March 6, 2025
Contact: Janese Heavin, heavinj@missouri.edu
Story by Abbie Lankitus
Photos by Abbie Lankitus, Gretta Cohoon, Andy Ramirez, Sophia Scheller and Sam Cox
February brought wide weather swings, crazy good 91制片厂Probasketball, hands-on learning and research (always) and recognition of outstanding students. University of Missouri photographer Abbie Lankitus takes us through her favorite photos of February.
In a recent Show Me Mizzou story, we highlighted the world-class work of veterinary ophthalmologist Elizabeth Giuliano and board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist Kile Townsend that saved the eyesight of Eclipse 鈥� a horse trained in equine yoga.
While Eclipse resides in southeast Missouri, Mizzou鈥檚 College of Veterinary Medicine has horses on site for teaching purposes so we were able to capture this photo of Black Jack getting his eye examined.
This photo was so cool to me because you can quite literally see inside his eye where the light is shining. We also turned off the lights in the barn to highlight the light used to examine his eye and show what it usually looks like when Giuliano is examining his eye. Speaking of Giuliano, she鈥檚 only one of fewer than 700 veterinary ophthalmologists in the world.
Gretta Cohoon is the new 91制片厂ProStudent Affairs photographer. This month she attended National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) night at one of the men鈥檚 basketball games where NPHC members sang and danced in each of their respective groups.
I love the joy that鈥檚 on this student鈥檚 face as he performs with his fraternity. Fraternities and sororities are about connection, scholarship, philanthropy and family while at college and create lifelong bonds long after students have graduated.
To me, this photo represents those moments that can collectively make us feel like college is some of the best times of our lives. Performing with your 鈥渂rothers鈥� or 鈥渟isters鈥� to a crowd of 91制片厂Profaithful 鈥� unforgettable.
A lot of events happen in Stotler Lounge. Some small, some big. In February, former U.S. Ambassador to Malawi David Young visited Mizzou. I had met Young over the summer in D.C. when I covered a story for 91制片厂ProMagazine on students with the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy interning in D.C. and taking classes in the evening.
Young visited for a week and conducted mock U.N. scenarios with the students. He definitely has a unique perspective on career work that students don鈥檛 often hear about . What does it mean to be a civil servant? What does it mean to be an ambassador for the U.S.? He answered these questions and more during this talk.
But what stuck out to me photographically was the afternoon light streaming into the room, casting these beautiful shadows of the Memorial Union window archways. The blinds were lowered soon after to help those in the crowd blinded by the light, but for a moment, the room really shone with the tradition of the building.
What a February for 91制片厂Promen鈥檚 basketball. This particular night was special because the Tigers beat then No. 4 Alabama and never gave up the lead. Didn鈥檛 even let the score tie.
I think a big factor was the student section. I stood in front of it for most of the night. I had forgotten an adapter for my long lens, so I was stuck with two shorter ones.
I could鈥檝e asked my husband to bring the long lens to me from home, but instead I thought, 鈥淣ah, let鈥檚 challenge ourselves!鈥�
So glad I did that.
I got to be up close and personal with the student section all night, and man, they were rowdy. Every single point, Alabama turnover and foul against us was met with ear-bursting cheers. Speaking of which, I forgot my ear plugs and definitely felt the effects. But you know what? I wouldn鈥檛 trade it. The atmosphere was electric and what every photographer wants when shooting for the home team. Here's to an even more electric March!
Snow, snow and more snow! We鈥檝e had quite the wet winter. What we鈥檝e been missing though is sunny days with the snow. There were a couple of those this month, thankfully, and student photographer Sam got some moments from the day.
One of my favorite ways to capture the Columns is when the sun gets low, and the shadows stripe the ground like long fingers pulling you in to admire their grandness. Throw in a happy dog, and it doesn鈥檛 get much better.
