University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-11-11
UniQue Traditions at NJ. u.

The university or college IL indec,
; poor that is not rich In tradition
About every college or uniycrsit,
there is a wealth of tradition tina,
clings AS closely as does the ivy
oL the walls of the old buildings
; nj Missouri.
Long after the old grad" of the
University of Missouri has forgotten
his ''math" and his Greek he will re-
call with pleasure the days when he
attained the dignity of seuiorhood
and was allowed 10 recline luxurious
ly on the Mounds. No one knows
where all these traditions come from.
Some of the more recent can be
traced to their origin but others are
like the old folk song. They Just
seem TO have sprung up. like Topsy.
/ About the first tradition at the
/ | University of Missouri that the fresh
man learns is that his particular
style of headgear is not at all accept
able to the esthetic eyes of the soph-
omores. He is at once instructed
/ to buy himself a little skull cap
about the size of postage stamp
and to wear il on all occasions. This
cap has to be of a color appropriate
IL his division. If he be lawyer.
the color is purple; if an engineer.
green; a journalist. yellow; an aca-
demic student. red: farmer. white.
The military drill in the fall looks
like a poppy field with all of these
colors bobbing about as the ranks
mark time.
a stunt that is unique here is what
is known as the Hobo Convention.
This was started in the dim past and
only few of the old grads remember
by whom it was established. II is
pretty well determined now that an
eye and ear doctor, Lafayette O'Ma-
honey was the father of this stunt.
One year in the spring when the
"wanderlust" was strong in O'Maho-
ICy's veins he conceived the idea of
having Hobo Convention. He talk
cd it over with few of his bosom
pals and they We're enthusiastic about
the idea. 1t was absolutely new. So
when the posters announcing a con-
vention of the Hoboes glared forth |
or the campus walks one morning
every man in the University immedi- |
ately decided that for one day at
least he would be knight of the
read" An elaborate program was
arranged for the day. 1t was a mot
lev crew indeed that chit the ties" up
the railroad track to a station a mile
cut of Columbia on the Wabash and
tagged an incoming freight.
Any self-respecting hobo would
have been ashamed to own them as /
bi other "boes." They piled on to the
train and rode into Columbia. At the
station they formed parade and
marched over town. About
= O'Clock in the evening the pangs
ci hunger began to make themselves
felt and in true hobo style the weary
" lilies scattered over the town. hit
ting the back doors" for handouts.
In the evening a big convention
vas held in the University Auditor
lum and several of the favorite pro-
fesors were initiated into tomembership :
Of the Ancient and Amalgamated
Sons of Rest"
Each division at the University .
gives some unique stunt every year. 8
rhe students of the College of Agri- I
culture give two stunts. The first s
: the annual barn warming. Invita- ,
IONS are issued in true farmer style. I
LAST year they consisted of corn cobs
followed out with the invitations +
inside of them. All who attend the s
Iarn warming wear work clothes and ,
'nJoy country sports. A dance !
5 held in the loft of one of the large
'arns on the state farm. n
The big stunt of the agricultural y
apartment is the annual county a
air which is given each spring. This s
air had its beginning i'm stunt Civ fl
n in the spring of 1905. The STU h
ents set aside a day, gave a parade h