Aggie Quick Connection April 2012 - Family Edition

April 2012 Aggie Quick Connection 1

Message from the Office of New Student and Family Programs

We hope you had a great time in Aggieland during Parents’ Weekend! April means the end of the semester is quickly approaching and there is a lot of excitement on campus. Over the next month, it is important to communicate with your student about their coursework and their plans for the summer. April can be an overwhelming month with finals approaching, so it is imperative to support and encourage your student so they have a strong finish to the semester. Whether it’s finishing their first year at A&M or graduation, you play a vital role in your student’s success!

We hope this newsletter provides you with insight about all the great activities happening on campus and remember to visit the Aggie Family web site for additional updates and helpful resources. You can visit us at http://parents.tamu.edu/. Please feel free to contact the Office of New Student and Family Programs at (979) 845-5826, or email us at aggiefamilies@tamu.edu if you have any questions.

Thanks and Gig ’Em!

What’s Inside:Page 2: MusterPage 3: MSC RededicationPage 4: Ring DancePage 5: Aggieland YearbookPage 6: Campus Events

Important Dates

April 2nd – Monday at 5:00PM - Last day for all students to drop courses with no penalty (Q-drop). - Last day to change Kinesiology 198/199 from pass/fail to a letter grade or vice-versa. - Last day to officially withdraw from the University.

April 6th – Friday - Reading day, no classes.

April 12-27th - Preregistration for the 2012 summer coursework (first term, second term, or 10-weeks) and fall semester.

April 21st – Saturday - Muster. Campus Ceremony.

April 30th – Monday - Prep day, classes meet. No regular course exams (except for laboratory and one-hour classes) shall be given on these days.

May 1st – Tuesday - Last day of spring semester classes. - Last day to apply for all degrees to be awarded in May. - Redefined day, students attend their Friday classes. - Prep day, classes meet. No regular course exams (except for laboratory and one-hour classes) shall be given on these days.

2 Aggie Quick Connection April 2012

Aggie Muster: April 21st, 2012

“Softly call the Muster, let comrade answer ‘Here’...”

April 2012 Aggie Quick Connection 3

Aggies gathered together on June 26, 1883 to live over again their college days, the victories and defeats won and lost upon the drill field and classroom. Eventually the annual gathering evolved into a celebration of Texas Independence on San Jacinto Day – April 21st. Over time the tradition of Muster has changed, but its very essence has remained: “If there is an A&M man or woman in one hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.” Muster is celebrated in more than four hundred places worldwide, with the largest ceremony on the Texas A&M campus in College Station. Aggie Muster as we know it today is credited to E. E. McQuillen ’20, who served as the Executive Secretary of The Association of Former Students. It is fitting that he was honored to serve as the first Campus Muster speaker in 1944.

Muster is a time to look to the past, present, and future…not only to grieve but to reflect and to celebrate the lives that connect us to one another. A gesture so simple in nature yet so lasting in spirit, Muster is the lasting impression every Aggie leaves with us; it reminds us of the greatness that lies within these walls, of the loyalty we possess, of the connection that binds us, and of the idea that every Aggie has a place of importance – whether they are present in flesh or spirit.

The Campus Muster Ceremony and Roll Call for the Absent will begin at 7:00pm in Reed Arena. The doors will open at 5:00pm; seats are available on a first come first served basis. This year’s Muster Speaker will be Texas A&M University’s own Dr. John R. Hoyle. For detailed information about Muster, including the Roll Call for the Absent, visit http://muster.tamu.edu/.

For more information about a Muster ceremony near you, visit http://aggienetwork.com/muster/.

Muster Speaker 2012: Dr. John R. Hoyle ‘57

Dr. John R. Hoyle ‘57 is Professor Emeritus of Educational Administration at Texas A&M University and specializes in Leadership Training and Assessment and Future Studies. He is one of America’s leading researchers and reformers in leadership education and assessment and an authority on the visioning process and future studies. He helped edit the script for a video for A&M’s Vision 2020 project and served as the voice and personality for the program.

He attended Texas A&M on an athletic scholarship, was a member of the Corps of Cadets, and played first base on a conference championship team. In 1984 Hoyle received the Award of Honor from the American Baseball Coaches Association. He has served as a public school teacher, coach, and administrator, as well as serving as professor and administrator at six universities. He has been at Texas A&M University since 1975 and he was selected by his peers to serve on the first faculty Senate and executive committee. His devotion to Texas A&M has led him to serve as Muster speaker over 30 years throughout the state, nation, and in Italy. We are excited to have him speak this year at the Campus Muster Ceremony.

Events Taking Place on Muster

Flag Raising CeremonyAcademic Plaza9:00AM

Camaraderie BarbequeMemorial Student Center11:00AM - 2:00PM*The BBQ will take place in the plaza outside of the MSC and will be open to anyone to walk up and pay the day of. The price of a ticket will be $8.95 plus tax.

