NEIi
THE BATTALII
lent
ued from pagel
Aggielife
■
The Battalion
Page 3 • Monday, October 20, 2003
'indie Fund, whicli
ed with Bank
i to aid the family in
osts. Students can 4
money through Pa$
ic e-mail address itij
Dtamu.edu. Windlelsi
cal insurance at thetis
ccident. and his frienj
ming several fund*
ts in the coming wett
aid they will be cookt!
beneath the Wellkn
ss during the Oklahoic
)tball game and willtt
g donations. There i
a booth set up closei
fall, where Windleusti
There are also teotatm
r a benefit concert e
honor.
al services will belie!
t 2 p.m. in Rudds
am. Pontious said th
vas originally going D
I Faiths' Chapel, bull
ocation was needs
of the high numberot'
expected to attend
ashes are to be sci
his family’s ranch j
as the best Aggie," said
'indie, Levi’s rnothei
a smile that you jest
believe.”
10I
ed from page 1
OOL, Responsible
cisions and Alternative
Break will sponsoi
s tables at Wehnet,
ountain and Blockerto
udents.
an Todd, a senior jour-
lajor and member of
e Spring Break, said
provides students witli
interactive out-of-state
xperience during the
pring break. \
isible Aggie Decision
Undents with infoni-
educates them on tk [
dated with wngtlco- »
ugs.
of events for Alcohol
; Week can be found a
“.tamu.edu/adep/event
1
d from page 1
id without recognition."
Hall, executive asso-
of the College of
aid Martell was an
I man who will be
very high standards
ry fair,” Hall said. “He
the chemistry depart-
a good department to
recognized.”
is survived by his
t children and 13
en.
LION
liief
sch, Sci|Tech Editor
ch, Copy Chief
na, Graphics Editor
'hoto Editor
siey, Radio Producer
usch, Webmaster
through Friday during (lie
ing the summer session
ersity. Periodicals Postage
changes to The Battalion,
11.
it Texas A&M University in
alism. News offices are in
Fax: 845-2647; E-mail:
p or endorsement byTtie
all 845-2696. For dassi-
ed McDonald, and office
8.
:xas A&M student to pick
;25t.Mail subscriptions
'0 for the summer or $10
(press, call 845-2611.
Id wear a favorite
jacket and tie.
ould wear their
II be provided by
id 2004
University Yearbook 1
The fire within
Student Bonfire seeks to build unity, rekindle the flame of Bonfire tradition
By Jessica Lenchner
THE BATTALION
When Luke Cheatham was a freshman in 1999, he loaded for
Aggie Bonfire with Walton Hall. Every week after the load, Cheatham
and his best friend, Julio, went to the Sbisa Dining Hall and used two
meal plans to get a double Whataburger, fries, apple pie, chips and a
soft drink.
Both would heartily finish their large meals because they were so
hungry after their hard work.
Along with the fulfillment of putting in a day’s worth of muscle and
sweat, Cheatham, a senior civil engineering major, said participating in
Bonfire led to making lifelong friends who would stand beside him on
his wedding day and learning wonderful things such as leadership and
teamwork.
Cheatham was on the Polo Fields during the early morning hours of
Nov. 18,1999, when Bonfire collapsed, killing 12 Aggies and injuring
27 others. He said although everyone reacted differently to the horrif
ic event, he hoped to preserve the good aspects of Aggie Bonfire.
“For me, I just wanted to make sure that all the good things that
came from Bonfire didn’t get lost,” he said. “Bonfire was about fresh
men and the seniors passing leadership qualities on to them.”
Last fall, Cheatham realized he would be leaving Texas A&M
soon and wanted to pass something on to future Aggies, so he helped
initiate Unity Project. This off-campus bonfire is designed to rebuild
the treasured Aggie tradition with emphasis on Aggie values, unity
and safety.
Beth Weisinger, a crew chief and sophomore accounting major, said
Unity Project was a success last November. The logs, formed in the
shape of a longhom with its horns sawed off, went up in flames before
thousands on a chilly night last November.
