Texas A&M University

Traditions

Steeped strongly in tradition, Texas A&M University has several time-honored traditions:

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• "The Aggie Spirit"
• "From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. From the inside looking out, you can't explain it"; Aggies have always shown great devotion to their school, from the beginning down to the present day, often across multiple generations in some Aggie families.
• The 12th Man
• Texas A&M is the original home of the 12th Man. In January 1922, Texas A&M was playing Centre College, the nation's top-ranked team. The Aggies had limited reserves on their squad and several players were hurt. A&M coach Dana X. Bible, looking for much-needed players remembered a student by the name of E. King Gill, a former football player who was helping reporters identify players in the press box. Gill was asked to be available for the game, suited up and stood on the sideline ready to go in at a moment's notice. As the game ended, which the Aggies won, Gill was the only remaining man on the sidelines. Similarly, today, the Texas A&M student body acts as the "12th Man" for the football team and stands throughout the entire game, ready to help the team.
• Texas A&M Corps of Cadets
• An organization that trains students in the ways of the military with the option of a commission to the military upon graduation. The Corps trains more military officers than any school in the U.S. apart from the service academies. See also the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Association
• Fightin' Texas Aggie Band
• The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band is the precision military marching band of Texas A&M University. The Aggie Band is composed of approximately 400 men and women from the school's Corps of Cadets and the group is the largest military marching band in the United States, performing at all of the school's football games and in other special events, such as inaugural parades for presidents and governors.
• Midnight Yell Practice
• A "Yell Practice" is a much larger replacement for what other schools may call a "pep rally" where over 20,000 students and fans attend the night before the football game to support the team. The principle is the same: to excite the crowd to cheer Texas A&M on to victory.
• Gig 'em
• At a Midnight Yell Practice before the 1930 football game against Texas Christian University, a Texas A&M board of regent Pinky Downs shouted, "What are we going to do to those Horned Frogs?" His muse did not fail him as he improvised, borrowing a term from frog hunting. "Gig 'em, Aggies!" he said as he made a fist with his thumb extended straight up. And with that the first hand sign in the Southwest Conference came into being.
• Yell Leaders
• Unlike many schools that feature cheerleaders to encourage crowds to support their sporting teams, Texas A&M has Yell Leaders, five students (three seniors and two juniors) who serve to lead the crowds in yells. Yell Leaders do not perform gymnastic feats, and they use a variety of hand signals, called passbacks, to direct and intensify crowds. Yell Leaders are elected by the Student Body.
• Texas Aggie Bonfire
• Beginning in 1909, Texas A&M students worked together to build a massive bonfire on the grounds of the school. Students cut down logs on their own and brought them to campus, working around the clock to construct a massive bonfire before the annual game versus the University of Texas at Austin on Thanksgiving weekend. The idea behind the bonfire was to symbolize the Aggies' "burning" desire to beat the "hell" out of their rival.
• On November 18, 1999, 12 were killed and 27 injured when a huge bonfire structure under construction at the campus collapsed. A memorial to remember the 12 fallen Aggies was dedicated on November 18, 2004.
• Muster
• On April 21 of each year current and former students of Texas A&M University gather together, wherever they are, to commemorate fellow Aggies who have died during the year. In 2004, there were over 400 Aggie Musters worldwide. The largest, with around 13,000 in attendance, was held on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
• Silver Taps
• Silver Taps is a tradition of Texas A&M University to honor Aggies who died while attending Texas A&M. It is a special arrangement of the military song "Taps" composed by Colonel Richard J. Dunn in the 1930s. Following a 21-gun salute by the Ross Volunteer Firing Squad in the Academic Plaza, six buglers play Silver Taps three times from the dome of the school's Academic Building: once to the north, once to the south and once to the west. The song is not played to the east because the sun is never to rise on that Aggie again.
• Aggie Ring
• The Aggie Ring is worn by students and graduates of the University, and each aspect of the ring is used to promote school spirit. It was designed by E. C. Jonas in 1894 and the design has been used since with only the class year changed, as well as the university's official name (it was called the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas until 1963).
• The top of the ring depicts an eagle and shield. The shield at the top of the ring symbolizes protection of the reputation of the alma mater. The thirteen stripes in the shield represent the thirteen original states and symbolize patriotism. The five stars in the shield refer to the facets of student's development: mind, body, spirit, emotion, and integrity. The eagle denotes agility, power, and ability.
• On one side of the ring is a large star, borrowed from the seal of the state of Texas. The oak leaves symbolize strength.
• On the other side of the ring are a cannon, a saber, and a rifle, symbolizing Aggies' preparedness and valor in defending their land. The crossed flags of the United States and Texas symbolize allegiance to both nation and state.
• Traditionally, students wear their ring with the class year facing them to signify the fact that their time at A&M is not yet complete. During Senior Weekend at the annual Ring Dance, the student's ring is turned around.
