iryan Allan McClain of San Antonio was
►one of 50 students in Dr. Dudley Smith’s
htroduction to Agronomy class, but the
torps of Cadets member’s quiet, polite and
massuming manner made him stand out, his
professor said.
“He symbolized the dedication of a Corps
lember,” Smith said. “He was always in uni-
jrm. He was always very neat. ‘Yes sir, No
Bit.' All of that.”
see McClain on Page 3.
Lucas John
Kimmel
19
Corpus Christi
Freshman biomedical
science major
ucas Kimmel was following in his older
^brother’s footsteps when he decided to at-
?nd Texas A&M University and join the
porps of Cadets. He followed in the traditions
kf the school by helping build the annual Ag
ile bonfire.
This school year was the first one away
Jrom home for the freshman, who had just
[elebrated his birthday Sunday. A graduate
p Tliloso-Midway High School in Corpus
see Kimmel on Page 3.
Christopher Lee
Heard
19
Houston
Sophomore petroleum
engineering major
ULVEY/Tiik Dm [.asMi**
memory of lostj
C hris Heard graduated last year from
the Marine Military Academy in Har-
jlingen, where he led by example. Col. Tom
iHobbs said.
''He was an individual that everyone
3oked up to,” Col. Hobbs, retired from the
.Si Marine Corps and director of institu-
|onaI advancement at the academy, said,
le served as an outstanding example for
Jthers to follow. He was admired by a lot of
see Heard on Page 3.
Jamie Lynn Hand
19
Henderson
Sophomore
environmental design
major
y an hour before!
hey did not mafl
e with blood, sw||
ng because thejF
it something loll]
ig to us,” Mitcli
?s you can dot
iem, or you cant
■Tamie Lynn Hand had been a cheerleader
w the tragedy(W at Henderson High School in East Texas
the grief studf! jnd was part-time teacher at Henderson
sts captured I fgh School.
/hile the logsWB “She was just a one-of-a-kind kid,” Ray
Deason, a neighbor and Jamie’s principal at
‘re among thosf ^ ort hside Elementary School, said,
overage and sj "^ ie an ' n f ect i ous smile for everyone. ”
,cc aVrhP stnrkil Deason has been a neighbor of the
77 Hcirf Ciu f anc ^ family for 25 years. He saw Jamie
;gies always ccr| see Hand on Page 3.
Jeremy Richard
Frampton
22
Turlock, Calif.
Senior psychology
major
us.
e that it conti
lost their lives^
nol said. “
I those injured
IS AT
eremy Richard Frampton was a senior psy
chology major and a native of Thrlock, Calif.,
he was a member of the Texas A&M Univer
sity Corps of Cadets for four years. He was
Jtnown for taking a leadership role in the an-
OCfv nflj nual Bonfire.
l “I can never think of a time when Jeremy
* and nurMertf a PP roach something with a positive at-
. ’ , ,, titude,” Turlock High School principal Rod
is updated wee' H 0 n arS) w j 10 was a i so Jeremy’s football coach
.VICE SPECp SEE Frampton on Page 3.
lngedwC
Christopher
David Breen
25
Austin
Class of 1996
rgar
itree
s Station Loctf
S. Texas ^
96-2076.
C hristopher David Breen, who earned a de
gree in agriculture development in Decem-
er 1997, returned to Texas A&M on Wednes
day night to help construct the Aggie Bonfire.
1 Christopher, a former Brown Pot, was
there to help select the next generation of
construction bosses for the Bonfire.
I “Chris was here as a former student
and a former Bonfire participant,” Dr.
Chris Townsend, a professor of agriculture
see Breen on Page 3.
One Opirit...
JP BEATO/Thk Battalion
Many Aggies have left their Aggie rings at the Bonfire site to honor the Aggies who died before they were able to receive their own.
OJcvefue CRi
67/2 e/n
BY RICHARD BRAY
The Battalion
I n the aftermath of the tragedy at the Bonfire site early Thursday
morning, students and organizations on campus are helping mem
bers of the Aggie family cope with the tragedy.
On Nov. 25, the date Bonfire was originally scheduled. Aggies will
have an opportunity to show their respect for those who died in the
accident during a sunset gathering at the Bonfire site.
Certain outfits in the Corps of Cadets are not wearing
medals or cords on their uniforms, but instead are wearing
black ribbons in remembrance of the fallen Aggies. The Corps
chaplains are also offering spiritual counseling to any students
who need it, but are focusing primarily on Cadets.
Jeremiah Ebeling, the chaplain for Company B-l and a se
nior management major, said the chaplains have been per
forming a variety of services to help cadets in this difficult time.
“The chaplains have been doing things ranging from
Bible studies to just sitting down with cadets who need
someone to talk to or someone to cry with,” Ebeling said.
Official Bonfire shirts from the MSC have
been revised as memorial shirts. The money
wifi go to the families of the students who died
in the accident. The sales are expected to gen-.
erate between $6,000 and $8,000.
Beth Weems, the Class of ’02 president and
a sophomore biomedical science major, said
there have been many changes made to both
shirts that are sold commemorating Bonfire.
“The one that had ‘90th Anniversary’ on the
back has been changed to have a memorial rib
bon on the sleeve and it says ‘In Memory Of,”’
Weems said. “The second one says ‘Memori
alizing the Fallen; Interceding for the Injured,
Uniting the Aggie Spirit, Fightin’ Texas Aggie
Bonfire 1999; May it remain with us always.’”
