# Illnois State University has a circus? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 2, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963 "2026-04-02T12:51:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/1 "2026-04-02T12:51:06Z")
I like to think that if I attended this college, I’d have tried out for the circus, but probably not. If college me had my current brain? Yes indeed. Obviously, no animal acts, but imagine putting “Clowning” on your resume. > **[Gamma Phi Circus | Illinois State](https://gammaphicircus.illinoisstate.edu/)** > > Welcome to the Gamma Phi Circus at Illinois State! Explore our summer camps, stores, shows, and find out how to purchase tickets. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/2 "2026-04-02T13:00:21Z")
There’s also one at Florida State. As an alumnus of the rival University of Florida, it always gives me great pleasure to refer to FSU as a clown college. > **[The FSU Flying High Circus](https://circus.fsu.edu/)** ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/3 "2026-04-02T13:07:46Z")
> In 2023, Gamma Phi Circus will celebrate our 94th year as an organization at Illinois State University. Which means that [Lt. Col. Henry Blake](https://mash.fandom.com/wiki/Lt._Colonel_Henry_Blake) could have been a clown when the school was known as Illinois Normal. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/4 "2026-04-02T13:14:19Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > There’s also one at Florida State. I came here to post that > [@Ponch8](#): > > As an alumnus of the rival University of Florida, it always gives me great pleasure to refer to FSU as a clown college. How do you get an FSU alum off your porch? Pay him for the pizza -Moriarty (UF, class of 2000) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/5 "2026-04-02T13:26:32Z")
I had never heard of this, and I’ve lived in central Illinois most of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/6 "2026-04-02T13:28:55Z")
I’m imagining it to be much like the clown guild in Ankh-Morpork. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/7 "2026-04-02T14:35:01Z")
My school had a juggling and unicycle club. I can well imagine larger schools having clubs covering more circus arts. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/8 "2026-04-02T15:01:48Z")
Can you letter in clown? Do they have their own frat? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/9 "2026-04-02T15:18:43Z")
Imagine the hazing. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/10 "2026-04-02T16:32:38Z")
“Fetch the goat” “All we have is an elephant and a lion.” “I can work with that.” ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/11 "2026-04-02T21:30:58Z")
Nassau Community College on Long Island had, not a performing circus, but a long-time circus skills class. I really wanted to take it and I once called the teacher to talk about it. But I ended up going to a boring 4-year school with no similarly fun programs. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/12 "2026-04-02T21:56:20Z")
I just asked Google if you can study circus at Illinois State or Florida State and it says that the circuses there are extracurricular activities, not academic courses. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/13 "2026-04-02T22:02:58Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > I just asked Google if you can study circus at Illinois State or Florida State and it says that the circuses there are extracurricular activities, not academic courses. Exactly. The link in the OP about the one at ISU makes it pretty clear that it’s a student organization which puts on an annual circus, and supports the “circus arts.” > [@](#): > > Membership in Gamma Phi is open to all full-time Illinois State University students, faculty, and staff regardless of major field of study, department affiliation, or gymnastics background. > > Many of our members come to Gamma Phi with no background in circus or gymnastics. Gymnastics, cheerleading, or dance experience helps, but it is not required. What we look for are hardworking athletic people who are coachable. We start off each year by giving perspective members the opportunity to try the different acts we have to offer and then skill build as we approach auditions in mid-to-late October. > [@](#): > > In 2023, Gamma Phi Circus will celebrate our 94th year as an organization at Illinois State University. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/14 "2026-04-03T02:39:02Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Can you letter in clown? Do they have their own frat? It was a fraternity, (hence the name), up until they changed the name (‘circus’) to match their formal structure to their actual activities (‘girls’). As far as I know, there was never a frat house. They just hung out in the gym. (No letter. Not a recognised ‘sport’. Traditionally, guys doing athletics at I, so eligible for an athletics letter, but that’s it. Maybe if they had competitive extra-mural “circus” competitions?) ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/15 "2026-04-07T16:43:45Z")
Disappointingly, Ringling College of Art and Design does not have an circus-related majors. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illnois-state-university-has-a-circus/1028963/16 "2026-04-07T17:50:49Z")
And from the FX Networks series Baskets (starring Zach Galifianakis), I learned of French clown schools, like [this one](https://www.ecolephilippegaulier.com/).