With a different subject each day, Traditions Week dives into the history and application of the traditions of Texas A&M University.
Traditions Week runs from March 4 to March 8 and the Traditions Council, a student committee from the A&M Student Government Association, hosts it. The weeklong event features events dedicated to promoting and informing students of a different tradition each day. The traditions covered include the Aggie Ring, Silver Taps, Yell Practice, Bonfire and the A&M-University of Texas rivalry.
The committee researches the history of each tradition, said Public health junior and Traditions Council outreach and education committee chair Gabbi Hand.
“Our mission is to preserve and promote the traditions of Texas A&M through outreach and education,” Hand said. “We also have the privilege of coordinating the Silver Taps ceremony and the Bonfire Remembrance ceremony. We raise money for Ring Scholarships as well. We do a lot of research in the Cushings Memorial Library. They have a lot of great A&M history and artifacts there.”
Even though tradition is at the core of A&M, Hand said it is easy to get lost and miss out on them. Traditions Week is intended to be a time to slow down and understand each of the five traditions students are honoring.
“I think that we know as Aggies that the traditions are a huge part of what makes this school so unique and incredible, but sometimes we get stuck in our bubble,” Hand said. “We go to class and go to organizations, and it is hard to slow down to remember the traditions and the rich history of the school that unites us.”
Jason Pho, an architecture senior, is a member of the outreach and education committee and in charge of Friday’s topic, A&M’s rivalry with the University of Texas at Austin. According to Pho, they will be hosting a meal with brisket and calling it eat the hell out of Bevo, UT’s mascot.
“I love the rivalry with Texas … and I wanted to educate people more on why we have such a big beef with Texas,” Pho said. “It’s all about appreciating where we came from. Our forefathers paved the way for us to be here, so we do these traditions to step into their shoes.”
Kyra Shine, biomedical engineer sophomore, is a member of the outreach and education committee and in charge of Wednesday’s topic, Midnight Yell and Reveille. According to Shine, attending Midnight Yell made her want to learn more about its history.
“We are going to give them the background and history of both Midnight Yell and Reveille,” Shine said. “There will be a yell practice … and then Reveille will come for an hour so people can take pictures. We all love Reveille, but I was especially excited to highlight the fact that we have our first female handler this year, Mia Miller.”