I don't think I could have ever viewed the actual Bonfire as deeply as most Ags talk about, even if it had continued while I was in school and I had been a part of building it
growing up in College Station (since age 11) I was able to attend several Bonfires before college and thought it was cool and fun to go to, but I doubt it would have ever meant as much to me as it's described, I think I would've just always taken it in as just another tradition like Midnight Yell just as sort of a pep rally, cool but nothing all that special
what did mean so much to me was the result of Bonfire falling, I remember on the 1 year anniversary of the fall I was a junior or so in high school, I had heard that some Aggies were going to go out to the site to hold a memorial that night, for some reason I felt compelled to go so without asking anyone else I went out there myself, what I experienced there I will never forget
I found myself in the field amongst thousands of Aggies standing in the freezing rain at 3 in the morning for an hour to remember those that had fallen, tears pouring down everyone's eyes, that was such an amazing experience and it was at that moment that I realized this place was something special, that Texas A&M was more than just a college, it was a family.
That night alone made my decision up to stay here for college instead of moving with my family back to CA where I had scholarship offers from UC's, I realized you will not find this anywhere else in the world, and I will always remember that night as when I was on the outside looking in, but I began to understand it.
growing up in College Station (since age 11) I was able to attend several Bonfires before college and thought it was cool and fun to go to, but I doubt it would have ever meant as much to me as it's described, I think I would've just always taken it in as just another tradition like Midnight Yell just as sort of a pep rally, cool but nothing all that special
what did mean so much to me was the result of Bonfire falling, I remember on the 1 year anniversary of the fall I was a junior or so in high school, I had heard that some Aggies were going to go out to the site to hold a memorial that night, for some reason I felt compelled to go so without asking anyone else I went out there myself, what I experienced there I will never forget
I found myself in the field amongst thousands of Aggies standing in the freezing rain at 3 in the morning for an hour to remember those that had fallen, tears pouring down everyone's eyes, that was such an amazing experience and it was at that moment that I realized this place was something special, that Texas A&M was more than just a college, it was a family.
That night alone made my decision up to stay here for college instead of moving with my family back to CA where I had scholarship offers from UC's, I realized you will not find this anywhere else in the world, and I will always remember that night as when I was on the outside looking in, but I began to understand it.