Howdy, Ags,

I'd like to invite you to attend Silver Taps on March 7 with the Brazos County A&M Club and the (primarily freshmen) residents of White Creek Apartments on A&M's west campus. Silver Taps will be held for 3 Aggie students that night.

Full details: tx.ag/SilverTapsBCAMC

It's not as simple for these students to get to Silver Taps as it was for those of us who lived on main campus. We'll experience that, in fact, as we take the bus to campus with them at 9:30 and back at 11.

Like me, you are probably already thinking "That's pretty late at night, and I'm up early the next day..." And it's true, we're "Old Ags" with jobs and kids and so on. But if you can carve out this piece of time to meet some freshmen, talk with them, and show what this means to you, it might have a lasting effect (and I'd be personally very grateful to you -- I'd love to show up with maybe a dozen Ags, or at least more than two!)

White Creek will hold a small reception for us at 9 p.m., and we'll be joined by a Class of '68 yell leader.

Maps, times, parking and more are at the link above. Here are the students being honored at this Silver Taps:

Ross Lightfoot '17
A 23-year-old senior computing engineering major from Silsbee, TX. Ross died Feb. 15 when his pickup crossed over the center line of Villa Maria Road in Bryan.
Alex Jones '18
A 20-year-old junior political science major from San Antonio, TX; incoming commander of the Aggie Band. Alex died Feb. 19 after his vehicle crossed the center line on Highway 21 and hit a semi-truck west of Bryan.
Ronald Thiessen '19
A 20-year-old sophomore computing science major from Seminole, TX. Ronald was found dead in his home on Jan. 26.

If you're planning to come, I can get you a parking permit -- to give me a head count, you can either RSVP on our Facebook event or just email me at sowen94@aggienetwork.com. See you there!

This is good of y'all to do.
This late in the year, attendance at Taps drops to corps and few other students.

Thank you, Scruffy



Updates about parking and weather!

Hello, dear folks! I have a parking pass for everybody who's given me a firm RSVP, either verbally or via the Facebook event, and I could still get more if I know by 4 p.m. Monday how many to get (I'm at sowen94@aggienetwork.com). One of us will meet you over at Lot 114 (behind Wehner) so you can put the pass on your dashboard!

BUT you can still come! Visitor parking may be available at White Creek and should cost $3, see below.

Weather: KBTX says "Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Low: 54." There might be rain earlier in the day but not currently forecast for evening.



Back to parking:

There are some PAID visitor parking spots very near White Creek, though I don't know if they will be full; these are like Northgate, you park and then walk over to the little computer kiosk, type in your parking space number and pay (credit card accepted). The cost for parking 3 hours at night should be $3.
Paid visitor parking spaces are marked in blue on this map: http://transportmap.tamu.edu/parkingmap/tsmap.htm?map=vis

Worst-case scenario: There are large paid visitor lots by the Medical Sciences Library and a bus (Route 9) that runs from there to Wehner: http://transport.tamu.edu/busroutes/Routes.aspx?r=09

(Note: While there is free parking in one garage on campus for Silver Taps, it unfortunately isn't the West Campus Garage. Details: http://transport.tamu.edu/Parking/events/annual.aspx)

I just wanted to share a followup in case anyone was wondering how it came out. The students who came out were so sweet and so spirited, and the White Creek Apartments staff/advisors were terrific, hardworking, very welcoming.
We may try to do this again in the fall.
Here we are on the bus to campus!