Smoking table goes up in flames

By Ilona Meilekh

On March 7 at around 3 a.m. Tim Burns, a freshman from Mcalester, Okla., and Tia Ezell, a freshman from Yoder, were walking on campus when they saw that the smoker's table was on fire.

“It smelled like gasoline or something,” said Burns. “I saw a big burning square in the center [of the table], as if somebody poured stuff on it in order to make this square shape.”

“The benches were thrown around and they were on fire. We pulled one of them out. Then we called Mark [Smith, resident director] because we were afraid the mulch was going to burn,” said Ezell.

Resident Directors Mark Smith and Amber Chalashtari came to put out the fire.

After nine buckets of water, the fire was out. Nevertheless, the table and three of the four benches burnt down completely. The cause of the fire remains unclear.

Though Burns and Ezell said they smelled gas, Maintenance identified no obvious signs of arson. They said that other possible causes could be lightning or trash stuffed into the butt container that was placed in the center of the table. This trash might have caught fire from the butts and spread to the table and the benches.

The table was built eight years ago. “The residence life team built three of those tables and benches to put them outside of Haury Hall,” said Bill Born, the associate dean for Student Life at the time and one of the constructors.

In 2001, a location on campus was designated for smokers. “One of those tables with a couple of those benches were moved to serve that purpose,” said Born.

Since then, the table has become a part of Bethel's cultural life by providing a place of gathering for people.

“It's the only place where you can sit outside comfortably,” said Charles Schrag, a senior from Freeman, S.D.

Senior Jonathan Nathan, Moundridge, along with Schrag and their 7C modmates, found an original way of paying the table its last respects.

“We decided that we should have a memorial service for the table,” said Schrag.

“It was such a big part of the community;” said Nathan, explaining this decision.

A jar with the ashes of the table received its place of honor in the lounge of 7C.

“We gathered some of the ashes, and they are sitting right here in the tin can,” said Schrag. In order to replace the burnt table, students brought another table from Haury Hall. Just a few weeks later, the second table was partially demolished by unknown vandals. Its benches were placed in trees.

To prevent further demolition, Maintenance removed the table and the benches and put them in storage. Student Life said that no new table would be provided this semester. However, they are planning on purchasing a concrete table for fall semester.