Traditions 101

They are unique, timeless and have been a part of the University since its inception in 1876. Traditions are a key facet in the rich heritage of Texas A&M as they pass along the Aggie Spirit. Here are just a few of the dozens of traditions you should be familiar with as a new resident of Aggieland:

MIDNIGHT YELL PRACTICE

Midnight Yell is held in Kyle Field the night before a home football game to pump up Aggie fans. It is held at the Arches at the Quad on Thursday nights before away games, and also held at a site in the city of the away game. For example, for the 2006 A&M-UT game, Midnight Yell was held at the Texas Capitol in Austin.

During Midnight Yell, yell leaders lead the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and fans into the stadium. The yell leaders lead the crowd in yells, the school's songs and tell fables of how the Aggies are going to beat the "ever livin' hell" out of their opponent. Later the stadium lights are turned off, and Aggies kiss their dates. If they don't have a date, they "flick their Bic" or hold up a lighter. As the story goes, the flames make it easier for two dateless people to find a kiss.

Yell Practice began in the early 1900s when different Corps companies would gather after dinner to "learn heartily the old time pep."

The first documented yell leader was T.A. Adams in 1907. By 1913, Yell Practice had become a regular event.

It was not until 1931, however, that Midnight Yell began. The first Midnight Yell was held before the A&M-UT game when a group of cadets gathered in Yell Leader Peanut Owens' dorm room in Puryear Hall. The cadets decided to get all freshmen to meet on the steps of the YMCA building to practice yells at midnight. The cadets asked the two senior yell leaders - Horsefly Berryhill and Two Gun Herman from Sherman - for permission. The yell leaders said they couldn't authorize it, but they might show up. Word spread quickly and everyone fell out of their dorms that night. Railroad flares and torpedoes were stuck into flowerpots around the YMCA Building to light the area. The first Midnight Yell had begun.

Until 1945, there were four yell leaders. After World War II, a fifth veteran yell leader was elected.

In 1999, the tradition of First Yell was started. First Yell is the first Midnight Yell of the school year, and it is celebrated Friday and Saturday with concerts, a barbecue and a Former Yell Leaders Reunion.

DID YOU KNOW: The practice of yell leaders walking back and forth began at the first Midnight Yell. Peanut Owens' feet were too large to fit on the steps of the YMCA building, so he walked back and forth to keep his balance and other yell leaders joined in.

REVEILLE

Reveille is the official mascot of Texas A&M and the first lady of Aggieland. She is the highest-ranking member of the Corps of Cadets and became a five-star general after World War II - an honorary title given to Reveille by the U.S. Army to thank Texas A&M for its assistance in the war.

According to Aggie legend, the first Reveille was adopted in January 1931 when a group of cadets hit a small white and black dog on their way back from a party in Navasota. They took her back to school to care for her and smuggled her into their dorm - Leggett Hall - because pets were not allowed. The next morning when "Reveille" was blown by a bugler to wake the cadets, the dog started barking. She was named after the morning wakeup call.

The following football season, Reveille was named the official mascot of A&M when she led the band onto the field during their halftime performance. She would stand at the sidelines of football games wearing A&M colors.

Reveille died on Jan. 18, 1944 after 13 years of being A&M's mascot. She was given a formal military funeral on the gridiron of Kyle Field and was buried at the north entrance to the field. Reveilles II through IV were buried near Reveille I with their noses and paws pointed so that they could look through the north tunnel and see the stadium scoreboard to watch the Aggies outscore their opponents.

Between Reveille I and III, there were several unofficial mascots, such as Tripod (a three-legged dog), Spot and Ranger.

Reveille II - a German shepherd donated by Arthur Weinert, class of 1900 - was mascot from 1952-1966. Reveille II was cared for by the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and later by student Sam Netterville. Netterville was the first escort of A&M's mascot and took Reveille with him everywhere, including classes, and she marched with the Aggie Band at football games. Reveille III was mascot from 1966-75 and was the first purebred American collie. Since then, all Reveilles have been collies.

Reveille IV was mascot from 1975-1984. More than 10,000 people attended Reveille IV's funeral.

