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Somewhere from the heavens, Gen. Earl Rudder is grimacing at the thought of his country heading into a war, albeit a much different battle than the one he fought on the cliffs of Normandy 57 years ago. Yes, the former Texas A&M president is feeling for the United States during these dark times of terrorism, and he’s hoping from above that his wife, Margaret, and their family still on earth can come through this uncertainty with resolve. At the same time, Gen. Rudder probably can’t keep from bursting with pride, either. For his old university is up to its old tricks again: Beaming with patriotism, spirit and goodwill toward man. This time, it’s the men and women of Aggieland devoting their time and tears for their country, just as he imagined some 35 years ago.
Rudder’s foresight to allow women into Texas A&M was a landmark decision that changed the school forever, and in a good way. The keepers of the spirit? Sure, it’s still the Corps of Cadets, but the women on the A&M campus have made major impacts on keeping A&M so special, so unique, so unchanged in a changing world. Just glancing down the list of student body leaders and tradition-oriented organizations like Muster and Fish Camp, and it’s often the ladies who are holding the past together with the present. While Maroon Out was devised by Kyle Valentine and the latest grass-roots campaign of Red, White and Blue Out was headed by Kourtney XXXXXX, a male, many of the lieutenants who were lined up behind the T-shirt tables and those who scurried for the patriotic shirts in front of the tables were Aggie girls. Indeed, what is so eye-catching about this place now is not the fact that there are coeds on campus, but rather that the Aggie spirit has captivated so many young people these days. There’s Corps members, male and female, frat guys, no-frat guys, and all sorts of girls who have bought into the maroon way of life. Visiting school officials always marvel at how vibrant and bright-eyed the A&M students seem as they "howdy" themselves around campus. Yes, their SAT scores are higher and their cell phone bills more ridiculous. But at times like these when Americans are unsure of the future, there’s no doubt the A&M student body is reassuring that all will be well again in our part of the world. What other school could pull off Saturday’s red, white and blue spectacle? And follow that with a Maroon Out the following week? Most students at other universities were devastated – as all Americans – at the events of Sept. 11. And they supported their school’s football team from their stars-and-striped couches.
The Aggies, meanwhile, nearly set a record for one-day ticket sales, pushing past the 10,000 mark. And each student waited patiently in line to pick up his ticket, only to get back in another long line to pick up his color-coordinated T-shirt… this at 7 in the morning. Very few schools, on a normal football weekend, even come close to selling 10,000 student tickets for football games, much less the 25,000-plus that A&M sells every football weekend. That’s why an entire side of a stadium like Kyle Field could resemble an American Flag. And why ESPN’s Sidelines picked the school to document an entire football season. It’s why Aggies are so different… and so American. "Everything about this school is built around patriotism and devotion of country," says A&M coach R.C. Slocum, who cherishes A&M’s student spirit as much as anybody. "I think it’s a part of A&M, and I’m proud of that." One of the main reasons former President George Bush decided to place his Presidential Library on the A&M campus was his admiration toward what the school stands for and the spirit he could see in the eyes of the students. A major factor in landing the library was Bush’s insistence that he and his colleagues could get closer to the student body with the Bush School of Government. When the Bonfire tragedy stunned A&M in 1999, Bush felt the pain all Aggies endured. I sent Bush a thank you note for his support a few weeks after the tragedy, and a few days later, a reply letter hit my desk: It is easy in life to support something you truly believe in. I believe in A&M, and I respect and love the Aggie spirit. President George W. Bush also talked openly on a television interview right after Bonfire fell about how fond he was of this university and how he knew the spirited people of A&M would get through the tragedy. It was a heartfelt moment that Bush has been re-enacting on the national stage so many times over the past few weeks. The Bush family, like so many Aggies, sees the family atmosphere of the student body and the former students. It’s not just lip service or fleeting during easy times. It’s always there in Aggieland. With the events that have struck this country, everyone from coast to coast is being swept away in patriotism and togetherness, and rightfully so. At A&M, it’s another football weekend, another chance for a tight student body to differentiate itself from the others. It’s just another judgment day in Aggieland… and, Gen. Rudder, they’re still falling in behind the band. After the visit, all I could think about is what it would be like to be Mr. Williams. I wish, too, that I could have seen it all. |
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