Tigertown — a state of mind to some, but a lifestyle choice to others — is the new student organized sports fan club at Occidental. The group, organized by seniors Eddy Perezic, Graham Garzon and Blake McGinley, was founded with the intention of bringing more energy and spirit to Occidental athletic events.
The group was formed Sept. 15 with the creation of their Facebook page, “Tigertown, Occidental.” Despite the organization’s short tenure on campus, it has already impacted Occidental athletic events by increasing crowd volume — in terms of both noise and number of attendees. This group — which is open to any and all Tiger fans — hopes to fill the void of student involvement at athletic events, according to Chubbies ambassador Phil Nahmens (senior). Tigertown has made its presence noticeable at athletic events this fall by actively reminding students all over campus that “it is always a great day to be a tiger.”
In a formal assembly of the Board of Elders, Perezic, Garzon and McGinley discussed the state of Occidental athletics, the relationship that Tigertown has with Campus Safety and the importance of the group’s existence on campus. In this meeting, Perezic explained that Tigertown is a way for people to get rowdy in a controlled way while having fun on campus during a school night.
Although relatively young, Tigertown has already had a large effect on at least one student’s experience.
“This has been the best week of my life.” Briggs Hupper (senior) said.
Athletes have been noticing Tigertown’s newfound presence in the stands as well. According to Keaton Shiffman (junior), a player on the Occidental football team, there has been a noticeable increase in cheering.
“It really boosts our morale. All we do on the field is encourage each other, so having it in the stands, and knowing our fans are behind us 100 percent drives us that much more,” Shiffman said.
Campus Safety has also acknowledged the presence of Tigertown. Notably, there was an altercation between a member of Tigertown and a visiting spectator at the first Occidental football home game Sept. 10. Although the Tigertown public relations department refused to comment on said altercation, they did note the only thing Campus Safety should expect from them this year is collaboration, and that they have nothing but love for “campo.”
Tigertown aims to be a visible presence on campus, and their leadership feels that they have been successful so far in their mission, having already been picked up by the second biggest Occidental newspaper — “after the Alumni Magazine” — according to member Mac Larsen (senior). With 96 Facebook “likes” in just a week, members feel that the Tigertown lifestyle is something that all students can get behind.
“More spirit is more fun.” Perezic said.
Perezic and other members of Tigertown have brought the spirit to a wide range of athletic events thus far this season, with cheers that can be heard throughout campus. Some classic Tigertown cheers include:
“It is a great day to be a tiger!”
“I would hate to be from ________ right now!” (Probably Tacoma).
“Rush SAE!”
Tigertown is looking to grow in size, and according to Perezic, wants to continue to act on their goals of spirit, fun, peace, love, unity and respect. To learn more about Tigertown, and to stay up to date on athletic events on campus, check out their Facebook page, as well as their Instagram handle, @tigertownoccidental.
The Tigertown Board of Elders would like note that they are currently looking for funding to acquire a tiger. If interested in hosting, importing or funding a tiger, please contact Edwin Perezic at greenbean@oxy.edu.
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