After last year’s difficulties finding a location for the vaunted event, it seems like immense effort would have gone into planning this year’s Bermuda Shorts Day. Sadly, that isn’t the case.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Gauntlet learned that a significant oversight within the BSD planning committee resulted in a failure to submit a liquor license application before the March 7 deadline. Last minute scrambling was subsequently unable to ameliorate the situation and so BSD will be dry this year.
As the most far-reaching student-focused event of the academic year, it is ridiculous that such an oversight could have occurred. The misstep is significant indication that those responsible for raising and maintaining campus spirit don’t give a damn about campus spirit.
One source close to the planning committee speculated the error might have been at the behest of someone within the committee who “frowned upon” students behaving in typical BSD fashion. But the Gauntlet has since come to understand that this particular source, whom we are unable to name, was likely the catalyst behind this calamity.
Whatever the actual details behind the bungle, it remains the case that this is the single biggest error to take place this school year.
Attempting to rectify the craven situation, the planning committee is rushing to arrange programming students can enjoy even absent liquor. A number of high-profile bands have been suggested, as has setting up a large projector to air the entire sixth season of Entourage. But while these may seem to be good ways to deal with a tough situation, there is considerable difficulty in their implementation.
Because most of the money used to run BSD comes from beer sales, this year’s event faces tremendous financial trouble. In fact, in order to run the alternative plans, the planning committee would be forced to either charge for entry to the event — which seems a particularly stupid way of attracting people to a parking lot — or return to the quality money well.
Interestingly, some of the criticism directed against the original accessing of quality money for BSD would fail to apply this time around. Many had problems justifying tuition dollars being used to subsidize an event some students were uncomfortable attending, but now that BSD will be dry, there should be no problem with this sort of exclusion. That said, student money should not be tapped for this masquerade. It was only when BSD was the properly maniacal celebration of the end of another hard year that it was capable of drawing students together. Sad as it will be, the best plan is for the planning committee to stick with it’s original scheme, and leave the rest up to students — don’t forget your “water bottle.”*
*The Gauntlet apologizes to all who read this article after noon on April 1.