The tiger would cost approximately $2 million.
To put it bluntly, the suggestion is not only gratuitous and laughable—it is also insulting. In the midst of an economic recession that has resulted in increased unemployment rates, cutbacks and bankrupt businesses, Missouri governor Jay Nixon has agreed to decreased funding cuts for public universities in exchange for a tuition freeze.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis has implemented a hiring freeze as well, and recently turned down some student fee increases that would have provided the funding to improve some UM-St. Louis courses that badly need updated equipment. Even The Current has gone without fixing their fax machine. And Mizzou? They want a tiger.
For the Missouri Students Association to even consider purchasing a tiger for Mizzou is pretentious and erroneous. It’s like watering one’s lawn in front of a child dying of dehydration.
One of the reasons this absurd suggestion is being made is to supposedly increase school spirit. This is ridiculous because not only does Mizzou football bring out more school spirit than it does yellow and black face paint, to parade an endangered animal around the field would say nothing more than “we have alumni who have cash to throw on extravagancies, not education.”
Indeed, it is reported that the live mascot would be financed through private donations. Good thing too, considering Nixon’s tuition freeze applies to the Golden Child of the UM System, too. And although it is good that no school money would be spent if it were come to pass, what happens when the private donors decide to stop funding the extravagance? Does Mizzou just ship the tiger back to the zoo? Set it free in the wilderness of Columbia? Maybe the school could get a rent-to-own tiger?
In all seriousness however, we wonder if Mr. Noce considered the ethical ramifications of owning a wild, endangered animal. How, on a clear conscience, could the school give the tiger a happy life if it is being used for the gratuitous entertainment of screaming college sports fans? It is arrogant and selfish to keep an animal contained for the novelty of having it at school events, especially for the purpose of increasing students’ spirit.
We could also ruminate on the never-ending list of “Ways to Better Spend Millions of Dollars,” but that is almost too easy. If anything, the Missouri Students Association should think about raising money for a tiger conservancy fund to keep their mascot from becoming extinct. It would mean more to the namesake than keeping one as a live trophy piece.
