Traditions like that instill alot of pride in an instituion as well as in the tradition itself. I think the bonfire should and needs to continue, but an event with the potential to be so dangerous should be more closely supervised. ------------------ I need a new signature. 302
It's pretty bad when a school that is supposed to be known for its engineering can't, or won't, build their most honored tradition right. Tradition is one thing, but when it means the loss of life, plus the enormous environmental consequences that bonfire brings, it may need to be stopped. At least have it professionally built. I know that the whole process is the tradition, but to keep it, the Aggies may need to compromise a little. ------------------ Get your proper swirve on...visit www.swirve.com (coming in late May, for now visit www.eesite.com)
I'm with Rocketman95. All I've heard from proponents of keeping the bonfire is that "we need to honor the memory of the students who died by continuing our tradtion." That is such nonsense. If you really wanted to honor them, put a memorial where the bonfire used to be and stop endangering lives. Traditions aren't what hold a college together. The students, faculty and staff do that. Spirit isn't something created artificially. And, thanks for also mentioning the environmental hazard. That is a serious issue no one is even talking about. In fact, the destruction of trees is just bizarre. Recently, Habitat for Humanity suggested that A&M donate the logs from the failed bonfire so that the felled students may be honored by homes built for others in need. Well, the generous students of A&M are rallying to keep the logs, form them into 12 piles (one for each of the slain students) and burn them in honor of the dead. Geez! ------------------ "No one gets out ALIVE!" SaveOurRockets.com
Here's my view on traditions: Speaking from experience, I go to a small school in west Texas. My univ. is unlike A&M in that it does not have several traditions to rally around. The schools oldest tradition, of which I was a part, has just changed dramatically, and will never be the same. School spirit is nothing any more because the students have nothing to rally around. The bonfire is a huge rallying point. The Aggie Bonfire is only the biggest tradition at that school (the ceremony marks the night before the A&M vs. UT game, for those who are uninformed) and is a necessary rallying point for school unity. A&M does not have a Homecoming, it has the Aggie Bonfire. Where else can you see two men, one very young the other very old, sharing the same memory? I may be wrong, I doubt the ecological damage is very significant in the grand scheme of things, and I don't care. Cut down on fossil fuel emissions and the destruction of the rainforests before you worry about a once-a-year bonfire. I think the bonfire should continue, but it needs more supervision. I cannot believe it fell for the reasons it did. Rocketman95 It's pretty bad when a school that is supposed to be known for its engineering can't, or won't, build their most honored tradition right.... ...couldn't have said it better. Jeff Well, the generous students of A&M are rallying to keep the logs, form them into 12 piles (one for each of the slain students) and burn them in honor of the dead. Geez! Good for them, if you ask me. Those students died to build something in honor. I would be proud to finish what they started in their honor. ------------------ I need a new signature. 302 [This message has been edited by Lynus302 (edited May 05, 2000).]
Ok, here's my opinion of traditions: Traditions represent, mostly, our ties to the past. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but, when they become a necessity or a way to obscure the lessons our past should be teaching us, they become a nuisance and even at times, oppressive. Hazing is a tradition we can do without. Sacrificing people and animals are traditions our society is better off without (although, I hope those died off long ago!). But, the oppressive traditions are never the one's that get me as much as the little one's. Oppressive anything sucks and we eventually work around that, but it is the built-in belief stystems that bug me. For instance, my wife kept her maiden name when we got married. I had no problem with it. She felt she wanted to keep it for practical and personal reasons and that was ok by me. But, because it is "traditional" that the wife takes her husband's name, we ran into all sorts of problems. We had everything from billing issues to simple family problems all over a freakin' name! It was just unbelievable. There is nothing wrong with honoring the past or honoring the memory of someone or something. That is an honorable thing to do. Some traditions like bowing or shaking hands as a greeting, for example, are pleasant ways to introduce yourself and good ways to show respect. But, when tradition becomes a problem, it is time to let it go. I have friends who went to A&M and they can vouch for me that the bonfire is more a reason for current students to get drunk and hoop and holler than it is for old and young to embrace a time-honored tradition. Besides, if your school needs some symbolic gesture to feel good about itself, why not make it something that does some good? A good example is my sister-in-law's church. Every year, their youth group (she is no longer a member but they did this when she went and still do) traveled to a different city for a week and helped to restore homes for low-income families. Other churches and schools make it a tradition to help the needy with holiday meals or visiting shut-ins. Why does a tradition have to be about having a party? I've always believed the best traditions are quiet, self-sacrificing and of benefit to others, not just yourself. So, there you have my view. ------------------ "No one gets out ALIVE!" SaveOurRockets.com
Jeff: But, when tradition becomes a problem, it is time to let it go. I have friends who went to A&M and theycan vouch for me that the bonfire is more a reason for current students to get drunk and hoop and holler than it is for old and young to embrace a time-honored tradition. Besides, if your school needs some symbolic gesture to feel good about itself, why not make it something that does some good? I know about the Bonfire drunkfest as well. That is another reason I believe the bonfire needs more supervision. As for the hooping and hollering, I like that, but drinking has no place in building a huge-ass bonfire with the potential to be deadly (or even slightly harmful). ------------------ I need a new signature. 302
Not to mention it becomes a campus obsession for a month or so of the year. When the students start complaining about those pesky classes getting in the way.... I'm all for tradition, but it seems to have blown way out of proportion -- and the origional goals of brotherhood, honor, etc. have been lost. If you haven't gotten a chance, I would reccomend reading at least the summary of the report. The went through a historical study of the bonfire, and until the last 40 years or so, it had been a relatively simple structure. I went to Baylor, and the bonfire there is an important part of the homecoming tradition. Granted, Baylor's tradition pales in comparison to A&M's, but we still have a few. When the bonfire started getting out of hand, the university came up with a simple rule, that has put a lot of the spirit back in the event. Build it as big as you want, but you can't start until 24 hours before lighting. (We could gather materials off campus before hand.) Police are on site to enforce the rules and see to the safety of the students. No big logs were used, boards, old boats, packing materials, etc. ------------------ Stay Cool...
