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Texas A&M Student Files for Emancipation from Aggie Family

By Riffety Raff , in Local News , at October 8, 2015 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

On Wednesday, Tom Roberts filed a petition for emancipation from the Aggie family. His petition was received by the Brazos County District Court, and a ruling is expected to be given within the next few weeks.

“I enrolled at Texas A&M because of its outstanding Engineering program and nationally recognized academics as well as athletics. I did not realize, however, that my acceptance came with an adoption into the ‘Aggie Family,’ which I have no desire to be a part of,” said Roberts, a sophomore chemical engineering major.

Some students, however, have expressed concern over Robert’s decision and question his motives regarding this choice.

“Why would he come to A&M if he didn’t want to be a part of the Aggie family?” asked Trisha Jones, junior communication major. “Isn’t that why everyone chooses to attend here? What is the point of this school without its accepting community and undying traditions?

Roberts, however, claims that he saw no indication of this stipulation anywhere during the application process.

Others have expressed outrage over Roberts’ action. One outspoken student and self-proclaimed authority on Aggie family membership had this to say about the decision: “You can’t just leave the Aggie family. Everyone at Texas A&M is a part of our family whether they like it or not. No one can opt out, but in rare cases, you can be forced out if you harm the sensibilities of the corps or yell leaders.”

Roberts has reportedly said that he intends to continue attending class, utilizing Texas A&M facilities, and generally living out his life as a normal college student. Roberts is confident that he can successfully graduate from this school, regardless of his Aggie family membership. When asked about the term “two percent,” Roberts said that he challenges such a statistic and feels as if there are well over 2,000 students of his kind.

“I know I am not alone in this,” Roberts said. “I guess from the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. And from the inside looking out, I can’t explain it.”

Riffety Raff