Contrary to my moniker, my name is David Bayler and I'm a student veteran '18 at Texas A&M. If this isn't the right place then I'll gladly excuse myself. I was in class with Professor Gary Boldt last week on the topic of leadership and we got around to what it would take to bring the bonfire back to the A&M campus. Knowing it is a hot button issue and can be a sore subject he expressed that a great many former students share the sentiments of a great many current students that we should bring the stack back home to the campus. Who here would support this and where would you recommend I start down the sure to be arduous journey of returning the stack to Texas A&M. With all the resources this school has and the influence of it's alumni, I'm sure we could make this happen. Any insight appreciated.
Bonfire
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Last: 6 yr ago by TexasRebel
this would be a fantastic accomplishment.
your challenge is, of course, liability -
1. actual legal liability if a tragedy ever recurred, and
2. 'image' liability - the damage to perception of the university among those who worry about such things if there were another tragedy. the media / public image hit if there were another catastrophe would be brutal.
seems like there may be enough alumni support to raise a fund to cover liability insurance premiums (speculating but I'd contribute).
the second category is tougher. TAMU is, like it or not, a political institution of great importance in the State of Texas and politicians don't take big risks. finding a chancellor or president willing to risk his reputation bringing a 'high risk' activity like bonfire back to campus is the toughest challenge, IMO.
your challenge is, of course, liability -
1. actual legal liability if a tragedy ever recurred, and
2. 'image' liability - the damage to perception of the university among those who worry about such things if there were another tragedy. the media / public image hit if there were another catastrophe would be brutal.
seems like there may be enough alumni support to raise a fund to cover liability insurance premiums (speculating but I'd contribute).
the second category is tougher. TAMU is, like it or not, a political institution of great importance in the State of Texas and politicians don't take big risks. finding a chancellor or president willing to risk his reputation bringing a 'high risk' activity like bonfire back to campus is the toughest challenge, IMO.
We're from North California, and South Alabam
and little towns all around this land...
and little towns all around this land...
I would book it right now as a no miss opportunity for my 11 year old daughter to see what the Aggie spirit means.
We're all old people on this forum, so we all support bonfire back on campus. But it'll never happen.
At some point the university needs to find a way to bring this back on campus with all the safety and liability that is needed.
Where would you put it? The previous location is now a memorial. Prior to that, it was near the quad, but that all appears to be earmarked for building and such. There might be a suitable location in far west campus, but at some point they will probably want a building there too. Would that be on-campus enough.
I support it coming back to campus, but "we don't have a place for it" is a simple way for those opposed to reject your efforts.
To be successful, you will need a plan for how it would work. Off campus bonfire seems to have the safety side of things in order, but you would need a plan to address the logistical issues with an on campus bonfire before you can even hope
to begin to convince the administration.
I support it coming back to campus, but "we don't have a place for it" is a simple way for those opposed to reject your efforts.
To be successful, you will need a plan for how it would work. Off campus bonfire seems to have the safety side of things in order, but you would need a plan to address the logistical issues with an on campus bonfire before you can even hope
to begin to convince the administration.
Great topic for discussion! I would love to see Bonfire return.
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Shame on you old rivalries board. This young man came here with a serious discussion and you haven't devolved it into poop flinging yet. I am dissappoint.
But it can happen. I understand your frustration, to some degree anyway. This can be done, we have one of the most if not THE most rabid redass fan bases and Alumni network in the world.
Nope, it can't and won't happen. Sorry. It's a different time now.MackCrockett18 said:
But it can happen. I understand your frustration, to some degree anyway. This can be done, we have one of the most if not THE most rabid redass fan bases and Alumni network in the world.
I figured this was a thread for OR Jesus.
Do any of you know the current circumstances surrounding it being built offsite? Who builds it? Who oversees it? As I understand it students are still able to volunteer their time to it just off campus. Could not the same format be used just at an on campus location? Professionally built with some student volunteers at a designated on campus location? I'd argue that the bonfire itself isn't the problem but merely the lack of safety protocols previously implemented and the people working on it. Hell, if we can build new buildings on campus why not a stack professionally contracted and supervised? If the tradition is to be reborn, perhaps the method of construction can be altered to honor the past while satisfying the present.
The only way it will ever come back to campus is if there is zero student involvement during construction. And since there would be no student involvement during construction, you would have most people calling it a "*******ized" version of bonfire and it will never be the same as it once was.
