**Kyle Oberkrom**
_Freshman superfan is now a Tiger himself_

From fond childhood memories of playing football with friends on the Devine Pavilion’s turf to attending his first home football game as an MU student last Saturday, freshman Kyle Oberkrom has been a Tigers fan for as long as he can remember.

“My friends and I would play in (the indoor practice facility) when it was open to the public,” Oberkrom says.

Oberkrom grew up in Moberly, less than an hour from MU.

“I was basically born and raised (a Tigers’ fan),” he says.

The Tigers superfan says the Southeastern Conference move was a good decision.

“Most people are for it,” Oberkrom says, adding that although Missouri had a rough first year in the elite conference, he thinks the Tigers has a solid shot at a bowl game this season.

And every football fan worth his or her mettle knows how to tailgate. Seasoned fan Oberkrom’s advice?

“Climate control,” Oberkrom says. “For early games, bring some sort of cooling mechanism. When it gets to those October or November games, bring a heater.”

**Carly Dempsey**
_Columbia saleswoman_

After getting a new job selling knives, Carly Dempsey is a completely different person.

Part of a demo she had to do for her job required cutting through a penny, but she couldn’t do it because of her limited use of her right side. Dempsey was born with cerebral palsy after she lost oxygen to her brain for a few seconds during birth.

“I felt like I couldn’t do it, and it was really bad,” Dempsey says.

One day she and her co-workers sat down and tried to figure out a way for her to cut the penny. When she finally cut the penny, it was a turning point for her.

“I was really happy about it, and then I realized I can get through anything,” Dempsey says.

Dempsey says her new job has made her more independent. She is saving up the money that she makes to open a special needs camp that uses art as a way of healing and learning. Eventually she wants to start a foundation that supports disabled entrepreneurs.