Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth are joined by Dr. Galen Clavio and former IU Student Body President Cooper Tinsley to explore how the bison mascot made its return to Indiana University.

A Historic Recording Setup

[00:00-05:00]

A first for the show - recording with Cooper calling in from Paris during his study abroad. Cooper served as IU's 77th Student Body President after transferring from Alabama, where he only lasted one semester before realizing IU was where he belonged.

Cooper's Path to Student Leadership

[05:00-15:00]

Cooper walked through his journey from Alabama transfer to student government leader, explaining how communication (or lack thereof) was often the biggest challenge in student government. His presidency was notably successful with unusually good cooperation between the executive and congressional branches.

How the Bison Movement Started

[15:00-25:00]

The perfect storm began in fall 2024 when IU football's incredible season created unprecedented campus unity. Cooper had a conversation with Athletics Director Scott Dolson about how football was bringing students together like nothing had in years. Learning that the original bison mascot came from student government action in the 1960s, Cooper decided to follow that historical playbook.

Galen's Years-Long Campaign

[25:00-35:00]

Galen explained how multiple groups had been working toward this goal independently:

• Homefield Apparel's bison merchandise starting around 2015-2016
• Professor Paul Gutar's grassroots campaign with merchandise
• Galen's "Bring Back the Bison" advocacy on Crimson Cast
• Athletics department's growing interest

All these efforts converged at exactly the right time.

The Student Government Battle

[35:00-45:00]

What Cooper thought would be a quick, fun vote turned into a three-hour debate lasting until midnight. The main opposition centered around fears of bringing back the original 1960s costume, which everyone agreed was genuinely terrifying. Cooper's brilliant move: posting an Instagram poll during the meeting that got 750+ responses in three minutes, with 70-80% student support.

Making the Case for Skeptics

[45:00-55:00]

Galen laid out the three-part argument for the bison:

• Historical connection to Indiana (bison territory, Buffalo Trace, state seal)
• Gives the "Hoosier" name a visual identity it's always lacked
• Commercial necessity - most successful college programs have mascots

The Bigger Picture

[55:00-End]

Cooper shared how Alabama integrated their mascot into the entire university experience, not just sports.

The group discussed how the bison could serve multiple generations - from young kids meeting the mascot to alumni having a consistent symbol to rally around. Galen reflected that if contributing to bringing back the bison is his main legacy at IU, he'd be satisfied with that impact.

And much more …

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