The Victoria College, 1925-2000: A Tradition of Excellence

thought it was exciting.” Whenever the librarians
arrived for work in the morning, they took
caution not to “spook” the bats that “hung from
the walls or ceilings.” Eventually, maintenance
workers “figured out how the bats were getting
inside the library and closed the entrances.”
Ever so often a bat finds “a way to get into the
building and hangs out for awhile to keep” the
staff aware “that they are still around.”
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…Richard Walker was caught with his zipper
up and his mouth open. Walker had an office
that was located directly across the hall from
Michael Hummel’s on the second floor of the
Administration Building. All of the office doors
at the time were required to have plain glass
windows because the administration thought
visibility offered some protection to faculty
members against possible student charges of
molestation. A female student one day dropped
by Walker’s office to discuss class work.
Hummel, sitting at his desk across the hall, saw
Walker talking to the student and phoned to tell
him that he was unzipped, causing Walker to
glance down at himself.
Walker, who had been embarrassed by the
episode, decided to reciprocate. At what he
thought was the opportune moment, Walker
placed two cigarettes in the nostrils of his nose
and sneaked to the door of the classroom that
was supposedly occupied by Hummel. Walker
rapidly rose from his kneeling position, peered
through the glass of the door, and made a babbling
sound. To his astonishment, he discovered
that Hummel was not teaching in the classroom,
Dr. Roland Bing was. The chagrined Walker
quickly slithered away.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
…Brenda Fisseler and other members of the
library staff helped Vera Johnson celebrate a birthday.
“One year, very early on the morning of Vera’s
birthday, the pages met in the library and proceeded
to fill Vera’s office, from floor to ceiling,
with balloons, confetti, signs and other items…
deemed appropriate for the occasion.” The student
assistants “used shaving cream to write birthday
messages on the windows” of Johnson’s office.
Because there was ample glass to write upon, the
well-wishers extolled her “virtues” and extended
birthday wishes. When Johnson arrived for work,
she was surprised and graciously thanked the students
for the “many good wishes.” Afterwards, a
sufficient number of balloons were deflated “so
she could get to her desk and went to work,
✯
Erma Gutierrez, library assistant,
looks at the call numbers to make
sure the books are properly shelved.
Have I Told You About The Time… ✦ 221