There was a multiple-page homage to fraternities in the previous issue of Texas Aggie magazine. It kind of woke me up to the fact there is basically a generation of Aggies that doesn't think of Bonfire as the defining tradition of Texas A&M.

What do we do now?

I guess I'm asking from the perspective of deads who no longer have a role or a home.

[This message has been edited by KyleFieldSection143 (edited 7/24/2011 4:52p).]

KyleFieldSection143, what year are you?

(That is, were you around in 1999-2002 when "What do we do now?" was a much more prominent question on campus?)

Support Student Bonfire. Wait for an opportune year to petition for a return to campus. Email the Association/RHA to not be *****s in firm opposition to SB.

Or pray for rain. People will come out by the tens of thousands if it actually burns on time.

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Email the Association/RHA to not be *****s in firm opposition to SB.

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RHA is officially neutral towards SB. It's Reslife that are "*****s in firm opposition".

I'm a dead crew chief from Puryear Hall, Fat Chuck '96.

I was around TexAgs from the beginning and was part of a lot of discussions about "what to do now.". I guess I assumed that over time Bonfire would grow and regain it's rightful place regardless of whether or not it was on campus.

I see the pots at coaches night and throw them some dough every year. That's about it anymore. I hadn't been over to the Bonfire forum in a long time and was a little surprised that there are only a handful of threads.

I can't imagine I'm all that different from the other deads I still talk to. I'm interested in seeing things improve, but I have limited available time to give. On the other hand, I have resources now I never had as a student.

RHA/Reslife... I always get 'em mixed up.

And Chuck, this forum is usually dead until the fall, then it picks up. I was a Schuhmacher chief in '07 and have stayed plugged in with the organization since then, meeting scores of people from before the collapse and watching new fish come to A&M. My reason for mentioning all that is this: The organization has grown and bettered it's tarnished image every year; more people come out, a larger student presence is made on campus, and a better reputation is made in the community and A&M administration.

I trust completely that it's in good (competent) hands, and if they keep on the road they're on, then I gotta believe there will be a day way off in the future (when the legal and social environment are favorable) when it can again be built on campus. For my money though, I'm just glad that Aggies are the ones building it.

If you wanna kick some support to SB, I know for a fact they would appreciate it. If you already did at a coaches night, then I know for a fact they're grateful for the support.

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I guess I assumed that over time Bonfire would grow

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It has grown. From 200 participants in 2002 to 1500 today.

KFS143, Fitch is right, it's been really amazing to watch the organization grow over the past 5 years. It's a different world we live in from the 90's with more/different challenges, but to date, every one has been met and overcome.

This will be my first fall away from Aggieland since '06, so I'll be right there with ya figuring out the challenges of making it back as often as I can. It's well-worth a trip out to either Cut or Stack, though, and you'll be "welcomed" back just like everyone else by the Pots, and Welcomed back by everyone else.

All good stuff. Keep it up. We're going to help one of the JRPs track down gear.

How do you guys feel losing Crocker, Moore, Mc***** is going to affect your campus presence?

Gig 'em,

Chuck Berend '96
Pooh-ah!

Well they're gonna love you guys then!

Losing those three dorms (in the eyes of a rival northside dorm) is definitely loss. Crocker may have led the pack, but they were all three a big reason why work got done and stack got built each year. Now don't get me wrong, a lot of that 'passion' spilled over in some pretty damn unacceptable ways the last couple of years and sullied the organization name. Interdorm rivalries aside, they're not gonna be missed by a lot of people other than those who lived there.

For the curious, last I heard Crocker residents were moving to southside and joining up with Dunn, McInnis is in Appelt (?), and Moore I can't seem to remember anything about. So for a couple of years the campus footprint won't dramatically shrink.

It'll be interesting to see how much Dunn Crockerfies. I expect them to do pretty well. McInnis is going to Krueger I believe. I have slightly less faith in that one, but McInnis seemed to have a bigger crew [edit] and got their yellow back last year so maybe it goes well. Moore went downhill fast after my freshman year. I'm not aware of any organized effort to migrate the crew to another dorm, but honestly, we're not losing any more by the dorm being gone than we already lost by them preferring more mind-soothing pastimes than Bonfire. There are some really good old guys that will keep coming out, but I don't think too much of a loss will be felt by the lack of their crew altogether. Hopefully crews that have been picking up like HHH and Neeley will continue to do so.

[This message has been edited by agcoop10 (edited 7/27/2011 12:20p).]

[This message has been edited by TexAgs staff (edited 8/1/2011 1:37p).]

reminds me of those commercials for bing

...

commercial - adjective, Concerned with or engaged in commerce.

Kate and William break their silence about Royal Engagement.

Kansas City Royals defeat Cleveland 12 to 0...

Hey Coop, thanks for the shoutout to Nerd Crew, we're still growing too!

