To say that Bonfire was a huge tradition would be a vast understatement. The activity itself spawned even more traditions associated with it. So it was more than just "a bonfire" it was Bonfire. Since there are no students on campus that actually participated in a university organized and sanctioned Bonfire (okay - maybe there are a couple that have been there 7 years, but not many, what would happen if it came back? I realize that there have been student organized bonfires in the subsequent years, but I cannot imagine that they held the same stature nor intensity as the original.

I personally would like for it to return as it is a unique tradition held by A&M. I also think it would be very cool if the fire was lit by 12 student selected representatives tossing 12 torches in unison onto the logs to symbolize those killed in the accident.

What do you Ags think would be the same or different, and what would you like to see happen? Are there things that should definitely return? Are there things that you think should be left out from before?

I couldn't tell you, man. Having graduated from the first class at A&M never to have a sanctioned Bonfire, I have no idea what it would be like. All I know is I missed out on something incredible to say the least. Every Bonfire story that I have ever heard has been awesome and I wish with every part of me that I could have participated. If it does come back, I hope that the Aggie student body embraces it and that they never again decide to abandon Bonfire.

as much as i want it to, i dont think Bonfire will ever return. but if it did, id say we keep doing it the way we always did it. just have a moment of silence before its lit

Have the students still cut.
Have an engineering firm build it and use students as the manual labor.
I'd glady chip in $1000 / year to make this happen.

do yall remember when bowen said that Bonfire would be a multi million dollar project? what a bunch of crap

i agree with the engineering firm idea. i just dont think that anything will be down until all lawsuits are taken care of. they're hoping that it will just die down

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I also think it would be very cool if the fire was lit by 12 student selected representatives tossing 12 torches in unison onto the logs to symbolize those killed in the accident.

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That is actually a very good idea. Even if those 12 were to accompany the redpots and carry the torches onto the field, and then have the redpots toss the torches, that would be greatness.

There are still lawsuits going on over this? Man, that sucks. I don;t know all of the details of the accident, but to sue over it would seem, on the surface, dumb.

Sarge - so redpots were those assigned to light the fire? I didn't know how that was done. Even if there weren't student selected people involved, it would still be cool if the number of redpots was increased to limited to 12, whichever way it need to go to make the number right.

[This message has been edited by AngeloHorn (edited 11/29/2005 4:22p).]

I'll do my best at answering your questions. I was heavily involved in Bonfire in 1999 (my fish class in Squadron 17 earned Centerpole that year) and have been involved with off-campus Bonfire ever since it was organized.

First:

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..what would happen if it came back?

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The current students who have worked on off-campus Bonfire know how to build it. They have built 3 beautiful tiered stacks (and one big brush pile in '02)in the past 4 years and will be happy to build The Bonfire when (if) it returns to campus. I have supervised these students for 3 years and it is evident they have the Spirit, drive, know-how, and resources to get it done safely. If you don't believe me, check out the pictures on the Bonfire board.

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I cannot imagine that they held the same stature nor intensity as the original.

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I can. I have personally witnessed the impact on the students who built the OC Bonfires and it is the same as in '99. You probably can't imagine it, because you haven't been out to OC Bonfire. You must see it for yourself. Stature? It's almost 50ft tall. The "original"? The original was a trash pile. This one is beautiful.

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12 student selected representatives tossing 12 torches in unison onto the logs to symbolize those killed in the accident.

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Done in '02.

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What do you Ags think would be the same or different, and what would you like to see happen?

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If it were to return to campus, I would like to see everything that OC Bonfire does done on campus. Period.

I think the structure from '05 off-campus Bonfire should stay the same if moved on-campus, as well as it's construction. I think the horseplay surrounding Bonfire should go elsewhere.

If you have any other questions, please take them to the Bonfire Building Badasses over in the Bonfre forum or visit www.studentbonfire.com. Someone will be happy to help you out.

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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

Things happen in life that don't last forever. Except for the subsequent lawsuits.

CowDog

(For me, the real genius of Bonfire was the building. Not the burning. That's why the "let professional engineers build it" idea doesn't resonate with me.)

[This message has been edited by CowDog (edited 11/29/2005 4:24p).]

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do yall remember when bowen said that Bonfire would be a multi million dollar project? what a bunch of crap

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It costs around $40,000.00; plus insurance. Less with donated equipment, wire, land, parking, transportation, security, and fuel (and no burn-ban citations).

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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

Bonfire ended in 1999, anything else is just a BBQ [anonymous Texags poster]

BBQ?



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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

anyone that says bonfire is dead never really understood what it was/is about.

Bonfire is alive and thriving. If you didn't already know that you have been missing out, or have denied yourself an amazing experience.

It is never too late though, you are always welcome to get involved.

oc.studentbonfire.com

[This message has been edited by HOGS LEW (edited 11/29/2005 5:23p).]

In several respects, today's off-campus Bonfire is better than ones built in the years that immediately preceded the 1999 tragedy.

