MUSTER
The Battalion 14.21.15
6
More than a name
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Shelby Knowles — THE BATTALION
Shelby Knowles — THE BATTALION
(Top) Keith Arnold,
Class of 2017, was
a member of the
Corps of Cadets.
(Left) Rodney
Thomas, Class of
1995, received
the Aggie Heart
Award. (Right)
Stephen Speights,
Class of 1970, was
a member of the
Rightin’ Texas Aggie
Band during his
time at A&M.
(Right) Jose M.
Martinez Jr., Class
of 1955, served as a
county judge in Starr
county for three
terms. (Bottom)
Billy Parker, Class
of 1954, opened
the Berry St. Animal
Hospital in 1957,
where he worked for
42 years.
Shelby Knowles — THE BATTALION
Shelby Knowles —THE BATTALION
Muster Reflection Display gives
some context to the names called
By Josh Hopkins
tudents and visitors walk quietly around
the Flag Room’s tables, invited to each
display by the smiling photographs and
personal contributions of other Aggies.
Many are separated by age, but the main differ
ence between the observed and the observers is
a death date — each display represents an Aggie
who will be honored at the 2015 Muster.
The Muster Reflections Display attaches
stories to tire names read on the Roll Call for
the Absent and gives visitors the chance to see
a glimpse of the honored Aggies’ lives, interests
and personalities. The display contains tables
for around 50 Aggies, each filled with various
objects and photographs all chosen to convey
a story.
Maria Quiros, Muster committee chair and
supply chain management senior, said the abil
ity to tell the stories of the honored Aggies was
the original purpose of the reflections display.
“When you walk around you’ll notice there
are a lot of personal items,” Quiros said. “Not
just photos but things that are kind of telling a
story of who this Aggie was. I think that was
the original vision and it continues to be the
vision now.”
Mark Zanders, reflections display coordina
tor and electrical engineering senior, said per
sonal items might range from shoes to Texas
A&M sabers. He said the display helps students
connect with the names read on Roll Call.
“You go to Muster, you hear the names
— OK, Class of ’65, Class of T5 — you hear
all these names but you really don’t know the
person,” Zanders said. “So the display is a great
way for people to get acquainted with and kind
ofform a relationship even though you’ve nev
er met them.”
Erin Youngblood, reflections display co
ordinator and Blinn Team sophomore, said
families often set up the display themselves or
send in photos of what they want the display
to look like.
Youngblood said the display moved several
times over the last 12 years until it landed in
its current location in the MSC Flag Room.
Youngblood said the grand piano in the Flag
Room adds to the -impact of the display —
many students have volunteered to play in
one-hour shifts.
“Starting second semester we put a note on
the piano saying, ‘Do you play piano, are you
interested in playing for the reflections dis
play?”’ Youngblood said. “And so we had a
whole lot of people emailing us and saying they
would be more than willing to help out.”
Zanders said the coordinators work to create
a display that conveys the message the families
want to tell.
“It’s important for Erin and I to take the
same kind of care that the families do in orga
nizing the display and making sure we translate
that in the actual Flag Room,” Zanders said.
“The families have really put out the effort to
make sure the display looks really good, we’ve
just shown what they’ve done.”
Quiros said the reflections display has grown
in recent years and Muster committee is happy
with the number of families who have chosen
to participate, but this success is not without
growing pains. The number of displays have
reached maximum occupancy for the Flag
Room’s space, and Muster committee has
looked into other possible future locations.
“Something that comes up in discussion a
lot, the growth that takes place, what will we
do as more displays are added,” Quiros said.
“There has been a pretty large response this
year, and so we’re already kind of feeling it this
year in terms of, ‘Wow, we are going to need
more room soon.’”
Quiros said no matter the display’s location,
it will always contribute to Muster’s tradition.
“At its core, Muster is Aggies gathering and
remembering,” Quiros said. “Whether you do
that in a ballroom, or you do that in a court
yard, or you do that in your apartment, what
matters is that you are gathering and remem
bering and not where you are.”
The Muster Reflections Display will be
available for viewing until 1 p.m. Tuesday in
the MSC Flag Room.
Shelby Knowles —THE BATTALION
(Top) Billy Pickard
worked under 10
different football
coaches at Texas A&M.
(Left) Throughout the
years the Aggie Ring
belonging to Billy Parker,
Class of 1954, became
worn down. (Right)
Curtis Cook, Class of
1965, served in the Air
Force during the Korean
War before embarking
on numerous career
paths.
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