Issue date: 3/24/09 Section: News

Media Credit: File Photo [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: File Photo [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: File Photo [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: File Photo [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: File Photo [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: File Photo [Click to enlarge]

1. What makes you want to run for yell leader?
2. What is your favorite Aggie tradition and why?
3. Why do you or do you not think yell leaders should be Corps members?
4. Attendance at sporting events has been down, what do you think you can do as a yell leader to get Aggies
to the games and keep them there?
5. What would you do if you had a billion dollars?


Dan Venzin junior communication major
1. I'm actually not from Texas, so when I came to A&M and I heard about yell leaders. It was something so unique and so different. The whole idea of having these five guys really rile up and pump the crowd really shows the Aggie Spirit. It just takes five people to do it. I want to give back to the University. It's something different, it's something new, it's something I've never seen before.

2. I would say Silver Taps because it's just great to know that even if I didn't know the student, as long as they're an Aggie I'm going to respect them. It doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what you've done, it doesn't matter if I know you or not, all I need to know about you is that you're an Aggie, you're a part of this school, you're a part of this University and you would do them same for me if I was being honored at Silver Taps.
To know that people will stop what they're doing, even if they have a midterm the next day, they're willing to give up those 45 minutes for someone they don't even know and I respect that.

3. First off, the thing that I've really loved about this school when I came for a tour was that the Corps is such a unique and neat idea. I don't think that they should or should not be, whoever the yell leaders are should represent the student body and represent the University. They should represent the integrity and the Aggie spirit that the University stands for. The Corps started the yell leaders and made this tradition what it is now and I really respect them for what they have done, they are definitely a great asset to our University.

4. Hopefully people can see my enthusiasm for Aggie sporting events. As many as the places I've lived, I've never seen a place where people take so much pride in their sports. Now that I'm here and now that I'm a part of this school I've had a chance to rally behind the Aggies. Hopefully they can see through my enthusiasm and through my passion that it's worth it. The 12th Man definitely makes a difference in our teams and I think if I can make everyone realize that, then I can help out as a yell leader.

5. I would buy my family a house so that we can fit our entire family so we can live together. My little brother is in Los Angeles doing acting and my mother is with him, my dad is in New York with his new job and my older brother is in New York City, my sister is in Indiana and I'm in Texas, so we're scattered all over the place so I would love to buy a ranch where we could all live there. Family is my number one priority in life. Then I would probably buy one of those moon walk things, because I've always wanted those and never got to be on one as a kid.


Reagan Thompson junior agricultural economics major
1. I want to run for senior yell leader because I have a deep desire and passion in my heart to serve Texas A&M University and the 12th Man. The opportunity to step up into that leadership role as a true ambassador to A&M and upholding more than 100 year old tradition excites me. This is something I have wanted to do all my life. My uncle was a head yell leader in '78. I have two other brothers and a sister also at A&M. We are all juniors. Not only would I be serving Texas A&M, but also glorifying my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through my actions.

2. Muster - the fact that Aggies all over the world gather to support fallen Aggies helps define the Aggie Spirit. Muster is something that is very dear to my heart. I have had family members spoken for at Muster. Muster really helps define the phrases "There's A Spirit Can Ne'er Be Told" and "We Are The Aggies The Aggies Are We, True to Each other as Aggies can Be."

3. It's not about who is in the Corps and who isn't; it's who has the burning desire, dedication and passion in their heart to truly serve A&M with every thing that's within them all day everyday. We are ALL Aggies, and I am here to represent ALL Aggies.

4. I would express the fact that the 12th Man plays a HUGE role in Aggie athletics, and the 12th Man needs to be there ready to serve, just like E. King Gill set a great example of the 12th Man.

5. I would buy the current Bevo and retired Bevos and make enough patties to have a giant Beat The Hell Outta t.u. barbecue cook off.


John Kovach junior agricultural economics major
1. Running for yell leader is something more than a popularity contest. To me, it is about who the students of Texas A&M are willing to put their trust in to represent them across Texas and also the entire nation. Driven by the endorsement from my fellow peers within the Corps of Cadets, friends and family and by my Christian faith, I will stop at nothing to represent A&M to the utmost of my ability.

2. I love each of the Aggie traditions. From the Fightin' Texas Aggie 12th Man to Silver Taps, Section 203 to Midnight Yell, Elephant Walk to Aggie Rings, Reveille to Bonfire. But my ultimate favorite Aggie tradition is Muster. Anybody who has attended an Aggie Muster will vouch for me in saying that there is truly nothing remotely comparable to how majestic Muster is. The sense of brotherhood and family is surreal. As I was sitting there looking around, my mind began to wander and I realized that one day I, too, will have my name called out at a Muster and my friends and buddies will answer "here" and my legacy will live on through them. Amazing - I just got chills.

