Spring Break
Have you seen this tradition?
Often overlooked, lesser-known traditions add to A&M's colorful history
By: Carrie Pierce
Issue date: 11/22/04 Section: Aggielife
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Texas A&M is known for its deep-rooted traditions that make the Aggie spirit what it is, but there are so many of them that not all students know about each one. Even some of the more popular traditions, such as Muster and Elephant Walk, have some history that will come as a surprise to many Aggies.
Andy McNeel, a senior meteorology major and vice chair of Traditions Council, said most students have heard of most Aggie traditions, but "they might just not be aware of the origins," McNeel said.
McNeel said it's good to know the origin of a tradition, but that it's more important to know what a tradition means and why it exists. Most traditions at A&M center on family and togetherness and embody those ideals in one way or another, he said.
"People say if something happens twice at A&M, it's a tradition," he said.
Bottle-capped boots
For one week during football season, "fish," or freshmen, in the Corps of Cadets walk around campus with bottle cap spurs attached to their shoes. These are known as "fish spurs," said Chris Johnson, a junior political science and history major.
The spurs are made of bottle caps usually collected at Northgate on the short alley known as "bottle cap alley," Johnson said. These spurs are removed before going in and out of buildings, but otherwise must be worn by the (freshmen) cadets at all times that they are in their uniform, Johnson said.
Johnson said the bottle caps are flattened and then attached to the shoe by being strung on a coat hanger that is bent around to make a stirrup that fits over the heel. Since the "fish" class color changes each year, so does the spur color; this year, the spurs were spray painted red. Johnson said that each fish has 54 bottle caps per spur, because with both shoes combined, that is 108 total, for the Class of 2008.
Johnson said the tradition of fish spurs began when the Aggies used to play the Southern Methodist University Mustangs.
"We were 'spurring' the Mustangs," Johnson said.
Now fish wear the spurs the week before the football game against Texas Tech because the Aggies no longer play SMU, Johnson said. If A&M is outscored by Tech, the fish wear their spurs the week after the game as well," he added.
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