Howdy! That is the
official greeting of the 6th largest student body in the nation, Texas A&M
University (TAMU). Founded in 1871 as the first public institution of higher
education in Texas, TAMU is located in College Station, Texas, ninety miles
northwest of Houston, Texas.
1.
Engineering
The Dwight Look College
of Engineering boosts the 8th ranked engineering program of a public
institution offering a doctorate degree and the 16th overall ranking for
engineering programs in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report. The engineering program is by far the
largest school at the university, boosting over 10,000 students, or more than
20% of their student population. Being that large is not enough for A&M as
their goal is to increase the College of Engineering to 25,000 student by 2025.
First year engineering students have their own dormitory, The Engineering Living Learning Community
(ELLC), with five total floors, four for male students and one for
female engineering students.
2. Corp of
Cadets
Stepping on the campus
of A&M, one will not miss the Corp of Cadets. More than 2,300 students
belong to the ROTC program, making it one of nations' largest uniformed student
body. Texas A&M commissions more officers than any other institution other
than the nation's service academies. The Corp of Cadets reside in special
dormitories in the Quadrangle and the Memorial Student Center (MSC), which
recently finished a 4 year renovation, is a memorial to all Aggies who have
served. The highest ranking member of the Corp of Cadets is Reveille (currently
VIII). She is a purebred collie and the official mascot of TAMU. She has a Corp
member assigned to her at all times and has the power to dismiss class if she
barks, because if you cannot keep Reveille interested, you cannot keep the
students engaged.
3. Aggie
Spirit
Tradition was the first
word I was told by an Aggie alum in reference to TAMU. That tradition goes
along with another Texas passion, football. On fall Saturday's, Kyle Field will
draw between 30-40,000 students, or almost half of its capacity. The 12th Man,
as they are officially known, stand the entire game, while waving their
official white towels, to support their fellow Aggies. Besides the football
games, the tradition of the Aggie Ring, earned by students after 90 hours of
credit, is recognizable to graduates of TAMU since 1894. Other traditions on campus include placing a
penny at the foot of the statue of former president Lawrence Sullivan Ross (or
as his namesake in Monsters, Inc. is called,
Sully), for help during exam week. Near the statue of 'Sully,' one will find an
odd shaped Century Tree, the oldest tree on campus, where many traditions of
good luck and marriage proposals occur.
4.
Friendliness
On my visit to campus, friendliness
in the form of 'Howdy' was evident as I am greeted on the phone, by the student
admissions office receptionist and by nearly every passing student whose eyes I
catch. Not only do you hear 'Howdy,' but if an upperclassman hears something
they enjoy, they 'Whoop!' If you are a underclassman, do not worry, each class
has their own specific 'yell,' which is practiced at the Midnight Yell Practice and performed at football games. This Aggie
Spirit is important to the culture of TAMU as 92% of freshmen return to TAMU
for their sophomore year, an impressive statistic at such a large university.
Lastly students who graduate from Texas A&M, 80.4%, are linked to the
university forever. An Aggie never says goodbye, but while giving a' thumbs up,'
exclaims "Gig 'Em!"
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