Office
Hours

I It all started with a few students bringing Mickey Mouse toys to Dr. Poppy Capehart for his daughters. Today, his office is a trove of more than 900 items bearing the famous mouse, including clothes, books, pictures, mugs, food and office supplies. Each item collected over the past 30 years reveals the story of the student who gave it to express their appreciation for Capehart’s impact on their life. “There’s a certain gratitude at Texas A&M that has played out in this delightful way in my life,” he marveled. “Many of these things would be meaningless to most people, but to me, they’re of great value because they’re gifts that remind me of all the Aggies who’ve come through my door.”

T The ostrich eggs in Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon’s office proudly symbolize the two things she loves most about her job: her students and the animals she teaches them to look after. Aggies painted most of the hollowed eggs for fundraisers or as gifts for McLendon. Other items, like peacock and ostrich feathers, porcupine quills and antler buttons from the world’s first cloned white-tailed deer, also serve an educational purpose. “It helps students appreciate how amazing animals are and how they are all different,” she said.

F For Amy Loyd, forming lifelong connections with students is the best part of the job, so it’s only fitting that her office is filled with a feline focused on friendship. From the “Hello Kitty for President” sign that a student found on a Washington, D.C., trip to the massive Hello Kitty Fish Camp flag made by Camp Loyd students, many items remind her of the former students who gave them and help break the ice with new Aggies. “My office shows that you don’t need to fit into a mold,” Loyd shared. “Whatever you like, this is a safe space of acceptance.”

D Dr. Stephen McDaniel has always enjoyed drinking Coca-Cola, but when he brought back a Coke can with a Hebrew label from a trip to Israel in 1989, he didn’t plan to start a collection. Thanks to gifts of gratitude from Aggies, though, that one Coke has grown into 500 from around the world, including Italy, Thailand, China and the United Arab Emirates. “It humbles me every time,” McDaniel expressed. “My collection is a wonderful example of students’ selfless service and how generous Aggies are.”

W When Angela Degelman first opened a “Harry Potter” book, she fell into a world of adventure, magic and wonder. Visitors experience the same world when they step into her office. Filled with posters, wands and other magical items, Degelman’s collection proclaims her love for the series and her desire to share it with others. Through the years, she has introduced family members and students to the Wizarding World by reading them the first chapter. “There’s something in ‘Harry Potter’ for everyone,” she enthused. “I hope people walk away from my office with a little bit of magic.”