The tablecloth that sat under Polo Manukainiu’s hand as he signed with A&M. A cross made out of the necks of Ian Pogue’s cherished guitars. An Aggie Ring placed next to Ken Nelson’s Harley Davidson jacket and motorcycle helmet. A placard with the words “City of Bryan Mayor” printed neatly under Lonnie Stabler’s name. These items and more will be displayed in the MSC Flag Room until Muster on Monday in an attempt to tell the story behind the names called.
With the addition of memorabilia brought throughout the week by families of the deceased, the reflections display honors 40 of the more than 80 Aggies who will be honored at the campus Muster.
Madeline Kinnaird, Muster committee member in charge of the reflections display and junior electrical engineering major, said the presentation happens every year.
“It’s a little different every year, but we always display cherished items, things that tell more about their passion,” Kinnaird said. “The roll call is just a list of names if you don’t tell their story and this display is a way to tell their story and a way to put a face to the name. It just makes it all much more real and it makes it a lot more personal.”
Jaynish Amin, Muster committee member and senior biochemistry major, said the cherished items on display include Aggie Rings, senior boots and scrapbooks – anything that shows current students why the deceased are important members of the Aggie family.
While looking at the tables of items, Maggie Gaylord, sophomore international studies major, said the articles displayed show the love of the families.
“It’s really cool for me to see the love of the families that’s here,” Gaylord said. “It reminds me that these families are still grieving and that their lives have changed forever.”
Javier Davila-Lopez, sophomore psychology major, said the reflections display gives him a greater appreciation of Muster, and in extension, A&M.
“I was already a die-hard Aggie,” Davila-Lopez said. “So this just makes me more proud. I haven’t seen any other colleges that do anything like this.”
Ellen Temple, Muster committee member who helped set up the display and senior health major, said she got involved with Muster on campus after growing up with parents who organized Muster in her hometown. Temple said the reflections display is a sort of tradition in itself.
“At hometowns, it’s a lot more about celebrating their lives at the beginning, then at the end it’s solemn and everyone kind of talks about that person and shares stories of that person,” Temple said.
Gaylord said honoring roll call Aggies is in some ways a means of serving one’s future self.
“We’re serving our future self, because someday our names are going to be called and there is going to be another sophomore that will lead my family around,” Gaylord said.