“Bum was an amazing feeling,” Weisinger said. “I get chills just
thinking about it. I’ve done lots, but this stands out. You work so hard
and come together with people you barely know.”
Students have begun to work on Unity Project this year, now called
Student Bonfire, which is scheduled to bum on Nov. 22.
Jim Bouse, a Student Bonfire leader and senior agricultural devel
opment major, said he couldn’t wait for cut to start on Oct. 11.
“Nobody slept before the first day of cut because we were so excit
ed,” Bouse said. “That’s the fun part working next to your fellow
Aggies.”
Cheatham said the feeling he had last year at first cut was priceless.
“It’s the best feeling in the world to walk out there, smell the same
smells, pick up an axe and get dirty,” Cheatham said. “The feelings I
have working on (Student Bonfire) are the exact same as they were
working on Bonfire in 1999.”
Bouse, a third-generation Aggie, said the thought of bringing
Bonfire back in some way drives him to participate in Student
Bonfire. He grew up talking about Bonfire every Thanksgiving
and planned to attend in 1999.
“Since I got here in 2000, the campus has died,”
Bouse said. “It’s not the place it used to be.
People don’t say howdy very much.
One of the main reasons is because
Bonfire’s gone. It just seemed natural
for me to get involved
with Unity Project.”
Cheatham said
Bonfire belongs to the stu
dents, so it was their deci
sion to keep the tradition
going with Student Bonfire
and he’s glad they
chose to do so.
“I’m overjoyed that
we’ve been able to bring
back the good that’s been
missing since Bonfire
has been gone,”
Cheatham said. “I would
love to be able to bring
my kids to A&M one
day and say, This
is what’s so
important to Dad and
how I met my
friends.’”
Weisinger said
she hopes the tradi
tion will continue
too, and is most looking for
ward to passing the experience
on to the freshmen this year.
“Working on Unity Project was
the most powerful experience of my freshman
year, and it’s my duty to pass it on,” she said. “It’d
be selfish of me not to. You really can’t see the true meaning of it with
out going out and putting your own sweat into it.”
Individual groups come together for the common cause of build
ing the bonfire that unites us all, Weisinger said, who has a picture of
last year’s Unity Project hanging on the ceiling above her bed.
“I see it every morning and every night, and it reminds me of the
Aggie spirit,” she said. “It brightens my day and shows hard work,
dedication and heart.”
Bouse said it’s incredible what just a few people can do when they
work together.
“The unity it builds is amazing,” Bouse said. “Meeting people,
working with them and solving problems are what the real world
is all about.”
Rachal Bewers, a junior marketing major, attended the Unity
Project bonfire last year and said she feels lucky that people
took the time and effort to put it together.
“The most memorable part of that night was just standing
^there in a sea of people watching the flames,” Bewers
said. “It was seeing everyone from freshmen to
seniors to Old Ags to families coming
together to celebrate a great tradition.”
Seeing Unity Project bonfire burn
last year brought many emotions
to Cheatham. He said it helped
bring some closure to all the
feelings he had for those lost in
the 1999 tragedy. Old Ags
came up and thanked him for
bringing back what they’d
missed for so long, he said.
“Unity Project shows the
absolute truest form of the Aggie
spirit I’ve ever known,” he said.
“Bum last year was like having
the spirit all around you. It’s
such an amazing experience
that I encourage everyone to do
it at least one time.”
Cheatham said students can
feel the Aggie spirit at football
games and yell practice and hear
ing howdy around campus, but they don’t
compare to the feeling he had at bum.
“It’s something not duplicated
anywhere else in life,” he
said.“Bonfire and Unity Project symbolize everything good about
my experience at A&M,” Cheatham said. “They show why I want
ed to come to school here, everything true to my heart and my best
memories from A&M.
“The two greatest things I’ve gotten from A&M are my wife and
Bonfire,” he added, “so you can see it’s pretty important.”
