I have committed the foulest of crimes and the most sinful of actions. Yes, I must confess … to not being a red-ass Aggie.
Alright, before you raise your pitchforks reading this, I am here to tell you that I am far from a two-percenter. Nevertheless, to say that I am the most traditional Aggie, unfortunately, is not the truth. As most of you know, I refuse to use a horns down symbol or hiss when someone mentions U.T. — a stance I still maintain.
However, I am here to say I regret not being able to participate more in our traditions. The worst part is that it kind of just happened accidentally. I came into college as a junior — courtesy of dual enrollment and AP tests — I wasn’t able to take a Hullabaloo course because of scheduling conflicts and evaded Fish Camp due to a last-minute family emergency.
On top of all these unfortunate circumstances, I’ll also admit that I’m in a possibly toxic relationship with studying. Midnight Yells, football games and other events just never felt like they fit my schedule or I just didn’t know they existed, but I won’t completely absolve myself of my crimes, because I could have tried more.
I want Aggies to take me as their cautionary tale of woe. I regret not putting the time and effort into participating in more traditions. I want the two-percenters out there, and even just lukewarm Aggies, to realize they’re missing out on an entire experience that they will never get anywhere else.
Texas A&M offers a culture that unites many. The fact that we are able to cultivate a singular identity in a community with tens of thousands of different people is astounding.
I have great uncles, second cousins and distant aunts who are able to understand my A&M references. Given we usually only talk about the weather, hearing them whoop when I mentioned receiving my ring is pretty darn cool.
With traditions like The Big Event, Aggies contribute to the community through a day devoted to selfless service. Silver Taps and Aggie Muster demonstrates that being an Aggie goes beyond just going to the same school. It’s a connection that extends a lifetime.
Besides being morally fulfilling, our traditions are good ole’ fun too! We get to burn some wood and make a giant bonfire, throw Veo bikes on top of random locations, whoop and drink an entire pitcher of beer. Some of you may already do this regularly, but the fact that there is a tradition normalizing it is pretty hilarious.
Even the more “difficult” traditions bond us Aggies together. I still remember the lactic acid buildup in my calves from standing the entire Bama game, but complaining about it with my fellow freshman friends made it a whole lot more memorable.
There’s a good chance that two-percenters and non-red-ass Aggies aren’t even reading this, so I encourage those of you who are ardent followers of A&M’s traditions to guide everyone into following your footsteps.
For legal reasons I am not condoning kidnapping. All I am saying is make it like any other fun hangout that you were already going to with a friend because that’s all these traditions are — a fun opportunity to make memories with the people you love.
All you need to do is say: “Hey, let’s get food and go to Silver Taps after,” “I signed you and our friends up to do Big Event and then go watch a movie tonight,” “Let’s go to the football game and then Northgate after” or anything along those lines is good enough.
I know that sounds like subtle trickery, but hey, they’ll probably have fun. Who says no to food, movies and drinks? And if they don’t, at least you tried.
Now for those of you who are perhaps two-percenters or half-foot in Aggies, I am not demanding you to paint your face maroon and screech every time someone mentions U.T. I’m just suggesting baby steps.
It’s important to put in effort any way you can. Whether going to one more event than you usually do or inviting your friends to hundreds of events, we remember that A&M’s traditions are worth fighting for.
Lilia Elizondo is an English senior and opinion writer for The Battalion.