SUDS Closure Scheduled for February 13, 2010

It was quick, easy, and painless. Less than a half hour into the BUSU meeting on Wednesday February 3, a motion was passed to close SUDS. Grant Bastone, BUSU Vice President of Finance, put forth the motion to close SUDS for the remainder of the year. By a unanimous vote, with two members abstaining, the motion passed. After Friday, February 12, SUDS will be closed for the remainder of the year.

While presenting the motion, Bastone said that closing SUDS “is almost a necessity at this point” and that by closing, it will allow BUSU to “cut our losses and restructure the business model for the next year.” Word of the closure has already spread around campus and to Facebook, where a group had popped up earlier in the week called S.O.S. – Save our SUDS.

Though it seems like many students are concerned with the financial status of the failing business, many seem to understand the reasoning behind the decision to close the doors to SUDS. BUSU President Stephen Montague said in an email sent to all students that there will be opportunities for students to voice their questions and concerns, while also collecting student feedback. It is hoped that the SUDS board will call for a SUDS AGM before the end of the school year.

Montague reports that he has “already got some good messages from students. They seem understand of why we did what we did.” He also said that “BUSU will take its time developing some ideas, in order to create a result that students are pleased with.”

There are several ideas be floated around by student on campus already. One 3rd year student thought it would be for the best if we “locked the doors and threw away the key.” Saying that SUDS is a “financial burden that I really don’t feel should be supported with my student fees. Another student thought that a revamped SUDS would be a good idea: ``If SUDS was a little more comfortable, and a little quieter it would be a great place to study.”

Even with all of its issues, this years and in years past, the general feeling around campus is the loss of SUDS would be an unwelcome change and that something needs to be done before the September 2010 opening. The last social taking place in SUDS for the year is the BU Big Band social on Thursday, February 12th.