Drummer,

I was a transfer student and frat daddy. My 2 biggest regrets about college are not starting at A&M and not having a chance in the corps
(had rotc exp, but didnt want to frog in, didnt want to spend 6 years in college)

I had some really good experiences and still have a number of good friends I keep in touch with, 5+ years out.

But I had several good corps friends and the unity they had was tighter. Not only that, the corps turds were tough as nails; didnt matter what- would drink you under the table, outhustle you on the court till you quit, give 30 pounds but still wrestle you tough, didnt matter. They all deep down trusted that with superior effort, they could overcome anything.

I also had friends who quit the corps. They all regretted it. Might not have said so, but you could sense a touch of shame when they talked about it.

Frats are like the freshman team compared to most corps units, but I still had pledge brothers who quit. They knew I still cared about them, but they usually had a hard time looking me in the face afterwards.

That stuff about sneaking beer into the dorm, sneaking into Krueger and making grilled cheese sandwiches with an iron---screw that

You have the rest of your life to drink beer and chase tail, although that wont ultimately bring any sense of accomplishment.


You said that you work, if money is the issue I could probably spot some money (I would ask about your situation) and you could pay me back after the summer.

Maybe some of the other texags could and would be willing to do the same. Let me know:

brennandiamond@hotmail.com

You know that deep down you dont want to quit. Your texags handle wouldnt be BQDrummer if you were not proud of what you are trying to accomplish. No money can be a pain, but there are resources.



If you dont take the advice of all the people on the board, at least do yourself a favor and get involved with another campus organization. They killed bonfire, but there's the frats, service organizations, different sports clubs, campus ministries, the choir, whatever...

Dont just be that guy who shows up to the keg on Friday. Most of those people were miserable.

sounds like this dude just wanted to be in the band, but not the corps. why not punch out

8 words:

suck it up, or be a non reg.

If money is an issue - there is the financial aid office - there are loans, grants, scholarships out there - you just need to do some legwork and you'd be suprised how much you can get. Yeah, having student loans suck, but you'll make plenty in the future to pay those back.

My best friend from HS was in the Corps and I was not. He nearly quit halfway through his fish year. I think part of it was he saw how much freedom I had and how little he had and was frustrated. He wound up staying and I know for him that was one of the best decisions he ever made.

I agree with atleast waiting til Christmas break to give yourself some time. Also really take some time to talk to some older guys in your unit.

don't quit...period.

BQ, One fact. Look at the support that you have here... on TexAgs. How you can consider quitting with all these people(even some very cool non-regs) is beyond me. Think of the support from your buddies. You will NEVER in your life have this many people to help you through your problems.
If you give up now I am afraid you will always give up. Best of luck. BTHOB

my freshman year, my grandmother (who was like a mother to me) got very sick and passed away. this was about 4 weeks into it. I was having trouble with school because I had missed some class for it, and my mind was a pile of scrambled eggs. I didnt think I would be able to get through it. Just turn to your buddies and "select" upperclassmen for advice and support. If you are having "personal troubles" I could think of no better place to be. Hope all works out well.

Don't quit if at all possible.
My first FOL quit completely, about mid football season, because he was "homesick". I've not heard from or of him in the ensuing 41 years.
I almost did, too, about the same time. It was rough, being a Fish in the Band, but I had help. The support of a girl I met my first weekend home (although I was pursuing anotherat the time) kept me hanging in when things got really depressing, even well on into my P-Head year. Unfortunately, things didn't work out with her.
Since the '94 Band Reunion, the '69 BQ's have gotten a lot tighter and have regular contact. Much of what happened back in past has been left there, except for the good memories.

Hang in there. You won't regret it.


One Southwest Conference band director of the (Adams) era reportedly said "I dread going against the Aggie Band...It takes two weeks to recover from the trauma."

Essayons,

Flaggie
FTAB '69

I punched in early November of my fish year. My mid-term GPA was less than 1 so I withdrew from the university because of grades.

If your grades are good enough that you would stay in school, but just quit the band DON'T DO IT.

I've tried to rationalize my decision for 5-6 years now. It's still my biggest regret.

Just hang in there. It's hard now, but if it wasn't, everyone would do it.

