The Corps of Cadets celebrates a tradition inspired by the 1966 television special “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”
Flight of the Great Pumpkin, also called Flight, will occur on Friday Oct. 26 at 10:31 p.m. on the Quad. Freshmen dressed in masks will start handing out candy at 9:30 p.m. This event is a tradition of Company C-2, a Naval ROTC outfit, where juniors and seniors march and carry torches around the Quad. A junior will be dressed up as the Great Pumpkin in the center of the formation.
In recent years, the Aggie Band has played music during Flight. However, the band might not attend this year because of the football team’s away game against Mississippi State on Oct. 27.
Company C-2 Commander and construction science senior Cinco Winston is in charge of leading the formation around the Quad. Winston said the tradition is also a type of ceremony for the juniors in the company.
“[Flight is] symbolic of the juniors finally earning this tradition and really becoming a part of C-2 as a family and really taking ownership of the outfit,” Winston said.
One junior is selected the day of Flight to be dressed as the Great Pumpkin, which is considered to be an honor.
“[We pick] someone who we think is a real unifier of the class and someone that shows that they’re willing to honor the tradition and what it stands for and who is willing to be a leader of the outfit when they get to become a senior,” Winston said.
The tradition started back in the 1960s when an upper classman wanted to make a freshman run through the band dorms dressed as the Great Pumpkin. Later, the tradition became a fight between C-2 and the Aggie band.
“It’s evolved a lot since then,” Winston said. “We’re trying to make it become something that can build camaraderie between us and the band and ultimately the entire Corps.”
Because the event has been going on for about 55 years, alumni have become involved in the tradition as well.
“[Flight has] been something that has really made me proud to be a member of C-2,” Winston said. “It [has] showed me that in C-2, there’s a real brotherhood. It gives me a reason to stay connected with the alumni and gives me a reason to stay connected to C-2 in the future.”