Texas A and M University - Aggieland Yearbook (College Station, TX)

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Did You Hear About the Aggie Who . . . Many theories, jokes and answers have been developed from the famous question ' What is a Texas Aggie? ' This is another attempt to answer that question by explaining who the Aggies are and how they live. Different kinds of students, activities during the seasons, daily routines and personal hab¬ its will be presented and explored. On the surface Aggies tend to be similar but actually they are a very diverse group. Of 18,000 students, 2,500 are in the Corps of Cadets, 4,000 are girls, 3,738 are graduates, 3,600 are on-campus non-regs, and 4,162 live off-campus. Aggies also differ in lifestyles, politics, religion and nationalities. With such a wide spectrum of lifestyles, one might say that a student at A M is someone who wears a uniform; kicker boots, clogs, slaps, or someone who chews tobacco, drinks Schlitz, sips Dr. Pepper, or someone who dances to Charlie Rich, boogies to the Stones, listens to the Moody Blues or Bach, or someone who doesn ' t wear a bra, shines brass, stud¬ ies under a tree, or sleeps a lot. In fact, a Texas Aggie is a lot like students on campuses everywhere except an A M stu¬ dent likes people, especially other Aggies. So, the next 54 pages will provide a pictorial tour of student life at A M and a slightly humorous view of Aggies. Student Life 19

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18 Student Life

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Antics of ' Fish ' Promote Spirit Freshmen in the Corps of Cadets, or ' fish ' as they are notoriously known, are an extraordinary and closely knit group. They are the spirit of the school and they have the privilege of being the low men on the totem pole in the pecking order of the Corps. According to tradition, there is nothing lower than a ' fish, ' except maybe a ' frog, ' who is someone who gets into the Corps after the Bonfire of his freshman year. A ' fish ' cannot feel, know, think, want, or desire, and he may may not walk across grass, dirt, and parking lots. How does one spot a freshman? He is easily recogniza¬ ble by his shorter than usual haircut and his trimless biter. Also by his march-like walk, and his alertness to the pres¬ ence of upperclassmen. A ' fish ' may also be characterized by his very forward yet gung-ho attitude. This is evident in his loud ' howdy ' and the many antics he carried out to promote spirit. After a victory on the gridiron, freshmen have the duty of dump¬ ing the yell leaders in the ' fish ' pond. Other privileges and rights of freshmen include shining brass and shoes, push¬ ing off 77, and slicing the pie at supper. Another privilege that freshmen have is to compose the membership of one of the finest organizations at A M, the Fish Drill Team. It is the recipient of countless awards and travels around the country to compete in drill contests. The members are all freshmen and sacrifice study and recrea¬ tion time to practice their drills. All Aggies are proud of them, and they have proved to be one of the most popular organizations on campus. It would seem freshmen have it rough with studies and Corps duties, but to quote a member of the class of ' 77, I wouldn ' t have it any other way; if it was, the Corps wouldn ' t be the corps. 20 Student Life