Press Release on the TAMU Website: http://www.tamu.edu/aggiedaily/press/rep.html Dr. Bowen announced today that the Aggie Bonfire will be allowed to continue, though under a greatly restructured process (From Dr. Bowen's Press Release): Design We will have a design prepared by licensed professionals. We will have designed a single stack Tepee shaped bonfire. Construction We will have a construction plan prepared by licensed professionals. The time for construction will be limited to two weeks. No work from midnight to sunrise will be allowed. Annual Compliance Review of Project After the bonfire project is completed, the entire project will be review for compliance with all design, construction, behavioral, and other objectives. A successful review will result in the authorization of allowing the following year bonfire construction project. Expanded University Oversight We will augment our Student Affairs oversight with professional construction expertise. Safety Program We will have a safety plan prepared by licensed professionals New Student Leadership Selection Process We will have a more inclusive selection process. No cut Logs will be cut by professionals and delivered to the construction site. The benefit of this provision is increased safety and reduced time pressure on the students. Construction Site The construction site will be fenced, will have limited access, will have video monitoring and will have other controls characteristic of a professional construction site. There will not be a bonfire construction for 2000 or 2001. If the restructuring I have described is successfully completed, we will have a bonfire in 2002. If that bonfire construction is judged successful by the certification process I just described, then we will have a 2003 construction. ------------------ Stay Cool...
I applaud Mr. Bowen for the decision he made. I never attended A&M, but I had friends that did. The tradition of bonfire is important to the students -- and is moving even for those that didn't go there. But the bonfire grew out of hand over the years. It moved away from it's origional intent. It also stole from the students time and studies, eventually resulting in tragedy. This sounds like a good plan to allow the tradition to continue, but in a much more safe, controlled, and meaningful way. ------------------ Stay Cool...
