The Story Behind the "M"

The "M" is 620 feet above the Missoula Valley floor. It is 125' feet long and 100' feet wide. University of Montana forestry students cut the switchbacks into the side of the hill in the early 1900's. The first "M" was assembled out of whitewashed rocks in 1909, and given a fresh coat of paint by freshmen every year, until 1968, when all those rocks were cemented together with concrete.

Photo by Nelson Kenter, kenterphotography.com

Archive for the ‘Education’ Category

All Things Lady Griz: Reintroducing Shannon Cate

By KRISTA REDPATH PYRON - Shannon Cate is Montana-made and proud of it. And she's even more than just the most talented Lady Griz player to ever don the uniform.... more

Watch the Griz Playoff Game on ESPN3.com

Even though the second-round Griz playoff game on December 3 won't be televised locally, you can still watch it on ESPN3.com for free if you're an Optimum Internet subscriber. ... more

Folk Musician Chris Bathgate Plays at the UM FLAT

By CLAY SPRINGMEYER - Last Monday, my band The Trees had the privilege of opening for Michigander folk musician Chris Bathgate and his band. I must say, I'm still giddy from the show. ... more

Photo Gallery: Griz Upset Bobcats to Win 2011 Brawl of the Wild

Photos by PATRICK RECORD The University of Montana Grizzlies exacted their revenge this year in the form of a 36-10 victory over the Montana State University Bobcats. UM Journalism student Patrick Record was... more

Brawl of the Wild – Griz Cat Game 2011

BRAWL OF THE WILD scouting report by Brint Wahlberg. Here's the 4-1-1 on the general stats, players to watch, and the keys to a Griz victory in today's game!... more

The 2011 Griz-Cat Brawl of the Wild Contest

What's your Griz-Cat Big Sky Classic game tradition? How do you get psyched for the big brawl? Any rivalries under your roof? Tell us and you could win a $50 gift certificate to the Montana Club.... more

GRIZ GRIT: Fall Out at Penn State

By MICK HOLIEN - As a parent, and now as a grandparent, the one thing you want to be assured of when your son or daughter is entrusted to another adult for any activity is that those responsible will protect th... more

A Salute to Our Troops: The Remembrance Day Roll Call Ceremony

A group of UM Journalism students filed this multimedia piece about the Remembrance Day Nation Roll Call Ceremony at Montana State University on November 11, 2011.... more

A Salute to Our Troops: Photos of Veterans’ Day Events in Montana

A photo gallery of moments from Veterans' Day ceremonies across Western Montana.... more

GRIZ GRIT: Redemption for Athletes in Trouble

By MICK HOLIEN. Drafted No. 2 in the 1998 draft after taking Washington State to the Rose Bowl, Great Falls native Ryan Leaf was a Heisman Trophy finalist who was a bust in the professional ranks.... more

Lady Griz Tradition: Some Get to Wear It

By LINDA WEYLER - Every year, the Lady Griz team has new faces, but, in my eyes, the honor of being a Lady Griz is forever.... more

Snowbowl Set to Expand, Make Public Freestyle Terrain Park

By BILLIE LOEWEN - Montana Snowbowl ski area is preparing to expand their terrain park to bring freestyle skiing in western Montana to new heights.... more

A Salute to Our Troops: The Fallen Soldier Memorial at the University of Montana

By PATRICK RECORD Last Friday, as the rain began to turn to snow, I stood and watched as a handful of Montana’s military men and women revealed the new Fallen Soldier Memorial at the University of Montana.... more

GRIZ GRIT: Athletes as Role Models – Good, Bad…and Fair?

