why • April 21, 1995
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The Battalion • Page 3
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Aggie Culture in Print
Author traces evolution of cherished A&M tradition
By Amy Collier
The Battalion
O ne of the most cherished Aggie traditions
has been captured in 80 pages.
John Adams, Class of ’73, published a book
last year titled “Softly Call the Muster — The Evo
lution of a Texas Aggie Tradition.”
“I tried to just capture the essence of Muster,”
Adams said. “The most interesting thing to me is
the number of people that come up and say
they’ve read it.”
Adams said he wrote the book with memories
of every Muster since he attended his first in
1970.
“I’ve been working on it without knowing it for
the last 25 years,” Adams said. “No traditions are
more universally observed and renowned as Aggie
Muster. I think the book is giving back a little of
what I got.”
The unique thing about Aggie Muster is much
of it has not changed since E.E. McQuillen put the
first Muster packets together in 1920, Adams said.
“It has both evolved and remained consistent
through the years,” he said. “To me, its an accu
mulation of all of the traditions of A&M and a re
membrance of all of the students that have gone
before us.” .
Adams is speaking at his 25th Muster since
1974 tonight in Collin County. One year, he spoke
at three different ceremonies in three different
states within a 24-hour period.
“It’s a unique time of reflection,” Adams said.
“No matter how busy people are, they will go to
Muster and take time out.”
Adams was a member of the Corps of Cadets
when he attended A&M. He is now a class agent
for the Class of ’73 and remains active in Ag-
gieland.
The students have changed a lot since he at
tended A&M, Adams said.
“Their awareness and their drive and their per
spective is completely different than ours,” Adams
said. “We were more naive. The caliber of the stu
dents is impressive.”
Although the students are different, some
things remain the same.
“The campus is still friendly,” Adams said.
“People actually still talk to each other. That’s
what makes A&M. The spirit is still there.”
Adams said he thinks the amount of people
who apply to Texas A&M each year show what a
great University it is.
“Somebody must be doing something right in
College Station to have so many people apply,”
Adams said.
The love and dedication A&M students have is
unusual to find at a college, Adams said.
“What makes Aggies different are things like
Aggie Muster,” Adams said. “Anybody can have
buildings with classes in them, but what makes it
different is the spirit.
“Aggies are the way they are because of what
happens to them at Texas A&M. People are intim
idated by us because we stand up and we’re ac
counted for. They can’t identify with it.”
Adams said he has a goal for all students and
he knows they will achieve it.
“I want to see the traditions preserved and a re
alization of how unique Texas A&M is,” he said.
&M enthusiast serves up 'Good Bull' books
r. John Hoyle’s enthusiasm and love for
Texas A&M is contagious.
Hoyle, a professor of educational ad-
inistration, has established a name for him-
■ by collecting 50 years of humorous Aggie
Bfies in two “Good Bull” books which his son
lustrated.
Since the first book was published in 1990 and
(second in 1992, Hoyle said the two combined
ave sold almost 9,000 copies. A percentage of the
lyalties have gone to the education department
fttudents traveling to conferences.
Hoyle said the books have added a lot to the
ghter side of A&M.
pWIy book was sort of the first to start telling
/j 0D > plhe A&M story other than just the pure history,”
t ^f Hoyle said. “In some ways, I’m seen as a folk his-
orian around here now. I tell the other side of
he history — some of the fun side of A&M.”
Epoyle said after the release of the first book,
vhich contained mainly stories he had experi
enced himself, he had a big response from peo
ple wanting to tell their “Good Bull” stories.
Hoyle welcomed the chance to continue
brightening people’s lives by putting them in a
second book.
“It’s a pretty sad, uptight world and A&M
needs as much humor as it can get,” he said.
“Aggies need to laugh all they can laugh. If I
make people laugh, I’ve been successful.”
Hoyle’s history at this University is long
and impressive.
He got his bachelors degree at A&M in 1957
and his doctorate in 1967. Including his years
here as an undergraduate student, graduate
student and a faculty member, Hoyle has been
at A&M for 28 years. During his teaching
years, Hoyle has written about 90 books and
journal articles.
In 1955, Hoyle was first baseman on the South
west Conference championship baseball team.
