Truman the Tiger is more than just a mascot to Ria Landreth.
To the pre-veterinarian senior, Truman is a symbol for a group dedicated to saving tigers. The National Tigers for Tigers Coalition is an organization dedicated to saving tigers from extinction. The organization is run from a student and administration level to raise awareness for the decreasing tiger population.
"There are only 3200 tigers in the world, and that's an incredibly low number," said Ria Landreth. "So our end goal is to raise awareness that these animals are becoming extinct."
That is why, two years ago, a seminar series involving in-group discussions, special guest speakers, dinners, etc. was created for people involved in this group to come together. Faculty advisor for the Mizzou Tiger Coaltion group Dr. Matt Gompperr talked about the importance of the seminar series.
"A chance for all these organizations to come together to share ideas, swap information, talk about what works and what doesn't work, and talk about different ideas. It's a really exciting opportunity for these kids."
Landreth also says the coalition is not just limited to universities with a tiger as a mascot. Other institutions, such as Webber State which has a wildcat mascot, have also joined the coalition.