Like all universities, traditions abound at NMSU. Passed down from class to class, the ones that fit well with our history, culture and values become woven into the fabric of what it means to be an Aggie. Created by the past, they are a version of ourselves that we leave to the future. And even as traditions change, they are still an indicator of how we want to think of ourselves. 

The First-Year Walk is a good example. Each fall, students gather at Corbett Center Student Union to walk to the Miller Gates, just west of Espina Street. Open gates are a sign of welcome, and these gates were constructed in 1924 to mark the athletic fields, which then included facilities for football, baseball, tennis, and track and field. The Miller Gates were named for John Oliver Miller, who was not just the registrar but also volunteered as the football coach. The First-Year Walk is led by the Pride Band and includes stops to highlight Aggie history. This tradition was originally called Freshman Walk, but the current name recognizes that individuals at NMSU for their first year also include graduate students, transfer students and community college students. This is an excellent example of how a tradition was built out of a welcoming culture, based on history and place, and expanded to create a more inclusive sense of belonging.

The Wonder Dog is a tradition brought back by popular demand. Anyone who has attended home football games likely has observed NMSU’s Wonder Dog run out on the field and retrieve the tee after a home team kickoff. Smoki and student Joel Sims created the Wonder Dog role in 1996, which Smoki held until 2002. Striking was selected to renew the tradition after try-outs in 2012, and he faithfully fetched the tee until 2021. Then he ceded the field to Wave, NMSU’s third Wonder Dog. Striking and Wave both attend games with trainer Dr. Steve Stochaj, who is also the head of the Electrical Engineering Department. 

Our Aggie mascot shows pride in our history and role as a land-grant institution. But until the 2000-2001 academic year, our women student-athletes were Roadrunners and not Aggies at all. Title IX brought positive developments for women in sports, and one subtle impact is that all our student-athletes are now Aggies.

One of our most powerful traditions is the Aggie Memorial Ceremony, which happens on May 1 of each year. On that day, community members gather at the Spiritual Center to commemorate and  honor the Aggies we have lost over the year. This has become a moving opportunity to celebrate the lives of those who have passed and reflect on their contributions.

There are many more traditions at NMSU, and they stand as pillars of the co-curricular experience. Our traditions connect one class of students to others reaching all the way back to 1888.  But always they are a symbolic echo of our history, who we are, and who we aspire to be.

  Take care, Aggies!