Hoyle now specializes in leadership training
and future studies in his classes and focuses
on the speeches he gives across the globe.
“If you don’t have a vision, you really can’t
be successful,” Hoyle said. “There’s no higher
calling than to prepare Aggies for the future.”
Teaching is something that Hoyle said has
always been a big part of his life and still con
tinues to be his favorite thing to do.
“There are a lot of things you don’t like
some of the time, but students make it all
worthwhile,” Hoyle said. “I hope it shows in
my classroom.”
Although this Aggie spirit is still alive, Hoyle
said there is one thing he wants to see
changed.
“I’d like to see the open family atmosphere
improved,” Hoyle said. “We’ve become so big
that we’re almost a machine. We’re run by
policies. We need to solve our problems togeth
er.”
Hoyle will be speaking in front of 1,500
members of the Houston A&M Club Friday for
Muster, which he said is the most important
A&M tradition.
“Of all the traditions. Muster to me is the
most meaningful because for the last 120
years. Aggies have been the ones to step for
ward, especially in war time, to fight for our
freedoms and many lost their lives” he said.
“Aggies in all walks of life in peace time step
forward and contribute to their communities,
state and nation. When they leave this Earth,
their spirit is still alive.
“They will live forever. That’s why we an
swer, ‘Here’ at Roll Call.”
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{Tripping at Stafford
Jazz Fest/Earth Day activities include free Dah-Veed performance
Dah-Veed will play a free
concert at Wolf Pen Creek
Amphitheater Saturday at 3 p.m.
The performance is part of the
Jazz Fest/Earth Day Celebration
at the Amphitheater. A variety of
jazz ensembles will perform
throughout the day, and Karan
Chavis & The Brew will close out
the day with a performance at
6:45 p.m.
In addition, there will be a
variety of booths and activities
celebrating Earth Day.
Dah-Veed
Battalion File Photo
di
[ripping Daisy will play at Stafford Opera House Saturday night. The
land, led by lead singer Tim Delaughter, released its first album,
p/7/, last year and was recently working on their second full-length
Ibum after the release of a five-song live EP.
Friday
Chris Duarte, a Texas blues guitarist,
will be playing at Stafford Opera House.
Duarte will be touring with Bad
Company, Ted Nugent, Big Head Todd
and the Monsters and other big-name
bands this summer.
Chris Wells and his band will be playing
at the Texas Hall of Fame.
Deep Blue Something, an alternative
rock band, will be playing at 3rd Floor
Cantina.
Full Circle, a local rock band, will be
playing at Northgate Cafe. Soma and
Mudshow, two local bands will be
playing upstairs.
Jim Talbot, a blues musician, will be
playing at Sweet Eugene's House of
Java.
Peeping Tom will be playing at The Tap.
Saturday
Bryan White and Pearl River will
be playing at the Texas Hall of
Fame.
Chilifest, a fund-raiser for the
Brazos Valley United Way, will
feature The Bellamy Brothers, a
country duo. Head West, a local
cover band, and Jason Manning, a
folk/pop singer, will also perform.
The 25th Annual Earth Day
Celebration and the Jazz Fest will
be going on all day at the Wolf Pen
Creek Amphitheater. The TAMU
Jazz Band, Dah-Veed, Big Apple
Trio and The Brew with Karen
Chavis will be performing. Proceeds
will go to Brazos Beautiful to plant
trees around Bryan-College Station.
3 Wisemen will be playing at The
Tap.
3 Wisemen, The Drench, Electric
Kool-Aid, and Acid Bath, all local
bands, will be playing at Northgate
Cafe to raise funds for Habitat for
Humanity.
Miss Molly, a rhythm and blues
singer and self-proclaimed "Queen
of every damn thing," will be
playing at the 3rd Floor Cantina.
Mother's Monkey, a local
alternative band, will be playing at
Sweet Eugene's House of Java.
Tripping Daisy, an alternative hard
rock band, will be playing at
Stafford Opera House.
Sunday
Willie Nelson will wrap up the
Earth Day Celebration with his
concert at Wolf Pen Creek
Amphitheater. Craig Dillingham
will be his special guest.