C OV E R S TO RY
A SALUTE TO THE NEWEST MULE IN SCHOOL
UCM WELCOMES INCOMING MASCOT, RIDERS
F
or the past 150 years, the rolling fields of Central Missouri and the classic stone buildings of the Warrensburg campus have welcomed thousands of students — each adding a unique footprint to the path of those who came before. As impossible as it seems on the very first day — and as fleeting as it feels on the very last — the college experience at UCM is something that leaves a lasting mark in the memory of every student as they become alumni, and every faculty and staff member as they become emeriti. The juxtaposition of the impermanence but also permanence of the college experience is melded together by
By Ruth Dickson
the common values that UCM graduates and rising students share: loyalty, strength, bravery and tenacity. These mutual qualities unite MuleNation forever — once you have set foot on campus you are forever a Mule, and there is no symbol that better evokes this sentiment than that of the mules lovingly cared for by agriculture science students at the UCM Prussing Research Farm.
have raised many mules, with the first living mascot, a feisty miniature mule named Gismo, joining campus after World War II. In the following years, UCM has been home to Little Mo, Roscoe and Abbedale — each one featured strongly in the recollections of alumni.
The presence of these incredible animals — often referred to as living mascots — is a manifestation of what UCM stands for: academic excellence, caregiving, tradition and pride. Throughout the university’s history, students and staff
Samantha Yehle riding Tammy, left, and Gabby Beckham riding new recruit Molly, UCM’s tallest-ever mascot at approximately 16 hands 6
Fall 2019 | ucmfoundation.org/magazine