quote:
no one-- either in the administration or on the Bonfire Committee-- thinks that maybe the structure's design and building site ought to be vetted on a regular basis with professional engineers? Hindsight is always 20/20, but back then, everything was viewed through a haze of "good bull". No one in the Administration had the guts to cry "foul", and none of the students building stack wanted them to.
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So maybe it wasn't infallibility, but if not, why did no one recognize the risk for what it was?
I lurk on this forum often, but rarely post. I have convinced myself the passing of time would somehow soften the guilt that I (and almost certainly many others like me) feel about the tragic loss of of family we all endured 10 years ago. Not because I think there's any direct correlation between my/our past actions/inactions and that horrible accident, but because with age and wisdom, I now know we should have taken a tougher stand on MANY issues.
When we were told to move stack from Duncan Field to the Polo Fields, we voiced concern about topography and drainage. Our fears were met with little concern from University officials, so we thought, "they must know more than us...full speed ahead!" When we saw hazing and other "good-bull" rights of passage going on at cut sight we thought, "they're just keeping morale high and having a little fun...full speed ahead!" When we saw horseplay outside perimeter of those we suspected had been drinking we said, "he's not on my stack so what will it hurt...full speed ahead!" When we saw yellow pots and butt pots teaching an underclassman how to drive a tractor just minutes before he was placed in charge of hoisting logs on the tag line we thought, "he's got to learn sometime...full speed ahead." Obviously, this list can go on and on.
My point (mainly geared at those involved in Student Bonfire):
When you feel the need to go full speed ahead, slow down and think. The lives of those around you and those who'll come behind you will absolutely hinge on your actions or inactions. I had graduated and moved on to the next phase of my life six years prior to the collapse, yet I still harbor both loss and guilt for those lives we lost.
As for the philosophical argument about "Bonfire - What it is, and what it should be:"
Bonfire is the burning desire to beat the hell outta tu, manifested in the blood, sweat, and tears of those who participate. We cannot judge which participation levels take precedence over others until we have a chance to see it from every level. Each person gets out of it what he/she puts into it. Consider this:
1. I breathed, ate, dreamed, lived, etc, bonfire -- I was obviously vested.
2. My parents never saw cut, much less stacked a log, but they owned the spirit bonfire represented as much as I.
3. I had a classmate who was confined to a wheelchair. Eventhough he was unable to participate on a physical level, he owned that spirit as much as anyone who dawned a pot.
4. A deacon in my church was an old Ag who never got to build a fire because Uncle Sam and WWII came calling. But he went to watch it burn, and his tears were as real and prideful as mine - probably more so.
Be careful of blanket statements about who is right or wrong on the issue of a student-run / student-built bonfire. I am convinced there is middle ground that would allow Bonfire's return to campus. Also remember that for many years, Aggie Bonfire was essentially the same thing as the very bonfires being mocked in this thread at BU and UNT...just a big trash pile.
Words can't express the respect I have for the students who took it upon themselves to carry on this great tradition; but please remember, no organization owns this tradition. Bonfire belongs to all Aggies; and as much as we like to argue this fact, the status quo precludes the majority of the Aggie Family from participation at any level. Stay objective in your approach, true to your convictions, and steadfast in your commitment to safety. Somewhere along the way, we'll figure it all out.
