The collapse of the heavy logs at Bonfire on the Polo Fields in front of the Admin Building happened at 2:42 AM, too late into the night to make the newspaper. My family rarely watches the TV in the mornings, so I didn't hear of the devastation 112 miles to the north until I reached school. Many of my friends, especially several of the seniors, were huge Aggie fans and planned on attending the school after graduation. They were obviously upset, and the sheer fact that something so sad had happened mad me sad too.
That evening, I remember seeing the first images of the huge stack of logs in a heap on the evening news, and Tom Brokaw's description of what had happened. For the next several days, images and interviews from College Station filled the news and the papers as time confirmed that 12 had given. What a interesting fact, that a number so dear to A&M would forever now represent something tragic as well. For me, time marched on, and Bonfire moved to the back of my memory.
In March of '03, I finally accepted the fact that my Daddy God was bound and determined for me to attend Texas A&M instead of UK. The fact made me sick to my stomach, but I obeyed, wondering what I was in for in Aggieland. Fish Camp and Impact succeeded in brainwashing me into being a die hard Ag, and the people, students and faculty alike, made me know to my core, that this was family. How 40,000+ people can feel like family, especially when I hate crowds, I can't explain, but it is. We look out for each other. We greet each other when we see the Ring, and we support each other in the good and bad.
As my first anniversary of Bonfire approached, it was the 4th anniversary for those on campus. Very few current students were left that had actually seen Bonfire burn, though several had worked on the Cut and Stack of the Bonfire in '99. The memorial set up in the MSC helped me appreciate the tradition better, as did the growing friendship my mom had with Janice Kerlee who lost her son Tim to the collapse.
On 11-18-04, my mom came to A&M to join some friends and me as we attended the Bonfire Memorial dedication. Govenor Rick Perry spoke, as did Robert Gates (how I miss him as president!). It was a time of hope for A&M, not necessarily that Bonfire would burn again, but that healing was coming, that lives were not lost in vain, and that traditions, new and old would live on.
November 18th has continued to come and go. Yesterday marked 10 years since the collapse. All 12 families attended a beautiful memorial at Reed Arena on the night of the 17th. Isaac and I attended as well. To me, it's important to know the past to understand the future. Aggieland won't ever be the same, and those of us who are or were students there understand that, though it's hard to explain it.
At 2:42 AM yesterday morning, Isaac and I, with candles glowing, were surrounded by Aggies from all walks of life, from all parts of the world, new and old to remember. The 12 families met in the middle of the Bonfire Memorial, in the place where the stack had collapsed. I couldn't see her in the dark, but I believe it was Mrs. Kerlee who called all the Ags to gather round, in the circle of the memorial. She said that we're all family, and that this was for all of us. As hundreds of Aggies slowly made their way with glowing candles, it was beautifuly to see a campus come together to remember something most of have never seen. Thank you to the families for sharing this time with us.
I'm not one of those Ags who is pushing for Bonfire to return. I think it would be fantastic if it did, but a lot of changes would need to be made first. I'm ok if it's a tradition that has ended, never to be forgotten, because 12 Ags gave their lives to be a part of something greater than themselves. Regardless, A&M lives on, for There's a Spirit can ne'er be told...
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