Speaking of the shadows of the Columns, at noon they鈥檙e dead on to the sidewalk. Student photographer Sophia captured students passing the Columns on their way to and from class. It was a unique way to highlight this spot, showing an immediately recognizable location without actually photographing the Columns.
No matter if there鈥檚 snow on the ground or tall grass, the Columns鈥� shadows always bring ever- changing views to the Quad.
This is my third year photographing the Chancellor鈥檚 Arts Showcase and it鈥檚 one of my favorite events. Not only is it visually cool for a photographer, the quality of art and performances showcased is an incredible thing to witness.
There鈥檚 a full gallery on Show Me Mizzou photographed by student photographer Sam Cox and me, but these two were my favorite of the evening.
I鈥檒l draw special attention to the vertical image. It鈥檚 my favorite for what I experienced while photographing it.
It鈥檚 of Luca Freccia. He introduced the Theatre and Performance Studies section, talking about the community he found at Mizzou. In this photo, however, he鈥檚 giving the final performance of this section by singing 鈥淥ut There鈥� from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It was devastatingly, hauntingly beautiful.
It was really hard to focus on taking photos when all I wanted to do was sit in awe of this performance. It鈥檚 the kind of art that transcends the performance and instead speaks to something bigger and greater than the moment. Bravo Luca!
Each year the showcase brings exceptional work to the community of Columbia and each year I am thrilled at the quality. If you haven鈥檛 been before, put it on your calendar for next year! It鈥檚 a truly one-of-a-kind, can鈥檛-miss event each year.
In late February we had a huge temperature swing, and it felt like spring was coming for a hot minute. If it weren鈥檛 for the bare trees, I could鈥檝e sworn it was April or May already. But maybe that鈥檚 just my cold self ready to shake the snow from my shoes and put the winter coats away.
Something Sophia caught in this photo is one of my favorite things to photograph 鈥� students studying outside on our beautiful campus. The warm sun and cool breeze bring a sort of focus to my mind as I walk around finding these shots. I was thankful Sophia grabbed this one on her way back from another shoot.
There are so many unique locations across campus. Scenes that maybe only a few students get to see because they鈥檙e specific to a department and the rest of campus doesn鈥檛 even know they exist.
I think this is one of those spaces.
This day, the Textile and Apparel Management 3480 Technical Design class, where students collaborated with the popular clothing brand Champion to design a line of retro 91制片厂Proapparel, found out whether their designs had been picked by Champion to be featured in the next fall release.
It鈥檚 a special class 鈥� one that we鈥檝e covered the last few years. The story will come out later this month, so be on the lookout for the designs that will have an early release at The 91制片厂ProStore and support your fashionably apt Tigers.
If you鈥檙e a student at Mizzou, you are well aware of the Missouri Method. It鈥檚 the practice of putting your education to work in a hands-on learning environment. You鈥檙e not just in a lecture, you鈥檙e taking what you鈥檙e taught and putting it into practice in the real world.
So is the case at PhysZou in the College of Health Sciences.
I just think this photo that Andy, one of the university鈥檚 video producers, captured is a perfect example of learning outside the classroom 鈥� showing that Katelyn is fully prepared to step through the Columns when she graduates into the career she chooses.
Also, seeing this from an inverse view of the foot is just a really cool photo. What can I say?
Chosen for their academic achievement, leadership and service to 91制片厂Proand the community, the honorees of the 91制片厂ProAlumni Association 91制片厂Pro18 and 91制片厂Pro鈥�39 awards represent a variety of majors, activities and organizations from across campus. On this evening, they were recognized in front of friends and family as newly initiated members.
What student photographer Sam captured was, I think, the feeling of being a part of this exclusive distinction as a student. The lights illuminate the profiles of each student 鈥� each different and unique in their own way 鈥� and shows the story of their exceptionalism.
Students at 91制片厂Proare different. They are prepared and talented. They are Tigers and True Sons and Daughters for life. I love capturing or seeing the moments that express those truths. Each day at this job is a treat to be able to tell the student experience and story.
