Mascot Vote Ends in Tie

Students, former students, faculty and staff voted earlier this year on a mascot to represent the University. They chose between the Mountain Man, Mountain Lion and Mountain Dog. The voting revealed that current students overwhelmingly supported the Mountain Lion as the mascot, while former students picked the Mountain Man by a landslide. With the vote so close (only two votes apart)—and so divided—it was decided that having two mascots was the way to go. Universities like Texas Tech and Auburn University have found that two, even three mascots can happily co-exist and find special niches.

“I have already had students come up to me and ask me when they can try out to be the Mountain Lion mascot. The overall mood of the whole night was just pure excitement,” said Katie Van Dyke, student co-coordinator of the event and member of the mascot committee.

The Mountain Man, the original Schreiner mascot, made his first appearance in 1933 in The Recall, Schreiner University’s yearbook.

Use of that mascot essentially languished in the intervening years because the image was considered dated-looking. Two previous mascot committees were formed during the past decade to determine if it needed to be changed or revamped; both were unable to reach a decision.

Adoption of the two mascots is seen as a nod to an old tradition and the beginning of a new one.