Posted on 08/22/2011 3:57:34 AM PDT by wolfcreek
From his first “Howdy!” to the frequent thumbs-up gestures that punctuate his speeches, Rick Perry may seem over-the-top folksy to many who are watching him for the first time. But for those who share his cultural past, if not his political persuasions, Perry is sending a clear message, easily understood by a select but global group of insiders. That “Howdy” is akin to a password. The thumbs up a shared signal of determination. Translation: “I am a proud Texas Aggie.” That’s what graduates of Texas A&M are called. Perry is Class of 1972.
“Howdy” is not some corn-pone affectation, but the official greeting every Aggie freshman learns to say to friend and stranger alike, and it is just one of many Aggie traditions that the Governor who would be President cherishes. “People see it as folksy,” says Noel Freeman (Class of ’03), “but to not say ‘howdy’ would be unnatural for me.” The tradition helps teach courtesy, respect and helps young freshmen students, many from small town Texas, to reach out beyond their narrow origins. These days, howdy is as likely to be uttered by a South American president or a Saudi prince, given the worldwide span of Aggie alumni.
(Excerpt) Read more at swampland.time.com ...
I'd be honored.
When I said, "Google "Aggie Muster" for a FR-worthy [Aggie tradition]. I didn't mean to imply that Aggie Muster was the only worthy Aggie tradition (I would have left out a tradition of honorable military service).
What the left and the media can attack about Texas A&M, particular in the Perry era, is that it was an insular campus, its worthy traditions were patriotic or very red-state, that members of the Corps were hazed (as if NFL rookies weren't), and some (some) of A&M's more "unique" traditions can be viewed as a little silly.
Reminds me of this great Aggie story...
To all my aggie friends...
The background is a girl in Austin swears she hates A&M and everything about it. A friend asked us all to send her moments of A&M to change her mind. Here is one mans response that reminds us all of what A&M means.
Dear Kristen:
You may be tired of getting Aggie e-mails by now, but I have one more for you. My name is Matthew Thomas and I have been an accountant for Halliburton for about a year now. Before that I was at A&M. I was in the Corps of Cadets so that means I could probably write a book of stories for you, but I will just tell you one today. In the spring of my sophomore year at A&M, the Corps was having a formal dinner in the dinning hall. In a tragic accident one of the other sophomores in the Corps by the name of David Antonie ate a pecan in his desert. He had a severe allergic reaction to the pecan and in his room that night he passed away in the arms of his roommate, and at the side of his date, before the paramedics could even arrive.
Now, at most colleges this would have been a small side bar in the campus newspaper. But not at A&M. I got a call at 2:00 AM telling me what had happened. At 6:00 AM (this is a Saturday morning) I was in a meeting with other cadets where we talked about how we could help the family. By 8:00 am we had flowers at his parents house. At 2:00 that afternoon we were helping his parents around town and around campus.
But that isn’t all. At A&M we have a tradition called Silver Taps. It is where students gather each month to commemorate other students who have died during that month. On the day of Silver Taps a notice is placed at the bottom of the flag pole in front of the Academic Building. That night about 10:00 all of the lights go out on campus and thousands of students all silently walk to the plaza where the ceremony is held. A 21 gun Salute is fired and a special rendition of Taps is played. The family of the passed away Aggie stand at a certain spot in the plaza. I will never forget the night of David Antonie’s Silver Taps. Because David was a sophomore in the Corps, we decided to do something special.
When the sun came up that day it rose on a wreath in the plaza, there was also a picture of David, and the pair of Senior Boots he would have worn had he lived to be a Senior. Two cadets were standing guard over this memorial. Every hour on the hour two other cadets dressed in their best uniform would arrive to relieve the two. This went on until 10:00 that night when Silver Taps was about to begin. At 9:30 that night, 400 Sophomore cadets in the Corps filed out of our dooms in our dress uniform and went to the site of the ceremony. We formed a human walk way leading up to the ceremony site for the parents to walk up. We wanted them to know we cared. About 10:00 all of the lights went out on campus and the students started to arrive.
The bell tower started to softly chime Amazing Grace and other familiar hymns. The 400 sophomores and the few thousand students all stood there waiting in silence. Some praying, some listening to the hymns, some thinking about David and his parents, but we all stood waiting in the night.
About 10 minutes before the ceremony his parents arrived. They slowly walked between the two lines of sharply dressed cadets. As they passed in front of us we would sharply pop to attention. Both of his parents were crying, his Mom kept quietly saying beneath her tears, “Thank you, thank you, God Bless all of you.”
Minutes after his parents passed, in the far off distance we began to hear the perfectly synchronized steps of the Ross Volunteers. The “RV’s” are an elite group of cadets chosen by their peers to serve in these situations. With all 21 of them in perfect step we could hear them get closer and closer. When they arrived the silent tension grew, we all knew what was about to take place. Without saying a word a loud crack pierced the night. It was the first 7 shots of the 21 gun salute. The next two volleys followed. Moments after the salute took place the 3 Buglers played the slow and mellow version of taps three times. After the third time the student body slowly and silently left. All reflecting on the life of a cadet that very few of them knew. The only ones left were the parents, the Ross Volunteers, and a few cadets that knew David.
