March In becomes a March Around

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mnmunger
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11:04a, 10/23/14
AG
From the Commandant, Corps of Cadets FB page.
Commandant, Corps of Cadets, Texas A&M University - the Corps is conducting a "March-in on Campus" for the ULM game on 1 Nov ONLY. We will march the Corps through campus, in front of thousands of fans, and then march back to the Quad. Again, this is for the ULM game on 1 Nov ONLY. We will march-in to Kyle Field again for the Missouri game on 15 Nov and the LSU game on Thanksgiving night. No "long term" plans at all. I fought to ensure we would continue the march-in to Kyle Field after all renovations were complete, and we will continue to do so in the future. This "alternate" march-in is for one game only (although if it goes well we may do it for one game next season also). Hope this clears things up for you. No loss of TRADITION at all here.

This reminds me of the cannon issue.....
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Outlaw0206
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1:01p, 10/23/14
AG
Honestly more people out walking around campus an hour before the game then in their seats watching the corps march in. Good way to show off the corps to more people.
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SemperGigEm
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1:13p, 10/23/14
AG
Why thumbs down for this?
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Warrior 66
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1:22p, 10/23/14
No resemblance at ALL to the cannon. You saw what I wrote. This is a ONE GAME event ONLY. We will march-in to Kyle Field again for the Missouri and LSU games, just as we did for all the previous home games.

Just for clarity, the cadets have often told me how disappointed they are that there are more people on the field warming up and throwing or kicking footballs than there are in the stands. And they're right - it IS disappointing. With a 9:30 am step-off for the ULM game on 1 Nov, its pretty much a guarantee that the stadium will once again be empty if the Corps were to march-in between 9:30 and 10 am. The largest crowds to see the Corps march are on the Quad and along the route to the stadium. They are NOT INSIDE the stadium.

We decided to try a March-in on Campus for this ONE game to showcase the Corps to a LOT more people on campus - especially those in the north plaza of the stadium, Cain Park, and Simpson Drill Field. We will set up the reviewing stand in front of the MSC (NO reviewing stand currently in Kyle Field), and the Corps will march in front of literally thousands of fans tailgating outside the stadium as opposed to very sparse crowds inside the stadium.

Again, this is for the ULM game ONLY. We WILL march-in to Kyle Field for the Missouri game on 15 Nov and for the LSU game on Thanksgiving night. We're doing this for the ULM game to showcase the Corps to LOTS more people on campus - including visiting fans, but will return to marching-in to Kyle Field for the remainder of the season.

If you have specific concerns, please feel free to contact me to discuss. My number is (979)845-2811.

Thanks for your support of our Corps. Beat the HELL Outta ULM! Gig 'em!
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Trident15
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2:16p, 10/23/14
AG
As a current cadet, this is a pleasant surprise. My parents cannot usually afford tickets to the games so this allows them to see more of the march-in.
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Scruffy
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3:10p, 10/23/14
AG
I like the idea.

As stated above, other than some parents and old Ags, few are in the stadium for March-In; and honestly the route from the quad to the stadium for March in seems kind of short and limited for viewing.
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mnmunger
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3:17p, 10/23/14
AG
I know game times aren't announced early but many parents and relatives can not afford the SEC tickets prices, so this is the game many chose to attend. There are many Ol' Ags that go in early for the games to see the Corps and to get in before the crowds. If the idea was to get more people to see the Corps then do the March Around then enter Kyle Field.
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93Spur
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5:07p, 10/23/14
I am favor of this. More details would be helpful. I would love to see a march from the Quad to Simpson for a marchin. It would, of course, be beneficial if Simpson had seating.
Trying to watch step off and get into Kyle for the start of the marchin is, quite frankly, hell. After watching step off, you have to hussle through the masses to get through the gate and into seats before PMC enters. I much prefer to walk the whole Corps pass on Coke or Routt. But not able to make step off, pass and Kyle.
As noted, with the marchin so close to the game (seems like they were relatively more separated 25 years ago), there are too many activities/practices going on in Kyle. Not right for the outfits to watch for incoming footballs while in Kyle.
A marchin every now and then to Simpson, while different, has some real benefits.
Gig Em.
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CanyonAg77
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9:09p, 10/23/14
AG
I'm pretty on board with this. While I love March-in at Kyle, the way teams warm up, it's a freaking ghost town for march-in.

