Never Forgotten
There are moments in life that you may get through, but you never truly get over.
For me, and for thousands of A&M students, one of those moments was the collapse of the 1999 Fightin' Texas Aggie Bonfire.
Six years ago today, twelve members of our Aggie family were killed in that horrible tragedy. Today, I just wanted to remember them for the role models that they were (and still are). They were taken too soon, but they remind us that life is measured in quality, not quantity.
For me, and for thousands of A&M students, one of those moments was the collapse of the 1999 Fightin' Texas Aggie Bonfire.
Six years ago today, twelve members of our Aggie family were killed in that horrible tragedy. Today, I just wanted to remember them for the role models that they were (and still are). They were taken too soon, but they remind us that life is measured in quality, not quantity.
posted by Courtney O. @ 10:31 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
Why do you make me cry!!!
Don't cry!!!
I just wanted to remember them today.
But more as a happy remembrance :)They were young and full of life, doing something they loved. There's something very peaceful about that, right?
I remember that day. I had alot of freinds that where there. I still wish that they did the bonfire. I just wish that people would have been more responsible and not drink and work on it so that the tradition would have kept going. I remember that they said some of the alcohol levels on some of the students where way over the drinking limit. Just too bad that a couple of people brought down an awsome tradition between the UT and AGGIES football games.
Yes,there is something peaceful about it. Lots of good memories and lots of tears. Doesn't seem like 6 years though.
I will bite my toungue after reading the comment above mine.
Drywall Mom I appreciate your comments and sincerely hope this doesn't come off as snippy because I really don't mean for it to sound that way. The bonfire tragedy had nothing to do with alcohol and it was absolutely NOT any of the students' fault that it fell. The centerpole was structurally unsound and the ground was unstable. That's what caused the accident. Centerpole cracked and it would've cracked even if there wasn't anyone working on it at the time. The media distorts things and rumors spread like wildfire when things like this happen and no one hears the real story.
What's really cool is that Bonfire is still going on off-campus. When it was first started in 1909, it was a bunch of corps guys piling up stacks of wood and burning it in a field completely away from campus. That old tradition has started up again and 10000+ people have attended the past couple of years. The tradition lives on in the hearts of all Aggies and those kids that died, although tragic and too soon, died doing something they LOVED!
I think it was a common misconception, fueled by the media, that alcohol brought on the collapse. Thank God that wasn't true.
It was actually that incident that made me change my mind about my career. Up to that point, I was a complete journalist in waiting, but seeing the total lack of respect and lack of responsibility that the media showed during that time really turned me off.
I watched a special on the media coverage of Bonfire, and there was actually a station out of New York that basically called Bonfire a ritualistic tradition led by "pot heads." Once again, the media got it wrong...
Thanks for saying something Shana and Co. I didn't feel it my place to say anything.
I see your point of view. The media did have a hay day with it. They seem to do alot with trageties and putting the blame on the easiest target. I know that in Houston, that's all the we heard about was the alcohol so that's all I saw about it. I know that that the support beam was also to fault but it still does look a little bad that most of the people their were drunk. I'm sorry if I offended anyone.
I did not know that certain groups were keeping the tradition. I am glad to here that it didn't die.
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