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Anyone here get to see the bonfire?
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:35 pm
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:35 pm
Before I went to LSU, I got the rare opportunity to see the last bonfire at aTm before the tragic events that followed. Having some cousins (both in the Corps) that went to school there during and after, I've had the opportunity to see football at both Kyle Field (as an adolescent) and Tiger Stadium(as a student). I'm surprised no one has brought this up, but there are A LOT of similarities between the LSU Cadets of Old War Skule and the aTm Corps of Cadets. Both schools have long military traditions, and personally am glad that there are no "keep college station weird" type folks to deal with. Everyone can make fun of the aTm "sacred gras", but we all saw what happened to the last guy (and the ensuing "demonstration" that followed) who defaced the war memorial at LSU. War memorial defaced.
This post was edited on 8/15/11 at 9:37 pm
9
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:37 pm to NYNolaguy1
Ags still have bonfire. It is just not on campus or sanctioned by the university. It is still completely student run but overseen by an engineering firm IIRC.
Some of the other Ags might have better details
ETA: LINK
Some of the other Ags might have better details
ETA: LINK
This post was edited on 8/15/11 at 9:40 pm
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:37 pm to Big Kat
Also, good post
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:40 pm to NYNolaguy1
I went to a bonfire there in the late 90's. Thought it was pretty cool.
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:41 pm to NYNolaguy1
I think every major school in the South was at one point a military school.
And...gasp...we are all pretty conservative down here.
And...gasp...we are all pretty conservative down here.
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:43 pm to Big Kat
From what I remember (and the ensuing ax handle wounds that were shown to me- all unofficially) the Corps was heavily involved in both the construction and design. Are they still involved in whats going on now off campus?
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:45 pm to offshoreangler
quote:
I think every major school in the South was at one point a military school.
And...gasp...we are all pretty conservative down here.
Which is yet another reason I'm happy that UT will stay FAR FAR away from the SEC.
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:47 pm to NYNolaguy1
Little known fact is that Jackie Sherrill came up with the idea for the 12th Man Kickoff Team when he went to work on the bonfire one night.
I miss it, and would have no problem in going back to a big pile of junk logs like the old bonfires, just to get it back on campus.
I miss it, and would have no problem in going back to a big pile of junk logs like the old bonfires, just to get it back on campus.
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:47 pm to NYNolaguy1
I helped build the '98 Bonfire, and even designed and painted the flag that flew at the top of Centerpole. The Redpots (students in charge of overseeing the building of Bonfire) awarded "Centerpole" to my Corps outfit because we were the hardest working group on Bonfire that year. As a result we got to fly our flag on top of Bonfire while it was being built that year. Every year they'd drill a whole for the Centerpole in the exact same spot, so in '99 when they were drilling the Centerpole from '98 that hadn't burned up (still around 7 feet of it) came out of the ground. Redpots told us it was ours so we took it. Didn't really know what to do with it, so we loaded it into the back of a bud's truck. A few months later his parents gave us each a shadow box with a slice of Centerpole, a picture of '98 Bonfire burning, a picture of our outfit's flag, and our nameplate. We had no idea that'd be the last "official" Bonfire to burn, but it's definitely grown in importance to me over the years.
My hope is that the off-campus Bonfire will someday be recognized by the University and moved back to campus.
Bonfire was a big part of my Aggie experience.
My hope is that the off-campus Bonfire will someday be recognized by the University and moved back to campus.
Bonfire was a big part of my Aggie experience.
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:48 pm to NYNolaguy1
I don't have a problem with Longhorns.
In fact, I prefer them to Aggies if I absolutely have to be around either of the two groups.
They are no more arrogant/weird/eccentric than LSU fans are.
In fact, I prefer them to Aggies if I absolutely have to be around either of the two groups.
They are no more arrogant/weird/eccentric than LSU fans are.
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:50 pm to NYNolaguy1
Different dorms had different responsibilities I think. One dorm cut, one dorm loads (Walton), everybody stacks
It's pretty much unchanged except how it's overseen to make it safer.
If you ever get a chance to watch A Burning Desire I highly recommend
It's pretty much unchanged except how it's overseen to make it safer.