• Reveille
• Texas A&M University adopted its first official mascot, Reveille, in 1931. The "First Lady" of A&M, and the highest ranking member of the Corps of Cadets is a collie named Reveille that is present at all football games and many other University functions. Reveille I was a small malnourished black and white dog which a group of corps boys smuggled into the dorms to take care of her. The next morning was found when she barked to the morning reveille, hence the name. Although it was against the rules to keep pets in the dorms, the corps fell in love with the dog and kept her as the mascot. The current mascot, Reveille VI, is a collie, just as Reveille II-V were. Reveille I-V are currently buried in front of Kyle Field, facing the scoreboard (so they can watch their Texas Aggie football team outscore the opponents).
• Maroon Out
• A tradition where the entire crowd wears maroon to sporting events. Even though this is now practiced at every game, each football season one game is specially designated "Maroon Out". In the first five years of the Maroon Out tradition, the Fightin' Texas Aggies have beaten all five opponents including four teams in the national top 10 at the time, one of the most memorable being when the unranked Texas Aggies beat the #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners in 2002.
• Howdy
• Texas A&M students keep alive the word "Howdy" by using it as their primary greeting. It is polite to greet as many people as comfortably possible with a smile and a howdy. Howdy's should always be returned if one is received. An unreturned howdy is perceived as bad bull. In the late 70s/early 80s this greeting was sometimes modified to howdy, dammit!, partly to express frustration at unreturned howdys, but this usage has largely vanished.
• Fish Camp
• Fish Camp, a four day orientation program held in Palestine, TX, gives freshmen the opportunity to learn Aggie Traditions, ease their way into college life, develop leadership skills, and create friendships. It began in 1954 when Gordon Gay, a former Student Activities director, took a few new students camping. Fish Camp has since developed into an independent student organization that annually accommodates over 4,500 Texas A&M freshmen.
• Aggie Lingo
• TAMU's deep history as military school causes confusion for non-Aggies who may not be familiar with certain terminology, places, or events that take place at A&M.
• The Aggie War Hymn - A song written by J.V. "Pinky" Wilson while standing along the Rhine River shortly after WWI. This song is definitive of true Aggie Spirit.
• Bad Bull - Something that goes against school spirit
• BQ - A Fightin' Texas Aggie Band member
• BTHO - Stands for "Beat the hell outta." Usually followed by either t.u. or the next opponent of an Aggie sports team.
• CT - A member of the Aggie Corps of Cadets
• Dead Elephant - A senior in their last semester of study.
• E-Walk - The Junior's term for Elephant Walk. They are not allowed to say elephant, which refers to seniors, as you can see.
• Elephant Walk - A time when graduating seniors wander the campus and remember their time as students, similar to elephants wandering out to die. Held right before the University of Texas/Texas A&M football game.
• Fish Pond - One of the many fountains, this one is located near Lechner Hall and the Sbisa Dining Center, after a victory, the aggie yell leaders are 'deposited' here. This was a fish gift to the University from the class of 1938.
• Good Bull - Anything that supports Aggie Spirit.
• Horse laugh - Instead of booing, Aggies do a horse laugh, or hissing noise.
• Hullabaloo - First word of the Aggie War Hymn (Hullabaloo! Canek! Canek!)
• MSC - Memorial Student Center, dedicated to Aggie's who have died in wars, past, present, and future.
• Mug/Muggin' down - Kissing your date.
• Non-Reg - Aggies not in the corps of cadets.
• Off the Wood - Stepping off the bleachers when the Aggie War Hymn or Spirit of Aggieland are played. (Or when a player is injured). The bleachers in Kyle Field used to be made of wood. Although they now are made of aluminum, the term stuck like many others.
• Old Army - "Back in the Day" (Refers to the time when TAMU was a military school only). Also used by current students who are sophomores or older to refer jokingly to their freshman year, and by former students to refer to their entire time at Texas A&M.
• Pushing - The consequence for pulling out or watching someone of an equal or higher class push.
• Pulling Out - Saying the class year, a word, or the wildcat of the year above you. (It's good bull/redass to do this BTW)
• Redass - A term for an Aggie that goes out of their way to show their Aggie spirit. A good example of redass Aggie spirit is pulling out.
• RV's - Ross Volunteers, the most prestigious group in the corps.
• The Spirit of Aggieland - Another traditional Aggie song, written in 1925 by Marvin H. Mimms.
• Serge butt - a junior in the Corps of Cadets. Serge butt is a reference to the pleated serge on the rear of the pants that was formerly a junior privilege. All of the pants now have serge butts, but the name continues.
• TAMC - Texas Agricultural & Mechanical College, TAMU's original name.
• Tea-sip - Student of University of Texas
• t.u. - "texas university," A&M students' name for the University of Texas
• 2%'er - Someone who doesn't display aggie spirit.
• Uncover - Taking off one's hat when entering the MSC or doing a yell. Frequently yelled out as a command; it means: "please take your hat off!"
• Walk - When a professor doens't show for class or when Revellie barks in class, it means class is skipped.
• Whipping out - The standard CT greeting.
• Whoop! - An Aggie's exclamation towards anything positive or good bull. Juniors and seniors are the only ones allowed to say this (except for sophomores pulling out, of course!)
• Wildcat - Each class has a yell only it can do.
• Fish - AAAAAAAAAAAA!
• Sophomores - A! A! A! A! A!
• Juniors - A! A! A! Whoop!
• Seniors - A! Whoop!
• Zip - Another term for seniors that only seniors may say.
• See also:
• Texas Aggie Traditions Website