Replacing Peruna

[mrydel]

Kiki for mascot.

[Kappas Are Yummy]

"Meadows filth"? You're a serious a-hole dude.

[Diamond Girl]

Imagine a full-size mustang running across the stadium field? Imagine it on the blvd. running through all those trying to enjoy pregame festivities.

[Silk]

"Meadows filth"? You're a serious a-hole dude.

I can't believe I agree with you, but you're dead-on. Meadows is a significant and outstanding part of the university.

And ....

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

Please tell me that is some poorly formed joke. Which part of that is "leftist"? An appreciation of history? Animals? I'm looking forward to the benefits the university will enjoy from the Dubbya Library landing from outer space on the SMU campus, too, but dismiss this guy's idea because it's "leftist" is laughable. Disagree with it because you don't like mustangs, or because there should be higher priorities at SMU, or because you don't think a change will make a difference in those areas. But don't make it a political argument. There are folks of all political leanings who like to hunt, and there are folks of all political leanings who believe you shouldn't step on a bug.

Are sunsets a leftist conspiracy because west is on the left side of maps?

[regis]

Reading from the history post:

"(Peruna V's) lively prancing, rearing and biting were good examples of SMU’s fighting spirit"

"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."

Peruna throughout the years is one of our few unique traditions. Leave him be.

[BrianTinBigD]

I do believe that "Meadows Filth" is actually a term of love and respect. As for our socialist, tree hugging, dirt munching Druid, Mr. Montague I would like to suggest that SMU could save the cost of his salary, e-mail account, and benefits and use the money to pay for Peruna if he is so worried about the costs of our favorite Mustang. Do you think we can start an e-mail campaign where we e-mail his boss and President Turner asking that the cost of his job be used to pay for Peruna?

[Junior]

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

Please tell me that is some poorly formed joke. Which part of that is "leftist"? An appreciation of history? Animals? I'm looking forward to the benefits the university will enjoy from the Dubbya Library landing from outer space on the SMU campus, too, but dismiss this guy's idea because it's "leftist" is laughable. Disagree with it because you don't like mustangs, or because there should be higher priorities at SMU, or because you don't think a change will make a difference in those areas. But don't make it a political argument. There are folks of all political leanings who like to hunt, and there are folks of all political leanings who believe you shouldn't step on a [deleted].

Are sunsets a leftist conspiracy because west is on the left side of maps?

Mr. Pony just beat me to the punch on the leftist reference regarding certain people trying to keep the Bush library off the campus. As far as the sunsets go, I'd never really considered it that way. But now that you mention it.......

[Webmaster]

I'm "Meadows Filth" and darn proud of it! (That's going to be my daily affirmation going forward)

Peruna Forever!!!

[MustangStealth]

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.

That would be one of the same people listed as being behind this: "John Gibson in development" (unless we have hired a new John Gibson). I believe he is a Red Raider, and has been sent here on a secret mission to undermine SMU traditions and support -- by trying to make us more like them.

[EastStang]

Just remember it was Peruna jumping the Tech mare. I just wish our football team would do that to them.

[FordtoTolbert]

...is Ole Miss a 2 year school or 4 year?

[DiamondM]

Here is what I sent to Scot and to the Daily Campus editors:

When I first read the proposal to replace Peruna with a full size Mustang, I tried to envision how it would work. I really did. I thought, "Let’s set aside tradition for a moment, and think about the practical pros and cons of this." But, then I realized that the point is that you can’t just set aside tradition without a really good reason to do so. Therefore, I’ll return to the practical considerations in a moment, but let’s start with the issue of tradition.

I have no doubt that an informal straw poll of your average, uninvolved SMU students and alumni will find support for replacing Peruna with a full size Mustang. This is a symptom of a problem that has troubled me since I became a student at SMU in 1990: the failure of the university and its students to take the time and energy to teach, learn, understand, respect, embrace, and defend its traditions. How many times have we heard some student or alumnus complain that SMU doesn’t have any "cool" traditions like XYZ university? Or that we should start some new tradition because our mascot, fight song, colors, band, whatever is stupid? The thing is, the reason why certain traditions at XYZ university seem "cool" is because the students and everyone associated with the university (a) know about them, and (b) participate in them. Most traditions may seem silly or stupid to an outsider (or an uniformed insider), but when even the seemingly silliest tradition (Aggie yell practice, Stanford’s tree mascot, Woo Pig Sooie are just some examples) becomes "what WE do," not only do people associated within the university support that tradition, but outsiders start to admire the tradition because so many are committed to and participate in it. If you want a "cool" tradition, start participating in the many traditions we already have.

And so it goes with Peruna. If SMU students were taught the history of Peruna, they might just embrace the tradition of the small, feisty, yet accessible mascot. In some ways, a small yet spirited horse is a much better symbol of a small, private university who is often the underdog than a full-sized Mustang. And even if that weren’t the case, just as a soft fluffy collie is Texas A&M’s mascot and a goat is Navy’s mascot, Peruna is MY mascot. That is what makes him special - he’s MINE and he’s YOURS. What we have here is just another case of tradition-envy ("theirs is bigger than mine") thinly veiled by laudable goals of environmental and historical consciousness.

Now to the practical part. This proposal suggests that the new and "improved" Mustang will never have a rider, and rightly so. As we all recognize, once you put a rider on a horse, it’s a Texas Tech Red Raider, a Traveler, or somebody else’s mascot, but it’s not a Mustang,. Without a rider, the new Mustang will not be able to run across the field. Period. No handler can run with a full size horse, and no conference in the world is going to let us just have a horse run across the field on his own. So where does that leave us? With a heavily sedated large livestock animal standing on the sidelines tied to a post or in a pen. Ooooh, sounds inspiring. That really reflects the spirit of the wild Mustang, doesn’t it?

Plus, a full size riderless Mustang also eliminates the very important ambassador role that Peruna serves on the Boulevard and at other local appearances. Peruna is mobile, approachable and accessible to kids and adults alike. A full-size Mustang simply cannot perform this function.

Finally, endowing the SMU mascot is an excellent idea. It costs money to feed, care for, and transport the mascot (more for a full-size horse than for Peruna), and more funding is always better. But why do we have to discard a 75 year old tradition to start a Peruna endowment? Let’s support the traditions we already have, both financially and emotionally. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: Peruna is MY mascot.

[jtstang]

Finally, endowing the SMU mascot is an excellent idea.

I think nature has taken care of that issue.

[Treadway21]

If Culwell and Son is still involved - don't they have final say? I doubt they would want to mess with tradition.

[EastStang]

Well said Diamond M.