By MICK HOLIEN. There is little doubt that varying descriptions surface whenever an alleged drunken situation occurs. Witnesses to such transgressions have their own interpretations about what they observed.... more

Playing in a Missoula Band Called “The Trees”

By CLAY SPRINGMEYER. So I'm in a band now. We're called The Trees. I know what you're thinking: “The Trees? Really?” Yes. We're The Trees. ... more

Business Profile: Muzeview Research (Part Three)

By JEFF MANGAN - Read the third part of Jeff's interview with Paul Gladen and Todd Taylor of Muzeview in Missoula, Montana.... more

GRIZ GRIT: UM Football Coaches Do a Thankless Job

By MICK HOLIEN. Why is there such preoccupation with whether a football coach or a staff deserves to be fired?... more

A Marriage of Music: Successful Jazz and Pop Artists Make Missoula Studio Work

By RACHEL A. SEIDENSTICKER - After recording seven jazz CDs and headlining clubs in Chicago, appearing on ABC’s “The Commish,” and performing, acting, and modeling across the world, Eden Atwood found hers... more

Lady Griz Basketball is in the Air!

By KRISTA REDPATH PYRON - This time of year I always get this familiar feeling in my gut. Crisp mornings, followed by late afternoon warm sun, early sunsets, and... the gym!... more

Business Profile: Muzeview Research (Part Two)

By JEFF MANGAN - Read the second part of Jeff's interview with Paul Gladen and Todd Taylor of Muzeview in Missoula, Montana.... more

Bluegrass Music Growing Missoula Roots

By ALANYA CHERKIS - Last month, Missoula hosted its first ZooGrass festival at the Top Hat lounge downtown. Live bluegrass has recently taken hold of the music scene in Missoula, with its upbeat energy, foot-st... more

Multimedia Feature: California Street Tag Wall Becomes Home to Missoula Graffiti Artists

By ANNELA ROVA and BILLIE LOEWEN - When Missoula business owner and artist Dan Tabish posted a sign on the gigantic wall surrounding his property, he created the only space in the city free and open to graffiti... more

We Are Family: Griz Family Weekend

By MARGARET DEWILLIAM HORTON - On a Wednesday several weeks ago, I sat poised by the computer, waiting for the stroke of 10 AM Mountain Time (which I had to remember translated to 9 AM Pacific Time). I was hopi... more

GRIZ GRIT: Tragic Endings

By MICK HOLIEN. We all have experienced the premature passing of a great friend, an associate, a relative or maybe just an acquaintance. It’s always a soul-searching experience for me.... more

Out in Missoula: An Open, Visible, and Generally Accepted LGBT Community

By TOR HAUGAN, UM Student Journalist. In the early ‘80s, people would drive from Helena to Missoula to hang out with the gay bartender at AmVets, Missoula’s now-defunct bar claimed by the LGBT community. Th... more

F*#%ing Laundry

By ELKE GOVERTSEN. I hate laundry!!!! For goodness sake. I know how to do it. Really I do. But I just don’t care enough. Or more to the point, I do care, but not as much as I care about things like my childre... more

GRIZ GRIT: The Best Part of the Year

By MICK HOLIEN. It’s just about my favorite time of year. I cherish the overlap in sports seasons, which in my case involves college football and basketball. ... more

Urban Bees in Missoula: Neighbors Against Neighbors While Drafting New Rules

By DANIEL VIEHLAND. UM student and citizen journalist Daniel Viehland reports on the conflict between an urban beekeeper and his neighbors in Missoula. Will it prompt changes to local beekeeping laws?... more

Save by Stockpiling Food and Household Items

By ERIN TURNER. I am replenishing our stockpile after a summer of living off of it. Reasons to stockpile? Convenience, for emergencies, and above all, SAVING MONEY!... more

Grizzlies Lose to Sac State 42-28

By MICK HOLIEN. It was just one of those days or in this case, one of those games. The winning streak over Sacramento is a thing of the past and the Grizzlies, left to their own devices, are back in the midst ... more

UM Grizzlies 17, Eastern Washington 14.

