Readers react to sister campuses creating their own mascot. Butch, who is commonly seen as WSU’s mascot, is actually only the mascot for WSU Athletics. Not only do Vancouver, Tri-Cities, Everett, Spokane and Global Campus have to design their own mascot, but the Graduate and Professional Students Associations do as well.

Mary Mendoza: “That’ll be less money going to WSU. University of Texas has different schools and different mascots. People who go to UT Austin don’t have a relationship with those who go to UT Arlington, or UT Whatever. They are separate schools. This is bad.”

Max Baer: “I was the one locked in the bus mentioned in the story. I was Butch from 2012-15 and have been involved in these talks for a while. WSU Pullman is required to request Butch’s appearance at events and the satellite campuses are no different. I was always happy to travel to the satellite campuses and they only requested me once or twice a year. Butch is owned by WSU Athletics, which is only in Pullman.”

Carla Luigi: “If they are using WSU in their name, then how confusing if they have a different mascot? This just isn’t right. There’s too much history here.”

Tracie Mirkovich Lane: “Horrible idea. We’re all Cougs and Butch represents all of us.”

Anna Swartz Burch: “We are Cougs. The end. Even UW is still Huskies at UW Bothell, but they have a girl Husky mascot for their branch. I think the male version is Harry and the female is Holly … Maybe the satellites, if they must, can still be Cougars, but Butch could have friends. Butch will always be head Coug to me.”