The Battalion: November 17, 2017

We Remember

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2017 STUDENT MEDIA

Miranda Denise Adams ‘02 Christopher D. Breen ‘96 Michael Stephen Ebanks ‘03 Jeremy Richard Frampton ‘99 Jamie Lynn Hand ‘03 Christopher Lee Heard ‘03

Timothy Doran Kerlee, Jr. ‘03 Lucas John Kimmel ‘03 Bryan A. McClain ‘02 Chad A. Powell ‘03 Jerry Don Self ‘01 Nathan Scott West ‘02

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

The Battalion | 11.17.17

Bonfire Remembrance

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FILE

In 1935, Aggie Bonfire became a school-sanctioned event. In 1965, participation in Bonfire became optional for the Corps of Cadets. In 1999, the tradition of Bonfire came to an end after a tragic accident that resulted in 12 lost lives.

From pile to stack: The origins of Aggie Bonfire The evolution of the tradition that has continued to unite Aggies to this day

By Brad Morse @bradsmorse53 The Aggie Bonfire was one of Texas A&M’s longest standing traditions. Usually done before the annual football game against the University of Texas. The tradition ran on campus from 1907 until 1999, when a tragic collapse resulted in 12 deaths and 27 injuries.

The first bonfire, consisting of trash and debris found nearby, was held on November 18, 1907, following a football win against the Tulane Green Wave. The tradition took hold from there, moving on campus in 1909.

In 1919, when the A&M and Texas football teams began playing their rivalry games on Thanksgiving, Bonfire was moved to that

time and served as a rally for the game.

In 1935, the university made Bonfire a school-sanctioned event, and in 1936 the university provided students with tools and transportation, while also helping them locate dead trees to cut down. In 1942, the design was standardized. Whereas past designs had been improvised, consisting of mostly stacking materials on top of each other, the new design resembled a teepee. This allowed for the bonfire stack to grow, reaching heights of 25 to 50 feet.

In 1955, Bonfire was moved from the Simpson Drill Field in front of the Memorial Student Center to the area outside of the Corps of Cadet dorms.

In 1965, participation in the Corps of Cadets became optional, marking a change in Bonfire leadership. Up to this point, Corps leaders had been in charge of construction and completion of Bonfire. However, with Corps membership no longer a requirement a new

council known as Aggie Bonfire leadership was established resulting in allowing both cadets and non-cadet students to participation.

Furthermore, 1978 saw yet another change in the bonfire design, moving to a style known as “wedding cake.” This design consists of layers of logs laid on top of each other, each one smaller than the one it is on top of, resembling the layers of a wedding cake. This design shortened the amount of time that Bonfire would burn, cutting it down to roughly 30 minutes.

At 2:42 a.m. on November 18, 1999, the Aggie Bonfire collapsed, killing 12 and injuring 27. The bonfire, which was being constructed at the time, was about 59-feet high and consisted of 5,000 logs. The rescue operations took over 24 hours, as rescuers and first responders were impeded by the logs, which had to remove manually instead of using machinery, due to the risk of causing a further collapse.

The next day, in an emotionally charged game, the Aggies defeated the Longhorns by a score of 20-16 at Kyle Field. Both schools’ bands dedicated their performances to the victims. The Longhorn band ended their performance by playing Amazing Grace and Taps, and the Aggie Band ended theirs by marching off of the field in silence.

Bonfire Memorial, situated on the university polo fields, began construction in 2003 and was finished in 2004. On November 18, 2004, the memorial was officially dedicated.

In 2002, plans for an off-campus, unofficial bonfire were put in play. Originally called the Unity Project, it was renamed Student Bonfire the following year. Set up as a non-profit organization, it abides by a set of bylaws specifying the design and utilizes a Board of Directors comprised entirely of former students.

A ceremony is held each year at 2:42 a.m. on Nov. 18 at the Memorial to remember the 12 Aggies who passed that night.

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CONGRATULATIONS! Join the celebration as 2,800 shiny new Aggie Rings will be delivered at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center

November 17 • Aggie Ring Day 11:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Ring Tickets distributed online at AggieNetwork.com. Limited tickets available at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center.

