Wednesday • October 15, 1997
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Women turn out to
Bonfire in droves
to ^uild the hell'
and defy stereotypes
Story by Michelle Voss
Photography by Rony Angkriwan
W omen out at Bonfire aren’t
just the water wenches any
more. Hundreds romp out
to Bonfire cut wielding axes, slashing
vines with machetes and carrying
logs through the woods.
Forget the curlers - pedicures are use
less. These women have a purpose oth
er than primping.
They are the women of Bonfire,
building a legacy and forging a new
path for future Aggies.
Behind the cutting and the burning,
everyone who builds Bonfire has a com
mon drive and a personal bond with the
six stacks of flaming logs thousands
flock to witness. For the females who
wear blisters on their hands, bear the
heat and climb the stack, Bonfire be
comes a piece of themselves.
Amy Bauman, a freshman political
science major, said building Bonfire
gives her inner strength.
“When you build Bonfire, you
build yourself, you build your inner
worth,” she said. “You become a much
more well-rounded person.”
Bauman, who is also a member of
the Delta Gamma sorority, said she
believes Bonfire is about breaking
down stereotypes.
“For me, Bonfire is about proving
that you can be a lady and get dirty,
too,” Bauman said. “Bonfire is hon
orary testosterone for women.”
Tara Gresham, a sophomore gener
al studies major and co-chair for Nee
ley Hall, said everyone looks at Bonfire
and sees their own hard work.
“Seeing this 55-foot-tall structure
burn gives me a warm fuzzy in my bel
ly,” Gresham said.
Bonfire has it’s own jargon and rit
uals, most of which may be odd to the
normal bystander.
“Groding,” one of the baser activities
of Bonfire, is rolling around in the mud.
Brandi Leggett, a sophomore jour
nalism major, said she loves to get dirty
at Bonfire.
“It makes you feel like a kid again,”
Leggett said. “You want to grode the
world.”
Bonfire becomes the world for the
women who participate in the event.
Devoting hours to clearing out
woods and wiring together stacks of
logs requires motivation from leaders.
Martha Wilson, a bonfire co-chair
in Neeley Hall and a sophomore psy
chology major, said Bonfire is about
pushing yourself to the limit.
“Bonfire is pure unselfishness,” Wil
son said. “You’re working for this big
stack of logs, for the whole University, for
your parents who went here and for peo
ple who don’t even go to the University.”
Wilson said Bonfire is about unity
and achieving a common goal.
“Bonfire is a way of cleansing your
self, like you’re making good for some
thing,” she said.
Haley Charba, a sophomore com
munity health major, said she wants to
dispel the social taboos about women
having dirty fingernails.
“At cut you see people in the raw,”
Charba said. “You can’t put on make
up and fake it. You find out who your
true friends are.”
Charba said enduring a day in the
woods requires stamina.
“Bonfire is getting people to be
themselves, kind of like finding your
self in the woods,” Charba said. “You’re
out in the wild and being rugged, cre
ating bonds.”
With more women being involved
in Bonfire in recent years, it is difficult
to put a gender on Bonfire. Females are
welcomed out at cut, if they are willing
to work. However, women do not hold
the same position as men in Bonfire.
At Bonfire, there are no women
crew chiefs, yellow pots or red pots.
Crew chiefs are leaders who motivate
each male dorm and are responsible for
the health and safety of the dorm.
Jackie London, a sophomore gener
al studies major, said denying women
the role of yellow pot or crew chief is
an injustice.
“They’re basically saying that we
can’t trust women to lead us, or to put
out the effort and be safe,” London
said. “They’re saying we can’t trust
women to lead men.”
The women of Bonfire are tough
cookies, but do not want to be thought
of as butch, Charba said.
Please see Women on Page 4.
u For me, Bonfire is
about proving that you
can be a lady and get
dirty, too. Bonfire is
honorary testosterone
for women. ,,
— Amy Bauman
Freshman political science major
Women participating in Bonfire lead the way to bring a log to the Bonfire
site last Sunday.
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