A return of St. Mary’s tradition Burgers with the Brothers

NEWS EDITOR – ASHTON JEFFERS

ORIGINALLY PRINTED ON SEPT 13, 2023

Burgers with the Brothers has been a long- held tradition at St. Mary’s, bringing students, faculty and the Marianist community together. Even during quarantine and recurrent rescheduling due to rain, Burgers with the Brothers is an ongoing event that continues to highlight the importance of connecting the St. Mary’s community, Marianists, and student leaders who are all heavily involved in the process of planning, coordinating, setting up and take-down the succesful event. As a staple event, many wonder where the tradition of Burgers with the Brothers began. A vital part of any community event is to be around friends and meet new acquaintances, especially when a campus cookout kicks off within the first few weeks of the fall semester. 

The preparation for the event is a rigorous one, undertaken by students passionate to carry on this St. Mary’s tradition. The following student leader groups include St. Mary’s SGA (Student Government Association) and MLP (Marianist Leadership Program), who both take on the cooking and planning for the event. The SGA and MLP are prominent student leadership organizations on campus, dedicating themselves to promoting student involvement, providing resources to represent student needs and addressing concerns on campus. MLP embodies student leadership through Marianist values of faith and service, which work to benefit the campus and the surrounding St. Mary’s community.

The groups handle food procurement, handling and preparation to feed the community. To prepare for the event, SGA and MLP store boxes upon boxes of chips, drinks, buns, and burger patties in Casa Maria. Fr. Mike Sullivan shares that the Marianists open up the space in Casa Maria to hold all the supplies that are needed for the event, stating that the student leaders use Casa Maria to prepare food prior to the event. The students utilize the kitchen to prepare watermelon and make sure that everything is set up and ready to hand out. Set-up this year has been especially difficult this year due to the hot summer weather in Texas. 

As a result, it has been crucial to have plenty of food and drink on hand for the event staff and attendees. Marianists and student leaders alike took turns serving food and drink, grilling the burgers on-site. Various students made routine checks, going back and forth to ensure that everything was well stocked and that those who were working hard had the opportunity to take breaks. Skilee Soto, a sophomore and SGA Student Development Chair, explained the importance of having Burgers with the Brothers continue as an ongoing staple event. “Keeping the brothers involved helps students get to know the Marianists,” Soto stated. “It’s a great way for students to interact with them and understand the Brothers as a campus resource.” Soto expresses her appreciation by participating in service events like Burgerswith the Brothers and by sharing that her role as Town Hall includes understanding student concerns and how to create discussions with other available campus resources. “Burgers with the Brothers really shows a small act of service is still a valuable act of service,” Soto continued. 

Without a doubt, Burgers with Brothers has connected generations of students, faculty and staff together. Br. Brian Zampier said that “This tradition is around 20 years old and continues to be strong.” He mentioned that Casa Tuesdays are another way for the Marianists to provide space for community gatherings with the students. The Marianists emphasize the student leadership aspect specifically. When asked about the early inception of Burgers with the Brothers, Fr. Sullivan said that it was “originally the idea of Steve Hemphill, Executive Director of the Development Office at St. Mary’s, who was the first SGA president to suggest the event that would be Burgers with the Brothers,” Fr. Sullivan stated.Burgers with the Brothers provides an opportunity to engage in good conversation over a meal with Marianist and student leaders. The experience will continue to encourage students to meet those who work to assist them in their academic endeavors in a fun and relaxed environment.