Editing Texas A&M University (section)

===Activities===
[[File:TAMUsingingcadets.jpg|thumb|The Texas A&M University Singing Cadets|alt=28 people standing on risers are signing while wearing white military-style uniforms]]

Texas A&M has over 1,000 student organizations, including academic, service, religious, social, and common interest organizations,<ref name="newsletter2003_12_4">{{cite news|url=http://www.aggienetwork.com/HTMLEmails/DecSpENewsletter/newsletter.html|title=Texas A&M Association of Former Students E-Newsletter; Special Edition, December 4, 2003|access-date=January 2, 2007|date=December 4, 2003|publisher=[[The Association of Former Students]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516221809/http://www.aggienetwork.com/HTMLEmails/DecSpENewsletter/newsletter.html|archive-date=May 16, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> and hosts 58 nationally or internationally recognized [[Greek Letter Organizations]] (GLOs). About 10% of the undergraduate population is affiliated with a GLO fraternity or sorority.<ref name="officeoffraternityandsororitylife">{{cite web|title=Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life|publisher=Texas A&M University|url=http://studentactivities.tamu.edu/about-us/ofsl/|access-date=September 10, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905221032/http://studentactivities.tamu.edu/about-us/ofsl/|archive-date=September 5, 2015}}</ref><ref name="studentactivities">{{cite web|title=Student Activities|publisher=Texas A&M University|url=http://studentactivities.tamu.edu/get-involved/join-an-organization/|access-date=September 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905220947/http://studentactivities.tamu.edu/get-involved/join-an-organization/|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