But to weigh in, I've seen dramatic growth every year that I've been out (I was a fish for the 2008 season). Granted, the burn ban did dampen this past year's turnout, but I think we shouldn't forget what we're battling back from. To get back to the level of prominence that Bonfire enjoyed pre-collapse will take the constant, vigilant effort of everyone in SB to make the organization better in all aspects of operation for many years to come.

True, we still have a long way to go, but we've come a long way from 2002.


And Fat Chuck, I can assure you that you would be very welcome to come out. Back in 2008, some of our pre-collapse pots (or superdeads, as I like to call them) came out to dorm log and had a great time. I know Lechner would love to have y'all out with us.

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How do you guys feel losing Crocker, Moore, Mc***** is going to affect your campus presence?

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It's a big loss, especially Crocker (who got Centerpole last year [dammit!]), but far from a fatal one. We'll still have Lechner, Walton, Neeley, FHK, HHH, etc.

What does bother me is that SB has essentially conceded half of the dorms. If there were a crew from Eppright or even Mosher, I'd be more confident in SB's future.

[This message has been edited by commando2004 (edited 8/4/2011 12:28a).]

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Hey Coop, thanks for the shoutout to Nerd Crew, we're still growing too!

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NERD CREW! SMART AS SH*T!

I'm really impressed with the Nerds. Six years ago it was just me and Snoball.

Many apologies, Heddy. Lekner has been solid, as well. Maybe if you did any work I would have thought of you in the first place, though.

We tried that once, but we just degenerated into arguing about the theory behind potential spacecraft.

Our current plan is to do Neeley's homework for favors. It can only end well.

What kind of favors, Hedley?

Day. Made.

Chuck - you were from Puryear Hall. You haven't had a home or useful role in years.

To be fair, Paul, you're old now too. You haven't had a home or role in about 15 years either.

Old ****ers rule.

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And Chuck, this forum is usually dead until the fall, then it picks up.

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Used to be more active. For example, whatever happened to the birthday threads for The Twelve?

The type of favor depends on how good of a negotiator you are.

I usually go out with a bunch of old Aston deads (C-1 NRB, baby!) and we're looking to go out this year to either cut or stack or both. Who do we need to contact? And is there even an Aston crew anymore?

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If there were a crew from Eppright or even Mosher, I'd be more confident in SB's future.

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Mosher doesn't have a crew either? I know some Muggers that need to get off their a$$ and fix that.

And it's scary to think that Dunn & Crocker will be together...that's not that many brain cells

Oh, and Chuck...F U P!

Bunterman,

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And is there even an Aston crew anymore?
Mosher doesn't have a crew either?

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Not that I'm aware of. As of 2010, there were only 8 Yellowpots

• Crocker
  
• Dunn
  
• FHK
  
• Hart
  
• Lechner
  
• McInnis
  
• Walton
  
• off-campus

Neeley and HHH probably deserve to join this list. Legett and SBK also came out, in smaller numbers.

Which leaves the following dorms that aren't active in Bonfire:

• Appelt
  
• Aston
  
• Clements
  
• Davis-Gary
  
• Eppright
  
• Haas
  
• Hobby
  
• Krueger
  
• McFadden
  
• Moses
  
• Mosher
  
• Rudder
  
• Underwood
  
• Wells

Clements has a fair number of upperclassmen involved in Bonfire, but they're just consolidated with Lechner and McFadden under "nerd crew."

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Clements has a fair number of upperclassmen involved in Bonfire

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Plus one former student from SB's early days who still comes to Cut occasionally.

HHH got their yellow toward the end of last year, too.

Beat me to it coop. My kid brother was HHH's first yellow since '99. Was a hell of a good year.

Mosher has a handful of people come out, but they're organized under another dorm. Likewise Neeley tries to pull people from Hobby. Appelt had a couple guys come out the last few years, and they cut under crocker. I think Dunn tries to pull from all the Commons dorms but without much luck... people are just weird on southside.

Recruiting from the new dorm will be interesting.

I second the idea of Neeley joining the Yellowpot clique. They've been consistently strong and growing, and in my mind had a better case for it than McInnis.

This will be my sixth fall at A&M [grad] and I still have no idea where the hell Rudder hall is, does it actually exist?

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I second the idea of Neeley joining the Yellowpot clique. They've been consistently strong and growing, and in my mind had a better case for it than McInnis.

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If so, they would have the distinction of being the first dorm to earn a Yellowpot that did not have one in 1999.

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This will be my sixth fall at A&M [grad] and I still have no idea where the hell Rudder hall is, does it actually exist?

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Yes: It's on Bizzell St. between the Commons and the parking garage. (I had to look at a map in order to tell you that.)

I had a friend claim to clog his roommate's girlfriend's toilet, who lived in Rudder, while only her roommate was there. But thats the most proof I've ever had it exists.

there was a Greenpot who lived in Rudder...

As for Bonfire fading away...what will the prospect of no longer playing tu do for the tradition which, superficially at least, is meant to symbolize our "burning desire to beat tu?"