I had a very good question posed me yesterday.

A very good friend of mine graduated from Texas A&M University-Commerce. He is the hugest Aggie fan, and loves everything Aggie, like all of us.

He asked me whether or not people who attend other A&M University System schools are considered Ags? I had never thought about it. My first thought would be YES since it is actually A&M owning and running the schools..

You arent an Ag just because you went to College Station right? I mean its basically being a fan, and there is the obvious connection of the A&M system

So are students of the Texas A&M University System all considered Aggies?

Any thoughts???

I think that you are considered an "Associate" AG

I know the Texas A&I (now A&M Kingsville) folks prided themselves on their separate history, so they probably wouldn't consider themselves Aggies. I think it's fair to say that people can be Aggies by adoption, though, particularly when their kids went to A&M.

There are many, many Aggies out there who support A&M (financially and otherwise) and bleed maroon that never had an opportunity to attend A&M or earn an Aggie ring.

My parents being two of them.

Do you get a ring if earn the hours at Texas A&M Commerce or another system school?

Aggie fans... yes
Aggies... maybe not

nope....

i had someone tell me they went to a&m...when i asked them a few questions, they stated they went to the "tarleton" campus.

don't think so.

I will have to say no, because otherwise I am part sip (did some summer classes at UTA). Although it was amazing the people attending UTA full-time that considered themselves sips.

No Ring, No Aggie. Period.

My mom loves A&M almost as much as my dad and I (both Aggies). She spends every Thanksgiving at the nearest Golden Coral or the like and makes every cold, rainy Bonfire (or used to) and every game. She even sat through all 4 quarters of the t.u. game in '93 -- if you were there, you know that's a feat in itself. So she's the closest thing to Aggie I can imagine. But she isn't an Aggie. And she knows it. And she's fine with it.

When I see the "Texas A&M" stickers in green or whatever that have a tiny little "Corpus Christi" under them, I want to puke. These folks are not Aggies. They're "fronting," in the vernacular of our time.

"I've always been a fan of any team in Texas . . . except the Longhorns."
--Pro Bowl Cornerback and Fightin' Texas Aggie Aaron Glenn

"Tech football doesn't suck that bad."
-- Houston-Raider

The students that attend A&M Galveston receive the same diploma we do and get the same Aggie rings that we do. The only difference is that their diploma says "Given under this seal of the University at Galveston(instead of CS), Texas..."

When students transfer from Galveston, their grades also come over to A&M. They are the only system school (actually, the only school) where their grades count here.

Another reason why they are different is that many students will attend their first 60 hours through the college of Geosciences at the main campus and then transfer to an Oceanography or Marine Biology program down in Galveston.

Usually they are referred to as Sea Aggies.

I would like to see where BQ MOM and some of the other prominent supporters who didn't go to school here stand on the subject, though.

"I've always been a fan of any team in Texas . . . except the Longhorns."
--Pro Bowl Cornerback and Fightin' Texas Aggie Aaron Glenn

"Tech football doesn't suck that bad."
-- Houston-Raider

On a recent trip back home to Amarillo, I saw a billboard that caused a doubletake.

The sign combined the word Texas A&M with a picture of some football fans giving what at first looked like a hookem sign.

On the second take, I realized it was West Texas A&M and it was the Buff sign.





Whew. The world hadn't gone bizzaro on me after all.

And no, they aren't Aggies. They are West Texas A&M Buffalo.





[This message has been edited by PanhandleSlim (edited 8/8/2002 12:05p).]

"families" have children two ways; natural childbirth (graduating from A&M in C.S.)or adoption (loving the school and following the code)

i have my ring - class of 92- but would consider anyone who loves the school and the "family" an aggie

I really don't even think this should be a debate, but here's how I look at it:

Sure, all supporters and fans of Texas A&M can call themselves "Aggies". They can bleed maroon and love the school as much as us. I have absolutely no problem w/ that and encourage that.

However, I think that living the Aggie Experience as a student really is the dividing point. There's something extra there in all of us who are associated with TAMU as past, present or future students that the others just haven't experienced.

Just my $.02

I believe individuals that attend universities in the A&M system such as Corpus Christi are called Islanders as their "nickname", not Aggies as those from the main campus. However; any fan of TAMU can be considered Aggies as they support the university.As mentioned above, these fans also bleed maroon and contribute financially to A&M. I believe those of you that only regard people that graduate and wear the "ring" as Aggies present an elitest attitude. Individuals that attend other universities in the system can be Aggies but proud A&MCC Islander graduates.

No, no, and absolutely NO.

An Aggie is defined by those who graduate from Texas A&M with an Aggie ring (CS and Galveston). Going to an associate school does NOT construe one as being an Aggie.

Are they called the Aggies? No, they are the Buffaloes (West Texas A&M), the Lions (Texas A&M Commerce), etc. etc. And do they receive Aggie rings? No.

It gets under my skin when someone says they went to A&M, and when you ask them, they mutter quietly "commerce" or "west texas"....

I love the fact that people want to be Aggies, are Aggie fans, etc. But unless you have attended and graduated from the campus in either College Station or Galveston, you are not an Aggie.