The shirts go on sale today in the MSC and the short-
sleeved shirts cost $10 and the long-sleeved shirts cost $12.
The Association of Former Students and the Texas A&M
Foundation have established two funds in honor of the 12 vic
tims of the accident. The Association is managing a General
Relief Fund for the families affected by the accident, and the
Foundation is managing the Bonfire Memorial Fund. Foun
dation officials said they have been receiving donations from
across the nation.
Donations can be sent to: Texas A&M Foundation, 401
George Bush Dr., College Station, Texas 77840. The Texas
A&M Foundation can be reached at 1-800-392-3310 for more
information.
The 12th Man Student Foundation is donating $1,200 to
The
friendship
that unites
us is beyond
death and
time.
the Bonfire Memorial Fund and will send cards to the fami
lies of those who died.
The Aggie Mom’s Club Federation, composed of 116 clubs
with over 8,000 active moms reaching over 25,000 students,
are coordinating memorials for Aggies throughout the state
and are coordinating busing for funerals in Henderson and
Carrollton.
The Resident Hall Association gave the FHK Complex three
wreaths to place in the FHK quad as a memorial to the three
FHK students lost in the accident. The hall also has placed
roses on the doors of students who lost loved ones and have
provided counseling in the A-l Lounge. Resi
dent Advisors placed maroon and white rib
bons on the trees surrounding the complex
and on the balcony railings.
Mike Guerra, the FHK Hall Council presi
dent and a sophomore biomedical engineer
ing major, organized the busing for students
to attend the funerals of the three FHK stu
dents who died in the accident.
Other students have responded by making
the Bonfire site a memorial. The fencing sur
rounding the site has been covered with poems,
ribbons, flowers, hats, 12th Man towels, Bible
verses, Aggie rings and Bonfire pots. A message
board was placed at the site Sunday morning
for visitors to convey their feelings. White crosses have also been
erected with the victims’ names written in maroon.
Students can also express their concern by signing the
posters the Student Government Association Office has pro
vided in the MSC hallway. The posters will be given to the
students in the hospital and the families of those who have
passed away.
Samuel E. Murdock, a sophomore business administration
major, summed it up best in describing how he feels about
the reactions of his fellow Aggies to this tragedy.
“I’ve never felt so proud of my University as I do at this
time,” he said. “To see the unification of all Aggies, regard
less of age, sex, religion or sexual orientation, just makes my
heart swell with pride and my faith in the world strengthened.
The friendship that unites us is beyond death and time.”
Tim Doran
Kerlee Jr.
17
Bartlett, Tenn.
Sophomore mechanical
engineering major
A t Friday night’s playoff football game at
Germantown High School in Tennessee,
Tim Doran Kerlee’s former classmates took a
moment to pray for the youth chosen the
“most intelligent member of the senior class.”
Tim, a first-year student who had enough
credits to be classified as a sophomore, was
badly injured in the Aggie Bonfire collapse
and became the 12th person to die from the
accident.
see Kerlee on Page 3.
Michael Stephen
Ebanks
19
Carrollton
Freshman aerospace
engineering major
M ichael Stephen Ebanks, a freshman
aerospace engineering major, had want
ed to be an astronaut since he was old
enough to know what one was, a family
friend said.
He had a wide range of interests and
talents necessary to tackle them success
fully. He was on the golf team his fresh
man and sophomore years at Newman
Smith High School dropping off the team
see Ebanks on Page 3.
Miranda Denise
Adams
19
Santa Fe
Sophomore biomedical
science major
M iranda Denise Adams, was a sopho
more biomedical science major at
Texas A&M.
“She really loved science classes,” Melis
sa Blair;' Adams’ anatomy and physiology
teacher at Santa Fe High School, said.
“She’s fantastic, energetic, intelligent,”
Blair said. “I couldn’t keep up with her. And,
if I’d tried all the other students would have
been left behind.”
6erecf\
see Adams on Page 3.
Nathan Scott
West
19
Bellaire
Sophomore
oceanography major
N athan Scott West spent every moment
he could tinkering on his beige Volk
swagen Beetle. He and his father, Richard, re
stored the -old car, even putting in a new en
gine, neighbors in Bellaire, a bedroom
community in Houston, said. “He and his dad
worked on that old VW bug every chance he
got. He was determined to get it running,”
neighbor Renee McCurry said. “A lot of kids get
cars when they turn 16. But he worked for his,
see West on Page 3.
Jerry Don Self
20
Arlington
Junior engineering
technology major
J erry Don Self of Arlington was known
during his years at Lamar High School
for volunteering, showing his school spirit
and being involved in student activities.
Jerry, a junior engineering major at Texas
A&M University, graduated from Lamar in
1997. In addition to being on the student
council his senior year, he was in the Span
ish club, on the track team and on the varsi
ty football team.
see Self on Page 3.
Chad Anthony
Powell
19
Keller
Sophomore computer
engineering major
W hen Chad Powell addressed the
Keller High School graduating class
last spring as valedictorian, he began by
thanking his parents and family. In the
process, he broke into tears.
“And then he found the poise to continue
with a very inspiring speech to his fellow stu
dents,” said Julie Zwahr, Keller’s director of
communications.
Friends, teachers and acquaintances
see Powell on Page 3.