Visit tx.ag/RingDay to assist in planning your Ring Day experience. Over 20,000 guests are expected on Aggie Ring Day, so please prepare accordingly.

Important Reminders • The Haynes Ring Plaza is a restricted area for ticketed Ring recipients and their guests. The Ticket Check is on the west side of the Ring Plaza.

• The Aggie Ring replica is not a photo station during Aggie Ring Day. Personal photography stations are available outside of the Alumni Center.

• The Aggie Ring Shuttle drop off is on Houston St. on the west side of the Alumni Center.

If your group’s time has already passed, please wait until the top of the hour when your group

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Transportation Services

will be called once again. Entrance will only be allowed if it is either your group’s approximated time slot or when your group is called at the top of the hour (see schedule for clarification).

AggieNetwork.com

The Battalion | 11.17.17

Bonfire Remembrance

On November 18, 1999 at 2:42 a.m. the Bonfire stack collapsed. 12 Aggies passed that night and it is the duty of Aggies everywhere to keep their memory alive in our hearts. We remember them.

Miranda Denise Adams ‘02 Miranda Denise Adams, was a biomedical sciences sophomore from Santa Fe, Texas. Miranda is remembered for her joyous attitude and passion for the Aggie family. She graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1998 with honors, and was the Mosher Bonfire Co-Chair in 1999. It was there, with an infatuation with Bonfire, that Miranda found her niche at Texas A&M. Miranda’s Fish Camp counselor told her family that she listed her priorities as God, family, friends and education at Fish Camp.

Shortly after, Miranda’s family found an email she wrote that read, “God’s hand is always there. Once you grasp it, you’ll never want to let it go.” A leader in her dorm, Mosher Hall, she was dubbed the “Queen of Bonfire.” Every year, her family makes a trip to College Station for the anniversary ceremony.

Christopher David Breen ‘96 Christopher David Breen graduated in 1997 with a degree in agriculture development. He was from Austin and grew up with a family of longhorns, never the less, he was a dedicated Aggie.

He was the only former student who died from the collapse of Bonfire. His dedication to his school activities and university are considered to be the reasons he came back two years later to participate in the construction of Bonfire.

Christopher was the senior coordinator for the actual construction process group known as the brown pots, identified by the helmets worn during his senior year, two years before the crash. During his time at A&M, Christopher was a member of the Corps of Cadets and attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church, dedicating himself to his passion for the Catholic faith and to his fellow students in the Corps.

Outside of university, Christopher enjoyed the outdoors, having spent many summers as a canoe guide for the Boy Scouts in Minnesota.

Michael Stephen Ebanks ‘03 Michael Stephen Ebanks will always be remembered for his bravery, kindness and ability to embrace life.

Michael, son of Gerald and Bulinda Ebanks of Carrollton, Texas, was a part of the 1996 EAA Air Academy class in Oshkosh, Wisconsin at the age of 16. As one Air Academy classmate said, “Once you know him, you could never forget him.”

Michael came to Texas A&M to study aerospace engineering and participate in A&M’s traditions, including the Aggie Bonfire. According to one source, he spent his last moments trying to rescue his fellow workers.

Some family members said that “Michael loved the human mind … But he loved the human heart most; goodness knows he made his way into about a jillion of them. And he loved life beyond belief, as well as all that went with it.”

Jeremy Richard Frampton ‘99 “…There is one thing I’ve learned. Sometimes the plainest things mean the most,” Jeremy wrote in a note to his mother.

Jeremy Richard Frampton, a California native, is remembered for his compassionate and thoughtful nature, gentle spirit and willingness to help others — “a phenomenal guy in all facets,” Jeremy’s close friend John Templer, Class of 1999, said.

Jeremy attended Texas A&M to study psychology and spent his time in Company D-1 of the Corps of Cadets. As an upperclassman in the Corps, Jeremy devoted a large amount of his time to coordinating and constructing Bonfire, even when it was not required of him – that was his niche, according to Templer.

“He loved Bonfire like no other and you know any death is an untimely death but you know, if he had to pass on in one shape or form or however, he truly died doing what he loved,” Templer said.

