It’s time to shut this column down. In fact, it’s also time for me to retire my title of ‘Mizzou student,’ since, being a member of the class of 2012, I’m graduating in a week.
Has it really been four years? Remember Tiger Walk? Remember X? Remember Y? I’m pretty sure I fell into a time rift or a coma at some point, because it definitely doesn’t feel like I’ve been an MU student for 1,460 days.
I can practically feel the sweat that’s going to pool inside my robe as I sit for hours at the College of Arts and Science commencement ceremony — graduation isn’t simply imminent, it’s unstoppable. The sense of my impending doom, err — completion of my undergraduate education — is an incredible mix of excitement, anxiety and sadness. The reality of this end allows me to reflect on my time here at MU. I remember…
Hold it. Stop right there. I am _not_ taking a stroll down memory lane. Reminiscing is for iMovie slideshows set to Top 40 songs. This is supposed to be a campus issues column, not public therapy for Sean Nahlik. Instead of reflecting on the past, I’d rather examine how MU’s culture has shifted and has been moving in a new, accepting, inclusive direction. And I couldn’t be more excited.
In a [past column](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2012/4/13/condemnation-communication-necessary-campus-change/), I mentioned a conversation with a 2001 MU alumna who remarked how the level of acceptance of LGBTQ students in her day was cloudy at best. Today, you cannot publish an even somewhat derogatory article or inappropriately-titled parody paper without the campus coming down hard on you.
This year marked the first Pride Parade organized by the LGBTQ Resource Center. Held during Pride Month, more than 200 students, staff and faculty marched in it. Two. Hundred. Are you reading closely? It marked the significant plateau of acceptance that is emerging at MU.
This year’s Tap Day, at which the six recognized secret societies of MU reveal their new members, I heard “[Green Dot](http://rsvp.missouri.edu/?p=70),” MU’s violence prevention strategy, mentioned four times or more in the bios of those being unhooded. Add “violence” to the list of things MU doesn’t stand for.
The “Beyond the Hoodie” panel recently held at the Women’s Center is another noteworthy event. People had candid conversations about race in a public setting. Say what? The event had lots of room for improvement, but hey, it’s a start. Even more impressive was the attendance. People outside of the social justice clique participated. The day when a commitment to social justice is the norm among Summer Welcome Leaders, Tour Teamers and other MU-focused leaders is not far off.
Soon, social justice will not be a “hobby” limited to a small sphere at MU. It is now consistently awarded, honored and actively encouraged. MU has had an epiphany: Removing remaining structural inequalities, accepting others and working toward an inclusive campus is work that must be done.
At this year’s Catalyst Awards, LGBTQ Resource Center coordinator Struby Struble remarked how this year’s award recipients were outside of the typical pool of LGBTQ leaders. With so many people on campus and in the community working to make Columbia a safe and more inclusive space, it’s hard to keep up with them all.
By repeatedly challenging our culture, calling out bias incidents, examining our internalized stereotypes and taking a second look at our world views, it’s all starting to click. Change is happening, and it’s thrilling.
We may be smack in the center of the Midwest, but somehow, MU is onto something, and I’m happy I was able to be a part of it. It’s hard to be nostalgic when the future is so promising.