Reflections DisplayMemorial Student Center10:00AM – 3:00PM*A collection of letters, pictures, and other personal items that help give a face and heart to those being honored at Muster.

Campus Muster Ceremony & Roll Call for the AbsentReed Arena7:00PM (Doors open at 5:00PM)

April 2012 Aggie Quick Connection 3

Memorial Student Center (MSC) Rededication April 21st, 2012

Since its grand opening on Muster Day, 1951, the Memorial Student Center (MSC) has been a vital part of Aggie tradition. In 2009, the MSC was closed and construction began to update the historic building at the heart of the A&M campus. When the MSC opened in 1951, it served a student body of fewer than 7,000. To meet the growing demands of the facility, it was renovated in the early 70s when enrollment was around 11,000, and again in the early 90s when enrollment was approximately 32,000. Now enrollment is at an all-time high surpassing over 50,000 students!

Although the MSC did need work to bring it up to current codes, the building was also in dire need of space reallocation and reorganization. When the architectural team met with student focus groups and tenants of the MSC, one of the things heard most frequently was the need for more space to allow students to study, eat, relax, meet, participate in campus life, and to simply “hang out.” The end result will be an MSC that retains the qualities and “feel” that make it so important and recognizable to Aggies-the Flag Room, the building’s status as a memorial, the art gallery spaces, the wood carvings-but will be better able to serve its mission as a student center in the best sense of the term and as the “living room” for the entire Aggie family.

The renovated Memorial Student Center is going to include plenty of exciting new features that will put the MSC at the leading edge of student union facilities. Of course, some of the most loved and essential features of the MSC will also return, including the tradition of remembering those Aggies who gave their lives in service to the United States. Some of the most notable features are listed below:

• State-of-the-Art Meeting Rooms • Grand Ballroom on the 2nd Floor • New Lounge and Visual Arts Spaces • New/Revamped Dining and Retail Spaces • Redesigned Hall of Honor • 12th Man Hall • Exterior Reminiscent of the Original MSC • Inviting New Entrances • Interior Decor Promoting Texas A&M’s History

MSC Rededication CeremonyThe Aggie Family will celebrate with a grand opening in fall 2012, but the MSC will officially open to the public on April 21, 2012. To commemorate the occasion Texas A&M University will rededicate the MSC 61 years to the day of the building’s original dedication.

The rededication ceremony will be held at 10am on the plaza outside the Loyalty entrance, where Joe Routt Boulevard and Houston Street meet near Koldus. For more information, visit http://ourmsc.tamu.edu/.

Ring DanceApril 28th, 2012

4 Aggie Quick Connection April 2012 April 2012 Aggie Quick Connection 5

Ring Dance began on May 15, 1936 and was conceived by a group of seniors who decided that since the Aggie ring is the traditional mark of one whose days on the campus are soon to be over, a dance with the ring as the predominant theme would be appropriate as a final function of the Senior Class. The first Ring Dance had no admission charge and was preceded by the Senior Banquet. It took place with an orchestra in the mess hall and had one plaster Ring replica for the official portraits. Ring Dance occurred from 8pm to 12am because there was a rule on campus that there couldn’t be any dances on Sunday.

Since its creation in 1936, Ring Dance has come to be as much a part of Aggieland as the many other traditions that have existed as long as the school itself. This dance will be for many the last social function of their years at Aggieland. As each senior steps into the replica of the Aggie Ring, they can turn their ring so that the class year no longer faces them-it faces the world. Seniors are able to reflect over the past years spent in Aggieland and anticipate the future. As each person steps away from the ring, another two step in, continuing the tradition that will go on as long as there is an Aggieland.

Ring Dance 2012: The Lost CitiesRing Dance is an opportunity for the Class of 2012 to come together one last time to reflect on years spent together, their personal growth, the friendships that they cherish, and the achievements made since they first stepped foot on campus.

The 77th Annual Ring Dance, “The Lost Cities,” will be held on April 28, 2012 from 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. in the Memorial Student Center. Tickets are on sale now at the MSC Box Office,as well as online at http://boxoffice.tamu.edu/.

Ticket pricing is as follows:

March 1-31st: $35/single, $60/coupleApril 1-27th: $40/single, $70/coupleDay of the event: $50/ticket, no couple price

Tickets can still be purchased the day/night of the event through The MSC Box Office. However, we encourage everyone to purchase their tickets in advance. More information about Ring Dance can be found at http://ringdance.tamu.edu/.

