Issue 1 2008 VOL 1

Howdy! I would like to welcome all new and returning graduate students to Texas A&M. It is my privilege to serve as your president, and to work on behalf of the Graduate Student Council (GSC). I wish you all the best this semester and within your respective programs. GSC has a lot planned for the 2008-2009 academic year. Our main goal is to increase the profile of graduate students at A&M. We are working on publications which will include graduate student profiles from across the University and we encourage students to submit their information for consideration. More information about graduate student profile submissions can be found at http://gsc.tamu.edu. There are also a number of socials and seminars, specifically for graduate students, throughout this semester. Look for the entire list of events at http://studentlife.tamu.edu/agoss/programs. We will keep you updated on all our events and you can find a list of upcoming events in this newsletter located on page 2. One of the best ways we can increase the profile of graduate students is through each of you becoming engaged more fully in the campus. Please consider getting involved on campus, whether it is with the GSC or other campus organizations. If there is any way the Executive Officers can help please feel to e-mail us at gsc@tamu.edu. Thanks and Gig ‘Em! Tracey Wellington GSC President ‘08-’09

2008-2009 EXECUTIVE OFFICERS President: TRACEY WELLINGTON Executive Vice President: BRANDI REESE V.P. for University Affairs: PAULA LORENTE Vice President for Finance: JEFF STANLEY Vice President of Information: LAUREN HULSMAN Student Research Week Director: MATTHEW KOPIL

NTH DEGREE ˚ A Graduate Student Council Newsletter August 2008

The NTH Degree is a publication of the Graduate Student Council at Texas A&M University.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Aug 22-Sept 16 Aug 25-Sept 10- Aggie Ring Audit Dates Aug 25-Sept 12- Aggie Ring Order Dates Aug 29-Last day for adding/dropping classes Sept 2-GSC meeting/ Social/ Silver Taps GSC Meeting- Koldus Room 144 5:15 pm Welcome Back Social- Cain Hall B111 8 pm Silver Taps- Academic Plaza 10 pm Sept 5- Last Day to apply for all degrees to be awarded in Dec. Sept 12- Academic Convocation Rudder Auditorium 10 am Sept 14- Contemporary Dance REC Center Room 301 7pm PASS REQUIRED (for more information please visit http://gsc.tamu.edu) Sept 15- Office of Graduate Studies Workshop Rudder Tower 401 5:30 pm Sept 16- GSC Meeting Koldus Room 144 5:15 pm

Tradition Spotlight: Silver Taps

Silver taps is a final tribute paid to an Aggie who, at the time of his or her death, was enrolled in graduate or undergraduate courses at Texas A&M. It began in 1898 and was held in honor of Lawrence Sullivan Ross, the former governor of Texas and president of A&M College. Silver Taps is held the first Tuesday of each month, if necessary, from September until April. Should a student death occur between April and August, those students are honored in September when their fellow students return to campus at the start of the fall semester. The day of Silver Taps begins when the flag in front of the Academic Building is placed at half-staff and a small card, with the deceased student name, class, major, and date of birth on it, is placed as a notice at the base of the Academic flagpole and at the memorial located behind the flagpole. At 10:15 pm, chimes begin to play and the lights on campus are extinguished. The ceremony officially begins at 10:30 pm, as the Ross Volunteers Firing Squad marches in slow cadence to the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross and fire a twenty-one gun salute. Three volleys are fired, and “Silver Taps” is played by six buglers three times– to the North, West, and South. It is not played to the East because the sun will never rise on that Aggie again. During the ceremony, darkness and quietness cover the entire campus to emphasize the mood for Silver Taps. Aggies help to retain this tranquility by covering windows, keeping noise to a minimum, and walking to and from the ceremony without talking. The Graduate Student Council will be honoring this tradition after the September 2nd Welcome social. Please join us in honoring your fellow Aggies. Students being Honored: Mary Elizabeth Farmer, Psychology (Graduate Student) Spencer Bonham Knecht, Geology Whitley DeKoch Lowry, Agricultural Leadership and Development Kyle Ross Rosebrock, Computer Science Olanrewaju (Lanre) Olusola Sanu, Chemical Engineering Cassandra Jeannine Scott, Veterinary Medicine (Graduate Student)

The Graduate Student Council (GSC), which serves as the graduate student government at Texas A&M University, exists to share and discuss important information to all TAMU graduate and professional students and to act as an advocate for their interests in dealing with the University, its constituents, and all other appropriate entities. The Graduate Student Council ensures that the needs of graduate students are understood and considered when campus policies, concerning academic excellence, tuition and finance, and research are being decided.

Nth Degree Staff: Autumn M. Gardner ‘10 Executive Assistant to the Graduate Student Council President

The Graduate Student Council would like to encourage graduate student involvement in GSC initiatives. The general meetings are held the FIRST and THIRD TUESDAY of each month at 5:15 pm, Koldus Room 144 and all interested individuals are free to come, if you are interested in getting involved in the GSC. If you have any immediate concerns or questions please contact us via email at gsc@tamu.edu . If you would like to join the Nth Degree listserv and receive these monthly newsletters, send an email to listserv@listserv.tamu.edu with the message type subscribe GSC-NTHD firstname lastname, and no subject line is needed. (Example: subscribe GSC-NTHD Jane Smith)

GSC REPRESENTATIVES FALL 2007