With respect, I believe students in some form or fashion could still participate. Harvesting the wood offsite as per tradition and necessity. Cleanup, same. And potentially some sort of qualification course for volunteers and liability waivers. Possibly a selection committee to decide who is honored as the chosen students able to participate in the build. Ok it won't be the same bc it can't be the same. But there has to be a way to honor the old traditions while satisfying new regulations. *******izingbthe stack is being built off campus. Allowing former students to build it with their contracting firm and a select few honored current students to participate can pay homage to the tradition while satisfying those new requirements.
Are you saying we should just do away with the tradition if it can't be replicated exactly as it was 18 years ago? If so, we've already *******ized it off campus.
Are you saying we should just do away with the tradition if it can't be replicated exactly as it was 18 years ago? If so, we've already *******ized it off campus.
One thought I had was to have 12 current students wearing a "red pot" that pays tribute to the twelve fallen Aggies each student with a pot that honors one Aggie and work in their place to finish the final stack. As a way to pay tribute to their sacrifice and to finish it in their honor.
I appreciate your enthusiasm. I really do.
But this whole topic has been discussed, broken down and analyzed since 2000. The University has put their foot down and, to them, the matter is closed. There will never be an A&M sanctioned Bonfire ever again.
IF (and this is a big if) there was ever to be a compromise and Bonfire allowed on campus and sanctioned by A&M, it would be 100% built by a construction company with absolutely no student involvement beyond token "committees." They would fence off the area, put it up, then let the students come in and watch it burn from a safe distance. It would be a soulless experience for those who remember it.
Bonfire would be a pre-fab design that would have none of the essence of what it once was. It would be the equivalent of a giant shopping mall Christmas tree brought out every year for people to look at.
I know this is difficult for some to hear because it's not the answer you want: but it's never going to happen on campus again.
But this whole topic has been discussed, broken down and analyzed since 2000. The University has put their foot down and, to them, the matter is closed. There will never be an A&M sanctioned Bonfire ever again.
IF (and this is a big if) there was ever to be a compromise and Bonfire allowed on campus and sanctioned by A&M, it would be 100% built by a construction company with absolutely no student involvement beyond token "committees." They would fence off the area, put it up, then let the students come in and watch it burn from a safe distance. It would be a soulless experience for those who remember it.
Bonfire would be a pre-fab design that would have none of the essence of what it once was. It would be the equivalent of a giant shopping mall Christmas tree brought out every year for people to look at.
I know this is difficult for some to hear because it's not the answer you want: but it's never going to happen on campus again.
As much as we would all love to have it back, it won't ever happen due to liability, as discussed earlier. As close as we will get, is the Off Campus Bonfire we already have. I hope more people will support this one.
Again, with respect, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Adrin walked on the moon, I'm pretty sure it wasn't a soulless experience for the people watching around the globe that didn't participate. For E. King Gill that suited up but never saw the field I'm pretty sure it wasn't a soulless experience. When Sadam Hussein and OBL were captured/killed I'm pretty sure it wasn't a soulless experience for those watching around the world. It's only soulless if you don't lend your soul to its meaning. Not everyone can build the stack, but that shouldn't stop it from happening.
Look, Ags. I haven't been a member of Texags very long but definitely long enough to know that it can be extremely easy to be pulled into a negative debate with old Ags of a different opinion. I'm really here just to gauge support and get insight as to the hurdles standing in our way and how to work through them. Anything else is counterproductive. I respect all of you and appreciate your candor.
Burning a stack of wood is not Bonfire.MackCrockett18 said:
Again, with respect, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Adrin walked on the moon, I'm pretty sure it wasn't a soulless experience for the people watching around the globe that didn't participate. For E. King Gill that suited up but never saw the field I'm pretty sure it wasn't a soulless experience. When Sadam Hussein and OBL were captured/killed I'm pretty sure it wasn't a soulless experience for those watching around the world. It's only soulless if you don't lend your soul to its meaning. Not everyone can build the stack, but that shouldn't stop it from happening.
Believe two things -
1) Aggie Bonfire was the greatest and most ambitious college tradition, bar none.
2) When it left campus, the A&M student experience lost something special and unique forever.
1) Aggie Bonfire was the greatest and most ambitious college tradition, bar none.
2) When it left campus, the A&M student experience lost something special and unique forever.
This...all day
it so much more than that if taken the time to be executed properly. I would NEVER want to cheapen the tradition only find a way to bring it back with mitigating factors that will allow it to continue.