G. Michael Photography will be creating Ring Dance Portraits at this years’ dance. For more information about photo packages, visit their website at: http://www.gmichaelphoto.com/specials/RingDance.html

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Aggieland Yearbook Remembering Aggieland

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Texas A&M’s Aggieland Yearbook editors and staff members won 18 Gold Circle Awards, given by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association to recognize superior work by individual student journalists. “I am so proud of everyone on staff,” said Kalee Bumguardner, editor-in-chief of the 2011 Aggieland. “We worked all year to make this the best yearbook possible, and it’s really gratifying to know our hard work paid off.”

Bumguardner, a graduate student in agricultural leadership, education and communications, and photo editor Doug Klembara, Class of 2011, received a first place award for a yearbook spread in the people category, and Bumguardner, Klembara and Adrian O’Hanlon, Class of 2011, received first place for a sports page spread design. Beau Holder, a junior sociology major, earned first place for yearbook sports reporting.

Klembara received a second place award for his academic photo, and Austin Hattox, junior economics major, received second for academic writing. Bumguardner and Klembara took third place in the category of academic spread multi-page presentation, Klembara received third for his photo portfolio, and Bumguardner received a certificate of merit for her yearbook design portfolio.

Editors and staff members received certificate of merit awards in the categories of feature photo, sports action photo, sports spread, division page design, academic spread design, organization spread design, student life spread design, opening and closing spread design, table of contents and title page design.

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 29th Gold Circle Awards program for yearbook and digital media attracted 4,956 entries from student writers, editors, designers and photographers throughout the U.S.

Ordering your 2012 Aggieland Yearbook

Pre-order the 2012 Aggieland yearbook by April 9, 2012 for $81.19, including shipping and sales tax, and save. The 110th edition of Texas A&M University’s official yearbook will chronicle the 2011-2012 school year — traditions, academics, student activities, athletics, the Corps of Cadets, Greek Life, residence halls, campus organizations, seniors, and graduate students. Yearbooks will be mailed in the fall of 2012.

To purchase with a credit card, go online to http://aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613. To purchase one in person before April 21st, drop by the Student Media office, Bldg. #8901 in The Grove (between Albritton Bell Tower and Cain Hall). If you are looking for one to purchase after April 21st, head over to the newly renovated MSC where the Student Media office will be housed in the basement. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday.

Upcoming Events and ProgramsWhat’s Happening at Texas A&M

Do you know other members of the Aggie Family who might want to receive this newsletter? Please feel free to forward it to them, or tell them how to sign up for the listserv.

Visit http://parents.tamu.edu/listserv for instructions of subscription/unsubscription.

6 Aggie Quick Connection April 2012

Silver Taps

Silver Taps is that final tribute paid to an Aggie who, at the time of their death, was enrolled in graduate or undergraduate courses at Texas A&M. We encourage students to attend to pay their respects to their fellow Aggies and their family members. The next Silver Taps will take place on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012 at 10:30PM in honor of:

Michael Chris KaitsonNicholas James Garbarino

For more information about Silver Taps visit http://studentaffairs.tamu.edu/sas/silvertaps.

May Commencement Ceremonies

May is almost here and we could not be more excited about the thousands of Aggies who will soon graduate and officially join the Aggie Network. Below you will find a full listing of the events for commencement ceremonies with more detailed information available at http://graduation.tamu.edu/

Commencement ConvocationCommencement ceremonies begin with a convocation that features one notable speaker. . This year’s Commencement Convocation will take place on May 10th with location and speaker to be determined. The commencement exercises at which degrees will be conferred will follow in subsequent ceremonies on May 11 and 12. Students will not be required to wear academic regalia at the Commencement Convocation, but will need to do so at the subsequent degree-granting exercises.

Commencement Ceremonies

2:00 p.m. CeremonyLocation: Rudder Auditorium • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Thursday - May 10, 2012

Friday - May 11, 20129:00 a.m. CeremonyLocation: Reed Arena • Graduates and Undergraduates in Agriculture and Life Sciences • Graduates and Undergraduates in Geosciences

2:00 p.m. CeremonyLocation: Reed Arena • Graduates and Undergraduates in Architecture • Graduates and Undergraduates in Liberal Arts

Friday - May 11, 2012

7:00 p.m. CeremonyLocation: Reed Arena • Graduates in George Bush School of Government and Public Service • Graduates and Undergraduates in Dwight Look College of Engineering

Saturday - May 12, 2012

9:00 a.m. CeremonyLocation: Reed Arena • Graduates and Undergraduates in Mays Business School• Graduates and Undergraduates in Science

2:00 p.m. CeremonyLocation: Reed Arena • Graduates and Undergraduates in Education and Human Development • Graduates and Undergraduates in Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Hotels in Bryan/College Station tend to fill up quickly so we encourage you to make your arrangements now! The Convention and Visitors Bureau website provides links to most area hotels:

http://visitaggieland.com

Saturday - May 12, 2012