Back when Kyle held at most 50,000, and you could get in (and out) quickly, it was a far different deal.
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monarch
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9:32p, 10/23/14
S
Sounds cool to me; try it. Might start a new "tradition."
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ABATTBQ87
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10:27p, 10/23/14
AG
back in the 80's march in was 2 hours before kickoff. The band was usually in the stands an hour before kickoff, waiting for the rest of the student body to show up!
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93Spur
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11:17p, 10/23/14
Is it possible to form the Corps up in front of the Academic Building, as in some of the old photos? That building celebrates 100 years of use this year, I believe. Would make a red ass photo.
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aggieswyn3
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2:00a, 10/24/14
I heard they are testing this out on case they decide to stop Kyle friend march ins altogether.
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Tango Mike
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8:14a, 10/24/14
Going to the game and seeing the corps march through campus before the game are not mutually exclusive. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make, except to double down on the compaining

Sounds like a pretty good idea to me. I remember as a cadet seeing the tens of people in the stands during march in
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Warrior 66
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10:35a, 10/24/14
Aggieswyn3 - you "heard" wrong. Again, you've seen what I have written, as well as my intent. I have been very clear about what the intent is.

This is for ONE GAME ONLY this year. We are going to march-in to Kyle Field again for the Missouri and LSU games. If this goes well, we may do it again for ONE GAME next year, but I have NO INTENT of doing away with the march-in to Kyle Field. That will NOT happen on my watch.

I hope this clears things up for you. If you happen to "hear" anything else that doesn't match what I have told you here, please feel free to contact me directly and ASK me. My number is listed in a previous post above.

Thanks for your support of our Corps. Beat the HELL Outta ULM! Gig 'em!
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outlaw96
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In reply to Warrior 66 • 1:40p, 10/24/14
AG
I like the idea from the point of view that there aren't many people in the stands. In the mid 90's, the march-ins were so early that parents, friends, and family were able to go in to Kyle, watch, and then leave.

Put the reviewing stand in front of Kyle or the MSC somehwere....get big speakers so everyone can hear the unit and commander names. Get the TV crew to get some footage. Broadcast it live to the big screen inside Kyle. This also eliminates the Corps standing in the street waiting to get in to Kyle.

That being said, it is similar to the cannon deal in that many parties assured the fans that the cannon would be a part of the experience. And then....gone. It is only natural to be skeptical of the assurances.

Give'em hell.

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Fly Army 97
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In reply to outlaw96 • 3:10p, 10/25/14
quote:


That being said, it is similar to the cannon deal in that many parties assured the fans that the cannon would be a part of the experience. And then....gone. It is only natural to be skeptical of the assurances.

C'mon...many parties WRT the cannon and the Commandant telling us what his intent is for the Corps March-in? Commandant has been coming on here for a couple years now dispelling rumors and 'I heards'. Gives a pretty darn good explanation that old timers would never think of executing...and he gets this reaction. I don't get it.

March-in is not a march-in....half the cadets need to head back to the dorm to drop stuff off, meet dates, etc. Nobody sees them in the stands. Looks like most people understand the logic of this one-time change. If I were in charge, I'd make it two times a year.
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Scruffy
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7:23p, 10/25/14
AG
quote:
f I were in charge, I'd make it two times a year.


If I were in charge IDE do away with March in altogether and instead have them march through campus.
It provides much more visability for the corps.
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HollywoodBQ
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7:46a, 10/26/14
AG
Reading here about marching the Corps across campus reminds me of doing Corps Runs.

My senior year in HS, our basketball team had a pretty good playoff run which led to us playing a game at G. Rollie White. Some HS buddies and I (at least 2 future t-sips among us) drove down to College Station and arrived at the campus on a Friday evening when there were legions of Corps guys running in formation. We were stuck in traffic and It seemed like this mass of Corps guys would never end. My t-sip buddies definitely used that as part of their ammo to call Aggies strange/weird/whatever. I thought it was pretty cool.

Now what's funny is that I assumed a Corps run like this was something that the Corps did all the time. Probably 4 times a month or so. It wasn't until a few years later that I realized it was really more of a rarity. Just got lucky on the timing I guess.