Reveille V became mascot in 1983 and retired in 1993. Following retirement, she lived for six years with Dr. Joe West, a local veterinarian and A&M graduate.

Reveille VI was mascot from 1993-2001. She was mascot when the Aggie football team won its first Big 12 Championship in 1998 and attended the inaugural ball of President George W. Bush in 2000. Reveille VI retired and lived in College Station with veterinarian Dr. Hall until her death on Oct. 18, 2003.

Current mascot Reveille VII took over duties from Reveille VI on May 12, 2001.

The mascot corporal - a sophomore in Company E-2 - cares for Reveille, who is the highest-ranking member of the Corps. She lives with the mascot corporal for a year and goes to class with him, goes out on dates with him and goes home with him.

The cadets address Reveille as "Miss Rev, m'am." If Reveille wants to sleep on a cadet's bed, that cadet must sleep on the floor. It's also a tradition that if Reveille is in class and barks while the professor is teaching, class is to be dismissed because Reveille is bored.

DID YOU KNOW: Reveille VI was stolen by Neil Andrew Sheffield, a University of Texas at Austin student, shortly after she became mascot. Reveille was staying in Dallas at the home of her handler, Jim Lively, over winter break. Sheffield found Reveille alone in the backyard and lured her to him. About a week after she was taken, A&M acknowledged that Reveille was missing, and Sheffield tied her leash to a signpost near Lake Travis and called the police. Reveille was returned unharmed.

MUSTER

Muster is a yearly remembrance ceremony for any fallen Aggie on April 21. The campus Muster is coordinated by a student-run committee and is dedicated to the 50-year-reunion class. The ceremony begins at night with an address from a keynote speaker, the reading of poems and a "Roll Call for the Absent." As the names are read, family members and friends of the fallen Aggie answer "here," and a candle is lit to symbolize that the Aggie will always be a part of the Aggie Spirit.

Muster began in 1883, when members of the Association of Ex-Cadets attended "Roll Call" to honor their fallen comrades. By April 21, 1903, the gathering became a celebration of Texas independence on San Jacinto Day. In 1922, April 21 beccame the official day of events for all Aggies to celebrate and remember the Ags who had passed away during the year. Muster was born.

The yearly meeting grew and was soon spread worldwide by 1929. Muster gained internation recognition in 1942 when 25 men led by General George Moore, class of 1908, mustered during the Japanese seige of the Philippine island of Corregidor. During World War II, Aggies mustered in trenches in Europe and military posts in America, but no campus ceremony was held.

Muster is now celebrated in more than 400 places in the world, with the largest ceremony being held on campus in Reed Arena.

DID YOU KNOW: The Corps of Cadets were invited to help recreate the Battle of San Jacinto in the 1890s. The Corps were the Mexican Army, and the Texas State Guard were the Texans. However, since Aggies cannot stand to lose, the cadets rewrote Texas history by winning the battle. They were never invited back.

GIG'EM

Gig'em is the universal sign of approval for Aggies. P.L. "Pinkie" Downs - class of 1906 and a member of the Board of Regents from 1923-1933 - is credited with first using the sign.

During a Yell Practice before the 1930 TCU football game, Downs asked, "What are we going to do to those horned frogs?" He answered his own question with, "Gig'em Aggies!" For emphasis Downs made a fist with his thumb extended up. A "gig" is a spear-like tool used for hunting frogs, and "gigging" is the practice of frog hunting with a gig.

The sign is now used by Aggies to encourage and motivate each other.

DID YOU KNOW: Gig'em was the first hand sign of the Southwest Conference, and the only hand sign for 25 years until the University of Texas (t.u.) created its Hook 'em Horns.

ELEPHANT WALK

Elephant Walk was started in 1922 by freshmen in the Class of 1926. The cadets wanted to end the "jinx" of an unsuccessful football season, so on a Friday before a football game, two freshmen playing a funeral march on a piccolo and a bass horn slowly walked around campus. Other freshmen joined them forming a single line. This ritual occurred several times during their freshman year, whether or not the football team lost.