I've heard numerous people who punched talk about how they wish they would have stayed in...I've NEVER heard a senior in his boots say that he wish he'd quit. Trust me, whatever you think you are losing now by being in the Corps, you'll gain three-fold by staying in...life-long buddies, self-respect, discipline, times you'll never forget! Stick it out!!!

I'm a BQ, class of '96. I had some "personal reasons" of my own, but I stayed in.

I don't know if you need to quit or not, but would be glad to discuss it with you.

Call me.

So I don't have to post my name, just ask for the guy who was in the Aggie Band. They'll know to put you through to me. 979-260-7030.

BQDrummer,

Like most of the people posting here I was in the Corps & the Aggie Band (from 02-06). In may I recieved my commission into the Air Force and for the first time ever, I had to be on the other side of the Aggie Band. I never realized how much it meant to me until I wasn't in it anymore. My first few games this season were the first time I had seen the Aggie Band perform and it was so hard for me to not be a part of it anymore. The only reason I get like that is because the four years I was in the band were the best I have had in my short life. It isn't the music that stirs me, its what the music makes me remember - weekend trips to buddies houses, halftimes, crap-outs, BQ Balls, proposals, dinners, and everything else that I would have NEVER experienced without the Aggie Band.

Being the XO of A-Batt last year, I got to see a lot of kids quit the band for complete B.S. reasons, and I have witnessed true toughness with people sticking it out despite losing parents, siblings, and the ups and downs of personal relationships. If you quit, I GUARANTEE that you will miss it. No one that cares that much about the band joining up (and you DID care quite a bit, GavAggie) could walk away from it and not regret it.

Talk to your old lady and your buddies when you are all together and tell them you are about to punch, and I bet they will refuse to let you go. If they know your situtation, they aren't going to turn their backs on you, they will help you. Your buddies "marry and bury you" (right Ags?). Thats who should help you; not the C.O., not old ags. Stick it out and you will be more proud of yourself than you ever thought you could be.

[This message has been edited by Noblemen06 (edited 10/27/2006 8:58a).]

[This message has been edited by Noblemen06 (edited 10/27/2006 8:58a).]

BQD, it gets easier after the first semester... not much, but it does get easier. When you become a pisshead it will be MUCH easier, granted you still won't be a whitebelt, but you will be considered human again. I know it's tough kid, but trust me when I say it used to be much tougher, tougher than when I was there also, my brother was class of 77 (So he was a fish in 74 and those guys had it BAD). You can make it, just hang in there, it's all about mental toughness, if you got it, you will make it. In truth it's all a game of who is mentally tough and who is not. I know many who regret getting out.

Just curious-did all the band bashing on here from former Q's have anything to do with de-motivating you? After the first drill you posted a message asking what people on this board thought of the drill-and got ripped. Since then, any mention of the half time drill results in about three pages of comments regarding how much the band sux now. Did that have any impact on your morale?

Thats not the fish's fault... And the band is MUCH better now than they were at the beginning of the season.

If your thinking about punching ask one of my buddies about it who did. He rejoined the next year as a fish because he missed the band so much. Make it till Spring Break, learn to play the game, and everything gets so much easier.
One thing I know about fish punching is they never talk to their buddies or upperclassman about it. Go do that. Talk to your Chaplain, PL, CO, and buddies.
I know that it would have killed me to hear or see the band if I wasn't a part of it. How will it affect you?

I am a Aggie dad who has 2 sons, one has graduated from ATM and the other is a junior. Finish what you started regardless of the hurdles. Man up and face your situation with a kickass attitude.

Good luck
Aggie Dad

The bottom line is that you need to do what you need to do in this case.

All this crap about "being a man"? Give me a break. I thought I had woken up and it was suddenly 1950 all over again. That rhetoric is pitiful and outdated and those people need to come with something better.

What are your goals in life? Dreams? Hopes? If being in the corps will get you closer to those, then it might be worth it to stick with it. If not, then get out and don't worry about it. In the end, it is your life and only YOU will have to live with whatever you decide.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Chris
www.chrisfield.blogspot.com

[This message has been edited by chrisfield (edited 10/27/2006 9:28a).]

I tried to convince 2 guys not to punch when they were fish. They came back into the outfit as sophmores and are now walking in boots today.

Everytime they see me they both still thank me for trying to keep them. They are both happy to be where they are.

If you can't avoid it, you can't avoid it. If you can, it's worth staying and finishing.

BQ10 - don't quit. You will regret that decision for the rest of your life.

