In the meantime, autumn has started in the Netherlands, which means that the summer is over and that winter is coming. And yes, that makes a lot of Dutch people sad. Hopefully we can cheer you up with this week’s University Spotlight, because the weather is always nice there! We are going to talk about New Mexico State University. Training, studying and doing fun things in the sun for 365 days a year. Sounds like a dream, right?
It is therefore that NMSU is popular among Dutch athletes. When Jordy Visser signed for his scholarship last year, he became the third Slamstox tennis player at the university! Stijn de Haan and Quinty Janssen were also part of ‘The Aggies’ at that time. And it doesn’t stop here with Slamstox athletes: in a few months tennis player Gijs Akkermans will also be part of the university!
We asked Jordy what’s most special about NMSU:
NMSU and Slamstox appear to be a good match with all athletes just mentioned. Are you curious about this university in Las Cruces, New Mexico? Keep reading!
The campus
NMSU is the oldest higher education university in the state of New Mexico. The university teaches on five different campuses: Main Campus, Doña Ana Campus, Grants Campus, Alamogordo Campus and Carlsbad Campus. The ‘main campus’ of NMSU consists of an area of ​​360ha! A huge campus where the immediate surroundings consist of desert and greenhouses, that’s what makes the NMSU location so special!
The ‘Aggie Memorial Stadium’ is the largest stadium on the main campus, it is the outdoor football stadium. It offers seats to more than 30,000 spectators!
The main campus is huge and even has its own police department. 35 people work here, including 22 full-time police officers. There is also a private medical school on the campus, the medical students who study here can also use the facilities of the campus.
Athletics
NMSU’s sports teams are thus called ‘the aggies’, a nickname derived from the agricultural beginnings of the university. All NMSU athletics teams compete at Division 1 level and participate in the Western Athletic Conference. The varsity teams at NMSU consist of 6 men and 9 women teams.
NMSU’s mascot is ‘Pistol Pete’. A bad-ass name for a bad-ass mascot, in 2008 Pistol Pete was suspended from the next game because he had fought in the stadium with the Utah mascot, Big Blue. Ever seen two fighting mascots? Crazy right?!
In the field of sports, NMSU has one major rival, the University of New Mexico. The rivalry between NMSU-UNM has become a serious thing in the state, it is also referred to as the ‘Rio Grande Rivalry’. Throughout the year, points are awarded to the universities while looking at all different sports areas, the university that has obtained the most points at the end of the year receives the challenge cup. It’s a big event for both schools, and each school has its own traditions the night before the awards ceremony. The greatest rivalry is during American football games. Curious about the highlights of last year’s competition? Check them out below!
Academics
In addition to a wide range of study programs, NMSU also offers a special ‘honors program’ for students who want to get more out of their studies. You can take extra courses with subjects of your choice and thus receive an extra award on your diploma.
The Official New Mexico State University stake is given to junior and senior students, and NMSU alumni, to celebrate and commemorate their achievements and NMSU traditions. Graduates are required to turn the ring outwards in the graduation ceremony, symbolizing that they are ready to face the world. Cool!
Fun facts
Did you know that…
- NMSU has its own victory bell? It used to be on match days all over campus! Later the victory bell was placed in the stadium and sounded when a touchdown was made! Nowadays the bell is no longer used, but it has been given a nice place behind the goal in the stadium
- NMSU has its own radio station?! It is a non-commercial channel that provides updates about the university. Cool right?
- NMSU has a very crazy tradition with ‘the wonder dog’?! Every football game can only be started after ‘the wonder dog’ has caught the ‘kicking tee’. Some time ago the new ‘Wonder Dog’ was chosen, it is the 4-year-old border collie ‘Striking’ who can maintain this tradition during the competitions!
