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WTAii
Freshman Edition
I
The Battalion
Section Three
College Station, Texas Wednesday, August 2, 1972
Traditions—force behind A&M
To understand A&M, you have to understand the forces that
motivate it—traditions. They play a vital part of A&M life. Some are as
old as the school itself.
The tradition that probably receives the most publicity is the
Aggie Bonfire. It symbolizes every Aggie’s burning desire to beat the
hell out of Texas on Thanksgiving Day.
The Bonfire is considered to belong to the freshman class that
builds it. The fish furnish most of the manpower, though seniors and
juniors oversee cutting, trucking and stacking.
Numerous safety precautions are followed, including only juniors
and seniors handling axes. Gloves and goggles are required for
transportation.
A strict security and safety ring is maintained around the site at
all times and only those who are working on the stacking area are
allowed near the Bonfire. Work continues night and day, right up until
the torch is thrown onto the stack.
Two of A&M’s traditions honor those Aggies who are no longer
living: Silver Taps and Aggie Muster.
Whenever a student dies, a Silver Taps ceremony is held for him.
At 10:30 p.m., all lights in the area of the Academic Building are
turned off. People come and stand by the flagpole in front of the
building without saying a word.
The Ross Volunteer firing squad just as silently marches up and
fires three seven-gun volleys. A group of trumpeteers sounds Taps
slowly three times. Then everyone quietly leaves.
Silver Taps is the final tribute paid to an Aggie by his fellow
students. A notice is always posted on the flagpole in front of the
Academic Building and the flag flown at half-staff the day of the
ceremony.
Aggie Muster has been held as close to possible to April 21, San
Jacinto Day, every year since 1903. It honors students and former
students who have died since the Jast muster.
As the name of each departed Aggie is called a comrade answers
“Here.” Musters are held by Aggies all over the world.
The tradition of the 12th Man was born on Jan. 1, 1922. At a
game with Centre College, the nation’s top team, Coach D. X. Bible
called in a player who had not suited up. King Gill came down on the
field and stood ready throughout the game, which A&M won.
Although Gill did not play, he became a symbol of the Aggies’
readiness to serve and the desire to support his team. Today the student
body stands during all A&M football games while play is in progress.
Midnight Yell Practice is held the Friday before a home game and
Thursday before an out-of-town game. Yell leaders tell a fable about
the team which will be played. And, of course, yells are practiced.
One of A&M’s most popular traditions is “Howdy.” As students
walk around the campus, they greet one another with a Howdy, even if
they don’t know each other.
first women’s dormitory
jpens this fall at TAMU
Women will become residents
|§the A&M campus this fall
H the completion of two wings
1 a new housing facility on the
uth side of campus.
Beds will occupy at least one
B of the building, capable of
Bmmodating 474 women. How-
er, both wings could be given
rer to women if the need is
•eat enough.
Freshmen and transferring up-
■rclass women will be required
live in the new dorm as long
■here is space. Coeds already
irolled at A&M will be given
|rst priority, although it will not
■mandatory that they live
(Freshmen girls will have a
jrfew. They will have to be in
|e dorm by mignight Sunday
trough Thursday and by 2 a.m.
riday and Saturday. Upperclass
Hs may have self-limiting
iiurs with parental permission.
Otherwise they must observe the
same hours as freshmen.
These hours are similar to the
hours maintained by the univer
sity during summer school.
With the new dormitory, en
rollment of female students is
expected to increase by 500. Coed
enrollment for the spring semes
ter was 1,767.
The cost of the new dorm will
be $585 per semester, including
meals.
MSC Open House
set for Aug. 25
Tours and complete informa
tion about campus activities and
organizations will be given at the
Memorial Student Center Open
House scheduled for Aug. 25.
Times and other details will be
announced during New Student
Week.
Four girls will share a bath
room in a suite. The bathrooms
will be equipped with showers.
The dorm will have washers
and dryers for garments that
cannot be sent to the university
laundry. Girls will be charged
a smaller laundry fee than the
boys pay. It will cover the ex
pense of laundering such items
as sheets and towels.
There will be a commons area
accessible to all residents of the
dorm, both male and female. It
will have four color television
rooms and several reading rooms,
as well as music and exercise
rooms and a snack bar.
The cafeteria will be in the
basement. It will accommodate
1,000 people.
The two wings of the building
have been named after A&M
graduates Carl C. (Polly) Krue
ger of San Antonio and J. Har
old Dunn of Amarillo.
I
UNIVERSITY book store
.s
Decals
Jewelry
T-Shirts
Pennants
Glassware
Ash Trays
Stationary
Aggie Caps
Aggie Mugs
Pet Animals
Nite Shirts
Windbreakers
Bumper Strips
Aggie Records
Hitch-hike Bags
■
UNIVERSITY BOOK STORE
At the North Gate"
409 University Drive
846-4818
*lleceAdUieA
Clocks
Pencils
Staplers
Book Ends
Calendars
Brief Case
Ringbinders
Sewing Kits
Laundry Bags
Paper Punches
Wastebaskets
Fountain Pens
Shower Shoes
Spiral Notebooks
Pencil Sharpeners