Tuesday, November 17, 2009
For many KU students, it’s easy to hate Missouri. On game days, it can be fun to wear anti-Missouri T-shirts or participate in yelling inappropriate chants, but for some, Missouri is a place called home.
Contributed Photo
For students who grew up in Missouri, the border rivalry can seem all too real. With friends and even family members at Mizzou, the competition between schools takes on a whole new meaning.
Emily Strusz, Springfield, Mo., senior was born in New Jersey, and said she didn’t even know about the Kansas-Missouri rivalry until she moved to Springfield in the fourth grade. It wasn’t until middle school, however, that she learned that many of her friends were avid Mizzou fans.
Strusz was one of few graduates from her high school who chose the University of Kansas instead of Missouri for college. Even the benefits of going to Missouri, such as paying in-state tuition, weren’t enough to change Strusz’s mind. Instead, she said, getting away from home and meeting all new people was a blessing and attracted her to the University.
But knowing Mizzou fans can also turn the rivalry into friendly competition. Both KU and Mizzou students join in the ultimate argument about which school reigns supreme. In sports, especially, there is always a debate between Strusz and her friends.
“When we won the National Championship, I got to rub it in their faces for a whole year, and then last year when we beat them in football was even better,” Strusz said. “I just wish I would have gone home to watch the game with them instead of mocking them for it over the phone.”
For Rachel Goldberg, St. Louis senior, the rivalry is a family affair. Rachel’s mother graduated from Missouri and now her brother is a freshman there. She said watching the games now would be a lot more interesting.
“I obviously will always root for KU over Mizzou,” Goldberg said.
Goldberg was also an exception by choosing the University over Missouri for school. Many of her high school friends gave her a hard time about the decision. She said that even though Missouri was a common choice for St. Louis teens, after visiting Columbia she knew she liked Lawrence better.
“I came to KU because it was close to home, but not too close,” she said. “I also really liked the traditions of KU.”
Although anti-Mizzou sentiments seem to always be present in Lawrence, according to Goldberg in some parts of Missouri the Border Showdown competitiveness isn’t as important.
“The KU-MU rivalry is definitely not as big of a deal in St. Louis,” Goldberg said. “People there will cheer for Mizzou over KU in most situations, but it’s nothing compared to how KU fans feel towards Mizzou fans.”
For students from Missouri, the rivalry can mean rooting against friends and family. Still, the unified animosity for one another can be nothing more than friendly competition. Strusz said the rivalry brought students together.
“I enjoy the rivalry,” Strusz said. “I feel like every school has one and needs one, it helps the feeling of unity.”
— Edited by Betsy Cutcliff
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