Aggies can take on-campus Student Bonfire cut class for first time in 25 years

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – For the first time in a quarter of a century, the Student Bonfire cut class will be held on Texas A&M’s campus.

Cut class is an informational meeting where students are introduced to building a bonfire. Namely, bonfire leadership, and basic tasks and techniques. They will also get an overview of the policies and standards of each bonfire. All participants must attend at least one out of the two cut class meetings, even if they’ve participated in Student Bonfire before.

According to Texas A&M University, Student Bonfire is not a recognized student organization at this time, and the group doesn’t require the university administration’s approval to book an event at Rudder Tower.

The only part of the bonfire that will be on A&M’s campus is the cut class. Everything else will take place off campus.

This picture was taken at the 2023 Student Bonfire.

Senior Redpot for bonfire, Mason Taylor, told KBTX he was excited to be a part of Student Bonfire once again and is thrilled to bring cut class back to A&M’s campus.

“It’s super exciting,” Taylor said. “With all the hype surrounding the TU game, we managed to pull some strings around and finally bring it back to campus.”

Taylor said he and his fellow Redpot members did everything they could to bring Student bonfire back to A&M’s campus.

“After the University decided they weren’t going to do a bonfire on campus, we just kind of reached out and said, ‘hey, what do you think about us doing it at Rudder?’ And they sent it up the chain of command, and here we are,” shared Taylor.

Student Bonfire is held off campus. Back in June, President Mark Welsh said he looked forward to joining students at Bonfire Remembrance this year to honor those killed in the bonfire collapse on the 25th anniversary of their loss.

The bonfire Remembrance will be held on the polo fields at 2:42 a.m. on November 18.

Cut class in Rudder Auditorium will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 27 and 28 at 6:30 p.m.

On the night of the annual bonfire remembrance, current student bonfire participants stop working toward building that year’s stack so that they can attend the commemorating event. Each year, former Student bonfire leaders who have graduated come and protect the stack while current participants go and commemorate those they have lost.