1. I took my family this year (3 kids) and hung around with another family that had 4 children there. We saw nobody drinking or under the influence, and heard no profanity. The students who sold our tickets and who manned the perimeter were uniformly polite.

2. The students enjoy the services of a professional engineer who has come up with a safe, stable design that is within the ability of students to build.

3. I cannot attest to this personally, but numerous sources have told me there is an emphasis on work-place discipline at the cut and stack sites. Hazing and goofing off are prohibited.

I was at this years bonfire and was impressed with what I saw. I donated this year for the first time and will definitely continue to do so in the future. I am not sure of what ASB has in place for fund raising, but I would think there are plenty of Ags that would donate to this.

Just think, we used to get 30K people to the on campus ones. If even half show up at the minimal fee charged this year, a lot could be done.

As one of the people who made every Cut and missed one Stack (made both shifts all nine other nights), and who put blood, blisters, sweat, pain, love, care, fear and disappointment into the 1300+ logs cut and stacked to Build The Hell Outta Bonfire 05, I can honestly say the rivalries aren't as fierce as they used to be. The major Northside male dorms got along in a fashion that wasn't true when I started in Fall '01, and with the exception of some goodhearted fun-poking between some of the dorms, the rivalries amongst them were something that were put aside because there was a lot of work to do.

Is that something I find disappointing? Well, in the name of nostalgia, yes. In the name of safety and getting the work knocked out, absolutely not.

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missed one Stack

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Typical Moses guy... always being lazy...

You were disappointed in the rivalry this year? Oh please, I'm sure you had your weekly dose of mischief!

University-sanctioned Bonfire will be back within my lifetime...or at least I'd like to think so...

I think the main issue that would bar an on-campus bonfire in years to come is dependent on the outcome of one part of the Lawsuit. That part is the plaintifs naming Texas A&M University as an institution liable claiming a "state created danger." Current law/precedent says that state institutions cannot be held liable. Basicaly if A&M is found to be liable then bonfire will never come back, if A&M, as an institution, continues to be protected Bonfire comming back to campus is a real possibility.

Well, we should find out something about that very soon. The Fifth Circuit heard those arguments about a month ago and ususally rules within 60 days of oral arguments.

I worked on the brush pile fire in '02. I donated to help the boys out with their tickets this year. I'll continue to donate every year for as long as it takes. Keep it up guys. Great job.

opie03, you were in squadron 17 in '99? I have good friend and mentor who was a fish in squadron 17 and worked on centerpole as well. He later was offered a scholarship to throw shot for the track and feild team so he moved to that and out of the Corp. I haven't seen him in a while, but he was a great guy and good influenc on me. Oh, and he was also the biggest guy i have ever known :-)

Spirit in Aggieland

I know that dude, I had math class with that guy. Biggest Mexican I have ever seen.

He is White and Hispanic, a good mix i think.

Spirit in Aggieland

AngeloHorn - stud post. Thank You.

C. "Gun Show" G. Yes, thank god for that mammoth of a man. He and I were the tallest guys in our fish class and I have to give him credit for lifting most of the stump ends out at Load. He would have made the aTm football team if it weren't for FOW and the Corps.

My favorite memory of C.G. was when he and his roomate spilled a bottle of heel-and-sole on their shelves one morning. In order to dry up the spill, they brilliantly set it on fire. Heel-and-sole is EXTREMELY flamable and, in an effort to put out the blaze, fanned it with empty pizza boxes. The room filled with smoke, C.G. was covered head to toe in black ink, and it was time to fall out for morning PT. C.G. ran out of his room which was billowing smoke, covered in ink, holding half of a pizza box that was still on fire.
One of the 'heads yelled "FISH G.! WHAT IN THE NAME OF SWEET CHOCOLATE CHRIST IS GOING ON?!"
C.G., in his trademark baritone voice piped up, sayin "Sir, It lit itself on fire, sir."

He proceeded to tell the story of how it all happened, and I think that got us all out of PT that morning. Wow.

I think he went into environmental law and married one of my buddy's ex-girlfriends, but I could be wrong. I'll find some way to look him up...

The last time I saw him was at Bonfire in 2003 and he was still huge.

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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

AngeloHorn.....

What you will find when Bonfire returns to campus is many similar traditions will spawn out of Bonfire just like they were pre-99. Many of those traditions were harmless, therefore letting them continue should be OK. The traditions will return because many of the dorms who built in 1999 continued to "pass pots" onto younger guys and keep the tradition alive. Even in the few years were there was no fire, many dorms kept it going. Part of the beauty of bringing it back will be seeing the new traditions spawned mixed with the old ones returning.

While nothing will ever be able to replace the scope, size, and structure of pre-99 fires, returning it in its current form will go a long way in replacing what once was. Saying it will be better than nothing is doing the off campus fire a disservice, as it is a large undertaking, but nothing can replace the traditional bonfire. My only hope is that the hunger to go bigger and badder which ultimately led to Bonfire's downfall does not rear its ugly head after it returns to campus.