I think it's great that they want Bonfire back on campus, but I don't see why they feel the need to impede progress made by SB (at least that's how I see it. Please correct me if I'm wrong). It may take 10+ more years to bring it back, but don't they realize that w/out practical building experience (i.e. SB) and passing down tradition and leadership through the dorms/outfits then having the fire on campus won't mean a thing if no one knows how to build it. Again, please shed any insight and correct me if I'm wrong.


OCHWFLAKASSOBRTTEFE! A-WHOOP!

1)Getting ban on Bonfire memorbilia lifted (on condition memorial ribbon is present on all items)

2)Having a university recognized "land clearing project"

3) Selling Bonfire related shirts, hats etc.



[This message has been edited by HOGS LEW (edited 11/16/2005 1:18p).]

I have asked this question for 4 years and have YET to get an answer.

I had a good reply typed up, but the Texags gremlins ate it.

BCS talks about Bonfire, sells t-shirts and stuff, and keeps top-of-mind awareness for Bonfire. They want Bonfire to return to campus.

ASB builds Bonfire and keeps the tradition alive.

As long as Bonfire is not allowed on campus, BCS needs ASB to keep the knowledge of how to build Bonfire alive. If Bonfire is returned to campus, BCS will need ASB to teach everyone how it is done, as well as lead.


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

This brings to mind something I was pondering the other day and briefly mentioned to Chance and Jeff about a return to campus. Now before I say this, understand that in no way shape or form am I criticizing ASB nor would I want them to stop what they are doing.....

I think lots of people had the theory that the University was waiting for the classes that were around in '99 to clear out before making an official decision on Bonfire. My theory is that they may eventually bring the Fire back, but they are waiting until enough years have passed that NO ONE can really remember what it was all about. So, in that vein, by keeping the tradition going (and growing) ASB my in fact be pushing the return date out.

That's not a bad thing, IMO, because the fire that the University would bring back would probably be a bronze statue with gas fittings on it. I rather see it go away completely than be reduced to that.

If the above is true, then there is a way to get it back and that is to grow so big that the University can't ignore it anymore. I vote for this option

This could also be the ramblings of a tired old man.

Scott Coker '92

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...there is a way to get it back and that is to grow so big that the University can't ignore it anymore.

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From the articles in the newspaper, the noise around Texags, and people I have talked to; be prepared for a record attendance this year.

Honestly, a post '99 on-campus Bonfire really scares me. The presiding idea for this kind of event when I was in school was a "Pit-fire" where everyone painted sticks with their dorm logo and threw it into a pit, then set everything on fire. crap.

If it does come back to campus in any upright capacity, the entire Aggie Community will be looking at ASB to lead the efforts, and I am proud of that. Don't let anyone feed you the line that "Pit-fire on-campus will eventually evolve into a big Bonfire like Unity Project's '2002 Sawed off Bevo' evolved into our current stack."


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

Bonfire Coalition for Students - Clusterf'ing the Hell Out of Bonfire since they started. BCS is full of people that want the image and not the work that Bonfire takes. It's an easier thing to do than Building the Hell. They're the equivalent of Bonfire Reservists. Rather than 6 weekends and 2 weeks a Fall Semester, they're a couple days each semester. They're the weekday warriors that make shirts and a mini-stack trailer to "maintain awareness" about something they don't have a clue about.

Personally, I'd rather be one of the few hundred "renegades" who BTHOB rather than one of the thousands that Talks The Hell Outta Bonfire.

From the vantage point of history (damn, am I really Old Army???) I don't think that even those currently building Bonfire realize how much they are doing, and how favorably these post-99 Bonfires compare to what went before.

Cokeman has it exactly right. What is going on now is more Bonfire than probably anything that would occur on campus, and this will only get larger. I envision a day sooner rather than later that (sadly) the Administration will attempt not to ignore or impede Bonfire, but to CONTROL it. Stand firm. March on.

http://tamu.facebook.com/group_profile.php?gid=1663

You can learn a little or a lot, depending on your frame of reference, by just reading their facebook group.

The announcement is funny.

I am kind of worried that when bonfire finally does come on campus BCS will be reluctant at the least to allow ASB to lead the way? Am I worried over nothing. I know it doesnt make sense but not much does these days.

WHEN Bonfire does come back to campus, BCS can lick the sweaty pine sap off my nuts...

Sue, I think it would be wise not to worry. As someone on a previous thread has said... you can't stop a real leader.

The test will be are we turning out leaders that are strong enough to push for us to be the teachers?

And I think we can.

Hell, if we can build and burn a bonfire off-campus for 4 years amongst the obstacles we've faced, someone can step up.

Let me remind you that life ain't easy. As such, the easy way of us simply stepping up to meet the university's open arms might not be there. So what, we do it anyway.

We have thousands of legs to stand on on this issue when BCS does not.

i really like that post right after mine. and if all else fails....
SUE SMASH!!!!

Of course they won't let SB lead it on campus, nor will they recognize the pot structure. Are you kidding me?

When SB first started, my opinion was that it had to be on campus as soon as humanly possible. Now, I want it to stay off campus as long as it stays safe, because the current system will be entirely hatcheted.

When A&M does that, and they will, you can't build it off-campus either. You will have minimal, minimal, minimal public opinion on your side

UNLESS SB gets everything down as perfect as it can be, and then goes on the offensive before this happens.

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SUE SMASH!!!!

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Yes, I love it.

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OC Hogs Build The Hell...

I'd be willing to bet if/when bonfire comes back to campus, the administration isn't going to give two ****s as to which group thinks they should get to be in charge. The University is going to decide which group THEY think should be in charge. And I would be willing to bet that the University is going to strongly consider people who have some idea of what they are doing. I would further be willing to bet that they won't just tap every SB leader on the head with their "Official Recognition Wand" to make them on-campus bonfire leaders.

no mention of the following line in a post addressed to you...