One of the oldest student organizations is the [[Texas A&M Singing Cadets|Singing Cadets]], an all-male choral group not affiliated with the Corps of Cadets with about 70 members that was founded in 1893.<ref name="singingcadets">{{cite news |url=http://www.thebatt.com/news/view.php/705023/Auditions-continue-for-Singing-Cadets-en |title=Auditions continue for Singing Cadets ensemble |access-date=February 14, 2015 |date=August 28, 2013 |work=[[The Battalion]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150215200442/http://www.thebatt.com/news/view.php/705023/Auditions-continue-for-Singing-Cadets-en |archive-date=February 15, 2015 }}</ref> [[Texas A&M Hillel]], the oldest [[Hillel International|Hillel organization in the United States]], was founded in 1920 at the original college.<ref name="Hillel">{{cite book |last=Umansky |first=Ellen M. |title=From Christian Science to Jewish Science: Spiritual Healing and American Jews |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |page=160 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=abwSjUgVQwIC&q=texas+a%26m+hillel&pg=PA160 |isbn=0-19-504400-2 |year=2005 |access-date=November 2, 2020 |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414012733/https://books.google.com/books?id=abwSjUgVQwIC&q=texas+a%26m+hillel&pg=PA160 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Hillel2">{{cite news |url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-110519637.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130513122658/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-110519637.html |url-status=dead |archive-date= May 13, 2013 |work=[[The Jewish Week]] |title=A Cushy Fit In Bush Country |last=Birkner |first=Gabrielle |date=May 6, 2005 |access-date=May 15, 2012}}{{registration required}}</ref> Since 1955, the [[MSC Student Conference on National Affairs]] has held conferences, lectures, and other programs to discuss national and international issues with speakers.<ref name="SCONA">{{Cite book |last=Bacon |first=Amy |url=https://archive.org/details/buildingleadersl0000baco |title=Building Leaders, Living Traditions: The Memorial Student Center at Texas A&M |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60344-095-0 |location=College Station, Texas |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/43468321/|title=The Eagle from Bryan, Texas on November 28, 1962 &middot; Page 10|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=May 29, 2017|language=en|work=[[The Bryan-College Station Eagle]]|archive-date=July 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730035335/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/43468321/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/43468192/|title=The Eagle from Bryan, Texas on November 28, 1962 &middot; Page 1|work=Newspapers.com|access-date=May 29, 2017|archive-date=July 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730035333/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/43468192/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Department of Recreational Sports provides athletic activities to the university community; sports facilities include the Student Recreation Center, a [[natatorium]]; the Penberthy Rec Sports Complex; and the Omar Smith Instructional Tennis Center.<ref name="reccenter">{{cite web|title=Recreation Center|publisher=Texas A&M University|url=http://recsports.tamu.edu/|access-date=August 3, 2006 }}</ref> The Student Government Association (SGA), one of A&M's largest organizations, has over 1,300 student members in three branches, fifteen committees, and four commissions.<ref name="StudentSenate">{{cite web|title=Student Government Association|publisher=Texas A&M University|year=2009|url=http://sga.tamu.edu/|access-date=May 9, 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080522064338/http://sga.tamu.edu/ |archive-date = May 22, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Graduate Student Council, which was founded in 1995, serves as the student government for Texas A&M University's graduate and professional students.<ref name="GSC">{{cite web|url=http://gsc.tamu.edu/|title=Graduate Student Council(GSC)|access-date=June 16, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528001624/http://gsc.tamu.edu/|archive-date=May 28, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Student organizations have had a nationwide impact. Texas A&M students founded the largest one-day, student-run service project in America known as [[The Big Event]]. The annual service project allows students to serve the community by assisting local residents. Such events are now also held at other universities.<ref name="KBTX BigEvent">{{cite web|url=https://www.kbtx.com/2021/03/28/texas-ams-the-big-event-returned-for-the-38th-year/|title=Texas A&M's The Big Event returned for the 38th year|publisher=[[KBTX]]|last=Tuggle|first=Donnie|date=March 27, 2021|access-date=January 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927002621/http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/6798412.html|archive-date=September 27, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bigevent">{{cite web|url=http://bigevent.tamu.edu/|title=The Big Event|access-date=May 15, 2007|publisher=The Big Event|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070510220954/http://bigevent.tamu.edu/ |archive-date = May 10, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> The organization CARPOOL, a student-run [[designated driver|safe ride program]], has provided over 250,000 free rides ({{as of|2016|lc=y}}) to students who are unable to transport themselves home. Its organizers help other universities establish similar programs.<ref name="Carpool1">{{cite news|url=http://www.rocktownweekly.com/news_details.php?AID=35183&CHID=2|title=SafeRides Gives 10,000th Ride Home|work=The Daily News Record|access-date=February 3, 2009|date=February 3, 2009|last=Bowser|first=Heather|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090919044033/http://www.rocktownweekly.com/news_details.php?AID=35183&CHID=2|archive-date=September 19, 2009}}</ref><ref name="carpool3">{{cite web|url=http://carpool.tamu.edu/|title=CARPOOL<!--CARPOOL is an acronym-->|access-date=January 2, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226230354/http://carpool.tamu.edu/|archive-date=February 26, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, [[GLBT Aggies]], formerly Gay Student Services (GSS), successfully [[Gay Student Services v. Texas A&M University|sued the university]] for official recognition and the [[Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals]] ruled the [[U.S. Constitution]] requires public universities to allow such student organizations under the [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]]'s "freedom to assemble" clause.<ref>{{cite news |title= GLBT Aggies recognize court-battled founding |date= April 1, 2008 |url= http://www.thebatt.com/2.8485/glbt-aggies-recognize-court-battled-founding-1.1186882 |work= [[The Battalion]] |access-date= June 16, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130204044539/http://www.thebatt.com/2.8485/glbt-aggies-recognize-court-battled-founding-1.1186882 |archive-date= February 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wiessler |first=Judy |title=A&M loses 9-year battle in gay case |date=April 1, 1985 |newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]] |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1985_5727 |access-date=October 28, 2009 |page=Section 1, page 1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512183616/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1985_5727 |archive-date=May 12, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>