If you know me, you know I don’t play sports, but I try my best to go to Zumba and go for runs when I’m feeling motivated. Since I only need to know where the dance studio and the track or treadmills are for that, I really couldn’t tell you where some of the athletic resources are located on campus. For example, I don’t know where the tennis courts are, but the funny thing is, I don’t think all the girls walking around in tennis skirts do either.

When you see a clothing item called a “tennis skirt,” what do you think it’s for? It would be easy to make two assumptions. The first is that this item is a skirt. The second is that this skirt is used to play tennis, most likely on the tennis courts that I do not know the location of. That concludes an analysis of the tennis skirt.

I grew up in Minnesota and lived there until I arrived on MU’s campus. Having lived in the same place, I was aware of many fashion trends that came and went. However, until I moved to Columbia, I was unaware that the tennis skirt was something Minnesota lacked.

Sure, there were probably people who wore tennis skirts that didn’t play tennis in Minnesota, but not enough for me to notice. When I got to Columbia there were tennis skirts everywhere.

The trend was evident after being here for just a couple days. Picture this: You’re walking to class behind a few girls in tennis skirts. You think to yourself, “Wow, tennis must be popular here at Mizzou,” but then you realize you’re still following the girls in the tennis skirts all the way into your lecture. In that moment it would become evident that they might not actually play tennis.

The trend seems to be common among girls in sororities. Considering Greek Life in Minnesota is not nearly as big as it is at MU, I can see why a foreigner like myself would not be aware of the tennis skirt trend.

At this point, someone is probably wondering about the tennis shoe. Not everyone uses the term “tennis shoes” to describe sneakers, running shoes, gym shoes or whatever the heck you want to call them, but I know that term has always been a part of my vocabulary.

If you wear tennis skirts and you’re offended, don’t be. I don’t see myself purchasing a tennis skirt anytime soon, but many who choose to wear them are fashionable and many people can pull off the look. It’s just one of the many differences between Missouri and Minnesota culture that I get a kick out of.

So if anyone reading this was wondering about the amount of tennis players MU has, it probably isn’t as many as you think. Girls just really like tennis skirts.

_Edited by Claire Colby | ccolby@themaneater.com_