Jamie Lynn Hand ‘03 Jamie Lynn Hand was an environmental design freshman from Henderson, Texas.

As Jamie wrote in her application to be a Fish Camp counselor, the best way to get an idea of who she was is to know what she liked to do — playing softball, putting on plays with her sisters and using her artistic talent to draw, paint and decorate, to name a few. Her writing displays her earnest and joyful energy.

“If you were to ask other people about me I will bet you they would say I’m easy to get along with, fun, and a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde the way I can be quiet and shy at one moment and loud and crazy the next,” Jamie wrote in her application.

She was the second youngest of four sisters, brought closer by their connection to Texas A&M. Jamie took pride in her involvement with the tradition of Bonfire and strongly believed in its ability to bring Aggies together in a single shared purpose and spirit.

Christopher Lee Heard ‘03 Christopher Lee Heard was an engineering freshman from Houston, Texas.

Christopher was a focused and determined young man who had a larger-than-life personality.

Throughout high school and his first semester at Texas A&M, he participated in every activity possible from swimming to sharpshooting to being a cadet. Growing up in Texas, Christopher enjoyed singing along with country music and two-stepping.

Christopher had an immense desire to selflessly help others and inspired his peers to trust him and follow his lead. He used his warm personality, keen sense of humor and spirit to make a special place in the hearts of many, including his brothers and parents.

The day before the collapse of the Bonfire, Christopher registered to join the Marines after graduation, which was one of his life-long dreams. Even as the Bonfire began to collapse, Christopher began to warn those below him, concerned about their well-being before his.

Information compiled from the Bonfire Memorial website, MyAggieNation, the Eagle and KBTX. Compiled by Editorial Staff. Photos are file.

Timothy Doran Kerlee, Jr. ‘03 Timothy Doran Kerlee, Jr. was the 12th student to pass away after stack fell. A mechanical engineering sophomore, Timothy was a bright student with a passion for Texas A&M. He was a member of the Corps of Cadets, Squadron 16, a teacher to anyone who needed help and a friend to each person he met.

Timothy left a legacy bigger than himself. He was the youngest student who passed away, but his selfless nature attests to how wise, kind and compassionate he was. Beneath the fallen logs, Timothy lay pinned, but rather than letting rescue workers free him, he used his vantage point to direct first responders to five students he could see, shouting out, “Help my buddies first.” Timothy was taken to the hospital and lived long enough to see his family and friends before he passed away, with a pair of Aggie Boots and a saber by his hospital bed.

Lucas John Kimmel ‘03 Lucas John Kimmel was a biomedical sciences freshman from Corpus Christi and a member of the Corps of Cadets D-2 company.

An ardent follower of the Catholic faith, Lucas is remembered for his devotion to God, family and his positive outlook on life. Throughout his life, he made every second count, never looking back.

Lucas had dreams of traveling and partaking in adventures in every corner of the world, but most of all he enjoyed camping with his family. Lucas always made time to visit his family and spend time with those he loved, including his dog, Maverick.

His love for animals grew day by day as he spent time with Maverick, resulting in his decision to enroll in Texas A&M in 1999 to become a veterinarian.

Lucas’ love for adventure and nature sparked his interest in the Bonfire tradition that carried on to the day he became an Aggie.

Bryan Allan McClain ‘02 Bryan Allan McClain is remembered by family and friends as a passionate and loyal friend who lived fearlessly.

Bryan knew there was one school and one school only that he wanted to attend —Texas A&M. Bryan decided he wanted to join the Corps of Cadets after he participated in “Spend a night with the Corps” program during his senior year of high school. He fiercely believed in the idea that the Corps were the “Keepers of The Spirit” and embodied that on a daily basis by how he lived his life.

Bryan was an agriculture freshman from San Antonio, Texas. His neighbors described him as “the kind of kid you’d like your little brother, son or nephew to grow into.”

On Bryan’s portal at Bonfire Memorial, there is an inscription that reads, “It was said by many, that Bryan had put more into his 19 years of life than a person 80 years old.”

Chad Anthony Powell ‘03 Chad Anthony Powell was known for his embodiment of selfless service, intelligence and kindness.

