**Texas A&M Reflects on 25th Anniversary of Tragic Bonfire Collapse**

In the early hours of Nov. 18, 1999, Texas A&M University witnessed a devastating tragedy as a towering stack of logs, weighing over a million pounds, came crashing down. This catastrophic event resulted in the loss of 12 lives and left dozens injured, forever altering the tradition-laden campus.

Set to commemorate the 25th anniversary of this heartbreaking incident, Texas A&M will hold a Bonfire Remembrance ceremony at 2:42 a.m. on Monday, the exact time the logs fell. "Year after year, Texas A&M students have worked to ensure that we never forget those members of the Aggie Family who were taken from us 25 years ago," stated university president Mark Welsh III.

Dating back to 1907, the "Fightin' Texas Aggie Bonfire" symbolized the university's fierce rivalry with the University of Texas Longhorns. What began as a scrap heap ablaze grew into a grand event by 1909, eventually evolving into a vertical timber formation similar to a tiered wedding cake. In 1969, the bonfire reached a record height of 105 feet, later restricted to 55 feet due to fire hazard concerns. Tragically, on that fateful night in 1999, the 5,000-log structure collapsed just a week before it was to be set alight for the annual tradition.

Among the 12 victims were five freshmen, four sophomores, a junior, a senior, and a recent graduate. Many were part of the Corps of Cadets, the university's student-led, military-style organization that played a significant role in constructing the bonfire. Rescue efforts, which included members of the Texas A&M football team, were swift but the tragedy had already taken its toll. In a touching gesture of solidarity, rival Texas Longhorns players organized a blood drive for the survivors.

An investigative report revealed numerous reasons for the collapse, pointing to flawed construction techniques and insufficient oversight by the university. Key issues included improper support wiring and excessive stress on the lower level of the pile, worsened by logs wedged into gaps.

In 2003, the university dedicated a memorial at the site of the collapse, featuring a "Spirit Ring" with 12 portals, each representing one of the victims. These portals contain engraved portraits and signatures, symbolically allowing visitors to fill the void left by each lost life.

While the official Aggie bonfire was discontinued post-tragedy, there were considerations to revive it this year with the renewal of the Texas-Texas A&M football rivalry, which resumes on Nov. 30. However, after a special committee recommended that only professionally designed and built bonfires should be considered, university president Welsh decided against resuming the tradition. "Bonfire, both a wonderful and tragic part of Aggie history, should remain in our treasured past," he declared in June.

Despite this, students have continued to organize unofficial off-campus bonfires over the years. This year, another will be held on Nov. 29, the night before the anticipated football game against Texas.