| Beno's
create Aggie tradition
By Jason Chesney
January 23, 2008 | Attending a university
usually accompanies the territory of being asked several
questions by friends, parents, and religious leaders
to help students define themselves as patrons of their
alma mater. All students attending Utah State will eventually
face the question, "Are you a True Aggie?"
Tuesday night a handful of USU students
gathered to participate in a socially acceptable form
of "public display of affection" otherwise known as
True Aggie Night.
True Aggie Night is the longest-running
tradition at Utah State. It is run through the Student
Alumni Association, whose whole purpose is to instill
school pride in the university students. It began in
1916 by students attending West High School in Salt
Lake City. At the time, the principle of the school
banned all school clubs to keep students focused on
academics. After graduating, a few of those students
came to Logan and in retaliation of their high school
principle started the "Beno" Club. The students named
the club Beno to remember the principle at West High
School saying there would "be no" clubs.
Shortly after the establishment of
the club, the Benos built the block A and placed it
on the west side of the, then called, Mechanic Arts
Building. To be accepted into the club, the Benos required
all members to kiss a girl while sitting on the block
A.
Today the A stands on the east side
of Old Main, as a symbol of Aggie spirit and of one
of the most nationally acknowledged college traditions
in the country.
Ben Croshaw, president of the Executive
Board of Student Alumni Association, said students from
UNLV and New Mexico State have been known to drive to
Logan on the night of a full moon to kiss on the A.
"The best way to get students
to come to True Aggie Night is to raise awareness,"
said Croshaw. The most common way Student Alumni Association
does this is by publishing a calendar given to committee
members of Student Alumni with the dates of each full
moon of every month. The committee members then advertise
by word-of-mouth to other True Aggies in hopes that
they will bring non-True Aggies to the A.
Although there are mixed feelings
about the tradition, one can become a True Aggie by
kissing another True Aggie on the night of a full moon
atop the A, or kissing someone who is not a True Aggie
on Homecoming night or on the last day of A-Week in
April.
Staci Meacham, the director of the
traditions committee at Utah State described the tradition
by saying, "I love True Aggie Night. It's a fun tradition
to celebrate what it means to be an Aggie."
Other members of the Traditions Committee
mentioned that True Aggie Night is not a spectator sport
and if you're going to go, then go.
So, bring your ChapStick, bring
your breath mints, and meet someone new at True Aggie
Night.
SL
MS
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