Once, Chad and his father decided to go on a Boy Scout’s trip together. The two had planned to spend time with one another, but Chad quickly volunteered to help younger Scouts during a variety of service projects. Even though he missed out on time with his father, Chad said they took the trip in order to be in service to others.

The computer engineering sophomore from Keller, Texas was not only selfless, but he was extreme bright. At the time of Bonfire Collapse, Chad was considered a sophomore, despite not having completed one full semester. Powell graduated as valedictorian of his graduating class at Keller High School.

He will be remembered as an Aggie who embodied the core values and was enjoyed by all who knew him.

Jerry Don Self ‘01 “If others could only give like he gave, love like he loved, and live like he lived, what a wonderful place this would be.”

Jerry Don Self was an engineering technology junior from Arlington, Texas and a member of Squadron 17 of the Corps of Cadets.

Jerry was a devout Christian who had a love for serving God. He was a camp counselor and loved working with kids, with hopes to become a youth minister.

A football player in high school, Jerry received a scholarship offer to play football for Texas Tech, but turned it down in favor of Aggieland and joining the Corps.

His most notable features were his contagious smile and his caring and selfless heart.

“His loyalty and compassion was obvious through the steadfast friendships he offered to many. He took the initiative to look past people’s faults and see their hearts, and cared for the hearts he saw,” according to his portal at Bonfire Memorial.

Nathan Scott West ‘02 Eagle Scout, Corps of Cadets Company C-2 member, but most importantly, an Aggie. Nathan Scott West was admired and loved by both family and friends who attested to his display of Texas A&M’s core values.

Nathan was a sophomore ocean engineering major from Bellaire, Texas. His family and friends described him as a devoted follower of God who truly knew how to care for others.

Nathan’s Boy Scout Troop, Troop 211, honors his legacy by leaving a seat empty in his honor at the ceremony anytime a member of the Troop rises to Eagle Scout status. Often finding new adventures at Cub Scout campouts, Nathan’s father described him as inquisitive and somehow always finding a way to get lost, but eventually finding a home at A&M. Nathan impacted those around him and embodied the core values through his faith, service and dedication to others.

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The Battalion | 11.17.17

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Bonfire Remembrance

Q&A: THE CRITICAL HOURS AFTER The Battalion Assistant Life & Arts Editor Skye Lovelady sat down with Ann Goodman, associate director of the Department of Student Activities, who was one of the first people contacted when Bonfire collapsed on November 18th, 1999 at 2:42 a.m., to discuss her job and what she saw during those critical first hours.

THE BATTALION: What was your initial reaction when you received the page and then arrived on the scene?

GOODMAN: Well obviously it was a shock, just because I had been out there three hours before … and things were fine, things were going along like they normally had, and so when I got the call, I couldn’t imagine what I was going to see when I pulled up. And quite honestly you couldn’t see a lot, because the way the stack was built and the way the lighting was configured when the stack fell, it pulled all of the wires and all of the lights down. There was hardly any light. The only light that was there was the headlights and the lights from the emergency vehicles that were in the area. So it was really eerie.

THE BATTALION: What action did you take first, upon arriving?

GOODMAN: I just went on auto-pilot and tried to figure out what kind of information do I have access to? What kind of resources do I have that I can help with the rescue efforts?

THE BATTALION: So when you got there, you started to help rescue?

GOODMAN: I was a part of the Critical Incident Response Team, which is a group of individuals in Student Affairs…

But back then it was a group of four people and I was carrying the pager for that week and so I got the page, and our process was as soon as we get a page, we arrived on scene and we would check in with the incident command … But I do remember Elmer Scheider, who was our chief of police from UPD, and Elmer pointed at me and said, ‘She will know all the student contacts that she can help coordinate with the students.’

Because at that point, we just needed to know who was there.

They didn’t keep lists anywhere … My role was primarily working to figure out what students were out there

and what students were not. So then we could start to go through and see who’s accounted for and who wasn’t.

THE BATTALION: What did you observe as far as student participation when you arrived on the scene?

GOODMAN: There weren’t that many students because it was the 3 o’clock shift. There was a decent number of students, but the vast majority of students that were there, they were on the stack, they weren’t out watching.

