Midnight Yell.
Posted on 10/06/2006 2:42:41 PM PDT by trumandogz
Every two years, Aggies from near and far have descended on the state Capitol's south steps for a midnight yell practice the night before their football team faces the University of Texas at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
Not this year.
University of Texas student Christian Deiterling has reserved the Capitol's south steps, where Aggie fans traditionally hold yell practice in Austin, on Nov. 23, the night before the UT-A&M game.
This year, the south steps have been reserved by Christian Deitering, a 24-year-old UT student and president of the Longhorn Hellraisers. The move has local Aggies altering their plans and the UT alumni association trying to broker a truce.
Deitering said he saw the Aggies' yell practice two years ago and was annoyed when UT fans were kept away from the Texas A&M fans as they practiced their football cheers.
"From what I could tell, A&M had security to make sure we didn't get up there . . . but I consider Austin my town," he said.
Deitering said he called the State Preservation Board months ago to reserve the south steps on Nov. 23, the night before the game. He's not sure exactly what he plans to do there that night, but he hopes to hold some sort of rally for UT fans.
Meanwhile, the Aggies apparently thought they had the spot reserved but discovered Thursday that Deitering had outflanked them.
Stephen Mason, the president-elect of the Capital City A&M club, said Thursday that yell practice was on schedule for the south steps, but he later said there was a "paper mix-up," and it would be held on the Capitol's north steps — which don't require a reservation. He said Aggies have held yell practice on the north steps before during the past 10 years.
"This is no big deal," Mason said.
Deitering said he didn't think so either, at first.
"I didn't realize how big of a deal it was until I got call a from Texas Exes, who explained to me, 'Do you know what you've gotten into?' " he said.
He said he didn't realize when he made the reservation this year that the Capitol yell practice had become a tradition for Aggies.
"I wanted to do something positive for Austin," he said.
Alison Crocker, the student relations coordinator for the Texas Exes, a UT alumni group, said she talked to Dietering last month about his plans.
"I told him the spirit and the purpose of the alumni association is to not interfere with other people's traditions and I could not support him in his efforts," Crocker said.
UT students have their own pre-game tradition — the Hex Rally at the UT Tower, where they light red candles to put a hex on the Aggies.
Crocker said that she and Dietering talked about how to make his pep rally a joint event between the two schools. Crocker said she tried to pursue the idea with A&M yell leaders, but they didn't embrace the idea in part because they were convinced they had reserved the south steps.
Deitering said the UT fan rally was his idea and has nothing to do with the Longhorn Hellraisers, a spirit group whose members can often be seen cheering with orange and white paint on their bodies at football games.
If he manages to organize a Texas rally on the south steps, it will likely be the first time Aggies and Longhorns have had rival rallies at the Capitol. That doesn't bother Mason, the Capital City A&M club leader. The Aggies will just yell facing north — toward the UT campus.
"The Capitol grounds are such a big space that I don't think we will notice they have people there," he said.
College football ping
The Aggie-Tech game last Saturday was awesome. I think Texas sans VY will have its hands full with even the depleted OU tomorrow.
Midnight Yell.
Is that Gov. Perry?
Well, it might be his town, but it's the Aggie's capitol, as well. :)
The UT mascot is named BEVO because Texas A&M beat Texas 13-0 one year, kidnapped the longhorn mascot and branded the score on him. UT students turned the 13 into a B, the dash into an E and slipped a V in front of the O. The Aggies traditionally try to put maroon dye into some of the fountains at UT before the game (at least they used to).
A&M was quite upset when the FAA made them paint one of the television towers in college station to comply with FAA regulations. The tower was traditionally painted maroon and white. The required FAA colors for towers are orange and white.
For the Longhorns the real rival is OU and A&M is as much of a threat as Sam Houston State and Rice.
Only in Texas..... :)
I don't know if I'd go that far. A&M comes out breathing fire. If UT plays their A game, they beat them, but A&M almost always plays above their heads against the Horns. Course, UT is used to it. If Tech, Baylor or A&M beat Texas, they figure their season is made.
Hey, I was just trying to stir up Bevo PooPoo with the Aggies on FR!
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