No more changes for Rebel mascot


The mustachioed mascot at Hays High School looks like he’s hopping mad.

col jack hays rebel mascot
Illustration by Hays Free Press

If so, he’s got his reasons. First, “Colonel Jack” lost his belt buckle bearing the Stars and Bars. Then the carpetbaggers commandeered his pistols, replacing
them with a couple of harmless flags.

At least no one’s tried to strip him of his uniform. Might there be a pair of long johns beneath those Confederate grays?

In the past few weeks, a rebel yell has been raised to protect Colonel Jack from any further insult. Hays High School alumni and athletic supporters are coming together to save their mascot from the dustbin of history, much like the fate of actual Rebels who fought during the Civil War.

“Don’t take the rebel away!” implores one Facebook group, which boasts more than 100 members.

But those sympathizers are just whistling Dixie, according to Hays High School Principal David Pierce.

“It’s all rumor,” he said. “It’s all false. I have not tried to change any mascot, nor have I wanted to change the mascot.”

It’s not even up for discussion, Pierce added.

“There’s not been anyone that’s approached me about it,” he said. “I’m sure there’s people out there that don’t like it. Really, that could be said for a lot of mascots.”

The mascot has been around almost as long as football coach Bob Shelton, who retired after the end of last season. Shelton had coached at Hays since it opened in 1968, and at Buda High School four years before that.

“As far as I know, people will take that mascot, and different organizations will do different things with it,” Shelton said. “The ones we use for athletics, I think he still has guns in his hands.”

People have argued that Confederate imagery, including the rebel, is a painful reminder of slavery. At the collegiate level, the University of Mississippi’s mascot, Colonel Reb, was retired in 2003. Last year, Ole Miss replaced him with an anthropomorphic black bear.

About 10 high schools around Texas boast Rebel mascots.

The original Colonel Jack, though, was no rebel. Jack C. Hays, the namesake of Hays High School and Hays County, was a former Texas Ranger who lived in California during the Civil War.

During the fighting, he remained neutral.

Published Feb. 17, 2011, in the Hays Free Press.


17,765 responses to “No more changes for Rebel mascot”

  1. Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Thank you so much, However I am going through troubles with your RSS. I don’t know why I am unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone else getting the same RSS issues? Anyone that knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanx.

  2. I seriously love your site.. Excellent colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself? Please reply back as I’m looking to create my very own site and would love to learn where you got this from or what the theme is called. Thank you.

  3. Right here is the perfect webpage for anyone who would like to find out about this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a topic that’s been discussed for many years. Excellent stuff, just excellent.

  4. This design is steller! You certainly know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Wonderful job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!

  5. I have figured out some significant things through your site post. One other point I would like to mention is that there are numerous games available on the market designed particularly for toddler age young children. They incorporate pattern recognition, colors, family pets, and designs. These generally focus on familiarization as an alternative to memorization. This helps to keep children and kids occupied without having a sensation like they are learning. Thanks

  6. You really make it seem so easy along with your presentation but I in finding this matter to be actually one thing which I believe I might never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am taking a look forward for your next post, I?ll attempt to get the hold of it!

  7. Thanks for the suggestions you have shared here. Also, I believe usually there are some factors that will keep your auto insurance premium decrease. One is, to consider buying automobiles that are in the good report on car insurance organizations. Cars that happen to be expensive are usually more at risk of being robbed. Aside from that insurance is also in accordance with the value of the car, so the costlier it is, then higher your premium you spend.

  8. I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was wondering what all is needed to get setup? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100 positive. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Appreciate it

  9. I am extremely inspired with your writing talents as neatly as with the format in your weblog. Is this a paid subject matter or did you modify it your self? Either way stay up the excellent high quality writing, it?s uncommon to peer a great weblog like this one today..

  10. I do love the manner in which you have presented this specific difficulty plus it does offer me personally some fodder for thought. Nevertheless, because of everything that I have seen, I simply wish when the commentary stack on that folks continue to be on point and in no way get started on a soap box of some other news du jour. Still, thank you for this superb piece and while I do not go along with this in totality, I value the viewpoint.

  11. Hello there, just was alert to your blog through Google, and located that it’s truly informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I?ll be grateful if you happen to continue this in future. Lots of folks can be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

  12. Your style is really unique in comparison to other people I have read stuff from. I appreciate you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this web site.

  13. I need to to thank you for this great read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you saved as a favorite to look at new things you post…

  14. After checking out a number of the articles on your website, I truly appreciate your technique of writing a blog. I saved it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon. Please check out my website too and tell me what you think.

  15. Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It’s always useful to read through articles from other writers and practice a little something from their websites.

  16. Good site! I truly love how it is simple on my eyes and the data are well written. I’m wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your RSS feed which must do the trick! Have a nice day!

  17. Thanks for sharing excellent informations. Your web site is so cool. I am impressed by the details that you?ve on this blog. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for more articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched everywhere and simply couldn’t come across. What a perfect website.

  18. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a friend who has been doing a little research on this. And he in fact ordered me dinner because I discovered it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this issue here on your web site.

  19. Thanks for this wonderful article. One other thing is that the majority of digital cameras come equipped with a zoom lens that permits more or less of a scene to be included simply by ‘zooming’ in and out. These types of changes in {focus|focusing|concentration|target|the a**** length are usually reflected within the viewfinder and on significant display screen right at the back of the exact camera.

  20. An added important aspect is that if you are a mature person, travel insurance pertaining to pensioners is something you ought to really take into consideration. The mature you are, the harder at risk you are for making something poor happen to you while abroad. If you are not covered by a number of comprehensive insurance plan, you could have a number of serious complications. Thanks for expressing your ideas on this website.

  21. Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You clearly know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog when you could be giving us something informative to read?

  22. One other issue is when you are in a circumstance where you do not possess a cosigner then you may actually want to try to wear out all of your federal funding options. You can get many funds and other grants that will provide you with money to support with institution expenses. Thank you for the post.

  23. You’re so cool! I don’t suppose I’ve truly read a single thing like that before. So nice to discover another person with genuine thoughts on this subject matter. Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This site is something that’s needed on the internet, someone with a little originality.

Leave a Reply to ?????????? Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *