NMSU is being sued by Oklahoma State University over the use of the mascot, a pistol-wielding cowboy that OSU claims to have exclusive rights to. ASUNM unanimously passed Resolution 7F during Wednesday’s meeting stating that the student government body is in support of NMSU in the lawsuit.
Sen. Tori Pryor, a graduate of Oñate High School in Las Cruces, authored the resolution, which essentially states that ASUNM is on the side of UNM’s in-state sister school in the wake of the lawsuit.
“We get to pick on (NMSU), but OSU doesn’t get to touch them,” Pryor said during discussion of the resolution. “It’s our state. It’s our rivalry.”
The lawsuit, filed in Oklahoma, accuses NMSU of violating trademark rights by using an image of Pistol Pete that looks similar to OSU’s current depiction of its mascot. The attorney for OSU has demanded a jury trial.
The image OSU is referring to was widely used by NMSU from the 1960s until its re-design in 2006, according to NMSU’s Heritage Council. However, NMSU recently sold pennants with the original mascot in its bookstore.
Pryor said the lawsuit affects UNM because Pistol Pete is the inspiration for one of UNM’s most popular traditions: Red Rally, which occurs every year before the UNM-NMSU football game and features the burning of a Pistol Pete replica as the main attraction. She said that without Pistol Pete, Red Rally wouldn’t be the same. Her fellow senators agreed.
“As a freshman I went to Red Rally, and it completely changed my view of UNM,” Sen. Kyle Biederwolf said.
Sen. Moises Ibarra, also an Oñate High School graduate, said the event was one of the things that stood out to him the most when learning about UNM.
“Red Rally was one of the things that really attracted me,” Ibarra said.
There was no controversy over the issue during the discussion period for the resolution.
Red Rally has been featured on Sports Illustrated’s 102 Things to Do before You Graduate. Hundreds of UNM students attend the event, Pryor said.
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Pryor called her legislation a “lighthearted resolution,” which she said was important to have as a balance to more serious legislation.
“UNM and NMSU are older than the actual state is,” Pryor said. “The lawsuit affects us just as much as it affects them.”
In other business, ASUNM approved seven appropriation measures. Appropriations are money ASUNM delegates to student organizations for certain activities. The appropriations are:
$845 to the Multi-Cultural Greek Council to fund a conference the organization will attend in the spring.
$1,911 to the Swim Club to fund out-of-state meets in Colorado and California.
$372 to the French Club to fund an event the organization will hold to commemorate the 100th anniversary of WWI.
$151 to the Indian Student Association to fund a Diwali celebration the organization will hold.
$1, 286 to International Business Students Global to fund a conference the organization will attend in Taos.
$603 to Wa Shin Ryu Jujitsu to fund a martial arts exhibit the organization will be hosting in Johnson Gym.
$495 to the Geology Club to fund a trip the organization will take to a national park in Moab, Utah.
David Lynch is a freelance reporter for The Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @RealDavidLynch.
