View Reveille Poll Results

We asked and you answered. Oh, mercy, did you answer!

For the past three weeks we've been trying to help Texas A&M in its search for the next Reveille. This came about because Reveille VII will be retired after this year and a new Rev will be named. A&M has said that the next mascot may not be a collie, so the gates to the kennels -- even the dog pound -- are wide open.

On our Web site, theeagle.com, we conducted a survey to ask what breed of dog (or lack thereof) our readers preferred. We closed the polls at 10 a.m. Monday, and the winner was -- Maestro, a drum roll, please -- a mutt from the animal shelter. That's right. A mutt, not a collie.

Get the nitroglycerin pills, Martha. Daddy may be having The Big One.

Considering that A&M is nothing if not tradition, this was a surprise. After all, the overwhelming majority of past Reveilles have been collies, and the overwhelming majority of living Aggies grew up with a collie on the Kyle Field sidelines.

On the other hand, the original Rev was a mutt that was hit by a car and brought to campus to be cared for by die-hard Aggies -- members of the Corps of Cadets. That, along with strong sentiment for helping out homeless mixed-breed dogs in pounds all over the country, led to a come-from-behind win for the lowly mutt.

It was an amazing experience. More people cast votes than in the last Bryan or College Station municipal election. It wasn't a landslide, however.  And more than a few were upset that the subject was even under discussion. Here's what former Corps member Grayum L. Davis had to say:

"What self-righteous idiot even brought up the idea of changing the breed of Reveille? And who the hell even allowed a committee, much less, be formed to study the idiot idea? Don't these idiots have anything better to do than messing with the traditions at A&M? These people are typically employees of the university -- which is the state of Texas -- and paid by our taxes. I want to know who these people are. Company E-2 and the Corps of Cadets -- please don't let these liberals push these ideas down your throats."

Allan Gillies had similar thoughts:

"This can all be summed up by one small word: tradition. They already stopped Bonfire and now they want to change the mascot. Why not just change the name of the school to Texas University?"

Here are some other thoughts from readers:

• "It's hard to vote for a pure mutt (although my dogs have always been such) but there are so many opportunities with a collie-mix (aka half-mutt) to keep the beauty but mix in the other characteristics that will make our mascot so valuable. I do love the idea of adopting from an animal shelter, but I also think sticking with a female is important." -- Anne Stasny

• "I have been training dogs professionally for over 30 years. I am currently the temperament evaluator for Aggieland Pets with a Purpose, a 501c3 nonprofit volunteer therapy dog organization. ...

"Mutts might be a realistic option, given that the dog was evaluated by knowledgeable behaviorists with many years of experience with temperament evaluations.

"One pure breed not even mentioned is the golden retriever. Goldens are one of the top dogs for therapy organizations, and are also utilized by seeing-eye and service-dog organizations. If selected properly, these dogs can have outstanding temperaments and like people. Same with a correctly chosen Lab." -- Ben Alexander

• "My son and I were playing golf Saturday afternoon at the A&M golf course and spotted what we think should be the next Reveille! As my son, Christopher, teed off on the ninth hole we spotted a stray puppy roaming the golf course. It was a small black dog with white paws (Lab mix?) and no collar. It was happily bounding across the golf course chasing birds and curious of the golfers. We were concerned that he might run into traffic on Texas or George Bush, so we abandoned our game to try to catch the little dog.

"However, as we approached the dog, he took off at a blazing speed and ran up onto a green as some other golfers were putting. They were just as surprised as we were to see the little dog on the golf course. We were unable to catch him but shooed him away from the street and finished our game. Back at the clubhouse, we told the student workers about the dog and they commented that they too have been trying to catch the dog for a while.

"As we were driving home we were talking about what we would have named the little dog if we had actually caught him (Bogie?) when we realized that this little dog would make the perfect Reveille! We're not sure what happened to the little dog but are hopeful that students or even the Corps of Cadets will find that little dog and make it their next Reveille. What a great story this would make!

"Even if this particular dog can not be located, it just seems like the next Reveille should be a good-natured, lovable mutt that is chosen and embraced by the student body. That is how the tradition started and how it should continue!" -- Katherine Powell

• "The question should be posed, 'What does the mascot represent to the college, the students, the faculty, and the public at large?' Obviously, breed, color, length of hair, mutt or purebred isn't really material. The original Reveille, according to the story, was hit by some cadets on their way from Navasota back to A&M and then brought to the vet school to get medical attention.

"Reveille represents:

"1. Doing the right thing -- the cadets stopped to check the dog. They could have kept going without stopping, as happens only too often.

"2. Acting responsibly -- the cadets didn't just stop, they saw the dog was in of medical care and needed help. They picked the dog up and took responsibility for the dog's health and welfare.

"3. Compassion for those less fortunate -- the cadets were motivated by their compassion for this helpless little animal. Whatever their plans had been prior to their meeting with the dog, all those plans were put on hold and their mission became 'get the dog medical attention and save its life.'

"4. Going the extra mile -- the cadets not only got the little dog medical attention and saved its life, they adopted her and gave this little black-and-white dog something more than just a permanent home; they gave her all the attention and love that any dog could ever hope for in a lifetime.

"But it wasn't just this little dog that benefited from the efforts of these cadets to do the right thing. It is every person who has ever heard the story of how Reveille came to be. And for an Aggie, it is the part of the foundation on which they strive to build their own character." -- Duane Miller

• "For the love of Pete, why the hell are we even talking about this? A fluff story that has taken on a life of its own!

