Lost Soul

William Snapp, an 82-year-old part-time baker, said he feels like part of his soul is missing.\nIn the Indiana Memorial Union courtyard, green bushes and limestone benches create a large circle with a small gravel floor where an artist's love -- a sculpture that symbolized peace and God's grace -- once stood.\nSnapp began sculpting his statue "SOUL" in 1972 at IU; it took him 23 years to complete.\nIt was stolen in seconds.\nThe 200-pound bronze piece, which stands for Search Of Universal Life, disappeared after IU's Final Four run in April.\nLooking over the site where his masterpiece sat during a recent visit to campus, Snapp was shaken.\n"It touches me right here...in a very sorrowful way," Snapp said, as he gestured to his heart.\nThe limestone walls of the Union surround the courtyard where the marble base of the statue still stand.\nDamage from the vandalism is visible on the top of the base. Unseen is the damage done to Snapp.\n"I can't imagine who would do it; I would like to think it's not college students," Snapp said. "I don't believe a student studying at IU would be of that caliber."\nSnapp, a resident of Fayette, Ind., donated the sculpture to IU in 1989. He dedicated it in memory of his father, who passed away in 1960, and in honor of his mother, who attended the dedication at age 91. Former Chancellor Herman B Wells, who was an acquaintance of Snapp's, arranged for the statue to be brought to campus.\nBecause he made the sculpture out of love for his parents and for his vision of world peace, its theft has affected him greatly.\n"I left a piece of my heart over there," Snapp said. "It perplexes me that there are those people who don't mind being destructive."\nSOUL" is a 4-foot, 6-inch bronze statue of a man standing on top of the world with one foot in the United States and one in Russia. One of the man's arms is reaching up into the sky. \nSnapp's gentle spirit is evident when he begins talking about the motivation for the sculpture. He started sculpting "SOUL" in 1972 at the Education Building on the IU campus, while he was here on a campus ministry.\nThe idea came to him in 1963, just before President Kennedy was assassinated, when he awoke in the middle of the night with a vision of what the statue would look like.\nThe sculpture speaks about the U.S. and Russia -- the "supercountries at that time," Snapp said -- both working to send humans to outer space and to develop nuclear weaponry. An engraving on one side of the sculpture's base explains Snapp's vision: \n"This figure stands on Earth in hope that the USA and USSR will jointly endeavor to establish a worldwide ban against nuclear warfare in order to preserve the planet for future generations."\nOn another side of the base is the sentence: "This sculpture embodies the human quest for knowledge." \nSnapp said he hopes to eventually place a life-size version of "SOUL" in Russia.\nSnapp, who now works part-time at Kroger's grocery store, has been in touch with officials at the IMU and the IU Police Department about the incident. \nThom Simmons, the associate director of the IMU, said he thinks students appreciated the sculpture.\n"It's an attractive piece that had a message that went with it," he said.\nSimmons said the statue weighed at least 200 pounds, so 2 or 3 people would be needed to take it. \nHe said he is not sure if the statue was stolen by students in the aftermath of IU's Final Four loss to Maryland, but noted it was not visible from the path students would have been walking back from the Kirkwood area to their dorms or to their off campus residences. \nSgt. Tim Lewis of IUPD said there was an anonymous call back in April about the whereabouts of "SOUL," but when they checked it out, the lead was false.\nLewis said they still don't have information that would point them to its location.\nRand McKamey, IMU preparator, said the sculpture is missed because it was a focal point for the courtyard. \n"I've kept my eyes open," McKamey said, adding he has searched wooded areas on campus and looked under bridges and manhole covers.\nMcKamey said plans to renovate the courtyard area are in the works and a replacement statue will have to be made if the sculpture is not returned.\nThis is not the first time "SOUL" has been vandalized. It was stolen about seven years ago and was later found in a utility tunnel. Then five years ago, someone attempted to steal it again. But their attempt failed, breaking the marble base in half, Snapp said.\nNow six months after its latest disappearance, Snapp wants to make a plea to the person or persons who stole it.\n"My plea is to those responsible for the vandalism: please return 'SOUL' to its rightful place," he said. \n"It would be very honorable -- should you find it in your heart -- that it might be placed back home."\nIf you have any information on the theft or whereabouts of "SOUL" contact IUPD at 855-4111.