University of Missouri-Columbia Top Questions

What's the Greek scene like?

Kym

Around 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body is Greek. We currently have 30 fraternities and will have 15 sororities in fall 2012. Being Greek gives you the opportunity to participate in all the homecoming activities, Greek Week, and other philanthropy events throughout the year. Being in a sorority has allowed me to find my home away from home here and become more involved with things I wouldn't have otherwise. The presence of Greeks is definitely prevalent on campus, however if you decide it is not right for you, you definitely will not feel left out and will be able to find your niche elsewhere.

Kym

Around 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body is Greek. We currently have 30 fraternities and will have 15 sororities in fall 2012. Being Greek gives you the opportunity to participate in all the homecoming activities, Greek Week, and other philanthropy events throughout the year. Being in a sorority has allowed me to find my home away from home here and become more involved with things I wouldn't have otherwise. The presence of Greeks is definitely prevalent on campus, however if you decide it is not right for you, you definitely will not feel left out and will be able to find your niche elsewhere.

Paul

Here are my observations on Mizzou Greek Life as an outsider. I'm not a frat guy, never have been, never will be. It's simply that the lifestyle encourages too much conformity for me to feel comfortable. It encourages negative in-group/out-group conflict, and in some cases perpetuates sexual violence. When I see so many people dressed up the same in some strange formation, all chanting the same words, it's kind of reminiscent of the Hitler Youth. That's harsh, but really think about it. I went to photograph the party that erupted in Greek Town when news hit of Osama Bin Laden's death. It was scary in that people were burning effigies and chanting hyper-nationalistic slogans just like anti-American videos you see from the Middle East. And this only happened in the Greek Life Community in Columbia. On the flip side, I met many wonderful people (mostly girls) who were part of Greek Life that I would consider my friends. Not all frat/sorority houses are extensions of high school clique drama. Some are actually quite nerdy and are actually based around academics. It's always the case that group behavior is far different from the behavior of an individual, so always keep that in mind when making any kind of judgements. Overall, Greek Life is prominent on campus, but you can choose to be part of it or not. No one forces you into it and it is just as easy to make friends and find a place to live outside of Greek Town.

Maddie

As a non-greek, I can only offer the outsider's perspective. The vast majority of Greek houses are social, although there are a few that are academically or religiously oriented. Approximately 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of undergrads are Greek, and like most campuses they throw parties, do philanthropy work, and walk around campus is brightly colored T-shirts during recruitment.