Her Campus Mizzou: How long have you been involved in Tiger’s Lair?
Rachel Sirany: I’ve been a part of Tiger’s Lair leadership for three years and was just a traditional member my freshman year. So really throughout my whole college experience!
HCM: What made you first start working with Tiger’s Lair and interested in this position of Spirit Chair?
RS: I officially fell in love with Mizzou football and College football during the A&M game my freshman year. We took down Johnny Football and won the SEC East championship title. There was so much energy in our stadium, and it was then I knew I wanted to be as involved with Mizzou football as I could be. After a year as a Tiger’s Lair Coordinator, I felt that Spirit Chair was the only position I could see best fit for me. The energy and hype around the games was what I lived for; there was little I wanted more than to be a key part of that.
HCM: What are your key responsibilities? What are your favorite aspects and what are the biggest obstacles?
RS: My key responsibilities are really to ensure the spirit stays high throughout the game, and that fans follow along with the Mizzou traditions (Key Down, Missouri Waltz, Alma Mater.) We’ve had some rough games over the last two years, so I’d consider those moments and staying positive the biggest obstacles. I have a lot of favorite aspects of every game, but the “MIZ-ZOU” chant between alum and current students is, to me, one of the best moments.
HCM: What are you looking forward to this year?
RS: We have a new coach, Barry Odom, and I think there’s a lot of anticipation around that. Although I was disappointed by the first game outcome, the Tigers have been playing really hard since then, and I’m excited to see where that takes us.
HCM: Where do you want to see Tigers Lair go?
RS: The more students who are a part of TL, the better. It’s such an incredible student organization and one of the only like it within SEC and NCAA football. The seats in the front row right around the 50-yard line are a whole new world in the sense of attending a football game. I’d love to see more students get involved so that eventually our whole student section would be in on cheers together,and remember that fun comes from cheering on and supporting our team. That’s what gives Mizzou the best fans in America.
HCM: You’re the first female Spirit Chair. What has that experience been like? What message do you want women at Mizzou to learn from this?
RS: Being the first active female Spirit Chair has been a really incredible experience. I didn’t know that I would be the first while applying for the position, and I’ve had only great support from the Mizzou community about it. I do get some sexism from it, comments about how it’s inappropriate for a “young girl” to “run around with her shirt off” but those people don’t understand what being Spirit Chair is really about. More than anything I would hope other female Mizzou students realize that it’s 100 percent okay to paint up, get loud and be a “bleed black & gold” football fan. Being a woman has no implications on that.
HCM: How has this experience shaped your college experience? How has it shaped your Mizzou experience?
RS: Tiger’s Lair is a major part of my college experience. I don’t know what I would do without it. I thrive off the energy in Memorial Stadium on Saturdays, and it’s how I’ve learned to love what Mizzou is and has been for me. The University of Missouri is an incredible school, and my opportunities and experiences here have been tenfold what I could have anticipated. However, I still consider Mizzou football and the energy and spirit for our school and team to be one of my favorite aspects.
HCM: What do they look for in a Tigers Lair Spirit Chair?
RS: Energy, Pep, Attitude? It’s hard to say; you definitely need to have the ability and confidence to stand in front of a stadium of 60,000 (people) and yell your lungs out, but it’s a lot about that positive vitality, too. Spirit Chair needs to be able to inspire good energy throughout our student section. I mean, it’s all in the title: you’ve got to have spirit.