Speaker’s Circle

Anyone familiar with the University of Missouri campus knows about the infamous “Speaker’s Circle.” Right in the middle of the path you have to take between classes, or from your dorm to campus, Speaker’s Circle almost never fails to have some sort of excitement to entertain you.

It also happens to be one of Gonga’s favorite spots to sit and play his accordion. He loves getting out there at 11:30, just before the noon rush. He’ll set up his white-board, complete with his employer’s logo, and open up his briefcase. Then he settles into a relaxing couple hours of accordion playing.

Part of the reason Speaker’s Cirlce remains one of his favorite haunts is the fact that he is not the only source of entertainment.

Someone is always handing out flyers to something. During election season the Republican and Democrat student groups set up competing canopies and try to out-represent their sides to the passing students, most of whom rush by without a glance. Music groups pass out invitations to their concerts. Hapless psychology students stand about with the stack of surveys they have to get completed for their class projects.

There’s even a bean bag tossing performer of sorts who shows up occasionally. He wears very short shorts, reminiscent of the 70s basketball teams. No shirt. Usually sets up a camera to record himself. And he has a small bean-bag, or ball type object which he sends spinning high with a swift pop of his toe, only to have it to glance off his elbow and knees or whatever other hard point of contact he can use to stave off the imminent ground contact.

Today, Gonga hopes the bean bag tosser will show up. He has the perfect accordion accompaniment all worked up just for him. Maybe together they’ll set a record!

But most of all, Gonga is just glad to be back on campus, holding down a steady job and having a ball with his music.

Can Gorillas Run 5Ks?

Gonga grunted with the effort of lifting his foot for the next running step. Sweat poured down his face inside the rubber mask, stinging his eyes and making him squint all the more. The sun soaked into the black fur on his head. This was misery. Sheer torture.

He should have asked himself whether gorillas were designed to run 5Ks before agreeing to this hair-brained idea. But the girl in the pink shirt with the signup sheet had been so cute and persuasive. He hadn’t been able to tell her no. It would have crushed her. And it was so good to see such liveliness!

Now he was in the middle of a surging crowd of bodies, creeping along a strip of asphalt, wondering if he would ever make it to the end.

Stankowskie field, and the finish line shimmered in the distance.

“Come on Gonga, you can do it,” Dereck popped up at his shoulder, grinning broadly.

Dereck had stumbled across Gonga playing his accordion last week and after a lively conversation about accordion styles and mannerisms, they had become instant friends. Now Dereck seemed to pop up all over campus.

“Need---water,” Gonga croaked.

“Oh, be right back,” Dereck disappeared, dodging through the pack of runners and taking off down the track. In a minute, he was back jogging beside Gonga. This time he had a plastic cup of water in his hand.

Gonga blinked. Had he just imagined that? He accepted the water and poured most of it on his head and down his shirt. A few drops made it into his mouth.

“So fast!” he grunted.

“I ran a marathon last week,” Dereck said. “This is just a little relaxer, I’m not racing.”

Gonga rolled his eyes and stumbled on towards his goal. The Stankowskie field track felt good under his feet. It felt even better on his hands as he collapsed on the other side of the finish line. No, he decided. Gorillas were not designed to run 5Ks.

Needing Cash

Let’s face it. Everyone needs a little extra cash at times. It’s finals week. You need cash for coffee to keep you going. You need cash to go see movies with friends. You need cash for that new date who all of the sudden has all kinds of time for you since classes are done.

So Gonga wanted to share a couple ideas on how to get a little extra cash. His first suggestion is that you learn to play the accordion and go sit on the street corner with a hat or open suitcase. On further consideration, he decided he doesn’t want competition, so he suggests you learn to play the violin, or the oboe. Both take more skill, and both are more affected by cold weather, so he has hopes that you won’t be serious competition.

His next suggestion is that you fork over all those textbooks you’ve been holding on to all semester. After all, finals are here, and if you haven’t read it yet, you aren’t going to. Of course, The Textbook Game offers the best prices, so unless you are too lazy to walk all the way north of campus, you should come sell to The Textbook Game. Or, if you are too lazy, you can convince someone to drive you.

Be careful where you find those textbooks that you plan to turn into cash. Most room-mates really don’t appreciate it if their textbooks disappear. Especially if you have the luck to have a room-mate who is exceptionally studious and is actually studying his textbook this week.

If you simply must have cash, you could set up a booth outside the dorms and offer to collect used textbooks for some charitable cause. You, being poor, are a charity worth contributions. So students should be pleased to shed a few pounds of books for you, right?

Gonga hopes you find plenty of Christmas money, and that you will remember his family back in Congo when you walk past him playing his accordion. If you have an charitable inclinations, he will gladly accept them.