Many of you haven't had the great privilege of living in Texas or the great disappointment that is visiting College Station... allow me to help:
The Town: Imagine a smaller Montgomery sans the river and trees. Pastures give way to modern suburban conveniences that give way to a lackluster world of cookie cutter apartments and 60s era housing. Nice roads tho. Credit where credit is due.
The Campus: Large, spacious, weirdly dystopian. Brutalist architecture rises out of the surrounding fields making it eerily reminiscent of a Cold-War Call of Duty map. As the joke goes, HBO considered filming "Chernobyl" there. They've band-aided it of late with some newer builds, but the massive size of the campus and general lack of greenery give it a depressed isolated feeling.
The Locals: Two types: (1) Those that LOVE A&M. They live and breathe it. These tend to be the same folks that are obsessed with the state in general, who think the Hill Country = the Rockies, Galveston = 30A, etc. Nice folks, good folks, but DO NOT attempt to argue with them about anything. Just smile and nod. "Yes, A&M should have won the championship with Manziel... yes, Texas is the best state in the country... Yes I did know that you guys could succeed if you wanted.... (internalize the eye roll... its hard)." (2) Those that have no idea A&M has a football team and could care less. Mixed bag.
The Students: Three types: (1) The Corp. This is where the most notorious of gifs come from. Weird, cult-like devotion to school and/or country (but really just school) and a bevy of traditions to ensure compliance. For an AU comparison, imagine if Farmhouse and ROTC had a lovechild that was given permission to define the entire school's essence and the student body in obsequious-like fashion was like, OK SURE! (2) The Normal Good-Ole Boys: Friends with those in the Corp, like to love A&M, but can take a joke -- usually. Competent, conservative, loyal, these are the guys that likely run your office if you live in Texas. (3) The Anti-Aggie Rebels: 10% Maybe. Have never been to a game. Went to A&M to major in English or Theatre and can't wait to get the hell out of Texas upon graduation.
The Fans: Mixture of locals and students and their massive Alumni base. Eternally optimistic. Fine 1 on 1. Dangerous in packs. Will invite you to tailgate, but don't stay for too long. The "Get Out?" vibes set in after a half-hour. Be prepared to respond to their dull banter:
"Hey... why do you guys have two mascots?" they ask in good faith, seemingly unaware of the dog roaming their sidelines (BTW, don't insult the dog, just don't).
The Nightlife: Non-existent. There's a mediocre fried chicken place people will sell you on within a "party" district. Both disappoint.
Midnight Yell: Men in striking outfits tell 5th grade level jokes to overzealous freshman. Go once. You will be stuck between laughter and pity, perhaps anger.
The Stadium: NFL-quality. Truly well done; especially the lower levels. Clear jewel of campus.
The Gameday Experience: Weird. No other way to put it. It's cheer-roulette for about three hours as the yell leaders instruct the masses on when and how to cheer, body, mind, and soul. Can be deafening, but never for more than five or six seconds. Prepare yourself for the "Bevo Horn-Sawing" sway. Aggies will lean over and put their arms around their neighbors and begin to sing. Why? It's unclear. But for the religious among us, you will note an intercessory appeal for the collegiate gods to bring wrath upon those Philistines to the west.
I think that's it Fam. Travel well, stay safe and lets BTHOA&M! Anything I miss @Will Collier ?
The Town: Imagine a smaller Montgomery sans the river and trees. Pastures give way to modern suburban conveniences that give way to a lackluster world of cookie cutter apartments and 60s era housing. Nice roads tho. Credit where credit is due.
The Campus: Large, spacious, weirdly dystopian. Brutalist architecture rises out of the surrounding fields making it eerily reminiscent of a Cold-War Call of Duty map. As the joke goes, HBO considered filming "Chernobyl" there. They've band-aided it of late with some newer builds, but the massive size of the campus and general lack of greenery give it a depressed isolated feeling.
The Locals: Two types: (1) Those that LOVE A&M. They live and breathe it. These tend to be the same folks that are obsessed with the state in general, who think the Hill Country = the Rockies, Galveston = 30A, etc. Nice folks, good folks, but DO NOT attempt to argue with them about anything. Just smile and nod. "Yes, A&M should have won the championship with Manziel... yes, Texas is the best state in the country... Yes I did know that you guys could succeed if you wanted.... (internalize the eye roll... its hard)." (2) Those that have no idea A&M has a football team and could care less. Mixed bag.
The Students: Three types: (1) The Corp. This is where the most notorious of gifs come from. Weird, cult-like devotion to school and/or country (but really just school) and a bevy of traditions to ensure compliance. For an AU comparison, imagine if Farmhouse and ROTC had a lovechild that was given permission to define the entire school's essence and the student body in obsequious-like fashion was like, OK SURE! (2) The Normal Good-Ole Boys: Friends with those in the Corp, like to love A&M, but can take a joke -- usually. Competent, conservative, loyal, these are the guys that likely run your office if you live in Texas. (3) The Anti-Aggie Rebels: 10% Maybe. Have never been to a game. Went to A&M to major in English or Theatre and can't wait to get the hell out of Texas upon graduation.
The Fans: Mixture of locals and students and their massive Alumni base. Eternally optimistic. Fine 1 on 1. Dangerous in packs. Will invite you to tailgate, but don't stay for too long. The "Get Out?" vibes set in after a half-hour. Be prepared to respond to their dull banter:
"Hey... why do you guys have two mascots?" they ask in good faith, seemingly unaware of the dog roaming their sidelines (BTW, don't insult the dog, just don't).
The Nightlife: Non-existent. There's a mediocre fried chicken place people will sell you on within a "party" district. Both disappoint.
Midnight Yell: Men in striking outfits tell 5th grade level jokes to overzealous freshman. Go once. You will be stuck between laughter and pity, perhaps anger.
The Stadium: NFL-quality. Truly well done; especially the lower levels. Clear jewel of campus.
The Gameday Experience: Weird. No other way to put it. It's cheer-roulette for about three hours as the yell leaders instruct the masses on when and how to cheer, body, mind, and soul. Can be deafening, but never for more than five or six seconds. Prepare yourself for the "Bevo Horn-Sawing" sway. Aggies will lean over and put their arms around their neighbors and begin to sing. Why? It's unclear. But for the religious among us, you will note an intercessory appeal for the collegiate gods to bring wrath upon those Philistines to the west.
I think that's it Fam. Travel well, stay safe and lets BTHOA&M! Anything I miss @Will Collier ?
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