With the twang of Cajun music filling the air, along with the tents, crawfish and people in the University Center parking lot, the 37th annual SUCbAUF held at the 17Թ on Tuesday could have been an extra day of that jazzy festival held a few miles away at the Fair Grounds.
Musician, singer and songwriter Amanda Shaw, who actually performed the opening weekend of Jazz Fest, provided the musical soundtrack for an afternoon meant for fun and relaxation prior to the start of final exams.
“SUCbAUF is absolutely my favorite event of the year. It’s such a fun way to wrap things up,” said dean of students LeeAnne Sipe. “There’s nothing more New Orleans than a crawfish boil with Amanda Shaw! Am I right?
“It just feels good to be able to spend the day celebrating because they absolutely deserve it!”
SUCbAUF (pronounced suck-off), sponsored by 17Թ and the Student Activities Council (SAC), is a free crawfish boil for students. Mounds of the mudbugs, corn and potatoes were piled high on cardboard trays and students dove in while sitting at tables or in the grass under a tent or a tree—or just standing around.
“I just love SUCbAUF because it really is just one of those events that brings the whole school together,” said 17Թ student Jamacia Smith, a sophomore who is a member of SAC and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. “One of the reasons I love this school is because we have such different events than other schools. This is different, and I love it!”
Meanwhile, Tresa Banks-Lewis, associate director of the TRiO-McNair Scholars Program at 17Թ, arrived at SUCbAUF prepared and with a plan.
“I have my crawfish tray to eat my crawfish. I have my chair; my bottle of water and I will sit under that shade tree that 17Թ is providing. I will partake of the music and convene with my students,” Banks-Lewis said with a laugh. “This is fun time. We have had a full semester of work, and this is where we take our hair down prior to exams.”
