The exact role performed by the Student Beach Resident Association eludes some students, Mirror interviews have shown.
“The SBRA plans the Nauts, Mock Wedding and probably would plan the Clam Jam if we had one,” said Mike Messenger ’05 when asked about SBRA.
However, this is a common misconception on campus-SBRA only plans the parties at the beach.
In fact, they do not. And the leadership of the organization is attempting to change their public profile.
So what does SBRA actually do?
“It is a resident life community just like RAZOR and UNITE,” said Duane Melzer, co-ordinator for off-campus events. “But, there is a common misconception about what the SBRA does or is supposed to be doing.”
“The SBRA focuses on programming and planning events for students,” added Melzer. “Such as community service, educational programs down the beach for people and give them the opportunity to take part in events out of beach area like trips to NYC, New Haven and Boston.”
However, SBRA is usually associated with drinking and parties at the beach, not community service and trips; a fact that the members of SBRA, Dean of Students Mark Reed and Melzer are trying to change.
Matt Coolidge ’04, SBRA co-president, said “We need to separate the SBRA from what goes on at the beach. There needs to be a distinction between what the school sponsors and what the students do.”
Reed, in a letter to Coolidge a few weeks ago, stressed the same point and advised Coolidge to talk to Melzer, the SBRA advisor.
“Reed was totally right, we do need a distinction but one of the problems it that, frequently, it is the same kids planning all the events and it can give us a bad image,” said Coolidge.
Along with the twofold leadership, according to Melzer, the SBRA also “needs to get away from the drinking culture and we need to change the misconception that the SBRA plans drinking events”.
He also wants the SBRA to continue to change its programming habits, as it has this past year.
In the past, the SBRA planned a few big events, like 200 Nights and the Mock Wedding.
“The 200 Nights is a senior event, not just a beach event, and the SBRA shouldn’t be taking such a big hit to fund it,” said Melzer, who, with Coolidge and Lauren Destefano ’04, the other SBRA president, helped to arrange for other councils to become involved this year and share the costs.
“The Mock Wedding also used to be an SBRA event,” he added. “But we are changing the culture and now there are certain things we don’t want SBRA people officially involved in.”
SBRA is like any other club on campus, except that it is for off-campus students and it has to follow all the rules and procedures outlined by the university.
According to these rules, no programming money can go to alcohol in any event affiliated with a university club or organization.
This would make planning the Nauts illegal for the SBRA.
The group would be “subject to penalties such as loss of funding, probation as a group for a period of time or being disbanded as a student group,” said Reed.
“The SBRA is sponsored by the school and we need to make it known that the Mock Wedding and the Nauts are totally separate,” said Coolidge.
“The people who live down at the beach year round are always looking for stuff to get us in trouble,” he said.
Leave a Reply