Picture the perfect Mizzou day: grabbing dollar-burgers from Campus Bar and Grill on Sundays, chilling on the columns, saying “Hey” to all the passing journalism students… It’s just the way of Columbia living. Some may say the coasts get all the fun, but Mizzou students wouldn’t trade their Midwest school for the world. After all, when it comes to intense homecoming celebrations and toasted ravioli, Mizzou’s got it in the bag.
1. You know Sandy from Plaza
That cute old lady with the giant smile who swipes your ID for an endless buffet of stir fry or burgers at Plaza 900? Yeah, we call her Sandy. Sandy wouldn’t judge you for grabbing 10 carnival cookies on your way out.
2. You’ve made a fool of yourself trying to hop on the columns
Everyone gets on the columns on the quad every now and then to enjoy a nice meal in between classes or to just chill. And you’re lying to yourself if you haven’t struggled at least once trying to get on those things.
3. You know the importance of Homecoming
Since Mizzou invented Homecoming, it’s kind of a big deal on campus. Weeks of pomping, rehearsing for skits and hours of painting downtown windows to match that year’s theme comes down to one week of homecoming craziness. “I’ve lived in homecoming for 20 years and each year it gets better and better,” sophomore Bri Arnett said.
4. You’ve been scared to death by the vicious squirrels
Beware of the vicious Mizzou squirrels around campus. Every time you walk by a squirrel on campus you know that terrifying look they give you. Normal squirrels would typically run away but Mizzou squirrels will stare at you a while until you gently creep away not making any sudden movements.
5. You have a thousand pictures of the quad
I mean Jesse Hall and the Columns make the perfect backdrop for any Instagram photo. Who doesn’t have a photo sitting on that University of Missouri sign with the beauty of the quad setting the scene perfectly in the background? “Are you really even a true Mizzou student if you don’t have a picture of the columns?” sophomore Bailey Youngs asked.
6. You’ve been mesmerized by the guy with the hacky sack in speaker’s circle #iconic
An old man playing with a hacky sack with no shirt on campus? A completely normal sighting for a Mizzou student. But you always wonder, Who the heck is he?
7. You took Nutrition for the easy A
Every student needs a science class and this is the one everyone hears about (AKA the easy A class). Half the incoming freshmen confuse nutrition with food science. They’ll regret it forever because food science is significantly different from nutrition.
8. You cried while trying to connect to TigerWifi
You’re not sure if this is a step up or down from MizzouWireless. But you can’t help but wonder how the entire campus can switch wifi and still never get clear access to the internet. How are you supposed to catch up on Once Upon a Time? “I can’t even count the amount of times I have had an in-class quiz on canvas, REEF polling or Top Hat and the Wi-Fi suddenly decides that it wants to stop working,” sophomore Chelsea Long said.
9. You personally know several journalism majors
Since Mizzou hosts the number one journalism school in the country, you’re bound to know several journalism students. You know the ones, the people walking in and out of that sacred corner of campus on the quad. And even though you might be a TAM or a business major, you know all about the journalism program. “When I meet new people at the beginning of each school year, I like to ask where they are from. If they answer somewhere that is not Missouri, my next question is, ‘So you’re majoring in journalism?’ The answer is almost always yes,” sophomore Rachel Lock said.
10. You think toasted ravioli day reigns supreme
Once a week, Rollins dining hall is #blessed with the greatness of toasted ravioli. True Mizzou students as know them as t-ravs.
