My sister was the biggest influence on my music taste. I was a pre-teen when she was a teenager and I wanted to be just like her, everything from her fashion style to the music she listened to. She listened to pop stars such as Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. Ke$ha’s debut album, “Animal,” was a huge hit among teenage girls because she wrote songs about experiences many girls go through growing up: having crushes, partying and being betrayed by a friend, to name a few.
Concerts at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, are an integral part of growing up for anyone in high school. This concert photo was taken Sept. 10, 2022. Photo by Emily Retzer
My family and I love spending time together for the holidays. Our favorite Christmas tradition is gathering at my house and watching a Christmas movie, while drinking hot chocolate before we open up gifts from each other. Decorating for Christmas is also one of my favorite activities around the holidays because it just makes my house more cheery and bright. I’ve put together some holiday pictures that represent what the holidays mean to me.
The Retzer family, from left to right: (back row) Clint (my father), Caleb (my brother), Danielle (brother’s fiancé), Emily (me), Chico (my dog), Jake (my boyfriend); (middle) Becca (my sister); (front) Richie (sister’s husband), Lola and Bear (sister’s dogs). Photo courtesy of Jen Maas (my dad’s fiancé), Christmas of 2021
Netflix has recently released several Jeffrey Dahmer documentaries and series following the story of the serial killer’s life, from a young age up until when he committed his heinous crimes, to his death in prison. Evan Peters gives a chilling performance in “Dahmer- Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” in which he captivates watchers from his mannerisms to the way he talks, his portrayal being truly uncanny to the real deal. This series focuses more on the victims in the case. Each episode follows what happened to a victim and more about their personal lives leading up to their untimely death.
“Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” was released on Sept. 21, 2022, and quickly became one of the most watched series on Netflix, right behind “Stranger Things” season 4. Photo by Emily Retzer
We certainly do not need to be defined by our past, but at the same time we are inclined to recognize that our past informs who we are today, and who we become tomorrow. The experiences, actions and influences during our time growing up leave lasting impressions on all of us. So our question for today’s team blog, written by students in a journalism writing course at MBU, is this: What moments from your childhood have defined the person you are today?
Moving through our personal history is often like driving down a road on a great adventure, being able to reflect on the sights we have seen behind us and at the same time anticipating what might be around the next corner. Photo by Emma Tihen
Here are some interesting facts about MBU Timeline, the student newsmagazine of Missouri Baptist University, in St. Louis:
*Our mission statement is: MBU Timeline is the student news network of Missouri Baptist University, a private Christian university that embraces the essential core value of “social change through service and leadership.”
*The Bible verse that drives our mission is 2 Timothy 2:15 (Worldwide English Version): “Tell the true message in the right way.”
*The WordPress website has been up since late-fall 2013. We average about 3,000 sessions and about 5,000 pageviews per month.
*Our stories and galleries get as few as 40 or 50 hits, or as many as 8,000 hits.
*We have readers in every state and more than 90 countries around the world. We have several readers in South America, the United Kingdom, India and Australia.
*Most of our readers are in Missouri, followed by Illinois, California and Texas.
*We do not accept advertising as we are a not-for-profit online newsmagazine.
*We welcome contributors from all walks of MBU life, regardless of your major. Reach out to us on Twitter at: @mbutimeline.
