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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2002)
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Sail are also companies ait? t were ineviti tjrmous undefl-. : xl news iste- ng to go dor Aggielife The Battalion Page 3A • Thursday, November 7, 2002 Lords of the dance Aggie Wranglers take country-western dancing to a new level By Emily Vincent THE BATTALION Two-stepping and jitterbugging have become weekly tra ditions for some Texas A&M students. Students congregate places such as Hurricane Harry’s and the Texas Hall of Fame to show off dance moves. Since 1984, members of the Aggie Wranglers have been able to participate in this dancing tradition to an even greater degree. The Wranglers is a group of students who take their dancing skills and choreo graphed routines and showcase them to other stu dents, Texans, and citizens of other countries. The opportunity to travel comes with Aggie Wrangler membership. The Wranglers have per formed ail over the world. Sarah Douglass, public relations chair and a senior mechanical engineering technologies major, said the Wranglers’ fame makes scheduling perfomances easy. “In most cases, people just come to us wanting perform ance,” Douglass said. We give a lot of repeat performances and word of mouth is probably our most popular method of advertising. There are Aggies everywhere.” This popularity has assisted the Wranglers in its national and international travels. The member’s performances are demanded to billingbecai-ri at places from A&M oriented functions such as MSC Open House and First Yell to the Festival of Lights in Gravelotte, Turner said. Hi Germany and TNNs “Club Dance.” Former President George Bush and the U.S. Marines have extended personal invitations to the members to perform in Iwakuni, Japan. “We’ve gotten to dance in many different kinds of situa tions,” Douglass said. “Recently we were able to travel to and perform on a tiny island in Belize. There were no paved roads and we danced on a basketball court. One of my favorite trips in Texas was to the Gene Autry Festival in Tioga, Texas. The decorations and costumes were old-fashioned and authentic. It was adorable.” In addition to performing for new audiences, traveling allows members of the Aggie Wranglers to get to know each other on a different level. Douglass, found her cur- vent partner on the Wranglers’ database, which helps peo- pk find dance partners. She said she now considers him one of her best friends because of the time they have been able to spend together practic ing and traveling. Colette Oliver, a sen ior marketing major said the group shares a close bond. “(Wranglers) is just like having another family. We spend a lot of time together and you can always depend on the rest of the team for support even if you hap pen to make mistakes,” Oliver said. “ It’s a great experience to leam to trust people like this. Everyone tries harder because if some thing happens the whole team is involved instead of a single person.” The variety of the members con tributes to the dynamics of the group. “Everyone on Aggie Wranglers has really different personalities and back grounds but it allows us to balance each other out,” Oliver said. “We have a little bit of everything and we all mesh to make it work.” Oliver, who has a strong ballet background, is a relatively new con vert to country and western dancing. “I didn't even like country music,” Oliver said, “But. one night my friends dragged me to Harry’s and I danced with someone. My part ner and I kept practicing together and made the team.” Personality combinations are an important part of the tryout process the team uses to accept new members. Jon Kassaw, president of Aggie Wranglers and a senior wildlife and fisheries science major, has been active in judging several Wrangler tryouts. “During tryouts we don’t just look at technical skills,” Kassaw said. “The communication between the couple is also very important. If they are communicating, frustrated or enjoy ing themselves at tryouts, it shows. We can tell how they are going to dance in the future.” In addition to traveling and performing, the Wranglers hold classes for students and community members six times a year: twice in the spring, summer and fall. Classes are organized for people with any kind of dancing background. Audrey Shaw, a junior animal science major, took classes with the Wranglers after seeing the team perform at MSC Open House. “They looked like they were having a lot of fun while they were performing,” Shaw said. ‘Tt was a great way to meet new people and learn new things. The fact that the lessons were structured and very well explained made it a lot easier to dance instead of just going out on a Thursday night and making things up as you go along.” Students aren’t the only people who participate in the classes. “It’s great when we have people from the community taking part in the lessons,” Oliver said. “Most students at A&M know us but when other people come to our classes we have the chance to tell them who we are and what we are about.” For information on performance and dance lesson dates, visit www.tamu.edu/aggie_wranglers. PHOTO COURTESY OF AGGIE WRANGLERS Former Aggie Wranglers, Justin Hoes (Class of '01) and Melissa Gonzales (Class of '02) perform "Aerial Birth." it’s difficulty a' many peopL ge in theirelectr - of the majored Texas had 40.0) : leave. Tumeriiv ation!: WN irge. tt website py Chief ditor loto Editor .phics Editor Producer . summer ses Periodicals Pos $ is to The BattaW' 1 - A&M UniveisJlJ tews offices aj 45-2647; E-m* idorsement -2696. For da 55 )onald, and offi ce M student to dailsubscng e summered call 845-261*' gitcice de 'P'ttcCticf, fat Beatles the hell outta Oklahoma In the basement See Beatles ALL N ight LONG Cover Band The Return Live in the Theatre @ !0pm FVee Bowling Free Billiards Free Dance M SC Film Society's Aggie Cinema nance Revolution Presents: A Hard Day's Night in the theater a t 8:30pm Only $1 with ID Free PnnGORN FREE Food all night long. Win c °oi fruisicai Prizes Playing RINGO 'h *he flagroom information contact 845-1515 UueMmic in The Zone Plaza from round four of MSC Town Hall's Battle of ttie Bands Show A&M ID at Check-in locations around the MSC P|< 'day, November 8 8pm - Midnight Yell In the MSC WTFFV.TEXslTSJFIslLLCPF'ITAJVfE-lVET O 979-822-2222 njd.l ■ mM Hr *M wl p ■ WE? ~ " -ygSgfe.-"... ‘g-- Thursday - College $1.00 U CALL ITS TIL 10 P.M. 25</f BAR DRINKS TIL 11 P.M. $1.50 LONGNECKS TIL 11 P.M. $1.50 CHUGGERS, $2.50 PITCHERS ALL NIGHT ALL LADIES FREE UNTIL 10 LADIES 21 AND UP FREE ALL NIGHT Guys with college ID $1.00 tel 10 CD Release party for both artists! riday - live music MARK DAVID MANDERS With special guest GEOFF SPAHR $1.00 U CALL ITS TIL 10 P.M. $1.50 LONGNECKS TIL 10 P.M. $1.50 CHUGGERS, $2.50 PITCHERS ALL NIGHi All tickets $6.00 at the door i >i Coming Saturday. November 16th... L7M ♦ Tickets $12 at the door or $10 IN ADVANCE ADVANCE TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT LAVENDERS, BASKINS, AND THE HALL The King of the Texas Honky Tonk, live in concert and singing “Empty Glass” and “Whiskey Trip” The Texas Hall of Fame encourages you to drink responsibly and always designate a driver. Free soft drinks to designated drivers over 21.