The aroma of a barbecue pit will fill the air of south campus Monday as the Muster Camaraderie BBQ celebrates Aggie Muster and welcomes the Class of 1964 back to campus.
Stephen Henzel, Camaraderie BBQ coordinator and senior political science major, said the purpose of the event is to remind students that Muster is a time to appreciate the friendships and memories made on campus while previewing how students will observe April 21 after college.
“We all know, we all love, the Muster ceremony that takes place the night of April 21,” Henzel said. “But when we leave A&M, Muster will be different for us. It will be a time when Aggies all over the world gather together and share their memories of Aggieland, the love they have for the university and for the Aggie spirit. So the point of Muster BBQ is we’re bringing the hometown barbecue to College Station, the hometown Muster to College Station.”
Abby Miller, Camaraderie BBQ coordinator and senior accounting major, said one of the biggest changes to the barbecue this year will be the change in venue. The event will move from Simpson Drill Field to the Sanders Corps Center Lawn.
“I’m really excited about that, to have everyone all together and not make you feel like you’re in a huge field where you’re one in a million,” Miller said.
Food for the event is provided through Chartwells catering services, which Henzel said will help create the authentic, down-home barbecue atmosphere while still allowing students to pay with their meal plan. Miller said these changes were made to attract more students to the barbecue, fueling the feeling of togetherness.
The barbecue will feature two hours of music and entertainment, and Miller said another function of the barbecue is to connect students with the Class of 1964.
“We really wanted to communicate this year that it’s for our students, it’s not just for the 50th year class,” Miller said. “It’s for any Aggie, young or old.”
Matt Josefy, former student body president and Class of 2004, will be speaking at this year’s barbecue. Josefy has celebrated Muster in London and Hong Kong and said the Aggie camaraderie he has felt worldwide is well represented by the barbecue.
“I remember as a recent graduate realizing that Muster day is a lot like the biggest family reunion you can imagine and the Muster BBQ helps create that same atmosphere on campus,” Josefy said.
Josefy said students can forget amid the observation of Muster on campus that the day is not strictly about remembering the Aggies that have been lost.
“It’s easy for current students to not fully grasp that while Muster is a time when respects are paid and tears are often shed for the Aggies who we will miss in the coming year, at the heart of the day is the celebration of life and community that each of us share as members of this Aggie family,” Josefy said.
The barbecue will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Sanders Corps Center Lawn and costs $10 or one student meal plan.