Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Silver Taps

"Silver Taps is the student body’s final tribute paid to an Aggie who, at the time of his or her death, was enrolled in undergraduate or graduate classes at Texas A&M."



Silver Taps is one of A&M's most cherished traditions. While the death of a fellow student is something that no one enjoys, we are privileged to honor their life and remind ourselves of what is truly important.

The ceremony is held in academic plaza in front of the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross with the families and many students from the Corps and university. The lights are shut off and in complete silence, the Ross Volunteer firing squad marches into the plaza to deliver a 21-gun salute. After the rifle volleys, buglers play a special mellow and dissonant rendition of taps. The song is repeated three times; once to the North, South, and West, signifying that the sun will never rise on that Aggie again.



The silence and solemness of Silver Taps make the ceremony incredibly powerful and thought provoking. It reminds us to live as if we might be honored at next month's taps.

Below are the names of the individuals honored this month:

Nathan Walker Hardcastle - Ecological Restoration
Saron Alexander Hood - Physics
Vergil "Coke" Hopping - Ag Leadership, Education & Communication
Travis Terrell Lamb - Computer Science
Raka Mallick - Industrial Engineering
Polo Hafoka Manukainiu - Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences
Ian Alexander Pogue - General Studies 
Austin Kyle Stanfill - International Affairs

1 comment:

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