Even when the New York Times provides a generally favorable review of the College Station, Texas — about 100 miles northwest of downtown Houston and the home of Texas A&M University — the newspaper cannot resist making a snarky comment about one of A&M’s most hallowed institutions — the magnificent Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. In commenting on the experience of attending a football game in College Station, the Times article makes the following observation:
“Donít miss halftime; youíd have to go to North Korea to match the choreographed pageantry of A&Mís band and corps of cadets.”
North Korea, huh?
Sounds just like the NY Times.
I am not an Aggie, but I am a tremendous respector of traditions:
– the Corps March In at Kyle Field
– the Sooner Schooner & the Ruf Nex in Norman
– leaving at halftime in Austin if the Horns are losing.
As a counterpoint to the Times opinion, through attending a series of high school football games this year, I have gotten my fill of this New Age band crap. Kids holding their instruments 90 degrees from the angle they are moving as they walk sideways, playing some song that was composed 30 minutes before game time. I told my wife last night that John Phillp Sousa must be spinning in his grave, and that I was tired of seeing all these “amblin’ bands”, and was looking forward to seeing a true marching band when we attend the Tech – A&M game next weekend.
jrb
“I am not an Aggie, but I am a tremendous respector of traditions:
– the Corps March In at Kyle Field
– the Sooner Schooner & the Ruf Nex in Norman
– leaving at halftime in Austin if the Horns are losing.”
You forgot the vaunted tradition of the Aggies, year after year, of losing seasons in almost every sport. A&M has fallen behind Tech and, according to this article has only TCU to consider as a rival. As far as academics are considered, A&M has always been behind Rice, Texas, SMU, Baylor and South Texas College of Law (to name just a few).
Traditions are wonderful, but when they are honored at the expense of offering the students a quality college experience, traditions need to be reconsidered. The plain and simple truth is that the A&M experience appeals to a smaller and smaller cross section of prospective students. Most students come out of high school believing their true greatness lies in the future, not buried deep in the past.
As far as seeing the A&M band in action at the Tech game, who this year? You can see the same show next week, next year, the year after, 20 years after that, etc, etc.
A&M’s greatness seems to lie behind it, which is why the school refuses to embrace the future. No other Texas school is suffering from this sclerosis.
P.S. Go ‘Horns!
(A tremendous respector?)
Ah, yes.
Since OU-texas is now only two weeks way, the Longhorn bashing will commence.
cmilford writes “The plain and simple truth is that the A&M experience appeals to a smaller and smaller cross section of prospective students”.
Enrollment data from Austin and College Station over the past few years is listed below:
Texas A&M
2002 52,261 45,083
2003 51,426 44,813
2004 50,377 44,435
2005 49,333 44,647
Apparently, one must be wearing burnt orange colored glasses to interpret these numbers in the manner in which cmilford did. Looks as if UT may be beginning to suffer from “sclerosis” of enrollment, if either of these two schools does. Just like a ‘sip to not let the facts get in the way of his perceptions.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention one more tradition that I love.
– The north half of the Cotton Bowl being empty by the end of the game when the ‘horns lose to OU in Dallas.
Boomer.
“Traditions are wonderful, but when they are honored at the expense of offering the students a quality college experience, traditions need to be reconsidered. The plain and simple truth is that the A&M experience appeals to a smaller and smaller cross section of prospective students. Most students come out of high school believing their true greatness lies in the future, not buried deep in the past.”
“A&M’s greatness seems to lie behind it, which is why the school refuses to embrace the future. No other Texas school is suffering from this sclerosis.”
Dude, I am not an A & M fan, but you are a complete and utter tool if I have ever seen one.
Speaking of leaving someone in their past, Ohio State did a pretty good job of that, didn’t they?