From the Archives: Bevo Finds Love

By Rose Cahalan in Association, TXEX on October 25, 2011 at 9:38 am | 4 Comments

Here’s a gem from the Alcalde photo archives.

We were intrigued by this image and its caption, which reads “Thomas Aguirre (mascot) and Cheerleader Jeannie McLemore ‘kissing’ in May of 1985.” So we got in touch with Jeannie, BA ’84, JD ’87, now Jeannie Flores, to ask if she remembered the kiss.

Jeannie says that although she was friends with the man inside the mascot suit, the girl pictured is actually Tracy Blanton, BBA ’87, now Tracy Poerschke. Both cheered for the women’s basketball team in 1985.

“We were often mistaken for one another,” Jeannie says. “That particular ‘kiss’ may have had something to do with our Lady Longhorns, who were stunningly good that year.”

Tracy confirms that she was the one smooching Bevo that day. “Great friendships were made, but the kiss was just a silly, spontaneous gesture!” she says.

The snapshot, both women say, was taken on March 2*, 1985, at the Texas Independence Day Rally on UT’s main mall.

“We all loved playing off of the mascot and celebrating plays and wins … What fun we had!” Jeannie recalls.

*An earlier version of this story stated that the rally was on May 2.

Tags: archives, bevo, mascot, nostalgia, old photo