Mizzou Traditions

Transcript

You all are gonna love this next segment. Daniel is a senior and biology major who’s gonna share some of Mizzou’s most well-loved traditions. The six iconic limestone columns are all that remain from the first academic call that burned down in 1892. Now they serve as a uniting symbol of perseverance and commitment to excellence for all Tigers. We’re gonna throw it to you, Daniel. M-I-Z.

Z-O-U. Thanks, Alex. Growing up just 30 minutes outside of Columbia, I was raised a Tiger fan and I knew I wanted to come to this university ever since I was five years old. I fell in love with Mizzou because of its deep sense of tradition. The things that bring everyone together to celebrate the university we call home. Traditions are what make Mizzou so special, and it all starts during the first week that you get here. You’ll celebrate traditions like Paint the M, First Roar, and then Tiger Walk, which is when the entire freshman class runs through the columns towards Jesse Hall indicating your official entrance into the Mizzou community. We also rub the David R. Francis statue’s nose for good luck before a test. We share our unfiltered thoughts in Speaker Circle. And we tip our hat and whisper to honor the fallen soldiers as we walk under the Memorial Union Tower. Of course though, Mizzou’s greatest tradition lies in the fact that we are the home of the first and best Homecoming. This citywide celebration has the streets of Columbia electric. You’ll see campus decks, performances at Jesse Hall. You’ll see local stores and businesses painting their windows for the occasion followed, by the parade, and then it all leads up to the big football game on Saturday where tailgates are in full swing before our Tigers take the field. You’ll enjoy traditions like these all throughout your time in college until Senior Send Off, which is when students run back through the columns like they did did during Tiger Walk. However, this time it’s away from campus, symbolizing their transition into the world as a Mizzou alumni. For me, I don’t think it gets much better than celebrating the hallmarks of Mizzou with your family and friends. Tradition is the heartbeat of this campus and a big reason why this place will always feel like home. That’s all from me. Back to you, Alex.

Daniel, that was awesome. It’s great to see Mizzou traditions don’t end at graduation. Students become part of an active and supportive community of more than 355,000 Tigers worldwide, and the next generation of Tigers will always be ready to welcome you back home to Mizzou each year. Great job.