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Let me remind you that life ain't easy...

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I'd be scared for bonfire to be on campus again. I think the university would ruin it and, we'd all just be allowed to show up for the actual "burn." They'd find a way to F it up just like everything else they touch.


Jared Cosper '04

why the trash talking of BCS? BCS doesn't claim to build Bonfire. Their goal is to bring it back to campus in the best way possible. Both groups need eachother to accomplish their main goals. As of right now, there is nothing BCS can do except create awareness and work with administration. Admin. has said that they will not look into it until litigation is finished. What else do you want them to do? I'd love for the two groups to get along, because they all want the same thing.

I don't think its all that far fetched of an idea to assume that once bonfire returns, BCS could be dissolved on the grounds that their primary mission is over. What's the purpose of an organization trying to get bonfire back on campus when it already is?

Crocker Cocks 2007

Last time I looked into BCS,sat around and "talked" about what Bonfire was and "learn" and take "quizzes" about Bonfire and the history of it.

They claim to work with the university officials to bring it back to campus, so thats a good thing.

I once went to one of their meetings where Frank Cox '65 spoke about Bonfire, and what it meant to him. What a great guy! He applauded the fact that BCS was trying to get Bonfire back on campus, but he too told them if it wasn't soon resumed,he'd be all for off campus because it needed to continue, no matter how or where.



Jared Cosper '04

Why does anyone want to continue to foster enmity between two organizations who want the Bonfire tradition to continue, but who take different approaches?

I hope some of you have read my threads in defense of ASB and the burn-ban controversy. I'm on your side. But I still support BCS and its efforts also. I was part of the first group of people active in Bonfire Coaliton, the BCS parent group.

Please do not engage in paranoya about who will get control if it come back to campus. The president of the university, whoever that is when this litigation finally dies, will decide such things. There's a possiblility that such a person still hasn't earned his Ph.D. yet. If the Fifth Circuit allows the liability cap to be lifted, I'll probably reside on the other side of the grass by the time litigation ceases.

In the meantime, support all efforts on behalf of Bonfire, even if they seem to be going down different roads.

Some of you sound like ldyaggie.

[This message has been edited by DualAG (edited 11/21/2005 6:11p).]

The reason so many ofus in ASB can't stand BCS is because some members of BCS speak out against building an off-campus bonfire. Ivey wrote in to the Batt about not wanting the student senate bill to pass, when all it was going to do was essentially congrarulate us on building a safe bonfire. If BCS could step up and say they support the building of off-campus Bonfire, but they think they should continue to work with the aministration, that'd be great. Until then, I won't be a fan of them.

While it was probably not necessary for BCS leaders to speak up at the Student Senate meeting in opposition to the resolution, it would not be wise for them to step forward and support any kind of student-led off-campus bonfire. To do so would, at best, cut off the communications links to the administration that they have worked to cultivate over the past few years.

(Believe it or not, in its first year BCS had trouble being recognized because administators thought it was a campus Trojan Horse for Unity Project.)

At worst, coming out in support of off-campus bonfire could lead to revocation as a recognized student organization.

Both groups need to respect the other's efforts without necessarily endorsing them.


[This message has been edited by DualAG (edited 11/21/2005 9:31p).]

If the university were to officially support an off campus bonfire, it would just make it that much tougher for BCS to accomplish their goal of bringing it back to campus. A&M admin. could say "Hey look, you got your bonfire out there".

Also, if BCS were to officially applaud student bonfire on their efforts it would be almost like rubbing it in the faces of the admin. The admin would be less receptive to any ideas to bring it back.

BCS can be internally happy of the work going on off of campus, but not officially put its neck out there to get chopped off when it does them no good.

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Also, if BCS were to officially applaud student bonfire on their efforts it would be almost like rubbing it in the faces of the admin. The admin would be less receptive to any ideas to bring it back.

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Then they should not say anything at all. It's just stupid for BCS to hinder the efforts of SB.

I think at the time the university allows Bonfire BCS and SB will work together. They both have things to contriubute. I think there should be a discussion to decide how the pot system will work and how to build it. BCS also had members who had built Bonfire so when it was started there were people who knew what it was about. Some also had sibling who built Bonfire. Bonfire will not be the same when it comes back to campus that it was before 99 but, maybe it can build back up over time and BCS is trying to make sure that there is something to build that spirt back up from.

Easy solution: Have all the participants of ASB sign up for BCS and vote in our own as president and officers. Then, BCS would be a puppet of ASB and, as a University supported organization, could pass a "resolution" to support the Off Campus Bonfire and it's participants.

When are the BCS officer elections?

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

Now that I am a student in good standings again... I am poised to take over the world .. muhahaha

I agree it will take both organizations to bring bonfire back on campus. BCS doesn't seem to think so though. If you look at facebook or their website they definantly have an anti-ASB attitude. It would be better if they would just pretend we didnt exist like everyone else from the university. It seems like they are a source of bad press for us in every article the Batt does on SB. I would have no problem with BCS if they would just leave us alone.

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If you look at facebook or their website they definantly have an anti-ASB attitude.

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where?

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When are the BCS officer elections?

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According to their website, the application process begins in late February.

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If you look at facebook or their website they definantly have an anti-ASB attitude.

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where? anyone?

I think Sue is referring to the fact that every time they mention who they are, they put a LOT of emphasis on the fact that they are the only recognized bonfire organization on campus.

While one could argue that isn't sufficient enough to say they come off as anti-ASB, one could also say that BCS wouldn't need to make that point as often as they do if there wasn't a very popular, not-university-approved organization sitting out there.

Crocker Cocks 2007

not to mention statments made by tommy ivey