Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Fred Lambuth [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Photo contributed by Mickey Kepler [Click to enlarge]

Improving diversity has long been championed as Texas A&M University's vision for the future. With the retirement of the A&M mascot, Reveille VII, and her grand exit at the Corps of Cadets final review on May 10, the debate has been raging about whether diversity will be considered when selecting her replacement.

"I think Reveille VIII should be an American collie because it's tradition, and isn't that what A&M's all about?" freshman general studies major Emily Hudson said.

Many aren't so sure.

"Reveille should be a mutt. [Collies] are really spastic and hard to train. And mutts, since they have a mixture of all different genes, they tend to be a lot smarter," junior marketing major Kelley Baxter said.

Reveille I was a mutt, but because the previous five mascots have been American collies, there is concern that choosing any other breed of dog would be breaking tradition.

The A&M powers that have heard these opposing opinions and recognized that the decision will not be easy. A committee will be formed by the office of the vice president for student affairs to make the decision.

"We are forming a broad representative committee to make recommendations as to what factors should lead to the selection of the next mascot and how she will be used," said Dean Bresciani, vice president of student affairs. "The committee has not been formed yet, but I anticipate the invitation letters going out later this week."

Many people share Hudson's view and want a strict adherence to tradition, but a survey done by The Bryan-College Station Eagle said that a slight majority think that Reveille VIII should be a mutt.

Jenna Christopher, a sophomore molecular and cell biology major, is open to having a mutt instead of a purebred and is less worried about breaking tradition.

"I think mutts are smarter and tend to be healthier and plus, the first Reveille was a mutt," Christopher said.

Many suggest adopting from a pound in hopes of selecting a mascot in a way that would better represent the University's values.

"I think Reveille should be a mutt adopted from an animal shelter just because it would show Aggie compassion," said Brandon Honore, a sophomore political science major. "Our first dog was a mutt and it would be a cool thing to do. Collies aren't very manly; it's hard to talk about beating someone when you have a collie by your side."

Having a tough-looking mascot is another common thought. Some students believe that the mascot should be a shepherd, like Reveille II. This was the intention of the Student Senate when choosing Reveille II. According to Reveille: First Lady of Aggieland, the Student Senate wanted a German shepherd, but could not afford one. They ended up accepting the donated Shetland shepherd instead.

Where and how Reveille VIII will be chosen is frequently discussed. Many believe that she should be adopted from an animal shelter, but some students, such as sophomore political science major Jason Wagner, have bigger ideas.

"I think we should have a dog brought back from Iraq that has been in the war to show our patriotism, our school's spirit for our country and our tradition for [supporting] the beliefs of the United States of America," Wagner said.

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