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Some Meadows filth is trying this again, assuming the email I got is not a hoax. This makes me sick. Again

This was forwarded to me.

From: Montague, Scot [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 12:27 PM
To: ***removed***
Subject: FW: Peruna initiative survey



Please excuse this intrusion, but as loyal SMU fans I would like feedback on this. I have organized a student initiative to examine this proposal.



What I want from you is a response, whether yea or nay regarding the idea of pursuing this initiative. I want to get a much input as possible, to speak for as many interested parties as possible. Please respond with a yes or no and feel free to elaborate on your thoughts.



Nathan Scot Montague

SMU Meadows Facilities Office

ofc. 214.768.2713

Cell 972.765.7262



Peruna Project:



The goal:

To have a real Mustang replace the shetland pony as SMU’s Peruna



Objectives:

1. To raise consciousness about the efforts to save the Mustang herds in America’s West, threatened by encroaching civilization and cattle grazing lands. To place SMU in highly visible support role in these initiatives.

2. To convince the development office to begin a campaign to raise a 100-200 thousand dollar endowment for the care of Peruna

3. To demonstrate and convince the administration that a real Mustang is a feasable option as a live mascot

4. To work with Nevada’s Bureau of Land Management and their satellite organizations such as the Mustang Heritage Foundation in Bertram, TX (north of Austin, west of Georgetown) to acquire a suitable horse.

5. To have ready by no later than 2011 (SMU’s 100th anniversary)



Observations:

1. I observed that the abstract idea of “Peruna” is engaging and a worthwhile tradition at SMU, but the shetland pony is underwhelming and elicits few cheers at a football game and almost disappears behind the handlers.

2. I have taken a random poll of at least 50 students, alumni, staff and administrators, and the response has been overwhelming in support of a real Mustang

3. The director of the Mustang Band is not opposed to the idea.

4. Judith Banes’ office pays for the horse and it seems like a drain on their resources. I feel her lack of support is due to this.

She did give me the green light to pursue this initiative.

5. The reason this idea has never been examined thoroughly is that most people assume that a larger horse is exponetially more difficult to handle, which is a fallacy. A well trained Mustang will be a far more manageble, friendly and exciting animal than the shetland, which is a notorious ill-tempered breed and bites people.

6. The long time providers for the shetland no longer do so, so an opportunity establish an endowment is now!

7. A Mustang is still a pony, so we would not lose any ancillary identities.

8. The horse would be bridled trained and never allowed to be ridden, to maintain a link to the image of the free spirited Mustang



Contacts:

The process will have to advance enough to have answers to all questions when the proposal goes up the Hilltop and to the Athletic directors office. We will need their approval after all of the questions are answered. Before that happens, myself, Tommy Newton, John Gibson in development, Judith Banes in student services, Weslie Elliot at the Mustang Heritage Foundation are here to assist and help in any way towards this goal. Jean Cherry in Grad records has been supportive, and Steve Woods, in Theatre, is also on board with this initiative and he wants to get SMU Theatre involved.

Saving the wild mustang - ah yes, a leftist initiative to balance the coming of the Bush library.

The expressions "Well-trained" and "Mustang" are in incongruous. Once a 'Mustang' becomes 'Well-trained,' it's no longer a Mustang.

Idiotic. Asinine. Stupid.

Does tradition mean nothing to these people?

How much more can a full-size horse "inspire" fans? Should Georgia switch to a Great Dane because a bulldog is too small? Do you think Bevo ever inspired anything except as an example of what it's like to be heavily sedated during a football game? Having a half-dead mascot hasn't hurt UT's fortunes. OU has two little shetland ponies pulling its Sooner Schooner. Hasn't hurt their fan base - or performance on the field.

This person doesn't know diddly about how horses behave in football games. Ask the people at Texas Tech and USC what it's like to have a full-size horse on the sidelines. They DO get spooked and trample people, no matter how well-trained they are. The fact that the full-size Peruna would be riderless makes it even more of a danger and less controllable.

