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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1984)
Page SD/The Battalion/Monday, August 27, 1984 Bonfire builds ‘desire’ One of the best known of all Ag gie traditions, bonfire began in the early 1900s as nothing more than a pile of junk burned by excited stu dents in anticipation of Varsity foot ball games. During November and December, when the games usually were played, a fire was welcomed foi the warmth it added to the chilly night. Building and burning a bonfire^ before the University of Texas foot ball game at Thanksgiving gradually became a custom, and by the 1920s it was a tradition, a former comman dant and coach at Texas A&M Uni versity wrote in a letter to the Uni versity archives. Frank Anderson, who saw his first bonfire in the fall of 1920, said the fire consisted of community trash, tree limbs, boxes, lumber scraps and debris. The outhouse that sits atop bon fire found its beginning in this era. One of the cadets’ favorite materials for building the bonfires was un tended, unwatched and, hopefully, unoccupied outhouses, Anderson wrote. Speeches and yells accompanied lit * the lighting of the bonfire, but the fire usually was burned out by the time the speeches ended. no one considered the Apparently early bonfires very memorable, since the first picture of a bonfire didn’t appear until 1928 in the Longhorn, the Texas A&M yearbook. By 1935 bonfire was an estab lished tradition, marked by the en thusiasm of the cadets who gathered junk to build it. The cadets’ resourcefulness began to bring complaints from the com munity. On the morning after the 1935 bonfire, a very irate farmer vis ited Anderson’s office and said the cadets had carried off his log barn. Because of the problems in 1935, the building of bonfire was put under the commandant’s control in 1936. Cadets chopped a grove of dead cot tonwood trees near what is now Eas- terwood Airport. Texas A&M Col lege provided axes, saws and trucks. The 1936 bonfire was the first legal and all-log one. 92 hours a must for senior rings By JEFF WRIGHT Reporter Few days are as symbolically im portant at Texas A&M as the day a student orders a senior ring. Texas A&M requires a student to be a se nior before placing a ring order. “I couldn’t wait to get my ring,” said Jan Wuthrich, a senior journa lism major from Waco. ‘‘I started counting the days before it came.” To qualify, students must have at least 92 semester hours, including 30 at Texas A&M. They also must be in good standing with the University. Students must leave their names and identification numbers with the ring clerk at least two weeks before placing an order. The Senior Ring Committee will determine eligibility. Rings must be paid for when or dered. Prices range from $175 to $500, though the cost may fluctuate with the price of gold. Financial as sistance is available through the Stu dent Financial Aid Office. The oldest Aggie ring dates back to 1889, records indicate that today’s ring was designed by E. C. Jonas, Class of’94. The ring’s symbols represent Texas history, as well as Aggie goals and traditions. A leaflet printed by the Association of Former Students explains the meaning of the ring. The shield on the top of the ring symbolizes protection of the good reputation of the alma mater. The 13 stripes in the shield refer to the 13 original states and symbolizei intense patriotism of the g and undergraduates ofTexasAH The five stars in the shield refer phases of development of the sc dent; mind or intellect, body,spin tual attainment, emotionalpoiseai; integrety of character. The symbolic of agility and power, at; the ability to reach great nei| ambitions. One side of the ring symbolize the seal of the State of Texas, rized by the Constitution of HUi The five-pointed star is enrirds with a wreath of olive or laurel be symbolizing achievement anda4 sire for peace, and live-oak be symbolize the strength to fight.Tim are joined at the bottombyadrclti ribbon to show the necessity of jot ing these two traits to acc one’s ambition to serve. T he other side with its ancies cannon, saber and rifle symbolizt that the men of Texas fouehife their land and are determinedtoit fend their homeland. The stands for valor and confidence.Tb rifle and cannon are symbolsofpn paredness and defense. Thecrowi flags of the United States and Ttn recognize the dual allegiance tom lion and state. T he ring is worn with the da number turned toward the studej until the annual Ring Dance, whm it is turned around so the nuinln faces the world to say, “lamanAp gie." A&M spirit grows quickly for some ByD< Wha the Coi there is Aftei the pr length 1 their u them fr Seme the earl Corps o form oi hat, th< forms ii of the L 1925, cc as the s niors, tli “Duri niors wc and oth said R; leader fi became Corps A&M.” The 1 on fron said, be ered not ohnr lick's Bi probabh nior bo< ther was vaVi Ro A&M at making 1891. < By SUZANNA YBARRA Reporter Some choose to become Aggies others have no choice. Cokes to help raise monev fori ip ra band," he said. He remembersgoint Photo by Barbara Brown Craig Barker stands guard over the 1983 Bonfire. Some get their first dose of Aggie spirit when they’re old enough to wear a Curity t-snirt with “I’m a little Aggie” painted on the front. Others get