Texas A&M; Tradition Lives On in Bonfire

With a burst of flame answered by a deafening roar from the crowd, an unsanctioned Texas A&M; University bonfire sprang to life Sunday night, rekindling a tradition on hold since a deadly collapse that killed 12 people in 1999.

A group of current and former A&M; students calling themselves Unity Project unofficially resurrected the event.

“It’s great to have it come back,” said sophomore Samuel Rogers, 24.

Several thousand current and former students gathered in a darkened field about 10 minutes east of College Station for the lighting.

“It makes me sad, but a good kind of sad,” said senior Audra Forcht, 21. “You can’t explain the importance of this tradition.”