Back in the day . . .

[AGDAlum]

70-74 at Mizzou

As others have said, rush had frills. Sidewalk songs were big with the actives "singing the rushees in." Frat guys also lined the sidewalks checking out the rushees.

Monday night was "formal dinner." Pledge came to the house for 5 p.m. pledge meeting; then dinner (cloth tablecloths); 6:30 was chapter meeting. Everyone did it that way. The chapter room was a mysterious place that the pledges did not go in. (What a letdown to find out it was only a big room.)

1970 was the year that the pantsuit hit the fashion world and jeans became acceptable for everydaywear. Polyester doubleknit was the miracle fabric--no wrinkle, wore like iron. In 1970 we defined when it was okay to wear pants ("as part of an outfit"). By 1974 we asked members to wear bras and to not smoke marijuana in the house.

The house was locked at 11 p.m. on weekdays, midnight on Saturdays. Dorms had similar hours. Men were allowed upstairs only on very special occasions. (Coed dorms began in the 70's.)

You could get a phone in your room if you wanted to pay for it. Otherwise you used the phone in the hall. We changed rooms 3 times a year. If you had a phone you could stay in the same room twice in a row.

Coors beer was distributed only to the Kansas/Missouri line. People who went home to KC or to KU for the weekend brought Coors back.

Columbia had only one Mexican restaurant (Connie's El Sombrero), though there was a Taco Bell on Providence. The 18th Amendment and Harpo's were the big bars. We found out that the bar at the Tiger Hotel didn't card and was much quieter (more grownup).....Bagels were a novelty, unavailable in Columbia. One of my chapter sisters would bring back a bag from a deli in St. Louis.

Streaking was the big news of 1974! You'd be walking to class and a guy would run past you wearing only sneakers and a stocking cap.