theirs when they walk on the Texas A&M campus for the first time and hear “howdy” from a total stranger. to Silver Taps and Texas A&M M ter with his parents. “A lot of people start shyingwl (from A&M) around college agei’ < boose to go to other un | he said. “Tney’ve had so mucho (Aggie spirit) while they naf growning up, they’re sickofit.” That first log bonfire was onb >g oonttre was only about 12 feet tall, but it got the jot done, Anderson wrote. Some junk > buil as well as logs, still was used to build the fires untd after World War II. After the second world war many of Texas A&M’s traditions became more codified and ritualized, includ ing the bonfire tradition. The first centerpole for a bonfire made exclusively of logs was raised in 1946, and the 1947 bonfire used a centerpole of two logs strapped to gether. Every year after that bonfire grew bigger and more elaborate. From its origin until 1955, bonfire was held on the drill and parade field near the Memorial Student Center. In 1955, bonfire was moved to the field behind Duncan Dining Hall. In 1981, when the University de cided to build a University Press building on Duncan Intramural Field, many students worried that bonfire would be moved again. Offi cers in the Corps Commandant’s of fice said bonfire still will be held on Duncan field. Though most memories of bon fire are cherished, tragedy has marred the occasion at least three times. In 1955, a sophomore cadet was killed while working on bonfire by a car that swerved out of control. James E. Sarran, who died after he shoved two other cadets to safety, was honored posthumously by the Board of Regents for his heroism. Bonfire was built but not lit only time in its history — in 1963 because of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Students and ad ministrators decided to show their mourning for the late President by not lighting the bonfire. The third tragedy occurred dur ing the construction of the 1981 bonfire. Wiley Keith Jopling, a soph omore agricultural economics ma jor, died when he fell under the wheels of a tractor. 1969 was a special year for bon fire. The 107-foot 10-inch bonfire set a new world record. The 1969 bonfire still is the largest ever burned in the United States. For safety reasons, the height of bonfire was limited in 1974 to 68 feet. Local residents feared their homes might catch fire from flying embers, and University officials wor ried that students faced a greater risk of injury while building taller bonfires. Today, bonfire is a carefully engi neered structure resulting from months of prior planning. Each indi vidual log is wired into place, and the centerpole is buried in the ground. Coordinators from the Corps and the civilian students su pervise both the planning and a con struction of the stack. This year’s bonfire will be held on Nov.29, two days before the game at Memorial Stadium. Bonfire has come to symbolize two things to Aggies — a burning desire to beat the hell outta’ t.u., and an undying flame of love that every loyal Aggie carries for his school. When you’re young Aggie spirit is to exercising, and the army jogging, and the marching band,” according to four-year-old Courtney at the Methodist Day Care Center. But what is Aggie spirit? Beni gave it some thought and said:If gie spirit is a commitment to Ai! where you’re willing to give than you receive,” Benson said,aflj long thought. His classmate Abbey said Aggie spirit is a maroon and white grown up. Cathy McGuill, whose fall graduated from Texas A&M, 1 brought up in Austin loving Tea A&M. She said she kepi herAj spirit more on the reserved side. Courtney and Abbey know Aggie spirit exists, they just don’t know ex actly what it is. Older Angies remember being “Aggie-ized, ’ or gradually spirited. “I tried not to be outspoken,”il junior accounting major said.T’ offended inside if someone A&M down ... but I don’t say,‘ft you’re stupid.’” “In sixth grade you get to go to the games,” said John Benson, a Col lege Station resident for 13 years and a 1984 A&M graduate. “In high school they let you sell She said she wouldn't force tej children to go to Texas A&M,k she hopes they’ll at least consider ii n f “It just never occurred tomelof to any other school but A&M,”sl said. SAVE ON THE GREAT ■ TASTEOF^^H r- SAVE250 WHEN YOU BUYCRUSH 250 off Any 6 pack cans or two liter bottle This coupon expires Sept. 30,1984 Offer good only in territory served by: Bryan Dr Pepper Bottling Co. 200 East 23 Rd. St. Bryan, Texas 77801 FARMERS HAREET announces the following Soup and Sandwich daily Combination Monday - Ham Sandwich w/Golden Gate Mushroom Soup Tuesday - Rich Boy Sandwich w/Cream of Broccoli Soup Wednesday - Roast Beef Sandwich w/ Cream of Potatoe Soup Thursday - Pastrami Sandwich w/Chicken Gumbo Soup Friday - Turkey Sandwich w/Clam Chowder EACH FOR ONLY $049 2 Saturday - Chicken Salad Sandwich w/ Minestrone Soup Special good 9:00 am - 10:00 pm University Drive at Northgate 846-6428 Hours 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun. Offer not valid with other coupons or special i It bega Vard pn ; 011 Motlie Pe date ifloved fr J a y. The P74 whe Barents 0 i Jat way si I Even tl Jrgone i pained n ffting. Bi Ad who i If select e ■ear? i Parents toes and :Ve good I My hu ■Jything < P 1 would ■id. “\y e T'ldren n