Burn, baby, burn (safely)

Chaos reigned Wednesday night, when hundreds of students celebrated victory over the North Carolina with the burning of two benches-without a fire permit and contrary to Duke tradition.

Those who started the minibonfire must shoulder most of the blame, but some responsibility lies with the University for poor communication. Though the involved students ignored safety precautions and jeopardized future bonfires, a large part of the problem was lack of information. Wednesday's fire and its aftermath show the need for a clear, flexible and realistic bonfire policy.

The University failed to inform students of bonfire traditions and the need for a fire permit. Besides the fire after last year's women's basketball victory against UNC, many students had never witnessed a bonfire. Many underclassmen, especially, did not understand that fire permits were necessary and that students have traditionally only started fires after home victories against UNC and NCAA Championships.

Lack of communication pervaded the night-security personnel took no steps to prevent the blaze and firefighters doused students along with the fire without giving clear warning. Uninformed students also may not have understood that Wednesday's bonfire could mean that the Durham Fire Marshal will not issue a fire permit for the March 8 men's basketball game against UNC in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

If we fail to obtain a permit for the UNC home game, there will be major safety issues. The game is scheduled for the first day of Spring Break, and any celebration will be rowdy and alcohol-fueled. If we win this game, there will be a fire, permit or not-and the University must acknowledge this.

If we don't have a permit, alcohol, drought and poor organization will make this fire especially dangerous. Students may also feel tempted to light fires within smaller quads to avoid fire truck interference. This cannot happen; the fire needs to be organized and regulated. The University must work to provide students with a safe, central location to celebrate a controlled fire. If we fail to obtain the fire permit, the University needs to be prepared to deal with the safety issues that will arise.

Wednesday night's unregulated bonfire points to the necessity of a more flexible bonfire policy. The University needs to seek bonfire permits on a situational basis by gauging the level of student excitement. The pivotal nature of a game, the length of time between bonfires and high team rankings all can indicate whether or not the University should seek a permit for a game. Because we cannot count on all students to observe traditions or exercise restraint, we must have safety precautions in place.

Sports traditions evolve, and it's time we seek permits on a situational basis so that safety does not go up in smoke.