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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1990)
0661 ‘I J9qui3AO M ‘Aepsjnqx HZl a&ej ■■■■■■■ SONDRA ROBBINS/The Battalion Jennifer Live'y (standing), a junior history and french major from Dallas, and Courtney Carter, a freshman petroleum engineering major from Austin, se lect gag gifts for their bonfire buddies. Bonfire buddies provide support By JOHN MABRY Although it might look a lot like communications major and a member Christmas, many students have been of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, had a cutting down trees and exchanging bonfire buddy that she said was “the gifts as part of another tradition — bon- best” fire buddies. “My bonfire buddy was so wonder- Bonfire buddies is a campuswide ef- ful,” she said. “His gifts were the best fort in which anyone can participate, Fd ever heard of. He gave me Halston although the majority of participants is perfume and some really expensive dorms, the Corps, fraternities and soro- chocolate. When we finally met, we rities. went out on and off for a while. ’ ’ At the beginning of the school year, Like Martinez and her bonfire groups exchange lists of names pairing buddy, some bonfire buddies’ bonfire workers with buddies of the op- relationships continue past the gifts, posite sex. sometimes turning into romance. Whether the two decide to keep Becky Calvo, a junior biomedical their identities a secret from one an- science major who is also co-chairman other is up to them. of Underwood Hall’s bonfire commit- And whether someone has a good tee, said she knows one girl who actu- buddy or a bad one is strictly luck. ally got engaged to her bonfire buddy. Doug Childress, a freshman wildlife “Things like that are rare, though,” and ecology major, said his experience she said. “A lot of people see bonfire with his bonfire buddies wasn’t quite buddies as major scam time, though, what he expected. But it’s really just a way to meet people “They told me that they were going and make friends.” to be the best bonfire buddies ever be- Philip Bennett, a freshman corps cause there were three of them instead member, said, “Bonfire buddies is a of just one, and that I should feel good way to keep up the spirit of A&M. lucky,” he said. “Immediately I started It also keeps people who work on bon- feeling greedy, thinking my presents fire motivated. ” were going to be the best. But my first present was a calendar on a piece of To keep them going at cut, bonfire posterboard written in those cheesy buddies often incorporate motivational crayola markers, and there were lolli- slogans into their gifts — “Kill trees,” pops like the kind you get free at the “Cut,” and “Load” are examples used dentist on every day until bonfire. I to decorate shirts and other presents didn’t like it very much, so for their pre- they exchange, sent 1 gave them a pumpkin with all the Calvo said these gifts usually range lollipops stuck in it, and then they in price from about $5 to $10, al- never called me back after that.” though some people spend more and Yvette Martinez, a senior speech others none at all. Reload crew serves refreshments, encouragement to bonfire workers By USA ANN ROBERTSON The reload crew, a student organization, serves refreshments and encouragement to bon fire workers at Duncan Field. “We’re there to motivate the men and women who work out there, ” Kelli Klaevemann, director of the Bonfire Reload Crew, said. “We’re there to serve it, not build it. ” The staff does not go out to the cut sites. Rather it sets up a shack on Duncan and distrib utes drinks, cookies, and in cold weather, soup to bonfire workers. The crew has been better able to serve this year since it joined the University’s Bonfire Com mittee in the spring. The bonfire committee is made up of the redpots and those who build the stack, Women’s Bonfire Committee (pink pots) and now reload crew. Reload crew was pre viously a committee of the Student Y organiza tion. The change has been beneficial for each group. “Before, we had to answer to bonfire commit tee and to Student Y,” Klaevemann said. “Be cause of having to go through two channels, we weren’t getting our job done as well. ” Janie Metzer, reload crew adviser when it was part of Student Y, said “They’re getting bigger, and like all good things they’re changing to go with the times. ” Because the group was only ac tive in the fall semester, it often got squeezed be tween paper work. The move was not prompted out of frustra tion, though, “ft has been a very positive move for us,” Klaevemann said. “We’re improving re lations with the other (bonfire) committees. We have more opportunities to get involved now. ” Bonfire committee adviser Bill Kibler agreed. “Communication is certainly better and easier. In the long run, it will work much better to have the three entities under one group. ” While the move has improved communica tions, it hasn’t lessened the amount of work the crew does. “Some people think that all we do is serve cookies,” Klaevemann said, “ft has turned out to be quite a project. It’s a lot larger project than people think, and it’s a lot of fun. ” The crew sets up its shack when center pole goes up and works through push. Crew mem bers are required to work two two-hour shifts. Supervising assistants work about four times a week in four-hour shifts and make sure supplies stay stocked. They provide lemonade, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and soup. And they serve a lot of coo kies. Klaevemann estimates that this year they will serve 1,800 dozen cookies. ERIC H. ROALSON/The Battalion Junior pinkpot Noni Richardson sells cokes to Charles Allen (left), a sophomore from Moore Hall, and T.A. Hennard, a senior from Crocker Hall.