Tech XXI retires from active service as live mascot

[touchdown123]

Giving this to SGA is a bad idea. Sorry. We are basically relying on a bunch of college kids, who change every year, to make sure our mascot is cared for. That is the first change we should make. Nothing against SGA, I am sure they have some quality people. But no experience at anything and each new mascot will be handled by a different group of inexperienced people. Throw in the fact that we are relying on them to comply with federal regs. "SGA will do it" is basically psycho talk at this point. Put an adult in charge for goodness sake.

If it is going to be like that, might as well NOT have one. Instead take nominations every year or two for somebody's personal english bulldog who will attend the games as the official mascot. Let SGA run the selection or something.

This doesn't have to be complicated and expensive to be good. I feel like the university is missing that.

[touchdown123]

What have they been doing the last 11 months?

That's the thing. These are college kids. It probably got tossed onto the agenda, some outgoing senior didn't do what he was supposed to do. Spring quarter rolled around and everybody was prolly like "screw it, it's spring quarter let's get drunk."

[qng001]

So according to their post, they are weeding out who will be the volunteer to house and care for the mascot. Really? 11 months? Sounds to me the problem isn't the "red tape" with the USDA, it's on the SGA or whoever is in charge. We haven't picked a volunteer yet. What about the original volunteer of Tech XXI?

[qng001]

Yale's Handsome Dan XVII (9.5 years old) died on Aug 12, 2016 from a brain tumor. They identified their new mascot a month later and debut Handsome Dan XXIII in Nov 2016.

It took them two months!

Yeah, we are dragging our feet on this. Yale and Miss State replaced their mascot recently in a very quick manner. It's been over 11 months and we have no mascot!



Yale did go with a different breed, the Olde English Bulldogge.

Yale University makes mascot statement with a different breed of bulldog in New Haven | New Haven Register

[Dwayne From Minden]

There is a USDA office in Ruston located on Commerce St? behind Brennan Dodge

This is just fubar if you ask me

[qng001]

Me:
So what is the timeline in selecting the next Tech XXII? What happened to the original volunteers? Why hasn't the decision of picking the new volunteers done in the Fall of 2016 right after Tech XXI retired? Please be transparent.

I understand there is "red tape", but the decision of finding a volunteer seem to fall on the university. Are we dragging our feet on this effort? Other universities with live mascot can replace in a seemless transition (example Miss State in 2015). Why are we facing these difficulties?


LATech SGA:
These are all good questions. When Tech XX died unexpectedly in 2012, it drew a lot of unwanted attention towards having a live mascot. Moreover, having a live mascot is incredibly expensive because of the amount of mandatory check-ups that the USDA requires. Because of these reasons, many people at Tech were considering not having another live mascot. However, when we were finally approached, LA Tech SGA overwhelmingly voted in favor of having another mascot, but this was after months of deliberation from people outside of our organization. We hope to have a live mascot as soon as you do, but the ability to make it happen is out of our hands and we can only provide the information we are given. We hope this helps!

[sportdawg]

Me:
So what is the timeline in selecting the next Tech XXII? What happened to the original volunteers? Why hasn't the decision of picking the new volunteers done in the Fall of 2016 right after Tech XXI retired? Please be transparent.

I understand there is "red tape", but the decision of finding a volunteer seem to fall on the university. Are we dragging our feet on this effort? Other universities with live mascot can replace in a seemless transition (example Miss State in 2015). Why are we facing these difficulties?


LATech SGA:
These are all good questions. When Tech XX died unexpectedly in 2012, it drew a lot of unwanted attention towards having a live mascot. Moreover, having a live mascot is incredibly expensive because of the amount of mandatory check-ups that the USDA requires. Because of these reasons, many people at Tech were considering not having another live mascot. However, when we were finally approached, LA Tech SGA overwhelmingly voted in favor of having another mascot, but this was after months of deliberation from people outside of our organization. We hope to have a live mascot as soon as you do, but the ability to make it happen is out of our hands and we can only provide the information we are given. We hope this helps!

Find a vet that will do it for Advertising. Give the vet full page ad in all programs and a free commercial that is played at all events in TAC & JAS. They can even have a free ad on outfield of baseball/softball fields.

[qng001]

If they need money, I'm willing to pitch in. A vet visit ain't that bad. What I got was excuses and no answers to my questions.

[Dawg06]

If they need money, I'm willing to pitch in. A vet visit ain't that bad. What I got was excuses and no answers to my questions.

Vet visit expenses are BS. Dr. Sexton provides those services pro bono, or at least used to.

[PawDawg]

Vet visit expenses are BS. Dr. Sexton provides those services pro bono, or at least used to.

I don't blame him if he stopped.

[dawg80]

Whew! at least we have a prez "who gets it." Can you imagine how effed up this would be if that moron Dan Reneau was still prez, OMG! We would still be without a live mascot!

[Blue Dawg]

Why was a bunch of college kids put in charge of deciding whether or not to continue a tradition that has been unbroken since the 40s? Well, unbroken until 2016 (I think, at least).

[Cool Hand Clyde]

I don't blame him if he stopped.

The one who's staff killed our dog?

[PawDawg]

The one who's staff killed our dog?

Is one person a "staff"? Only in Mer Rouge or Collinston...

[Cool Hand Clyde]

Is one person a "staff"? Only in Mer Rouge or Collinston...

Someone trusted that "staff" to do their job, so it is a failure of the doctor and his staff.