Fish Camp began in 1954 when John Gordon Gay, former director of the A&M YMCA, took a group of cadets out on a camping trip, said Donna Lee Sullins, a student development specialist in the Department of Student Activities.
Throughout the trip, Gay introduced the cadets to all the traditions of the A&M College of Texas. The camping trips occurred for four more years until Fish Camp was moved to its current locale, Lakeview Methodist Conference Center in Palestine, Texas, Sullins said.
Each camp is broken down into many discussion groups, or DGs, which provide a family unit that is intended to ease students’ transition into college life by providing several points-of-contact, and by continuing events throughout the Fall 2014 semester, Sullins said.
Fish Camp is a place where new students learn Aggie traditions, core values, information about campus and foster friendships.
This year there are seven sessions corresponding to a colored fish on the logo. 2014 is the first time in 20 years that a new color — lime was added to the logo to meet the growing numbers of freshman.
“It grew from that small group of cadets to the 6,500 we have this year,” Sullins said.
Session A begins Aug. 1.