The tower was the site of the last major catastrophe to hit a Texas college campus, the 1966 attack by sniper Charles Whitman that killed 14 people and left 31 injured. Gov. George W. Bush, speaking on the Cable News Network, had a hard time keeping his composure during an interview. There's this great support group. The downside to that close-knit atmosphere is that almost every student on campus will have a personal friend who's been impacted by this tragedy. Thompson deflected questions about the bonfire's safety.
Students also get safety training before they take part in cutting the lumber.
Most training is done by seniors who have worked on the project for three or four years, Thompson said. This was a freak accident. It's the second time the event won't be held. The 1963 bonfire was canceled after President Kennedy's assassination. In 1994, the bonfire, leaning badly, was intentionally torn down and rebuilt.