I know this all may seem strange, and it may not convince you that A&M is a decent school. But I can without a doubt tell you that the parents of David Antonie will always remember it. I can promise you that even though they didn’t go to A&M they will be Aggies until the day they die. In the thank you letter they sent to the Corps they expressed their amazement that thousands of students that didn’t know David would come to honor him when they could have been studying or partying at the Dixie Chicken. If you were able to speak with them you would be convinced. You would also be convinced if you could talk to the hundreds of other parents that have gone through the same thing, because this doesn’t happen just once, it happens every time a student on campus passes away. I know without a doubt that this happens in no place but Aggieland.
It may seem strange to you that we stand up at football games, or wear our rings with so much pride. But it is things like these that make me proud to be an Aggie. It makes me proud to have walked the same halls as Medal of Honor winners, it makes me proud to be apart of a school that cares so much about their students. This is why I get chills down my spine each time I hear the first few notes of the Aggie War hymn. This is why I have a hard time singing the “Spirit of Aggieland” without a tear rolling down my cheek.
You see, I spend my days in a cubicle in Houston, but my heart is back in Aggieland. My heart is back standing at attention at Silver Taps, my heart is in Corps dorm 4 shining my senior boots and polishing my saber. It is with 1000’s of others saluting the American Flag as it is raised each morning before breakfast of a brisk January day. And it is with the freshman of the Corps, going through the toughest year of their life, not knowing really why, but knowing it will make them a better person. You see, US News and World Report can count how many books we have in our library and measure the quality of our professors and tell us we are the top public university in Texas, but if they could measure spirit, if they could measure camaraderie or the lessons learned outside of the classroom, then Texas A&M would be the top school in the nation, as it is in my heart.
Sincerely,
Matthew Thomas, Class of 1998
My son is awaiting confirmation of acceptance to A&M for Fall 2012. His grades give him automatic admission, so it is a mere formality. Once he is official, he will be fifth generation from my family.
From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. From the inside looking out, you can't explain it.
Tradition says that A&M may get outscored on the field, but we never lose halftime. I was a *mortal* sports enemy of Texas until they day in 1999 when the Longhorn Band won halftime. I will never forget the class y'all showed that horrible week.
I should have pinged you to Post 22
My Dad is an Aggie so I know the pain we all felt.
No offense taken Sir. Aggie traditions are like American traditions should be... a common experience, goal, vision, pride and honor. You can’t be one nation under God without something in common. We have become a polarized nation, “celebrating diversity” to the point that we have so little in common.
Thanks r-q-tek86. Tradition, it is part of our tribal knowledge. We don’t pass down boots but we do sometimes pass down Sabres. I know a young man who carried his Grandfather’s from when he was Cadet Commander. A prouder boy you’d never see passing in review. He honored the memory of another fine man.
The spirit of Aggieland feels at an ebb, I hope not. Last year, for the first time ever I walked across campus to a meeting and wasn’t asked by one student if he or she could please help me find my way. Not many years ago I was asked by several anytime I went there. I hope it is just because I look like I may belong there by now.
Aggieland is not all perfect young people, there are some bad apples. It is still mostly one of the last bastions of traditional conservative values though. Once, everybody knew what TAMU was all about and if they didn’t like that they stayed away. Those were good times.
As for silly and unique, what else would you do with a weekend but sandwich the outfit CO between two mattresses and take him to a truck stop in Nebraska?
I guess we’re in for a whole new crop of Aggie jokes.
I remember going to UT/Aggie football games with a boyfriend and having to stand the whole game.
I'll start... (and in the good spirit of the rivalry...)
What's this?
a) The number of times t.u. has outscored Texas A&M in the past FIVE years.
b)The number of straight men per thousand male students at t.u.
c)An Aggie carpenter ordering four beers.
d)Some sort of shadow puppet thingy to represent t.u.'s cow. (BEVO... strange name... anyone know how the cow got that name?)
e)All of the above.
HOOK ‘EM HORNS!!
Did you hear about the Aggie terrorist who tried to blow up the Longhorn team bus?
!
!
!
!
He burned his lip on the tailpipe.
Aggies named BEVO...
How Bevo got his name.:
http://www.texasescapes.com/MikeCoxTexasTales/174-UT-Football-Team-Mascot-Longhorn-Bevo.htm
My youngest Daughter will be graduating from UT in December.
If we're shifting into jokes, let me just point out some Aggie 'issues':
The first may be "Squeeze 'em, Ags," the tradition of squeezing your testicles (in public, in front of small girls and grandmothers and dates) at key times during the game to show that you feel the pain of the team and support the team members:
And although no longer practiced despite the rabid objection of alumni and students, until, what, twenty years ago?, first-year cadets were subject to hazing including forced public nudity (in front of non-Corps students, coeds, faculty, parents, grandparents, and anybody else passing by), bondage, and attacks on their genitals by groups of older members of the Corps of Cadets.
Yes, the Aggies have outstanding traditions, but a history of some strange and homoerotic ones as well.
I’m just playing. With four (soon to be five) generations of Aggies on one side of the family and a nest of Longhorns on the other, I have learned to enjoy the jokes on both sides.
I knew I had forgotten to reply to you so I just searched for this post.
I know how proud you must be to see your youngest daughter graduate from UT. Thank you for writing about it and I wish her all the best in her future.
Thanks and I will!
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