Big smiles and phone cameras flashed when Bevo paid a special visit to students Monday to celebrate his 103rd birthday.

“I saw how the event went last year, and I kind of wanted to do more for it this year,” event coordinator Jasmine Mira said. “I think he’s a cutie pie, and I love the fact that our mascot is a longhorn because I feel like that’s a very Texan thing.”

Texas Traditions, a student organization that plans events to build school spirit, hosted the party Monday outside of Gregory Gymnasium. Texas Tradition members set up games and handed out cupcakes while students got the opportunity to interact with the celebrity longhorn. 

“There’s a lot of fun facts about (Bevo) that I did not know until I did this event, so learning about him was really interesting,” said Tiffany Sun, event coordinator and undeclared freshman.

Mira, a human dimensions of organization junior, said the celebration gets bigger every birthday, with more than 50 students attending this year. Attendees got to wear birthday hats, use party blowers and win prizes while playing games such as a bean bag toss. 

Mira said last year’s birthday party was held behind the University Co-op. She said it was moved closer to the middle of campus this year to engage more of the student body.

Bevo, originally called “Bo,” made his first appearance during the 1916 Thanksgiving football game against A&M University, according to Spectrum News. Since then, Mira said 15 Longhorns have succeeded the original Bevo.

Radio-television-film sophomore Map Pesqueira said he saw postings for the bovine’s birthday party on a TV screen in his college.

“I came last year at the tail end of it, and Bevo wasn’t there,” Pesqueira said. “I knew that he was going to be here this year, so I really wanted to see Bevo.”

Event coordinator Sammy Sanchez said this kind of celebration of Bevo’s birthday has only been going on for about three years. Sanchez said the goal of the celebration is to bring students together.

“We like doing things like this for the community,” undeclared junior Sanchez said. “It’s just really fun to do it … People can come out (and) take a photo with Bevo. It’s not usually the setting you see Bevo in, so it’s kinda nice.”