Welcome back Ags! Or should we say welcome back traffic jams? How about crowded lines at HEB? Taking twice as long to get across town. Or waiting forever for a breakfast table the morning after a home game. When the fall semester marches its way in, so do Texas A&M’s over 65,000 students, and things get rowdy in BCS. Maroon Weekly recently asked a few year-round residents about what it’s like when a sleepy little town sees 65,000 people arrive all on the same weekend.

According to Caleb Qualls, a student who lives in College Station, “The infrastructure in this town can’t handle the loads of students that come in.” Qualls is one of many who feels the repercussions of a rapidly growing population in a small geographical area.

But while some may not enjoy the big crowds, others have a different perspective. A local hair stylist at Galleria Spa, Laura Kiszkiel says she enjoys meeting new faces from out of town and growing her clientele. Although she pretends her seasonal allergies are not from living in one of the worst allergy locations in the U.S. but due to the mass of students flooding in at once, Kiszkiel is right. What would BCS be without Aggies?

While we’re on the topic of masses of students, football season is here, and thousands are eager to partake in the festivities. Especially senior Morgan Sanner, who enjoys the unity football season brings, saying, “We may have differing opinions, perspectives and beliefs, but on gameday, we come together as the 12th man to cheer on our team.” OUR team. There you have it. Whether you’re an Aggie or not, if you live in BCS, keeping your distance and not being swept up in the hullaballoo just isn’t possible. After all, there’s NOTHING like an A&M football game. Right?

But Aggie Football isn’t the only thing to look forward to. Hannah Holbrook, an Aggie Alum, shares her thoughts on why she loves the fall semester. “I love the fall semester because everyone I love comes back in town.”

There it is again—that concept. Joining in. Being a part of something. Family. Aggieland is all about showing up. About the 12th man. They say if your car breaks down on Hwy 6, you won’t have to wait long for someone to stop and help you. That’s just what we do here in Aggieland—a place where all the energy, excitement, and vision come together to make something more than just the sum of the parts of all of us.

So even with all the traffic jams, seasonal allergies that last year round, and loads of people, Aggieland is where we call home, and we’re proud to say so!