Faculty seek to curb bonfires

Franklin Street bonfires are a staple of victory celebrations, but some UNC faculty members want to extinguish the practice.

The Faculty Council unanimously passed a resolution Friday that encourages reform of the fiery celebration rituals, noting that the flames often cause severe injuries.

Although the resolution does not take any explicit action against the bonfires, it is a unified showing of opposition by UNC faculty.

The resolution was proposed by Bruce Cairns, director of the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center, and comes on the heels of the men's basketball team's victory against Duke University.

"We have a good team, and this will be an exciting basketball season," Cairns said. "Whatever we see now will be 10 times worse after a national championship."

After the national championship victory in 2005, 11 burn victims were seen in the UNC Hospital's emergency room. Their medical expenses ranged from $3,000 to $19,000.

Cairns said burns suffered while celebrating team victories are severe injuries that can cause serious setbacks.

The effort to curb these celebrations is not a recent development. The town looked at reforming the various Franklin Street festivities after the Apple Chill shooting in spring 2006.

But Chapel Hill Town Council members said they don't want to see the celebrations die down.

"The town, at least policy-wise, does not want to end the celebrations," Town Council member Mark Kleinschmidt said. "They are part of what makes our community an interesting place."

Kleinschmidt also said the town would prefer not to have the fires and would be willing to work with the University to reform the way student celebrate.

Cairns said much of the blame falls on the media, which he said has glorified the practice of jumping fires.

Council members and Cairns said that any conversation of changing the process needs to involve students. Students said the fires have become a tradition and enhance the victory celebrations.

"I don't know if they are really necessary, but they add a certain level of excitement to the celebrations," sophomore Andrew Heiser said.

Student Body President James Allred said the practice is not the best way of celebrating.

"I've been part of the crowd; I've been near the fires; but I've never been drunk enough to think that jumping over a fire was a good idea."

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.