[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 23]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 31828-31829]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE SPIRIT OF AGGIELAND LIVES ON

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2007

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, College Station, Texas is the home of Texas A 
& M University, also known as Aggieland. Texas A & M was founded in 
1876, and was the first public institution of higher learning in the 
state of Texas. Although the education received at Texas A & M is of 
the highest caliber, it is not the only element that attracts 
prospective students to College Station for their college careers. It 
is the sense of belonging that is created at Texas A & M--the Spirit of 
Aggieland, that unique school spirit that sets Texas A & M apart from 
the rest.
  The spirit of Aggieland, besides being the alma mater of Texas A & M 
University, refers to the ``spirit that can ne'er be told.'' Many 
people have described Texas A & M as having a unique school spirit that 
``From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. And

[[Page 31829]]

from the inside looking out you can't explain it.'' What has helped 
develop this sentiment is the time honored traditions that Aggies 
everywhere hold dear. Such traditions include Midnight Yell Practice, 
12th Man, Yell Leaders, Reveille, Muster, Silver Taps, and Gig'Em. And 
one of the most notable traditions is Aggie Bonfire.
  Bonfire is built every year and lit before the big football game 
against the University of Texas Longhorns, or ``t.u.'' as the Aggies 
call them. Bonfire is meant to symbolize the burning desire to beat the 
University of Texas in the annual football game. The first Bonfire 
built in 1909 was a heap of trash and debris. By 1969 the stack of logs 
set a record for the height of a bonfire at 109 feet, 10 inches. There 
have only been 2 years when bonfire did not burn as scheduled. The 
first was 1963, the year President Kennedy was assassinated. As a sign 
of respect, the students dismantled the stack. Head Yell Leader, Mike 
Marlow explained, ``It is the most we have and the least we can give.'' 
The other year was 1999, when at 2:42 am on November 18th the 40 ft 
high stack consisting of 5,000 logs collapsed killing 12 people and 
injuring 27 others.
  It was in dealing with this tragedy that the true strength of Texas A 
& M emerged. Rescue workers were on the scene within minutes of the 
collapse. The entire Texas A & M football team and many members of the 
Corps of Cadets rushed to the site to assist in manually removing the 
logs. An official memorial service was held in Reed Arena less than 17 
hours after the collapse. Over 16,000 mourners gathered to pay tribute 
to those who had died and those who spent all day trying to rescue the 
injured. At the end of the ceremony, the crowd spontaneously stood, 
linked arms, and started singing Amazing Grace.
  Eric Opiela, Vice President of the Student Government of The 
University of Texas at Austin, attended the memorial service, and 
described the scene saying, ``Aggieland is a very special place, with 
special people. It is infinitely better equipped than us at dealing 
with a tragedy such as this for one simple reason. It is a family. It 
is a family that cares for its own, a family that reaches out, a family 
that is unified in the face of adversity; a family that moved this 
Longhorn to tears.''
  It is this same sense of unity and family that has compelled current 
Aggies to continue their tradition of Bonfire. Though the event is now 
held off campus and not sponsored by the University the passion lives 
on. And so, on this 8th anniversary of the Texas A & M Bonfire 
collapse, we pay tribute to the Spirit of Aggieland. May it continue to 
mystify us, dazzle us, and thrive forever.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________