As seniors, the Class of 1926 recreated their walk around campus before the A&M-UT game to show their spirit. The underclassmen had never seen this ceremony and noted the seniors looked like old elephants searching for a place to die, thus the tradition of Elephant Walk was born.

Today, Elephant Walk occurs the week before A&M's last home game. Seniors meet at Kyle Field for a yell practice and presentations, and then are led by yell leaders through campus. They hold yell practices at many places on campus.

In the 1980s, the juniors tried to interrupt Elephant Walk, so E-Walk was created. During E-Walk, juniors walk the same path as the seniors - only backwards, keeping the two classes apart. The juniors end at Kyle Field where they hear a motivational speech about how to lead the campus as seniors.

DID YOU KNOW: During Elephant Walk, Aggies used to shake hands with professors and touch their old buildings.

SILVER TAPS

Silver Taps is a ceremony held for an undergraduate or a graduate who passes away while enrolled at A&M. The ceremony is held the first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 p.m. if a student died the previous month.

On the day designated for Silver Taps, tables are placed around campus where students can write notes of sympathy and support to the fallen Aggies' families; flags on campus are flown at half-staff. All lights on campus are turned off at 10:15p.m., and as hymns are played from Albritton Tower, students gather on the Academic Plaza. The Ross Volunteer Firing Squad begins marching to the plaza at 10:30p.m., where they fire a 21-gun salute. Buglers then play a special version of Taps three times from the dome of the Academic Building. Taps is played from the north, south and west, but not from the east since the sun will never rise on the fallen Aggie again. After Taps has been played, students return to their homes in silence as a final tribute to the lost Aggie.

DID YOU KNOW: The first Silver Taps was held in 1898 to honor Lawrence Sullivan Ross, the former Texas governor and president of A&M College. Today, Silver Taps takes place in front of a statue of Ross in the Academic Plaza.

MAROON OUT

Maroon Out is one of A&M's newest traditions. It began in 1998 when student Kyle Valentine, inspired by the Nebraska Cornhuskers' red-clad fans, proposed that Aggies dress in maroon for football games.

Valentine and others began selling maroon T-shirts for $5. More than 31,000 Maroon Out T-shirts were sold before the Oct. 16, 1998, A&M-Nebraska football game. This led to a national shortage of maroon T-shirts.

There is one designated Maroon Out game each season, but most Aggies wear maroon to all games. In the first five years of the tradition, the Aggies beat all of their opponents on Maroon Out games, including four teams that were ranked higher and in the national top 10 at the time.

DID YOU KNOW: Rumor has it that A&M Athletics has received phone calls from other schools asking to not be the opposing team for the Maroon Out game.

WHOOPSTOCK

Whoopstock started in April of 1993, when the Ku Klux Klan held a rally in College Station, believing the climate at A&M and in Bryan-College Station to be receptive to its message. The Department of Multicultural Services realized that a protest would only draw attention to the KKK event so instead Aggies held a unity rally - Whoopstock.

Whoopstock was put together in just two weeks with the support of A&M administrators, Texas Governor Ann Richards and more than 48 campus organizations. The Bryan-College Station community also joined in support of the event, and three local radio stations, two television stations, as well as The Battalion and The Bryan College Station Eagle.

Today, Whoopstock is held the same weekend as Parent's Weekend and is a time for Aggies to learn more about each other. It has evolved into a celebration of diversity as well as unity.

The celebration includes bands, entertainment, food and giveaways.

BIG EVENT

Big Event is a one-day service project when Aggie students give back to the community of Bryan-College Station. It began in 1982 when six students cleaned a local cemetery. Since then, Big Event has become the largest, single-day student-run service project in the nation, and many other universities have followed A&M's example, starting service projects of their own. Such projects include painting homes, repairing homes, cleaning yards, washing windows, gardening, building a structure or just about any other need imaginable.

Students run the Big Event, and there are three levels for students who are through the organizaton: serving on a committee, assisting members or volunteering in the actual project.

Each year, Big Event has included about 9,000 students who completed more than 500 jobs. The Big Event committee works year-round coordinating workers and jobs.

Big Event takes place during the spring semester.