Cow Or Mustang? Group Of UC Davis Students Push To Change Mascot

DAVIS (CBS13) — Are you team cow or team horse? Everyone at UC Davis is weighing in as a new movement is taking shape to modify the university’s mascot.

“Cow! Absolutely cow! The unofficial mascot of Davis,” one student said.

But that unofficial status could soon change if Mick Hashimoto, Brittany Tang and Dennis Liang have their way. They’ve launched the Cow 4 Mascot campaign. It’s a mission to create more school spirit by unseating Gunrock the Mustang and bringing in a bovine instead.

“With COVID, I think there are a lot of students who were struggling to have campus spirit and have a sense of community here,” Hashimoto said. “So I think that by changing the mascot to a cow, it can create a lot of change and stuff like that.”

But some aren’t ready to turn their backs on tradition.

“Gunrock is kind of an institution here, so I feel bad,” said Alejandro Magallan, a music major. “I understand, thematically, the cow makes more sense, but I might take tradition over innovation.”

With student voting underway this week, organizers are feeling confident about their grassroots movement.

“I think we have a really strong following, so we’re looking really good,” Hashimoto said.

Undergraduates vote this week, and if they get 60 percent of the votes, the measure then goes to alumni for a vote.

As for a potential name for a cow mascot, a lot of ideas are being thrown out there: Bossy the Cow, Agnes, Hugh Heffer. We’re told keeping Gunrock is also a strong possibility, but the final say would be up to the students.