3. In the Corps of Cadets, we have a selection process in place and each candidate running from the Corps has been chosen to run. There aren't any selfish desires or ambitions because if there were, the Corps would not endorse you, therefore preventing you from running. Most corps candidates know from their freshman year that they were going to be running for yell leader. I, however, decided a month before to do this. The only support I had was from friends, which shows that I am running a genuine campaign. Living all four years on campus and constantly being immersed in Texas A&M life makes corps cadets perfect candidates for yell leaders because we are constantly aware of our place and what A&M truly means. The most important reason why I think cadets would be good yell leaders are because A&M started with the Corps and this school being so proud of tradition, the Corps do not allow men to run if they are truly not capable to represent. Also, I have had to have the same haircut (minus the ugly fish hair cut) for the past three years. When election period comes around, I find it humorous when each candidate instantly cleans up his appearance and tries to have a clean cut image. I wish I didn't have to wake up each morning and shave, have my weekly routine of getting my haircut each Monday, and plus, I already know how to wear the uniform.

4. This is such a cliché response, but a yell leader must lead by example. Being enthusiastic at the games, sprinting non-stop, yelling at the top of your lungs and doing precise yells will all help the 12th Man unite together and give the Aggie teams a better chance because of the home field advantage. Anybody who has attended a sporting event and heard how loud our stadiums and arenas can get will advocate that we are the loudest University in the entire world.

5. Travel each continent, donate money to the Texas A&M Foundation, buy a ranch and retire.


Weston Wilcox junior education major
1. I was blessed with the opportunity to serve alongside a group of amazing guys this past year as a junior yell leader and have made memories that I wouldn't have near enough time to go into. It's been the most physically, spiritually and emotionally challenging year for me, but is an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. It would be an honor to once again be chosen to serve Texas A&M in this manner.

2. My favorite Aggie tradition is Silver Taps. The thought of students standing for students is something that gives me chills the first Tuesday of every month. Every time I put on my midnights and start the silent walk over to Sully, it makes me remember why I am an Aggie. It's truly something special to see the influx of numerous other students from all over campus: Corps or non-Corps, Southside or Northside, friend or stranger - it doesn't matter. Just Aggies standing for fellow Aggies - can't find that anywhere else in the nation.

3. I believe that you can find amazing people all over this University. I mean come on, we're all Aggies. However, the thing that sets the Corps apart is the selection process. The Corps candidates are selected by their peers totaling anywhere from 400 to 500 people, and there is no way anyone can be put in the position to run for yell leader by the Corps if they does not have the right motives. Others see a desire to serve Texas A&M for the right reasons, a desire that is not motivated by themselves. The Corps candidates want to serve and represent the Corps and A&M for the most just of reasons - it's definitely not just seen as an opportunity to get this position as a cool thing to add to their résumé or a social status sort of thing, I can guarantee you.

4. Well, honestly I don't think there is much impact that I could have on the problem alone, but you better believe I'm going to be giving every last ounce of energy I have to yell, motivate the student body and support the Aggies at every single sporting event I can.

5. I would invest a lot into missions and Christian organizations like Younglife and Camp Ozark. Other than that, I'd move to the Dallas-Fort Worth area after I graduate with my degree in education and become a middle school math teacher, Younglife leader and hopefully start a family as soon as possible. That's what I have been called to do, and no amount of money would be able to change the desire of my heart.

Casey Schaefer Senior marketing major
1. It's a lot different coming back as a junior this time around and knowing what you are getting yourself into. My sophomore year I had no idea, you don't know the roller coaster you are about to get on, but you are in for a wild ride. I wouldn't have had it another way. I learned so much more than I thought I knew about how to represent this school and how to love this school. There are so many more aspects of this school that I've gotten to see being a yell leader. This campus is so diverse, more than anyone gives it credit for, and I've just learned a lot about how to represent each group here. Getting to meet Ol' Ags instills a pride in you; it's about more than you, this goes back more than a hundred years. Serving this past year was a huge honor and privilege and blessing, and I can't imagine a better way to spend my senior year. When you say you want to run for junior yell leader, you are making a two year commitment. People joke that as a yell leader, you are now property of A&M, it's a joke, but it's also true. It's a lifelong dream to get to embody A&M. I'm a third generation Aggie and, as a yell leader, I am living my dream. It doesn't get any better than this.