It's not even considered a transfer but a change of curriculum. TUMUG Grads do enjoy the same privileges as TAMU Grads such as the ring and the degree and tickets to the home games. TAMUG students also have the same traditions such as yell practice(on the beach, then at CS) muster, corp of cadets and bonfire
TAMUG is also in the TAMU budget.TAMUG does not have a president but rather a CEO since technically the president of TAMU has the final say on Galveston including the admission process and curriculum. I think one of the reasons that some students spend the first two years at the main campus is the on campus housing requirements that TAMUG has. Unless the housing on campus is full, it is very difficult to get permission to live off campus.



[This message has been edited by SeaAggie (edited 8/8/2002 12:46p).]

I like alot of these people but THEY ARE NOT AGGIES.

I gave a lift to a guy whos car had broke down one time. He looked at the Aggie Stickers on my truck and said "I guess I am an Aggie to" . I asked him what he meant by "I guess". His reply was he went to A&M Commerce. Any one who guesses that he is an Aggie IS NOT AN AGGIE.

quote:

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No Ring, No Aggie. Period.

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- Col. Nathan R. Jessup

quote:

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An Aggie is defined by those who graduate from Texas A&M with an Aggie ring (CS and Galveston)...unless you have attended and graduated from the campus in either College Station or Galveston, you are not an Aggie.

---

- skrangeo (emphasis mine)

I'm sorry, but the logic here does not stand up to the test. By what you are saying, Mrs CBatt, who attended A&M at College Station but did not graduate or earn her ring, is not an Aggie. Nor is my brother-in-law, who attended in the early '70s and did not graduate or earn his ring.

As I have always understood, if you attend Texas A&M University, for any length of time, you are an Aggie. Once an Aggie, always an Aggie.

An Aggie to me is someone who attended and or graduated from the university. Everyone else is a "fan". I believe in the saying, once an Aggie always an Aggie. People that go to the other schools are in the system but are not Aggies. I'm not saying I'm better than those, I am simply giving my definition of what an "Aggie" is to me.

TAMUG is different than the other campuses mentioned because it is considered an extension of the College Station campus (kind of like west campus, just much farther away). The other schools in the system can consider themselves Aggie fans, but are not truly Aggies.

I ran into a similar situation a couple of years ago while helping my boss sort through some job applicants. One in particular chapped me a bit... a guy claimed he went to the University of Texas but when I looked a little further down I saw it was UT-Arlington. To me that's a misrepresentation of your degree. UT-Arlington and UT-Austin are in different leagues, just as A&M-Commerce is in a different league than A&M (College Station).

__________________________________
Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2000
http://www.seastrunk.com

[This message has been edited by DallasAggie2000 (edited 8/8/2002 1:14p).]

IMHO, an Aggie is a person who has earned an Aggie ring and graduated from Texas A&M.

I welcome all others who love our school and support Aggieland when they desire to be part of the Aggie family.

Some of the most fervent and valued Aggie family members of whom I have knowledge didn't attend or graduate from Texas A&M.

I'm happy and proud that they are fully and deservedly included in our Aggie fellowship.





Gig 'em, FAST FRED '65.

Before the world wide web, village idiots usually stayed in their own village.

[This message has been edited by FAST FRED (edited 8/8/2002 1:32p).]

CBatt

I did not include the former students as Ags in my post, so I appreciate your response. I guess in all the "got to have a ring " posters, they believe only those born in Tx are Texans and only those born in the U.S. are.... You get my drift.True loyalty to an institution is sometimes more relevant than the fact you attended said institution.

What about a graduate student who has earned an Aggie ring?

Several variations of this thought...

Lots of folks are "Fans"; their "Aggieness" tends to be proportional to our W/L record in football. Being a fan is great; I like all the fans we can get. However....

Either you did it or you didn't.

To my rule of thought, unless you spent time as an undergradate at A&M, you really have no claim towards being an Aggie. If that upsets you, I don't care, because all the wannabe in the world won't suffice for actually doing it.

Grad school doesn't count either. Sad to say it, but we got lots of folks going to Texas A&M in some form or fashion, but a large percentage of them are missing out on what it means to be an Aggie.

All the "TAMU System" folks ain't. The silliness of sticking an "A&M" someplace in your school's name because you want to share in the PUF via politics in no way ever will make you an Aggie. Nice folks I am sure, but the entire name change thing a few years ago makes me puke. Pure political $$$, nothing else.

If you have to think about it, you aren't....LOL


"Recall.....Step off on Hullabaloo..."

No, they are not Aggies. I do know that A&M-Corpus and A&M-Kingsville have a lot of pride in their own institutions, and rightfully so. The alumni of Kingsville actually fought to keep their school called Texas A&I. That's pride in a tradition. They get their own rings, different than ours, although A&M-CC rings look pretty close. Side note, I remember tortillas being thrown at A&I games long before they were ever thrown at tech games. That was stopped because somebody from the state senate or house was hit by some during a game and he got angered.

