Texas Exes, Here I Come          

Is Texas history fact or fiction? The IMAX presentation at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum dealt with this amalgamation of reality and imagination. The answer lies somewhere in the middle as a combination of stunning facts and even more astounding fantasy. Texas has its own folklore and its own traditions, but not all Texans are aware of the cultural background of the state in which they reside. University of Texas faculty member Frank Dobie undertook the task of preserving Texan culture and heritage. He aimed to “show the people of Texas and the Southwest the richness of their culture and their traditions, particularly in their legends” (Bump 814). So from the perspective of the founder of the Texas Folklore Society, a great importance was placed on the role of fiction in the development over Texas, rather than pure straight fact. Dobie’s writings about the Texas longhorn also highlighted the importance of the animal in the cultural and economic development of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. His personalization of the animals expounds the idea that the Longhorn is the totem for the students of the University of Texas.

Over the course of the semester in this class we have dwelled upon the importance of the sense of place in one’s college experience. Dobie helps reinforce the argument that, as Longhorns, students of the University of Texas have more of a connection to our institution than say, the Buckeyes of Ohio State. The Longhorn “was a drifter at times; he ranged far and could walk to the end of the world; but t he Longhorn was also a home lover and a persistent returner to his querencia” (Dobie, Bump, 820). I’ve never heard of a Buckeye persisting through a rough winter in order to return to its homeland in Ohio. Perhaps even our mascot here makes this university a little more personalized than most; it may be huge in proportion, but it doesn’t seem to leave anyone out in the rain either. As we continue learning about our state, our university, and ourselves, I see Dobie’s writings about the Longhorn animal coincide with our findings about the Longhorn student. The University of Texas has a strong alumni program in the Texas Exes that I want to be a part of. I may become a drifter after graduation and be lead to somewhere unexpected such as Wyoming for a job, but Texas will always be my home. Just as Sancho returned to the Kerr ranch, where he was most comfortable, I feel I will return to Austin after my graduation to relish in the coziness and security of home. I have adjusted well to this place and do not aim to leave it anytime soon. I just wish I had my own Maria to make me tamales every day of the week.