Yell Practice: The Prey

To be totally honest, yell practice is pretty cool. Midnight Yell is at, surprise, midnight. Makes you wonder where they got the name. Anyway, as a freshman and sophomore, yell is a great place to take a date, and it is enjoyable. But the funnest activity is reserved for the seniors and juniors. Basically, Seniors have certain positions in the band. The junior that is slated to get that position the following year is considered to be that senior's "son". Now, at yell practice is where this tradition becomes a chase. The juniors are they prey. The seniors hunt for their sons or daughters. And when they catch 'em, they make 'em do push ups for fun. And the dialogue is great. For example, my father was Robert Nogueras. Yes, the same Robert Nogueras from earlier tales. I would try and elude him, and weave in and around underclassmen to hide. Now, the underclassmen do get to play a role. And their role favors the seniors. A freshman can cry out a greeting at the top of his lungs. Nothing gives away your position better than a freshman screaming, "Howdy, Mr. Hay, Sir!" at the top of his lungs. Now, some freshman are sympathetic to your cause and stay quiet, mainly because they know you and your father, and like you better. But the temptation is very great, because here is an opportunity to participate in watching an upperclassmen get taking down. And I do mean down. Seniors love tackling their sons. It's something underclassmen love being a party to. Hence, its tough to find loyal freshman when you are the junior prey. Also, the trick is to find your dad, and stay out of sight, but keep him in sight. That way, you elude as long as possible. Basically, the scene is of the band informally gathered in the North End Zone with as many as 40,000 students gathered to support the Aggies, and during the story segment of yell practice, shadowy juniors and seniors tip-toe about between the underclassmen that constitute the majority of the group. Then, you'll hear scattered cries as some juniors who were wondering where their dads were found out abruptly. Other times you hear cries of "Aha!" as a senior spots his son from afar off, and then you watch the junior bolt, and the senior tear after him. At such times, watch your instrument, because it is at risk. And sometimes...the junior successfully evades. Rarely. The seniors have the scales tipped in their favor. I think I eluded Robert one time of all the yell practices we attended. It's tough to get away. But every now and then, I'd keep him stumped for the vast majority of the time before he'd spot me, and, once spotted, you can make a mad dash, but its hard to be hidden as you are running, and the area you can run in is constricted. Pretty much, once spotted, you've had it.