"The original Reveille was in fact a black-and-white mutt. ... Despite how we got to identifying collies as Reveille, it has been that way during the lives of a vast majority of surviving Aggie grads. Leave it alone, find a calm collie, and move on. Jeez, this is not a political process; we do not need a canine version of 'Obama for Change'! -- Ed Hodnett

• "First, I am quite surprised there would ever be a question like this but HURRAH! Mutt it should be. I love Rev, not necessarily collies." -- Barry Haynie

• "When I saw the picture of Reveille I in The Eagle yesterday, I thought that she looked like a native Texas breed called a Blue Lacy. As the proud owner of two of these wonderful dogs, I would like to enter the Blue Lacy as a possible replacement for Reveille VII.

"The Lacy dogs originated in Central Texas and were widely used for cattle herding in the past. Today they are used for hunting, rescue and as fine family pets." -- Joy Howze

• "I vote for a real 'cow dog' who is loyal and can handle BEVO: a German shepherd." -- Sharlene Ewald

• "The original mascot was a mutt -- a mixture of breeds. Nowadays, what is A&M if not a mixture of different cultures/ethnicities?

"I think that would speak volumes if A&M chose a mutt as our new mascot. I believe this would show the city, the state, the nation that we believe in the change A&M has been striving for." -- Mally R. Hance

• "I'm the president of True Blue Animal Rescue and I love your article about Rev and learning that the original Rev was a rescue dog! We did get to meet Rev in 2005, when we received an Extreme Home Makeover on ABC. The Aggies were out in full force helping build our house while we were gone! We are hoping to pay it forward and offer them a collie-mix breed puppy that was found in a taped box on the side of the road about a week ago. Thanks to your article, this poor, homeless puppy has the chance to become one of the most famous dogs in Texas!" -- Melanie Hewett-DeAeth

• "From 1999 until this past November, I was a cadet training officer with the Office of the Commandant, and I had ample opportunities to see the problems the current mascot presented from the day she arrived. My personal opinion is that the past two have been so highly bred for conformation purposes (appearance) that they have undesirable traits not conducive to mascot purposes. The current Rev has some serious issues, none the least of which is biting kids and mascot handlers.

"While on active duty back in the mid-'70s with the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii (a very warm and humid climate), one of the infantry battalions, nicknamed The Wolfhounds Battalion, had three Irish wolfhounds that they used for parade purposes. They are a very large breed, are quite regal in appearance, are basically friendly, and would, in my humble opinion, be a great symbol for the university mascot. ... Considering that they seemed to survive the Hawaii heat and humidity well, I would think that is a characteristic that A&M should think about." -- Mike Caudle

n "The choice is clear. The next Reveille should be a native Texan -- the Texas Blue Lacy! The Blue Lacy is a medium-sized dog with a smooth, short coat. Lacys are extremely intelligent, versatile dogs with a gentle nature.

"This Texas pioneer originated in the Hill Country to serve ranching families. Blue Lacys have played an essential role in Texas ranching operations for the past 150 years. They were bred to be true Aggies!

"It's well known ... that a Blue Lacy can readily handle the meanest longhorn." -- Steve and Bonnie Wikse

• "My beagle, Olsen, met Reveille VII at Olsen Field a couple of years ago following an Aggie baseball game and would like to voice his preference regarding her successor. Following the recent success of Uno at the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden, Olsen feels that it's high time that a real fun dog be given a chance to serve as the mascot of Texas A&M University. He thinks that nothing less than a happy-go-lucky, gleefully affectionate, pure-D bundle of joy beagle should be considered for the role of mascot. ...

"If you'd like further elaboration on Olsen's thoughts, you can find him patrolling the grounds at Olsen Field during any Aggie baseball weekend series if he's not watching the Western Channel on DirecTV." -- E.J. Biskup

• "If the college picks a mutt, we will all be the butt of endless jokes. I can see the TV reports now: they will be tongue-in-cheek, but they will note how cheap those silly Aggies are. Any positive vibe from saving a poor, helpless animal will be lost in a fog of ridicule. By picking a purebred, there is no downside.

"Ask t .u. to pick a mangy stray off the range somewhere and see what happens in Austin. Talk about shock and awe. ..." -- Michael Willett

• "The persona of Reveille is a COLLIE, notwithstanding her origins, and has been for decades. The decision to re-evaluate Reveille, an amusing exercise for some (including The Eagle), touches on something sensitive at this tradition-rich school. After Reveille, what next? Are we on the slippery slope of a school makeover? If so, let me suggest:

"Aggies signifies a backwards agricultural school, how about 'Engies' or 'Busies' to better describe our strengths.

"Maroon is a school color (and adjective) that is unfortunate at best. Green is the obvious choice here.

"War Hymn -- well, we will definitely need someone to pen a Peace Hymn, unless we select from a number already available.

"Sul Ross statue -- old, old, old. Perhaps a changing display featuring the latest Hollywood movie star?

"Well, it may be tongue-in-cheek, but you get the idea. Traditions are a key part of what makes this school unique. ..." -- Chip Hill

• "As a former Corps commander, I have a special affection for the only cadet that outranked me -- a beautiful collie. But I think it's time to embrace the obvious advantages that the mixed-breed dogs have over the inbreeds. A shelter dog as the next Reveille takes the tradition back to its roots while being completely countercultural -- just like the Aggies!" -- Matt Poling

n "I really hope that your follow-up column will be the end of this. Company E-2 has taken care of this for the past 40 years and I don't think they require any assistance in selecting Reveille VIII." -- Sam Netterville (author of a book on Reveille).

Well, Sam, I doubt this column is "the end of this." For the past three weeks we've tried to facilitate a dialogue about the matter, and it appears we have.

We got a lot more responses than there is space available in today's paper. For more, go to theeagle.com and look under the "columnists" heading.

Thanks to everybody for chiming in.

• Donnis Baggett is editor-in-chief of The Eagle. His e-mail address is donnis.baggett@theeagle.com.

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