Anyway, I think marching the Corps out in front of more people is a good idea. For a lot of folks, that might be the only Corps of Cadets exposure they ever see.
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outlaw96
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In reply to Fly Army 97 • 10:08p, 10/26/14
AG
quote:
quote:

That being said, it is similar to the cannon deal in that many parties assured the fans that the cannon would be a part of the experience. And then....gone. It is only natural to be skeptical of the assurances.
C'mon...many parties WRT the cannon and the Commandant telling us what his intent is for the Corps March-in? Commandant has been coming on here for a couple years now dispelling rumors and 'I heards'. Gives a pretty darn good explanation that old timers would never think of executing...and he gets this reaction. I don't get it.
I said "many parties" and didn't explicitly call out the Commandant. There are a lot more people in control of the game day experience than he. I have no idea what his influence is on the process.

I appreciate the Commandant posting here. I support the march around idea. I'm not bashing him. I generally support anyone willing to put in time to help the cadets.

I think the Corps runs counter to the media image the Jason Cooks are trying to create. I definitely believe that if he/they had their way, we wouldn't be any different than Clemson or Auburn. Do you trust them?
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aggieswyn3
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7:26a, 10/27/14
I remember doing corps runs... the entire thing would get strung out and then turn into a slinky. We spent half the time walking. The pace was incredibly slow and pointless.
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JonLobb
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In reply to aggieswyn3 • 8:42a, 10/27/14
quote:
I remember doing corps runs... the entire thing would get strung out and then turn into a slinky. We spent half the time walking. The pace was incredibly slow and pointless.
this is every large formation run, but they look really good from the outside.
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A2Aggie60
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In reply to Scruffy • 1:16p, 10/27/14
AG
quote:
I like the idea.

As stated above, other than some parents and old Ags, few are in the stadium for March-In; and honestly the route from the quad to the stadium for March in seems kind of short and limited for viewing.


I have been in the stands at the start of every March-In this year. I would estimate about 5,000 in the stands at the start and about 10,000 to 12,000 by the time the last unit hits the reviewing stand. You have to realize it is a LARGE stadium so the crowd doesn't seem large.

I am in favor of perhaps forming up on Military Walk and then perhaps a longer march into the stadium. But I am against not marching into Kyle Field. To not "March-In" is like having a Corps Trip and then marching around a parking lot.

Keep the tradition and improve upon it if needed but don't do away with it even if it is for one game.

Out

The Main Thing is to keep The Main Thing The Main Thing
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Smithjg
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3:42p, 10/27/14
Over the years having seen dozens of photos of Military Walk and the Corps marching to Sbisa, I would like to see Military Walk used for "March Around".
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redcrayon
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11:34p, 10/27/14
AG
quote:
I think the Corps runs counter to the media image the Jason Cooks are trying to create. I definitely believe that if he/they had their way, we wouldn't be any different than Clemson or Auburn. Do you trust them?
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GatorAg03
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8:51a, 10/28/14
AG
I think doing something like this for visibility makes some sense, but if you modify or end a tradition, even for a game then it devalues that tradition. This can slide over to other areas and can open the door for a significant modification of traditions. When you allow the little things to slip they add up over time and the organization can lose a lot of its identity and traditions through seamingly small things. I see the cannon and this as signs of that occuring just this football season.

The question should be asked, if it makes sense for exposure and visibility to not March around Kyle this game, then why does it ever make sense to March into Kyle? The answer is tradition, but if we are willing to throw that tradition away for one game, then who is to say the next Commandant or subsequent leadership isn't willing to expand on this philosophy to more games or even all the games. I am glad we have the current commandants assurances, but those leave when he leaves. What remains are our traidtions, if we kept them strong while we had ownership and the capability to do so.

For that reason I am not for this and think you could easily add a loop around Kyle to the expanded route of March to continue a long standing tradition of Marching into Kyle and still having a longer March-in if you need visibility increased for marketing purposes. There are reasons to modify many of our traditions if you want increased visibility. I mean why is silver taps on a mid-week tuesday and late at night? Why not move it to friday night behind the chicken to gain attendance and visibility? Sometimes it is ok to keep traditions how we have always done them.
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Kramer
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6:19p, 10/28/14
AG
At the Ole Miss game, half the Corps seats were empty when we did the Spirit. Perhaps if they could trouble themselves to be there to sing the school song, that would be nice.