By MICK HOLIEN. For the second straight week, The Griz avenged one of last season’s four losses and in the process of beating a defending National Champion, almost eliminated any chance that Eastern Washingto... more

Coupon Clipping Tips and Techniques

By ERIN TURNER. I have to admit my “Coupon Queen” crown is slightly tarnished these days. Why? Because I hardly couponed this summer…. I know that sounds scandalous but in all honesty, it’s exactly w... more

UM Grizzlies vs Cal Poly

By MICK HOLIEN. The two things I’ve come to understand in a lifetime of sports are: there’s as always much uncertainty waiting just around the corner and there are no givens.... more

Decorating for Fall on a Frugal Budget

By ERIN TURNER. I can’t help it! I’m a sucker for those lovely magazine covers which show a home or front porch decorated for fall. I want my home to exude the same warmth and coziness but I don’t want... more

This Time Last Year

By MARGARET HORTON. Just about this time last year I was busy trying not to address my empty nest and trying hard to concentrate on moving my son into his room in Aber Hall at UM.... more

UM Grizzlies vs Tennessee

By MICK HOLIEN. You’ve certainly heard of the lull before the storm. And how about the calm in the eye of the hurricane? The 95,000 fans at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville Saturday night got a taste of about eve... more

Blessing Bags of Love – for Missoula’s Homeless

By ERIN TURNER. When fall arrives, I inherently start to “nest”. I become a canning maniac. I also can’t help but think about those in our community who are homeless or needy.... more

2011 Grizzly Football Season Outlook

By MICK HOLIEN. Can you even believe it’s been nine months since the Grizzly football season ended on a sour note? So what about this year’s edition of Grizzly football?... more

Budget Meal Planning

By ERIN TURNER. As I’m preparing all the backpacks, washing “first day of school” clothes and getting football gear ready for practices, I have to admit that meals are the last thing I am worried about! ... more

Summer Feet

By ELKE GOVERTSEN. Say it ain’t so… summer is, gulp, over? But I don’t have my summer feet yet.... more

Super-Saving NOT Super-Sizing

By ERIN TURNER. If you stay in any hotel these days, your room will more than likely be supplied with a small bottle of shampoo and conditioner. Do you leave those behind when you leave? Well, you shouldn’t... more

Back to School Shopping on a Budget

By ERIN TURNER. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but school starts in less than two weeks for most Missoula kids. I’d better get into gear in order to save some cash on the boys’ school supplies.... more

Thomas the Tarantula

By CLAY SPRINGMEYER. I spent the summer volunteering for Missoula's Summer Arts and Leadership Camp, a free camp for 68 homeless and at risk of being homeless kids in Missoula. There I met Thomas the Tarantula.... more

Camp Elke

By ELKE GOVERTSEN. When I was in college, my dream job was to be a camp director. Perhaps it still is. I was MADE for camp. One thing I never thought of was the fact that somewhere other than camp, there was ma... more

Get Outta Town…

By ELKE GOVERTSEN. Sometimes the very best way to love a place is to get the heck outta there. This is consistently the case for me with Missoula.... more

Norman’s Got Nothing on Missoula

By ELKE GOVERTSEN. The nostalgia of our town is also its future. The ability to take people back to their childhoods, to a time when the grasses were hip-height and adventure called from right outside your door... more

Getting Schooled

By ELKE GOVERTSEN. About this time every year I start getting calls. Worried calls. Trying to make the right choice calls. Trying to not make the wrong choice calls. Calls from terrified, about to start kinderg... more

Power Shift

By CLAY SPRINGMEYER. A Day in the Life of a UM student: traveling to Washington D.C. for a national youth conference on climate change. The conference was called Power Shift, and about 10,000 young people from ... more

Migratory Notions and Desert Solidarity

By CLAY SPRINGMEYER. A Day in the Life a UM student--backpacking in the desert of Utah. If there's one thing I've learned from my backpacking journeys, it's that things rarely go exactly according to plan. Tha... more

From UM J-School to the Big Screen: A Writer Makes His Dream Come True

By VERINA PALMER MARTIN. I’m in awe of visionary souls who contribute to the world from the artful metaphors that float from their minds and through their fingertips to become a tangible opus. Carlos Pedraza... more