MackCrockett18 said:
Look, Ags. I haven't been a member of Texags very long but definitely long enough to know that it can be extremely easy to be pulled into a negative debate with old Ags of a different opinion. I'm really here just to gauge support and get insight as to the hurdles standing in our way and how to work through them. Anything else is counterproductive. I respect all of you and appreciate your candor.
Your gonna need political Aggie clout to even get it discussed. It's dead in the water without the tacit support of the families of the Twelve.
Get that and you need a big A&M name front man either athletic (think Von, Jackie or RC) or administrative/political (think Gates or Perry).
Then you sell it as the return of the greatest Aggie tradition, its resurrection the very symbol of Aggie perseverance.
Then you try to get BMA"S and Former Students fired up over the quest.
At that point it would start getting interesting.
It's never going to happen. I'm sorry.MackCrockett18 said:
it so much more than that if taken the time to be executed properly. I would NEVER want to cheapen the tradition only find a way to bring it back with mitigating factors that will allow it to continue.
You think this hasn't been discussed/analyzed/examined ad nauseam since 2000? It has. The University will never allow this to happen.
Thank you. That's what I was looking for. I've got a former yell leader that's giving it some thought as well. I'll definitely look into everything you've stated.
I'm not ready to give up the fight. Thanks for your contribution.
What you need to do is name it the John Sharp Bonfire Extravaganza and make Sharp think it was his idea to bring it back to cement his legacy.
I've built off campus bonfire the last four years and will for the last time in the fall as a fifth year.
All the current leadership, the olds I know, the board and myself agree that we would rather keep building off campus under student supervisor than give that up to become helpers for a professional group on campus.
Bonfire isn't just the one evening it burns. Its the fellowship in the woods during cut, the late cold nights on stack, the friends you wouldn't have even bothered talking to somewhere else.
I remember the collapse,just barely, and doubt I'll ever seen an acceptable version of stack back on campus. Part of me still chases what used to be, but the rest of me is damn happy to still have cut and stack like we do.
All the current leadership, the olds I know, the board and myself agree that we would rather keep building off campus under student supervisor than give that up to become helpers for a professional group on campus.
Bonfire isn't just the one evening it burns. Its the fellowship in the woods during cut, the late cold nights on stack, the friends you wouldn't have even bothered talking to somewhere else.
I remember the collapse,just barely, and doubt I'll ever seen an acceptable version of stack back on campus. Part of me still chases what used to be, but the rest of me is damn happy to still have cut and stack like we do.
not really ...Quote:
we have one of the most if not THE most rabid redass fan bases
The location of the stack being physically on campus was and is the least important aspect of Bonfire. (Cut was not typically on campus either.)
As others have stated, it was the incredible amount of physical and organizational effort it took. It was accomplishing it with your buds. Competing against other dorm halls. Then at the end all coming together for a common goal (to demonstrate our burning desire to beat t.u.).
If you get "on campus" but sacrifice and have to use professional contractors, you don't have Bonfire. You have a bonfire.
As others have stated, it was the incredible amount of physical and organizational effort it took. It was accomplishing it with your buds. Competing against other dorm halls. Then at the end all coming together for a common goal (to demonstrate our burning desire to beat t.u.).
If you get "on campus" but sacrifice and have to use professional contractors, you don't have Bonfire. You have a bonfire.
Needless to say in a way, but it won't ever return to campus. I was long gone from A&M, yet after stack fell, I was shocked when a neighbor came by to talk. He told me then it will never happen again, and I refused to believe what he said at that time. Had just got word that my cousin was eating a sandwich on break when it fell.
Bonfire was perhaps the greatest thing that happened on campus every year. The days in '99 were the darkest.
At this point, I think I'm willing to call troll or just perhaps overly Aggie.
Overly Aggie? Really? I didn't know that was possible. Don't sweat it. I knew I'd hit a wall at Texags at some point. Honestly thought it'd be sooner. I haven't sorted out details as this is simply day 1. I'm not interested in defeatist attitudes or people pining over opportunity loss. Just in finding a way to bring it back. The more recent responses are honestly what I was expecting to receive right from the start but I'm grateful for those that have contributed something that will point me in the right direction. Long uphill road ahead but I've been tasked with it so forgive me if I don't immediately revert to battered Aggie syndrome at the first mention of "it'll never happen".
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