On Tuesday, Florida Atlantic University students danced beneath colorful spotlights at Bounce nightclub in Delray Beach, as live music echoed throughout the venue while they listened to their peers perform on stage.
Strike Magazine Boca and Hoot/Wisdom Recordings collaborated to throw a live music night at Bounce in efforts to “Bring Back the Burrow.”
Students in attendance had the chance to hear artists from Hoot/Wisdom and experience a high-energy atmosphere, like what was once offered at the Burrow on FAU’s Boca Raton campus.
The Burrow Bar & Grill, once located in the Student Union where the current e-sports arena and gaming center resides, was a space for live music, food, and entertainment, but saw its last group of students on December 2, 2018, before its closure and demolition.
Strike and Hoot/Wisdom held the event to revive the “band culture” the Burrow fostered and to bring FAU students together, according to Allison May, Strike’s external director and assistant editor-in-chief.
Performing on stage were Rinnah Mesadieu, Nate Banks, Patricia Jansheski, and Bibi Saboia, all artists with Hoot/Wisom.
After singing popular covers like “You Should Probably Leave” by Chris Stapleton and “You Look Like You Love Me” by Ella Langley and Riley Green, musicians Jansheski and Nate Banks stepped off the stage and spoke to the University Press about their mission.
Jansheski, Hoot/Wisdom president and digital assistant for Strike, said she hopes students at the event will advocate amongst themselves for the Burrows’ return.
Banks recognized the opportunity to perform at the event and appreciated the exposure, saying he would absolutely perform at the Burrow if brought back to campus.
Abi Granera is the head of event management for Hoot Wisdom and spent the night getting students hyped for the performers that took the stage.
“Having the Burrow was a great place for different people to connect through music, through community, and have a good time,” said Granera.
Granera shares that the event was meant to show students and administrators that the university could bring back the Burrow and that it would be successful. “We can replicate this same atmosphere at a Burrow in school,” said Granera.
Angelina Bonis, campus action chair at FAU, was one of the visionaries behind the event, helping Strike and Hoot/Wisdom score the opportunity to host at Bounce.
Bonis explained that, with her push to create the Student Union Advisory Board under Lance Moore, the current campus governor, bringing back the Burrow could be a reality next year.
Every year, there are promises made to bring back the Burrow, but Bonis shares this year will be different: “When someone doubts me, I push for it.”
Jansheski and Alejandro Sanchez authored a bill sponsored by Bonis and Boca House speaker, Jack Nixon, proposing that FAU bring back a space like the Burrow, requesting that the university find a location and provide the necessary equipment, including a petition with over 400 signatures.
The resolution was passed by the Boca House of Representatives on Jan. 16.
Enrique Toro-Mendez, Boca House secretary, and Nixon also attended the event to show their support.
Toro-Mendez shares that this initiative won’t happen overnight, but if Student Government continues to apply pressure and allows Hoot/Wisdom to promote themselves and their case, it will only help make bringing back the Burrow a reality.
“We love the ‘Bring Back the Burrow’ movement and definitely want to work with them to create a space for students to be able to have a place for community, music, and other student performances on campus,” wrote Ellie Raab, SG director of governmental relations and incoming student body vice president.
Ava Hilton is the News Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or direct message Hilton on Instagram @a.vahilton10.
