly shoot bullets into paper targets.

Nerd Paradise

By Dieter Kurtenbach Blake Mallory fights Nazi zombies with precise aim and a quick trigger. The other members of his battalion can’t compete, his personal body count already totaling 105. Although he keeps finishing them off, infinite numbers of the living dead advance into the abandoned, rundown house where Mallory has set up his team base. Zombies already have killed the rest of his group.

Horsing around

By Virginia Pasley Inside an unheated stable at Stephens College, the air is a crisp 18 degrees, too cold for most of us but perfect conditions for the horses.

Ageless music

By Keertana Sastry The musicians play, chuckle and tap their toes to create a friendly and informal atmosphere for the audience. The band plays cohesively, quieting down or swelling to a crescendo when the moment feels right. “Happy Birthday” is played for an octogenarian.

Passion of the fencers

By Ilene Davis The opponents shuffle back and forth. Their calf muscles bulge from otherwise lean legs as they move quickly in a linear motion, hopping on their toes. The harsh clatter of steel on steel echoes through the gym.

The Battles of the Boffer Club

By Han Cheung (Web Exclusive) On a frigid Friday afternoon, a fierce battle is raging on Epple Field, next to Reactor Field. A burly young warrior named Steve Kreinkeamp, with the character name Fendrel, is kneeling on the ground. Wearing a gray medieval vest, yellow gloves and a red cloth belt, he swings a long pole club at two assailants.

See This: Girls Rock!

By Trey Prothro The documentary Girls Rock! sends a powerful message of “it’s a girl’s world, too,” in a fun, lighthearted way when young women learn to play instruments such as the guitar and drums and spin records like rock stars at summer camp.

Rain Barrel Art Review

By Taylor Combs Rubber ducks floating on a blue background, Missouri wildlife peeking from behind trees and spring flowers under a rain shower are just some of the images adorning functional rain barrels placed around Columbia for the second annual Rain Barrel Art Review.

Creativity for a Cause

By Taylor Combs Have a creative mind and a kind soul? Local artists with a do-good spirit have plenty of other opportunities throughout the year to lend their talents to the community.

Art About Town: Doan' you 'member...

By Nick Williams Missouri artist Thomas Hart Benton takes inspiration from the state’s novelist Mark Twain in his illustration Doan’ you ’member…

Playing for Time at Stephens

By Rachel Post (Web Exclusive) Playing Nazi prisoner Fania Fénelon immerses Stephens College senior Denise Saylor in a self-imposed state of panic. She mentally enters the tortured mind of a Holocaust survivor to play Jewish-Parisian cabaret singer Fénelon in Stephens’ production of Playing for Time, showing at the Warehouse Theatre March 19 through 21 and March 25 and 26.

Portugal. The Man migrates to Mojo's

By Katlyn Keller For Portugal. The Man, cinder blocks substitute as drums, living rooms are the same as stages in an arena, and album artwork is a hallucinogenic pop-up book. The punctuation in the band’s name alone stretches the rules of grammar. Let’s just say the Wasilla, Alaska, band does things a little differently.