Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: News

Media Credit: File Photo--The Battalion [Click to enlarge]

Texas A&M students will have the opportunity to voice opinions on the future of Bonfire through an open forum today.

"The objective for this open forum is to initiate a discussion on Bonfire that focuses on bringing students together on this issue; far too often, students do not have enough information or a proper facility to bring very polarized sides of this tradition together," said Speaker of the Senate Michele Breaux. "As student representatives, we feel it is our duty to listen to their concerns and take the lead in creating an overall plan that expresses all students' opinions."

The forum will open with students' questions about the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Bonfire Report of the 1999 collapse. The rest of the forum will then be centered on listening to student responses. Aggies will have the opportunity to explain the meaning of Bonfire in their own lives and Aggieland and to provide personal input on the final decision of Bonfire.

The forum is meant to foster discussion and is not meant to direct policy at this time.

"The main take away from this meeting will be ideas; no plan of action will be decided on until after the remembrance ceremony," Breaux said. "We only want to encourage students to take an active role in this process."

The forum will take place from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday in Koldus 144. All students are invited and encouraged to attend.

"The most important thing we want the student body to know is that we understand that Bonfire is of major importance to this University," Breaux said. "No matter what its future is, we will fight to make sure student's voices are heard."

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