Started By
Message

re: Question for Aggies re: a weird tradition

Posted on 4/3/15 at 2:56 pm to
Posted by jso0003
Member since Jun 2009
5170 posts
Posted on 4/3/15 at 2:56 pm to
I realize that an "alumnus" isn't necessarily a graduate, but it certainly has an elevated connotation compared to "former student".

When I hear "former student" I think "Jonathan Taylor is a former student of Alabama"

When I hear "alumnus" I assume that person has a degree and is in good standing with their university.
Posted by Sao
East Texas Piney Woods
Member since Jun 2009
65974 posts
Posted on 4/3/15 at 3:11 pm to

Exactly.

Aggy has that "network" tho..,
Posted by Sao
East Texas Piney Woods
Member since Jun 2009
65974 posts
Posted on 4/3/15 at 3:14 pm to
Adding

Good on ya, OP. Cut these band queers no slack. I love many of them but I call them weird as frick daily. Response? "Yeah, we know just hush...".
This post was edited on 4/3/15 at 3:15 pm
Posted by tmc94
Member since Sep 2012
11559 posts
Posted on 4/3/15 at 3:41 pm to
quote:

When I hear "alumnus" I assume that person has a degree and is in good standing with their university.

originally I think that's how alumnus was used which may be one reason we use former student more often (though as was pointed out we use both and the OP is incorrect).

The Association was founded in 1919 and it wouldn't be shocking that a lot of the WWI classes never graduated and became career military. So my best guess is we made that distinction exactly like you do in your head. We wanted to sound inclusive of those former students in particular.
Posted by Kentucker
Cincinnati, KY
Member since Apr 2013
19351 posts
Posted on 4/3/15 at 3:57 pm to
quote:

I realize that an "alumnus" isn't necessarily a graduate, but it certainly has an elevated connotation compared to "former student". When I hear "former student" I think "Jonathan Taylor is a former student of Alabama" When I hear "alumnus" I assume that person has a degree and is in good standing with their university.


I don't understand why these threads persist. It should be obvious to fans of other SEC schools by now that A&M is unique and has no desire to "be like everybody else."

I think that, because it's a very conservative school, a lot of people look askance at how they do things. They don't fit the "everybody is a liberal when they're in college but become conservative when they have to work for a living" mold of most schools. Most Aggies, I would guess, go in conservative and stay conservative.

I don't see a problem with it. Their traditions may seem ritualistic and unchangeable to outsiders, but they're just one of the ways that a culture is maintained in their group which is no different from any other school, business, religious or civic group, or any other community.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 1Next pagelast page
refresh

Back to top
logoFollow SECRant for SEC Football News
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest updates on SEC Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitter