“Bonfire”d up for Homecoming

The largest hand-built bonfire will be lit tonight as an ongoing tradition at Rose-Hulman Homecoming. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni will gather around the bonfire as they share stories and watch the 300 untreated railroad ties burn.

Photo: Albert Mui Freshmen from around campus have been working steadily, building the traditional bonfire layer by layer in anticipation of Homecoming whose opening pep rally is tonight at 8:30 p.m. in Cook Stadium.

The origins of the bonfire are still fuzzy, but Director of Residence Life Erik Hayes has spent many hours researching the history of the bonfire. In the 1920s, students had a big fire at Halloween, where students met at 9th St. and Walnut St. back when Rose Poly was still in Terre Haute. In the 1940’s, the bonfire became a large telephone pole with an outhouse placed at the top. “Students would pile all of their old lab materials around it,” mentioned Hayes. The bonfire was also constructed with railroad ties.

1962 was the last year that the telephone pole was used, and in 1963, a central pillar of wood was constructed and this is where the outhouse is placed to this day. Hayes mentioned that the students numbered every row of railroad ties they had constructed. When asked about the outhouse, “[It’s] the home of the sophomores,” explained Hayes. The freshman and sophomores had an intense rivalry for many years where the sophomores would tear the bonfire down and make the freshmen rebuild it.

In 1996, the SRC was constructed on the original site for the bonfire and the tradition was in jeopardy. 5 RAs and Hayes confronted Dr. Hulbert and asked for the tradition to continue if they could raise the money for it and find a spot for it to sit. And how were they able to raise money for the bonfire? “We sold T-shirts to pay for the railroad ties,” said Hayes.

Every year, Rose-Hulman has to apply for a permit in order to burn the bonfire. “Vigo County Air Pollution Control Center inspects the bonfire to make sure it is less than 1000 cubic feet in size,” explained Hayes. He also mentioned that they submit a report which fully documents everything about the bonfire, even Solid Edge drawings of what it could look like.

When asked if the bonfire would be lit again with fuses thrown in by students, Hayes said there is a new lighting system. He mentioned that it would be a surprise for all the students and he said it will even be a surprise for him.

The biggest part of the bonfire is the impact it has on the students and their memories. “Bonfire is tradition, bringing everybody back together is what makes it sweet,” said Senior Electrical/Mechanical Engineer Lon Farr. “Wandering around after it’s lit…by the light of the bonfire…[you] get to see all the people you haven’t seen in a while,” explained Lon. “[It is a] great way to burn a whole bunch of stuff.”

When asked about his memories of the bonfire raids, “I remember guarding it when I was a freshman and an SA. I’m proud to say nothing happened to the bonfire on my night,” remarked Lon. He also said that the bonfire raids are not so much about destroying the bonfire, but more about making the freshmen guard the bonfire and keeping the tradition of the raids alive with the freshmen.