An entire graduating class of students has come and gone since the 1999 Bonfire collapse, most never having seen the massive log structure burn on the Texas A&M University campus.
For many of those students, the longtime symbol of the Aggiesâ?? burning desire to beat the University of Texas during the annual November football game is little more than a tale passed down from previous generations. Some have tried to keep the tradition alive with off-campus burnings, while others argue Bonfire should return to campus or forever be left in the past with its horrifying demise.
Five years after the early morning collapse on Nov. 18, 1999, killed 12 Aggies and injured 27, the legend and future of Bonfire have been stuck in limbo. Meanwhile, the university so closely linked to the tradition has looked for ways to move on.
The annual fall project built by thousands of eager Aggies was suspended after the collapse â?? a decision made by former President Ray Bowen and later enforced by President Robert Gates after he assumed his duties in 2002.
What has continued is the mourning of those who lost their lives in A&Mâ??s worst disaster, and this fall the university community again is gathering to remember instead of revel. The $5 million granite and bronze Bonfire Memorial built on the campus Polo Fields where the stack fell is set to be dedicated Thursday, the five-year anniversary of the collapse.
The massive structure consists of 12 portals â?? each aligned with the direction of the hometown of the Aggie it memorializes.
â??Just as Bonfire was a symbol of Aggie unity, I think the memorial will be as well,â? Gates said during a recent interview.
On each anniversary, people have gathered in silence on the Polo Fields at 2:42 a.m. to remember the tragedy at the precise moment it struck. No early morning ceremony was planned this year because of the memorial dedication at 2:30 p.m., when thousands are expected to converge on the fields.
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