SEMO FOUNTAIN FUN: EVENT HELPS SHOOTING VICTIMS

Southeast Missouri State University's new fountain bubbled over Thursday with soap suds, the victim of a prank.

But members of the Sigma Nu fraternity took it all in stride as they spent the day lounging in the cool water to raise money for the victims of the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colo.

The fraternity raised $927 for the Mile High United Way Community Healing Fund. Some of it was currency, but much of it came in the form of coins that students and university employees tossed into the fountain pool.

Fraternity member Tony Vaughn said the white soap suds were head high around 6:30 a.m. when he first passed by the fountain in front of Kent Library.

At 8 a.m., when the fund-raising event began, the bubbles were spilling out along the sidewalks.

"It was crazy," said fraternity brother Paul Dobbins. The fountain's waterfall was obscured by the white suds. "You couldn't see anything," he said.

Both Vaughn and Dobbins said the soap may have been a blessing, attracting attention to the fund-raising effort.

Several of the university administrators stopped by to see the soap bubbles.

"I didn't have to take a bath," joked Vaughn.

Fraternity members said they don't know who dumped the soap in the fountain, which cost nearly $72,000 to construct.

Crews from Southeast's facilities management spent several hours cleaning out the fountain.

Fraternity members said workers used leaf blowers to clear away some of the bubbles.

Workers drained the water from the fountain and then refilled the basin. A chemical was poured in to help break up the soap.

But white suds were still visible by early Thursday afternoon, surrounding fraternity member Will Anderson as he lounged on a float board.

Anderson said he didn't mind the soapy water. "I've got a lot of laundry to do," he smilingly observed.

Al Stoverink, director of facilities management, said he wasn't surprised by the prank.

"We fully anticipated that there would be some pranks like that," he said. "It is not that big a deal."

The university began operating the new fountain in April.

Stoverink said the fountain was designed to be a "playful area," but such play should be within reason. "We don't want to encourage people to get out of hand. We don't want people crawling around on top of it."

University crews began work on the fountain project last June, spurred on by a $38,000 donation from former university president Dr. Kala Stroup and her husband, Joe. The Stroups donated the money in 1995.

Stoverink said the fountain is complete, except for putting the finishing touches to the sitting wall around the basin.

The fountain work is costing $71,500, which exceeds the original estimate of $60,000.

The fountain was expanded to include a small pool of water on the back side of the structure. That accounts for the added cost, Stoverink said.

The university is spending another $47,500 on improvements to the area around the fountain, including new steps and construction of two ramps to make Kent Library more accessible to the handicapped.

Southeast is paying all of the costs, except for the money provided by Stroup.

Stoverink said his department does many beautification projects on campus. He said it was important to improve the look of the area in front of Kent Library.

"That area between Academic Hall and Kent Library is really a signature point for this campus," he said.