Fightin' Texas Aggie Band

Landon Perdue ’24

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Landon Perdue '24 smiles in front of a blue studio backdrop.

Hometown: Montgomery, Texas

Major: Public Health

Outfit: B-Company

Originally from B-Company, Landon Perdue ’24 presently serves as the Commanding Officer of the Infantry Band. 

On the Quad, Landon is a member of the O.R. Simpson Honor Society, the General T.G. Darling Recruiting Company and the Corps Men’s Soccer Team. 

Off the Quad, Landon is a member of the Texas A&M Pre-Dental Society. 

“The Corps of Cadets is the only organization I know of that allows its members to practice the art of leadership every single day. Through experiences with my buddies, other members of this Corps and the staff at the Hollingsworth Center for Ethical Leadership, I have developed a deeper understanding of human interaction and what it means to be a leader in our ever-changing world. As I prepare to move forward, beyond my undergraduate studies, I am confident that the skills and values I have gained over the last four years will serve to fuel my future and provide direction for my career,” Landon said of his time in the Corps. 

After graduation, Landon plans to continue his education in dental school. Upon completion of dental school, Landon hopes to serve as a dentist in one of the service branches.

Daniel MacKenzie ’24

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Daniel MacKenzie '24 smiles in front of a blue studio background

Hometown: Noblesville, Indiana

Major: Ecological Restoration and Parks & Natural Resource Management

Outfit: C-Company

Originally from C-Company, Daniel MacKenzie ’24 currently serves as the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band Commander for the 2023-2024 academic year.

On the Quad, Daniel serves as a member of the Bugle Rank, as a SOMS Peer Mentor and as an LLC Student Worker. During his freshman year, Daniel was a member of the Fish Drill Team, where he also later served as a sophomore advisor.

Off the Quad, Daniel is an Ecology and Conservation Biology Student Ambassador (ECCBSA). In his free time, Daniel enjoys playing the drums, hiking and cooking.

“If I had to boil it down to three things, the Corps personally has taught me how to truly serve and listen to others, balance a very loaded plate of responsibilities and empower various sized teams and organizations. When I leave here, I know I’ll be taking lifelong friendships, memories and experiences with me to apply into every aspect of my life,” Daniel said of his time in the Corps.

After graduation, Daniel plans to take time to travel abroad and volunteer before settling into his first job. After this, Daniel hopes to either work in seasonal roles with the National Park Service or begin a career in environmental consulting with Lloyd Engineering.

 

 

Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Announces March-In Schedule for 2023 Football Season

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The Corps of Cadets will Conduct March-Ins for Every Home Football Game

The Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets has released its march-in schedule for the 2023 football season. As in years past, the Corps will conduct a march-in prior to kickoff for every home football game.

The iconic Corps of Cadets go far toward shaping the Aggie game day experience. To honor tradition and the university’s roots as a military institution, the presence of the 2,200 members can be felt as they make their way through campus. Notable groups that will participate in the march-ins include the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, Parsons Mounted Cavalry and the university’s mascot, Reveille X.

March-in routes will vary by game to ensure every Aggie fan, spectator and guest has the opportunity to see the Corps of Cadets. The following is the schedule:

  • New Mexico vs Texas A&M, Sept. 2: Campus march
  • University of Louisiana Monroe vs Texas A&M Sept. 16: Campus march
  • Auburn vs Texas A&M, Sept. 23:  Aggie Park march
  • Alabama vs Texas A&M, Oct. 7: Campus march
  • South Carolina vs Texas A&M, Oct. 28: Kyle Field march-in
  • Mississippi State vs Texas A&M, Nov. 11: Veterans Review, Simpson Drill Field
  • Abilene Christian University vs Texas A&M, Nov. 18: West campus march

To maximize the game day experience for all Aggies and visitors, the 2023 season marks the last season the Corps of Cadets will conduct a march-in to Kyle Field. The South Carolina game on Oct. 28 is the only game during the 2023 season in which the Corps will march into the stadium. During this game, the Corps will be joined by hundreds of former cadets who will march as part of the Corps of Cadets Association’s Rally to the Guidons event.

