Tradition: Aggieland's Newest First Lady

Back in January I wrote about the impending retirement of Reveille VIII (the TAMU mascot, for those of you who may have missed that post or the many other posts in which I gush about the First Lady of Aggieland) and the extensive search underway for her replacement, Reveille IX. Over the course of several months, a 12-person search committee made up of veterinarians, administrators, faculty, staff, and students narrowed a large pool of applicants down to 10 purebred Collies. Taking veterinarian assessments and campus visits into consideration, the committee continued narrowing its short list until they'd finally chosen The One and Only Reveille IX.

This is the best image (Hallie's abstract
version) of Reveille IX you'll see here -
none of the pictures of TAMU's new
mascot are available for me to use.

Reveille IX, previously known as "Twix", was born on November 22, 2013 and arrived at TAMU by way and thanks to the generosity of Overland Collies in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Though already on campus to begin learning about her new role, Reveille IX officially steps into the position of Miss Rev on May 9th.

Here's the thing about Reveille, at least as far as my "relationship" with her is concerned. My head tells me, "she's just a dog. A beautifully well-behaved and gorgeous dog, yes, but still, just a dog." But my heart screams, "how can anyone not love this animal?! She exemplifies the TAMU commitment to maintaining its longstanding traditions, unites and inspires students and fans, and represents the university and its core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service. I will follow her to the ends of the earth!"

I think Reveille IX and I are going to have a connection: first, Twix candy bars are my favorite, and second, I too was born on November 22nd.

As I read through the Reveille website, I discovered that people (Aggies only, I assume, though the website doesn't specially say that) can request Miss Rev's appearance at events. I wonder if she'd like to have a joint birthday party with me this fall...