<p>a dry campus seems so lame, i just want to party next year. how accessible is alcohol to underage kids now that the frats are dry? are there any parties still on campus? and can under 21 kids get into columbia bars with a fake?</p>
<p>It’s not worth lying to you at all, so here’s the best information about underage drinking from my perspective dealing with it in college thus far. Apologies to parents that are concerned, I am definitely not trying to be appalling in any manner, and I do not believe or agree that one must drink in college to have a good time. </p>
<p>How accessible is alcohol: it just depends on where you get it. I typically go through friends that are of legal age who I will likely be partying with anyway, which has worked quite well for me up until this point and seems to be a popular route. A lot of house parties will have you chip in at the door (usually like, $5) or will just have free flowing free alcohol (think kegs and cheap liquor) until it runs dry. If you’re determined to drink here, you will be able to quite easily once you’ve established the right contacts and know where to party. Considerably more of my friends drink than choose not to, and I’d be lying to your face if I said we’re all of legal age.</p>
<p>Frats are dry: that’s more of a technicality and rule per Mizzou’s student organization governing body and fraternity governing body. You’re joking if you think fraternities are dry–they’re really quite the contrary. Mizzou gets away with claiming that fraternities are dry because they require fraternities to register any parties that will involve alcohol with the fraternity governing council. In this way they can limit their liability with alcohol related parties and can still say that fraternities are, with the exception of approved parties (and they all get approved), dry places. If you join a fraternity, rest assured that a big chunk of your social fee will go to funding parties with copious amounts of alcohol. If you’re a girl (which I doubt given your tag), you will easily get into whatever fraternity party you want and you will drink for free as long as you’re there. (insert public service announcement about girls drinking at frat parties here).</p>
<p>Are there any parties on campus: I guess that depends on your definition of a party. If a party is six or eight people drinking in their dorm and playing video games/listening to music/watching movies, yes partying happens on campus. If you mean frat parties, yes those happen here every night of the week, but fraternities are technically off-campus. There are plenty of parties including alcohol within walking distance of campus and you can count on there being a wide array of off campus parties at apartments/houses/condos any night you want to party. Football weekends are notoriously known for insane tailgates and victory (we’ve only lost 1 home game in 2 years) celebrations lasting throughout the entire weekend. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mean STRIPES (our free safe ride program) is operating so you’ll always have a sober ride home as long as you’re willing to wait for it. A major problem freshman find with parties their first year is that they’re always happening and they’re fun and easy to get to. It can be easy to let academics and other priorities slip if all you’re looking for is a good time. It goes unsaid to be careful!</p>
<p>Can minors get into bars with a fake: yes, but make sure it’s at least a decent one. Many bars only take in-state IDs (I don’t know how they get away with it). If you get caught with one, most of the time bars just take them and kick you out. Occasionally they report you to Columbia PD. Columbia PD and Mizzou PD report the highest number of alcohol-related offenses in Missouri, and it’s no coincidence that there’s a college nearby. The cops around here do not joke around with fake ID charges and MIP charges, and if you get caught with either you’re looking at hundreds of dollars to get a lawyer and get it fixed (or just pay it off) and lots of community service. In my opinion fake IDs are more trouble than they’re worth, and since you’ll be partying at bars for the rest of your college career, might as well take advantage of the relative safety of dorms, houses, and apartments. Plus avoiding bars will save you lots of money, as the liquor stores around here are significantly cheaper than all the bars (except on quarter draw nights, but those are another story ;)</p>
<p>All in all, alcohol here is very accessible. It’s a big state school with a party reputation–we definitely live up to it, as far as I can tell. Mizzou kids know how to party. It’s hard to see your friends fall through the cracks and slip up with school or to watch them go out when you have a test to study for, but it’s so important not to mess up right when you start school that I’d really encourage you to be as smart and responsible about your partying here as you can be. That’s not to say don’t go out–geez, it’s one of the best parts of college without doubt–but it’s not so fun to flunk out of school, or go on academic probation, or pay a lawyer, or be completely broke.</p>
<p>Be safe, be responsible, cheers to the 'zou</p>
<p>East campus</p>