By: Tessa Sharp
In the growing town of Stephenville, where dreams intertwine with the rhythm of everyday life. Paul Casey, an outgoing character who majored in agricultural services and development, led a seemingly ordinary life. However, his outgoing personality and ability to make friends with anyone who steps in his path caught the attention of a mysterious organization known as the Purple Poo.
Raised in Peaster, Texas, Paul Casey defied expectations early on, showing a big personality and love for agriculture. From those humble beginnings, he went on to study at Tarleton State University. Today, as a retired Agriculture Teacher of 29 years and now a motivational speaker and real estate agent. Casey stands as a testament to having determination and wanting to do it all.
“Everyone I lived around we would hang out and rope, and one day one of my buddies started asking me a whole bunch of questions like what year are you and when are you supposed to graduate? Well, he ended up being a poo and he nominated me,” said, Casey
Casey made an impression that led him into the Purple Poo. The Purple Poo is important to the students because of the tradition it holds. It was crafted by students in the 1920s who wanted to build school spirit and do it with mystery. That is what made it unique.
“All schools have cheerleaders, yell leaders, marching bands, and dance teams, but nowhere else will you find anything like the Ten Tarleton Peppers or Ten Tarleton Sisters,” said Casey.
The Purple Poo look for people with school spirit and love for Tarleton State, but they also look at personalities. Being part of a secret organization like this comes with a lot of responsibility, and that means having to prioritize events. For Casey, this meant having to tell his friends he couldn’t go to football games or he couldn’t be at the mandatory Alpha Gamma Rho meetings. With those obstacles, Casey was lucky to not lose any friends, but he did have to disappoint them every once in and while to take care of his responsibility as a Poo. Not only was Casey in the Purple Poo but he was also on the livestock judging team, part of the founding fathers of Alpha Gamma Rho, and worked.
After graduating in 1992, Casey got a student teaching job in Perrin. At the time Casey wanted to go into sales not teaching, but something about him teaching and helping students get that light bulb effect is what got him hooked. From then on, he went to teaching for 29 years. Casey is now retired and does motivational speaking and sells real estate. Once he retired, he found himself in a bit of a funk, but quickly he figured out that he was meant to share his stories and personal experiences, and that’s what led him to do motivational speaking.
*Article Submitted in ACOM 3314 – Writing & Editing