Family Found in Aggieland

Recently, Texas A&M University has been receiving some negative reviews since they have left the Big 12 to become part of the SEC. This was a decision made for the betterment of the school and the athletic program. In doing this, however, some major changes have occurred at the university. The words to the Fight song are having to be changed since Texas A&M will no longer play t.u. annually. The Saw 'Em Off shirts are no longer being made. Coaching staffs are changing, and Texas A&M is really being put through a time of rediscovery. Because of this, I have been wondering if I will really remember the university I graduated from whenever I return to visit. Yes, I will recognize the buildings and the campus, but will the changes be so drastic that I will not recognize and or associate myself with the student body?

That is when I stopped. To even think something like that felt blasphemous. Texas A&M University has something that differs a little bit from other colleges in the US. Whenever you become a part of the Texas A&M student body, you become part of a family. You become part of a family that recognizes and honors those who have passed away each month and year. You become part of a family that wins together and looses together. Texas A&M is a family that sings and cheers together so loud at football games that you can hear it no matter where you are in College Station. It is also a family that fights for our country. Texas A&M trains and sends soldiers to war each year, and that is something that will never change. It is also a family that has annual reunions and graduation celebrations. It is a family that strives for excellence and integrity, seeks leadership and respect, desires loyalty, and lends a hand to those who need it. Texas A&M encompasses the definition of family. Once you are an Aggie, you're always and Aggie, and changing conferences in football will not change that characteristic of Texas A&M.

Whenever you go in College Station, you can expect to be greeted with welcoming hand. You will walk down the streets and hear tons of hellos, or "HOWDY!" as we say in College Station. You will see nothing but smiles from the Aggies. Reveille, our mascot dog, will let you pet her. You'll see waves of maroon coming at you from all around campus. You'll hear tons of "Gig 'Ems" and see thumbs up wherever you go. Everywhere in College Station you will see a friendly face, because as a family, acceptance is key. This is what brought me to A&M. When I visited other schools, I saw lots of students running to classes and milling around with their cliques of friends, but I never saw a unified student body until I went to Texas A&M. Once you become part of Texas A&M, you gain 50,000+ friends.

Families also attend A&M. My mother took classes at A&M and worked there, and both my father and sister received degrees from A&M. With me included, it means there are a total of four collegiate degrees from TAMU. This is true of lots of other families as well. You could say that going to Texas A&M runs in the family. This unifies the school even more. And this will never change because the Aggie feeling/identification is infectious.

So the SEC will see a strong new member and Texas will always have this university as a strong magnet pulling those who want a strong community to grow, mature, and learn from.