We made the news again. Mr. Davis wrote in a letter to the editor and it got published today.

quote:

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A job well done

My wife and I would like to give the Aggie Student Bonfire Association a big "attaboy" for a job well done.

My wife and I were unbelievably impressed with the Aggie students involved with the recent bonfire. Every single one of them were so polite, courteous and professional. It was really a site to behold: 400 to 500 students killing trees with axes, cutting underbrush with machetes and staging all the logs manually. Approximately 1, 200 trees were killed, 10 or so acres cleared of underbrush, and not a single serious injury or incident. That's amazing. But then, safety was the most important issue.

I received three calls from neighbors concerned because of the stigma associated with the bonfire. I tried to assure them there would be no problems - just a fun time for all.

Then the first big cut day came. I took a ride around the property about 3 p.m. and thought "look at all the trash." Most all the students were gone by 7 p.m. I took another ride and I didn't even see a chewing gum wrapper. And that's the way they left the property the morning after their bonfire. Mighty impressive.

My wife and I would be happy to host the bonfire next year.

BOB DAVIS
Franklin

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http://www.theeagle.com/stories/122206/opinions_20061222018.php

Beat me to it...

Good Bull.

Damn Right!!

This is the third letter that has appeared in The Eagle which is complimentary of the way the students conducted themselves this year.

However, I noted with interest Mr. Davis's adoption of the Bonfire term "killing trees."

I have a question for you Bonfire historians out there. Did that term come from Bonfire's later history, in direct response to and in defiance of the environmentalists' objections to harvesting the forests Brazos and neighboring counties?

Or was it part of the Bonfire vernacular from the days before Dr. Wilson?

Does it come from our Texas heritage when taming nature was part of the struggle for survival on the frontier, and "killing trees" to make way for crops was as important as killing wild animals? Or is it simply an assertion that our Aggie traditions trump the environmental concerns expressed by Bonfire opponents in the last three decades of the on-campus tradition?


[This message has been edited by DualAG (edited 12/23/2006 9:26p).]

we were unbelievably blessed to have a host like mr. davis!

"Killing Trees" is nothing new. Pretty regular term back then.

Merry Christmas!

Edit - I do not consider myself a Historian and can't answer as to the origin of "killing trees". I know we said it when I was around in 96-00. I am curious to the answer as well.

[This message has been edited by sharklady00 (edited 12/25/2006 11:17p).]

Always good to read good bull