"It used to be just piles," remarked Stephen Erickson, the adult supervisor of construction for the 2003 Homecoming bonfire. For as long as any living alumni can recall, the bonfire has been one of the most sacred Dartmouth traditions. While its shape and form have changed over the years, its legacy has endured.
Erickson has supervised the bonfire construction for six years. He said that students endure the brunt of the work, and willingly labor simply to be a part of the tradition. Erickson likes to play a minimal role in the entire process, leaving it to students to hail success.
"Hopefully, if it works out perfectly, I can just sit back and watch," Erickson said.
Over the past years, enormous pressure has been placed on Dartmouth and other schools to question the safety of such bonfire traditions.
In 1999, when 12 Texas A&M students died in the collapse of their bonfire, Dartmouth immediately responded by thoroughly reviewing its bonfire safety and construction policies. The College hired an engineering consulting firm, which supervised the construction of the 2000 bonfire and recommended new regulations and precautions to avoid any such disaster at Dartmouth. The changes included banning students from climbing the bonfire and employing more advanced construction mechanisms.
Construction of the bonfire began yesterday at 7 a.m, when Erickson personally laid the foundation. At 8 a.m., the first group of freshmen arrived to build the bonfire from the ground up. Upper-class students oversee the construction of the bonfire and wield most of the control during construction.
When asked whether this year's bonfire might not collapse before the crowd because of wet, recently-cut wood, Erickson said he was not concerned. According to Erickson, the bonfire is being constructed with wood cut at the appropriate time, though it was milled late because of complications with wood shipments to Iraq. Erickson said that no one should be concerned.
The bonfire celebration on the Green is the culmination of the a sequence of events: the freshman sweep, the homecoming parade and the rally outside Dartmouth Hall. David Zubricki '07 and Esther Perlman '07, co-chairs of the 2007 Class Council Bonfire Committee, oversee the entire logistical web of the bonfire, beginning with the sweep and culminating with the bonfire rubble. Zubricki said that the pressure was intense, but the venue incredibly rewarding.
"Here we are, freshmen in every sense of the word, and we're in charge of this enormous tradition. It's great!" Zubricki said.
Some 10,000 people, including current students, will gather in Hanover to celebrate the Homecoming festivities. The bonfire event is unique in that visitors from across the Upper Valley gather with their families to join the Dartmouth community.
The Hanover Police, the Hanover Fire Department and Dartmouth Safety & Security will be out in force to ensure that those in attendance abide by regulations and that students behave in an orderly manner, without endangering anyone or themselves.
