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Students Involved in Mutual Awareness (SIMA) was a student
organization at MU that strived through various campus activities
to bring current friends closer and to encourage new friendships.
Pictured above is the SIMA Board of Directors from the 1978
Savitar yearbook. First row, from left: Tim Kaine,
BA ’79; Mary Jean Hogan, BS HE ’79, M Ed ’80;
Katy Tracy, BA ’81; and David Roloff, BS Ed ’78,
MA ’85.
Second row: Jack Brand, BM ’80; Maria Crespo, attended
’79; Susan Alsup, BA ’80, MD ’84; Rich
Johnson, BJ ’80; and Marc Levinson, BA ’79.
Third row: Emily Emigh, BS Ed ’79; Russ Kuttenkuler,
BS ChE ’79; Mary Wescoat, BJ HE ’81, MA ’92;
and Ellen Druy, BA ’81. Photo courtesy of University
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Good
Deeds
@Mizzou readers describe acts
of kindness they witnessed on campus…
Some friends and I started a student organization
in the late ’70s that lasted for a number of years. It was
called SIMA, or Students Interested in Mutual Awareness. The word
SIMA was the French word “amis,” — which means
“friends” in English — spelled backward. The
entire purpose of the organization was to remind people of the
value of friendship. To bring about this increased awareness,
we had events such as viewings of “the Love Tape”
by author Leo Buscaglia, sponsored a bring-a-friend open group
photo in the Savitar yearbook, and most-popular of all,
sold bi-annual friend-o-grams (handwritten telegrams to friends)
that the members of SIMA hand-delivered to hundreds of recipients
across campus. Out of all the student organizations I was involved
with on campus, SIMA was the most satisfying.
– David Roloff, BS Ed
’78, MA ’85
I want to describe the good deeds of a few
of the wonderful students who attend MU. Although I retired in
2002, I still work half time on campus. Not long ago, I left my
building around noon to go to the campus McDonalds. I fell and
broke my ankle. Within seconds, I was surrounded by three young
men coming from different directions and offering to assist me.
They helped me up and supported me while I hobbled to a place
where I could sit down, and then they waited to make sure I got
assistance. A co-worker saw the incident from inside our building
and called my daughter to come take me to the hospital. One of
the young men even waited until my daughter arrived so that he
could assist her in getting me into the car. In the meantime,
another young lady had gone into McDonalds and asked for a bag
of ice to put on my ankle. These students took time out of their
busy schedules to help me. I will be forever grateful. It goes
to show what we all know – MU has the best students!
– Linda Moeller, BS Ed
’75
One time I was in Brady Commons buying a bunch
of 1-cent stamps and didn’t realize that you can’t
student charge things at the post office. The total purchase was
only 11 cents, but I didn’t have a single cent on me. I
asked University Bookstore if they could charge me 11 cents and
then give it to me as change. A random guy saw my struggle, and
without asking any questions, gave me a quarter and solved my
problem!
– Alison Fonte, MU student
First semester of my sophomore year in college,
I got a call from my sister. Dad had been injured in an accident
at work the night before. He was in a hospital in Warrensburg,
Mo., several hours away. He had multiple injuries. I was worried
about him, and I made plans to get a ride home over the weekend
to go see him.
Later, I reported to work as scheduled in
the medical school library. My supervisor said I could go talk
to the financial aid folks because I was worried I couldn’t
afford to return to Mizzou in the fall. The people in Jesse Hall
listened to my story. They encouraged me to apply for assistance;
and come summer, they had packaged work-study, grants and scholarships
that helped me stay in school.
My dad did recover, though not fully.
– Karen Worley, BJ ’73
Campus prank memories received
after @Mizzou’s May issue was already published ...
I liked reading about campus pranks in the
last issue of @Mizzou. I have a fun story, not a prank so much
as a fun accomplishment. One Saturday or Sunday in Bates House
on the second floor of Defoe Hall, several of us flew a kite out
the window at the end of the hallway. We kept adding more string,
and it just kept going. We called the campus radio station because
several people were wondering about the kite. It ended up over
Jesse Hall, and as the day wore on and the wind died down, the
kite landed tangled atop the Jesse dome. It stayed there for some
time before it was removed or released on its own. I think the
distance from our window to Jesse’s dome had to have been
more than a half mile, and we had the kite even higher before
the wind died down and we just couldn’t get it back in.
A fun memory, though, from 1972.
– Barry Greenley, BA ’74
I enjoyed reading the article on the campus
pranks, but I know of at least one you left out. Probably the
greatest prank in the history of the campus, in my opinion, happened
way back in the 1800s. If you don’t believe me, let me just
add that the story involves a live goat, a bell tower, and a large
amount of gunpowder. A newspaper article from the April 30, 1929,
issue of the Columbia Missourian tells the tale.
Switzler Hall was built around 1871, and Dr.
Daniel Read was president of the University from 1866-76, so the
prank probably happened some time between 1871 and 1876, in spite
of the article’s claim that it happened in 1880.
– Drew Kupsky, MA ’03
Columbia Missourian, April
30, 1929
A student stands by the
Switzler Bell in 1909. It was a long-standing campus gag
to steal the bell’s clapper so that the signal for
classes to start could not be sounded. Today, the bell is
rung on special occasions and in memory of members of the
Mizzou family who have died. Photo courtesy of University
Archives
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MU BELL RUNG BY GOAT IN 1880
Prexy Routed From Rescue by Lighted Train of Gunpowder
Whenever the old bell in Switzler Hall tells
out the hours, the old timers like to nudge one another, snicker
a bit, and ask, “Remember the time Dr. Read tried to save
the bell?” (Resulting loud laughter).
If one shows the slightest inclination to stick out one’s
ears a bit, this story will be immediately forthcoming.
Student depredations were at their height one cold winter. The
center of amusement focused in the near vicinity of the bell in
Switzler Hall tower. Dr. Read, then president of the University,
made bold to announce that he would stop such childish prattle
and pranks. It was getting to be too much of a custom for the
bell to be found clapperless in the chill light at 8 o’clock
in the morning.
One morning the president became conscious of a continual jangling
and banging of the bell. The president was annoyed. The jangling
continued. In righteous wrath the worthy doctor rushed out the
front door to see an innocent and unobtrusive goat wandering about
the campus with the end of a long cord around his neck. The other
end of the cord was attached to the bell high in the tower.
The goat became the object if the president’s attention
at once. Down the walk he went in long strides. Then almost at
the end of the walk Dr. Read was startled and considerably astonished
to see a hissing blaze running up the walk toward him.
He stepped back a pace in bewilderment. The blaze leaped two steps
at him. With a rush it almost reached his feet and discretion
became a better part of valor for the president for keeping just
a speedy lap ahead of the burning powder train he beat it to his
door by a foot.
Just as the president had walked down the walk a student had set
off the trail of gun powder and Dr. Read was forced to “right-abut”
in inglorious retreat.
This happened long ago before college students were considered
human beings, but if proof is wanted read the Police Gazette
some time in the winter of 1880. There, with complete illustrations
of the hastily retreating doctor, one may find the story.
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Last Update:
November 15, 2007
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