Around 10:25 p.m., shortly before Silver Taps was supposed to begin, Texas A&M canceled the Silver Taps service due to lightning in the area.
“There was lightning in the area and it was getting closer quickly,” senior human resources and development and public relations chair for the Traditions Council Devin Lubin said. “With the amount of students that we had out there, and the fact that we had the buglers out on the Academic Plaza with their metal bugles and the Ross Volunteers with their rifles, which are made out of metal, just all that together is a big safety hazard, so we didn’t want to put anyone at risk.”
Lubin said that the honorees would be honored at next month’s Silver Taps, but that the families were given a small service of their own.
“The Aggies that we were going to honor tonight will be honored again at the October Silver Taps,” Lubin said. “They had the buglers come in [to the foyer of the YMCA building] and actually play Silver Taps for all the families in the YMCA building. So there was a small service held because they couldn’t go out.”
Lubin added that there were groups in attendance that broke into smaller groups after it was canceled, so they could hold a moment for the honorees on their own.
Those who were set to be honored tonight will be honored on the Oct. 3 Silver Taps.