Mizzou is not just known as a "school for good students"; it is the university culture and legends that have been woven into its 180-year tradition that make Mizzou special.

Interestingly, the origin of the school mascot, 'Truman the Tiger', is noteworthy. Truman is named after President Harry S. Truman from Missouri, and the tiger comes from the nickname 'Fighting Tigers' of a military unit in Missouri.

This name originated from the brave volunteers who defended the Missouri region during the Civil War. This is also why Mizzou's sports teams are called the Missouri Tigers. So on game days, the entire campus is filled with black and gold, and the chant 'Go Tigers!' echoes everywhere. Especially during football season, Mizzou students prepare as if for war.

They hold tailgate parties, grilling barbecue and drinking beer from early morning on the campus lawn. In this atmosphere, both professors and students are united. While classes are quiet, on game days, professors sometimes come out with their faces painted to cheer.

And there is the story of the six iconic pillars of Mizzou, 'The Columns'. These pillars were the only remnants left when the main building was completely burned down in a fire in 1892.

At that time, the city authorities argued that "they should be demolished for safety reasons," but students and citizens protested, saying, "This is our school's history!" In the end, the pillars remained, and now they symbolize the University of Missouri and have become a 'photo spot' for students.

Events are also held here during the entrance and graduation ceremonies. Among students, there is a legend that "if a couple kisses under the Columns, they will stay together for life," and it is said that many couples have actually married after doing so.

Mizzou has a particularly high number of journalism majors because this school established the world's first School of Journalism. Founded in 1908, this department is still referred to as the 'Harvard of Journalism'. Interestingly, students actually run a newspaper.

There is a local newspaper called Columbia Missourian, and the reporters who operate it are students. Since students write, edit, and publish the articles themselves, it is a real-world class. Thanks to this hands-on learning, it is easy to find Missouri-born journalists at CNN or The New York Times.

There is also a tradition on campus called 'Tiger Walk'. When freshmen enter, they march between The Columns in a symbolic event that signifies "becoming a part of Mizzou," and when they graduate, they retrace that path. It signifies that the beginning and end of a chapter in life occur on the same path. Therefore, on graduation day, the faces of students walking towards The Columns are filled with pride and nostalgia.

Additionally, Mizzou has another legendary place, the central square called 'Francis Quadrangle'. There is a joke that if you walk alone here at night, "the future will be revealed," but it seems that this saying comes from the beautiful night sky. Students sitting on the grass playing guitar, professors walking with coffee, and the pillars illuminated by the library lights... that scenery truly looks like a scene from a movie.

Mizzou has legends in every building and memories in every person.