A Rose-Hulman tradition is about to go up in smoke again. It’s getting closer to Homecoming, and the Rose-Hulman bonfire is beginning to take shape.

According to Chris Krapfl, Resident Assistant of Skinner Hall and bonfire organizer, the stack is currently six feet tall. Krapfl has set a goal of at least 30 feet to be reached before it is lit two weeks from today. More student involvement is needed in order to attain the great height.

Building the bonfire is a fun team effort. Gary Pool and Mike Bach, Resident Assistants of Speed, are recruiting students to help lay the logs of history. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people and continue a great Rose-Hulman tradition.

According to tradition, an outhouse is placed on top of the completed bonfire structure. Once the fire begins, if the outhouse falls straight down into the blaze, Rose-Hulman is to win the football game on Homecoming.

In previous years, the Terre Haute Fire Department supervised the bonfire. However, they would not issue a permit for the fire of such a large magnitude. Fortunately, the Seelyville Volunteer Fire Department granted a permit for what may be the largest blaze that Rose has even seen; even airplanes at the local airport will need to be diverted away from the smoke.

Traditionally, the bonfire is lit the night before Homecoming after the pep-rally. Fireworks will follow the start of the conflagration. Some students even try to run around the fire, but the intense heat is a good deterrent for the “fire runners.” With the help of the students, it looks like this year’s bonfire will be the largest in Rose-Hulman history.

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