Say what you want about Shetlands being ill-tempered (which I find kind of fun, actually), but little kids LOVE Peruna. That's the real appeal to Peruna - the children. What's wrong with having a mascot that kids adore? A full-size horse would intimidate the little ones.

This kind of stuff crops up because we haven't won in a long time. Remember about five years ago when some idiots tried to institute a new fight song? How did that work out? (The song sucked, by the way). When we start going to bowl games again, this nonsense will go away. No one complained about Peruna in the early '80s.

The "Save the Mustangs of the West" angle is just a ploy. If you want to try to link SMU with a cause to save real, live Mustangs, you can do that without trying to change a tradition that's been around since the 1930s.

When the students start showing up in large numbers on a consistent basis, then they can have a say in the mascot. Until then, shut up and try to learn something about traditions before you go about changing them.

That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard...who is that idiot?

While I don't believe he has all of his facts straight (or he may have altered them slightly), he does provide a logical proposal. I suggest that all of you write an equally logical proposal to keep Peruna. This year will mark the 75th anniversary of Peruna. I can't think of many traditions that SMU has kept for longer. Please show your support and keep this tradition alive.

I will do everything in my power to keep this tradition.

I say stick with tradition.

As a point of referrence or possibly an inquiry, I always thought Peruna was a Welch rather than a Shetland?

Can anyone shed any light on this issue?

why not have both?

Peruna is legacy and tradition.

Why change that?

For the record, Judith Banes did not "green light" the movement. She tried to convince them not to and when they insisted on pursuing the matter anyway she told them that "she couldn't stop them." Which is true, she can't physically stop them from pursuing it if they want. Her office is not associated or behind the proposal in any way though.

Also, I had her email me a history of Peruna so I could post it here and use it to respond to the gentleman who originally sent me the email.

HISTORY OF PERUNA
(Compiled by Judith Banes)

In a popular vote by the student body on October 25, 1917, ‘Mustangs’ replaced the ‘unofficial’ name of Parsons as the nickname for all SMU athletic teams. Later, in 1932, a live mascot was adopted. Cy Barcus, a 1929 graduate of Perkins School of Theology and director of the Mustang Band, introduced the black Shetland pony as the mascot. In the March 22, 1985 edition of The Daily Campus, Barcus related his story to Linda Beheler: “I was out on a picnic and saw a little black horse running through the high weeds and I said, ‘that would make a good mascot for SMU.’ So I went to coach Ray Morrison and said, ‘Ray, I’ve found a horse that I think would make a good mascot,’ and he told me to bring it to the pep meeting. So I got a popular [student] to bring the pony to the pep rally and from then on it became the official school mascot.”

During Prohibition there was a popular alcohol-laced over the counter medicine called ‘Peruna Tonic’. The mascot was quickly given the name ‘Peruna’ reflecting this ‘medicine’ (Did someone say ‘spirit’?) There is no longer a double entendre when one hears the name ‘Peruna’, but the lively black stallion has always been a representation of true SMU spirit.

Following the death of Peruna I, W.E. Culwell (owner of Culwell and Sons) began a tradition of supplying SMU’s mascot. According to Culwell’s son, C.W. ‘Cully’ Culwell (’54), “He (Dad) would go to every game and serve barbeque to the players after the game; he really loved the school….Dad donated a Shetland pony because they have a greater longevity than a quarter-horse.” (Shetlands will normally live 25 years or more, while a quarter horse will only live 15-18 years.) His generosity continued until his death in 1964 and has been continued by the Culwell family. Until 1993, the mascot was stabled on the 500-acre Culwell Ranch in Grapevine. Since then, the stabling location is kept a secret. To date, eight mascots have represented SMU…6 stallions and 2 mares, although hard-core types prefer all-black stallions because of their alleged vitality and spirit. When Cully Culwell was having difficulty locating a black stallion to replace Peruna VI, he shared that “stallions are hard to obtain now because most young male horses are castrated to make them tamer….a stallion which is more aggressive, better represents the spirit of the SMU Mustangs.”

