-7-
The pet that Letter
an
would love
By MARY MCWHORTER
Reporter
Wanted - One Texas A&M
mascot. Must love the constant
company of people. Free room
and board. Travel. All medical
expenses paid. National media
attention. Excellent retirement
benefits.
It’s a dog’s life? Not for Re
veille V. First of all, it is doubtful
whether she knows she is a dog.
She probably thinks she is just
another member of the corps.
She is certainly the only member
living in a coed dorm room.
I followed Reveille around the
Texas A&M campus for a couple
of days to see how' the new mas
cot is handling her prominent
position as the first lady of Texas
A&M.
It’s 6:10 a.m. Time for Re
veille.
Hans Meinardus reaches to
turn off the alarm clock as Re
veille jumps out of the bottom
bunk, stretches and yawns. Mei
nardus stumbles after her.
After dressing himself, Mei
nardus snaps Reveille’s leash to
her collar and they enter the hall
to inspect the freshmen in Com
pany E-2.
Reveille unknowingly compli
cates the lives of the freshman in
her company by sitting on and
scratching their painstakingly
polished shoes. But they can’t
budge an inch to move her. Af
ter all, she is Reveille and they
are lowly freshmen.
The members of Company E-
2 now run outside to join the
other outfits in the corps in for
mation on the quadrangle. How
ever, for Reveille, first things are
first, and nature calls.
With that order of business
out of the way Reveille takes her
place at the head of the outfit.
The companies report in that
all are present and accounted
for. Reveille’s theme song is
played, as well as “Colors.” The
American and Texas flags are
raised. Reveille’s ears obediently
snap-to as the corps is called to
attention.
A bird diving by catches Re
veille’s notice. By the inquisitive
expression on her face, you
know she yearns to chase after it.
But the company is now march
ing to breakfast. Reveille yawns
and trots toward Duncan Dining
Hall.
What seems to be a noisy, be
wildering situation, Reveille
takes in stride without any trace
of discomfort.
After all the pomp and cere
mony of morning formation,
Reveille is unceremoniously tied
to the table leg after a quick
search for a dropped tidbit.
She’s out of luck.
“Howdy, Miss Reveille
Ma’am,” a freshmen calls out as
he addresses the mascot. This is
the only way a freshman in the
corps is allowed to speak to her.
Reveille gives him the cold
shoulder as she heads back to
wards her room and breakfast.
“She gets fed three times a
day,” Meinardus says.
She is being fed out of a Fris-
bee. Meinardus explains that he
is trying to familiarize Reveille
Reveille V, the first ladv of Texas A&M
^ *7
with the disk so one day she will
learn to catch it.
She will get five silver di
amonds pinned to her maroon
and white Texas A&M coat
when she masters the technique.
The corps commander has a
four diamond insignia.
“That will make her a gener
al,” Meinardus says. “She got her
corps brass (another insignia)
when she was potty trained.”
She has more than doubled
her size since she first came to
Texas A&M in December. But at
seven months she still has the
face of a puppy and a long “Ca
dillac nose” that she has yet to
grow into.
Little wads of gum are stuck
in the tips of her ears so they will
flop over and not stand up.
Reveille’s A&M coat that she’s
almost outgrown is lying on a
desk.
“My mom and I made that
coat,” Meinardus says.
Meinardus says neither he nor
his mom knew what they were
getting into when he was chosen
to care for the mascot during the
summer of 1984 and his follow
ing sophomore year. Especially
when Reveille had several acci
dents on his mother’s Persian
rugs while being potty trained
during Christmas.
“Reveille V doesn’t really get
perturbed at anything,” Meinar
dus says. “She is a real charac
ter.”
Meinardus says that the new
Reveille has a much better dispo
sition and a spunkier character
than Reveille IV.
Just about the only things she
doesn't like are people who step
on her toes and getting'her tail
brushed. Meinardus says.
“She has a mind of her own
and is very mischievous,” Mei
nardus says. ■
Of course these are not very
unusual characteristics for a
puppy. But all the attention that
comes with being a mascot will
affect the personality of even the
best natured dog.
“She will become snobby.
...She knows she is on show
when she has her coat on. She
prances as if to say ‘Here I am!”’
Meinardus says.
Only the bottom bunk where
Meinardus and Reveille sleep is
made up. Meinardus says that
sometimes he sleeps on the floor
and Reveille sleeps on the bed.
The bed is covered with a sheet
and a sleeping bag. There is also
a pillow and a homemade
stuffed Reveille doll that was
given to her as a present.
Reveille receives many pre
sents from her admirers. She is
quite a Southern belle. Mostly
she gets chewies and bones.
Some donate money to an en
dowment fund that is the source
of revenue for Reveille’s food,
veterinarian and travel ex
penses.
Above Meinardus’ desk there
is a picture of his sister and three
pictures of Reveille.
“I took Reveille with me on
one or two dates,” Meinardus
says. Obviously, a girl would
have stiff competition if she
wished to date Meinardus.
Reveille is involved with al
most everything the corp does.
This includes football and bas
ketball games that the corps at
tends, corps runs and all corps
ceremonies.
Even when Reveille dies, she
will not escape the shadow of
Aggieland. She will be buried at
the north end of Kyle Field, just
outside the stadium’s gates,
where she will always be able to
see the scoreboard. A corps
member places a rose near each
grave before the home games.
When you ^re a Texas A&M
mascot, you are a part of the
school forever.
It’s time to run errands and
go to class. Reveille is feeling
good and prances across campus
with a grin spread across her
face and her tonque rolling out
of her mouth. She seems to
know intuitively of the tradition
she represents and what is ex
pected of her. Students stop to
greet and pet her. Meinardus
says hello and introduces Re
veille to each passerby who
wants to meet her. Reveille sniffs
her greeting. Together they con
tinue their trek, leaving a wake
of smiles.
^Soon, the two friends will part
company. It is time for Meinar
dus to choose a new handler for
Reveille. She will stay with her
new roommate during the sum
mer and live with him during
the 1985-86 school year. ,
“It’s going to be like giving my
kid away,” Meinardus says as he
looks away and then kneels
down to hold Reveille’s head in
his hands A