Yes, it was Royce Hickman. I'm so sorry for an honest mistake about the man’s surname, but the monetary figure was correct. (Not that that it mattered enough to warrant the frowny emoticon, but that’s par for the course in these parts.)
Understand that I am not arguing for a return of Bonfire to campus solely for the money it would generate for the community. That’s just a detail I contributed to the discussion.
I would like to see one of the nation's greatest collegiate traditions return to Texas A&M because it was something that differentiated us from the others, from that gaggle of state universities with vim-and-vigor cheerleaders, Greek-lettered spirit groups, and marching bands that wear feathers in their hats. I would like to see Texas Aggie Bonfire rise from the ashes because it marked the Aggie Spirit in so many ways. With respect to the letter writer to the Eagle last year, Aggie Bonfire will never be replaced with a laser light show.
Yes, twelve Aggies died. Twelve died because the administration didn't have the courage to reign in and correct a 90-year tradition that had recently spun out of control. Twelve Aggies died because the president of the university, who held a doctorate in engineering, drove past the stack every day for years and never stopped to find out if a set of blueprints or a structural engineer were on site. Twelve died because the reactive culture that banned students from riding in open-bed trucks focused on treating the symptoms rather than providing proactive supervision. This is no original observation. It’s all in the Linbeck Commission Report.
I would like to see Bonfire return because I know we can do it right. I authored the report for President Gates regarding collegiate bonfires. Dartmouth, an Ivy League school, constructs a bonfire with student labor that causes no injuries more serious than what can be treated with a band-aid. It contributes to nobody going on scholastic probation. West Point and Annapolis have had bonfires for more than a hundred years with nary a physical nor an academic casualty. I’ve read Texas Tech’s bonfire manual and talked with that university’s bonfire advisor. West Texas A&M prides itself on what it calls a “culture of compliance” regarding the building of its annual bonfire. Other schools nationwide build bonfires that you never hear of for good reason. Nobody gets hurt. Nothing goes out of control.
I grew up in Louisiana where bonfires line the levees on Christmas Eve to light the way for Père Noël. I’ve been to England for Guy ****es Day bonfire celebrations. Nobody sustains more than a scratch, even if spectators are known to imbibe a bit. I’ve studied enough Aggie Bonfire history to know that, at one time in our school’s history, the Commandant of the Corps of Cadets provided solid adult leadership that students followed willingly.
(That's Guy F-a-w-k-e-s. Don't you love the Texags profanity screening software?)
Some say it would dishonor the twelve if we resumed the tradition. The local daily newspaper carried that point to the ridiculous by listing twelve names in last year’s scathing editorial. I happen to feel the opposite is true and so do some others. I served on a committee with two relatives of the fallen. Their advocacy of continuing the tradition expressed their view of how to honor their brother and cousin. This is not to say that all the survivors are in accord; instead it shows that there is no unanimity of opinion on an issue that some have elevated to a truism.
Yes, indemnification would pose a significant stumbling block. Our report to Dr. Gates admitted as much. I don’t think that and other obstacles are insurmountable. And, no, it wouldn’t cost $2 million to do it right. None of the schools that maintain their bonfire traditions would think of spending a significant fraction of that.
Banning resumption of Bonfire until cessation of litigation serves as a double-edged sword. Aggies now cycle though their undergraduate years without ever knowing about this great tradition. It’s hard to yearn for something you don’t know. Yet, as the years pass, perhaps those who are so steadfastly opposed to Bonfire will also experience a thinning of the ranks.
The Bonfire culture of the 1990s made a lot of enemies long before stack fell. The most vociferous opponents of resumption may have been anti-Bonfire long before the tragedy. Perhaps the passage of years may mellow the more strident opinions on both sides.
If you’re a praying person, ask protection for those fine young Aggies out in Robertson County. No amount of arguing will dissuade them from trying to preserve the tradition, and I admire them for their tenacity and for the discipline they’re trying to observe. (No alcohol and a professionally engineered design.) But I’d feel a lot more comfortable if they were building under the kind of supervision Texas A&M could provide.
[This message has been edited by DualAG (edited 11/18/2006 9:49a).]
