The organization that has staged bonfire off the Texas A&M campus since the 1999 collapse did not stop working while the university considered bringing back the event.
WTAW News visited with two representatives of Student Bonfire after A&M’s president announced bonfire would not return as an on-campus event.
Bonfire Redpot (leader) Mason Taylor, class of 2025 from Pflugerville, said he was relieved that students will still be in charge, adding “with the university trying to be involved that could have cost us that independence and that level of involvement of what it really means to build Bonfire.”
Board member Dion McInnis says he greatly appreciated the president acknowledging that supporters for an on-campus bonfire was based on students organizing, leading, and building the stack.
Click below to listen to visits with Mason Taylor and Dion McInnis, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.
Listen to “Student Bonfire reaction to not moving bonfire on campus from Mason Taylor” on Spreaker.
Listen to “Student Bonfire reaction to not moving bonfire on campus from Dion McInnis” on Spreaker.
News release from a Student Bonfire news release:
Motivated Fightin’ Texas Aggies are building Bonfire. Bonfire today is fully and independently student organized, student led, and student executed off campus, with the support of Aggie Former Students and Friends of the Fire.
In a historic year, Aggies are motivated to bring Aggieland another season of this great Tradition.
Bonfire began off campus in 1907, organized and built by students to celebrate an Aggie victory over Tulane. Since that time, Bonfire changed locations and design many times. By 1947, when it was first formally defined, it was said to represent “the burning desire to beat the team from the University of Texas.”
What has never changed, even after the break in the rivalry after 2011, was what Bonfire truly stands for. As the definition in 1947 concluded, Bonfire has always been “the undying flame of love that every loyal Aggie carries in their heart for the school.”
“Bonfire does not just represent who we are as Aggies, it tests and proves who we are,” says Mason Taylor ’25, Bonfire Sr. Redpot. Bonfire does this through its singular opportunities in student leadership and execution of the entire process of preparing for, planning, and building Bonfire, from start to finish, every step by hand. That process is year-round, and perpetual.
Bonfire has been hard at work on Bonfire 2024 since its first step of burning Bonfire 2023, clearing the field for another season.
There will be new and unique challenges in 2024, including an especially large expected attendance at Burn, and Bonfire’s Aggies are preparing to meet these challenges.
As with every year, this will be possible with the support of motivated Aggies everywhere. In 2024, the flame will remain truly undying. Bonfire would like to thank all those who support Bonfire, whose continued donations of time, equipment, services, and expertise make this and every season possible.
Bonfire will burn on November 29, the night before the final game of the regular season against the University of Texas. Burn will be live streamed for free, as it has been since 2014, courtesy of TexAgs.com.
For updates, information on participating in and supporting Bonfire, and a full season schedule as it becomes available, visit bonfire.ag.
Build the Hell Outta Bonfire! Beat the Hell Outta t.u.!