The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, November 24, 2003, Image 3
_ NEll] ATTAli i page] a time fo[| ota ge tliei;- : traditiot >born. is a tim • it’s k should bei 'or U enderson. Idest ine^ withal^ laid. This i;; to realize i- ladmembe; iompanj i] will be a f £ md niesu; have mil; ring, soil md makei I said. ow the cli, look fore. 1 we're pj ext year." lend, Kris; trition it re a big :ause of nd getting' lb them 2 back goes. iember,"Pr excited, est Aggie R:. ts voted! tl election ne differen phant I lass of Sl id on dr ed Tuesis n sales r: TUncil OE: m year ui towards 4 in said, t of the sen me until Rr; I. "Theitt I now bei being pW' it co id.” ; of e« : :als withi According' e junior els ikar oil ier I of2C i. The t i seniors' lay at lA :vel ofW lome of 4 GIELIFE The Battalion Page 24, 2003 Where have all the howdies gone? Students wonder whether the traditional Aggie greeting is fading By Crystal Polasek THE BATTALION Just a quick glance and they had passed him by. Not a smile, a wave, a greeting or even a second look. They hurried off, appearing unconcerned about welcoming a new student to the campus. Brian Hujowski, a sophomore biology major, compared his first day at col lege to being on a busy street in New York City. “I was told I’d come here and everyone would treat you like fami ly. But the truth was no one cared whether I felt welcome,” Hujowski said. “I remember thinking to myself, T am supposed to be in College Station, not Grand Central Station.” Hujowski spent much of his freshman year at Texas A&M with only a few friends he had known in high school. He said it wasn’t homesickness that made him feel isolated but that fellow Aggies did n’t really exemplify the type of camaraderie he had heard all Aggies possess. He heard true friendliness existed on campus, not just on the football field. “I spent two weeks in Aggieland before I heard someone other than a Corps member or Fish Camp counselor say howdy to me,” Hujowski said. “I wondered, ‘where had howdy gone?’” Many A&M graduates and visitors have asked the same question. They say the greeting is not extended as openly on campus today as it was in the past. Amanda Barnett, Class of 1988, said she believes the howdy tradi tion is a vital part of being an Aggie and, after visiting campus recent ly, fears it is facing extinction. “I hadn’t been on campus during the week since I graduated, but when I got here, it didn’t feel like Aggieland. I walked from the (Memorial Student Center )to the Pavilion without having anyone say a word to me,” Barnett said. “I said ‘howdy’ to a few people. They did n’t even say it back.” Kurt Johnson, Class of 1996, remembered visiting the campus as a high school junior. He said the feeling of welcome was almost over whelming because everywhere he went, Aggies would say howdy and look him in the eye. “Ultimately, I decided to come to A&M because everyone was so friendly,” Johnson said.“I wanted to be a part of the family here, and I think a lot of students come looking for that fellowship. When I felt depressed, 1 just walked around on campus and some fellow Aggie would talk to me or at least say ‘howdy.’” It may be true the howdy tradition is not carried on today as it was in the past, but while some Aggies want the tradition to thrive, some say they don’t care if howdy exists at all. “I know people will tell me I am a 2-percenter for saying this, but I don’t really care if people say ‘howdy’ or not. I don’t have time to stop and say ‘hi’ to every person I see on campus. I am too busy for that,” said Steven Trent, a junior business management major. Aggies who share Trent’s indifference toward the tradition include Jessica Madison, a sophomore environmental science major. Madison said she doesn’t mind if people don’t talk to her on cam pus and isn’t too worried about the howdy tradition lasting. She said there are other traditions that are more important. “Why can’t we worry about Bonfire instead? Howdy isn’t a very big deal. People say it now and then and there are shirts that say it,” Madison said. “Why bother to say it to complete strangers? What is it supposed to mean anyway?” Traditions Council says the word “howdy” has come to symbolize the friendliness of the A&M campus. Jenny McBee, a senior chemistry major, is a member of Howdy Ags, a student organization that seeks to promote the howdy tradition on campus. She said howdy is in trouble and desperately needs to be said more among students. McBee also said there is more to howdy than friendliness. “It preserves the camaraderie between us and keeps the Aggie spir it alive for everyone,” McBee said. “It’s a way of saying ‘Hey, I’m an Aggie too! I’ll be here for you if you ever need help,’ or ‘Hey, hope you have a good day. It’s great to see you.’” McBee said Howdy Ags was formed because there has been a severe decline in the use of the howdy greeting since 1997. She said it is rarely heard during the week just passing on the sidewalks and it should be used more. To promote the howdy tradition. Howdy Ags has designated members to walk around on campus with coupons for free T-shirts. Aggies are encouraged to say howdy to people as they walk to class ,and if they happen to greet a member of Howdy Ags, they could win a free X- shirt. “I think it’s a great idea. I don’t want to see the tradition die before I graduate. I don’t want to be in the class who failed to uphold an Aggie tradition,” said Brittany Nickleson, a freshman English major. “I don’t want to greet someone in 20 years and just say ‘hi.’ I want to say ‘howdy’ because it means I am a true Aggie who cares about making sure people feel welcome around me. No one should feel lone ly around an Aggie.” •uni Enj** at the to® & Richanl* 1 ' tttys l’s Hou* )1 jltS Fear and . ^ • • superstition killed people last year Do you secretly fear that in an emergency, doctors will not save your life just to get your organs? Misunderstandings about organ donation are costing people their lives — in fact, 6,483 people died last year while waiting for a transplant. Get a brochure in the Memorial Student Center or health center and get the facts about organ donation. Don’t let your fears about organ donation keep you from signing a donor card and talking to your family. 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