For those wanting to "Bring Back the Hate", just remember how that "hate" was returned by TU on November 18, 1999, up until the unspeakably emotional game against TU that year. Rivalries and harmless jokes are fun; violence and destruction, whether verbal or physical, is pathetic.
To remind Aggies how the Longhorn nation turned to our aid and comfort, I quote a great article by Brady Creel in The Battalion, written on 11/19/01:
"The story of Texas Aggie Bonfire defies explanation. Words can only clumsily describe an experience that has to be lived to be understood, and even if it never burns again, Bonfire will always exemplify Aggie spirit.
That is because Bonfire is no longer solely about a towering stack of logs and a football rivalry. It also connotes the memory of those who perished doing something they loved.
In the early-morning hours of Nov. 18, 1999, the 90th Aggie Bonfire collapsed, claiming the lives of 12 Aggies and injuring 27 others. The story that unfolded in the days, weeks and months afterward is engraved in the hearts and minds of Aggies everywhere. In Reed Arena the night of the collapse, then-Lt. Gov. Rick Perry, Class of 1972, said, "We will remember them as long as there is a Texas A&M and Aggie spirit, and that, my friends, is forever.".....
What Aggies did in the aftermath of the 1999 Aggie Bonfire collapse proved that Bonfire embodies everything the Aggie spirit should be. It proved that Bonfire is about people who cared for each other -- a bond of unity that transcends everything else. In Aggieland on Nov. 18, 1999, fate proved the old adage that, "From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. From the inside looking out, you can't explain it."
The world looked upon A&M the day of the collapse with eyes filled with tears of grief and a sparkle of admiration. Bonfire proved that there is no place like Aggieland and no people like Texas Aggies.
"The A&M student body is truly one of the greatest treasures of our state" wrote Eric Opiela, vice president of student government at the University of Texas-Austin, of the memorial service in Reed Arena. "As part of the UT delegation, we sat on the floor of Reed Arena, and immediately following the end of the service, I heard this rustling sound behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw the sight of 20,000 students spontaneously putting their arms on their neighbor's shoulders, forming a great circle around the arena. The mass stood there in pin-drop silence for close to five minutes; then, from somewhere, someone began to hum quietly the hymn 'Amazing Grace.' Within seconds, the whole arena was singing. I tried, too -- I choked, I cried. This event brought me to tears. It was one, if not the, defining moment of my college career. I learned something tonight. For all us Longhorns who discount A&M in our never-ending rivalry, we need to realize one thing: Aggieland is a special place with special people. It is infinitely better equipped than us at dealing with a tragedy such as this for one simple reason: it is a family. It is a family that cares for its own, a family that reaches out, a family that is unified in the face of adversity, a family that moved this Longhorn to tears."
"Even rivalry was set aside the next week when A&M played UT. UT's annual Hex Rally, their version of a pre-game yell practice, was canceled and replaced with a memorial service. The Longhorn Band dedicated its halftime performance to the 12 fallen Aggies, and in rare form, the 12th Man remained standing for the performance."....
Aggies, please don't forget the importance of this Saturday.....and not because it was the end of Bonfire, the event, but because it showed the nation of the size of the Aggies', and Longhorns', hearts.
To remind Aggies how the Longhorn nation turned to our aid and comfort, I quote a great article by Brady Creel in The Battalion, written on 11/19/01:
"The story of Texas Aggie Bonfire defies explanation. Words can only clumsily describe an experience that has to be lived to be understood, and even if it never burns again, Bonfire will always exemplify Aggie spirit.
That is because Bonfire is no longer solely about a towering stack of logs and a football rivalry. It also connotes the memory of those who perished doing something they loved.
In the early-morning hours of Nov. 18, 1999, the 90th Aggie Bonfire collapsed, claiming the lives of 12 Aggies and injuring 27 others. The story that unfolded in the days, weeks and months afterward is engraved in the hearts and minds of Aggies everywhere. In Reed Arena the night of the collapse, then-Lt. Gov. Rick Perry, Class of 1972, said, "We will remember them as long as there is a Texas A&M and Aggie spirit, and that, my friends, is forever.".....
What Aggies did in the aftermath of the 1999 Aggie Bonfire collapse proved that Bonfire embodies everything the Aggie spirit should be. It proved that Bonfire is about people who cared for each other -- a bond of unity that transcends everything else. In Aggieland on Nov. 18, 1999, fate proved the old adage that, "From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. From the inside looking out, you can't explain it."
The world looked upon A&M the day of the collapse with eyes filled with tears of grief and a sparkle of admiration. Bonfire proved that there is no place like Aggieland and no people like Texas Aggies.
"The A&M student body is truly one of the greatest treasures of our state" wrote Eric Opiela, vice president of student government at the University of Texas-Austin, of the memorial service in Reed Arena. "As part of the UT delegation, we sat on the floor of Reed Arena, and immediately following the end of the service, I heard this rustling sound behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw the sight of 20,000 students spontaneously putting their arms on their neighbor's shoulders, forming a great circle around the arena. The mass stood there in pin-drop silence for close to five minutes; then, from somewhere, someone began to hum quietly the hymn 'Amazing Grace.' Within seconds, the whole arena was singing. I tried, too -- I choked, I cried. This event brought me to tears. It was one, if not the, defining moment of my college career. I learned something tonight. For all us Longhorns who discount A&M in our never-ending rivalry, we need to realize one thing: Aggieland is a special place with special people. It is infinitely better equipped than us at dealing with a tragedy such as this for one simple reason: it is a family. It is a family that cares for its own, a family that reaches out, a family that is unified in the face of adversity, a family that moved this Longhorn to tears."
"Even rivalry was set aside the next week when A&M played UT. UT's annual Hex Rally, their version of a pre-game yell practice, was canceled and replaced with a memorial service. The Longhorn Band dedicated its halftime performance to the 12 fallen Aggies, and in rare form, the 12th Man remained standing for the performance."....
Aggies, please don't forget the importance of this Saturday.....and not because it was the end of Bonfire, the event, but because it showed the nation of the size of the Aggies', and Longhorns', hearts.
