Aggies can rejoice in the sound of cannon fire during the Ole Miss game Oct. 11.
After a few weeks of absence, the traditional 76mm cannon, The Spirit of ’02, will be fired after each score from the top of the southeast activation tower of Kyle Field and will remain there for the remainder of the season, according to a Tuesday press release.
Earlier in September, the university announced The Spirit of ’02 would be placed at the Fiddlers Green with the Parson’s Mounted Calvary while the new 105mm howitzer would be on the southeast corner of the stadium’s east plaza for photographs only. However, university officials found a different solution.
Corps Commander David Trigg said the move exemplified the administration’s commitment to the student body.
“We have an administration and faculty and staff that look at a problem that affects the student body and the Texas A&M experience and works to find a solution,” Trigg said. “I’m very pleased that they continued to work on it despite the fact that it is a transition year. It shows a dedication to the student body and Texas A&M’s traditions as a whole.”
This resolution will hold for the 2014 football season, but the cannon’s placement will be reevaluated before the 2015 football season.
“We are confident that this will provide a good solution during this transitional period,” said Texas A&M Interim President Mark Hussey in the release.
Brig. Gen. Joe E. Ramirez Jr., commandant of the Corps of Cadets, said he is equally glad about the cannon’s new placement and thanked everyone who helped preserve this tradition.
“We are very pleased that we have a solution that allows us to fire the cannon after our team scores,” Ramirez said in the release. “We look forward to firing the cannon many times at the Ole Miss game in two weeks and for the remainder of the season.”