Good news for Fairfield seniors and beach residents. A successor to the 100 Nights senior party has been announced, and the beach tradition known as The Naut will soon be back.

Seniors have a reputation to uphold when it comes to various traditions. In the past, the difficult task of planning events has bounced continuously among the Student Beach Resident Association (SBRA), the FUSA class council and anonymous students who have assumed responsibility and privately plan individual events.

For FUSA members, Senior Night Out is an event that many hope will become a new tradition. It is also the last major FUSA event of the year besides Senior Week.

For Senior Night Out, 300 tickets have been sold and buses will depart from Alumni Hall on Saturday, Feb. 9. The event’s location will not be disclosed ahead of time to prevent students from driving themselves.

“The class council is excited about this last event,” said Logan Carr ’08, class council treasurer. “We hope that it will be well-attended, and it is a great chance for our class to come together.”

Traditionally, seniors have celebrated their numbered days at Fairfield with a mystery bar event.

In 2006, the University’s cancellation of the annual 200 Nights celebration left seniors without any countdown-to-graduation bash until a senior stepped in and organized 100 Nights in its place.

Both on- and off-campus residents said they are pleased that FUSA has stepped up this year to plan a comparable senior event.

“I haven’t attended many University events in the past, but the idea of the event being held at a mystery bar is good. It’s cool that the school is doing something for us to party,” said Chuck Cormay ’08, a beach resident.

While the class council is taking matters into its own hands to plan the mystery bar event, an anonymous group of students is stepping up to plan this year’s Naut.

The Naut is a series of parties that commemorate and celebrate the remaining weeknights of senior year.

Traditionally, The Naut was organized by SBRA. However, because the University provides SBRA funding, all beach events must receive approval by Dean of Students Tom Pellegrino. SBRA is no longer allowed to host events like The Naut, which have not been approved because it is perceived that their sole purpose is drinking alcohol.

“Programming funds are to be used for events that have something other than alcohol as their primary or sole focus,” said Pellegrino.

According to Pellegrino, The Naut is simply an opportunity for students to go to different locations on the beach to drink.

“While students are free to privately engage in this activity if that is what they really wish to do, it is not something the University sponsors,” he said.

Due to restrictions on SBRA activities, events must be planned by students who have no SBRA affiliation.

“There is no official list of rules that tells SBRA what we’re allowed to do and not do,” said Erin Hickey ’08, SBRA president. “The school handles each event on an individual basis, and we never know whether we’ll get their approval or not.”

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