I was a CT from 00-04 and graduated in my boots and it was the best feeling of accomplishment I have ever had. You will have the closest friends for life and the Corps will build you into everything you want to be.

It's all in your head. You can do anything you put your mind to. If it's grades, get a tutor. If it's stress, talk to a friend or family member.

Stick with it. Three years from now you could be leading the FTAB marching on Kyle Field. No joke. In every class there is a Corps Commander, there are Outfit COs, Drum Majors, etc. There is no reason why you can't be one of those.

Pour your heart into everything that you do and know that what they are doing over there on the quad serves a purpose.

Set goals for yourself. Make it to Christmas. Then make it to summer, and the hard part is done.

If you have other priorities then dont feel ashamed for quitting. The sun doesnt rise and set on the corps. There are far more important things in life. Sure you might regret it but it sounds like you have your priorities straight.

When I was a fish, heck as a pisshead too, I used to talk to the fishlady, problem is she's probably no longer with us (she was fiery, but she was aged quite a bit, but a real sweet lady and always had good things to encourage you). She would keep the pissheads away too when fish needed to talk to her. She was basically an unofficial counselor. IT was great.

Aggielong - What outfit were you in?

BQDrummer10, a lot of good advice has been given over the last 3 pages of posts. As a Class of '84 BQ, my first reaction is to say stick it out until Christmas. Unfortunately, we don't know your circumstances.

Based on what you have revealed - you will stay in school, just punch from the band & corps - I suspect the issues are not as grave as they "appear" to be.

While talking with your fish ol' lady and other fish buddies should be the first step, it may be that you need to discuss your situation with someone older that has been there, done that.

If this is the case, I would advise talking to Col. Brewer. As he was a BQ, Cloas of '83, he saw many who punched and still regret it, as well as a number who stuck it out and turned out to be the best decision they have ever made.

Take a deep breath.

Don't quit YET.

First, talk to your buddies and get some support.

Second, seek help for the personal issues (that may be help within the Band & Corps or it might be outside help. I know for a fact that Jay Brewer will listen to anything you have to say, and there is no better Christian man to help you through personal issues than him. I ought to know.... he was a senior when I was a fish.

Third, This is VERY IMPORTANT.........consider the consequences of BEING WRONG. If you QUIT and are wrong you will regret it the rest of your life. If you don't quit and are wrong, you will probably just go through some hard times.

Fourth, march the Baylor game, and then see how you feel. If you still want to quit........ write down the reasons why, put them in an envelope and read it again after the Oklahoma game.

If after the Oklahoma Game you still feel the same way, make a list of all your friends in the Corps/Band and another list of nonreg friends, place the list in an envelope and read after the Nebraska game.

If you again want to quit after the Nebraska game, write down all the reasons that quitting will benefit you and put it in an envelope to read after the Texas Game.

If you still want to quit after Elephant Walk and the Texas Game, make one last list..... write down what quitting would mean to all those who you care about and are on your list of friends above.

Seal this envelope. Study for Finals. Go home for Christmas. Go to whatever Bowl game the Aggies will play in. At the beginning of the new semester come back to the band.

On February 1, 2007 open your last envelope..... if you still want to quit, I will walk you to the commadants office and help you move into your new dorm.

If you want to quit after doing all the above, then the Aggie Band is probably not the right place for you. But don't act rashly. This is not a decision like what you are going to eat for dinner....... this is a decision that will affect (for good or bad) the rest of your life and how you shape your future.

Being a fish is HARD. Being a fish in the Aggie Band is VERY HARD!

The decision you make will determine if the buddies you have today are your closest friends 10, 20 50 years from now.

The memories that you make today....... are the stories that you will remember and tell the rest of your life.

quote:

---

The bottom line is that you need to do what you need to do in this case.

All this crap about "being a man"? Give me a break. I thought I had woken up and it was suddenly 1950 all over again. That rhetoric is pitiful and outdated and those people need to come with something better.

What are your goals in life? Dreams? Hopes? If being in the corps will get you closer to those, then it might be worth it to stick with it. If not, then get out and don't worry about it. In the end, it is your life and only YOU will have to live with whatever you decide.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

---

Best advice on the entire board. Posting about your "glory days" in the Corps is not helping BQ Drummer at all. His decision should not be based on the emotion that you are trying to invoke in him by telling him these Corps stories.
Take time to think and pray about it, do not make a rushed decision (you will regret that). Talk to unbiased people about your situation, people that you know and trust. Best of luck.

depends on what the issues are.