"They took the bar, the whole ****ing bar"

How about this, (A) an Aggie is someone who either attends Texas A&M in College Station or that has attended and earned a ring "and" a degree. (B) Then there are other's who send their kids and their money to A&M, and they make bumper stickers for them, my mom has one that says "An Aggies Mom".

(C) Then there are those who support our school and sports programs, which are "honorary" Aggies. This group would also include those who did not receive their ring/degree.

(D) Then, finally, there are those who attend Schools within A&M's system. These people could fit into the category (C) but don't fit into category (A) because they usually have their own mascot, affiliation, etc.

Another group would be those that earned a ring but then put it on E-Bay. These people are 2%er-t-sip-wanna-bes.

quote:

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. . . only those born in Tx are Texans . . .

---

While this is an entirely different debate, that's a pretty fair statement. The difference is that there are exceptions to the "Texans are born in Texas" rule (if you fought for the State in the Revolution or War of Northern Aggression, you're a Texan, if you came at an early age -- like before starting school -- you are a Texan, etc.), and there are NO exceptions to the Aggie Ring = Aggie rule.

This is just my opinion, and I can definately see where others are coming from, but I feel pretty strongly about it. Maybe I'm an elitist, but, then again, I'm a Republican Lawyer, so I guess that just goes with the teritory!

"I've always been a fan of any team in Texas . . . except the Longhorns."
--Pro Bowl Cornerback and Fightin' Texas Aggie Aaron Glenn

"Tech football doesn't suck that bad."
-- Houston-Raider

Which one of y'all are gonna tell RC he's not an Aggie?

What about those that went and served and died in wars that left before earning their rings or degrees?

the only concern i have here is for those that wear maroon and cheer for the team and everything even though they don't, and never will have a chance to wear an Aggie ring getting dirty looks from others like they aren't allowed to be a fan because they never went to A&M....those kindv'e Aggies are the ones that I can not, and will not ever stand....(know a few of them that have actually asked people why they even cheer when it's not "their team" Beyond that I think it's ok to say one who goes to school there/has an aggie ring is definition of an Ag, while others are FANS, but still, no need to say NO fans......

The road goes on forever and the party NEVER ends

So, let me get this straight. Anyone who does not graduate from A&M and earn their Aggie ring from Texas A&M University in College Station is not an Aggie?

So, we didn't lose 12 Aggies in the Bonfire tragedy?

So, all the kids who headed off to war before graduating from A&M and didn't make it home aren't Aggies?

So, a kid that was at A&M for 93 hours, but ended up having to leave unexpectantly to help out in a family crisis and never made it back is not an Aggie?

So, a kid who worked 40 hours per week and lived in Walton just to put themselves through school when their parents couldn't afford to and couldn't quite scrape together the dough for their ring isn't an Aggie?

There are many people who are not Aggies. And this includes everyone in the TAMU system except those at TAMUG. But to try to make a definitive statement like this

quote:

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No Ring, No Aggie. Period.

---

is ludicrous.

^
|
|
What he said

Isn't the reason we have an Association of Former Students that you don't have to graduate to be a member, as opposed to an Alumni assoc.

As far as I can recollect, when I was there, you didn't have to graduate to get the ring, only accumulate X credit hours at Texas A&M. This may ave changed though, its been 6 years.

Someone mentioned that you aren't an Ag unless you graduated from there, what about current students?

As for me, I went to A&M my first semester, went back to JUCO for 2 years, then finished at A&M. At no time after setting foot on campus that fall if 91, have I not considered myself an Ag, even when I was going to class elsewhere.

That being said, if you don't meet the qualifications of having attended A&M in CS or Galveston, you aren't "officially" an Ag. That being said, I do know many, like my brother, who are more "Aggie" than people I attended class with, including my 2%er roommate. Mt brother understands and appreciates the Spirit of Aggieland better than most. They simply didn't offer the degree program he was interested in. The War Hymn makes him get goosebumps, he knows all the words to the Spirit, hell, everytime we play NCAA 2003, he want's to get up and sing the War Hymn! He bleeds maroon. Aggie, not technically, but tell him that.

Just my $0.02.

Gig Em!

Wreckncrew96

"I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There's a knob called 'brightness,' but it doesn't work." --Gallagher


[This message has been edited by Wreckncrew96 (edited 8/8/2002 1:50p).]

[This message has been edited by Wreckncrew96 (edited 8/8/2002 1:58p).]

I guess I would like to amend my post. If you have worked on your degree at either College Station or Galveston, then you can call yourself an Aggie.

If someone wasn't able to finish (i.e. wartime, etc.), then I consider them an Aggie.

Someone who stepped on campus, then flunked out because their head was up their....well, thanks, but no thanks. It takes a lot of hard work to earn your degree from A&M, and I don't like sharing that same symbolism with pothead Jones that got spanked the first semester he stepped on campus.

Bah! To me, it's hard to put into words what exactly defines an Aggie. There are definitely grey areas.

But, there are definitely areas that are not grey at all. Which brings us to the original topic, if someone went to a satellite school, are they an Aggie?

NO.

There. That should cover the original question.

Anyone else here have one of these?:


Native Texan - 6th generation