A lot of them were trying to respond to the injured because there were 28 injured … Those people that were out there were either going with their friends to the hospitals or they were trying to help identify people who were still trapped in the logs.

THE BATTALION: Did you have to make “that call” to the families? Was that your job as part of the CIRT? GOODMAN: It was not my job to call them. We had other CIRT members and people in the vice president’s office that made those phone calls.

But many of [the families] just drove straight here, not knowing. They woke up at six in the morning hearing that the stack had collapsed, and by early that morning the phone lines were jammed … We identified about 4 o’clock that morning that we needed to have a family assembly point, and that became the MSC. What we told them to do was not to come to the site, because there was nothing they could do there. They all went to the MSC and there was a check in place … and when we couldn’t find them [students of the families] then generally it was a matter of identifying them out at the site and that’s what I had to go do … This was probably the toughest part, but we had bodies that we had to line up. We had created basically a makeshift morgue out of a bunch of Aggie busses. We kind of parked them in a square so that no one could see back there and we would walk the family members back there and they would either identify them. That was the tough part. Sometimes, if family members weren’t there, we had to use other students, and that was also tough.

THE BATTALION: What were some instances that you observed that most students haven’t heard before in those first few hours?

GOODMAN: Well unbeknownst to me, because I was out at the scene, there was a lot of things going on behind the scenes. You had a whole candlelight vigil being planned for the next night … [at] Reed Arena … you had President Bush 41 there in attendance. Rick Perry was there. You had a number of dignitaries who came just because, and all of that had been coordinated by students and attended by students.

All while the recovery efforts were still going on … The students were trying to find a way to make sense of all this, all that was happening and they did it together.

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Ann Goodman was a member of the Critical Incident Response Team back in 1999 and one of the first individuals contacted after the Bonfire Collapse, reflects on her experiences.

DIFFERENT VOICES. SAME CEREMONY. SBP and Corps Commander to join Head Yell Leader in leading Bonfire Ceremony

By Tyler Snell @Tyler_Snell2 Current and former students gather in the brisk morning cold at 2:42 a.m. to remember the 12 Aggies that fell during Bonfire collapse in 1999. But as the ceremony continues, some minute changes may be noticed.

Different voices will be heard at the Bonfire Remembrance Ceremony during the reading of the poems and facilitation of the ceremony this year. Due to conflicts with the Ole Miss football game, Student Body President Bobby Brooks and Corps Commander Brad Sauer will be leading the ceremony alongside Head Yell Leader Ian Moss.

Traditionally, all three senior yell leaders lead the ceremony, however senior yell lead-

ers Ken Belden and Cooper Cox will be in Oxford, Miss. for Midnight Yell. The decision to add Brooks and Sauer was made after careful deliberation between Brooks, Moss and the Traditions Council.

“It’s going to be the same exact ceremony, but with us speaking,” Brooks said. “This issue may happen again in the future, and we are trying to make sure we can set that up and have consistency for the student body.”

Bonfire was held each year before the annual University of Texas vs. Texas A&M football game. At 2:42 a.m. on November 18, 1999, the stack collapsed, killing 12 Aggies and injuring 27 others. A memorial was erected to honor those fallen and each year a remembrance ceremony is held where poems are read for the Aggies.

“The ceremony is not in detriment at all because it does not revolve around the fact that we have Yell Leaders reading and reciting,” said Devin Lubin, Traditions Council

public relations chair. “Everyone we have there, they understand what the ceremony means to the school and all the alumni, so they will treat it with the same respect that the Yell Leaders would.”

This is the first time there has been an away football game on the same weekend as Bonfire Remembrance since the ceremony began, and Moss said the speakers this year only add to it.

“We have the Yell Leader which is the ambassador of the spirit, the Student Body President who is the voice of the students and the Corps Commander who is the head of the Keepers of the Spirit,” Moss said. “That was a cool trio that we could easily fulfill the role this year.”

For Sauer, this opportunity is a special moment because Bonfire victim Lucas Kimmel was a member of Company D-2, Sauer’s current company.

