Browse Items (55 total)

The narrator of this poem claims that, if he were black, he wouldn't mind being turned away from a white cemetery. The poem finishes by arguing that "it's white of them to give what tantamounts to [an integrated world], and makes us all, for what…

The 1967 edition of the Messenger's theme was "controversy." Its final piece, "The 20th Century vs. The U of R," argues that the University should have less of an influence on students' morality and not act as their "guardian." The piece's author,…

This poem by Poon Kant Mok of the 1927 graduating class describes separation between the narrator and a hesitant lover who ultimately leaves him. The narrator encourages this lover, whom he calls "Far-to-seek," to keep going despite him.

In this poem, writer R. A. S. states his admiration for Pocahontas. He contrasts her with her native people, the "fierce Indian lads," whom he likens to barbarians. Through this poem, the author portrays his negative views on indigenous people in…

This poem from the 1954 Messenger addresses a bumpy city bus that the narrator rides, urging it to pay attention to the people that ride it. This narrator speculates about the lives and personalities of some assumedly white riders before listing off…

This illustration of the Philogian Society and Messenger staff of 1960 features a caricature of Lebanese student Abdullah Mina in the upper left corner. Mina is wearing stereotypical Middle Eastern clothing and his nose is exaggerated.

In this short story, a law student named Winston Kingstone Manners the Fourth does cocaine and finds a book that contains his life story. Moments in his past are described as, "The beaten black boy, the date-raped freshman, and the threatened…

This poem details the sloppiness and ungratefulness of students and contrasts it with the diligent and thankless work that janitors do to keep campus clean. The race dynamics of this relationship are not mentioned, but this piece is paired with a…

This short story describes a student who has contracted a fictional disease called "Cross-Word Puzzle-Itus," which causes her to become fascinated with words. The first paragraph contains stereotypes about Chinese people and culture. In the first…

This poem is a celebration of the narrator's "angel," a black woman with "coca skin" and "dark softness." It was the only poem by a black student in the 1984 Messenger.