University of Missouri - Savitar Yearbook (Columbia, MO)

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Academic Seniors. The history of this class properly begins on the pleasant September day in the year 1894, When, as if by magic drawn, we found ourselves at a small village some twenty miles from our destination. WVe had, in years gone by, been accustomed to Find there a train ready to carry us to our journeyls end, but after waiting several hours and seeing none, we determined to investigate the matter. We were soon informed that for some months, because of lack of patronage, only weekly trains had been run, and as this -was not the regular time, we would have to wait a few days. iWe immediately held a consultation and decided to make up a purse in order to persuade the sleepy old conductor to make a special trip. This had the desired effect, and after the rusty engine had been oiled carefully and put in run- ning, or rather creeping, condition, we continued our journey, and after a delightful ride of two hours, viewing the scenery along the way, we once more landed in the 'tAthens of the westf, Collecting our grips, bundles, umbrellas and canes, and seeing that the fragments of our trunks left by the thoughtful baggage smashers, were securely stored away, we proceeded to hunt some first-class boarding houses. Now' for some reason perfectly understood by all the students, Columbia had long had a reputation far and wide for the scarcity of the above-named places. We1'e we an artist we would paint you a picture showing the unpalatable and unchanging dishes of so-called edibles on which the unfortunate victims are supposed to exist- Appetites invariably fail us at the first thought of our scanty and repulsive 'tbills of fare. All sorts of expedients are resorted to in order to coaxback the vanished desire for food, we take long walks into the country, we play football, we spend hours thinking about all the good things we used to have at home, we stand and gaze at fruits and pies displayed in windows hoping thereby to vvhet up our appe- tites, but at the moment of success visions of our boarding house dinners Hoaf mockingly by and they tttake the wings of the morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the earth. It's no use. Starvation stares us in the face and were it not for occasional vacations we would long since have Hshudied off this mortal coil. Considering all these things it is no wonder that after several days, futile search we gave up in despair and resigned ourselves to the fate which invariablyawaits those thirsting for lore. VV'hen at last we were located as well as possible under the circumstances, we betook ourselves to the University in order to arrange for a few studies which 25

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would divertour minds from the frivolous pleasures which form a part of a student's life. This done, we again had an opportunity to witness a sight which could be seen at no other places but a circus and fourth of July picnic-the conglomerous crowd out of which was to be formed the new freshman class. The rustic lad wear- ing the proverbial blue cravatg the more polished city youth with his neatly Htting 'icutaway and sweet smelling cigarette, the coy maiden with waving curls and sparkling eye, and the awkward, homesick girl with big freckles, all were there. This called to mind the time when only a few years ago, we, too, were freshmen, and the memory of this in turn recalled the pleasant experience of our nearly com- pleted college course. Happy days they were, but at no time had we felt so much satisfaction as at the present, because now we were making the beginning of the end. To be seniors had been our ambition from early youth, and now that we had arrived at the much coveted post of honor, we had a right to demand homage of our inferiors. But here the trouble began. In an University like this, differences of opinion exist as to who are the greatest among us. Now, there were the t'mules, 'fmedics, Hsheepu and t'farme,rs all clamoring for this recognition, which by virtue of superior ability belongs to the academic seniors. The 4'mules especially with characteristic audacity, appeared to think that the rest of the Uni- versity could be stowed away very comfortably in one of their quiz rooms and that we were of little importance. But there they are mistaken. The academic seniors do not make much noise, because violent demonstrations are beneath our dignity. Neither do we belong to the common herd like our professional brethren. We are the aristocrats, the ladies and gentlemen of culture, who have spent all these years searching for hidden truth because we are students by nature inclined, and not to prepare ourselves to successfully gull the unsuspecting public, Although we have surmounted all difliculties, and avoided the snares which have entangled many of our fellows in mad scramble for the tfsheepskinf' we are not disposed to blow over our accomplishment, but on the other hand the modesty with which we wear our laurels is remarkable. VVe receive with wonderful self- possession the smiles of admiring friends, the haughty glare of the junior, the with- ering scorn of the 'isophu and the thoughtful gaze of the ttfreshie as he contem- plates the dizzy heights to which we have ascended and half unconsciously niurmurs. '-Oh, what must it he to be there. XVe are not naturally proud and conceited but it is quite proper that we should feel a degree of pride when we receive our diplomas-those precious documents for which we have labored so assiduously all these years. It is an honor indeed to be an alumnus of the univer- sity of Nlissouri. It is a passport which will admit us into educational circles and insure us a recognition wherever we may wander. 21,1