For over sixty years, Peruna’s job was to run across the field after every touchdown. In 1996 at the Cotton Bowl in SMU’s first WAC game vs. Tulsa, the WAC Commissioner told SMU athletic officials that it was not legal and to stop before penalties were given. (Due to incidents in other conferences, the NCAA reviewed guidelines about mascot safety and decided mascots should not be allowed on the field during the time of play.) Since that time, Peruna leads the team onto the field and runs between quarters.

All Perunas (past and present) have been hell to control and stories of antics and misbehavior are legion. He kicks, he trips up his handlers, and is generally uncooperative. When he takes off with his two handlers, there is often a question as to who’s running who.

Peruna I (1932-34)
The first mascot was a 28” high, 150-pound pony donated by T.E. Jones of Arlington Downs. The feisty miniature black stallion made his first appearance at a pep rally, November 4, 1932. He was promptly named ‘Peruna’ after a popular patent medicine (18 percent alcohol). Legend has it that the medicine was ‘full of kick’, as was SMU’s first mascot. He was kept on campus under the care of an organization called “The Saddle Burrs”. Soon an organization called “The Saddle Burrs” was formed to supervise his care as he was kept on campus.

A week before Peruna I’s death, he traveled to New York for the Fordham game where a city cab was his mode of travel. At the time, Bob Goodrich (who later became a Methodist Bishop) was the Band Director and took his younger brother, Wilson, on the trip as a ‘Shovel Boy’ for Peruna!

In 1934 on a Tuesday evening, Peruna I was hit on Mockingbird by a speeding motorist and killed. The next day, the student body president (Finis Crutchfield ’37), along with the leader of the Mustang Band (Robert Goodrich ’35), led the procession from the flagpole to the burial site near Ownby Stadium. For the processional, the Mustang Band played ‘Peruna’ (She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain) as a dirge. In 1937, a statue (currently on Peruna Plaza at Ford Stadium) was sculpted by Michael G. Owen Jr. (’37) and placed at the burial site of Peruna I.

Peruna II (1934-43)
Peruna II, a black Shelton pony raised at the Culwell Ranch, marked the beginning of the Culwell connection. Peruna II was the first of two mares to serve as mascot. The mare had a white diamond on her forehead and, therefore, it was dyed black to protect the image. She died of blood poisoning after being kicked and injured by another horse.

Peruna III (1943-47)
During Peruna III’s reign, the Culwells purchased Peruna his own special red and blue trailer. It served to transport all subsequent Peruna’s until 2002 when a new trailer was purchased.

Peruna IV (1947-49)
Peruna IV, the second mare, led the Mustangs to two consecutive Southwest Conference championships. She died of a jaw infection in the summer of 1949. Gene Gaddy (’50) recalls that, because of his role on the Student Council, he was called back from summer break to serve as a pallbearer for Peruna IV. She was buried on the then practice field (now Wescott Field) draped in a blanket.

Peruna V (1950-65)
During the fifteen-year reign of Peruna V, he gained a reputation of arrogance…..his lively prancing, rearing and biting were good examples of SMU’s fighting spirit. Toward the end of his reign he kicked out the side of his stall (which happened to be the baggage car) on his way to Lubbock. In Chicago for the 1953 Notre Dame game, Peruna V was put up at the posh Stevens Hotel, had elevator privileges, and drank from the washbasin. Alys and George A. Richards, a former Peruna Handler, recalled a story from 1959 when they were hauling Peruna to a University of Texas game. As they drove, the radio programming was interrupted to inform the audience that Peruna had been “horse napped” by UT students who would display him at the game the next day. They continued to Austin and arrived at the game with Peruna in tow. The UT student body was surprised to see the real Peruna parade in because the wrong stolen horse was there also….minus its tail and mane.

Peruna VI (1965-86)
Peruna VI started his tenure as an 18-month old on October 2, 1965 at the Cotton Bowl when SMU played Purdue. He served for 21 years until a liver ailment forced him out of action. He had the longest tenure, to date, of any mascot. After death, Peruna VI was buried at Ownby Stadium at a secret night service. When Ownby Stadium was demolished, Peruna VI’s remains were the only ones recovered. His ashes now rest under the statue at Peruna Plaza at the stadium’s south end.

