iPod = “Howdy” Killer
If you’ve read the sidebar, you should be aware that I’m a junior at Texas A&M University. TAMU is full of traditions. Greeting passersby with a “howdy” is one of the most recognizable traditions practiced on- and off-campus. Every year there is a cyclical decline of the use of “howdy.” High in August and decline through December. There is a low spike in January, then it declines to it’s lowest in May. I’ve notice over the pass three years an overall decline in “howdy’s” use.
I attribute the iPod as a leading reason for the decline in “howdy’s” that I hear. The popularity of the Apple iPod and other mp3 players lead to people wearing headphones to and from class on campus. Listening to music, Aggies are less likely to spout a brief “howdy” to the person walk by, and if you walk by someone wearing headphones/earbuds you are less likely to say “howdy,” as not to disturb them.
This is a sad trend here in Aggieland. I hope the new classes admitted will push to bring back “howdy” to the levels it once was. I’ll do my part and say “howdy” to everyone I pass.
I have been part of the College Station and Aggie Community since 1997. It is my opinion that “Howdy” is a concept and not—necessarily—a word.
I appreciate and accept that the exact word has meaning to many Aggies, but I also appreciate a general greeting, whether it be a “hi”, “hello”, “morin’ “, “afternoon” or just a nod. I recognize each response as a greeting that is the essence of a friendly campus. To me, the friendly greeting is the definition of “howdy”.
I’ve also seen the extreme: a dyed-in-the-wool-multi-generational Aggie who SHOUTS (as in: SCREAMS) “HOWDY!!!” at the top of his lungs to anyone who does not initially greet him. This abrasive behavior is detrimental to the essence of the idea/concept.
Lori
20 May 08 at 6:10 pm CDT