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College Station, Texas
Thursday, August 4, 1966
THE BATTALION
THI
A&M’s Customs
Aggie Traditions
Play Vital Role
For the past 90 years customs
and traditions have come and
gone at A&M, some remaining
only a few weeks while others
the
have lasted throughout
school’s history.
Probably the first tradition
and one of the more important
No Bull - Good Beef
RANDY SIMS
BAR-B-CUE HOUSE
Bob Roepke Randy Sims
Mgr. Class 1961 Owner
ones is “Once an Aggie always
an Aggie.” The class of 1880,
first to graduate here, is said to
have inaugurated it to promote
school spirit.
As Aggies of today travel
around the country they often
meet one of the A&M men from
older classes who inevitably greet
them as long lost brothers and
go all out to make them feel at
home.
THIS CUSTOM of sticking to
gether is now world known, and
wherever two Aggies meet, no
matter what their ages, there is
sure to be much handshaking and
backslapping.
Another well-known custom at
Aggieland is speaking to and
meeting everyone you come in
contact with. This custom isn’t
as old as most may think. F. J.
Mikeska, ’28, says when he went
to school here nobody spoke as
they do now.
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tinction stems from the military
training at A&M. The adage
“rank hath its privileges,” is very
true here. The senior is top dog
and his word is law. The junior
enjoys some prestige over the
sophomore, and the “Fish” are
low men on the totem pole.
One of the most widely known
traditions involving Corps Trips
is the Twelfth Man. It started
in 1922 when the Aggies played
a football game against Centre
College in Dallas.
Top opponents were tearing
the Aggies up and the reserves
on the A&M bench were fast
dwindling away. When the coach
was down to his last reserve a
young sophomore named King
Gill, who had worked out with
the team several times, dashed
out of the stand and suited up.
Still another time-honored tra
dition at Aggieland is Midnight
Yell Practice. In addition to the
two regular after-supper yell
practices held each week during
football season, the band and stu
dent body participate in mid
night affairs before each home
game.
At 11:30 p.m. the band leaves
its dorm and marches up and
down the streets of the campus,
gathering members of the stu
dent body and dates in its wake.
Another of the much-publicized
customs at A&M is the tradition
of kissing one’s date when the
Aggies score in a football game.
According to the code, any touch
down, extra point or field goal
warrants a “movie love scene”
type kiss.
Two other famous traditions
are annual ones, the Aggie Mus
ter and the Aggie Bonfire.
The muster service is held ev
ery year on April 21 to honor the
Aggies who have died since the
previous muster. Their names
are called out and for each one
a comrade answers “Here.” Mus
ter ceremonies are observed all
over the world and this is re
served as the day of reunion for
all A&M students, past and pres
ent.
The famed Bonfire is the
world’s largest and is set off the
night before the annual Thanks
giving Day game with Texas as
a symbol of A&M’s flaming de
sire to “beat the hell out of TU.”
The incoming freshmen will
soon discover that the customs
mentioned here are but a few of
the many he’ll adhere to during
the next four years.
MIDNIGHT YELL PRACTICE
This time-honored tradition is held on Fri- the streets of the campus, gathering mem-
day night before each home game by the bers of the student body and dates in its
student body. At 11:30 p. m. the band wake. The marchers arrive at Kyle Field at
leaves its dorm and marches up and down midnight and a lengthy yell practice begins.
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