April 2019
As a graduate student at A&M, I’m sure you’ve grown accustomed to some of the things that make our Aggie family a little different. We stand during football games, we say HOWDY, we yell instead of cheer, the highest-ranking member of the Corps of Cadets is our lady Reveille. The list of things that make A&M different/amazing is honestly a long one, but I’d like to take a moment and tell you about my personal favorite of all our Aggie traditions: Muster.
In case you’re unaware, Muster is the yearly remembrance of our friends and comrades who’ve passed on since the last gathering. It’s a chance to show united support to the families who’ve lost loved ones. It’s this unique solidarity and “togetherness” that makes this tradition my favorite. Typically, Muster takes place on April 21st (it’s been pushed back to April 22nd this year due to Easter) and is celebrated with gatherings of Aggies both large and small. Aggies have been joining together on Muster for over two centuries, but it was the gathering held in 1942 on the besieged island of Corregidor in the South Pacific during World War II that really brought the tradition to the forefront of the national consciousness. Since the end of that conflict, Aggies have gathered together around the world to remember those we’ve lost and celebrate our larger family.
Being an Aggie is more than just sharing an educational experience or standing through a sporting event or exchanging a “Howdy” as you pass on campus. It’s more than seeing a familiar ring across an airport and making your way through a crowd talk about Aggieland. All of those are aspects or expressions of what it means to be an Aggie; to be a part of the Aggie family. Muster *is* the Aggie family. As a graduate student, sometimes we miss out on much of the hullaballoo that comes naturally to our more tied-in undergraduate population. I’m sure most of you realize how special of a place Aggieland is, but it is easy to feel like an outsider to much of the tradition that make our school unique. That said, I’d like to personally invite you to attend Muster this next Monday, April 22nd. Come with your family or with a group of friends or alone (although you won’t feel alone for long).
Here in College Station, our Muster will be at 7:00 pm at Reed Arena. A Camaraderie BBQ is also taking place that day at Kyle Field Plaza from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. Please join us!
For details on the gather here in College Station or one of the other 300+ gatherings around the world, please visit https://muster.tamu.edu/.
(All pictures from https://www.aggienetwork.com/muster/#mustertradition.)
--- Jeffrey Keese
Jeffrey Keese is a PhD student in the College of Education
In case you’re unaware, Muster is the yearly remembrance of our friends and comrades who’ve passed on since the last gathering. It’s a chance to show united support to the families who’ve lost loved ones. It’s this unique solidarity and “togetherness” that makes this tradition my favorite. Typically, Muster takes place on April 21st (it’s been pushed back to April 22nd this year due to Easter) and is celebrated with gatherings of Aggies both large and small. Aggies have been joining together on Muster for over two centuries, but it was the gathering held in 1942 on the besieged island of Corregidor in the South Pacific during World War II that really brought the tradition to the forefront of the national consciousness. Since the end of that conflict, Aggies have gathered together around the world to remember those we’ve lost and celebrate our larger family.
Being an Aggie is more than just sharing an educational experience or standing through a sporting event or exchanging a “Howdy” as you pass on campus. It’s more than seeing a familiar ring across an airport and making your way through a crowd talk about Aggieland. All of those are aspects or expressions of what it means to be an Aggie; to be a part of the Aggie family. Muster *is* the Aggie family. As a graduate student, sometimes we miss out on much of the hullaballoo that comes naturally to our more tied-in undergraduate population. I’m sure most of you realize how special of a place Aggieland is, but it is easy to feel like an outsider to much of the tradition that make our school unique. That said, I’d like to personally invite you to attend Muster this next Monday, April 22nd. Come with your family or with a group of friends or alone (although you won’t feel alone for long).
Here in College Station, our Muster will be at 7:00 pm at Reed Arena. A Camaraderie BBQ is also taking place that day at Kyle Field Plaza from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. Please join us!
For details on the gather here in College Station or one of the other 300+ gatherings around the world, please visit https://muster.tamu.edu/.
(All pictures from https://www.aggienetwork.com/muster/#mustertradition.)
--- Jeffrey Keese
Jeffrey Keese is a PhD student in the College of Education