Midnight Yell Practice

Yell Practice began in 1913, while A&M was still an all-male military school. Several companies would gather together to "learn heartily the old time pep." The first Midnight Yell was held in 1932. Two freshmen asked the senior Yell Leaders to hold a midnight practice so that students would be motivated for the upcoming football game against archrival Texas. The Yell Leaders said that they couldn't authorize a Yell Practice at that late hour. However, they liked the idea, and suggested that they just might "show up" at the campus YMCA Building that evening around midnight. The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band met them at the YMCA, and soon the bulk of the student body had gathered. The cadets used railroad flares to light the event, and a tradition was born. In September 2022, the tradition received national media coverage after the Aggies' football loss to App State Mountaineers. The yell practice video shot before Texas A&M's 17-14 loss to App State was called "embarrassing" and "cringeworthy". The clips appeared to vanish from the internet after Texas A&M took down video clips on Twitter claiming copyright, but were soon reposted. ==Modern tradition==

Home games light their torches to lead the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band over to Kyle Field for Midnight Yell Practice. thumb|300px|right|Senior Yell Leaders watch intently as the Junior Yell Leaders perform pushups while the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band plays a tune Since that first Midnight Yell, the event has been held on the night before each home football game. The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and the five Yell Leaders lead a parade from the Quadrangle, where the Corps dorms are located. Students and alumni line the route from the Quadrangle to Kyle Field, falling into line once those in front of them have passed. Students and alumni gather in the student section of the stands. At midnight, the yell practice begins. The school songs "Aggie War Hymn" and "Spirit of Aggieland" are sung, the Yell Leaders will also tell two fables about how the Aggies are going to beat their opponent the next day. If no date is present, single students light their cigarette lighters, commonly referred to as "flicking your Bic," to make it easier for two dateless people to find each other in the dark. Grove yells were held at The Grove, an outdoor theater near the MSC which was torn down in 2003. Since then, they have been held in front of the twelve arches that mark the entrance to the Corps of Cadets quad area. Arch yells are usually at 7 PM, the attendance is much smaller (usually only the Corps of Cadets) but the tradition of "mugging down" is still followed. After-game Yell Practices After a victorious home football game, the Yell Leaders are tackled by the freshmen in the Corps and thrown into Fish Pond. Afterwards, the Aggie Band meets up with them and an informal yell practice ensues on the steps of the YMCA building. Should the Aggies run out of time (that is, lose) in a football game, a yell practice is held in the stands "to display the continuing support for the Aggie team and to prepare for the next game." == References ==