Be True to Your School

Spent a great weekend in Kansas City visiting my college roommate Patti (she goes by Pat now, and I may be the only one who calls her Patti!)
What made this trip so special was Patti and I drove to Columbia, Mo., back to the University of Missouri, where I had not been since graduating in 1985. What memories it brought back!

Back on campus!

The Columns and Jesse Hall

When we stepped onto the Quadrangle, where the Columns and Jesse Hall are located, I was suddenly very emotional. I never expected to return to "Ol' Mizzou" and this was really a gift from Patti -- to agree to drive two hours each way back to campus.
Here we are at the Columns.

Patti and Lisa at The Columns

Funny enough, we met a couple and their two children who were doing exactly what we were doing -- revisiting the campus and enjoying the memories. Thanks to them, we have this photo.
Another beautiful building on campus is Memorial Union, dedicated to the students who fought and died during World War I.

Memorial Union

We had lunch at the new Old Heidelberg, which burned down in 2003 and has since been rebuilt.

At the Old Heidelberg

And where else but Mizzou would you find this gem:

Only a true fan would have this toilet

We had great fun on campus. I got a little fresh with Thomas Jefferson.

Getting fresh with T.J.

Why a statue of Thomas Jefferson at Mizzou? Because the University of Missouri is the first land grant university west of the Mississippi in the Louisiana Purchase. :)
We visited the School of Journalism, where I spent many an hour. We even found an open door and went in. School starts next week, so the campus was pretty empty. We weren't sure the building was open, but it was.

Wise Shall Be the Bearers of Light

This building is on one corner of the buildings that make up the School of Journalism. The edifice reads "Wise Shall Be the Bearers of Light."
To end the day, I stopped by and had a beer with my buddy Beetle Bailey.

Having a beer with Beetle Bailey

And why is there a statue of Beetle Bailey on campus? Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker is a Mizzou grad. And the statue is very near an iconic establishment called The Shack, which burned down in 1988. How The Shack survived serving cheap beer to under aged students all those years, I have no idea. But you went to The Shack, got beer and carved your initials somewhere on the wood booths. Notice the little pen knife in front of Beetle? I am not a beer drinker, but I went to The Shack just once during my four years at Mizzou and my initials were dutifully carved in one of the booths.
We drove by our old dorms and apartment. We lived in two different dorms and then an off-campus apartment during our four years on campus. We were shocked to see a beautiful outdoor pool on campus. We never had that! And we were surprised, a bit, that we got somewhat turned around on campus -- one that I knew better than the back of my hand as I was running from one end of campus to the other. (Why was Hatch Hall on one end of campus and my journalism classes on the other???)
No matter, Mizzou was familiar and new all at once.
While it is true you can't go home again, you certainly can go back to campus, and relive many wonderful memories with a friend who made that time so very special.