“It was a big deal for me starting freshman year to be a part of the tradition, and now fast

forward three years, being asked to speak at it is a way, as a student and as an Aggie, that I can help honor those Aggies who lost their lives,” Sauer said. “Students who show up and participate in the tradition get that sense of family that no matter where you go, how long you are away for or even after you are gone, there’s always going to be the Aggie family that you have.”

Brooks said this tradition only strengthens the student body, and the simple change of speakers will not jeopardize the tradition or the respect paid during the ceremony.

“The fact that we were faced with a challenge and still try to focus on the spirit and intent, it is the best predictor for how this ceremony and tradition will go in the future,” Brooks said. “Every year when we do pay proper diligence and proper respect to the ceremony, the student body is strengthened.”

TRADITION

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The Battalion | 11.17.17

BONFIRE REMEMBRANCE

November 18, 2017 at 2:42 a.m. at Bonfire Memorial

Savannah Skrivanek— THE BATTALION

“There’s a spirit can ne’er be told...” is a verse from the Spirit of Aggieland, which was originally written by former student Marvin H. Mimms, Class of 1926.

Parking: There are 14 parking spots available right in front of the memorial, known as the circle. However since there are only a few, they will fill up fast.

Alternatively, there are three vacant parking lots near the Bonfire Memorial: 51, 47, 50. Since this year’s remembrance is over the weekend, it is free to park in those three lots with or without a parking permit. Additionally, there are two rows of pay to park spots available in lot 51. Pay to park is also available at the Northside and Central garages, which are both about a 10-minute walk to the memorial.

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ACROSS 2 More than a shirt 4 Seniors’ final walk on campus 7 November 18 @ 2:42 a.m.

8 Class Uni t y. S er v ice . L e ader ship Developmen t.

10 Celebration for the rise of a Class into campus leadership 11 Dance for graduating class 12 Official freshman class event DOWN 1 Wear white and rally the crowd 3 Organization that preserves & promotes traditions 5 Day for sophomores to whoop 6 F i r s t Tu e s d a y o f e a c h m o n t h 9 April 21

Crossword Theme: Tr a d i t i o n s a n d A g g i e experiences that are supported by The Association of Former Students.

Answers: tx.ag/TraditionsCrossword

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The Battalion | 11.17.17

the battalion

Josh McCormack, Editor in Chief

Bonfire Remembrance

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Students, former students, families and friends gather around the Bonfire Memorial on November 18, 2016.

Current students reflect on Bonfire nearly 20 years later

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Tragedy struck when, 18 years ago, Bonfire collapsed, killing 12 Aggies and injuring 27 others. This event instantly reshaped a 92-year-old tradition and changed Aggieland in ways nobody could have expected when that fateful night began.

Effects of the fall can still be seen in the student body today, despite the fact that most current students were under the age of five during the 1999 Bonfire. While current students may not have their own memories of the tragedy, many have deep connections through relatives, campus organizations and traditions. It is their perceptions of the A&M tradition and their roots in the Aggie family which move students to participate in solemn ceremony to reflect on those who were lost.

Every year, a Bonfire Remembrance ceremony is held at

AGGIELAND YEARBOOK It’s not too late to order your copy of the 2017 Aggieland Yearbook, a photojournalistic record of the 2016-2017 school year. The 115th edition of Texas A&M’s Official Yearbook will be available before the holidays.

the Bonfire Memorial on Nov. 18 at 2:42 a.m., the exact time the stack fell. Nursing junior Hannah Winkle said she was overwhelmed by the number of students who attended and the mournful tone of the night when she went to honor the 12 during her freshman year at A&M. “I remember that in the middle of the ceremony you sing the Spirit of Aggieland,” Winkle said. “Normally, we sing it at the football game or Midnight Yell and everyone sings really loudly and proud. It was a very stark contrast to the way it was sung at the Bonfire Memorial because it was very somber and quiet.”

The Remembrance Ceremony was not Winkle’s first experience at the memorial. When she was visiting A&M during her junior year of high school she walked through with her father, who had experienced Bonfire first hand when he was a student. Winkle was able to hear her father’s memories of Bonfire before the collapse and watch his reaction as they both explored the memorial for the first time.

