Feb. 6, 2025
Contact: Janese Heavin, heavinj@missouri.edu
Story by Abbie Lankitus
Photos by Abbie Lankitus, Sophia Scheller and Sam Cox
January brought a flurry of ice and snow, a wave of artistic and scientific events and finally the much-anticipated return of campus life – the students. University of Missouri photographer Abbie Lankitus takes us through her favorite photos of the month.
Let it Snow!
There’s a lot that facilities crews do behind the scenes to make campus beautiful and safe. A few days after the ice storm hit, Columbia got another 3-4 inches of snow. Long before any faculty or staff were on campus, facilities employees were making sure the snow was shoveled, streets were cleared and salt laid.
I love the behind-the-scenes photos of how campus works when no one’s watching. If you see Campus Facilities staff around campus, be sure and give them a thanks for all they do.
Who loves the campus squirrels? This girl! Most of the time when I photograph wildlife on campus, they’re out in the open, so this felt like a special moment.
Peace Park was the stillest I’d ever witnessed on the morning of January 10. Taking it all in – how the snow covered every twig like a blanket, the fluttering of cardinals flying from branch to branch and the quietness of downtown behind me evoked the kind of peace the park is known for.
Because of that unearthly silence, I felt my senses heighten and noticed this guy looking at me. Cozy but watchful, he mirrored those enjoying the beauty from the warmth of their homes. I was pretty jealous, to be honest. Oh, to be a Mizzou squirrel!
As a marketing photographer, campus photos are always in demand. On a sunny Saturday following the snowstorm, I had procrastinated leaving my cozy home but eventually made my way to Francis Quad.
My “poor timing” allowed for some clouds to come in and I missed my chance at a sunny Columns photo. However, there was a proposal happening when I arrived.
Jaiza Motta, a doctoral student in agricultural engineering, said “yes!” to Ruhan Lima that afternoon at the Columns. It was a joy and honor to take some images of them.
My takeaway? Procrastination is just a photographer’s intuition! Congrats to the happy couple and their #MizzouMade engagement!
Photojournalism student Sophia Scheller took the initiative to get this shot, and I’m in awe of it.
Lights and moisture do not mix, so she took her studio strobe lights and wrapped trash bags over the top of them, placed one in front and next to her and set them off.
This photo just gives me all the nostalgic feelings for a Midwest winter at Mizzou. I grew up in Texas, so all the snow this season has made me so joyful! (Ice, not so much.) The fat snowflakes falling at night with our beautiful Jesse Hall in the background is just a magical moment.
Highlighted Events
The MU Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. panel and reception doubled as a night of reflection and a showcasing of talented individuals. One group that performed was the Sankofa Chorale from the School of Music, directed by Associate Professor Brandon A. Boyd and co-conducted by doctoral candidate Ronnie Wilson.
They sang a hymn for their first song and after I had photographed much of the choir, I turned to look at the audience’s reactions. The guest directly to my left was sitting with closed eyes, letting the music envelop her and it was such a profound but quiet moment that I had to capture it.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days. At the College of Arts and Science’s Artificial Intelligence Symposium, experts across campus spoke about AI in the world, in health care, education and law, as well as advances in AI throughout all disciplines.
But what I love about this photo is the way it communicates that importance. It’s not easy to photograph people talking in front of a slide deck. So how can a photo convey the importance of the event to those who attended? This one does, hands down.
Not every event a photographer attends will be visually glamorous. It’s a lesson taught often to young and old photographers, and by coaching our student photographers I believe they’re better prepared to enter the workforce as communicators who can tell a story no matter the situation.
The Beating Heart of Campus
When you’re full-time staff, you’re usually still working on campus in-between semesters, and it’s often too quiet. Don’t get me wrong – the breaks are great. But there’s something to be said about the vibes of a bustling campus with backpacks full, the Memorial Union Starbucks line packed, and the constant murmur of ideas and bursts of laughter in every building that make Mizzou come to life.
It's why many of us are here – the students.
Student photographer Sam Cox captured this beautifully lit moment in the Student Center on an afternoon in late January.
This moment reminds me of my time in college and how much fun I had with my friends and the interactions I had with folks from all walks of life. People I would’ve never met otherwise opened up a whole world to me and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
When a photo like this causes that kind of emotion in me, I know it’s a special one worth sharing.
