They meant that if you don't like it here you can leave the same way you got here. We didn't leave. We stayed because we wanted to be part of what we found there. I don't think that anyone feels like it's a good thing for a young person to die working on bonfire. Still, Aggies take risks to serve others.
Bonfire is a bonding experience like no other.
And I hope that the bonfire is preserved so that others can live the same way that so many have lived before them. I plan to be there next year. My heart goes out to the friends and families of the Aggies who were hurt last week. My heart also goes out to the people who don't understand our tradition of service and sacrifice. The latter group has lost more than the former, but they have a chance to change that.