The Faces of Springfield
Written by Natalia Cordero
Photography by Mindy Welland
Springfield, Missouri, is home to Missouri State University, with approximately 6% of the city’s population being MSU students (to find this calculation, I took Springfield city’s population of approximately 170,000 and divided it by MSU’s 2024 enrollment of approximately 26,000). Many look at Springfield as a college town, somewhere to come back to after spending the holidays with friends and family. That’s all I’ve ever seen it as, but I feel as though Springfield often gets a bad reputation.
I used to associate Springfield only with school, so it’s easy to sometimes overlook the people who live here, whose whole lives are here. What about them? Whether it be Central Square dwellers, employees from surrounding shops, or skateboarders in parking garages, Springfield has a plethora of distinct individuals.
I like to think of the town as a community, but what does community even mean? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, community is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. So, are we all just people living in the same place, or is there a particular characteristic in common?
I’m graduating in May — hence my sappiness — and I’ve been analyzing the past four years, trying to make sense of it all. Springfield is such a big part of my life, and I didn’t even know what was happening before my eyes. In reflecting on what Springfield means to me and the people here, I wanted to take the chance to highlight the people in the area.
What better way to spotlight the familiar faces around town than to have a conversation with them personally? A quick Q&A is the approach I took to cover the most ground. A few people I asked didn’t want their picture taken, but I wanted their answers to be included. There were about 10 people that were interested in answering my questions. I didn’t ask for names, nor was I necessarily on the hunt for any particular type of person. I wanted raw, genuine answers from people going about their lives like any other day. I asked them four simple questions, and requested they answer as honestly as possible. I told them they could answer as long or short as they’d like. Here are the answers from the people of Springfield:
What’s one word to describe Springfield?
“Nice”
“Graceful”
“Chaotic” (x 2)
“Trashy”
“Roller Coaster”
“Homey”
“Eclectic”
“Chill”
“Quaint”
What’s the best thing about this town?
“I like that it’s nice. The people are kind.”
“The movie theater.”
“I wish it had more things to do.”
“Zayka (Indian Cuisine).”
“It’s a scavenger hunt here.”
“It's nice as someone who hasn’t lived here before to experience the new things but also feel connected with people at the same time. Brick City, Mudhouse, I’m building a community in the city because I’m here for school. I get to experience ‘city life’ with nature and biking being easily accessible as well. I get the opportunity to do a lot of things.”
“The arts that we have. Great museum, gallery, First Friday. Lots of great artists and shows, festivals, and fairs.”
“Good community. I was scared because the city was more south. There’s a great art community and music scene. The art community is huge with First Friday. There’s also a large queer community with helpful resources like the GLO Center. I feel like it’s a sensitive community. There are niche spaces for niche hobbies.”
What’s something special to you here?
“The memories.”
“For Christmas, Dad bought me a Playstation 4.”
“Family.”
“Everything here.”
“The artistic expression on the streets like the murals. Reminds me of South Carolina.”
“The time I spent here.”
“Phelps Grove Park. I’ve made memories with friends picnicking and grilling. It’s a nice place to relax and people-watch.”
“The school. MSU Ag Department.”
“Friends. The presence of lots of friends that I have things to do with.”
“The people I've met. Maybe it’s because I’m an adult, but when you’re in a big city, it’s hard to conceptualize all the lives. It’s so close-knit and everyone has a unique community they belong to while also going through a somewhat common experience. Different communities, different experiences, something to connect over.”
What comes to mind when you think of Springfield?
“The people.”
“Serenity. It’s peaceful; the people here are nice.”
“Good scenery.”
“Beautiful car scene.”
“The central park square.”
“Hell…yeah!”
“South Avenue street and the square. Walking around the city. Chilling outside is nice.”
“Friends.”
“There’s so many things. So many good, amazing restaurants that aren’t chains. I really enjoy having that available to go out and do fun things at restaurants, pubs, and wineries.”
“Chinese food.”
I was honestly nervous about going up to people and asking them for a picture and to answer some random questions. I feared their reactions. Some politely declined while others just walked right past me. Many delightfully accepted and others suspiciously agreed as I approached them. I wasn’t sure what kinds of comments I was going to get, but it was such a genuine outcome. A lot of the responses were very different, yet they were still the same to some degree. I could fully sense the beauty and the rich community harbored in Springfield. Everyone’s responses were relatively positive as many shared intimate experiences here. It also made me realize that while it doesn't matter where you find your community, place is so important when it comes to connections. Many memories start in a specific location associated with that special moment and so many of my own special moments have been here in Springfield.
Springfield has given me a sense of community when I felt out of place. After talking to so many different people, I’ve realized how much of a community Springfield has brought to not only me, but everyone who lives here. There are so many areas to find your place and to find acceptance around this town. I was so scared to move away for college, but this town brought me to where I feel like I truly belong. Sartorial Magazine is the place I feel the most accepted. It’s where I met all of my friends (this isn’t an exaggeration), where I can openly create, and where I can genuinely be myself. It’s a part of Springfield that I am forever thankful for. Springfield has such a special place in my heart. Focus on the beauty of Springfield and what it has to offer; make the best of it, as you’ll miss it when it’s gone.