Just Like Us: University of Texas Also Tells Students ‘Deal With It’

It is a well-known fact that Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin are tenured rivals and sworn enemies, but in a recent study, it was found that students and administrators at both schools are more similar than we may think. Both schools are passionate about athletics, excel in academics, and downplay and dismiss significant racially problematic traditions.

Before the study, each university demonstrated shockingly similar patterns. Texas A&M students held a march on campus in opposition of the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross that older A&M former students greeted with “maroon lives matter” signs. At UT Austin, students created online petitions to replace the school’s alma mater, “The Eyes of Texas,” which originated from a minstrel show. These efforts were greeted by donors stating that it was “sad that it is offending the blacks.”

The study found that both schools created their respective panels and coalitions to tackle the issues at hand. Texas A&M’s resolution was to surround the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross with fences and surveillance cameras. Equally effective, UT Austin’s solution was to announce that fans will not have to sing a song they were never required to sing.

With over a hundred years of bitter resentment towards one another, it is always fascinating to learn how closely tied our two universities are and that, no matter how socially charged an issue is, money will always prevail at both respected institutions.

 

— Hiss and Tell