The ceremony, one of the university's most solemn traditions, will honor the memories of Scrogum, a junior biomedical sciences major from Bastrop who died Aug. 19 in a car accident, and Kirk, a freshman electrical engineering major from Katy who died in a car accident on Sept. 7.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Christian Michael Scrogum and Alex James Kirk, two recently deceased Texas A&M University students, will be honored at a Silver Taps ceremony Tuesday ( Oct. 7 ) at 10:30 p.m. in front of the Academic Building.
The ceremony, one of the university’s most solemn traditions, will honor the memories of Scrogum, a junior biomedical sciences major from Bastrop who died Aug. 19 in a car accident, and Kirk, a freshman electrical engineering major from Katy who died in a car accident on Sept. 7.
On the day of the ceremony, all campus flags are flown at half-staff and a list of the names of those to be remembered is posted at the base of the flagpole in the Academic Plaza. A box is placed at the foot of the Ross statue where students may place letters of condolences. These are then passed on to the family of each student to be honored, along with notification of the ceremony and a floral arrangement sent by university officials.
In honor of these students, the campus will be darkened at 10:20 p.m. In the darkness, students, family and friends will silently gather in the plaza in front of the Academic Building. At 10:30 p.m. an honor guard from the Ross Volunteer Company will march across campus from the Corps of Cadets area to the plaza, where its members will present a 21-rifle salute. Buglers from the Aggie Band, unseen in the darkness, will play a special arrangement of “Taps.” The tolling of Albritton Tower bells will signal the end of the ceremony.
In case of rain or dangerous lightning, the ceremony will be moved to G. Rollie White Coliseum. Free parking in the University Center Garage will be available between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. For more information, go to: http://studentlife.tamu.edu/co/silvertaps.htm.
The first Silver Taps was held in 1898 upon the death of the university’s president, Lawrence Sullivan Ross, and has changed little from that time. It is held the first Tuesday of the month between September and April to honor the memory of any currently enrolled Texas A&M student who has died since the last Silver Taps was held.
For more information, contact Risa Bierman in the Offices of the Dean of Student Life at ( 979 ) 845-3113 or Tura King in Marketing & Communications at ( 979 ) 845-4670, email tura-king@tamu.edu.
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