How Do Aggies Board Up Their Windows For A Hurricane?

The Bryan-College Station Eagle ^ | October 1, 2005 | LAURA HENSLEY

[texianyankee]

A&M student Andrew McNeel's photo of Loupot's Bookstore's novel approach to hurricane preparation has made the rounds on the Internet and brought worldwide attention to the store.

A new Aggie joke was born out of last week's Hurricane Rita preparation craze.

"How do Aggies board up their windows for a hurricane?"

You can ask the folks at Loupot's Bookstore on University Drive for the punch line. They decided last Sept. 23 to attach plywood on the inside of the shop's windows instead of the outside.

Since then, a photo of the peculiar method has made the rounds on the Internet, gaining widespread attention, a little good-natured teasing and a lot of eye-rolling.

So why exactly did they do it?

Suanne Pledger, projects director for the famed bookstore, has been answering that question a lot lately.

She even has a stock answer saved on her computer that she can easily cut, paste and send to the dozens of people from around the world who have e-mailed the shop.

The long answer: The shop's windows will not support the weight of plywood screwed into the frames. Neither is there sufficient masonry wall surrounding them for an attachment.

Therefore, the shop's contractor and all-around handy man (who also happens to be an Aggie) suggested mounting the boards inside. Doing so might sacrifice the easily replaced glass to the storm but could save the store from a major cleanup, the thinking went.

[Trajan88]

Old Army Lou's bookstore... where I dropped a ton of $s for over priced books.

Speaking of Aggieland... tomorrow, I'm heading down to God's country to do a little drinking (& eating), yell practicing, and to catch the Fighting Farmers beating the hell outta Iowa State.

Gig 'Em!

Trajan88; TAMU Class of '88; Law Hall (may it R.I.P.) Ramp 9 Mule, f.u.p.!