Did You Know

Though heavily attended without second thought, an event like Silver Taps doesn’t occur by happenstance. Behind the scenes, Student Life’s Student Assistance Services and Traditions Council work tirelessly to provide the most sincere and seamless ceremony possible, coordinating first with the guests of highest regard: families of honorees. 

As assistant director of Student Life, Angela Winkler ’95 ’98 admits that being the liaison between Texas A&M and honorees’ families is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. “Receiving a call to learn of a student’s passing is never easy,” she said. “And having conversations with families isn’t something I like, but I’m thankful I can because I know I’m helping in some small way.”

During these intimate conversations, Winkler embraces grieving families with gracious Aggie hospitality by offering hotel accommodations for the Silver Taps ceremony—typically on campus for added convenience—to alleviate the burden of travel plans. 

“We started that about six years ago,” she said. “I haven’t had an unlimited budget, but we always find a way to make it happen.”

After hearing about these efforts, members of the Dallas A&M Club recognized an obvious need and elected to create the university’s first Silver Taps Hospitality Endowment. “Our board does a great job assessing where our giving will make the biggest impact, and this was a no-brainer,” said Kathlyn McGuill ’14, current Dallas A&M Club president. “Aggies take care of Aggies.”

The endowment will not only expand Student Assistance Service’s capabilities to cover hotel costs but will also create new margins for operational costs, easing coordination for those Winkler calls “the powerhouse” behind the ceremony: Traditions Council.

Along with managing operations, service-minded students in Traditions Council intentionally anticipate each family’s arrival, devoting time to learn about each honoree, prepare for conversations of grief and plan a pre-ceremony welcome gathering.

“We have a responsibility to show hospitality that truly displays our solidarity,” said Cole Ragsdale ’24, Silver Taps Committee Chair.

“None of this is about us; it’s about making the families’ experience as reverent as possible.”

Ragsdale even hand-picks each ceremony host based on commonalities between students and families for an added element of relation. At the heart of it, he simply wants the families to be treated like people.

“These students take their role so seriously and care so deeply,” said Kayla Young, Traditions Council advisor. “They want each family to know how important their loved one was to the Aggie community.”

Together, the collaborative efforts of Student Assistance Services and Traditions Council uphold this unparalleled tradition and leave a sizable impact.

In one account, the father of a recent Silver Taps honoree shared his family’s firsthand experience:

“From the moment we started communicating with Texas A&M until the lights came back on after Silver Taps, we were immersed in each of the Aggie core values from everyone we encountered and the thousands who stood solemnly beside us,” he said. “None of our family ever wanted to be invited as a guest to this event. We had open wounds in our hearts when we arrived and when we left. But for a couple of hours and for the 30 minutes of the Silver Taps memorial, if we had to lose our beloved son, I could think of no better way to honor him on campus than what we experienced.”