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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1988)
Monday, August 29, 1988/The Battalion/Page 5D Aggie bonfire Once a pile of junk, now represents burning desire to “beat the hell” out of Longhorns YESTERDAYS Daily Drink & Lunch Specials Billiards • Darts • Shuffleboard Near Luby's / House dress code T \ 846-2625 ^4" B. Mm for By Victoria Larrocca Reporter What began in the early 1900’s as a pile of junk burned by students be fore Texas A&M football games has turned into one of the best know A&M traditions — bonfire. Before the 1920’s bonfires were built before many home games. A&M students would build the bon fire out of scrap lumber and junk from the surrounding communities. However, things started to get out of hand, and in 1935 an irate farmer visited A&M officials after bonfire to complain that cadets had taken his log barn. Residents from the local communities also complained each year about the number of outhouses that ended up as part of bonfire. It was 1936 before the first all-log bonfire was built, but troubles with stolen property have continued to arise from time to time. In 1983, four members of the Corps of Ca dets were arrested after being caught stealing signs, including an Austin city limits sign, north of Aus tin. The cadets reportedly told the police they were gathering material for the Aggie bon fire.' An outhouse with an Austin city limits sign on it remains the crown ing touch to bonfire year after year. In 1946 a centerpole was added for the first time, and in 1947 the 65- foot Aggie bonfire acheived its famed status as the world’s tallest bonfire after two poles were spliced together to make a taller centerpole. The stack reached the height 107 feet in 1969, but, due to safety con cerns, recent bonfires have main tained an average height of 60 feet. A&M lore holds that if the bonfire centerpole stands past midnight, A&M is destined to win the game. Texas has won 63 of the 89 games. The actual expenses required to build a bonfire run about $25,000, said Bill Gibler, assistant director of Student Affairs. “This includes insurance, equip ment rental, supplies, et cetera,” said Gibler. “Luckily most of our ex penses are covered by donations from former students and local busi- Bonfire, a festive time for most A&M students, has not been without its tragic moments. In 1955 sopho more cadet James Sarran of Brownsville was killed when he pushed two friends out of the path of an out-of-control car as it crashed into his guard’s post. Wiley Keith Jo- pling of Nacogdoches was crushed to death after falling off a tractor trailer in 1981. In both instances the bonfire was dedicated to the mem ory of the students. Bonfire has been cancelled only once — after the 1963 assasination of President John F. Kennedy. The rivalry between A&M and UT extends beyond the football field. Numerous attempts have been made by UT fans and students to start bonfire earlier than scheduled. In the late ’50s some t.u. students dropped a fire bomb from a low-fly ing plane. The bomb missed, but the serial number of the plane was turned in and the students sus pended. In 1956 someone tried tried to ex plode the bonfifre with a detonator device that was buried several feet from the bonfire, but their attempt failed, too. Bonfire has also had it share of problems with A&M students. In 1986 a female cadet filed suit after five men dragged from the top of a barrel and threw her outside the bonfire perimeter. In 1987 a male A&M student was charged with assault after two fe male Aggieland photographers said they were verbally and physically ha rassed while at the bonfire site. Tra dition used to forbid women form entering the bonfire perimiter. This year the 79th annual bonfire will burn at “dark-thirty” on the Tuesday before the Thanksgiving day football game against the Uni versity of Texas. Dark-thirty is about 30 minutes af ter dark. 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I e "T*; the Twelf luring fa*?; >f their wf i from - team- seven li® , but he» for the tin line weati 1 ': icnsion 1 an tradi#l erriH k-offTei® | essed by 1 ® ;nts hej theyear 1 ! irm a 1 •n made ent bod' Bryan-College Station's largest se lection of activewear for men and women • Guess • Garron • Italian Boys • US Boys Post Oak Mall Pepe Lawman Gotcha Quiksilver 696-9899 ‘THfc OPAL’S (Top) Junior redpots use a chainsaw to cut off the end of a log wired to the stack, (above) Members of the Aggie Band carry a log at the bonfire site, (left) Members of the bonfire crew work around the clock during “push,” the final two weeks of bonfire construction. This photograph was taken in the early morning hours. 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