NYAJ FAQ Updated March 22, 2005
What’s this site all about? NYAJ shines the spotlight on our favorite university mascot, Joe Miner, and to every University of Missouri-Rolla student, graduate, instructor and staff member who exemplifies the Joe Miner spirit.
Who is Joe Miner? Joe is the beloved mascot for UMR – the University of Missouri-Rolla.
Why a miner for a mascot? When it was founded in 1870, UMR was called the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy. It was the first technology-oriented school west of the Mississippi River. America’s Industrial Revolution was chugging along, and the nation needed educated men and women to extract and refine the minerals needed to fuel industrial growth, as well as to build the nation’s infrastructure. UMR, with its emphasis on mining, metallurgical and civil engineering, was the right kind of school for the times. Joe Miner, outfitted as a prospector, represents UMR’s historical connection to the mining and metallurgical practices of the late 1800s.
Where did Joe come from? Joe Miner evolved from caricatures of a prospector and surveyor created by a campus organization known as the Grubstakers, which later became UMR’s Triangle fraternity.
What’s this “Joe Miner spirit” you mention? We like to think of Joe as a rugged individualist. He’s a pioneer, a problem-solver, and he typifies the can-do attitude of many of UMR’s brightest students and alumni.
Why have you changed the Joe Miner image? The “original” Joe Miner image was created as a work of art rather than as a graphic image. As a work of art, however, it is difficult to reproduce in various media, such as printed materials and T-shirts. We created the “new” Joe Miner graphic to provide a cleaner, more reproducible image for Joe Miner fans to use. (Thanks to UMR student Harrison Roberts for asking this question. A shiny new NYAJ button is headed your way!)
Have you done away with the “old” Joe (also known as “traditional” Joe)? Not at all. Both the old and new Joe Miner are available for anyone’s use at http://nyaj.umr.edu/funstuff.htm .
What’s that thing Joe is carrying over his shoulder? It’s called a slide rule. In the days before computers and calculators, engineers used slide rules to perform mathematical calculations.
What’s with the pickax? Joe is a miner, remember? Miners used pickaxes to dig for ore.
Why the name NYAJ? It stands for “Not Your Average Joe,” and is a tribute to UMR’s extraordinary students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Who’s behind this site? A bunch of folks in the UMR communications department.
Is this site officially affiliated with UMR? Yes, but is the sole responsibility of the UMR communications department and no other university office or department.
Is the “Joe in the News” stuff legal? Sure it is. The “Joe in the News” section of this website is parody and all celebrity names and altered images used there fall under the “Fair Use” guidelines of U.S. copyright law.
I’ve got a great idea for a “Joe in the News” item. How can I get it on your site? If you think you’ve got what it takes to be an NYAJ “Joe in the News” correspondent, write us an email (nyaj@umr.edu) and tell us about your story idea, writing/editing/photo manipulation skills, and why you think we should add you to our growing list of stringers.
Will I get paid for contributing to “Joe in the News”? No, but you could be discovered by some major media organization or news parody site that is willing to pay big bucks for your obviously underappreciated talents.
Are there any other ways I can contribute to NYAJ? Sure. If you’re into coding, why not contribute your own style sheet to our database to give NYAJ visitors a different perspective on the site? (We’ll credit you on the site as well.) You can also submit your very own “Joe Sightings” and participate in our weekly NYAJ Photo Caption Contest.
How can I get cool NYAJ stuff? You can get a free NYAJ button just by nominating yourself or someone else as an NYAJ. Just send an email to us at nyaj@umr.edu and explain, in 200 words or less, why you or whoever you’re nominating has what it takes to be an NYAJ.
Cool! Got any other free stuff? Sure. This site includes free backgrounds for you to download at will. You can also win stuff through our weekly NYAJ Photo Caption Contest. Soon, we’ll have other giveaways and contests, so keep watching.
But your FAQ didn’t answer my most burning question. If you still have questions about this site, please email us (nyaj@umr.edu) and we’ll respond to you directly. We might even include your question in a future version of this FAQ, and include a shout-out to you. We’ll make you famous.