2. Muster. I was on the Muster committee for two years as a freshman and sophomore, and I've put a lot of myself into that tradition. We have a lot of great traditions, but Muster brings it all together. It's kind of a solemn thing while a lot of our other traditions are more upbeat, but it really encompasses everything that it means to be an Aggie. I know that when I pass wherever I am, I know someone will be calling my name. Muster defines the Aggie family because you are there to honor old and young Aggies. Muster honors people who have never even set foot on campus, but they sent in their acceptance letter and once you are accepted, you are an Aggie. That just blows my mind. I would say there are lots of great traditions, but Muster trumps them all.

3. Obviously, I'm biased since I'm a member of the Corps of Cadets and everybody wants to support their own organization, but I'm not about Corps or non-Corps; it's about getting the best five guys to represent this University. You can look back at the Corps and see how this University came from the Corps. My freshman year I came in here as a third generation Aggie, but until I was a fish in the Corps I didn't know what it meant to be a Fightin' Texas Aggie. It has a whole new definition to me. It all comes down to who are the best five guys for the position and I trust the student body to do that.

4. Yell Leaders are students, too, we have an amazing opportunity and privilege to lead the 12th Man but at the same time it's just five guys. I try to use my Facebook status to tell people about what is coming up and what's going on and I try to get the word out by encouraging people like, "Hey man, are you coming to the game tonight," but it's tough. We don't have millions of dollars to advertise, there is no special funding or anything like that for yell leaders. I'm sad to hear that attendance is down. I think a lot of it honestly has to do with football season and how the football team does. Attendance seems to stay up when the football team is doing well, but if people stop going to football games they stop going to other ones as well.

5. Well for one, I would advertise for Aggie sporting events. I would get the Memorial Student Center renovated faster. A&M has too much to offer for our athletic teams not to be top notch, and I don't know how much money it takes to build facilities or whatnot to get people to come here, but I would like to contribute to get the top recruits here. You know, there is a lot you can do with a billion dollars, such as buy food for the hungry or give it to charity and I think it can go to many different things.

Daniel Magallanes
1. I am running for Yell Leader because I really enjoy sports. Soccer is my favorite sport, followed by Football, Basketball, and Baseball all together, and for those that think volleyball is boring, they probably haven't been to an Aggie Volleyball game. I love to go to games, and talk about games, and support the teams, in fact I used to be the Aggie Soccer sports writer in 2007 for The Battalion. The second reason is because I want to represent every student at A&M. Sometimes there seems to be a belief of the existence of an "Aggie Mold," and that if you don't fit that mold you are not an Aggie. If we followed that mold, the majority of us would not be considered Aggies. I think everyone has something to give to the rest of the Aggie family, and having so many different people helps enrich A&M. That is why the combination of Residence Life, Greek Life, Bonfire, the Corps, International Students, Student Athletes, First or Tenth generation Aggies, and many more make A&M the place I've come to love.

2. My favorite tradition is The 12th Man. I love being on the third deck of Kyle Field, and just being another Aggie. When you are part of the 12th Man, you forget all of your differences, you forget about your tests, you forget about that class you might be struggling with, you just enjoy the game and support the team no matter what, and that feeling is priceless.


3. I think there is a misunderstanding by many students; most people seem to think that in order to be a Yell Leader you must be in the Corps, and that's not true, anyone can be a Yell Leader. I think anyone should have the opportunity to be a Yell Leader regardless of what their affiliations. There have been many great Corps Yell Leaders as well as Non-Corps Yell Leaders, and it has been proven that your affiliations have nothing to do with how well you perform your job. What I don't agree with is the idea of the corps block.

4. I understand attendance being down from time to time. Being an engineer, I know firsthand that sometimes you have to decide between spending a couple of hours at a game and spending a couple of hours studying for a test, and although the first option sounds much better, sometimes you just have to study. Like anything it's a matter of balance, and it is up to the individual to decide. I can however make the games more appealing for fans to go to. What I do want to do is to change things a little bit, to make them more appropriate for the sport. I hear some people say that Basketball is not Football, and it's true. I would personally like to change our basketball atmosphere to match those atmospheres at places like Duke or Kansas, while keeping our Aggie Traditions.

5. This question is awesome. I would really like to buy a Sports Franchise and manage it. I would also like to renovate Hart Hall, maybe add a kitchen.

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