Last season, the Corps marched into Kyle Field for three of the six home games.

The march-in schedule for upcoming seasons will be determined in conjunction with Athletics and Texas A&M once football dates are set. Timelines and march-in routes for each game will be posted when details are finalized at tx.ag/CorpsEvents. 

This article appeared on Texas A&M Today.

Cora Schell ’23

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Cora Schell '23 poses on the Quad

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Major: Animal Science

Outfit: B-Battery

Cora Schell ’23 is a member of B-Battery in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. 

On the Quad, Cora is involved in Parsons Mounted Cavalry, where she serves as the special unit’s Veterinary Officer. Cora represented Parsons Mounted Cavalry, the Corps of Cadets and Texas A&M in a color guard unit during the grand entry of the San Antonio Livestock Show & Rodeo this spring.

 Off the Quad, Cora has been a member of the animal welfare judging team since her freshman year. Cora also assists with research in the Animal Science department, where she helps train dogs to detect disease in cattle. In addition to her research, Cora works part-time at Steep Hollow Pet Lodge. 

After graduation, Cora plans to attend graduate school, where she hopes to obtain her master’s. After receiving her master’s, Cora hopes to attend Texas A&M’s Veterinary School. 

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Meet With Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band

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Cadets and Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders pose on Dunlap Drill Field

In a good bull story for the ages, cadet Chase Borders ‘25, of B-Battery in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, helped arrange one of the greatest meet ups that the Corps of Cadets has ever seen. 

“While in Arlington for the Southwest Classic, I submitted a form requesting an event with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Originally, I didn’t think it would amount to much because I figured they get tons of requests. I received an email from their event coordinator asking to schedule a phone call. After a couple phone calls to iron out the details, I was able to pass the event off to the Band Commander, Cameron Paladino ‘23, to figure out the logistics!”

Once they arrived on campus, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders were welcomed into the Music Activities Center by nearly 150 cadets. During their visit, members of the organization and team director, Kelli Finglass, drew similarities between their organization and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. 

“One of the biggest compliments that both of our organizations can get is that we make it look easy, but we know that there’s so much work that goes into it. There are so many moving parts to what we do, but practicing with your team makes it all come together for the final product,” Finglass said. 

In addition to highlighting the similarities the two teams share, Finglass also shared advice on how to work as a team through challenges and adversity. 

“Going in everyday with that ‘I’ve got this’ attitude is what will carry you through. If even one girl on our team has an ‘I can’t get up’ mindset, it is the job of the rest of the team to help her up,” Finglass explained. 

After visiting with the team for an hour, cadets in attendance showed the cheerleaders around the Dunlap Drill Field, where they also took photos with the team members and coaches. 

“It was such an honor to get to work with such a prestigious organization. I wasn’t expecting the request to grow into something so amazing. It’s great to know that a professional organization like the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders recognizes the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band and views us with such high regards. Two highly renowned organizations meeting like this doesn’t happen very often, so I wanted to help create something that we can hopefully turn into a yearly tradition,” Borders said. 

Through “career readiness events”, cadets are able to learn from industry leaders about the skills they need to be successful in the workforce. This visit by one of America’s most iconic teams is just one of many career readiness  events that are offered to cadets throughout the year. In a unique twist on a traditional career readiness event, cadets heard from the team that has redefined and led the sports entertainment industry for over 60 years.  

In a meeting between nationally famous and world famous, the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band and the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders came together to celebrate commonalities and the value of leadership, hard work and tradition. 

“In the Aggie Band, and in the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, we don’t mess around with tradition. We celebrate all of our traditions and we respect that we wouldn’t be who we are today without our larger organizations. Our team, the Dallas Cowboys organization, is the best of its brand, much like Texas A&M,” Finglass said.

Story By: Robin Nelson '22

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