Peruna VII (1986-1997)
Peruna VII arrived at the Culwell ranch a year before his reign began. At the beginning of his reign, Cully Culwell said, “We would have like to have run Peruna VII a year earlier, but he proved to be a tough horse to break…..He’s still a little skittish at times, but he’s full of fight!” Peruna VII was to make his debut during the Homecoming game, but due to Peruna VI’s illness, his first showing came at the SMU/TCU game on September 27. During the summer of 1986, Peruna VII broke his leg when he caught his hoof under the gate of the stall. “Under normal circumstances, a horse would be put down,” said Cully Cullwell. The healing process was expensive but enabled him to continue his service to the university. The two years of rest through the Death Penalty, assisted in his healing, though he was retired early due to increasingly more frequent shots to reduce swelling before games. His retirement found him living on a ranch until his liver began to fail in May of 2002 and he was euthanized. His ashes are currently in a coffin awaiting a resting spot in Heritage Hall when it is funded.

Peruna VIII (1997-present)
Peruna VIII ‘exchanged reins’ at the Spirit and Traditions Pep Rally at the beginning of the 1997 school year. Peruna VIII is a spirited lean black stallion that immediately made his mark by dragging and tripping several of the Peruna Handlers. He began his service on the field at the Cotton Bowl and was the first mascot to initiate the playing field at the new Gerald J. Ford Stadium. After a long road trip to Washington, D.C., Peruna VIII led The Mustang Band in President George Bush’s 2001 Inauguration Parade. Peruna VIII’s infectious, untamed spirit is demonstrated before every game and as stamps and whinnies as The Mustang Band forms a tunnel and he waits impatiently to lead the players on to the field.

I think president turner should hear about this.

from http://www.smu.edu/leadership/turner.asp
his email is [email protected]

Mr. Montague, did you write this during working hours? Surely they don't pay you to come up with crap like this.

couch 'em wrote: and Steve Woods, in Theatre, is also on board with this initiative and he wants to get SMU Theatre involved.

What's next? Men in tights replacing the Peruna Handlers?

Sorry guys, it must be my fault. I guess I have bad luck w/ mascots.

My senior year at Ole Miss they tried to get rid of Col. Reb (they did succeed in taking him off the field during games, but he's just too d*** lucrative for the university to get rid of him otherwise - everyone wants products w/ his image on it.

I guess its only fitting that my law school institution gets rid of their mascot tradition during my last year in school.....

LawSchoolPony wrote:Sorry guys, it must be my fault. I guess I have bad luck w/ mascots.

My senior year at Ole Miss they tried to get rid of Col. Reb (they did succeed in taking him off the field during games, but he's just too d*** lucrative for the university to get rid of him otherwise - everyone wants products w/ his image on it.

I guess its only fitting that my law school institution gets rid of their mascot tradition during my last year in school.....

No apologies necessary. Ole Miss' attempt to get rid of Col. Reb continues to provide my husband and I with an inside joke from when we went to Ole Miss for the 48-45 thriller against Texas Tech when Eli Manning was still there. Everyone was wearing stickers saying "Col. Reb is MY mascot!" We still to this day giggle when we say "Col. Sanders is MY mascot!"

Back to the point, I have thought about this a lot and will be writing not only Scot (who still owes me a cycling jersey I paid $70 for) but the Daily Campus editors a full, reasoned, and complete response.

A full sized horse could not run across the field because no handlers could keep up with it. Mr. Montague, I challenge you and a friend of your choice to try and run a full sized mustang stallion 100 yards at full gallop and hold on to the reins. We can have a pool here to determine how many yards it would take before you either let go of the reins or had to pull the horse up short. Just make sure your effort is video taped. And by the way, we get to choose the mustang. When you're ready to do that, you let us know. I guarantee that after one attempt you'd drop this silly idea.