Call the Muster softly...

This isn't going to be a post about the baby, but in some ways it is. You see, because of the events of 11/18/99, I won't be able to share the beautiful tradition of Bonfire with my little one, and that makes me sad. A&M is one of those places that will forever hold a piece of my heart and I hope to pass some of that sense of belonging I had there down to my child.

Ten years ago this morning, I was sleeping in my apartment in College Station when I got one of the saddest phone calls of my life. My mother called to make sure that I was safe and sound because the beautiful Aggie tradition of Bonfire had taken a tragic turn. I'll never forget that day and the pain of learning that twelve of my fellow students had lost their lives that morning. The 12th individual to lose his life that day was Tim Kerlee and he was in my Geography class. He died a true hero, as he directed rescuers to several people that morning that were pulled from stack and are alive today. Tim wouldn't let anyone help him until he helped as many as he could. Sadly, his injuries were too severe and he passed away after arriving at the hospital. I didn't know Tim personally, but I grieve for his family just the same.
The tragedy that occured that day has left an indelible imprint on my life. I am proud to be a Texas A&M Aggie, and proud of the many traditions that look strange to those outside our fellowship. For those that would argue that a big pile of wood was not worth the lives of twelve people, I won't argue that with you. But Bonfire was about more than a big pile of wood. Preparations for Bonfire began at the beginning of each fall semester and it was a uniting force on campus. Texas A&M is not the same place it was before, and much of the reason for that is the lack of Bonfire to unite the students. But as much as things have changed, I am one of the Aggies that does not believe that Bonfire should come back. Even if they were to bring it back, the magic of that time has been lost and will forever be marked by the tragedy of 11/18/99.
For any of you that know anything about the Aggie traditions...

Call the Muster softly...
We answer "here" for those twelve beautiful souls that went before us on that fateful day.