Campus “Living Room” Featured in August Spirit Magazine

“It was said when we opened this building 61 years ago that it was the premier student center in the nation. I’m happy to tell you that it is again.”—President R. Bowen Loftin ‘71

 

Once again, the “living room” is welcoming Aggies and non-Aggies alike with open arms. From its inception in September of 1950 to its reopening on Muster 2012, the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, has been considered the “living room” of campus. With its hundreds of wide-open study areas and huge multimedia and gaming floor, students of every kind can feel welcome.

 

Spirit Magazine, a publication of the Texas A&M Foundation, celebrated the new MSC in all its splendor as part of its August issue, with a photo spread and feature article on the Muster celebration.

 

As Governor Rick Perry ’72 stated at the reopening, “You can make a good case that the Memorial Student Center is where the heart first started beating for any number of young Aggies.” I believe this as true as an Aggie myself.

 

When students first arrive to campus, the MSC is always the main focus. Everyone wants to experience one of the greatest traditions on campus. However, students soon realize that the MSC is more than just a place to hang out. The multiple “Hats off, please” and “Stay off the grass” signs remind you that you are a part of something much greater than yourself. The original purpose of the MSC, as Amy Bacon expresses in her book Building Leaders, Living Traditions: The Memorial Student Center at Texas A&M University, was as a memorial to Aggies who lost their lives in the two world wars. As United States Representative Bill Flores ’76 said, “I think it’s very appropriate that we are rededicating the MSC on Aggie Muster, when we remember why this place exists.” However, thanks to J. Wayne Stark, the MSC’s first director, the MSC became more than just a monument to fallen comrades; it helped the university expand its focus to embrace an even more inclusive future.

 

This living memorial and long-standing traditions help Aggies: past, present, and future, remember that we too will be remembered by our classmates at Muster, Silver Taps, and with the MSC.

 

For more information on the new and improved MSC, click here.

 

There’s a spirit, can ne’er be told…”

 

--Paige Bukowski