Senior radio host brings back popular campus segment, Dovecote Girl speaks on newfound popularity
At the start of spring semester, an Instagram account was created under the username @kphmissedconnections. It announced that it was bringing back Lewis & Clark Missed Connections as an Instagram account that posts MC’s with music and a radio.
LC Missed Connections first started on Facebook in 2013 as a way to anonymously declare romantic and platonic interest in members of the LC community. The last post on the Facebook account was in March 2022.
The Facebook page was popular among LC students in its day. The radio show host, who chose to remain anonymous for this article, wanted to bring back the idea via radio and Instagram. Submissions are made through a Google Form link available in the show’s Instagram bio, and are then posted with a colorful background and a song of the person’s choosing. Past songs have included “Hot Knife” by Fiona Apple and “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison.
The Missed Connections show host wanted to make something that would attract all LC students.
“Shows I have done in the past get like eight listeners on average. I think this year there have been a lot more listeners,” the host said. “You go on the radio and you broadcast for your friends who you badger into listening to your show or you get your family to listen, but I thought the missed connections idea had a greater reach and that might be something a lot of students all around campus would be interested in tuning into.”
While popular on Instagram, the radio show, like most shows, does not attract a huge draw of listeners. Compared to other shows, however, the range of listeners is diversified by the format, rather than being a group of friends tuning into a radio station out of support or obligation.
That is not to say there has not been drama on the Missed Connections page and show. Some submissions remain vague or call out other students by their full name. In response, the host blanked out missed connections’ last names and changed the guidelines so that submissions that are negative, vague or explicit will be denied.
“There were two posts that people did not want to see that said mean things about other people. In one of the posts, I just censored a last name because even I was like ‘this is a mean post’ and when I started the account I did not want to censor anything because I think it gets a little bit complicated with one person deciding what gets posted and what does not,” the host said. “I think it could get complicated with bias I think for an account like this, after having people direct message me and the comments on the post, I really understand that people just do not want to see that stuff and some people getting annoyed that their stuff is not getting posted is not a bad trade-off at all.”
One missed connection that has received a lot of attention is the Dovecote girl, a student who makes paper cranes in the Dovecote. The Instagram account featured a post called “A Love Letter to the Dovecote crane/teddy bear girl” which compiled eight separate submissions dedicated to the Dovecote girl that included: “girl with the pink stuffed bear. You’re magical. I know you might not believe me, but you truly are.”
The “Dovecote girl” in question is LC student Halli Nguyen ’24.
“I know the two baristas and I was just kind of decorating for our happiness, our sake,” Nguyen said. “I did not realize people noticed or cared about it at all, so when the first missed connection came out it was very sweet to receive it. People were indulging in something that I do. Of course, I did not expect to be anymore after that, so when the eight came out later it was definitely a big wave of ‘wow,’ that is a lot of messages.”
Nguyen also goes by the name “Teddy Bear Girl” on Missed Connections. Her stuffed bear, who goes by the name “Kitty,” is named after the fictional character Hello Kitty and has been in Nguyen’s life for twenty years.
Nguyen is most known for her origami crafts that decorate the Dovecote. One missed connection that was posted related to Nguyen about the origami rose pig’s she made for a professor. The creation turned out to be the professor’s favorite type of pig.
“I did make an extra rose pig for a professor, which is now in her office,” Nguyen said. “I have made it for friends and people I actually know. For Valentine’s Day, I made twelve gift bags and I made a Valentine’s Day crane that is in each gift bag, so I do it for friends and people I know as well. I am kind of at a place now where if someone really wanted something I would definitely figure out a way to make it for them.”
In response to all the missed connections, Nguyen is very appreciative.
“To everyone who has written me missed connections, thank you again for all your love,” Ngyuen said. “I’m glad everyone can enjoy my paper crafts. Kitty says thank you too, all the happy comments on her. If you ever want to say hello to me or Kitty, feel free to come visit me in the Dovecote or wherever you can find me. I’m always happy to chat 🙂 Love, Dovecote Crane Girl.”
Amid all the drama on Missed Connections, the numerous submissions for Nguyen have been a wholesome palate cleanser for the host and the audience.
“I posted publicly on the Instagram that this girl has three more (submissions) coming this week and immediately after I posted that, she got a ton more of people wanting to talk about her and saying ‘oh my God I know her’ and ‘I have also seen her stuff,’” the host said. “Even after posting the one about all those submissions I am continuing to get more about the Dovecote Crane Girl.”
Looking towards the future, the host hopes to find someone to take over the role for the 2023-2024 academic year. The longevity of Missed Connections is undetermined, but the host hopes to put out feelers soon to continue the legacy.
“Anybody who does take it on should downsize the scope,” the host said. “The only way I can make it the way it is now is because I am a second semester senior and I finished my thesis last semester. Whoever takes it on next year should downsize the scope, maybe not make it a radio show. I do love the radio show aspect and I find it really funny.”
For those interested, tune into the Missed Connections radio show on Mondays at 6 p.m. at www.kphstream.mixlr.com or on the Mixlr app.
Leave a Reply