Graphic by Gracie Arenas • THE BATTALION
• FACULTY/STAFF MEMBERSHIPS—Now has never been a
better time to check out Rec Center memberships. Rec
Sports makes living a healthier life even easier with bank
draft options for membership and locker payments.
• ADULT AND PEDIATRIC CPR—Register at the Member
Services Desk for next class on October 28th and more
that continue through the entire Fall semester. $25/$35.
• UNLIMITED AEROBIC PASS SALEl—Get your unlimited
aerobics pass for the unbelievable price of $30! Sale starts
on Monday, October 20 at the Member Services Desk.
Cali 862-3995 for more info or go to
http ://recspo rts.tamu.edu.
Drive On-Texas A&M Golf Course
• NEW Full Length Driving Range—Enjoy one of the Golf
Course's newest additions, the full length driving range.
Buy a bucket of balls and practice your swing, warm up
before a round of 18 holes or just work up a sweat on a
cool and breezy Texas night.
• Fall Twilight Special—Twilight rates begin at 1:00 p.m. Monday,
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Green fee only!
• Two For Tuesdays—Bring a friend and play for the price of
one. You must have a partner and price only applies to
green fees.
Open to the public! We are located on the south side of the A&M campus.
Call the Pro Snop at 845-1 723 & visit us online at http://recsports.tamu.edu.
• NEW HIP HOP CLASS—Move your body like you never
thought you could! Come Oct. 20, 27, Nov. 3 or 10 for rou
tines and instructional breakdowns. TODAY is the last day to
register!.
• HEALTHY LIVING LECTURE SERIES—Shawn Stratton, MS
PT: What Can Resistance Training Do For Me? The latest on
weight loss, injury prevention, and getting started on a pro
gram for life! Join us on Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in rm 281.
Call 862-3995 or go to http://recsports.tamu.edu for info.
SPORT CLUB EVENTS, be a part of it!
Club Date Location
Ice Hockey Oct. 24-25 8:00 p.m. W. Aerodrome
W. Lacrosse Oct. 25 12-5 p.m. E. Campus Rugby Pitch
DoiVt miss out on the excitement that is A&M Sport Clubs!
FALL IMs, Have You Signed Up?
The following IM sports OPEN for registration on Oct. 27th:
Dominoes "42" Tourn. FREE
The following IM sports CLOSE registration on Oct. 21st:
Racquetball FREE
Upcoming Events Registration Event Date
Lead Climbing Clinic TODAY! Oct. 21
Kayak Roll Instruct. Clinic Sept. 1-Oct. 27 Oct. 28
Woman's Rock Climb Sept. l~Oct. 27 Oct. 31-Nov. 2
Horseback/Hiking Trip Sept. 1 -Oct. 28 Nov. 2
FREE Climb Technique Clinic At Event Nov. 4
BREAK TRIPS
Horsepacking Big Bend Sept. 1-Nov. 7 Nov. 26-30
Ski Colorado Sept. 1-Dec. 1 Jan. 11-17
Costa Rica Adventure Sept. 1-Dec. 12 March 14-21
Info Sessions for Big Trips
TODAY. Monday, Oct. 20 rm 281 SRC
6:00-6:30 p.m. Horsepack Big Bend and Ski Colorado
6:30-7:30 p.m. Costa Rica Spring Break
TOMORROW. Tuesday, Oct. 21 in 704 Rudder
7-7:30 p.m. Horsepack Big Bend and Ski Colorado
8:30-8:15 p.m. Costa Rica Spring Break
Climbing at the Rock Wall—Want to renew your skills or take
an orientation class? Come by the Rock Wall Mondays
through Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
WALK OF CHAMPIONS LEAVE YOUR MARK
MAKE A SPLASH
Program Registration
Adult Learn to Swim NOW-Nov. 3
Polar Bear Club All semester
Class
Nov. 3
Cost
$25/$35
FREE
Aggies, buy your Walk of Champions brick for a reduced
price. Visit http://recsports.tamu.edu for more information
and an order form. Leave your mark on the A&M campus.
rec sports, tom. edit