By Maddy Isbell ‘22, Division of Student Affairs

After being involved with Texas A&M’s Student Bonfire, Adele Walker ’22 was compelled to write a letter dedicated to the students who lost their lives in the bonfire collapse of 1999. She left the letter at the Bonfire Memorial where the center pole stood, with no idea that it would be found and read. Her heartfelt letter is filled with appreciation and admiration for the students who were lost. I couldn’t help but shed tears as I read it. 

Because Adele is a senior, she knew that this year's Bonfire Remembrance would be her last, and wanted to do something special to express her emotions toward the tradition. The letter that she wrote reads, “I came here to talk to you at my lowest point, and you all responded. With positivity and love, I was comforted by each passage through the portals.” Adele expresses that she cried while writing the letter and was overwhelmed with grief and gratitude. 

“I wanted to express the thoughts that were going through my head as I went around and touched all of the portals and felt the energies of the souls lost to the collapse,” Adele said. “I wanted the love I expressed to be felt by people entering the spirit ring, so I thought it was right to leave it in the middle.”

A sacred tradition in Aggieland, Bonfire Remembrance draws thousands in the community, who  gather each November 18 to honor the lives of the students who were lost in the collapse. The ceremony takes place at the Bonfire Memorial, where a tribute to each fallen Aggie is displayed in a portal lit in golden light. Many students are passionate about the tradition and become involved through Student Bonfire, an organization started after the collapse in which students participate in building an off-campus bonfire. This organization serves as a living memorial to the fallen and injured Aggies. 

Adele became involved in Student Bonfire during her sophomore year, when she was elected chief. She continued to be part of the organization through her junior year. Being part of the bonfire added a sense of intimacy between her and the traditions at Texas A&M. Each year, she also attends Silver Taps and Muster.

“Initially, bonfire was a way for me to leave town and spend at least a day outside every week, but as I learned more about its origins, I fell more in love with it,” Adele explained. “The idea of building a living tribute to the students who died at the 1999 bonfire collapse was foreign, but it feels much more heartfelt than simply saying their names.”

Adele is grateful for the experiences and insight that being a part of Student Bonfire has provided her with. The friends she made in this organization during troubled times served as support and motivation to keep going.