Hard to the Keepers of the Spirit when you're AWOL.
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BQ92
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9:17p, 10/28/14
AG
The canon was a slippery slope. Sadly this is just a dud.
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GatorAg03
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9:45p, 10/28/14
AG
Honest question if increased visibility was the main driving force in this decision then why choose an early non-conference game versus an inferior opponent? Wouldn't visibility be maximized versus a premier opponent or a later game when many more people will be out tailgating? This logic doesn't make sense.

I have a hard time believing this isn't a deliberate trial run after the cannon fiasco that remains unresolved. In this case you pick the least likely game to cause a major stir and subtly release the news the week of the game with a shaky reason and hope nobody makes too much of a stink while testing the waters for future runs.

I'm not saying march in will go away under this commandant, but let's not fool ourselves by buying into the poor reasoning behind this decision. There is absolutely more to this than increased visibility even if it won't be acted upon until the next commandant.

Anyone that has been around a while has seen this song and dance before. The cannon is just the most recent example.
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chrismaroon
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11:08p, 10/28/14
AG
GatorAg03 for the win...........
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aggieswyn3
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2:11a, 10/29/14
Ahh the ol bait and switch.
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aggieswyn3
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7:59a, 10/29/14
I'm calling it now. Before the next football season: "the walk around was so successful, that will be the new standard from now on"
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Tango Mike
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8:56a, 10/29/14
will that be a bad thing?

other than the ego boost of walking through the football stadium, what benefit does parading through an empty stadium provide the Corps - honest question? The kickers and punters warming up don't care, and except for some die-hard parents, nobody is there to see. If parading through the tens of thousands of fans milling around outside provides better visibility, why would that be bad?

Other than "That's how we've always done it!" and "Because it's important!" what valid reasons exist for continuing to walk through an empty stadium... that doesn't even have a reviewing stand any more?
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GatorAg03
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In reply to Tango Mike • 9:17a, 10/29/14
AG
quote:
will that be a bad thing?

other than the ego boost of walking through the football stadium, what benefit does parading through an empty stadium provide the Corps - honest question? The kickers and punters warming up don't care, and except for some die-hard parents, nobody is there to see. If parading through the tens of thousands of fans milling around outside provides better visibility, why would that be bad?

Other than "That's how we've always done it!" and "Because it's important!" what valid reasons exist for continuing to walk through an empty stadium... that doesn't even have a reviewing stand any more?


If that is the open discussion that needs to occur for this March-in tradition, then say just say that. Don't put it under a guise of increased visibility and one time change and sneak it in the day of the game.

Do you want to start going down the list of Corps and A&M traditions and have to validate each and every one of them? Why do we need a cannon? Why do we wear uniforms to class? What purpose does that serve? Why does the 12th man need to stand up? Why do we need both a morning and and evening formation? Why is silver taps done on a Tuesday with light attendance outside the Corps? Why do fish whip out to upperclassmen? Why do we shine shoes and brass? Why do we PT in the mornings? The list goes on and on and on.

I would say that March in is very important to the 2000+ Corps members that perform the march in. I know it was important to me to be part of gameday and the Kyle field/football experience. That is weakened if you do a march around campus towards a bunch of drunk tailgaters that really don't care and are only watching because the Corps is there. To me that is reason enough to keep the tradition as is.

I also will say that more than you realize watch the Corps step off and go to Kyle and even watch in Kyle. Those that want to see the Corps have ample opportunity to make that happen. Why not looks for ways to increase visibility inside the stadium if that is the concern and still keep a longstanding tradition rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water.
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Trident15
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9:48a, 10/29/14
AG
@Kramer the reason many cadets are not there during the spirit is because we have to go back to the dorms to put up guidons/sabers and pick up 12th man towels, etc. We finish the March-in, go back to the Quad, get our stuff as quickly as possible, and then go the game. If you are one of the last units to march in it often means missing the pre-game activities due to standing in line waiting to get into Kyle Field.
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