For me, it was my Dad begged me to join the corps, and believe me - he can be very pursuasive. I stood up to him (for the first time in my life) and told him no.

Greatest thing I've done. Gave me confidence to grow up.

BQdrummer,

Bottom line is this: We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we.

Can you see how much support you have on this board? And by support, I mean that everyone that posted, no matter what their suggestion, they support you because they cared enough to post.

Quit the band. Don't quit the band. It's up to you. There is no "are you man enough?" crap because it really comes down to whatever your situation is.

I had a personal situation come up a month into my freshman year that I let consume my thoughts and my time and eventually, my grades. This situation ate up a couple of years of my life, and it wasn't my doing, it was only my bad reaction to something someone else did. None of my friends could make it better and I wouldn't listen to them if they could have because I was hurt and confused. Eventually, I left A&M and didn't return and it's always been a regret of mine.

Have you ever seen "Copland" with Sylvester Stallone? Do you know how he stands on the Jersey side and looks at the NYC skyline and just wishes?

If you punch, that MIGHT be you everytime you look at the band. If you leave school, it WILL be you every time you drive by campus.

But the bottom line is still that a lot of people that don't know you did care enough to weigh in. You aren't alone.

A good friend of mine quit the corps. He had a great time the rest of his years in Aggieland and he owns his own engineering/consulting business and has a beautiful family. No regrets for him.

Do what is best for you. But think about it. Pray about it.

stay the course BQ, stay the course

It's not life or death... do whatever you think will make you the happiest, and then don't look back. That's what it all boils down to.

When I was a fish all of our buddies were going to quit at the same time. Didn't happen, though some did quit. Worth it to be in. But if you are going to have that mentality, then quit, because let me tell you. Your buddies don't want to hear you bi^ch. That's all.

98 C-1 Centerpole
Last of the Red Ass

I'm with Bic05.

I was a fish in the band for the 04-05 year. I went into it with the same mentality as you BQ10 and 1 week after starting, one of my family members who I was very close to died. I looked for support from my buddies (who are now your juniors), from the seniors (only one would actually help me), and from other people. The only person who actually made sense to me was Laura Arth. She is a wonderful lady who will listen and talk you through any troubles you are having. Please talk to her.

I had many problems with the leadership of my outfit. I knew many of them were just thrown into the leadership positions and were not necessarily qualified for the job. This added to the reasons for getting out. Bad leadership=bad learning. Take your cadre into account for your decision.

I looked at my buddies and saw that many were not very dedicated to the outfit or the band. Many got a pass out of CQ and PT to go hang out with friends, go off campus, etc. They skipped out on many things that were important to the outfit. So look at your fish buddies and assess their commitment to the outfit.

After examining every option I decided to punch. I say to many people that starting out in the Corps was the second best decision of my life, and getting out of the Corps was the best decision of my life. I wouldn't trade the experience of FOW and my first 2 football games as an Aggie in the FTAB for the world but I am happy as a non-reg. I am glad that I got out especially after hearing that it took my fish buddies until after Christmas to get their band lyre and the next year the outfit CO was brought in from another band outfit. (Not 100% on this one but I remember hearing if from someone in the Corps)

I came to A&M for the Band and Architecture, I am now at A&M as a non-reg and a Human Resource Development major. Things change, and thats ok as long as you examine every possible option. That's what I did and I feel that my life would not be as good as it is right now if I had not punched. So many opportunities have come up now that I have time to take advantage of them instead of polishing my shoes or trying to find someone who can sign my pass. I have found the girl I am going to marry because I sat on third deck for the K-State game my freshman year, I have a job in my major because I went to a banquet that would have been during CQ, I have time to take care of me (which is vitally important for many people).

I am not trying to tell you to not listen to the others on the board trying to keep you in. They all have good reasons to stay in. You need to make an informed decision and make this decision for YOU, not everyone on this board.

Best of luck to you, and I know that whatever decision you make, it will be the correct one.

Quit acting like a puss. Stay or quit but stop coming on texags looking for sympathy.

NOT TO RUB IT IN BUT I TOTALLY CALLED THIS IN A POST A FEW MONTHS AGO!