If you ever get a chance to watch A Burning Desire I highly recommend
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:57 pm to Big Kat
quote:It's always intrigued me. It's definitely one of those things that had made a lasting impression one through the years- especially considering what followed. My lasting memory is seeing a 4-5 story tower of fire, with basically all of aTm in attendance(wayyyy too young and too many people to guess). I'm going to try and get more info on it.
nt dorms had different responsibilities I think. One dorm cut, one dorm loads (Walton), everybody stacks
It's pretty much unchanged except how it's overseen to make it safer.
If you ever get a chance to watch A Burning Desire I highly recommend
Posted on 8/15/11 at 9:59 pm to NYNolaguy1
That fire was taller than 5 stories! The stack alone was 75' if memory serves
Posted on 8/15/11 at 10:00 pm to AAM02
Good post. I love tradition.
quote:
I helped build the '98 Bonfire, and even designed and painted the flag that flew at the top of Centerpole. The Redpots (students in charge of overseeing the building of Bonfire) awarded "Centerpole" to my Corps outfit because we were the hardest working group on Bonfire that year. As a result we got to fly our flag on top of Bonfire while it was being built that year. Every year they'd drill a whole for the Centerpole in the exact same spot, so in '99 when they were drilling the Centerpole from '98 that hadn't burned up (still around 7 feet of it) came out of the ground. Redpots told us it was ours so we took it. Didn't really know what to do with it, so we loaded it into the back of a bud's truck. A few months later his parents gave us each a shadow box with a slice of Centerpole, a picture of '98 Bonfire burning, a picture of our outfit's flag, and our nameplate. We had no idea that'd be the last "official" Bonfire to burn, but it's definitely grown in importance to me over the years.
My hope is that the off-campus Bonfire will someday be recognized by the University and moved back to campus.
Bonfire was a big part of my Aggie experience.
Posted on 8/15/11 at 10:06 pm to offshoreangler
Arkansas was never a military or Ag school. We were land grant, but originally Arkansas Industrial University with a teachers' college included. Women were here from the start, and the first sorority was founded in the 1890s.
Posted on 8/15/11 at 10:30 pm to NYNolaguy1
I helped with 97-99. I was laid up at a girl's house the morning it fell. Word spread fast. We went out to have a look. Terrible cannot even describe it. I work construction now and can see the major flaws. No real design. No QC. No skilled workers. Just word passed from class to class. It was doomed to fail sooner or later.
All that being said, working on bonfire was some of the best times of my life. It was completely student run which made it so great and eventually so tragic. A&M lost an integral part of itself that day.
All that being said, working on bonfire was some of the best times of my life. It was completely student run which made it so great and eventually so tragic. A&M lost an integral part of itself that day.
This post was edited on 8/15/11 at 10:39 pm
Posted on 8/15/11 at 10:50 pm to ags01
That was my impression when I saw it- that it was completely student lead- for better and for worse. My cousin was in N-1, eventually switched from becoming a Marine and became a pilot for the Air Force. He actually just got back from Afghanistan and was chatting about his old days at aTm. Still an impressive sight to see old videos and such. My family shares the same sentiments as well- for those that weren't Tigers anyway :).
Posted on 8/15/11 at 11:25 pm to NYNolaguy1
Been to several. My brother's an aggie. Good times.
Posted on 8/15/11 at 11:28 pm to JudgeBoyett
Bonfire was cancelled this year because of the drought, absolute shame. It will be interesting to see what happens with it if sips actually follow through on not playing us if this goes down. Hopefully that doesn't kill momentum for moving it back to campus.
Posted on 8/15/11 at 11:52 pm to NYNolaguy1
I was not in the corps of cadets, but I lived in a dorm that was very involved in Bonfire (we had a perimeter pole, 2 reds and a brown, for the other Ags reading this) . Lost palms of my hands to axe handles and countless hours of rest time helping to build that thing.
We built it because we loved the camaraderie of working together and it didn't really matter who we were playing. In my admittedly simple mind, LSU could easily replace Texas for the rivalry purpose in all that.
We built it because we loved the camaraderie of working together and it didn't really matter who we were playing. In my admittedly simple mind, LSU could easily replace Texas for the rivalry purpose in all that.
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