Jon Mark Beilue: ‘If you’re cold, take me with you’

Knitted scarves, caps anonymously find their way to students

The 10 members of Beta Sigma Phi call it “Yarn Bombing.” This bombing is quiet, almost undetectable and done with little to no fanfare or publicity. And that’s just the way they want it.

“It’s totally anonymous,” said Dr. Darlene Pulliam, McCray Professor of Business and Regents Professor. “Sometimes a few students will wander around while we’re out there. We’ll say, ‘Here, take one.’ Other than that, I don’t think anyone knows how this happens.”

Beta Sigma Phi is a non-academic sorority that has more than 200,000 members and 12,500 chapters around the world. At West Texas A&M University, it’s 10 current or retired professors, librarians and staff who spread a truly random act of kindness — actually about 150 of them — on the day before the start of the spring semester.

“It seems like we always have the coldest day you can imagine to do this,” said Pulliam, president of the local chapter.

On Sunday, Jan. 10, as they have the last six years just prior to classes resuming in January, members of Beta Sigma Phi bundled up to place knitted scarves and caps at random places around the pedestrian mall and Old Main.

“We’ve been asked to be careful around the flower beds,” said Dr. Jean Stuntz, “and so we stay away from them.”

Photo: Scarves were tied around columns in the Charles K. and Barbara Kerr Vaughn Pedestrian Mall. Photo by Beth Vizzini.

Scarves and caps were tied around columns, perched around the “Original Texans” water feature, spread out here and there along the Charles K. and Barbara Kerr Vaughn Pedestrian Mall. It was a university’s version of Elf on a Shelf, except this was warm winter apparel for any who wanted them.

There’s a note on each one: I’m Not Lost. If You’re Cold, Take Me With You.

This year there were more than ever before, about 150 of the hand-knitted creations. By late Monday, as the first day of classes were complete, only a few remained.

“We have a lot of food-insecure students on campus,” Stuntz said. “This is something that is not a want, but a need.”

For the women in the chapter, the idea was put into action in January 2016. The year before, one of the members had seen a story in The New York Times where mittens, mufflers and caps were left at random for those in need to pick up.

“Several of us knit and crochet a lot,” said Stuntz, professor of history at WT for the last 20 years. “We knew there were students who need a little extra during the winter. We thought it was something we could easily do there.”

Photo: Members of Beta Sigma Phi pose in the Charles K. and Barbara Kerr Vaughn Pedestrian Mall. Photo by Beth Vizzini.

In addition to Pulliam and Stuntz, others involved included Beth Vizzini, Laura Marshall, Berlin McIntosh, Linda Sweetgall, Linda Washington, Margie Chapman, Taryn Yildirim and Taylor Fairweather-Leitch.

“Jean is a knitter,” Pulliam said, “so this is perfect for her.”

Indeed, perhaps none is more involved than Stuntz, who estimated she knitted more than 100 of the cold-weather clothing items.

“Others have lives, I guess,” she said.

 One cap, she estimates, takes two to three hours. A scarf, depending on length, takes five to six hours. So roughly 400 hours is spent knitting anonymous gifts to students.

“I ‘knit-flix’ a lot, which is knitting while watching Netflix,” Stuntz said. “I’ve had so many Zoom meetings in the last 10 months that I’ve done a lot of knitting during those. Most see my face, not my hands. I don’t have to look down all that much, and I’ve found out knitting helps me pay attention better.”

The third Monday of January is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The day is also designated as a national day of service. WT’s spring semester traditionally began on the day after, so putting scarves and caps across campus on that day was a fit. The 2021 spring semester began a week early, meaning the winter apparel went out a week early.

For the women of Beta Sigma Phi, their reward has to be in doing. Their gifts are anonymous, the gratitude of their work almost nil. That the apparel quickly disappears has to be satisfaction enough.

“I’ve already started on next year,” Stuntz said.

Do you know of a student, faculty member, project, an alumnus or any other story idea for “WT: The Heart and Soul of the Texas Panhandle?” If so, email Jon Mark Beilue at jbeilue@wtamu.edu.