Bully for ol' Mizzou (Cont'd)

Missouri’s victory over Nebraska in 2003. And, it is here that head coach Gary Pinkel broadcasts his radio coach’s show, each Monday during the football season.

As the late morning sun filtered in through the skylight, Cap wolfed down a burger and an order of fries, then headed out to explore the campus.

Cap crossed from the downtown area into Peace Park, a beautiful, quiet corner of the campus separating downtown from the Francis Quadrangle. Then on through the park past Switzler Hall, with its bell tower, which tolls for important campus events and the passing members of the University family, and to the Quadrangle.

On the north end of the Quadrangle are "The Columns,” still standing from Academic Hall, the original campus building. In 1892, Academic Hall was destroyed by a fire. During the cleanup, The Columns were scheduled to be torn down, but the President of the Board of Curators saved them, "Let them stand. Let them stand for a thousand years," he proclaimed. The Columns still stand today.

The Columns and Jesse Hall

When the Boone County Courthouse was torn down, in need of repairs, the courthouse columns were saved and stand today. The net result is that the columns from the original Academic Hall still stand looking north and up the street and the original columns from the Boone County Courthouse still stand, facing south. This street connecting the two is named, appropriately, "The Avenue of the Columns.”

Avenue of the Columns - Looking through the original Boone County Courthouse columns toward Jesse Hall

Across the long lawn, to the south of The Columns, stands Jesse Hall - built in 1893 to replace Academic Hall, and named for Richard H. Jesse, who oversaw the rebuilding following the fire. The dome on the top of Jesse Hall is taller than the building itself, standing 105 feet tall. This area - the Francis Quadrangle with The Columns and Jesse Hall - is, certainly, the signature landmark on the Mizzou campus.

From The Columns, Cap passed the Residence, the oldest building on the MU campus, home to the Presidents and Chancellors of the University and housing past visitors, including Mark Twain, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Harry Truman.

To the east of The Columns sits the original tombstone of Thomas Jefferson. Missouri was the first university to be built in Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase territory, and Jefferson's widow sent his original tombstone to Columbia, to help establish the university.

She then erected a new, larger tombstone, at Monticello, in Virginia.

Cap roamed the Quadrangle area and into and through Jesse Hall, then out and east to the Memorial Union, constructed in Gothic style, as a memorial to Mizzou alums who have perished in military action.

Memorial Union

Then south to the “white campus.” First, to Brady Commons - a second student union - and into the bookstore, where he shopped for gameday gear, a Mizzou coffee mug, and memorabilia. Cap lounged in the food court, sipping a coke and poring over the Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia Missourian, The Kansas City Star, St. Louis Dispatch and U.S.A. Today newspapers - scoping the latest on tomorrow’s Big 12 contests and other showdowns, nationally.

Then out of Brady Commons to the Stankowski Field, a large, open recreational and athletic area for students, containing an artificial surface, surrounded by a jogging track, soccer fields, softball fields, and basketball courts. There were sunny skies, and students were out, filling the area with whatever struck their fancy.

Meanwhile, on south across campus, tailgaters were rolling in, scrambling for spots in lots around the stadium, and south of the Hearnes Center. The entire area was a beehive of activity, now, as students let loose and fans came in. Gameday was just a sunset and sunrise away.

Cap passed Stankowski Field to Providence and then ambled back into the downtown area, where he spent the rest of the afternoon in the various shops and specialty stores, seeking Tiger gameday gear and talking to Mizzou fans who were cranking up for the game. 

At The Shirt Company, located at Broadway and Cherry, Cap found the perfect hat and shirt, and a wealth of items promoting the Mizzou spirit and ridiculing Missouri's top rival, Kansas.

As the sun sank in the west, TC headed back north to the Ramada for a short workout in the exercise room, a few minutes of shut-eye, and he was back out for dinner.

Cap strolled through the patio of the Boone Tavern, which sits next door to the Boone County Courthouse, through rowdy, Friday night partiers. In the west door, through the bar area and down the stairs, and he was soon munching a tasty New York strip. As he studied the photographs throughout the restaurant depicting historical scenes in Boone County, Columbia, and Missouri University history, Cap grew evermore impressed with the depth and strength of the Mizzou Spirit.

Topping off his meal with a generous piece of mocha mud pie, Cap was back out and strolling leisurely through the downtown area, pulsing with activity now, to Shiloh Bar and Grill, at 6th and Elm. Relaxing on the spacious patio and chillin’ to the cool and lusty sounds of Ryan Patrick Imming - the evening flew away, and it was soon time to call it quits.

Back in his room, Cap settled in and fell asleep, recalling the beautiful, plaintive strains of the Missouri Waltz, ”Hush-a-bye, ma baby, slumber time is comin’ soon.”.. 

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