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CMJ
Oct 9th, 2000, 01:46:06 AM
Not really but I am in the local paper here. Quite alot actually even though it's for something I wish wasn't going on. I guess it helps to be President of a respected campus organization. Anyways...I decided to post this for the hell of it. It may give you guys an idea of some of the stuff that is keeping me away from the board(yes Talons takes up alot of my time, sometimes more time than school).

Talons are praying for last-minute rain
Burn ban threatens UNT's homecoming bonfire tradition
By Karen Treat
Staff Writer

Courtland Jindra had been hoping for rain, but the scant amount the area received Friday didn't offer much hope that a significant part of a University of North Texas tradition will continue this year.

Mr. Jindra, the president of Talons, UNT's spirit group, said members had planned to begin building the homecoming bonfire Friday, despite the fact that the county is under a burn ban. They held out
hope for a repeat of last year, when last-minute rainfall lifted the burn ban and enabled the tradition to continue.

Plans to haul loads of wooden pallets out to the Eagle Point Golf Course were canceled Thursday, however. Lack of adequate rainfall, as well as high winds, make it unlikely the burn ban will be lifted in
time for Friday's prelude to the homecoming game against Utah State.

Denton County Fire Marshal Jody Gonzales will go to the commissioners court meeting Tuesday with a request to either continue the ban or lift it.

No one is really counting on it being lifted, though. And if the ban does remain in place, this year will mark the first time since 1946 that the bonfire has not been lit, Mr. Jindra said.

The bonfire tradition began in 1935, and has been interrupted only twice … both times during World War II. Mr. Jindra said the bonfire is a way for students to show their spirit for the university. Students usually begin stacking the pallets nine days before the bonfire event. By the time they're finished, the
stack is about 25 to 30 feet tall, he said.

He said that when the bonfire began, the student body built it. The Talons took control of it in 1960, he said. They began a 24-hour watch over the bonfire in 1961 after someone stuck dynamite in the middle of the structure, Mr. Jindra said. Another year, someone burned the structure down the day before the celebration was scheduled. The entire student body joined in and rebuilt it in one day, Mr. Jindra said.

He said students could accomplish the same feat this year, if the burn ban is lifted.

Mr. Jindra has been involved with the bonfire since fall 1996, and expects to graduate this year. He said it's depressing that it could be his last bonfire there might not be one.

Still, students are trying to keep some kind of tradition alive. Students have said they plan to camp out at the site, as they would if they were keeping that 24-hour watch over the pile of pallets.

"We're going to have a lot of activities at the site anyway," Mr. Jindra said.

Those activities include concerts and the possibility of an alternate lighting ceremony, UNT spokeswoman Kelley Reese said.

Officials are talking about creating a "wall of lights" by stringing lights from the poles that are already up at the site. Other activities will go on as scheduled, including a Talons-led march up Maple Street
and across Interstate 35 to the Radisson Hotel. The march will begin about 6:15 p.m. Friday.

The march will be followed by the traditional spirit rally about 7p.m. The rally will feature the annual "Yell Like Hell" competition. A concert by the Denton-based rock band Valve is scheduled from 9 to 11
p.m. Food and drinks will be available.

Bromine
Oct 9th, 2000, 03:01:58 AM
Sounds like a major headache for you, CMJ. Cool that you're involved in something so important.
This is one of those issues where one can understand and sympathize with both sides. Personally, though, I think that they should be encouraging young people to do more constructive and positive things like this, instead of doing their best to suck all the fun out of it. Seems to be getting harder to just go out and have some good clean fun these days.
Btw, I think the writer used the phrase: "Mr Jindra said" about a dozen times!:)

JonathanLB
Oct 9th, 2000, 05:26:02 AM
Yeah I agree, that is poor writing, you don't have to say "Mr. Jindra said" 6 million times. People get the idea and you can just go on with it, at the very least don't use it in consecutive sentences, sheesh. Who wrote that?! :)

Then there are a few other typos, but oh well, we'll forgive this person...

"...stuck dynamite in the middle of the structure..."

HAHA! That's f---ing hilarious. Oh man, I wish I were there for that one. Is this supposed to be a sad thing in the history of the school? Dang, I'd be laughing my @$$ off if that happened.

Although, burning it down the day before wasn't bad either, just they should have done something a little cooler, I dunno burned it down with a flame thrower and put up some sort of sign or something.

25-30 feet tall burning structure, hmm...ok that isn't dangerous enough.

Do I need to remind anyone of the incident just last year with one of those things falling and killing like 11 students? All in the name of celebration or tradition? Forget about it, who cares.

You can have fun without doing something dangerous, an odd concept for high school and college students, I know.

"Man, a party without drugs and alcohol, what is wrong with this picture?"

lol. Oh boy, thankfully people grow up eventually.

jjwr
Oct 9th, 2000, 08:27:26 AM
Actually I think that other one that collapsed was about 3 times as tall and made up large logs instead of pallets. From the sounds of this it doesn't seem that dangerous as long as its done right, and I Imagine it is.

CMJ
Oct 9th, 2000, 11:29:50 AM
Okay first of all....the Denton Record Chronicle is semi-famous for it's poor writing...so don't blame me. :) Second...yes Texas A&M's stack was about 3-4 times as big as ours. It was "supposed" to be capped at 55 feet every year...starting around the 60's I believe because their stack reached like 106 feet. Everyone in Texas knows that the Aggies never stopped at 55ft though...it was usually in the 80-90ft range...the University just didn't check. The wedding cake style they used was alot more unsafe that the 2 designs we've used while I've been here. I could draw you a diagram....but basically it would take an earthquake for ours to collapse like theirs. Pallets are more like bricks when you build with them. Anyways, I could write more but I don't want to bore everyone. :) I gotta get out to the sight anyways. Go Eagles :)

Bromine
Oct 9th, 2000, 04:41:08 PM
Just string some lights up! It's the same effect, right?;)

Jedieb
Oct 9th, 2000, 08:14:45 PM
Sounds like you're having fun CMJ. Are you starting to get a little melancholy about the end being so near? I'm impressed you have such a prominent position in student affairs at your school. Much more impressive than someone holing themselves up in their room and having no social life whatsoever. Enjoy it while it lasts!

DvdJervs
Oct 10th, 2000, 04:06:09 AM
Much more impressive than someone holing themselves up in their room and having no social life whatsoever.
Cut me some slack. I live a fair way out of town and fuel prices have gone through the roof down under. :)

Oh, you weren't referring to me in particular. Never mind. :)

Jedieb
Oct 10th, 2000, 03:37:25 PM
I wasn't referring to ANYONE in particular. And stop lying jervs, we all know you Aussies are Crazy Party Freaks. The Foster commercials they play here in the U.S. have taught us well. ;)

jjwr
Oct 11th, 2000, 09:29:38 AM
Gotta love those Foster's commercials :)

CMJ
Oct 11th, 2000, 10:35:27 AM
Yes, I'm getting a little sad about the end being near. I have absolutely loved my college years...part of me doesn't want to graduate. Well the Homecoming Bonfire has been cancelled...so we're doing that damn light structure. Currently I'm trying to see if we can build the Stack for another game in November, when I'm sure the Ban will be lifted. I'm too stuborn to give up. My last Bonfire WILL happen!

DvdJervs
Oct 11th, 2000, 06:42:47 PM
The Foster commercials they play here in the U.S. have taught us well.
In a great twist of irony, Fosters is 'Aussie for beer' right throughout the world, except in Australia itself. :)

It's actually ranked only 3rd or 4th in terms of the most popular brand of beer down under. Go figure. :)