By Rory Dulock | Staff Writer
Despite the popularity of beloved homecoming traditions like the bonfire and the parade, such events may also raise questions about environmental concerns.
Alan Northcutt, director of Waco Friends of the Climate, said his organization aims to help and educate the Waco area about addressing climate issues and environmental concerns. Northcutt said the bonfire in particular could have negative environmental effects.
“Certainly, a bonfire releases greenhouse gases,” Northcutt said. “There are emissions from that. Wood is probably the least toxic, but if people are throwing things like plastic in, that is more toxic.”
According to Baylor’s guidelines for the bonfire, only approved materials are used in its construction and preparation on Fountain Mall. The guidelines are based on recommendations from the Waco Fire Marshal, the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the Baylor Department of Public Safety and the Baylor Department of Environmental Health.
Besides greenhouse gas emissions and health risks, Northcutt said he is concerned about the bonfire because Waco has been in a drought. McLennan County was recently under a burn ban, but it was lifted on Sept. 15.
“The other thing is we’re still in a drought,” Northcutt said. “We had some rain, so I don’t know what level we’re at. But before the rain, we were at the highest level of drought. … I just have to wonder if it would be a little bit risky at that. It’s still pretty dry in Waco, I think.”
According to Baylor’s guidelines, at least six fire extinguishers are required at the bonfire, and the Waco Fire Department extinguishes the flames at the end of the event.
Ladera Ranch, Calif., freshman Cami Adams said she believes the bonfire is worth doing.
“I want to do the bonfire tradition because I think it’s a very important tradition and because of how iconic it is,” Adams said. “I’m excited to see what it’s all about. It’s a rite of passage, I guess, as a Baylor student. I heard that in the past, the grass has caught on fire around the fire. But I think it’ll be fun. It’ll be fine.”
Northcutt said there could be alternatives to the bonfire in order to eliminate the risks while maintaining the tradition.
“I don’t know if I have an alternative to the bonfire, unless you did something with maybe LED lights and created some kind of cool light sculpture or something like that,” Northcutt said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of students who know a lot about electronics, and maybe some artists could be involved. If you made something with lights, it could even simulate a fire. That’s just a thought. It would have less environmental impact, and LED lights don’t use much power at all.”
In addition to the bonfire, Adams said she is excited to participate in the other Baylor Homecoming traditions.
“I know it’s Halloween, so that will be fun too,” Adams said. “And then the football game will be exciting. Hopefully, we win. And then my friends are going [to] be on the country line dance float, so it will be fun seeing them go by.”
In order for an organization to have its float included, it must abide by the Baylor Homecoming Parade Handbook.
“Any decorations or debris falling off the floats should be picked up by the organization and not left to litter campus, city or county roads,” the handbook reads.
As for the parade floats, Northcutt said they could have harmful environmental impacts if not disposed of properly.
“You should definitely recycle what you have left over,” Northcutt said. “I would really recommend that. I don’t know if y’all have taken time doing this in the past. I think recommending that they carefully try to recycle the components that they can — you know, obviously paper, cardboard, metal. If there’s any metal involved, there’s the City of Waco, the Cobbs Recycling Center, and there’s also a place called Lipsitz [where you can take metal to be disposed of properly].”
Northcutt said he hopes there will be greater awareness of the environmental concerns related to Baylor Homecoming traditions in order to “address the really big issues on campus.”
