51–60

51 } Pizza 51

It’s hard to ignore the alluring smell of fresh pizza dough and oregano wafting through the air at the corner of 51st and Oak streets. Maybe that’s why the patio at longtime student-hangout Pizza 51 is always packed.

52 } Rankings

Named a 2012 Best Value College by The Princeton Review.

53 } Katz hall

The mid-century designer furniture in the reception area, faculty offices, studios and the entry of the renovated Katz Hall bring a modern design aesthetic to the Department of Architecture, Urban Planning + Design. The furniture donated by UMB includes rolling tables, leather designer chairs, a table and chair in the conference area and other items.

54 } Don Quixote

Luis Quintanilla, UMKC’s first artist-in-residence, left behind a memorable and vast piece of work: the Don Quixote frescoes in Haag Hall. In the painting, Quintanilla used a number of university students, faculty members and staff as models, including himself and his wife. Carl Kurtz, chief engineer of the university’s buildings, prepared the walls in order for Quintanilla to paint on them in 1940. He later became the model for Sancho Panza. Alexander Cappon, head of the English Department, was the model for Don Quixote. “I was on campus recently, turned the corner and saw them, and it was like I was 19 years old again, loitering in between classes and absolutely transfixed by the painting,” says Jennifer Wilding (B.A. ’82).

55 } Sedaris and friends

Some of the greatest thinkers of our time have visited UMKC thanks to the Carolyn Benton Cockefair Chair. Speakers and writers in the arts and humanities such as Doris Kearns Goodwin, David McCullough, Robert Pinsky, David Sedaris, Tom Wolfe, Molly Ivins, John Updike, Judith Martin and Adrienne Rich have made appearances. Since 1960, the Cockefair Chair has played a role in the cultural and intellectual life of the university and the community.

56 } RooBot

At UMKC, we love technology. So when resources at Miller Nichols Library were growing so huge that they threatened to overtake student areas, the answer was obvious: we need a robot! Named RooBot by students, the robot is actually an automated storage and retrieval system or ASRS. The RooBot made it possible for the library to move some collections and make more room for student-friendly spaces, and includes enough space for 15 years of growth—an additional 400,000 items. The system makes materials retrieval faster and easier than shelved systems, and we’ve been assured that unlike some robots, the RooBot will never attempt to enslave humanity.

57 } Beauty and brains

Tara Dawn Holland, M.A. ’02, was thrust into the spotlight when she was crowned Miss America in 1997. After her crowning, Holland, a literacy advocate and tutor, graduated summa cum laude with her master’s degree in music education from UMKC.

58 } Good food

Brunch at the cafeteria on a lazy Sunday

59 } Eames chairs

Named the No. 1 design of the 20th century by Time magazine, there are currently 300 Eames DCM chairs in use at Miller Nichols Library. The highly collectible, mid-century modern chairs were original issue with the construction of the library in 1970 and purchased for $25.76 each. Today, retailers sell the chairs for around $700.

60 } Bacon

The campus craving of choice is a simple, unpretentious BLT from neighborhood tavern The Peanut at 51st and Main streets. Composed of thick bacon, fresh tomatoes and lettuce, toasted wheat bread and a smear of mayo, the most adventuresome ingredients on The Peanut’s signature sandwich might be the black pepper and red onions. Or maybe it’s the shredded cheddar. Whatever it is, it makes Roo stomachs growl like nothing else.

Global Roos
Hello, blue skies

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8