Muster, Texas A&M’s annual observance honoring Aggies who have died during the past year, will be held Thursday (April 21) at scores of sites around the state and nation and abroad. The campus Muster will include an address by R.C. Slocum, the university’s former head football coach who has since served the institution in a variety of capacities.
The 7 p.m. campus ceremony is expected to pack 12,500-seat Reed Arena.
It is student organized, with the students making the decision of whom to invite as speaker. Slocum headed Texas A&M’s football program from 1989 until 2002, during which time he compiled a 123-47-2 record, which ranks among the best nationally. Since relinquishing that position, he has served as special advisor to the university president and has functioned in various ambassadorial roles for the institution. In 2013 he was named a recipient of the prestigious Horatio Alger Award. For more about Slocum, go here.
Though the Muster ceremony is solemn, the day begins with fun.
Many former students return to campus for Muster, among them those who graduated 50 years before who hold a special class reunion. This year, it will be the Class of 1966.
Muster activities begin with a 7 a.m. flag-raising ceremony and Corps of Cadets formation in the plaza in front of the Academic Building and will be followed at 11 a.m. by the annual Camaraderie Barbecue. This year it will be held on the Kyle Field Northeast Plaza and the entertainment includes several student groups. The cost of the meal is $10. For more information and a list of performers, go here.
In a talk at Texas A&M’s Bush School, historian Phillips O’Brien said the Russian invasion, now in its third year, raises a number of difficult questions about military power in the 21st century.
While recent wars have sparked speculation about an ensuing global conflict, military scholars say comparisons to past world wars are largely overblown.
Dr. Nicholas Jeffery receives Bourgelat Award for innovative strategies, including advancements in treating spinal cord and nervous system injuries in dogs.