Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Photos by J. Patrick Clayton - THE BATTALION Junior Aggie Yell Leader Lans Martin teaches children participating in the 'Aggie For A Day' program the basics of Yell Practice outside the Bright Football Complex. Students in Free Enterprise organized the event. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Photos by J. Patrick Clayton - THE BATTALION Aggie defensive back Jordan Pugh works with children participating in the 'Aggie For A Day' inside the McFerrin Athletic Center. [Click to enlarge]

Unique parts of Aggie culture, such as whooping and saying "howdy" around campus, are foreign to outsiders. And it's programs like "Aggie For a Day" that show teach them the culture of Texas A&M. Starting bright and early on Saturday, grade school children from third to eighth grade were escorted around campus, taught the yells from Texas A&M's yell leaders and ate at campus dining facilities.

Students In Free Enterprise, an organization dedicated to free-enterprise economics and education, put on one of the programs for third and fourth grade students from College Station elementary schools. The children were taught "how to be ethical, respectful people in the classroom, at home, or where ever else they might be," said Arielle Robinson, media chairwoman for the program.

After learning the Aggie Code of Honor, the students had a chance to interact with athletes. One third-grade boy said his favorite part was playing soccer with the athletes, and he said that he would love to play for A&M one day, unless he plays in South America first.

Meanwhile, another group of children also had the chance to be Aggies for the day.

Andres Arredando, a financial aid adviser for A&M in San Antonio, helped 400 students and parents from the San Antonio School District visit A&M during the past two weekends. SASD received an $18 billion grant from the Department of Education in 2006 and established the program Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, known as GEARUP.

The goal of GEARUP is for students in seventh through 12th grade to have the opportunity to visit and learn about the colleges throughout Texas. Janice Hannon, a facilitator for the program, said the students involved need to know only one thing: "It is possible, and it will happen," she said.

Visiting A&M was no easy sign-up, Hannon said. Students were asked to fill out an application, like for the college application process. The application included letters of recommendation and an essay on why they wanted to be an Aggie. Once the applications were in, the GEARUP staff sent out letters of acceptance to the students they selected to make the trip.

After arriving at A&M, the students were taken to Orientation 101, where they were treated like incoming freshmen. Seventh grader Mark and his mother were two of the 400 students and parents who visited what she said she found to be a "friendly campus."

Students in Free Enteprise have sponsored the program for four years. As the semester progresses it will participate in projects such as Phoebe's House and cancer awareness.

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