“This was one of the first things I saw on A&M’s campus because it was one of the first times that I came and visited, so it kind of set the stage of ‘what is A&M’ and the idea of remembering our Aggie family,” Winkle said.

In 2002, the same year that University President Ray Bowen announced that the university would not sponsor Bonfire, therefore Student Bonfire began as an event completely independent from Texas A&M University. For crew member and communication junior Rachel Swindell, participating in Student Bonfire is a way to honor the students from 1999.

“Each individual crew will take their freshmen out [to Bonfire Memorial] usually at the beginning so they can see why we build because it is for the 12, we do build to honor them,” Swindell said. “Yes, it’s fun and you make a lot of great friends, but ultimately the goal is to keep the tradition

alive for the 12 so they didn’t die in vain.”

Swindell said she had visited the memorial before coming to A&M but it didn’t truly affect her until after she joined Student Bonfire.

“After first cut my freshman year, I went back to Bonfire Memorial and I was reading everything really in depth,” Swindell said. “I remember reading Jamie Lynn Hand’s letter to her mom on her portal.

She was basically going over what everything is at a cut, like pushing and carrying logs and all this stuff that I am still doing almost 20 years later. It is all so similar. I remember reading it and thinking, “Wow, I’m doing what she did,’ and I started crying.”

Student Bonfire and the Bonfire Remembrance ceremony greatly influenced communication sophomore Giovanni Cammer’s perception of A&M as a whole.

While Aggieland was not his first choice for college, Cammer said it he felt at home when he got involved in these ways.

“We all go out at 2 a.m. and walked from our dorms in silence all the way until the Bonfire Memorial,” Cammer said.

“We ended up staying up until 5 a.m. talking to people who were actually at collapse and discussing stories. My friend had just lost one of her best friends so we were very emotional from the start, and to hear it from someone who had lost a friend that long ago and yet they still made an effort to come out — I was just crying.”

According to Winkle, honoring the 12 who died during the collapse is an important tradition on campus and deserves proper recognition.

“I think that A&M is really well known for Silver Taps and Muster but it should also be known for Bonfire [Remembrance Ceremony] because it is remembering those people that were in our Aggie family, and that’s something that is really important in the community and culture at A&M,” Winkle said.

Go online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase.

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Don’t forget to preorder your copy of the 2018 Aggieland yearbook. The 116th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook. Ordering can be done online at aggieland.tamu.edu, or by calling 979-845-2613.

Distribution will be the Fall 2018.

2016 Aggielands and previous yearbooks are now on sale. Stop by room L400 in the MSC or call 979-845-2613.

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Graphic by Alex Sein

Putting stack into perspective

By Alex Sein @AlexandrSein The 1969 Bonfire (right) at Texas A&M University was the tallest bonfire ever built. Reaching nearly 110 feet into the air, it was taller than most current buildings on campus, and in 1969 it was the tallest structure on campus. In the 1940s, when Universal Studios produced the film about Texas A&M, “We’ve Never Been Licked,” they built a model bonfire in a teepee shape, unlike the previous student designs which were essentially large piles of wooden things, including dorm furniture in 1912.

Therefore, in 1942, the design officially became the teepee shape that culminated in the 110-foot 1969 Bonfire.

For reference, the 1969 Bonfire stretched well above the Administration building, the Memorial Student Center and was nearly as high as Rudder Tower. It would have reached well into the third section of the remodeled Kyle Field and would have

nearly reached to the top of the Joe C. Richardson Jr. building.

The only building decidedly taller would have been the David G. Eller Oceanography & Meteorology Building, which towers above campus at 15 stories tall. It is the highest point between Houston and Dallas. According to Sean Stroyick, Eller O&M building procter, no taller buildings can be built in that stretch to allow the meteorological observatory on the 15th floor an unobstructed view of the surrounding area. So even if Bonfire could ever have been built that high, it wouldn’t have been allowed to stand.

However, that never happened because after the 1969 Bonfire, the university set a height limit of 55 feet on future Bonfires (left) out of concern for the surrounding buildings, as Bonfire posed a serious fire hazard at that height. Later Bonfires all approached this limit, which would still reach to the fourth floor of most buildings.